“Congratulations mortal, your insignificant soul has been chosen!” a deep, disembodied voice echoes into the void.
Chosen? Chosen for what exactly? I tried looking around to see where I was exactly. Darkness, complete and utter darkness surrounded me at all sides. Am I blind? What the fuck I can’t feel my legs, or my arms, or anything for that matter.
“You are not blind, mortal. You are dead.” the deep voice says matter of factly.
Dead?! But I was just... what was I doing exactly? I can’t seem to think about anything pertaining to what I was just doing. Wait, what’s my name?!
“It matters not, mortal. You have been chosen! Rejoice! For your life has true purpose now. You are to be entertainment for the gods!” the voice thunders jovially.
Entertainment?! Gods??! What do you mean I am to be “entertainment”. I’m not some jester that you can order around to do your bidding!
“That is exactly what you are to be, if you wish to live once again that is.” the voice states.
You know what? Fair point, you drive a hard bargain there my man. So what do you want to see, huh? You want some juggling? Maybe I can do a little cartwheel for you-
“Silence! Your impertinence is grating. I shall tell you what you must do... you must spin the Wheel of Fate!” the voice exclaims enthusiastically.
Beams of light shine down in what was once a void of complete darkness, illuminating what appears to be a giant carnival wheel. Clapping resounds in the expanse as multicolored beams of light swept to and fro.
What the fuck.
Is this hell? Who is clapping? Why is my fate decided by something as arbitrary as this? Is this some kind of game show for the gods?!
“Approach the wheel, mortal! Your first spin dictates your destination, while your second spin dictates what you become!” the voice instructs.
My formless existence moves beyond my control as I approach the massive wheel. A rainbow of light begins to coalesce into the form of an arm that I was able to move. The wheel was daunting being this close to it, It was completely gray with white question marks at the top of each selection.
To be honest it was kinda tacky.
“Spin the wheel, mortal!” Alright man, cut me some slack. I grab the wheel with my disembodied arm, pausing for only a moment before spinning with as much force as I could muster.
The carnival wheel rapidly ticks as it cycles through all the possibilities. It begins to slow down before finally coming to a stop. The selection glows before peeling itself off of the wheel, flying above it and transforming into the image of a planet.
“The primitive world of Veralta! Magic flows through the land as different species of mortals vie for supremacy!” the voice announces. Ooh’s and Ah’s prattle around the void. That was fairly vague... “Now, on to the next spin! Continue, mortal!” the voice beckons expectantly.
Mortal this, mortal that, these guys suck. I spin the wheel once more, giving half the effort I gave on the first spin. The wheel begins to slow before landing upon the selection. Once more it slides off the wheel and molds itself into an image.
A humanoid figure appeared in the air before the wheel. Incredibly muscled with a stout frame, it was nearly 2 meters tall. But, it wasn’t human... it had dark green skin... and tusks. TUSKS! He had coarse black hair with black eyes, pointed ears, and a snarl painted upon its face.
WAS THAT GOING TO BE ME?!
“An orc! We have not had an orc in ages! I imagine you will give us quite the show, mortal.” the voice applauds.
Clapping returned as the beams of light flicked to where I am, and suddenly... I am. The image zaps downwards and I take the form of what had been presented to me.
“Now before I send you off I will bestow a gift upon you! Behold, Mortal! The entirety of your being!” the voice exclaims.
Status
Unnamed
Level - 1
Race - Forest Orc (common)
Class - None
HP - 130
MP - 70
SP - 130
STR - 14
END - 13
DEX - 10
INT - 7
WIS - 7
CHA - 20
Attribute Points: 0
Trait Gained
[Hardiness]
Rugged by nature, orcs take 10% less physical damage
Trait Gained
[Menacing]
Orcs have an intimidating appearance, creatures of equal or lower level have a chance to become wary or frightened
Trait Gained
[Dark Sight]
Orcs have the ability to see under the cover of darkness
Skill Gained
[Language Proficiency: Greentongue]
Allows for the reading and writing of Greentongue; the language used most by the Greenskin races of Veralta
Skilled Gained
[Language Proficiency: Common]
Allows for the reading and writing of Common; the language used most by the “civilized” races of Veralta
Skilled Gained
[Observe](Active)
Provides information on the target
Wha- “Now that your gift has been bestowed, begone! Go forth and struggle for our amusement!”
Darkness encompassed my vision once again.
