World Seed_Game Start

by Justin Miller

  I wasted no time in lining up the shot and firing as many times as I could, which was maybe three before it reached me and I began flailing my beam saber. Although it was annoyed by this, it merely shoved me aside as it dove past, grabbing its pistols and vanishing as quickly as it had arrived. I looked down to the melted away parts of the floor, and shuddered, being thankful that I had not been the one hit by its blood.

  “Dammit, we’re being overrun. Everyone, get to the nearest escape pods!” This time, the panicked voice came from the captain of the ship, and my holo-map changed immediately to show me where to go next. There was an escape pod near the damaged section I was running towards, so I simply kept my current course.

  I was surprised by the lack of people I saw on my way to the escape pod, though there were many signs of battles being fought. Scorch marks lined the walls, with intermittent sections of melted floors. I could even hear a chittering sound coming from all around me that scared me out of my wits. If it was possible for me to hide in my grove, that’s exactly where I’d be right now.

  Upon reaching the escape pod, I found that I was the only one arriving to this one, likely meaning I was the only one alive close enough to come here. Using my Void Manipulation, I jumped into the pod and made it into a void zone in the hopes that they wouldn’t be able to teleport in as I hit the launch button. It was only at this point that I saw the scale of the enemy. What I had assumed to be a half dozen medium sized ships, possibly accompanied by a cruiser, was instead a massive force that looked more like it was preparing for war. Of the smaller ships, the fighters, there were too many to count(341, Celeste helped). There were also a dozen other ships the size of the Nostromo, and a single massive one that was at least three times as big. All of the ships had similar designs to the alien I had seen, with the same organic armor.

  I watched as over a dozen escape pods were jettisoned from the Nostromo, all heading in random directions. Some had fighters pursuing them, likely indicating they were key targets, while others like myself were completely ignored. After a few moments of watching the ship sitting in eerie silence while the enemy raiding party… no, raiding army seemed to make no action, a computerized voice sounded out in the escape pod. “Plotting course to nearest planetoid. Initiating distress beacon. Estimated time of arrival, two hours. Estimated time of rescue, unknown.”

  You have leveled up!

  New Skill Unlocked!

  Swordsmanship – Beginner Level 2

  Exp: 13%

  This skill measures one’s ability to hit people with the pointy end of the sword. Remember, the pointy end.

  New Skill Unlocked!

  Marksmanship – Beginner Level 6

  Exp: 20%

  This skill measures one’s accuracy with a firearm.

  New Sub-Skill Unlocked!

  Energy Weapons – Beginner Level 1

  Exp: 0%

  This Sub-Skill shows your experience in dealing with energy-based weapons, rather than physical ones.

  Current Applicable Skills:

  Marksmanship

  Swordsmanship

  You are now eligible for a last name! Congratulations!

  Chapter 38: Welcome to the Jungle

  I had two hours until I landed on an unknown world just beyond the edge of wood elf space. So what did I do? Well, first of all I gave myself a last name! Now that I knew I wasn’t able to introduce myself in the game with my real name even if I wanted to, I at least wanted to have the same last name. That way, if need be, I can just call myself Mr. Hulett.

  I also took a moment to spend my five points from leveling up on increasing my intelligence again, because I definitely needed more mana if I wanted to pursue the path of a Xeno-Shifter. By my basic estimates, an average animal like a wolf would take just over four hundred mana to transform into. Taking into account the shift in complexity and mana density, a magical beast should take around eight hundred. With the same standard applied again, a monster would need at least a thousand.

  The idea that a simple slime would take a thousand mana to turn into annoyed me, but I was probably assuming a bit much. Naturally, some monsters would be less complex than others, such as slimes. That problem was sentient creatures. I had no idea the mana cost necessary to turn into a sentient, as they could technically be evolved forms of either an animal, magical animal, or monster. Either way, this is what my stats looked like now.

  Name

  Falenel Hulett

  Race

  Half-Elf(Woodland)

  Titles

  Vengeful Heart

  Fame

  0

  Level 15

  2%

  Class

  Druid

  Sub-Class

  Wild Shaper

  Deity

  Malthan

  Health

  150/150

  Health Regen

  0.25

  Mana

  620/620

  Mana Regen

  0.72

  Strength

  12

  Wisdom

  70

  Agility

  20

  Intelligence

  62

  Dexterity

  20

  Charisma

  10

  Vitality

  15

  Luck

  15

  Points Remaining

  0

  Earth 8%

  Fire 8%

  Wind 8%

  Water 8%

  Lightning 6%

  Light 8%

  Dark 7%

  Plant 7%

  Void 5%

  Luck 2%

  Most of my elements were getting pretty close to the point where I would be able to cycle them constantly, without focusing on them. Once I was able to do so, my grove should begin expanding explosively, as it means I’d be able to take in mana on a far more regular basis. Likewise, it should mean that my passive mana regeneration might even improve for the same reason.

