The textbox that appeared in my vision intrigued me. I wanted to know more about the quest, and I wanted to know even more about how the system was determining how to give these quests. Did the system think it was even possible for me to kill the roc, or was it just a generic preset made to be applicable to any level of player?

[Help: Quests are tailor-made to the user receiving them, both in their objectives and the rewards they grant. This is so the reward is functionally sufficient for the objective's difficulty in the player's perspective. The way the quest objectives and rewards are calculated is with a complex and nuanced algorithm that is nearly impossible to fully comprehend for flawed lifeforms. One thing to note is that all quest objectives, even the harder ones, won't be given if there is less than a 1% chance of success.]

Slightly more than one percent still wasn't too great, but I was willing to consider it depending on whether it had a better reward or not.

[Quest Name: Escape, Maim, or Kill the Roc]

[Requirements: (1) Escape from the roc. (2) Severely damage and escape from the roc. (3) Kill the roc.]

[Reward: (1) +1 attribute point/s (2) +2 attribute point/s (3) +4 attribute point/s]

[Penalty: n/a]

Looking at the reward for killing it made me more determined than ever to kill the monster that I've yet to even see.

"Well, even if it is a two percent chance, it's worth giving a shot," I said with unconvinced optimism.

I had no clue how I was going to go about killing something that large, but the system seemed to think it was possible, so I was going to put my faith into it.

The part of the esophagus I was now in was substantially narrower than when I first started my ascent. When the roc swallowed, the flesh walls closed in, painfully crushing me to the point where it became hard to keep holding on. However, I persevered through it and reached the top of the throat.

An ear-bursting screech came from the bird as I climbed up along the side. It opened its beak, letting in light and a large window to the outside world.

I felt rejuvenated by sight before me. Passed the roc's tongue, which was longer than I was tall, and out of its beak, I saw fluffy white nimbus cloud floating in an azure sky.

The roc closed its mouth, pushing me back into complete darkness.

I quietly yet enthusiastically whispered, "So I really am inside a bird the size of a commercial airplane, huh?"

I couldn't try and kill the bird yet. I didn't know how I could, and even if I did, I wouldn't survive a crash landing from way up here.

"I have no choice but to wait."

***

It had been multiple hours since I had gotten to the top. I found a part on the side of the roc's mouth where it was safe to sit down.

Occasionally the roc would open its mouth just a crack, giving me a glimpse of its surroundings. From what I saw, the bird took me far away from my home back in the northwest.

The outside world looked cold and snowy. The clouds were thick, and even the inside of the roc's mouth wasn't invulnerable to the elements.

My assumption was that the bird was migrating, which meant that we would be somewhere in northern Canada once we reached its destination. It was going to be a long trek back to Washington.

I had no ties there, nor did I have any sound reasoning to go back. But this irrational, emotionally driven side of me wanted to. As much I hated saying it because I knew it was a stupid reason, I wanted to go back to make sure that girl was safe.

I had no reason to protect her, we only talked twice, and I didn't even know her name. This illogical reasoning for going back made me feel like a stalker, so I tried repressing it, but deep down, I knew that was why I wanted to go back. I needed to go back. I was aware I didn't stand a chance in hell at getting her attention, but I still perpetuated this false hope in my mind because without that hope, then I'd have had no reason to do anything.

At some point, I realized that I had a pistol in my pocket. I had completely forgotten it was there, and only managed to remember it while thinking about the short time I spent with Adam. With it, I concocted a plan of attack on the roc.

First, I'd let it find a place to land, and then I'd load a full clip into a soft part on the top of its throat where there was no bone. My thinking was that if there weren't any bones or hard matter, I might be able to score a few shots on its brain.

Eventually, after a few more minutes of flight, I began to feel the pleasant lower abdominal feeling of quickly lowering in elevation. I knew the massive bird was about to make its landing.

I held on to dear life as the roc's landing decelerated with enough g-force to drag me forward were I not pinned in place by the ice axes.

I had no clue where I was, but now was a greater time than any to strike. Carefully crawling to where the soft spot was located, I retrieved the pistol from my pocket and placed its barrel against the soft fleshy surface. Then flipping off the safety, I pulled the trigger.

A blast followed by another and then 14 more after all happening within three seconds had immediate effects on the roc. It screeched in pain as it wobbled and fell on its side. I knew it was going to die, but most likely pretty slowly.

The bullets I shot into the roc's brain were likely too small for it to be an instant death but would still kill it all the same.

I might've felt bad for the thing if he hadn't eaten all those other people. I can't really blame it, though; everything has to eat.

Turning back around, I saw the roc's beak drooping open, revealing what was outside.

A golden horizon sat above the cold grey stratus clouds. The setting sun exuded golden radiation, and though my body felt that heat, it was quickly dissipated by the cold, snowy atmosphere. The powdery white ground was cut short by a ledge leading me to question where I was.

What with being above the clouds and the practically adjoining ledge not even ten paces from the opened beak led me to doubt the safety of staying inside the bird any longer.

Stepping outside to take a look, I quickly recognized that I was situated atop a tall rock pillar towering above the peak of a woodsy alpine mountain by about thirty or forty feet. It was a height I knew I could fall from and survive if worst came to worst.

I could've tried climbing down, but if I did, I might've not had any shelter before nightfall came. Plus, I didn't know if I could survive hypothermia. In fact, I doubted I could.

My best bet was to stay overnight inside the roc, and then I could try and climb down the pillar the next morning. Maybe I could even drop the roc down there for the second night of shelter. Although I didn't know how warm it would be by then.

Looking back to observe the roc, I was blown away by its scale. It looked like a brown eagle, but it was the size of a T-rex or bigger. Its big yellow eyes dilated as it struggled to retain its lifeforce.

Calmly approaching it, I rested my hand on its head. Its eyes didn't react to my approach. I couldn't tell if that was because it couldn't see, its mental capabilities were shot, or both. It just lied motionlessly staring off into nothing as the light began to fade from its eyes.

I stroked the rocs head and spoke, "You remind me of my dog, you know? Both of you smelled bad on the inside."

I chuckled with a quivering lip and continued, "You both… went out in a similar fashion. Dead by my hands, fading away while in my arms. I was even stroking his soft head just like this."

Tears started to well up in my eyes, "And just like this, when he died, there was nobody else there for me. I was all alone without him, with no one to talk to… Desolate and alone… Just like this."

[Quest (Escape, Maim, or Kill the Roc) Successful]

[Reward: 200 coins and +4 attribute point/s]

"This always happens. Why does this always happen?"

Tears and snot ran down my face in copious amounts as I yelled into the air, "Why do I keep hurting the people I love?!! God tell me! Why God?!!"

I bawled loudly like a little baby, "Hurt me, God! Hurt me, not them!"

I fell down to my hands and knees, loudly crunching the snow beneath me.

"Why do I keep hurting others! Answer me!" I screeched.

My words were broken apart between pitiful sobs and sniffling.

"Hurt me, God… I want to be loved… So, hurt me."

I picked my fist up and shattered it against the stone. The broken bones loudly crunched as I moved my hand aside.

I picked my other fist up to shatter against the stone as well, but I felt a tug on my filthy shirt right before I could.

Looking up, I saw something, someone I didn't expect to see. It was her.

She was covering her mouth with her hands as two lone tears slipped out from her beautiful hazel-green eyes. She was covered in blood and filth, just like me. She smelled awful, just like me.

I tried stifling my crying as much as I could and weakly laughed, "How much did you hear this time?"

Lowering her hands, she confessed to me with a pursed frown.

"All of it."