Chapter 2: Awakening

Chapter 2: Awakening

The first thing Theo remembered after the expanding sun was a sharp pain in his chest. Unconsciousness gave way to that sensation, followed by an oppressive humidity and the scent of soot and sweat. He realized before anything else came back to him that it was his sweat. He stirred, forcing his eyes open. The scene that swirled around him was dizzying, made worse by the crowd of text in the middle of his vision. No matter where he tilted his head, the annoying text followed.

[Welcome to paradise!]

Quest

Youre Dead!

Congratulations, your entire world has been destroyed. The [System] has determined that you qualify for transfer to World B71 (commonly known as Iaredin). A powerful entity has vouched for your transfer, upgrading your transfer vessel with additional benefits.

Acclimate yourself to your new world, and enjoy Broken Tusk!

Objectives:

Meet the villagers of Broken Tusk.

Sleep in your new home.

Ugh, it doesn't feel like paradise, Theo said, swatting at the text. What the

His words were interrupted by the same painful poke. As the shapes in the room resolved, he saw a massive woman standing over him, and only now realized that he was laying down. She was a tall, well-muscled lady with short hair, olivealmost redskin, short tusks protruding from her bottom lip, and a scowl hanging on her face. Theo blinked away the sleep, frantically trying to drive away the woman through sheer willpower. She didnt go, simply glowering down at him.

About time, she said, scoffing. At least he could understand her. You have a lot of questions, and I dont care. Well, heres the short version. You owe me money.

Nice to meet you, too, Theo said, staring up at the ceiling. He tried desperately to avoid eye-contact with the intimidating woman.

With his vision cleared, he took stock of where he was. Shoddy wood paneling on the walls, cracked boards on the floor, a roof with more mold than hed ever seen, and a bed stuffed with straw. The uncertainty that painted his face upon awakening vanished in an instant. He wasnt dead. No matter how strange things were around him, the sun hadnt killed him.

We found you in a field a week ago, she said. My name is Miana Kell, mayor of Broken Tusk. We figured you were integrated from another system, so I had Luras prepare to get you situated. Wait here.

Miana rose from the side of the bed, stomping out of the room and off into the hallway. Theo rose to a sitting position on the bed, a shock running through his heart when he saw his hands. He frantically pushed back the rough cloth covering his forearms, inspecting his skin. It was rougher than he remembered, and purple. His fingers ended in thick claws, and as he pressed his palms against his face, he found horns. They traced along the shape of his head, swooping up at the back of his skull. The horns were rough, variegated with ridges along the length. Then he felt the tail attached near his butt.

Alright, Theo said, his brow knitting tightly. Whats going on?

His question fell into the emptiness of the room. He rose to his feet, inspecting his legs and letting out a sigh of relief. At least I dont have hooves, he thought, inspecting his bare feet. With a wiggle of his toes, he shrugged.

Greetings, a voice like coarse gravel came from the threshold of the room. Im Luras Trinner, hunter and trapper. I hope you transitioned well.

Luras was a mountain of a man, easily two heads taller than Miana. He wore what Theo could only conclude as leather armor. It looked well-oiled, hugging the mans massive frame and layered for protection. A pair of daggers sat at his hip, with a bow held in his hand. His skin was darker than the womans, edging toward a dark ochre color to contrast to her pale orange. Something about the softness of his expression put Theo at ease. His shaven head even caught the light spectacularly.

Not so sure about that, Luras, Theo said, letting out a nervous chuckle. I appear to be a demon.

Ah, yes, Luras said, digging in the satchel at his side. He held a parchment out, squinting to read the text. I tried to memorize this, but you know. It says that most transitioned worlds dont have the number of races we have here. Right.

Well, I was human, Theo said, shrugging.

We have humans here. Im a Half-Ogre well, were not really half of an Ogre, but thats just the name. Just like how youre not a demon. Youre one of the Drononpart demons. Come on, Ill give you a tour of the town while I explain things. Can you walk?

The simplicity of the gentle way the man spoke smoothed away the rough edges of Theos mind. His minds eye produced images of Ogres from fantasy. Towering brutes that would eat someones liver as soon as they would introduce themselves. Luras was very unlike that image, presenting a calm exterior that brought more questions than answers. He wobbled on the spot, swaying around to understand his new body. His balance seemed worse than before the transition, the strength born of years of service gone in an instant. But his mind seemed more honed, able to process things quicker and come to an understanding. It was all strange.

Lets go, Theo said, nodding to himself.

Luras led him through a short wind of halls, holding a rickety wooden door open for Theo to step outside. The exterior was more of an assault to his senses than the interior, the humidity doubling in the open air. The scent of wet earth and manure filled his nostrils, a light bustle of other Half-Ogres walking along a central dirt road. Each building in Broken Tusk was of the same shoddy construction. Boards seemed nailed together in whatever manner pleased the builder, the cracks jammed with green mosses. A yellow sun blistered overhead, casting its light over the terrain.

Theo breathed the air, a grin spreading across his face. It wasnt paradise, but he wasnt dead.

Luras led the way silently, stopping by a Half-Ogre-sized monolith in the center of a circular section of the road. It sat atop a stone dais, stones hewn from some dark stone Theo didnt recognize, although he wasnt an expert on stone.

