Reincarnation_RPG

by Erik Colombe

  It’s not the same.

  “Then why are you so angry John? Why are you on your knees? Why are you gripping the ground like it’s your enemy?”

  John looked down at his hands. His fingers were bent like talons trying to rip out the embedded rock beneath them.

  “Fight, John!”

  His heart skipped a beat in his chest and he felt like he would retch.

  “Show you’re not a coward.”

  His neck tightened as he ground is teeth together.

  “They are what’s wrong in the world. Make them stop!”

  Shut up! Fuck this shitty world. This shitty world won’t leave me alone. It needs to stop; it needs to die.

  Never in his life had he felt this level of ire; a level of hatred that made him want to scream. That made him want to hurt someone.

  John rose to his feet.

  “Hey asshole!” John yelled at the top of his lungs. His vocal cords strained against the pressure. J’tion stopped yelling commands and turned to John.

  “Die slow,” John said, casting haste on himself. His legs launched him in the direction of the mage. He was too far away to make the jump but, the moment he started to lower, he cast an air gust under his foot creating hardened air and letting him jump again straight at the object of his hatred.

  The hooded man was too shocked by what he saw to come up with any defense, as John kicked the man in the face with enough force to lift him off of his feet and send him sailing off his small perch. John stood on the rock platform taking harsh breaths, shaking from the adrenaline. His heart was pounding, demanding more. He felt a pinch on his foot and looked down at his boots. He bent down and picked teeth out of his boot as a large alarm echoed throughout the cave.

  “That’s right, come out of your holes, one by one.”

  The mercenaries barked orders at the Rahka and John saw them grab bows and spears. The entire inside of the mountain was lined with enemies ready to kill him. He stretched his neck and arms before pulling out two short swords from his inventory.

  This is what happens when you try to play the good guy. You get fucked. Well, everybody gets fucked, John thought, as he took a step off the pillar and dropped as the first of the arrows came sailing over empty space.

  He pointed his body parallel to the ground and waited until he was just about to hit before he activated the wind gust, propelling him forward to the two mercenaries that were standing from their poker table, swords drawn. John sailed over the giant hole in the ground, his swords crossed in front of him. He reached the mercenaries in a split second and flew between them, slicing a leg off each pair and causing his momentum to slow.

  He threw down a gust of air at his chest, bounding him upward to land on his feet. The Rahka were faster to react as they had their orders and even surprise didn’t faze the slave collars. John didn’t give them a still target, as more mercenaries came out of the giant white mansion. Some wore the same gray robes as J’tion while others wore the same mercenary outfits.

  Is there a Bad Guys R Us nearby? It doesn’t matter. I’ll show you the difference in skill. I am a pro; this world may be shit, but it’s still my game,” he thought, as he ran to the new targets.

  The mages began to chant and the mercenaries began to glow a yellowish hue as they became faster. Others started to hurl magic at him. They didn’t have the ability to manifest it into actual spells and instead threw unfocused magic at him. It didn’t have the impact of his spells making it splash and sputter on its way toward him. The cave was awash with the different hues of red, purple and green as they all targeted John. The arrows were harder to dodge in the low light of the city and John saw his health bar tick down as some of the archers found their marks.

  He jumped over the mercenaries and ran straight for the mages. His swords pierced anything that got close. He was running around the cave picking off mages one by one. He didn’t dare stop long enough to cast a spell and he was doing his best not to hurt the Rahka as he kept running. The entire time he was looking for someone in charge; someone who held the slave collar controller.

  A man encased head-to-toe in dragon-scale armor stepped out of the mansion. John saw him raise a whistle up to his mouth and blow. The arrows stopped and so did John. The mercenaries filed in a rank behind their leader while the mages waited in the wings.

  The man’s voice was low and bellowed behind the bone helmet he wore.

  “John! I’m so glad you could make it,” he said, waving the mages and mercenaries back.

