Chapter Seven: The Nightmare

Mr. Raymond paced from one part of their tight kitchen to the other. He stopped, and stared at Simon through the open doorway that led to the sitting room. Simon was seated on his wheelchair, gazing out of the window. He had taken to the comfort of the window side, a place that mirrored what he yearned to have once more. Yet, the scenery outside was far from what he could imagine – several purplish circles emerging out of thin air and hovering over a wreckage of buildings and structures, with mysterious creatures creeping out of them like they had just walked into the interior of their abode. The image of Mason trying to save him from one of those hit his mind and a tear dropped.

“Look at him, darling,” Mr. Raymond gestured to Simon in his spot. Lucia turned to stare and clasped her lips together. “We can’t stay here any longer, it’s not safe. Two days ago they tore down his room and the backdoor, who knows where they attack next. I don’t want any more losses, we have to move out.”

“Move to where?” Lucia asked. “The whole of Griffin is cursed with this plague.”

“We are going to my parents’. It’s far from all of this chaos. Pack a little of what we will need and let’s get going.”

Lucia crossed her arms over her chest, “Hmph, I have to deal with living with your mother again,” she frowned.

She turned to Simon, her expression went sober. “We’ll go, but only because of Simon,” she finally agreed to her husband’s choice of action.

She walked into the sitting room, “Sasha, pack up your things. Take only a few clothes to change, and not the whole wardrobe,” she said to Sasha, who sat on the small couch, focused on her phone screen.

“Where are we going?”

“To grandma’s place,” her father replied, walking out of the kitchen too.

Her shoulders drooped and her face contorted into a frown. She sighed and got up from the seat, “Why do we always have to go there?” she mumbled.

“Get your things now,” her father said, his tone intensified and his brows furrowed in, forming folds over his forehead.

*

“System, what is an S portal and a level 5 monster?”

“Every portal and monster is always graded. S portals are dangerous and level 5 monsters are your worst nightmare, Xander. Your choice seems like a devil’s trap for you.”

“And the second is an angel’s haven?” Mason blurted out.

He looked around to see if anyone was staring at him, but everyone were minding their own business as usual.

“Don't worry, no one can hear you when you communicate with me, even if you are as loud as a brat,” the system addressed his concerns like it had read his mind.

“What?”

Mason heaved a sigh, “Well, that’s good.”

“Where is the closest S portal?” he asked.

“There are no portals above the C grade around the main city. However, you are sure to find portals of higher grades around waterlogged areas and the towns in the countryside.”

“Why there?”

“Portals are stronger in areas where the natural elements are uncontaminated. Natural elements are a part of Gaia, the goddess of life; hence, they strengthen the life force.

Portals formed around these areas can absorb the natural force to strengthen their own force, which is why the monsters that would be found within these portals will be at their peaks or top tier.”

“I see,” Mason nodded. “Which area is closest to my current position?”

“Spring Brook.”

The system displayed a map in front of him and he began his journey.

Mr. Raymond handled the steering wheel of his old red mustang as they drove through the old bordertown road that led through the outskirts of Griffin City to Spring Brook. That was his solace, his home. He had grown up there around his parents before he moved out to the city to become a man, and it was the only place he could call safe.

His wife, Lucia, sat beside him in the front passenger seat staring at the city’s scenery as they drove past. It wasn’t a wonder to her that things had gone back to normal like nothing had happened.

She shot glances at her husband occasionally and at their children at the back seat. Sasha was busy on her phone, while Simon’s eyes never left the window.

Locating the town was easy, thanks to the system’s detailed map. Spring Brook was a beauty to behold, covered with a large carpet of green fields, clustered and sparse settlements, and mountains lining up the landscape.

Mason inhaled and exhaled as he was welcomed by the scent of wild flowers at the field he had just gone past.

He closed his eyes and the map appeared in front of him. It had contours, an interconnection of lines, blocks and several glowing purple dots that twirled at certain points on the map. Some dots were larger than the others.

“The larger rings are the high grade portals. Find one of them and there’s a eighty percent chance it would be an S portal,” the system explained to him.

He closed his eyes again and the map disappeared.

He exhaled and began his journey into Spring Brook to find one of the large rings he spotted.

The streets of Spring Brook had enough shelter from the large trees that aligned themselves by the roadside. The areas Mason ventured through were full of clustered settlements and a lot of farms. The main routes were made of cobblestones and the minor ones that formed streets in between the villages were sandy or covered in fine coal.

A few metres through one of the sandy paths, he spotted one portal behind a large oak tree that stood away from the road. A line of water ran past behind the oak tree and led down farther away from it into a thick bush.

The portal was huge, it wasn't like any he had spotted before. It almost shielded the whole length of the tree's trunk.

“S portal has been detected,” the system announced to him.

He rushed for it, being assured it was the mentioned portal. He hopped into the portal and it vanished seconds after. He reemerged on the other side of the portal, crashing into a garden of cactuses.

He yelped as the needles from the cactuses pricked and pierced through his skin as he sauntered through the garden with no sense if direction. He tumbled over as he fought his way through, rolled over a few cactuses, and landed face first on a sandy surface.

“Ugh, what nice spot you chose to toss me in,” he shouted to no one in particular and kicked the sand.

“Ow!” He cried in pain.

“System, respawn.”

“Your body can still pull through.”

“You've got to be kidding me. I'm hurt everywhere.”

“Host’s body system is not in a critical condition and has only suffered minor injuries.”

Mason dropped to the sand, “Good grief,” he said as he reached for one of the cactus needles. He plucked it out with a grunt. The grunts and whimpers continued as he kept pulling out more needles.

As he reached for a needle stuck to his thigh, he felt the earth beneath him rumble. He froze and looked around without moving other parts of his body. His surrounding was a vast plain land with an expanse of sand and mountains at the far side — the exact opposite of Spring Brook.

The vibrations intensified, it felt like he was on a massage machine that was out of control. He heard cracks behind him and adjusted to get a view.

The floor split behind and it wasn't slowing down. He heard a crack — the floor beneath him tore into two paths. He hopped off the floor, hoping to the heavens that he wouldn't be swallowed.

He ran away from the crack, but the slit was gradually expanding into a hole and eating into the soil behind him. He heard a roar, he flinched, turned around and gasped when he spotted a huge horn surface from the gaping hole.

An eye followed the horn, then a flaming nostril and finally, a huge mouth. The whole head of this creature was already the size of a duplex, and shadowed Mason.

“Level 5 monster identified,” the system alerted him.

“Very timely information,” he frowned.

He remained affixed, not sure if running was even an option.