Chattering and hissing sounds came from all directions around me as I hide inside a barrel that's filled with some type of alcoholic drink. Laying in wait, trying to find the right chance to get out of this rat-infested hell whole. I don't think mouse glue traps would get the job done. This needs some professional exterminating, as in burn everything to the ground type of profession.

After I got down using the stairs, I was immediately chased inside by those things. Going left and right, disregarding everything as I heard them chasing me down. These monstrosities are going to be the death of me, they're size is already making me want to faint. Three minutes of running later, I found my salvation, inside this barrel. You may not think that this barrel would be a good deterent, but it did it's job. If I could, I'd bring this home with me, just incase this happens in real life.

The hissing sounds grew louder, maybe because they were drawing nearer, and I had to still myself and quieted my breathing. This isn’t what I considered to be the ‘easy job, easy money, easy life’ quest that I first thought it ought to be. Instead, I get dog-sized rats. Oh, but there’s more, I get not one, not two, but more than four dozen of this dog sized abominations. And as a consolation, I also dropped my dagger while running away from these things.

With no weapon to fight back, I sit inside a barrel while I humm inside my head to pass the time. Oh, how has my naivety put me in such a situation that I compared real life to a game. I curse at myself for being a dimwit and not thinking things through.

Though, I did make a few discoveries while sitting inside a barrel. Firstly, there’s an HP, MP, and stamina bar that appears on the upper left when you go into battle. HP was colored green with a number 47/50 on it signifying my current HP. MP was colored blue with a number 10/10, signifying my mana I guess? And stamina was yellow with 79/100 on it. At least I have an indication of when to write my last will and testament before something eats me alive.

I hear the chattering and hissing sounds grow fainter as I assumed they were moving into a different area. Let's see... hoping for a chance of escape, I quietly peer out of the barrel and try to see with the dim light coming from the lanterns on the wall. There were still three more rats scurrying here and there. More time to reflect on my stupidity then.

I dipped my head inside the barrel again and waited for them to move away. After five minutes of boredom, the surrounding grew quiet once more. I peek again to see that there weren’t any more dog sized rats in the area. It's now or never, I quietly move out of the barrel and took baby steps, trying to check the ground for my dagger.

Walking for a few minutes, I then saw an intersection. This basement's too big, what do you even need to store inside here? questioning the owners reason for this place's size, I silently observe my surroundings, and hoping that I don't get to fight any of them along the way. Maybe I should have made friends with someone and invited them here... and we'd all be in the same situation. Not a chance.

As I walked forward to who nows where, I heard chattering noises from up ahead and to my right, Rat north, rat east, then west we go! I decided to head left where it was quiet. Not because I'm a pussy, I just didn't like the idea of fighting rats when unarmed. And if I were a pussy, this rats wouldn't be a problem at all. Not even a single bit.

After thirty or so meters of mindlessly walking in the dark tunnels of the basement, some chattering noises could be heard and I went to a complete stop. Squinting my eyes, I see a rat gnawing on a wooden plank that's dislodged from a pillar on the wall.

Baby steps, don't make any noise. I am a ninja, I make no noise. I quietly moved past the rat and making it all the way into the next turn. I surveyed the corner for more of them, and there it was, I saw my glorious dagger laying on the ground.

Buddy, I'm so happy to see you again! I moved closer and quickly grabbed the nine inch steel blade, but then I heard something falling and hitting the ground next to me. Suddenly, a rat dropped from the ceiling to my right and it hisses. Can't this stupid expedition get any better? Give me a break for once, I already had enough of this.

Panicked, I stabbed it on its neck a few times and the rat retaliates by biting my right arm, incisors digging right through my flesh like a hot knife is to butter. That really hurt, as in a giant rat just bit my arm, and it was a giant rat that bit my arm.

I flinched, but I kept on stabbing, realizing its bite on my arm was getting weaker each time I did so. I'm only doing this for survival and not for fun. I'm sorry Mr. Rat, but I'd have to send you to your maker, which was the game devs.

After another seven stabs on its neck and a few on its left and right eye, it finally died. I panted hard for a couple of second and I felt slightly light headed from all of that. I check my HP bar. It dropped to 11/50 and an icon of a drop of blood was next to the bar. This wasn't good, there's still a lot more of them out there and I'm already down to twenty percent of my HP.

I grit my teeth, seeing that my right arm had a chunk missing while I feel a throbbing pulse where the rat bit me. As I was looking at my arm, I hear more chattering and hissing from in front coming towards my direction. Hear comes the cavalry, and it wasn't coming here to help me out. Maybe they'd like some tea and crumpets?

