Hack and Slash

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works, if you recognise it from somewhere else, surprise it isn't mine.

Betad by morde24, OoalGown, Hermes, Priapus, Old man of the mountain and TheDonFluffles

The Guild of Gamers: The Nightmare

Chapter 01: Hack and Slash

I was told there would be a bright light but apparently I was fucking lied to, because this is neither bright nor is there a light. As I pick myself up off the dirty floor, my hand moves to cover my nose to try and ward off the rank stench surrounding me.

I did die, right? This definitely isn't my hospital, and I can't feel any of the pain that's become my life for the past few days. Turns out getting stabbed twenty seven times by some batshit crazy junkie is bad for your health. Luckily he missed most of the important stuff so instead of dying immediately I had the joy of dying slowly and in agony.

Yay.

Oh shit, am I in hell? Looking around the room I've found myself in, I take a moment to consider that yeah, this might be hell.

The stench of death and decay fills my nostrils despite my best efforts at stopping it as I look around the dilapidated house.

It looks like it hasn't been lived in for years, all the furniture is in ruins and there are piles of garbage everywhere.

To make it worse, there are suspiciously red stains on the broken floor and walls, and as I take a step out of the ruined bedroom, the floor creaks ominously.

I don't weigh that much, but the floor sounds like it's moments away from just breaking under my weight as I slowly move forwards.

Are those broken needles on the floor? Is this hell or a crackhouse?

If this is hell, I was definitely lied to. Where's the fire and brimstone? The demons with oversized forks to poke me with? The only torture here is the smell.

Also the fuck did I do to deserve this? I've lived a mostly good life, never broken a single law (except maybe jaywalking). Was it the pre-marital sex?

It was probably the pre-marital sex, wasn't it? If that's the case, I suppose the entire student body of my college will be joining me eventually.

Moving through the house that I'm increasingly convinced is a crackhouse, and not in fact hell (unless hell is just a giant crackhouse?) I frown as I try to figure out what the hell is going on.

Finding a very dirty mirror, I stare at myself in confusion. I look the same, but none of my stitches are in place.

Lifting my top, which is noticeably not my hospital gown, I stare at my pristine stomach and chest in confusion. I had almost a dozen scars on my stomach from the lunatic's knife when I fell asleep in my hospital bed, so where are they?

Instead of my hospital gown, I'm just wearing a pair of dark jeans and sneakers I don't recognise, along with a plain white t-shirt and a black hoodie.

I don't own any of these clothes- well maybe the t-shirt- but the rest are completely unknown to me.

This isn't some weird out of body experience either, as it's my own green eyes that stare back at me, almost covered by my somewhat messy blonde hair. It's normally neater than that, but I've not had much reason to take care of it in the hospital.

Unfortunately as I move on, I find the source of the worst of the stench, my eyes widening as I finally get downstairs (worried the stairs are going to break under me with every creaky step).

In the middle of what was probably once the living room, now covered in trash and graffiti, lays a figure.

A part of me briefly thought, or perhaps hoped, that it was just some homeless man sleeping, but the fact that his arm is sitting on the top of the coffee table while the rest of him is on the floor kills that thought.

I should run, but he looks like he's been dead for a while given the flies buzzing around him and the fact that his severed limb (make that limbs as I spot a second leg on the couch), isn't bleeding at all, a massive and dried blood stain under him.

I should be afraid, but as I approach him and kneel down for a closer look, I don't feel anything. Finding a broken chair leg, I use it to push him onto his back as I stare down.

He looks filthy, long matted hair and an unkempt beard. He probably was homeless, but I suppose he doesn't need to worry about housing or employment now.

He reminds me of my killer, and that makes me scowl briefly. Just some homeless junkie, he won't be missed. It's a dark thought but one I don't regret as I go back to looking around.

The front door is locked, preventing me from leaving so easily, and the windows are boarded over, stopping me from looking out and working out where I am just yet.

I do need to get out of here, if he was just dead from overdose or something I wouldn't be worried, but he was covered in blood and his limbs didn't move that far by themselves.

I don't need whoever did this to come back and find me standing over their handiwork.

With the front door locked, I move towards the back of the house, entering the kitchen as I pause.

