Empire of Exiles, page 1
Empire Of Exiles
Bastian Knight
Copyright © 2024 Bastian Knight
All rights reserved
This is a work of fiction. Characters, events, names, and places are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover Illustration by: Vempirick
Chapter One
“This looked easier online,” Jason muttered.
Crouching over a small boulder, he raised his round river rock and brought it down on a jagged hunk of flint. A sharp crack sounded, and tiny stone shards exploded outward. One struck his inner thigh, making him wince.
“Damn it.” Jason brushed the debris from his bare thighs with his free hand. “Real power play there, genius. Trade away the peaceful city start with magical gear for a fancy Achievement System. You kind of overlooked the whole starting butt-ass naked in the middle of the damn desert part.”
Sighing, he refocused on the vaguely blade-shaped flint before him. A long sliver flaked off and fell away when he shifted it, leaving a thinner edge.
Finally, a lucky strike. Can’t afford to screw this one up. I don’t want to go searching for more stones. He glanced at his battered, bloody hands. “Besides, my fingers can’t handle much more of this abuse.”
A pile of misshapen flint chunks lay discarded in the dry sand to his left. Several had sharpened edges, but each had shattered into impractical shapes.
Jason suppressed another sigh, grabbed the axe blade, and rose. His legs and hips ached from squatting as he worked. The tingling of pins and needles was a far cry from the chronic pain that had plagued his past decade.
Tight muscles relaxed, and he groaned in relief as he stretched, reveling in the minor aches as he moved about, restoring blood flow.
It’s fantastic being back in my prime. Back before… He shook away dark memories, focusing on the here and now.
Considering how much time I spent trying to min-max before accepting that goddess’s offer, I should have given more thought to just how hard this would be. Survival games make all of this seem so easy. Even the most hardcore grindfests are child’s play compared to the real thing.
A sharp sting pricked his neck, and he squashed another large black insect. And I’ve never seen so many mosquitoes. Hope malaria isn’t a thing here.
Jason thought back over the hours he had spent searching first for water and then for the most basic tools.
That Fairy dropped me into this world just after dawn. The sun’s way past noon, and I still haven’t finished this stupid axe. At least I salvaged the shaft from my last attempt.
Turning to where he had left a crude, handle-shaped stick, Jason paused to survey his surroundings.
Thick tufts of coarse grass spread out around the pile of rocks where he labored. A glance to his left revealed a hint of the massive river he had stumbled upon earlier. Larger than any river he’d ever visited on Earth, the dark water flowed through a deep gorge with steep cliffs overlooking much of its banks.
Farther downstream, the cliffs on this side rose higher. Massive trees with strange double canopies cast a tempting shade, but again, Jason resisted the urge to return there. He much preferred the greater line of sight from the exposed cliff edge where he worked.
Tired, sore, hungry, and more than a little thirsty, Jason pushed aside all thought save for his task. He grabbed the rough stick he had stripped earlier.
It already had a crude split notched in one end, and he tested the fit for his new flint blade.
“Hope this works. If I don’t make some progress soon, this will be a very short adventure. Though, I suppose it won’t matter if I wind up contracting dysentery or something from drinking river water.”
Fitting the stone head into the handle proved more complicated than he’d expected. Jason smashed his thumb twice, trying to force the blade in with a hammer rock, but finally wedged the flint in tight enough it didn’t pop free.
Once confident the blade was stuck, he stared at the primitive tool for several seconds. “Come on, this should count,” he muttered.
After a minute of staring unblinkingly at the axe, he blew out a big breath, then looked around among the dense, coarse-bladed grass. Where did I put that cordage?
Jason dropped to his knees and crawled about, twitching and wincing each time a blade of sharp-edged grass brushed against his exposed manhood. “Why the hell did I think trading everything for an Achievement System was a good idea?”
His battered left hand brushed against an even coarser fiber, and he grinned. “Yes!”
Crowing in excitement, Jason grabbed the bundle of shoddy cordage and stood. He returned to the larger flat stone where he had knapped his flint axe blade and placed the almost complete axe on it.
“Okay, maybe if I bind the head, it’ll count.”
Before wrapping the crude fiber cordage, Jason took a moment to glance around again.
Despite hours of smashing and cursing, no predators had approached him as he struggled with the flint blade. Still, he felt a pervading sense of paranoia—as though something or someone was watching him.
After satisfying himself that he was still alone, Jason turned back to crafting. He tied a loop in one end of the cord, anchored it to the shaft above the flint head, then wrapped it tight around both parts.
“Now would be a great time to use one of those cool knots they taught in Scouts. Shame I can’t remember any of them after twenty years.”
He settled for tying several simple knots, hoping it would hold long enough. The thin vines he had found earlier and woven into a crude semblance of twine was coarse and smelled funky but seemed durable enough.
When he finished tying it in knots, he picked up a smaller shard of flint and hacked off the excess cordage. “There. Dad would be rolling in his grave, but this should count.”
Achievement Unlocked
“Yes!”
