"Haa… haa… haa…"
I ran.
To where, I didn't know.
I just ran through the sewers, and the pipes with no destination in mind, hoping to escape them.
"Leave 'e be!" I screamed with my entire being, hoping they would stop chasing me.
In response, a cacophony of voices erupted some distance behind me.
"Kehk-kehk-kehk!"
"O' strumpet's vile offspring, run wherever ye shall, for rest will never come to ye!"
Some were laughing, some were screeching, and some hurled insults at me.
I knew not what they meant, or their quarrel with me, but in the end, it mattered not, for they haunted me.
I wanted to escape, yet there was none.
It was an endless chase through twisting corners, yet no matter how much I ran, those… things didn't relent.
I looked behind me for a brief moment, catching a glimpse of my tormentors.
Their forms were blurry, as a gold-and-black haze covered their bodies from head to toe.
What was clear however were the twisted grins etched on their faces and twisting horns that adorned their heads.
Their horns were quite similar to mine, my brother's, and the rest of the Omen's, but those things only had a few horns each, much less than us.
However, that was where the similarities ended.
Facing forward, I increased my pace, hoping to outrun those things. My footsteps echoed throughout, my feet dirty with grime and sewage.
My legs worked as best as they could, and my heartbeat rang in my ears as I breathed heavily between each stride.
Coming across a corner, I tried to make the turn, but instead ended up slipping, and sliding on the dirty ground as my back roughly hit the wall.
Thankfully, my wings dampened the impact, but by the time I got up, my pursuers had caught up, surrounding me.
"Ahh!" I screamed, as one of them kicked me in the stomach, forcing me on my knees as I clutched my abdomen in pain.
I felt another grab my hair roughly, tugging at it with such force that I could feel my strands trying to break away from my scalp.
"It… hurts…" I pleaded, the pain being too much for me to bear.
More and more footsteps approached me, as more twisted beings surrounded me, enlarging my encirclement further.
They jeered, mocked, and threw insults I'd never heard before while hitting and punching me all over my body.
I closed my eyes, and moved my hands, trying to cover my ears to block them out, but I wasn't even afforded such mercy, as I felt them grab my arms, forcing me to listen to their insults.
"Sto' it… 'lease…"
"Kehk-kehk-kehk!"
Yet, they never did.
The assault increased in intensity, as they beat me down with zeal, physically and emotionally.
"Sto' it… sto' it, sto' it, sto' it!"
I begged, yet my pleas were met on deaf ears, as my tormenters completely trampled on my desperate requests.
"'Lease… drother… so'eone… hel' me…"
Drip.
I felt something wet drip onto my face, forcing me to open my eyes.
Observing my immediate surroundings, I saw my tormenters standing completely still, a look of fear etched on their twisted faces.
Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip…
Soon enough, more and more drops of a red liquid began dripping down, seeping in from the ceilings and walls of the sewers.
I stealthily tried to stand up, putting my hands on the ground to support myself. However, I felt a wetness on my palms, different from the sewage that littered the ground.
Looking down, I found the ground covered in the same red liquid that slipped through the sewer walls.
A heavy metallic smell assaulted my nose, and I scrunched my face as I realized what the liquid was.
For a few moments, the only sound that echoed through the sewer was the sound of heavy breathing and dripping liquid.
Then, out of nowhere, the ground shook intensely, causing me to fall onto my side, while those horned cravens screamed in terror and tried to run away.
Yet, the walls caved in, and a flood of blood came crashing down, sweeping us all away.
I flailed around desperately, submerged as I was.
My breath held, and I kept my mouth shut to avoid getting any blood inside.
"M–"
Yet, I could only hold my breath for so long, as I felt myself flickering in and out, the edges of my vision darkening slowly but surely.
"Me–"
I could hear something distantly, familiar to me… somebody's voice. Someone I know.
"Not yet… child…"
Another sound, this time distinctly female, rang in my ears.
"Now… is not… the right time…"
I felt something solid touch my forehead.