Okay, I definitely need to get the hell out of here because it turns out there isn't a body in this place.

There's a lot of bodies, because while the bodies are cut into pieces and it's hard to work out just how many corpses I'm looking at, I can count at least eight different heads.

One of them is in a pot on the stove, another in the oven and one in the microwave, the others are on plates around the table in the centre of the room, their bodies positioned in the chairs presumably in front of their missing heads, but I'm not gonna try and work out which head goes to which body.

Male, female, old and young. There doesn't seem to be any particular type at first until I notice something.

The ones that have clothes (noticeably the male bodies), are dressed like hobos, and none of them look even remotely clean, even without the blood and wounds. I'm pretty sure they were all homeless, or at least very down on their luck.

I definitely should be panicking at this point, but I'm not. I don't know why, but I'm entirely calm as I move around the macabre display and towards the back door.

I have a general 'I don't think I should stay here' vibe, but I'm not even remotely panicked or disgusted by the corpse party, even though I never did particularly well with horror in the past.

Sure, I liked horror movies and games, but I also sucked at them. I was easily disturbed and scared, now I'm moving through what can only be a serial killer's house in complete tranquility.

Something is wrong, and it's more than just my suddenly healed wounds. What that something is, I haven't got a fucking clue.

I don't know where I am, how I got here or what's going on but I intend to find out.

The back door is also locked, but I'm fairly resourceful and not all the windows were boarded up.

Heading back upstairs, I find the bedroom I started in and head to the window, looking out. I can see a grim looking street outside and while the rest of the buildings seem better kept, they're not that much better. It's very late, even the street lights don't seem to be on as the street is pitch black. Thanks to the occasional moonlight, I can make out some things, but the clouds quickly cover it up again.

It's a pretty big drop as I open the thankfully unlocked window and look down, but as I said, I'm resourceful.

The mattress makes a nice noise as it hits the ground outside. It isn't exactly perfect, but I climb out of the window and hang down from the ledge before I let go and drop, landing on the mattress with a grunt.

Ow.

I don't think I actually hurt anything, as despite the mattress not exactly being the soft landing I had hoped for, it did the job. I stand up and quickly decide to be anywhere but here.

With no streetlights and such heavy cloud cover it's hard to move around such unfamiliar streets but I make do, deciding to move through some equally dark alleyways on the off chance someone is following me.

I don't think anyone was home but I don't want to take any chances, given the hobbies of the homeowner.

So, now what?

I have nothing on me, no wallet, id or phone and I still have no idea where the hell I am.

To make it worse, I can hear sirens in the distance and the occasional gunshot or shout, so I decide that I don't want to go that way.

[Quest Complete: Escape]

Objective: Escape the kill house before its owner gets home

What the fuck.

Not bad, the last guy spent so long freaking out he got home. Imagine failing the tutorial lmao. If he hadn't died in agony, I'd have dealt with him myself.

The decidedly male voice in my head sounds far too amused as I look around in confusion.

Who said that?

Irrelevant, you're right by the way. You died, your life cut short by the whims of some hobo with more drugs in his system than most people could make.

I figured as much, but I'm pretty sure this isn't hell.

Also correct, it's- well, your new home. I'm a member, a founder actually, of a group that takes the souls of people we find interesting and gives them a second chance at life. Your world didn't have an afterlife anyway so your soul was destined for the void.

Congratulations, you're one of the lucky few I decided to give a chance at a new life. We even give those we pick amazing powers, beyond anything they could have dreamed of before.

That sounds amazing. Too amazing, so what's the catch?

Heh, smart kid.

The catch is that I'm not as nice as the other founders, and you need to prove you deserve the 'system' I picked for you.

If you fail, you die and off you go into the void for eternity.

How am I supposed to prove that? I have no intention to die a second time, been there done that, 1/10 would not recommend.

That's easy. Every system has a theme, some are based on Sins, some are based on mythical creatures or fantasy 'classes'.

You, my little friend, are the host of the Nightmare system.

Sounds lovely.

Your powers are based around dread and horror, those horror movies you liked? Congratulations, you're in one, and you're the antagonist.

You want to prove you deserve it?

Kill someone.

You want me to… kill someone?

Yes. Doesn't matter who, I want blood.

