THREE DAYS.
It had been three days since she came here. After chasing that smug little shit down the mountain and into this world of endless junk, Hayden's certainty about everything had crumbled.
Three days with no sleep, no food, no mercy.
The edges of her mind frayed like the tattered clothes she didn't have.
She was pretty sure this wasn't an illusion. Nor was a mind mage poking around in her skull.
…Or maybe there was.
Who the hell could say anymore?
But that wasn't the worst part.
It was something else, staring her in the face - or rather, dangling between her legs.
Hayden was now a man.
Not only was he naked… he was a naked man.
Cold. Hungry. Naked and Afraid.
Alone-
No, scratch that. He wasn't afraid. And he wasn't alone.
An old man appeared, clawing his way down from a mound of trash, his patched robe barely hanging onto his scrawny frame. He tossed the foul-smelling fabric onto her with a look full of disgust - like he was some plague - then scuttled off into the haze like a rat back to it's hideout.
The world around him was a wasteland of rot and refuse. A choking smog hung thick and low, curling around him like a suffocating blanket. Every breath tasted like death and decay, heavy with the stench of waste and old blood.
Mountains of garbage stretched in every direction, endless heaps of broken things and forgotten lives.
Foul creatures - webbed, clawed, or limbless - slithered and scuttled through the trash, hunting their next meal or whispering final prayers to something far darker.
Human heads bobbed here and there, pale and hollow-eyed, moving sluggishly through the refuse like desperate penguins lost in a sea of filth.
Hayden smelled like death.
His stomach clenched painfully, twisting as if someone was squeezing his guts through a wringer. His eyes burned like fire, his throat felt raw and sandpapery, and his hands trembled with weakness.
It had been thirteen years since he'd last felt this way.
Now, in this body, dehydrated and starving, everything screamed for water, for food, for relief.
But he refused.
Because some shitty entity was clawing at his mind, trying to take control.
Whether this was another world or some twisted illusion, Hayden wasn't about to let them win.
"Host…"
He ignored the buzzing voice.
"Host, if you keep this up, you'll die. Horribly. Slowly. Imagine your guts turning to poison-"
"Fuck off."
"Host, don't you want to know about the amazing benefits of us binding? I'm practically a miracle worker. I have features."
Silence.
"Host… I can help you find food. I can make you powerful. Rich even."
Still nothing.
"Host, I'm very popular, you know. Other hosts beg for me."
Not a word.
"Host, if you can't fulfil the contract, you'll be damned to hell forever. Forever, forever."
"Fuck off, you stupid fucking pig!" Hayden roared, throwing his arms wide. Trash scattered, sending rat-birds screeching into the heavy, grey sky.
"Host, that's not very nice," Evo whined, fluttering down to rest on a battered sack draped over half a rusted car. It began stomping its feet. "Fine - watch me prove how useful I really am."
A bright blue screen flickered into existence just above Hayden's eyes, slicing through the choking fog of the wasteland.
A strange digital interface appeared:
[SYSTEM OVERRIDE...]
[ASSISTANT CARD POOL FEATURE ACTIVATED...]
[NUMBER OF PULLS AVAILABLE AT HOST'S CURRENT LEVEL: 2]
[ONE PULL ACTIVATED]
[5… 4… 3… 2… 1...]
[ (A) CARD PULLED ]
[CONGRATULATIONS, HOST. WE WELCOME YOUR PRESENCE AGAIN ]
Hayden's eyes narrowed, unimpressed.
"Activate!" Evo chimed gleefully, bouncing besides him. "See, Host? How amazing I am!"
[ (A) CARD ACTIVATED ]
[SUN STONE GOLEM
TYPE: Battle Healer
GRADE: A-
DESCRIPTION:
Worried about getting hurt in battle? Fear not - your personal Sun Stone Golem companion is here to help.
Hailing from a mountain tribe of golems who worshipped the sun until their final days, this fierce little creature has been blessed with the power of ancient feral gods.
Don't underestimate its size or the single, unblinking eye - or you'll face the wrath of the last survivor.
DISCLAIMER:
Heals host only when on the verge of death. Healing others requires offering a nourishing sacrifice to the ancient sun god Poi. Do not offer anything poor or your companion will become angry.
Once drawn, the card cannot be unbound.
LOYALTY: 50%
SKILLS:
Healing Glow (A)
Protective Light (B)
Gigantic Rage (B)
Cleansing Spirit (C)
Feral Aura (C)
Eye of Stone (C)
— Click to see more...
EVOLUTION PROGRESS: 0%
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
You're lucky your system assistant pulled a little trick this time. Don't expect the same next time. Be wary. ]
A small creature of stone materialised besides him in a flash of white light.
The stone creature - chubby and rounded like a carved pebble, its single gleaming eye framed by delicate golden lashes beneath a gentle nun's hood, and a softly glowing sun emblem resting on its smooth, rounded stomach - leapt onto his chest, its weight crushing, pinning him fast.
"Master is injured, now activating - Healing Glow (A)." Blood splattered as the golem's heavy fists rained down upon Hayden, who lay motionless.
"Fuck-"
Hayden's eyes snapped wide open, his hands clawing at the golem, desperate to shove it off, but the creature dodged as its fist bashed heavily against its chest like a rain of hail.
The sun emblem flared fiercely, flooding him with scorching golden light.
Pain ripped through his body, tearing open wounds he hadn't noticed only to force them to close. His muscles convulsed beneath the brutal surge of Healing Glow, raw agony fused with impossible relief.
Hayden's jaw clenched, his mind racing - what the actual fuck- His breath came shallow and fast.
"Healing Glow deactivated, Master is fully recovered," the chubby creature spouted hopping off, landing next to Evo, staring down at him like a crow watched over its prey.
"Fuck you," Hayden wheezed out, turning on his side.
He had never experienced this before.
[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: SUN STONE GOLEM LOYALTY DROPPED 10%- ]
"What-"
"Suspect located! Officer's closing in!" A voice roared, startling Hayden.
A bright light suddenly engulfed him, his eyes burning as figures swarmed in around him.
"The fuck!"