I didn't get any glimpse of what it was, as I was surrounded by red, and I wasn't afforded the privilege to ponder over it, as I immediately lost consciousness after I was touched.
X – X – X – X – X – X
"Mehg!"
I awoke with a startle, my eyes opening wide as I gasped heavily.
My blood felt like it was on fire, and my heart felt like it'd explode at the rate it beat.
My vision was unfocused, as I kept taking in heavy breathes, trying to calm my beating heart.
I tried to move my hands, but they were bound by something.
"Stop trying to move around so much, sister."
I attempted to move, but a voice addressed me, telling me to stay still.
My mind was addled, but I recognized it, as it was none other than my brother's voice.
Slowly, I stopped resisting, and my hands were let go. I realized that he'd be the one holding them in place.
"Looks like you've calmed down now, good," he said quietly, "It's a miracle that none of the others woke up from all the noise we were making."
Blinking my eyes, the blurriness disappeared, and my vision cleared up. The first thing I saw was my brother's face, concern visible in his gray eyes.
"You know, it's the first time I've heard you scream in your sleep," he told me, gently caressing my forehead, "It must've been one hell of a nightmare…"
Nightmare…
I tried to remember what it was about, but my memories were blurry like always.
The only thing I vaguely remember was being submerged in a red liquid.
Strangely enough, it felt as if something had embraced me when I was drowning.
It was warm… like a mother's embrace, and yet, for some reason, I can't help but tremble, whenever I remember that feeling.
I turned my face and hugged my brother's stomach, using his warmth to distract myself.
"Don't worry," he reassured me, "They won't hurt you here."
His words brought some clarity to my mind.
I didn't know whom he referred to by 'they' but I let myself bask in his warmth and care.
Growl.
We stayed like this for a while, before a strange sound, similar to the growling of a beast, caused me to straighten up.
I searched for my weapon, cursing as I remembered leaving it back in Gordon's abode, stuck in the rodent's corpse.
I found it strange that a wild beast had somehow snuck into the Shunning Grounds, without alerting any of the guarding Omens, but I didn't have time to ponder over my thoughts.
I prepared to defend myself and my brother, but I noticed from the corner of my eye, that he simply sat in place.
Turning towards him, I looked on in worry as he covered his mouth with his hand, his being shaking violently.
"D… drother?" I asked cautiously, straining my eyes as I searched the room for the growling beast.
Slowly raising the other hand, he pointed at my stomach.
"The sound–khrk–came from you…" he wheezed while forcing out a few words.
It took a moment to register what he'd said.
"Eh?"
Growl.
At the same time, I heard the sound growling again, but this time, I could pinpoint where it came from.
…
It came from me.
X – X – X – X – X – X
[Morgott POV]
Having rested enough, we quietly left the sleeping chambers and headed directly to Gordon's place.
I noticed fewer Omens compared to when we entered here.
Glancing behind me, I saw Mehg following me a few steps away. As our gazes met, she pouted and looked away.
Pfft, she's still mad that I laughed at her.
I mean, how could I not laugh? It was funny as shit, seeing her freak out over the sound of her stomach.
Of course, I suffered the consequences as she started giving me the silent treatment.
But was it worth it?
Hell yeah.
I slowed my pace and let her walk up to me. She was still facing away from me.
I began to speak, but cut myself off, making sure my manner of speech was the same as before I regained my memories.
I was lucky she didn't notice anything before, considering I spoke in a much different way.
"Come on– I apologized, didst I not?" I asked her, hoping she'd stop the silent treatment.
It didn't work, of course.
Since plan A didn't work, I resorted to plan B, and what is plan B?
"...I'll giveth thee part of mine share."
It's bribery, of course.
Finally, she turned towards me, and judging by the slightly stretched edges of her cheeks, she was most definitely grinning.
"'Romise?" she asked me.
"Hah, fine! Promise!" I sighed and turned my face away, giving her a guarantee.
