It was a cold October night in Albertson County. A strong wind and snippets of rain were passing through, and the full moon was almost completely obscured by clouds. The weather was so bad that the country had advised against trick-or-treating, at the very least not out in the countryside.

Jacob Myers didn’t care about any of that. He was busy buying beer for an adult Halloween party. He was well over 21, looked like it, and was a regular buyer. Still, he was getting strange looks for the ten cases of assorted alcohol he was buying. “Stockpiling, are we?” the cashier asked jokingly, though her face had concern written all over it. Jacob rolled his eyes. “It’s not all for me,” he protested. “The Bentleys party is still happening, and they sent me to get some booze.” The cashier still didn’t look fully convinced but started ringing up the alcohol. It was a pricey amount of alcohol, and in the end, Jacobs’s wallet was hurting a little. Still, the Bentleys had promised to pay him back “tenfold.” Jacob wasn’t sure what that meant exactly, and it seemed a little ominous. Still, the Bentleys were a weird bunch, and the man was sure that “tenfold” meant they were going to pay him back for a lot more than he’d bought the booze for.

It took five trips to Jacobs’s beater truck to get all the beer loaded up, mainly because Jacob only had two hands, and the cashiers couldn’t help. Still, with the alcohol safe in his backseat, the man was ready to get the good stuff to the party. He’d also gotten something for himself in the form of a hard iced tea. Just about everybody over the age of ten knew, including Jacob, that you weren’t supposed to drink and drive. But it was one can of iced tea – not a bottle of moonshine or something. What hurt could it do? Popping open the can, Jacob started up the engine and pulled out of the parking lot of the convenience store. Pulling up his phone’s GPS app, he typed in the address to the Bentley’s house and then took a sip of the spiked iced tea. It was a cheap off-brand and thus mediocre, but still refreshing. With his location marked on the map, the man started driving down the road, already feeling a little buzz from his drink. Thankfully, the road was wide, and there were no other drivers on it. Still, Jacob already felt a little wobbly from drinking. How much alcohol is in this thing? he wondered, trying to keep his eyes on the road. By the time Jacob made it to North Albertsons Pass, he felt almost ill, and even worse, his GPS was glitching out. Turning his attention to the phone, Jacob tapped on the thing, trying to make it work again. However, all it did was screw up even further, his phone freezing before turning off. “What the hell…” he muttered, turning his attention back to the road… only to see an animal running straight towards him.

Instinctually, Jacob wrenched his wheel to the right, hoping to avoid the… oddly indistinct creature. Instead, he skidded off the road and down a sixty-foot drop into twenty-foot-deep water. It wasn’t the water that killed him, though.

It was the broken neck.

Jacob could feel himself floating in the same space as his corpse, confused. Everything felt foggy and distant, and it was hard to think. He knew he’d died, but oddly, he couldn’t feel much about it other than regret. Don’t drink and drive next time… an ‘I-told-you-so’ voice stated… Only there wasn’t likely to be a ‘next time.’ He was dead after all.

Suddenly, a tugging sensation pulled on him, yanking Jacob through what felt like spiritual gelatin and into a strange whirl of constantly moving colors. I floated in a sphere that they swirled around, confused and scared. Where was I? What was going to happen next? And what was that creature?

Do not be afraid.

A voice called out from everywhere and nowhere at once. Jacob looked around in shock. “Who… who was that?” he asked, “Are... are you God?”

No. I am a god. I am the one who brought you here. I’m sorry I had to meddle so intently with your fate, but I needed someone with massive room for improvement of their self. I mean this in no cruel way, but you have some work to do on yourself, Jacob.

“Oh,” Jacob stated. “So… you killed me?” he asked, a bit of anger moving through my mind. The man got a sense of sadness in response. Yes. I was hoping for a less… messy death, but this one was the most normal-looking. However, you are not going to be dead for much longer… mostly anyway. I am giving you a Second Chance, Jacob. A way to improve yourself and rise above your origins. However, I must warn you that every Chance comes with a price. Are you willing to accept my offer?

