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Chapter 98: Choices (4)
🕑 Added 2024-07-19 18:46:58 +0000 UTCWorld: MSS - Loading...
***
When I came to, the first thing I noticed was that it was cold.
I was still within the Scavenger’s Base, or someplace like it. There was a quality about the air that made me believe I was surrounded by rock. There was no stinging warmth of sunlight nor the soft winds brushing against my cheek. Slowly, I opened my eyes one at a time and indeed, I was still in the fortress made of stone.
This time, I wasn’t in one of those rooms that were part of the passageways with an entryway and exit. This was an enclosed space, only one way out and one way in. A steel door lay about twenty paces away. In the corner, I saw my equipment. Armor. Dimension Ring. Coin Pouch with the Dimension Rings. My visor helmet with the Seeing Crystal embedded into it. Even my [Lunar Shield] and the falchion I had taken on temporarily.
There was no guard. If I wanted to, I could just grab my things and get out of here.
But I was hanging from the ceilings with my wrists bound together in cold iron. Connected to the manacles was a long chain that continued downwards, binding my ankles together in an identical manacle. I recognized these items, despite having only seen them in item icon boxes before.
[Ryker’s Manacles].
My limbs felt weak and there was a slight trembling in my muscles. It wasn’t due to the growing unease; it was the Manacles. They had been made specifically to keep adventurers as prisoners, cutting them off from Cores, Abilities and Mana in general. As long as I had these on, I was no better than a regular human.
When I tried, I shivered as the manacle grew tighter and rubbed against my wrist and ankles. They didn’t feel like steel, but some kind of slime-covered flesh. They moved as if alive, shivering in conjunction with me. I began to test the manacle, testing the looseness. But the living contraption allowed no room for error, it adjusted to my movements. Time passed and I became increasingly aware of the pain in my stomach.
I chanced a look down, seeing two stab wounds; they were scabbed over.
The fuckers had poured just enough healing potion for me to be alive but not to be healed.
Another scar to add to the collection.
With each passing second, I got scared. There was a quiet disbelief underlying my thoughts, words like ‘they would never’ and ‘would they really hurt another fellow player?’ came to mind.
And I told myself to wake the fuck up.
These guys were killers, pure and simple. There was no doubt about that. Even if they didn’t get their own hands dirty, the Scavengers were proof that these Players were not the sort to enjoy that slice of life action. Call them whatever you want, they were out to hurt me.
So why had I hesitated?
“Because you’re an idiot, I told myself.” I whispered.
I couldn’t sort out why I had hesitated and trying to sort through the conflux of emotions to find out why was like finding a needle in a haystack. Was it the way he presented himself? Only a bona fide human from the 21st century could possibly dress in that outfit. Had I some unresolved feelings towards people from my world? I thought I got rid of that with Arione.
Maybe it wasn’t a Player thing at all. It could be because I was shocked by the way he had been so willing to put his life on the line. I never had an opponent do that. Yeah, I could chalk it up to inexperience.
Or maybe I hadn't hesitated at all.
I shuddered as it got colder, cutting off my thoughts. My limbs were screaming and the stomach ache evolved from a dull ache to a pounding wound that started to send out pulses of anguish in rolling waves. They faded to numbness, my senses dulled by the frigid air in the room. But each fresh movement brought another set of agony.
I gritted my teeth, trying to ignore it.
Gods, I had fucked this up. I had no one to blame but myself.
I snarled in frustration, squirming. It didn’t take long until I stopped. There was nothing more I wanted than to curl up into a ball on the ground; one of the scabs on my stomach had torn open and was bleeding freely. It couldn't get worse than this.
I was wrong.
I was there for hours.
I must’ve passed out at one point because I was awoken when the door opened.
Three people entered.
The orange-amber haired dwarf who threw the harpoons at us. She must be the one named ‘Tanya’, whom the Scavengers referred to as their leader. Horse Mask followed closeby, waving a hand at me in greeting. The third member of their entourage was the most eerie, creepy looking elf I had ever seen; blue-black tentacle tattoos crawling on his head. His eyes were flat and empty.
