《Divine Apocalypse》


 Prologue: Introduction to the System

    Prologue


    The beginning of the end of the world as everyone knew it wasn¡¯t subtle. It wasn¡¯t an explosion, the outbreak of a  great war, or a plague,  it was with what you could essentially call a memo, a divine memo, but a memo. It played in everyone''s heads in whatever your native langue or whatever you could understand, no one is sure how the animals were informed, not even the animals, they just knew.


    ¡°Hi, Hermes here, also known as Mercury, divine messenger of the Greek and Roman gods. I¡¯m coming to you here live from your heads to inform you that in exactly 1 month all advanced technology will be shutting down. That will be on March 25th, if you have any questions pray to your local deity. Christianity you¡¯re out of luck unfortunately, your God is not involved in the coming changes so we recommend that you pray to Zeus, or one of the other bigger gods in the world. Budha says hi, he is instant that I say that. . That¡¯s all for now, have a wonderful day.¡±


    For a moment there was utter silence around the world as everyone tried to process what they¡¯d just heard then Hermes spoke again.


    ¡°Sorry, Sorry I left like 5 sheets of information back on the Arc and totally forgot about them until Athena reminded me. Anyways It wouldn¡¯t be very helpful to tell you that the world is changing and everything if we didn¡¯t explain how it was changing. So to start with these levels I mentioned before; there you will be able to reach a max of level 150. You will be leveled up to a max of level 25 depending on your life experience previous to the implementation of this system, so congrats to all the muscle bros and athletes, turns out that there was an actual real-life application for your hobby despite what your teachers told you.¡±


    Hermes paused to clear his throat and there was the sound of him sipping water then he continued.


    ¡° Once a person reaches level 25 they will receive a quest for advancing to the next tier, the enhanced tier, each tier gives benefits and powers to an individual depending on their own who they¡¯ve devoted themselves. By devoting to someone, I don¡¯t mean like a lover or a child or something. I mean to a god or in some cases gods. You¡¯ll need a benefactor to allow you to go between tiers, it does not have to be the same god that sponsored you through the last tier so don¡¯t worry. We gods can be a fickle bunch after all.¡±


    Hermes started muttering to himself seemingly running down a list he had in front of him.


    ¡°Ah here we go, to reach the demigod tier, the 3rd tier, you have to be level 75, 4th tier the minor-god tier level 125. But do know that if you leave for lands where your sponsor or sponsors has influence or one of your sponsors is slain for some reason your level will be decreased by all the tiers they sponsored you for.¡±


    Hermes sighed and the sound of him cracking his back was broadcast to everyone.


    ¡° Now for the fun things. We gods have not been idle in our absence, in fact, we left this world for some time to conquer other worlds and bring them to the faith. While we left most of our new followers on their planet of birth we have brought many with us and they will join humanity on earth. There are too many races to go over and too many new gods to go over. However it will not only be them who join you on earth, but the minor gods of the faiths will walk among you trying to gain followers. Personally, I would recommend staying on their good sides if possible.¡±


    ¡°Finally explaining the shutdown of technology, flying aircraft, Cars, and anything bigger than a motorcycle will be first shut down then ¡°exchanged,¡± we gods are not unreasonable and we recognize that these things have value to you people, so they will be exchanged for magical items and weapons etcetera and they will be scattered across the world. Of course, they will scatter around the areas where they were originally more heavily but there will be some or a lot of randomization. Guns and the like will stay useable, but the production of new parts, ammunition, and so on will be disallowed for the next 5 years, in addition, the number of guns will be reduced over the next 3 days to be about  5 million. Can¡¯t have you, humans, getting free experience so early on,¡± Hermes chuckled to himself. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°We gods hope you strive to improve and bring about a new age of heroes and conquest. Think of this as our gift to you, a return to a world where only the strong survive.¡±


    Nothing else was said and silence came over the world.


    In a home in Cleveland, Ohio a family sat in their home continuing to go about their day as if nothing had happened. The eldest brother who lay on the living room¡¯s floor on his phone was the first to speak.


    ¡°Well, I want a refund of all my donations to the church,¡± was all he said as he kept typing away on his phone. His tone was almost bored despite the life-changing events of the last few minutes.


    The only sister of the family looked down at her older and shortest brother from the comfort of the couch that she dominated. He poked her brother¡¯s big belly and snorted. The eldest had dark brown skin that was originally more a caramel color, but after years of rough treatment, it had decided to stay a darker shade.  In his sister¡¯s opinion, he looked like a bear through his mass, though significantly less hairy. With dark black hair that was the bane of barbers everywhere, he was letting it grow out again as winter was winding down.


    ¡°A god just spoke to the whole world and the first thing you thought was¡­ You want a refund?¡± she asked slightly bemused and annoyed at her brother''s flippant attitude.


    He turned to look at her, his brown eyes dull and seemingly bored as they always did nowadays.


    ¡°Yeah, I mean it''s not like our church can¡¯t afford it. Look at all the freaking gold they have. Jesus was a carpenter and they have him on a gold cross that fucking shines even in the dark,¡± he said seriously.


    The sister opened her mouth to reply but faltered as her younger brother, the tallest of the family, came into the living room stretching.


    ¡°So did you guys hear that voice in your heads too or am I crazy?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nope, I heard it too. Was just telling Evelynn that we should go to that church grandma makes us go to and get a refund on our donations.¡±


    ¡° Yeah and how would that go, Iskander? ¡®Hi I want a refund on my devotional tribute?¡¯¡± mocked the youngest brother.


