by Tao Wong
“It’s a Racial Trait, part of your nonstandard mental makeup that allows you to recover from traumatic experiences without psychological side effects.” She brushed her head against my cheek. “Pain and physical damage don’t affect your kind quite so directly either, which is why you are able to keep moving even after predators take a few bites out of you. When you get a chance, you’ll have to purchase the history of your people to learn more about yourself.”
“My people?” I nearly tripped over my own feet at the thought, and Tae Song gripped my shoulder to steady me. “I’m an imposter at best, Sumay.”
She took off to float above us and sent a dramatic sigh. “Not everyone is born into their true family, Adrian. Some families are chosen.”
“Well, it doesn’t much matter if I chose them, does it? What matters is whether they choose me.”
She dropped the subject, instead directing my attention to the fact that, with a mountain between us, we were finally beyond even the most extended possible sensory range of the serpent. “You can start running again while I keep an eye out for danger from above.”
We made good time between breaks, at times hiding under Shelter while waiting to reactivate Subversive Stealth so we could sneak our way past increasingly higher Level predators. Late that afternoon, we reached a pass. Our map showed that a massive park curved up the back of an open ridge where the highway crossed to the next mountain. Sumay warned us the area was at least at Level 100 and connected to the Zone I’d barely survived when the System arrived.
The ridge between the mountains was scarcely the length of a soccer field, but we couldn’t even see the cliffs on the far side through the heavy fog. In spite of feeling that nothing could possibly see us, we followed Sumay’s instructions and crept forward with extreme caution once the mountain no longer stood between us and the park.
“Shelter! Now!”
At Sumay’s warning, I waved a hand in front of the group and dropped it toward the ground. We dropped and huddled together as Rachel cast Shelter.
Sumay hovered beside me as she explained. “My scans picked up on something flying toward us, but it’s not within my current knowledge base, so I can’t say what it is or how powerful. It’s from the park side, so it’s better to assume you’ve been detected since the shared version of your Stealth is much weaker.”
Due to the need for silence, I was unable to tell the others and settled for pointing toward the sky and flapping my hands like wings. They nodded and pressed lower into the mud and grass.
We only had a half hour left of stealth remaining as something spiraled above us. At one point, it flew so close that the air from its passing gusted beneath the edge of Shelter. I’d almost given up on living when Sumay’s sense of its presence began to fade into the distance. Even then, I waited to signal it was gone until we had to move or risk still being in the open when Group Survival inevitably dropped. We crawled beside the road in the mud until long after we had crossed behind the mountain again.
Late that night we decided to rest in a dusty, undisturbed farmhouse built against a cliff near the road. Whoever had owned the place must have abandoned it or died in their fields when the System arrived. Unable to trust the adobe walls and straw roof to block System-enhanced senses, we once again crowded into the least exposed corner beneath Shelter.
Thankfully there was a musty straw mattress we dragged off its rickety iron frame, and a few heavy, wool blankets so the others wouldn’t have to use their soaking-wet coverings from the previous night. I hung our own blankets to dry over the empty bed frame. Even with their ever-increasing stats, I noticed the others were suffering from the constant cold and damp. They huddled in their blanket cocoons and clutched mugs of lukewarm coffee, wistfully agreeing that building a fire was too great a risk as they sipped the liquid. My own body seemed to adjust naturally to the ambient temperature, though I had yet to test myself against true extremes. I felt none of their discomfort.
Sumay popped into visibility in the center of our huddle. “It looks like we’re about two-thirds of the way there.”
Mr. Sanders nodded. “We survived the worst of it. From what we know, the next valley won’t be quite so high Level. For now, let’s rest and regain our strength. Silence is safer.”
Everyone nodded and Tae Song settled against my side, tugging the edge of his blanket to cover me as well. I almost protested, then realized this was another moment like sharing the bread, where accepting would reassure him. I gave in and waited till he fell asleep before tucking the blanket more securely around him.
Over the previous weeks, I had begun to realize that even frequent evidence of my physical differences wasn’t always enough for my friends to remember I was no longer human. Sumay suggested I should remember the thought whenever I felt like depressing myself by believing I was too alien for anyone to tolerate being around me. Her words followed me into the stillness as I activated Meditation.
We spent the next morning climbing around landslides and hiding whenever any of us sensed danger nearby. Around noon, I fell into a daze, following the others without much thought.
“Adrian?” At first I couldn’t focus on Sumay’s voice, but her tone sharpened. “Adrian! Wake up!”
I snapped alert and found everyone had stopped and crowded around me.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Mr. Sanders studied me with a concerned expression.
I shivered when I realized how dangerous it was to push myself. I couldn’t put off hibernation much longer, even if we had to find a location to camp before we found the Shop. Seeing how I was struggling to frame my thoughts into words, Sumay manifested and explained the situation.
“Ah.” Tae Song shook his head. “It’s one thing to know you hibernate once a week and another to actually see you staggering along like I do after only sixteen hours. I’m so used to you being alert, no matter the time, that I forgot you’d need sleep soon.”
