Daybreak
Chapter One: Provenance
Every end has a new beginning.
No one thinks of it that way when they reach the end though. Not when their hearts beat loudly in their chest like rain falling hard in the cold barren streets, their minds working a mile a minute but nothing is comprehensible, and the raw terror rushing through their veins drains their common sense away with little regard for their own actions. All they see is the way the world transforms around them, their eyes seeing everything they overlooked before in the case they never can again, and as the sound of traffic horns and tire squeals fill the air, they wonder just how great a difference they've made from simply existing.
If the end will have a greater impact than when they lived.
Yet even in the terror, the feelings of hopelessness and approaching defeat, there's a liquid fire in their veins. A roar in their hearts where the very core of all human beings screams to survive, whatever the costs. Perhaps that is why even in the end, people will start again because of how the very core of their being denies becoming nothing.
This is how her life begun, and it all started in a place with no heat, no sound; nothing at all.
She was paralyzed, incapable of movement and felt sluggish rather than concern for her state. Everything was dark and she felt bone-tired and wide-awake at the same time. She was confused, sleepy, and most of all uncomfortable in the cold that surrounded her on all sides.
If not for the slow thuds in her chest, she wouldn't have known she was alive. Then she wondered what it meant to be alive? Colors and structures occurred to her, memories, and she felt both a longing and deep-rooted fear for the places. Cities, her mind whispered. The strong sense of emotion surprised her and she wondered just who she was. Where was she? Why were these memories important to her?
But she didn't have any answers. All she knew was that she was alive, was once somebody, and is now trapped somewhere in some place, with no way to get out.
Time had lost its meaning. Her memories are the only thing keeping her entertained - sane - and through what could've been days or just minutes, she lost herself in her own mind watching sunsets, moving along curls of water called waves - surfing, her mind supplied - and sitting on top of the world looking down from a skyscraper.
She went people-watching, seeing the way they all moved with a purpose in their strides. Voices raised or muffled, laughing or yelling. There were food stalls and delicious fragrances that lured her in, and she recalled a list of some of her favorite things. Things she didn't think she had ever seen but this was proof of otherwise.
It was like a debate between her heart and her mind. Part of her wondered if those memories were even hers. A low whisper in her mind made her ask herself what was happening to her. Trapped in a place she hoped she had not decided in making herself, she wondered why she was here, why she couldn't move or make basic functions she knew she was supposed to.
And if these memories were not her own then why did she have them? Why were they important?
As her thoughts and concerns grew in creativity, a feeling a restlessness settled unto her. A fierce desire to do something different, anything, just to prove she had some control over herself overcame her.
Who was she? The question has unsettled her deeply, and the warmth in the memories is now cold and dead. With nothing to do awake, all there was for her was more time to sleep and when she slept she visited the realm of dreams where images and memories unfolded in front of her in abstract and bizarre ways. Where sometimes she'd feel at home more in a dream than what she imagines awake that when she finally wakes absent and trapped as before all she can feel is a sense of loss and desperation as she tries to recall the faces, the names, and the appearances of those she once thought so familiar in a dream.
It was a cruel teaser. A cycle in which she had cultivated her life to repeat like clockwork again and again.
Until everything changed and for once the silence that made her sanity bleed became a welcome reprieve as a long since dead curiosity peaked. And it happened at the sound of pops which had to have been close. A puff of white smoke suddenly brushed against her container and she felt herself jolt at the newfound clue given to her. She wasn't just trapped; she existed within a container. What could that mean for her?
Whatever was huffing and puffing, it was painful to hear but when a piercing cry began to yowl around her she wanted nothing more than to remove her sense of hearing. To block it all out; the changes, the sights, the sounds. To go back to the way things were before as something within her began to vibrate wildly in the center of her being like some foreign entity was pounding against her like she was a door leading to the outside.
A low echoing hiss permitted the air around her and a great ball of butterflies fluttered inside her as the puffs of white smoke cleared - really cleared - to reveal a world within her blanket of darkness and nothingness. Where her world was once black filled with make-believe colors taken from memories and dreams a new existence was welcomed to her in a tone of white: white walls, white furniture, equipment that sent shivers through her, and several other types of equipment that reminded her of a science fiction novel.
Kish-kish, snap! - the clear window placed between her and the outside reverberated as spider web-like fissures appeared in the way and obscured her clear-lensed glasses. The crying yowls persisted but now became more like background noise as the butterflies within her were suddenly filled with wanderlust and the pounding beast roaring inside her center ached to break the imperfect glass to see the new world now presented to her.
She waited for something to happen. Something melodramatic, maybe. Like the sound of glass crumbling - of shrieking - it's own melodramatic song as it shattered into thousands of pieces. She expected the jarring sound of something as tough as bone-breaking under brutal force unforgivably in front of her. And well, she expected something more.
But instead, something she else entirely occurred.
-Gamer System Online-
The words appeared in the middle of her line of sight in big blocky letters. It was very bold but somehow didn't obscure her vision because as large and dark as the words were, they were surprisingly transparent allowing her to see what she had always seen before. Except now, her attention was successfully snagged on this change.
...were things finally changing?
-Error-
-Data Has Been Corrupted. Please Standby as System Reboots-
Baffled but unable to tell if this was normal or not, all she did - all she could do - was wait. She had been asleep for so long. Why was she woken up? All the places and images she's been experiencing all along... were they fragments of who she was?
And now-now she was learning those memories had been corrupted? She tucked the theory into the back of her mind and did her best to focus on what was happening now.
The time for dreaming was over.
-Data Has Been Cleared. A New Life Has Been Initiated-
Where the words were once in the center of her sight they had now been slid to the top and had shrunk in size but was still readable. A new window opened in her front of her but this time it wasn't transparent - taking up everything around her and was as dark as the abyss with the only light shown in the words.
-Please Design Your Gamer-
A faceless, toneless, clothless mannequin suddenly manifested in the center of the darkness and she felt as though she was suddenly pulled into the display and where the mannequin stood in front of her, she was also surrounded by several different 'boxes' outside the mannequin's center gravity where she assumed she was meant to find her desirables.
Confused but practically vibrating with curiosity, she willed herself to move forward without a body to call her own and more or less floated toward the mannequin whose facial area she focused in on and watched as the placement of where the eyes suddenly appeared and disappeared as a variety of eye shapes appeared.
She watched it as it happened and thought of all the people she had seen in her memories. She thought of the heavy-lidded eyes of the dark-haired beauty who surfed the waves and watched as those eyes she imagined suddenly appeared on the mannequin - and stayed there.
She then thought of the blonde-haired woman she remembered was always kicking somebody's ass in her dreams. Her eyes were recorded to be blue but always seemed green to her instead and she felt satisfied when those aquamarine eyes took their place.
The rest of the process went much the same way as she thought of faces and features of people lost in what was left of her corrupt memories. She designed her body in remembrance of the people who made the strongest impact in her memories - memories which had been her only comfort as she slept on endlessly to the point that she no longer knew her name or where she was from.
