Nasa was prepared. He made sure the straps on his bag were tightly secured. The ringing of the softly clinking energy potions made him remember the other supplies that he had prepared for the trip.
It was time for him to enter the Reaper's Playground. He arrived, with the rush of the energy potions that he had prepared still on him.
The forest was darker and much more ominous than Bloodfang Woods. Twisted, gnarled branches reached out towards the heavens and the odor in the air made him queasy.
That did not stop Nasa. He breathed deep and continued, step after step, pushing the darkness aside.
As the trees closed in around him, a wave of terror swept through him. The air was still, heavy, and so thick he could almost cut it. He looked up and was astonished. A dome of glass and light was covering the entire forest and it was emitting light.
He reached out a hand towards the glowing dome, but it was closed. He grinned as he said, "Heh, things just got interesting…" and turned to let curiosity lead him deeper into the forest.
The deeper he went, the darker and more ominous the forest became. Nasa lived for challenge. He craved that adrenaline rush, the kind that made him think and feel alive.
But there were no monsters, no devils, nothing. It was as if they were avoiding him.
THUD!
Just when Nasa thought he had been wasting his time and his precious energy potions, a monster smashed his head against the glassy ground. He rolled over to his side and, still on the ground, delivered a firm kick to the monster. Leaping up, he drew his sword from his waist.
He sprinted towards the beast, pushing his sword through its neck and beheading it.
"How weak," Nasa stated. Just then, he was ambushed by another monster from behind. A powerful kick sent him flying backward.
He turned around and beheaded the monster without hesitation.
Nasa then looked ahead and found himself surrounded by dozens of monsters, all of which were disfigured in shape and size.
"Now this is what I call fun," he grinned as he stepped forward.
He plunged into the midst of the monsters, his sword cutting through flesh and bone like paper. Heads rolled, arms were torn off, and blood spattered on his face. Screams died after a few seconds as they were severed.
When he was done, Nasa stood amidst the carnage, his face smeared with blood and his boots planted firmly in a pile of burst entrails and broken bodies. The air was heavy with blood and thick with aftershock, and yet a smile lingered on his lips.
"More, I need more," he rasped, his voice barely above a whisper and shaking with hunger.
And so, he went to hunt.
Every monster that approached him had the same fate, sliced down ruthlessly. Their cries were muffled under his crazed smile.
"Sigh. This is boring. All of them are too weak," he remarked as he sat on a large rock, placing his sword down next to him.
The acrid smell of burned wood lingered in the air. A wisp of smoke rose from somewhere ahead of him. Nasa's senses tingled. He moved stealthily, following the smoke like an invitation into the abyss.
"What the. fuck." Nasa froze, his voice low in confusion and distaste.
Before him lay a village, an abandoned one. The houses looked old and worn out, yet something was strange, as if someone still lived there. In the center of the village was a fire pit, the source of the smoke.
"Hmm, looks like it's been lit recently," Nasa muttered to himself, frowning.
Nasa patrolled the village for ten minutes, examining each house, but he did not see anything unusual.
A short distance away there was a river flowing sluggishly, its surface shimmering in the dim light. Nasa did not tarry but jumped into the river, clothes and all.
Blood mixed with water, and the current flowed deep, red. When he emerged, soaking wet from head to toe, he went to one of the nearby houses and changed into the spare set of clothes he had brought with him.
He stretched out on the dry bed, looking out the window.
"This is a drag. I've wasted my time here," he complained. "But even if I could go out, I'm trapped here, stuck behind the barrier around the woods."
BOOM!
The air was shattered by a deafening crash. Nasa leapt towards the sound, his heart pounding. He stopped. Before him stood a monster, but unlike any of the others he had seen, it was not deformed or burdened with hideous extra limbs. Its eyes were sharp, its pose unnervingly casual… and it spoke.
"A human." Its voice sent shivers down Nasa's spine.
Nasa took a deep breath and quickly regained his composure. "Yeah, I'm human. But what about you? I've seen my fair share of monsters before, but never one that can talk."
"Hahaha, I've never met a human like you either," the monster replied. "To answer your question, I'm not a monster; I'm a demon."
"A demon, huh," Nasa muttered. "Are you… strong?"
"Strong? I can kill you with one hand, human child," the demon sneered, fury shining in its eyes.
"Great, let's fight," Nasa said, his eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.
"Ha? Child, I said that I will kill you… I'll tear you in half," the demon growled, puzzled by Nasa's calm.
"Hey, you don't need to convince me twice," Nasa replied with a grin. "I'm already sold."