Life in the Underworld

It's been 6 months. Or at least, that's what I think. I'm not exactly sure how time works here. Night lasts way longer than day, and even day it looks much more dim than in the real world. I've learned many things about the Underworld these past months. Apparently, this world is where "damned souls" are sent to. Basically people who have died but they're bodies haven't been buried. This is why most people here are forgotten warriors or peasants. This is the explanation I got from Klint, the damned soul who saved me from dying. From what little he's told me about his past, he used to be a knight, and a good one at that. How he ended up here is beyond me. The more I continue to live and survive here, the more I become interested in the other world that's beyond this place.

"Shoji, get up." I woke up, after being nudged by Klint. I yawn and get up, Klint been training me these past months, he's taught me how to survive out here. Due to me already being strong from the get go it didn't take long for me to get used to it. Most people who live her have to live by hunting, despite this being a none physical world, people can still feel hungry, thirsty, and pain. Most people survive through hunting, because even animals in the other world get sent here, but only animals who have cannibilized they're own kind. I've been taught how to hunt by Klint, we do it every morning we wake up.

"Alright here's your bow and arrows, be ready, I've been told by an aqauntaince that more deer have been appearing lately, keep a good eye out there" said Klint.

"Gotcha". I responded, life in the Underworld isn't very comfortable, but it's kind of peaceful in a way. it ain't the best, but it sure is better than the shithole I used to be in. speaking of shithole, I sometimes still wonder what my dad is doing, knowing him he probably forgot about me, drowned in more booze. I honestly don't care anymore. I had nothing back then, but here, I think it's different.

I walked with Klint across a barren forest, around me were dead trees that were falling apart, though some trees were still alive, despite how dead and hopeless this world can be, there's still hope within it, I can still see some life in it. it isn't completely barren. the sky was dim, but was light enough to not be considered night, it was this gray-ish color. We continued walking across the forest until we found some wild deer in the distance. They looked...tainted. they were a weird purple-ish color that are definitely not present in normal deer, they had these markings on their stomach, but they looked like delibarte symbols, almost like tatooes on their body.

"Alright Shoji, hold your bow like I taught you". said Klint. I nodded and held up the bow and arrow given to me. I held the bow in my left arm, and the arrow in my right. I slid the arrow back the very thin piece of rubber on the bow. I looked very closely and intently at one of my targets. I took a deep breath, and tried to stay calm as possible, to maintain accuracy. And once it felt just right. I shot.

The sounds of panicked deer echoed throughout the forest. I made my shot, and one of the deer was incapacitated.

"Nice work". Klint commented. I felt a little proud of my skills as an archer, it was a new feeling to me, I never usually cared for my fighting prowess before I got here, I guess its one of the many changes I've had ever since I got here.

"Alright let's get a move on, we need atleast two more deer, and we'll be good for the next three days." Klint said. We continued to hunt for more deer and by the end, we managed to get three more deer. Much more than usual, it seemed that night came, which meant it was time to set up camp and eat. we set up camp, and started a bonfire to start cooking the deer.

"hey Klint." I wanted to ask some more questions to Klint, despite me being here for 6 months ims till extremely unaware of this place, I spent most of them time learning how to hunt, and I never really thought to ask.

"What is it?" responded Klint.

"It this place completely ruined?" I questioned.

"What do you mean?" he responded.

"Well, the entire time Ive been here, I ahevnt met a single other person, it's mainly just monsters and animals." I continued.

"Thats incorrect, of course there are a lot of other people here in the Underworld. we are just too far too see it." He answered.

"What does that mean?" I further questioned.

"You see, parts of the Underworld have become safe enough where people have started civilizations there. Villages have been built, and they even have people who rule over them. We don't get to see them often because we are deep in the Underworld currently. Parts that are far too dangerous for people to try to live in". Klint answered.

"Well then, why are you around here Klint?" questioned. Klint paused for a couple of seconds before finally speaking again.

"To put it simply, I enjoy living alone." he answered.

once I finished asking, the deer had already been fully cooked. We started eating our food. something that Klint told me before was that, despite the fact that damned souls can still feel hunger, thirst, or pain, theyre body never changes. Klint's skin to the bone body will remain the same for all eternity unless he also somehow leaves this place.

"After you finish eating, go to sleep. tomorrow I'll take you to a villiage, I know someone there who might know where the gatekeeper is." Klint said. I was curious who this person was, but I was even more curious to see the villiage, I wanted to see what people were like here.

I listened and immediatly went to sleep in the tent after finishing my food. I layed down and stared at the ceiling of the tent. I thought for abit. About Nyx, about Klint, and what would happen tomorrow at the villiage.

As I continued to think, I drifted off to sleep. Relieved, that I made it through another day in the Underworld.