The moment Jason saw the words flash in the corner of his vision, he concentrated as the Fairy had instructed and opened his Champion Interface.
A translucent pane of text manifested before his vision. Unlike his first time activating the system, he avoided trying to reach out and touch the display.
Jason Drake
Human
Age: 22 (33)
Champion of Asta
Physical Adept
Archetype: —
Soul Essence: 336
A single glance showed he had gained fifteen SE. Jason ignored the initial page and brought up his Attributes. Ten primary Attributes were listed, but each had multiple subcategories branching beneath them, growing far too specific.
“Compared to any games I played, this is way too complicated, but that kind of makes sense if this is the real world.”
He scanned through the list of Attributes, looking for a change.
“Let’s see, looks like…” Jason paused when he noticed his Strength was now fifty-four.
“Yes!”
Axe still clenched in hand, he pumped his fists overhead.
“Wait, Asta said I’d get an Attribute point and some SE for each Achievement. With the possibility of unique Bonuses for special unlocks. So why did Intelligence and Toughness also go up?”
Jason tested out different thoughts until he managed to bring up the Achievements pane. The Achievement he’d been aiming for glowed, but so did two more farther down the branching list.
Stone Age- By crafting tools, you substantially increase your chances of survival. Though primitive in design, there can be a wide variation in quality among stone tools, so be sure to improve your crafting skills. Bonus- Twenty-five ranks in Knapping.
Armed and Possibly Dangerous- You’ve equipped a manufactured weapon, technically. As a Human, your killing potential is limited while unarmed. But a weapon is only as deadly as the warrior wielding it. Are you ready to face the inhabitants of Falerith? Bonus- Ten ranks in Axes.
Primitive Crafter- You have started down the road of a craftsman. While the quality of your first axe is terrible, you now know how to make a better one next time. Experience suffers from diminishing returns, but practice is the key to masterful crafting. Bonus- Increased knowledge of primitive toolmaking.
Jason licked his lips. “Okay, so did I miss those last two, or were they grayed out until now? Wish I’d counted how many hidden ones were listed.”
He refocused on the Achievement System Asta had set up for him just before transferring him to Falerith. When the massive tree opened up, he grinned.
In the center of the top row under Survival, Stone Age glowed. The other two flanked it, just as bright. Narrow lines connected the three, while darker lines headed downward, pointing to five more Achievements.
All of which were grayed out.
“Damn. I could understand having all of them hidden until unlocked, but why are some readable while others are shadowed? And this entire subtree is new.” He scrolled down to one of the last lines, where a single still-locked Achievement was visible among the shadowed ones.
Master Craftsman- You have reached the pinnacle of skill and are now counted among the greatest crafters in the land. Though why you would waste so much time on crafting instead of having people for that is beyond me. Bonus- Ability to imbue Artifact-level items.
Requirements not met- Must have created three items with a Quality Rating of one hundred and fifty or better.
“That one sounds awesome, but it’s hard to im
He studied the tree for a moment, then shook his head and shifted his Interface back to his Attributes.
“I can worry about that later. Let’s see what the extra Strength changed.” Grinning, Jason closed his Interface and glanced down at his naked body. “Hmm, I was hoping to see a difference.”
The sight of his lean, muscular body was still a little foreign to him after so long, but it appeared as he remembered from his misspent youth.
The reddish tint of sunburnt skin was new, though—as were the countless bug bites.
“I need to get some clothes. This damn desert sun is going to roast me alive. I’m almost more worried about how painful everything will feel tomorrow than surviving the night.”
With a sigh and headshake, Jason turned his attention to his stone axe.
The tool lacked the primal grandeur he had expected, bearing only a passing relation to the iconic axes of his favorite survival game.
He fought down doubt and took a couple of practice swings. His body moved fluidly, with an ease and grace he had almost forgotten after a decade of lingering pain and laziness.
“Balance is terrible compared to Dad’s old hatchet, but it beats being unarmed. Now that I have something to chop with, I should try out some of that bamboo. Make a spear.”
Jason looked around carefully, then started back toward the river. Ever since locating it earlier, he had stuck close by, using it as a waypoint to avoid getting lost in the otherwise featureless desert.
It didn’t take him long to reach the rocky cliff overlooking the broad, dark-blue water. His pulse quickened, and he paused to stare out over the beautiful, foreboding river.
I can’t remember the last time I was out in nature like this. Probably back before…
Jason sighed, shook his head clear, then picked his way down the crumbling sandstone. Taking his time, he swallowed against the fluttering of his stomach when he glanced down. He winced each time sharp bits of stone jabbed his bare feet, but thankfully, the path was wide enough that he never felt in danger of falling.
The river was larger than any he’d ever seen in person, and he paused to observe it again. With the partial shade of the cliff, he enjoyed a relatively comfortable moment that almost made it feel like he was exploring the Nile.
“Though, doubt I’d be running around naked like this back on Earth. Still, it’s a beautiful view.”
