Transitioning through the portal was like awakening from a dream.

One moment Lee was under the dull, overcast sky of the Keeper’s domain and the next it was night. Cool grass ticked his toes as a light breeze blew through the trees around him, gently rustling the leave in a soft whisper. The forest around him was comprised of thin-trunked trees. All of them were equally spaced. A young, planted forest? Or an orchard perhaps.

Words slowly hovered into Lee’s vision.

The Decapitation Woods

Lee frowned at the name. Was this the true name of this place? Or perhaps it was the name whatever devil producing those words wanted him to think? It didn’t matter. He needed to grow strong enough to defeat that giant bull demon, retrieve that medallion and then he’d be free of this place entirely.

Or so he hoped.

A resounded thock! echoed through the night air.

Lee froze at the sound and straining his eyes, peering into the darkness. As he waited for his eyes to adjust he heard the sound again…but closer this time. His heart pulsed in his ears as he tried to figure out what it was. Finally he saw movement in the distance and the sound repeated itself.

Thock!

Thock!

Choking up on the shaft of the Bone Club, Lee slowly ventured towards the sound. He rounded a tree and paused when he finally saw what was making it. Not ten feet from him was a naked man, hewing down a tree with a large hatchet.

But even more disturbing than him being naked, was that had no head.

The unnerving sight caused Lee’s blood to run cold.

You gain 1% insanity!

You have witnessed an unspeakable horror that has made you aware of the incomprehensible truth of existence.

He must have moved or screamed, because the headless corpse suddenly stopped chopping the tree and its bare, blackened torso turned to face him. Lee expected it to somehow scream or shriek at him, but instead it soundlessly, ran towards him, which was somehow even more terrifying.

His heart leapt as the headless corpse raised its axe.

Lee turned and ran, trying with all his might not to scream.

But failed.

He didn’t know whether his screams would alert any more of these headless horrors, but somehow he couldn’t stop himself. He risked a look over his shoulder and saw the thing still sprinting after him, the hatchet still held high at where its head should be.

What are you doing? Lee told himself. Fight!

Somehow the strange spell of panic wore off and Lee turned to face the monstrosity. He released a yell and brought his club down hard with a Savage Cry.

And missed completely.

For not having a head, Lee somehow assumed it couldn’t see him, but the thing reacted with a celerity that was unnerving. It spun to the side avoiding his strike and as his club landed in the grass, the monster struck a blow of its own.

Blood erupted from Lee’s mouth as the hatchet found purchase in his back, puncturing his lung. He gasped for breath as his Health dropped to less than a quarter.

This thing was going to kill him in two strikes!

The corpse took a fair amount of effort to remove the hatchet from his back and Lee took more damage as the heavy blade pulled free. His Heath was a sliver. He was nearly dead!

Lee wheeled with his club and somehow managed to hit the corpse on its side. The hit barely reduced its health by a quarter, but it was enough to cause the creature to leap away from him and Lee rushed to make use of the small reprieve. He fumbled for the small pouch at his waist, searching for the Sands of Time. He had no idea how to even use it. Was he supposed to eat it? Sprinkle it on his wound?

As he finally got his hand into the pouch, he felt the grains of coarse sand within, cool to the touch. He withdrew a handful and as soon as he did, the sand flashed into a luminescence green effervescence that sprayed across his entire body.

You used Sands of Time

You regain 12 Health!

He instantly felt refreshed, the pain subsiding and Lee’s heart filled with relief. But it was short lived as the hatchet wielding corpse struck again. Even while leaping to the side, the blade nicked him and reduced his health with a nasty gash.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Lee saw two more headless corpses sprinting silently through the trees.

His blood ran cold.

You gain 2% insanity!

Lee screamed and shook it off. He wouldn’t survive this.

He did the only thing he could think to do next.

He ran in the direction he had come and pressing his hand to the ground, saved his memories right before the three corpses butchered him to death.

* * *

Lee shuddered as the memories came back to him, the small crystal he had found next to him, shattering in his grasp. The headless corpses. Even as he thought it, he heard the subtle foot falls of the three horrors walking away from him and into the darkness.

He was thankful that they had wondered away from him while he respawned. If he had respawned in the midst of them, they would have killed him before he had a chance to use the crystal. That would have sent him back to the Keeper and he would be forced to use the older memory from before. That in itself would be a huge setback.

That would be something he would have to remember in the future. He needed to find a relatively safe spot before he risked a save while being pursued. But that thought paled compared to this new attribute hovering in his vision.

Insanity: 3%

Insanity? What madness was this indeed?

He gained that just by seeing those creatures. As he focused on the word more, new information appeared.

Insanity

Once exposed to the horrific truths of Moerdaan, the mind must either be strong enough to endure or fracture as a result. Ironically, the scales of sanity and insanity are equally balanced when it comes to the Arcane. When one’s Will is overcome by maddness, madness itself will suffice.

