Finn stood at the edge of the river, staring at his reflection in the rippling water. The face that looked back at him was familiar, yet somehow different. Older, maybe. Definitely more tired. He ran a hand through his hair, wondering when exactly he'd started looking like a guy who'd seen some shit.
It had been a few days since the bear attack, and Finn still couldn't shake the images from his mind. The blood, the screams, the sheer brutality of it all. He'd created more people to replace the ones he'd lost, but it didn't erase the memory of seeing his creations torn apart.
The weirdest part? He wasn't sad, exactly. These were beings he'd made with a thought, after all. He could always make more. But there was something... unsettling about the whole thing. Like he'd crossed some invisible line and couldn't quite find his way back.
"My lord?" Gloria's voice snapped him out of his reverie. "I have the status report you requested."
Finn turned, forcing a smile. "Hit me with it, G. What's the word on our little kingdom?"
Gloria's eyes narrowed slightly at his forced cheerfulness, but she pressed on. "The developments are progressing well, my lord. Caden reports that weapon production is ahead of schedule. We should have enough to arm 1,500 by the end of the week."
"Nice," Finn nodded. "Nothing says 'welcome to the neighborhood' like a small army, right?"
Gloria ignored his quip and continued. "Lyra's exploration teams have mapped out an additional 50 square miles of territory. They've discovered a series of caves that could serve as emergency shelters or storage facilities."
"Caves, huh?" Finn mused. "Cool. Very Batman. What else you got for me?"
"Drew's scouting parties have returned with more information about the human settlement," Gloria said, her tone growing more serious. "It seems they're... not what we initially thought."
Finn's eyebrows shot up. "Oh? Do tell."
"They appear to be outlaws of some sort," Gloria explained. "Barbaric, even. They're not loyal to each other but to their leader – a woman, apparently."
"A badass lady leader of a bunch of barbarians?" Finn chuckled. "Sounds like the start of a really weird rom-com."
Gloria frowned, clearly not appreciating his humor. "This is serious, my lord. They could be dangerous." She paused, then added, "There's more. On their way back, Drew's team encountered a pack of wolves. They were... different. Larger than normal, with strange markings, similar to the bear we faced. The team managed to fight them off, but not without casualties."
Finn's smile faded completely. "Casualties? How many?"
"We lost three creations, my lord," Gloria reported solemnly. "Drew says the wolves were unnaturally strong and coordinated. He believes they might be... enhanced somehow."
"Great," Finn muttered. "So now we've got super-bears, super-wolves, and barbarians to deal with. Anything else?"
Gloria hesitated, her eyes searching his face. "My lord, is everything alright? You seem... different."
For a moment, Finn considered brushing her off with another joke. But there was genuine concern in her eyes, and he found himself wanting to be honest. "I don't know, Gloria. This whole thing is just... a lot, you know? One minute I'm flipping burgers, the next I'm playing "god" in a world full of killer bears, wolves, and barbarian armies. It's a bit much."
Gloria nodded, her expression softening. "I understand, my lord. But you're doing remarkably well, considering the circumstances."
Finn snorted. "Yeah, well, the bar for 'remarkably well' is pretty low when your competition is a bunch of naked people you created with your mind."
He paused, looking out over the river again. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm cut out for this, you know? Like, maybe there was some cosmic mix-up and these god-like powers were meant for someone else. Someone who actually knows what they're doing."
He meant these words, truthfully. He never liked fantasy or books for that matter. Well, he liked books, but just for information, but he rarely read anyway. And this whole world felt fantasy. Finn wasn't fully happy, but it probably beats his old shitty life.
Gloria stepped closer, her voice gentle but firm. "My lord, if I may... Perhaps it's not about being 'cut out' for this role. Perhaps it's about growing into it. You've already come so far in such a short time."
Finn turned to her, a hint of a genuine smile on his face. "Look at you, getting all wise and stuff. Did I accidentally give you some fortune cookie knowledge when I made you?"
Gloria opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, the sound of commotion from the direction of the river caught their attention. Finn frowned, exchanging a quick glance with Gloria. Something was up.
As if on cue, a creation came running up to them, looking urgent. "My lord! You're needed at the river immediately!"
Finn and Gloria exchanged another look before hurrying after the messenger. As they approached the river, Finn could see a small crowd gathered around something – or someone.
Drew stood in the center, looking even more imposing than usual. Had he always been that big? Finn could have sworn Drew's muscles had muscles now. But what really caught his attention was the struggling figure Drew was holding down.
"What's going on?" Finn demanded as he pushed through the crowd.
Drew looked up, his face a mask of grim satisfaction. "We caught this one trying to cross the river, my lord. The creations I stationed in the trees on the other side were ready to take him out if he made it across, but one of ours got to him first."
Finn's eyes widened as he took in the scene. A real, live human – not one of his creations. It was both thrilling and terrifying.
"Well, well," Finn said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "Looks like we've got ourselves a visitor. Got a name, stranger?"
The man glared up at Finn and spat in his face.
A collective gasp went up from the surrounding creations. Finn could practically feel the anger radiating off them. Drew's grip on the man tightened, his knuckles turning white.