When she felt happy with what she had picked she took a step back and took in the body she would soon have to call her own. She looked young but was clearly a woman with cat-like eyes and irises that promised mischievous deeds and secret intellect but were mostly framed by thick long lashes. Her facial features were prominent and although she wouldn't go as far as to say they were carved from stone - she would definitely say she looked aristocratic from her high cheekbones and a jaw-line to kill for.
Her hair was vermillion red, almost crimson, and it was cut short in the back but kept long in the front while her skin tone was almost luminous in its paleness. Light freckles dances across the skin from beneath her eyes, from the bridge of her nose to an inch before meeting her eyes, never falling beneath her nose. Her brows were sculpted to arch and were neither too thick or thin.
She would be attractive but somehow she managed to not look delicate or flawless and as attractive as she had designed her body she knew it was undefined. There would be no scars on the skin or marks that brought back memories to call upon. No parent she could say she got her beauty from. It looked like she hadn't been through anything in her life; she wasn't weathered by time or experience. There was nothing about her appearance that portrayed she had been asleep long enough to forget who she was and to have her memories corrupt. And most of all, where her eyes were kept emotionally blank here she wondered what they would reflect when she wore them.
-Do You Wish To Continue? Y/N-
She thought over the question and decided with a firm nod.
"Yes," she thought and watched as the mannequin vanished and absently hoped that wasn't all her progress vanishing with it.
-Chose A Name-
This time no alternate options appeared in succession in front of her and remained blank. She racked her brain for something to call herself, something that would mark that this was a new start, a new name, a new beginning-
She stopped as a list of names suddenly appeared on the left while on the right was what she assumed was their names translating, all either meaning a new beginning or another word for it.
Aurora, Dawn, Roxanne, Ausra, Genesis, Nova, Nysa - and the list went on and on. She mentally took a step back and thought about it. She had taken quite a liking to Nova because a memory resurfaced of a star exploding in space. It also sounded cool.
Still, she also thought of a barely-clad woman and thought that maybe it was too extravagant.
"Novak," she decided and watched as all the other names vanished until only the one she chose was left. A new space appeared to the right of the name and she was certain it was for the surname. But the symbolism had all but been used up and so with little consideration, she went with "Vermillion" and watched as both names lit up with a sense of finality before disappearing altogether.
-Select Difficulty Mode-
The words appeared but then suddenly glitched.
-Error. Origin System Damaged. Unable To Change Data.-
Well, that didn't sound good.
-Would You Still Like To Review Your Origin?-
-Y/N-
"Yes," she thought and watched as the words vanished and a new screen appeared replacing the abyss.
Gamer Origin
Age: 19
Place of Birth: Ireland
Family: Unknown
Difficulty Mode:
Casual: Everyone but you has terrible aim. No one is out to get you; your enemies could care less about your existence. You have twice the health of your enemies and you actually have a choice whether you get to fight or not! Feel free to laze about and become a god in your spare time 'cause nobody is gonna notice you anyway. It's an easy life, what did you expect?
Normal: People have more important things to worry about than you, but if you get on their bad-side you better be ready to defend yourself! You and your enemies are equally balanced, it's unlikely you'll die, but you won't be bulletproof either. And that's not even talking about the other side of things either. You can live life as a student with a part-time job of slaying if you wanted to, really.
Hardcore: People you don't want noticing you have already noticed you. How you play the cards life has handed you, is up to you from here on out. Trust very little and make it well-earned, because with the right allies you can be untouchable to those who've unfortunately noted your existence. You better gear up before they can get you while you're weak. Living between two worlds can be difficult but not impossible, and certainly not as bad as it sounds when you think of the rewards!
Insane: Everyone is out to get you. No one wants to be your ally and if you let your guard down for a second for anyone, you'll be dead before you can say "oops." Enemies have double to health in comparison to you, their aim is impeccable, and face it: if you're going to survive you're going to need to devote every minute of your time to learn how to defend yourself and kill anyone that gets within a mile of you. So long as you duck and cover, stick to the shadows, and approach life with a plan, you'll probably live to see tomorrow. Heh, at least the loot makes it worth surviving for!
Well, that was mildly worrying. If her newfound freedom wasn't on the line she would've been more frustrated at having no choice as to how difficult life would be once she was free. If there was a bright side to any of this it was that she was lucky enough to not be on Insane Mode. Really, what had her corrupt self been thinking?
-Are You Ready To Continue?-
-Y/N-
She thought about how there was no going back now. How the window would close and there would be no barrier between her and the world she had been dreaming of being apart of for so long.
How all this time she thought she was just an abstract identity. A ghost or an invisible person enjoying the world outside her touch without being able to interact with in any way. Like she was a camera watching a street of people with no emotional attachment to what was happening around her. A cloud floating above the world - able to see life and color all around it but unable to join it or change herself to become apart of that world.
In hindsight, it should've been obvious all along that she was more than that. She was apart of this world. She existed as more than a spectator.
"Yes," she could do this.
The window closed and she was left alone with just herself and her fractured glass home. She let out a breath just to confirm she really was back and felt elated that she could breathe which meant she now had a body! Still, even with these new developments, she felt afraid of what would come next.
Because one thing she absolutely knew for sure now as that this was really going to be Hardcore.
Despite the fear of not knowing what came next, those cracks in this place called her cage practically breathed life back into her; in the way, the cold touch of air lightly brushing against her skin, the languid drip of condensation as the barrier keeping her from the world was becoming thinner and thinner. She even went as far as holding her breath, counting down as she waited with almost restless energy buzzing beneath her skin.
And then suddenly the barrier was gone; transparent. It fell to the ground like a downpour of rain and without the barrier, whatever had been holding her back before was also gone and she fell - her body now weighed and affected by gravity.
And even though she had collapsed. Even though she was naked, everything was overshadowed by the single thought that she was free. That she felt alive with the feeling of her diaphragm extending with each hungry gasp of breath, the budding cold sweat coating her thin and vulnerable - but oh so feeling - skin, and the newfound sights welcomed to her eyes as she drank in the room.
A red light was flashing every few seconds above her and it was soon followed again by the unending yowl of a siren and she clamped her hands over her ears to muffle the sound to her oversensitive ears even as she welcomed the foreign experience. So this is what freedom felt like?
"Security alert. Power Failure on Level Six. Please remain calm."
Well, her brief moment of freedom was over as the feminine but definite robotic voice echoed through the room. Thoughts of where to go from here where quickly put in the back of her mind and with all the grace of a newborn colt she managed to find her footing.
-Initiated Gamer's Body-
-Initiated Gamer's Mind-
"Wha-" she coughed, her throat as dry as a desert and making her ability to speak fail spectacularly. She looked behind her to see a narrow tank that was as tall as the ceiling where several tubes were once connected to it. But many were now disconnected and even though the walls had collapsed the frames remained. She felt unnerved that she had essentially been a fish in a tank all this time. Frozen, but still.
Unwilling to let her curiosity go she tried thinking "Gamer's Mind" while imagining a window opening in front of her. When nothing happened she tried again. "Show-" she coughed again and gave up on speaking for the time being. Why did the Gamer stuff work when she couldn't speak before? Is it automatic? Situational?