“I’ve been using Meditate at night, hoping it would help me stay awake longer.” I shook my head, trying to think how to explain. “My body just won’t sleep, then suddenly it’s the only thing I can do. I can push myself for the rest of the day, I think, but I can’t put it off much longer. I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have come.”
Rachel laughed in my face. “If you think we’d have survived this long without you, think again. Subversive Stealth is the reason we’ve made it this far.”
Everyone nodded.
“And Group Survival, Shelter, Night Vision…” I added. Based on their expressions, it obviously wasn’t worth the energy to argue.
Janet smirked in triumph when I gave up and gestured toward the road ahead. “We’re so close. From what we know, I’m pretty sure the Shop is in the next valley. Let’s hurry.”
Sumay made her voice audible to everyone. “That’s actually the reason I wanted to catch your attention. There’s System-built town ahead, and you’ll find the highway has been upgraded once we reach the valley. We need to be cautious. Not all cultures play nice with humans.”
“Let’s hope they’re friendly, but it’s something to discuss later. We need to find a secure location first.” Mr. Sanders gestured, indicating our vulnerable position.
We refocused on the task of sneaking forward. Tae Song took charge of me as we continued on our way, checking in regularly to make sure I was still functional.
We had found the borders of the alien-owned land and were under Shelter, attempting to gather more information, when Sumay noticed a band of warriors hunting in our vicinity.
“They’re of the Beoheva, which is one of the safest of the Great Family conglomerates we could have run into. Their motto translates to something like ‘Nurturing the soil is the best way to guarantee a repeat harvest.’”
We had finally decided to walk openly along the highway when Sumay suddenly became visible. “Run. There’s something beneath you!”
I hurried to follow the others only to find that a root had twined around my ankle while w
e had been talking. In the time it took to untangle myself, the creature at the other end realized it had located something edible. It fully broke stealth to snatch me as the others shouted a warning.
Normally, I’d have activated Speed Boost immediately and easily avoided its grasp, but my reactions were slowed by exhaustion. Intervening objects shattered against my torso as it yanked me toward the center of its trap. I felt a tearing sensation as Hibernation activated, erasing the world around me.
Beoheva
I awoke submerged in a bitter nutrient bath with a metallic aftertaste that was somehow still the most satisfying and easily absorbable substance I’d encountered so far.
Hibernation Complete! Your next hibernation will begin in 146 hours.
Warning! Mass now 75% below optimal range. 90% debuff to Health and Stamina.
Sumay sent me a quick mental brush of relief, then reassured me everyone was safe. I was now under the care of the Beoheva, though all they could do was provide nutrients so I could rebuild mass at this point. Our group’s assigned liaison, Vaone, would lead me to our group once I had healed enough to emerge.
I raised my absorption rate to the maximum and drained the last of the nutrients from the fluid. Most of my body was missing when I Scanned myself. I’d never lost this much mass before. Maybe I could try Morphing and end up with a miniature body though.
Sumay interrupted my thought process. “Please don’t try to Morph until you reach at least 75 percent mass! You’d have a basic, functional body at this size, but the Health and Stamina reductions mean you’ll die if someone steps on you. They’re adjusting the monitor to adapt to your new absorption levels.”
I resigned myself to the wait. Even with System-assisted healing to support the natural process of re-growing my body, it would take hours to rebuild enough mass to restore my usual size. A fresh surge of nutrients swirled around me. I settled in, requesting an update on what happened while I had been out.
It turned out the creature had ripped me apart. Tae Song managed to cut off the tendril that had grabbed me, but by then, we were at the center of the trap and he couldn’t both fight off the monster’s roots and carry me to safety. Rachel’s Eye of the Storm had shielded us just long enough for the Beoheva hunting party to arrive and cut the core of the Subterranean Plant Elemental out of its cave.
They then rushed me to the clinic, looked up Polymorphs in their data, and submerged me in nutrient fluids so my body could rebuild itself while I was in Hibernation.
Sumay had been checking in on everyone while I was unconscious. Apparently, The Family were excellent hosts. They had offered our party a suite in their Welcome Center, where my friends were now recovering from the journey. However, they had yet to permit anyone to enter the Shop, explaining that they preferred to negotiate access for everyone at once.
Sumay scoffed at their explanation. “They’re studying us. Don’t take what they offer at face value, Adrian, whether high or low. The Beoheva are known for always testing for wisdom, skills, and intelligence. They don’t consider it cheating when someone willingly accepts an agreement that is less than ideal.”
Since the tank was completely opaque, I could only lie there in the dark. I spent the time reviewing records of the attack and figuring out how I could have done better. Sumay regularly left to update everyone on my condition, while I tried to be patient.
You have reached 80% of optimal mass.
Warning: You have reached your absorption limit. Ingesting additional material will no longer improve your Health and Stamina due to overloading the ratio of fully established tissue to partially transformed matter. 50% debuff to Toxin Resistance due to 50% non-integrated matter. Complete integration will take 12 hours.
Apparently speeding through rebuilding my body had limits. I was still 20 percent too low, but I’d have to regain the rest later. Purge ensured there was no residual poison in my channels. Morphic Disguise restored my human form as Sumay left to alert Vaone. It took several long minutes before the top of my temporary coffin finally flipped open. I sat up, ready to meet my first sentient alien.
