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<<
Ugh.
My splitting headache was incredibly painful. It had begun when I 'woke up' earlier and had been worsened by the screams. Even now, the lightning victims were shrieking horribly. At least the ones who were still alive.
Their wounds were instantly cauterized, but that rank smell of charred meat hung in the air. Some vomitted because of the whole gruesome scene, making the smell much worse.
Disgusting.
Are we really that frail? That weak? These 'players' have fought horrible creatures with fantastic powers in Axis Online. Yet, I supposed that it didn't really matter here.
'Hmph. If there's a good time to leave, it's now', I thought, 'either they'll turn on each other or wallow in misery. I don't like either option.'
So I faced what I assumed to be due North and starting weaving through the crowd. Each step was silent, not disturbing the grass at all. 'Well, at least my stealth passives are still active', I noted. Even the people I passed by didn't appear to notice me.
It didn't take long to make it out of the crowd, and then I was on my way. After I was about a hundred yards away, I broke into a dead sprint. I was ridiculously quick. The ground blurred under me as I pondered just how fast I could go. After all, I had at least three movement passives.
"Gotta go fast", I laughingly said. So said, so done. My legs consumed earth faster than a demon fleeing from a holy man. My steps were colliding with the ground so quickly that I couldn't even see them. Each footfall was incredibly loud, all of them producing a spray of dirt.
BamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBam.
I let loose a hearty laugh of pure joy. I had never felt so free in my life. Whenever I had ran before, it was painful and left me wheezing. But right then... each breath felt so sweet.
I looked up to the sky and wondered what it would be like to fly like Devros had. Shame that I didn't have any 'qi'. Of course, living the lifestyle that I had, I was familiar with the concept of cultivation. I had even played a few games before Axis Online that used it as a leveling system. In cultivation stories there were also a 'system' of sorts.
The general idea goes: develop a dantian (or qi core), continuosly absorb qi, continue 'breaking through' to higher levels, and you'd eventually become immortal, if you survived. That idea was certainly enticing, but I didn't have any idea how to start.
I looked down to my hands, thinking, 'Is so foreign to think that an organism can survive without qi? And what the hell was that thing Devros mentioned? Lui?'
I was consumed in my thoughts, legs on autopilot until I caught sight of something in the distance. It appeared to be a forest a very far ways away. The only reason I saw it, despite my incredible sight, was that the land was so flat. 'Damn... how big are these plains anyway?', I complained, but sped up anyway.
The headache had gotten worse, but somehow... I was starting to enjoy it. A shiver ran down my mind as the image of a mask flashed across my mind. It was pristine white, except for blood stains around the smiling mouth. Its eyes were full of hatred and barely in-check rage. Those hollow eyes stared at me, hauntingly.
Then it spoke.
Don't wonder what it will be like to fly, because you will be doing so soon. We clawed our way to the top before, and we'll do it again. Make those hands into fists. Good. Those are the fists that will shatter this dimension for its insolence.
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"We will make our blood sing in their suffering", we said in unison.
I shivered again.
The mask vanished instantly and so did the headache. Everyone has their demons, I just happen to be my own.
<<<>>>
A black blur crosses the massive plains at a furious pace, kicking up a cloud of dirt behind it. Unbeknownst to it, a rather large and mismatched crowd is shambling behind the blur at a meandering pace.
At the forefront, leading the 'charge' is a humongous armored individual. From head to toe, it is armored in thick, deep blue metal plates. Detailed and flowing silver runes run along most of the armor, glowing lightly. A gargantuan blade is sheathed on its back, seven feet in length and a foot in width. Its gender cannot be determined, because it is wearing a completely insulated helm.
The rest of the crowd are a good three feet shorter on average. Some seem fearful of the figure, but they move on nonetheless.
To its side strides a particularly bubbly woman. She is beautiful, to be certain, but seems almost too happy for the situation. Her emerald green eyes are set straight forward, and her raven black hair flows behind her. Her dress is a pure white, flapping gracefully and somehow not touching the ground. In her hand is a staff of white wood, which seems to shine with a wholesome and welcoming light.
One can't be certain whom the crowd seems more wary of. Probably both equally. Either way, they maintain at least five feet distance from them at all times.
"His tracks are not hidden, yet we did not notice him leave" the large figure rumbles. "In fact, his footsteps are very deep into the ground."
The woman giggles before answering, "Of course! This is most likely a trap. Have you ever noted him to be careless in anything?"
Big blue grunts, then answers, "No, I have not. Are you not afraid of such a trap?"
"Nope!", she replies "He's just the strongest ant of the nest. We have much bigger threats to worry about."
A voice raises from the crowd, "Then why follow him?"
The woman giggles again, but doesn't answer. The armored one does though, saying, "He usually finds the best farming grounds and strongest monsters instantly. His instincts are impeccable, so I'll trust them in this situation."
"He's scary though...", a random person voices.
"I know, right?! I'm not fighting that monster!", another agrees.
"Even in a world with dragons, lions are still dangerous...", the woman mutters.
And so, the crowd strolls and converses for a while. The magicians shoot off a few fireballs to impress the ladies, and longtime 'e-friends' meet each other in person for the first time. On the surface, everyone seems jovial, but it's plain to see: they're scared. Scared of what they saw, where they are, and their future.
Fear, they say, is the oldest and most primal emotion. The gnawing madness that skirts along the edges of every man and woman's mind, turning good people to beasts. But perhaps that is what it takes to survive. Beastdom or death, the question looms in everyone's mind as they wear their smiling masks. 'Just how far am I willing to go?', the collective thought asks.
A question most are unwilling to answer. If they did... it would reveal something horrible about themselves.
Night falls and the group falls to the ground, exhausted. A few watches are set and everyone tries their damndest to reach the sweet succor that is sleep.
The moon, full in the night sky, is much larger than on earth, but it feels... wrong. It's not quite right looking. Maybe it's the order of craters on it's surface, but it causes unease.
So, the crowd falls asleep under a canopy of stars, hoping to see tomorrow.