  “Who the hell are you?” John asked, keeping his eyes peeled. He especially watched the whistle being placed back around the man’s neck under a red scale breastplate.

  “I’m sorry, John. This is not how I wanted us to meet. My name’s Mike; come in and let’s have a drink together and talk everything over. I’m sure this is just a giant misunderstanding.”

  “Listen bud, I don’t know who the heck you are, and I’m happy right here. Why don’t you do some explaining? Like how the fuck do you know my name?”

  “Have it your way John. We’re brothers; well, in this world we are. I’m like you. My name’s Mike and I was summoned to this world as well, although from a different game.”

  John felt his guard lower just a little. This was someone who knew that he was from another world. Someone like him. He shook his head to get back to his senses.

  “How’s that possible. The snake god ate everyone’s soul that she summoned here.”

  “I’m like you John; I escaped. There’s three of us that managed to flee from those dark woods. I had actually leveled up my mining skill quite high in the game I played all those years ago. I knew there was something off about that place. So I dug my way out; Ryan and Chris were the ones who found me and explained what happens in that forest.”

  “Wait, wait, wait! There are three of you?” John asked.

  “Now there are four of us. Chris will be delighted to have found you. We have so much work to do in this world and the work has been difficult with these meager means at our disposal,” Mike said, waving his hand at the mercenaries, mages and Rahka.

  “I’m not going anywhere. Why didn’t you go back into the forest? Do you know what’s there? What it did?”

  “Chris was the one who filled us in. A god that consumes souls. Even with three of us do you think we could win against a god? No, we don’t have that power, we have to rethink our priorities. We’re stuck here.”

  John’s heart sank with those words. They didn’t know a way home.

  Did they even look?, he wondered.

  “You knew what was going on in that forest and instead of coming to help you ran. You made slaves of another race; you ordered people’s deaths,” John all but screamed at Mike.

  “It’s a lot to take in at first. There’s things that this world forced upon us. We need power and this mountain has loads of it. Once we are done the Rahka will be freed. Come into the house John and talk with me. We can still be civil about this or do you think you’re some kind of hero in this world? You came in here and just started killing my men; people I know; people I work with. But I’m willing to hear you out; just come with me.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you,” John said.

  “Well then, John, you’re just another thing this world is forcing upon us. I tried to be civil, but if you need me to beat you within an inch of your life to see reason then I’ll be happy to show you reason,” Mike said, pulling a large obsidian hammer out of thin air. It glowed with red runes across its surface, all but shouting it was a magical tool made for killing.

  “I will not be giving you the same handicap. You’re going to die,” John said, putting his short swords back into his inventory and pulling out a katana. It lit up his face with a golden glow.

  Notification:

  Sword of Kayaught equipped.

  While equipped all status effects are nulled. Plus 20% attack, speed and defense.

  The sword of Kayaught is a legendary item that can onl
y be wielded by a user who is deemed worthy. While equipped it will eat 10 mana per second. If the wielder’s mana reaches zero, the sword will start to eat away the user’s health until it is sheathed or the user dies. All who wield the sword of Kayaught are said to have no fear of death and gladly give up their lives in battle as long as their enemy is killed.

  John used his analyze skill on Mike.

  Name: Mike

  Level: 95

  Magic: None

  Class: Human/Hero

  Equipment: Hammer of Dawn. A hammer forged by the most powerful smiths in Hell. It is known as an unbreakable item that will steal the life force of anyone it touches and give it to the user. Max is 200% original health. Plus 50 in attack; minus 50 in defense.

  Note: What the hell are you doing fighting each other? This isn’t at all how this is supposed to go.

  Mike ran at John and swung the giant hammer downward. He was fast. Faster than anyone wearing that much armor had any right to be, but there was still a level gap between them and John was faster. He dodged the blow and slid on his knees, striking with his sword. The blow was light and glanced off Mike.

