Unfortunately, the concept of board games didn't really exist in this world.

Personally, I thought that was a tragedy. This world would never know the majesty of Axis and Allies, or Twilight Imperium. I remember when my dad showed me how to play those…

Fuck, now I'm sad again.

…Where was I? Oh, yes, lack of board games. I mean, I understand why specifically those two wouldn't exist here, but the fact that the genre itself literally wasn't a thing was completely baffling. They didn't even have chess! How does a society exist without chess?

If you can't tell, I was more than a little saddened by that. So, I decided to ask her if they had any books.

When she led me to a veritable library of weathered tomes and scrolls, I squealed. I would've just nutted right there, had I still been able too.

…That was gross. I'm sorry.

So, as I set myself down in a corner, surrounded by a not-insignificant number of books, Yao walked up to me.

"You need something?" I asked, my arms crossed.

"Listen." She said seriously. "I have to go take care of some things. Stay here until I get back."

She had been treating me kind of like a child, which annoyed me greatly, but I had a feeling that getting angry wouldn't really end well for me. So, I just settled on indifference.

"Whatever man," I said, already opening up an interesting-looking book. "I could sit here for literal years if I had to."

She looked at me weirdly.

"Y'know, Tamamo didn't explain what was going on, and your attempt to clarify things was piss-poor at best." Yao said, her face betraying no emotion. "When I get back, I'm going to have to ask that you tell me in more detail."

I blinked, unsure of how to respond.

"… Ask your boss?" I eventually said/asked.

I raised my eyebrow when she shook her head.

"Tamamo's time is far too important for me to waste with such silly questions." She said, crossing her arms.

… She seemed to hold a lot of respect for Tamamo. I never liked my boss, so I didn't really get it.

"Well," I said. "Don't let me keep you."

As she walked away, I began to eagerly scan the book with my eyes. It was rather plain-looking, with the only words on the cover being: "Cursed sword techniques."

Now, normally, I wouldn't really give a shit about this. Sword moves don't really interest me, anyways. However, monsters were fuckin' strong. I wanted every edge I could get in this eroge-inspired world. If that meant having to learn an entire sword-style, then so be it.

Of course, I couldn't practice the moves. They'd taken my sword when I got here, so that was an issue that needed to be addressed.

As of now, I could only really read about them. Perhaps I could get permission to try them out later…

I opened the book, first reading through the introduction. There wasn't really anything of value there, so I skipped to the moves.

The first one I came across was called "Demon Decapitation." The name was fitting, If a bit edgy. Along with a paragraph describing the move, there was a diagram showing how it should be performed. It didn't seem like it would be a good fit for me, though. From what I could gather, you needed to have full control of your body's movement. The rotting fleshbag that I inhabited was made to be tanky, not precise, so I couldn't really do that. Still, I studied it nonetheless. Maybe I could alter it a little bit.

The next one was called "Bloody Fissure Thunder Thrust." In my opinion, that was a stupid fucking name. It's a mouthful, edgy as fuck, and also somehow suggestive.

Name aside, It was a pretty decent-looking move. Just a lightning-quick jab. It wasn't easy by any stretch, but it was simple. Also, apparently you could combine it with the power of the wind, making it much deadlier.

I grinned in delight at that last little tidbit. That move was definitely going on the list.

I was about to read more. Honestly, it was so interesting. However, a sudden wave of fatigue washed over me. Considering the current track-record of what happened every time this occurred, I freaked out just a little bit.

"Jason, what the fuck are you doing?" I quietly growled, fighting to keep my eyelids open.

In response, all I got was the mental image of a panicked shrug. Great, he didn't know what was happening either. Just wonderful.

"Fuuuuuuuck…" I groaned, slumping over.

Quickly, my mind was swept into the great flood of unconsciousness.

*LINEBREAK*

Blinding light invaded my vision, banishing any other thought from my mind. It… hurt. It felt like a spike was being driven directly into my brain. The light completely blocked my vision, rendering me blind.

From what I could tell, I was lying down, my eyes sightlessly gazing at the sky.

"Ow…" A childlike voice groaned beside me.

Startled, I turned my head towards the noise. Still though, I couldn't see anything except that damned light.

