*temp native true *temp threw_rock false There is a tall tree, one that is dozens of feet in height. On this tree, or, to be more precise, on a thick branch that can rival small trunks in size, lies a man. He's old, [i]ancient[/i] even, just a single step away from being buried in a grave: his face is riddled with wrinkles and deathly thin, his skin's rough and sagged. Bones protrude out of his body, muscles and fat non-existent — as if the man had been starved for years. The old man is smiling leerily, licking his dry and scabby lips as he watches something far away, in the direction of… the river where Outer Disciples bathe?! A spatial ring on his finger flashes from time to time, producing crunchy cookies that he eats up in seconds, not letting a single crumble escape his ravenous mouth. *if (mc_trait_4) Your supernatural affinity with the world, one that often warns you of the imminent danger sends a warning: [i]sometimes, it's better to just walk away.[/i] *choice #"Hey, pervert! What do you think you're doing?!" *set inv_11 1 "Hey, pervert!" — you yell — "What do you think you're doing?! You better come down this instance!" Your shout startles him. A cookie drops from his hand and he himself almost falls from the tree in surprise: the old man then glances around, yelling like a madman. "WHO? WHO DARES TO SCARE THIS OLD MAN?!" When his alerted gaze falls onto you, waiting underneath him with your arms crossed and fingers tapping in impatience, he scowls and waves his hand. "Kid, you better scram before I beat you up! This old man is very good at beating people up!" As he says this, he stands up at his full height — which isn't much, five feet at most — and sticks out his chest, his shoulders straightened. *gosub_scene subroutines stat_check "per" 18 *if (stat_check) Despite his poor, comical due to his short stature, attempt at intimidation you notice something that gives you pause: when he shakes his fist at you, when he shouts with agitation, he still maintains a perfect, graceful balance on the branch. *choice #"Alright. Sorry to bother you." You lift your arms and take a step back. "Alright." — you respond — "Sorry to bother you." *label look_of_puzzlement Your reply causes a look of puzzlement to appear on his face. As if he didn't expect you to just give in. He quickly covers it up though, by coughing into his palm. *label thats_right "That's right, that's right. The young should be respectful of their seniors." — the old man nods, agreeing with his own words — "You know, it seems like you are not a bad kid after all." He then jumps down from the tree, with ease contradictory to his apparent age, and pats himself down, looking for something in the pockets of his pants. "Come here, then. Grandpa will give you a present for your politeness." *choice #Walk up to him. *goto creepy_smile #"No, thank you." This old man is weird — you'd rather not accept anything out of his hands. So, you shake your head. Once again, the senior becomes angry. His skin boils red from fury. "You! Are you not willing to give this old man face?! I'll beat you up! Beat you up!" He clenches his fists and starts swinging them around, spitting as he screams. *label spitting_screaming *choice *hide_reuse #"What kind of present?" "What kind of present?" "Oh," — the old man perks up, grinning with his whole mouth — "A very cool present. Very magical. Very beautiful. You'll like it, I guarantee." "But what [i]is[/i] it?" The old man laughs and there's something eerie about his laugh that you cannot quite place. "Now, what kind of a surprise would it be if I told you?" — he answers — "So? Do you accept my present?" *goto spitting_screaming #"Okay. No need to get angry." "Okay. No need to get angry." You sigh. This grandpa is annoying — but not wishing to be covered from head to toe in his saliva, you decide to accept his present, whatever it may be. *label creepy_smile Just as you come close, the grandpa smiles creepily and chortles. "Good, good." — he says — "If only all the youngsters were the same! So obedient and cute." *label nose_pitch He suddenly erupts with a burst of speed, turning into a blur despite your sensitive eyes. The grandpa pinches your nose and pats your cheek. Out of nowhere, your spatial ring begins to shake, trembling as if about to explode. It calms down in a second, though, and when you look up again, the old man is gone. Only his voice, carried by the wind, enters your ears. "I left the gift in your ring! Enjoy, HAHA!" And with that, every trace of him is gone — if not for the strange pouch in your spatial storage, you'd think this whole event a strange dream. *goto_scene free_roam #"I said no! Go away!" "I said no!" — you answer, feeling annoyance turn into rage — "Go the fuck away!" *label old_man_fumes The old man [i]fumes[/i], and you're pretty sure smoke actually swirls out of his head. "You! You! Your parents have failed to educate you, so let your Grandpa do it!" His fists glow red as he sticks out his tongue and licks the air, his eyes bloodshot. "Run!" — he yells — "Run before I cripple you!" *choice #Fight him. Who does this old man think he is?! If he wants to fight, you'll give him a fight! You guide your inner energy, causing your hands to beam with radiance as well. The grandpa swings, still screaming like a madman — but halfway through his attack, he notices your determination to battle it out and stops. Instead, he awkwardly scratches his beard and sways drunkenly on his feet. "Haha, Junior, don't take it to heart. Grandpa was just joking, just joking." — the old man says and takes a few steps back, as if afraid — "How about I give you that present as an apology?" *choice #"Why are you so insistent?" "Why are you so insistent?" — you ask — "Just give whatever you want to give to someone else." The old man tears up — sobbing, he turns away hiding his wet eyes from your gaze. "This grandpa…" — you hear him whispering, just audible enough for you to catch his words — "Once had a *if mc_sex = 0 grandson…" *else granddaughter…" *gosub_scene subroutines stat_check "per" 18 *if (stat_check) He sneaks a quick glance at you, to ensure that you're listening. "I bought it for ${pronoun_2} to play with, but… but ${pronoun_1} died. Robbed by some evil bandits!" The old man then faces towards you again and bows. "You look just like ${pronoun_2}. You've practically got the same face!" — he blurts out — "Would you accept my gift? Just so that this old man can be at peace?" *label accept_refuse_present *choice #"Fine." *label fine "Fine." — you finally concede, deciding to indulge the old man. "Thank you!" — he immediately lightens up — "You're truly a young hero, so considerate of your elders…" *goto creepy_smile #"No." "No." — you resolutely refuse — "I don't want anything to do with you or your gift." *label i_understand "I understand." — he says, sadden deeply by your answer — "Be on your way then, Junior. This old man won't bother you anymore." Rolling your eyes, you turn around and leave — or, at least you think you do, because just as you take a couple of steps, something attacks you from behind, knocking you onto the ground. *label foot_presses You try to struggle, but a foot presses your back tightly. "Tsk." — you hear the old man click his tongue behind you — "Not giving this grandpa any face. Who do you think you are? When this grandpa already had roamed the Martial World and sneaked a glance at a thousand of pretty maidens, you were not even born! Your papa wasn't born either! Fuck, ten generations of your ancestors were not breathing yet, just clots of unrealized fate!". He presses the foot further, causing you pain. "Disrespectful. So disrespectful. I'll have to teach you a lesson." Two things happen at once: your spatial ring starts to tremble, your Sect Badge begins to vibrate. The spatial ring calms down in a second, returning to its peaceful state, but your Sect Badge [i]explodes[/i]. With the small metal pieces scatter your hard-earned Sect Points as well. [b]Contribution Points -${mc_sect_points}[/b] *set mc_sect_points 0 *if (threw_rock) "Throwing rocks. Fucking kid. I should shove some stones into your throat, along with common sense." *else "Should've just taken my present, punk." — the old man says, before removing his hold on you and viciously kicking you in the ribs. When you get up, the old man has disappeared without a trace. *goto_scene free_roam #"How many times do I have to say no?" "How many times do I have to say no, you damned old man?!" — you yell at him — "Fuck off!" *goto i_understand #"Fine. Show me what you have." *goto fine #Punch him. *goto punch_old_man #Run away. *label fuck_this *set inv_11 0 Fuck this — this old man gives you the creeps. Better run away, so that you don't get in trouble. As soon as you turn around and sprint it, you hear his voice from behind you. "Coward! Chicken! Coward chicken!" "Run, little kid, run to your mommy!" "Don't come back! Expel yourself from the sect!" You ignore his remarks — engaging with this old man seems like a terrible idea. Eventually, you ran far enough for his insults to be out of your earshot. You breathe out in relief — the weird grandpa and his crazy antics are behind you now. *page_break *goto_scene free_roam #"I said, come down!" "I said," — you yell — "COME DOWN!" You will not let this vile pervert get away with heinous crimes — peeping on others without permission, he ought to be punished! Surprised by your outburst, the old man is