Suddenly all I knew was pain. All-encompassing pain. It started with my skin which felt as if it was being peeled off, with a blunt butter knife. Then my blood started to boil within my veins, it was acid that was eating away at my muscles. I collapsed to the ground as I suddenly could move. Then each and every bone started to ache, To be able to feel this over the pain of my skin and muscles, represented a significant increase in the levels of pain. Even as the pain from my skin started to reduce, then my bones started to shatter and then reform. I had previously broken various bones in my life and knew it would pass and since I had always had a high pain tolerance, I was able to hold on to my sanity. As the pain raced past the previous levels to new highs.
Maybe I had modified myself too much. I did not know if it was the race alteration, my new body, or the new attribute set. But something certain was happening to me, more than the other two people that were now standing looking shocked as I lay on the ground groaning in pain. All I could do was accept the pain and chant to myself, “Heal. Heal. Heal.” With the third repeat, a cooling balm pushed out from my spirit which was now centered just below my diaphragm. The pain was still so great all I could do was chant, “Heal, Heal, Heal”
A series of blue boxes appeared
New Skill granted - Basic Regeneration 1/10.
New Skill granted - Basic Pain resistance 1/10.
New Attribute - Body 5.
New Attribute - Toughness 5
New Attribute - Strength 4.
New Attribute - Endurance 4.
New Attribute - Speed 2.
New Attribute - Agility 3.
New Attribute - Dexterity 3.
New Attribute - Mind 2
New Attribute - Intellect 8
New Attribute - Mental Fortitude 2
New Attribute - Control 2
New Attribute - Mental Speed 4
New Attribute - Memory 4
New Attribute - Logic 9
New Attribute - Spirit + 1
New Attribute - Will +1
New Attribute - Wisdom +1
New Attribute - Power +1
New Attribute - Vision +1
New Attribute - Focus +1
New Attribute - Belief +1
New Attribute - Efficiency +1
New Attribute - Presence +1
New Attribute - Luck +1
New Attribute - Depth +1
Skill improvement - basic Pain resistance 2/10.
Skill improvement - basic Pain resistance 3/10.
Skill improvement - basic Regeneration 2/10.
Skill improvement - basic Pain resistance 4/10.
Skill improvement - basic Pain resistance 5/10.
Skill improvement - basic Regeneration 3/10.
Skill improvement - basic Pain resistance 6/10.
Skill improvement - basic Pain resistance 7/10.
Skill improvement - basic Regeneration 4/10.
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Skill improvement - basic Pain resistance 8/10.
Skill improvement - basic Pain resistance 9/10.
Skill improvement - basic Pain resistance 10/10.
Skill Advancement - Common Pain resistance 1/20.
Attribute Improved - Will. +1. Awarded due to improving a basic skill to Common before completing the transfer.
Skill advancement - basic Regeneration 5/10.
Skill advancement - basic Regeneration 6/10.
New Racial Title (Ultimate) - Hidden - Conceals the race and racial skills.
Racial skills granted -
Chaos affinity I. 1/10
Identify I 1/10
Racial Purity 1%.
The other two people both appeared to be human but given my own skill. I was unsure that was really the case. One was wearing a functional set of leather armor, with a number of daggers I suspected were a rogue or assassin type. I focused on him and I mentally recited Identify, Identify, Identify. A faint scent of smoke drifted from his direction
Level 0 - Human - Damage Archetype - Unnamed.
The other individual I was unable to determine the sex of, as they were clad in a voluminous robe, suggestive of a cloistered monk. Although I was still lying on the ground looking up into the hood of the figure I was unable to detect anything more than dark shadows. When Identify was cast again all I learned was limited.
Level 0 - Human - Faith Archetype - Unnamed.
My suspicion was however that this was the other interesting partial race, as I had a sensation of antipathy with the individual. At some point a decision would need to be considered, would I act with my instincts or would I choose to ignore them and only act as I found people. I decided not to burn bridges and just act on feelings. I staggered to my feet and greeted what I felt were my fellow abductees. “Hi, I suspect we have been sucked into a different world.”.
The monk-like figure grunted what seemed like agreement.
While the rogue said, “That seems certain. Do you think that this is a game and we are drafted, players?”.
I responded “All I know is that in most of the stories that I have read and games I have played it seldom works out well for the abductees.. We need to act carefully. Don’t trust whoever pulled us here!”
That was all that we were able to discuss as the sphere that separated us from the other hemispheres rapidly faded. In each of the other circles, there were varying numbers of people. In each one there were a different number of people. There was a babble of noise that was clearly speech, yet none of the words sounded right. It was clear what was being said. It was just like a poorly dubbed movie. Where the actors were talking in one language but there were voice actors attempting to produce an audio track that matched. But their mouths don’t match the word, and the length of the sentences is completely different. In one case the meaning of the words was clearly altered with the movement of the people's limbs. In that case, it really seemed that they had not originally been human but some other species entirely.
Two of the groups seemed to be very organized as if they both knew what had happened and were prepared. The groups consisted of a group of two and the group of 21. The rest, like the three of us, were confused and questioning.
One person was rolling on the floor, screaming in pain, as their limbs broke and bent in the oddest directions. Before long it lay quiet and appeared to have died. It was not possible to identify much about the body at all, mostly it just seemed as if all its muscles had contracted, and crushed its organs and bones into some form of jellied soup housed in a layer of skin. Blood and other fluids leak from either end of a sausage-like tube. This was the only circle that contained 1 entity and was at the overall center of the whole area.
In the circle containing 2 people, it appeared that one was male and the other female. Both seemed to radiate power in some way, it was like a heat haze. Tears of blood dripped from their eyes. Both were coughing up chunks of ghastly pieces of raw meat. But even as the outer wall started to become transparent they had both pulled themselves together. They were wearing lightweight ordinary leather armor. The male had a sword and shield each of which had a light haze or glimmer associated with them. The female had a bow which interestingly rather than having a cord had a line of light that strung the weapon. Both appear to be ready for conflict. The female was at the rear of the male and facing away, with an arrow strung and partially drawn. While the male faced the outer hemisphere and had moved into a balanced stance.
In the largest group, the equipment that was being worn was clearly little more than lightweight fabric, most had small unimpressive weapons. The most common were varying staffs or small wooden sticks. Within this group, the strong appear individuals shuffled to form a line facing outwards. The others formed two clusters, one I suspect of magic casters and the other of healers and the like.
My small group just stood and looked around, in both confusion and wonder. The flames that flickered along the lines that flowed around and through the pattern etched into the ground were starting to gutter out. Spot flares, small explosions, and sudden implosions scattered all around. There were the reasonable sounds that I expected would come from such processes, but there were also unexpected sounds, there were the sounds of animals, varying from avians screeches, the grunts and hollers of apes, and even whale song. But much more concerning were the sounds that seemed to be issued from human throats, varying from the orgiastic groans, grunts, and moans that represent sexual abandonment, and then even worse were the screams and cries that clear were the result of the most horrible torture. Yet at the same time, there were what could only be called choirs of heavenly voices singing most beautifully. On top of the sounds were the scents, and foul odors it was as if heaven and earth had mixed. The only blessing that I could think of was the lack of any visions.
Then the outer ward collapsed. We were surrounded by a dichotomy of horror, pits of bodies that had been drained of blood, humans, and what were clearly other races. And spread out in other directions were soldiers and heavily armed guards. Which appeared to be defending large numbers of nobles.
Small troops of these impressive soldiers moved to each of the surviving groups and the leader of each simultaneously pronounced “Welcome Heros, saviors of the First city of the empire.”