"…Who's there?" I asked, digging my fingernails into my legs to distract myself from the headache.

Wait a second, why was I feeling pain? I wasn't supposed to feel anything at all!

My voice was different, too! It sounded exactly like my old one.

I sat up, still unable to see. I didn't hear a response from the voice. Had I imagined it?

No, there had definitely been a voice there. I don't usually hallucinate stuff like that.

"You fools." A distinctly different voice said, anger swimming just beneath its surface.

That… That was Ilias' voice. I'd only heard it once before, but there was no way it was anyone else.

She sounded pissed beyond belief. What had I done to make her so mad?

"Uhhh, Miss Ilias?" I asked. "Why am I blind?"

"You nearly killed Luka." Ilias growled, ignoring my question. "Do you know how important he is to my plans?"

What?

She hadn't mentioned Luka at all before! Why was she pissed at me?

Normally, I'd be more reserved when talking to a literal god. However, the agony trapped within my head banished whatever shred of politeness that existed within me.

"No, I actually fucking don't." I said angrily. "You never said anything about him. If you'd told me beforehand that I shouldn't fight him, that whole fucking thing could've been avoided."

I heard her snarl, and I immediately knew that I'd massively fucked up.

The pain in my head intensified significantly, causing me to fall over. I screamed, convulsing on the ground as searing agony roared through my body.

With my hands, I clutched my face, wishing I could get away from this horrible pain.

"Gah!" I yelled out, clawing at my face. "It hurts! Make it stop make it stopmakeitSTOP"

Blindly, I rolled around, writhing in terrible, terrible agony.

The pain seemed to creep down my spine, sending sparks of pure suffering throughout my whole body.

An incredibly powerful wave of vertigo overcame me, causing bile to rise into my throat. I choked, coughing up a disgusting mixture of blood and vomit, hot tears streaming down my face.

I couldn't think. The pain buzzed in my head like a hornet's nest, banishing all rational thought from my mind. I couldn't distract myself from it.

I threw up again, my stomach feeling like it had exploded.

It was hard to breathe. I was choking on my own vomit, unable to get air into my system.

I felt like I would die. I wanted to die. I'd do anything just to make this agony cease.

I wasn't sure how long it went on. It could have been seconds, or hours. My perception of time had been thoroughly shattered.

Suddenly, I heard someone snap their fingers.

The invasive light seemed to fade considerably, allowing me to see once more. The pain in my head had disappeared completely, allowing me sweet relief.

I looked up at Ilias, who seemed to be very proud of herself.

"Have you learned your lesson?" She asked, her tone sickeningly sweet.

I slowly nodded, not wanting to face that torture again.

"Good." She said. "You're lucky that I'm so forgiving."

Suddenly, her eyes narrowed. She scowled, looking at something off to my side. I weakly raised my head, trying to see what she was glaring at. I felt a pit form in my stomach when I saw what it was.

A deformed, filthy child lay sprawled out on the ground, staring fearfully up at Ilias. Even as different as he was, there was no denying that it was Jason.

"As for you…" She seethed. "You grievously injured Luka. At least your friend here tried his hardest not to seriously hurt him."

I felt my heart drop into my stomach. She was much, much angrier at him then she was at me. If she did all that to me, then what sort of hell was she going to bestow upon him?

I wasn't even sure why I cared all that much. Jason, as naive as he was, murdered countless people. What kind of pain had he inflicted on his victims? How many people had he killed, despite their pleading?

Still, his childlike body made it very hard to not feel bad for him. I had a soft spot for kids, and couldn't stand to see them hurt.

So, with much hesitation, I intervened.

"Wait!" I yelled, catching her attention.

She looked at me, frowning.

"What is it?" She asked, annoyed. "I have to discipline this fool."

I cringed at her harsh tone, but continued nonetheless.

"Jason had no idea who Luka even was! All he knew was that the kid was attacking him, so he reacted." I said, attempting to placate her. "Surely, you could forgive him just this once."

She stared at me flatly, her arms crossed.

"…You're defending him?" She asked.

I nodded.

"I'll never let anything like this happen again. Just, please let this go." I asked.

She continued to stare at me, her cold gaze sending shivers down my spine. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she spoke.

"I suppose I can find it in myself to forgive his transgressions." She said. "But, you still have a job to do."

