Chapter One

*

An ear-splitting shriek cut through the dead of night. Like a bucket of water had been poured on his face, Jordan leapt out of bed, heart racing. The hangover from the night before left him feeling groggy, but he pushed through the grogginess. He ran out of his room as Dad let out the loudest sound of pain and fury Jordan ever heard.

Throwing open his door, he witnessed the gruesome scene before him. A small green creature stabbed his Dad with a small sword, wrenching the blade free of his Dad’s stomach. His father fell back weakly onto the floor, scooting away from the creature as it grinned, stalking forward.

Jordan could barely think, turning to see Morgan in her pajamas—shorts and a t-shirt. She was the source of the screams that woke him. As the little green monster raised the sword to kill his Dad, Jordan moved. He vaulted over the couch and tackled the monster. His surprise attack allowed him the chance to pin down the sword, his weight keeping the struggling creature down on the ground as it tried to buck him off.

Not a chance! Serrated teeth attempted to bite chunks from his arm. He smashed the sword-wielding hand into the floor until the creature dropped it. Grabbing it in a reverse grip, he stared at the creature as it grinned back at him. Looking towards his Mom and Dad—his Mom was shooting glances his way as she tried to stop his Dad’s bleeding—he plunged the sword deep into the creature’s chest. He saw her frown, but she said nothing.

Jordan stood up and backed away, his hands trembling. Acid churned in the back of his throat, but he swallowed it down and looked toward his parents.

“Dad, are you okay?” Morgan crouched next to their Mom and tried to help staunch the flow of blood, but Jordan’s attention was elsewhere. Text hovered above the creature’s head.

Goblin Swordsman - 0/10 HP

Jordan could only stare, completely and utterly dumbfounded. He watched the Goblin for a moment longer, its body dissipating in silver smoke and leaving behind a milky orb in its place. Hesitantly, he knelt and touched the orb. The thing melted into a hazy mist that slammed into his chest. The mist was warm and filled his body with an elevated level of energy he’d never felt. So much in fact, his head spun from the overwhelming stimulus.

Another of the messages appeared in front of him.

(One) Essence assimilated.

View Essence Map now?

Yes.

No.

I don’t have time for that!

After rejecting the prompt, the message disappeared into silver smoke.

"What...?" Jordan didn’t have time to wonder. A grunting sound came from the front door, and he had a good idea of what it might be. The door was closed, the deadbolt locked, but that didn't seem to stop whatever was on the other side. Dull thuds rang out through their apartment. Mom looked between them all, meeting Jordan’s gaze. “Mom, we have to take Dad and Morgan to the bathroom. After that, I’ll…” What am I gonna do? Looking toward the fire escape, an idea started to form. “I’ll lead them away and come back.”

“No!”

“There’s no time to argue! You have to save him, and I… Just trust me, okay?” The pounding on the door got louder and more frequent. “Lock the bathroom door. There’s medicine and other stuff you can use to help him, right?”

She seemed hesitant to agree, glancing between Dad and him, but she inevitably nodded. Jordan stepped around the Goblin corpse and helped their Mom drag Dad away from the living room as the sound smashing against the door got louder. He had to ignore the smearing of blood across the floor as they moved. Morgan attempted to help, but she made the already difficult task harder. “Go wait in the bathroom, Morgan.”

“But—”

“Listen to Jordan!” Mom shouted. “This is not the time!”

His sister, three years younger, opened her mouth and closed it, leaving whatever complaint she had unsaid. Over the next few moments, the amount of banging on the door rapidly increased, to the point that he heard the door splinter and crack as it gave in to the continued assault.

Once Dad was in the bathroom, Jordan scrambled to find anything to help—searching the medicine cabinet for medicine or bandages—but his Mom grabbed his shoulders. She stared into his eyes, and a heaviness settled on his shoulders.

“You can do this.” Her conviction ignited hope within him, and he felt the burning drive to succeed.

“I’ll be back for all of you.” He met their gazes, Dad’s pale face and unfocused eyes making him all the more motivated to take a few of the monsters out once he led them away. “Be good for Mom and Dad, Morgan.”

She nodded. Without another word, he turned away, pulling the door closed behind him. The tumbler clicked into place. As much as he wanted to be inside with them, he couldn’t. His duty now was more important than anything he’d ever done before.

I can do this! I have to, for Mom, for Dad, and for Morgan.

Hyping himself up worked, and he stepped out of his parent’s bedroom, pulling the door closed behind him just as the front door cracked and shattered in the center. Several more Goblins waited on the other side.

Their names appeared over their heads.

Goblin Swordsman - 10/10 HP

Goblin Swordsman - 10/10 HP

Goblin Swordsman - 10/10 HP

Goblin Swordsman - 10/10 HP

Goblin Swordsman - 10/10 HP

Goblin Swordsman - 10/10 HP

Goblin Swordsman - 10/10 HP

Instead of immediately retreating, he rushed to the front door, his knuckles white from how hard he gripped the sword in his hand. Stabbing forward, the sword pierced the chest of the first—and also weakest—Goblin that tried to enter the apartment. It created a temporary block, gaining him some time.

