Gympie wasn’t sure what he was expecting when his sight was blocked off, but he certainly wasn’t expecting to suddenly find himself in an unfamiliar jungle. It all happened too fast for him to properly put into words but one second, he was annoyed about being ignored and the next he was reeling from vertigo with his feet firmly in the dirt and the knowledge that he must survive firmly lodged in his head.

It was warmer here than what he was used to, and he couldn’t smell the ocean but there seemed to at least be more breathable air despite the packed plant life around here. Speaking of plant life his ward needed space and all these trees were blocking sunlight from reaching the forest floor. He would have to make room, maybe the local dryads could help get him sorted. He didn’t know what it was like off the island but on the island the dryads all worked together to fend off the twigs and propagate their host’s seeds. Hopefully it would be the same here.

But before he could head out to find anyone a series of messages flitted across his field of vision.

[You have received Mithril Plate Mail from The Surprise Guest]

[You have received Basic Unarmed Combat from The Surprise Guest]

[You have received Shock Knife from Goofy]

All at once a pile of stuff appeared in front of him accompanied by the sound of clanging metal. But more than that Gympie suddenly knew that every time he had fought back against the twigs, he hadn’t been putting any real power behind his punches.

He shook his head and threw an experimental punch finding that his form was automatically being corrected to put more force behind his punch and he could tell that wasn’t all there was to it.

Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and took a look at the pile of metal in front of him. He had never seen anything like it before. He had no need for metal tools as his only purpose was to care for his ward, but he had sometimes seen the twigs wield tiny sharp metal sticks. But none of those were made as finely as these.

They seemed to gleam in the early morning light and the knife crackled with the energy of a far-off storm. The armor had multiple layers, a shiny metal exterior that caught the light and seemed to have an unknown energy slowly rippling over it and a more flexible inner layer that would protect him but still allow for movement.

He reached to pick them up and was surprised by the armor being much lighter than he thought it should be from his limited experience with metal. It seemed to be perfectly his size and he couldn’t help but think if they already had this prepared beforehand. The knife also fit perfectly in his hand like a familiar weight even though he had never used a knife before this.

The only issue he could see with this is: he had no idea how to put it on. There were just too many straps, and he didn’t feel like he had enough hands to tighten them all. But he didn’t want to leave it. If what little he knows about the situation in this place is correct than The Surprise Guest was a god and if they have the same sorts of power The Curator did it was best not to make light of their gifts in case, they are watching.

So, he gathered up the stuff and after a bit of adjustments and carefully pruning some of the local plants in a way that wouldn’t make them too mad he had a makeshift pack to hold everything. He hoped The Surprise Guest wouldn’t be upset that he had filled his armor with dirt to transport his host but he couldn’t very well leave his host with no dirt to root in and it seems like he will have to stay on the move.

He heard a sound in the distance that he couldn’t quite identify. Almost like the sound of one of the roving plant beasts of the island but wetter, louder. He had to keep moving.

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As Victoria’s crystal cage shook and rattled, she lay down and clutched the ground as hard as she could. It felt like going to the bottom floor of a building in an elevator, only a hundred times worse. Maybe it felt like an elevator coming off its pulley and dropping straight down the whole Empire State Building. She never had a fear of heights, but the current situation was really making her reconsider that perspective.

After several gut-wrenching minutes of free fall, all momentum simply vanished. The relief she felt was soon matched by an intense wave of nausea as the walls around her shattered into a glimmering dust and scattered to the wind. It was a beautiful sight, but one that Victoria did not get to see as she was doing her very best to keep last night’s dinner on the inside. After the test of willpower, not helped by the stench wafting into her nose as she gagged, she finally regained enough composure to stand and take a look at her surroundings. A dreary swamp met her, and she focused her attention on the vegetation, looking for snakes, crocodiles or centipedes. She’d once had an airboat tour of the Florida Everglades during a vacation, and the amount of dangerous wildlife the guide pointed out that was almost right in front of her really left an impression.

