Chapter 2: Chapter 2

"Fuck me my head hurts." Now awake Alex looks around. Huh, I guess we really can't die; he thinks as he looks at the crowd of what used to be corpses. Seeing him awake it splits. The young man walks out, the soldier bruised and beaten at the very back. "G'mornin." Confused, Alex stares at him. "Yeah, I guess. So what exactly happened?" Smiling, the young man points towards a nearby tree. This one is several times taller than the others. It's bark is ash white and its leaves is a blood red. Many red flower buds line its thin branches. Just as Alex is about to ask what he means one of the flowers begins to glow and bloom. Within seconds a human is formed and dropped. "This is our re-spawn point. Anyways, name's Evan. You can call me mighty man."

Disgust. That's what Alex's face screams. "Name's Alex. You can call me Alex." Evan smiles. "So it really is a souls like. Honestly i'm kind of excited. I wanna go hunt but everyone is too scared. Wanna join in?" The crowd looks at him with obvious fear. Some are crying and some are still touching where there's supposed to be a hole. Suddenly, a pile of corpses flashes past Alex's eyes. Instantly he vomits. Immediately after everything returns to normal. Seeing this Evan sighs. "I'll take that as a no. Alright. Peace out ya'll!" Alex and the crowd just stare as he walks deeper into the forest. "The hell?" Alex, now seeing beyond the horizon finds a massive castle standing tall. Small multicolored lights circle around it, matching the stars in the purple, painting like sky.

Before he can say anything one of the men comes up to him. "I'm sorry but can I ask how you killed that thing? Also why is your mark glowing?" Alex checks his chest. The tattoo is still above his heart. Same pattern too. Suddenly, he feels a very strong urge to hug the re-spawn tree. Ignoring the crowd he walks to the tree. With every step the thing's branches start to lower. In front of him is a think branch, a gray flower bud on it's tip. Instinctively Alex knows this is how he levels. The bud gently taps his tattoo. The glow vanishes and a voice appears in Alex's head.

Hmm. I must say these pups are more resilient than the rest. Tell me child. What do you wish as a rewards for passing your first trial?

Alex's though start to run wild. Can I ask for any reward? Does it have to be stats? Can I ask to become so OP i can kill gods by looking at them? Is there a divinity stat? What if I just to be stronger? Will it buff me overall? Okay. Wait. So I have no armor and no weapons. No OJ either. Looking at the great sword I know I need to do this at least 6 more times. I wonder if there's guns? Fuck it! Lets just up our STR.  "Please raise my strength."

So be it. Now my fellow knight, feast on the fruit of a hollow's labor.

The bud blooms, turning into a round palm sized stemless gray fruit. The crowd silently watches on. Some thinking of stealing that fruit. Before they can do anything Alex eats it. Looking at the great-sword he thinks to himself; five. The same man walks up to him. "Can you answer my previous question please?" Alex decides to tell him everything. It'll be safer to wander as a team, he thinks. "It hit a tree while trying to kill me. I managed to nudge the the tree hard enough mid-air for it to kill the thing. I also bashed its head in." Even when trying to look brave Alex can't stop his hands from shaking. Even so, the crowd looks at him with respect, fear hidden under their eyes. After looking at the crowd Alex walk off. Scared, the man runs to him. "Wait! Where are you going!" Alex looks back. "Hunting." Why do I even want to hunt anyways? 

The crowd silently watches as he walks off. Suddenly two people separate and chase Alex. "Wait for us!" A young lady with golden hair and azure eyes as well tanned elderly man with muscles the size of Alex's head both chase after him. The lady is short and flat while the old man is tall and rugged. The girl is probably in middle school and the old man is too buff to know how old he is. Alex just nods. Together the three wander. They try to keep low, traveling by moving from tree to tree and bush to bush. As they move they chat. "So tell me young lady. What's your name?" The old man asked. "Irina Agapov." She said her face completely still. Hearing her name the old man squints. "You can just call me Harold. I am also a retired soldier. I'll leave my rank for myself. Are you from Russia young lady." Irina just looks at him. Her hair is comparable to golden silk and her blue eyes leave an impression deeper than the ocean.

Alex, seeing the old man preparing to start a fight, gets in between them. "Name's Alex. Sorry but can you stop it old man. Your being kinda creepy. I don't think Marx is behind this so cool it." Looking at Alex then Irina, Harold backs off. Alex can only wonder whether if he's worth the trouble. As if reading his thoughts Harold starts flexing his muscles. Alex sighs in response. Finally, after five minutes they find what looks like an abandoned army camp full of those monsters. Each one looks the same with some minor differences. Some have sharper claws, some have more eyes, some are holding an ax or dagger with their tentacles. Each one has a large cavity on their stomach. A flaming symbol that looks somewhat like the re-spawn tree surrounded by warped crying monster corpses is in the center, two tentacles grown out from it's sides. Looking around the camp they notice a pile of human corpses. They can see a campfire and torn tents. Dried blood is scattered across the area.