Are you surprised? My group are literally the worst villains in existence, we're responsible for the death, torture, rape and enslavement of trillions of souls. Shit, I've probably hit the trillions of victims myself, I lost count a long time ago.

And if I don't, I die instead. A life for a life.

Exactly, of course that's just the start. Your powers will only grow when you embrace your new role and act befitting of the Nightmare.

You can decline of course, and I'll just kill you here and now to save us both the time. Actually, my wife wants a new toy so you can entertain her for a few years before you head to the void.

Somehow I doubt I'd enjoy entertaining your wife.

Oh, you absolutely wouldn't. She makes me look kind and fluffy at times.

As I said, I have no plans to die again. Actually, did this system I'm hosting change my mindset?

Somewhat, it does make you more willing to indulge in nightmarish acts, but only partially. You died on a whim, and that changes a person. If you'd had the chance, you'd have killed your attacker before he could hurt you, wouldn't you?

Of course, why should I die because of his bad choices? I'd have gutted him with his own knife without batting an eye. I had a few days to stew in my rage and disgust towards him and people like him.

Exactly, that made it easier for your mind to accept the Nightmare system. So yes, it changed you, but you changed too.

I suppose it doesn't really matter in the long run, I will not die again.

Then I wish you luck, because this world is one of the more dangerous ones. Grow strong, little nightmare, and amuse me.

So that's what he gets, amusement? A more than fair trade.

Quest Added

[Prove yourself]

Objective: Take a life

Bonus Objective: Drive the victim to the brink of terror before you kill them

Time limit: 24 hours

Reward: Varies depending on your performance

Starter powers added

[Off-Screen Travel]

As long as you aren't observed, you can ethereally travel to any spot that is not being observed within your range.

Range: 1 mile

Cool-down: 5 minutes

[Don't look at me]

You have an innate ability to sense when people are watching you, both directly and indirectly. This does not tell you where they are, only that they exist.

[Recordless]

While active, you cannot be recorded, appear on camera or be picked up by scanners. You leave no trace on any electronic device. Any audio recordings of you become a garbled mess, you appear as an indiscernible blurred figure in pictures and videos. In addition, you also leave no fingerprints or other physical traces.

While that's all well and good, none of my new powers actually help me with the killing aspect of my new role.

I suppose that's the test.

I already know who I'm going to kill, well not the specific individual but the general target. My last life was ended by some junkie so it's only fair one of them helps me secure my new life.

Plus, I need someone who isn't going to be missed and if the lunatic who owned the house I woke up in could get that many kills without anyone finding their kill house, I should be able to get one myself.

But first, I need to get some equipment and with how late it is, it's the perfect time to strike.

After all, I have a ticking deadline that I can't afford to ignore, so I should get to work immediately.

Activating Recordless immediately, I pull my hoodie over my head and frown as I head down the street.

I occasionally get a ping from 'Don't look at me', because despite the late night I'm not the only person up and active, but it always goes away quickly and it's usually just a homeless guy or another equally hooded figure trying not to draw attention to themselves.

The area I'm in seems mostly industrial with some low-income residential, but eventually I find what I'm looking for, a hardware store.

Assured by my new powers that nobody is watching me, I use Off-Screen Travel for the first time as I vanish from the alleyway across the street, surrounded by darkness as I move forwards at incredible speeds.

I misunderstood how this power worked, I thought I'd need to be able to see my destination, but that's not how it works.

Once I use it, I enter a shifted version of the world, covered in darkness and shadows with spots of night light that I can't enter because someone is looking at that spot.

I pass through the wall and enter the store easily, there's a camera but it doesn't seem to be giving a bright spot.

I avoid appearing in front of it anyway, and reappear inside the store.

I try to avoid the camera at first until I notice something. It's not plugged into anything. The power cable leads down the wall but it's not even plugged into a power socket, it's just a decoy.

There could still be an alarm, which prevents me from trying to open the tills (which are probably emptied overnight anyway), and instead I move onto what I actually came here for.

Grabbing several tools, a hammer, a box cutter and some other bits and pieces like rope, duct tape and various other things that could be helpful, I wait for my cool-down to be finished and vanish again.