----------------------------------------
My eyes shoot open, taking in the world around me. Birds chirp and sing in the branches of the trees above me. The light breeze lazily blows through the leaves and through my legs. Wait, what? IM NAKED?! I scramble onto my feet and cover myself with my hands. My entire cock was out and I had nothing to clothe myself with. Gods be damned, they can't even give a man some pants!
Wait a second... breeze? Trees? ...Cock? Where the hell am I again? I’m in a place called Veralta, right? Those snobby gods sent me here so I can be entertainment of all things. Why the hell am I supposed to entertain a group of gods? They’re probably laughing at me now while I try to maintain my modesty. You know what? I’m just gonna hang free. Go on gods, gaze upon my naked glory. SEE IF I CARE!
My stomach rumbles as I stroll through the forest. Damn, I’m hungry, surely there’s something to eat around here? Wait a second, they gave me a gift! How do I bring it up again? Uhhhhh, [Status]?
Status
Unnamed
Level - 1
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Race - Forest Orc (common)
Class - None
HP - 130
MP - 70
SP - 130
STR - 14
END - 13
DEX - 10
INT - 7
WIS - 7
CHA - 20
Attribute Points: 0
Traits: Hardiness, Menacing, Dark Sight
Skills:
(Passive)
Language Proficiency: Greentongue
Language Proficiency: Common
(Active)
Observe; Level 1
Wait, I’ve seen something like this before. These are RPG stats, pulled straight out of a fucking video game. “The entirety of my being”, huh? Why is my INT and WIS so low compared to my other stats? Are the gods calling me stupid? I resent that alright, I have a good head on my shoulders you-
A high pitched screech pierces the air making me stop in my tracks. What the fuck was that? I turn my head in the direction of the screech, it couldn’t have been far away from here. The sound of cruel laughter echoes as more screams ring out.
Normally, this would be a sign to mind your damn business and get out of the area. Yet... the morbid curiosity was winning over my self preservation instincts. I start to jog over in the direction of the hysteria and eventually reach my destination.
Within a small clearing lie several small thatch huts. The source of the noise was a small group of 10 goblins... and an orc. The orc wielded a large wooden club and was using it rather horrifically. A goblin laid strewn on the ground, it’s limbs broken and mangled as the orc stood above them reveling in their pain.
“Next time I come back you better have more food, or else you’ll all end up like this.” the orc threatens. He points his club at the remaining goblins as they scream and huddle into eachother.
My heartbeat quickens watching the gruesome scene. These poor goblins are being terrorized... do I help them? The hopeless looks on their faces, the tears streaming down their cheeks... It makes me angry. Who does this orc think he is bullying these defenseless goblins? Who gave him the right to demand tribute from them? What possessed him to torture them for his amusement?
Although it was not to the same degree, the powerlessness resonated with me. I can’t do anything about being a jester for the gods just as these goblins can’t do anything about this monster.
[Observe]
Zug
Race - Forest Orc (common)
Level - 5
Class - None
Level 5 with a big ass club in his hands... yeah not gonna lie, this looks pretty grim. I don’t have any weapons so I’m gonna have to fight him bare handed. Maybe there’s something around me I can use?
I look around and spot a sizeable rock about 2 meters from me towards the orc. If I were to sneak up on him and bash him over the head with this I might be able to have a chance. I was in a favorable position, directly behind the orc in his blindspot. If I were to guess the ground I’d have to cover I would say he was probably around 15 meters away.
I crouch low and begin to slowly make my way toward my target, picking the rock up along the way. The orc raises his club and begins to swing it relentlessly at the goblin's broken legs. Rhythmic thunking fills the forest as the poor goblin began to screech once more. The cruel laughter returned and I honestly can’t fucking stand it any longer.
I step lightly through the grass, making sure to avoid any small sticks or obstacles in my path. I tighten my grip on the rock as I close in on the orc. Some of the goblins had spotted me but didn’t point out my entrance, staring fearfully in my direction. The orc raises his club high once again before swinging fiercely at the goblins head, splattering the ground with viscera.
The orc began to guffaw as the crying goblins flinched at the mortal blow. Red tinged the edges of my vision as my anger grew with every bout of laughter. I now stand a little less than a meter away from the orc. I rise to my full height and rear back my right arm before lunging forward and striking with all my might at the back of his skull.
[Sneak Attack]
[Critical Hit]
[Zug has been dazed]
The rock smashed into the orc's head as he screamed and stumbled forward. Refusing to give up the advantage I rush forward and tackle him, taking him to the ground. I grab the base of his neck with my left hand as I raise my rock up in the air and strike relentlessly at the back of his skull.