He ignored the messages that appeared, grateful that it disappeared into silver mist. Turning back around, he ran toward the window and threw it open, stepping out onto the fire escape as the Goblin body was pulled free of the door.

A larger green-skinned creature crouched in the open hole of the door, grinning.

**Rasputin, the Mighty** - 50/50 HP

Pushing the other Goblins aside, the larger Goblin, which Jordan thought of as the Goblin Boss, wielded its large wooden club and shattered the door in two swings. Nothing remained of the door as fragments blew into the apartment.

“Come get me, ugly!” Jordan goaded. A dozen of the Goblins filed into the apartment, sprinting toward the window. Only the larger one even noticed the first fallen Goblin, but it didn’t halt its pursuit.

Looks like that did the trick. Time to go!

The metal railing was cold on his feet, the night air damp and chilly. Wish I’d at least put some shoes on, but who knew things would turn out like this?

Dropping the first ladder—one of four he’d have to go down—he scurried down. By the time he got down the second, the first Goblin landed on the fire escape in hot pursuit. Each one after came significantly faster, the large green hands of the bigger creature shoving the smaller Goblins through.

The moon’s light gave him plenty of visibility, and when he stepped onto the damp ground, the Goblins hot on his heels, he didn’t wait to run towards the main street. Quickly, he realized the world was in chaos. Different “beginner level” monsters were wreaking havoc everywhere. Slimes wriggled around like slugs, except they were gelatinous orbs of death, even more Goblins cackled and grunted as they chased people around…

"This can't be real. Someone tell me I'm dreaming," Jordan said to himself. But he very clearly wasn’t. Morgan woke him from dreamland with her scream, Dad was wounded, and he'd killed two Goblins. Speaking of…

The first Goblin fell to the ground with a thud, rushing toward him. He rounded the side of the apartment complex and nearly ran right over another Goblin Swordsman. Before it could react, his sword was already deep in its chest, and its own weapon clanked to the ground. Grabbing the fallen sword and crushing the Essence Orb that appeared, he rushed past as the silver stream filled him with that strange heat.

Wet steps rounded the corner, and he looped back into the apartment. Bad idea!

Goblin Minion - 3/3 HP

Goblin Scavenger - 4/4 HP

Goblin Scout - 5/5 HP

There were more Goblins, but these had different weapons—sharpened sticks, rocks in dirty cloth, and a long and heavy stick with a large, rounded top.

He couldn’t waste any time. Taking the initiative, he stepped toward the Goblins. The one with the big stick blocked his first attack, but the second sword pierced through its chest. Drawing the blade free of the Goblin, its body already fading to smoke, he stepped to the side of the rock-in-a-sock as it whooshed past his face.

Kicking forward, he pushed the Goblin off balance. With his left sword, he stabbed it. With the right, he failed to block the sharpened stick. Noticing it at the last second, he turned his body to the side to mitigate the attack. He hissed as the sharp stick scraped at his side, his thin t-shirt doing nothing to stop the attack.

But now, he brought the two swords to bear against the last Goblin. Within a second, it lay dead at his feet, dissipating into silver mist. Each one did, and he quickly crushed each of the Essence Orbs, the invigorating effect instantaneous. His labored breathing normalized and the pain in his side became itchy as the pain faded.

What is this stuff? That’s… incredible. The thought almost made him feel guilty once he remembered his family. Keep moving!

Tearing through the hall toward the staircase, he hoped to lose the Goblins, but they just kept coming, hot on his heels. Every time he ran into another group, he lost any advantage he gained. But there was merit in slaying the Goblins in his way, something that made him feel… strange. The longer he fought them— the more of them he killed, the more of that power accumulated and the easier the blade became to wield.

What’s going on? This can’t just be the effect of adrenaline, right? Things weren’t making sense. After running and fighting, his body should feel some fatigue, but regardless of what was going on, he didn’t have time to try and unravel the many mysteries. All he could focus on was surviving. He tore up the second set of steps to the third floor. His family waited for him on the fifth, but the sound of the unruly Goblins following him echoed up the stairwell.

Instead of leading them right back to where everything started, he instead pushed through the door that led into the hallway. The apartment complex was similar to a hotel or motel in that the hall was long and doors leading to different homes adorned either side.

He stepped into the hallway, holding the swords firmly. It was clear that the Goblins had made a ruckus on their way up, other doors shattered and laying in pieces. The more he looked, the more he noticed. Bloody smears painted the halls and walls.

Is the world ending?

Jordan breathed heavily. He hadn’t gotten another infusion of Essence since the prior floor. Running up the flight of stairs as fast as he could really took it out of him. He’d hoped the Essence would rid him of his hangover. No such luck.

The door slammed behind him, causing him to jump.

Right, I’ve gotta keep going.

The one downside of the Essence was that it had the strange effect of making him lose focus. The feeling was a rush, something he could quite easily lose himself in and enjoy continuously. It was a new sensation that he hoped to get used to—fast. His life, and the life of his family, may rely on it.