stunned, not knowing how to react: but it doesn't take him long to gather his bearings. *label jump_from_tree He jumps down from the tree, growling like an infuriated monkey. "So you want to fight with this old man, huh? You want to fight? I'll beat you up so bad, even a pig won't marry you!" He assumes a fighting stance and starts punching the air — to your utter surprise, each punch is akin to a loud bomb, emitting loud noises of explosion. It's also followed by loud panting from the grandpa, as if each strike shaves off a year of his already running out of time lifespan. *choice #"Come and try me, old fart." So what? This old man only knows how to look cool. You beckon him with your fingers. "Come and try me, old fart. It's time for someone to blow the dust from your rusty bones." The old man [i]fumes[/i], and you're pretty sure smokes actually swirls out of his head. "You! You! Your parents have failed to educate you, so let your Grandpa do it!" *label fists_glow_red His fists glow red as he sticks out his tongue and licks the air, his eyes bloodshot. "Run!" — he yells — "Run before I cripple you!" *choice #Fight him. Run? You? Just the notion of running makes you laugh. You guide your inner energy, causing your hands to beam with radiance as well. The grandpa swings, still screaming like a madman — but halfway through his attack, he notices your determination to battle it out and stops. Instead, he awkwardly scratches his beard and sways drunkenly on his feet. "Haha, Junior, don't take it to heart. Grandpa was just joking, just joking." — the old man says and takes a few steps back, as if afraid — "How about I give you a very magical present as an apology?" *choice #"Present? What present?" "Present?" — you ask, confused by the sudden change in his demeanor — "What kind of present?" "Oh," — the old man perks up, grinning with his whole mouth — "A very cool present. Very magical. Very beautiful. You'll like it, I guarantee." "But what [i]is[/i] it?" The old man laughs and there's something eerie about his laugh that you cannot quite place. "Now, what kind of a surprise would it be if I told you?" — he answers — "So? Do you accept my present?" *goto accept_refuse_present #"I'm not interested in your gifts. Just get out of my sight." "I'm not interested in your gifts." — you say resolutely — "Just get out of my sight. I don't want to see your perverted old face again." The grandpa's eyes go wide, as he places a hand on his chest and [i]chokes[/i]. He soon falls to his knees, wheezing in pain. "Grandpa's dying… dying because of your inconsideration… his heart is no good…" *choice #Help him. Although this may be a trick, you still can't just pass by due to the smallest chance that it isn't. You walk up to the old man, intent on helping him deal with his aging body. However, as you come close, the old guy chortles creepily. "Haha, these youngsters, so naive and simple." *goto nose_pitch #Roll your eyes and leave. You can't stand this shameless old guy anymore — you roll your eyes instead and turn around. Does he really think you're so stupid as to fall for this obvious trick? However, you manage to widen the distance only by a few yards, before something attacks you from behind and knocks you down. *goto foot_presses #Punch him. *label punch_old_man Fuck this old guy — he can't just mess with you like this and expect you to do nothing in return. With a snort, you let your fist fly at the old man's face: it connects flawlessly and the grandpa folds like paper, hitting the ground with the loudest thud the flimsy weight of his starved body can manage. He doesn't get up. He doesn't even appear to be breathing. *label may_have_killed_elderly You [i]may[/i] have just killed an elderly. *choice #Kick him harder. *if (threw_rock) Yes. More violence. That's exactly what the situation requires. "Take this, old fart!" — you spit as you kick him. *else "That's what you deserve, asshole." — you spit as you kick him. He doesn't react. So, you kick him harder. Right in the stomach, with enough force to launch him into the air — *goto and_suddenly #Check whether or not he's still alive. You walk up to the grandpa and kick him gently in the stomach, trying to gauge whether the old fart is still among the living or not. He doesn't react. So, you kick him harder. Still, no reaction. Another kick, one that you worry may actually launch him into the air from its sheer voice — *label and_suddenly and, suddenly, the grandpa's body becomes harder than steel. Your foot [i]hurts[/i] as meets the impregnable barrier. You may have even broken a few toes. Before you can even realize what's going on — or cry out in pain — the grandpa's eyes shut open. He lets out a piercing shrill that makes your