I jolt awake in the middle of the night to a weak crunch of leaves just outside my cave. This better not be another damn animal. Sluggishly, I grab one of my sticks and wait, the faint rustling inching closer to the entrance. A short-statured silhouette steps inside. The humanoid figure seemed to have long sharp claws. Shocked, I fully stand on guard, watching it. Is it seeking refuge in the cave as well?
Presumably because it hasn't noticed me, the figure grumbles in a high-pitched foreign tongue. The language it’s speaking isn’t like the one humans were using. Is it human or something else entirely? Either way, it’s bad news. The creature sits down, and I creep closer, keeping my stick raised.
With some sort of unnatural intuition, the creature jolts and quickly swings its hands at me. I somehow parried, and struck it on the head with a force I didn’t know I had.
As my eyes adjust, I take in its appearance. It resembles a goblin from a video game, but its skin is dark maroon, and horns replace its ears. If it had a pitch fork, it would look like a demonic school mascot. The creature, now rubbing its head, looks at me with shock and begins pleading in its strange language. Confused, I lower my stick slightly. This is the first intelligent being I’ve encountered that tried to communicate. As soon as I put my stick to the side, it summoned spikes from its fist like Wolverine, to which I retaliated with another whack and readying my guard.
It began pleading again, and while I was tuning out its cries for mercy, I looked at what was on it. A satchel of sorts slung across its body, and, surprisingly, a gold ring and bracelet. I don’t have a need for anything blingy, but the satchel is priceless in my current situation. So I bargained the best I could.
I motion to the pouch with my stick and motion back out of the cave, as well as death for not complying. ‘In return for not slaughtering you, I take the satchel.’ It quickly agreed by dropping it, clearly happy to get away with its own hide intact, and scurried off.
With a puffed out chest and a new pep in my step I grab my newly mugged purse. A passing thought crossed my mind, and my smile dropped. Well, shit, there’s definitely intelligent creatures here, which means they are going to remember me. Which means if they see me, it's on sight, and they will attack. Maybe mugging it wasn’t the smartest move, but it would’ve killed me if I hadn’t acted. Well, it was also pretty surprised that someone was here to begin with; maybe it thought I was a monster…
Shaking my head, I stumble back to my makeshift bed, collapsing onto the soft pelt and drifting off once more.
——————————————
It is the buttcrack of dawn, with the moon still casting more light than the peeking sun over the canopy. The world is still and silent; not even birds singing. I groggily open my eyes and sigh. I have to start moving today. With a quick pack of my important things and the incredible versatility of the satchel, I head out of my home. I munch away on a bit of pre-cooked bear along with some moss as I hit the road.
It’s certainly a frisk morning, as showcased by my now-hard nipples, but, thanks to my pelt and the orbs, I’m doing a-ok. I have no idea what direction I should walk in to find a river, so I decide to follow the sun.
I appreciate the solitude of the woods. I was never really a people person, and I’ve always wanted to do extreme camping, so this was a new, welcome experience. Aside from me almost dying 24/7.
Unfortunately, where I was, there was no path for me to follow, so I had to make my way through uncharted lands. After a bit, the dense maze of trees surrounding me began to thin, and I could see a small creek running due east. Do I walk up or downstream? I can’t remember. I start to walk uphill first, my thought process being to find the source of the water and, in turn, a civilization.
It had been roughly a few hours, according to the position of the sun, so I sat down on a chunk of dry rock and pulled out my rations. More prepared bear meat and moss. I smack my cracked lips after a particularly dry piece of meat. I really do need water; the moss is alright for now, but I can't get more than what I packed. Is it okay to drink the creek water? Well, it is moving, so nothing too bad could happen, right? What I didn’t remember is that there would still be contaminants in the water, effectively turning my sphincter into the flowing stream. But that's for me to deal with later.
I cup some cold, crisp water and drink thirstily, finally satiating myself after so much time. “Ahhh, this is bliss!” I exclaim, wiping the running water from my chin onto my pelt. Now feeling a good deal of strength come back to me, I continue my hike upwards. Around an hour later, I spot one of the bear-like beasts from the cave. It is sniffing the air for something, then starts scanning in my general direction.
My breath stifles, and my heart nearly pounds out of my chest. These are a level above the cat monster I fought, where it would have easily killed me if it weren't for the other bear. Sure, I'm stronger now, but this could still mean death. I quickly hide behind a tree before it can spot me, but I am apparently too late as it begins charging at me, maw open, and slobber flying.
My mind screams at me to move, but my body feels like it is moving through syrup. Thankfully, during the time I had been walking, I made a spear, as a sturdy stick wasn’t going to cut it against the animals anymore. I grip my spear tighter, its rough handle biting into my palm. I slash at the bear. It realizes what I am doing too late, grazing its ribs and causing a small incision. The beast quickly retaliates, turning and lunging at me. My next strike bounces off its paws harmlessly. It wraps its hand around my leg and squeezes as hard as it can. My leg snaps in half, claws sinking into the bone.