[Critical Hit]
[Critical Hit]
[Critical Hit]
[Critical Hit]
[Critical Hit]
[Critical Hit]
[You have slain Level 5 Forest Orc]
[You have gained experience]
[Bonus experience granted for slaying a being above your level]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[You are now Level 3]
[You have been awarded 4 attribute points]
Skill Gained
[Power Strike](Active)
Fuels your muscles with energy granting you bonus damage on your next physical attack.
Cost: 30 SP
Skill Gained
[Stealth](Passive)(Active)
The age old art of concealing one’s self
(Passive) Improves your ability to hide in shadows or behind cover
(Active) Improves your ability to move undetected
Cost: 20 SP
The small clearing was silent other than my labored breathing. The back of the orc’s skull was caved in and blood had splattered all over my hands and face. I fell backwards, the stained rock in my hands dropping to the ground as I took in what I had just done.
Did I really need to do that? I-I could’ve gone about this some other way, right? I didn’t have to kill him why did I-
Trait Gained
[Blood Fury]
Once an orc becomes enraged their strength knows no bounds. In exchange for reason, orcs gain a direct boost to their combat capabilities
While under the effects of [Blood Fury] gain the following:
-40% WIS
+25% STR
+10% END
+10% DEX
A trait had directly influenced my actions... Although the buffs to STR, END, and DEX are nice, the tradeoff is detrimental. Just the fact that I can lose my ability to reason is terrifying to me. Looking at the shattered skull of the orc makes me want to vomit.
The sound of small, unsure steps interrupt me from my thoughts. A single goblin approached me from the huddle. Their head down and posture slightly slouched, making them look smaller than they already were. The goblin stood at around a meter in height. It had a diminutive, wiry frame and its cheeks were gaunt from malnourishment. Its skin was a light green in color and its eyes were yellow and slit like a cat. Their ears were pointed, slightly longer than my own, while their head was completely devoid of hair as were the rest of the goblins.
The goblin walked until they were around 3 meters away from me, raising their head slightly and looking up at me with fearful eyes. They collapsed to their knees and began to grovel.
“T-thank you for kill orc, please no kill goblin.” the goblin pleads, their forehead now touching the ground. The rest of the goblins stare at me with trepidation, hoping that I wasn’t just here to take the other orc’s prey.
“Oi oi, what's with the kneeling? I’m not going to hurt you, goblin. Raise your head.” I say, slightly embarrassed.
[Observe]
Gekk
Race - Forest Goblin (common)
Level - 8
Class - None
Hey, this goblin was a way higher level than me! He even out leveled the orc! Why didn’t these guys just band up and jump the asshole? I’m sure a group of 10 goblins could take on one orc. I doubt I could even take them all out myself if they all were angry enough to fight me.
The goblin tentatively raised his head yet remained on his knees. “You no kill goblin?” he asks meekly. “I’m not here to kill you, I saw what that orc was doing and It made me angry. I came here to stop him.” I say, crossing my arms. The goblin’s eyes widened as did the other goblins behind him. “Y-you come to save goblin?” he asks quietly, nearly a whisper.
I pick up the bloody rock and stand up, walking toward the little goblin. His gaze turns fearful as he begins to tremble as I approach him. “Yeah, I came to save you. You shouldn’t let someone bully you like that, you need to stand up for yourself.” I kneel down and give him the rock before placing my hand on his shoulder.
“Fight back, fight together. If all of you band together you can fight something bigger than yourselves. Never forget the friend who died today, fight back against anyone who tries to take another from you! Blood for blood, you know?” I say, smiling and giving him a thumbs up with my free hand.
The goblin’s eyes were nearly bulging out of his skull. The other goblins having near identical expressions as a thick silence pervades the clearing.
Did I say something wrong? This is a little awkward, maybe I should stop smiling I think my teeth are scaring them. A small whisper escapes from Gekk’s lips as his grip on the rock tightens.
“Blood for blood...” he whispers. “Blood for blood...” utters another goblin. “Blood for blood!” exclaims a goblin who stands from the huddle. “Blood for blood!” Gekk yells, rising to his feet before running to the other goblins. Gekk raises the blood stained rock into the air as the goblins begin chanting. “BLOOD FOR BLOOD!” “BLOOD FOR BLOOD!” “BLOOD FOR BLOOD!” “BLOOD FOR BLOOD!” The goblins were sent into a frenzy, screaming into the heavens as they all gathered around Gekk.
Uhh... I think I should’ve worded that a little differently.