GodsGame

There's a trick to stealing from the gods. Don't let them see you looking.I kept my eyes down as I worked the mining laser, pretending to be just another mindless slave as Overseer Kral's heavy footsteps approached. The crystalline walls of the shaft amplified every sound, turning his walk into thunderous echoes. My hands didn't shake. They couldn't afford to – not when I was so close.[WARNING: Slave productivity below optimal levels][Punishment protocols available]The system notification flickered in my peripheral vision, its angry red glow a stark contrast to the perpetual twilight of Desolation Prime. I ignored it, just like I'd been ignoring the warnings for the past three years while I studied the overseers. Learned their patterns. Memorized how their fingers danced through the holographic interfaces that controlled our lives."You! Slave!" Kral's voice boomed through the shaft. "Your output is dropping. Perhaps you need motivation?"I hunched my shoulders, playing the part of the cowed slave. "Apologies, Overseer. The vein is running dry."He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up – but not at his eyes. Never at the eyes. That was forbidden for slaves. His breath reeked of processed stimulants as he leaned close. "Then move to a new position, you worthless piece of—"The notification in my vision changed.[WARNING: Unauthorized System Access Detected][Slave Classification: (Please set a name)][Current Location: Mining Sector 12][Violation Level: Critical] A name. Right, had to set one before continuing. "Zero," I say out loud, making the overseer flinch. I ignored him and focused on the system. [Name: Zero] Now. It had to be now.My fingers twitched in the exact pattern I'd seen Kral use a thousand times, accessing the system through his own authority while his attention was focused on intimidation. Three years of watching, of memorizing, of waiting – all for this moment.[Basic Trait Detected: Adaptive Metabolism][Note: All beings possess one innate trait from birth. Most are mundane.] [Adaptive Metabolism: Food and water requirements reduced by 10%. +1 to Constitution saving throws against starvation or dehydration.]I almost laughed. Of course, my trait would be something so utterly useless most of the time.Kral's eyes widened as his neural link detected the intrusion. Too late.[System Status: Limited Access Granted][Available Functions: Basic Statistics, Inventory (Locked), Skills (Locked)] [Current Stats] [Strength: 6] [Dexterity: 5] [Constitution: 7] [Intelligence: 4] [Wisdom: 3] [Charisma: 2][Warning: Stats below galactic average. Survival probability in free territories: Extremely Low]"You dare—!" Kral's hand went to his neural controller, but I was already moving.The hardest part about stealing from gods isn't the theft itself. It's living with what comes after.I slammed the mining laser into his knee, years of repressed rage finally finding release. As he stumbled, I drove my elbow up into his throat – a killing blow I'd practiced in my mind countless times. His neural controller clattered to the ground.[Alert: Overseer Vital Signs Critical][Emergency Protocols Initiating][Slave Restraint Protocol Activating in 3...][2...]I yanked the stolen override chip from my neck just as the countdown hit one. Pain lanced through my spine as they tried to activate the slave implants, but I was already running.Through the crystalline walls of the mine shaft, I could see the pulsing lights of a transport ship descending toward the spaceport. The same ship that brought new slaves would take me away – if I could reach it in time.Alarms began to wail throughout the complex. Red emergency lights painted the corridors in blood as I ran. Other slaves pressed themselves against the walls, eyes wide with fear and maybe a hint of hope. I was living their dream – their nightmare. The one thing we all thought about but never dared attempt.[Multiple Security Breaches Detected][Lethal Force Authorized][Deploying Security Drones]The first drone rounded the corner ahead, its weapons already charging. I didn't slow down. I reached the wall and jumped, using it to propel me further in a crude imitation of parkour, but it was enough to get past the drone.Freedom was three levels up and two kilometers of heavily guarded corridors away. The transport ship would leave in fifteen minutes. The math wasn't in my favor, but then again, it never had been.I pushed harder, legs burning as I sprinted through the corridors. More drones filled the corridors now, along with armed guards. They were expecting me to head for the surface lifts. Instead, I dove into a maintenance shaft – another secret learned from years of careful observation.The shaft was barely wide enough for my shoulders, and the climb would take everything I had left. But it was a straight shot to the surface, and more importantly, it wasn't on any of the official schematics.[Warning: Physical limits approaching][Muscle failure imminent][Calculating survival probability...][Error: Too many variables]The next five minutes were pure agony. My fingers bled as I pulled myself up meter by meter. But I didn't stop. Couldn't stop. Even when my muscles screamed and my vision blurred, I kept climbing.I broke through to the surface just as the transport ship's engines began their pre-launch sequence. The spaceport was a hundred meters of open ground away. Guards were everywhere.[Alert: Multiple Weapons Locked][Probability of reaching ship: 0.3%][Recommendation: Surrender]The first shots sizzled past my head as I ran. I had nothing left except desperation and twenty-three years of accumulated rage.Ninety meters. A plasma bolt caught my shoulder, sending me stumbling.Eighty meters. Security drones dropped from the sky, their weapons charging.Seventy meters. The ship's cargo ramp began to close.[Critical Warning: Multiple organ systems failing][Death imminent][Last chance to submit]Sixty meters. The world narrowed to a tunnel of pain and purpose.Fifty meters. My legs gave out.Forty meters. I crawled.Thirty meters. The guards stopped firing, probably assuming I was done.Twenty meters. I forced myself back to my feet.Ten meters. The ramp was almost closed.Five meters. I jumped.The gap between slavery and freedom was exactly 1.8 meters wide. I cleared it by less than a centimeter, crashing onto the cargo bay floor as the ramp sealed behind me. The ship's engines roared to life, pressing me into the cold metal deck as we lifted off.[Emergency Recruitment Channel Detected][United Systems Army Protocols Engaging][Warning: This is your last chance to reconsider]I pulled myself to my knees as a holographic contract materialized in front of me. The terms were brutal – ten years of military service, mandatory combat deployments, and something called the GodsGame Tutorial with a horrifyingly low survival rate.I pressed my bloody hand to the acceptance panel without hesitation. I'd just killed a man and stolen from the gods. Whatever came next couldn't be worse than what I was leaving behind.[Contract Accepted][Welcome to the United Systems Army, Recruit Zero][Initializing System Interface...][System Interface Online] [Name: Zero] [Race: Human] [Level: 1] [Class: None] [Strength: 6] [Dexterity: 5] [Constitution: 7] [Intelligence: 4] [Wisdom: 3] [Charisma: 2][Trait: Adaptive Metabolism] [Welcome to the System] [The Gods are watching. Try not to disappoint them.]As the ship broke atmosphere, I finally allowed myself a small smile. I was free.I was also probably going to die.But at least now it would be on my terms.