She didn’t see anything immediately, which didn’t necessarily mean that it was safe, but further pondering was interrupted by a glowing blue screen popping into existence in front of her, followed by two more immediately after. The first was "You have received [Machete (Common)] from The Keeper of Secrets!" only for the box to blink out of existence and be replaced by a sleek looking machete.

The second read was labeled the same as the machete and read “I am the Keeper, leader of the Ascendancy of Power. You who seek answers, speak to me and I may enlighten you. I offer, as well, a [Class] of your own choosing.” Below the text there was a list of two items.

[Common Class (Chosen)]

[Sponsorship (The Keeper of Secrets)]

Looking at the other offer, this one labeled “Fluctuating Chaos,” Victoria saw another message. “You don’t need whatever those other gods are offering. You need flexibility, you need change, you need to be able to adapt to whatever you come across, you need to embrace the chaos that has become a part of you!”

Another list was below this one;

[Common Class (Random)]

[Fire starting (Common)]

[Basic Plant Identification (Common)]

[Sponsorship (Fluctuating Chaos)]

Victoria contemplated the words before her. This was unfamiliar territory, and she was hesitant to apply past experiences, but she had built a business empire from the ground up, and those skills seemed to apply here. Her biggest hang up was that she was lacking information. She would have to get that before making any solid decisions. Plus, given a bit more time, other offers may appear as well. With this machete, she was hopeful enough that she could survive until then.

With her decision put off, she minimized the screens, took up her weapon, and set off.

----------------------------------------

Darvi remained calm; calm as he could be. This prison that held him and possible other like him seemed to be the only thing protecting him from what lied beyond.

He touched the crystal glass with a soft sigh, waiting. And then, he waited.

Lost in his thoughts for a bit, he wondered what exactly had been happening all this while. The brief glimpses of comprehension that he had been gifted now lost to the inevitable marching of time.

Fear gripped his heart in a slow, creeping process. However, it didn't take him long to notice something. Warmth.

The familiar touch of coarseness, the searing warmth and hot gale rushing past his gills making it tremble. He rolled over to his side only to feel the blinding light meet his eyes, the abyss of darkness and the wicked being that ruled it now gone. Now replaced with a seemingly endless ocean of sand spotted with sparse plant life.

He took a moment to adjust himself and breathe. His windpipe filled with hot air yet it didn't make him unhappy in the slightest. Instead, he sucked in deep breath and then some more.

"Fuck!" *A wave of emotions came over him as he recalled his experiences. His unnatural calmness and understanding in those moments make him feel alien and distraught.

But now was not the time, as he finally gave notice to the blue screen in front of him with a single message. He had acquired some knowledge of it, a [Sponsorship] from Vexus, God of Choices it said.

He memorized the contents of the screen, squinting at the God who felt him worthy.

"...God of Choices? Huh..." *It was comical, thinking that he even had a choice here. The only name that wished to see him survive, was but a God of uncertainty.

He really felt like laughing at this moment. But he didn't make a sound.

"So, if I accept this, I'll have a chance? Not much of a choice there..." *A wry smile forms on his face, the cost of his survival before his eyes.

Even if he must sell his soul at this point, he would do it. "I! Darvi! Accept this Sponsorship!" He boldly declared to the world as the contract now bound him.

The promised [Rare Weapon] took life as a beautiful scimitar with a jewel topped pommel, much to his tastes as he observed. An aura of hope oozed the weapon as he gripped it, making him feel like he had held on to a lifeline.

Meanwhile a sound of a rolling wheel sounded out in his head before it was announced he had become a [Ranger] accompanied with the fact that he had gained [Basic Tracking] along with all the information that came with that.

He stood up as best he could, his body terribly adapted to this kind of habitat. But he would survive.

Give up and wait for death in the sands of this forsaken world? Give up and die?

"No. I'm not going to die."

No matter the cost, he would survive and get out of this damned game alive.