Sitting at a desk with a pen and paper was not the way I expected the afterlife to be. I rolled my eyes in disbelief. Who dies in a car crash and ends up in an office? I expected a God of some kind - maybe the Christian one, with angels and the gates to heaven or something.
Not… a room.
"Yo. Is anyone there?"
A white room, with no visible lights. It's almost like a void - but I've reached the end of it. The desk is wooden and chipped, like those old movies from the 90's but the chair I'm sitting on is made of plastic.
I've been staring at the paper for a while.
RACE ALREADY CHOSEN.
Variant Human(STR, WIS)
Yeah.. That sounds about right. Experimentally, I tapped on the paper with my pen, brows furrowing as I watched the letters change.
LANGUAGES ALREADY CHOSEN
Common
Well, it's not much of a choice, now is it?
"Seriously? Common? What kind of lame language is that?" I muttered under my breath. I tapped on the paper.
YOU HAVE PROFICIENCY IN INSIGHT
…Insight? What's that supposed to mean? I'm good at reading into things?
That's… a nice compliment? maybe it's a subtle jab at how I failed to see the truck coming at me.
"Or maybe it's a way of saying 'sorry you died so young'." I snorted sarcastically.
YOU CAN GAIN ONE FEAT OF YOUR CHOICE
Firearm Specialist Grappler
This is starting to worry me. In what world do I need to worry about being either of those? On second thought, in what world do I choose to be good at grabbing over good at shooting?! Guns're everywhere!
As much as I can hope to god I'm not fighting anytime soon, I still need to choose and in the end, I'm choosing firearm specialist. As much as I think I could, I wouldn't want to be up close and grabbing people that I can just shoot at from afar.
I circled the firearm specialist, and the paper shifted again.
PICK A CLASS
This time, it's showing a range of stuff. From barbarians to wizards, to bards and warlocks. It's a very clear example of fantasy, honestly. Reading through them, I'm stuck on a few options.
Barbarians are tough, the issue is the rage to match it. I've never liked feeling angry and barbarian would just make it feel worse. Wizards are badasses, but it seems really studious to learn spells. Yeah, they're ranged, but do I have the brains for it? That just leaves.. Druids.
I don't actually know a lot about druids. They're fantasy hippies and can turn into animals. Fantasy hippies would totally have nature magic, right? That at least sounded more instinctual than studying how to do a fireball.
I circled druid.
YOU HAVE PROFICIENCY IN MEDICINE AND NATURE
As a druid, that sounded… Well, at least I can survive in the wild?
I tapped on the paper with my pen.
CHOOSE SPELLS
My brain exploded in pain, information flooding my mind. Faerie fire, cure wounds, entangle, an entire range of choices both cantrip and first level where I could only select five.
Create Bonfire. Shape water. Entangle. Goodberry. Ice Knife. They were boring choices, but I could at least eat for free wherever I was.
I didn't need to tap anything this time. The paper changed on its own.
YOUR STATS HAVE BEEN CARRIED OVER
STR 16
DEX 9
CON 13
INT 12
WIS 14
CHA 11
Carried over? What, from my time living? According to RPG Logic, those aren't druid stats at all!
"I wasn't THAT strong, was I..? Or maybe this is some kind of compensation for my lack of other skills." I mused cynically as I tapped the paper.
YOUR BACKGROUND HAS BEEN CHOSEN FOR YOU
That sounds abou-
YOU HAVE PROFICIENCY IN SURVIVAL
YOU HAVE PROFICIENCY ON VEHICLES (LAND)
"Woah, woah, woah, slow down!" I said out loud, the paper shifting once more.
STARTING GAME...
"Motherf-"
CHAPTER ONE
What is your name?
The afterlife was a pretty boring place to be. An all-white room with a not-paper screen? Yeah.. no. Honestly, it was kinda relieving when I answered a few questions from the paper and then-
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"
..Yeah. Thankfully the fall wasn't too far, but it didn't stop the killer ache that spread around my knees as I blinked at an open-faced black book on the ground before me and picked it up. It had a few things written on it; my name, height, weight, class- Oh. This was a character sheet.