“A dwarf, an elf and a horse walk into a bar.” I panted out.
The three of them stopped.
Tanya smiled, looking back and up at the other two. She nudged the horse mask with her elbow. “Told you he knows. That’s a joke from back home.”
The horse mask shrugged.
When they walked closer, I got a faint whiff of perfume. The three of them were freshly bathed. Even their armor looked squeaky clean. Then as I watched, two Scavengers came into a room, carrying a table, chairs. A third entered when everything was set up and laid out breakfast on the table.
Tiny bits of tantalizing sausages with a plate of sunny-side up eggs. There was a clear jar of orange juice and another of milk. A basket of toast sat to the side, sending curls of steam in the empty air. Fat round pancakes sat in the middle, one of which Tanya took and nibbled on with her hands. She walked over and stood right in front of me, just out of reach.
“Mmmmm, pancakes. Mmmph! So fucking good! Oh, fluffy. Mmmmmm!” She closed her eyes, exaggerating each bite. You know that spazzing out things that girls do when food is good, their eyes widening and sitting up taller? Yeah, she did all that and more.
“I just love Diner food.” She muttered, voice low. “Reminds me of home, you know.”
I stared at her.
“What? No witty joke this time? Come on. I know you have something. You must be dying to talk about home.” She shrugged. “It was like that for me at first too. Could trust no one except Horse Head over there. We were always the silent ones in our parties, afraid of letting something slip. Isn’t it the same for you?”
I swallowed as she took another bite of the pancake.
Then I bit back a laugh.
She frowned, “What’s so funny?”
“Really? Isolation? Hunger?” I shook my head. “This is some amateur shit. You know I started in this world as a slave, right? If you’re going to torture me, get on with it.”
Tanya stared and for just a second, I thought I saw surprise on her face. I saw her eye me, scanning the scars. She schooled it pretty quick and beamed up at me. “Wow. Been here less than a year and think you’re hot shit?”
Then she punched me in the stomach.
A quick jab and a straight, the classic one-two. She punched like a girl.
And by girl, I mean a dwarf girl with [Physical] stats that practically made her a supernatural being, throwing harpoons better than a certain quarterback could toss footballs. Her punches could crush rock and they slammed into my stomach one after another. She even made those huffing noises like a boxer as she did it, her face acting like she was in a boxing match.
I threw up all over myself.
Tanya laughed wickedly, dancing out of reach. “Hey, clean this up.”
One of the Scavengers came over and the contents of my meal, from however long ago, was promptly gone.
Finally, the three Scavengers left, leaving me alone with Tanya, Horse Head and the Mage.
“Tanya, that was unwise.” The Mage said in exactly the same tone one would say ‘good morning’ if they were a robot.
“Meh. He’ll get over it.” Then she clapped her hands. “First, breakfast!”
The three of them sat down and began to eat. Forks clattered against knife and sausages were cut. Horse Head sat with his back to me, lifting the mask to eat and putting it down between each bite. The bastard was careful if anything.
They didn’t talk to me. They didn’t look at me. They didn’t acknowledge me. They just sat there in silence, butchers fueling their body for the gruesome work ahead.
And I was the cow.
Finally, they finished eating, leaving one plate in the center. I saw two sunny-side up eggs, smothered in some kind of gravy. There were home fries on the side, mixed with green pepper and onion. Three tiny links of sausages were still giving off steam and at the corner of the plate was a single piece of toast.
A small beacon of hope, blindingly intense, flashed to life. As if on cue, my stomach growled. I stared at the plate and didn’t even notice that it was right in front of me, Tanya holding it up.
“You have to eat.” She sounded worried. “Just because you can kill monsters doesn’t mean hunger isn’t a thing.”
I was hungry.
I wanted to be let down, to walk and feel my hands again.
