Mateo sits in his room at the tavern alone gathering the near nothing he owns. A heavy feeling of sorrow washes over him as it dawns on him that everything he ever worked for in his past life is now gone. Every item he owned, everything he ever accomplished are all foreign memories to him now.


    Natalia lands on his shoulder laying against his neck sensing his disdain. At that moment an alien thought invades his mind. Perhaps something implanted in his head by the mind reading pixie herself. Mateo cracks a thin smile as he peers down into his hands. He has nothing to lose, and everything to gain.


    “Thanks for taking up for me, even in the face of eminent death,” Natalia says breaking the silence.


    “We’re in this together, and I don’t find you particularly unpleasant, there is something that has been bothering me though, Natalia, I was able to use that spell even though I don’t know how to use spells, how did I do that?” Mateo asks.


    “I’m more than just a fly buzzing around you Mateo, not only am I a part of you, but I can unlock your potential, if you’re willing to let me,” Natalia replies.


    “I want to be stronger, I want to be able to protect the people I love, I want to be able to protect you, when I first got to this world I was confused, naked, and alone, except for one little light,” Mateo says and Natalia blushes a little.


    “You’ll need to learn to use void space then,” she replies.


    “Void space?”


    “It’s your own little plot of emptiness in the void, additionally you can store items there, we don’t have to hide it anymore, all your companions know you’re a Voidwalker.”


    “How do I use this void space?” Mateo asks.


    “You’ll need to level up your essence, void space unlocks at Voidwalker rank two I think, I was with Aureillius for so long that my memory is a little fuzzy,” Natalia says.


    Mateo gives Natalia a gentle pat on the head. She returns a pleasant smile.


    “So, we’ll need to level up, Terror will be glad to hear it,” Mateo says with a new sense of determination.


    Mateo meets his companions at a large bounty board. There’s some kind of method to the madness, but Mateo just sees a bunch of nailed papers on a cork board.


    “Goblins?” Serenity says holding out a bounty post.


    “Goblins weak, we fight elemental hydra!” Terror says holding out a bounty post.


    “You stupid oath, that’s a three-talon quest, we’ve but three talons among us,” Okami says snatching the paper from him.


    Mateo looks about his companions realizing that they are each wearing a necklace adorned with a single talon. The band itself is a leather strap that radiates with magic energy.


    “Excuse me guys, are the pendants around your necks a power rating?” He asks.


    Okami smiles as he pulls a small crystal from his pocket. The crystal floats into the air and a suspiciously sexy female voice begins to narrate its contents.


    Low level adventurers start out with a ranking from the Phoenix Order. The ranking ranges from one to twelve Phoenix talons. After obtaining twelve talons they will be tested before advancing to the Order of the Tiger.


    The Order of the Tiger grants adventurers tiger claws. After being granted eight tiger claws adventurers will be tested to see if they are eligible to ascend to the Order of the Dragon.


    The Order of the Dragon grants its members dragon scales. Unlike the talons and claws these will not adorn your neck, but fuse directly onto your back becoming an extension of your being. After amassing twenty dragon scales adventurers are granted the opportunity to become Dragon Knights. Upon completion of this trial, they are granted scale bound armor and weapons along with their own dragon. The exceptional few that progress past this are offered the opportunity to join the Order of Gottes.


    The Order of Gottes is the highest-ranking order in Gottes. Dragon knights who ascend to this rank are said to possess powers that rival those of even the gods. One such Dragon Knight, Verillias Gottes of the house of Gottes, claims he is a god.


    “You guys know I don’t even have a single talon right, I’m just kind of canon fodder,” Mateo says nervously.


    “What is canon fodder?” Okami asks.


    “Terror doesn’t know canon fodder either.”


    “He’s telling you insulant buffoons that we need to raise his standing before we go fighting hydras,” Serenity says glaring at Terror.


    Terror stomps off like a child. Okami pulls a zero fang notice from the board handing it to Mateo.


