~JST POV~

"One!"

The dome fell around us. Knowlguarts. Dead. Everywhere.

"Keep moving!" Cobb yelled. "Find Jones!"

Swift steps around dead bodies and past empty bookshelves brought us to our enemy - should have brought us to our enemy. Instead there was that motherfucking fog, possibly the most annoying thing ever. It was static until you walked in, never spreading unless something moves it.

"God fucking dammit." I whispered.

I could hear screams from the inside. I knew for a fact it wasn't Jones, he wouldn't be screaming. So where was he?

"Jack check the perimeter and whatever you do don't touch the fog." Cobb eyed the fog and let out a huge sigh. "Not this again."

I feel you man. This shit sucks.

"Gaius you too, swirling vortex of death is a no no, got it?" I said.

Jack walked off katana drawn, I had to hand it to him he didn't let his guard down.

"I understand." Gaius responded.

The screams didn't cease and from what I remember they never did. It was always difficult trying to find out which are the real ones which are fake.

"Could he have done this?" I swung my sword around.

"It's probably him, this doesn't belong in Twoen. This is probably why the clone dispersed too. Now we just need to find him. The only problem right now is what George is gonna be doing. If he can't see anything I don't know how he's gonna help us." Cobb erected a rock wall to lean against.

"Does he even need to? The caster won't last long in there. That fog is a bitch." I flipped off said bitch.

"Incoming." Cobb derailed the conversation.

"Shit!" I could just barely make out the white glow of magic within the fog.

I felt my hair fly backwards and in seconds the swirling darkness was everywhere. First I was standing with Gaius and Cobb then all became black. I closed my eyes and slowly walked backward, trying not to lose my direction. I knew it was too late though. The bitch fog already had me in its grasp.

Shapes shifted slightly in the darkness, causing a swift swirling among the already billowing dark. Faces unrecognizable familiar floated by in anguish.

"Fuck, you're an ugly one." I said to one that passed by. Then I flipped it off.

Eyes came next, the kind of eyes that take pleasure in watching prey squirm. They were catlike but blinked left to right. Then the body of the monster was revealed - a child. The hideous face was attached to the body of an innocent. It moved closer even as I watched the sad ugly thing.

"Come on you ugly thing. I know, I know it's hard being ugly. It's fine though, that way you can tell if someone really loves you." I kneeled down to hug the ugly kid.

It disappeared as soon as it touched me.

"You know, this is why I hate your shit you stupid fog. If you're gonna send me something make it real! Last time you sent me a chimera, a chimera! And it was fake! What the fucking hell is that?" I screamed. This fog was the most annoying fucking thing ever.

I know Cobb hated it because it just made his stomach turn. I hated this fucking fog because I can't do anything in here. It just keeps me in here and I can't even walk away. It's like playing with your neighbors ugly daughter.

Fuck being a good host. If I don't want to spend time with an ugly buttface I don't have to!

"Fucking Cobaj. Next time you entertain the ugly people." I muttered.

Around me disfigured and maimed bodies littered the floor while vaguely human shapes ate their flesh. On the outskirts of visibility a four legged beast stalked. It growled at me, challenging me to fight.

Naturally I walked through the thing, nothing to see here.

New Skill: Ultimate Obliviousness - Beginner 1 (0%)

For some reason events surrounding you that would stagger others mean literally nothing to you. You don't even care, at all.

Effects:

+2% resistance to negative physical effects

Oh cool, new skill. One that ignores negative effects too? Don't mind if I do. Ultimate Obliviousness? I'm not oblivious, i'm sure everyone would have the same reaction, or at least something similar. Oh well, don't care.

And I kept walking, it gave me something to do. Since I basically had unlimited stamina because of Combat Savant and Breathing I really had nothing to lose, the fog keeps me here anyways. There was a lot of floating faces that kept getting in my way, it was like they were all trying to kiss me. I had to punch through all of them so they'd disperse. Eventually I came to a figure that had piercing purple eyes, he was deathly pale and painted in the blank air like some mad kook. I cocked my arm all the way back and swung.

I blinked as I made contact.

"Yes! I can punch something in the face again!" I punched the fucker out.

"Oh my god yes!" I punched him again.

"Oh my god no! Are you okay dude?" I got frantic, I got too excited again.

Fuck what did I just do?

"Uh shit, oh god." I picked him up like a dirty rag, using my index and thumb. "Shit, where do I hide this?" After offering his body to the four legged abomination from earlier and being politely declined I chucked his body into the darkness and wiped off my hands, whistling as I walked away. Hopefully no one saw that.

Discreetly my eyes darted around the darkness, more eyes, more faces, weird beast, dead bodies, ugly child.

Phew. That was close. No one saw anything.

"We saw." A voice said. These were the voices that attacked your fears. Shit.

