----- Grubitish Reinbach ------
As I fell off the parking lot roof, I had a quick moment to reflect on the sheer ridiculousness of my plan. I have never thought of myself as brave, critically minded or certainly reckless. However, everything that happened in the last minutes before my fall could almost only be described as utterly reckless. Believing I could trap the Zombie Brute's body within the van, while letting its incredible weight and unstoppable charge propel itself and the van off the roof was utterly devoid of logic.
So many things could have failed. Maybe the Zombie Brute wouldn't charge, or maybe the parking lot's old wall would have held and immediately ruined the plan. I was ultimately just lucky, in the sense that the only thing that went wrong was that the van's inner door didn't open. Putting that aside, the fact that the van and zombie brute actually did go teetering off the edge and to their demise was almost unbelievable. If I weren't also trapped inside the van and joining in their demise, I would have actually patted myself on the back for a job well done. Unfortunately, like most of my good intentions or best efforts. Things always appeared to fall to pieces at the last moment.
Right before slamming into the ground, the emotionless voice of my new nemesis actually rang out, informing me of my so-called life ascension. Even though I knew I was going to die, my last thought wasn't of my family, or my limited group of friends; instead, it was of the damn system. My head was filled with nothing but curses at the cruel entity and whatever its machinations of me were, before everything went dark.
Again, someone observing me might think I was lucky to avoid the brute's impact, but I just exchanged a quick pain for lasting suffering. The imposed unconsciousness seemed fleeting, as I quickly awoke to find myself in a strangely barren plain. Like one waking from a nightmare, my body went from silent stillness to action in a split second. The moment I awoke, my new surroundings sent my mind into a frenzy as adrenaline and fear coursed through my body in equal measure. I spun around several times in quick succession, doing my best to scope out the area and any possible dangers as fast as possible.
"Where on earth am I?" My voice echoed out in the barren space, as if I were speaking within a cave. After several seconds of looking around wildly and hearing nothing but my own voice reverberating back to me, I soon came to the conclusion that wherever I was now was clearly devoid of danger; it actually appeared to be devoid of literally anything. Glancing down at my feet, I noticed that even the ground was not actually ground. It resembled a mirror, reflecting only emptiness beyond myself.
In any direction I looked, all I could see was nothing but endless distance. "Umm. Hello? Is anyone there?" After several minutes of standing in the same spot and receiving nothing but silence, I tentatively called out into the open air. I wasn't actually expecting an answer; I merely wanted to expel the oppressive sound I was feeling in the silent nothingness I found myself in. My voice, while unattractive and somewhat nasally for my age, was preferable to the nothingness I was feeling. My shout faded into the oppressive silence, and as no answer broke the still air, a wave of dread washed over me; remaining stationary would surely be my undoing. A feeling of needing to move swept over me, and before I truly thought more about it, I chose the direction I was currently facing and walked.
Even though I was walking at a steady pace, and continued to see nothing for several long minutes, I didn't lower my vigilance for even a second. If the last few hours had taught me anything, it was that, at least while I was in this system-bound world, I was in constant danger. Unbeknownst to me, as the heavy fog of dread lifted, a dangerous apathy settled in, obscuring the possible perils that lay ahead. After what felt like an hour of walking in one direction, I finally noticed two things that had been bothering me since I had woken up here in this empty world. One was that I felt no fatigue whatsoever, even including the current hour of continuous walking. I thought back to my state before falling off the parking lot.
Even though the system had apparently boosted my physique somewhat because of my increased attribute points, I was still ultimately the unfit me. Even before my desperate sprint away from the pursuing Brute and the climb to the top of the parking lot, I was already quite exhausted, both mentally and physically. I had basically been running on pure pulse-pounding adrenaline from the moment I was transported inside the apartment building to the moment the system sent me into unconsciousness during my descent off the roof. However, even with all that, I found my current aimless trudging state to be in perfect condition with no ailments or signs of exhaustion at all. Which perplexed me. The second oddity I found after my hour-long trek was the silence.
Not just the world's silence but my own. Except for the times I had spoken out loud, my entire trekking existence didn't make a sound. Not my tattered shoes upon the mirror-like floor, nor the rubbing of my clothes. My breathing also held no sound, even when I took in even larger breaths than the other. The world was silent, and apparently my existence reflected that as well. The oddity of my current situation was obviously frightening indeed, and at any other time, I imagined it would have sent me into a spiral of thoughts and conjectures. However, for a reason I didn't quite understand, I found myself completely unperturbed. My only thought was to keep moving forward. As if some unseen power guided me internally, whispering that forward movement alone would reveal all.
