Chapter 1: Planetfall (Revised)
As Jake roused himself from unconsciousness, his head pounded fiercely, and he struggled to shake off the lingering stupor. Surveying his surroundings in a confused, bleary daze, a series of questions flooded his mind. Where was he? What was happening? Why did his ears ring incessantly? Gradually, his eyes began to focus, providing answers to his bewildered state.
He found himself inside a cramped gray tube, sparsely furnished with empty seats and flickering lights. Thick, black smoke billowed from the ceiling, obscuring his view. Was this an escape pod? His gaze shifted to the opposite end, where he discovered the door had been torn off its hinges. Through the jagged metal frame, he glimpsed billowing, heavy grayish-black smoke, intermittent flashes of light, and... the cacophony of people engaged in combat?
A jolt of realization coursed through him as his hearing gradually returned. Panic surged, and he frantically clawed at his safety harness, desperately searching for the release shackles. Finally free, he strained to listen, only to find that the commotion outside was subsiding. However, his vision remained obscured by the lingering smoke, and he could only discern the crackling of fires, pleas for help, and the distinct sound of footfalls crashing through what seemed like dense underbrush.
What in the world was happening? His memories faltered, his recollections ran up to cleaning up the mess decks after dinner. How had he ended up here? And where exactly was he?
Then, a new sound pierced the air—an eerie symphony reminiscent of smooth stones gently grinding against each other, accompanied by screeches that resembled nails on a chalkboard. The creatures responsible for these unnerving noises chittered to one another, their clatter growing louder, gradually building into a deafening crescendo.
The ground trembled, momentarily rendering him deaf, as a veritable tidal wave surged past him. With more smoke infiltrating the shuttle, he instinctively covered his mouth, lowering himself closer to the ground to alleviate the relentless coughs induced by smoke inhalation.
Time seemed to stretch while he fought off unconsciousness from smoke inhalation mixed with potential brain damage if the pain assaulting his skull was anything to go by.
Jake clasped his wiry, decrepit hands against his ears while he lay curled waiting for the noise and pain to end. After some time the stampede and chittering slowly receded into the distance.
When the smoke began to dissipate, he was finally able to see the grim aftermath of the battle. Peering out through the fading haze from the door, he noticed the tattered remains of his fellow indentured servants, all donning the same worn gray woolen uniforms that adorned his own sullen frame. Where had the higher-tier personnel from the ships disappeared to? Why were they on this desolate planet? Answers to those questions would have to wait, as his immediate priority was simply to survive.
Surveying the coast, it appeared somewhat clear for the moment. He glanced back into the pod and spotted a few provision packs and medical supply bins. Gathering his wits, he took a moment to inspect them, only to realize that they had already been looted. Perhaps the supplies were still outside? Exercising caution, he peered through the pod door, scanning for any potential threats.
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It was then that he caught a glimpse of movement. Swiveling his gaze towards the scattered bodies, he saw several small avian creatures scavenging what remained of the unfortunate souls who had survived the planetfall. The haunting image of the eviscerated remains seared into his memory, and he continued to assess his surroundings, searching for actual dangers.
His attention shifted to the burnt and trampled surroundings. It never failed to impress him how cultivators' skills could leave such a distinct aftermath. Clearly, their powers had been unleashed with devastating force, evident from the pile of destroyed carcasses strewn about.
Hundreds of beetle-like monsters lay dead in a trail that led from a towering spire. Fixating his gaze higher up the spire-like mound, he noticed a large cavity blown off from its side. As he inspected an individual monster, he couldn't help but compare them to beetles.
Each creature possessed a canine-like head, peering out from beneath its armored exoskeleton. Jet black in color and roughly the size of a small car, they boasted six legs in total, with two front appendages resembling curved spearheads attached to elbow joints.
As he cautiously approached the strewn carcasses, his fellow indentured servants with their lifeless gazes, frozen in a haunting state of agony further imprinted on his shell shocked mind.
Approaching the Beatles brought on an overwhelming sense of foreboding, a palpable aura of encroaching doom that seemed to emanate from the lifeless forms. The air itself felt heavy with the remnants of essence and... something else. The once fearsome bodies now lay twisted and broken, their struggle against the cultivators from aboard his ship evident.
The weight of the silence, interrupted only by the distant crackling of flames and the occasional caw of scavenging birds, heightened the sense of unease that enveloped him. Each step he took closer to the fallen creatures felt like trespassing into a realm tainted by darkness and violence, where the boundary between life and death had been distorted.
Having conducted a brief inspection of the escape pod's exterior, the severity of the hull damage became apparent—it was utterly destroyed. A large cavity had collapsed on one side, accompanied by deep lacerations that extended towards the engines. The elongated, cigar-shaped pod lacked any notable adornments, save for small emblems indicating its originating ship and pod number.
Surveying the surroundings once more, no signs of movement were evident, aside from the presence of smaller scavengers. Proceeding cautiously, jakes attention turned to the lifeless bodies, in search of anything salvageable. one of the deceased yielded a partially usable backpack containing a modest supply of provisions. Adjacent to this discovery, a fallen beetle-like creature had inadvertently pinned a man beneath its formidable shell. Although the unfortunate soul met his demise, he managed to fell one of these creatures in his final act of defiance.
Protruding from the beetle's head was the handle of a weapon, which, with the assistance of a sturdy rock and some effort, he successfully extracted. These creatures were formidable adversaries, with carapaces that proved remarkably impenetrable to jakes tier 0 mortal self. While uncertain of their tier classification, he now possessed a few essential items. Time was of the essence; there was no telling when the creatures might return.
Navigating the edge of the surrounding foliage with caution, he gradually distanced myself from the wreckage, emerging from its immediate vicinity. Driven by a newfound determination, a solemn oath was made—a commitment to survive and seek retribution. Although my father likely faced execution, my mother did not deserve the cruel fate imposed upon her by the ruling lord. Jake vowed to employ all means necessary to secure her salvation.