  There were still two hours left before I’d land, and I needed to be prepared. I hadn’t expected to get into fights yet, so I had previously forgotten about charging up my weapons. Now, however, it was entirely necessary to do so. I didn’t have enough time to fully charge all of my weapons, and I knew it, so the first thing I did was finish charging my beam saber until it was full. After that, I did one round of charging up my pistol, and was recovering my mana from that when the escape pod’s mechanical voice spoke up again.

  “Entering planet atmosphere. Please secure yourself to prevent damage during entry.” Never one to argue with the wise opinion of an AI, I hastily found a large seat and planted my behind in it, strapping myself in for what promised to be a wild ride. Looking out the window, I was relieved to see that this planet was green, indicating the likeliness of plant life, and thus breathable air. Unfortunately, what I could not see from this distance was signs of habitation, but that wasn’t unusual. Typically, unless you were looking at the dark side of the Earth, it was hard to notice anyone living there if you looked through the naked eye from space.

  I felt the craft rocking slightly as we entered the atmosphere, like turbulence on a plane ride that just kept getting worse and worse. Unlike the shuttle or the cruiser, this escape pod didn’t seem to be equipped with the same level of inertial dampener. Thinking such, I rated my odds of entry without injury as rather poorly. “Sorry, Celeste…” I said as I looked down to the watch, an ide
a coming to mind.

  “What do you mean–” She tried to answer, before I quickly used as much mana as I could muster to wrap around the small wristband. Jarl had said I would need to be able to completely suppress the aura of a magical item before I could transport it into the grove, but I had to at least try. Celeste was powered by my aura, so I gave myself decent odds of success. And sure enough, a moment later the bracelet vanished from my wrist. Briefly entering my grove, I made sure she landed safely on the ground, rather than getting planted somewhere. Though, her hologram appeared above the bracelet a moment later.

  “Oh come on! This is so not fair!” She yelled out to the empty air, drawing the attention of the two birds. It’s a small world, after all. “Come on, Falenel!” She pouted, seeing that I wasn’t bringing her back out. But, if she were to become damaged or broken in the inevitable crash, that would suck royally. I was actually enjoying her company, and didn’t want to lose her like that.

  Briefly, I realized that being able to put her into my grove meant that I could take her with me now when I logged out, which made me smile slightly before I went back into panic mode. Since I used most of my mana to put Celeste in my grove, I didn’t have enough to activate the Aspect of the Armored Beast. I could only ride out the turbulence and pray that nothing broke.

  …

  Fun fact, I’ve never actually been in a crashing escape pod, even in the science fiction games I had played before. I had expected the entire process to be over in a matter of seconds. However, the ride to the ground took far longer, as the view outside the craft became red for a short while and the turbulence grew to new heights. I was starting to worry that the escape pod might shatter before even hitting the ground, when it slowly began dying down. After about five minutes, there was barely any turbulence left.

  Looking out the window, I could more clearly see the ground approaching, though it still looked some distance away. The red haze that had appeared had entirely vanished, and I could only shake my head as I called Celeste back to my wrist. Immediately, the holographic woman flared to life as I felt the metal return to its normal place. “Now, you listen here!” She began, raising her hand to point at me accusingly. “Don’t just go sending me off at the first sign of danger! We’re supposed to be partners, aren’t we?”

  I sighed, shaking my head with an embarrassed smirk. “Yeah, sorry. Didn’t want you to get broken if we crashed. And I really was expecting a crash.” I looked back outside, and she seemed to understand we hadn’t landed yet.

  Celeste let out a huff at that. “Well… as long as you understand, it’s fine. But you put me in your grove! That means I can visit your world, right?” She suddenly looked to me, her previous anger having completely vanished, instead replaced by a hopeful expression.

  I chuckled, and if she had a physical body I would be patting her head by now. “Yes, yes, don’t worry. Next time I go back I’ll take you with me. Satisfied?” After I asked that, she nodded happily before fading back into my wrist. I looked out the window again, and saw that the ground was becoming very close. In just a few more seconds, we’d land and find out what our situation is.

  Sure enough, a moment later there was a dull thud as we gently touched down. I didn’t know what kind of propulsion the pod had used to counteract the fall, or if it had been some kind of magic, but whatever it was, I was just glad that I was still in one piece. “Computer, do you have any information about this planet?”

  A moment later, the mechanical voice rang out. “Negative. Planet not registered in data banks. Conclusion, either an unexplored planet, or one of dangerous origin.”

  I did not like the sound of that. “Explain dangerous origin, and give an example.”

  “A planet which is extremely inhospitable or possesses particularly threatening circumstances may be removed from data banks to prevent discovery. Example, sentient worlds capable of draining the life of any creature that lands on them.”

  Now I really didn’t like the sounds of that. “Has such a planet been found before…?”

  “…Unknown. If such a planet has been discovered, it has been removed from data banks due to dangerous origin.” Now I felt a bit silly for asking.