I can move freely through walls in my power as long as I don't go into the light spots or try to move more than a mile from my starter spot, so using this I move from building to building.

I can still see in this form, sure everything is shrouded in darkness but it's still strangely visible and I can use the light to know where people are.

I wanted to find a more general store, but with no real luck I decided to try my chances with an actual house.

Appearing in the living room, I bide my time as I remain very still, well aware that there's three people sleeping just above my head as I wait for my cool-down to come back, just in case.

Searching the house very slowly, I smile as I find an old backpack under the stairs, it has some personal crap inside it which I take out since it's nothing I need, just a dirty t-shirt and a water bottle, and put the backpack on. My tools are just in a plastic bag at the moment and I quickly move them into my new backpack.

Secondly, I move to the kitchen and help myself to all their sharpest knives (and an apple), I'm sure they'll wake up confused but that's their problem to be honest.

After some debate, I take the risk and head upstairs, pausing briefly as one of them creaks loudly, but after a minute passes with only some light snoring, I head further upstairs.

Moving into the first bedroom, I don't risk taking the cheap looking jewellery or the phone on the bedside table, it can probably be tracked and I don't need that.

Sleeping in the bed is a teenage girl, probably around 15 at a look and I decide this room is a bust since I doubt she has anything I want.

Plus her room is a mess, and I couldn't find anything in this tip even if I wanted to, looking down at the clothes covered floor, rolling my eyes as I have to shake a bra off my trainers.

The next room is more profitable, a middle aged couple sleeping in the bed. I could kill them, the idea doesn't particularly bother me but I already know who I want to kill first, so they are spared as I move around and slowly check the drawers.

Stealing a couple of t-shirts and jeans, that are probably a little too big for me to be honest, I move onto the wardrobe and smile as I find a rather nice leather jacket. Don't mind if I do, throwing it on over my hoodie which fits nicely thanks to its larger size. I also find a pair of leather gloves, taking them as well.

My eyes have adapted to the darkness, which helps me search for anything else I can use (including a roll of paper bills stashed in a sock at the bottom of the wardrobe) but as I hear something I turn around quickly, a knife in my hand as I prepare for the worst.

To my worry, one of the figures in the bed slowly rises, yawning as the mother of the family gets out of the bed and stands up, exposing her nudity.

I expect screams, but with how dark it is, she misses me in the corner of her room as she stumbles towards the door. As I hear her go into the bathroom, I slowly move to a different corner of the room and stay very quiet as I hear her coming back a few moments later.

I should just teleport away, but as she enters the room again, I just stay very still and watch her walk back towards the bed.

Was my decision influenced by her frankly amazing ass? Maybe, and as she lays back down she doesn't quite cover herself with the quilt.

It gives me a nicer view while I wait until I'm sure she's fallen back asleep, a single breast exposed to the room (which I only watch to check her breathing), but after a good five minutes I relax and go back to my looting.

Unfortunately, aside from some nice boots which turns out to be too big for me, there isn't much else of use, so I settle for looting their fridge and make myself a ham sandwich, helping myself to a can of Pepsi.

I should almost stab them for poor taste, if you're not going to drink Dr Pepper, the superior drink, at least have Coke.

Out of spite, I pour the rest of the Pepsi into the sink, because I'm already going to leave them baffled in the morning so I might as well just fuck with them more.

Lining the empty cans up on the side, I finish my sandwich, helping myself to some snacks before I move on, vanishing without a trace.

Fate smiles on me while I move from building to building as I stumble across a rather odd store.

It seems to be some kind of crafts store, but what attracts my attention are some plain white masks made of some crappy plastic.

Grabbing a load of them, I put them in my bag before I get a dumb idea.

They have markers here as well, so I grab some of those too. The masks have two small holes for eyes, and I draw two circles around them to make 'eyes' and then a large almost cartoonish smile on the mouth before I put the mask on.

It covers my face entirely, and while it's hard to breathe and my vision is restricted while wearing it, it's better than nothing as I slip out again.

I've prepared enough, the first hour and a half has vanished and I want this done before morning comes.

Thankfully it's still very late, around 3am if I had to guess and as I move through the streets, I find my target.

