The Curse Of Players

"So I am guessing just like me, the existence of the other players in this reality was an accident on your part?" Jay asked with a weird look on his face, as if he wanted to punch Hellson a couple of times.

"Yes. It is indeed another accident I caused. Due to me still being connected to the millions of players out there playing Dungeons and Towers of Fate, I managed to accidentally bring them in this reality. But unlike you, some kind of anomaly happened with the rest of the players, causing them to think they are still playing Dungeons and Towers of Fate." Hellson said and looked as if he was doing his best to apologize for it.

"Then, how do you explain the Fate System that everyone had before? And why is there another me in this world?" Jay asked again.

"Simple. To make sure these players survive, I gave them the Fate System for their use. As for why a 'Roasted Boar' player exists, it is because... I am not really sure why though... but I do have a few answers to that question of yours." Hellson said and paused for a while, probably thinking about something.

"The first thing that I thought of was that because of the 'curse' players have. The second thing is that your soul might have been split into two."

"A curse?" Jay immediately asked.

"The curse players have, or rather, those that came from a different reality. We Fatelords call it as the 'Curse of Fate.' What the curse basically does is that wherever you and the other players go, bad things will happen. But the bad things that happen to all the players are just simple things like getting tripped when walking, encountering random monsters, etc." Hellson paused for a bit before he continued as he looked at Jay seriously.

"As for you... which is probably something that had to do with the spell I used on you to get back to this reality... most of the bad things that happen around you changes a lot of things. For example, do you remember that mercenary campsite you woke up in the moment you got reincarnated?" Hellson said and asked Jay.

"Yeah. Just a few moments after I woke up, a pack of Gray Wolves attacked the camp. I believe the only survivor from that was a middle-aged man named Fang." Jay said while thinking of how this is related to the curse Hellson was talking about.

"What about your adventures in Murkwood Passage?" Hellson asked again.

"I died once from getting hit in the balls with an arrow. Some players from a guild called 'Meteora Alliance' died from getting blasted with a Fireball from Roasted Boar. Well, a lot of things happen, but the point is, I saved a treant's life in the end."

"Do you see any connection with the two events?" Hellson asked while thinking of something else.

"Bad things happened. But that's just normal if that curse you mentioned really makes bad things happen around players." Jay said and was not sure if this was the answer Hellson was looking for.

"Wrong. Not only have you caused bad things to happen around you, but you also managed to change a lot of things. For example, that 'Fang' guy who survived from that mercenary camp. Not only is he part of a guild called Soaring Skies, but he also became a leader of a mercenary group that has around a thousand members."

"Wait, how exactly is that a bad thing?" Jay asked.

"It is true that bad things indeed happen around you. But the changes that come after that, it can either be positive or negative in effect. Another example of a change you've caused are the Wood Elves and the green dragon Fisnar." Hellson paused for a bit since his throat was getting dry of all the talking.

"The Wood Elves are really enraged with the actions you and the demons caused in their forest. This rage led them to wage war against Wildergreene and Holtheim. As for Fisnar, after finding out about the existence of the demons and 'someone' stealing the Nature Essence in his forest, he is now flying around the continent, killing every humans he encounter, and will probably continue to do so until his rage is quelled."

"Holy s**t! I guess its too late to say sorry, right?" Jay said with an apologetic tone.

"Don't worry. Izumi handled Fisnar's rage already and sent him back to the forest where he belongs. But the greatest change you and your friends caused so far..." Hellson paused for a bit to create some kind of dramatic effect.

"The Shurym Demons, those demons with the tentacle-like hair, they are know secretly following your friends. They got intrigued that wherever your friends go, they always find a great treasure. The worst thing so far that happened was that one of their gray-skins discovered Glimmertree Sanctuary after following Bloody Harvest for a time."

"WHAT?!" Jay immediately shouted. If this was the case, then should he and the rest just sit still in the guild hall since the demons were spying on them?

"Not only that, due to them discovering the Glimmering Treant and killing its main body at the Glimmertree Sanctuary, the defenses of Glimmertree City weakened by a large margin and they are going to invade it soon. I believe you already heard about this piece of news. And due to all of this bad things happening around you and your friends, all these changes, Izumi is fuming with rage."

Jay finally understood why Nixon warned him before, and why Izumi acted the way she did.

"I really pity Izumi you know? She already has a lot of problems due to the war about to happen between some factions in this continent, and you just added a sh*tload of problems for her..." Hellson said as with a remorseful tone.

"I will let all of the things I told you sink in for a while before I get to the last thing I want to tell you." Hellson said since his throat was really getting dry with all the talking.

...

After a couple of minutes, Jay told Hellson to proceed with whatever he will tell him.

"You wanted to get out of this reality right?" Hellson asked Jay seriously.

"Of course." Jay replied expectantly, waiting for Hellson to reveal how he can return and leave this reality.

"You just need to kill yourself, that's all. The same goes for all the players. When you guys die, you will go back to your reality as if all of this never really happened. The moment you return to your reality, everything you experienced here will be forgotten, even your gaming experiences playing Dungeons and Towers of Fate will be forgotten." Hellson said with a bit of sadness since he really did not want Jay to leave yet.

"That's all?" Jay asked and stood up.

"That's all. But do you really want things to end this way? I know I brought all of the players here by accident, but after knowing what is really happening in this reality of ours, do you really want to leave just like that?" Hellson asked, trying to dissuade Jay from his decision to kill himself so he can leave this reality.

"Don't worry. I won't leave just yet. In fact, I came up with a perfect solution to all of this." Jay said as he closed his eyes and crossed his arms.

"I will do my best to round up all the players and get them to help you defeat those planar invaders. I will do my best to help the inhabitants of the Fatelord Plane. But the moment I die from something, your on your own already." Jay said as he opened his eyes and smiled.

"Thank you. Thank you Jay!" Hellson was crying with tears of joy when he heard Jay's decision.

...

--- Izumi's Garden...

"So, you've finally learned what crimes you did so far?" Izumi asked Jay the moment he got out of the mind room.

"Yes. But don't worry, I know what I should do now." Jay said seriously.

"Good. Why don't you go ahead and just stay put..." Izumi was about to tell Jay to just stay put in the Golden Phoenix guild hall together with the rest of the players in there, but Jay continued speaking.

"I will round up all the players and make them join my guild. After that, I will lead them to fight against the planar invaders."

"IDIOT! DUMBASS! BIRDBRAIN!" Izumi quickly shouted these three words to Jay and went furious again.

"Relax Izumi. I was the one who agreed to Jay's plan." Hellson's soul projection appeared again and said this.

"Fine, fine! Do what you want! And the moment you screw up, I HAVE TO CLEAN UP YOUR MESS!!!" Izumi shouted furiously.

"Shut up." Jay said, as if he was threatening Izumi.

"AUDACIOUS! HOW DARE YOU TO TELL ME TO SHUT UP!!!" Izumi really cannot control herself anymore and thorns appeared around Jay.

"Don't you think that you Fatelords have gone too far? We were just brought here by accident by Hellson, and we are the ones at fault? Tell me, who cleaned up this mess Hellson caused?" Jay asked as he smirked.

"I will do what I have to. Stay out of my way and I will stay out of yours." Jay said as he looked at Izumi's eyes.

"Fine! Get the f*ck out of my garden!" Izumi shouted furiously and teleported Jay back to Glimmertree City.