Fight the System - Chapter 1

So... since I'm kinda too tired to get the next chapter on EnEm proofread today, I'll just drop this here. It's the first Chapter of a LitRPG thing I wrote a while ago. Names are very temporary... and I'm not sure I'll ever continue this. Still, I like the resolution and some of the imagery. Please enjoy.

Chapter 1 – Definitely Not a Prologue

A trail of blood had led the hunters right to the mutated bear. Although the giant beast had been caught in their oversized bear-trap, this one was so large that it had shrugged off the wound without any issue. Almost twice the size of a normal female specimen, its height was more akin to a house, not to a normal being. Even so, the giant creature didn't have a chance.

Several dozen spears stuck out from the bear's torso. One had been lodged in the beast's cheek and almost half of it had disappeared into the soft flesh inside. All around it, almost all the leaves of autumn had disappeared, together with the trees they had fallen from. All that was left were several broken tree stumps and some timber. The long battle had created a new clearing in the forest.

Although the bear had been a fierce opponent, it had never proven a true opponent for the experienced hunters. Careful so they wouldn't get caught in a potential retaliation from their dying prey, the two Troodon hunters sneaked their way up to the beast's body. The crinkle of leaves sounded under their claws, the only sound around. Every other animal had fled from the battle of the giants. Despite their small size, all Troodon were excellent hunters, but these ones more so than most.

The male's long, scaly fingers held onto his spear with even more force, ready to strike should the bear rise up one final time. Just before he came into striking distance, a broken twig in the distance gave him pause. His powerful digitigrade legs pushed him a safe distance away from his prey, before he scanned the surroundings with his reptilian eyes. Yet there was nothing to see.

For the first time in a while, he was unsure of his own senses.

“Did you hear it too?” he asked his hunting partner as he closed in on her.

“I heard it too,” she answered, while both of them scanned the fallen forest before them.

“Shh, there it is again.” Again he heard the crinkle of leaves. Something closed in on them with measured and even steps. With their refined intuition, no prey would return to their scene of combat until hours later. Even the scavengers would stay distant until the smell of the hunters had disappeared. Since no normal predator would move with such careless noise, which they were only left one option.

Out of the trees stepped an ape-like, bipedal creature. Apart from its long head hair, it was almost hairless. Yet it wasn't naked, since its body was covered by expensive, worn-down armor.

“But... I heard the humans were extinct,” his partner whispered, with a tremble in her voice.

“Please direct your complaints to the extinct specimen before us.”

Although the male hunter joked around, his voice was tense. This was no surprise, since he was old enough to have lived through the last great war against the humans almost a century ago. Even at their lowest, the humans had put up a fight worthy of their great rivals. In truth, humans were monsters themselves, far superior to the Troodon. If they had been united from the start, there was no telling which species would have come out the victor in the struggle.

Any survivors of the old wars would be a seasoned warrior and not easy to deal with. True enough, the creature was massive even for a human specimen. Twice as tall as the tallest Troodon, and half as wide, its bulging muscles moving under its leather armor. The missing eye, as well as all its countless other scars, told tales of its many battles.

Even so, this human was still dwarfed in size by the mutated bear. They had already taken down one prey today, so what difference would be one more? Without a need for further communication, the two experienced hunters split up and began to encircle the creature from both directions, ready to deal with their newest victim.

Then the creature jumped out, and closed the distance like a blur. The male hunter was dead before he could even lift his spear.

[You have gained 5240 XP]

[Level Up]

“Haaah, pointless.” Although he had questioned the second hunter for a while after he had taken down the first, Layne hadn't really learned much of anything in the process. At least she had known the position of the nearby hunter settlement, so for now he had a direction to go in.

“Well, at least I'm still getting stronger.”

Layne pulled his sword out of the hunter's head. The wet, scaly skin clung to the weapon, but its hold was no match for Layne's sheer force. Though he called it a sword, the thing was really just a giant slab of enchanted metal. As time went on and his strength grew, most weapons could no longer withstand the force of Layne's strikes. Something like this, thick and uniform with no weak points, was about the only weapon still able to hold out under his blows.