    “Here, you’ve a dagger, surely you can handle some seductive slimes,” he says.


    “Oh, that sounds entertaining, unfortunately we have other matters to attend too,” Serenity says with a sly smile.


    Bounty accepted: A harem of seductive slimes has been unleashed on the nearby farmers. Slimes cannot be destroyed by physical strikes and are more easily captured using a magical instrument such as a slime bladder.


    Okami hands Mateo what looks like a metal cantina.


    “Go get them tiger,” he says with a wolven grin.


    “Aren’t any of you going to help me?” Mateo asks.


    They all laugh, and Serenity places her hand on his shoulder.


    “You need the experience, scream and Terror will come to save you,” she says with a smile.


    Serenity and Okami head off on another bounty and Terror steps over to Mateo.


    “Terror is not babysitter, Terror is here to assess your strength, well for this bounty perhaps, cunning.”


    Terror follows Mateo to the outskirts of town. One of the fields seems to have become a swamp. A telling sign that it is overrun by seductive slimes.


    Mateo draws his dagger as a puddle of water rises into a humanoid form. Terror steps back with a strange look of desire on his face.


    “They’re just slimes, you don’t have to be too rough with them,” Terror yells giving Mateo a thumbs up.


    “Thanks, that’s very reassuring,” Mateo replies.


    The first humanoid slime approaches Mateo. It takes the form of a short curvy female figure. He takes a deep breath drawing his dagger. It’s just a blob of blue goo. He tells himself thrusting the dagger toward it.


    “I love you,” the slime says.


    His dagger stops before penetrating the formed throat of the creature. Not that it would have had any effect in the first place. He retracts his blade staring down at it curiously.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    “Who am I?” He asks suspiciously.


    “Help me,” the slime says and another rises behind it.


    Three more female slime figures rise behind it pitting all five slimes against him. Mateo reaches his hand out touching the liquid cheek of his opponent. His blood fizzles as his fingertips glow.


    “What’s your name?” Mateo asks.


    “Name, slime has no name, slime is slime,” it replies retreating before fusing into one female figure.


    “Sapphire, would you mind getting in this flask for me?”


    “Sapphire, you give name to creature, do you want creature?” The slime asks.


    “It’s ok, I’ll keep you safe,” Mateo says.


    The blob of liquid squeezes itself into a small flask. Mateo twists the top shut as Terror joins him.


    “Good job, now we take monster to owner.”


    “You’re right terror, we’re going to meet the monster,” Mateo says angrily shoving the flask in his robes.


    Bounty Complete: A harem of seductive slimes has been unleashed on the nearby farmers. Slimes cannot be destroyed by physical strikes and are more easily captured using a magical instrument such as a slime bladder.


    New Quest: Return the harem of Slimes to their rightful owner.


    Mateo’s knuckles rake against the door of a large mansion with unnecessary force. The structure is built of some unknown sturdy wood that has been stained a dark brown. The yard has a few large violet willow trees. Two carriages fill an otherwise empty gravel driveway. Dare he even call it that in this world.


    The door opens and a short pudgy man with pointed ears and an unpleasant look on his undesirable face steps out.


    “What do you want peasant?” He asks.


    “Terror and friend-,” the man cuts him off.


    “Silence mongrel.”


    Terror narrows his eyes with an audible grunt stepping back.


    “You hold the bounty for the seductive slimes?” Mateo asks.


    “Ah, yes, you have brought my toys?” He says with a cynical grin.


    Mateo pulls out the bounty and tears it to shreds letting the pieces fall slowly to the ground. Several large guards step up beside the man. Terror returns to Mateo’s side grinning ear to ear.


    “Bloodshed?” He asks.


    “Bloodshed,” Mateo replies drawing his dagger.


    The short man disappears as more guards arrive.


    “Terror will take care of guards, Mateo take care of client,” he says with a bloodthirsty smile.