Novak, as she needed to get used to calling herself, sighed and resolved to look for more information on it when she had more options to work with. Before she could anything else a window suddenly opened.
-Quest Alert!-
Escape Leviathan Labs
Find all 5 Collectibles (0/5)
Discover 10 Skills (0/10)
Acquire A Weapon (0/1)
Acquire A Full Set Of Gear (0/1)
Reward:
200 XP
+ 1 EMP For Every Prisoner Freed
New Title
Book
Unique Item
Bonus Reward:
New Quest: Destroy Leviathan Labs!
?
?
Failure:
Never Reaching Your Freedom
Dying A Fate Worse Than Death
Damn, it didn't even give her the option to say yes or no. Not that she would have many choices in the end but still. She huffed but let it go as the window disappeared and looked around where she was.
Now that she was really giving it a good look she found that it was a wreck. Tray tables were flipped over and various medical instruments were scattered throughout the room. The floor was slick with water and there weren't any clothes in sight.
"Security Violation: Level Six. All containment personal to level six."
That didn't sound good. The sound of yelling outside the room sent a jolt through her that she didn't have the time to wait around anymore!
"All facility personnel must evacuate the area immediately. Security Violation: Level Six."
Ignoring her state of dress (or lack of) she rushed to the door and flung it open - all while trying not to trip over her own feet, still unused to her own body. The sight before her was enough for her to do more than stumble.
Unlike her room, the lights were flickering on and off making the dark stains on the wall look even more morbid than it needed to be. Bodies lay everywhere and as she knelt down beside an eerie one, she was startled to find they weren't all...human.
They looked just fine and normal from the head to hips but look any lower and some had pincers and stingers or six hairy legs while others had hoofs replacing their legs.
She quickly moved on, unable to stay any longer but as she wandered the blood cover hallways she couldn't help but wonder what started all of this? The dead around her didn't bother her in knowing that could've been her if whatever killed them hadn't decided to free her.
Why else could she have been freed? By who else?
Her hurried footsteps slowed as she turned into a new hallway to find doors that had not been broken open and recalled what the quest had said. Novak didn't know what EMP was but she had a feeling by the failure for the quest meant for those who didn't reach their freedom.
-Your EMP has been permanently increased by 1 for caring for someone other than yourself-
Wow, harsh. Kind of in a life or death situation here... Novak sighed, knowing the Game was right and opened the nearest door. Surprisingly no one was inside and instead, the room was organized with an assortment of papers clipped to the wall.
Curious she wandered over to look closer at the notes only to be interrupted suddenly as transparent words appeared in the upper right corner of her vision.
-You Have Discovered A New Skill!-
Observing - Your ability to analyze your surroundings accurately and make note of details others may have overlooked. Lv.1 (0%)
Range: 10 feet (100% accuracy), -10% accuracy for every addition foot.
"Observe?" She asked in a croaky voice and jumped when a window popped up immediately following her words. "Now you work?"
Lv.1 (1%) Observe
These appear to be a unique assortment of research notes regarding an unknown subject to you.
She reached forward and carefully removed the notes, only to pause as she realized she had no place to put them. Or at least that's what she thought before an icon of a backpack appeared at the bottom left corner of her vision.
-You Have Discovered Your Inventory!-
Your Inventory is a limited storage space that is part of an inter-dimension of the Game where you can store non-living objects for a specific amount of time depending on various assortments. Your Inventory carry weight can increase by 10 for every 10 points in STR.
Novak frowned at the limitations but took it as a silver lining in her situation. She paused when the window vanished but thankfully the backpack icon remained - even though it was barely visible and she would've overlooked it had she not known what it was.
Still grasping the research notes she awkwardly directed them towards the icon and watched as it lit up. She held it there for a few seconds as though to convince it she wanted it to go into the inventory.
She jolted when the notes disappeared and the backpack item went back to being easily overlooked.
-Quest Updated!-
You have made progress in a quest!
Escape Leviathan Labs
Find all 5 Collectibles (0/5)
Discover 10 Skills (1/10)
Acquire A Weapon (0/1)
Acquire A Full Set Of Gear (0/1)
"All facility staff. This is Doctor Gavinski. We have experienced a containment breach. Try to stay calm and follow procedures. I assure you... all subjects will be contained."
Gulping, Novak quickly looked around and upon finding nothing else noteworthy exited back into the hallway. The door she opened next led to a room that wasn't so plain and in fact bordered on terrifying.
Strapped down to a medical table laid a girl wearing a hospital gown with bright yellow hair that was cut to her neck and looked to be a small child with how short she was - of not for the size of her chest and absence of baby-fat and awkward shape of limbs.
Hesitantly, Novak stepped closer uncertain if she was alive... or dead.
"Observe," she thought and focused on the girl's face.
Other, Chloe
Lv. 12
Hp] 5/200
EP] 100/150
MP] 0/400
FOC: 2%
Allegiance: Unknown
Chloe is a teenage girl who had been kidnapped by Leviathan after she had an episode in school and was meant to be taken to a special home for mentally troubled teens.
"A what?" She exclaimed and was honestly bewildered here. It was one thing to see bodies that were half-human, half not-human but it was another thing entirely to be told by the most likely outcome that she was dealing with the real thing. After all, this was the first instance she Observed someone who looked human enough that wasn't stated to follow the theory. What was she supposed to think now that she knew Chloe was more than she appeared?
She sighed, thinking that she really didn't have the right to judge so harshly based on how humans should and should not be in a world she apparently didn't know as much about as she had thought.
-Your INT has been permanently increased by 1 for thinking things through-
Smiling at that, she decided maybe the Game wasn't so bad and went to inspect the table the girl was strapped down to, trying to find a way to wake the barely alive girl without harming her further.
Keeping her eyes firmly off Chloe, she instead inspected the straps.
Bloody Restraints
These tough leather straps are used to hold subjects in place when they undoubtedly resist experimentation.
But of course, it doesn't tell her how they can be of use to her. She wondered if increasing her Observe Skill would help with the important details.
Unable to do anything about that now though she continued to Observe the area, picking up empty vials along the way and storing them away for later use, she stopped finally when she thought she found something she could use.
Ammonia
Although Ammonia has many uses, Leviathan uses it for cleaning up blood stains and waking up unconscious experiment subjects.
That description is certainly morbid and made her even warier of Leviathan than before but more importantly, it was exactly what she needed. Perhaps it wouldn't do anything. Maybe it would make things worse but if she didn't do anything than Chloe was as good as dead for sure.
Taking the vial she moved back to the girl and wafted the scent in the direction of her nose. Rolling back on her heels she inspected the vial more closely without going into Observe before placing it in her Inventory.
When she turned back to the girl she found cerulean blue eyes looking at her with such a dead - defeated - look in her eyes that Novak's heart hurt just looking at her.
She quietly let out a sigh before moving toward the girl's restraints, noticing as the girl's eyes snapped to her hands and some light returned to her eyes. Novak could relate to the feeling and the moment all the restraints were untied she moved away uncertainty, giving the girl some space while covering her chest with her arms to partially cover her blatant nakedness. "We're escaping," she said once Chloe had sat up as though she hadn't noticed the flickering lights, sirens, and persisting red light that indicated all hell had broken loose.