For now, he decided to take a short break and move on after dinner. Under his command, dry twigs and leaves swirled up and flew together into a pile, before a concentrated burst of energy turned the heap into a bonfire. With a precise mana cut, a piece of meat was pared off the giant bear's bones and transported over the fire, where it continued to hover and rotate. When he had arrived the bear had still been alive, but it had died at some point during his interrogation. While he waited for his meal to finish, Layne sat down in front of the flames, his back against a sturdy tree stump, snapped off in the violent battle between hunters and bear.

As always when he had the time, Layne looked down on his hands, a reminder of his past. The little burn on his right ring finger had come in the third year after the apocalypse, when he had fought his first hunter magician. Back then, the sudden appearance of magic had been a huge deal, though of course not half as big as the appearance of the hunters themselves.

There was a deep, triangular cup at the base of his left hand, almost as if someone had tried to fell it like a tree. This was one of the many wounds he had received in the last great war of humanity, in his battle against the king of hunters himself. If he had a mirror, he could see the same kinds of wounds all over his body, scars from a lifetime of endless combat. Still, so long as he breathed, humanity would not be lost. His hands balled into fists of determination, before he calmed down again. His anger was good, and important. It would drive him on through adversity. But for now, food took priority.

Can't commit genocide on an empty stomach.

Before he could check his bear meat, a swirl of unknown energy appeared between him and the fire.

Ambush!

How did the magician trick his senses? Before he even stood, his sword had already flown into his hand. He made some distance from the tree before he took his stance. If the enemy was dangerous, he needed some room to work. Yet when the energy disappeared, he was surprised to see a human. Not only that, it was a woman.

Before the apocalypse, her appearance might have placed her in her twenties. Smooth, young skin, clear eyes, long, wavy hair and an outrageous figure hidden under her long, clean dress. This wasn't the appearance of a human of this world.

“Who are you!?” he growled as his muscles tensed. Who knew what that thing really was.

“Player Layne, allow me to introduce myself.” Unfazed by his pressure or his sword, the strange woman bowed. “My name is Alana. I am the administrator in charge of earth during round one.”

“What are you talking about?”

With a smile, the woman pointed in his direction, and Layne heard the old-familiar voice in his head.

[You have received the Title 'One Who Has Met God']

“As you can see, I am the one in charge of the system, as you call it.”

No more words were needed. Layne's feet shot him off the ground and left two craters in the soft soil. When he landed again, he was already halfway past the woman's position. From his acceleration and the pivot of his legs, he drew all of his power and slammed his sword into the creature's chest. Yet the blow went right through her body and carried Layne with it. He caught his own power with a roll and turned to his enemy.

“Since your race has suffered so much, I can understand your frustration with the system. However, this form is nothing but a projection. Even I myself am nothing more than a messenger, and hold no responsibility for the plight of your people. I believe I do not deserve your ire.”

Rather than answer, Layne just attacked her again. This time with a giant blast of energy. Even if she was incorporeal, this would still wipe her out. The enormous ball of light swallowed her and carved a line of destruction several kilometers long through the forest. Yet after the light faded, the woman still stood there, unfazed.

“Please stop. You cannot harm this projection no matter how hard you try. After all, the same system that has given you your powers has also created this image. Rather than curse the system, you should be thankful we have released the life force of your planet and made it available to you. How else could you have lived for such a long time?”

“The XP,” he realized.

“Indeed.” She nodded. “Before, the life force of the earth was only used to create souls for the newly birthed. However, after the power was released, it manifested in this incredible gain of force. A boon presented to your people by the great creator.”

After a few seconds of contemplation, Layne righted his posture and let out a tired groan.

“So what do you want?” He had no good feelings about the system. Though it had made him strong, it had also brought with it the hunters, and humanity's downfall.

“I am here to officially inform you about the defeat of humanity. Once you declare defeat, the first round competition can be concluded.”

“Wait, what?” Layne was baffled. Was all of their suffering nothing more than a game for some gods?

“Normally, the competition is meant to continue until all participants of one race are eliminated. This time however, you have proven to be a real headache for us. Not only are you still alive after over a century of waiting, you are also so strong that you will not be eliminated any time soon. Thus, we are willing to make an exception.”

“You're expecting me to just lay down and die so you can keep going with your game?” he asked in a low voice, as his stance lowered again. Of course it was a pointless gesture, but old habits died hard.

“Of course not. Your survival is the exception. We will allow you to continue living if you wish it. You will be able to continue your life, undisturbed, here on earth. All you need to do is declare your defeat and promise you will no longer attack the Troodon, the winners of the competition.”

