In the night's still, the young man with brown hair rests on the porch of a semi-standing house. He sets his back on a post that hasn't fully rotted and lets out a sigh as if he's trying to guide his tiredness out of his body.
His eyelids become heavier every passing minute and his head follows a downward trajectory as gravity takes over.
Like a lullaby, crickets bring the silence to a halt when they take over with their concert. Their intense buzzing set the lifeless area up to a vibrant exchange.
The following morning, the young man finds himself in an infant position with his shirt covering his shivering body. His growling stomach ends his slumber as he stretches his way up.
After letting out an exaggerated yawn, Nox calls out. "System Map"
The translucent screen with the map appears in front of him with white fog covering the majority.
A green line forms a trail from his starting point to his current location. With his index finger, he tracks the path, following even the smallest deviation, all the while keeping a smile on his face. 'Right, this is not a dream!'
His mind wanders as he stares at the map when the female voice interrupts him.
{Loading…}
['Good morning, Nox']
The young man nods in silence and stands up. He takes a walk around the village, passing by the buildings, inspecting them. He even knocks on some.
The structure of the houses is mostly that of wood. Rot, for some, changes even their appearance. They tilt, ready to collapse. Barely holding on with everything they've got.
Their texture is rough and splinters poke out. They are fragile enough, where the slightest change in wind can bring them down.
At some point the young man queries. "What was your name again?"
['Grimoire Artificial Intelligence Adaptive System']
"That's a mouthful. Can I call you Grimmy instead?"
{Processing…}
[Request denied]
['GAIAS is the logical option you can call me']
He scratches the back of his head and retorts. "Yeah, I'm not calling you that. I'll call you Grimmy from now on"
{Processing…}
Nox interrupts it in an instant. "Don't bother, I'm not changing my mind"
It remains silent.
"Don't tell me", a burst of laughter escapes the young man's mouth as he utters. "Are you pouting?"
The system replies in an instant with an audible annoyance in the voice. ['I am not']
The young man replaces the escaping laughter with a smile and tries to change the subject. "Can you tell me why am I here?"
He pauses for a while and changes his location to another crumbling house. "Yesterday you mentioned a journey?"
Some time passes without receiving an answer. He halts in front of the rotting house and calls out. "Hey, Grimmy?"
['Hmph']
['You did not apologize for interrupting me']
A teenage girl crossing her arms and stomping her feet flashes to his mind. With a puzzling complexion, the young man queries. "Seriously?"
He lets out a long sigh after not getting a response and adds. "I'm sorry Grimmy"
{Analyzing...}
[Apology sincere]
"Huh?", his mouth distorts before lashing out. "Of course, it's a sincere apology"
['Very well, I forgive you.']
The young man nods in silence, all the while he laughs internally and continues his inspection of the buildings. Around the village is a wooden fence in ruinous condition.
The surface for all the wooden structures is a near-black color with mossy patches. Some houses even have vines climbing to the roofs. Weeds, growing near the foundations add humidity, enhancing the rotting process.
{Processing…}
['You are to take the role of Demon Lord']
The surprising words change the young man's complexion to the one of shock. "What… What are you talking about?"
{Processing…}
[Confirm; Questions answered!]
Remaining still, and with a dumbfounded look on this face, the young man with shaking knees finds a nearby porch to sit and contemplate. "Is this some kind of joke? A Demon Lord?"
['It is not a joke']
Nox puts both hands on his head and stares at the ground. His knees continue to tremble. Cold sweat runs down his skin, following a downward path along his spine, sending shivers of fear throughout his entire body. In his state, he utters in a soft, stuttering voice. "W… Who… Who made such a decision?"
{Loading…}
[Permission Granted]
['Responsible for bringing you to this world is Scarab. One of the Gods in this universe']
The news has him raising his head. Upon hearing that a God is responsible, his mentality for some unknown reason regains its composure. The young man raises his eyebrow and scoffs. "What does this Scarab want with me?"