    ¡° Fuck yes,¡± said Iskander in his version of a sarcastic tone which was next to indistinguishable from his other tones.


    ¡° You know I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re being serious or sarcastic,¡± said Evelynn.


    ¡°I was being Sarcastic,¡± he said turning off his phone and sitting up with a groan.


    ¡°But on a serious note I¡¯m going to go lock the door, people are going to be going crazy¡­,¡± he began before he stopped as a blue screen appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Is this¡­,¡± began M¨¢ximo, ¡°an RPG stat screen?¡±


    ¡° Looks like it,¡± whispered Iskander as he ran his finger along it frowning.


    Evelynn looked at the screen and was dumbfounded she touched it gingerly ad when nothing happened she tried to grab it. Nothing happened.


    ¡°Okay, how does this work?¡± she asked looking at her brothers.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple I think¡­,¡± said Iskander. ¡°Let me finish exploring it before I try and fiddle with yours.¡±


    Evelynn watched as her brothers continued to fiddle with their stats screen.


    ¡°Oh awesome I have a blessing,¡± said Iskander abruptly.


    ¡° A blessing to never trip,¡± he said, ¡°Awesome.¡±

 Chapter 1: Teleported Home

    Chapter 1


    Iskander blew on his hands to keep them warm as he looked around at where he¡¯d been deposited by the strange light that had engulfed him.


    ¡°All that prep work and I forgot gloves,¡± he said to himself as he took in his surroundings trying to figure out where he¡¯d been teleported.


    In front of him, a dilapidated house stood covered in the light snowfall of early winter. It stood alone in a field of white, the property line marked off by dead trees and a wire fence. Adjusting his backpack to sit more comfortably on his shoulders Iskander walked toward the house, the fresh snow softly crunched under his feet as he walked. Getting to the porch Iskander experimentally pushed down with his foot to see if the porch could even handle his weight. Despite the ominous groan, it gave at his pressure the step held. He walked up the porch slowly still warry of the old stairs collapsing under his weight. Putting his hands into his pockets he looked around again taking in his surroundings.


    Everything seemed familiar, but he couldn¡¯t quite tell what was provoking the feeling of nostalgia. He turned back towards the house and tried the doorknob. It was locked. Iskander sighed and turned his back to the door and gripped both sides of the door frame, then gave it a backward mule kick. The first kick sagged the door, the next two forced it open. Putting his hands back into his pockets he shouldered past the door and entered the house. Walking into the entranceway he looked around.


    The house was old, probably made in the ¡¯50s he guessed based on the wallpaper alone. Slowly he walked through the entryway, his pace slow and cautious. He took everything in as he walked. The peeled wallpaper, the water damage from a leaky roof.


    ¡°This place must have been abandoned some time ago,¡± he said to himself.


    Iskander stopped as he came to a framed photo. He couldn¡¯t see through the gathered dust and grime on the photo. Wiping off the glass with his forearm he smirked in amusement as the photo underneath was revealed.


    ¡°This is old doctor Manahan¡¯s house,¡± he said as he took the photo off the wall and continued to clean it.


    The photo showed the doctor surrounded by six kids in the springtime.


    ¡°The inseparable six,¡± he said chuckling to himself.


    ¡°So they sent me to my place of birth,¡± he said to himself as he put the photo back on the wall.


    ¡°If they¡¯re sending people to the place where they were born then I¡¯d hate to have been born in a city hospital,¡± he said as he walked more assuredly down the hall.


    He¡¯d practically grown up here for the first few years of his life. The foreboding, creepy atmosphere he¡¯d felt since entering the house now dissipated. He¡¯d heard the old doctor had died a decade ago, but he¡¯d assume his son would have taken care of the property. Looking around he saw the dining room on his right and the study on his left. He headed into the dining room and walked past the dusty wooden table. He ran a finger along it enjoying the texture of the dust and wood as he walked.


    He smiled as he remembered how he and the others had used to gather around the table excitedly waiting for the doc''s famous mash potatoes and roast beef.


    ¡°Will they be transported here too,¡± he wondered aloud.


    He moved past the table and headed to the back corner where an empty shelf sat. He grabbed the shelf and moved it to the side with a heave. The shelf scrapped the floor and kicked up dust. He coughed violently as all the dust seemingly went right into his face.


    ¡°Fucking Murphy,¡± he coughed out.


    Doubling over as he violently coughed, his lungs trying to expel the foreign entities in them. Finally catching his breath he righted himself and looked at the door that had been revealed when he moved to shelves to the side. Where the shelves once stood a door with no handle was revealed. Iskander crouched down and inspected it.


    ¡°He never undid his version of childproofing, huh,¡± he said to himself before he reached in the hole and pulled.


    The door resisted for a moment with a loud creak, even with its age the old door resisted. Then after several long moment the door opened with a loud crack, the door opened kicking up more dust. Ready for it this time Iskander didn¡¯t breathe in and waved his hand in front of his face and cleared the air. Pulling the door open Iskander tried to look into the dark abyss that was the basement. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°Where is it?¡± Iskander mumbled to himself as he fumbled around in his pocket.