Pumping his legs, he tore down the hall. He wasn’t quiet about it at all, which he realized was counterproductive. Goblins peeked their heads out to see him flying by. Their shrieks and screams as they began their own chase alerted the first group. The Goblin Swordsmen, with Rasputin only a step behind, barrelled onto the floor from the stairwell.

Crap! He had been so close to making his getaway, he was sure of it. But his carelessness put him back to ground zero. Before the end of the hall, a blockade of the weaker Goblins waited. Clenching his teeth, he swung the blades and cleaved through three of them. They stared dumbly at him as he continued to cleave through them. Whenever the opportunity presented itself, he made sure to crush the Essence Orbs underfoot, invigorating him and slightly mending his wounds as he fought.

Approaching footsteps warned him that he’d spent too long here, so he bit his lip and dove through the group, kicking and stabbing anything that barred his path forward. It was a messy affair, the silver power constantly rushing into his chest as the Orbs continued to be crushed by the goblins as they gave chase.

Even though they’re the ones breaking the orbs, I’m getting the Essence, he noticed.

As much as the rush felt nice, he wanted— no, needed to get away before big, green, and ugly caught up with his sword-toting baddies. They were the real issue. His body ached, then didn’t, then ached some more as he pushed his way through the group. Most of them were scouts and scavengers which meant there was a distinct lack of things that could rip him open.

That was the only silver lining.

With how many Goblins he waded through, injuries mounted. His arms were various shades of purple, his sides aching. And then it wasn't, everything washed away when he cleaved through more and more Goblins. His body stayed in a constant cycle of injured, mending, and injured again, the aches coming and going too fast for his body to process.

Then he was through.

Throwing open the stairwell, he descended. Nearly leaping down the stairs, he descended back to the first floor. The Goblins couldn’t keep up, their short and stubby legs not covering nearly as much ground as he could. If the situation weren’t so dire, he would’ve even rejoiced at the fact that the Swordsmen nearly trampled over the others that got in their way of their pursuit.

But he didn’t. In fact, he felt like some easy Essence was stolen away by the Goblins’ clumsiness and lack of care for one another. Putting it out of mind, he threw the door open and crossed the hall again. He didn’t know how intelligent the Goblins were, but it didn’t seem like they would think to backstep and catch him.

Hammering his legs as fast as possible, his heart beating like crazy, he entered the opposite stairwell and watched through the small hole in the door. Careful to not be observed by anybody outside, he watched and waited. He wanted to confirm that his trickery worked.

If it didn’t…

However, it seemed like he’d lost them. His worries were for nothing. The Goblin Boss, Rasputin, even crushed a smaller Goblin with his large club. He roared a command, and the smaller Goblins spread out in different directions, returning to the pillaging and plundering of the already-decimated first floor.

Letting out a sigh, he made sure that none of the creatures were looking through the door hole when he ascended the stairs again.

Chapter Two

*

Absorbing some more Essence from downed Goblins, Jordan stepped through the shattered remains of the door to his home. With both swords poised to attack at the first sign of a Goblin, he looked around the apartment.

His care earned him some semblance of security when he found nothing waiting for him. Stepping to his parents’ door, he opened it, stepped through, and then closed it behind him. When he looked around, he couldn’t help but feel sad. His home—no, his family’s home would need to be left behind. They needed to…

Where will we go? What will we do? All questions for the future, he decided. When he knocked on the door, he heard a frightened squeal. “Mom, Morgan, it’s me.”

The door was open faster than he could blink, and Mom’s arms wrapped around him. “Oh god, Jordan. I was so scared, we all were.”

“I’m fine. How’s Dad?” He focused on the most important thing. The Essence he absorbed would make up for the injuries he took, and if it didn’t, he knew a place to find more Essence. In fact, everywhere was a good source for the strange energy at this point.

“He’s sleeping now. We stopped the bleeding, and I stitched him up,” she said with a grimace. “It’s been so long since I…”

“It’s okay, Mom. He’ll be okay.” Truthfully, he didn’t believe the words he said, but he couldn’t bear the thought of her panicking. The world outside was in shambles, chaos reigning supreme. “We… can’t stay here, Mom. We have to leave.”

“What? Jordan, your father can’t move.” She shook her head profusely. Hysteria crept into her voice as she considered his implications. “There’s no way he’ll be able to make it anywhere. You—there has to be another way!”

He hugged her tightly. “We won’t leave him…”

Morgan stood from Dad’s side and walked over, wrapping her arms around the both of them. Her voice was hoarse as she whispered, “Thank you.”

Embracing them allowed him to ignore the rampaging monsters in the city. It took him back to a sweet summer in a better time. However, the swords in his hand broke that immersion, wrenching him back to reality.

“Okay, I’m gonna collect some stuff and try to see if I can make a gurney for Dad. We won’t leave him behind for those… monsters.” Without another word, he turned and left the room, closing it behind him.

He set the swords on the couch, grabbing Morgan’s backpack and a trash bag. He started stuffing clothes for all of them into the trash bag regardless of whether they were clean or not. Showers would probably become a rare commodity in the near future, so cleanliness was more or less optional.

