Garett stepped outside his cell.
He proceeded cautiously down the dark corridor, as there was no way of telling what he would run into down here.
The hallway was occasionally lit by a wall torch, however they were spread apart enough to the point where there were many dark areas of the corridor.
As Garett exited the jail cell area, the walls became fully made of stone. He had looked inside each cell as he passed them, but didn't spot anything.
No system messages had popped up since he opened the door. Why?
Garett concluded that it had to be triggered by some sort of notable event. Perhaps if Garett didn't do anything that would result in some decision that would have different outcomes on his current status, the system would not provide him with a decision to make.
Garett heard something as he slowly walked down the hall.
It sounded like the slow dripping of water, and the shuffling of feet.
As if on queue, a message popped up.
[What would you like to do?]
Garett concluded that his deduction was true, and thought about what to do next.
Time was stopped, so he had all the time in the world to think about his actions. There was no reason to rush the decision.
This could prove extremely advantageous in a fight, and especially so if he had comrades to discuss a plan with. For now, he looked at his options.
[Use Tactical Analysis]!, Garett stated, as the golden ring spread throughout the corridor.
[There is a creature up ahead]
[Creature has been identified as wild]
[Lesser goblin (Wild)]
[Strength: 2]
[Dexterity: 1]
[Perception: 1]
[Charisma: 0]
[Intelligence: 0]
[HP: 8/8]
[MP: 0/0]
Carrying Club. +2 Attack damage.
Wearing Rags. +1 Damage Reduction.
Garett then realized that he was only wearing a light cloth, like a savage neanderthal.
"Not that it matters in this situation, however I should probably find some clothes soon..."
Garett stepped forward.
[You are entering combat. Do you still wish to proceed?]
Garett selected the [Yes] option, and continued.
He then saw the creature.
It was not a huge creature. It was roughly 4 feet tall, and very skinny. It had dark green skin, and beady yellow eyes that were slitted like that of a snake or a cat. Its teeth were crooked and rotten, and its large nose had warts covering it.
The creature held a club, and wore a ragged white tank top that was dirtied by the filth of the dungeon- along with some brown trousers.
Garett noticed something else as he looked at this goblin.
He was extremely short.
Garett was only around the same height as this goblin. Around 4 feet tall. If he were to be classified as a demon, he would be an imp.
Garett felt his heart ting a slight bit.
"I guess I'm short in this world..."
This was no time to be getting emotional about such things.
There was an enemy in front of him.
[It is your turn.]
[AP Remaining: 2/5. You used 3 AP when performing [Tactical Analysis]]
[What will you do?]
Garett looked around, before deciding to fight.
That was about the only option he had, right?
Running required at least 3 AP to do, so Garett didn't even have that option if he wanted to. Not only that, but he had come down a hallway that only lead in one direction. If he headed in the direction of the jail cells, he would reach a dead end and be cornered. It was better to fight while he had the ability to back off and move forward as needed.
And- if this truly was a world based off of RPG logic, it was necessary for him to fight in order to raise his level. However....
Garett felt fear.
This was the first time in his life where he was face to face with such a creature. Its beady eyes stared at him with killing intent- even though time was stopped. If only he could simply remain in this time stop forever, and forget all his problems...
But that would lead to eternal stagnancy.
Garett decided to attack, as scared as he was.
His hands trembled. He had no weapon, and the goblin held a club. If he was hit by it, he could lose consciousness. What would happen then? Would he be consumed? Garett didn't want to think about such a fate and raised his fist.
[You have selected to attack unarmed.]
[Rolling D10+Strength-Enemy Damage reduction to determine attack damage]
The dice rolled, and revealed the score of...
a 4.
Garett flung forward, with no form nor stance.
His fist smashed into the goblin's gut, and the goblin puked up a spout of blood, with a squeal.
[Lower goblin: Remaining HP: 3/8]
However, Garett's turn was now over. It was time for the goblin to go on the offensive.
And then, time resumed.