Still awake as he rocks back and forth, an older man with a stained bearded and dirty hair sits on the steps of a building, a bedroll in the building's alcove. What drew my attention was the two empty bottles by his feet, and the third in his hand. I can't identify a junkie immediately but he looks the type, and if he's homeless why is he spending his money on booze anyway?

Appearing in the dark of an alleyway opposite him, I wait for my cool-down before I move into the alley opening and stare towards him with a knife hanging from my hand as I simply stand there.

It takes him almost an entire minute to notice me, but it's obvious when he does, freezing in place as he stares at me, his already pale face losing what colour it still has as I steal a move from the greatest serial killer and slowly tilt my head at him.

Michael Myers was always my favourite.

His eyes move from my grinning mask to the knife in my hand, and he immediately makes his decision as he jumps to his feet and with a stumble, starts to run.

He ends up falling as he looks over his shoulder back at me, seeing that I've moved out of the alleyway and am now standing in the middle of the street slowly walking towards him.

But as he faceplants, I disappear.

Rising to his feet he quickly spins back around, staring at the spot I was in merely a second ago, eyes widening in fear as he sees the empty street.

But he's not taking any chances, and immediately sets off running as best as he can given his drunkenness, but he makes a mistake as he turns the corner, ducking and weaving through the streets as I follow him in the shadows.

He tries to duck into one of the many alleyways to lose me, and as he turns around to see if he is being chased, I reappear at the other end of the alleyway.

My teleportation is silent, and he doesn't realise he's moving towards me until it's too late, turning back around just in time to realise I'm barely a meter away from him as he comes to a stumbling stop.

I step aside as he stumbles and falls again, and despite the pathetic display, it isn't sympathy I feel for my victim but disgust. Moving quickly, I slash at him with my knife, not hitting anything important as I cut at his legs making him scream in pain, several bleeding cuts along his legs and ankles as I move back, watching him scramble to his feet and try to move again.

They're amateurish cuts but they slow him down as I watch him hobble away desperately, tilting my head again as he runs.

Moving to the alleyway entrance, I have to wonder… Why is nobody investigating the sound? I expected to have to run, I've already planned my route in my shadow world to buy time before I could teleport…

He even shouts for help as he turns back and sees me just standing there staring at him, and while I see some curtains move, they almost immediately are pulled shut the moment I glance their way. Even my power tells me that nobody but him is looking at me, I'd even say they're trying to ignore what's happening.

I'm sure they've at least called the police, which means I don't have that much time.

He turns a corner again, and I deliberately head back into the shadows of the alleyway. I've noticed something interesting about how my power works.

I have a five minute cool-down, but it starts when I enter the shadow world, not when I leave. If I spend five minutes in that world, I'll be able to teleport again immediately.

It only takes me a couple of minutes before I can teleport again and he hasn't gotten far given his wounds. It takes me seconds to catch up to him again, following him in the shadows as I wait for the right time to strike.

He constantly checks every corner, expecting me to be standing there, but as he sees nothing he makes another mistake as he ducks into an empty building site.

Maybe he thought he could hide, but he just sealed his fate as he moves through the site and hides behind some machinery.

I appear behind him, and he barely has time to scream as he turns around and sees me descending upon him. I'm almost sure I can taste his fear as he tries to ward me off, the tangy taste in the air pushing me forwards as I stab at him over and over again.

He tries to block the stabs with his arms, which is ironically exactly what I tried when I was attacked, but much like me he fails as my blade finds his stomach, sinking into the flesh as he screams in pain.

I don't settle for twenty-seven stab wounds as I keep going until his screams fade to silence, working out frustration over my death that I didn't realise I was still carrying as I mutilate the body beneath me.

Standing up as I stare down at my victim, I feel nothing but a brief satisfaction, before I vanish once more.

I'm sure someone will investigate sooner or later, and I don't plan to be here when they do.

Honestly, the power boost as his life ended was a nice feeling but aside from that he was just disappointing. It's not that I wanted him to put up a fight, but the complete lack of a challenge was a let down.

I'll have to diversify my victims, I don't want to form any particular modus operandi people can use to try and predict where I'll strike next. I'm an equal opportunity serial killer.

I'm covered in blood, but that's why I stole a change of clothes and despite my slight reluctance, I slip through the floor and reappear deep in the sewers almost a mile away from my crime scene.

