NULL
BY NIKLUAS VERMONT
It was a cold evening, the shivering breeze tugged gently on my clothe i stood staring at this Abyssal darkness - i couldn't see, the atmosphere was filled with tension, silence filled the air and i stood there looking into this far, yet close pitch blackness,the echoes of the gusty wind made it even more frightening. I was confused where was i?, what was this place?- in a distance the arena it self revealed a glimmer of light, i moved my legs in thought of reaching for the light but it was as though the depths itself was holding me back, barrage of thoughts came flying into my head amongst them one had Dominion - "was i dead?", no it couldn't be, could it? in my distress the darkness itself answered my questions with one phrase that held impossible weight - the glimmering light blinked once and answered with my own voice - " I AM NULL"
Jaeger jolted awake, sweat poured of his face like he had just ran a marathon,he threw himself up from the bed, exhausted but still cracked a faint smile - it was just a dream.
"Thank Goodness"... I sighed exhaling, I leapt forward to the window an slid it open, the sun was high smiling at the town, the beautiful radiant light gave the city a majestic touch -it was morning, the town was filled with life as always, birds chirping, marketers arguing, it was indeed a blissful day i took a deep breath to inhale the fresh Autumn breeze - it was way too perfect from the type of air i breathed in New- Orleans it was probably due to the absence of nature back then…
I took some few steps back and turned straight to the bathroom, quickly took my bath and came out, I was in a hurry and in high expectations too, afterall today was the day - the day i was goin' to carry out the first stage of my plan at the minefield- of course l didn't just decided to work there just to earn a living ( it wasn't a lie though)there was something I needed that the place had In it's grasp - void fruits (it was a pitch black kind of fruit decorated with spiky torns, it was a fruit that when eaten could boost the amount of voidblood In a human- which was why I needed it) considering it's rarity, in the actual timeline of the novel it will not be discovered until later years by an explorer who was also an awakener- but that's a story for another day - the thing was that I can get it even before it will ever be found thanks to my FORMIDABLE KNOWLEDGE, guess it wasn't so bad to get a divine skill afterall.
I hurriedly put on my clothes and ran down, the stairs creeking with every step.
"Ow!" I bumped into someone.
Mom.
"You're up early today j" her gentle voice sang.
Yeah, I have to hurry, love you mum…I gave her a kiss and waved good by, I stormed out of the house tossed a piece of toast bread in mouth.
*********
Later that day
After, miles and miles of walking i finally reached the minefield - it was an open field, filled with rubble, the sound of heavy mechanics digging echoed through the whole area, rocks rolled down as the digging continued, plus it was crowded with tons of people who were making a lot of racket- who knew so much people worked at the minefield and I was soon about to join the batch..I just needed to find the supervisor..the question was
"How"
Luckily for me one of the worker yelled out his name
"Supervisor!"
"Yeah what's goin' on" a voice from the crowd replied - it was the supervisor, he was an elegant looking man with sharp blue eyes (they were like clear unclouded skies),.He was tall with broad defining shoulders and to top it all up he had a curly hair that matched perfectly with his oval-framed face - he looked quite noble than what I expected from a minefield supervisor - but what was i expecting I made him that way.
I forced my self through the crowd, squeezing and pushing and finally made my way to him, i breathed faintly and called out his name
"Mister supervisor!"
Supervisor turned looking at a scrawny looking kid at the age of 17 or lower - that could drop dead any second, his eyes grayish and lusterless.clothes torned like rag, boots filthy with dust and mud.
"Umm.. who're you?" and what're you doing here"
The scraggy looking kid replied
"I'm Jaeger, and I'm here to apply for a job"
Silence filled the air, it was like time stopped between the two of them.
"Umm..you want to work here" the supervisor asked with a worried yet mocking look..after a quick pause he continued "I'm sorry jaeggy"
"It's Jaeger" jaegar's voice rudely interrupts him.
Another moment of silence filled the air once more, the supervisor's stern gaze gave Jaeger the most petrified look of his life, after a short moment of sick-gazing torment the supervisor continued.
"Ahem…like I was saying, the work we offer here I'm afraid" he took a quick glance at Jaeger's skinny body then continued ".... might not be suitable for people of your type".
"What did he mean "your type"..is he trying to insult me" Jaeger thought to himself, he was pissed but held it in anyway. Instead he knelt down and begged
"Pls sir…. pls, I need this job"
"Oh fine" the supervisor feeling remorsed, reluctantly agreed.
He turned and grudged "follow me"
They both walked pass the crowd - but this time with certain ease, everyone gave way for the supervisor - it seemed like he was a really big deal around here, well it was expected. afterall, he was the supervisor.they finally got to a counter, the supervisor reached for the drawer and brought out a familiar overall that was worn by every worker In the minefield..he grudgingly stretched it towards Jaeger
"Here you go, take it" he also reached for one of the helmet that was on another counter beside theirs he dropped it on Jaeger's head
"And also this" and then lastly he gave him an old rusty pickaxe with a wooden hilt.
he looked at me with a cold stare..I was dazed from fright I could barely swallow my own siliva- "how in the world was he this scary, for God sakes".
