"I forgot that you're still quite new to this," Xylvia said to me, patting my on the back as I wiped the saliva off my mouth. "Corruption is something you can fight off with enough focus, but that man was far gone once his eyes had nothing left in them. Letting him live will just end up hurting everyone.
You can't seriously tell me that death is this common. I said, almost choking through my words.
"I'm sorry Hiro. For not telling you sooner. I'm guessing you're not used to stuff like this. Then again, most Summons from the past from what I've heard were never used to this either."
No ordinary human could ever get used to death. It's just not a natural thing to witness in this day and age for most. It shouldn't be at least.
"Hiro, some of the soldiers are coming," Xylvia pointed out, helping me back up to my feet. "We should let them deal with the body. Come on, I'll take you to Zig. We can get you started on a job, but you can sit down first if you need to."
I was slowly led to the pub. Zig and the tables of people all turned their heads towards us. Some looked down at their drinks. Some clamped their heads together and did some sort of prayer. Other just…stared. My face and parts of my clothes were still stained with blood. The stench died down a little, but was still putrid to an extent.
"Whiskers, back here," Zig motioned to us from the counter. "Let's get him cleaned up in the back."
Zig soaked a piece of cloth in water and handed it to me.
"Wipe the muck off of your face kid," Zig told me in a more modest tone. "Don't want it to stain on you. It'll only hurt you worse."
I made sure to wipe off every part of me that was covered in blood was gone. The smell finally cleared, but my mind was still a little frenzied from what had happened.
"Was he dealt with?" Zig asked.
"Yeah, I did it," Xylvia said, wiping the blood off her hands. "Hiro pinned him down, but didn't take him out. It wasn't his fault though. He just didn't fully understand. I killed him before he could strike Hiro."
"That's good to know. Hopefully none of the kids was out during that. We can just let the soldiers out there deal with it. They'll know that he was Corrupted. His eyes are way too obvious."
The only thing I could see writhing that soldier's eyes was an abyss beyond reach. As if his soul had fallen into it and could never get out, forever trapped in an endless torment until he was put out of his misery. I can't imagine what he was thinking in that moment.
"How far gone was he?" Zig asked.
"He was around the start of stage three, but he had already started attacking someone. She got away unharmed thanks to Hiro."
I wouldn't say thanks to me, but I'll take the compliment.
"What is stage three?" I asked Zig
I'm assuming that it means that the soldier was at a certain stage where he became deranged and lost himself completely.
"It's basically a part of the measurement system we use for the Corruption," Zig explained. "Here, let me show you."
Zig then pulled out a piece of paper along with a colorful tray that looked like there was a bunch of mud on it. He stuck his hand into it and pulled out a decent chunk out of it. The material suddenly turned into some oddly sticky substance. It looked thick and a little drippy, kinda like syrup.
"Stage one is pretty much where everybody's at, which is infection," Zig said as he drew a shape of a person with some veiny lines around them in an ugly shade of purple. "Stage two is a complete barrage of unknown psychological phenomenons. Basically, you're head starts getting all fuzzy, mixing reality with memories."
I could see the face of a deranged man slowly losing his minds as some visually disturbing shades around him surrounded him. Almost looking like they were trying to overwhelm him with fear, slowly killing him. I could see him cowering before these creatures, begging them to leave him alone.
"Stage three is Oblivion. That means that you've forgotten so much about yourself and others that you end up becoming nothing but a lost soul with no real purpose. You'll act like a lunatic for a few moments, but then completely lose that sudden outburst and end up as a dead walker."
The creatures don't stop though. Instead, they punch through his chest, ripping pieces of his heart and mind out of his body one by one until he was left with nothing but flesh, skin, and bones. The pain briefly drove him mad until he finally lost sight of his own soul, being left forgotten while his body became Corrupt.
"Stage four is where things turn deadly though. The body of the Corrupt will then enter into a shell that suddenly forms around them after so much time was spent infected. Their bodies become way stronger, almost impossible to stab through them. Plus, they're much faster and have the characteristics of a regular beast. Claws sharper than the pair Whiskers has. And teeth, sharper then even my own. Just a single cut from them will progress your infection much faster."