But Finn just smiled, wiping the spit from his cheek. "Now, now," he said, his voice eerily calm. "That's not very neighborly of you. But don't worry, I'm sure we'll be best friends soon enough."
He turned to Drew. "Take our new friend somewhere... comfortable. Make sure he's ready to chat later."
Drew nodded, a predatory grin spreading across his face. As he dragged the struggling man away, Finn couldn't help but feel a twinge of... something. Guilt? Excitement? He wasn't sure, and that scared him more than anything.
As the crowd dispersed, Gloria approached Finn looking agitated. "My lord, are you sure about this? Interrogating a prisoner... it's a significant step. We could dispose of him and be done."
She did not like that this barbarian would spit in her lord's face like that.
Finn sighed, the bravado from earlier draining out of him. "I don't know, Gloria. But we need information, and this guy might be our best shot at getting it." He paused, then added quietly, "Just... make sure Drew doesn't go too far, okay?"
Gloria nodded, a look of understanding passing between them. As she walked away, Finn found himself alone with his thoughts once again.
He wandered back to his shelter. This was new territory for him. Sure, he'd given orders before, and made decisions that affected his creations. But this... this was different. This was dealing with another human being, someone who wasn't bound to obey his every command.
He didn't dwell on it and just went to his shelter and ate some berries.
As the day wore on, Finn found himself growing restless. He paced around the camp, checking in on various projects, but his mind kept drifting back to their prisoner. What was Drew doing to him? How far would he go to get information?
Finally, as night fell, Finn couldn't take it anymore. He made his way to where they were keeping the prisoner, steeling himself for whatever he might find.
The man was a mess – bloodied, bruised, but still defiant. Finn tried not to think too hard about what had happened in the hours since he'd last seen him.
"So," Finn said, pulling up a makeshift chair. "Ready to have that chat now?"
The man glared at him, but there was fear mixed with the anger now. "What are you?" he spat. "Some kind of demon?"
Finn chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "Nah, just a guy with really weird luck. Now, how about we start with something simple? Like your name?"
The man hesitated, then mumbled, "Roran."
"See? That wasn't so hard," Finn smiled. "Now, Roran, I've got a few more questions for you. Like, what's the deal with your little barbarian club across the river?"
Roran's eyes widened. "How do you know about that?"
Finn tapped the side of his head. "I've got my ways. Now spill."
Before Roran began to talk, Drew appeared at Finn's side. "My lord," he said quietly. "There's something you should know about our guest."
Finn raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Drew nodded, a wry smile on his face. "Earlier, when we were... questioning him, something strange happened. His eyes turned red, and he became incredibly strong. It took three of us to hold him down."
Finn frowned. "And you're just telling me this now?"
Drew's smile widened. "I thought you might want to see for yourself, my lord."
Finn turned back to Roran, really looking at him now. "So, Roran," he said casually. "Want to tell me about your little red-eye trick?"
Roran looked confused for a moment, then understanding dawned on his face. "You mean my baneskill?" he asked, as if Finn was an idiot for not knowing.
Finn blinked. "Your what now?"
"My baneskill," Roran repeated. "[Bane of Rage]. It gives me strength when I need it most."
Finn felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He turned to Drew, hoping to see the confusion on his face too. But Drew just looked intrigued, like this was all perfectly normal.
"Of course," Finn said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Because why wouldn't there be magic in this world too? Why not throw that on top of everything else?"
Roran looked at him like he was crazy. "What are you talking about? Everyone has baneskills. It's just part of life."
Finn stood up abruptly, his mind reeling. Magic. Actual, honest-to-god magic. Because apparently, being transported to a parallel world with the ability to create life wasn't enough of a mindfuck.
He turned to Drew, trying to keep his voice steady. "Keep an eye on our guest. I need... I need to think."
As Finn walked away, his head spinning with the implications of this new revelation, he couldn't help but laugh. It was either that or scream.
"Of course there's magic," he muttered to himself. "Why the hell not?"
The night air was cool on his skin as Finn made his way back to his shelter.
Sleep? Yeah, that wasn't happening anytime soon. Not when he'd just found out he was playing in a whole new league – one where people could apparently turn their eyes red and Hulk out at will.
But as the initial shock began to fade, a new thought crept in, sending a shiver of excitement down his spine. If Roran could do that stuff, what about Finn himself? He'd already bent the laws of reality by creating life with a thought. Was it really such a stretch to think he might be able to shoot fireballs or, hell, even turn into a dragon?
And what about his creations? Could they learn these "baneskills" too? These possibilities made his head spin. If he could somehow upgrade his own powers, or give his creations abilities beyond just being strong and obedient... well, that would change everything.
Finn found himself grinning despite the craziness of it all. Sure, this world was trying its best to kill him at every turn. But maybe, just maybe, he was about to level up in a big way.
As sleep finally began to claim him, Finn's last conscious thought was a silent plea to whatever cosmic force had brought him here:
"Please, just... no dragons. I really don't think I can handle dragons right now."