The guards were undoubtedly not gentle with me as they dragged my limp body across the dirt. The pain was nominal, I couldn’t care less about that. I was so damn happy that I would never set foot in that swirling void ever again, well until they needed me to get thrown back. Though I know what awaits me there, I rather fight till the death in an already losing match, than walk back in there willingly. As they dragged me I couldn’t help but notice the complete lack of slaves I saw. ‘Wait, what did that red beard say again? Whoever survives?” I guess not many survive that infernal hellhole.
While I was getting my VIP service, we passed by the guards’ hold. It was the only logical choice because I can see elves and some humans drinking in their separate groups around the encampment. “Was there a stigma between humans and elves?” Katlyn was into that stuff and from what I remember, she always told me that elves usually reside in forests and were like the tree huggers we see in the city occasionally. From what I know about humans, they are mostly greedy and selfish, so those two do not go together I suppose. I had the thought of asking the elven guards, but their faces underneath the helmets told me that I probably shouldn’t, well if I wanted to keep some more skin unbruised that is.
‘Man, what the hell is this?’ I wondered. This was like one of Nic’s DND sessions. I thought back to the online/real hybrid sessions during high school. I smirked, as I remembered that all I wanted in that universe he created was a flying ship. I almost lost myself to despair as I remembered that I had a lot of stuff to do during the season when we started the adventure. I always either had to cancel last minute or had to entirely be gone for sometimes a month. I could understand that he felt hurt that I couldn’t play. Ah, well, I wonder how that Texas fucker is doing anyway?
Spacing out and reminiscing was cut short when the guards started to slow down. I was confused because it looks like we just stopped right in front of one of the many rocky outfaces of the mountain. The guard said something I could only guess as elvish while he held up his right hand to wave to the rocky wall. I almost laughed when the elf spoke. ‘I guess Elvish sounds like the 1940’s German.’ My face started to turn a little red from keeping that laughter inside of me. Though that laughter turned into curiosity and awe, as the rocky slanted mountain faded and was cut out like a glitch. What was replaced in its stead was some wooden gate that was surrounded by some routine defenses to at least keep unwanted people out.
The gate opened and three similarly dressed guards appeared from within the gate. One was a fellow elven guessing from the ears that pointed from his helmet. The other two were humans that looked at the guards holding me with warm smiles. One of the humans that looked like he was from Scotland Yard pointed at me.
“So, is this our newest contestant?”
“I believe so, the captain ordered that he was to get special treatment for surviving the mine’s feeding.”
I stayed silent watching the conversation on my knees, though when he said that I survived the mine the human and the elf in front looked shocked and glanced at me.
“Here I thought you were bringing us some more canon fodder for our enjoyment. Though I guess you brought a betting piece, eh?”
The other human said after the noticeable silence. The guard to the right of me started to chuckle.
“Gunter, you know that I already spent a week's worth of pay, because of that bitch you brought in.”
“Oh, what the Catkin?” Gunter said while purveying a eat shit grin. “Well, maybe you will have a better chance with uhhh.” Gunter started to glance at me and looked back at the guard. “What is he by the way? He looks human, but his skin looks like a sandy shore. Not to mention the tattoos covering his face.”
“Gunter, can you please let us in so I can go back to the tavern, it is hot out here.” The guard to the left of me interjected to move the pleasantries under the rug.
“Sure, sure,” Gunter said while holding his hands to calm him or accept his complaining. “But come on Tilar. At least come see a match or two and better yet, bet on some of them as well. The more guards we start to invite the more we don’t have to hide this with the higher-ups eh?”
The guards that were holding me let go of my arms and I felt my body finally freed from their metal grip. I massaged my arms where they were holding. ‘Damn, these guys never even changed their grip.’ I grimaced.
“Gunter I am not carrying him inside as well, the bar can only hold my favorite seat for so long.”
“Fine Tilar, have it your way.” Gunter started to make shooing gestures toward Tilar.