    Mateo surges through the guards as if they aren’t even there. His anger erupting inside him like an untapped power he feels weightless. Terror crushes the guards like bugs with his large hammer as Mateo pursues the client. He bursts into a large room adorned like an office. The client backs into an oak desk raising his finger.


    “I’ll have you know I’m an Archon,” he yells.


    “I already killed one of those,” Mateo says holding out his offhand.


    Bolts of void lightning reflect off a large ward as the Archon shields himself from Mateo’s attack. Mateo moves in swiftly, easily penetrating the ward. His dagger digs deep into the Archon’s neck. The Archon spits blood, choking on it as Mateo steps back. He falls to his knees expiring dramatically on the ground in a puddle of his own filthy blood.


    “Excellent!” Terror yells raising his bloody hammer above his head.


    Quest Failed: Return the slimes to their rightful owner.


    Quest Reward: your integrity.


    Mateo and Terror return to the bounty board to consult Judy. Judy is the lady that assigns contracts and fulfills them. She hands out the rewards for completed bounties.


    “Eh, um, there seems to be a discretion in the contract, the person who posted the bounty seems to be dead,” Judy says nervously.


    “Oh yes, we killed the monster,” Mateo says with a smile.


    “Um, unfortunately with the client having expired the contract has become null,” she says staring at the two blood soaked men nervously.


    “Is that so, Terror, what happens when we don’t get paid for our hard work?” Mateo says staring at her with a murderous intensity.


    “It causes Terror problem, problem to which violence is the answer,” Terror says popping his knuckles.


    “Judy, you’re a very beautiful young lady, I’m assuming you didn’t know that the person who posted this bounty was asking adventurers to retrieve his personal playmates,” Mateo says suspiciously.


    “Terror kills her now?”


    “I just put up the bounties and hand out the rewards,” Judy replies quickly.


    “That’s not necessary, she seems genuinely na?ve to the situation, we’ll just have to take another bounty.”


    Mateo motions Terror away and they move away from the bounty desk.


    “Wait,” Judy yells.


    Mateo stops a small grimace spreading across his face.


    “Is she ok?” Judy asks.


    Mateo looks back at her with a smile.


    “Sapphire will be traveling with me for a while, you keep an eye on that board and let me know if any more suspicious bounties show up, we’re going to make sure this is a bounty board and not a trafficking ring,” he replies.


    “Um, there is something I can give you,” Judy says placing a small box on the desk.


    The adventurers regroup in a small tavern outside of town called the Woods of Ill Wisdom. The names of taverns don’t seem too important since Mateo currently doesn’t have a way to track them, or a map.


    Mateo holds up a small necklace. It’s a leather strap with one phoenix talon on it.


    “You got a talon, congratulations,” Okami says in his unfitting English accent.


    “I heard you dispatched another Archon,” Serenity says.


    “I killed a monster, do you mind if I stay in your room tonight?” Mateo asks.


    Serenity brushes her pitch-black hair behind her pointed ear.


    “I’m um, someone else is joining me tonight,” Serenity says nervously.


    “Terror thinks you can hang with Terror this moon rise,” Terror says flexing his large biceps.


    “No, it’s fine, Natalia wanted a moment with me.”


    Mateo slumps his shoulders stepping away. His form is a pathetic sadness as he ventures alone into the woods. He plops down on a rotten log as Natalia appears above him.


    “What’s wrong Mateo?” She asks.


    “Nothing, I got the wrong impression.”


    “What do you mean?”


    Mateo stands stretching his arms.


    “I think I might have a drink, do pixie’s drink?”


    “Pixie’s drink dragons under the table,” she says her eyes sparkling with glee.


    One pint and Mateo is ordering fried peppers and dip. Two pints and Mateo is feeling a little underwhelmed. Five pints and Mateo is starring at Natalia in a lustful manner. Eight pints and Mateo is vomiting in the toilet as Natalia gives him moral support.


