I sat there with regret as the door in front of me slammed. “Well, I guess… that's that.” I sniffled a bit and sucked it up. That's what I always did. I felt pretty bad about it, but I still had to move forward.“Now... where to go?” I asked myself. 

Although for some strange reason I felt like it was obvious, I even knew the route there. Well, I really did not have anywhere else to go. I had to listen to the man's warning seriously, he was more than willing to kill me... I am just that disposable I suppose... 

 As I was busy having my crisis. I heard some muttering behind me and steps, I turned around in panic. But to my surprise, there was nothing there, was it my imagination? Well, I just need to get there~

Luckily for me, I was still outside the city, so there was no real chance of me getting killed for being inside the city, so that was one thing less to worry about. Although I did not know if I had to be happy about it...  As far as where to go, it was really a no-brainer, so I stood up and started to backtrack through the dirt roads. 

Aside from my burning bum, it felt almost ethereal. The sun was gleaming with happiness, the birds chirped and the forest rustled. It almost felt as if things were insignificant in the larger scale. I did not go into the forest immediately because it gave me an eerie feeling. I walked down the same dirt path I went through earlier. 

This time I was actually paying attention and I quickly realized. “This is longer than what I thought it was…” I had been walking for not too long since I could still see the town behind me, but it felt like it happened in the blink of an eye before. And now this just felt slow. 

“But still, everything just feels so nice.” The dirt felt warm and yet chilly every time I took a step forward, the wind messed my hair and yet it felt great when it touched my skin. It was odd, or rather, it was just something I had never experienced before. I guess there was always something nice to look for even in the darkness.

As I kept walking everything seemed peaceful. Going up the mountain went pretty smoothly and I only slipped once, I did not fall to my death so that was already an accomplishment for me. I had an eerie feeling since I entered the forest, but it went away as soon as I returned to the cave. The cave was my safe-zone. 

I wonder, did people always have this feeling? I felt almost as if I was guided to a “home” although it really wasn’t home or anything for that matter. It was just something foreign to me. It also made me wonder if people often felt unsafe from random situations? And then completely secure in their own home?

'Actually, why even wonder about it, it’s totally accurate,' I shrugged my thoughts away.

I stretched myself in the most familiar space in the world, or rather, that my brain-world was generating. Or was it a real world? It didn’t matter at this point, guessing from the pain I was able to feel it meant I was able to die. At least that’s what I'd like to think. 

It felt oddly uncomfortable knowing my most familiar space was a cave full of bones. I looked back at the spot where I had done my first deed, sleeping with a skeleton. It felt stupid but I had a bit of an attachment to that hay. It was well… my first bed. 

I looked at the bones next, even though I felt like I should’ve been horrified I kind of felt sorry for them. For some reason, I could tell they had died recently since the beginning, even though when I woke up they were already like that… Now that I think about it, he did say it was a dungeon?

“Hmm, shouldn’t I be worried right now?” I asked as I started walking further into the tunnel. It kept going for some reason, I of course walked into it. I mean, it felt stupid but at the same time, I felt a lot less endangered than when the guards unsheathed their swords. It was truly something I could not explain. 

I guided myself through touching the dark and humid wall, it was soft and felt scratchy to the touch. The light was scarce so it was getting hard to see, luckily there was a lingering blue light at the end of the path I was following. I had no rush, I reached an open room with even more bones and crystals atop the roof. They were the same hue of blue, it was oddly charming. 

It was just pretty, my gaze wandered away through the walls. I saw another hallway, and so I followed once again. More blind walking in the familiar darkness, I should’ve felt unsafe and yet I didn’t. 

And then I entered a room, it had almost no light. With a little island and a small bridge to cross onto it, the only source of light was the water surrounding it, which seemed to glow in a blue-hue. Almost like an underground water source. I quickly noticed there was something weird at the center of the little island.  