Thankfully there is a small concrete path so I don't need to appear in the sewage itself, but that doesn't help with the smell.

Stuffing my bloodstained outfit into the plastic bag from earlier (I stole a few for this very reason), I get changed into the stolen, oversized clothes and start to walk through the sewers.

Every five minutes, I jump again as I move further from the scene of the crime, but I'm getting tired as the adrenaline wears off.

Having travelled far enough away that I'm sure I got away with my crime, assuming anyone even investigated, I find an alcove and nestle up inside it.

The smell is awful, I'll probably have to burn the clothes to get rid of the stench, and it's not the best first night's sleep in my new world but it will have to do.

At least this place seems incredibly empty, I saw no bright spots aside from the occasional camera at entrances, so nobody else is down here within a mile of me.

It takes me a while to fall asleep, the concrete not exactly designed for comfort, but eventually I drift off.

Not a bad bit of work for my first time, I know my system is messing with my morals, more than the mysterious voice said, but I can't complain.

It's better than dying.

…oh yeah, I still haven't got a clue where I am. A problem for another day.

— Bruce Wayne (Batman) —

Finishing his investigation, Bruce scowled to himself. The police had been called in response to someone fleeing the street screaming for help, but they arrived hours too late.

This wasn't a fight between two homeless men, as was unfortunately common here, someone had hunted this man.

People had reported seeing him running for almost fifteen minutes, and Bruce had easily worked out the route he took from his abandoned bedroll to his final place of rest, someone had been toying with him.

The first attacks were aimed at his legs, to make the prey easier to hunt, then they let him go. They wanted the chase to continue, for the enjoyment of it perhaps?

Another psychopath loose in Gotham, unless this was one of his regular rogues, maybe Victor Zsasz? It didn't quite match his handiwork but it certainly fit his personality.

No, the cuts were too sloppy for it to be Victor, too amateurish for such a professional and talented killer.

This was the killer's first victim, unless he was mistaken (which could happen despite the opinions of some of his more rabid fans).

But that didn't answer everything, starting with where did they go?

There was only one entrance to the building site, which had a camera. Only the victim ever entered and nobody left.

There were also traffic cameras he'd gotten access to, and they only ever showed the victim.

He'd gotten one video where the killer was in it, taken from some brave teenagers' crappy phone camera and posted online.

It showed an extremely blurry figure calmly walking towards the fleeing man, but everything else was at least identifiable. He couldn't even work out if it was a man or a woman, old or young.

It was only the figure that was blurred, the killer's surroundings were clear (or as clear as the phone camera got), and yet all the tech he had access to said the video wasn't edited.

It clearly was, but he couldn't work out how it was done or more importantly how to undo it.

To make things more confusing, he left no footprints despite the dirt ground. Literally none, there were only footprints for the victim, not the killer.

So the killer had powers, but they weren't powers he was familiar with.

As much as it aggravated him, the trail had gone cold already. If they struck once, they'd do it again. He only hoped he could catch them in the act next time and didn't have to investigate another crime scene like this one.

His pragmatic side told him that wouldn't happen, he needed more information to find the killer and they seemed to be skilled in leaving absolutely nothing behind. Highly unusual for a new killer, and worrying.

They'd only get better in time, he had to stop this one before they got too good.

— Victor Zsasz —

…who threw his mattress out of the window?

— Markus Gray —

Walking up to a pain in my back and a foul stench in my nose, I slowly rise and focus on the bright side.

That I woke up at all is a victory, the rest are just minor inconveniences.

I do need to find a proper place to rest between my crimes, because it might have worked this time but it won't work forever.

Then it's your lucky day.

Congrats on passing the tutorial, I was going to just give you a cool weapon but honestly, a Guild member sleeping in the sewers is just embarrassing.

Kuro might let his gamers do what they want, but mine need to have at least some style. We're too powerful to not live in luxury.

Oh? I'm assuming the Guild is your organisation, which would make 'gamer' my role. The system is rather game-like.

Yup, anyway. Woo, congratulations you didn't fuck up immediately. You'd be surprised how rare that is.

[Quest Complete]

So what happens now?

