The first thing he perceived was the lack of color. Orion had only just regained his sight, so he wasn’t sure if it was the surroundings or if something had changed in him. Most of his vision was filled with rocks, gravel, and stones, all ranging from a dark, dull gray to a slightly shimmering black. Here and there he could see some liquid seeping from the crevices among the rocks. It resembled lava, but it was mostly white, with subtle grays, carrying a strange, barely visible yellowish accent.
Looking more closely at the ground he was sitting on, he noticed a rather unusual texture. It looked as if the rocks that were digging into his butt were made up of smaller rocks, continuing all the way down the ledge and further. He had never been an expert on stones, but it looked unnatural. However, considering the strangeness of this place and its situation, he decided to ignore it.
Leaning back slightly and looking up, he tried to see the sky. There, instead of clouds, he saw something that resembled gray, pulsating foam, but instead of giving a soft cloud-like sensation, it was rough. It didn’t look like a light source, nor did he see anything resembling the sun, but despite that, his surroundings weren’t completely dark.
He decided to get up and take a moment to move around. He could still feel his body encountering some sort of water resistance as he moved, but hey, after having no limbs, this was a big step-up in mobility. After a bit of practice and getting used to it, he decided to try climbing higher to get a better view.
He used to climb quite a bit as a kid, so he hoped that even after all this time he hadn’t forgotten what it was like. It’ll be okay, right? Right? he wondered.
However, before Orion began his attempt at climbing, he looked at the bag he was wearing.
Why a bag? he thought, grimacing and frowning. Before, he hadn’t been able to register that he had been stuffed into one. All he could feel was that he was being drowned. Now, however, after regaining the ability to think, he began to wonder about it. He realized that they must have stuffed him into a bag and then thrown him into the water. But that didn’t explain the fact that he was currently dressed in one, with his arms and legs sticking out. Orion had already temporarily accepted that his limbs had simply grown back. One thing still seemed odd, though.
As he imagined his body regenerating, he saw his arms and legs growing back and simply sliding the bag off of him. Maybe if it had been tied tightly, it would have ripped it apart completely. Instead, there were holes in it for the limbs, as if they had just burst out as they grew, simply creating them. That didn’t explain the head sticking out, either, since it wasn’t growing back. An imaginary loading icon appeared above him as he pondered the meaning of it all, but then he shrugged, not wasting any more time thinking about the holes in the bag. He looked up and began to climb carefully.
Although the sharp rocks weren’t the most pleasant, they still didn’t pierce his skin, and he’d been through something much worse. He carefully found places to grab onto and stand on. His body didn’t feel particularly heavy as he climbed, but the oddly strong air resistance made the process a bit more difficult. After a while, Orion found himself on the top of the rock, gaining a better insight into his current situation.
He had previously consciously pushed aside thoughts of how he had survived and regenerated at all, but now he wasn’t sure if that had actually happened. Overall, this place felt more like some form of purgatory.
A strangely rough, pulsating foam stretched far away in place of the sky. Orion was surrounded by a forest of rock shapes that seemed to have decided to bend and twist at random. They were quite pointed, some looked like claws, or maybe more like large stone ribs, some like twisted ram’s horns, and others were more vaguely shaped. He noticed that smaller fragments were growing out of some of them, forming something like the ledge he had woken up on.
He sat down carefully on the peak and stared at the surreal landscape. Orion considered that he knew far too little to try to guess whether he had actually survived, or if this was some form of afterlife. He thought about what he could do and decided that, from a logical perspective, it would be better to assume that he had somehow survived and try to persevere. If he was dead at this point, then he had nothing to lose, but if he had somehow regained his life, it would be very foolish to just lose it. However, if he had determined to survive, the question that came to mind was: How?
His surroundings didn’t look friendly at all. There was nothing in sight that resembled a source of water, nor food. He couldn’t tell which direction he should go. This forest of rocks stretched as far as the eye could see. The terrain looked rather uneven, so there was also the possibility that the rocks were hiding something below that would be helpful. Unfortunately, it could be quite the opposite, and additional dangers could lurk below.