Time was hard to gauge as I marched along the expanse of nothing. I could have been walking for hours, weeks, months or even years. My thoughts had dulled a long time ago. My mind, which was originally focused on many things as I walked, from past to present to future, eventually fizzled away. Until all I could focus on was just moving forward. I must constantly move forward; stopping or hesitating would lead to stagnation. A stagnation of what? I didn't know, but the thought of stopping had never crossed my mind since the moment I took my first step.
Eventually, and after only the system knew time had passed, something other than me finally appeared in the void. Just meters ahead, a glowing orb materialized. The invisible hand that had been pushing me forward had finally let up once this unknown object appeared in my path. The light beckoned, and as I neared, I snapped awake, a surge of elation coursing through me with renewed awareness. Once again, even though my mindless walking and my odd state filled me with confusion, it didn't actually cause me any worry. As if I knew within my core that I was not in any danger and merely treading a path I must walk upon.
Standing only a foot from the floating ball of light, I found that it exuded warmth. Not a heated warmth like from a fire but a comforting warmth, like one would feel after stepping into the sun after being cooped up for a long period of time. Gazing into the light, I couldn't make out what it truly was or what its depths held, but the more I looked, the more something within me yearned to reach out with both hands and grasp this warmth. To somehow pull it inside of me, to embrace it into my very being. Gazing into the orb's gentle glow, my vision blurred with tears, the ache in my chest intensified, as if a missing piece was just in reach.
Even though the ball of light was only the size of a basketball, I knew embracing it required more than just my hands; it required my entire being. From toes to crown. After several long moments, the desire became so great that the little cautiousness that was rooted deep within my core had finally given in. My body moved as if on instinct. With my two hands leading the way, I reached out and grabbed the ball of light. It felt as if I was holding cotton candy, appearing there but not there. Without even thinking about it, the moment I grasped the ball I directly pushed it towards my abdomen. The ball of light, even though appearing tangible, met no resistance from skin or cloth and was quickly pushed into my stomach until the ball of light disappeared beneath my skin.
The comforting warmth started in my middle, giving me feelings of butterflies fluttering around inside of my stomach, just like I had felt the first time I had spoken to my first crush at school or had my first kiss at the fair. The warmth felt like a fragile ember against a vast, empty darkness, barely hinting at a future. I didn't try to control it and let the warmth spread from my middle to the rest of my body until the warmth of a mother's embrace filled me from top to bottom. A smile couldn't help but rise on my face while I shut my eyes, truly just enjoying the magical moment. I don't know how long I stood there, just basking in the feeling of comfort radiating out of every pore, but in that pleasurable state I cared less for anything else. I, however, hadn't fallen into a completely unaware state, like I had on my endless trudge through the plain of nothingness.
Therefore, I noticed it right away when the comforting warmth radiating out from my stomach changed. Like a hand slowly reaching towards a fire, it started off gradually. It went from warm to hot first. The comforting feeling was still there, but my body was also radiating heat as if I had been standing out under the sun's rays for just a little too long. It wasn't painful in the slightest, but the warmth caused my smiling face to lower somewhat. "What's going on?"
Then the heat grew until I felt as if I were in a sauna; my entire being began to sweat. With the heat feeling as if it was rising every second, the clothes I was wearing quickly became sticky with sweat. Before I knew it, I was pulling at my clothes, trying to allow some air onto my covered skin to cool myself down. However, in this empty world, let alone fresh air, there was no such thing as a breeze to help my rising temperature. So, my efforts were ultimately futile. Before I knew it, my clothes started to feel almost suffocating, and I first took my jacket and shirt off, hoping that would help.
It didn't. Gazing down at my pants and shoes, I first looked around the area almost subconsciously before reminding my silly self about where I was and I threw my body self conciousness to the back of my head and began taking off all my clothes and throwing them to the ground until I was standing in the nothingness with nothing but my birthday suit on.