"No, you didn't. I don't know what you're talking about." I said a tad too quickly.

"We're gonna tell your brothers." They hissed.

"Please don't! Fucking Christ!" They got me, they got me good. I'm not supposed to punch strangers in the face. But it was so tempting in game, there is literally nothing that can stop you from punching someone in the face for fun.

"We saw you punch his face in." They whispered in my ear, sending chills down my spine. They had me.

"Anything but that please! Don't tell my brothers dammit! I fucking swear I will kill you, you damn fog." Begging was my only option.

"It is done." They said with deadly finality. Their words cut into my soul, gouging out my very reason for living.

"No!" I fell to my knees and screamed to the heavens, yelling profanities about this accursed world.

Somewhere in the fog a voice rang out, perfectly clear. "Hah! You know what that means! Next time John's over you're hosting Matilda!" It was unmistakenly Cobb's.

God fucking dammit. Why the hell does this happen to me? Now I have to host the neighbors ugly daughter.

I sighed, nothing good ever comes from this evil fog.

"Fuck you fog." I said weakly, I didn't have it in me anymore.

~Cobb POV~

Phew. I hate Matilida, she's hideous.

I knew the fog wouldn't let me reach him so I didn't even try. In fact, i'm actually really impressed that Twoen had the capacity to transfer something as unique as this fog into the game. By now all the clues point to Jones. Just this fog came from Illusion Magic, that's incredibly intricate. I was beyond impressed really, the fog was from another game, born completely from Jones imagination, or so I assumed.

My thoughts drifted to the magic user and before I could catch myself they wandered further.

"Magic." The voices spoke again.

I kept silent.

"What are you without it?" Voices overlapped in an eerie effect. "Nothing. Weak."

I clenched my teeth.

"Pathetic." It spat.

Again I responded with silence.

"The green one knows nothing but magic. Stripped of it, he is nothing. Nothing." It hissed.

"What are you without it? What are you compared to those two?" My fists balled up as the voices faded, allowing me to stew in my own thoughts.

The floor below me rippled in pulsating waves, orbs of fire and water circled me. Loops of wind and water tied themselves around me. I sent bursts of fire forward, the color red filled my vision before black slowly enroached. Tendrils of water flowed around my body, like a living snake. Air blew my hair backwards in a soothing caress. I closed my eyes and let my mind relax, sinking into the meditation.

New Skill: Meditation - Beginner 1 (0%)

Calming your mind and relaxing your body into the present allows the flow of mana to permeate your body undisturbed.

Effects:

+5% mana regeneration when meditating

Handy. It wasn't anything unexpected though so I kept moving, brooding.

My stance changed and I allowed the elements to relax to a degree, my control over them lessened, giving them more freedom. My right fist jabbed out, fast as lightning. Only half a second behind the motion was mimicked by a swathe of fire. I threw my elbow out and more fire blasted forward. I brought my left knee up and proceeded to front kick, rapidly sending my foot out again and again, pivoting myself to move forward at the same time. Gusts of wind sent the darkness roiling. My right leg sweeped the floor in a circle and a crescent of water sliced across the floor, I brought my leg up in a crushing knee and the water rose in a sharp pillar. My left jabs sent slabs of rock flying, erupting from the floor, an uppercut sent a short pillar of earth high enough to hit a jaw. Then I tied them all together and released a devestating attack that rained havoc in the dark, the magic linked together and left no openings. I landed on my feet as a flying roundhouse sent fire in a wave.

New Skill: Mixed Magical Arts - Beginner 1 (0%)

Wedding the movements and technique of various martial arts with the nature and ferocity of magic itself births a dangerous practice. The tax on both the mind and body require someone of immense skill.

Effects:

+When in use magic is amplified by 3%

Wow. I wasn't expecting that. Normally it's just an easier way for me to use magic, but this, this is amazing. I can actually be doing more damage if I use magic this way, even if it's less convenient than just mentally casting everything. It's like taking the pressure off my mind and giving some of it to my body. It's the skills like these that really make me wonder how tailor made these are. Can anyone obtain this skill or is it custom made for me because of the way I practice magic? If there were any requirements for the skill I wonder what they were? Display aptitude in combining both magic and martial arts? Demonstrate a deadly combo? Showcase an efficient way of stringing magic with physical techniques? It was impossible to guess and it only reminded me how little of Twoen we truly know.

It wasn't long for the words of the fog to find me again.

"What are you without it? What are you compared to those two?" The words echoed in my head.

I knew exactly what fear they were targeting. What am I when I leave the Varas Capsule? Where does my magic go and what it does matter out there? Who am I without it? My brothers, they have their physical skills, their talent, their reactions, but me?

A triple flying roundhouse kick, sent a claw of fire ripping through the air.

I can't take magic outside the game.

My jet black eyes reflected the fire burning alone in the dark.

"I never will."