When Jason reached the foot of the cliffside, he stepped out onto the shady sand and took a deep breath. “It smells so fresh and alive here, even if the air is a little dry. Totally different from back home.” A large insect landed on his arm, and he swatted it. “Could do without the overgrown mosquitoes, though.”
He hefted his axe and headed toward a thicket of what appeared to be bamboo he had spotted earlier.
The stalks towered above him, visible even from beyond the river gorge. Their bluish-green leaves looked like palm ferns, and he was already imagining how to craft a simple wooden hut from them.
Jason took a few deep breaths, then raised his axe, focusing on a stalk the thickness of his arm. “Best to start out with something simple and not go crazy.”
He took his time and lined up his blade before bringing his axe down in a smooth chop.
“Shit!” he cried when the rough wooden shaft stung his hand, and a spike of pain raced up his arm. “That’s so much worse than using a lumber axe.”
Jason shook his arm loose, clenched his fist tighter, then prepared to strike again.
A feminine scream echoed through the gorge.
Chapter Two
Jason raced toward the source of the voice. He stumbled and cursed the hot sand but recovered and continued along the riverbank.
As he approached, he heard the voice cry out again, louder.
Definitely sounds feminine.
Another voice, far gruffer, shouted something, then barked out a guttural laugh, and Jason pushed his body harder.
His lungs burned by the time he’d rounded a bend and spotted three figures. He dashed behind a sandstone boulder and studied the people.
A slender, snow-white woman struggled against two massive, fur-covered humanoids. She cried out again, confirming his assumption.
Those two look like hyenas. So Gnolls?
Their victim twisted and squirmed in the smaller one’s grip. Her black dreadlocks whipped about, and she shouted, “You have to let me stay here! I’m going to meet Jace soon. I know it!”
Still hiding behind a large rock, Jason froze at the pale woman’s outburst. Some of his friends had called him Jace.
Emily had always called him Jace.
Is… is she talking about me? How could she know me?
“Stop resisting, Zarah. This is pointless. You join cackle, and I promise no males will touch you. With your magic, we’ll rise to rule the others. You guide our raids, and life will be good, yes?”
“I don’t want to! I’m waiting for my Destined One!” Zarah replied. She whipped her head about, and her waist-length dreads slapped the smaller Gnoll in the face.
The furry figure screamed like they’d been burned and released her.
When the Gnoll turned, Jason spotted a rather substantial bust bound in beige cloth and realized all three people were female.
The other one must be over seven feet tall. Even if I take one by surprise, the second will have time to fight back. Is this too dangerous a situation to intervene in? That Fairy warned that resurrection magic is all but legendary, so there’s no respawn if I die. I can’t afford to treat this like a game. If I’m going to intervene, I need a plan.
He debated rushing to assist Zarah, then grinned when she slipped free.
Something white whipped low, tripping the smaller Gnoll, but the larger growled loudly and grabbed the pale woman’s wrist.
“Don’t make us hurt you. Your magic will serve me, but how painful it is for you is your choice,” she said in that guttural voice. “There are none of your people anywhere near here, so give up on this ‘Jace.’”
“You’re wrong, Itash. Jace is definitely here. Or will be. I’m sure of it this time.” Zarah struggled to break free again, but the taller Gnoll jerked her arm, and she went tumbling into the shallow water.
Hearing his name spoken by the exotic woman’s beautiful voice tore at Jason’s heart. He sighed, then started toward the trio.
This is a bad idea.
Despite his worry, Jason hefted his stone axe as he jogged. With the three women wrestling in calf-deep water, he doubted any of them would notice his approach.
His heart raced, seeming to climb into his throat as he broke into a sprint.
Zarah jerked away, but the smaller Gnoll was ready for her and punched her in the gut when she broke free.
The white-skinned woman gasped and fell to her knees.
Already committed to aiding her, Jason rushed up behind the taller Gnoll, axe raised high.
The shorter one turned her head and spotted him, but he brought his primitive weapon down before she could cry out.
Sharpened flint caught the huge Gnoll in the back of the head. A sickening thunk sounded as the blade sank in. The impact rattled his arm, even as a sharp crack signaled the stick snapping in half.
That was worse than hitting a tree!
Jason gasped and dropped the broken handle, stumbling past the hulking Gnoll as she collapsed.
“Jace?!” Zarah cried happily. The excitement in her voice jolted him out of his shock, and he rushed to join her.
How does she know my name?
The smaller Gnoll, a looming, brown-and-black mountain of fur-covered muscle, spun toward him. She had a fang-filled muzzle and large brown eyes.
Instead of the rage or hate Jason expected from the tall woman, he saw only surprise.
“You hit Itash. Not smart,” she murmured in a surprisingly soft voice. “Surrender now, and maybe we keep you for pet, little Furless runt.”
Hit? Pretty sure I cracked her skull open.
When her eyes started down toward his exposed crotch, Jason’s face heated, but he rushed straight at the Gnoll.
“Why are you naked, Jace?” Zarah asked.
The random question caught his attention, and he glanced toward the pale female.