I winced, remembering the task she'd given me.

"I… am unsure if I can complete the mission within the foreseeable future." I sheepishly explained. "Currently, I've been incarcerated in the Monster Lord's Castle."

Inwardly, I braced myself for more horrifying agony. When I wasn't slammed with pain, I relaxed.

Ilias nodded, seemingly understanding my plight.

"For now, you should simply carry on as normal. When the time is right to escape, I'll let you know."

She expected me to break out of the castle? That's impossible! I'd get caught immediately.

She must've seen the disbelief on my face, because she sighed, and shook her head.

"Escaping will be far easier than you think." She said. "It is laughable how unobservant those fools are. I am confident that you will be able to leave without raising any alarms."

I sincerely doubted that, but didn't say anything.

"I'll offer you a hint of advice." She said. "Be nice to them. Gain their trust, and leave once they no longer suspect you."

I nodded silently.

"Now, I suppose I should return you two to your body." She said.

With a snap of her fingers, everything went dark…

*LINEBREAK*

I awoke with a start, flinging away the book that was on my lap. It crashed into the wall opposite me with a loud THWAK.

I looked at my hands, once again seeing the fetid, rotten body of Jason Voorhees. My sense of touch had once again disappeared, leaving me numb to the world.

So, Ilias could hurt me. That was good to know.

Luka's sword could also cause me pain. So, was Ilias and that sword related somehow? God, I wish I'd played more than ten minutes of the fucking game. Then I'd know what's going on.

Whatever, I'd question this later, when I'm not preparing to escape.

I walked over to the book I'd thrown, picking it back up. It was still very useful to me, so I wasn't just going to abandon it.

With the book in my hand, I walked back over to the corner, and continued reading.

*LINEBREAK*

After around an hour or so, Yao eventually came back.

"Hey, get up." She said.

I looked at her, somewhat annoyed.

"I'm reading." I said. "Let me finish this chapter."

Yao sighed, slapping her hand to her face.

"You can take the book." She groaned. "I just can't leave you alone for too long."

… She was really treating me like a child.

"You left me here for a while, and I didn't do anything." I deadpanned. "You could just let me stay here. I'm not gonna set the fuckin' castle on fire."

Yao shook her head, frowning.

"Tamamo didn't like that I left you alone at all." She said. "I have to keep my eye on you until told otherwise."

I sighed, getting up from the floor. Grabbing the book in my hand, I noticed her eyes trail over the book's title. Upon reading it, her eyes narrowed it.

"I see you've been busy reading." She said neutrally.

I gulped, wary of where this conversation was going.

"Yep." I said. "I figured I'd learn some stuff for when I get out of here."

She gazed at me, seemingly studying me. After a moment, she let out a sigh.

"Very well." Yao said. "Just don't try out those moves without supervision."

That last comment made me a little agitated for some reason. It wasn't like I was going to cut down the next monster I saw.

I wanted to point out that I was, in fact, an adult, but I ultimately decided it would be pointless. She'd been treating me like a child so far, and would probably continue to do so.

So, I followed her out into some kind of training area, which was inhabited by a shit-ton of prepubescent kitsunes. They were just dicking around, talking and whatnot. However, when Yao came into their view, they all seemed to straighten up, going silent almost immediately. Some looked at me, confused. I couldn't blame them. I'd be confused if I saw a 7 foot zombie man walking with my teacher. That shit just doesn't happen.

I turned to her, one eyebrow raised.

"You've really put some discipline into these kids." I observed. "They shut up real quick when you walked in."

She scoffed, shaking her head.

"It took them more than four seconds to completely quiet down." She said, loud enough for the group to hear. "It seems that they'll be doing laps again."

The kitsunes wisely started running.

"Hey, Yao? Aren't these kids a little young to be training?" I asked. "I mean, they look like they're no older than six years old."

In response, she shrugged.

"Gotta start some time." Yao said. "It's better to do it when they're younger, so they're used to it."

That made sense, I supposed. It was just mildly off-putting to see such a large group of children be so disciplined. Herding children was like herding cats. It didn't work.

…And now I'm imagining someone trying to organize a herd of neko children. For fuck's sake, that'd go terribly.

My mind goes weird places sometimes.