Not wanting to stay any longer to find out what they'd do when they found me, I ran back to where the barrels where. But, I met the rat that was gnawing on the wood earlier and it went after me.

"Hello!" I kicked it with all my might and it went to the side. It squeaked out loud as it crashes on the pillar. Bullying? Nah, I was just helping him cross the tunnel so he won't get run overed.

After that short encounter, I continued running back to the barrels. When I got back, the scurrying grew louder and louder behind me. Thinking of a way on how to get out of this situation, I saw the lantern on the wall.

"Shit, not good, not good..." I said while holding the lantern in my hand. I then knocked the barrels over, spilling its contents in front of me, while waiting for the rats to come. If I'm going to die, then might as well take as most of them with me to the grave.

A few seconds later, a horde of rats were illuminated by the lanterns on the wall. Coming my way, with a rat twice the size of a normal one. They have a boss! I tightened my grip on the dagger as I saw the large rat. Did it feed on toxic waste just to get to that size?

When they got close enough to the spilled alcohol, I threw the lantern hard at the alcohol soaked ground and it immediately caught on fire. They squeaked and hissed so loud that I was growing nauseous just from hearing it all. The rats that where charging in front caught on fire after a few seconds, raising a melody of hissing and squeeking to another level. While those at the back stopped a few feet where the flames can’t reach them. However, the five-feet rat continued barreling towards me while being on fire, bearing its fangs as it dives towards me.

"SHIT!" I rolled to the right and succesfully avoided the rat behemoth, but it didn't let up, as it dived at me again. I used the barrel next to me to block its ferocious bite, digging its incisors into the wood while I stabbed at its eye. The rat then shook its head from left to right and up and down, trying to dislodge the barrel. Talk about a head banger, this guy beats those rock and roll enthusiasts.

I then rushed to its side and continued to stab it. But, the large rat charged into a wall, breaking the barrel and freeing it. I succesfully jumped on its back before it could turn around and dished out a seven stabs to its head, while it was shaking its whole body trying to get me off.

After a minute of struggling, the rat finally keeled over and let out one finally hiss. Checking my HP bar I see that it dropped again to 7/50, the blood icon must mean that I’m bleeding out. At least I'm still alive and kicking... panting as I kneel down on the ground, the room gets dimmer as the fire dies down. Now that the flames that were holding down the rats was gone, they scurried towards me. Swarmming and tackling me to the ground before they started their relentless biting. It's happy meal time for them, and a terrible time for me.

“Fuckkkk!” I screamed before losing consciousness from the pain. After a minute of silence, I open my eyes to see that everywhere around me was pitch black except for a closed glowing door. I never liked the movie ratatouille in the first place, my hatred for rats growing as I take each step. Call an exterminator, because I really want them dead now. I won't be placated until I see the corpses of every vermin in that basement... I need to chill down.

I walked towards the door and grabbed the doorknob, pushing it open. Bright light then flashes, making me close my eyes for a second. When I open them, I saw that I was at the plaza in Loam near Eleanor's building. Remembering what happened a few minutes before, I checked my body to see that there wasn’t any injuries on myself and that my clothes were now intact. Hah, at least I wont be naked after I die. Relieved, I sat down and relaxed for a moment near the fountain, while checking my stat window.

Status Level 2(7/250)

Name RedGender Male

Class N/ASubclass N/A

Affiliation Grand Crimson Empire

State None

Physical attack 2Magical attack 1

Physical def 3Magical def 1

Evasion 0%Critical 1%, +40% added to damage

Resist None

Status Points10

Str 1Vit1

Agi 1Con1

Dex 1Luk 1

Wis 1Int 1

Skills Basic Human Necessity(Passive) 1/10

Before I go back to that damned basement and finish the request, I should first check if one of my friends is at the guild. I need some help if I want to get my request done without dying again. So I got up, but before I could move to the direction of the guild building, a commotion was happening at one of the vendors stall a few meters behind me.

“Guards arrest those thieves!” shouted someone who wore a tunic with a brown cap on his head. He was pointing towards two individuals whom I remember was the lanky looking man and his companion. They were running away from him, each carrying a curved sword and a round buckler and turning towards a corner fifty meters ahead. The guards immediately chased them down and disappeared in the corner. So much for their 'friendliness', and that may be one of the reasons why I will never befriend them. Or maybe because I didn't like them from the start.

After that stupid show was over, I went to the guild building. There were more people now compared to a few hours ago. The lounge in the guild hall was now so packed that others were staying outside near the guild entrance. Judging that it would be too difficult to find them, I made my way back to the mansion at the middle of the city.

