[Your new character has been configured. Indicate when you are ready to enter Ancient Realms.]
I stared at the small button below the message. It displayed ‘accept’ as though this decision was one as simple as a transaction. I was staring, but I couldn’t tell what I was waiting for. To wake from a dream perhaps, or to pretend I had any courage to muster. I focused my intent and selected the only option. But I guess when you only have one option, you don’t have any options.
[Transferring your Consciousness..]
I could feel again, and it felt so real. The light was dim enough to make seeing difficult. From what I could tell I was in a small cave. I wore uncomfortable clothes, and there was dust everywhere. I moved toward the light outside the cave but was interrupted by pain. It burned as if a hot knife were being dragged in circles around my neck. I lurched in surprise, a chair behind me tumbling to the ground. Burlap sleeves covered my vision as I pulled myself toward the light, emerging from the hollow. I grasped at my throat, and my hands found the source of pain. Yanking at a chain around my neck, I threw to the ground what appeared to be a religious amulet. As sunlight bathed my hands, I finally noticed what felt so… off. My hands were void of flesh, and only bones remained where human hands should be.
“What…” I trailed off when I heard my voice, a deep, dry, rumble, like a grindstone.
“This can’t be me. Why are my hands…? There’s been a mistake here, I-”
“Hey, dickless, don’t go making a ruckus.” I saw no speaker. Turning my head wildly, all I could see were trees.
“Over here, numbskull.” A little red lizard was sitting at the cave’s entrance. Could it be the source of the voice?
“Who are you? Are you associated with Ancient Realms? This was not the deal!”
“Quit your whining. You wanted immortality, and now you will never age. You wanted to grow, and monsters do that much faster than the run-of-the-mill NPCs.” The lizard was the size of my index finger, and he spoke with a thick Brooklyn accent. His little tail whisked right to left with a steady rhythm.
“Wait, so are you the guide from before?” I moved around the lizard, but it seemed from all angles to be just a normal lizard.
“I had my personality files installed. And because I am a guide to an antagonist, I get to be a cranky little reptile.” He flicked his tongue out in protest.
“What do you mean by antagonist?”
“You are a monster, not technically an NPC by AI standards.” He climbed onto my bare metatarsals. “Everyone in your position is assigned a role in the game. Think of it as a stage, where you all have your lines to say to complete the play.” He huffed as he pulled his tail up to my shoulder. “Open your status page by focusing your mind on your condition. You will need to have an idea of your capabilities.”
I tried to focus and found that my eyes didn’t close. I supposed that was due to my lack of eyelids. I instead zoned out and just thought about how I physically felt. That seemed to do the trick because a dark screen with simple white lettering appeared.
[Name: Nathaniel
Subject ID: #431189
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
AI Rank: A
Race: Skeleton (I)
Role: Antagonist (I)
Titles: --None--
Health: 75
Mana: 35
Stamina: N/A
Strength: 15
Agility: 15
Constitution: 15
Willpower: 20
Intellect: 15
Wisdom: 20
Perception: 15
Charisma: 5
Luck: 16
Souls: 0
Skills: Play Dead (lv.1), Reaper (lv.1), Stereotype Nonconformist (lv. 1)]
There were a few other tabs on the menu. The reputation tab was straightforward, listing my many enemies among holy factions and most races, which would consider me an immediate enemy. I examined others while the lizard on my shoulder chased his tail and waited.
[Race: Skeleton (I)
Racial effects: Poison Immunity, Paralysis Immunity, Sleep Immunity, Sickness Immunity, Bleeding Immunity, +25% slashing damage resistance, +30% piercing damage resistance, +35% bludgeoning damage received, Static Stamina, +75% charming immunity, +100% Holy damage taken, -50% Charisma]
[Hermit’s Robe: A humble burlap robe, once worn by an even more humble hermit. Looks like you took his bones. Ironic, right? This robe grants 5% resistance to Holy magic damage sources, and +1 point of Luck.
Quality: Uncommon
Durability: 15/35
Creator: -Unknown-
Date of Creation: -Unknown-]
[Skill: Play Dead (lv.1)
Description: At level 1, you may collapse into a pile of bones. This pile of bones appears normal until it is examined. Attacking directly after using this skill grants +20% surprise chance.]
[Skill: Reaper (lv.1)
Description: A standard Monster skill. This skill allows you to capture the souls of your kills. At level 1, this skill grants +0% souls reaped.]
[Skill: Stereotype Nonconformist (lv. 1)
Description: This skill enhances your ability to recognize tropes, cliches, and stereotypes as they occur in the world around you. At higher levels, you may be able to predict or circumvent story elements. At level 1, this skill grants +25% to recognizing story elements after they have happened. This skill grants +15% to recognizing story elements as they happen. This skill grants +5% to predicting future story elements. This skill is modified by your Wisdom Stat. This is a hidden skill.]
I didn’t think I liked the sound of these ‘story elements’. It seemed to me like the AI that writes the stories and quests would be an enemy in their special way, another bump in the road. The road was getting rather rough as of late. I closed my screens with a thought and sat on a rock. It was a beautiful summer day, the sunlight filtering through the trees as birds chirped and flittered about. I couldn’t tell if I heard rushing water or if it was just the wind.
“So are you done yet?” The rude reptile on my shoulder prodded. “See, it’s not so bad. You have unlimited stamina, no need to eat or sleep, and you’ve lost a ton of weight.
“All at the low price of being universally hated on sight, being forced to play the bad guy, and no longer having flesh.”
“You’ll get over not having a dick pretty quick. The system regulates your mental state to keep you from going insane. Unless it helps the plot along.” The lizard did the closest thing to a shrug it could. “Just be happy you get a second chance. I only exist because of your death, and I will die once you die here. So quit yer moaning and bitching. We’ve got work to-”
Something rustled in the trees behind me. I jumped to my feet and whirled, meeting a mess of black fur surrounding a pair of bright red eyes.