The Genesis Game

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They both got up and dusted themselves off as they began to journey down the beach, back towards the road leading away from the pier.

An awkward silence settled between the two men as they ran out of things to say, neither wanting to shoulder the responsibility of trying to bridge the chasm that had been created between them. Both skittering around and avoiding further talk of their life in the dungeon. A father and his son, neither sure anymore of the other, both questioning the limits of ties that bind, and the limits of blood before enough is enough.

Seraph was surprised by how easily he adapted to his new physique, and how much easier it made moving, not just in terms of having a longer stride, but that it also appeared to have completely reworked some of his attributes. His actual stats remained the same, but with a larger body, an increase in strength and endurance was magnified.

"Once we leave this beach things are probably going to get dangerous quick, so make sure your eyes and ears are open." Commented Paul as they walked along before reaching the sand covered path towards the city.

Wincing as Seraph heard Paul's voice carry into the distance. "Shh" He said in a hushed whisper holding his fingers to his mouth as he made the sound. "It is going to get dangerous and we still don't know what we are going to be stepping into. Let's use non-verbals from here on out unless absolutely necessary."

"Alright." Paul responded. "Let's go with simple signs then and try not to break noise discipline."

"It's agreed then." Seraph said. "So, given the proximity of the entrance to the dungeon being close to the beach, I think we should try looking for a visitors or rest area for clues as to where the ability shop might be. Once we find it we pick up the abilities we can and come back later for the rest." Explained Seraph.

Paul shook his head in disagreement, "Shouldn't we be trying to find the exit instead? Maybe even just focus on trying to level up? Sure, this ability shop sounds important, I get that I really do, but even if we get there first, how are we going to even buy something from this shop, I doubt we can just buy super powers and godhood on credit."

Shrugging his shoulders Seraph brushed the comment off, not wanting to respond to it. It wasn't on him to try and make Paul see differently. As much as he wanted the man on his side, Seraph wasn't, couldn't waste his energy and efforts trying to convince others to follow his lead.

When the path turned into asphalt, they both felt a heaviness in the air as soon as they hit that parking lot, a sudden shift so subtle that it would have gone unnoticed if not for the hair standing up on the back of their necks and the goose flesh that had broken out on their arms. A vulgar tension just at the edge of perceptions as they walked. A sign of nearby enemies. Paul quietly in the lead position pulling out his sword and wooden shield, while Seraph released the Cats Claw from his wrist sheath and followed behind.

They walked in short small steps as they passed through the parking lot, treading softly, careful to avoid stepping any or accidentally kicking over any debris. Just as they tried to avoid debris they also tried to avoid stepping to closely to the metal husks of the old vehicles. Vehicles which had been aged by time and rusted from the moisture in the year, any hint of color long since gone replaced by that color of dried blood, rust.

At the end of the parking lot was a road that led into the city in the distance but it was something else altogether that caught their attention. A small building with a in front sign that read "Welcome to Gulf Beach." The two men signed to each other to each out out, cautiously they approached it with a low profile trying to keep their figures small. The feeling of unease, of being watched never dissipating.

Paul pressed his face into the dusty yellowed glass but couldn't make out any details of the inside. Seraph motioned towards the door indicating he would go in first and for Paul to back him up. With fresh nerves Seraph gently opened the door into a small hall. He looked to his left and saw the hallway ending in a pile of boxes filled with old pamphlets, posters, and a door. He turned to his right and saw the short hallway opened up into what was either a waiting area or a lobby.

Seraph turned to his father and motioned for them to both enter the building. They walked down the hallway as carefully as they could, The lobby area was hard for them to see as the windows did not illuminate much. As they turned into the lobby that changed as blue light could be seen reflecting off the metal chairs and the melted plastics that had dripped to the floor from fake plants and flowers The source seemed to be a computer kiosk set up against the counter that was throwing the blue light and casting it against the wall.

As Seraph approached that impossible kiosk, his heart skipped a beat, this was luck beyond what he had expected. This was no information kiosk he had found, this was the actual ability shop, or at least appeared to be.

As he approached he saw an icon in the lower right hand corner that read "Sol: 00924" since they were still new in the dungeon, he was surprised the number was as high as it was.

