Random Portals

Steven expected to see a barrier or something, but there was nothing other than several mosquitos flying around where he just was.

“Well, that’s convenient.” Steven mumbled with a goofy grin plastered on his face. He really liked the idea of being able to see out while nothing could see in. Also, a respite from those little blood suckers was nice.

The air felt cool and crisp inside the barrier. He took several deep breaths as an even larger smile crept across his face. A strong sense of safety and security washed over him, which was strange as he was in a foreign place.

Walking deeper into the mystical swamp garden, he turned to look back at the swamp he had just come from. About thirty feet back was a very distinct difference in landscape and plant life. He simply stood there, taking in otherworldly plants for a moment. Glancing down at the pipe still in his hand, his eyes widened and his other hand shot down to his cargo pocket. Feeling his baggie of weed still there, he let out a happy sigh. Loading his old wooden pipe, he was careful to not spill a drop. He had a good bit, but there was no telling how long he would be here. He walked towards what he assumed was the center of this place while puffing on his pipe. After walking for a short distance, he noticed a single tree in what he assumed was the center of this so-called domain. The tree was monstrous even compared to the massive trees outside the barrier.

Walking closer, a smile crept onto his face as he saw a door embedded into the tree. Steven didn’t think twice as he approached, swinging the door open and going in. What he saw was not what he expected. It looked like a motel lobby, a bar to the right side, tables and chairs at the back, and a staircase leading up. The strangest part was everything seemed to be made of the tree itself. It looked to be grown in place. Steven continued to puff on his pipe till it was empty. Only then realizing he had just been standing there staring. After overcoming the initial wonder of the tree house, Steven called out.

”Hello. Is Anyone here?”

He didn’t expect an answer, but he wanted to make sure. Steven then headed up the stairs. The next floor was a bit more exciting. The scent of pages washed over him immediately upon entering. Although he could barely make out that it was a library. The only light was what drifted up from the stairs. Now that he thought about it, how was he even able to see on the first floor?

Walking back down the stairs, he looked around and noticed several glowing stones placed in different parts of the lobby. They were embedded in the tree itself, giving off a natural glow. After a quick search, he found a few loose ones behind the bar, already glowing.

Grabbing a couple of the glow stones as he named them, he went back up the stairs to check out the library. It turned out he only needed one of the glow stones. No sooner than he walked into the room the stone he was holding shattered into tiny moats of light that shot off in seemingly random directions. Suddenly, the entire room burst into light. He had absolutely no idea how that one stone charged what had to be several dozens of other stones embedded in the walls and bookcases, but he wasn’t about to complain.

There were thousands of books, a literal wizard’s library. A shiver of anticipation went down Steven’s spine.

“Some of these have to be spell books, right?”

His mind raced with thoughts of casting fireballs, throwing lightning, and teleporting around. Once he calmed down, he began to wonder how he was supposed to get to the books higher up. He didn’t see a ladder anywhere and it would have to be a huge ladder to reach the ones further up. There was no way he could miss that. He was also curious how this tree was still alive with so much of it carved out, or had it been grown this way?

He eventually pushed those thoughts aside. Magic was clearly the answer. Walking over to the wall, he grabbed a book at random and read the title. “The History And Downfall Of The Swamp Elves.” Steven blinked at the book a few times while wondering if there were any Swamp Elves near him. Also, what was a Swamp Elf?

Excited about meeting other races, especially elves of any kind, he placed the book back and planned to come back later to read. It was lucky that it was written in English, otherwise the books would be useless to him. He considered checking more, but he wanted to see where the stairs lead first.

Steven walked past a fireplace built into the tree and paused. His curiosity got the best of him and he had to look. Walking over to the fireplace, he noticed it was all made of the tree itself. Getting down on his hands and knees, he looked up into the chimney, using the other glow stone for light. Yep, sure enough, the chimney was made of wood.

“Note to self: do not use the fireplace.” Shaking his head in bewilderment, he started up the stairs.

He quickly came to a fork in the stairs. Deciding to take the stairs to the left, he came to a door arch he couldn’t enter. It seemed as if there was some kind of invisible force field. Placing his hand on the barrier, a prompt appeared.

Alchemy room not available.

(Note: Claim full control of this Domain to access this area.)

It looked like he wouldn’t be going into that room. He had no intentions of killing Gandalf and taking his domain.

Heading back down and then up the other stairs, he came to a large circular room full of doors. After checking most of the doors, he found them to all be exactly the same: a single bed and dresser with a table and a single stool. It felt oddly cozy, even though there were no windows.

He then made his way back down to the first floor. His plan was to deal with the red light dimly glowing at the edge of his vision. And he was starving! He really hoped this place had a fridge.

As he made his way down the stairs, he began to panic slightly, as he didn’t remember seeing a fridge. Did he just get sent to a fantasy land just to die of starvation?

To Steven’s surprise and excitement, he found several plates of food in the cabinets behind the bar. The plates were still hot to the touch. Assuming that the cabinets were enchanted or something, but still wanting to be on the safe side, Steven only took a few bites.

He then gave up on that nonsense and just began eating the food like a starving animal. He quickly realized that he had nothing to drink, and he went back behind the bar.