Tilar started to walk away with the other guard that pulled me from the mine. Though when they left it was as if I knew that instead of fear of the caves, this Gibson was to be bloodier by the way the guards were talking to each other. ‘Gladiator fights?’ I wondered, I mean I always wanted to see some in action, but certainly not in one. I wanted to at least try to run, but I knew that it was useless. From what I saw before I went into the mine, the whole area was surrounded by spiked wooden walls that ended on the sides of the mountain.
“I’ll carry him, Gunter.” The elf between the humans spoke as she started to walk toward me.
Out of reaction I kinda backed away from the elf as she started to walk. Noticing the reaction from me the guard sighed and looked back at Gunter and whispered something to him. Whatever the guard whispered to Gunter he nodded back and looked at me with a focused glare. His eyes started to glow a bit like one of those eye illusion things while murmuring some words to himself. I thought the guy was having a stroke as I looked toward the other guards to see their reaction, but they were staying where they are it looks like they back up behind the gate. Gunter stopped muttering and suddenly pointed at me with force.
All of a sudden it was as if I stayed up for a thousand suns and an infinite amount of nights. My eyelids did no longer obey me as they started to fall on me. I tried to slap myself at least but my body was weighed down by something invisible. Before my eyes succumbed to darkness the guard that whispered to Gunter started to walk towards me again.
….
….
Dazed is what my body told me as I sat up and groaned, cupping my hands to my face. Looking around me, I found myself in a cell. “Of fucking course, at least I am not in those god-forbidden tunnels anymore.” ‘Anything is better than that shitty place.’ I shudder at the thought. I stood up ignoring the pain of my bruised body. Casting the feeling aside I began to explore the large cell, the bars were solid steel that felt cold to the touch. There was no toilet by my standards, only a large pot that was in the closest corner of the cell. Straw was strewn about the cell, and the only other thing in the room was a pile of fur in the corner. ‘I guess that is the linens for the cold, uhm, what the hell is this floor anyway?’
The ground was like concrete, but could still leave marks upon it like foam, of course, the more I pressed the floor would still rise back up. I walked to the bars and tried to look outward to see if I can get my bearings. A torch was the only thing that lit up the hallway attached to the right of my cell. From what I could tell more cells stretched along the hallway until the bars prohibited my sight. Feeling trapped I backed away from the bars until I hit my head on the other cemetery wall with a thud. I slid my back down the wall as pain ached in the back of my head. Hitting the ground, I curled up my knees and muttered, “Can’t get any worse than this.”
“Oh, it will.”
I slowly turned my head toward the origin of the noise. Not that I was scared or anything, I was just well… done. I literally could not be any more surprised. Although, that instantly vanished as emerald eyes stared at me from the corner of the room. The pile of fur that I glanced over because of the dim light shuffled. The figure started to stretch up and from what I could tell that shit wasn’t human as I backed away slowly until I was in my corner.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
“What the hell are you?” I stated while trying to figure out if this thing was a friend or foe.
“A slave, just like you.” The silhouette said while walking toward the bars illuminating itself. Revealing that the figure was covered ear to toe in black and white fur. If anything it looked like a cat took a humanoid shape.
“Oh, Uhm, I mean what race? Sorry I just never seen a…er well what you are.”
“You have never seen a half-kin before.” The cat-looking figure looked at me with those weird green-colored eyes. It started to walk toward the opposite wall and sat down opposing me.
“I have while I was here, but no, where I’m from you look like a house cat.”
“No idea what that species is but, I am from the cat-kins.” The voice sounded feminine so I guess she was female. Though after she said that phrase, it was like she was reading my face for an expression.
“Okay, are part animal slash human oorrrrr?” I try to lead on that I still have no idea what the hell that is either.
“You never heard of the catkins? The horrid betrayal?” She emphasized her words to convey that this was general knowledge.
“No, I'm not from around here.”
She gave me a squint as she retreated to her corner.
“Look, uhm, I’m gonna be honest. I am a person who woke up about two or three days ago. I have no memory of who I am or where I am. Hell, I don’t know that I am a human anymore.”