Even adrenaline registers the pain as my leg breaks in two. My vision blurs and begins to swirl; my body becomes nauseous. So much pain registers at once, I throw up.
A guttural, primal sound escapes my lips, as if my soul is being torn apart. The agony is unbearable.
Somehow, through the blinding pain, I manage to keep a grip on my spear. With a scream of pure desperation, I bring it down on the bear's head, feeling the resistance of its flesh and the crunch of bone. The bear spasms, paralyzed, but I don't stop. I stab it over and over and over again, each thrust fueled by a mix of fear, anger, and unbearable pain, until its paw untenses from around my leg. And I collapse.
I cry, tears mixing with the dirt on my face, sobbing uncontrollably.
The pain is too much, too overwhelming.
Every minute movement of my leg sends a fresh wave of agony through my body. My cries echo through the silent forest, a testament to my suffering.
Alone, broken, and in more pain than I ever thought possible, I let the anguish consume me.
I try to hold my leg together despite the sharp stings, only to no avail. Using whatever sense I have left, I shakily dig through the beast's insides with the hope of finding a core.
Finally, I find it and frantically shove it in my mouth, forgetting the taste and pain that come along with it. With what threads holding my leg together, it begins regenerating, disregarding the dirt and slobber inside the wound.
Hours pass, the wound still not fully healed as my body tries to remember how my leg was supposed to go on. Disheveled, disfigured, and unsightly, I lay on the forest floor with no hopes of getting up anytime soon.
——————————————
After some time, I figured my leg was back together enough for me to stand on it. Boy, was I wrong. Almost immediately, a throbbing and stinging pain shot from my leg, forcing me to hurriedly sit back down. With nothing else to do, I tally my power. 415.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
Attracted to what I could only assume was my food, three of the naked mole rats scurried up to me, still as perpetually angry as ever. I grab my spear and try to wave them off, but alas, they don’t know fear and continue rushing at me.
With a jump and a soar through the air, one of the damn things bit my forearm, though thankfully my skin too tough to be broken by their teeth.
Pissed off at this point, I yell, “JUST GIVE ME A BREAK!” as I bring down my spear with an unnecessary force, punching a large hole through its body. I grab the next closest one and pop its head like a water balloon; the other, instead of running away, decides to avenge its brethren and launch itself at me. I, too, grab it and pop its head.
However pissed off I may be, I still rummage through them, and grab their orbs. This time however, I keep the orbs. What would 15 more power change? Plus I need to see if I can sell these too. Although three of these things aren’t even close to one of them from the bear, it should give me a little money.
By the time my leg had fully healed, It was nearing nightfall. As I really don't want another run in with something that almost killed me, I find another shelter. The pull came back once again, I thought I got rid of you. Deciding against my best interest, I follow it. Maybe the pull had a change of heart and cares for me again? After following it for a little bit, I find another small overhang of a cave. However it’s blocked by a rock that looks to be three times my weight. I think about it for a moment, and decide to try and push it out of the way. How much stronger have I really gotten?
I walk up to the rock and push. I didn’t even have a chance to use all my strength before it just slid out of the way. I jerk my head back, inspecting the rock, and my brows furrow. That thing was like 300 pounds, and I moved it with an unnatural ease. Well, 415 power really is something. The cave is eerie, with nothing inside it. No animals, no moss, and, weirdly enough, no echo.
The cave walls were lined with pictographs depicting thousands of flying and un-flying horned beasts desemating homes and people. This monster looks sorta familiar… The further along I went, the further the story progressed. More flying creatures, what I could only assume were angels or gods because of their portrayal, came to stop the horned ones, demons. One large god had put an end to the attacks, becoming revered for its power. But as it turned out, that god had backstabbed the others for the power of the demons. And chaos ensued, creating monsters—the animals I have been fighting.
As I trace my fingers over the final scenes, I notice something unusual—a small, recessed area in the wall, almost like a hidden compartment. My curiosity piqued, so I press against it, and with a soft click, a section of the wall slides open, revealing a narrow passageway.
With no other options and a burning curiosity, I squeeze through the opening. This is definitely how people get killed in horror movies. The passage is dark and narrow, the air thick with an ancient, musty smell. After a few minutes of cautious progress, the passage opens up into a larger chamber with glowing crystals lined along the walls. At the end of the room hangs a mural of a tall woman holding a heart in one hand and a dagger in the other. A silver bracelet rests on her wrist.
In the center lies an embalming table, upon which rests a strange, ornate object. It looks like a cross between a staff and a sword; its design is alien yet somehow familiar. Yup, that’s an embalming tool. No thanks.
As I hurriedly turn to escape, the air around me feels charged with static. A voice echoes through the chamber—a deep, resonant tone that seems to vibrate through my very bones.
"Chosen one," the voice intones, "you have been drawn here by fate. The power you seek lies within this relic. But beware, for great power comes at a cost."