-Your EMP has been permanently increased by 1 for rescuing Chloe-
Dismissing the message with little more than a passing glance, she looked around the room for something to wear. She'd even go for a hospital gown at this rate. "Wha-" the girl stuttered before her lungs gave out and she let out a violent cough from dehydration. Novak looked around and found a cup before moving over to the sink that was splattered with blood and... other fluids. Quickly filling it, she Observed it making sure it was safe to drink and then handed it to the girl. Chloe's hands shook as she grasped it but she seemed to have a tight grip on it and drank it readily.
-You Have Discovered A New Skill-
Compassion - Your ability to show kindness and mercy to another. Lv.1 (1%)
It was only a glass of water... or at least so she thought before she looked up and saw the half-emptied glass being offered to her by the girl, who seemed to be a lot more lively after having her fill. She smiled at the gesture and accepted it, downing the rest of the water and soothing her dry throat.
-Quest Alert-
You've done a good thing rescuing a prisoner but it'll all be for nothing if they die before they make it out of here! Protect the rescued prisoners!
Ensure no one under your care dies (0/3)
Kill all Leviathan Guards (0/20)
Defeat the Boss
Reward:
A Rare Alchemy Reagent
?
?
?
Failure:
What happened to you will happen to someone else
A lot of people will die a fate worse than death
You will be hunted for the rest of your life
Raising an eyebrow at the bonus rewards, she sighed at the lack of choice in completing these quests before dismissing it. "We should hurry. I haven't seen any security yet but I don't want to be here when they do finally show," she said and offered a hand to the girl, whose eyes suddenly wandered and her cheeks went scarlet. "Y-you're naked," the girl managed and averted her eyes, as though she hadn't gotten an eye-full before. Novak smirked at the flustered girl. "I noticed," she replied teasingly and helped pull the girl to her feet where she mastered the art of standing much better than she herself had.
Moving back towards the door, she gave the glass container in her hand a final look before smashing it into the wall with a violent throw of her arm. Chloe visibly startled in the corner of her eye but she ignored the reaction as she reached down to pick up one of the broken shards. It was jagged and looked sharp even if it was small and likely going to be difficult to use. But she needed something to defend Chloe and herself against any guards and this was the best she could do.
-Quest Update!-
You have made progress in a quest!
Escape Leviathan Labs
Find all 3 Collectibles (0/3)
Discover 10 Skills (2/10)
Acquire A Weapon (1/1)
Acquire A Full Set Of Gear (0/1)
Analyzing the broken shard she waited for a moment before Observe activated and studied the stats that appeared.
Glass Shard
This glass shard is the remains of a jar.
DMG - 1
Great, that wasn't as much damage as she hoped it would be.
"All security staff are required to report to their posts. This is not a drill."
"I think that's our cue," Chloe mumbled as she walked up beside her and Novak tried not to grimace at the reminder. Wary, Novak tried to soften the sound of her feet as she moved and went to peer around the corner for any threats.
-You Have Discovered A New Skill!-
Area Sense - Your ability to detect living beings in your immediate surroundings. Lv.1 (0%)
Range: 10 feet (100% accuracy), -10% accuracy for every addition foot.
She didn't sense anyone if that was how the ability worked but nevertheless, she moved carefully as she rounded the corner and headed toward the nearest door when the sound of bullets being fired stopped her dead. Turning her head to Chloe she found that the girl had gone as white as a sheet. She shook her head as she tried to convey a message to stay where she was while she went to see what was going on but even if she received the message that didn't stop the girl from reaching out to grasp her wrist and hold her back.
Novak would've pulled out of her grip if she really wanted to but sighed quietly instead, understanding the girl's fear. She continued forward with Chloe holding unto her but took the effort to move as quietly as she could by crouching down and sticking close to the walls, her feet making as little noise as possible.
-You Have Discovered A New Skill-
Sneaking - Your ability to remain hidden without being detected. Lv.1 (0%)
Chances of not getting caught: 5%
For those of higher level than you: -5% for each level they surpass you.
So that meant she was doomed to fail from the start. Well, if nothing else it would be good training.
-Your WIS has been permanently increased by 1 for not giving up at the first sign of difficulty-
And that was as good a sign as anything to continue. She kept her eyes forward even as the once smooth floor was replaced with something wet and sticky she just knew was blood. She kept her eyes forward even as the body count begun to stack up and more strange body parts she's never seen before caught her eye.
When she reached the end of the hallway the gunfire had stopped and a two-foot-tall barrier made of bodies stood between her and the next hallway. She heard Chloe sharply inhale at the sight and she wondered if she knew any other, other prisoners. Or if she was like her, human, still trying to find her footing and barely even knows who she is now.
Whatever the case, she removes Chloe's grip on her arm, gave her a serious look and moved forward until she was within - what she hoped was - ten feet of their enemy.
"Attention all units, Subject One has escaped the building. All containment personal do not let any others escape!"
Novak froze and tucked herself close to the wall as she leaned forward in hopes of overhearing the rest of the feed. She could just barely see the body of the guard in the flickering lights he was passing through. What she had just overheard was worrying enough, even if it did bring her hope that escape was possible.
Was subject one the person who released them all?
"Control, this is Jackson. Sector Three has just been cleared."
"Copy, Jackson. Continue your patrol to Sector Four."
Something sharp pressed against her palms and she paused, realizing she had been clenching her hands until her knuckles were white and the glass she'd been holding had left its mark. Scowling at her actions but also angered by the blatant massacre that was happening all around her, she stalked forward with her weapon prepped at her side.
Leviathan Guard, Jackson
Lv. 42
HP] 1400/1700
EP] 700/1150
MP] 0/0
FOC] 0%
Allegiance: Leviathan Labs
Jackson is a security guard of Leviathan Labs and is nothing more than a hired mercenary who whose job is to prevent any of the experiment subjects escaping and will use lethal force whenever possible.
For a moment there she couldn't even breathe. It made sense, she supposed, as it was rather naive of her to think that other people would be on the same level as her - or at least at Chloe's level. Still, her quest at least told her this was possible and that her best chances at succeeding here were to sneak up on him and deliver a lethal blow.
-Your LUC has been permanently increased by 1 for taking a strategic risk-
Okay, now she really needed to know how to view her Gamer abilities and such because she had no idea what her health was and didn't really know what half her attributes even meant. Could she really risk it all? What does it take to see her stats-
Everything in front of her suddenly froze, like life itself had been put on hold and turned blurry as a new window appeared in the center of her vision.
-Would You Like To View The Gamer's Database?-
-Y/N-
Quickly giving her affirmation, she waited as the words vanished and were replaced with a well-organized description of everything.
Novak Vermillion
Title: N/A
Class: N/A
-Origin-
.
Stats
Level] 1
HP] 50/50
MP] 25/25
EP] 25/25
Currency] N/A
AP] 0
SP] 0
PP] 0
XP] 0/200
.
