He’d planned on having something to eat ready for him, had trusted that he’d have more time to get used to things. But thank to a few miserable rodents, fat with stolen meat as they scurried around, he was on the verge of starvation. Swearing, he kicked the remains of the dwarf into the water, watching as it was swept away, its remaining residents fleeing the body as it sank.

As if on cue, his stomach roared at him again, almost sending him to his knees. He could feel his body already starting to look for energy where it could, ripping through what little fat his body had. Dave knew he had to find something, someone, to eat. And fast.

Climbing back to the surface, he quickly considered what he had to work with, and the results didn’t impress him. He had the clothes on his back and a few dozen silver coins, neither of which would get him very far. He’d left the guitar he’d been given back at the Swill, which seemed like a good idea at the time, but now he wished he had it, even to use as a club. So what else did he have at his disposal? A mockerman was supposed to be able to feed in cities according to what he’d been told, so what could he do with just his talents?

And with that a plan began to form.

Moving out to the edge of the alley, he sat down and looked at the crowds moving through the market. Most people were travelling in groups, instantly removing them from his radar, since it would still be an effort to deal with one person, let alone several. That left him with individuals, which came in a few types that he could see. Some strode through the crowds like they owned the place, either dressed in finery or heavily armed. When these elite figures moved other people got out of the way without even realising it. And while he found himself salivating at the look of them, he knew they were out of his reach for now. That sort didn’t care about their surrounding for good reason, since nothing around here could touch them.

Then there were the one who sprinted through with determination, messengers or delivery people. They had a very clear goal in mind and nothing seemed likely to distract them from it, even the street vendors didn’t bother offering them anything on their way past. And even if he could grab o0e of them, someone would definitely come looking for them when they didn’t arrive at their destination.

Next came the beggars and urchins. They sat still in rags hoping for pity, or darted amongst the crowd, doing favours or snatching purses. They were loners, unseen, unwanted and people no one would miss. But...

Something about it felt wrong to him. These people had literally nothing, and were unlikely to rise any higher in their lives. The system had created them this way, it was supposed to be like this, but did that entitle him to look down on them? To take their lives entirely? If he was desperate, which admittedly he was, then they’d make for a suitable target, but fortunately there was another type available.

The sort of people who would shove past people while thinking they were untouchable. People who would complain and loudly demand discounts on prices, simply because they wanted it. People who would break simple laws just because they didn’t think they should apply to them. And, above all, people who were prone to make stupid decisions at even the smallest hint of a reward.

In short, players. And while there was no actual way to tell the difference between a player and an npc, some stuck out like a sore thumb.

“Give me a quest.”

“What? I don't”

“Stop. You, give me a quest.”

“Excuse me? Are you talking to-”

“Stop. You there, give me a quest...”

Dave had been watching this particular person for a almost ten minutes now, and was slightly amazed at their refusal to admit to themselves that this wasn’t how the game worked. He’d gone to over a hundred people so far since coming to the market, demanded a quest, then cut them off when they didn’t immediately give him one. Which meant he was even more amazed that none of the merchants he’d bothered hadn’t decked him yet. But it did make him an easy to spot target, and one he doubted anyone would miss until they respawned.

Moving further back in to the alley as he waited for his mark to get closer, he began his preparation. First up was his own appearance, since if the player managed to get a good look at him in the attack, whether it succeeded or not, he’d prefer it not to be a face he planned to use again. He’d watched people wandering amongst the stalls, taking note of their features, their stances and body structures. He couldn’t get a good enough look to mimic one of them, but he did end up with an assortment of parts to make a new face with. It was rough, and something he still needed to work on when he had more time, but it was a face that could exist outside of a circus, and hopefully wouldn’t lead back to him.

The next step was to actually set the bait. What had the bard told him? To push the feelings into the music, and in theory they’d carry over. So what emotions does a person use to bring someone in who keeps asking for quests?

Curiosity. Desire. Greed.

Add in some calm so they don’t stress about why they suddenly find thing so interesting and Dave felt like he had something workable. He didn’t have his guitar with him but he still had the instrument he was best with, and felt his vocal chords twisting as he changed them to match the voice of the guard he’d come across the night before, simple and trustworthy. With the preparations ready, he waited until they came within earshot, and began to sing, just loud enough for them to hear.

“Come with me,

And you'll be,

In a world of,

Pure imagination,

Take a look,

And you'll see...”

A few other market goers stopped to listen, but soon tuned it out as simply another busker, the effects seeming to spread only to those he intended it to, a feature likely designed so that a bard wouldn't help the enemy as well as their own team. The target on the other hand looked as though he’d caught a scent, and seemed drawn to the source, a vague look of confusion on his features. After a few moments the player had found him, dressed up in cheap leather armour with a sword at their belt that wouldn’t pass as a kitchen knife. Dave knew what to expect from here, and was ready.

“Give me a quest.” They said impatiently.

“Oh yes, adventurer. Please accept my quest.” He replied in a hopeful tone.

“Finally! God, I thought people said this game was good. What’s the quest.”