"Don't lose it, you'll get your ID by Monday", he walked away with his hands in his pocket.
After a few moments of silence, i clenched tight on the pickaxe, a grin was plastered on my face- finally I got the job, even though it was easier than I anticipated but I didn't really care anymore, I already got the job, I walked back to the mining section and immediately started mining.
Bam!- Bam!- Bam!
I mined and mined and mined, until I was exhausted but even at that I still continue mining, my hands were covered in blisters, my lungs ached (it felt like I was out of breath)and I was sweating a great deal- feelings of regret came flying into my head, i shouldn't have made such a dumb choice especially at my current state with 2% of voidblood I was nothing different from an average man.
"Ugh" I ranted out curses -i was definitely a fool to write such a weak MC, from afar I could here the indistinct sound of something ringing
Ding ! Dong! Ding! Dong!- finally, in my aid the bell rang just in time for lunch break, I collapsed on the ground breathing heavily, my hands were heavy and filled with pain, my back felt like it was going to snap any second, I slowly got up and took some few steps to the cafeteria and sluggishly sat down - I was starved, the pleasant aroma of the hot soup filled the entire cafeteria - but right now,the thought of food could wait I had other business to attend to -the void fruit, if my memory had it right in the original timeline it was discovered just at the entrance of one of the dungeon gates right beneath the minefield, back then it took days for the explorer to dig deep enough in order to find it, but luckily for me I know a passage way that leads straight to the dungeon gates - (the dungeon gates first appeared a long time ago during the "GREAT TERROR ECLIPSE",they were portals that opened way into the Nightmare spire - this was the tower every awakened descended into after the awakening ceremony), but before any of that I have to make up an excuse to leave the cafeteria.
Soon we were served a hot porridge soup sided with a white dry looking bread, without wasting time I picked up my spoon and began to eat voraciously - it was expected,afterall, the mining took a lot from me, I needed to refill that energy. As I munched on the dry bread, I felt a sudden gag in my neck, it was painful and sharp, I couldn't breathe, I fell from my chair to the ground - I was choking, I rolled on the ground I felt this extreme pain in my chest it was like someone hit me with a hammer, soon a crowd of workers gathered around me, after so many attempts to rescue me from my choking meal I was finally ok-( it was more like failed attempts since the act of choking was all a pretence), but it did the job- I was finally out of the cafeteria and all alone in the minefield, I looked at the analog clock on the large metal wall, I was stunned I had just 15 minutes to get that void fruit - if I wanted the fruit I needed to do it fast and now, I quickly grapped a torchlight and headed straight for the secret passage way.
Jaeger journeyed into the dark passage- broken rubbles filled the passage way,spider webs hung on the walls, floors creaking with every single step he took- you could hear the screeching of bats echoing through the empty passage way and the only source of light seemed to be coming from the faint torchlight. After few steps into his hike he finally reached the end of the passage and there it was - a small voluminous tree, little as it was it was magnificent it's leafs where shade black with shimmering gold light that reflected around the place,it had only one beared fruit - void fruit. Jaeger froze whether out of the trees magnificence or because he had finally reached the end of the passage it was unclear, but one thing was clear, the smile of accomplishment that was glued to his face
"Finally found you"
He took few steps forward and stretched his hands to the tree, he plucked out the fruit and put it inside one of his pockets..he was about leaving, when he heard a familiar ringing sound that he alone had always typed and visualize
[WARNING!!]
Alert!! Intruder
You've stolen from the tree of the void itself,you've awakened the watcher from it's slumber…
From the rubbles- a dark figure emerges from the shadows - it was at first like a round ball, but with a closer look, the beast emerges from the rubbles it was about 6ft tall, with four limbs(2 arms and 2 feet) -like that of a human, the only difference was that it's were twice as large, it's dark fur gently lifted up depicting it's 3eyes along with it's two horns - the right horn looked broken and crooked, it's face was like that of an ape.
it stood tall, with it's outstanding height and width but what terrified Jaeger the most was it's large mow that carried enormous teeths each one as big has jaegar's arms, arranged in a ragged manner..it lashed out and gave a deafening roar that made even the minefield quake.
The familiar chime sound resounded again
[You have awakened the keeper of the tree - THE MONKEY KING]
I was dazed to death, amidst the emergence of the great terror before me the only thing I could say was ….
"Th_ ugh!!
Before I could even move I was sent flying with one smack from it's hands, blood came out as I coughed in agony
Agh!!
My back hit the walls of the underground passage, I just sat there - droplets of blood running down my forehead,.I tried my best to move away but it was meaningless my ribs were broken, I coughed out blood again, at this point I was at the worst state of screwed,I rose my head up slightly and tried to open my bruised eye I saw the monkey king running towards me with full killing intent
Bam!!
The whole place became pitch black
Back at the minefield the clock was ticking 5 minutes left.
(What happens next, turn the page)