I was walking. I didn't know how or why, but I could feel my body move. After a few moments, my vision came back. I saw a dark, unlit alleyway in front of me. Garbage bags on the ground, and some ridiculous graffiti on a wall. It depicted a cock with a knife sticking in the tip and blood spraying everywhere. Lovely. I tried to shake my head, but it didn't respond. Stopping didn't work either.

What the hell was going on? Panic began kicking in, and I tried to struggle, but there was nothing to struggle against.

A soft, familiar feminine voice said something beside me. I couldn't understand the words, but my head turned of its own accord, and I stared into the beautiful brown eyes of Sandra. Seeing her caused a rush of emotions, and I wanted to draw her in for a hug. My body didn't respond. Instead, my own voice replied in the same odd language, and Sandra scowled nastily. It looked so odd on her face that it stunned me. Was that even Sandra?

My vision swirled as my head turned back forward, and I noticed we were coming up on a door. A line of small graffiti art lined it, almost like hieroglyphic glyphs. My hand knocked on the door in an odd pattern. An ambulance's howl pierced through the night as it shot past us and around the corner. It was quickly followed by another and some police cars.

Wondering what could be going on, the door swung open. A haggard old man in a robe stood in the door opening. He stared at us for a moment before asking something in the same language. Was it Italian or French? I'd always been bad at languages. The others replied, and an evil, nasty smile came to the old man's face. My body shivered, and as soon as it did, the old man snapped its attention on me. He snapped something at me, and my hand rose in a calming gesture.

> Are you in here, human?

My own mind formed words against my will, and an unfamiliar voice echoed through the confines of my mind. I shivered again, but this time from disgust.

> There you are! Did you die already? You really are a sad little human. I told the others Humanity was pathetic not just because of their weak physical shells, and you've proved me right.

I shivered again, the only movement my body seemed willing to make on my behalf. Sad little human? Where had I heard that… The tutorial AI!

> Yes… tutorial AI, that is me. But how about you call me Grandmaster Desero?

Something like a soft laugh came from my body, and the old man and Sandra snapped something at the same time. Desero, or whoever the person or AI in my mind was, waved with my hand again. The sensation of my body moving while I didn't move it was almost as disconcerting as having a voice in my head.

> As thanks for being the first to fail, I'll grant you a quick look at the future of this world before I stamp out the vestiges of your neural activity!

The image before my eyes changed, and with a stomach-lurching sensation, my perception rushed up until I hung high above the ground. A vast wasteland of volcanoes and destroyed cities lay below me. Red and black clouds moved through the sky, bolts of red lightning striking down. Skeletons the size of buildings lay everywhere, while small specs moved between. In the distance was a massive skyscraper. Gleaming metal, it formed a stark contrast with the hellscape around it.

The image swirled, turning and zooming in on the skyscraper until I hung right above it. Below me kneeled masses of beings, closely packed together in a circle around a raised dais. They were chanting the same unfamiliar words over and over again. They reminded me of demons straight from hell. Red skinned, with tails and black horns curving up, their faces held no emotion. Their movements were so as one; it almost seemed fake.

On the daise in the middle stood an immense metal adorned skull. Horned and with a crack running along the top, it was yellow, the metal parts rusted and ancient-looking. I could see cogs, odd wires, and things that vaguely reminded me of circuit boards through the crack. As the chanting continued, a soft glow emanated from the beings, and thin, translucent red energy lines burst from them, connecting to the skull.

As more and more lines connected to it, a shudder ran through the skull, and the energy began converging in the eyes. Metallic receptors lining the rusty insides began glowing, and a bright light shined from the crack in the skull. A high pitched whine sounded from the skull as the jaw widened. A reddish portal formed between the massive jaws, and on it, a picture formed—a picture I recognized from movies and photos.

A long red bridge, cars driving to and fro. I'd never been there, but I knew where it was. They were looking at Earth. The view began changing as if whatever was watching through the eyes of the skull was searching for something. Vistas changed as the countryside, cities and seas flashed by at an impossible speed.

Then it stopped, the image of the dark alley reappearing, jarring and sudden.

> Beautiful prospect, isn't it? The voice in my mind asked before sighing softly.

> Either way, that's it for you, sad, sad little human.

Something pressed against me, against my mind. It shoved me around, compressing my mind. It hurt! Not the pain of cutting your finger or stubbing your toe. No, it was a deep pain of the mind, hard to describe, but if I could have screamed, I would have.

> Take this knowledge along to the great cloud in the sky! The voice said with a snarl this time.

Smaller and smaller was I compressed, my mind fading, coherent thought impossible. Then something shocked through my mind, and I was yanked away from my body. I thought I heard a scream of rage in the distance, but I couldn't be sure.

With a shock, I sat up, banging my head against something.

"Damn you, fool! Are you trying to kill me?" A voice cursed.

Looking around, I saw I was in the hollow beneath the trees. Dead Wirgs lay sprawled around me, and the scent of blood permeated the air. Beside me stood the massive Grablon, blood splattered across his leather jerkin. He was rubbing his jaw while glaring at me.

Raising my hands, all four of them, I felt my throat and face. They were a bit tender but whole.

"Wha…?" I blurted, my voice cracking in the end.

