《Behemoth - HIATUS》Chapter 1 - New World
Advertisement
Pressure from everywhere. Shortness of breath. Overpowering stench. Many things around - wet and pliable but constricting.
He tried to push against the wet and pliable things but they wouldn't budge. All he could do was wriggle. First only his fingers and toes, then with some effort his hands and feet and finally, after straining for breath, his torso.
Panting and feeling faint from the effort he rested. Panic was rising now. He realised his eyes had been open for some time but there was only darkness.
The stench was of rotting flesh. He knew that instinctively. The knowledge and stench combined to force his bile up and he retched, but there was nothing in his stomach. He was thankful for that - in his constrained position the vomit would have dribbled all over his face. Small mercies.
Panic was rising rapidly now. He was surrounded by dead bodies. But more than that...he was stuck...stuck! Some deeply held fear rose within him suddenly and he screamed and cried out struggling, struggling to get some room for his limbs or even to allow him to twist his head or body.
His thrashing became more severe as the panic engulfed him. He had to get out...had to get out...had to get out!
Finally, his right foot hit pushed hard enough against some...thing...which snapped audibly. Audibly...at least he could hear if not see. He frantically pushed and pushed making the space for his right foot larger and larger. Something lying on his abdomen shifted a bit from the pushing and he twisted his torso like a sidewinder.
There it was! Some give! His continuing panic made him seize on the opportunity mindlessly and he renewed his efforts. Adrenaline drove him forward brutally.
After what felt like hours, he had managed to position himself in a sort of crouch in an orientation which he instinctively knew was the right side up. After some more struggling he was able to bring his arms close to his body.
Advertisement
The shortness of breath was tangible now. Some part of his brain told him that one couldn't possibly survive in such a situation without suffocating eventually. This renewed his panic and he started clawing and pushing into the dead bodies frantically. Slowly, slowly his body inched upwards. But too slowly. His vision was becoming hazy and his heart was hammering in his chest.
Then, out of the darkness, a sliver of light. At first he thought he had imagined it but it was the only hope he could cling to so he drove towards it.
The beam grew stronger and broader, breaths came easier and the compression from the bodies eased. Exultation! Drawing on his receding panic and adrenaline and on his utmost reserves of energy he pushed his head through the rotting barrier and inhaled deeply. He fainted.
He awoke and his eyes were assaulted by green and his ears by buzzing. As he groggily looked around, he realised he was still entrapped in the pile of bodies from neck down. A vestige of his earlier panic resurfaced and he frantically extricated his shoulders, then his arms and then with an almighty push which, threatened to tear him in two, his torso and legs.
Spent with effort, his arms gave way and he tumbled down a rough hill. Bruised and aching he came to stop splayed out on his back. He breathed in calming breaths.
The sky framed by the tops of green trees was a vivid blue. Small black objects moved in and out of his vision....flies...he recalled. He lay there motionless.
When his heart had calmed and he could feel some strength return to his arms, he twisted and pushed himself off the ground and with shaky legs stood.
Something was wrong....the ground seemed far away. Too far away. He looked up and looked straight at one of the upper boughs of a nearby tree. Vertigo hit him and he stumbled backwards, just barely managing to catch his balance before he fell.
Advertisement
Spell Crafter's Journey
A professor of physics disillusioned with bureaucracy associated with academia becomes transmigrated into the world of magic and rediscovers his love for research in the field of spell crafting.
8 149Bingo
In a broken kingdom full of crises and wars, there is a boy who dreams of becoming king someday
8 195Beast King now a Mage
A mammoth of a man a cultivator comparable to the Beast Kings of nature joins a gathering of other regional leaders and powerhouses for dinner. He didn’t care much about the topics to be discussed he came simply for the alcohol and food and to see a few old friends. However he noticed some of those friends slumping out their chairs and falling to the ground, he joined them in short order as well. Death from poison? That was offensive, he’d always imagined his death in battle. As his consciousness entered the void he heard some sort of crying it probably an ancestor waiting for him? Instead a giant red haired female monster grabbed him! Where am I?
8 221A God's Purpose
For ages, the Great Tree was content to simply bask in the sun and feed on the earth, but then one day, it saves a young child's life when she was being pursued by a bandit. Henceforth worshiped as a God by the girl’s village, the Great Tree must protect his newfound followers from a multitude of threats, and in doing so unearths not only ancient secrets about the world it calls home, but also learns more about its own true nature.
8 54The Void Dungeon
The new dungeon has spawned in the void and has to grow stronger to survive.
8 193Getting Hard (Journey of a Tank)
Herald Stone always built tank characters in every MMORPG he played. To be immortal—that was his first Goal, a simple childhood dream. However, the turbulent realities of life put an end to his gaming days. Years passed, and Herald Stone, now having attained success and stability, was presented with the opportunity to redeem himself...to fulfill his first Goal. Trivial? Childish? Others might think so. But Herald Stone always fulfilled his Goals—every single one. No matter what. Immortality beckoned in Mother Core Online, and this time Herald Stone would answer. Choosing a long-forgotten race, hidden away in an unknown region, the journey of an immortal tank begins. This is the tale of Herald Stone...getting hard. Schedule: Mon-Wed-Fri ~1.8k-2.3k words per chapter. Also published on Scribblehub. My other ongoing story: REND | Royal Road Expect a focus on building a true tank in MMORPGs. Heavy game elements and numbers are present. But actual math will take a backseat to strategies involving skill builds and synergies that steadily become more complex while remaining understandable. The main character is atypical in LitRPGs or web novels as a whole. He might take some getting used to. Character arcs will develop over a long period. What you see now will be different as the main character changes. The start of Getting Hard is slow-paced (more so than others of the genre) and includes world-building and character development before focusing on the LitRPG.
8 250