I almost said yes.
And self-loathing and disgust for the weakness within me hammered into my head. I pictured Arrosh given the same treatment as me; my lips curled in anger and spittle flew out as I forced out the word.
“No.”
Then slowly, almost deliberately, I turned my head away from her.
“He hates us.” The mage muttered. “I can see it.”
“Shut up, Coum.” Tanya shot back. “Lock Slaveborn. You have to eat. You can eat this, no strings attached.”
I refused to open my eyes.
She made a frustrated sound and I heard her walk over to the table. “The food is here. If you change your mind, just let us know at any time.”
Then she started talking.
“You probably know what we are and if you know what we are, then you know that we’re the same as you. Real life people stuck in this world,” said Tanya, explaining everything that I already knew, “Long story short, there’s a guild. And we’re all working together to find a way off of this world. We want you to join us.”
The Horse Head neighed.
“So come down, sit. Eat with us. We can introduce ourselves. Not Lock Slaveborn, but with your real name and real self. Tell us where you grew up, what your family was like.”
I didn’t answer.
“Don’t be stubborn,” She snapped. “You’re not doing anyone any good by doing this to yourself. You have a family back in the real world, waiting for you. Friends. If we pool our resources together, there’s a way.”
Memories came and went, unbidden. My dad, embracing me in a hug when I graduated college. My mother, ever the workaholic, never sparing a minute for me but still securing me an internship when I needed. The ex-girlfriend, the coworkers.
The first sip of coke, followed by some salty crispy fries and a bite of cheeseburger. Going to the movies even if it was myself and fresh warm beds.
It was like Tanya could read my mind. “You could go home.”
God. That word.
Home.
I wanted nothing more than to be Home right now. Next to the people I loved. Eating. Smiling.
With family.
“I have a question.” I whispered and turned to look at them.
Tanya perked up. “Yeah! Ask away!”
“...How did Horse Head know that I wasn’t going to kill him?”
Slowly, Coum and Horse Head turned to look at me. Their mood shifted, from pleasantly tolerating to borderline hate and alarm.
Tanya didn’t catch it.
“Everyone hesitates the first time when killing a player. It’s inevitable, think about it.” Tanya explained, “You finally meet someone who could understand you, who’s from the same world as you. Of course, your subconscious is screaming that they’re a real person.”
“Tanya, stop.” The Horse Head finally spoke, but it came out filtered, warbled somehow.
She ignored him. “But it’s more than that. If you’ve killed those NPCs people, you’ll know they feel and act like real people too.”
“And it’s the same reason that people have petty arguments over politics, whether you’re red or blue. You are American right?” The dwarf didn’t wait for an answer.
“It’s easy to kill NPCs, mentally I mean. After all, they’re people of a different culture and upbringing. It’s infinitely harder to kill someone who’s gone through the same things as you, who you can understand. The whole point of being a racist or xenophobe is based on the fact that there are people different from you and there are people that understand you.” Tanya shook her head, “Never underestimate the power of Empathy. I don’t think it’s hate that causes wars… it’s empathy.”
She looked somewhat proud. “I was a history and anthropology major.”
I nodded understanding. What she said struck a chord in me.
And my choice was made.
“So, want me to-”
“Tanya, he’s not going to join us.” Horse Head muttered.
Tanya stopped then for the first time, looked me in the eyes.
I mean really looked me in the eyes.
My jaws were set and I was looking at her.
“...Jesus Christ. You’ve been fucking turned. That look, you look just like that fucking orc-”
“Tanya, shut up!” Horse Head roared.
Tanya closed her mouth.
“...You have my Master.”
“He’s not your Master! He’s a fucking video game character! And if that wasn’t bad enough, he’s a stinking orc and-”
“You sound like a dwarf.”
Tanya snarled and threw the plate against the wall, splattering food everywhere.
“Kids in ethiopia are starving, you know. You shouldn’t waste food like that.”
