I'll… I'll finally get out of this wretched place!
I moved on into what seemed to be a graveyard. Inside the metal fences were tombstones lined up together neatly with piles of dirt in front of them- had the corpses been dug out!?
"…Ho?", someone said in an old man's voice.
I feel… colder suddenly. I look around for the old man- but I noticed that the skies around the area had a weak purple glow. From behind one of the tall gravestones, an old man appeared in front of me wearing black robes. His skin was like ashes with black cracks coursing through his face and around his purple glowing eyes.
"You're alone? What a naïve fool. Unless…"
The necromancer began to stroke its dark long beard reaching down to his chest.
"Are you looking to be my apprentice?", the old man asked. He might be the necromancer.
"No!", I shouted.
"What a waste."
The necromancer then turned his back to me as he tapped the ground with his staff.
Bones them came flying out of the piles of dirt- along with the skeletons from before! The bones then attached to each other as they were surrounded by purple lights- and then a creature came. It seemed like- a dragon's bone structure!
"…shit.", I mumble. Do I want to fight that? HELL NO. It's like three times my height- and I'm 5'8 ft!
The bone dragon then leaned its head back before pointing forward as it opened its big bony jaw. I think it's roaring- but I hear… nothing?
The bone dragon then shook violently with its mouth wide open. Some bones were engulfed in golden light- it must be the holy water! The golden ray of hope eventually traveled into the insides of the hollowed skeleton- and pushed the violet colors out! The bones then dropped down to the ground.
"What!?", the necromancer shouted. He turned around with disbelief written on his unholy face.
"You- you're a hunter!?"
The necromancer then waved his staff, with violet colors surrounding it. The non-golden bones were then lifted up 4ft into the sky and began to clump together- not on my watch!
I quickly pulled a vial of holy water and I threw it at the bones! The vial shattered- what!? The same faint purple glow around us appeared in front of the skeletons- and it shattered my vial!?
"I have underestimated you for the last time, hunter.", the necromancer stated.
Shit- I need to start my footwork now!
I pushed off my feet, dashing backward to add more distance and I came to my stance. I bounced on my feet, trying to reassure myself that I could win if he just summons a skeleton. As the bones connected, that feeling of hope eventually faded away. It wasn't a skeleton of a human- it's a monster! The skull was stretched to the front and it stood on four legs with its spine arched like a cat! It wasn't as big as the dragon from before- but it's still bigger than me!
"Rejoice, my minion! Bask in your endless bloodlust, and destroy the weakling before you!", the necromancer shouted as he pointed the staff at the… thing. After that line, something seems… different. The violet colors used to be inside the skeleton- but now, the violet colors formed around the skeleton as if it were flesh with muscles. It was darker than before- but transparent enough to see the bones inside. The creature looked more of a cat without a tail now, with its muscular legs and arched back.
The "cat" then roared- and it was a ferocious as a lion's… crap, it will take a miracle to save me from this one!
"Pounce, my minion!"
The "shadow lion" then bent its legs- it's going to pounce!
I immediately stepped to the left with my lead foot before pivoting with it to switch angles with my stance and pushing off my feet to dash backward as I lean back… which made me heavy on the back foot. While I was switching angles- the creature did pounce! Its claws were inches away from my stomach!
I have no choice- I have to run!
I then turned before starting to sprint away from the… monster! Is this what it feels to be under a lot of pressure? With each step I took, I felt my legs are getting heavier. Everything seemed to slow down too- and I hear… everything. The sound of my steps, the sound of the monster's heavy steps, my breathing, everything- even my heartbeat. I noticed that my heartbeat's getting slower too. I feel sleepy as well- what's happening-
I then feel something on my back which forced me to fall forward. It's… heavy! Why… why am I so powerless right n-
In a blink of an eye, my vision was replaced with darkness… until I could see again. I no longer feel the burden on my back yet I see my body from afar. What is… happening?
I feel… cold. Even though I see my own body's arm getting ripped off by the savage beast- all I could do was shiver.
"Your soul will make a fine addition to my collection.", the necromancer whispered. I… see. My soul got absorbed, huh?
The edges of my vision started to darken until everything was consumed by the darkness.
…
The same blue light appeared when I first got to this… life.
"You have died. You were stuck in a box, Chatri.", the message said.
…Yeah. Maybe- if I had gotten the crossbow, I would've shot the necromancer as soon as he appeared. It doesn't matter now though, I'm dead.
The message was then replaced after I started reading. It said: "But for you… death is forgiven for now. Welcome to Lumidia RPG."
…
I was woken up by the sound of metal hitting metal. Was I asleep?
I look at my hands and I notice something. They were slimmer and white. I then looked at my legs, and they've lost all of their muscle too.
"Hey, kid! Time to feed the horses or I'll kick you out!", a man shouted. The language wasn't in English or Thai. It was something foreign yet I could fully comprehend it.
"Yes!", I shouted back. My tongue moved on its own too- as if I knew the language.
I stood up and I noticed that I'm a bit shorter. My voice's tone was different too. It sounded like me when I was around 15? I was also wearing gray rags and I was sleeping on hay. Back to square one again, homeless and weak?
I walk out of my sleeping spot to see horses inside the barn and I saw horses separated by thin wooden walls with fence gates in front of them. How do I feed them though?
There were wooden squares with bits of hay left in them in front of the horses. A wooden bucket for water too, yeah.
I tried lifting one of the hay bundles and they felt heavy! I wasn't as weak when I was a kid… not as white either. Wait, if I'm not the same, then-
I stop trying to lift the pack before getting to somewhere with lots of space. I get into my orthodox stance- and something doesn't feel right! I try stepping to the right with my lead foot and pivoting- and I pivoted too much, and my weight isn't distributed well! I kept trying but to no avail… DAMN IT!
I… lost something that defines me. My footwork.