-Attributes-
-Skills-
-Codex-
She was glad to have made progress but now had more questions than answered. She still needed to know what all these things meant. "Codex," she said, hoping that the Game being paused meant she could speak. She didn't see why not.
Codex - a collection of information that The Gamer can build in their journal during their adventures whether from using Observe, through the Gamer tutorials, books or from a simple conversation with others. Codex entries give information about the world of Others, including stories of historians and scholars, passages from the legends and folktales, and also about the mechanics of the game and certain creatures, characters, and items. Gathering codex entries rewards The Gamer with experience and can open side quests and dialogue options with other characters. Codex also helps the Gamer's mind stay organized and access valuable information. Some books are required for discovering new skills or new abilities.
What would you like to know?
"What are the words for the abbreviations of my stats and attributes? What do they represent?"
HP - Health Points; Your amount of Health that increases by 50 for every 10 points in STR
HP Regen - Health Point Regeneration; The regeneration of your Health increases with a Base 10% + 2% every 10 points in STR per min
EP - Energy Points; Your amount of Energy that increases 25 for every 10 points in VIT
EP Regen - Energy Point Regeneration; The regeneration of your Energy increases with a Base 10% + 2% every 10 points in VIT per min
MP - Mana Points; Your amount of Mana that increases by 25 for every 10 points in WIL
MP Regen - Magic Point Regeneration; The regeneration of your Mana increases with a Base 10% + 2% per 10 points in WIL and Control per min
FOC - Focus; Your ability to use more powerful or complex abilities using your amount of spiritual power. Increases by 2% for every 10 points put into CON.
AP - Attribute Points; received throughout the game to increase your chosen attribute
SP - Skill Points; received throughout the game to increase your chosen skill
PP - Perk Points; received throughout the game to choose perks that enhance your Gamer abilities
XP - Experience Points; received from completing quests to increase your Gamer's Level
EMP - Empathy; A measure of your ability to understand another through emotion (EQ). Affects how others trust you.
DEX - Dexterity; A measure of your quickness, adaptability, and agility. Affects your speed, athleticism, precision, and acrobatics.
CON - Control; A measure of your ability to concentrate when using your spiritual power. Affects how much spiritual power you can use at the time regardless of the total amount of Willpower accessable.
INT - Intelligence; A measure of your reasoning and memory; your way of thinking and mental versatility.
LUC - Luck; A measure of your fortune in your loot, treasures, and overall impression or reputation to allies and enemies alike.
PER - Perception; A measure of your instinct; the strength of your five senses, also pertaining to an additional sixth sense. Affects your ability to observe your surroundings as well as enhance your range of detecting malicious presences.
STR - Strength; A measure of your raw physical strength. Affects how much you can endure (pain tolerance), your amount of HP and its regenerative prowess, as well as how much weight you can carry in your inventory.
VIT - Vitality; A measure of your raw energy. Affects your amount of EP and its regenerative prowess.
WIL - Willpower; A measure of your spiritual strength and power. Affects your amount of MP and its regenerative prowess.
WIS - Wisdom; A measure of your insight into the events of the past, present, and future. Affects your survival skills in any situation.
"Wow," she exclaimed, staring at the screen in awe. There was so much that affected her in this Game and she was glad she had so much to work with but she also wondered how she was supposed to apply it to her character. Was it automatic or manual? Wait...
"What's the Gamer's Mind and Gamer's Body?"
Gamer's Mind, Lvl: Max) Allows the user a mind to focus on a matter and calmly think things through. Provides an eased state of thinking. They are immune to all psychological effects and status without taking away that they are sentient beings.
Gamer's Body, Lvl: Max) Grants the user a body that allows them to live the world's reality according to the status they possess.
"I see," she said before going back to her main stats. It was a little bit (okay, a lot) foreboding to compare her meager 50 health with the 18,000 health left of the guard she was about to fight. She was just glad he wasn't at full health. Even if it wouldn't have made much distance, it at the very least gives her hope.
Taking in a deep breath, she mentally prepared herself and closed out of her Gamer Database, blinking to get reacquainted with the lighting. She waited for him to turn his back on her to leap on the moment, not entirely sure what she was doing but unable to hesitate any longer lest she overthinks everything and gets herself killed.
"Gah!" She shouted as she leaped on the man, wrapping her arms around his neck and locking them together while her knees awkwardly bumped into his back - showing her first mistake. His reflex was fast and brutal, kicking his elbow into her side hard enough for her to wince and nearly fall off him had she not locked her arms as she had.
The next thing he did was slam her into the nearest wall, systematically throwing her body around his where he punched her in the gut but thankfully she was at such an angle his gun couldn't reach her. Without wasting any time she loosened her hold just in time to push her hand forward and yank it through his unprotected neck. The sound alone would give her nightmares but the worst part was not that she ended a life but how she ended it - for how could anyone live such a wound?
She grimaced as she pulled her hand out of the guy's neck, unable to salvage her weapon from him when it was in too deep.
Leviathan Guard, Jackson
HP] -1000/1700
Slit Throat: You have delivered a lethal wound to Jackson. Death occurs in 30 seconds.
The knowledge that he was going to die in less than a minute was clear on the upper left corner of her screen where his HP was losing 1,000 of his health which each passing second. She shook her head, even as she waited for death to arrive for the man, hoping maybe then she'd be 'over it' if she took in every second of this gruesome death before he was truly dead.
"You okay?" Chloe asked, and Novak got up to find that she'd moved out of hiding and didn't look particularly perturbed by the fact that she had killed. That, someone, was soon to be dead. Sure, he was going to kill them and emotionally, Novak didn't really feel all that bad about it - but logically she was sure she should be feeling something. Like how it seemed wrong that killing another person was so easy.
How it's scary how easy she killed him, even though she was a level one.
"I will be," she said because it was the best anybody could do in a situation like this.
-Quest Updated!-
Appeared at the corner of her screen, thankfully, and quickly vanished after a few seconds. She looked down at the dead man and was startled to find white sparkles surrounding the entirety of the man's still-warm body. She slowly brought a hand down and touched the sparkles, watching bewildered as the sparkles vanished and in their place a screen appeared and expanded into a horizontal window that when she reached down, she saw a multitude of items inside that shouldn't have been possible... if the game didn't have inter-dimensions as a part of the game, anyway.
Novak looked up to find that Chloe was frozen in place and realized that by activating the icon she had essentially activated the Game's pause as she looted the body.
-Leviathan-issued Combat Knife-
A standard-issued silver knife designed with a long, clip-point blade with serrations along the back intended for cutting through the tough skin of certain beings.
DMG: 3.5 (1 Bleeding DMG per minute)
-Silver Shavings-
These shavings have been made from pure silver which has been distributed to all Leviathan personnel to cleanse their bodies and spirits if afflicted by the curse before it has fully manifested in their DNA. They don't always work, but it guarantees an 85% recovery within 24-hours of having the curse.
-Lightweight leather trousers-
Well-worn leather pants that have been fashioned out of pads on the knees and shins. It is a light armor for the legs; trading defense for speed.