    Finding what he was looking for he pulled out a small flashlight and turned it on. Shining it down the stair he slowly walked down the steps. Every step was accompanied by a spine chilling creak as the old wooden steps sagged. Iskander ignored the creaking as he walked, no longer worried about where the structure of the home. Many times Doctor Manahan had told them the story of how he¡¯d built the house himself, how he¡¯d hand-picked every piece of wood in this home. This house was somewhere that he¡¯d always had and would feel safe.


    Reaching the bottom of the stairs he ran his flashlight along the walls and took it all in. He remembered that when he was young he and the others had once snuck down here. They¡¯d been terrified in the dark, only able to make out vague monstrous shapes. They¡¯d cried and run upstairs. Alice had scraped herself on the stairs, it wasn¡¯t long until the doctor had closed off the basement. But it wasn¡¯t the last time Iskander had been down there. Once the doctor had taken him down here.


    ¡°A soldier fights for peace,¡± he said to himself as his light fell on the display.


    Approaching it slowly he reverently wiped off the dust. Stepping back he took it all in. Framed was a picture of a young doctor Manahan dressed in his military dress uniform. Noticing the new photo next to it made Iskander¡¯s breath catch.


    ¡°No,¡± was all he could say.


    Next to the doctor''s photo was a photo of Ryan, his son, in a naval dress uniform. The photo was wrapped in a black ribbon. That explained why the house was abandoned, the doctor''s wife had died long before him and besides his one son, he didn¡¯t have any other family. After his mother had moved them down to Ohio he¡¯d lost all contact with the doctor besides the yearly birthday cards he¡¯d send and the occasional letter. Hey hadn¡¯t he told him? Ryan had been like a big brother to them all when he was around.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t around much because he was a S.E.A.L. He was called all around the world at a moment''s notice and his deployments didn¡¯t leave him much time home. When he was around though it was clear he respected and even worshipped his father. Ryan had been a good man, even if Iskander hadn¡¯t spoken to him in some time the loss hit him hard.


    Closing his eyes and collecting himself he took a deep breath then opened his eyes. Gathering himself he open the case and opened the drawer underneath. Inside rested two guns both well maintained and clean even after sitting in the drawer for so long. Slowly, almost reverently he picked up the bigger of the two. The M1 Garand felt big and heavy in his hands. Smaller than when he¡¯d held it as a child, but still the weight and size shocked him.


    Iskander moved the flashlight to his mouth so his hands were free. Checking the barrel and internal magazine he found that they were empty. Satisfied he wouldn¡¯t potentially shoot himself he put on the safety and slung it over his shoulder. Picking up the other weapon he inspected the desert camo M4. It had a stubby grip towards the front, with a laser flashlight combo on top. It lacked an optic of any kind despite its relatively advanced setup for the early 2000s when he knew Ryan served. It pained him that he didn¡¯t know when or how Ryan had died.


    He inhaled and pushed it down and focused on what he was doing. Once again it¡¯d been properly stored and maintained. Iskander set up the single-point sling attached to the M-4 to his liking. Once it rested comfortably on his front he closed the open drawer that used to hold the guns. Immediately Iskander opened the drawer underneath, as he¡¯d hoped the drawer was filled with ammo. Doctor Manahans WW2 webbing sat in it, still loaded with stripper clips for his Garand. Unfortunately for Iskander, there wasn¡¯t Ryan¡¯s webbing in it besides it. However, there were 8 magazines of 5.56 next to it, which he gladly took.


    Closing the case properly he double-checked and made sure that the shrine was properly sealed, it was the least he could do. Pausing he rested his hand on the case.


    ¡°Thank you, for everything,¡± he said.


    Then he turned his back on the case and made his way up the stairs. Walking through the house one more time he took it all in. It brought a sad smile to his face.


    ¡°God things were so much easier back then,¡± he said to himself.


    Moving out to the porch he tried to fix the door as best he could. After a few minutes of clumsy attempts, Iskander had to give up and left the door crooked in the door frame.


    ¡°It¡¯ll have to do,¡± he said stepping back his hands on his hips.


    He moved to the front step and sat down. He unslung both guns carefully and placed them on the porch. Then he took off his backpack and unzipped it. Pulling out a blanket he placed it over his legs. Blowing on his hands he called up his new status window.


    Iskander Stuart


    Body 4


    Strength 10/ Agility 10/ Endurance 20


    Mind 7


    Intelligence 30 / Wisdom 20 /Skill 20


    Soul 4


    Mana 20/ Divinity 10


    HEALTH: 80


    RESERVE: 30


    MANA: 40


    Each of the 3 main stats were made up of multiple sub-stats that would let someone fully customize themselves he assumed if they got the points. He¡¯d figured out that the main stat went up for every 10 points total in the sub stats. Looking down at his belly he was surprised that his body state wasn¡¯t lower. He¡¯d really let himself go since he stopped playing football in high school.


    Looking back at his stats he was pretty sure of what it meant. All of them were pretty self-explanatory, well all except for the sub-stat divinity and the independent reserve stat. He¡¯d have to experiment to find out what they did at some point.


    Closing his status screen he blew on his hands one more time and looked around.


    ¡°How much longer should I wait,¡± he wondered aloud.


    If his guess was right he''d have company soon. After all, if he¡¯d been teleported to where he was born then he¡¯d have to assume that everyone else was. The best way to find out right now was to just wait and see if the others showed up.


