Amongst All Other Worlds, Why Did It Choose Such A Clichéd Setting?

As I gazed ahead waiting for the bandits to finish off the animal. Tears in reality continued to mess with my vision.

Trying to maintain my focus through the splitting headache and abdominal pain, I noticed something was quite different about the animal cornered by the cliff’s face. Looking closely, they appeared to be wearing… Clothing?

Was I really seeing this correctly? Squinting to bring greater clarity to my vision, it turns out I was, in-fact, staring at a humanoid, fox-like creature, dressed in a white kimono-like robe, stained in the newest fashion trend of vibrant blood, and not just some weird, larger animal. I could see the creature was staring in my direction as the bandits continued yelling towards me.

A weird, tingling like sensation flowed throughout my body. Damnit, this stupid poison the bandit had inflicted on me was probably some type of paralytic. Based on my continued difficulty in breathing, I could only assume my lungs were the next binding target. My high heart-rate also probably wasn’t helping stop the rapid spread of the poison either!

Moments later, the fox-like creature raised it’s hands towards my direction, almost as if to say “Help me, please!” it looked to be in tremendous pain. It’s hands glowed with a brilliant, blue light. Mesmerized at the lightshow, my body was overcome with a feeling of tranquility and purity? I felt…. Clean?

“Aghhh!”

[Notice – Targeting By Helpful Spell “Cleanse!” Detected]

[Update – Poison Status Successfully Removed – Update – Additional Effect Granted! Poison Immunity For 5 Minutes Added To Buffs]

This stupid voice, why does it kee--- Wait… Cleanse? Poison removed? I was at a loss for words. As I continued trying to make sense of everything happening to me, my brain finally started working at an acceptable rate again. Based on what I just saw, there was a high likelihood that fox, somehow knew I was poisoned, and then cast a magic spell to heal my condition.

While I didn’t want to complain about regaining feeling in my legs again, I was left wondering a simple question. Why would that fox choose to help me, instead of casting some magic spell to save themselves? Just as I was trying to find some logical reason as to why they helped me, the bandits started speaking amongst themselves again.

“Aight, guess I better finish off the miss then and figure outs whats ta do with that nobles.”

The larger man, turned his attention back towards the tattered and beaten fox, raising his sword high into the air, ready to mortally wound them. My eyes locked with the creature as it resolved itself to it’s fate. Their sharp, emerald eyes were filled not with terror, but a gentle look of kindness as they stared back at me. A faint, smile was on their face.

Damnit all! Am I really going to just stand here, and watch the one creature that’s tried to help me, die without doing anything?!?! My mind raced, rapidly bouncing back and forth between any ideas that could help remedy the situation.

As the bandit’s arm started its downwards decent, it felt like time began to flow slowly as I desperately tried to process everything.

I was still being tightly restrained with a knife pressed against my neck, in a couple of seconds, I was about to see someone be killed, and all I could do, was helplessly watch the scene playout before me.

No, I won’t let this happen! I screamed those words as loud as I could inside my head. Everything was moving in slow motion, and that staticky noise made it’s annoying entrance again, accompanied by more tears in reality.

Gah! Just bear it Ko! Focus!

[Error – Error – Error]

Fuck off with your stupid errors you piece of shit! I don’t care If you’re a god or something else in this world, but get the fuck out of my mind!!! I JUST WANT TO HELP THEM!!!!

I screamed as loud as I could in my internal monologue.

[Error – Failure – Error - Recalculating]

Ignoring the pounding voices in my head, I visualized the actions I wanted to accomplish. I pictured myself, dashing in at a lightning speed, intercepting the blow from the bandit’s sword, deflecting it with a metal shield.

[Error – Attempting Compensation – Error]

More tears in reality; everything was now almost completely still in motion. I could only imagine that this was the eternity people felt in life-or-death moments. Static rang all throughout my ears, jumbling my thoughts.

[Compensational Adjustment Failed – Error- Error – Error – Reattempting Assimilation]

The sword was mere inches from impact. I had to do something, or it was all over for my ill fated, furry friend! I once again, focused on moving at incredible speeds, closing a gap of 50 feet in milliseconds. I visualized all of the muscles in my leg, rich oxygen coursing through my veins, and a burst of speed from adrenalin. Words formed in my mind, I imagined taking the starting position for a race, primed, and ready to launch at the sound of the marshal’s gunshot. I closed my eyes, and uttered the words inside my head.

“Dash.”

*Ching!*

The sound of shattering glass filled my mind, reality bended and warped in front of me, static roared with thunderous might, then I heard that ever annoying, insulting voice in my head.

[Error - Resolved – World Assimilation Complete]

[Welcome To Terra – Kotato!]

Sparks and lightning danced around my feet, I felt an incredible surge of acceleration and accompanying G-forces all over my body. My vision was all jumbled. As my mind caught up to my movement, I was now, suddenly 50 feet forward with my left-arm raised high in the air, ready to take the blow from the sword, which continued to fall in slow motion.

*CheBOOM!*

The loud sound of thunder and sparking electricity filled my ears. The world stopped tearing in places, and the staticky sound began to fade until it had all but fully disappeared from my mind. The world before me became filled in incredibly vibrant, rich colours. I could see streams of light, flowing through the world in wave like patterns.

Everything, was beautiful.

While I had never seen these shimmering waves of light before, it was as if my mind knew what I was staring at. A sort of natural “déjà vu”. I instinctively knew, I was staring at mana, the life-force of this world. Floating around, waiting to be bended to a user’s will.

Shocked as to what just happened, time, once again, began to flow at its usual rate of passage. Moments later, the sword reached the climax of its swing and impacted with my arm.

*Cadoon*Cheen!*Boom*

A powerful explosion happened as the impact vibrated throughout my body. I wasn’t in any pain, but I strongly felt the feeling of the sword being repelled with incredible force away from my body.

“Aghh!”

I heard the bandit scream in pain as I looked to my left to see he had been sent flying, far into the distance. He had to have been blown back at least 30ft from my current position. The steel sword was also sent backwards as well, high into the sky, tracing a perfect parabolic arc, where it finally impaled itself straight into the ground at the end of it’s journey.

Everyone froze, staring at me trying to understand what had just happened. I mean, it’s not like I had any ideas either! If anything, I should be the one that’s most confused here! Eventually, I noticed the increase in weight on my left-arm and firmly clasped hand. Affixed on my arm, was small, circular like shield adorned in intricate, snake-like drawings. The creatures were a blend of black and white, twisted and entangled in a sickening embrace. Piercing, red eyes completed the serpents as they bared their fangs towards the shocked bandits.

Furthermore, my left hand was currently, very securely holding a complimentary sword! It was slightly curved in shape, with a thick shaft fading to a thin point at the apex. The metal was crystal clear and free from all impurities. Just like the snakes on the shield, this sword gave me the impression of a serpent’s fangs, bared and ready to swiftly strike any opponent.

I looked around, assessing my situation. The bandit that had been holding me was reeling in pain, clutching his shoulder. Based on my unexpected, teleportation-like movements, the joint was probably dislocated or broken from the sudden jolt to his body. Glancing towards the man who had been sent flying, he was surrounded by a small cloud of dust from the impact, his body twitching ever so slightly from the electric assault he received in smashing the mysterious shield.

Finally, the last remaining bandit, was standing still, with a look of shock and disbelief plastered all over his ugly mug. In his hands, was a large hammer. Blood and dirt covered the head from it’s recent use in combat.

Having no idea what I had gotten myself into, with no way out, my only option for survival, was to fight.