Ash stared down at yet another planet waiting to be initiated. This was his chance, finally he had made rank-Overseer.
Everything had to be perfect. Ash swiped his hand once more to pull up the information.
Planet: A-001
Planet Name: Earth
Dominant Species: Human
Population: 8 Billon
Planetary Makeup: 71% Water, 29% Land
Grade: C+
Ash smiled, everything would be perfect. Humans were the easiest to initiate. They were weak and easy to control. This would be quick.
He swiped his hand one more time pulling up the planet Earth would merge with.
Planet: F-188
Planet Name: Dathamer
Dominant Species: Angels
Population: 5 Billon
Planetary Makeup: 44% Water, 56% Land
Grade: A-
“Hahaha” Ash couldn’t help himself, his sharp canines glisten in the crystalline light as his laughter carry’s down the white hallway.
‘This will be to easy’ Ash swipes his hand once more, dispelling both projections.
“Ellia, commence the merging. I want to wrap this up quick.” Ash orders.
The short gnome ‘Ellia’ rushes over towards the control panel, ready to execute her masters orders.
Ash’s vicious smile spreads wider as he watches the torrents of mana be unleashed towards both planets.
“Let the games begin.”
----------------------------------------
“Keep low. The wind is picking up.” Alex whispers. I smile and nod as I drop to my knee’s and begin crawling along the side of the mountain and through the shrub, with Alex following close behind.
“There he is!” Alex whispers excitedly, while pointing towards the other side of the valley.
“Shhh don’t spook him.” I reprimand. But I can’t help but share in his excitement. I can feel my heart begin to hammer against my rib cage as my breathing deepens. The trek and crawl are catching up, causing my lungs to burn and mouth to dry. The afternoon sun doesn’t help as the mugginess of the summers day sets in.
But it was all worth it. As standing before the two of us is a giant red stag. While I catch my breath, Alex pulled out the tripod and set it up.
“Fuck Balin. Look at this bastard. Holy shit.” He exclaims, while gesturing towards the tripod. I crawl over and look through. My breath catches and I can’t help but agree with his remarks.
The old boy is huge. His antlers extent at least a meter high. I quickly count his points. “20 pointer, Alex. It’s a fucking monster.”
My hands start to shake as I examine him more. His coat is dark along his stomach and legs and it quite frankly looks rugged and filthy. But along his back, neck and face his fur is a deep crimson red, befitting of the heritage of a massive stag. His antlers are dark with the tips turning black. I can’t help but admire his majesty for a couple seconds.
“Are you ready? I’ll stay here and signal if he moves. You try get in closer. We are still at least 500 meters away.” Alex snaps me out of my wonder and I nod, agreeing with him.
Smoothly I remove my bag and unclip my compound bow. I smile at Alex before disappearing over the ridge into the valley and towards my prey.
Stalking through the shrub and tussle as quietly as I can, I stay silent. This is it. My biggest target yet. All the boys will be jealous of this fella, I’ll be shouted beers all night. A smile creeps onto my face as a travel closer. This is a once in a life time stag, something I’ve been looking for, for ten plus years.
Finally I crawl around some shrub and there he is in all his glory. He’s standing there looking down the valley while he roars, claiming dominance of this area and calling out for his hinds.
My hands start to shake again as I draw my bow and attach my arrow. I go through the routines I’ve practiced for years to calm my racing heart. My head clears as my vision narrows on the deer. It’s only me and him, all thoughts of showing off are out the window. My heart slows to steady deep beats while I line him up. I breathe in deep and close my eye’s, once I release my breath they open and I know. I have him. He is my prey.
He turns his head and his dark eye’s find mine. My fingers ache as I hold the string back until finally I let go. The arrow releases and flys through the air almost as fast as a bullet. Before I can see if my shot was true or not I’m already nocking my next arrow.
I look up to release again but there’s no need. The majestic stag falls to the ground without making a sound. The arrow sticks out just above his front shoulder. A perfect shot through the heart. Branch’s crack and tussle shakes as hinds break out in a run for their lives. But I’m not worried about the females. I already have my prey. No need for more.
