Beta Request - Chapters 4 - 6

Chapter 4 -  Why?

I stared at the message with a good deal of apprehension. The system's intention was to eliminate 80% of the competitors immedietly. The sheer brutality of it made me hold my breath for a couple of seconds. Besides, the system seemed to also incentivize competition between players.

Players? Is that what I'm gonna call myself now? Am I already so deep into this? The words lingered in my head as I read the message repeatedly. 

It was hard to grasp the true meaning of it, if there was one at all. What would be the best thing to do? A part of me assumed the best thing would be to fight one of the bosses alone. This way, more people would have a chance to fight and survive. While another part of me— a more sane one— decided that didn’t make any sense. 

If I fought with others by my side and we all succeeded and advanced to the next challenge, I’d be ensuring the survival of people I somewhat trusted. But can I trust anyone in this place? 

The system messages kept saying over and over that there was no place for the weak in the multiverse. That would mean people would soon start killing each other to secure a spot among the top two hundred. 

As if reading my mind, a system message popped up before my eyes. 

Max Jankovic has just earned the title [Murderer] - Be the first to kill someone of your own kind.

Shit, it looks like someone here is much more inclined to go on a killing spree.

We’d been in the proving ground for no more than ten minutes. This Max Jankovic wasn’t someone to mess with, and his name didn’t sound like the one of an elf or a demon. A picture of a giant Russian man popped into my head, and I chuckled as I shoved the idea away and prepared for my next move.

I needed to understand what I had done to perform the magic that killed the goblin. I tried saying the word "skills" in my mind, but nothing happened. 

In all the RPGs I’d played before, there was always a menu with several options—a status page, like the one I had just seen with my evolution stats, inventory, and some notifications. But none of the words I was thinking were working. That was when I decided to say it out loud. 

"Skills."

As soon as the word left my mouth, a blue box appeared before my eyes. It was just like the others and showed ten slots. Four of them were whitish, three bluish, two purple, and one a bright orange. 

The word ‘Shards’ appeared at the top of the box. In the first two whitish spaces, the words ‘Common - Basic Stealth’ and ‘Common - Lightning Affinity’ appeared.

Below the colorful slots, a message from the system awaited me:

This is the Shards system. Congratulations on being alive and well to read this. Throughout your journey in this partial integration, you will face challenges, and those challenges will reward you with Shards. 

Shards can be used to grant you new or upgrade pre-existing skills, improve your status, or open different paths of progress. All of this will be discovered as long as you live to fight another day. 

You have two common Shards related to your class. These two can be removed at any time, but any other Shard that you place in your slots cannot be removed. For now, choose wisely. 

I read it twice before closing the message and paying more attention to the skills. The Stealth one was quite simplistic. It only explained my steps were hard to hear and my presence could be hidden more easily amidst shadows. 

The other shard sparked my curiosity.

Your Soul Core has a Lightning Affinity. You can still learn to use other kinds of magic, but Lightning will be stronger and easier to command. A basic Lightning Strike skill is granted to one with a Soul Core aligned with the Thunder.

Right, so that explains the lightning that killed the goblin, I thought as I wiped my clothes clean and prepared to move. My determination was finally set on what I had to do next. 

I played enough games to know that the stronger I got in the early levels, the easier it would be to face the boss. I could try to rush and find an entrance to the second and then the third floor, but the chances were that I’d be dead as soon as I faced the ultimate enemy. 

Besides, I was sure there were plenty of enemies around. Being a rogue and with my life experiences, I’d probably be able to gather resources and navigate my way through this strange labyrinth discreetly.

As I walked I noticed the tunnel walls were far apart, and the ceiling was high. The place was well-lit, and it didn’t trigger my phobia. I was thankful for that, but at the same time, I knew that if this place was as dangerous as the messages made it out to be, I’d better be prepared to face the phobia again. 

I walked for five or ten minutes before I heard the first signs of life. At the end of the corridor shadows moved, coming from a side wall. Small steps echoed as they stomped the ground. I tightened my grip on my dagger and slowed my pace, preparing to face whatever waited for me.

The way these tunnels were designed made hiding nearly impossible. Unless someone could turn invisible with a powerful ability, one could only run or fight. It was an effective way to keep people engaged in life or death situations.