Orion knew that sitting still and staring into space wouldn’t help him at all. So he thought about going down and checking the ground level. Maybe he’d go a little further and after some time try climbing again and see if anything more would be revealed. That unbearable feeling of helplessness that had been with him for the past year was slowly forming again in his mind, but in a moment of sobriety he pushed it aside, knowing it would only take him down.
Sitting for a moment longer at the summit, he resolved to determine the direction he should take. He could still feel the occasional gust of warm air, which, in the absence of better landmarks, could provide the only sensible hint.
Orion spent enough time on the summit to be certain that the winds were coming from the same direction. The question was whether he should go with or against the wind. He didn’t know what could be causing these strange gusts here, but they were noticeably warm. Seeing here and there a liquid resembling lava, it occurred to him that somewhere far away, in the direction from which the wind was blowing, there might be some hidden volcano or lava lake.
Uhm, unknown location plus a volcano. It could mean an easy death, he thought, deciding that it would be better to avoid possible lava baths. Before he got down, he had another thought. Since the terrain is dotted with these strange rocks, is it possible that these winds are somehow reflected from them? What to do here, what to do here... If you don’t know what to do, the solution is simple. Sing a song!
Ending his reflection with an intrusive thought, he wondered for a moment that perhaps he had deserved all this torture. Thinking about things like that, in turn, made him realize how much his psyche was damaged.
Shaking himself, he decided that he would try to watch the direction he chose to go now. He’ll descend as straight as he can, and then he’ll focus on not turning too much. Maybe tracking the ground will help, and I’ll just take the breezes as an additional suggestion. I also have to climb back to the tops often to see if anything changes, he thought.
Making a plan in his head, Orion prepared to descend. As he intended, he tried to make his descent straight, which was no easy task. Things were complicated by the need to find safe places to catch or put his feet, and the fact that the rock itself was quite bent. He tried to remember when and at what angle to turn, carefully choosing where to set his next step.
Before he reached ground level, he had one risky situation where a piece of rock caught in his hand broke off. After a moment to calm the panic, he decided to keep it. “Good morning! From now on, we’ll be close friends,” he said to the rock.
If there are any aggressive creatures in this place, it’s best to keep something that will serve as a weapon in my... underwear? Orion thought, remembering he was in the bag. But he put a piece of rock in it, and as he went down, it fell uncomfortably between his legs. “To my liking, even too close,” he added.
When he reached the ground, Orion pulled out a piece of rock and grabbed it in his hand. He wanted to be prepared for the unexpected, and he didn’t want to accidentally cut himself in something important. Taking the shard turned out to be a pretty good idea, because he didn’t notice any loose rock or sharp rocks of any sensible size under his hand. The floor was filled with what looked like gravel glued together. When he took the test steps, he moved some of the pebbles, but most of them stuck to the ground.
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
Moving on this surface was not the most pleasant experience, but he carefully stepped forward. He tried to memorize the directions, but it wasn’t easy. When he was among the rocks, the blasts of air were stronger than at the top, and as he expected, they seemed to come from different, conflicting directions. As he walked, he had to bypass more and more boulders, trying to remember the angle at which he approached them and how far he could stray from his designated path. Unfortunately, he didn’t leave any visible traces. He wondered if it would be worth cutting himself to leave marks, but he was skeptical of the idea for several reasons.
He still didn’t know his situation, and he wasn’t sure if the wound he created would even heal. Furthermore, he wasn’t certain if he’d be able to follow the trail he’d made. Because of the lack of visible colors and the rather chaotic environment, this might have been difficult or impossible. But the main reason he opted to not do it was because his blood might attract something he didn’t want to encounter. Instead of crippling himself, he walked even more carefully so as not to accidentally injure his feet.
During his journey, he thought about many things, trying to anticipate possible contingencies in this rather unpredictable place. Orion came up with the idea of counting steps a little bit too late, but he started doing it at some point. He decided to climb another high rock every thousand steps.