Damage: -1d6=4 HP!
Stealth: 1d20-1= 12!
Stealth? "What did I roll stealth for? How quietly I can faceplant?" I muttered irritatedly, clenching my teeth as I tucked the book into my waistband and looked around.
Perception Check: 17! (15+2)
I was in a forest - that much was clear. It was bright and hot, so it was definitely summer or at least a really sunny spring. The trees here were taller than what I was used to, and the smell..
"Eugh. Smoke." I spat out as I glanced upwards, scanning for a moment before spotting a trail of smoke over what should be a fire. Following it, I winced as II saw a makeshift campsite, with.. Something scattered about. There were people there, packing things up and laughing, but they looked like-
Okay. Barbarians was a little far, and it sounded about as bad as 'savages'. The people didn't look kind, is what I mean. I guess I could watch, just for a bit? Maybe I can use my so-called proficient insight. I hid behind a rock, watching as they packed tents into bags and scarfed down on meats.
Stealth: 18! (19-1)
Insight: 23! (19+4)
'Not so bad for a spectator, eh?' My mind felt like it cleared up a little as I looked down again, I watched a man laugh, his shoulders a little stiff - almost nervous as he did. Others were different, brows furrowed as they glanced up at some rocks near me. Was that my failed stealth check?
I kept glancing at different members of the group, biting my lip a little nervously. A woman stepped out, with long black hair and some other features I couldn't quite see. She felt.. Off. Some of the guys saw it too, if the varied reactions were any indication. Some of them would look away, eyes trying to find any kind of distraction. Others cowered before her, and others looked like they'd rather be somewhere else.
'Nervous much?' I thought, looking at the rest of them. One grinned like they just heard the best joke ever, and some of them even looked - what, thirsty? Like they were yearning for something.
It didn't take long for them to start moving.
And boy, did they move. "Seriously, do these guys walk the forest every day?" I groaned to myself, wiping sweat off my brow as I watched them walk. There weren't just adults either, there were kids who weren't so much as busting out a single sweat! "Note to self," I muttered, "Barbarians have a crazy training routine, and I need to find out what that is." I finished between labored breaths.
Really, I couldn't help but admire how fit these guys were compared to me. My feet were stumbling over the uneven terrain, but these guys were still going strong. The sun, once directly above me in the sky, was clearly a little closer to the horizon. 'I wish I knew what time it was..' I complained silently, trudging my way forward.
Watching them, they all seemed like those 'tough guys' you'd see more in cartoons than anywhere else, at least in demeanor if not in height. Some were tall and bulky, others shorter, but either really aggressive or conniving looking. Really - they looked less like barbarians and more like... I dunno, what I'd expect prison inmates to look like?
And then the world stilled.
I felt my heart race as I held my breath, scurrying behind a nearby tree in case they'd somehow sensed me. I heard nothing. An eerie silence filled the forest, a prelude to something ominous. I gulped, my eyes clenched shut before I heard a roar and a joy-filled scream. Something hit the floor loudly before the sounds of fighting really began.
It was crazy - nothing I'd seen before. Large, black werewolves fighting the group of now-armed barbarians. It was a slaughter. The barbarians fought like some kind of machine, grouping up on the werewolves five to one with spears and guns as they dropped like flies. The woman from before - who I could only assume was a leader, sliced two in half with a single slice of her sword, and the girl next to her used these knife-things to take out one in an instant.
"Holy fuck.." I murmured, gulping as I watched the scene unfold.
The battle was over as quickly as it started, and the werewolves faded into nothingness when they were felled. The barbarians seemed happy enough, their laughter echoing through the forest. The atmosphere, though, was far from jovial. I couldn't hear their words, but I could see the tension in the way they interacted. It was like when someone's scared, so they start joking and laughing to hide the fact.