A hand grabbed his shoulder and he jumped, startled, before turning around, his blades at the ready, prepared to defend himself. It was just Paul, and Seraph's nerves getting the best of him. It was unusual, with his newfound Abyssal Body it would be extremely difficult for him to take critical or permanent damage that he couldn't recover from, yet he was still nervous. New was not something he adjusted to well apparently.

"Well Seraph" Paul whispered looking at the screen "Maybe this was a good idea after all." As he moved closer to the Kiosk and away from Seraph the number changed "Sol: 00860".

"Not bad." Commented Paul. "Basically killing that Gigas by myself and saving you from that monster gave me a big Sol boost."

Responding to the noise, two monsters limped out of the bathroom in the back of the lobby seating area. Their movement was spastic, stiff and ackward like the undead but they did not appear to be undead. Each with arms as long as their bodies, with hands with nails disfigured that looked more talon then nail, that dragged as the moved. The heads of each disfigured, covered in long dark hair, eyes dark and difficult to see under folds of fat and puffy tissue, the jaw opened and at impossible angles for the body, sharpened teeth and jaw force capable of severing limbs and decaliting the unwary. Their stomachs distended and long as if a combination of overeating and chronic malnourishment, while the limbs appeared gaunt, and trimmed with corded muscle.

Most disturbing of all was that they appeared to be humanoid suggesting that they had at least at one time, used to be something like human. The shredded outfits they wore all but proving it. The one closest to Seraph wearing a threadbare t-shirt that he was positive would have read with a motivational yoga quote to match the "Welcome to Beach City" t-shirt the other wore.

"Be careful, those arms aren't just for show and neither are the mouths." Cautioned Seraph as he moved against his monster and left the other to his dad. With the after effects of his Cold Hands known, he was less likely to use it execpt in emergencies, and in the close quarters, he doubted he could use the Starfall ability to blind the monsters.

Using only his Cat Claw, Seraph moved in to close the gap between him and the monster, mentally activated his Thousand Handed ability to summon Ethereal arms. The sudden appearance of the glowing limbs distracted the monster long enough for Seraph to dash forward and in an attempt to sever its head. The creature quickly responded by opening it's massive mouth and Seraph was forced to adjust his swing to avoid getting his arm caught in it's jaws. The blow meant to sever its neck instead carved through the monster's bottom jaw. The force of the blow breaking bone on impact and partially severing it from its body and breaking his own hand in the process.

His father was equally successful, Paul had managed to dodge under the things arms as it attacked, blocking the offarm with his shield, and bringing his sword up in an uppercut, cleanly cutting through the monster's arm at the elbow. and with its momentum off had cut cleanly through an arm at the elbow.

Busy with his own fight, Seraph screamed "Watch out for the jaws." When he saw Paul move in close, but Seraph's warning didn't come fast enough. So focused on avoiding the monster's claws, Paul wasn't expecting the thing's jaws to be able to open like they did, catching on his shield, biting all the way down, biting through his hand, instantly severing it, leaving the nub a mess of mangled freely bleeding flesh.

With a sense of pride, Seraph saw that even though Paul screamed in pain, he didn't Though he screamed in pain he didn't hesitate to use his good hand to drive his sword into the the things massive nasal cavity, straight into its brain, but after after the thing was dead, it continued to attack him, it's arms and talons shredding his back as electrical impulses sent the last bit of commands to the rest of the body. With the monster dead he also dropped to the floor.

At the death of its partner, the remaining monster appeared to become enraged, growing to twitch its size, letting out an otherworldly scream, the arms flailing around trying to kill both of them as Seraph narrowly avoided the blows, trying to direct its attention away from his collapsed father and back on him.

But worse, in the distance, the scream was matched again and again and again. Seraph's blood ran cold, knowing they were in trouble. Seraph knew they were in trouble, it was time to end this fight. With the monster's attention firmly on Paul, despite Seraph's attempts to get it's attention, an opportunity presented itself. Seraph launched himself forward, embedding the blades of the Cats Claw into the monster's back, twisting, severing the lumbar spine. The monster collapsed suddenly unable to use its legs.

Seraph took no time to admire his work as he decapitated the monstrosity. Finished he looked over at Paul, and saw his ashen face.

"Oh no." Seraph thought.