“We haven't lost. So long as I'm alive, I can just go and kill all of these bastards by myself.”

A grim, manic smile formed on Layne's face, forged by centuries of torment. For the first time, he could see a reaction on the woman's face. He would have been fine with anger, fear, or revulsion, but she only looked sad.

“Participant Layne, alone, you cannot do anything. Even if you could kill every Troodon, your race is doomed. You are alone. The last human female on earth died ten years ago.”

His grin turned dull as the reality sunk in. However, his determination soon returned, as it had done countless times before.

“And I'm supposed to just believe that?”

“You do not need to believe me. Please think about this yourself, think carefully. When was the last time you have met another human?”

Even now, the sadness on her face didn't fade, but it only made him more angry. He didn't need someone's pity, even less so that of a monster. Whatever this thing was planning, he wouldn't play along.

“No idea, but it doesn't matter. Your system fucked us over one too many times. No matter what you say, my goal won't change. I won't stop until that hunter king bastard is ripped to shreds, together with his entire brood.”

__________________________

The green hills had begun to turn brown, as autumn made way for winter. Not far from here, Layne would find his foes.

“So, why are you still here anyways?” Though Layne talked to Alana, he was focused on his weapon. He picked at the frayed edges. Some more of the old metal blade crumbled and fell to the ground. Even this one wouldn't hold out much longer under his power. Soon, it would be time to look for something sturdier, but Layne had no idea where he should be looking.

“Don't you want me here?” Alana asked in a chipper voice.

“No, I'm glad. If you didn't come by from time to time, I probably would have forgotten how to talk by now.” Ever since their first meeting in the forest, Alana had kept showing up. Although he had been cold at first, some company was better than none. For centuries, the administrator had been his only companion... apart from the occasional scaled prisoners. After all, even their new friendship would change nothing about his determination.

“So why did you never ask me why I showed up on earth? We've been together for so long now.” As always when she was having fun, Alana's feet left the ground and she began to circle around Layne like a butterfly.

“What's the point in asking?” Layne shrugged. “Since you wouldn't answer any of my questions about the system, I thought you wouldn't answer anything personal either.”

“So why ask now?”

“It was rhetorical. I was more talking to myself.”

“About why such a beauty would stay with some dirty guy like you for so long?”

“Sure.” Layne laughed at her audacious boast, even though he already knew that the administrator had only chosen the form because it would be easier to communicate with the last human like this.

“I can still answer you, you know?” Her hands crossed beneath her chin, she floated in front of his face.

“Go ahead.”

“Normally, the administrators aren't allowed to interfere in the first two rounds. Not only are there way too many worlds to take care of, too much interference is also detrimental to the purpose of the system.”

“Which you won't talk about,” Layne replied dryly.

“I can't. Sorry about that.” For a moment she looked like she meant it, but her previous casual vigor returned right away. “This sort of projection is rarely allowed in the first place, so be happy with what you get. I wouldn't even be here if there hadn't been an exception on earth.”

“...the exception is me, huh?” he stated.

“That's right. I'm here to resolve the issue, that issue being you. Humanity has lost, and you know it.”

“I don't know anything.” Layne had really wanted to avoid this topic. It always led straight into arguments

“When did you last see another human?”

“Maybe they're all hiding somewhere. The world's a big place.”

“Did I ever lie to you?”

This time, Layne had nothing to say in reply. He knew that she was right, but how could he give up? He had fought for humanity all his life. If he gave up now, what would all the suffering have been for?

“Why continue to fight? Do you even remember who you're fighting for?” As Alana spoke, she once again showed that sadness he had seen the first time they had met. Being pitied didn't make him feel any better.

Layne only snorted in response.

“Why continue to fight?” she asked again, sorrow in her voice. “Why continue to suffer?”

“Even if only I am left, we can still win if I kill all of them,” a grim Layne said.

“In the last second, seven Troodon eggs hatched. And again. And again.” She snapped her finger with every new second. “Even if they were lined up in a row in front of you and you never stopped, you still couldn't kill them faster than they are reproducing. To them, the common cold is a worse killer than you are.”

“So you just expect me to lie down and die?” he repeated his mantra from the past.

For a while they continued to march through the hills without words. Then he breathed out quietly, and made his first concession since he could remember.

