"Ouch!"
I hold my head until the pain goes away.
Memories flood my mind.
Dungeon of Beginnings. Perfect for new adventurers.
I scraped every coin and bought the cheapest sword I could find. One goal in mind—to become an adventurer.
Why? Why did I ever listen to that asshole? I should have believed the nice receptionist. But no. Desperate to escape my miserable life I chose to listen to that scum.
Asking around, I learned a lot about the dungeon. It really sounded like a good place for beginners. Lone goblins roaming the first floor, never in groups. Even a child could kill a one—why not me?
A shitty sword in one hand, torch in another, I entered the dungeon. The information was correct. I killed my first goblin and rejoiced—the corpse turned into a small magic stone.
Magic stones can increase mana pool and affinity for magic. These tiny stones from goblins are useless for most. Not me. They can grant me the ability to use magic.
Moving deeper, several more goblins die.
But, the last fight goes almost wrong. That damned sword broke in half. What to expect from this cheap piece of junk.
The broken shard pierced the goblins head, saving my life.
Catching my breath, I turn to leave—suddenly I find myself on the floor, pain radiating from the side of my head.
"That didn't kill you? You're more resilient than you look."
Looking up, I saw that scum Zevran towering over me. The blow made my sight blurry. But I recognized that ugly face.
"You should have listened to the guild, Kaelen."
I could barely make the words. Blinking to get clarity, something wet landed on my cheek.
Zevran wiped away the remaining spit. "People like you should never leave the slums. Eating only scraps and living in filth. Like a rat. And just like a rat, you are only a stain on society. Do you know what we do with stains? We remove them."
Something cold pressed on my chest—strength left my body and my eyes closed.
Snapping out of my memories, I touch my chest. Everything seems normal. Looking around, I see no goblins and let out a sigh of relief.
The blow to the head must have jumbled my memories. I can't seem to remember the way out.
My body feels strange and doesn't want to properly listen to my commands.
Forced to move slowly, I hope to avoid any goblins on my way out.
Walking past a corner, I recognize this path. I definitely walked here. With renewed vigor, I manage to up my pace.
From behind, a scraping echoes through the corridor. I stop in my tracks.
Please don't be a goblin. Please don't be a goblin.
Turning around—of course, a goblin.
With a yelp, I immediately start moving away. No weapon. No magic. I am no match even for a goblin.
I turn my head to check how close he got—he looks at me without any reaction.
Strange.
Cutting another corner, I slow down to see If the goblin follows.
A minute later. Nothing.
I encounter goblins two more times before finding the exit. Both times, they ignore me.
I see the light shining inside the dungeon's entrance.
I scratch my head.
Until now, only the goblins behavior was suspicious. But seeing the light I finally notice that I can see even without torch. The darkness doesn't bother me.
I quickly put these thoughts to the back of my head and approach the exit.
Ten more steps and I'm out of here. Adventurer's life isn't for me.
Five steps.
Perhaps farming? No, what do I know about growing crops? Nothing.
Two more steps.
What about…
One more step.
Nope. Got nothing.
"Ouch!" I suddenly hit something, stepping backwards.
Looking around, I see nothing in my way.
Frowning, I move forward. "Ouch! What in the…"
I stretch out my arms and feel a resistance.
"What?! My… my arms!"
Looking down, I see my own body. Well, not really. I see bones.
Touching myself, my arms, chest, legs and even head. Everything feels fine. But I see it. I am a skeleton!
"No, no, no, no, no. What happened?"
I pace, bumping my head at the invisible wall.
"Fuck!" I kick the air in frustration. "Ouch!"
Jumping on one leg. "What the fuck is this? How? Just how?"
"Don't panic. Calm down."
I take a deep breath—and panic.
How am I breathing? Am I breathing?
Why can't I leave?
How do I see? How can I talk?
I franticly scratch at my face. No eyes. No tongue. Nothing but bones.
Bones, bones… how are the bones holding together?
I laugh, and laugh. Did I lose my mind? Is this a dream?
I spend several minutes in a daze. Laughing, panicking, then laughing again. Eventually, I come to terms with my new reality.
I somehow died. Not somehow. That bastard Zevran killed me.
I clench my fists so hard that the bones creak when I think about him.
I approach the entrance to examine it. Nothing. Everywhere I touch is a barrier preventing me from leaving.
With a sigh I turn and leave.
I kick a stone at the first goblin I see. "What are you looking at?!"
No reaction. I kick some more, one of them hitting him. He flinches but remains standing, unfazed.
I slowly approach him. I'm already dead, so nothing to worry about, right?
Standing in front the small green figure, I see his ugly features, long nose and sharp teeth. I crouch to be on the same eye level, examining him.
"I never noticed how ugly you are."
Lowering my head I notice his weapon—a crude sword, but still in better shape than the one I bought. I pry it from his hand and finally get a reaction out of him. He becomes hysteric, shrieking and jumping around.
I don't like the sound—the sword pierces his neck.
Back to silence. Much better.
The carcass turns into a small stone.
But… the sword remains in my hand.