Awakening (2)

"This... tells me nothing! Zero! Nada!"

A dirty-haired blonde yelled at thin air like an absolute mad lad, at least that's how it would seem to the average person. This boy, Serus, was yelling at a self-proclaimed goddess talking through a system panel.

["That is completely within expectations, it is enough for now..."]

Serus was beginning to become frustrated, this situation was completely beyond a normal person's range of normalcy...

But somehow Serus was willing to give in to this extremely suspicious situation.

"Fine... fine! I'll accept what you have to say, for now, tell me about this 'mission'."

["Perfect! glad you're catching on quickly. However, before I elaborate, do you see {Sin} on your status? If you do please tell me what it says."]

"Hmm? Sure, it says Mage class- disaster, what does that mean?"

["Hmm... That's interesting... it is fine you do not need to know. I only recommend you don't tell anyone of it."]

"What, why?"

["Classified"]

Serus planted his face in his hands he groaned loudly but took a deep breath and oriented himself.

"Fine, then tell me about the mission."

["Affirmative, the mission you are assigned is to assist the hero of fire summoned in this country."]

"Yeah and about that... where exactly am I?"

It took a pause and answered.

["You are now on a Class X planet known as Tierra, a near-perfect parallel in terms of survival conditions to, Class C planet Earth. Where you came from."]

"Okay, at least I remember Earth... But for your information I knew a bit of Spanish isn't Tierra just-"

The goddess interrupted, in a real classy way~

["The country you are in is one of the 7 countries on the Sapialis continent, named Valen."]

"How many continents are there exactly?"

["Find out yourself."]

Serus grumbled, this 'goddess' is one stuck-up gal. He crumbled in frustration but accepted it rather easily.

"Then where is this 'hero' I'm supposed to be helping exactly..."

["Your path is set, you'll meet them eventually."]

"Vague... but alright, no point in sitting down quietly..."

Serus began to make a move.

"Let's get a move on!"

["Are you... not going to ask more questions?"]

"Not really, I have a feeling that if I ask you won't answer... am I right?"

["... probably."]

She seemed a bit down.

"Probably? Wait so you're being this frustrating on purpose..."

Serus was annoyed but suddenly he go some enlightnment.

"Haha~ maybe... did I ruin your fun?! Have I exposed little miss 'goddess'!"

The goddess was offended by this over the topness and with a little fluster spoke.

[W, what? No... I wasn't having fun!"]

"Nope, you totally were! I got you red-handed!"

["No!"]

The otherworlder and self-proclaimed goddess bickered incessantly about little things. Serus just walked... and walked... and walked.

"Sigh do you have a name I can use at least? It's a bit annoying to call you... You."

["Yes! I am Aequitas, goddess of balance... Pleasure to make your acquaintance."]

"Alright, Aqua it's nice to meet you too..."

["My name is not Aqua, it is Aequ-"]

"Yep Aqua it is such a nice day isn't it~"

Once again some incessant bickering began, till finally! They reached a town. A small town with only a single, young spear holding guard at the gate.

"Halt! State your identity, and purpose coming here!"

["Do as I say."]

Serus nodded inwardly as he didn't know what excuse to give. That he was transported in the middle of a field, in another world, is now talking to a 'Goddess' and he saw a cow!? (A cow? Unbelievable!)

"Hi, I'm Serus Lumen, I'm an adventurer, when I woke up I had been stripped naked of my belongings and ID."

'Damn it! Why did I say the naked part!?'

Serus cursed inwardly.

The guard's eyes narrowed looking at the man in rags, in front of him like a strange creature.

"Sigh, I see... I pity you, but if you don't have an ID or... even money for that matter. Did you say you were an adventurer? You'll have to make a promise to pay up, and not harm anyone in the town. Follow me."

Serus asked Aqu- Aequitas what to do she just remained silent, leaving Serus to follow the guard.

The man wrote on a sheet of paper, words that Serus didn't recognize but understood somehow?

["To sign on a promise, sign the bottom with yoir preferred signature then chant, I sign this in the name of the word god, Heka!"]

Serus followed her instructions, and a flash of light appeared on the back of his hand, with a strange symbol just before it faded.

"Alright, it's all done bring an ID and 2 silver next time you come back, tch... Gods! Ink is pricey."

Serus didn't get the feeling and so he nodded awkwardly.

"Alright on you go the next city over has a guild you can sign in from. Come back with the money next time!"

The guard practically kicked him away and shut the door with a slam! After pointing in the direction of a city.

"What... just happened?"

["You got scammed..."]

"What! How?"

["You could have entered a village like this, for free and without ID. He was playing a joke till he saw you taking him seriously. So he took a gamble and now you owe him money..."]

"What?! Why didn't you tell me?"

There was an awkward silence, Serus just looked brightly to the future,

"Well, I guess it's good motivation to become an adventurer!"

Somewhere out there... The goddess scoffed at Serus' bright outlook on things but watched in amusement. They brought an interesting character to this world...

Serus began to walk... Again. Sadly there are no cars or other convenient modes of transportation available to him at the moment...

Serus was very quick to adapt to being a new world but he had a lot of choice words bubbling in his head about this situation and its unfairness. Before he could think to vocalize them however a scream echoed nearby.

"Hmmm! Mmmhmmm!!!"

