VOLUME 1: DEAD MAN DO TELL TALES
CHAPTER 1:
"Damn it. Have I gotten lost?"
A voice echoed through the darkness and yanked me back to life.
Pain exploded through my ribs. It was sharp and unbearable. I had no idea how long I'd been unconscious, but my body felt broken. I tried to move, nothing happened. My arms and legs refused to respond, as if they weren't mine anymore.
"Where the hell am I now?"
The voice came from above. My breath hitched.
My hands wouldn't move. The area around my body felt damp and muddy. Or perhaps it was really mud.
Oh Hell No.
I tried to turn my head. It wouldn't budge. Panic surged through me as realization settled in. I couldn't see, couldn't move properly and there was pressure everywhere.
I was buried.
I forced my hands to move and started digging. Mud filled my fingers. I clawed at it desperately, ignoring the pain tearing through my arms.
Which bastard buried me alive?!
The soil grew harder the farther I dug, my strength fading fast but stopping wasn't an option. No one accepts being six feet underground. Not like this. I sucked in a shaky breath and forced myself to calm down. My movements slowed, steadier now. With everything I had left, I shoved my arm upward.
My hand broke through.
I felt air.
"AHHHH!"
Before I could register relief, a shrill scream rang out above me. I ignored it and thrust my other hand up. The screaming only grew louder.
"What the hell is that?!"
I clawed at the mud with both hands, tearing it away in chunks. Light spilled in as an opening formed. I dragged my head through, then my shoulders, then the rest of my body, collapsing onto the ground.
"Grghhh—cough—cough!"
My lungs burned as I hacked up mud and water, gasping for breath. The world spun violently.
As I looked up, I saw a girl standing a few steps away, frozen in terror, clinging to a tree as if it might save her. Her face was pale, eyes wide, body trembling.
"What the hell are you? HUH?! A Fucking Monster?!"
I couldn't blame her. Anyone would panic after seeing a man crawl out of a grave. I tried to speak, but my throat burned. So, I crawled toward her.
"Don't-" I coughed. "Don't be afraid… I'm just-"
"Stay away!"
My vision blurred. The ground started tilting. I knew I wouldn't stay conscious much longer. If I passed out here, alone, I might not wake up ever again.
I looked at her, desperation cutting through the haze and confusion.
"Please," I whispered. "Save me."
***
[Game starting in 20 minutes… beep… beep.]
[Anomaly detected in play area.]
[Initializing analysis… beep… beep… analysis result: human DNA confirmed.]
[…Human entity unregistered… reanalysis required.]
[Overriding default parameters… assigning temporary identity… processing…]
[Identity assigned.]
[Welcome, Player 101 to THE GAME OF GODS]
I jolted awake with a sharp gasp.
The smell of smoke hit my nose. I was inside a tent, lying on a thin mattress. A lantern flickered beside me, its light shaking. A travel bag sat a little ahead, stuffed with supplies. Outside, a campfire crackled.
Where was I?
The last thing I remembered was that, I was in a grave.
And then-
My breath caught. Nothing made sense. I grabbed my head, fingers digging into my hair as panic crawled up my spine. "What the hell is this…?" I muttered, cursing under my breath. This shouldn't be happening. None of it should.
Then something else hit me. I froze.
"…Who am I?"
Those words came out broken. My chest tightened and a sob slipped out before I could stop it.
"Shit. Shit. Shit."
A blue screen flickered into existence.
[Player 101. Please move to the play area within 15 minutes.]
"Player…101?" I whispered, squinting. "Who the hell is Player 101?"
Was it talking about me?
I shot up and reached for the screen. My hand passed straight through it, throwing me off balance. I stumbled and my eyes dropped.
"...!?"
My stomach wasn't there.
A hollow cavity sat in the middle of my body, opened and rotting. I could see my own intestines, slack and exposed. My vision became blur. Nausea rolled through me. As the light flickered, I caught a glimpse of my skin that made things worse.
I raised my hand, shaking. The colour of my skin wasn't normal.
It was green.
"…Am I dead?"
My face twisted into a frown. I paced around the tent, trying to think.
Damn it! I couldn't think of anything.
I dropped onto the rocky floor and dragged a hand through my hair. The confusion pressed so hard it almost made me cry. But I stayed quiet. I didn't scream. Nor I shout.
I glanced toward the tent opening. What if someone was outside? What if they wanted to hurt me? If I was already dead… could I even be hurt?
Slowly, I crawled closer and leaned forward, peeking out.
A campfire flickered nearby. Nothing else.
My frown deepened.
I rolled back in to the tent and walked toward the supply bag. With hesitation, I opened it and found a mirror. I picked it up and stared. A green face. Red eyes. Blonde hair. None of it was mine. Even if I had lost my memories, that much I was sure of.
"Screw it," I muttered.
I rummaged through the bag and found a dagger. For my own safety, I grabbed it. Then it hit me. I was naked. I fumbled through the bag again and pulled out a black cloak, wrapping it around myself.
Somehow, I had the feeling the girl had left it for me. She was probably losing her shit, then she must've thought, Screw it! I'll leave this monster to its fate. Still, I wondered why she was dumb enough to leave a dagger to a moving rotting corpse? Was she stupid? Because if it was me, I would be setting that thing on fire. But in this situation, that thing was me.
I was acting like a ungrateful piece of shit.
The screen flickered again. Words burned into my vision:
[Player 101. Please reach the play area within 10 minutes.]
I clenched my fists. What the hell is this Play area? Why am I a fucking Player in this so called game?
Another message blinked, colder this time:
[Floor 11 is now preparing to start.]
[Failure to reach the play area in time will result in immediate elimination.]
I pursed my lips, staring at the red warning screen. A thousand thoughts juggled in my mind but one thing was clear. Whatever this "play area" was, it might hold all the answers I was looking for.