  “You can attack me all you want, but I am the tank, you can’t hurt me while all I have to do is wait for you to get tired,” Mike said, swinging the hammer down at John in rapid blows. Everywhere the hammer hit there was a deep pit in the ground where it struck.

  John jumped back and got some distance between the two of them. He held up his hand and cast a white fireball. It hit Mike in the shoulder as he moved to defend against it. He hated using magic while using the sword of Kayaught, but haste had the trouble of wearing out after a few seconds and he was barely dodging the blows Mike threw at him.

  He heard Mike scream from the impact, but saw him shrug it off and he kept coming at John, who unloaded on him, casting fireball after fireball. They landed one after the other and John could see that they were working. Mike started to slow as he got closer; the armor didn’t seem phased, but the splash damage and heat from his spells were working. He didn’t let up as he watched his mana bar carefully, seeing it drain quickly. The explosions from his spells started to kick up dust. Before he could move, Mike burst out of the cloud of dirt and swung his hammer into John, who flew back thirty feet in the air before smashing into a stalagmite that stopped him. His health drained to below half.

  Crap, a real heavy hitter. I can’t take another one of those, John thought as he watched his mana bar drain almost to empty. He looked over to Mike, expecting to see him in worse shape, but he looked just fine.

  “You got a bad match up, John. My hammer transfers health from every hit on an enemy to me. The second my hammer touched you, it was over. You might be able to hurt me, but my suit protects me and my hammer replenishes me. You’d need an army to kill me,” Mike said.

  I know a good idea when I hear it, John thought.

  “Gravedigger,” he said, and the ground beneath Mike opened up and he fell in. The ground closed over and John dropped to one knee as his mana had run dry. The sword of Kayaught was now draining the rest of his health.

  Just a little longer. We’re in the last innings and I need you for the home run, John thought, pleading with his sword.

  John watched the dirt where Mike had fallen. The ground burst open and Mike was standing on top, breathing a little heavy, but otherwise fine.

  “Damn you, learn when you’re beaten. I told you my mining skill was high, you can’t crush me with dirt.”

  “Not trying to,” John said, rushing at Mike. He dodged the hammer coming at him and struck the armor point first at Mike’s chest shattering the chest plate. John jumped back, dodging the next hammer swing.

  “How! It’s supposed to be invincible,” Mike screamed.

  “No, just hard to break. My spells super-heated your armor and, while you were underground, it cooled too quickly, making it fragile, or at least that was what I was banking on.”

  “You’re good, but like I said you’re out matched. You don’t have much left and all you managed to do was break a bit of my armor.”

  John dismissed the sword of Kayaught before it drained his health any further.

  “You’re right, but my goal wasn’t your armor, it was this,” John said, holding up the whistle that Mike had blown earlier. John blew the whistle and shouted “Fire,” making a sweeping motion at everyone.

  A giant howl rolled through the mountain. Many of the mages and mercenaries retreated as a rain of arrows came down on Mike. He tried to run, but he was too slow. While John could dodge arrows with his speed, Mike only had the armor and it started to crack under the weight of so many arrows striking it over and over, until he fell under the weight of all the arrows sticking out of the cracks.

  John held up his hand and the arrows stopped. He walked over to Mike, paying attention to his reach even while he was on the ground and kicking the hammer out of his hands. He picked up the hammer and examined it before putting it in his own inventory.

  “What the hell are you?” Mike rasped.

  “I’m the god killer, motherfucker. While you all cowered and made slaves of this world, I killed the bitch that sent us here and I’m going home regardless of who gets in my fucking way.”

  “Was it really that easy? Could any of us have done better? Do you think you would have? You’d better hurry, Ryan went ahead to meet you and your friends and he’s not as nice as me,” Mike said, closing his eyes.

  A notification came across John’s vision.

  Level 100>>101

  New Skill Learned: God Step creates gusts of air under your feet allowing for three-dimensional aerial combat.