At the same time, counting down, staying on a fairly straight track, taking careful steps to avoid injury, and being alert to possible dangers proved to be no easy task in his uncertain state of mind. His journey was pathetically slow, but he finally took his thousandth step. As directed, he went to the nearest rock and began preparing.
He decided to mark the direction he came from. He knew he was going to check for wind gusts on the summit, but he also wanted to see how far off the road he was. So, he quickly collected some brighter fragments of gravel that he could break off and arranged them in an arrow pointing to the rock he was about to climb. Orion dropped his improvised weapon on the ground, then looked up to see if he could even get in from that level. As he began the climb, he appreciated the rock surface again, which, though unpleasant to the touch, made it easier to find places to grasp or to set foot.
After about a dozen minutes of struggle and a dozen awkward grunts, he completed the climb.
Unfortunately, this time, the summit didn’t allow for a comfortable settlement. It was pointed and sharp, so Orion had to find a good footing and grab onto the mountain. After doing so, he re-evaluated the landscape. Not much had changed, which upset Orion a little, but it was expected. He stood motionless for a moment, waiting for the next gust of wind, scanning the surface of the rocks for something distinctive to see. He used this moment to rest and wander his thoughts, then he sighed and started to descend.
After descending from the rock, avoiding unpleasant falls, he picked up the broken rock he had left behind and continued his journey. It seemed that he had strayed only slightly from the path he had chosen, so he decided to increase the number of steps to the next stop to three thousand. He was already prepared for the fact that he may need to repeat his climbs many times.
***
This time, the tutorial scenery was more like medieval times. There was quite a lot of traffic in this little village. Automatons in this place looked like they had been carved out of wood, wearing clothes appropriate to the times. The materials used were mainly natural, such as linen, wool or leather. They were significantly thicker and heavier than today’s, and the lack of precise matching made it clear that they were meant to serve a protective function, ignoring aesthetic considerations.
Most of these artificial creations were more or less human-like, but here and there one could be spotted with distinctively longer ears, or one with a short and stocky figure. Usually they would walk along the busy roads or argue with each other, but some could be seen running stalls with different products, shouting to attract a potential customer.
The inn was quite lively at that hour. It was only noon, but there was a bustle, broken up by louder laughter. There were quite a number of real people in this place who just yesterday showed up here, trembling with fear of their new surroundings. As you entered, you could hear a rather lively discussion.
“You have no chance! Absolutely. Co. Chance. You understand? I’m willing to bet my salary on this!” the short automaton shouted, to which the second one, more like a normal human, responded with a loud laugh.
“I’m not interested in your pittance, but all...” the human automaton tried to reply.
“What did you say!? Do you want to get rid of your wooden teeth, boy?” his companion shouted over him again, to which the taller one raised his hands in surrender.
“Okay, okay, you don’t have to yell. I wanted to say that I’ll try even without your incentives.”
“I didn’t mean to encourage you, idiot. That green bastard will burn you with a spell before you can even scream ‘‘Mommy!’”
“You don’t need spells to make fire dangerous,” another person joined the conversation. “You guys have to be extra careful with that body. I recently saw an automaton trying to use fire against woodworms. It ended in tragedy!”
“Get rid of these damn things! My old lady’s leg is eaten away by them! I have to carry everything myself now.”
“It would be nice if you helped her, even if she had both legs, you know? But I agree, we should invent something effective to fight them. Hmm, how about…” the taller automaton added, as the person who had started the subject of woodworms, who was no longer listening. Instead, he walked away with a smug smile.
Aaron walked up to a group of people he had met the day before and sat down at a round wooden table. After completing the first two quests, he acquired a skill and some experience. Apparently, he gained a level, which enabled him to enhance the trait he chose by adding a point to the appropriate stat. Since he intended to develop as an archer, he increased his agility.
“From what I understand, there’s a goblin shaman somewhere nearby. I don’t know if we’re ready for that,” he admitted, getting a few nods.