Irina and Alex both start walking away. Harold, instead hides in a nearby bush and thinks of how to kill the monsters. "Get over here old man." Alex whispers. Harold glances at him then the camp and decides to follow along. We can't die but we don't know the cost of this yet. He thinks to himself. And so three move south east. They come across several more monster groups. Near every group is an even larger pile of corpses. As they walk they notice they haven't felt hungry or thirsty. Harold smiles while Irina and Alex keep their blank face.

Finally, after an unknown amount of time they find a monster on its own. Just like the others it's limbs are long and slender. Unlike the others, this one has one arm and three tentacles, one holding a dagger with a similar design to the other's greatsword. The same burn covers its waist. Immediately, Alex and Irina start to shake. I killed one. It's dead. Don't be afraid. You can do it again. Alex thinks. It hurts. I don't want it to hurt again.  Mahmah...Pahpah. Irina thinks. Meanwhile Harold is preparing for the kill. Harold first moves into a nearby bush, making sure to grab a small rock. Seeing this Alex and Irina move behind the monster. Both of them are behind trees, each holding a thick branch.

Everyone's eyes meet. Harold nods, tossing the rock towards a nearby tree. Whoosh! Crack! Boom! Instantly two of the monsters tentacles pierce through the tree, the one with a dagger now prepared to stab at any moment. Irina goes stiff. Her eyes turn wet as she falls backwards. Whoosh! Squelch! Splash! Now only Alex and Harold are left. Harold seeing it's tentacles stuck in a tree and in the ground dashes towards it. Alex, instead moved to the dagger. He violently stomps on the tentacle, white ooze flowing from it's flattened wound. Even so it doesn't let go of the dagger. In the meantime Harold tosses another rock where Irina was, grabbing all three tentacles from the base on its chest with a bear hug and pulls.

Snap! Finally the dagger is free. Alex still scared slowly stands up, falling several times before he can keep his balance. Meanwhile Harold slams the monster's shins. "AIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEAIE!" It lets out a horrendous screech as it falls, its head turning to the dagger. Harold takes advance of the monsters harsh movements to pull harder. Snap! Snap! Snap! Harold's upper buddy shoots back, his legs instinctively wrapping around the monster's waist. Smiling, Harold clenches his fist and tightens his muscles. Bang! Before he can even do anything the monster sends him flying into a tree with a claw slash. Ignoring Harold it charges at Alex. 

His body and mind stop. Step. Step. Step. The monster gets closer it claws in front of him in seconds. Suddenly, Alex jumps to the side. It misses, instead leaving a massive handprint in the ground. His hands shaking, he grips the dagger with both hands and stabs it's left knee. This time the monster doesn't scream. Instead it falls forward, trying to hit Alex with it's arm. This time he leaps behind it. Without hesitation he slams the dagger's blade into the monster's back, successfully knocking it down. Immediately, Alex goes for the kill. He jumps onto the monster's back, making sure to take heavy steps and prepares to slash its head. So close. "AIEIEIEIEIEAIE!" Alex flinches, the monster taking the opportunity to roll over and try and grab him. Luckily, Harold manages to recover in time. He slams his foot onto it's back and stomps on its head. Alex, now panicking, starts wildly stabbing its head. Just as its head turns to mush it's body turns to ash. 

Alex and Harold both fall onto the ground. A ball of white appears from the monster's ashes and explodes into three parts. Two strong light and a miniscule glimmer. The larger light flow into Alex and Harold while the speck of light flys into to the distance. Instantly their tattoos fill with light. Harold, seeing this smiles. Alex, wondering what the hell just happened stares at his chest. Suddenly he jumps up. "Fuck yeah! We did it old man! We killed one! Did you see me dash. I was straight out of Bloodborne dude!" Harold sighs. "Language." Alex want to respond with I'll say whatever I want bitch but decides to keep quite after seeing Harold's thick muscles.

"He....hel...hello? I-is any...one...T-there? I...I...Help." Suddenly they hear a strangers voice. It's weak and raspy, like someone on the verge of death. It's male. Likely an adult too. The duo glance at each other before nodding. Slowly they stand up, Harold walking ahead of Alex. Following the sounds of whimpering and labored breathing they find an old man sitting front of a white tree. He's wearing a blood stained brown robe with hemp pants torn at the knee. His left eye has been gouged out, leaven a hole full of scarlet and pink, small strands of muscle falling from the top, the skull peaking through its sides. Several of his fingers have been removed. Some cut off and some bitten off. The biggest tell being how much flesh is dangling from what used to be fingers. The old man looks at Harold, then at Alex.

His eyes stop on the dagger. His eye fills with bloodlust. He desperately tries to move but he can't. Despite the lack of danger Harold responds by lifting him by the throat. "Why do you still live levereter! Has yet another simple squire been forced to protect their perverted mutt of a master!"  The old man's eyes are filled with madness. Drool slobbers onto the dirt as he madly waves his head. In response Alex and Harold look at the dagger then their exposed schwangs.