Gross but true. He did everything he could in order to stop himself from thinking of Dad. For his entire life, Dad had been such a strong presence. Charismatic, kind, patient. All things Dad exuded without even trying. Stop!

Focusing on the task at hand, he finished stuffing a second trash bag. There was no way either one would fit into the backpack, so he tied them closed and left them on the couch next to the swords. They… wouldn’t be able to take all that. Realizing this, he dumped the clothes out and made sure that there was an extra change for each person, throwing in two changes of socks and underwear—which required him to ignore how disgusting the task was.

That was fairly easy to do with the state of things. Numbness threatened to consume him, but he fought back against it. He wouldn’t allow himself to shut down, no matter how much he wanted to.

And, oh boy, did he want to.

Now that he’d emptied the clothes from the bags and downsized things, he tied the bag to the outside of the backpack. Next, he started looking around for any non-perishable foods—cans upon cans of refried beans, green beans, black beans, pinto beans.

Beans galore.

The sound of footsteps clambering down the hall set him on high alert, and he darted toward the swords on the couch. Grabbing them, he approached the door, hoping and praying that it wasn’t Rasputin and the Goblin Swordsmen.

Just in case, his body was prepared to dart the other way. But his worry was for nothing.

Randall came into view, taking up the door frame. A large leather holster wrapped around his right thigh. In it, a shotgun. However, that wasn’t the only firearm he toted. A handgun—some pistol Jordan couldn’t identify—was aimed straight at his chest.

“Jordy?”

“Randall? What are you doing here?” Jordan lowered the swords, letting them dangle by his sides.

“I came as fast as I could. Where’s the rest of your family?” Randall lowered the gun, quickly walking over to Jordan and analyzing the different wounds across his body. “Jordy… What happened?”

Jordan quickly recounted the story. Randall holstered the handgun into a secondary, smaller holster located at the back of his hip behind the shotgun. They both stepped into the bathroom and saw his Mom, Dad, and Morgan right where he’d left them. As soon as he saw Dad’s state, Randall rolled up his sleeves and began to analyze the wound. Instead of watching Randall work, Jordan left the bathroom to continue his scavenging.

They had a secondary medicine cabinet in the kitchen. He crossed the living room and set the swords on the counter, making sure they were within reach. Opening the cabinet, he sighed. Mom didn’t believe in anything stronger than PainAway, so the only other thing in the cabinet was some cold medicine. Won’t know when we’ll need some and not be able to get it. Better than nothing. He took all that he could and stuffed it into the backpack.

Morgan startled him, placing her hand on his shoulder. “Sorry, I tried to get your attention…”

“It’s fine,” he said. “What are you doing out here?”

“Mom wanted me to help you pack,” she muttered, staring at her backpack numbly. Her face was stained with dried tears, her eyes puffy and swollen. “Wh—what can I help with?”

A loud crash sounded from the hallway. He waited, holding a finger up when Morgan opened her mouth. The distinct sound of Goblins, with their guttural and high-pitched voices, echoed through the hall.

“Get down!” he hissed, grabbing the swords from the counter. There was no telling how many would be out there. Morgan’s presence made things more difficult. He couldn’t use the same tactic as before.

The sound grew louder, the snorting and huffing similar to a pig.

“J—Jordy, I’m scared.” Morgan curled up with her back pressed against the cabinets, hiding as far from the door as she could. Tears streamed down her face again. “I’m s—scared.”

He put a finger to his lips and gave her a weak smile, mouthing the words “it’s okay”. It took him a few times before her eyes recognized his meaning. She nodded, wiping the tears from her face. Her eyes darted between the door and their parents’ room, but he shook his head.

Two Swordsmen peeked into the room, sniffing around. A larger group cast shadows across the hall, but Jordan couldn’t discern how many there were. Gripping the swords tightly, he prepared himself to attack. If they took even two more steps…

A scream from down the hall grabbed the attention of the Goblins. They gave one more look around the apartment, briefly staring at the spots that once contained fallen Goblins, then left.

Letting out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, Jordan loosened his grip on the swords. Thank the Lord. Standing up, he wrapped his arms around Morgan. “We’ll make it through this. I promise.”

*

It only took a few minutes for Mom and Randall to create a makeshift gurney for Dad. There were too many things to take, so Jordan had kept the list minimal. Morgan bore the weight of the canned beans, a few water bottles they scrounged up, and the clothes. He’d snuck in a few bars of soap, but there was no room for anything else.

Mom and Randall pushed Dad on the gurney—made of an ironing table, some duct tape, and a bunch of sheets tied together—down the hall. Dad groaned whenever they had to lift or push the gurney over splintered remains of doors, walls, and...

Best not think about it, he thought to himself. His stomach threatened to empty its contents, but he turned his attention away from the grisly sight. He and Randall were the only two that could truly put up a fight, but Randall was busy pushing Dad, so really it was just Jordan defending them all. Again.

He considered asking Randall for one of the weapons, but he didn’t want to distract from the effort required to keep the makeshift gurney from collapsing on itself. Morgan walked behind Jordan while Mom pulled the gurney. They established the lineup just in case something approached them from behind.