I know I should keep this information to myself, because I do not in the least want to have more attention to myself. However, I was almost eaten by a fucking huge centipede and was teleported to some kind of meeting with ghosts just to be woken back up to be thrown in some kind of prison. So I am sorry that I can’t hold all this in.
“What do you mean that you don’t know anything?” Her glare was weirdly cartoonish as if her emerald eyes glowed in the dark.
…sigh… “All I know so far is that I woke up and some dwarf engulfed my arm in some weird flame….” I gave her a little rundown of what had happened in my little escapade. “That was when I found some sort of purple glow in a tunnel ahead of me. Dragging myself toward it, I fell into some water where I found the purple glow to be an object floating in between two pillars.”
I left out the parts where I was from another planet and was teleported to a table full of specters. I wanted to tell her, but I did not want to think that I was crazy. ‘Well, at least not Joker insane.’
She took the information that I barely believed myself and just didn’t make a facial gesture in any part of my explanation. Though I wanted to vent and she was trapped with me in this cell so, sucks for you I guess.
“Well, if what you say is true then I can answer what I can for you, but do not bombard me with them.”
I wanted to spill a bucket of questions over her head, though I do not want to piss off a humanoid version of a cat. ‘I can only think of how sharp her claws can be.’ I had an instant flashback to a time when there was an orange cat at the orphanage. It never liked me and always clawed at me any chance I got near it.
“Okay, what language are we conversing in?”
“It is a mix of the early empire with the modern human empire. Though “we” other species just call it common.”
“Speaking of the humans, what am I?” I gesture myself, giving myself a fast twirl as well.
“No, you are probably a variant.”
I never really felt different, but to have some clarity that I was not human kinda made me feel displaced. ‘I mean it doesn’t bother me, but on the other hand, it’s just weird.
“Though you should already know that. The system should tell you that in your personal index, she said while inspecting her fingers.”
“ Uhm, what? ”
She looked at me, clearly seeing that I have no idea what the fuck she was talking about. She sighed heavily. I could tell that the bucket has now turned into a sea.
“In common it roughly translates to system. Since you don’t what that is I will give you a little rundown on what we know about it. Some say that it appeared to the people of Ghaljorn when they so desperately needed it. Though the main belief is that the gods bestowed this gift on everyone. Which by the way this world is called Ghaljorn.”
‘System?’ I thought to myself before an electronic display before my whole vision. I backed into the cell wall as if an animal lunged at my face. The blow to the back of my head was painful and I swear I heard a giggle or a snort. Though what mattered to me right now was the translucent words that blocked my vision.
Lvl - 1
Name: Rifter
Age: 24
Race: Variant Human
Affinity Element - Dark/Void
Skills: N/A
System Intergration 35%
Relic: Unawakened
Bonuses:
Race (Physical Reduction 10%)
"What the fuck?" Was the only thing that I can mutter as the blue light hovered in front of me. Level one? Variant Human? This looks like some kind of interface that I used to play games back home on Earth. I waved my hand through the enigma to see if it had any kind of physical properties. I was more confused when my hands just floated through the screen like it was not even there.
"Yeah, usually people get there Ural when they are roughly ten in age and are mostly ecstatic. You, on the other hand, look like you are about to shy up an alley and snuff out.”
“Well, I… have no words. This looks just otherworldly.” I responded to her.
“How do I get this thing to go away,” I say, as I start to claw at the blue invisible wall of light. ‘This is all starting to get annoying.’
“You just think it with your mind.”
With that convoluted message, I start to at least think about it. After a few seconds, the screen went away and was immediately taken aback that the darkness of the cell did not hurt my eyes after they witnessed the opposite transition.
“Wierd, well I guess that solves my name and age.”
“Well don’t keep me in suspense.” The woman in the corner spoke with ambiguity and a little bit of pretentiousness as well.
"My name is Rifter and apparently my age is 24 according to this interface or whatever just the fuck appeared before me." Throwing up my arms steadily in dramatic effect, though it didn't show much effect, probably considering I am still sitting on my ass in the corner of this musky-smelling room.