With time resuming so suddenly, the goblins reaction seemed to go faster than it did. Garett, who was bent over with his fist in the goblin's gut, had no time to dodge as the goblin brought his club down on the back of Garett.
[Goblin has rolled a D10]
Oh no!
Garett quickly remembered the statistics he had seen.
His remaining HP was at 11.
The goblin had a strength of 2, and the club provided an extra 2 attack power. If the goblin rolled any more than a 6, it would be game over.
A 40% chance that Garett would die on the spot.
Garett's life flashed before his eyes,
Am I going to die again?
A message popped up quickly, in the split second that Garett was thinking.
[Due to red fog, the goblin's accuracy is reduced. When health is below 50%, a roll of 5 or better is required to hit.]
This didn't make a difference in whether he would die or not. If the goblin rolled a 7 it would be all over.
However...
6.
The goblin brought down the club on Garett's back, and this time Garett was the one to spit up blood.
Cough- ugh...
Garett felt his body weakening.
[Warning! You are in critical condition! HP: 1/13. Accuracy has been reduced. Roll of 5 or more needed to hit the enemy.]
Time paused again.
Garett was now on the ground, laid out in front of the goblin who was holding his stomach with one hand, and raising the club with the other.
[AP Remaining: 5/5]
Garett knew what he needed to do.
It was pure luck that he had found the healing potion earlier- but he determined this: It costed 1 AP to use an item. If he used the health potion, 6 HP would be restored. His health would become 7/11, and he would no longer be effected by the accuracy penalty. This means he would be guaranteed to hit, and even if he rolled a 1 for damage, his natural strength of 2 would guarantee his victory.
It was a 100% chance to win.
And that was exactly what happened.
Garett quickly popped the cork off the potion, and gulped down the red liquid. A green field of vertically moving lines surrounded him, and he felt invigorated.
[HP: 7/13. Accuracy penalty removed]
He then raised a fist, and as he did so, the dice was rolled.
8.
If only he could have gotten this roll before.
His fist seemed to carry an extreme weight to it as it smashed into the goblins skull. He heard a cracking noise, and bits of blood and brain flesh scattered as the goblin dropped dead.
[Experience gained. 2/10]
Garett was sweating and panting. His body which was previously filled with adrenaline dropped with fear and shock. This was what it was like to survive a near death experience.
He could barely move, and almost fell asleep on the spot- but he had something to do. He couldn't allow himself to sleep in a place like this where danger could lurk around the corner.
He walked over to the goblin, and stripped it of its clothes. He put on the rags for himself- as blood stained and dirty as they were, and grabbed the club.
[Equipment obtained and equipped. Club- Uses bash attack. +2 Attack Damage]
[Rags- +1 Damage reduction]
He found some herbs in the pocket of the trousers.
[Item found. Moonlight reeds. Can be used in crafting. Do you wish to analyze properties?]
[Yes]
[Analyzing... Can be used to craft Mana Potions. Recipe learned. 1 Small mana potion= 1 Glass bottle, 10 mL concentrated magic essence, 2 Moonlight reeds. Restores 6 MP.]
With this, Garett- who had the face of a zombie- pressed onward. He no longer had a health potion available to him, and fighting again could be very dangerous.
At the level he was at, the battle could be over in a second. However, after thinking this, this made Garett understand well his position in the world.
In a typical RPG, goblins were weak creatures. If he was struggling against even a goblin, he had a long way to go before he would be able to really thrive.
Also, unlike an RPG, he would likely die for real should he die in this world. He had no reason to assume that something as handy as resurrection or respawning existed.
However, there was one aspect that made Garett's heart throb with excitement- and that was the experience bar.
If he gained experience from fighting, like in an RPG, he could level up. It was likely that since he was a special existence within this world that he would be able to continuously increase in strength, eventually surpassing the skills of the other creatures within the world.
And with this, he grinned.
Garett then stood up, his fingers still trembling, and bullets of sweat and blood creeping down his sides.
