The slam of my body onto the wall was painful, as was the impact of Deus' wooden club hitting my body. I was limp, I spewed blood, and I couldn't move.
But all that was overshadowed by something more agonizing that I felt inside.
Tears fell out of my eyes as I laid on the ground, clutching my stomach and vomiting my own blood.
Were these tears from the damage to my body? Maybe.
Before I could understand it all, Deus walked towards me.
"You didn't die with one hit! Amusing! There must be some bug in your stats or something."
He said, as if it was nothing. As if he hadn't just crushed every bone in my body.
He swiped his hand again, and I was expecting another weapon, but this time, it was an engraved glass bottle containing a green, shining liquid.
The popping sound of the bottle opening echoed in my head. Then, he poured the green fluid onto me.
Slowly, the aches in my body lifted, and my breathing stabilized.
What could that be? I wondered as I got to my feet, like nothing had ever happened.
The moment I stood up, a different weapon appeared in Deus' hands. This time, it was—
…
…
…
"So we have 30 seconds."
A voice resonated in my ear.
Was that Deus? I asked myself.
At first, everything was dark, then I opened my eyes and saw the silhouette of a muscular man. It was definitely Deus. I was able to confirm it the moment I saw the figure.
I wondered what had happened.
While curiosity danced in my head.
"Hey, Lucien," Deus called out to me.
I focused all my attention on him. There was a disconnect between my conscious thoughts and my bodily responses.
I wanted to get away, even though I didn't know why.
Maybe I was just confused…
While my body would always automatically respond to him.
So I stood up from the ground I was lying on and approached him as he called.
My mind didn't even grasp that I was lying on the ground.
As soon as I got close to him, he spoke, "Did you know that the amount of money I spent on you is now multiplied by I don't even know how much! I'm so happy! I wish I could play more!" He exclaimed excitedly.
"I'm going to log out for now. I need to be at that appointment, which is actually useless. They're wasting my precious time!" He muttered with a dash of strong negative emotion.
Following his intense emotional rollercoaster, my surroundings turned empty, and it was all dark, with not a whisper or murmur to be heard around.
It was an eventful day, I told myself. I don't understand why I was craving for Dues to come back. I was excited to see him again. Or maybe I was just looking forward to getting out of this endless void.
As I floated in what seemed to be an eternal darkness, the world began to emerge. All I noticed was the wooden beams and the stone tiled floor before my focus diverted.
"Finally I'm back!"
Dues…
I felt happy he's back, it seems I was excited to see him again after all.
"Lucien, let's get to work." He said.
But before we could leave, a man wearing a green robe suddenly approached Dues.
It seems he's talking to him.
I looked at Dues, but the man I saw in him when it was just us was so different to the man I was looking at.
He was just standing idle for an uncomfortably long time.
I don't know what the other man was saying but, I can see it in his expression, he was starting to detach from the conversation based on how Dues reacted to him.
"Uh...I...don't know..." Dues' voice trailed off, avoiding eye contact.
His hands were fidgeting, his eyes wandering around, and his legs were slowly stepping back, distancing himself from the other guy.
I looked over at the man Dues was talking to, but this time, he was conversing with some other people behind him.
They started smiling, awkwardly they smiled.
Then all of a sudden, "Can't you just leave me alone?! I don't know what you want from me!"
Dues' words tumbling out full of bitterness.
Then he ran…
My body ran after him, he was faster but regardless of how far he was, and even though I don't know where he went, my body just moved on its own.
When I finally caught up, I saw him breathing rapidly, he was trembling, and his movements were shaky. He was fully overwhelmed.
I slowly approached him. I was not there to offer him comfort, I was with him because I was obliged, because somehow, my whole being is attached to him.
But he saw it differently, his emotional distress was suddenly alleviated at the sight of me.
Then, as he calmed down, he said, "I knew it! I knew you were my best buddy Lucien! People are just crazy, they were asking me to join them but all of a sudden they said they would understand If I decline."
I was listening, like I was made to just listen to him.
"I wanted to join them but they were just so confusing. Anyway, let's just continue where we left off, Lucien."
I nodded, he smiled.
I remained silent, but reciprocated a smile that spoke volumes. It was my habitual response.