“I was buying medicine for my sick mother, but I tripped on the way back and dropped it down into the sewer. I would retrieve it myself, but terrible rats live down there. Please adventurer, kill ten rats and retrieve my mother’s medicine.” He said, trying to keep his voice flat. If this guy wanted to think the game was bad, who was he to tell him otherwise?

“Is there any game that doesn’t start with killing rats? Whatever, I accept, now where’s the entrance to the sewers? Stupid game doesn’t even have a compass...” They muttered to themselves.

“Why, just behind me noble adventurer.” Dave said, pointing to his trusty sewer grate, which sadly we wouldn’t be able to use again for sometime after this. He’d need to find another one in town, preferably in another handy alley.

Any qualms he had left about killing this guy went out the window as they shoved him out of the way before climbing down into the sewer. Shaking his head, Dave asked himself just how dumb this guy was. He hadn’t even offered him a reward or anything, just said the word quest and he was off to the races. It made him wonder what would of happened if he’d asked him to kill someone in the market place instead.

“Peasant!” They shouted up from the bottom of the sewer. “What did this medicine look like? I can’t see anything down here.”

Dave smiled. “Don't worry, I’ll come down and help, if you can keep the rats away from me.”

He heard them groan as he lowered himself into the sewer. “Great, now it’s an escort mission.”

As he went down, he shifted the lid of the manhole, balancing it on the lip and took a deep breath.

“Are you coming down or what?” they demanded from below.

“I am.” He said with determination, tugging the lid to fall shut as he leapt down towards the other player.

It only lasted a moment, but with the adrenaline surging through him it felt like forever, as they looked up in confusion to see him falling towards them, before the lid fell closed and left the sewer in complete darkness. As his vision switched to red glow he was getting used to, he saw them begin to react and begin fumbling for their sword, but by then Dave was on him, landing heavily from above. The impact shook them both, but being ready for it, Dave shrugged it off while the other was stunned for a moment, still not fully understanding what was going on. This gave him just enough time to go for the kill, with the only weapon he had with him.

The human mouth isn’t designed for biting as a defence, the jaw and teeth aren’t set up for it. It’s why it always catches people by surprise, and backfires more often than not when people lose teeth that catch on clothing. But Daves had begun changing back to his true form as soon as the light went out, and his mouth was far from human. With teeth specifically designed to tear through human flesh, he threw himself at his victim, biting deeply into the neck of the other player.

They screamed in pain as he latched on, muffled as he shoved a hand over their mouth. Unable to see, only knowing that they were being attacked, they lashed out blindly, clawing at him as they tried to push him away. But the fight was already won, Dave knew, as he tasted the hot blood rushing down his throat, it was just a matter of waiting until their body realised it too. For a minute they struggled against him as bit down, eating into their throat as they flailed desperately, but their resistance soon weakened until finally their arms dropped completely, the life leaving their body. He held on for a minute longer, half to be sure that it wasn’t a trick and half because he was still trying to process what he’d done.

It was a game, just a bunch of data being poured through his head. None of it was real, and the guy lying in front of him would be swearing and complaining somewhere back in the real world. But when there was blood clinging to his hands, the sounds of someone’s last gasps in the air and the expression of fear and pain on their face? It seemed all too real.

But it was either kill someone else, or let his body eat itself until he died himself, only for it to repeat a day later. Pain wasn’t something he looked forward to, so he was willing to let someone else pay that price.

His stomach growled loudly, the smell of meat this close almost pushing him over the edge. Removing his shirt, he realised it was already splattered with blood, something he’d need to take care of before he wore it again, but at least he could stop it getting worse.

Unable to hold off any longer he dug in, and now that he wasn’t panicking or desperately hanging on to his target, he could appreciate it properly. He’d been right in his thinking, he realised as he tore off huge chunks at a time, in that fresh tasted so much better. The sweetness of the meat accented with the coppery tang of blood still seeping through it, the warmth making it soft as it released a subtle fragrance. He gorged himself, eating every scrap of muscle, chewing through organs, until there were just scraps and bones.

He closed his eyes and let out a long, satisfied breath. “I'm never eating something cold again.” He said, a lazy smile on his face. It didn’t last long as a frown formed when he felt a rush go through his head. Opening up his menu he wondered what had happened this time.

Name: Dave Level: 3

Race: Mockerman Class: Bard (untyped)

Stats: hidden

Skills: Liquid core

Body Shaping - 1

Mockers Voice - 1

Mockers Hunger

Monstrous Nature

Mimics Ear

Perform Skills:

Sing - 4

Guitar - 2

Known Bardic Effects:

Lure

New skill unlocked: Ambush Tactics.

Due to race, this has been converted into Ambush Predator 1.

Increases your physical abilities for five seconds after attacking an unaware opponent. As a mockerman, this effect is doubled if the target sees your true form during the attack.

New skill unlocked: Gourmet.

Due to race, this has been converted into Epicurean Hunter 1.

Eating dominates your life, but you still have choices. Eating high quality foods will now give temporary bonuses, while low grade food will give penalties. As a mockerman, the level, nature and freshness of the sapients you consume will determine the bonuses.

“Just because I said it, doesn’t mean you need to hold me to it immediately.” He said with a scowl.