His crimson skin matched perfectly the color of the blood.
And Garett ventured forth- ever so carefully- to see what lie in store for him.
----
As Garett walked down the hall, he treaded slowly in order to listen to see if any other monsters lie in wait up ahead.
He wasn't in a good situation.
He had barely survived his first encounter with a monster. He was unsure as to whether he could be resurrected like in a game, but he didn't dare to run experiments to find out.
The way the stats worked out, with the dice rolls, fighting was extremely dangerous. Even a single attack from that goblin rendered him almost dead.
He had to become stronger, and fast. But how?
As he walked down the pathway, the spacing between each torch became greater and greater, and the amount of darkness increased. Taking note of this, Garett weighed his options.
"I could take a torch from the wall. This would put me at risk of being targeted, however it would also help me to see if I am being attacked,"
In the end, Garett decided to reach for a torch on the wall.
[Rolling for dexterity. Minimum dexterity required: 2]
"Oh come on."
Garett said this out loud, and shut his mouth quickly, in order to prevent any nearby monsters from being alerted.
Garett was excited about the prospect of a world determined by probability, however for every action? Even for something as simple as picking a torch as a wall?
If he got a bad roll, he would likely end up burning himself.
Fortunately, that was not the case.
The screen displayed a dice with 5 sides, and he rolled a 3.
Garett wiped the sweat off his forehead as he took the torch in his hand. Of course, while the dice was being rolled, time had already stopped, so nobody could have heard his outburst.
[You have acquired the torch of illusion. This torch will allow you to see, however its light will not be visible to those who are not your allies.]
Wow!
Exactly what Garett wanted. Was the randomized system perhaps linked with his own desires in some way? Perhaps, the better roll that is obtained, the more the results conform to ones own wishes and desires. It was also likely that the requirement for a successful action increased based on the difficulty of the action. After all, the minimum for doing something as simple as picking up a torch was 2 Dexterity.
Garett lamented not having put any points into dexterity, however what was done was done.
Garett continued walking down the path and as he walked, he saw some various mosses and ferns on the ground. He decided to see what would happen if he tried picking them.
He reached down to pluck them, and, as if he were in the real world, he simply picked the herbs and placed them into his pocket.
No message appeared for any roll or anything. Perhaps certain conditions needed to occur for a roll to happen.
[You have obtained cave moss. Uses currently unknown. Can be analyzed.]
[You have obtained wild fern. Uses currently unknown. Can be analyzed.]
With this, Garett used the skill [Analyze] on the two items, after he had picked 2 clumps of moss and 3 wild ferns total.
[Cave moss: Can be used in potions to fight infection. 2 Cave moss+1 Moonlight reed+1 glass bottle+10mL concentrated liquid mana= 1 Antidote]
[Wild fern: Can be used in potions of strength. Temporarily increases damage output. Lesser strength potion= 1 glass bottle+2 wild ferns+ 10mL concentrated liquid mana]
Garett continued learning various potion recipes, but he didn't have anywhere to brew these potions. This thought would have to be put on hold for now.
Garett came across an intersection. He could go one of three ways- left, forward, or back the way he came. He quietly listened to see if there was anything that would influence his decision.
All of a sudden, he heard a slight moaning. It sounded like that of a ghost, blowing in the wind.
It sounded like the said ghost was suffering.
"Im... SO BOREEEDDDD...."
...
Garett was surprised at what he heard from down the hallway, however he quickly regained himself.
Garett was a logical man. As if he would believe in something like a ghost.
But then again, this was a new world. If he wasn't flexible, he could be lead to make mistakes.
Garett decided to go left, instead of forward where he heard the moaning coming from.
"Whatever or whoever is down that hallway...I doubt I want to meet them."
[You have selected to turn left]
[Intelligence roll. Minimum requirement: 3]
[System override due to avoidance of quest progression. Dice roll has been set to 1]
And all of a sudden...
Garett felt compelled to move forward.