I un-nock my bow and begin to make my way towards the stag. Until a loud boom echos throughout the mountain side. I throw myself to the ground, assuming another hunter has mistakenly shot at me.
My sense run wild as my head spins. Surely no one was shooting. It sounded to close, something is wrong. Before I can get my bearings the ground starts to shake and another loud boom resounds throwing me back towards the ground. My head is screaming at me as my ears begin to ring.
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Slowly I look up and what I see causes my breath to stop. The sky looks like it’s ripping open and what I assume is a meteor gets pulled through. Slowly it starts falling towards Earth and growing larger by the second.
So this is it ha. I sigh, staring at the red rock falling towards earth. I can’t take my eyes away. That thing is fucking huge. My heart stops. Hold on a fucking minute… that looks like another fucking planet. We are so fucked.
Before my thoughts can spiral any further the ringing in my ears intensifies. I bring my hands up to them and feel a wetness. I bring them infront of my face and see blood. Deep red blood.
Another boom shakes the mountain and cracks begin to form through the valley while rocks begin to crumble. My head begins screaming at me until finally darkness begins to creep in. My mind is growing foggy. And I know. This is how I will die.
I close my eyes one last time and wait for deaths embrace. I’ve never felt so weak.
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System Activating
.
.
Activation Compete
Welcome To The Multiverse
Words enter my head and shake me from my dark thoughts. Slowly I crack an eyelid open and bright white walls assault me. Where am I.
Both eyes are open now. And what I see almost makes me short circuit. Blinding white walls surround me boxing me in. This must be where I’m judged for my sins. I assume. If being caged in this white box is anything to go by, it doesn’t look good.
Slowly the walls begin to crumble into fine particles of light and what’s revealed is beautiful.
I'm left standing in a forest. Tree’s larger than any I’ve ever seen, surround me. Red leaves litter the floor as far as the eye can see, while shadows move in the distance, dancing to the trees swaying branches.
I’m left speechless as I look around, this is definitely not where I once was. Up in the mountains of Otago, New Zealand to where ever this is. What the fuck is going on.
I feel my hands start to shake, reminding me I still hold my bow. Everything is getting to me as I remember what I thought was the end of the world. My heart feels like it’s going to explode as I can feel a panic attack about to begin. My breathing starts to speed up and the bow falls from my hands to the leaf ridden floor. I follow soon after as I begin to hyperventilate. My vision grows blurry and blurrier, so I close my eyes and clutch my heart hoping for it to stop.
Calloused hands assault my face as I feel my head being lifted. “It’s alright Balin, breathe with me. Ready, one in and one out.”
I hear a familiar voice I’ve listened to all my life and try follow their instructions. As my breath slowly comes back under my control, I look up to see Alex’s worried face staring down at me. His dark locks of hair fall down over his shoulders as his deep green eyes look for any signs of another panic attack.
“You’re okay brother,” Alex says softly. “I’m here.” Slowly I regain my composure and give him a slight nod. “Thank you.” I whisper. He looks at me but doesn’t say anything.
Back on my feet, with bow back in hand, I look towards my older brother. “What’s happening?” I question.
“I don’t know. But I don’t like it. Did you hear things in your head as well?” He replies.
I nod slightly confirming his question.
Before we can both question each other further, the same voice enters my head again.
Welcome To The Tutorial Initiate
You Have Entered Tutorial: Hunters Forest
Difficulty: Extreme
Objective: Survive (1 Year)
Quests:
- Open Status (Reward - Information)
WHAT THE FUCK!! I look towards Alex and I assume his expression is the same as mine.
“Balin. What the fuck is going on.” He remarks loudly.
Filtering his voice to the side, I focus on what the words just said. If I’m right in my assessment, we might really be fucked.
Im an eighteen year old boy. I’ve played video games, watched anime, read manga. And this… this is looking a lot like one of those stories.
“Status.” I say out loud.