The image of an innocent soul, a lone boy, only a child, was walking through the woods and found this add creature. Their skin was covered in a white shell, harder than diamonds. It's on the hunt, frenzied and desperate to keep whatever it saw away.
"Stage five is the final transformation," Zig said, continuing to spread the materials across the paper. "At this point, you can't even consider their bodies as ones that used to be human. Everything convulses and cracks when it moves. Their bones and flesh become some rotten violet color as they pierce through the skin. They drool that same violet purge from their mouths as they snarl with malicious intent."
Zig's drawing started to look even more sinister, almost to the point of being a little hard to look at. I could almost picture that thing chasing someone through a dark forrest, their claws jagged and sharp and their teeth sinking straight through the bones of that unlucky soul.
"As far as we know, their only thought is kill," Zig said. "Doesn't matter who or what. Any living thing that moves will be slashed and torn to shreds within seconds. That is why we have to take care of those who have hit stage 3 quickly. If we don't, then they only add to the problems we already have with the Beasts out there."
And with that, Zig stopped painting that big piece of paper and peeled the material off of his hands.
"Haru, listen to me," Zig said, his giant hand placed gently on my shoulder. "I've never went on any adventure in all my 85 Galleries of life. However, if this is what I'm seeing in the everyday world, then you better believe that it'll be worse out there. I don't know how much different your world is compared to ours, but you're gonna have to get used to doing these kinds of things. It's better to deal with the problem now, then wait for it to hurt you. Or even potentially kill you."
Name is still Hiro…
"I am sorry for not telling you sooner," Xylvia apologized again. "However, these are things that you're gonna have to get used to seeing and, unfortunately, doing."
Different world, so different rules I guess. I wasn't really expecting an infection to be happening, but I guess that's just another hardship that I'll need to adapt to.
"Ok, I think I've calmed down a little," I said, letting out a deep breath. "This is definitely not what I was expecting when it came to me being summoned to another world though."
"You sure that you're ok," Xylvia asked me. "This isn't something that new people just simply get over."
"Don't worry. I've dealt with some pretty bad moments in my life back in my old world."
"What kind of moments?"
"I don't remember. Well, no…it's that, I just can't seem to piece the moments together."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Zig chimed in.
"I never see my past in scenes of memories, just in these shards of unorganized seconds. I can never piece them together. It's like there's something keeping me from it, attacking my head every time I try to think. It ends up leaving me with a bad headache for the rest of the day."
"Oh boy, that's definitely not good." Zig warned me.
"Why's that?" I asked.
"The only way to combat the Corruption for now is by learning what's happening in your head and adapting to it, try to help yourself get used to it. However, if you're not able to figure it out, then one of two things will happen. Either, nothing will bother you since you don't remember, or you'll end up having the worst reminder of your life."
Better keep that in mind.
When it comes to what happened in my past, I honestly do not remember. All I remembered when I left that town was not liking my parents at all. However, I could never figure out why. I always thought it was because they never let me live a life that I wanted to live, but that was something I had always said to myself. Was that really the reason?
A rusty metal door. A man sliced in half, entrails dragging on the floor. A maniacal laugh. And then…that bloodied chair.
"Aaugh!"
That's about all I could remember before my head got hit with an awful pain.
"Every time without fail," I muttered to myself. "Damn, it still hurts really bad.
"You want to go back to the room," Xylvia asked me. "We can do this another day if you need to."
"No, I'm fine," I reassured. "I just…need to breathe a little… … …Anyways, Zig. I was wondering if you had any positions opened for a job."
"A job," Zig said. "You want to work? You sure that's a good idea? I mean, you still haven't learned this language that well."
"You guys can teach me. I mean, I won't get better if I don't learn right?"
"Well, yes, but learning the basics of the job is easy. But since you can't read the items on the menu, and probably don't even know what they are, it'll take much longer."
"I'm still down to do it."
Zig gave Xylvia a concerning look. Hey, I want to work here. And if I have a hard time for a while, then I reap what I sow.