An egg-shaped rock. Except it was fractured and was leaking some kind of dark liquid. Before I knew it I was patting the rock and feeling empathy for it. 

“Eh, just why…” I questioned myself and yet I did not want to stop doing it. Something made me feel drawn towards the mystic and elusive rock. Even though it was a simple rock with liquid leaking. Ha… Seeing it wasn’t that big I attempted to carry it, it almost felt like instinct. To my surprise, I managed to lift it without much problem and hugged it. 

Taste me…

“Ehh??” It started whispering to me. 

Taste me…

“Stop, please…” The rock was weird! 

Taste me…

“No…” Was this the reason I felt drawn towards it?! Did I have some attraction for rocks?!

TASTE ME! 

“How about no, you stupid rock!” I was about to throw it. 

The process must cont⁠— Taste me

“Ha? Stubborn today aren’t we? Also, what process? Didn’t the system mention a process failed not too long ago?” 

TASTE ME, TASTE ME, TASTE ME

The sentient rock was drilling its words into my head, it was frankly giving me a headache.

TASTE ME, TASTE ME, TASTE ME

“AAH, shut up!” I threw the rock against the wall. 

TASTE M⁠— 

Crack.

It shattered into pieces that flew in every direction possible. Nothing really changed, but the familiarity I was feeling went away. Was sentient rock my parent? I-I am sorry… I think… Mr/Mrs Rock… 

Ding!

[Archetype change: Descendant Core upgrade path failed ⁠⁠— Degraded Core. You have broken a holy contract amongst cores. You shall pay the price..] 

Ding!

[Termination Imminent.]                                            Ding!                        [Termination Imminent.]      Ding!                         [Termination Imminent.]                                   Ding!

Ding!       [Termination Imminent.]                    Ding!           [Termination Imminent.]

“Ehh… I don’t even know what you mean by core… Also, what do you mean by termination? And why is it flashing/showing up so much?

[Terminating process.] 

“Eh?? What’s hap⁠— ” things started to shake, my body started to freeze and an overwhelming pain assaulted my entire body. My eyes shook, I could not scream I could not move. I could not… Maybe I was finally going to die… Even if it was painful… 

I made a final attempt to close my eyes. 

[Fatal Error with termination has occurred.] 

[Title effect activated: Chosen by the System — You have been assisted.]

The pain faded away in an instant, things stopped shaking. My vision felt blurry and heavy. My head throbbed in pain, I couldn’t make out what the notifications were saying anymore. After rolling in the ground for what felt like forever. I managed to stand up. 

“What was that? I guess… it really is real… it can end me whenever it feels like it… How fun…” It was a realization.

Ding.  Now what? 

[Title acquired: Existence of Error ⁠— Maybe you are flawed, but we can all be perfect in some way, not in every way ⁠— +500% Error Margin correction ⁠— Unique]

“What do you even mean by error margin correction?! Was throwing the shit egg into a wall an error?! Well maybe—I am done!” I rapidly breathed in frustration. “This is just stupid, I don’t even feel good being in this place anymore…” I left the stupid room with the stupid sentient egg. If I ever found something like that again I would smash it without thinking twice about it, it was personal. 

I got back to the hay. I had no idea where to go, what to do. Staying in the cave did not feel good like before, although to be fair the sensation from the egg was almost like a drug. That thing was certainly cursed. At least I still felt safe inside the cave. 

My eyes started to feel heavy as I looked at the hay. Without even realizing it I collapsed and passed out. My whole body felt heavy and unresponsive.

* * * 

A group of shadows drew near Leah. 

“Oh, she is finally asleep.” 

“Jackpot! Silver hair, cute face. We scored big, boys!” 

“Yeah!  I want to do business with her if you know what I mean...”

“No, no, no. She is high quality, we cannot do such things.” 

Azrie

Might make an announcement later today. I am sorry about the 3rd person blurb, I tried to keep it at a minimum but I had no idea how to go about it this time. Sorry if it was disruptive!