Status
Name: Balin Tellis
True Name: N/A
Trait: N/A
Class: N/A
Level: 1
Stats:
Strength - 8
Dexterity - 13
Constitution - 9
Mana - 10
It worked.. this is unreal. I can feel my heart starting to speed up and my breathing becoming laboured again as my thoughts start to spiral. Alex grabs my should firmly. “It’s okay Balin. I’m here. Just breathe.” He comforts softly.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath in and out. Before replying. “Did you try it?”
He smiles at me and nods. “Indeed, quite interesting don’t you think. But you must know more than me?” He questions.
To that I nod in reply. “Yeah, this.. this is a lot like a few games I've played.” I mutter. “And the stats. It’s like a we are in one of them.”
“I agree,” Alex reply’s, “Do you know what they all mean? I have a rough idea but..” he left unsaid that all I do when I’m not hunting is play video games.
“Yeah, if it’s anything like the games I play, strength should be exactly that, and make you stronger. Dexterity normal makes you faster.. or something like that. Constitution is normally how healthy you are. And mana, if I’m right, normally means magic.” I explain as I think about what that could mean. Magic, like in games. Like in anime. Holy shit.
I look at Alex, wide eyed. “We have to test this.” But before I can keep talking, rustling sounds in the distance, followed by low growling that makes my palms sweat and face drain of colour.
I lift my bow, while spinning around to look for signs. I see Alex dropping his pack and loading his 7mm 08 rifle. He brings his finger towards his lips and signals for me to be quiet.
Immediately I stop moving and don’t make a sound. But it’s already too late, a giant black wolf walks into our line of sight. Drool drops on to the red leaf covered ground as razor sharp teeth are revealed and louder growling permits the surrounding area, promising a slow death.
On top of the wolf, a small green head with pointy ears appears. The thing makes me suck in a cold breath of air as more of its hideous face is revealed.
Yellow eyes stare at me like it’s looking into my soul, and it smiles. Lips pulled back revealing equally yellow sharp teeth just like the wolf’s it rides. A dagger appears in its hands as its eyes open wider, revealing the blackness from within. “KYKYKY” it’s grating voice resounds.
The dagger slowly points towards me and before I know it the wolf disappears. Like teleportation, one moment it was standing 20 meters away, the next I’m staring at teeth set on devouring me.
‘BANG’ My ears are set ablaze as Alex unloads a round right beside me. I feel blood splat against my face while I stumble back. The wolf that was so close to ripping me in two, flys past before hitting the ground hard.
“BEHIND YOU!” Alex screams. I spin as fast as I can, only to be met with a blade swinging towards me.
Searing pain erupts on the left side of my face as the blade cuts through my skin like butter. I scream as I jump back avoiding a follow up slash. Blood trickles down my face and I can’t see out of my left eye. I know my life is on the line, my blood starts pumping and acting on pure instincts I fire off an arrow.
The monster brings its dagger up and smashes the arrow out of the air, before changing targets once more and dashing towards Alex.
Another ‘Bang’ echoes throughout the forest before the monster lands on him and starts stabbing wildly.
I get up and start firing arrow after arrow into the back of the beast. After what feels like a lifetime it make’s a low grunt before falling off Alex. The two of them lay side by side in a puddle of blood. Both not moving.
You Have Defeated 1x Level 5 Goblin Ranger
Level Up 1–3
You Gain 6 Free Stat Points
Ignoring the voice inside my head I rush to Alex’s side. He’s bleeding from multiple stab wounds but still breathing.
I pull him away for the beast while holding him tight. Blood drops from my face into his hair, reminding me of the damage I’ve taken. But none of that matters right now. Not while my brother lays in my arms bleeding out.
“It’s okay Alex. We’ll get through this.” I mumble as tears begin to fall from my good eye.
Pull yourself together Balin. Alex needs you. I scold myself.
Looking around I see the pack Alex discarded on the ground. Rushing towards it I rip it open and go to through its contents looking for our first aid kit.
“Everything is going to be okay.” I repeat constantly to my brother as I begin the heart retching job of cleaning and stitching his wounds.
“Everything is going to be okay.”