  Health: 10,000>>11,000

  Mana: 20,000>>22,000

  Next Level: 98,516/500,000

  Note: You killed a hero! Are you crazy?

  John stared at the notification for a while. His body felt a little lighter and he noticed his Health and Mana had already refilled.

  One hundred was the level cap in my game. If a cap doesn’t exist what are the others like? Whatever, I’ll figure it out later, John thought, as he was about to sprint to the caravan. He looked around to see that all the Rahka’s eyes were on him. John took the whistle into his fist and crushed it.

  He didn’t know what the Rahka’s personality would be without the slave collar, but he didn’t want to stay and find out. As he ran out of the mountain, before they pointed their arrows at him, while he was leaving he saw several collars open and fall to the ground. He had freed the Rahkas and killed someone from his own world. He hoped that was the right decision or that he would be home before the repercussions of his actions came back to bite him in the ass.

  Chapter 3

  John ran from the cave and slipped through the forest with speed. He needed to reach the caravan. Not knowing why he was in such a rush, but a feeling of dread that came over him when he thought about someone worse than Mike. He needed a plan and that’s when he stopped running and looked back at the mountain. It was so overwhelmingly large it didn’t seem like he had made any distance from it, but his radar showed he was alone.

  He walked down the slope, picking his way carefully, but because he needed to think rather than because he was cautious. This was an opportunity to leave. He could just head to Gleydion.

  Except Saarka threatened to send my real identity to every kingdom if she dies. But she had to be bluffing. We’ve been gone for weeks and even if she isn’t what does it matter? Mike and Ryan are just like me and Mike was flaunting his power like it was nobody’s business.

  John’s awareness snapped back to the world and he realized he was on the dirt road again, making his way to the caravan.

  This world is wrong. My game had so much color and life. Even if it was just a game, this world could be like that. It could be like it was a thousand years ago.

  John was aware that this was his rationalization. The entire time Mihel and Saarka kept popping into his mind, the first friends he had made in this world. Maybe not besties
that he would invite over to his house, but the only people who had shown him an ounce of kindness – after one had tried to rob him and the other wanted him to fight against a horde of skarats.

  Beggars can’t be choosers. Besides I still need a guide when I get to Gleydion, John thought, as he picked up his pace to catch up to the caravan.

  He walked through most of the night, his eyes constantly glancing at his radar. The night with no moon was not conducive to running ahead blindly. Even with his True Hunter perk activated there was no light for him to see. He rested for a few hours by the side of the road trying to sleep, but his sleep was interrupted by nightmares of the caravan being attacked. Wagons torn apart with bodies piled next to a roaring fire and Mike laughing by its light, his hammer glowing a sickly red that showed the faces of his friends, their eyes glazed over in death.

  The light filtering through the trees woke him instantly and he immediately got up and started to walk down the road. He made up time by casting haste on himself and kept going. When he finally reached the caravan he could see the city in the distance. They were almost at the city of Fort Light. John didn’t slow and continued to use haste to catch up with them. He reached the caravan and walked alongside of the wagons like he had been there the whole time, then passed a few of the horses and carriages until he was next to Saarka.

  “Did I miss anything?” John asked, to make her aware of his presence. He almost had a laughing fit as he saw her jump in her seat like she had just seen a ghost.

  “By the priests, don’t do that,” she said, but John saw a small smile creep onto her face.

  “I thought you had gone into the woods and met your match. Didn’t think you’d be coming back.”

  “I almost didn’t. Managed to get away, but there’s trouble up ahead,” John said, taking a long look at Fort Light for the first time.

  There was no wall like there had been at Fort Trellis. Instead the forest had been cleared in all directions and high wooden towers were raised on eight corners of the city. If something was coming, guards would be able to see it miles before it reached the city. As they got closer, the dirt path became paved with brick. John could see a few fields with crops growing, farmhouses and workers in the field. This place wasn’t just more inviting than Fort Trellis, to John it was more alive.