Awakening (1)
-Rattle!
-Rattle!
-Rattle!
A soft hum, a draft in the wind blows inside a dark, cramped area. Under the moist concrete walls, a single figure laid limp on the ground.
Its head and body are an ebony colour. A skeleton rested against the damp walls, its form slowly lifted a finger, and then another, soon its whole body began to shudder aggressively.
It slowly lifted itself, like a rusted machine till it eventually balanced itself but not after failing a few times. It slipped on the wet floor,
-Crack!
The skeleton was experiencing no thoughts behind its lifeless, cavernous eyes. It's only goal... to move, to stand up, to walk. It wasn't even aware of its own existence it just... did.
The skeleton eventually managed to find itself a core position to stand, it still limped and rattled... it found basic motor skills a very... new experience.
But it persevered like a toddler finding its first steps...
Eventually, it got a hang of it, when it could start to maintain its balance for more than 5 seconds it took the opportunity to look around curiously.
-Woosh!
Its neck twisted right a bit too hard, and it fell off his own body.
-Clack!
Its perspective of the world had now changed to that on the floor looking at its gap-filled body.
Like any severely nearsighted cartoon characters, that are unable to find their glasses when it drops on the floor. The skeleton tapped on the floor but had difficulty controlling its body without being... part of it.
So the missing skull clanked on the floor as if playing a game of Marco Polo by itself...
-Clack
Once it found itself it was disorienting but it managed to connect itself back to its body. This time it would take a more... careful approach to turn its head.
In the distance, it found a single small gap, the skeleton crawled towards it to peer through. Behind it was another area, with a bright azure light.
The skeleton's curiosity and desire to keep on moving, had it exert as much force as possible to open the gap.
-Dig!
-Dig!
-Dig!
It dug, and scraped at the granite and dirt, till it formed a wide enough opening for it to crawl through.
Its bones were covered with dirt and mud but it wasn't aware of the concept of cleanliness. It just kept on treading towards the light.
The light which it saw brought the skeleton to a cavern of blue shining gems and geodes, with a small waterfall creating a clear, azure pool in the middle of it. The lifeless eyes felt an attraction towards it but soon felt a presence near itself.
From another entryway, a small sand coloured creature entered the small area. Covered in blood with scratches all over.
"Grrk..."
It grumbled but without ears, the skeleton couldn't hear a thing. It looked at the small, pointy-nailed creature. It was slightly larger than a 5-6 year old child.
It wore, tattered rags and carried a glass bottle on a belt with liquid in it.
The creature, a goblin of sorts, looked at the skeleton with hostility and exhaustion.
"Graaak!"
It growled at the skeleton but was met with no response. The skeleton just tilted its head in wonder as it looked at this small goblin in front of it.
The goblin was a bit fettered by this lively gaze and dashed forward in attack before it would be.
The skeleton felt danger for the first time in its... few minutes of existence. On all fours, the goblin vaulted in aggression.
The skeleton put its hand forward unaware of what to do in this situation. Luckily it grabbed the creature by the face! But with no control over its strength, it squeezed and lifted the creature struggling onto its arm... in fear.
The skeleton's eyes drone up and down taking in the actions of the creature. Who's eyes were slowly dimming and crying tears of blood.
The goblins arms dropped to its sides and the skeleton crushed the skull under its grip. Blood escaping from all its orifices and eyes rolling to the back of its head.
The skeleton shuddered and suddenly it could 'hear' a ringing sound... from the sides of its skull a grotesque piece of flesh formed and now...
The skeleton could now listen.
-Graah!
-Gork!
In the distance, using this new sense could hear the sounds of goblin creatures! It could listen to the trickling and flowing sounds of water and the sounds of footsteps.
It also received something else, in its mind, an image of other goblins, attacking it after it stole some food. As well as the moment of its fight against a particular skeleton.
But the skeleton didn't understand these concepts, food, stolen goods... death. It wanted to know more... understand more...
For now, it had lost its previous curiosity about the waterfall and gems to instead follow the sounds of growling. It wanted to feel that dangerous instinct again.
So it walked... it walked down the damp cave till it found a light, around the corner. The skeleton followed the light and turned its head around the corner to discover 2 more of those creatures with glowing gems in their hands.
Their clothes were in better condition than the one from the first encounter. The skeleton with no fear approached the monsters.
-Clack, clack, clack
Its bones move in a limping fashion and the sounds easily catch the attention of the little monsters.
"Krrk?"
"Grrik!"
One was slightly frightened by the strange little skeleton, with pointy goblin ears, it looked... incomplete.
The other stood forward bravely to face this mighty foe. In fact, it didn't even hesitate to jump straight in to attack no questions asked!
-Graaah!
It roared in its grotesque voice and dashed at a low angle towards the skeleton. To which it responded in kind, in the same manner as before. It stretched its hand out to grab it.
Before it could damage it, however, since it wasn't in as bad a shape as the previous one it dodges relatively easily. Leaving the skeleton a bit stumped, so it tried again.
However, the goblin had a wooden bat at the ready and aimed it toward its chest. However much to its stupidity, it got stuck in the skeletons... now cracked, rib!