    God if my theory is right then thank god that I wasn¡¯t born in a city. But I have to wonder why and where they didn¡¯t teleport nearer to the house also.


    ¡°I hope they didn¡¯t get teleported into a tree or something.¡±

 Chapter 2 : Reunion

    Chapter 2


    It was 15 minutes later when the first of Iskander''s expected guests stumbled out of the forest into the clearing around the house. Looking up from repacking the magazines he¡¯d taken from downstairs Iskander smiled. Raising his hand in greeting he slides the M4 behind himself but he kept the Garand held loosely in his hands.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he called out to the approaching person.


    They raise their hand in greeting as well and continued to trudge forward through the snow toward him. Finally, the person came close enough to notice the weapon in his hand and consequentially came to a stop. The person in front of Iskander was an Asian woman dressed in workout attire. She wore pair of tight leggings with her phone in the thigh slightly so it protruded out and a crop top. Essentially she was dressed exactly how you didn¡¯t want to be for this weather.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she said wrapping her arms around herself shivering.


    ¡°Hey,¡± replied Iskander casually.


    His bundled-up form is a complete contrast to hers.


    ¡°So I know I¡¯m trespassing and all, but turns out that the whole God-thing was real and they kinda transported me here,¡± she said her speech rapid-fire as she tried to explain herself while freezing.


    ¡°So I went to the gym and did my weekly workout stream for my followers and then I got teleported here for some reason and now I¡¯m freezing so please don¡¯t kill or rape me because I¡¯m popular and people will come to look for me.¡±


    There was silence for a while and then Iskander started laughing. He laughed so hard and for so long he started to cough. All the while Yuki stood freezing in the cold. Finally collecting himself he managed to pull back the hood of his jacket and his hat revealing his face fully to her.


    Her face turned into shock and surprise then into relief.


    ¡°Iskander?¡± she said in surprise.


    ¡°Yep,¡± He said lifting his blanket and offering the other half to her.


    ¡°Come warm-up,¡± he said still chuckling, ¡° I expect the others to be by soon..¡±


    Immediately taking his offer Yuki ran over and slid under the blanket next to Iskander. Cuddling close to him she shivered against him.


    ¡°What do you mean by the others?¡± she asked.


    ¡° If the gods modeled this after a video game-like I¡¯m guessing or maybe we based our games on them, there''s no way to say. But I have to assume now that both of us are here with certainty that they¡¯re teleporting us near or directly to our ¡°spawn¡± locations or where we were born,¡± he said.


    ¡°Wait wouldn¡¯t that me this run-down place is¡­,¡± she began turning to look at the dilapidated house.


    ¡°Doctor Manahan¡¯s place,¡± he finished.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Yuki kept looking back at the place where they¡¯d both been born in a combination of sadness and joy. It must have been the same look he wore on his face when he¡¯d realized where he was. After a few moments, she whipped her eyes off and then looked back at him. As she turned her head back towards him she caught sight of the second gun behind his back.


    ¡°What were you doing that you were carrying two guns with you when this all came down?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Unlike you, I took the warning seriously, but that''s not why I have the two guns,¡± he said picking up the M4 and resting it on the railing next to him.


    ¡°I found the guns in the basement. The Garand was the doctor''s old service weapon and the M4 was Ryan¡¯s or a replica of what he¡¯d used while he was serving,¡± he said.


    ¡°And all this gear is just what I¡¯d packed in case this whole thing was real,¡± he said.


    ¡°You were always the one who was prepared for everything,¡± she said leaning into him.


    ¡°I loved that about you,¡± she said.


    There was a moment of silence. The tension between the two is palpable to anyone who might stumble upon them.


    ¡°Let''s not drudge up old memories,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well if you don¡¯t drudge up the past what''s up with this belly?¡± she asked poking his stomach through his jacket.


    ¡°It''s cushioning for my amazing muscles,¡± he said.


    ¡°That is a lie,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s creative truth-telling,¡± he replied smirking.


    ¡°Regardless of what the truth is something is coming out of the forest,¡± he said pointing towards the tree line where a snow-covered bush was moving, the snow on it falling to the ground as whatever it is shook the bush.


    Standing up he handed the blanket to Yuki and loaded a stripper clip into the rifle.


    ¡°Iskander didn¡¯t you say that the others were coming,¡± said Yuki her voice filled with concern as she caught the look on Iskander''s face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the others would be lurking like that for so long,¡± he said as he aimed the rifle at the bush and slowly approached the bush. Stopping about 100 yards from the bush he waited.


    Nothing happened.


    Then from nowhere a wolf the size of a mini copper jumped out with a howl. Its teeth are as long and sharp as daggers while its claws were curved into points that could cut into steel. It growled then barked.


    Status Effect: Fear Applied


    The words appeared in the top right of Iskander''s vision.


    What the hell? I can¡¯t move¡­


    Iskander tried to pull the trigger, but his body wouldn¡¯t do as it was told. The wolf followed up its skill with a pounce.


    Status Effect Negated by Battlefield Courage


    At the last second Iskander regained control of his body and managed to pull the trigger. Adjusting his aim slightly he pulled the trigger. His shot went wide and grazed the wolf making its body twist in pain mid-air. Its claws caught Iskander''s forearm and slashed down cutting deeply.


