Genoverse I

Stake II - Hell and back

The storm had raged through the night, fierce winds and crashing waves battering the makeshift raft Legi had clung to for dear life. Exhausted and disoriented, he had lost track of time and direction, his only focus on surviving the tempest.

When he finally regained consciousness, the first thing Legi noticed was the gentle lapping of waves against his body. Opening his eyes, he found himself lying on a sandy shore, the remnants of his raft scattered around him like the aftermath of a shipwreck. The storm had passed, leaving the sky a clear blue, but the sense of calm was undercut by an uneasy silence.

Groaning, Legi pushed himself up onto his knees, wincing at the soreness in his muscles. He took in his surroundings. The beach was narrow, hemmed in by massive cliffs that soared into the sky. The cliffs were sheer and unyielding, their surfaces dotted with patches of green where hardy plants clung to life. There was no obvious path up or around them, and the sea behind him was an endless expanse, making it clear that returning the way he had come was not an option.

Legi staggered to his feet, his mind racing. He had to find a way out of this place. The sun was rising, casting long shadows across the beach, and he knew he needed to act before the heat of the day sapped his remaining strength. He scanned the cliffs for any sign of a path or handhold, but they seemed insurmountable. Panic began to bubble up inside him, but he forced it down, focusing on the task at hand.

There had to be a way up.

He began to walk along the base of the cliffs, his eyes scouring the rocky surface for any potential footholds or crevices. As he moved, he noticed that the beach curved slightly around the base of the cliffs, leading to a small inlet where the rock seemed to form a natural staircase, albeit a treacherous one. It was his best chance.

Taking a deep breath, Legi approached the makeshift path, testing the first few footholds carefully. The rock was rough and jagged, but it provided enough grip for him to begin his ascent. Slowly and cautiously, he started to climb, his heart pounding with the effort. Every now and then, a piece of rock would crumble away under his weight, sending him scrambling to find a new hold.

After what felt like hours, his arms and legs burning with fatigue, Legi finally reached a ledge about halfway up the cliff. He paused to catch his breath, looking out over the ocean that stretched endlessly below. For a moment, he felt a surge of triumph - he had made it this far. But the sight of the remaining climb tempered his enthusiasm. He wasn't out of danger yet.

Determined, he resumed his climb, each step bringing him closer to the top. Finally, as the sun reached its zenith, Legi hauled himself over the edge of the cliff, collapsing onto the grass above. He lay there for a moment, staring up at the sky, the sense of relief washing over him.

As he sat up and looked around, he saw that the landscape above the cliffs was vastly different from the beach below. It was a dense forest, the trees towering and ancient, their leaves creating a thick canopy. The way forward was still uncertain, but at least he was no longer trapped between the sea and the cliffs.

He brought his wrist to his face, seeing that his wrist-strapped digital map was now broken. Now it only mapped a minimal distance of a one hundred by two hundred meter area - with a small red mark of his current position.

Legi stared at his inventory after that: all his tools, his obsidian blade, titanium shield, three Wrath gemstones, fifteen wormhole flasks (potions that can access any dimension) Hell Portal acquired. He continued rummaging, finding nothing to work with; leaving him only with the option of going to the underworld - something he was less than pleased about.
Without any other option, he started hastily guzzling a wormhole flask, a swirling blue mass opened before him; the wormhole. Legi took a moment to breath and ready himself, "new land... new rules..."