  “Alright… next question. This thing should have sensors, since it was able to find the planet. Is the air outside breathable by my species? Also, what is the standard rescue protocol for situations such as this?” Both were very important questions. If I was expected to stay in the pod until help arrived, I needed to know this.

  “Scans show that the atmosphere outside is capable of sustaining your species. Alliance policy for rescue attempts, in the event of a hostile faction capturing or destroying a ship, and escape pods successfully reaching an uninhabited world. Survivors are strongly recommended to remain near their escape pods until help arrives. In the event this proves impossible they are suggested to remove a portable beacon from the pod to ensure easy retrieval. Should it be impossible to send ships to rescue, a summoning ritual will take place on the nearest inhabited world to rescue survivors.”

  So, as long as I take the beacon with me, I’m guaranteed to be safe one way or the other. Thinking of something, I decided to ask. “Does the beacon work when placed in the inventory?” I didn’t want to have to carry around a homing beacon while also worrying about fighting off monster attacks.

  “Affirmative. After forty eight hours, if a rescue has not yet occurred, the summoning ritual will be initiated at the nearest inhabited world. At that time, all survivors will be relocated and capable of reporting to the rescue team.”

  I sighed, nodding my head. If I needed to, I could theoretically stay in this pod for as long as I had to. Between the food in my grove, and my ability to logout when nature called, I could sustain myself for well more than two days. However… I looked at the door to the escape pod. There was adventure just outside that door! Worst case scenario, I die and respawn back on X-23, no big deal. “Computer, where is the beacon?’

  A small compartment opened up next to my seat, containing a palm sized metal object. Taking the object, I placed it in my inventory before unstrapping myself from the seat and getting up. After taking out my pistol and beam saber, I moved over to the door and had the computer open it. “Celeste, keep an eye out for any signs of movement, and alert me to anything you consider a danger to my health.”

  Suddenly, my entire body was highlighted in my Cybernetic eye with the same yellow light that Celeste always used. “…Very funny…” I heard a small giggle before the light faded, and the door to the pod opened. Outside, the area was a vast jungle, with there being only a small clearing around myself caused by the pod landing. Turning around, I was able to get a good look at my escape pod for the first time. It was big, roughly five meters in diameter, and six tall with a cone shape. On the side was the word Nostromo, likely referring to the ship that it came from.

  Returning my attention to the jungle, I prepared myself to be assaulted by random fluffy, scaled, fuzzy, slimy, or scraggly menaces. However, much to my disappointment, nothing arrived. Celeste was even unable to see any animals nearby. Aside from the plants, there was absolutely no sign of life from anything. I don’t like this…

  I began to inch my way back to the escape pod, when the ground suddenly began to shake, as if an earthquake had appeared. Looking back at the pod, I saw the ground splitting below it, and instinct said that the pod was currently the least safe place I could possibly be. I hurriedly activated my Aspect of the Bird to grow the angel wings and flew off into the sky, just in time to see a sight I really wish I could forget.

  Beneath the pod, the ground opened up, roots and vines flailing. Beneath the surface, the plant life writhed as if with a mind of its own, grabbing onto the pod and pulling it down into a giant circular, green maw that appeared below it. I watched as the plants ripped apart the metal escape pod, destroying it in seconds before the ground slowly closed up.

  “Celeste…”

  “Yeah…?”

 
“I don’t like this world.”

  I heard an audible gulp from the AI at my wrist. “If it makes you feel any better… I don’t think it likes us either.”

  Chapter 39: A World of Green

  After watching the ground literally consume my escape pod, I couldn’t help but gulping slightly. In my mind, I was very thankful for the fact that I had grabbed the beacon before leaving the pod, or else I would be well and truly stranded here. “Okay… let’s just hope that not every plant is hungry… I can’t keep flying for two days straight.”

  Saying that, I flew down closer to the ground, but refused to land on it. Instead, I used my Aura Sight and Mana Sense to scan the nearby trees, making sure to watch for any that might attack me. In all the games I’ve played before, I can honestly say I’ve never had to be afraid of a forest because of its trees.

  Flight has increased to Basic!

  As my Mana Sense swept over them, a few plants reacted by throwing their branches at me, or vines sweeping out. However, none responded except for the ones I scanned. So, I simply dealt with the branches and vines that attacked by withdrawing my Mana Sense and dodging away. Near as I could tell, the plants had two methods of sensing ‘prey’. The first, and also the way it found the pod, would be through a form of tremorsense. Something big and metal landing on the ground likely alerted all the big baddies in the neighborhood to come to a dinner party.

  Said big baddies were probably still lurking underground, so I most definitely was not going to land on the grass. Instead, I kept scanning trees until I began to notice a pattern. All of the trees that decided to attack me had a far more complex aura than the ‘docile’ trees. Though, not all of the docile trees had the same simple auras, making me think that some were waiting to trap me.