I sounded hesitant, but with such a devious grin, I probably looked like Lloyd Frontera from Walmart.
Heh, all according to keikaku.
[...]
What?
[Nothing.]
Even though Rusty didn't say anything more, it felt like he was disappointed.
By the time I had bargained with her, we'd reached our destination.
Pushing aside the curtain, we entered Gordon's abode, which looked more like a kitchen than anything else.
Stepping inside, we saw him put away some utensils. Judging by the somewhat clean state of the place, he was most likely done preparing our food.
"Oh, you kids are just on time, I was just about done with this," he acknowledged our presence, "Take a seat, will you?"
Heeding his words, we walked over, taking our places on the rickety chairs by the old table in the middle of the room.
They were quite old, creaking loudly as we sat on them.
We watched him work, preparing our portions as he grabbed two plates from a nearby cabinet.
I let him do his thing, my eyes wandering around the room, observing every little bit.
There wasn't much stuff—some cabinets to store his stuff, a clothes rack, a small bed, a sink, a stove, and a few other things.
Y'know, since we're down here in the sewers, does he even get any clean water from that sink?
Hmm…
Hey Rusty, quick question.
[Yes?]
Since we're located directly below Leyndell, these sewers must have piping connected to people's houses, right?
[Most likely, sir.]
Then… is it possible I could get someone's bathwater from that sink? Preferably a hot MILF.
[...]
Rusty?
[It's nothing… sir.]
And yet, you sound like a disappointed dad.
[You must be mistaken.]
I'm pretty sure I'm not…
[...]
I was about to push for an answer, but a heavy thud brought my attention back to the table, as Gordon put a plate filled to the brim with cooked meat in front of me.
I saw him put another plate in front of Mehg a moment later.
"Dig in, there's plenty for both of you," he told us, patting my shoulder before he shuffled over to grab another plate.
A few moments later, he returned with a plate of meat, taking his place on one of the bigger chairs.
I could never figure out how these chairs never broke under his weight, considering he probably weighed equal to one CaseOh.
I wouldn't be surprised if they were made out of adamantium or something.
Focusing on my plate, I picked up a piece of meat, put it into my mouth, and started chewing.
It tasted bland but was still better than expected, considering I expected it to taste like sewer trash.
I began eating through my fill, while my sister and Gordon did the same.
We ate silently, none making any sounds other than chewing and gulping.
I took this as an opportunity, and opened up the {System Menu} with a thought, continuing where I left off.
Opening up the {Shop} section, the first thing greeting me was a {Featured} tab.
It displayed an array of expensive items and skills, and when I say expensive, well…
{ – Shop – }
{Deal of the Day!}
{Divine Protection of the Phoenix (Re: Zero) (S): Bestowed by Od Lagna upon Reinhard van Astrea. It enables the user to come back to life immediately if they die.
Caution: This skill can only be used once.
Credits Required: 100,000,000 | 25,000,000 (75% Off!)}
{Featured}
{Yamato (Devil May Cry) (EX): Yamato, the Sword of Separation. A legendary sword once wielded by the Dark Knight, Sparda, before passing it on to his son, Vergil. The sword is said to be able to separate and cut through anything, even the very fabric of space itself.
Credits Required: 1,000,000,000}
{Divine Master Ball (Pokemon) (S): A Pokeball of the highest grade, designed to catch any Pokemon without fail. However, this modified version can catch anything considered alive, whether it be a Pokemon, a person… or even a god.
Credits Required: 500,000,000}
{Unlimited Blade Works (Nasuverse) (A): The Noble Phantasm of Counter Guardian EMIYA. Also called the "Infinite Creation of Swords," It is a high-class magecraft that embodies the user's internal world and imprints it upon the world as a Bounded Field for a short time.
Credits Required: 10,000,000}
{Stillness of an Object's Time (Re: Zero) (B)
Credits Required: 1,000,000}
{...}
It was a completely different experience compared to the {Status}, {Skills}, and {Inventory} sections.