I wondered what the beings watching me were thinking as my hands shook and I prepared to face another enemy. Is Leo watching? Are the kids from Saint Jerome’s? The thoughts crept into my mind, but I pushed them away. There was no reason to dwell on that now. I needed to be ready to fight. There was no room for hesitation.

A rat’s s head appeared first at one of the corners . I’d seen those bastards several times before. Back when I hadn’t found a better way to live, some of them had gotten really close to me. They would scurry past as I slept, stealing my food or even chewing on my blankets.

I’d seen some fat ones, but never one as big and ugly as the monster in front of me. 

The rat was the size of a shepherd dog, with glistening yellow eyes and two immense teeth at the end of its long snout. Its fur was gray, and its feet were strangely elongated. The evolutionary purpose of its big legs or the bulk of its body made no sense to me, but the shriek that creature let out sent a shiver down my spine. This rat wasn’t here to eat my blankets; it wanted to eat my guts.

As soon as it spotted me, it rushed forward with rapid steps, closing the distance in seconds. I planted the balls of my feet on the ground and prepared to fight. Nothing in the system had told me how to use magic; all I could do was rely on my instincts. 

When I fought the goblin, the magic had surged from my hands when I intended to kill the monster. I outstretched my left hand and willed the energy to strike the rat. It was as instinctive as I had hoped. I felt the energy travel from my heart, up through my hands, and out through my fingers. A lightning bolt shot out of the small blue crystal at the end of the magical wand, and the tunnel lit up with a blinding white light.

However, my aim wasn’t great. The magic hit the ground near the creature, and it jumped to the side with a loud shriek, apparently surprised by my attack but not willing to give up the fight. 

“Right, little bastard, come on,” I called as I waited for it to get closer. I’d never shot a gun before, but I knew that a point blank shot was way easier to hit than a distant one. I just needed a little patience.

When the creature was ten feet away from me, I unleashed another burst of energy into my left hand. The lightning strike appeared faster this time and hit its mark. The creature was struck just beneath its left ear, sending it rolling to the ground, landing on its back. 

A cry erupted from its throat, but what surprised me more was the strange noise I heard at the end of the corridor. From where the rat had come, the clang of metal against metal and voices screaming sounded loud and urgent.

I rushed to the rat, deciding I needed to finish it off before moving to discover what was happening ahead. If there were more enemies, I needed to be in a safe position to counterattack. 

I dashed toward the monster, gripping my dagger tightly, and as the creature rolled to its feet, I drove the dagger into its skull. I felt the blade slice through the monster’s skin and bone; my strength levels were apparently high enough to pierce its skull and reach its brain. I tried to twist the blade, but the bone was too damn hard. 

Fortunately, I didn’t need to. 

I pulled out the dagger, and the creature was already dead.

Messages flashed before my eyes, but I dismissed them with a mental command. Surprisingly, it worked. 

I heard groanings and cursings in the distance. Whoever was fighting there was human, and that sparked something inside me. I moved cautiously but quickly. I needed to see what was going on.

When I reached the corner of the corridor, my eyes widened once more. In the middle of the tunnel, two humans—a short young woman with black hair and a smaller blond man with hair slicked to the back—were fighting against two extremely tall elves. 

The humans had swords and shields in their hands, while the elves wielded daggers. The humans had the upper hand in weaponry, but the elves had longer arms and seemed faster. 

In the few seconds I observed the scene, I saw one of the elves, who appeared to be female, land a slash near the man’s neck. My heart pounded, and I rushed to help.

I aimed my wand to command a lightning strike but gave up midway. I would probably hit both the man and its attacker with my strike. I dashed faster, my brow soaked with sweat as the figures got close.

I had little control over this part of me, a part I often wished didn’t exist at all. Seeing others in distress always filled me with hate. 

The only elf I had known had been gentle to me, and I’d met several humans who were anything but gentle but, they were still humans. 

I couldn’t let the duo die like this.

As I rushed forward, I shoved the wand into my pocket and dashed toward the elf on the right—the one who had just wounded the man.

The elf was about to deliver another strike, aiming for the open wound, but I reached the enemy first.

My dagger clashed with theirs, sending a jolt through my arm and shoulder. The elf was strong, but at that moment, we had the upper hand. As soon as our blades connected, the blond man raised his sword and thrust it toward the elf’s heart. 

