Well, I guess that explains all of the skill levels I’ve gotten over the last couple days… it almost feels like cheating. Although, is cheating while you had no idea you were cheating really cheating? Actually, do I give a shit? Nope, I don’t think I do.

All I’ve done in the last few days is either get richer or more powerful. Which I am going to need a stupid amount of both to prove that the right person, given the resources, can change the world through an unshakable sense of self… and a healthy dose of paranoia. Well, I have a ways before I have to worry about someone I trust poisoning me… I think.

There is probably a lot of news that I should catch up on, but screw it. I decide to spend just enough time to read the wiki on Mexican Axolotl to be informed on what that serum was based on. That’s all I have the patience to do though. It’s been almost a week straight of having some kind of horrible injury. Well, I hope I’m healed… I may actually kill Liber if he lied to me. Eh, nevermind. I think that would just hurt me in the long run.

I insert the spinal implant into the base of my skull, and lay back into my bed, falling into the game.

As I come to, I realize I have never been this fucking hungry in my life. I look around, and see that half-eaten nutritional brick. I start biting off the largest chunks my mouth could fit. It’s dried out some, which makes it feel like half-dried cardboard… but this is the best damn thing I’ve ever eaten. After I finish it, I have a moment of feeling full, but then I realize I am thirstier than I’ve ever been in my life. I can actually feel the moisture leaving my mouth. I honestly feel like I might die if I don’t get water NOW. I run out to the nearest water barrel, and I dip my head under. I take in huge gulps of water until the thirst subsides. That had to be at least a gallon of water I gulped down. As I look around, I see the water barrel on the porch of the building I slept in… I look down to see a horse’s water trough. Then I notice the horse just staring at me from the next trough over.

“Don’t fucking judge me. At least I don’t have to worry about eating myself to death if I get fed too much… I think.” My stomach is hurting pretty bad right now…

After I drank a few shots of rum to help my body kill whatever bacteria I drank, I head towards Mrs. Brown’s. As I’m traveling through the town, I notice a huge difference in how people treat me. Children now point and stare, instead of running away. As for adults, I only got a glance at most. I’m just glad that people don’t find me horrifying, but I do wish I had a mirror. A child’s scream breaks my train of thought. At first I thought it might have been just kids playing, but then I hear it again… there is a definite note of terror in that scream. Mrs Brown will just have to wait.

As I’m sprinting towards the screaming, I relish in the feeling of flexing my legs, willing myself faster. Being on a ship for so long didn’t leave me much opportunity to run, but I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been this fast. I’m going so fast, that I can’t stop as a group of players grouped up into a tight crowd appears. I end up slamming into them, scattering them like a human bowling ball. I pick myself up, and I look at what I just broke up. At the center of the sprawled out players, there is a little girl. She is battered, bleeding, and terrified, and curled up into a ball crying.

The first player to get up starts looking around in confusion until he sees me, “Who the hell are you? Why would you ruin our fun like that?”

Wait, did I just hear that right, “What do you mean fun?”

“You know, beating the hell out of NPCs. It’s hilarious to watch how they react. It’s so realistic!”

I just snapped after looking at the little girl in that kinda shape for such a stupid reason. I sprint up to him, feigning a punch, but actually kicking the side of his knee. I hear a soft ‘pop’ as the ligaments in his knee tear.

“AHHHH, FUCK! My leg, my fucking leg. Why the fuck would you do that?”

“I wanted to see how realistic your reaction would be. Although, that might have been a fluke. I better make sure with the rest of you.”

I take a few steps back and pull the khukri knives from my sheathe on my back. As soon as they come out, the other players start to freak out.

One of them points at me with a look of recognition, “Oh shit… is that Utah? Let’s kill him! We could be famous overnight!”

Another player holds up her hands, “Fuck that, I’ve seen some clips of that crazy mother fucker. I’m out.”

I reach deep to find my best authoritative voice, “Everybody stop. Some of you might wanna walk away from this, but you didn’t give this little girl that choice. Do you honestly believe I’m going to let any of you walk away? But, don’t worry, I’m not going to kill any of you.”

I slide the blade of my khukri across the inside of my forearm. As the blood starts to flow, I feel myself sink into the first level of my blood high. I drop both kuhkris behind me.

I break my gaze from the blood flowing down my arm. Looking up, smiling from the power I feel surging, “I’m not going to use my blades either… I want to hurt you with my hands. I want to feel your bones break.”

Some of the players pale at my words, some of the scoff at them, and some of them get angry. But, every single one of them pulls out some kind of blade. Well, besides for the guy on the ground beside me. He just cowers in the dirt like an earthworm. Ooohh, earthworms sound tasty right now… wait, what the fuck? Why did I just think that?

Before I can contemplate that weird-ass thought, the biggest player makes a move. His dreadlocks swing back and forth as he stutter steps towards me. He stabs at me with the 12 inch dagger in his left hand. I bend my torso to the side, pinning his hand against my chest with my left arm. I bring my fist across, slamming it into his locked elbow. I feel the ligaments pop as his elbow gets destroyed. He falls down to his knee, and I take the chance to rip the same arm out of socket at his shoulder. The tearing I feel from his shoulder is so damn satisfying.

I leave him screaming in the dirt as I walk up to the remaining six players. A guy and a girl run up to try to stab me from two different sides. I deflect the guy’s knife, but just barely move out of the way as the girl’s knife continues into her friends chest. I stomp down on her overextended lead leg, causing her knee to fold backwards. I slam my elbow into her temple knocking her unconscious.

The player that wanted to run earlier pointed at me accusingly, “ I thought you said you weren’t going to kill us! He just got stabbed near the heart! He’ll never survive that…”

I just give her a confused look, “I didn’t kill him.” I point to the girl I just knocked out, “She stabbed him, not me.”

A look of horror spread across her face just before she turns to run. I lunge grabbing her ponytail, and jerking her towards me while I kick her lower back as hard as I can. I feel her spine pop under my boot.

She hits the ground like a sack of bricks. As she starts trying to get up, she start to scream, “I can’t feel my legs! I can’t move my legs.”

I look up from her, smiling at the remaining two players. Both of them drop to their knees as they both start begging for mercy. I walk up to them, and put my hands on their heads, “Don’t worry guys. I forgive you.”

As I feel them both relax, I slam their heads together as hard as I can, “Psych.”

The both land face first into the ground… with both of their skulls caved in a few inches, “Fuck, I ended up killing two of them.”

About that time I notice a squelching noise behind me. I turn around to see the battered little girl beating the first player’s face in with a huge rock.

“Damn kid, I think you got him.”

She turns around with tears in her eyes, and she gives me a nod. Then she slams the rock back down, leaving it lodged into his mushy face.

I raise my eyebrows, “Well, remind me not to fuck with you kid.”