I shook my head, snapping out of my strange thoughts. I walked over to an uninhabited corner, and sat down, book in hand.

I continued to peruse the different techniques, memorizing as much as I possibly could. They all seemed to have… rather interesting names. Another move that interested me was called "Demon skull beheading." From a high location, you drop down with your sword, slicing through your target with incredible ease.

In other words, you dropped on them like a sack of bricks. Considering my rather large weight, it would be very effective.

However, there were a couple problems with it. For one, it was only really useful in a handful of very specific situations, most of which I would likely never find myself in. Also, there was a specific way you had to fall, in order to maximize your speed. Have you ever tried to pull off any precise movement when you physically couldn't feel anything? Let me tell you, it's not easy.

I'm repeating myself, but I cannot stress enough my lack of fine motor skills. I'll be surprised if I can still write. Jason can, but he's lived with this body for years.

So, I filed it under the "Cool, but ultimately useless" tab in my brain.

Really, most of these moves weren't really useful to me. Still, that "Thunder Thrust" was stupidly useful, especially when considering that it could be mixed with wind magic.

…You know, how did Jason steal some of that magic? All he did was touch that lady, and suddenly he's got control over a fuckin' element! How the hell does that even work?

Idly, I summoned it in my hand, feeling it course through my dead veins. It held a sort of unpredictable edge, like it'd go crazy if I didn't keep a tight grasp on it. A part of me wanted so badly to just let it go wild. It made me want to move.

But, I didn't do that. That would draw undue attention to me. Instead, I decided to see how long I could keep it running.

After keeping it active for about thirty seconds, it started physically shake my hand. Fifteen seconds after that, the wind began to carve into my flesh, slicing my putrid, undead skin into ribbons. Black pus oozed out and was immediately picked up by the wind, sending globs of it everywhere.

Eventually, my pointer finger popped off, shooting all the way to the other side of the room. It hit the wall with a noticeable THWAK, causing a bunch of kitsunes to stop what they were doing and look in the direction of the sound.

I quickly cut the flow of magic off, banishing the wind deep within my soul. I stared dumbly at the stump where my finger once was, bewildered.

Okay, so overusing that is a bad idea. That's good to know.

After that, I went back to reading, killing time until my finger grew back. There was a section in the book that discussed the backstories of the different techniques. They were a lot… bloodier then I thought they'd be. Honestly, I didn't really expect it, considering this world's lewd nature.

Some of them were downright ridiculous though. Apparently, some lady had beheaded enough soldiers to make a fucking set of stairs just so she could climb a wall.

Seriously, this is in the book! It isn't just some fucked up myth, either. There are detailed first-hand accounts about this! This is a real historical event!

I was in the middle of contemplating how many severed heads you needed to make a set of stairs, when all of a sudden, I was rudely interrupted by Yao.

"Hey." She said, bringing me out of my admittedly demented thoughts.

I looked up at her.

"You need something?" I asked.

She stared down at me, gazing especially at my half-regenerated finger.

"What did you do?" She asked, crossing her arms. "I sensed wind magic from you. How did you do that?"

I was confused for a moment, before remembering that she'd never actually seen me do that.

Well, I didn't trust her. She probably didn't trust me either, but that was besides the point. I wasn't sure how she'd react to the fact that Jason had sucked it out of that succubitch. So, I settled for giving an overall useless answer.

"I dunno." I said, shrugging. "I can do it, and that's all that matters."

She frowned, narrowing her eyes.

"I find that hard to believe." She said neutrally.

She didn't buy my bullshit. Honestly, I expected this. Still, I didn't back down.

"Do you think that the rotting, possibly insane man knows what's going on at any time?" I asked, tilting my head. "Hell, I only recently got over the existential crisis of 'am I a zombie?' My mental state is firmly planted in the shitter at all times."

Seriously, I was worried about that shit until I ran into Chrome. That whole thing made me realize something important. No matter how bad it got, at least I didn't have to guzzle semen in order to live. (A/N: I can't believe I typed that with my own two hands. That mental image made me gag, and now you all have to suffer with me.)

Have I mentioned how much I hate this world? Because I really do. And the fucked up thing is that I'd like this world if I weren't a soggy, putrid cadaver. I'd probably jump dick first into a slime girl if I could feel anything down there!