You get a lair, a couple of new powers, then you go and do whatever the fuck you want. As long as you're acting like the Nightmare, I don't care what you're doing with your life.

Go wild, have fun, get laid, etcetera.

Sounds like a plan to me. I don't intend to waste this opportunity you gave me.

Good boy, you actually mildly impressed my wife so she told me to be nice to you. She has always enjoyed random acts of violence, which just made her horny. Thanks for that.

Happy to help… so do I actually get a name for you?

Shiro, Guild founder and the strongest being in existence no matter what Kuro says.

Err, sure. Let's just pretend I know who Kuro is.

My best friend, and fellow founders. He's also insanely powerful, not as strong or as good looking as me of course, but that's besides the point. Anyway, horny wife awaits so I'm gonna go. Have fun!

Huh, he seems like a fun guy.

In my hand, a key appears which makes me jump for a moment before I stare at it.

I instinctively know how to use it as I simply press it against the sewer wall, watching a dark portal open up.

Knowing it's safe, I step through it and into my lair. The key vanishes but I know I can call it back with a thought.

Lair isn't the right word to be honest, pocket dimension is probably more accurate as I look around the forest I've found myself in, a natural path with several old fashioned gas lamps lighting the way through the very dense and foggy woods.

Heading up the path as the portal closes behind me, it doesn't take me long to find my actual lair, a Victorian era mansion deep in the woods.

It actually makes me worry about what I'll find inside for a moment, even if it's a damn sight better than my current housing situation.

I expected a dilapidated mansion, but as I enter I realise I was very mistaken.

He wasn't kidding about luxury as I start to explore my lair, starting with the living room.

I expected no tech at all, but this place comes with a massive tv, surround sound and very comfortable furniture. Huh, it even has its own streaming service, which seems to have… pretty much every show and movie I've ever heard of, plus a few million I haven't.

The kitchen is no different, very fancy tech and a very full larder, cupboards, fridge and freezer with a whole lot of neapolitan ice cream for some reason. It even has a food replicator, and pushing a few buttons makes a large double pepperoni pizza appear on a plate, pre-sliced as I take a bite.

God damn, that's good. That's too good, and I love pizza.

The dining room is just as fancy, and I find the equally full alcohol cabinet and wine cellar. Is this what being a Gamer means? I could spend my life here, happily.

No, you couldn't.

The Guild giveth, and the Guild can taketh away if you don't play your part. Enjoy yourself, but remember you have a job to do.

Ha, don't worry. I understand that, I want my powers to grow anyway. They won't develop if I just stay here forever anyway.

Also, I thought you had a horny wife to deal with?

I can multitask, besides getting a boobjob while you work is always the best. You should try it sometime.

Heh, I'll keep that in mind.

Moving on, the master bedroom is just as well decorated as the rest of the house, and there's several guest bedrooms. I guess I could have other people live here, if I ever find someone I trust that much.

The master bedroom comes with a walk-in closet that has just about every style of clothing, in my size of course- and the bathroom makes me immediately strip down and clean myself off in the massive bathtub, cleaning the stench of the sewers off me.

I decided to just bin the clothes I brought here. I'm sure the utility room is just as fancy but the smell of the sewers makes me hesitant to put them back on.

I just got a similar outfit from my closet anyway, which fits me far better than the stolen ones. They served their brief purpose, that's enough for me.

This place continues to impress as I find the game room, another massive tv with a game console I don't recognise under it, which I quickly realise is made by the guild because it seems to have every single game installed, uncaring of 'exclusivity'.

Plus a computer that probably makes my world's super-computers look like potatoes, with access to the internet despite me being in a pocket dimension.

There's also a mini-fridge and cupboard full of snacks. The Guild spoils its members and honestly that makes me suspicious.

Of course, not everything is so nice, as I find my way to the cellar. The dungeon is rather conspicuous, as are the two rooms at either side of it.

The torture chamber, with plenty of implements of pain, should be rather unnerving but I'm past that.

The sex dungeon is more amusing, with far less intimidating 'tools'. I'm not sure it'll see much use but it's nice to have I suppose.

I find a note in my exploration telling me that my home will grow to match my needs, which is nice even if I'm not entirely sure of what that means, but I imagine Shiro timed this perfectly.