"Don't look at me," Xylvia said to him. "I gave him the idea in the first place and he said yes, so he won't be saying no to this one. Besides, I planned on teaching him how to read and write anyways, so this is a great opportunity to help him out a little more."
Zig looked back at me and scratched his mane a little. He stared off into space for a bit before sighing and giving in.
"I guess you all make great points," he said. "Look, it's not like I don't want to hire you kid. In fact, I'd do it without a second thought if there were no problems. You seem like a high-spirited kid who can get the job done. I'm just…worried about what it'll do to your head. Some days we're really busy you know."
"I'll just have to deal with it then," I said with a smirk. "Come on, show me the ropes and I'll show you some progress."
"Alright fine, you've got the job. Just, let me know when you've had enough and I'll let you go for the rest of the day."
"Wait, I'm starting right now?"
"Yep, that's what we do for all the Hires. You get the job the minute I give the word and we have you behind the counter right now."
"Speaking of which, I should be getting back there," Xylvia said, grabbing some sort of pale white scarf with a crest on it. "Today's my work day."
"Alright Hina, let's get you your neck-piece."
Close enough…
The back room where we were in was actually some sort of kitchen with what looked like fresh meat and other various products you'd find in a restaurant. Bread, eggs, milk, flour. There was so much of it just hanging out in organized spots. However, the weird part about it was that none of them were in a refrigerator. In fact, the temperature in this room was lukewarm at best.
"This neck-piece is what you'll be wearing for when you come into work," Zig said, tossing me a pale white scarf with the same crest engraved on it.
The color however was different as mine was brown and Xylvia's was green.
"Brown is what Hire's start off with," Xylvia explained. "Mine's green, which means I'm a Climber. Rookie is Red, and Black is Worthy."
"Hey, why're all these meat products not kept in a freezer?" I asked them.
"A freezer," Zig tilted his head. "I guess you're wondering why this room isn't cold? Well, we use a thin ice barrier to cover each individual meat slab. Ice magic basically. The barrier is also sterile and can keep even the dirtiest things off of it, so if we accidentally drop it on the floor it won't be ruined. As long as the ice barrier is still covering them."
"So anybody can use magic?"
"Well, yeah. That's kind've obvious. We've had abilities since we were born. Wait, is this not normal in your world?"
"The most we have when it comes to magic are some party tricks, special effects that trick your eyes, and psychological manipulation that can trick your mind. While not proven completely, magic is nonexistent back in my world."
Both Zig and Xylvia looked at me as of I'd just smacked them both on the face. Is it really that shocking?
"That sounds so boring," Xylvia exclaimed with a bit of anger. "How does your world function without magic?!"
"With brains. And science. And industrialization. And religion. And communities. And entertainment. We find ways."
"Some of those words I don't really understand, but I consider it a miracle that your world hasn't fallen to chaos."
"Well, if certain things keep up, then it most likely will. Some parts of the world have horrid communities full of extremely harsh people. There's also a lot of criminals in certain parts that do appalling things to others. My world has beauty to it, but it too has some beasts that make us feel terrified."
"Even worse than the beasts?" Zig asked.
"Sometimes humans can do things that make an actual beast look like a puppy. I guess you could say that we've had Corruption growing in our world since the beginning, but unlike in this world people in mine are mostly oblivious to it."
"That sounds like a place I don't want to be a part of," Xylvia said, shaking her head. "Anyways, enough of the philosophical talk. We need to get working before a Crash starts."
"What's a Crash?"
"Basically, a lot of people show up at once and come 'crashing' into the restaurant." Zig briefly explained.
Zig had me working at the front counter. Not sure if me being a bartender on the first day was a good idea, but it's kinda too late to complain I guess. Xylvia was there to help me with making the drinks, though I'd say she was doing all the work since I couldn't understand a single words that was written on any of the barrels.
"Can you grab me a double pour of Red Stinger with a drizzle of honey?" A Felinian customer asked me with some Hex coins and his ears covered.