    Pulling away he tried to reacquire his target and fire again, however, the wolf was too fast. The beast slashed at his calf, its sales digging deep into his flesh and leaving deep gashes. Iskander inhaled and grunted in pain. Reacting immediately Iskander returned the blow with a butt stroke from the Garand. His blow found the wolf''s side with a satisfying crack. The wolf yelped in pain and retreated with a large hop.


    Iskander pushed through the pain and leveled his rifle at the wolf. Pulling the trigger the wolf took the shot right in its head. The wolf collapsed to the ground bleeding from its forehead.


    ¡°Yeah, fuck you,¡± he said panting.


    The wolf started to get up, slowly.


    Iskander didn¡¯t hesitate and pulled the trigger 3 more times. The wolf collapsed again and this time it didn¡¯t get up again.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a normal wolf,¡± he said falling onto his ass.


    ¡°Iskander what can I do for you?¡± yelled Yuki running over the blanket draped over her shoulders.


    ¡°Just help me up, the wounds will heal themselves if things stay on-trend,¡± he said to her . grabbing onto Yuki¡¯s shoulder.


    She helped himself up using her shoulder then rested heavily on her shoulder and used her as a support.


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to trust this new system the gods put in place to heal you?¡± she asked skeptically.


    ¡°No take me to my backpack, I¡¯ll take care of my wounds before they start to heal to make sure they heal properly.


    ¡°I hope the others are okay, If that forest is full of wolves or animals like that one they¡¯re in real damage. I need to treat my wounds then we¡¯ll head out into the forest and search for them.

 Chapter 3: Prep

    Chapter 3


    Iskander watched as the gash in his leg visibly healed. It wasn¡¯t as fast as he¡¯d have liked, but it wasn¡¯t slow. Opening his status sheet he saw his health poll ticking up slowly about 1 hp every minute. The wolf had dealt 25 damage total when the fight had ended, by the time they¡¯d gotten Iskander back onto the porch and gotten the medical supplies from his backpack he¡¯d been down to 40 hp. It seemed that while his body was certainly sturdy he wasn¡¯t all that resistant to bleed damage, well that or that beast was particularly effective at dealing bleed damage.


    ¡°How''s it looking?¡± asked Yuki from beside him.


    ¡°I¡¯m healing pretty fast physically, but the status screen is saying that my rate of healing is at about 1 hp per minute. Thankfully the bleed damage stopped almost as soon as we put on the bandages though,¡± he said turning to her.


    Yuki let out a sigh of relief. She took a few seconds to collect herself and practice her breathing technique. Once she had collected herself she became all business.


    ¡°You said we have to go find the other right? Are you sure that the others are coming? If there are really more wolves out there we have to be sure it¡¯s worth the danger,¡± she said her tone chilling, the small ticks that she¡¯d used as an influencer to appear cute disappearing.


    ¡°If there¡¯s a chance they¡¯re out there then we need to be sure that they¡¯re not out there. We were¡­ still are like family always have been. We got to at least try and make sure they¡¯re safe,¡± Iskander said flexing his calf to see if the muscles were healed in the now healed limb.


    Satisfied with the result Iskander tried to stand up. At first, his leg wobbled under his weight, however as he walked back and forth in front of the porch his leg started to strengthen and his gait returned to close to normal.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who still thinks that,¡± said Yuki crossing her arms her tone colder than the snow all around.


    ¡°You were the glue holding us all together. When you left it all fell apart pretty quick. Some fucking family,¡± she said.


    Iskander took off his jacket as she spoke and tossed it to her. The heavy hoody he wore underneath the jacket would be enough to keep him warm while they moved actively¡­ while they fought. He needed to be realistic about this expect the worse and be thankful when it wasn¡¯t. If he didn¡¯t then he and Yuki would most likely end up dead and unable to help anyone.


    ¡°We were kids and all our parents decided to move. I¡¯ll admit I¡¯ve been shit at keeping in touch, but it happens. That doesn¡¯t mean people don¡¯t care about each other,¡± he said reaching for the Garand that he¡¯d placed down on the porch. As he grabbed it Yuki put her hand on it holding it down.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. You¡¯re injured, and they wouldn¡¯t do the same. I say we hunker down and here and if they come they come. If they don¡¯t, well¡­ we didn¡¯t waste the effort then,¡± she said.


    Iskander smiled.


    ¡°I ever tell you that you were way more attractive when you were being cold and logical,¡±  he said as he picked up the rifle.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°I¡¯m being serious,¡± she said as she put on his jacket.


    His jacket made her look even smaller than her 5¡¯4 frame. Glaring up at him as she stood up and picked up the M4 next to her.


    ¡°You know how to handle this?¡± he asked as he slung the Garand over his shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m American,¡± she said as she inspected the gun.


    ¡°So either you know what you¡¯re doing or want to pretend you know what you¡¯re doing when it comes to guns,¡± stepping over to her he turned the gun over to the side to show her the selector.


    ¡°The safe is to the front with the top being the single-fire mode, and facing to the rear is the rear. Never use full auto, 5.56 might not have much kick, but the muzzle rise is real you won¡¯t be accurate past the first 3 shots at any sort of range,¡± he said.


    ¡°Any sort of range?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Like not even if they¡¯re right in front of me?¡±


    ¡°Single-shot just offers more control period. Full auto is definitely cooler, but just not practical for carbines or rifles,¡± he said.