[Quest Rewards Added]

[Somebody's watching me]

You can inflict a target with a curse which will drive them to paranoia, constantly hearing footsteps behind them and seeing figures out of the corner of their eyes. You can choose whether the curse will be constant, sporadic or only trigger under specific conditions. You can also modify what the curse will make them see.

[Who do you voodoo?]

With a piece of your intended victim, whether it's a fingernail or a piece of hair, you can craft a voodoo doll from which to torment your victim by inflicting a variety of curses of your own design on them.

[Drug Tinker]

You have gained the knowledge of how to create many illicit drugs, including sedatives, hallucinogens and other substances.

As I get the drug tinker power, which gives me a momentary pause, the house shakes and a new room appears in the basement, a lab made for me to craft my drugs.

It has some supplies, but I instinctively know it's only enough to make the basics and I'll have to get the ingredients myself if I want to make anything truly special even as ideas flood my brain.

I'm hesitant to make drugs given their part in my death, but I'm not making cocaine here, just some goodies to help me with my work.

Deciding to try out my new power, I get to work as my hands practically move by myself as I start making a simple sedative.

I already know how to make it an aerosol, and before long I'm looking at a small glass vial with a pink mist inside it, ready to be unleashed. A fast acting gas that should knock out regular humans fairly quickly. It can be my emergency escape.

I should look into a gas mask, because I'm not immune to my own concoctions, but for now I'll just have to throw it far enough away that it doesn't become a problem.

I spend a few hours making a considerable supply of basic sedatives, it doesn't look like I can run out of the basic supplies thankfully, and after some thought decide to do some research for the rest of the day.

Lounging in the living room with the lights turned off, I queue up a few horror movies, it's basically research right?

You have to learn at the feet of the masters, and Micheal, Jason, Freddy and Ghostface are the masters. Okay maybe not Ghostface, but you get the point.

Let's face facts, Movie Ghostface is a bit of a joke, now Dead by Daylight's Ghostface is a master but that's a different story entirely.

— Next Day —

Waking up, I get out of bed and get dressed before I pause spotting a wallet on the side of my bed.

Figured you could use some legal id in your new world, just remember to not get too comfortable in your new home, I expect blood and dread.

And you'll get them, because it's time to get back to work.

Picking up the wallet, I smile at the driver's license inside it with my face looking back at me for just a moment before I freeze.

Why does it say it was issued in Gotham City?

Suddenly, the warning he gave me about this world being dangerous makes so much more sense as a feeling of dread comes over me before I shake my head.

No, I won't let anything ruin my second life, not even Batman. I need more information, which means it's time to explore my new city.

How old is this Batman, what Robin is he on, does Red Hood exist, does Batgirl exist, is Batgirl Oracle already?

Shit, does the Justice League exist? In most versions Batman doesn't like other heroes coming to Gotham, so Gotham might just be the safest place for me right now.

Does Batman have his infamous plot armour? If so, I need to get out of Gotham. Bruce Wayne might just be a human but Batman has more plot armour than a Shonen protagonist.

I have countless questions and no answers, not yet anyway.

Motherfucking Gotham city, is there anywhere worse to live?

Well yes, hundreds of worlds that are far worse than DC, but damn if I'm not playing this 'game' on hard mode.

System Notice

Killing notable figures, such as established heroes, villains or support characters, provides a far larger power boost than killing random unimportant figures.

Also, successful acts of terrorism will increase your power faster due to the large amount of fear they produce.

Oh really? Well, I get the hint.

Gotham City, huh? How could I cause a lot of fear in Gotham, a city that must be used to terror at this point.

I mean, how many psychopaths has Batman thrown into Arkh-

Wait… does-

Fear caused as an indirect result of your actions also grants power.

…oh, I know exactly what I'm doing.

Quest Added

[Prison Break]

Objective: Stage a prison break to release the worst criminals Gotham has ever seen back into the streets.

Reward: Power.

Oh Gotham, you have no idea what's coming your way.

Though, I'm going to need more power before I try a job like that, thankfully Gotham is primed with targets.

You know what Gotham has in excess? Criminals, and while Batman might be good at the terror side of things, he never follows through and finishes the job. I won't leave the job half done.