When he set them on the ground, some of that chalky powder flew straight at my face. It felt incredibly dry with a sour taste when I accidentally inhaled some of it.
"KAH!! KKUUGHUU!!! AACK!!"
After the first cough, many more followed without stopping. I almost couldn't breathe.
"Haha! Haven't seen that happen in a while," Xylvia laughed at me as I continued dying of suffocation. "Here's some water."
My hand swiftly picked up the glass of water Xylvia set down and I gulped the liquid down in a single swig. I could finally breathe again and my mouth wasn't dry anymore, but my throat still felt really sore from the coughing and tears continued to water my eyes.
"This Summon the new Hire?" The customer asked Xylvia.
"Yep, just came in fifteen paces ago," Xylvia said, slinging her arm around my neck. "He can't read or write, doesn't know the menu too well, and isn't too knowledgeable about our customs."
"Does he at least know about the ear thing."
"Yes, unfortunately I do," I mumbled. "And I really wish I had just left it a mystery."
"There are plenty of mysteries that deserve to be left forgotten about more than that incident," the Felinian said. "Hearing them will scar your ears kid."
"Um…I'll keep that in mind."
"Heh, anyways, Red Stinger with a drizzle of honey."
"R-Right…um…uhh…hey, Xylvia…?"
"Yeah yeah, follow me," Xylvia sighed. "We'll go through it again."
"Alright, is everything cleaned and put up?" Zig asked us along with the other workers that showed up.
We all said our respective "yes."
"Great! Good job everyone. I hope you guys have a good rest of your weeks. And remember to help Hiro out a little every so often. He's our new Hire, so we don't want him feeling left out. But be sure not to overwhelm him too much."
This is kinda humiliating.
"You ok Hiro," Xylvia asked me as we walked back to the "hotel." "You look a little down. You overwhelmed or anything?"
"No, but I just feel like I'm being treated like a child," I said. "I know that I'm new to this, but I can handle a bit of hard work."
"It's not that you can't handle it, it's just that you don't understand it. If we just threw you in without teaching you anything, you'd be all over the place."
Good point.
"Being good at something takes time. Don't worry, you'll get the hand of it eventually."
"I hope so."
Xylvia, along with some of the other workers, taught me a few things about the names of the drinks and the food. For example, a Red Stinger was basically a picture of a shaded droplet with a bone snapped in half. The Glyph (what they call the writing) for the color red can also mean blood since they're both the same color. It all just comes down to how the word is being used. The Glyph for "Sting" was the shattered bone which means hurt, or any other word that's associated with hurt, like pain or scarred.
"Maaaan, this is so frustrating," I groaned. "I know only four items on the menu and I'm still a little confused!"
I remember always dreading the time for when I had to go to sleep. It always meant that my day would be fast forwarded back to my sorry excuse for a life. However, now I look forward to sleep.
Xylvia was already passed out on her side, not even attempting to say something to me work or progress-related. I was hoping to at least have her teach me a few things before we went to sleep.
"…"
I always felt a wave of anxiety rush through me whenever I pulled the blankets above me. I'm not really sure if this is just a difference in morality or not, but sleeping next to a girl I just met is sending my mind into a bit of a frenzy.
I kept myself looking at the other side, away from her. I have self-control. I'm not some sort of creep or anything, but if I kept looking at her for any longer I was afraid that I'd eventually start wanting to stay away from her. I have a weird fear when it comes to girls. I don't really remember how it started, but it had to have happened way back when I was a kid or something.
"…"
I let my mind wander a bit as I tried falling asleep. While this wasn't really helping me fall asleep, I wanted to reflect a little, but it kept leading me down the same path. Every single time I tried thinking of one thing that has happened when I arrived to this world, it always lead me right back to that rusty metal door. It was strange. I saw someone die right in front of me, by the hands of the girl sleeping right next to me, but it didn't really affect me. I wasn't scared.
But why does that door scare me so much?
"…"
Who was that woman running away from that Corrupt knight? I remember seeing her brandishing a sword and a metal breast plate. Maybe she was a knight to?
I wonder if I'll ever see her again?