    ¡°I suppose there are situations where there is an advantage. In the end, you got to trust your gut.¡±


    ¡°Is there a bullet in the camber?¡±


    ¡°You can check by pulling the charging handle back halfway, if you see a round in there then you have one in the chamber. If it jams you¡¯ll want to do that again and get rid of anything blocking the barrel or any cartridge that failed to clear the gun. ¡±


    As he spoke he pointed to the parts of the gun he was talking about to make sure she knew what he was saying.


    ¡°Make sure the gun never points at a person or thing you don¡¯t want to destroy,¡± he said.


    Gun safety was tragically ignored far too often in his opinion, if they had wanted fewer instances of poor use of guns then they should have made gun licenses require as much work as a driver''s license.


    ¡°Got it,¡± she started to turn the gun toward Iskander then stopped when he glared at her.


    ¡°I was only going to point at that belly of yours. I want it gone,¡± she said smiling weakly.


    He rolled his eyes not wanting to have this conversation again. Turning toward the forest he began to walk away.


    ¡°Let''s go find them.¡±


    Yuki groaned loudly and followed. Iskander couldn¡¯t make out what she was saying, but he caught the occasion insult clearly directed at him. As he walked into the woods beyond the property words popped into the center of his vision.


    NOW ENTERING USSB108 FOREST OF THE GENE WITCH


    ¡°Well this isn¡¯t good,¡± he said.


    ¡°What why?


    ¡°Typically new zones are filled with monsters, since that wolf came into the other zone this one must be jam packed,¡± he said.


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°Monsters in games and animals, in general, like to say in their own zones and territories. To be pushed out like that or roam so far typically the food in the area is scarce or they¡¯ve been pushed out,¡± as he spoke he unslung the rifle from his shoulder and held it at low ready. Walking forward cautiously he made his way into the forest unsure of what he was getting into anymore.


    Every tree in the forest towered over them. The beautiful lush nature of Vermont now clearly mutated. Tree branches that looked more like claws than branches past them by. Brushing them aside he made sure Yuki behind him would catch the branch as it snapped back into place. Looking around the once familiar environment he saw as everything visible changed. The snow which covered the forest floor like a blanket now was perforated with small green, purple, and even red plants grew up from under the snow. The plants seemed to not care about the weather or the snow. As he grabbed a branch he recoiled in pain and looked at his hand blood leaked from a small gash on his hand. Inspecting the branch he grabbed he watched as small thorn-like objects wiggled out from the branch. The strange thorn-like objects actively moved to suck down his blood.


    ¡°Careful this thing sucks blood,¡± he said as he moved the branch with his Garand and held it for Yuki.


    ¡°Seems that either the world or this area is undergoing some serious changes,¡± he said as they continued.


    ¡°Even the trees are turning into predators. We need to watch out for everything,¡± he said as they continued forward slowly.


    ¡°Oh great,¡± said Yuki sarcastically.

 Chapter 4: Gods and Oddities

    Chapter 4


    Iskander and Yuki trudged through the forest slowly; every step was taken with caution as the very environment sought to devour them. After about an hour Iskander decided that despite the noise and potentially lethal response from the greenery, he pulled out the knife that was still in Manahan¡¯s webbing. Affixing it to the end of the Garand he used it as a makeshift machete and started hacking a path through the trees and bushes. At first, the trees and bushes seemed to attempt to retaliate by leaning in and occasionally hitting them with branches, but as Iskander grew more and more proficient with his makeshift trimmer the trees began to pull away, and once even moved through the dirt out of the way.


    ¡° This is crazy,¡± said Yuki watching a small songbird growing in the tree above.


    The harmless animal grew claws on the tip of its wings and the feathers on its wings seemed to sharpen and lengthen. As Yuki watched the creature mutate the bird seemed to notice her glaze and glared down at her with red demon-like eyes. Letting out an ear-bursting cry the bird took off with several heavy flaps of its wings discarding the soft feathers of its former form.


    ¡°More like unlikely,¡± replied Iskander slowly walking into the separating forest.


    ¡°Keep up before the forest decides to try and split us.¡±


    If it was possible for a tree to perk up the ones around them seem to. Leaning in the nearest tree tried to separate them. With a hard thrust, Iskander stabbed the bayonet into the tree and pulled it out. The tree stopped and reconsidered its decision before it pulled back to its original position bleeding thick red sap. Yuki watching this rushed forward until she was just behind Iskander. Satisfied with her proximity Iskander continued forward into the forest.


    Iskander seemed to ignore the changes around them singlemindedly making his way forward through the trees. In contrast, Yuki noted every change to the environment around them, unable to wrap her mind around the logic-defying event happening before their eyes.


    ¡°How are you so calm about this?¡± asked Yuki after about another hour into the forest.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Iskander stabbing a particularly bold flower.


    ¡°The world as we know it just ended and the forest is trying to kill us and you¡¯re just casually walking through it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t usually stab the surroundings when I walk Yuki,¡± he said glancing back at her.


    ¡° You¡¯re avoiding the point,¡± she said annoyance obvious in her tone.


    ¡° Darwinism,¡± he said continuing on.


    ¡°How does the survival of the fittest play into this scenario at all?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The gods in almost every society are absolutely monstrous beings who destroy and end lives in an instant for the most trivial of slights,¡± he said looking to the right.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been gone for centuries maybe millennium. No one worshiped them in that time¡­ well except Native Americans and Indians. Perhaps a few more that I¡¯m unaware of,¡± he said his head darting to the left.