His movement was quick and precise. The elf lost the strength in its legs and collapsed, falling to its knees. The blond man had to step back to give it space to fall. Before the creature reached the ground he was already swinging his sword at the head of the other elf. The female elf took the hit with all the force. She got slammed against the wall.

The black haired woman swung her sword in a wide arc, slicing the creature from neck to the opposite armpit. The movement was precise and powerful, and the elf fell wounded on the ground, life escaping from her with each labored breath. 

The fight didn’t take more than a minute, but somehow it felt like an eternity.

A message popped up in my vision.

Universal skill learned: Multiversal language. You are now able to understand all the races of the Multiverse. Listen carefully.

Just as the message disappeared, the dying elf looked deep into my eyes and asked a single question in a slurred english.

“Why?”

Chapter 5 - An Alliance.

Ding!

Congratulations! You have slain Male Myriad level F9.

Congratulations! You have slain Female Myriad level F9.

Congratulations! Your Soul Core has been upgraded.

Calculating…

Speed upgraded.

General Rank Upgraded.

New stats:

Subject: Zach Walker.

Race: Human (Earth)

Class: Mage, Rogue.

Merged Class: Undergoing calculations.

General Rank: F8

Constitution F9

Magic F6

Mana F7

Speed F5

Strength F7

The words struck me like a boulder. I wasn’t prepared to hear them. Until now, elves and demons were just aliens in my mind. But when you can speak with someone, they become something more. I had also just become something entirely new. I am a killer. 

Even though I knew I wasn’t the one who struck the final blows, the words sunk into my stomach and made my sweat grow cold. 

No matter what I told myself to cope, I had helped the duo beside me. I was a part of it. And even though it hurt, there was no reason to dwell on it—or at least, that’s what I kept telling myself. 

The sweat didn’t stop streaming from the top of my head down to my forehead, and the shaking in my hands took longer to subside than I expected.

The blond man looked at me, and for a second, I thought he was going to strike. But instead, he drove his blade and shield into the ground, and they disappeared as if by magic. His eyes narrowed, and his mouth spread into a wide grin that stretched from ear to ear. 

I wasn’t sure if he was speaking Russian and the system was translating it for me, or if everyone was going to speak Russian now—or English. Or maybe he just guessed I was American. 

The woman beside him also dropped her weapons, and both extended their hands to me. I shook them and tried to smile. But before we could say anything, a system message popped up.

Ding! Congratulations! Zack Smith, you earned the title "Outer Worlder Slayer," the first to kill a competitor from a different planet.

Your first strike against a competitor from another planet will be a critical one.

Ding! Congratulations! Mila Martinez, you earned the title "Outer Worlder Slayer," the first to kill a competitor from a different planet.

Ding! Congratulations! Max Jankovic, you earned the title "Outer Worlder Slayer," the first to kill a competitor from a different planet.

I still had my hand clasped with Max’s as his name appeared in the last system notification. Our eyes were locked, and his grin didn’t waver, but I noticed his eyes darting from side to side. 

He knew who I was—the guy with two classes. And worst of all, I knew who he was—the guy who had killed a human and earned the [Murderer] title not long ago.

“This face of yours is because of the murderer title?” he asked, as if he were deeply curious. It was hard to read the man, but I tried to remain calm. 

“You know it’s hard not to notice something like that. I tightened the grip on his hand, just slightly to have a levarage in case he attacked me.

“I understand you,” Max said, releasing my hand and walking back as his smile slowly faded from his face. 

Both of them no longer held weapons, but I had just switched my dagger from my right hand to my left to greet them. If a fight were to break out, I was more prepared to strike.

However, I couldn’t sense any hostility from the short, blond man. Instead of attacking, he sat on the ground near the bodies of the fallen elves, crossed his arms, and looked at me with an expression of great determination.

“This guy jumped out of nowhere,” Max started, his gaze distant as if recalling a painful memory. “He had a bow in his hands, but he wasn’t trying to shoot an arrow at me. He seemed to be in a panic, I don’t know, maybe he was just crazy. He was like one of those guys you see on the street on your way home, but you never really pay attention to them. He couldn’t stop swinging that bow toward my head. I tried to calm him down, but it didn’t work. In the end, just like now, it was me or him.” Max had his eyes fixed on the fallen elves as he finished his recollection.

