Chapter 6: poor man
Fighter: "How can you help me? Or rather, how can I get out of the Workshop? Is there some command like 'Open Sesame'?"
Fighter had chosen to advance through the graveyard rather than embrace a lonely death in the darkness. He was a man born in a peaceful era, and the sheer brutality and trauma of a human dumping ground like the Human Void were almost unbearable.
Rechel: [No. Just think intently about leaving this place and you will be outside. Ok.]
Fighter closed his eyes, concentrating fiercely on the thought of being outside. Then, he couldn't resist a final, theatrical flourish.
Fighter: "OPEN SESAME!" he shouted into the void.
Rechel: [Why did you shout out loudly like that? I only told you to think about going outside, not to shout, you dishonest man. Ok.]
Immediately following her declaration, a sharp, momentary burst of electricity shocked Fighter. It was intensely painful, causing him to seize up.
Fighter: "I'm sorry!"
Rechel: [For this time, I, Rechel, forgive you. Ok.]
Suddenly, the cold, stale air of the Workshop was replaced by a different, much heavier environment. Fighter slowly opened his eyes. What he saw was profoundly disturbing, and what he smelled was disgustingly overwhelming.
Before him was a deep, vast chasm filled with a field of rotting corpses, disease, and filth. This was the Human Void.
Fighter was critically weak, with nothing in his stomach. He felt a profound coldness, and his body was feverish. A sudden, violent tug came from his empty abdomen, and Fighter immediately sank to his knees and began vomiting uncontrollably.
As he gagged and convulsed, his ability spontaneously activated. The [Blessing of The Worms] was a powerful ability, and its effect was instant. His vomiting ceased abruptly, his head cleared of the feverish confusion, and the speed of his thought processes accelerated.
Rechel: [A map of the Human Void is now available. Follow my directions...]
Following Rechel's guidance, and utilizing the sharp focus granted by his activated ability, Fighter began his climb. He came out of the deep, disease-ridden hole and reached the surface. Along the way, he stopped at what Rechel identified as Mr. Doll's "last home" and took a significant amount of money.
The New World, The Old Hunger
Fighter: "This is truly another world."
He looked up at the unfamiliar sky. It was purely blue, without a single cloud—a strange, almost direful expanse. There was no visible sun, yet the world was fully illuminated by a cold, diffused light.
Rechel: [I think you should buy something to eat, or you will die soon. Ok.]
Fighter was covered in old blood, fresh vomit, dirt, and likely other waste from his climb. He smelled disgusting. His body was shriveled, and his clothes were blood-soaked rags.
Fighter: "I am so hungry. I've vomited everything out. I need a relaxing shower and new clothes. But with only 709 Sevan, how can I do all that?"
Rechel: [That is not your money. You stole that money from Mr. Doll. What a poor man, and also a thief. Ok.]
Fighter ignored her commentary, focusing on the paper note in his hand. In the center, there was a picture of a stern-looking Prime Minister, and on the reverse, a man slaying a terrifying Horror.
Fighter: "The cost of damn food is so high. How can I, a poor man, possibly survive in this economy?"