Jordan really hoped they wouldn’t have to drop Dad so Randall could defend, but it was better to struggle with a broken gurney than let the Goblin swarms overwhelm them. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, he thought as he looked behind him at the others.

When they got to the elevator at the center of the hall, he realized that things were going to get complicated very fast. The elevator was completely broken, the doors were open, and the cord inside snapped. Stepping to the edge, he looked down the elevator shaft to see the wreckage below. That wasn’t like that before…

“Jordy,” Morgan muttered.

Shaking his head, he turned back toward the hall and looked around. The elevator was his biggest hope, but the stairwell down… It would be far harder to keep the gurney together, but there was no choice. His biggest fear, however, was the potential of running into the Goblin group. Rasputin’s powerful strikes against the wall sent chills down his spine. He didn’t want to be on the receiving end of that, but he didn’t know any other way.

So he continued walking, muttering over his shoulder, “We have to go down the stairs.”

Every sound caused him to tense up, and the shadows dancing across the walls made him grind his teeth loud enough for Morgan to smack his arm.

“Jordy!” she hissed.

He had to stop himself from grinding his teeth harder at the rebuke. As they walked, he noticed that most of the doors were left open. Only the unfortunate people were left. Where did they go?

To assume they escaped completely felt naive to him. More than likely, they tried to escape and ran into more Goblins. Even if they got away from the complex, the world outside was no better. I got lucky. If he didn’t surprise the Goblin Swordsmen, they could’ve all died.

He was sure of that.

Jordan found it odd that they were able to cross the entire hall without seeing a single Goblin, but he supposed it made sense. If they’d already got what they wanted from the building, why would they stay?

One can only hope. If they could get out of the complex and into Randall's car, they could get out of there and find somewhere safe, if such a place existed anymore. Dad’s health and recovery was important, nobody would argue that point, but—and Jordan hated the truth behind the thought—they were in dangerous times.

It’s up to me and Randall to keep everyone safe, but where do we go?

If they could get to the car, they could go somewhere with resources—a convenience store, maybe one with some kind of pharmacy. Nodding to himself, he set that as the next goal.

But that meant getting to the car.

Chapter Three

*

Jordan stepped out of the first floor hall. He scouted ahead of the others as all three of them struggled to guide Dad down the stairs. The first flight hadn’t been an issue, but when Mom became fatigued, Morgan had to step in to help.

And that came with a whole host of issues.

Scouting ahead, he noticed the presence of a dozen or more Goblins meandering around the front entrance. Closing the door, he turned to see them all step foot onto the first floor.

“Randall, where’d you park?” Jordan asked.

“Out front,” he said, pointing. Sure enough, a black car waited, humming quietly with its headlights turned off. “I came as fast as I could.”

Little green bodies surrounded the car. Many leaned against the warmth of the exhaust while others attempted to climb on top. Jordan held back a groan and turned around, looking at his family then Randall.

Pointing at Mom and Morgan, he said, “You both need to stay here.” Turning to Randall, he met the other’s resolved face. “You know what we have to do, right?”

“Of course. Are you sure you want to do this? We can find another wa—”

“There’s no other way,” Jordan interrupted. He’d seen the streets already. They would have to get in the car as fast as possible. “You need to support me from range. I’m gonna—” He gulped, crouching. There are so many. Rasputin has to be nearby. Shaking his head and setting the swords at his feet, Jordan closed his eyes and rubbed them, doing his best to relieve the budding pressure caused by stress. A minute passed, then two. Opening his eyes, he saw the worried looks of Mom and Morgan. “It’s fine, I can do this.”

Grabbing the swords and standing, he calmed his racing heart, the continuous adrenaline and strange energy catching up to him and giving him a nasty headache.

“Are you sure you don’t want to try to find another route?” Randall asked again.

“Randall, I get what you’re saying, but take a look. Where can we go that doesn’t involve fighting a swarm of monsters? We can go back up and down someone’s fire safety and flank them, but then what?” Jordan saw the flash of frustration in Randall's eyes as he looked toward Dad. “One way or another, we’re doing this. Delaying it will only make the situation worse.”

Gripping the hilts tightly, Jordan left the safety of the stairwell. Inaudible muttering sounded behind him, but a firm hand rested on his back, following him through the door. He counted a dozen minions, scavengers, and scouts—almost forty Goblins in total.

Tilting his head over he shoulder, he frowned. “I hope you have more ammo, ‘cause we’re gonna need it soon.”

Randall shook his head, pulling out a pocket knife he flipped open. With the pistol in his right, the pocketknife in his left, Jordan felt a bit more confident in Randall. He knew that the energy would keep him moving through the fight and the dual swords were strong—

—but he knew this would be hard. If they all made it out alive, he’d be surprised.

His body already felt tired, despite the rejuvenating effect. It didn’t remove the prolonged stress from his body. He needed sleep—desperately. As much as the thought teased him, there were too many things to do before he would get to rest again.

“Okay, Jordan, I’m with you. Let’s do this,” Randall whispered, patting Jordan on the back.