“They look like a living Jizo statue!” Thankfully, I managed to control my excitement enough to merely send the thought to Sumay. I’d spent days reading articles on the Jizo a few years before, and the idea of the mystical monk who had become a protector of children had stuck with me.
Vaone swept forward, prepared to hand me a robe as I climbed out of the tank. They paused when they noticed my faux clothing and tossed the fabric into a nearby alcove. My reduced height meant I stood face-to-face with them. They had a calm, rounded face and a bald head with skin the color of limestone. Their monk-like robes, drooping eyelids, and large ears only reinforced my first impression.
I grinned. “Thank you for taking such good care of me!”
They replied in surprisingly fluent English. “We offer healing to anyone who reaches our land after surviving the high-Level zones surrounding us.” They gestured toward the arched door. “I am Vaone. I will lead you to your friends. They are eager to see you again.”
“I’m Adrian. Thank you! I can’t wait to see them too.” I glanced around the room, disappointed by the lack of visible technology. Narrow, curving lines of what appeared to be glowing stone were embedded into the upper walls, illuminating the space with a soft, silver light. The rounded room contained several arched alcoves with raised platforms made up with beds, though only the one behind me contained a tank. There was an extra mattress, pillow, and blanket folded on a raised shelf, also inset into a wall.
Sumay pointed her beak at where Vaone waited by the door, and I realized I’d gotten too caught up in my observations. “Sorry. I’ve never seen a room like this. It’s very cozy!”
After a brief nod, Vaone turned to lead the way down a long hallway.
I tried not to slow down as I continued to stare at everything we passed. These people seemed to avoid sharp corners or straight lines; every surface was arched and curved. Even the floor sloped upward. If the hallways hadn’t been designed to accommodate extremely large individuals, it would have been easy to assume I’d awakened in a hobbit warren. The colors made me think of a painted desert since they’d coated the entire hallway with striped layers of what appeared to be clay and sandstone. We passed widely spaced, arched doors with surfaces carved in unique, stylized patterns. There were no windows.
I glimpsed a few more Beoheva, similarly bald and robed in earthy tones, with no apparent indicators of gender. It felt like they were purposely ducking out of sight before we passed them. Sumay informed me the place was built on a rising spiral. Our seemingly unending path circled upward a few levels within a cone-shaped building.
Our guide finally stopped in front of one of the doors. “Inform your party that a casual appointment with the Vizier has been scheduled now that you have awakened. Someone will come for you an hour after lunch.”
“The Vizier?”
Vaone bowed slightly. “We are honored to have a new Vizier in charge of this endeavor. The development of a new Dungeon World must be managed wisely, so The Family sent one of their own.”
“Don’t ask! It’s considered an insult not to research this yourself.” Sumay jumped in before I could embarrass myself. “The Class of Vizier is only available to an official representative of the core Family government. They must believe Earth will be very profitable. This town is only a small part of their holdings on Earth if they have a Vizier in charge.”
The door opened suddenly, and Vaone nodded in farewell before turning and walking briskly down the curving hall.
“You’re here!” Tae Song pulled me through the entry. Beyond him, the room was filled with sunlight pouring through a large, balcony window on the opposite wall. He measured me against his shoulder. “You made yourself a lot shorter this time!”
“I’m still missing twenty percent mass. It turns out it can be unhealthy if I rebuild too much at once.” I smiled as he pulled me toward Rachel and Mr. Sanders, w
ho were standing in the center of a sofa shaped like a concave donut with a slice taken out of it. It formed a comfortable window seat, piled with extra cushions. “Hey, guys! Miss me?”
Rachel shook her head. “I’m glad you’re alive. I don’t think a human would have survived that, not even with our Levels and fast healing.”
I moved to the open section of the sofa across from Mr. Sanders. “Hibernation shuts down my system, which stabilized me. Then the Beoheva put me in a nutrient bath so my body could initiate repairs while I was unconscious. I wouldn’t have survived without that kind of support.”
“We’ll have to learn how to create a nutrient bath for you, but that’s for later.” Mr. Sanders ruffled my hair before I could dodge him, then he settled back where he’d been sitting before I arrived. “It’s good to see you, Adrian!”
Sumay draped herself over my chest as I sank into the surprisingly soft surface of the sofa before responding. “I’m glad you’re okay too. I thought we were all done for and it was all my fault.”
Rachel shook her finger at me. “I don’t think getting caught by an underground monster is something to blame yourself for. It was so sneaky that Sumay only detected it after its tendrils broke the surface beneath us!”
Tae Song settled next to me. “We can talk about it later. For now, they said they’d meet with us once you woke up, and we need to decide our negotiation strategy.”
“Oh, that reminds me!” I tried to sit up straight, but the cushions gave way under me. “Ugh, this thing is going to eat me.”
I gave up and tucked my legs under myself for better leverage as the others laughed at my awkward flailing. When they finally settled, I returned to my interrupted thought. “Vaone told me the Vizier would meet with us after you eat lunch.”