So many items and skills, that I thought could exist in fiction only, were on display.
I almost began to drool at the thought of possessing such items, but then I remembered…
I'm a brokie, with not a single credit to my name.
Only for now, though… only for now…
The {Shop} was neatly divided into different sections, one for Weapons, one for Armor, one for Skills, and so on.
There was also a search bar and a filter, in case I wanted to look for something specific that would fit my needs.
I began looking through the other sections for a little while, doing some window shopping to satisfy my inner weeb.
Taking another bite of my food, I moved on to the next section, where I started to delve into the nitty-gritty of the System.
This was where I'd be building up most of my strength.
{ – Dungeons – }
{Rank 1: Rats | Requirements: Level ≥ 1}
{Rank 2: Soldiers | Requirements: Level ≥ 11}
{...}
It was self-explanatory, showing the type of enemies I'd be dealing with, and the required level to enter the dungeon.
Next was {Dimensional Travel}. I took a peek and moved on since it was pretty much what I expected it to look like.
Worlds from different animes, mangas, movies, and whatnot. It also had a search bar, filter, and other tabs to differentiate genres and media.
I didn't see any point in spending time on it any further.
…
On second thought, there was one little thing I wanna confirm.
Opening the {Dimensional Travel} panel again, I went through different filters, scrolling down until I stopped on a specific one.
{ – Dimensional Travel – }
{Filters}
{Action}
{Adventure}
{...}
{Hanime}
{...}
Staring intensely at the {Hanime} filter, I abruptly raised my hands, shouting inwardly, as loudly as possible.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo, yeah baby! That's what I've been waiting for!
I almost started dancing around, but then I remembered where I was.
Closing the panels in front of me, I was met with the sight of Gordon and Mehg staring at me in confusion.
"Uh, you alright there, kid?" he asked concernedly.
"Uhm… yes. My apologies for startling thee." I cleared my throat, waving away his concern with an apology.
"...If you say so." He didn't seem convinced, but thankfully, he and my sister resumed eating their food.
Okay, I got a bit too excited there, but let's not do that again.
Bringing the System panels back up, I moved to the next section–the {Quests} tab.
This one was a bit different. It was divided into two main tabs: {World Quests} and {Personal Quests}.
The {World Quests} tab was empty as expected, but the {Personal Quests} tab already had a quest available.
{ – Quests – }
{Personal Quests}
{Class Change: Use the {Beginner Class Change Token} to gain a new class.
Reward: A new class.}
Ah yes, the floor here is made out of floor.
Although the quest was unexpected, It's disappointing that there weren't any additional rewards.
But oh well, beggars can't be choosers.
Moving to the final part of the System Menu, I was greeted with some additional features that I could turn on and off.
{ – Settings – }
{Map: Off}
{Auto Loot: Off}
{Party System: Off}
{BGM/OST: Off}
{...}
All of them were quite useful, especially the {Party System}, which meant that I could monitor Mehg's safety, considering I wouldn't be able to be with her all the time.
Hey Rusty, if I add someone to my party, would they be able to access the System too?
[No, they won't be able to access the System directly, but if you add someone to your party, you can view their status, take them into dungeons and other worlds with you. You can also gain EXP from anything they kill, and vice versa.]
His explanation helped clarify on the unseen details of the {Party System}.
I turned on all the features, except for the BGM, putting it on the {During Battle Only} mode.
I absentmindedly tried grabbing another piece of meat, but I couldn't grasp anything. Minimizing the System panels, I realized I'd gone through the entirety of my plate.
Gordon was off by the sink, while Mehg was still devouring her food.
I didn't feel hungry anymore, so I got off my chair, and went over to the sink, handing the plate over to him.
He took it without a word, and started rinsing it in murky water, since clean water was really hard to find down here.
You know, it's actually a damn miracle that we never fell sick from drinking the contaminated water down here.
I went back and took a seat, passing the time in idle though while my sister gobbled the food down her throat.
