Rubbing my face as I lay in my bed trying to calm down. Oh, God why is everything getting more complicated? I mean I’m already failing school I don’t need an insane cult worshiping some weird god interfering with my life. Getting up I go grab myself some tea, emerging from my room I get to see sis going through the box. Stepping into the kitchen I scoot past her and start making some tea as I think.
Obviously, I need better stats to survive whatever is coming. Grabbing the tea bag, I place it in the mug as I wait for the water to boil. However, I can’t simply grind for no reason, I need some kind of goal. If mental stats are what I think they are then I could become more then an average student barely getting by. If I can really boost Intelligence and Wisdom, then I can at least have a good job in the future. So, I should take small easy quest so that I can level up and gain Stp, the system seems to have a similar style to most other fictional ones so I can guess I will get 5 stat points for every level.
The kettle finishes boiling and as I pour it in, I wonder can I get skills? Finishing pouring it in I stare at the tea and scrunch my eyes to concentrate. I keep my stare unflinching as I watch the water turn brown, come on every gamer fic has the observation skill why don’t I have it? I can probably guess that I mostly likely haven’t got the patch for it. That’s stupid and annoying, taking out the teabag I quickly put some sugar in and head back to my room. Closing the door, I wait slowly sipping my tea for Sis to leave. As soon as she shouts her goodbyes, I grab my phone and look at my only quests.
Main Quest: London’s New Shadow (In Progress)
This quest is the main storyline isn’t it? Looking over the rewards I notice the Suggestion Box, quirking my eyebrow I smile. This means that I can at least ask for features in the game, there might be some benefits, but this also most likely means there are more players like me. Deciding to look at my finished quests.
Quest: Follow the Shadow (Partially Successful)
So, I didn’t complete it correctly. Well at least I got out of it unscathed so that’s a plus. Taking out the dark blue ticket I hold it in front of my eyes as I scrutinise it. Written on it in a shining silvery colour the words “Et portae inferi.” Turning on my laptop and a quick google search I find out the meaning “The Gates of Hell”. Deciding not to mess with a ticket strait from hell I open my cupboard and hide it under a bunch of my clothes. As I finish hiding the satanic ticket, I hear nocking on my room and in surprise I jump up and accidently step on one of the many books laying around. Slipping on the books I fall and hit the precariously balanced books which topple over and swamp me.
With my sudden fall I see the door slam open knocking even more books over and I hear Ali wince as she holds Czarny by the collar to stop him from running in and jumping on me. Getting up I push the books of me and get up, looking at her curiously to see she is dressed up with a puffy blue coat, and black trousers with white and black sneakers. Giving her a curious look over I ask, “Where are you going?”
Quickly answering while stroking Czarny “Eryk was supposed to take the dog to the park but he’s not getting up from bed… again. So, can we go together?” I look at the nine-year-old who is trying to do puppy dog eyes while trying to get Czarny to do it who is not appreciating the fact as he is biting his leg. “Sure, just let me get some things wait by the door.” Smiling she pulls Czarny by the collar to the door who whines at the unjust treatment. Sorry buddy better you then me. I grab my coat and leash quickly getting myself ready.
I’m about to step out of the room when I feel a sense of dread. Turning back to my bed I see the Bloody Butcher sticking out. I’m pretty sure it was further under the bed, I slowly edge to the weapon and hold my breath. I touch the bloody weapon expecting some hand to suddenly appear grab me, but nothing happens. I take the weapon and grabbing a bunch of tissue I place them in my coat pocket in an attempt to prevent any damage to the fabric. Zipping it up I step out of the room as I stare at my bed almost expecting it to sprout eyes and teeth. My paranoia seems to be unfound as I close the door, I let out a breath and turn around giving my best smile. I can deal with whatever that was later.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
08:57 AM, Old London, Borough Haringey, Jonman’s Park
Czarny pulls on his leash as we step into the park already barking and trying to free himself, Ali follows close behind me. Looking around for any small dogs, I smile to see that the park is empty except for us. I guess it make sense with what happened at the Shard, people are still a bit scared of what could happen, but the chances of another attack in the park is practically non-existent. Releasing him from the dog leash Czarny bounds of the path into the uncut bushes emerging a minute later after marking his territory again. Ali shouts to me as she runs of to the playground, whistling for Czarny to follow I walk at a leisurely pace. Sitting down at a close by bench I watch Ali go on the swing, she always gets bored after five minutes, so I have some time. I feel the familiar panting of Czarny as he runs behind me once again enjoying his freedom.