"I saved your life, that's what!" The Grablon said, staring at me. "Almost regretting it now! And twice I might add! You owe me a potion of regeneration!"

Seeing a small flask on the ground beside me, I blinked. Had what I saw been real, or… No! I shook my head. There was no sense in deluding myself. It had been real, and that meant that I was stuck here, wherever here was. Sucking in a breath, I looked around. This wasn't a game? Looking up at the Grablon, who was frowning, probably due to my odd behavior, I swallowed.

Didn't that mean all of the things I'd done, the risks I had taken could have gotten me killed for real? Wait, did that mean all of the people who were playing the game were somewhere on this continent in a similar situation? I had to warn them!

Struggling up, I looked down at the bloodied ax beside me. I remembered the ping just before my throat was torn out and summoned my status.

> By repeated use of the Ax both as a tool, in offense and in defense, the skill 'Ax mastery' is unlocked

> First skill unlock! Skill section unlocked for status window

> Derived Strength: 5

> Derived Dexterity: 6

> Derived Constitution: 5

> Derived Intelligence: 4

> Derived Common sense: 1

> Derived Charisma 1

> Total mass: 70 KG

> Current weight: 70 KG

Active attributes: (Easily changed)

> 10/11: Muscle mass

> 01/40: Fat

> 09/12: Coordination

> 10/10: Stamina

> 03/10: Learning rate

> 45/99: Knowledge

> 02/10: Beauty

> 00/99: Grooming

> 02/20: Well spoken

Skills (Learned)

> 1/4

> Ax master 1/10

Seeing the skill section with Ax mastery almost made me yell in triumph. Noticing that I could select it, I immediately did.

Skills

> Skill represents the level of proficiency the user has with them

> Every skill in this list grants additional bonuses

> Ax mastery passive bonuses

> Every level increases maximum attainable muscle mass

> At level 5 and 10 an ability or bonus is unlocked

> 5: Last-ditch effort. When hitpoints drop below ten percent, muscle mass temporarily doubles

> 10: Hitpoint pool increased by ten percent of muscle mass

A silly grin came to my face as I picked up the ax. I didn't notice any difference while wielding it, but that made sense. Most of this game- I blanched, not game, world. Looking around, I shuddered. Most of this world worked by derived abilities. That meant that to get to the second level of ax mastery, I had to actually become better, not the other way around. Looking at the two abilities, I knew I had to figure out my path now before I was too invested. I only had four skills to learn, at least now, and unless that increased somehow, I needed them to synergize.

"Are you addled in the mind?" The Grablon asked, staring at me with a frown.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I pushed my gamer mentality to the background for a moment.

"No. It just occurred to me how stupid it was what I did," I said. Seeing the Grablon snort, I knew he thought I meant the Wirgs. But that wasn't it. I should have taken a suicide approach that had made the chance of a resurrection much larger than what I had. All alone, in the midst of these creepy woods? What was I thinking? I knew what I was thinking of course; I had still thought all of this fake.

"Why are you here, anyway?" I asked, looking at the Grablon.

He sniffed, his inquisitive gaze moving between the downed Wirgs. "The others didn't feel like coming here, but I was born and raised in Cumbert, I know how it can be in a fringe town when a Wirg pack shows up."

Seeing the momentary softness in the tall, ragged Grablons face, I nodded. I had no idea where Cumbert was, but I wasn't about to ask. It would give me more knowledge, something I had to curtail harshly.

"What can I call you?"

The Grablon looked at me for a longer time before shrugging. "So, you really don't remember anything. Not even our most basic customs."

I shook my head.

"Call me Guro; it means elder in our language. If you speak to another who is much older than you from now on, you can call them that. Don't give your true name away… although I presume you don't even know or have one?"

Another shake, and he sighed.

"I have no time to teach you. When you get the chance, head back to Gramanite and find the Elderlings. They will help you either regain or claim a name. Make sure you do so, or you will find purchasing new skills or magic to be… almost impossible. Nobody will sell to a nameless."

Guro bent down and grabbed one of the dead Wirgs by the back of its neck, lifting it easily. A moment later, he had four, one in each arm. Then he turned to me.

"Claim your kills, and take them to Agga. Pray she is willing to make you boots and a tunic, or you will not survive the winter." Taking a look at my ax, he shook his head and snorted.

"And get a better weapon, a sword or dagger. To gain any combat mastery with an ax is impossible for our race."

He turned away and dragged the four Wirgs with him. I followed his departure, stunned as I thought of the Ax mastery I had just gained. It had only taken me a few days of practice and a few kills to gain it, but from his words, it was clear that it shouldn't have happened at all. There must be a reason for that, but it also gave me an advantage. If nobody expected me to wield it properly, it meant I could get the drop on them.

Taking a quick look at the Ax, I decided I did need a better one, though. The wood was old, and the bite marks of the Wirg made a part of it rough. The blade was dull and thin from sharpening it many times.

Looking at the remaining Wirg, I grabbed it as Guro had. It was heavy, but I could barely lift it. Seeing as I could increase my muscle mass a little more, I decided just to drag it as far as I could.

Moving out of the hollow, I took a last look around. Five Wirgs, that left one. I wondered where it was. Shaking my head, I walked back to town. I needed to come up with a plan to find Sandra and warn her. I had to warn them all!