    ¡°If I was an all-powerful being and I came back to find that I was no longer being worshiped as I demanded and I didn¡¯t want to end all of the creations at once I¡¯d only want to keep the best of those alive,¡± he said reaching out with a left straight and punching the air or what appeared to be the air.


    To Yuki¡¯s surprise, a woman appeared on her cheek holding Iskander''s fist.


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± yelped Yuki hopping backward her back hitting a tree.


    Scrambling away from the tree before it could do she glanced behind herself to see if a branch was coming to brain her. To her surprise she saw the trees and vegetation doing what she¡¯d assume was their equivalent of a dash away from them, or perhaps the woman Iskander had struck. In a matter of seconds, they were in a clearing at least 100 feet in diameter. Turning back to the woman Iskander had struck Yuki took her in for the first time. What caught her eye immediately was that she has a head of green hair that seemed to be made up of a combination of human hair and vines made up her hair styled in a waist-length braid of green. Her head was crowned beautifully by a crown of lovely red and purple roses. Her build was stout and fit with curves that put Yuki¡¯s own to shame, but clearly, she had natural work muscles. She¡¯d best be described as a farmer''s daughter that worked the field in her physical appearance. Her clothes, if it could be called that, consisted of a skirt made up of vines wrapped up by a wolf''s pelt and a tube top made from a combination of animal hides and plants.


    ¡°Are ya going to keep fisting my face?¡± asked the woman a combination of bemusement and annoyance in her voice.


    ¡°Are you going to keep following us?¡± replied Iskander.


    ¡°Oh most definitely,¡± said the woman as vines shot from the ground and grabbed Iskander and Yuki and bound them in place.


    Stepping back from Iskanders still extended fist the woman put her fists on her hips with a mischievous smile.


    ¡°Welcome mortals to your new world or should I say welcome back to a world run by the gods! As we speak all the humans of the modern world are undergoing an acclimation ceremony of sorts to introduce them to the new world and their new abilities, however, you seven are and about 993 others didn¡¯t get teleported to the school,¡± she said beginning to walk side by side to in front of them like a teacher lecturing.


    ¡°What do you mean us seven,¡± asked Iskander interjecting into her speech.


    ¡°Oh right,¡± she said hitting her hand to her forehead.


    Rising up from the ground the 5 people they had been looking for appeared bound up. One was unconscious while the others struggled against the vines furiously. In contrast to his and Yuki, vines gagged the other and actively kept them from speaking.


    ¡°Anyways as I was saying maybe because you¡¯re weird, strange, or perhaps too stupid to have been teleported to the introduction the gods got curious. We don¡¯t really know why. But because you''re freaking the gods have taken a bit of an interest,¡± striking a strange pose where she had one hand on her hip and the other pointed towards them she rose above them on a tree that grew from the ground. Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°I, the newest god to have been born. The only god to have been birthed into all the pantheons known to exist has been assigned to watch over you lost lambs! Rejoice for Dokimotklesh is here!¡± she said leaning her head back and laughing.


    Everyone stopped struggling against the vines holding them to watch as Dokimotklesh leaned back a bit too far and fell off the tree and hit her head on the forest floor. The blow to the head knocked her out. The vines holding everyone released them onto the ground then retracted into the ground. Catching his breathe for a moment Iskander rubbed his throat. Then dashed forward toward the unconscious god. One of the others right on his heels. Sliding toward the god and getting into a kneel he turned her onto her front. Throwing his backpack toward the person beside him he put the gods wrists together.


    ¡°Very front small pocket are zip ties,¡± he said.


    An instant later mechanic gloved hands reached forward and tightly bound the woman''s wrists. Looking over at the person assisting him he laughed, reaching over he held out his hand for a fist bump. A grin similar to the one now covering his face met his own as his best friend Rand bumped his fist.


    ¡°Look at you,¡± said Iskander getting up and taking in his friend.


    ¡°I never thought you¡¯d join the army,¡± he said


    ¡°Neither did I, but that''s how it turned out,¡± said Rand shrugging.


    ¡°Lucky you got transported while you were fully geared up,¡± said Iskander taking in Rands''s full equipment load.


    His mixed Asian and Hispanic features had hardened into a chiseled jaw line and cheekes sharp enough you could cut yourself on. The boy who had once been scared and small now towered over Iskander.


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk, where the heck did you get that ancient shit,¡± said Rand taking in Iskander''s archaic webbing and the Garand slung over his shoulders.


    ¡°Dr. Manahanns basement, I remembered he had his old WW2 equipment stored in the basement,¡± he said as he gestured for Rand to move towards the goddess''s feet and help him pick her up.


    ¡°He kept that stuff pristine then,¡± he said with a grunt as they picked up the surprisingly heavy woman. Putting her over their shoulders they walked towards the others who were collecting themselves still.


    ¡°He also had Ryan¡¯s old service rifle in the basement.. Seems he died,¡± said Iskander pausing.


    Rand stopped a second after causing the unconscious goddess¡¯s shoulder to hit the back of Iskander¡¯s head.


    ¡°No way,¡± said Rand.¡±You know how?¡±


    ¡°No idea,¡± said Iskander resuming their walk towards the others.


    After a few seconds of silence, Iskander spoke again.