I could feel Jason's disapproving thoughts, but I didn't care about them. I was, and always will be, a shameless bastard.

Although, sex is kinda gross when you don't get anything out of it. Maybe that's part of the reason why Jason hates it so much.

Anyways, we're getting off topic. I can tell you that spacing out in the middle of a conversation is considered rude. And, while I normally wouldn't give a shit about that, Yao could probably snap me in half. I rather enjoy being able to use my legs, thank you very much.

I could tell that she was mildly put off by my remark. I wasn't quite sure if she was considering my excuse, or if she was just really weirded out. So, I continued to drive the point home.

"I mean, look at me." I said, gesturing to my body. "This body looks like its spent the better part of ten years submerged in a lake, which would make sense considering it has been sitting in a pond for a decade."

Yao was silent for a moment, seemingly processing what the hell I'd just said. When she finished that, she just looked at me with slight hint of curiosity.

"How are you alive?" She asked.

I shrugged, idly noting that my hand was still leaking pus. Jeez, time felt slow as shit when you were talking with someone that you didn't want to interact with. It felt like half an hour had passed, even though it probably was about five minutes at most.

"Hey." I said, gesturing back to the kitsune children. "Don't you have to like, teach them, or something?

Yao sighed, and nodded.

"Don't act up." She said, turning back to the rambunctious brood of young kitsune. "I'm watching you."

I blinked. That comment really pissed me off, and I wasn't able to shut my mouth in time.

"I'm not the fucking dumbass you think I am." I growled, feeling anger swell up within me. "You keep treating me like a kid and its pissing me off."

I wasn't sure why I was so angry. Looking back, it's obvious that I was having another episode. The last time that happened, I'd eviscerated a bandit.

She turned back to me, one eyebrow raised.

"The way you're acting now doesn't seem like how a rational adult would act." She deadpanned. "I'll treat you like one when you quit throwing a tantrum."

That was the final straw. The barely contained rage exploded within me.

I felt Jason try to wrest control from me, which only served to stoke the fire of anger burning within me.

I gave Jason a mental shove, and prepared to give this bitch a piece of my mind.

… You know, this is the second mental breakdown I've had in the past 48 hours.

"You… You CUNT!" I roared, feeling the wind rage within me. Snarling, I swung my fist, landing a heavy right hook on her face.

A shockwave exploded outwards, shaking the earth beneath me. Several of the kitsune children were knocked over, despite the fact that they were a good thirty feet from us.

She stumbled backwards, seemingly flabbergasted.

"You… hit me." She said in a dazed tone. "How is that possible, I couldn't even process your attack."

Quickly, her shock melted into cold fury. Her eyes blazed as she glared at me, almost seeming to glow.

"You… You dare?" Yao snarled, baring her incredibly sharp teeth. "You dare hit me?!"

Enraged, I readied myself for another wind infused punch—

— Only for my arm to fucking explode, showering both me and Yao with globs of pus and shards of bone.

I stared at the stump, my rage freezing instantly. What the hell had just happened?!

Yao laughed mockingly, amused at my predicament.

"You fool!" She sneered. "You pushed your body past its limit with that attack! How are you going to fight now?"

It must've been the wind. I used too much at once, and it blew up my arm. I'd known that would happen, and yet I still overdid it.

'I am a fucking idiot.' I thought.

Jason agreed.

I suddenly felt an incredible wave of killing intent coming from Yao. Before I could get a single word out, she had her hand around my throat.

And suddenly I was flying through the air.

A/N: If you look closely during the chapter, you can notice me going through the five stages of exhaustion. I'm writing this at six in the morning, having not slept since yesterday.

Insomnia is a real bitch.

Anyways, I'm sorry for the delay. I got really sick recently because I ate some bad food.

Food poisoning is also a real bitch.

I dunno how to feel about this chapter. On one hand, I designed our main character to be an impulsive dumbass, but on the other, I think that the whole thing with Yao felt a little forced.

I wasn't sure what the hell I was on about when Ilias suggested that Jackson gain their trust. That was never part of the plan.

Let me know what you thought.

Also, I just want to say that I never expected to write twenty fucking chapters of this thing, but here we are.