“Okay, I don't need to kill all of them. That way, there's the birth rates aren't a problem anymore. There's just one guy I need to take care of. One left.”

“...the king of hunters. Why?”

He thought back to the days when he had been happy, when they still had hope where now only bitter resolve remained. Thought back to his parents, his teacher, his battle companion... her. He had forgotten the faces of his former companions centuries ago, but he still remembered their names, as well as a vague feeling of warmth. His endless fight was for them, for all the people who had died under the attacks of the hunters.

“I need to get revenge for that eye of mine.” He said at last and hid half the truth away in his heart. “Today's the day.”

When he stepped over the hill, his enemies were already in formation. Lined up before him stood an army of hunters, millions strong. There were the bravest and greatest warriors in the world. All of them, from various influences, had come together to take down a single monster, the greatest and most elusive prey. And in their center, protected by an armor of shiny gold, stood the strongest of their race, their proud king. The bastard was as good as dead.

As his grim face widened into a manic grin, Layne spoke again to the worried Alana.

“You know, I've been thinking about some of the stuff you've said these years. I know you're not allowed to talk about the system, but centuries of conversation and you'll let slip a thing or two. Here's my idea: If my XP are the energy of the planet, and the same energy is needed to form life, won't I be able to win if I just keep killing them until I've sucked up all of the XP?”

“You would destroy your own world?” Alana stopped in the air and stared at him with large eyes.

“So what? It's technically still a victory.” he said.

When she caught back up, she appeared distressed, rather than sad or disappointed.

“Please don't do this. Tell me it's a joke. If you don't tell me right now, you won't give me a choice but to act against you. You know I don't want that.”

“I don't care,” Layne said in the coldest voice he could. Of course he cared, but once his words were said he had to go through with them. He had always been a man of his word, for as long as he could remember.

“Listen, I just negotiated a new deal with the higher-ups, that's why I'm here. If you stop now and declare defeat, I can make guarantee you're transformed into a Troodon as well. That way, you won't be left alone on this world, and you could start a new life again. With your strength, it would be too easy to become a great hunter among them, maybe even a leader.”

“No thank you.”

“Why!?” she cried out. “You always say how much you respect the hunters! Why do this to yourself, to all of them? Whoever you're trying to avenge has been gone for so long, your actions help no one. Least of all you.”

“I do it because it's what the system doesn't want,” he grinned. A long time ago, he had disassociated her Alana's name from his misery. He really didn't want to associate her with her employer.

[You have received the Title 'Enemy of the World']

Before he could even understand his new title, he saw Alana's tears.

“Why would you tell me that? Now I have to stop you. I now have the authority to directly interfere with the force transfer on earth... and I am forced to use it against you.”

“But you're just a projection, so good luck with that.”

With a sad smile, Alana looked at him for a second, before she turned her back to him.

“Do your best, and fight hard.” With that, she disappeared. Only a moment later, Layne saw her form on the opposite side of the battlefield, next to his sworn foe. He could feel the enormous energy filter into the golden bastard's body as she loaded the king of hunters up with titles and special privileges.

Unperturbed, Layne grabbed his sword tighter and stepped forward. A few more morsels of magic metal fell off the decrepit thing, but it was still good for one last fight.

He didn't die that day. Yet with Alana's help, the king of hunters and a third of his warriors managed to escape with their lives. From then on, they would meet again and again, until the end of time.

__________________________

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. He had heard those words before, but couldn't remember where.

Cold wind blew dust into Layne's bare face, but he didn't care. Over the years, he had gotten used to dust. His eyes remained open, only focused on the strange, spiral tower in the distance. Once, it had been the greatest construction in the world, the height of hunter architecture. Now its crumbling ruins lay on the side, half-covered in ashes. Yet even now, the building protected the only life left on this world inside. All other creatures had long eroded, together with the plants. The air itself had become toxic, but Layne didn't care. His lungs hadn't drawn breath in eons.

This was it, the end of the world. At last, he would have his revenge. His anger shaped his hands into vicious claws. He still remembered a time when he had used a sword, but now his hands were the best weapons in the world. Soon, they would commit their final sin. As he waded through the cold ashes, an old friend appeared before him.

“It's been a long time, Layne. How have you been” Her form flickered. Now that the world had run out of life force, there was little left to support her projection.

“Alana.” His voice sounded clumsy, alien. As if it wasn't his own. This was another thing he had barely used, except for the rare moments when Alana had visited him.