The woman beside him, Mila, stared directly at Max. There was something strange about her gaze, but after killing two living beings, it would be strange if she were completely fine.

“Is he right, Mila?” I asked, and the woman shifted her gaze to me.

“Yes, he’s speaking the truth.” Her accent was odd, clearly that of a native Spanish speaker, and her brown skin made me think she was probably South American, not European. She wore a simple black dress, while Max had on a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers. The man looked like a regular guy, but there was something unsettling about him that didn’t quite fit.

“What about them?” I pointed to the elves.

“They attacked us. We were trying to ambush a rat that had just turned a corner, then we heard a thunderous noise and we were suddenly attacked from behind. Can you believe it?” Max wiped his brow with his good arm and stared at me with utter shock.

“Yeah.” Mila chimed in, but her voice was distant. She couldn’t stop staring at the dead enemies.

“I was telling her that. We need to stay together. The humans, I mean. They’re the real enemy. And the red bastards as well.” Each sentence he spoke seemed to be more loaded with pain.

Max outstretched one hand, and a small bottle appeared in his palm. He brought it to his mouth and drank it. As the liquid went down his throat, I watched in awe as the deep wound near his shoulder began to heal instantly. Even the blood soaking his shirt seemed to disappear, almost as if it was reabsorbing into his body.

“What was that? A healing potion?” I asked, moving to the opposite wall and sitting on the ground to collect myself. I had a few scratches from the fight with the goblin, and the idea of drinking a magic potion sounded pretty appealing.

“Yeah, you just need to say ‘inventory.’ At least, I had to say it the first time. Now I just think about it, and the inventory appears in my head. 

“This is just like a video game, dude. How is this even real?” I pinched my forehead as I asked. The strange situation was still setting in as my hands slowly stopped shaking.

“I’ve never played a video game before.” Mila sat beside Max and checked his now-closed wound.

“Really? That’s basically what’s happening to us. There are stats, missions, titles—everything from video games. Some authors from Earth even wrote that the end of the world would be something like this. Those crazy nerds were fucking right.”

I muttered to myself as I whispered “inventory” under my breath. As soon as I did, the familiar blue box appeared once again. It showed ten slots, arranged in two rows of five. Only one of them was occupied by a bottle. When I focused on the item, a message appeared:

Small healing potion, capable of healing several minor wounds or a larger one. Use carefully; a potion can be the difference between life and death.

Interesting. Turns out that using it to heal some scratches from an ugly goblin wasn’t going to be the most optimal use.

“Two classes, huh?” Max asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah, I think I was lucky,” I replied, trying to sound as dismissive as possible without coming off as a jerk. I didn’t trust Max enough to start sharing everything with him, but the system had already snitched my titles, so there was no hiding the fact that I had two classes. I just played along.

“That was really brave of you,” Mila commented. “I was almost pissing my pants when the message to choose one of the insignias appeared. Honestly, I don’t know if I was right to choose Warrior. I just thought I needed to be strong if I wanted to survive whatever this is.”

“Of course you need to be strong! All this feels like a freaking reality show,” Max replied. “I bet they’re loving it right now.”

And they were. Small messages kept appearing in the corner of my vision. These weren’t as intrusive as the others, but they were constant. 

You are being watched. 

You are being watched.

When I was alone in the tunnels trying to find a new enemy, I hadn’t seen a single message. But as soon as the rat rushed at me, they started popping up. And when I met Max and Mila, they simply exploded.

Now that we were talking, the messages just wouldn’t stop. I knew it wasn’t a bug because they disappeared for a fraction of a second, only to reappear again. I had no idea how many people had left the transmission and come back, but they were clearly enjoying our conversations.

I had to admit, I’d watched my fair share of reality shows. 

I was a competitor myself, and seeing people fight for a prize always appealed to me. I had a girlfriend once who watched all the seasons of Ink Master, and we’d become the best artistic critics of our time. 

I knew what the viewers were seeing now was gripping—people fighting and now dealing with the aftermath. This was pure and simple low entertainment, the kind of drama that kept people glued to their screens.