It was an odd feeling. He questioned his own movements, however his body almost moved on its own. His mind was in one place, however his will was in another.
For some reason, he felt like he had to move forward.
And so he did.
Until he came upon another prison cell. Inside it was a woman, who had hair that was ragged. Her long black hair spread in all directions, snaking across the floor. Her bright green eyes had bags underneath them, as if she hasn't slept in days, and her skin wasn't well cared for.
She wore a long white gown, which was ragged and dirt filled, and stared at Garett with her dead green eyes.
The most particular thing about this woman was that she was partially transparent.
A real ghost.
Garett freaked out inside his head, but held his breath before deciding to speak to the said ghost.
"Um... who might you be?"
And at the exact same time he said this, the ghost said
"Uh... um... Nice weather were having down here?"
Her voice became high pitched and cracked at the end, and the ghost woman immediately shut her mouth. She began to fidget, almost embarrassed at what she had just said.
If she was a real ghost, then the illogical nature of her statement would be secondary compared to the insanity of the situation Garett found himself in.
Her hands began twitching, and she was visibly traumatized. Her eyes started twitching back and forth, reminding Garett of a certain college "friend".
However, as if to take over the awkward and creepy mood that had enveloped the atmosphere, a message popped up.
[Quest Progress: Find other members of the party. 1/3]
----
Ashley had been sitting quietly in the jail cell for only a few minutes.
Am I just going to be stuck in here forever?
She had tried using her spell, fireball. She was unable to use it. She had then been informed that party leader Garett should be on his way to find her.
However, Ashley had not had any social interaction since she was cut off financially by her parents.
They knew she was a bum. It was due to the kindness of the landlady who owned the apartment complex that Ashley was able to continue living there and playing games. The lady would leave food and snacks by Ashley's door every once in a while, and never bothered to collect rent.
Why couldn't everyone be like that landlady? Why did everyone always try to get into her business and force her to get out and get a job?
This was what Ashley had always thought.
But now things were different.
She was inside what could be considered a real life RPG.
Her skills that she gained through countless hours of playtime could be utilized here. Only one problem remained.
This would require her to get up and speak with the people who she once considered to be NPC's.
Along with this, she was no longer talking through a computer screen to random people online. She would have to encounter real players- if there were any other. The fact that there was a party leader and a party were proof of this.
Ashley then sat down, and stared once more at the wall.
She waited for minutes.
"SO BOREDDDDDD..."
She let out a voice that sounded a bit too... raspy? It was as if she was speaking through a paper cone or a funnel.
All of a sudden, Ashley looked at herself.
Her body was transparent.
She looked exactly the same as how she did in her human days, however she was currently wearing a dirty white gown, and her entire body looked like that of a ghost.
[Due to your alignment and class, you have been assigned the race: Spirit]
Just as Ashley had realized this, a part of her became excited, and a part of her died on the inside.
If she was a ghost, then it might be the case that nobody could see her. She might be able to travel through walls, or spy on people without them noticing. She also might not need sustenance such as food or water.
Ashley tried to hover above the ground, and...
Was ever so slightly able to.
However, only about an inch above the ground.
It was as if she was wearing high heels, and was simply walking on a surface that had been slightly elevated.
She tried walking over to the wall of the jail cell to slip through, however when she did so, she simply smashed into the wall.
"Ugh...."
She got up, drowsily, and when she turned around, she heard footsteps coming from down the corridor.
"!"
"Is somebody coming!?"
Ashley's mind raced. She wasn't prepared to meet anyone so soon. And to think that she was unable to escape through the wall, despite the fact that she was a ghost.
A man with red skin, horns, fangs and claws appeared at the jail cell. He looked at her for a few seconds, and seemed to be very surprised.
Ashley's mind was thrown into a panic. "What do I say? Should I say something? I should probably say something. What should I talk about? Things to talk about... uh.... um..."
"Nice weather were having down here?"
She said this with a crack of her voice towards the end.