I close my eyes and start to think I can’t possibly be the only gamer in the world after all a suggestion box implies there are more people. This creates more questions like why did we receive the system and why is it not fully patched? Secondly is the system the reason why the Middle East is an even bigger shit hole. I mean 15 years ago; things were bad but know its basically a wasteland filled with mercenaries and radicals. What about the destruction of London or Mexico City? Thirdly did all gamers receive it today or could I be the last person getting it? Shaking my head, I open my eyes and I hear well more what I don’t hear, I don’t hear barking. I stand up quickly looking around trying to spot the black blur.
Fear grabs me by the throat and punches me three times in the gut as I turn around praying for that nothing happened to Ali. I see her smiling and waiving at me as I stand about 10 metres away from her, I sigh but I go back to looking around as I quickly walk to her. I stand next to her leaning on the swing as fear starts crawling up my spine, shit. I whistle in hopes of getting the black beast’s attention, but the park stays eerily quiet as Ali continues to swing. Unzipping my pocket, I gently grab my weapon waiting for anything to jump out, but quiet reigns and minutes that feel like hours pass.
As the swing stops, I feel Ali pulling on my coat I turn to her giving her a little nod before I go back to looking at the surroundings. She asks a bit worried “Where’s Czarny?” I shrug and say, “I don’t know I tried whistling, but he didn’t come running back.”
Quickly jumping of the swing, she starts walking looking around whistling and shouting his name definitely worried for his safety. She is about to turn back to me before she stops and stares at the road. Following her I see that the road is littered with frozen cars and people stuck in time. The seconds tick away, and they just stay frozen. Grabbing Ali, I pull out Bloody Butcher and head for the nearby metal gates, how the hell did I not notice the road? Looking around I can clearly see everything is frozen in place outside of th park. As we reach the gates, I try to push them open, but they stay shut. Deciding to brute force it I give myself some running distance as I charge and smash into the metal frame. Pain course through my shoulder as I curse, I hear whimpering as I look at Ali who is standing there pale and shivering, she closed her eyes in an attempt to stop herself from crying.
Ignoring the pain, I kneel reach out and gently holding her hand, “Come on there are three more exits and if they don’t work, we can just climb on a tree and jump over the fence.” I tried to hide the weapon to at least not make the situation worse.
Barely holding back tears “What if everyone is frozen? What about Mom and Dad?”
Trying to give her a reassuring smile I answer with badly hidden dread in my voice “It’s going to be alright. We just have to find out what happened and then we reverse it.” She looks at me clearly not believing anything I said.
Standing up I gently pull her along behind me, as I let my brain go into overdrive. Czarny is gone, everything is frozen and were trapped inside the park, oh and I’m supposed to protect Ali. Czarny had disappeared when everything froze maybe its connected? Whatever is happening has something to do with the park after all everything else can still be interacted with but everything outside is stuck in time.
Turning on my phone hoping for some kind of notification I see two new messages. “Patch 0.1.2 has been downloaded, Patch 0.1.3 Social Stats has started” a quick check on my status reveals to me the new Int and Wis stats with mana. I smiled at that, but I lost my grin as I read the second notification “Stepped into a Demi-Plane prepare for: Event-Fairies Wake”
Patch 0.1.2
Name: Kacper Hodun
Level: 1
EXP: 10/200
Health: 95/95
Stamina: 32/32
Mana: 10.5/10.5
Str: 14
Agi: 8
Vit: 19
End: 16
Int: 21
Wis: 13
Stp: 0