Seeing her eat so zealously, a mischievous thought passed through my mind.
Reaching my hand out, I slowly inched closer towards her plate, trying to take one piece from her.
I was close, so close, but then…
Slap.
"Not 'rom 'ine!" Slapping my hand away, she hissed like a cat, warning me to stay away.
"Just one piece?" I jokingly asked, and she put a hand on one of the horns on her chin, thinking it over.
Oh, will she actually agree?
After an entire minute, she gave her answer and went back to eating her food.
"No," she said plainly.
This does not please the nut.
I deadpanned, and muttered under my breath, "Gluttunous little beast…"
During our little banter, it seemed that Gordon had already finished washing most of the dishes, except for Mehg's plate.
Limping over, he held something in his hand, covered with a cloth.
Putting it on the table, he removed the covering, revealing the daggers we left stuck in the corpse.
"I cleaned it as best I could, but I couldn't get the smell off it," he told me.
True to his words, there weren't any traces of blood or brain matter on them, though I could smell the scent of iron wafting off them.
"No matter, t'is enough that thou cleaned the blood off." I thanked him for his kindness.
He could've just left them as is, but he still went through the trouble of cleaning them up.
I looked at Mehg, and she was still going through her food.
Seriously, is this her second portion, or what? She's still eating!
…
Actually, this is a good chance.
Hey Rusty, is a time dilation effect applied once I enter a dungeon?
[Yes, there is. Time passes much slower in the Lands Between when you are in a dungeon or another world. The ratio between the two differs, depending on which feature you use.]
Can you elaborate?
[In any dungeon, one hour is equivalent to a second, in this world or any other, while the Lands Between and any other world have about a month of difference. That means one day here would equal a month anywhere else.]
So even if I spent an entire day in a dungeon, only 24 seconds would've passed in the outside world?
[Correct.]
Noice.
I stood up, grabbed my dagger, and headed towards the room's exit.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"...To taketh a leak," I answered truthfully.
I planned to take a leak… once I had my first dungeon experience.
"With a dagger in hand?" He raised his eyebrows in bafflement.
"...For protection," I said, knowing how much of a flimsy excuse it was.
"Gah! Do whatever you want." He seemed to give up on getting any answers, settling for waiting on Mehg to finish eating.
I walked into the archway, pushed aside the curtain, and covered the entrance again, ensuring they couldn't see what I was doing.
Pulling up the {Dungeon} tab, I chose the only dungeon available at my current level.
Upon selection, I was met with a simple prompt.
{Do you wish to enter this dungeon?
Yes/No}
One final question before I go, Rusty.
[Go ahead, sir.]
Suppose I level up first before using the {Beginner Class Change Token}, will I lose the bonus Stat Points that I would've gained depending on my Class?
[No, sir. If you use the token after leveling up, the System will simply check your level, and then grant you the same amount of Stat Points you would've gotten if you had used the token before leveling up.]
Thanks, buddy. That put my worries to rest.
[Buddy…]
Hmm, you say something?
[It's nothing, sir.]
Shrugging off his weird behavior, I took a leap of faith and selected yes.
Immediately, my vision spun and went completely black.
After a few seconds, I regained my sight, and the first thing I saw, was a dirty, moss-covered wall.
Moments later, a new panel popped up in front of me.
{Alert!}
{You have now entered a dungeon. You can only leave if you are out of combat, or the Dungeon Boss has been defeated!}
{Quest Generated!}
{Be Gentle, It's My First Time!}
{Objective(s): Clear the dungeon by defeating the Dungeon Boss (0/1).}
{Reward(s): 100 EXP, 1000 Credits}
Gripping my dagger tightly, I opened the Map, spotting red dots a few hundred meters away.
With a sigh, I turned away from the wall and began walking toward the nearest red dot, knowing this would take a while.
X – X – X – X – X – X
AN: I decided to change the Missions tab into the Quests tab instead, just felt like it'd fit better.