    ¡°How¡¯d all of you get captured?¡±


    ¡°We all teleported around a little white concrete shed, we got attacked almost immediately, by feral wolves. Me and the other fought them off. But as we regrouped and tried to figure shit out this dumb ass appeared and grabbed us with vines. We were brought underground where she tried to interrogate us by threatening to put us in a vat of bugs.¡±


    Iskander shuttered.


    ¡°Disgusting,¡± was all Iskander said before Rand continued.


    ¡°Then a weird light came down from above. Kinda looked like a pixie or some shit and she left. Then we were here,¡± he said.


    ¡°What did she ask about?¡± asked Iskander getting over his initial disgust of bugs.


    ¡°Mostly about where we''re born, if we were demigods or not human. Crazy shit like that,¡± said Rand.


    ¡°It¡¯s not crazy, but maybe an answer,¡± replied Iskander as they reached the others. ¡°Let me digest the info and I think I¡¯ll have figured this out.¡±


    Iskander couldn¡¯t help but smile as the others turned to look at them. They too smiled even Yuki.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re all back together,¡± said Zahrah crossing her arms over her chest, her hijab wrapped around her neck and her long black hair in a ponytail.


    Zahrah¡¯s soft features arranged in a smile of joy at the reunion of her childhood family.


    ¡°Fuck yeah we are,¡± said Roxxie punching one hand into another.


    Her gymnast physique was on full display with gym clothes even more revealing than Yuki¡¯s had been. Around her waist, a hoodie was tied long since forgotten as her excessive body heat made the air around her quite literally mist in a cloud of heat. Her red hair was cut into a pixie cut that framed her sharp features and freckles in an appealing way even Iskander couldn¡¯t ignore.


    A man just as tall as Rand but twice as wide came over to help them. His long beard and long blonde hair covered his features in a messy veil. As he reached them he smiled showing all his teeth and the hair fell away revealing his eyes for the first time. All it took was for Iskander to see those shocking blue eyes for him to recognize Bjorn. Taking the woman''s head from his shoulder Bjorn took the load with a grunt of effort.


    ¡°


    She¡¯s a heavy bitch ain¡¯t she?¡± he said in a voice low and deep like a canyon.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s not made of what we¡¯re made of. Since gods are real, that means those mythical metals are too,¡± replied Iskander stretching his shoulder.


    ¡°Well that 4-year chemistry degree I got doesn¡¯t seem like it was worth it now,¡± he said laughing.


    His very laugh sent vibrations through Iskander¡¯s feet and into his naval.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± replied Iskander.


    If his hunch was correct then Bjorn might be the most important member of their group now.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Tanya?¡± he asked looking around.


    ¡°Here,¡± said a soft voice from behind Rand.


    Peaking her head out the Tiny Tanya looked at the group shyly. If Iskander didn¡¯t know better he¡¯d have assumed the barely 5-foot-tall woman was barely out of middle school, but she was technically the eldest of them by a few hours. Her platinum blonde hair was cut into a bowl cut that covered her eyes and ears but showed her button nose and thin lips.


    ¡°How¡¯d you get behind Rand?¡± asked Iskander curious. She¡¯s have had to get past him too and judging by the fact he¡¯d seen the invisible goddess he had some sort of innate resistance to stealth abilities.


    ¡°I just walked over, no one noticed when I tried to talk to them until you said my name,¡± she said shyly.


    Iskander cupped his chin in thought.


    ¡°Stealth or some sort of presence erasure until someone says your name?¡± he said aloud.


    Shaking his head he looked at Rand.


    ¡°Judging by that Ranger tab on your chest you can lead us to the place where you teleported right?¡± asked Iskander.


    ¡°I got the landmarks around it down and the direction they were so I can attempt, but no guarantee that I¡¯d find it in a timely manner.


    ¡°Well, Ranger lead the way. We need to get to that concrete shed. If my hunch is right, then we need to explore that shed.


    Rand looked at him skeptically.


    ¡°Dude it''s a shed, probably an old bomb shelter or something,¡± he said.


    ¡° Maybe, but either way it''s worth a look. Because me and Yuki teleported around the house where we were born, but for you 5 to be teleported around that place I can only assume that¡¯s where you were born,¡± said Iskander finally vocalizing his thoughts.


    Rand raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Along with the fact when we came in here me and Yuki got a prompt that called this forest is called USSB108 forest of the Gene witch and the video game logic the gods seem to be forcing onto the world¡­,¡± he said letting the words hang in the air.


    There was a heaviness in the air as he finished speaking. All Except Zahrah looked perturbed by how much sense Iskander''s words were making.


    ¡°Okay my father never let me game, so I need some clarification,¡± she said interrupting the heavy silence.


    ¡°Video games leave easter eggs, and other hints about what¡¯s happened in an area, or what resides in an area,¡± Said Rand paling.


    ¡°USSB is short for United States Secret Base I¡¯m guessing, and gene witch implies some sort of genetic modification has or is happening in the area,¡± he laid out.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying we were fucked with as baby¡¯s by doctor Manahan?¡± asked Zahrah.


    ¡°Perhaps, or it''s a red hearing,¡± said Iskander. ¡°It''s not all that uncommon for the name to be a trap in and of itself. But I want to know and I think that the answers are at that shelter,¡± he said then gestured towards the unconscious god.


    ¡°Also it seems her powers are plant-related. Surrounding her with concrete and steel seems like a good way to keep her powerless while we get her to answer some questions.¡±