He paused, trying to figure out if this was a good idea or not. For all Jacob knew, the voice was lying, and he was worried about it, but what other chance did he have to live again? “I… accept,” Jacob stated. “But I have a question.”

I will do my best to answer. Do be warned though; some things I cannot share with you… now at least. Ask wisely.

“What… what are you the god of?” he asked.

Jacob got a pause before the voice said I am the god of change, challenge, and progress. My true name is under lock and key, but I am commonly known as the First Heretic. As a freebie, I’ll tell you something else important. I am giving you this Chance to bring justice and reform into this world. I’d like to say more… but the Others may be watching. Now, Heretic, be reborn.

Jacob was then pulled into a kaleidoscope of swirling colors and then woke up.

The man shot up with a gasp, looking around, chest heaving. Jacob was surrounded by the low whistle of the wind on the rocks around him and felt a strange, warm sensation on his back. His mind stuttered, trying to figure out what had just happened. Looking down, he also realized he was naked. Jacob had the immediate reaction to cover his privates until he realized nobody was there. Wasn’t I wearing clothes when… when I died? He wondered. Why didn’t the clothes come along? Not like I understand how… reincarnation works I guess. Looking around, the man saw he was in a small, rocky cave, an equally small entrance framing the wall in front of him and a tiny hole in the ceiling, off-kilter from the center. From the hole, he could see a small, purple-tinted moon shining on him. For some strange reason, seeing the moon gave Jacob a sense of comfort. Like seeing a doting aunt who rarely came around but always made the day better when she did. While he wanted to stay in the cave, which seemed safe, Jacob knew he couldn’t stay in there forever. Reluctantly, he got shakily to his feet and looked down.

His body looked normal, but it wasn’t his own. Jacobs’s original body was out of shape with a beer gut. This one was skinny and slightly taller, with skin paler than Jacobs’s original. Inspecting his arm, something seemed off about the color of the man’s veins, but other than that, it seemed like a normal, if underfit body. Looking over at the exit, he sighed. Nowhere else to go… he thought. And I’ve got nothing to help me out. Still, maybe he was near civilization… except what if he didn’t understand their language? What if there weren’t humans here? What if-

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Stop fucking worrying yourself to death Jacob, he thought frustratedly. For all you know, there’s a city below here where everybody’s a Good Samaritan… okay, that might be a bit of a stretch, but don’t catastrophize. Mustering whatever confidence he could, Jacob walked straight up to the entrance – and bounced straight off, almost breaking his nose. “Ow…” he muttered, getting up and feeling the strange, invisible wall completely blocking the door. “What the hell is this?” he muttered.

That was when the blue box popped up.

It floated about six inches from his face with evenly spaced, easy-to-read text scrolling across its surface. What the hell? Jacob thought, almost stumbling back from the shock of the… strangely mundane thing? After a few seconds of getting his mental bearings, Jacob took a serious look at the box, both confused and more informed the further he read.

WARNING

You have not yet opened your Navigation Menu or Map. Please use your Implanted Knowledge to do so. Afterwards, the Ward around this Heretic Portal will dissipate.

Heretic Portal? Jacob thought. Well, the voice did say they were the ‘First Heretic.’ Looking over at where he’d been lying, Jacob saw a circle etched into the ground and edged with silver, its interior filled with lines and symbols the man didn’t recognize. I wonder how that works… he thought. However, the man doubted he had the capacity or time to decipher it. The box (which was still hanging there) had said he’d been given ‘implanted knowledge,’ which seemed a little ominous that something had been rooting around in his brain and adding things, even if it was supposed to be helpful. “Okay Jacob…” he muttered. “You can do this.” Shakily raising both hands, he instinctually pulled them apart vertically. To his surprise, a second blue box appeared over the first, a short list of what looked almost like Internet hyperlinks from Earth listed on it. Curious, Jacob began inspecting the small box, his interest piqued.

