1.2

He died in the game. Aesa was certain of it. But to be standing alive with his life intact was nothing short of a miracle. Even now, as he re-examined himself, he still could not believe how he had managed to escape death with a spear buried right in the middle of his chest.

What the actual fuck just happened back then?

PLEASE WAIT. WE ARE TRYING TO RECONNECT YOU. That announcement happened.

During a press conference some time ago, Aesa clearly remembered from that one panel interview where the developers explicitly pronounced the alpha rule of Grum's Labyrinth: You die, You're out. And with over 3.6 billion competing players all over the red planet, the developers thought that it was only fair to separate the chaff from the wheat this way. Their vision for the game was to mirror reality in a sense. Survival of the fittest. Life in the real had the kind of dog eats dog rule. So, why should the virtual world be any different?

Sure. Point taken. The developers did present a valid argument there. However, from Aesa's perspective, it was simply too brutal to kill off defenseless players upon spawning. It seemed too unfair. There was a merit to this method--- to weed out the fodders right from the get go. That a player should adapt fast or else they'd be left behind. But what if you were slow to adapt? So, it's goodbye then? See you outside? Should a game necessarily had to mirror what reality should be when there were tons of other good alternatives out there which were less unfair? Will this be the kind of game that would rely heavily on luck henceforth?

Good thing that I'm a lucky freak. That’s how he had described himself after barely surviving his first ordeal. Lucky because he stumbled upon a free token of second chance. Then freak because... well... he was sort of a reanimated skeleton now. An undead. And Aesa couldn't get more literal than that.

Aesa was now fleshless. Like an exposed walking calcium deposit from head to toe. And despite being all bones, he was still alive (although in a different sense). Albeit much lighter, he was able to move the same exact way he did back when he was still human. Aesa noticed too that he was more agile than usual. Plus, he felt terrific. Freedom from the flesh, I guess? Come to think of it, their Sunday School pastor was right after all. Although this was much more on the literal kind of sense than spiritual. Aesa couldn't help but laugh internally.

The only major concern that had been bothering Aesa since his resurrection was the question of whether his transformation was in fact legal or wasn't. For all he knew, this uncanny mutation could be a game anomaly. A bug. He had a feeling that the GM's (Game Master's) might hunt him down soon and then exterminate him like a vermin. Or it could be that this was all part of the games grand scheme. Maybe he was not the only one who had undergone this kind of special transformation. That there were others like him too out there. Puzzled just as he is. But for now, the question will remain unanswered.

Wrapped in a thick rickety gray blanket, the wool was big enough to cover all of Aesa's peculiar appearance. This'll do for now. He was sheltering from the heavy rain inside of what looked to be an abandoned shallow cave. There were signs of creatures previously inhabiting the space. Whether they're human or otherwise, Aesa wasn't sure. It was a mystery as to why the previous tenants abandoned the place. Regardless, Aesa didn’t care. What was only important to him was that the shelter afforded him safe refuge against the deluge. Plus, it didn’t hurt that he was able to secure some improvised reaper mantle for him to try on. He somewhat resembled Death, so might as well look the part too. If only he

had a scythe to complete the ensemble, the cosplay would have appeared more impactful. What was funny though was that even as an undead, Aesa could actually feel the cold creep in. What a weak ass Grim Reaper he'd turn out to be. Weird.

Morning broke. The rain had stopped. And yet he was still there. Existing. Undeleted. So, I guess the GM's are not coming to execute me afterall? Aesa assumed. With an ultra-sophisticated super computer backing the game, it would be laughable if Grum's Security Team wouldn't be able to catch a tiny insignificant bug (granted that he was) like him. It would be detrimental to their reputation to say the least if they couldn't. That would show their incompetence. And Cirrus Games wouldn't dare put themselves in such a predicament. While taking the GM's indifference as a cue, Aesa figured that he may still be able to steal that one coveted spot out of the one hundred seats being offered. 'I guess turning into an undead is legal? If they're not after me, then maybe they're giving me a pass?' But first things first, he needed to find the safe zone. He needed to figure out where the others were. The only question was— how?

Wandering around the forest weaponless was like asking for your enemy to come and kill you with your own knife. Aesa knew, that in order to find the safe zone, he needed a weapon to protect himself first. It was unfortunate though that this cave didn’t have any. So, Aesa had to grab the next closest thing--- the kobold spear! Since the game didn’t provide them any provision for food nor any beginner weapon for that matter, he needed to step up and be resourceful. Where did I drop that thing again?

Stealthily and steadily Aesa retraced his steps from last night. One could get easily lost around these parts of the expanded labyrinth, but Aesa was confident with his navigation. All he needed to do was follow the parted grass that he created from the time when he was fleeing. That path should lead him to where he needed to be. And after trekking for almost an hour--- There you are! Aesa had finally came face to face with his bane yet again. Yes. It was the same spear that offered him to the Reaper last night. And yet here he was today, fetching the very weapon that spelled his demise. To be honest, he had no other choice on the matter. If it was only up to his feelings, he would choose not to pick up this thing ever again. The mental trauma was reason enough not to. However, he needed to succeed. Thus, Aesa chose survivability over 'phobia'.

Picking up the spear where he keeled over, he noticed the blood that was still there painted on the stone slab. Splashes of red liquid highlighted the carvings written on the slab. The markings looked runic and for whatever purpose it served, Aesa didn't have the slightest clue.

A slight rustle from the bush to his right made Aesa jump. A monster? He thought. Aesa waited for a few seconds to see if something or someone would come out of the greenery to maul him. He gripped his spear in anticipation.

Aesa made his decision. Whatever creature might come out of the thicket, he swore that he was going to fight it with all of his strength! This undead will not take any bullshit starting today.

Two minutes became five, yet the 'attacker' never came. Maybe it got scared? Who knows? What was important at the moment was he could now finally loosen his fighting stance and relax. He then loosen his grip on the spear. I need to get out of here... fast. I'm a sitting duck out here.

Aesa was quick to retreat. It didn't took long before he found himself huddled inside of his unofficial lair yet again. All that walking made him terribly hungry. Wait... just wait a f@/

Aesa just realized... the game was starting to screw with him. How was he supposed to eat when he doesnt have the parts for it?

Satiety. He thought for sure that he wont be bothered by this part anymore due to his special cirscumstance. However, it just came biting him in the ass when he least expected it. Problem was, there wasn't any sort of hint for someone like him on how could satisfy it. No tutorial whatsoever. Blatantly, the game was simply leaving him to fend for himself. It was practically asking him to die a lepers death. It seemed ironic that the game went through so much trouble into ressurecting him and yet it was throwing him under the bus in the end. Keh. What am I supposed to do, suck a soul?

And then it hit him. Like a sort of an ephipany. It's a crazy idea but it might actually work. Aesa was suddenly hopeful. He had the crazy open jaw smile that only a skeleton could deliver. Now, where do I shop for a soul or two?