The woman snickered, "Pleasure meeting you Rift, my name is Jayde."
'Jayde? Why did that name sound familiar, oh shit it's that guy who told me about her before he died. "He gave me that necklace", I rummaged around my person to find it. I found the damn pointy thing hanging around my waist. Grasping it I stood up and started to walk toward her.
"Here, he told me to give this to someone called Jayde. He didn't die alone nor did the creatures in that fucked up cavern get to him either. That was when I told you that I was under a bridge where a fight took place." Her hand reached out and I gave it to her without hesitation. Though she clasped around my hand and stared at me with those eyes and muttered, "Thank you."
"Anytime." I walked back toward the corner of the room I was in and sat back down taking occasional glances to Jayde. I wanted to say something to lighten the mood, but she looked like she needed silence so I abided by the mutual feeling in the cell. Though as I looked at her fragile state it reminded me that this world was not of mine. This world is cruel already and I need to get stronger or smarter to find Leon and Katlyn or to pretty much stay alive. I never played a lot of games in my time, but I do know that certain elements are universal through all of them that had a level-up system. 'Skill points.'I need to find a way to get experience in this place so I can escape. Screw it, the Ural has what I need or at least it will tell me what I need to do.
'System' Still shocked that the blue screen appeared out of nowhere I start to make a downward motion in my mind to find out if there was more information below my statistics. I was rewarded with my insight as the screen started to move and scroll down revealing a whole other page worth of crucial information.
Skill points: 1
Passive
Skill
Dark Vision- the user can see in the dark, dark areas will now be illuminated as if the sun has gazed upon the objects with its naked eye. (Cost: 1)
Hidden- Level up to unlock more insight
Wow, so many options here as I looked at both sides of the graph. 'I mean, being able to see in the dark would be pretty fucking cool.' I didn't see a spend skill point button, so I did what Jayde told me and thought about spending the skill point. In a flash, a weird warmth flowed through me and I instantly closed the Ural to see if I can see what was happening. Though as soon as I did I was immediately flash banged by the sudden brightness of the room. I looked all around me and saw that I can see the once dark and damp cell has now turned into a brightly lit room. I can now see that the room was all covered with moldy stains, though the thing that really stood out to me was Jayde's black and white fur that stood out in this damp cell.
"Why are you staring."
"Sorry, I just unlocked a new passive skill. It was a skill called dark vision, it pretty much makes me able to see in the dark."
"What? People only unlock the dark vision spell after level ten. Wait did you also say that it was a passive skill for you?" She looked surprised.
"Yes?"
"What element are you aligned with? Sorry your new here, what element does it say that you have an affinity with?"
"Dark/Void" She deadpanned me and stood up and walked to the bars. Her head was small enough that she poked it out of the bars and looked down the hallways to see if there were any guards patrolling. She then returned and put her back against the cell bar wall.
"That is very rare what you have there Rift. People who have that power are often hunted down by the church and killed to appease the god that gifted them with their radiant gifts. You need to keep that to yourself and tell no one that you have that or they will report you to the church."
I went chill to the bone, the church finds people who have dark powers and doesn't give them a chance.
"Why wouldn't you?"
"Because the church sold me and my... they sold me to this place along with my brother. He was the one you met down in the chasm."
Before I could ask a few more questions about what the hell I am or why my powers are hated by the church. I heard heavy footsteps echo down the hallway, and metal clattering of armor was thrown upon the walls.
"Looks like there here."
"Who is here?"
"The guards, they're gonna gather people in the common area and choose who will fight against the monsters they capture."
"Monsters?"
"Yeah, goblins are usually the common thing, but sometimes they pin teams together and make them fight to the death."
"I am guessing that it depends on the guard's mood?"
"Yeah, and they love torture as well." I looked at the bars and saw that a huge colossal creature that took up the hallway. It had two distinct heads that were staring at both prisoners in the cell.
"Yeah, they also taste good too." Said the other head drooling with a toothy fucking grin.