    The sun breaks through the windows of the tavern and Mateo wanders into the hall rubbing his head from a hangover. A stranger exits Serenity’s room and she steps out seeming distraught.


    The door to Terror’s room bursts open and he steps between them.


    “Terror thinks you should speak with Terror and Okami about Serenity,” Terror says.


    Mateo looks past him at a disgruntled Serenity.


    “Oh, I see how this is, I need to go throw up again, just stay the fuck away from me, all of you,” Mateo says bolting toward the nearest toilet.


    Steam rises as Mateo lays back in a warm bath. Natalia appears above him seeming upset.


    “Mateo, you’re unsettled, what’s wrong?” Natalia asks.


    “I’m fine, I knew what I was getting into, and I got into it anyway,” Mateo says with a loud sigh.


    “I don’t understand,” Natalia says perplexed.


    “Party members don’t have sex because it complicated things, I was vulnerable and I let Serenity in, I trusted her, thought there was something between us,” Mateo breathes deeply as he breaks down mentally.


    His pounding hangover drives him back to his room in solitude. Unwelcome thoughts of jealousy flood his mind. Cold tears fill his eyes, and he swallows his sorrow laying his head back on a soft pillow.


    Unable to function properly with his head pounding as the darkness of his thoughts consume him he closes his eyes allowing his nightmares to take hold.


    “Mr. Ryusane, you have a lot of time off task,” a managerial figure says.


    “Yeah, I was taking a shit, I can start taking pictures if you want,” he replies.


    “That’s, just try to use the restroom on your breaks,”


    “Sure thing boss, you make sure to check the air pressure in your tires on break.”


    “Your performance for last week was in the bottom five percent so you’re receiving a formal written, try to get those numbers up champ.”


    “You’re receiving another formal for this week, are there any performance obstacles that we might be able to overcome?”


    “Mateo, this isn’t working out, I’ve been seeing someone else, and I think we would both be happier if we separated.”


    “Mateo, Mateo, Mateo…”


    Mateo wakes panting as beads of sweat pour down his face. A full-sized Natalia leans up running her soft caramel fingers over his cheek and he screams.


    “Holy shit, who the fuck are you!” Mateo yells.


    “It’s me, Natalia,” she replies trying to calm him.


    Mateo stares at her confused and she moves over wrapping her arms around him. Natalia smiles running her hand over Mateo’s bare chest.


    “You were thrashing in your sleep, I was worried you were going to crush me,” Natalia says.


    “I’m sorry Natalia, I had a nightmare, and I just thought there was something between me and Serenity, but I seem to be the same fool I was in my old life,” Mateo replies.


    “Wait, what happened between you and Serenity?” Natalia asks.


    “You didn’t see that guy leave her room, what do you think they were doing?”


    “Mateo, I don’t think, oh my, he’s out again,” Natalia says concerned.


    Mateo passes back into the realm of dreams as Natalia wraps herself around him concerned. Her bright cerulean eyes filled with tears as she reads his memories. The pain of his past existence invades her mind filling her with sorrow. Hours pass as distant memories crowd her mind. Natalia grips her head as gentle hands touch her wrists.


    Mateo, now awake and sober, seeks to calm her.


    “I didn’t mean to put all that on you, those are my problems, not yours, I sense you’ve been suppressing my emotions though, trying to protect my underdeveloped psyche, and when I drank it overwhelmed me all at once, I haven’t even been in this world a month and I’ve already killed two people, two human beings,” Mateo says with a sigh.


    “You haven’t killed anyone before?”


    “I have, in a war my country had no business fighting, I saw the atrocities of man, and they haunted me, they still do, Natalia, I need you to promise me something, the bottle took me in my world, don’t let it take me in this one, you’re the only person I really trust,” he says with a broken smile.


    “Mateo,” Natalia says nervously.


    “What is it?”


    “Serenity wasn’t doing what you think with that guy.”