I assume the System doesnt exist in your world, Luras said.

Nope, Theo said, shrugging. Hey, do you have a mirror?

No. I think theres one in your shopwell get there. The system gives everyone a chance to pursue skills and collect information. Thats the only way I can put it generically enough for you to understand, Luras said with a meek shrug. Consider this your introduction You can access information about yourself with a thought. It should appear in front of you in a format you can understand.

Theo obeyed, sending a mental command that resulted in a box containing information crowding his vision. He took a moment to inspect it.

Belgar (Theo Spencer)

Drogramath Dronon

Level 1

Alchemist

Core Slots: 2The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñòv€l-B1n.

Stats:

Health: 40

Mana: 10

Stamina: 50

Strength: 5

Dexterity: 5

Vigor: 9 (+2)

[Drogramath Distillery Specialty], and [Drogramath Herbalism], Theo said, grimacing.

[Drogramath Distillery Specialty]

Alchemy Skill

Legendary

You claim heritage to Drogramath, the potioneer. The Demon Kings specialty was distillation, allowing you to extract the essence of alchemical ingredients. Distillation produces a pure form of extract, although some claim it to be more unstable.

Effect:

Allows the user to operate distillery equipment at a significantly increased efficiency.

Allows the user to gauge, by eye, the exact quantity of mixtures in units.

+2 Wisdom

[Drogramath Herbalism]

Herbalism Skill

Rare

Drogramath has an eye for reagents. His descendants have an easier time identifying plants that produce alchemical ingredients.

Effect:

You have a sense whether something will produce alchemical ingredients.

+2 Intelligence

I knew it, Luras said, laughing. He saw the pained look on Theos face and clasped a hand on his shoulder. Im not faulting you for this. Youre just insanely lucky.

Is this something that I shouldnt share freely? Theo asked.

Id keep it quiet for now, Luras said. If someone asks, just refuse to show them the skill. Its considered rude to force someone to show you their skills. You should equip those two in your cores, by the way.

Theo obeyed, equipping the alchemy skill in the alchemy core and the herbalism skill in his herbalism core. He felt a noticeable surge running through his mind as he equipped them, receiving the bonuses that both of them had. He smiled up at his friend, gesturing for the tour to continue. The pair trudged down the slope, waving at farmers as they went. They finally caught sight of the other races inhabiting the town. There were Humans, which stood a head shorter than Theo, and the waist-high Marshlings.

Theyre so cute, Theo whispered, garnering a smile from Luras.

The Marshlings toddled around on stumpy legs, their smooth skin appearing like that of a salamander. Their fat tail swept the ground as they walked. They had webbed feet, most of them appearing to prefer going shoeless. On the side of their lizard-like heads were protrusions that reminded Theo of axolotls with little frills coming forth. The tone of their skin varied from person to person, some having bright pink pigment, and others that of mud. They were all extremely polite.

The blacksmiths shop sat on a raised platform of stone, the work area completely outdoors. Steel sang under the Marshlings hammer, and he doused himself with water every few seconds of hammering. The work area itself was incredibly tidy, hammers hung on shelves to the side with a coal-burning forge sitting in the center. An anvil sat on a small stump, low enough for the diminutive man to work the metal.

Every town needs a blacksmith, Luras said. Throk spends most of the day working on stuff for the farm, but you might be able to ask him about crafting skills.

Right, Theo said. Because Im a crafter.

Yeah. You wont have much in common with a person like me in terms of skills, Luras said with a shrug.

The tour continued southward, the road less crowded the further away from the square they went. Homes dotted along the path on either side, a squat building looming in the distance. It was a stone construction, standing out against the wood plank buildings that became iconic for Broken Tusk. A sign hung on the outside, depicting a vial with red liquid inside. The paint faded long ago, leaving it looking dilapidated, like the rest of the building.

Luras produced a key from his pouch, handing it to Theo. This passing of the key represents your ownership of the alchemy lab. Do you know how to inspect items or buildings?

Im guessing I just think about it, Theo said.

Get that intent in your mind, and touch the building, Luras said.

Theo once again obeyed, holding the thought of inspection in his head as he pressed his fingers against the mossy stone. A box appeared in his vision, displaying information about the building.

[Alchemy Lab]

Owner: Belgar (Theo Spencer)

Faction: [Broken Tusk]

Level: 1 (0%)

Upgrade Status: 0/20

Rent Due: 7 days

Oh. I have to pay rent, Theo said, frowning.

Every week. Miana will probably give you a grace period while you get set up, Luras said.

How am I going to afford foodor get water? Theo said.

Ill bring something for you later. You can get a meal at the inn for a copper coin, Luras said. You can draw water from the river, but if you dont have high [Vigor], boil it.

Theo knit his brow. Suddenly finding himself in another world was hard enough to deal with, but now he had to see to his own survival. Meals back on Earth were easy enough to come by, especially in the end-times. Everything was provided by the agency, and before that, he could just go to a grocery store and buy whatever he needed. Without Luras help, hed starve.

Luras handed him a waterskin and smiled. This should tide you over for a while.

I owe you, Luras, Theo said, nodding to himself. Once I figure this alchemy crap out, Ill pay you back with interest.

I wouldnt say no to a [Health Potion], Luras said, grinning. Lets head inside and take stock of what you have.