['He wants you to attain power and defeat the Otherworlders that came before you']
Nox keeps his composure as much as possible, not letting the nerves get to him. "Why should I do that?"
['God Scarab says, that if you defeat them, you will return to your original world']
Grimmy's reply refocuses his attention. "Such a thing is possible?"
['Affirmative. The Otherworlders arrived a few years before you and rebelled against their summoners after getting the thrill of power, doing whatever without a care in the world. God Scarab escaped and summoned you for that purpose']
His eyebrow twitches and lets out in a visibly angry tone. "A few years before me? They left me out?"
['It was not intentional. The Gods are summoning based on priority. You were the last to die.']
The young man ponders for a while and shakes his head. 'There's no way, Right?'
{Loading…}
[Confirm]
['Your thinking is correct, Nox']
Grimmy's response causes Nox to gasp. "Wait, you can read my mind?"
Grimmy responds in a nonchalant tone. ['I am in your head']
He jumps up as a faint blush paints his cheeks. Stuttering, he utters. "How… How about my memories?"
['I do not have access to those']
Nox covers his cheeks in embarrassment and lets out an awkward dry laugh. He breathes in and out, then places his hand on his chest and takes in a long breath, sucking in the surrounding oxygen, as if he was successful in protecting something valuable.
It's almost noon when he finishes inspecting the village. He finds a house to his liking and takes a seat. "Can you elaborate on what this is about, Grimmy?"
['Certainly, Nox']
Veins bulge on the young man's forehead and his mouth twitches. "Who's Nox?"
['That is the name given to the previous owner of the body']
"I get that, but can't I use my actual name?"
{Processing…}
[Negative]
['They can recognize your name']
The young man ponders for a while. His chest is tightening and anxiousness heavies on his heart as he lets out. "Did they all make it here?"
{Calculating…}
In the passing seconds, waiting for Grimmy's response, he stops breathing.
[Affirmative]
Sighs of relief escape his mouth, and a smile paints itself.
The young man ponders for a while and queries. "How will they recognize my name?"
['Geo-Markers can develop. After leveling up, they can perceive individuals as well']
Excitement rushes out of the young man's gut. "Level up?"
['Indeed']
He nods as he sinks deeper into a concentrating state. His purple eyes have a white see-thru veil covering them, making it look like he's dead. He's leaning forward with elbows touching his knees and palms meeting with fingers intertwining at the front. Wearing a blank expression, he remains in his seating position, pondering.
Grimmy interrupts his thoughts. ['Would you like to see your progress?']
Before he completely regains his senses, without a second thought, he utters. "Yes"
{Loading…}
['Call out loud "Status", and I will explain if there is something you do not understand']
The young man gulps a mouthful of saliva. Feelings of anxiousness and anticipation stick to his throat. "Status"
==Status==
Name: Nox | Race: Demi-human | SYSTEM: GRIMMY
Level 1
Experience required for the next level: 20/100
VITALITY (?)
STAMINA: 15/100 (!) | HUNGER: 52/100 | THIRST: 42/100 |
HP: 332/500
MP:10/10
ATK: 1
DEF: 1
SPD: 1
INT: 50
KARMA: 0/0/0 (?)
Unused Passive Points: 5/5
==Status==
The faint blue translucent screen in front of Nox has him gasping. Several feelings and thoughts rush through his mind. "I understand most of this, but what is Karma?"
['You receive Karma points for your actions. If the action taken is noble, it is good karma. If it is evil, then it is bad karma and there are null choices which don't measure Karma, like, for instance, when you walked to the Abandoned Village, instead of the Scorching Desert']
He nods while deep in thought. "Can I use the points?"
{Calculating…}
['Indeed, when your level matches the criteria a new Karma Tab will unlock']
The young man takes in the information about his role in this game setting when a fleeting thought interrupts his flow.
"By the way, Grimmy..." he pauses before adding. "Why can't they know I made it as well?"
{Processing…}
['Their role is to hunt and kill the Demon Lord']