DT: 4
-Men's issued long-sleeved blue shirt-
A sweaty shirt that keeps out the cold but doesn't do much more than that.
DT: 0
-Security Helmet-
A low-grade black helmet with a glass visor over the front of the helmet. A faded logo of Leviathan can be seen on the front.
DT: 2
That was it? She wondered how loot worked in the Game. Surely he was wearing more than what she could loot from him? She sighed, just glad she had something to wear now. She took everything but left the helmet in her Inventory - only keeping it for the sake of the Quest.
After pulling out the clothes and weapon, she put it on the floor to the side before closing out of everything. Life now unpaused and back in motion, she looked back up at Chloe who couldn't have been much younger than she as she took the time to tug on the clothes.
The clothes felt weird and the shirt was too large but in the end, she couldn't complain when they served their purpose. Picking up the knife when she was fully dressed, she turned to look down the hallway and see where they could go from here.
"I need to see if anyone else is left," she explained, taking a step forward before turning to look at Chloe. "I won't ask you to come with me but I can't leave knowing anyone who wasn't released like us will likely die. If I do nothing."
Chloe let out a breathless chuckle and shook her head.
"You're different than what I expected."
"What do you mean?" She asked bewildered.
"For a human, you're different," Chloe said like it was obvious and Novak stopped, fully turning now as she thought about it. Perhaps it was naive of her to think she wasn't like the half-human half-creatures she had seen earlier. Perhaps she was just holding onto the only thing familiar she remembered in a dream. Perhaps she didn't want to consider that she may not even be as human as she thinks herself to be.
Then again, if Chloe thinks she's human then maybe she was just lucky enough - but then how were her Gamer systems corrupt-
Dammit, she didn't have time to think of everything now. So, instead, she asked, "and you can tell when you haven't known me for more than five minutes?"
The tiny blonde shrugged. "When you've lived between two worlds as I have you get an affinity for these things."
"Two worlds?" She asked, curious despite herself.
The younger girl stepped up to be beside her. "You really don't know anything, do you? Maybe you'll find out: one day."
Novak's eyebrows furrowed as they began to walk down the hallway. "Why can't you tell me now?"
"It doesn't work like that. This isn't something anyone can just outright say."
Novak gestured to the chaos and bloodshed around them. But Chloe's stance hadn't changed.
"Trust me: there would be a lot more of this if we could speak so freely."
She slumped but let it go, resolving to find out her own answers. "Fine."
Going through the next door she found another scary sight, this time a row of three tanks containing what was clearly bodies. Chloe stepped away from her side to inspect them while Novak discreetly cast Observe on everything that looked relevant.
Cryo-stasis Chamber
Advanced technology used to put test subjects into suspended animation for years at a time while enclosed in stasis-like freezing tubes. During this time the subjects will not physically age but may develop mutations.
It seemed a lot like the tank she had been in. Novak moved to look at the monitors nearby.
-Error-
You cannot Observe computers or other terminals without the correct level in ? Skill.
Sighing but giving up on getting any information there, she moved on to the next item of interest which happened to be a security camera hiding in the shadows of the corner wall.
Security Camera
A live feed directly connected to a mainframe that is shared throughout the entire network. The camera is currently Offline.
She recalled the radio broadcast from earlier about all power being down on level six and was grateful to it. Being spied on by a camera right now would really freak her out.
"Chloe, have you found out anything?" She asked as she finished inspecting the room.
She startled slightly to see that the girl had logged into the very monitor she had been unable to get into earlier and wondered what luck she had to have a companion that could do that. That took care of one problem.
"Just that we don't really want to free these guys," Chloe responded sharply. Confused, Novak moved over to her to see what she was reading but when she tried, an Error message appeared in the middle of her screen again and she found that every time she tried to look at the monitor it was obscured.
"What do you mean?" She settled with learning the knowledge directly from Chloe, hoping she could trust her to hear the truth. In knowing she may be lied to because of the 'two worlds' business of before.
"Look, like I said I can't tell you the specifics but one thing I can tell you is that there's a lot of talk of diversity about there being two worlds... some of us want there to be only one world; a world where there are no humans left."
Novak took a moment to absorb that.
"These guys are one of those people. And I don't know about you, but after having been abducted and treated like guinea pigs I doubt they'd be pleased seeing you."
She sighed, unwilling to just walk away now. She wasn't sure if Subject One (her likely rescuer) knew anything about her when freeing her. What if they considered she was a threat and disappeared before they could find out-
That was it!
"Even so... I can't leave them to die."
Chloe huffed, throwing her arms up in aggravation. "Did you not just hear a word I said?"
"I did but," she paused, thinking of how to best word this so she could convince Chloe to let them go. "think about it this way. Whatever these guys are, they likely hate Leviathan. If we free them, they can take out the enemy before they even know we're here."
Novak hoped she was warming her up to the idea.
"You don't know how dangerous these guys are! They have heightened senses and they never forget a scent. And even if they do hunt down security for us, what happens if they do notice us?"
"I guess I'll throw you out the nearest window and bear the consequences," Novak snapped, but it seemed to get through to Chloe who just sighed and mumbled curses at her under her breath as she typed away at the computer.
"Fine, I'll hack the terminals to release them rather than kill them-" Novak looked sharply up over at her in alarm. Chloe smirked in satisfaction, likely for gaining that reaction from her. That she was in control.
"But when I say run, I mean we need to run and find the nearest hiding place in the next five seconds. Got that?" Chloe snapped the demand right back at her but Novak just nodded, smiling at having swayed her despite the odds.
-You Have Discovered A New Skill!-
Persuasion - Your ability to persuade others into or out of making an action or opinion. Lv.1 (5%) chance of swaying someone to your needs.
This will be handy.
-Your Compassion Skill Has Leveled Up!-
Novak took a step closer to the nearest cryo-stasis chamber and tried to Observe the guy inside. Unfortunately, she only got the same Observe for the chamber. She sighed, itching with wonder for what was such a threat to her kind - humans - inside. What Chloe wouldn't - couldn't - tell her.
"Okay, deactivating cryo-sleep in three, two, one," and the unspoken zero was followed by the hissing sound of the tubes falling away from the tank. "We have thirty seconds. Run!" Chloe got a head-start on her and clearly left her in the dust when she hesitated on the accelerator. When her quest didn't update for releasing these three she figured that Chloe was one of the prisoners she had to focus on and not these guys... which kind of disappointed her.
She supposed if she was going to be able to protect Chloe she was going to need to be able to watch her back. The whole time she took this time to consider was only seconds but all the same, she started sprinting after Chloe immediately after making her decision, finding that Chloe had gotten quite a head-start on her.
Novak winced at the strain she felt in her legs as her toes begun to cramp, reminding her that her body was still very new and hadn't adapted to Hardcore just yet.
-Your VIT has been permanently increased by 1 for continuing even though you've hit your limits-
EP] 0/25
As Chloe ducked into the nearest doorway past the next hallway, a furious scream broke the silence in the area that was soon swallowed by a guttural twisted howl that practically racked chills down her spine. Several growls surrounded that howl and practically encouraged her to run faster even though she was unable to increase her pace with the lack of energy.