One of the barbarians spoke to their leader, and her response seemed angrier than their victorious situation warranted. My vantage point didn't allow me to hear their conversation, but their body language spoke volumes. It was like something went wrong. Didn't they win, or was the 'fading and not leaving a corpse' part important?
As the barbarians began to prepare for their departure, the tension lingered in the air. It was kind of unnerving. So what if they faded? They won, right? Then why did it feel like they were ready for another fight?
And then came the growl.
The sound was guttural and menacing. Something primal. It made me weak to my knees, even when I hardly had time to process it before getting smacked into a tree. The impact itself sent shockwaves of pain through me, and a strangled scream escaped past my lips. I stumbled to my feet, my back stinging with pain.
-4 (1d4+2) HP!
While I could hardly think straight, I still took a look over at myself in order to make sure I was okay. My back was throbbing, and I'd have one hell of a bruise later. That didn't measure up to my chest, which I was somehow sure would be more than a bruise.
Medicine: 14! (10+4)
Something was definitely wrong with my chest and back, but in my dazed state The pain was a telltale sign, but there wasn't time for any kind of medical diagnosis. My mind could only be consumed by sheer terror as the black creature charged right towards me.
I gasped, a wave of fear and panic washing over me. Tears welled up in my eyes as I could only think one thought, a desperate plea echoing in my mind. 'I don't want to die. Please. Please, I want to live. Let me live letmeliveletmelive-'
Instinct kicked in, blended with my overwhelming desperation. With trembling hands, I cried out one word:
"Entangle!"
The effect was immediate; the forest came alive as tree roots mixed with grass and bushes, morphing into something almost resembling tendrils that reached towards the werewolf, pulling on its limbs and restricting the beast.
I couldn't help but laugh a little frantically at the subdued beast, its jaws snapping at me as it tried shaking off its restraints. "Not so strong now, are you?!" I taunted, catching my breath as my grin died down slightly. I had to kill this thing now. It.. It couldn't be so hard, could it? Gathering my shaken resolve, I pulled my fist back.
Unarmed Strike to hit: 25! (20+5)
I punched the beast, watching as it roared in pain. Its thrashing got stronger and more frenzied, but its prison didn't let up. The movement showed me a nasty wound on its neck and shoulder. "Really," I breathed exasperatedly, "A fuckin.. An injured werewolf gave me this much trouble...?"
Unarmed Strike to hit: 20! (15+5)
My fist met the creature's body and just like its pack, it began dissipating away, leaving my fist covered in a little black dust and leaving me astounded at my victory. I stepped back and for a second I thought I was in the clear, but my aching body reminded me otherwise.
My vision swayed - or was that my body? I could - The black book showed my HP, right? How much did I have? I reached for it, only to find out that it wasn't tucked into my waistband. "No, not no.." I muttered, blinking and trying to still myself as I glanced around for it.
"Well well well.." a deep voice rang up, dripping with amusement.
I forced my weary eyes to focus on the source of the voice, swaying as I tried to find my footing. There he stood - an almost hulking figure with tanned skin, unruly green hair, and a mace hanging at his side. His eyes bore into me as I realized just who he was. He was a barbarian - part of the group I'd been stalking before. If that wasn't scary enough to put me on edge, his unfriendly grin was.
"You don't see a lone outsider take down a Grimm on a regular Tuesday." He remarked, his voice filled with a mixture of curiosity and something else I couldn't quite pinpoint in my haze.
My head still spun from the recent ordeal, and while I tried grappling with my consciousness, a heavy grin fell on my face. "Guess not..." I slurred, "Just another day in the neighborhood, right?"
The barbarian barked out a laugh, the sound echoing through the forest. "Good one! Say, kid… what's your name?"
As I tried to summon the answer from the depths of my mind, my grasp on my consciousness loosened, and with it, the world faded away.
whoopee, a chapter one.
yes this is my first story what gave it away?