“Yeah, I bet some of the bastards are jerking off as we speak,” I muttered.

Mila made a disgusted face, crossing her legs tightly as she sat. Then she chuckled, and Max and I joined in, lightening the mood. 

That seemed to drive off some of the spectators because the messages started to disappear.

“Looks like they’re not that interested now that we’re not killing each other. I wonder if having viewers is important to this game.” Max scratched his head, starting to be lost in thought.

“I bet it is. At least it is in most live reality shows,” I replied, getting ready to stand up. I didn’t have time to waste.

“Wait, where are you going?” Mila asked, and I noticed a hint of apprehension in her voice.

“I need to find the entrance to the second floor,” I replied, cleaning my hands again and preparing to move.

“Wait, Zach,” Max interjected, quickly getting up and rushing toward me. “Why don’t we work together? You saw the messages. If we defeat the boss on the third floor as a team, we can exit this place and have a better chance to fight.”

I pondered his words, searching his eyes for any hidden intentions. He was right, I couldn’t deny that. 

At that moment, I didn’t see anything in his gaze besides a friendly resolve. I was still wary and Mila’s obvious silent discomfort made me reconsider his proposition several times before I spoke again.

Yet, I realized I had no better options. Three people together were better than one alone, and if Max or Mila turned out to be some kind of real murderous pieces of shit, it was better to be close enough to watch their movements than to give them the opportunity to attack me from behind when I least expected it.

“We can do that. But my plan is to kill as many monsters as possible, gather whatever loot we can, collect as many shards as possible, and then move to the second floor. I bet the boss on the third floor won’t be easy. And the stronger we get, the easier it’ll be. Right?”

“I agree with that.” Max extended his arm again and we shook hands for the second time that day. He and  I both grinned, and Mila got up, preparing to move.

“What did you say about shards?” Max asked as we started walking down the tunnel.

As we walked, I explained to Max and Mila about the shards, and they were very grateful. It turned out they each had two skills as well. 

One was a taunt to attract enemies to their shields, and the other was the thrust strike they kept performing, which seemed to enhance the ability of their swords to pierce difficult materials like metal or shields. 

Warriors seemed to be a class to be feared, but I didn’t regret choosing both rogue and mage. I preferred to be fast, agile, and still able to strike harder with magic rather than being a sitting duck for enemies to hit. 

With two warriors by my side, I put my abilities to good use. I noticed more than a few approving glances from both Max and Mila as we finished off three giant rats in one of the corridors.

We got no shards or level ups from the kill, but I was starting to feel a little more comfortable around Max and Mila. That was when the screaming started.

Chapter 6 - The Third Race.

Whatever—or whoever—was fighting had a voice that resonated with a deep, grave tone, sending chills down my spine as I imagined the figure waiting for us. 

The voice was guttural, like the one from the devil I had faced when we first arrived at the proving grounds. We moved toward the noises quickly, with Max leading the way, me close behind, and Mila bringing up the rear. 

This formation gave us two shields to protect our flanks, while I’d attack with speed or magic.

As our footsteps echoed through the tunnels, the noises grew louder, and I distinguished more voices joining in. In the distance, shrieks mingled with the painful, grave cries of what I assumed was one of the demon kin. The creature seemed to be under attack by several other enemies.

After a few more turns, we finally saw the source of the commotion. 

At a corner where two tunnels intersected, a thin, seven-foot-tall demon swung a giant rod toward three goblins that were attempting to strike him with their small, sharp swords. 

The goblins were the same size as the one I had fought earlier, and just as bloodthirsty. From the immense rod the demon wielded, flames erupted, licking at the grayish skin of his opponents. We were still some distance from the combat, but I saw everything clearly.

Max suddenly stopped, causing me to nearly crash into him. Mila halted as well, and before I could ask why we stopped, she voiced the question herself. 

“Why did we stop? We should help him.”

“Help him? Him? What the hell are you talking about?” Max asked, an edge of annoyance in his voice. “One of them tried to kill me.”

“Same here,” I added, remembering the giant red creature that jumped on me at first sight.

“Seriously? See, Mila? I’m not helping that bastard.” Max crossed his sword arm over the shield and leaned against the wall.