With the goblin stuck it stretched out and grabbed the goblin by the face. It screeched in horror, but just as the skeleton was expecting a similar reaction.
It did not hear the sneak attack from the other goblin, which used its nat to hit it in the back of the knee!
-Smack!
The skeleton fell onto its knee but with no sense of pain, it continued to squeeze the life out of the poor goblin. Till its arms drooped down...
The goblin behind Mr. Skeleton stumbled back in fear. The skeleton in question now grew a pair of black hands, with pointy nails on the tips of its fingers.
It inherited a memory from the goblin... an entrance to a cave falling... a despairing moment for the goblin and its companions.
The skeleton kneeled, the atmosphere was cold the brown-coloured goblin seemed horrified by seeing the other one pass on.
From beneath its rags, a yellow liquid streamed, but the goblin's tears of pain did not stop the skeleton from using its new sense of touch to suffocate the tiny creature to death.
The skeleton gained a pair of feet and inherited the goblin's happiest moments. It could feel a warm kinship with the previous one and intense despair when the cave entrance fell.
The skeleton still could not understand these images, sounds, and feelings so it moved on its merry way.
-Crunch!
-Crunch!
With two bats it grabbed from the dead bodies, it hiked upwards to another part of the cave...
***
"Uaahhhh!!"
On an open field, a young man's hands waved in the air screaming as if he just had a nightmare. His hair was covered in dirt and he quickly took in his surroundings.
He took deep breaths, but couldn't maintain his composure for long, for he was in a vast open field with no people in sight.
Not a skyscraper, not a car, not even a lamp post.
"W-where am I? Hello! Is anybody there."
Nobody answered his cries for assistance and so he tried to remember where he was, what happened last.
The last memory he has was... being run over by a truck! But before that what was he doing?
He rummaged through his mind library to find something to indicate about his situation... but there was nothing... just a bunch of vague images, memories, and words.
With nothing to make of his situation, he stood up and felt the wind blow in his blonde hair. Ocean blue eyes take in his surroundings. Till he noticed only a single creature... a cow.
"God... how far from the city am I for there to be a cow here..."
He muttered, but finally, he was met with a new response from the world.
[New system entry... Intitalizing]
"W-what is this? what's happening!"
A blue panel appeared in front of him, written with words he couldn't understand in this context.
[System ready! Welcome new entry... Serus Lumen]
"Who's Serus Lumen? That's not my name... my name is..."
The boy, Serus Lumen, sucked in child air as he realized he didn't remember his name. Before he could have an existential crisis a new notification appeared but was dictated by a... females cold voice.
["Welcome Serus... To your new world. Hope you are ready to perform your mission."]
"Who's there!? Where am I?!"
The same ethereal, robotic voice replied dully,
["I am the goddess of balance, the one who summoned you and the one to observe your mission."]
"What? A mission, I don't want a mission I want to go home. Why are you calling yourself a 'goddess' you're just a kidnapper!"
Serus only heard a sigh and imagined the... entity was shaking their head.
["Apologies, I was a bit hasty let me give you a... rundown of sorts."]
Serus was extremely wary but was open to listening. Wherever he'd go this... thing would follow him anyways.
["You... Serus Lumen are here as the guide to the hero of fire. You must assist them on their journey and correct their mistakes along the way..."]
"A hero you say? Ha! What is this the most elaborate prank in the world or is this like those movies? Have I been... Jumanji'd"
["I don't know of this... Jumanji you speak of, I have heard that the people of your world usually refer to this situation from items such as 'manga' or... 'anime' I believe?"]
Serus was scrutinizing every little thing that was being said by the ethereal voice.
"Sorry but anime isn't really my thing, at most I've only watched the mainstream stuff and read some online jokes. But now that you've mentioned it I've heard of this scenario what was the genre called... iseki? kiseki? Whatever! I don't know anymore."
["I see then you won't adapt as fast as some of the others... no matter... her partial blessing shall get you up to speed."]
"Huh? What?"
Soon Serus was experiencing a mental attack for a few seconds that felt like someone was forcing in knowledge.
[You have received 2 partial blessings!]
[You have received the goddess of balance's partial blessing!]
[You have received the goddess of reincarnation's partial blessing!]
"Aghh!!"
Serus gritted his teeth, but soon... he recovered. He sweated a fair bit but took a look at the messages he received.
["Say status"]
Normally he may not have listened to the ghostly words of a stranger, but he was a bit tired to question it.
"Status..."
[Serus Lumens status]
Race: Human | Otherworlder
Titles: N/A
Rank: E-
Variable stats
>Strength E-
>Stamina E
>Speed E+
>Perception E-
>Vitality F+
>EP F-
Invariable stats
>Intelligence D
>Perseverance D-
>Luck C+
>Charm C
{Skills}
N/A
{Blessings}
>Partial blessing of the balance goddess
>Partial blessing of the reincarnation goddess
{Sin}
Mage sin- Disaster
...
An incredibly long panel with various things written appeared in front of Serus he didn't understand... a single it of it.
"You said that I would get the gist of it... and I don't get it one bit!"