1 Chapter 1 of the Essence

Chapter 1 Of the Essence

For Damian Earth was not pleasant, For Damian life was not fair. His family was flawed, A mother who was addicted to drugs and alcohol. She would often lash out at him punching, kicking, and screaming at Damian until he was unconscious, he feared his mother she gave him nightmares. When she would attack him all he could was try to protect his face and head, his arms sides and back were always covered with bruises. His father was rarely home, he did live with them he was just always working or sleeping. In Damians' fourteen-year-old mind this was so that he didn't have to deal with Damians' mothers' drunken outbursts, so that he didn't have to help him.

Damians' only solace came from school, and his long-running Dungeons and Dragons game he played with a few friends during break, where he played a necromancer with a large horde of undead at his command, he was a master of magic and melee combat. Damian was so obsessed with this character that he had several custom spells for the character. And the video games his father snuck in to him when his mother was in a good mood.

Damian remembered his past. One day while his father was at work yet again, Damians' mother started drinking as normal, however, something about today was off, she was vulgar than usual. He hated when she got like this, even though she was his mother and he loved her, he was afraid of her. He was afraid that some day she would be the death of him. Today his mother attacked him with a frying pan while he was doing dishes knocking him out almost instantly, this time Damian did not get a chance to cover his head before she started kicking and punching him. She was still standing over him when he started coming back to consciousness, breathing heavily she glared down at him as he tasted his blood, feeling the stickiness in his mouth. The fear he felt was almost paralyzing.

"YOU BROUGHT THIS ON YOURSELF YOU LITTLE SHIT. YOU SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN BORN. NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOU, I HATE YOU, YOU LITTLE BASTARD." His Mother finally bellowed before bringing her foot down on his face. Once. Twice. "YOU HAVE TO CLEAN THIS MESS YOU LITTLE SHIT." he heard he say as he felt himself loosing consciousness again.

*DING* "System failure imminent, Starting Memory Back Up Now." Damian heard a feminine voice saying as he felt his life flowing out of him. Great now he was hallucinating, he thought to himself. After a moment he heard another *DING* "Memory Back-Up Complete, Restarting System Now." Three times her foot collided with his face bouncing his head of the linoleum floor. Everything went dark, as it did his last thought was why am I so cold? What did I do wrong? I, I don't want to die.

Damian was unsure how long he was unconscious this time but everything was dark.

*DING* "System Restore Complete. New services unlocked."

Oh... I wonder how long I am going to hear this voice in my head for... I wonder if my mother finally gave me brain damage. Damian thought to himself. Why can't I see anything. Just as Damian thought this he realized everything was tight almost like he was... he moved his hand to reach out and noticed he was in a tight wooden box. "COFFIN I'M IN A COFFIN." His mind became sharp as he realized where he was. If Damian couldn't escape he might die and he didn't want to die. No, he couldn't stay here time was of the essence.

*DING* "Escape within the time limit: you realized you're trapped in a coffin time to escape, Reward: Level Up."

"What's happening to me?" Damian thought to himself. "I was planning on escaping anyway but I don't know how I'm going to do that." he says out loud to himself. As he remembers the scene from Kill Bill where she punches her way out of a coffin. "Well it's the best idea I have so far." he thinks as he places his fingertips on the lid then tries punching the bottom of the lid. After repeating this motion a few times something unexpected happened.

*DING* Strength +1 repetition of a combat maneuver has allowed your body to increase its physical prowess congratulations!

"Huh, what's AAARRRRRRGH!!!" Damian's whole body burns as his muscles glow slightly in the pitch-black there's finally some light.

*DING* Stamina +1 your first point of strength has caused intense physical pain your body has altered itself allowing you to take more pain before passing out Congratulations!

"Ah crap that hurt," he said out loud. after a few moments of rest, he started punching again, after a few minutes of punching he heard a *CRACK* and another *DING* Strength +1 congratulations! this time the glow showed a distinct crack in the wood and his muscles didn't hurt this time. With a smile he continues punching the lid until he hears another crack, this time dirt starts to fall in through the hole he made. He starts pulling pieces of the lid in, making a hole large enough that he can try to climb out of the loosely packed dirt.

*DING* Strength +1 Congratulations!

As he starts digging up and out of the dirt *DING* *DING* *DING* *DING* Stamina+3 Strength+1 holding your breath as you dug your way out has increased the stress your body can take while deprived of oxygen congratulations!

His hands finally make it to the surface he manages to pull his head out of the dirt *DING* Congratulations on making it to the surface and escaping the coffin Strength and Stamina+1.

*DING* Quest Complete Reward 1 level

*DING* NEW QUEST Find a place to rest for the night and regain your energy: Reward 1 Bonus Point. Damian crawls out of the grave and looks around he realizes that he is in a graveyard. He takes note of a nearby mausoleum looking in the distance he sees what he's sure are buildings but they don't look right to him they look... old. Going up to the mausoleum door he opens it slowly and makes his way in. Almost instantly he gets drowsy and leans against the wall and slides down it onto the cold floor very quickly falling asleep. He does not dream.

*DING* the sound startles Damian awake as he hears the familiar feminine voice. Quest Complete Reward 1 Bonus Point.

*DING* New Quest Find out your location and some basics about your new home: Reward 1 Bonus Point.

"Ok, ok, ok fine but what's all this about levels and bonus points?"

*BEEP* Activating AI Protocol. *BEEEEEEEP* AI Protocol Activated. "How may I be of service Master?"

After a long moment of silence, "can you hear me?"

"Affirmative." the voice replies.

"Can you speak in a more relaxed way?"

"Yes."

"Cool. What is this about levels and bonus points." Damian asked.

"The System allows for personal growth for freedom and strength so as to never be in a position as you were on earth. Proper use of the system will allow you to become a supreme being of this world standing above even the gods. Using physical, verbal, or mental commands you can use the visual interface." the system answered. "At level one, you can choose a class to start out of your choice and the system will automatically put points into skills abilities and spells to best suit that class. If the class of your choice is not present choose the free form leveling and place your points manually at any point you can declare auto spend and the system will spend all saved points to best suit the topic at hand. Choose wisely time is of the essence." The systems statement seemed somehow ominous.