'AGH! I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!!! THERE ISN'T ANY WEATHER DOWN HERE!!!', Ashley screamed internally.
'And I must have sounded completely stupid when my voice cracked just a second ago... agh!!!! This is why I hate having to deal with people!! This guy... or is it a demon? Doesn't matter!! He's probably judging me right now, looking at me like i'm some sort of idiot. Please just leave so that I never have to see you again...'
Ashley said all this inside her mind, and of course the demon like person seemed to notice the internal strife she was going through.
However, contrary to Ashley's expectations, the demon, who was wearing rags and had a club strapped to his cloth belt, instead knelt down, and bowed his head.
"I'm very sorry. It is my fault that you have been brought to this world, and I take full responsibility. I accidentally said something that ended up bringing two females to this world, and this is the result. If you allow me to, I will do everything I can within my power to protect and assist you to accustom yourself to this new world."
"EH?!"
Ashley screamed out, undignified.
He isn't going to make fun of me? Look down on me? Yell at me to get a job?
It then hit Ashley that this man didn't appear to be human.
However, Ashley herself was a ghost.
Could it be that he is the same as I am?
Was this merely wishful thinking?
"W..."
Ashley had trouble getting words out of her mouth at first.
"W... were you also brought here from earth?"
The demon showed her a kind looking smile, as he raised his head and stood up.
"Yes. I have no idea why I was brought to this world, but I have no intention to sit back and die. What do you say that we team up and survive together?"
----
Garett had realized the second that the quest screen had popped up that this was not merely some random ghost. This was the one of the girls who he had carelessly brought into this world, from his thoughtless statement during the character creation.
Realizing this, Garett bowed his head and immediately apologized to the poor girl.
He then made his offer to survive together.
Garett held out his hand to the gate, and said [Use item. Prison Key]
[Prison Key has been used. Door has been unlocked.]
Garett opened the door, and this time no prompt occurred.
"Looks like I won't bump my head again..."
The girl sat up, and her face became slightly confused. It was as if she couldn't figure out why Garett had entered the jail cell. Her voice was quiet, but she let out an awkward comment.
"Please help me"
If a normal human were to see this scene. they would be dumbstruck.
A demon lending his assistance to a ghost.
Absurd.
Garett held out his hand towards the girl, and she grabbed onto it, nervously. She began to mutter softly.
"I... I know a lot about RPGs... and the way this world works... I can surely be of use to you..."
It seemed that she was under the impression that people would only help others if they received some sort of benefit in return.
And Garett, as of right now, was the same way.
However....
This girl was special.
This girl was innocent, and had been brought to this world by the mistake of Garett, even though he was unknowing of it at the time.
It was his responsibility to care for this girl.
Especially so since she seemed to be so emotionally unstable.
"I will always be here for you. However... I will only ever do what is the best for our own well being. If that means I have to do something that may seem harsh or immoral, so be it. I will only ever focus on our own survival. If anyone harms us, I will not hesitate to ruin or kill them."
The girl nodded, standing up.
"We were both brought here against our own wishes. I do not plan on sitting back and dying in this place. Together, we can become strong."
And with this, the girl let go of his arm and she seemed to- just for a second- have lost her fear of Garett. All of a sudden, a smile drew itself across the girls face.
It was not the smile of an innocent girl who was trapped in an unknown world. Nor was it the smile of one who was excited to go on an adventure.
It was the smile of someone who hated people. Someone who lived in suffering, and only ever wished to cause harm and destruction to others who hurt them.
The girls eyes became filled with bloodlust and excitement, as she looked at Garett. The bloodlust, however, was not directed at Garett. Rather...
It was aimed at the poor souls who dare to look down upon her.
"T... together we can become strong..." , the girl whispered in a scratchy tone. "And in order to do so, we will eliminate all who stand in our way... hehe..."
The girl began to giggle in the same way that a delusional person would.
Garett was not fazed by this. Instead, he too began to laugh.
"Indeed."
"I am Garett. You are?"
"I am Ashley"