When she reached the doorway Chloe went through she all but leaped inside but didn't bother closing it since the sound would no doubt be heard by these guys' superior senses. She couldn't see Chloe but considered it a good thing meaning she found a good hiding place before finding a large cabinet tucked in a corner and hurriedly opened it to tuck herself inside.
The moment she closed the doors she experienced what she would likely call the scariest, most terrifying moment of her life for years to come. And as she wondered what monstrosity she had just unleashed she heard through the darkness the sound of heavy footsteps and inhuman sounds.
She did the only thing that kept her sane right now and thought about what this meant. What she had seen in those chambers was human or humanoid at the very least despite how much the ice obscured. But whatever was out there was the most animalistic creature she had ever heard and was unlike anything she had ever experienced in a dream.
She thought about the Two Worlds and the Game. She thought about Chloe and the things she said. But most of all her thoughts kept going back to the Silver Shavings she found and wondered if they were related to the creatures she released.
A thought just occurred to her that she had no idea when it would be safe or not. Her Area Sense was not developed enough to 'see' things out of sight. She doubted her Gamer would let her know either. Already she was doing the best she could to muffle the sound of her breathing and to stay absolutely still but how long until she couldn't?
Damn, she was only on the first day and so far her bleeding heart had already caused her to recklessly risk her life!
A scream echoed in the distance then, and it was clearly human but before she could find solace in the sound it was cut off with a wet cry. Then there was no sound at all.
Gunfire soon replaced the silence and with it, the noise returned full-throttle. There was a lot of gunfire from the sound of it and what she was sure was a lot of people dying. She was certain of it in fact when a new window popped up.
-Quest Updated!-
Mentally, she commanded it to open and watched as the familiar quest outline appeared rather daunting of what was happening outside this darkness.
Ensure no one under your care dies (0/3)
Kill all Leviathan Guards (9/20)
Defeat the Boss
It was a sinking feeling. A dark sensation in the pit of her stomach to know she had indirectly killed men by releasing those beings. She was surprised she was getting the credit at all and began to question what was right and wrong.
Was following her heart a promise of bad things to come?
She shook her head. She couldn't think like that. Novak knew that releasing them would make them seek after their captors and kill them - had counted on it, in fact. But expecting it to happen and actually seeing it were two entirely different experiences.
"Warning, breach from Level Six has exited the area. All containment units, leave posts to contain the breach. Do not let the subjects escape!"
-Quest Updated!-
Kill all Leviathan Guards (11/20)
Taking that as her cue, Novak hesitantly opened the doors of her cabinet to take a peek outside. What she found surprised her because the room she and Chloe had ducked into hadn't changed at all. A contrast to the state of things outside, she was sure, but the lack of it where she has unsettled her because it was almost like she could pretend her decision hadn't affected their lives.
She swallowed and fully stepped out of the cabinet. "Chloe? Are you still here?" She called out softly, not wanting to tempt her luck and somehow speak of the creatures and they shall appear. For a moment when silence answered her call, she wondered if Chloe had abandoned her. If she considered her company too much of a risk and decided to leave while those creatures created their distraction for their escape.
Novak wondered if maybe she was still here but just opting for her to move on. To leave her for the same reasons. She wandered until she watched a box slide from under a desk by the door revealing the small blonde's form and with the reveal, Novak let out a sigh of relief that she was not only alive but still here.
"Do you understand, now?" Chloe grumbled as she pulled herself up from underneath the desk. Novak felt a cold beat of sweat drop down from her brow at the reminder. "Yeah. I get it," she said, almost feeling bad for how she snapped at her earlier.
"If they found us I think I would've bailed on 'bearing the consequences' to jump out the window right alongside you," she joked but was in fact half-serious. By the wobbly smile Chloe gave, she probably thought as much too.
"We should keep moving. From the sound of it most of the guards are probably dead, making it a lot easier to check for more prisoners," Chloe suggested to her surprise. She nodded though, regardless of who suggested what they were both thinking first and moved towards the doorway. She leaned out of it slowly, trying to see if she could sense something in the area but wasn't all that surprised when she got nothing.
It was scary going back into the hallways with the full knowledge that an unknown threat was around along with the Leviathan security guards she had to face. She wondered what level those beings were that had overwhelmed Leviathan numbers so easily. If she would even have a chance against them...
"So, what should I call people of this other world?" The small conversation was the best she could do to stave off her nerves and her curiosity. She glanced over at the corner of her eye to see Chloe's lips twitch into a secret smile and wondered if she was going to ever get a straight answer from the girl.
"Tell you what: when we get out of here feel free to look it up on the internet," Chloe chirped.
Novak didn't have a reply for that. She wasn't going to say anything but Chloe was more or less her only access to outside information. Not that she only wanted her around for that. She wouldn't want to use someone so blatantly. Chloe was good company and no matter which way they went once they were out of here she'd never wish Chloe ill-will.
"The internet?" She gathered the courage to ask. She jolted when Chloe suddenly spun on her heel to face her, stopping them both where they were. "You-You don't know?"
"No," she decidedly to be blunt, unaware of the significance to this.
"You-" she stopped and just let out an exaggerated sigh, smashing the palms of her hands against her eyes.
"If you ever learn more about the other world... and if we ever meet again, I'll explain," Chloe said and Novak was once again left alone in the dark. "Ugh," she complained but let it go and continued walking. It wasn't like she didn't know anything when she had the Gamer helping her along. She knew Chloe was not human and a brief part of her backstory. Even though there was still so much she didn't know, she at least had a clue and could piece together a theory if nothing else.
"In here," she gestured and Observed Chloe as she took the first step into the entryway.
Other, Chloe
Lv. 12
HP] 96/200
EP] 118/150
MP] 48/400
FOC: 2%
Allegiance: Unknown
Chloe is a teenage girl who had been kidnapped by Leviathan after she had an episode in school and was meant to be taken to a special home for mentally troubled teens. Not much is known about her to you but she has confirmed that there's a world within the world you remember but what lies within these two worlds she's yet to disclose.
Interesting how quickly her health and energy regenerated. She had wondered about that herself and is relieved to know her energy won't be gone for long. The feeling didn't last long though because before she could step into the doorway she felt like she had been dunked in ice-cold water.
-Area Sense Activated!-
Lv. 40 Potential Threat Nearby
Lv. 20 Potential Threat Nearby
Her hand shot out to stop Chloe but she was already too far away. "Damn," she muttered and stepped in after her, keeping her newly acquired weapon on hand. A yell drew her attention and she found that the sector they stepped into seemed to be the official prison of the area. And that the things she let loose had been here.
Blood encrusted the room and there more than a few torn apart bodies. She was seeing things she wished she could unsee and based on Chloe's sudden expressionless face she wondered what she was thinking and if she regrets listening to her.
As she continued to look around she found that the only salvation for these people was within the cages. Cages that were meant to keep people in had now succeeded in keeping creatures out. And inside were two people shackled to the floor on opposing sides of the cage.