Slinking forward as low to the ground as he could, Jordan crept toward the car. In the large hosting room, he heard the sounds of slurping and sucking. Holding up a hand, Jordan looked and saw Rasuptin.

His teeth were short and sharp, filling his mouth. They chewed on bones—human bones. Jordan frowned, looking away and stepping back. He stopped himself from retreating. They had to do this, just as he told Randall. There was no other way forward, even if it meant fighting the Goblin Boss.

Around the ugly, larger Goblin waited his group of Swordsmen, watching him fill himself. He hoped Randall could deal with them. He didn’t know what else he could do if guns didn’t work. The swords worked, so it reasoned they would.

But would it be enough?

Randall stepped past him, creeping along the side of the wall. There wasn’t much to do about their situation but continue. Time was of the essence. The longer they waited, the more the fatigue wore his body down. And so, he continued. Peeking to the right, Rasputin continued to gorge himself on marrow.

Maybe we'll get lucky. But the half-hearted attempt to ease his nerves wasn’t fooling him. They got to the edge of the wall. Taking a deep breath and gripping the blades, Jordan jumped out and rushed forward. Immediately, he cut down two of the Goblins, eliciting screams from the others as their brethren’s blood spilled freely on the ground.

Jordan didn’t hesitate, and neither did Randall. The pocket knife made sick schlick-shlock sounds as it cut against one throat, then another. The sound of the pistol resounded through the air as Randall started his assault in earnest. If Rasputin didn’t know they were there before, he did now. The pop-pop of the pistol claimed two more of the Goblins, the pocket knife never staying still.

Jordan fought to follow up on the momentum they built as the Goblins stared in shock and outrage at the other Goblins falling around them. He knew his movements were unrefined, but the more lives he claimed, the more Essence Orbs he could crush and the more invigorating energy rushed into him. Schlick-schlick, an x-cross strike with both blades across a Goblin’s chest.

He raised his arm to stab another, but a searing pain sent his mind into a frozen block of terror and confusion. When he looked down at the pained area, the tip of a sword—identical to the ones he carried—pierced through his gut.

Barely able to process, he threw himself back and rolled to the side, scraping his arms and legs against the concrete. Warmth spread across his shirt as he moved, but he refused to go down so easily. When he came out of his roll, he slashed out with both blades, turning into a whirlwind of fury. His arms moved even though his mind grew dull and sluggish.

It didn’t matter.

His body knew what it needed to do. His will pushed him forward, summoning the Essence from his chest. Instead of any profound effect, one of the silvery windows reappeared, one he’d seen before.

View Essence Map now?

Yes

No

Please, don’t let me regret this. He mentally nudged “yes” as he defended against another of the swordsmen. As the power bloomed in his chest, a heat spread through him like fire and time seemed to stop.

Then darkness.

“What? Where am I?” he shouted, but his voice got lost in the darkness.

Nearly a minute passed before anything noticeable happened. The whole time, he screamed for whatever listened to release him.

But nobody listened.

Then in the distant darkness, a dais raised from the ground, shimmering with luminescence. The dais clicked into place at chest height, and not seeing any other way to escape the darkness, Jordan approached.

On the side, a map of the cosmos had been etched, giving the thing an otherworldly feel. As he looked over the thing, panic started to fill him. There wasn’t any time to mess around and look at the stars when he didn’t know what was going on!

Though, if what he saw hadn’t been some kind of hallucination caused by adrenaline and an Essence overdose, the world around him had come to a grinding halt the moment he’d selected “yes”.

But that’s not possible, right? Then again, Goblins and Slimes shouldn’t be possible either. So maybe…

The thought calmed him enough to continue looking over the strange star-covered dais. A slot big enough for a single marble had been carved out of the exact center on its flat, circular top. The circular top had thousands of intersecting lines equally spaced across its entirety.

But he didn’t have anything to place in the middle of the dais, nor did he have any other way of interacting with the thing. So what do I d—

His focus snapped upward, as if guided by some unseen force. An Essence Orb descended toward the perfectly spherical, marble-sized divot in the dais.

A ray of silver guided it down, encompassing that milky light. Jordan felt mesmerized and couldn’t look away. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t. When the Orb touched the dais, it filled the slot, fitting perfectly.

Everything flashed.

Congratulations! Central Node activated.

Darkness no longer obscured everything. Ephemeral silver light and blue wisps danced around. When the wisps collided, a feeling of calm washed over Jordan. He nearly got lost in their perpetual back and forth, the clashes soothing him to the point of complacency.

He looked away to see five white lines, their luminescence the true contender to the darkness. Those lines inched slowly across the floor, moving somewhere. Once those lines reached their final destination, the world completely changed. Five more Nodes, similar but different in comparison to the Central Node, rose from the ground.

Thankfully, the process didn’t take nearly as much time as the Central node. When Jordan approached, he could clearly see each Node had been etched with designs unique to each one. When he approached the first dais, he ran his hand across it, feeling the sheer Power. The Node boasted an aura of overwhelming might, the strength of body pushing passed the laws of reality.