With my mind occupied with my current odd state, I obviously didn't notice the fact that, right before my clothes hit the mirror-like floor beneath me, they disappeared entirely. With not a trace of them in sight. Breathing heavily, I touched the skin on my forearm, expecting to feel the unnatural heat radiating out of my skin but was naturally surprised when I found nothing but cool skin. Neither warm nor cold. Even though I was beginning to feel as if my insides were radiating such heat, that even my inner flesh was sunburnt, my hand felt nothing but the sticky sweat coming from my pores.
My sweat, oddly sticky to the touch and tinged a darker color than usual, caught my eye as I looked down at my hand. Grime seemed to saturate my sweat. Just as I was focusing on the muddy sweat exuding out of my skin, the heat rose another notch and finally moved into unbearable territory. My once smiling face had now turned into a grimace, as the heat once again started in my stomach and spread out through my entire body. Clenching my hands, I felt not only my muscles but even my bones start to boil under the rising heat. If I could see inside myself, I wouldn't be surprised to find an actual wildfire running through my veins.
"Argh!" Even with gritted teeth, I still couldn't stop the pain-filled groan escaping my lips and echoing out around me. In the wake of my groan, it was as if I had released the floodgates within me. The gradually increasing heat had finally gone from searing to true burning. Within moments, the pain had brought me to my knees. The burning sensation made even standing difficult. My bones were the first to feel it. I have broken my leg once while playing sports. I knew the pain of bones breaking under impact, and I could safely say that my current pain was as if every single bone in my entire body was being broken at the same time, over and over again. Before I even knew it, I was curled up on the ground like a roasted shrimp. "For god's sake, make it stop! You bastard system, make it stop!" I couldn't help but curse out as I writhed on the ground.
I shrieked often, alternating between begging and enabling my system interface to understand what occurred, but all failed. Soon, speaking intelligible words became impossible. Each escalating throb of heat forced a guttural rasp from my throat, echoing the agony of a trapped beast. Once the searing pain of my bones twisting and breaking, then reforming and repeating again was finally over. A new, even more painful experience began. My muscles began to shrivel under the fire running through my veins before ripping and then expanding. The refreshing feeling of my muscles regenerating only lasted a brief moment before the pain of my flesh being infused with this supernatural heat and being torn to pieces consumed me. The juxtaposition almost made it worse. As I knew that after a single moment of painless existence an even longer moment of nothing but pain was coming.
Once again, time became a non-constant for me, as my groans turned to grunts then to shouts until I was screaming my lungs out under the fire of pain. My vision began to get blurry under the pain, while my mind became a haze under the impact of what I was going through. Before I knew it, a sense of darkness approached me. I knew I wasn't far from falling unconscious, a self-defense mechanism my brain was forcing upon me to protect my fracturing sanity. However, just before I could fall into that blissful state of unawareness, a force from above appeared to drill into my head as a now familiar itch of a notification rang in my mind. This time, however, I didn't have to mentally open the notification as it opened itself, followed by the narration from my nemesis.
[System Note: During System-assisted Ascension, the Lifeform.856 323 210 238 231 32 cannot lose consciousness and must stay in their Inner world to ignite their life force spark. During future Ascensions, the system will not assist Lifeform.856 323 210 238 231 32 and will have to direct their Ascension themselves.]
Even through the fog of pain from being cooked alive, the notification still caused my agonized screams to be cut short while my poached brain spun with some life once again. "Ignite my spark? Inner world?" Hearing my questions ring out in the desolate world surrounding me, like multiple versions of myself were asking the same question. All trying to find the answer hidden within the notification. As if in response to my questions, the ball of fire that began in my gut lit up once again with such ferocity, I thought for a second that the ball of light I had embraced was actually a miniature sun.
"A spark? What bloody spark? Was I meant to use the ball of light to ignite something... Argh. God damn it! I thought your meant to assist me!? Well, assist already, will you!" Kneeling, I struck the unyielding floor with numb fists, a strangled sob escaping with each blow. Every time my fist made contact with the ground, it felt as if I crushed every bone in my hand, but by the time I lifted them above my bowed head again, the fire trapped under my skin reformed them.
The bangs along with my bellows echoed throughout the world, sounding as if multiple drums were banging in chorus. As I still felt none of the so-called assistance from the system and cursed it multiple times as a bastard in my mind, the heat that spread throughout my entire body began to fill my head as well. I felt as if even my brain was boiling. With a loud bellow towards the sky, something inside of me appeared to have finally triggered. The fire that was trapped, hidden under my skin, had finished with my muscles and had reached my skin. Rather than witnessing blazing fires, charring skin, and rising smoke, a gentle light started to emanate from my skin. The light started at my stomach before traveling throughout my entire body until I was a human lamp.
