System Break

A gust of wind kicked up some dust and threw it in my face, but it was preferable to the stench that hit me when I reached the crest of the next hill. Splayed before me were the remnants of two hundred or so bodies. Adventurers, adepts and even a couple of protectors.

No one had buried them. No one had collected them, but they had been picked over. There were no weapons, jewellery, or choice pieces of armour to be seen. Most of the bodies had been ripped apart, but that was the Titan's work when it sucked down their cores.

However, there were a few intact, ones who had been lucky enough to escape the random eating habits of the giant killing machine. I had three swords haphazardly hanging from my belt and not much else, so I joined the looters in picking through the dead.

The first body I checked had a scabbard and a pouch, but his shirt was torn to shreds. The pouch and scabbard were quickly attached to my belt and I moved on. The half-eaten blighters were mostly bereft of anything useful. If they had something small it was already taken. Hopefully I could find something useful to me that was left by the looters because it wasn't valuable to them.

Like a skinning knife. I smiled when I grabbed it, it was my old past time, and I would definitely put it to good use. My skill may have been zero, but I was experienced now - I knew what to do - my hand could remember the strokes and the pressure required.

My eyes darted back and forth as I scanned each body looking for anything useful. There was an adventurer who must have been a brawler and he was wearing a thick leather harness. Most adventurers were the same size, a mass produced five foot ten with similar build. I wasn't sure how they selected skin, eye, and hair colour – whether it was random or personal choice but there was little variation in size.

The harness fit nicely, and I would attach pouches, knives, and scabbards to it if I could. I was about to leave when I saw a green body. She was over a ridge, hidden away from the rest. It was Sakaala.

I immediately thought of Ailen. My heart reached out for him and a lump caught in my throat. I couldn't care less about the rich kids, but he was different. I did care about him. Sakaala was alive and I felt little for her other than regret. Ailen was right, I should never have slept with her. That's when it all went bad between us. 

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and now she would have to assume I killed her brother – her feelings would go well beyond fury. She would hunt me to the ends of the earth – a dry chuckle escaped my lips – I didn't care.

She had one of those wonderful Svartalfar packs, but it was empty. I wished now that she hadn't handed me all the cores she carried. It was tailored for her, but I put it on anyway. I stared at the bow and her empty quiver. She had used them all on the Titan, good for her.

The bow could be sold, I reached for it, but my hand would not take it. I could not sell it. There was a stronger emotion than survival guiding my hand and I began to dig. I used a basic knife and my bare hands – it was slow going. The sun set and the hole was just large enough to bury her with the bow.

I made myself strip her leather pants and put them on, but her top would not fit so I did not even think of removing it. Then I pushed her and her bow into the hole and filled it.

"Goodbye Sakaala," I said and began to walk. It was dark but I could easily avoid any cores which shone brightly under qi sight.

This was going to be the most dangerous crossing I had attempted. Luckily Loctris was not far but I had no Demon Bird and no companions. I was weak – this body lacked all the physical attributes of my old lump. 

My core was similar to any player with a high q-count. A little better even. But nothing compared to the well fed core of the forest monster. There were three things that could not be taken from me, not without permanent death. My experience, my knowledge of qi and qi sight.

I slept fitfully and woke every hour to scan the horizon for cores. I rose early and began walking south before the run crested the horizon and when it did the light was dim because the purple clouds would not allow it to shine.

Why were there purple clouds here and not above the other island? How far apart were we? Was it something to do with the Qi Worlds Programme or was it the island itself? My mind wandered as I walked but these questions had little to do with my mission.

Somehow I had to find the gatekeepers and the way to them which presented itself - was the Chancellor. I could try and follow him, torture him, or get in his good graces. I didn't really care as long as he led me to them.

Light seeped through the clouds and the plains slowly became visible. From the cores I could see, monsters were on the move and so was a band of adventurers. There were nine in the group and they were headed southeast. It would be shocking if they weren't the main group of Reds heading home so I followed them at a safe distance.

They'd just been reset and were ill equipped, so I wasn't surprised when they ran from a monster.

I had no idea what I was, but I ran towards it anyway. It was alone but had a healthy core –  larger than a hell hound. The adventurers ran southeast towards Loctris and the monster pursued them.

My qi reserves were full, but I had to be economical. I had no way to replenish them until I looted some cores or rested - but if I ran low - I was toast. And qi was the only weapon I had.

I used just enough qi-speed to gain enough ground on the monster so I could lay eyes on it. My qi flowed over my leg muscles and I sprinted for a mile until I reached the top of a low hill and could see the monster ahead.

With my hands on my knees I breathed like an asthmatic who'd been punched in the guts and through blurry eyes I gawked at the ungainly beast. It ran on four legs, but its hind legs were very short while its front legs were long. It had skin like a brownish purple frog and hoof like feet. It had the face of a bulldog with protruding fangs from the lower half of its jaw. It was hairless like a frog and its skin would make fine leather.

It was butt ugly but undoubtedly an efficient killing machine. Compared to the Titan it was nothing or I would have been running in the opposite direction.

It was tough enough to make nine adventurers run for their lives.