Like a long lost friend, it called to him—yearned for him to strive toward a realm of greatness. And like the Central Node, it had the space for a single Essence Orb. Unlike the simple Central Node, the Node's etchings moved as though alive.

One man wielded a simple sword before an army. As the scene progressed, the army fell to the man’s overwhelming might. Only the man remained in the end, and he stood triumphantly atop the corpses of those that wished to challenge his Power.

If he could’ve, he would’ve placed an Essence Orb in that slot then and there. Power was something he needed desperately, and the fact he couldn’t claim it at that second tested his patience. But even if he got upset, it would be pointless. Nobody was around to listen. So after looking at the Node fondly, he moved to the next.

Unlike the Power Node, the second gave him the feeling of impenetrable defense. The etchings showed a singular man, much like before, but this man stood in front of the army without a single weapon in hand. Like a god among men, he strode through their ranks without a single man able to scratch his unarmored flesh.

The man shifted form as the scenery changed. In a swamp, a troll lumbered about without an arm. By the time it reached its destination, another arm had grown over the stump. Then the scene shifted again, this time to a golem with its mighty natural shell. Another shift, this time to an ocean. A great aquatic beast slept, a beast even dragons feared.

The leviathan.

Nothing could bypass the absolute defense Durability could give.

Why can’t I activate these things? Had he the chance, he would’ve also activated the Durability Node. What am I supposed to do? What’s the point of all this?

His questions went unanswered. For several minutes, he watched the Node cycle through the etchings. With a deep sigh, he patted the dais and moved on to the next one.

Everything about this one screamed speed. The images moved on the dais so fast, he couldn’t see them at first. The longer he watched, the more clear the images became. Like before, a single man stood before an army. But they didn’t see him. His speed was so great, his movement couldn’t be perceived.

The longer he watched, the more he felt like the Node and he were destined for one another. In fact, even the Power Node hadn’t caused such a strong feeling. An aura washed over his mind, a calm and soothing thing that made him see the world in a new light.

Alacrity.

Everything felt right standing beside the Alacrity Node, his mind working faster than ever with almost no strain.

“This.”

The feeling of absolute control.

“I want it.”

But he had two more Nodes to go before—well, he didn’t know for sure what would happen. Only time would tell. Without further delay, he moved to the next one.

Arcana, the mother of all elemental magic and some other things he couldn’t make out. It reminded him of a show he used to watch as a kid and into his teen years. The core four magics he could see within the etchings were fire, water, earth, and air. Several variations of those elements also made an appearance, but the Node did not excite him as much as he’d expected.

When compared to the Alacrity or Power Nodes, it barely held a candle. He felt no two ways about the Node, outside of recognizing that magic would be something to concern himself with, and moved on.

Last but not least, Spirit.

That one, Jordan couldn’t make heads or tails of. Everything was a big blur without any kind of concrete meaning to him, so he just returned to the Central Node in hopes something would happen—literally anything at all.

Attribute Nodes observed.

Distribute Essence now?

Yes

No

“Honestly thought you’d never ask, yes.”

Chapter Four

*

Spirit Node Activated!

Attribute Nodes Active:

5/5

“That…” Jordan slumped against the Central Node and held his head, the pounding causing his ears to ring.

When he’d observed the final Node and returned, a large see-through container appeared above the Central Node. Presumably, that’s where the first Essence Orb had come down from. But the way it looked so effortless couldn’t have been any more wrong.

Each of the five Nodes surrounding the Central Node required him to do mental gymnastics to coerce Essence Orbs down and into the marble-sized slots at each dais. Of course he couldn’t just reach up and grab an Orb. No, that would be too easy. He had to use Jedi mind tricks or psychic powers like Alakazam to get the things down.

And the fun part? If he relaxed his control over them at all, they zipped back into the container like a rubber band!

“...really sucked,” Jordan muttered, exhaling deeply. “Whoever made this place has a twisted sense of humor.”

Though, as much as he grumbled, the reward would determine if the effort had been in vain or if he’d struck oil. The silver message in front of his eyes taunted him, promising something great, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up.

Status unlocked!

View Status now?

Yes

No

“Yes.”

Name:

Jordan

Power:

1

Durability:

1

Alacrity:

1

Arcana:

1

Spirit:

1

Boosts:

None

Abilities:

None

“Everything at one, huh?” He thought things were finished, that he’d be able to return to the fight, but this place still required more of him before he’d be free to return.

Primary, Secondary, and Supplementary Attributes yet to be designated.

Proceed?

Yes

No

“I suppose so, yes,” he muttered, nursing his throbbing head.

Primary Attribute

The core Attribute you rely on. Determines the options available for Ability Nodes. Each Essence used on this attribute will be twice as effective as Miscellaneous Attributes.

Warning: This choice cannot be changed! Choose wisely.

Select Primary Attribute!

“That’s a no-brainer. Alacrity!”

Alacrity selected as your Primary Attribute.

Warning: This choice cannot be changed! Choose wisely.

Confirm selection?

Yes

No

“Do I really need to—fine, yes!”