Other, Everae
Lv. 44
HP] 800/800
EP] 650/650
MP] 0/650
FOC: 10%
Allegiance: Unknown
Everae was born in the Lab but always knew it was as a prisoner. Anything else about her is a mystery to you.
She had skin as white as ivory and her beauty was highlighted in all the right places like she was hand-sculpted by a fine artist. Aside from her electric blue eyes she looked human enough and wouldn't stick out so much if she wore a hood or something.
Other, Vroucath
Lv. 20
HP] 200/200
EP] 400/400
MP] 0/400
FOC: 2%
Allegiance: Unknown
A very hostile being who takes no welcome to you or Everae's presence. Anything else about him is a mystery to you.
They were unlike anything she had ever seen. Including the dead half-human creatures she had seen in her sector but the closest thing to what she saw before were fantastical dragons. He appeared to be half-human too with the way he had a human body that was scaled from the upper elbow to hands, upper knees to feet which appeared to be made of spiked armor and thick, long razor-sharp claws that glinted in the lights of the room.
His hair was long, spiky and red not unlike the color of her own and a pair of great horns curved backward from the top of his head. His eyes and ears were slanted and inhuman but the beauty in his features was undeniable. What caught her eyes from the start however was the great folded foot-long wingspan of almost bat-like wings extended from his shoulder blades and the tail slithering out from behind him that was as long as he was tall, and just as weaponized as the rest of his body.
"Vorey mun!" And he was giving her the evil eye.
-New Language Detected!-
Dovahzul: The language of the Drakaina People. Requires your Skill Level to be at least 50.
"ná bíodh an tslat tomhais chéanna agat ag meas gach aon duine," the pale one definitely snarked, and Novak was caught staring at the unique color of her eyes.
-New Language Detected!-
Standard Irish: Although the number of Irish-speakers has declined some variants of Irish Gaelic remain. Requires your Skill Level to be at least 5.
She could see that.
-You Have Discovered A New Skill!-
Language - Your ability to understand and become fluent in languages including lip-reading, body language, and other forms. Lv. 1 (0%)
"It's not going to tell me the translation yet, is it?" She was getting tired of being such a low-level when so many important things were happening here. Still, learning how to read body language and cultures? That would be priceless.
-Quest Updated!-
"I'm not with Leviathan, isn't that enough for you?" Novak asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "dreh ni tinvaak!" he growled, flashing his shark-like incisors at her in threat. She rolled her eyes in response, not understanding a word he was saying but his body language told her it wasn't anything kind.
"Don't worry, he says the same thing to me," Everae spoke up, this time in a language she could understand. And true to her word the dragon guy turned his distasteful gaze on her as he hissed out, "gaas hilkiin!"
Chloe was looking at Everae with such an odd expression like she was trying to see through her. Novak wondered if she wanted to say something but couldn't with her around. After a moment Chloe slumped and knelt in front of the cage where the Drakan was.
"Er ydu chloe, eutha ah iu. Yl invyan la ah y'. Ih orlow," whatever she just said was clearly understood by the Drakan whose eyes suddenly softened as he looked back at her. He nodded to her before making a vague (but clear) gesture to the shackles that tied them down.
-New Language Detected!-
Common Speak: A common language that is spoken and understood by all people from the 'Other' world. Requires a Skill Level of at least 10.
And just when she thought things were going to get interesting. She sighed, wondering how long she'll survive in the world when capable of speaking only one language. How was she going to increase her skills anyway?
"Look for a key," Chloe told her and Novak sighed at the request but looked around regardless. "Observe," she thought as she looked around carefully. Something sparkled outside her Observation range and with a smudge of reluctance at the strange sight, she approached it to find a small leather-bound notebook at the center of the light show. She reached down and picked it up, about to flip it open when her Observe took care of that for her.
Doctor Gavinski's Research Journal
A handwritten field journal of the lead scientist Gustav Gavinski detailing the personal observations of his research.
Disinterested, Novak was just about to toss it aside when-
-You have found a Collector's Item!-
-Quest Updated!-
Her hand stilled and with a sigh, Novak carefully put the journal in her inventory before moving on in search of more sparkles or anything her Observe would focus on. When nothing noteworthy appeared, she sighed and wondered if the key could've been relocated during the massacre. Recalling the importance of that incident, Novak suddenly considered the remains of that aftermath and crouched down by the torn apart bodies and bloodied furniture. As her hands searched the bodies and dipped in blood, she angled her head to the side as she tried to listen in on Chloe's conversation where she remained by the cages of the two others, talking quietly with them both. Clearly, Novak really wasn't supposed to stay in the know but it rubbed her the wrong way anyway. Irritated, she absently busied her hands and really tried to focus her hearing on the others.
You Have Discovered A New Skill!-
Eavesdropping - Your ability to listen in on private conversations without being noticed. Your current level increases your chance at succeeding without being caught. Lv.1 (1%)
Range: 10 feet (100% accuracy), -10% accuracy for every additional foot or for every ten levels they are higher than you.
She nearly growled at the sudden appearance of the window. Basically, it meant unless she was standing right there beside them, she wouldn't hear a word of the conversation. At least, not at her current skill level. She was really getting frustrated at having so much available to her but being unable to use it. Novak wanted to scream the unfairness of it all, wanted to scream at Chloe for keeping her in the dark, and scream at the world for having to fight against so much resistance in order to stand on her own two feet and be free to live her life on her own.
-Quest Updated!-
Uninterested in her personal pity-party she had going on, Novak shook off those sour emotions before standing up, dismissing the notion that the key was hiding somewhere in the room. Chances were more likely that one of those beasts she released swallowed it and whoever had it, it was now her responsibility to go get it.
-Quest Alert!-
Time to put down the dogs like the rabid beasts they are! Find and kill the things that ate the keys but don't let them bite you! Or the next full moon you'll become just like them!
Kill the beasts! (0/3)
Reward:
Uncommon Alchemy Reagents
Rare Alchemy Reagent
?
Bonus Reward:
Do not lose more than half your health!
Unique Armor
Avoid getting bitten at all
?
Failure:
For abandoning fellow victims like you in their time of need you make an enemy out of all of them.
For dying your companions hope in escaping dies with you
For being bitten and remaining uncured you lose what makes you, you, and become an enemy to both worlds
Do you accept this quest?
Y/N
There were a lot of odd rewards there and even though it gave her the option to take this quest, Novak felt there really wasn't a question that she would take it. If she didn't she would just fail her other quest in rescuing the prisoners. The idea of getting herself killed by the very things she showed kindness to irked her though. Still... Yes, she would take that risk. Yes, she would take any risk thrown at her if it meant finally leaving this place. Novak would make sure of it.
As the window disappeared, Novak kept her knife close and approached the purgatory that awaited her freedom.
-~Daybreak~-
The original chapter ended up being written 25,000 words and counting that I finally grew exasperated with myself and decided to split the chapter into pieces. Let me know your feelings toward the new story and if you decide to follow this story you'll find more and more original twilight aspects in future chapters including places, characters, creatures and more!
- GR