The previous shaded nothingness of the world warped under the light and heat coming from within me, and just as an idea came roaring through my mind at the sight of myself becoming a light bulb, another forced notification opened in front of my eyes. One notification didn't appear to be enough though, as it was followed by another, then another
[Ignite the spark and Ascend!]
[Ignite the spark and Ascend!]
[Ignite the spark and Ascend!]
Seeing the notification and feeling my own conjecture ringing in my brain, I finally controlled my bellows and stood up on shaky legs. As I ascended, the blinding light intensified, searing my eyes and threatening to consume the vast emptiness surrounding me. Looking up into the air above me, I couldn't help but release my pent-up anger and pain. "You want to see a spark, you bastard! I'll show you a goddamn spark! I'll show you a spark strong enough to ignite the world!!" Releasing not just my anger and pain into the sky, I released the literal fire within me. With a mental push, I fed the ball of flames inside my stomach everything that fueled me. All my ups and downs. My ambitions, my regrets. Happiness and sadness. Everything. Right on the cusp of feeling like I was going to explode from feeding the ball of heat in the pit of my stomach, I ran out of fuel within myself.
Railing internally at myself, 'Coming up short again! I'm always coming up short at the final shit kicking hurdle! Useless! Waste! Idiot, just think! Think! Fuel! I need fuel!' The rage that was a constant companion to my daily toil railed at my lack. My lack of everything. The flames within me that were originally only moments away from becoming a blaze looked to be dying out, causing me to switch my rage from myself onto it instead. The moment I did so, the dying flames looked as if they were literally doused in petrol and flared to the limit again. "You like that, do you! Well, I've got a belly full of that! Have it all, burn in rage with me!" With a mental push, as if I literally threw off a huge stone that I had always carried on my back.
The flame didn't just increase, if my earlier emotions could be called adding timber to a fire, my unending rage was like throwing a barrel of gunpowder on it. My entire being radiated light until it felt as if I expanded in all directions, stretching endlessly and lighting the desolate world around me. The light soon transformed from its blinding white to a multitude of colours, like a rainbow had exploded and spread out onto the blank canvas of this world.
The land was quickly filled with the green of grass, the blue of lakes and rivers and the breath of the wind. After which, a massive roar echoed out from my nonexistent throat, causing even the skies to fill with storming clouds. Bringing not only noise to the emptiness of what I now knew was my inner world but also a semblance of life. Soon my vision was once again swallowed by darkness. This time, however, the system didn't interfere, and I was soon gone from this mysterious world, coating it in darkness once again.
With a start, my eyes opened, and I once again saw nothing but darkness. This, however, was different from the nothingness I experienced in my inner world before. This was a more natural nothingness one would experience at being in a darkened space. The first thing I did upon waking was touch my body. Even though my heart started to race when I felt that my shirt had been cut in half, the fact that my skin was no longer boiling made me sigh in immense relief. Before I could truly gather my bearings or grasp where I was, or even figure out what the awful stench I smelt was coming from, the rhythmic banging from a fist onto something metal caught my attention. It sounded like it came from my left. "Zombies?" I questioned but swept the thought aside as I swiftly heard the very human pleas of what sounded like a young boy. "Weird? But I suppose following the sound of knocking is the best way to find my way out of whatever this place is. Best go check who's knocking."
Standing up, the sound of my clothes ripping rang out in the enclosed space, causing me to frown. But considering I couldn't see a thing, I decided to check the state of my clothes once I got out. I at least could still feel that my privates and ass were covered by my pants, so I wasn't too worried, but it did feel as if my already tattered shirt ripped at the shoulders when I stood to my full height. "I was in need of a new shirt anyway." Muttering to myself, I let the remains of my shirt fall off and continued towards the sound of crying and banging. My outstretched hands finally ran into what felt like a metal shutter after only a few steps. Then, crouching down and feeling around a bit, I managed to wedge my fingers under the crack at the bottom of the door and with a quick shove I threw it open before gazing down at my knocking guest. Before I could ask anything though, the look of absolute shock on the boy's face caused me to change my original question to something I was worried about before the ascension.
While reaching up to touch my face, I asked the random boy, "So am I a Moth or a Butterfly?"