“You’re right, I think we should aim for the regular ones for now. These green bastards are pretty smart. There’s also a chance the shaman isn’t alone.” said a woman in the group named Sarah.
“For now, even the ordinary ones can be deadly if we underestimate them. I suggest we get a little more advantage first. We don’t know if we can do it, even if this shaman is alone,” another man added.
“Isn’t there something like an adventurer guild from novels? If I’m faced with a situation like this, personally, I’d rather have the opportunity to discover the monster’s strengths and weaknesses before meeting it,” stated Aaron.
“You’re the best at gathering information. Go and blabber with that tongue of yours,” the previous man replied, smiling.
“But I just sat down…” said Aaron sadly.
Coming back to the moment of choosing a lifestyle, Aaron was one of those few who were fascinated by the situation. He thought his previous life was quite boring. Although he did not admit it out loud, he always secretly dreamed of something that now became a reality.
Aaron chose the Exploratory and Combative style. He felt the need to learn new things and experience the adrenaline rush of fighting obstacles. He didn’t give it much thought, which is why he stood frozen after his first encounter with the goblin until he almost got hit. After dodging its claws with pure reflex, he began desperately cutting it with the basic dagger the system gave him. What’s more, he was quite lucky to have come across one who didn’t carry any weapons. When he finally confirmed his first kill, he spent some time vomiting in the bushes.
His start maybe wasn’t very glorious, but he was undeterred when thinking about the possibilities ahead.
***
Orion was on his fourteenth length. So far, he had noticed that apart from the shape of the giant rocks, nothing had changed in this place. He had the impression that the air currents had become slightly cooler at this point, but he wasn’t entirely certain and preferred not to be too optimistic.
As he marched with his trusty weapon in his hand, this time he realized that maybe this song idea wasn’t so bad. So first he started humming until he opened his mouth.
“There once was Byton, white fur he had,” he sang, remembering his old friend. “But someone had killed him, that’s so sad.”
He quickly lost his mood, recalling the sight of the bag on the table, soaked in blood. This, after a moment of reminiscing, brought a tear to Orion’s cheek, but the sudden flood of sadness turned into the anger he had felt for so long, tied to a chair and watching the slowly rotting corpse.
There were moments when he thought the next step would be his last. Several times he came close to just lay down and wait, doing nothing. But now a wave of determination has swept over him. Orion reminded himself that the harm done to him wasn’t everything. He also had family and some colleagues he wanted to meet. If he could, he would… No. He didn’t know how, but he’ll make sure to do it. He will make it happen. He will keep them safe.
Hardening his heart, he stopped at another rock. After preparing his standard sign indicating the direction from which he came, he began the climb. Orion was exhausted as hell, and he was going to rest, if possible, on top. This time, the top of the rock was heavily bent, so he was going to allow himself a longer break. Before he could even begin to inspect the landscape, he lay down on a rock with his arms and legs hanging out like a sloth.
After a long moment’s rest, he leaned back and sat down, gazing at this gray landscape. Pretty soon, his eyes caught sight of a distinctive spot. There was... Something else. Brighter than the rest of the background, but not as bright as the lava-like liquid. An additional distinguishing thing was that the object had a color.
The great distance made it difficult to identify the object he was looking at. Orion, however, tried to strain his eyes and watched until he noticed a slight movement.
“This...” he whispered, looking out.
“It’s a human.”
HOST STATUS: LORD CRESTFALL (ERROR)
[BREEDING SCHEME ABORTED] Su Ian Hoo woke up male, uninjured, and infinitely more spiteful.
[FOREKNOWLEDGE ACTIVE] She knows exactly who holds the hammer.
[OBJECTIVE] Dismantle the Chancellor's plot using pure, unadulterated chaos.
Cursed into a useless peacock, then murdered and reset—Lord Crestfall is done with destiny. This time, the "Immortal Scam" is taking no prisoners, only grubs, and certainly no breeding partners.