Before I knew it, we were fighting off small creatures about my height, with two folded legs and two forelegs. It's sitting on the ground, jumping around and its sticky tongue extended to strike us.
"These frogs are freaking annoying!"
They are all focused on Deus. While I, just his everymove.
I'm not as agile as him, but I'm too weak to get the monsters' attention so I was not in danger.
But not for long, Dues splashed a yellow liquid on me.
Then he said, "Lucien! Just stand idle there and let them catch you with their tongue, that is the only part of their body I can cut. Their scaly body is freakishly sturdy."
So I did, but I was not aware that those monsters are now after me.
The order was to stand idle and take the monsters' attacks.
It was agonizing, my whole body was in pain, their tongue let out a liquid that hissed each time it touched my skin.
At first, I thought I couldn't last, I even asked myself, why? Why am I experiencing this pain?
But after the times I was hit, lost consciousness and repeated, my body adapted to it. The damage it dealt started to get weaker and weaker until I stopped minding, I only followed one simple order, to stand still.
But it felt easy for me at this time. I also noticed Dues is no longer throwing that green liquid at me, even the occasional red liquid I observed he sometimes used, was never pulled out again.
When and where did he use those red liquids anyway?
By the end of our battle, the swamp field we battled in, began to feel wide. It seems the monsters that nestled here were now wiped by our effort.
"That was fun!" Dues said.
But I wasn't sure what I was doing the whole time, I just remembered I was standing there, taking all those attacks from the 'Fragon'. That's what Dues called them.
There were also times I think I lost consciousness in the beginning, but that was it.
Was that fun? I guess it is.
"Let's go back to Catares Tavern. We grinded for a long time. I read about it, they say those Fragons gives a lot of experience for inhabitants."
Dues stated.
His voice suddenly turned into a high pitch, he leaned forward eagerly as we exited Mooradoc swamp.
"I wonder how much you will gain from that grind. That was 8 freaking long hours!"
It was long, we started when the sun was high above, now it's dark.
With Dues' exhilaration, we traveled back to a city he called Catares immediately, and we went straight to the Tavern for my appraisal.
When we got to the tavern, we were welcomed by a female voice saying, "Hi Traveler Dues! Welcome to Catares Tavern! Are you here to make a purchase? Or are you appraising your Inhabitants?"
"Hi Remi, I want to appraise."
Dues responded.
"Thank you for confirmation, can you please provide your inhabitants information. Please do not share their Seed Number. Thank you!"
Their conversation went along, half of it didn't make sense to me, and by the end of it, Remi said, "He's gotten a ton of experience Traveler Deus. Congratulations, he's now at level 23!
"Lucien now at the middle of his Childhood stage."
Remi announced.
"In addition to his level, he's gotten a few new passive skills."
[Poison Resistance II]
[Resilience IV]
[Unshakeable]
[Death's Familiarity]
"Wait, we were fighting a level 41 beast but he only got 6 levels up after 8 hours?" Dues asked. He sounded uncertain.
"Do you want to stop his aging process at this stage? Or do you want him to grow older in appearance?" Remi continued.
"I want him to keep growing older." Dues answered
DING! "Aging process continuing"
Dues clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"These Developer NPCs! Why can't they incorporate a better AI Language model in this!"
He was displeased.
Dues can't help but frown while he rubbed his temple, he was muttering words I couldn't even follow.
After the display of his frustration he drew out the wooden club.
"Hey Lucien, we've played a lot today…"
I kinda sensed what was coming.
"Yes, we did." I answered him.
"It's already past my bedtime and it's not advisable for me, you know?"
I nodded, listening to his words.
"But I…!"
*CLUNK!
A slamming sound echoed in my ear.
"Don't feel…!"
*CLUNK!
I was the sound of the wooded club.
"Like we have…!"
*CLUNK!
"Accomplished!"
*CLUNK!
He was beating it on my head.
"ANYTHINGGG!"
The loud crack of splintering wood rang out as it shattered. He slammed his wooden club on my head, until it was broken.
Then he was gone…
I was once again in this deep dark void, floating.
At Least this time, when he slammed his club on me, I didn't fly into the air.
And this time, it wasn't as painful, both physically and internally.