“You're looking good. You've really slimmed down.”

“Yeah, the muscles just got in the way.” Before he had mastered the use of energy, he had used his size for many things, but at some point, all the weight had become nothing but a burden. Now, his body was made up of the world's force.

“I'm glad you're still well. Soon it will all be over.” She smiled, but there was still that unspoken sadness between her brows.

“Yeah.”

“I'll probably be punished for my failure, but I hope we can meet again. Go finish your work, you deserve your rest.” And then her form flickered out of existence.

When Layne stepped on the floor of the spiral tower, the stones crumbled into dust between his feet. Without force, there was nothing to hold this world together. If it hadn't been for the pull of gravity, all of it would have been flung into space.

As he entered what remained of the main hall, he saw his old enemy. The proud warrior had aged quite a bit. Once, he had been a sheer immortal, great fighter. Now, even Layne as the member of a different species could see his age. His once brilliant golden scales had turned a dull beige, desiccated and cracked. Even more, there was no fight in his eyes, none of the defiance or anger Layne had always seen within. Yet there was also none of the despair he had hoped to see. Their milky blue was the color of a frozen lake, still and deep.

“I have been waiting for a long time, slayer.”

Without a word, Layne walked the last steps in his journey, as slowly as he could. He had waited a long time for this moment, more time than he could count. He would make sure to savor every second.

“On your way here you have destroyed countless lives, countless innocents. You didn't even spare the plants, or the bacteria. I wonder, was it worth it?” The hunter's voice didn't sound angry, or desperate, only curious.

“Killing you will be the best thing I'll ever do.” Layne replied, provoked by the hunter's casual tone.

“Do you even remember why you kill things? What was the point of it all?”

Layne snorted. Even the names of his old friends had long disappeared from his memories. Now, he didn't even have that vague feeling of warmth anymore. But besides his rage, what else did he have left?

“You could have been one of us, why would you not agree? Why would you insist in this pointless battle?” the hunter probed again.

“You know what you did, you deserve it.”

“To tell you the truth, I cannot remember, not for the life of me. After every lost battle I tried, but it has been far too long. That young king who wronged you died a long time ago, swallowed by oblivion.”

“His body's right there. I'll bring it to its master.” With his raspy voice, Layne sounded like the monster.

“We both deserve this, you know? To suffer like this? I was too weak to let go until it was too late. You were too weak to forgive until even now. In the end, all our efforts will be as worthless as the dust around us. What have we achieved?”

“I am the strongest man in the world,” Layne insisted.

“And once you kill me, you will be nobody. We are the last ones left. No one will remember your name, no one will know you ever existed. You will sit here, on a lonely rock in space, until you burn through all your power and join the rest of us within the dust.”

“So what, you expect me to forgive? After everything!? Then who pays for the end of my people!?” As Layne's voice boomed through the hall, the dust around them escaped to form a crate. Above, the roof collapsed into nothing to free up the view at the endless stars.

“Both our people have ended.” The hunter stared up at the sky. “Now we are not even a footnote of history. Just another untold tale. If you wish to fight me.”

With a swish of his hand, the hunter formed the last bit of his energy and shaped the sand before him. Between the enemies, a game board appeared. “We can do so in a more civilized manner. How about a game?”

“...you want me to play games with you?” Layne frowned. “Have you lost after all this time?”

“Or you could kill me right now, smash apart the board, and have this entire world all to yourself.”

Without another word, the Layne sat down. After a few seconds, he looked from the game to his enemy.

“I don't know how.” There was no shame when he admitted to his faults. Even with eons of time, what man could know everything?

“Really? I heard chess used to be a human game. How peculiar. Though it matters little. Let me teach you, old foe.”

Atop a cold ball of dust in the emptiness of space, mortal enemies sat around a chessboard and moved the pieces, without words. Layne never looked up from the game. Though he was absorbed in the promise of victory, defeat followed after defeat. When the pawn turned to dust in his hands, he knew that its energy had passed on, and its host along with it. He was alone.

[Stage One Completed. Humanity is declared the winner!]

[ERROR: Insufficient Energy to Initiate Stage Two.]

[Skipping Stage Two - Humanity declared winner by default]

[Transferring all members of Humanity to Stage Three. Please stand by...]

And then, all life on earth was gone.