He found a bottle labeled Never Ending Wine. After finding a cup, he poured a glass. Then proceeded to spit the wine all over the floor.

“Good night! This has to be the most disgusting thing I’ve ever tasted! There’s a reason it’s never ending, ugh!” Not finding a sink, Steven went outside to dump the cup of wine out.

When he come back in he stopped and stared blankly at two rags, cleaning up the wine. He could of swore the rags both stopped and turned to him for a second but it happened so fast that he thought it was just his imagination, the rags quickly finished up and flew off towards an open door in the back.

“Thank you.” Steven said as they flew off. He could have really used some magic rags at his aunt’s house. He also wanted to see where that door led, but later.

No longer thirsty or hungry after the wine, he sat down to focus on the red light in the corner of his vision. His mind kept going back to the fact there were floating rags, making it difficult to concentrate at first, but with a bit of effort, he quickly got the hang of it.

Defeated level 0 mosquito.

Essence gained 1.

1 out of 100 essence to level 1.

Defeated level 0 mosquito.

Essence gained 1.

2 out of 100 essence to level 1.

Defeated level 0 mosquito.

Essence gained 1.

3 out of 100 essence to level 1.

Closing that page, he tried to navigate the translucent screen, but his stat page was locked until he reached level one. Or at least that was the conclusion he had come to. The main screen told him how much essence he needed to reach the next level, but no information other wise.

He planned on going mosquito hunting in the morning. After all, how hard could it be to kill ninety seven more mosquitos? As for now, he would finish eating the plate of food while trying to not think about the wine. He wasn’t even sure what he was eating, though the meat tasted like chicken, and the green leafy stuff tasted like spinach. At some point, he found another bottle labeled Never Ending Water. He was grateful for that one. He didn’t think he could drink that wine, even if there was no other option.

After finishing up his food, he pulled his pipe out of his pocket, along with the bag he always carried in his cargo pants. He had specifically started wearing cargo pants to keep most of his stash on him. His aunt would flip if she found it even though it was doctor prescribed. So he just kept it on his person. He was lucky she couldn’t smell very well, as his basement was always smoky. Or maybe she didn’t recognize the smell. Whatever the case, it didn’t matter.

After talking a long drag from his pipe, he made his way upstairs to pick out a room to call his own. He had a big day tomorrow. He would reach level one! Possibly higher, after all, there had to be millions of mosquitoes in a swamp.

Laying on the surprisingly comfortable bed, he couldn’t help but think of his aunt.

He loved his aunt, but she wasn’t going down a good path. She had taken up drinking after the accident. She had even torn through his room on multiple occasions, looking for money to buy alcohol. He knew it was her because he had installed a camera after the first time his basement was broken into. She had blamed it on the drugged up neighbors, but Steven knew there were no drugged up neighbors. He started leaving a few twenties in his dresser and occasionally it would go missing, and he would replace it. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to give her money for alcohol, but he knew she was going through a rough time. Steven was worried about what would happen to her now. If he wasn’t there, then he doubted the rent would get paid. Eventually, Steven fell asleep, dreaming of his aunt living on the street begging for money to buy alcohol.

Waking up, Steven had several emotions running through his mind: excitement, guilt and the sense of what the hell. Excitement about gaining levels in this new game like world, guilt for leaving his aunt. And, had he really jumped through a random portal, also portals were real?? His mind raced as a bit of panic began to set in. Making his way over to the table, he sat down and lit up his pipe. After a long drag, he sat it down. He needed to ration. He had his bag, but that wouldn’t last a week at most. It wasn’t but a few more minutes before he talked himself into having just a bit more.

After all, the single-minded focus it brought him was something that fueled his gaming career. If he was to make it in this gaming world, then he would need it or something equivalent. Putting on his clothes and placing the few items he had in his cargo pants, he made his way downstairs. He looked longingly at the library as he passed. “I’ll be back for you, don’t you worry.”

Grabbing a quick bite, he went outside. It was brighter than it was the previous day. Although the sun was mostly blocked by the thick canopy. He couldn’t even make out where the sun was through all the leaves and branches, not that it would help him know where he was or even tell time, for that matter.

Making his way to the barrier, he looked out. The barrier reminded him of a thin layer of water or clear gel making things just a bit blurry, but he could still see mosquitos through it. He didn’t remember the barrier being blurry yesterday, but that could have been from the cat dropping him on his head. Wait, shouldn’t that have made it blurry? Pushing those thoughts aside, Steven clapped his hands together.

“Mosquito killing time!”

He placed a hand on the barrier and felt the cool, wet sensation at the same time he received a notification.

Would you like to leave Blank’s Sanctuary at this time, YES/NO?

(Note: Blank’s Sanctuary will lose the illusion barrier for 24 hours. Other defensive measures will remain in place.)

He mentally selected yes while wondering what sorts of other defensive measures this place had. But that would be something he would have to figure out at a later time. Right now, he was going to reach level one!

As soon as he stepped through the barrier, the sense of safety vanished, replaced with muggy hot air and mosquitos. Even with the canopy cover the heat was intense. But his mind was made up. He was a gamer after all, and leveling was what he did best. It didn’t take him but a few seconds before he had his first kill. Steven smiled. It was time for a mosquito killing spree.