She screamed in frustration and marched up to me.
“You’re so stupid. You know how many people like you we killed? You think you can make a living here in this world? You think they give a shit about you? Look around! You’re alone!”
My anger matched her explosion with the steadiness of granite. “Here’s what I think.”
“I think you know that Arrosh is the [Sword Saint]’s disciple. I think you know that I’m his disciple. I think you three fucking tortured him and he didn’t give you shit.” My stomach started bleeding as my voice rose to a roar. “My master stood against your torture so now you try me, thinking I’m fucking weak. You know how I know we’ll never work together? Because you three are fucking cold-blooded murderers. The fact that horse head knows players hesitate when killing others means he’s killed other players, more than enough to know that for a fact.”
I cackled. “How many did you kill to find that out, Horse Head? Ten? Two dozen? Hundreds? And for what? For the sake of experimenting? For the sake of quests and items?” I spat in his direction. “You fucking scum are not worth the stain on my master’s shoes and I sure as hell won’t be abandoning my friends to join your little second-rate Guild of fucking losers.”
“So you three evil genius fucking stooges can either get on with the torturing or kill me, because I’m not going to open my mouth for shit.”
There was silence.
“There are no friends in this world.” Tanya muttered.
I looked sharply at her.
She took out a health potion, uncorking it and pouring over my wound. It sizzled and I tried my best to muffle the scream, out of spite.
“No one’s coming. You’re never going to get home. We’re going to torture you, bit by bit. Thanks to the health potion in this world, it means we can keep you alive for years, though I can’t vouch for what’s left of your mind after.” Tanya’s anger had shimmered down to something cold and barren, and the emptiness in her eyes spoke volumes to the things she had done. “Last chance. Tell us everything you know about the [Sword Saint] and [Aura] and we’ll let you live.”
“Nag, nag nag.” I answered, breathing hard. “Blah blah blah.”
She nodded, curt and businesslike. “I have some business to attend to. Horse Head, come with me. Coum, will you do the honors?”
Coum nodded.
The two left the room.
Coum walked over to a table and began to lay out his tools, bringing them forth from his dimension ring. Chains. Wicked curved blades and what looked like a very thin giant fish hook, plus more. Then he took his time choosing one, lifting them up and seeing the gleam on them. He then took the fish hook and walked towards me, taking his time.
For all my bravado, I was scared.
“Do not worry, I will heat the tool before applying it on you. Prevent infection.” Then he waved a hand over the hook and it glowed bright red then white. “This is a tool I made from the stories that our Leader told me. He was a soldier in your world and in his time in the jungle, he told me they used this.”
It was the way he said it, like reading from a computer manual, that broke me. Involuntary animal noises escaped my mouth, like a frightened rabbit. I tried my best to get my body as far away from him as I could.
He bent low towards my feet.
“I will start with your feet.”
Then like everything he did, he squeezed the thin fish hook under my toenail, slowly and deliberately, with purpose.
Oh God.
Oh God.
Oh God.
Oh God.
I tried to detach myself from the pain.
It was no use.
Oh God.
I thought of home.
It hurt.
Someone help me.
Home… Family…
In the Slums with Skaris and Kyrian. And now, Stole and Aurora too.
Please, it hurts so much.
Oh God.
Arrosh, I’m so sorry.
Please… it hurts…
Clover… Lety…
Please.
Oh God, make it stop.
***
Comments
Joseph Phoenix
Keep the chapters coming, shits getting real🫶🏽🫶🏽
Joseph Phoenix
Bros gonna be a badass after this😭🙏🏽
Predyca
Damn 2 chapters in a day. you are spoiling us! ♥ Damn.....its getting dark in here
Korviz
Feral Lock will be back with a vengeance
Book-Wyrm
sweet christ alive
Mordock 24
Holy hell, I thought arrosh had it bad, but lock doesn’t have the same mental fortitude he does. Really hope the rest of the party shows up quickly