Bewildered, my heart pounds in my chest, my breath shallow. "Uh, thanks, creepy voice, but I'm not selling my soul for some power." My voice is hoarse from disuse, sounding almost alien to my own ears.
“Do you not wish to get revenge?” It says indifferently.
“This is how villains are made. Look, even if I did want the power, I don’t want to use an embalming tool as my weapon.”
“Very well, chosen one; if you must depart, let me give you a gift.” With that, a surge of energy floods through me, making my muscles twitch and my vision blur. Images flash before my eyes—scenes of battles, of gods and demons, of the world in flames. I see a city razed to the ground, skies darkened by smoke, and a colossal lone demon standing amidst the chaos, wielding the very relic I just rejected.
When the vision fades, I find myself on my knees, clutching my chest. How was that a gift, jackass?! Reading my thoughts, the voice replies, “A vision, not of the past but of the future. Do what you will with this.” The voice ceases, leaving me alone with my thoughts. A vision of the future? What am I supposed to do with that? I can’t fight demons, let alone a god. Was the voice a god? A demon?
None of that matters compared to the mural on the wall—a goddess with a dagger and a silver bracelet—the same unforgettable features of my killer. My blood runs cold. Why did a goddess bring me into this world? Or rather, why was she in mine? I sit on the cold, dirty floor with a million questions but not one answer. After some time, curiosity builds up and I walk over to the table, on which rests not only the weapon of great power but a note carved onto a cracked stone tablet.
In this tomb lies the body of Astaroth, the 7th general of Karma. By whatever means possible, please never move this rock. If somehow it is moved, do not be persuaded by the voice, do not listen to the voice, and certainly do not make any deals with it. The voice is the life force of Astaroth and will always try to revive itself. If the voice says it will give you a "gift,” do not accept; it is only trying to persuade you further. – E.F.
Luckily, I followed every step to a tee. I mean, how else was I supposed to read this obviously relocated tablet? Not move the rock, listen to the voice, and accept a gift from it? Psshh. Quite frankly, I was very unnerved, and I hightail it out of the cavern, snagging a light crystal or two on the way back. As soon as I step out of the hidden area, the wall slides back behind me. Just to see if I could, I try pressing the rock again, to no avail. Well, this is as safe a place as any to sleep for the night. I lay my stuff down and hit the sack.
——————————————
For the first time in this damn forest, I got a full night of sleep. Rising like a girl in a high school musical, I jovially skip my way over to the entrance of the cave. “Hello World!” I exclaim as I spread my arms outward. Maybe this world likes me after all; a little tough love never hurts, right? The only thing I’m slightly, minutely worried about is the battle between the angels and demons, but that's something for future me to deal with. Right now, I need to get out of this place.
With a fresh, clear mind, I start to ponder, how am I going to get out of here? I devour the rest of my bear and, now dry, moss. I rush over to the creek, drink an unhealthy amount of water, and rush back to do the one thing everyone with superpowers wants to, test them.
To begin, I grab some rocks, the size of large grapefruits, and crush them in my hands, turning them into sand with minimal effort. I grin, feeling a surge of confidence. Next, I spot a boulder about the size of a smart car. With a deep breath, I dig my fingers into its rough surface and lift. The boulder barely rises off the ground, and I hurl it several yards away, watching it crash into a cluster of small trees, splintering them like toothpicks.
I try to punch a hole in the rocky cave wall… and almost break my hand. It's still like a foot of dense rock. With a grunt of frustration, I decide to test my strength on something more manageable. I walk over to one of the smaller giant trees that loom over my makeshift home. Like a lumberjack on steroids, I start punching the trunk, causing large chunks of bark and wood to fly off with each strike. The tree creaks and groans under the assault, and within minutes, it topples over with a thunderous crash, sending a flock of startled birds into the sky.
Just as I’m about to celebrate, I get a massive piece of mulch in my eye and stop. Ok, maybe this world doesn’t like me punching its trees. That's fair. Breathing heavily, I wipe the sweat from my brow and grin. Yeah, well I'm definitely stronger than I used to be.
Being much nicer to the world, I head back to right outside my cave and climb one of the massive trees. Reaching the top, I use my hands as binoculars, trying to scout my surrounding area for anything. Creek, monster—I pause—lake! More monsters, bigger trees. About two miles due north, I see the edge of the forest, though past that is hazy. Well, at least I have a lead. North it is!
I pack my things and excitedly begin running toward the end. What's two miles of running? Especially with my enhanced body, I’m sure I’m like the strongest in this world. I wouldn’t get too ahead of myself there. I look down at my missing finger and shake my head.
Sprinting the two miles faster than many professional athletes, I excitedly approach the clearing. With one large, final step, I’m free from the forest of doom, and I shout, “I’M FREEE!” My words echo throughout the forest behind me as I begin a new chapter in my shity life here: the plains.