[Map]

[Inventory]

[Quests] [0/0

[Character Sheet]

[Class Sheet] [Locked, Class Rank 1 Required]

[Notes]

After trying a few times, Jacob was disappointed that the ‘locked’ tag on his Class sheet was in effect, but checking out the ‘Map’ was a little more fruitful, if not by much. It was a grid map of what I was guessing was the entire world, but almost all of it was blacked out. Jacob had to zoom in for a straight five minutes to find where he was – a little purple dot in a small, irregular, boxy cave. Okay… try the Character Sheet now. Tapping on that gave him a larger box to add to the clutter – how do I know how to close them already? – which was more than a little confusing… and ominous, especially since it said Jacob wasn’t human anymore.

Name: Jacob Myer

Race: Forsaken [Minor/0%]

Total Level: 0

Race Level: 0

Class Level: 0

HP: 60

SP: 60

MP: 65

Strength: 12

Agility: 13

Endurance: 12

Fortitude: 14

Logic: 10

Perception: 12

Willpower: 13

Presence: 10

[Acquired Skills]

[Class Skills] [N/A]

[Race Skills]

[Racial Traits]

[Feats]

What the hell is a ‘Forsaken?’ he thought, tapping on his ‘Race.’ Another box was added to the clutter, and Jacob instinctually closed the original box to his surprise. I wish the ‘implanted knowledge’ wasn’t so… jarring.However, there were more important matters at hand, and thus, Jacob focused on the box in front of him, becoming more and more worried the further he read.

[Forsaken]

Types: Humanoid, Living, Monster, Sentient, Undead

Scarcity: Rare

Description: A Forsaken is created when a deceased soul is implanted into a living body, resulting in a creature with both features of the living and the undead. The Forsaken are shunned by most who know their nature, seeing them as abominations against their own kind, hence their moniker. Forsaken are identifiable by their white hair, purple irises, and pale skin. Later evolutions may have additional features that mark them out.

Well, that’s… cheery, Jacob though bitterly. Everybody’s going to think I’m an abomination. Or almost everybody. And I have no clue what’s out there. I’ve got no gear, no experience, and I’m likely to be reviled by everyone I meet who figures out what I am. Was this ‘Second Chance’ really worth it?

Oh, who am I kidding, I’ve got a chance to fix my shitty life. Who cares if I’m half-undead? There’s got to be open-minded folks out there. And if they don't like me? They can go fuck themselves. I’m not going to roll over for someone just because they’re bigoted and have mean words.

With newfound confidence, Jacob closed all the boxes as he heard a sound like stained glass breaking. Yet another blue box appeared, this one medium-length long.

Congratulations!

You have passed the tutorial! The barrier around the Heretic Portal has now been opened. You are now free to explore, fight, and grow in power.

Primary Quest gained! [Gear Up]

Difficulty: II

Rewards: Starting Class, Miscellaneous gear.

Description: Starting out with nothing to defend yourself with, survive in the wilderness, or even wear, you must now scavenge in the ruins below for supplies. Beware, as this abandoned mining town is not as abandoned as it appears…

Not as abandoned as it appears… Jacob thought, stepping out onto what showed itself to be a small, meandering. To the right, he could see a crumbling, switchback staircase, its meandering path leading to what appeared to be a small village, a variety of shapes and sizes mixed together. Surrounding part of the settlement were thick walls, crumbling and fallen over in certain places. Jacob could even see a few tall windmills next to what looked like a warehouse. Everything had a desolate and empty feeling, like times had left this town behind and its people with it. Still, there might be some things of worth left in the place. The ‘II’ difficulty of the quest and the description made him wary, however – but what other choice did the Forsaken have?

Gathering his courage, Jacob started down the path, cursing at the rocks poking into his feet and hoping desperately to find some clothes and a weapon before something found him.

Maybe he wouldn’t taste good being half-dead.

Jacob hoped so anyway.