"And I need to finish this or I'll get penalized and go to jail...Easy request...fuck" cursing at myself one last time

------------------------------------------------------------------

“At last, I can finally get in the game!” he rushed up towards his room in the second floor of their new house. It was already half past ten after the celebration party at Grand Gift Corps’ hall.

“Son, you’ll wake up the neighbors if your too loud!” shouted his dad from downstairs. He was sitting quietly and not making any rash movements to heal his body, not like that would stop him from doing it again though.

“Your shouting too you know?” his mom said as she goes up to their room to change her clothes. An odd couple, but they mixed well together.

He changed his clothes as quickly as he can and went inside the Gift machine. Feeling a tingling sensation behind his neck, he fell asleep. He wished that this game was going to be as fun as he tought it would be, but he'll now for sure when he gets inside of it.

When he woke up, he was outside, standing by a tree with violet leaves. Confused at where he was, he looked around. He noticed that it’s not a tree but an extending branch of a large tree.

"Oh, hell no!" he looked down and saw that he was two hundred meters above the ground. He hugged the gigantic branch in fear of falling to his death, like a child holding his/her teddy bear for comfort. Suddenly, he heard a thud sound next to him. He looked to his right and he saw someone else was there with him.

“Well, look what we have here, a new brother to join the Order? Char would be thrilled to meet you” the man who fell from somewhere looked at him closely with his semi closed eyes while he smiled.

“What’s your name brother?” he asked, as he jumped up onto hisshoulders. He was a three feet tall adult (?) man with a shaved head wearing a mix of brown and white robe. Looking like a buddhist from someplace faraway, which made him think he was somewhere near a religious sect.

The muscular boy stood straight up and introduced himself to the religious looking man. Earning him a smile from the small man.

“Bob McManlyHack!” puffing out his chest while striking a pose of flexing his muscles. The man chuckled and then got off of him while he was standing. He found it amusing how the boy was showcasing his muscles to him, but it was something refreshing to see after a while of doing nothing.

“Welcome, brother Bob McManlyHack to the Order of Astheneia” as he gestures for the boy to come follow him. He had to endure the fear of falling down as they went up the branches of the tree and walked over to an opening in the trunk. It was just wide enough for him to go in with his stature when he bends his body forward.

The man then turned around with a surprised look on his face.

“Oh! Forgive me brother, I forgot to tell you this one’s name. You may call me Sohei. A pleasure meeting you” he said as he puts both of his hands together in a praying position and bows. The boy was confused but he copied what the monk just did and put both of his hands together in a praying position and then bowing. It earned him another chuckle from the monk. They then went down the hollow tree, where the inside of it had a spiral stair case at the inner walls of the tree, going up and down.

"This place looks incredible!" he exclaimed. It was the first time he saw something like it, and it amazed him how they built something like that inside the tree without power tools.

"Haha, It is right?" he smiles at the compliment. Passing by a few rooms going down, they stopped in front of a black door. Sohei entered first, but motioned for him to wait outside. He waited there for a few minutes, humming to himself a nice tune before he called for him to enter the room.

"Hello!" he greeted the person inside. There he saw an elderly woman looking to be in her late 60’s, wearing the same brown and white robe that Sohei had. Gesturing for Sohei to leave the room, the elderly woman then turned her attention towards him.

“What is your name?” she said as she stares up to meet his eyes.

“I’m called Bob McManlyHack” he said as he puffed my chest out.

“Then Bob McManlyHack, would you like to join the Order?” she asked as she took out a black pendant and a pouch.

“What is this Order for anyway?” he picked up the pendant and look at it closely. The black pendant looked like a dragon coiled around a fruit or something. It was fairly intimidating to see how realistic the dragon looked like, as if it was about ready to jump out of his hand and bite him.

“Our main purpose is to protect the Tree of Zoi and the miasma dungeon underneath it” she said. Environmental activists? he thought, while he imagined people strapping planks and tying themselves onto a tree.

“What is the Tree of Zoi then? And why do you have to protect what’s under it?” he asked, slightly curious why the tree was so important.

“This is going to take some time to explain. Sit down first" she motioned for him to sit down on the chair in front of her.

"First we need to talk about miasma and how it affects everything around it"

"Miasma? You mean those black smoky cloud that poisons things and makes monsters stronger from animes?" the boy's mind was corrupted by the animated films and videos of anime girls with big round eyes that yelled 'For my family and loved ones!' everytime they fought.

