What did this all mean?

  When I first read the blue box with all the information and numbers on it, I distinctly remember it saying I was level 1. Now it says I’m level 2. I went up a level for defeating that dog monster? What was going on here? Was I being rewarded for killing? This is all so bizarre. It’s like a game or tournament of some sort. And the numbers by strength, endurance, dexterity, intelligence, and wisdom went up by one as well. Does leveling up mean I get stronger, hardier, faster, smarter, and wiser as well?

  What kind of nonsense is this? What in the hells is going on?

  Frustrated, I mentally willed the blue box away, and like before, it did as I bid. Soon, the only thing filling my vision was the night sky and the numberless sea of stars above me. I saw familiar constellations among their number, as well as the landmark stars many used to guide their way. There was the South Star Red next to the constellation of Arkarus the Archer. South Star Blue was directly across the way from them, and taking up a large portion of the black sky was King Pallidus, Bane of Kamfer.

  I frowned. How was it that I knew all the names of these stars and constellations above me, yet for some reason I knew not my own? What predicament did I suffer that was so dire that not only had it left me in such a horrid state physically but rent my mind in tatters as well? I looked inward, attempting to remember something, anything, that might give a clue as to who I am.

  I knew that I was human, a sapien. I was certain of this fact. I thought back, willing my mind deeper and caught fragments of images. I could recall men in armor, wielding swords and pikes. A land of greenery. A woman, holding me close. My wife? Mother? Sister? Daughter?

  All the people in those fragmented memories looked tall, with strong physiques and rounded ears. They were not elves, dwarves, or halflings. Definitely sapiens.

  There were other memories, though these were even more fragmented than the previous. I saw flashes of horses, of towns and cities, conversations about money and other things. There were images of a flag of green and blue, with a flying dove emblazoned in its center. Maps upon a large table. A melody written in stone. All of the things inside my head, though clues to the mystery of my identity, were too scattered and unconnected. Like a shattered plate upon the tiles.

  One fragment of a memory, that of a metal cup filled with wine, brought me back to the present as I suddenly realized that I was thirsty. How in blazes such a thing was possible when I was but less than half a man was yet another mystery to be solved. With a solemn sigh, I pushed away my inward thoughts and attempted to move myself towards the lake with my one reedy, thin arm. I reached out with slender fingers and grasped at the dirt, sinking them into the earth as deeply as I could, then used the purchase to slowly pull myself in the direction I wished to go. Strangely enough, I found it much easier this time than I did when I last attempted to move.

  Did my one point increase in strength truly make such a difference?

  It took a great deal of work, but eventually I managed to drag myself to the water’s edge. It was with some difficulty that I managed to flip myself over so that I was lying down on what was left of my chest, with my face in the wet earth. I then crawled the rest of the way to the water, intent on filling my not-there belly with the cool, refreshing liquid.

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  I stopped upon seeing my reflection.

  Looking upon my reflected image upon the lake’s still surface, I saw by the light of the moon a grotesque sight. Upon a long, slender neck stood a head, upon which rested a face that was neither masculine nor feminine. Androgynous would be the word.

  But what truly gave me pause was the fact that the space where my eyes and forehead should have been was instead replaced by the same red, ragged flesh that marred the underside of my chest as well as the shoulder where my missing right arm was supposed to be.

  I had no eyes, yet I could see. Perfectly.

  My thoughts went back to the blue screen and soon enough, the damn thing appeared before me. I scanned its words until I reached the Abilities section where the first entry met my gaze.

  It was obvious to me now what it meant even without reading the entry description, which suddenly popped up while I focused on it.

  I truly was a monster.

  What else would you call a thing like me. I willed the blue boxes away and once more used my nonexistent eyes to look down upon the water’s reflection of myself. Framing that androgynous face were long strands of black hair, tangled and filthy with dirt and debris. The hair was long, very long, falling about to where my back should have been if I still had one. I reached my hand up to my face and pushed away some strands to reveal an ear. It was round, like a sapien’s.

  Perhaps I had been human once, but not anymore. Whatever had happened to me had turned me into a horrifying, broken creature. A true monster, like the blue box had labeled me as. If it was right about this, was it right about everything else? Did I get stronger by killing things? Would I level up by just killing monsters, or would killing other creatures do as well? What about animals?

  What about people?

  I shook my head, not wanting to think about that.

  I turned my attention away from the water and looked around at the scenery. It was almost as depressing as my reflection. For miles around the little lake there was nothing. Just rocks and dirt as far as the eye could see, with little patches of dying grass and the occasional dead tree to break up the monotony. Where exactly was I?

  The sound of a keening howl sent shivers of terror through me. I looked over at the corpse of the dog-rat, still lying where it had fallen. Of course there would be more of those things around. The howl sounded very far away, but that didn’t mean there weren’t other mangy mongrels nearby. I needed to get out of here, perhaps find shelter or a safe place away from more monsters. Maybe I could find other people and they could help me.

  … No. If anyone sees me as I am, they would attack me on sight. I know I would have. I needed to keep away from others, at least until my memory comes back and I had a better understanding of what my situation exactly was. If my memory comes back.

  I took a quick second to dip my hand into the water and bring a palm-full of liquid up to my lips. I sipped at the water, then quickly spat it back out. It tasted disgusting. Definitely not good for drinking. Despite its foul nature, the water was good enough for washing. I used a few handfuls to wash away the dried black blood that stained my mouth, feeling slightly better at being less sticky. It was then that I noticed my teeth. At first they looked like regular human teeth, white and straight. But as I looked closer I saw that their tips were pointed and sharp, like the blade of a saw. No wonder it had been so easy to bite into that dog-beast’s neck.

  I turned my eyes away from the startling image, not at all ready to judge their implication. I scanned the area around me, looking for a direction to head to.

  There wasn’t much to see, but in the distance there were what looked like mountains rising up from the flat earth. From the position of the South Star Red I knew that they were to the west of my current location. The mountains were probably leagues away, but sadly they were the only areas of interest in this misbegotten wasteland. I could see no other locations that I could make for. Whatever the case, it would be a long, arduous trip to make, especially since I had to do so by means of dragging myself with one arm.

  A thought then occurred to me. I recalled the cane that I had magically constructed, and wondered if I could make another one. I looked around and saw some piles of dry, brittle driftwood near the lakeshore. All around me were small stones along with the roots and detritus of dead plantlife. Yes, I had all the ingredients I needed to make another cane.

  Assembly.

  That was what the blue box had called the ability. According to its words, I could use Assembly to construct primitive instruments using the materials around me.

  I focused my will as I had before and thought about the cane. Soon enough, a long branch magically dragged itself towards me from the nearby pile of wood. Rocks and stones rolled forwards, and dead roots and vines wiggled their way near. The plant fibers wove their way around the branch and stones, attaching the rocks to the end of the branch and giving it a weighted end. It took mere moments for the cane to assemble itself before me, and now I had a tool to help me traverse this hellish landscape.

  I reached out and gasped my new cane by its shaft. I lifted the item and felt most of its weight at the end, where the stones had been fastened to it by the roots. Intriguing.

  I then sank the weighted end of the cane into the dirt, where it found purchase. I used it as leverage to pull myself, dragging what was left of my body forwards, towards the west in the direction of the mountains. With there not being much left of my body, I was very light and found that the cane easily handled my weight. And so, my long trek began.