Secondary Attribute

Your second most important Attribute. This selection provides additional abilities and tools to add to your ability set for variation. The options given will be augmented by the Primary Attribute.

Each Essence used on this attribute will be fifty percent more effective than Miscellaneous Attributes.

Warning: This choice cannot be changed! Choose wisely.

Select Secondary Attribute!

Now that was a choice he needed to consider. The Arcana and Spirit, he could disqualify without giving a single thought. The real challenge was deciding whether he valued Power or Durability more, not that either would become totally unavailable to him if he didn’t choose it.

For a long moment, he deliberated, considering the feeling he’d received when experiencing both of the etchings and the auras that washed over him. The unchallengeable might versus the indomitable defense. When raised to the peak, which would win? A strength so great, none can match it, or a defense so great, a thousand men couldn’t scratch you?

A curious thought. If the greatest power couldn’t be defended against, then defense would matter little. However, if the greatest power couldn’t pierce the greatest defense, then what?

The longer he thought about it, the greater his headache. Reading over the message, one line kept repeating. The options given will be augmented by the Primary Attribute.

Alacrity was his chosen Primary Attribute. Even though the possibilities of defensive options through speed seemed interesting in theory, if he couldn’t pierce the ultimate defense with speed alone, his speed would mean nothing. And Power seemed more fitting for what he wanted.

I need the strength to save my family.

And in the end, a high enough Alacrity could substitute for Durability. If nothing ever hit him or he could strike his enemies down before they could mount an attack, being able to withstand getting hit became far less useful.

Power selected as your Secondary Attribute.

Warning: This choice cannot be changed! Choose wisely.

Confirm selection?

Yes

No

“Yes.”

Miscellaneous Attribute

These Attributes provide smaller boosts. Abilities do not inherently synergize with Primary or Secondary abilities. Gains no additional increases from Essence investments.

Durability

Arcana

Spirit

He’d made so many decisions in such a short amount of time, and the mental drain showed. The fact everyone’s lives hang in the balance made the moments of silence ring in his ears. He closed his eyes, hoping nothing would be waiting for him when he opened them.

Three Disciplines yet to be designated.

Warning: Once selected, Disciplines may not be changed.

Proceed?

Yes

No

“Son of a—no, this is fine. It just means more ways to grow stronger, right? That’s a good thing.” But it felt exhausting. Everything felt exhausting, but there was more to do. Sure, he could say no, but that didn’t seem reasonable. Choosing the Disciplines—whatever they were—would give him a deeper understanding of the system and let him grow, and that’s what he wanted. For what felt like the millionth time since coming to the stranger place, the Orrery as the messages called it, he once again muttered,“Yes.”

Enhancement

Lightning

Fire

Wind

Momentum

Metal

...

The list went on.

And on.

And on some more. Truthfully, the amount made his head spin.

And I’m limited to three. That’s just great.

There seemed to be a lot of elemental options despite not taking either Arcana or Alacrity, like fire, metal, and wind. When he thought about it, it made sense. Fire was known for its ability to destroy, resonating with an innate sense of Power. Same with metal, and he did have two swords in-hand at the time the Orrery spirited him away. Wind might’ve had some relation to Alacrity, since you couldn’t really see it and it had the ability to move very fast.

And the more he thought about it, the more wind also fit into Power. Tornadoes were notorious for being very destructive, and their water infused cousin, the hurricane, were natural disasters feared by countless people that lived on coastal lands. Hell, hurricanes caused enough destruction to be felt in-land if severe enough.

Maybe.

Considering his current situation, Momentum seemed like something that could help him in the now. If he could speed himself up, he could increase the amount of damage he could do and dodge attacks easier. If he could affect the momentum of others, he could dull the attacks of others or negate them entirely.

Rasputin’s giant club came to mind, and he almost locked it in as one of his options. Before then, he needed to consider the merits the rest of them had to offer. But like the Alacrity attribute, he felt a strong pull.

Since he’d followed his gut this far, he’d continue to do so. By the time he reached the bottom of the list, he felt numb. Totally numb.

Momentum, Enhancement, Metal

The energy filled him up to bursting, overflowing into the wounds on his arms, legs, and chest. A fuzzy heat stemmed from his chest, demanding release.

Instinctively, he let loose the control he’d kept over that energetic knotting bundle in his chest, watching as his next slash cut two charging Goblins in half. A silver and blue blade of energy augmented the edges of both swords, humming as the heat in his chest fueled it.

Quickly, the Goblins became nothing before him and Randall. His power turned their meager defenses into butter before his blades. As the power fueled his carnage, it pushed him to clash against the Swordsmen that had approached. They’d moved quickly once his presence was revealed. However, Rasputin grinned from afar, content to watch and wait for a victor to be determined so he could reap the spoils of combat.

Sucks for you, ugly, because I’m not dying here! And he wasn’t. The wound the swordsman had inflicted was already healed, the only evidence he’d ever been injured being a torn shirt, nasty scar, and drying blood.

“Let’s try this again,” Jordan growled, his eyes focused on the Swordsmen. “This time, you’ll be the ones running from me!”