“But we don’t know if he’s like the ones who attacked you,” Mila argued, moving to my side. I wasn’t sure if she was trying to catch a good glimpse of Max’s eyes or the battle beyond.

He kept staring at the fight, and I couldn’t help but recall the devil that had tried to kill me not long ago. Yet, in that same room, one of the elves had calmed me down and helped pull me from the grip of my phobia. That same kind had attacked Max and Mila.

“There are good people and bad people, no matter the race,” I muttered.

“What?” Max gave me a quick sidelong glance, still focused on the battle.

“Nothing,” I muttered again, my hands fidgeting with the dagger. Max had told me how to dismiss it— I just had to throw it on the ground and then command it with my mind to make it reappear. The whole action only took a second, but I felt more comfortable with the weapon in my hands.

The demon swung his rod again, this time striking the goblin in the middle one square in its chest, sending the creature flying into a wall close to us. 

The goblin started to move, but I acted quickly. I rushed forward, closing the distance between myself, the demon, and his enemies, and struck the goblin with all the strength I could muster. 

I had to crouch low to get under its guard, but when my blade found its throat and slit it open, the monster went limp. This one didn’t have any post-mortem craziness like the first I met, thank god.

As I looked up, the demon’s eyes met mine for a fraction of a second during their fight. To my surprise, I couldn’t help but see the humanity in them.

One of the goblins struck at the devil, but his rod was long enough to deflect the blow. However, the second attacker seized the opportunity and struck down on the Devilman’s knee. 

He fell to the ground with a deep, guttural grunt. His dark, thick skin made it hard to see the blood in his crimson robe, but with that strike, I caught a glimpse of his wounds.

Beneath the tunic, there were several holes, oozing blood all over the alien. At that moment, the goblin whose attack had been deflected earlier lunged at him, slamming the devil against the wall. The second goblin attacked again, this time aiming for the devil's neck.

Before I even realized it, my feet were already moving. If that alien turned out to be an enemy, I’d deal with it later, but I wasn’t about to stand by and watch him get murdered by these monsters. 

If he was evil, I’d handle it in due time, but if he wasn’t, I didn’t want to live with the regret of not aiding him.

Just as I was about to reach the creature, a different noise echoed from the left tunnel connecting to the intersection. 

A giant blue figure burst into the tunnel, its head nearly brushing the far wall. My mind struggled to comprehend what I was seeing—it looked like it was made out of tentacles, with no face and no legs, but it moved quickly through the corridor. 

The sound it made was deafening, capturing the attention of the goblins. 

The demon managed to push them away, and a burst of flames erupted from the tip of his rod, hitting one of the goblins squarely in the head. 

Its thin hair caught fire, and soon its clothes did too. The creature ran in the same direction as the giant monster, with its friend following close behind, suddenly more concerned with the approaching giant than with the Devilman.

I took a step back from the elusive blue tentacle monster that approached, but to my surprise, as it should have crushed the demon and smashed him into the ground, it simply passed through him like a ghost in an old movie. 

It’s an illusion, I realized as the fake monster continued its path toward the fleeing goblins.It’s a freaking illusion, I repeated, moving again toward the devil, who remained on the ground, gripping his rod tightly. 

When I was twenty feet away, the devil stared at me. When our eyes met, he threw his rod away and it disappeared. His hands were up into the sky. He was clearly surrendering or at least showing he meant no harm. Besides, I didn’t believe he could do any harm to me since his eyes were fighting to remain open and the ground below him was soaked in blood.

Maybe they’re not all bad. 

I felt a firm grip on my left arm. Max pulled me back with a forceful tug, looking into my eyes as if I were crazy.

“What are you doing, man?” he asked, his voice urgent. 

“We need to check on him. He dismissed his weapon and surrendered. You said it yourself we need people to fight the boss on the third floor. That guy right there just made fireballs and giant illusions—I bet he’d be good in our party.”

Max stared into my eyes, and I finally saw what I had suspected but hadn’t confirmed until now. 

Deep in his gaze, I could see he was ready to kill—not like someone who contemplates the possibility to act on self defense, but as someone who wakes up knowing that they can and might kill that day. 

I had seen that look before, and I knew it wasn’t good news.

Max hand gripped my arm firmly and his voice sounded cold and menacing, 

“No, man, we need to get rid of it.”