"There's no need for alarm," said the old scientist. "I'm only here to help." His mustache was bushy and grey. His white hair comically pointing all over the place. His face almost permanently stern. And over his eye, a red eyepatch.

I didn't budge from my fighting stance. I didn't trust him. The last guy in a labcoat tried to finger my butthole, and I was far from letting something like that happen again.

Hmmmm-click.

+1 Anti-creeper Spray

"Ah," he said. "I see you've already... devoured much of your bedroom. Bravo." He stepped around and glanced at the ruins of the place. Claw marks on the walls, a bedframe town to shreds, like half of a dresser, and a single, untouched, beautiful lamp. "I take it that you've noticed that your wounds have been closed."

Instinctively, I used one of my arms to check. My body was as sleek and pristine as it always was.

He saw this and nodded. "And you can understand me well. Good." He stood at me with his hands behind his back. "My name is Dr. Jackelope, and I am one of the leaders of the rebellion."

I eased my stance down a bit.

He continued. "We acted sooner than we anticipated due to your efforts with the prison escape. Because of this, the various cells of the rebellion have been scattered throughout the known world."

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Hmmm-click.

I pulled out a torn napkin from my mouth, and it spelled my message. "JENNA."

He shrugged. "If this is a person for whom you helped out of the prison, then they have likely fled to the desert canyons."

I raised my arms up for a shrug. A universal shrug that hopefully meant, "where the fuck are we now?"

He stared for a moment, then answered. "We are not in the desert."

I waited for a better answer.

He only raised his hands to soothe me. "We are currently in the Northern Plains. Worry not, Redrim, for we know who you are and what you are capable of. I personally witnessed your battle atop the prison roof, and it was from there that I rescued you during my escape."

I dropped the sword back in my mouth. This had all just become a massive pain in the ass. The entire reason I had made such a huge ruckus in the prison was to protect Jenna, and now that she was far from me, I felt a strange sense of stress that I had never felt before.

He nodded, almost gratefully, but his stern face was unfazed. "I aim not to overburden you with needless exposition after your awakening," he said. "But I will say this: I aim to create for you a new body, with which you may continue your dream of toppling the Imperial Hegemons."

I wasn't 100% sure what he was talking about, but it didn't matter. He had me at new body, and I was more than excited to be on board.

A slight grin creaked at the corner of his lips. "You have been asleep for a few months--"

Months!?

"So perhaps a small quest would be in order." He turned to leave. "We have chosen this place for its abundant resources. Unfortunately, the mines are infested with cave spiders. We've already lost a few good men to them, but they should prove no problem for the great slayer Redrim."

He started off.

"Bring me a load of iron. Then, we may proceed with your... transcendence."