Lee pondered the cryptic description. What exactly did that mean?

But he had scant time to think as another thock! sounded in the distance.

He needed to get through those things.

Lee eyed his 5% Essence. Should he save now to be safe? No. If he died again he wouldn’t gain the experience of his failure. If he got into trouble he’d have to run and save at the last minute just like he did before. Only then could he make true process.

He took a bit of comfort in that and girded himself as he prepared to face the headless corpse again. He tried to keep a fair distance from it and this time baited it, just as he did the lizard before, throwing a small stone.

The corpse turned to him

You gained 1% insanity!

Dammit! Again?

He let out a scoffing laugh, but quickly managed to slap a hand over his mouth. He turned and ran before the corpse reached him, running back to the place where he would hopefully save again if he died.

Lee turned just as the hatched swung and he ducked below it. He stuck back with his club and slammed one of its legs. It buckled and the creature fell to one knee, but was still at over three quarter’s health. Lee took advantage and hit it again on the shoulder, taking another sliver off, but when he tried for another hit, it swung at him and sunk its hatchet into his thigh.

Lee cried out, and slumped to the side, half his health gone.

How was this thing so fast?

Perhaps it was his lack of Agility. And if that was the case, he would always be doomed to lose to this thing. He needed to find another way. Lee stumbled towards a tree, turning his back to it, waiting for the creature to strike.

It shamble towards him…a soundless, hideous sight.

It raised the hatched and Lee threw himself to the side at the last moment.

The hatched barely grazed him again, taking a bit more of his health but the hatched did exactly what he hoped it would do, and embedded itself deep into the tree trunk. Lee wasted no time spinning about as the creature fought to free the hatched from the tree.

He bellowed with a Savage Cry, feeling the satisfying crunch of breaking bones with his blow. But the thing still wasn’t dead yet, sitting at just over a third Health. Lee barely had five Stamina left. He gambled with it with a second Savage Cry.

Please Die!

The heavy blow caused the corpse to fall to the ground, the hatchet fell with it.

You killed the Woodcutter!

You regain 230% Essence!

You find a Woodcutter’s Hatchet!

Lee blinked in amazement at the announcements as the white mist filled his tattoo several times. So much Essence for one kill? It was no wonder the creature was so hard to kill. And there were more of them. He was already pondering which Ability to raise twice with his newfound power, when the reality struck him.

“Hells be dammed,” he muttered.

He would need to find a way back to the Keeper to use it. And he barely managed to kill just one of these things. He’d still need to kill the other two, plus find a path back to her. Whatever that meant.

Lee sighed.

“At least I have this now,” he said reaching down for the hatchet.

Woodcutter’s Hatcher

Attribute: Strength [C] Dexterity [C]

Minimum: STR:3/2

Speed: C

Damage: C

Weight: 2.5 lbs

That looked a lot better than his bone club. As he grabbed it another message appeared.

Woodcutter’s Hatcher

You do not posse the minimum attributes to wield this weapon proficiently. Speed and Damage will be greatly reduced.

Do you still wish to equip?

Lee frowned.

This world was starting to annoy him. Sucking his teeth, he without thinking, stored the weapon in his inventory and the Hatchet vanished. He paused. How did he know how to do that? Perhaps there were things he knew how to do intuitively?

Or was he remembering?

A thock sounded in the distance.

Damn… had it respawened already? Or was it one of the others?

Either way, he was down to half Health and Lee was loathe to battle another one of those creatures without being more powerful somehow. And he noticed his insanity did not wear off after his death either. It was now sitting at 5%.

He did not want to think about what might happen once that got higher. And it seemed to do so every time he saw one of those corpses. If only he could spend this Essence first. Lee sat in the damp grass and contemplated it. If other Chosen Ones, or even himself had done this before—becoming strong enough to even reach that Guardian demon—then they had to have overcome a challenge as simple as this somehow.

There had to be a way.

He listened to the rhythmic chopping of the trees for what seemed like an eternity and then finally a realization struck. When he died, he didn’t lose his Essence. He lost his memories, but not his Essence. He’d only lost half his Essence before because he had spent it to save his memories beforehand.

But if he saved his memories here, he’d only reappear here as well. If he died without saving here, he would reappear back with the Keeper with all his Essence still intact. But then he’d only have his old memories to guide him. No knowledge of any of this experience. He might not even know about the Hatchet in his inventory, the same way he didn’t know about the Sands of Time. Hells he might not even remember the sand itself.

That thought frightened him.

He didn’t want to lose his memories. That felt like dying for real.

And he couldn’t imagine facing all this for the first time all over again.

But what was the alternative? To return to the Keeper with his memories, he’d have to sacrifice all his Essence…so then what would be the point? He’d be back there with nothing to spend. He sighed again, but then something clicked and a smile crept onto his lips.

“Return…” Lee said, closing his eyes and the world slowly faded and his Essence dropped to zero.