"Anime? But you are mostly correct, Miasma is something that comes from a different dimension. It first came into our world when a rift opened near the Eria dessert. At first, people thought it was harmless because no immediate effects were seen on the surroundings when it was first sighted. But, after a few months of exposure, the livestock from the nearby villages grew more aggressive and some transformed into horrible beasts and attacked the villagers." she pointed towards a skeleton structure of something that's displayed inside a case. It looked like a dogs skeletal structure, but it's teeth was too big. It's spine and tail bone was too long with a gigantic bone at the end that looked like a pitchfork. He thought that it looked kinda cool.

"The situation was still manageable back when it was just the animals. But the humans who were exposed to It for too long also started to changed. Some grew horns and emitted toxic fumes from their bodies. A few transformed into grotesque creatures eating everything that catches their attention. News from the surviving villagers spread like wild fire and caused a stir throughout the world. Forcing each nation to band together to solve the Miasma problem” she paused and took a sip from her glass and then continued on.

“Renown magicians and researchers were sent out to gather information on it. However, they didn’t find a way to close the rift. Years passed and the miasma soon took over the nations that were surrounding the desert. Until one person informed the heads of those nations of his discovery. That persons name was Idleans Nihil" it sounded important but he didn't give much care and the information went in from one ear and out the other.

"He told of his discovery about a tree in an oasis near the rift that wasn’t affected by the miasma. Shocking the heads of each nation as they immediately dispatched the rest of the researchers and magicians to find this tree. After they found it, they sealed off the area, studying the lone thing that could save millions of lives" she said.

"A month of observation later, they discovered that this tree couldn’t bear any fruit and the area surrounding it was still transforming the local living beings, even when the miasma in the air was already gone." stopping for a few seconds to take a breather. He thought that she should just skip the boring parts and tell him the things that he should do.

"A few researchers then saw that the soil beneath the tree had changed color to purple. They then dug up the dirt and found that there was a dense liquid like miasma forming underneath it, where a fruit shaped like a pare was spotted. It shocked the researchers and magicians due to the fact that the tree bore a fruit that radiates miasma. The magicians then made a dungeon underneath the tree, sealing the fruit and miasma. It is a place where the liquid miasma can evaporate inside and liquefy in a never ending process.” finishing her explanation.

He tilted his head to the side, only understanding a few things. One is that the tree was important, and two, there’s a fruit inside a dungeon that shouldn’t be taken out.

“Umm…What will I get if I join then?” he asked.

“There are masters of different arts of combat here that can help guide you. The dungeon is also open for those in the Order who wish to get stronger by fighting monsters that are born inside of it, but there is a time limit on how long you can stay inside before it gets too dangerous for your body. The armory is also filled with an assortment of weapons from different cultures where you may borrow to train or to use inside of the dungeon”

“Okay. Then, what do I need to do to join?” he said while he imagined attending ceremony after ceremony to join in. She smiled at him because he was willing to join.

“By jumping down the tree”

Huh...

Advertisement A note from Fiction Killer

Please post at the comment section if there are any grammatical errors TY!

Previous

Chapter Fiction

Index Next

Chapter RSS About the author 2 Fictions 0 Posts 0 Threads Fiction Killer Follow Author Thursday, February 22, 2018 8:56:01 AM I'n your heart😘 Top kek

Bio: A noob writter who has nothing to do while waiting to get accepted

Achievements Comments(0) Set Compact Log in to comment

Log In Load Comments Please enable JavaScript to load the comments! Settings Theme (Entire Website) Dark Light Dim background 0% 20% 40% 50% 60% 80% 100% Font Size 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 22 24 28 32 Reader Width Max 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% Font Family Default ————— Open Dyslexic Atkinson Hyperlegible ————— Arial Roboto Open Sans OS Default Comic Sans Lucida Verdana Ubuntu Ubuntu Condensed Franklin Gothic Garamond Caslon Minion Font Color Indent Color Scheme Theme Default OLED Black Royal Road Dark Dark Gray Gray Light Gray Sepia White Paragraph Spacing Close × Give Reputation to User: Points You can specify how many points you want to give (minimum: 0, maximum: 0). Comment (optional) Why are you giving this user reputation? Give Reputation Close About

Royal Road® is the home of web novels and fan fictions! In our amazing community, you can find various talented individuals who write as a hobby or even professionally, artists who create art for them, and many, many readers who provide valuable feedback and encouragement.

Amazon Affiliate Royal Road® is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Theme Select Dark Light

Follow Us On Need some help? Create a support ticket

Contact Contact Us by Email

Advertising Ads for Authors

Programmatic Advertising Royal Road® © 2013-2022 Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Blog | Status Tap again to scroll to the top!