A muffled scream to be exact. Serus hid behind a nearby tree and found a whole caravan of large pig-faced creatures. With multiple human women in their hands and some chained together.

Bruised, battered... Broken. Serus was shocked to see these... These monsters!

A singular woman continued to try screaming, but behind the tree soon Serus heard a ferocious...

-Splat!

The sound of flesh flying and screams gone quiet. Serus continued to hide behind a tree... With an intense fear in his eyes.

***

Meanwhile, in a cave of currently unknown origin, a strange skeleton creature of black bones, and dark fleshy body parts was getting a better hang of walking using its newly acquired goblin feet.

It saw the light of a fire around the corner, to discover a much larger creature with familiar sandy skin, around the size of an adult human. It wore a large robe and hood.

It seemed... tired, it has large bags under its eyes. Around it was the corpses of several much smaller creatures, say... around the size of goblins?

In its hand was a burnt leg over a fire, torn from a slightly decaying body. It gnawed at the flesh with exhaustion. It had a wide and yet, malnourished appearance.

The skeleton made its appearance with no worry or fear in the eyes of the large 'goblin'. To this creature, it seemed as if death itself had come to claim him. It tiredly reached to pick up a spear next to it but failed miserably.

The spear dropped on the floor and the 'hobgoblin' growled silently. It looked on as 'death' approached him, it looked like it wanted to break down into tears at any second. But sheer pride kept him steady.

As Mr. Skeleton was about to bash this creature head in, following the example of the little creatures. The hobgoblin recognized those wooden bats, but just before it could come to an understanding of the real situation...

-Bang!

-Splat!

-Bonk!

Its brain matter splattered all across the wall. The hobgoblin's body lay still on the ground. A new mass of flesh began to form on the skeleton, and a thick chunk of black, muscular legs formed.

From calf to thigh, the flesh appeared from thin air. The skeleton was however more curious about the new images it was receiving.

A cave... a tribe of goblins led by this hobgoblin chief found a cave with shiny treasure they could use to trade with their neighbors.

But when they entered, the scout who found said cave, suddenly betrayed them and a small explosion occurred getting the chief and some of the more experienced tribe members buried in this cave.

Days passed, and they worked on the rations they brought. Day by day they would try and dig out of the cave but the foundation was too unstable and so only more fell through.

They eventually banded together to try and dig another way. But without any scientific knowledge, the fires they were burning steadily took away their oxygen supply. It was beginning to become difficult to breathe...

Goblins started to die and many despaired at their situation. Their food had also run out a few days prior and they were all starving...

The chief offered his body to be fed to the rest of them. He cared for his people, but his people cared more for revenge against the one who did this to them.

They wanted the strongest of them to survive. So they fed themselves. Unfortunately, a goblin's characteristic lack of intelligence did not help, they simply could not find or make an exit.

They managed to one day find a water leak, it helped them survive but they didn't consider it to be an exit...

The skeleton had received its longest memory yet... Its opinion? It had none, it was simply now stored in its head but... it was beginning to gain sentience.

It gained a new instinct, a sense of leadership, a sense formed from the desire to escape. It wasn't aware of it but it's there.

Though now all it seemed to do was visit that shiny water again, the goblin instinct to see shiny things still reigned supreme!

It made its way, and touched the stream, a warm energy flowed through its bones and it amplified every one of its aspects! Its sense of hearing, its sense of touch, and now...

It had the sentience it was missing!

That's right it was beginning to understand... it started to think! These memories, these images... but it didn't like 'feeling' it was... ugly.

It sunk deeper into the water which started to be polluted from washing off the blood, and it started to turn a deep red.

The skeleton was beginning to 'remember' what was in these memories. It wanted to explore! Understand more! But for now, it was absorbing this energy from the small pool.

...

After a whole hour of being unmoving, the skeleton now conscious, abyssal eyes took in its surroundings and its experiences.

The skeleton exited the pool and started, to gather the objects left behind by the goblins. It took a sack and started packing up the crystals from the wall.

It didn't fully get it but the skeleton knew these things had 'value' and wanted to understand that concept like everything else.

It took, a look at itself. The weirdly buff legs and these dexterous hands it has. It was having 'fun' messing with its pointy ears.

It took the robe from the hobgoblin's corpse and wore it. It even grabbed the spear it had no idea how to use this tool, but it was dangerous and could be used to 'protect'.

The desire to escape from this place ran deep and where the goblins found a stream of water. It started digging!

It didn't know why, it stabbed the spear at the ceiling and slowly more and more water began to leak. Till it burst!

-Fwoosh!

-Splash!

It flowed endlessly and the skeleton climbed with the sack of gems and spear on its back. Water began to flood the cave, and Mr. Skeleton began to float upwards buoyantly.

It tightly held on to the sack in its hand. It climbed and climbed for minutes on end the water, only dripped now instead what was flowing is... sand?

It dug in such hammer that most 'livings creatures would have suffocated to death but luckily it's a skeleton!

The sand merely fell through the gaps in its body and got stuck in the robe.

...

Somewhere underneath, a bright full moon. In a vast desert, is an oasis. A beautiful blue pond and a singular palm tree. One 'night' with no sign or warning a whirlpool formed at the center of the pond.

-Swishh~

It flowed until it disappeared under the dunes like a drained swimming pool. The sand soon followed until eventually. As if a zombie in a classic horror movie escaped from its grave...

A raven black hand popped out of the sand!