bleed and [i]bites[/i] into your shin. His teeth are as sharp as razors, slicing both skin and bone as if a knife through butter. You try to wiggle your leg, to shake him off you — but the grandpa refuses to let go, sinking his fangs into your flesh and growling without pause. You feel yourself losing blood. Lots of blood. That's when the grandpa does something incomprehensible: his maw still holding on tightly, his whole body bends at an angle a human should never be able to bend and his legs — his dirty, fungus-ridden feet — weave around your neck. His bite grows stronger, teeth digging into meat deeper, he also starts to squeeze his legs, evaporating your supply of air. You lose consciousness. The last thing you hear before you do, is a vengeful, spiteful voice flowing into your ear. *if (threw_rock) "I left you a gift, punk. I dare you not to open it." *else "Should've just taken my gift, punk." *page_break Darkness... You wake up in the Sect Infirmary. Your wounds have been treated and you feel as alright as you could possibly be, given the circumstances. However, your mood dissipates in an instant as soon as a Sect Healer comes in and explains that you're in severe debt on your Contribution Points. *set mc_sect_points 0 *if mc_sect_points <= 100 Which is not surprising — you already were running low on funds and this treatment could not have been cheap. *else *set mc_gold 0 At first, you are confused — you had a certain amount of funds stored, did you not? You check your Sect Badge then and realize that, somehow, the grandpa must have robbed you! When you enter your spatial ring, the pouch full of gold is empty as well. You didn't think such a thing was possible before. Entering your spatial ring, emptying your Sect Badge — who in the world was that old fart?! *goto_scene free_roam #Get out of here. Shit, you need to get out of here — run fast and far, in hopes that the disciplinary squad won't look too deeply in this case. It's an old guy, isn't it? He could've totally died out of natural causes. Yep, just stumbled, fell and broke his head. Nothing to see here. You turn around and sprint it. However, you only gain a dozen of yards before something attacks you from behind and knocks you down. *goto foot_presses #Run. *goto fuck_this *if (native) #"There's no need for violence. But you need to be educated on what's appropriate and what's not." You shake your head. You have no desire to fight an old guy who's more likely to stumble and die than land a punch on you. But what he's doing is wrong and his behavior needs to be corrected. "Old man, do you not know it's wrong to spy on others?" — you say — "You are engaging in a reprehensible act." "What arrogant junior! Punk! A chick without wings yet with such a foul mouth!" — the grandpa blurts out — "Do you know who I am?! You dare lecture me!" "Your parents have failed to educate you, so let your Grandpa do it!" *goto fists_glow_red #"I was a bit hasty. Excuse me, senior." You don't want no trouble with this weird guy — so you decide to apologize instead. "I was a bit hasty." — you say, bowing down — "Excuse me, senior." *goto look_of_puzzlement #"Good view up there, old man?" *set inv_11 1 Watching the old guy on the tree being so engrossed in whatever it is he's seeing, you chuckle. "Good view up there, old man?" Your proclamation startles him. A cookie drops from his hand and he himself almost loses balance and falls. He starts looking around frantically, searching for the source of the voice. When he sees that it's you, a mere Inner Disciple, he breathes in relief. "Scaring this old man, the young generation has no shame. I could've died! Died, I say!" — he murmurs — "Do you want me to die, little kid? Huh? That's why scared me?!" *choice #"What? No, of course I don't." "What?" — it's your turn now to be stunned — "Of course I don't. I wish senior to live a long and happy life." *goto thats_right #"Stop talking nonsense." "Stop talking nonsense." — you deadpan — "It's your own fault for being spooked." "You!!!" — the old man rages. *set native false *goto jump_from_tree #"I don't care whether you die or not." "I honestly don't care whether you die or not." — you reply — "I don't even know who the fuck you are." "You don't know who this old man is?! You wish him to die?!" *goto old_man_fumes #Throw a rock at him. *set inv_11 1 You pick a rock laying nearby, throwing it in the air a catching it afterwards a couple of times. What is it that drives you though, to just throw heavy stones at an old guy you know nothing about? *choice #These stones will rain justice on the old pervert. You will not let this vile pervert get away with heinous crimes — peeping on others without permission, he ought to be whipped dead! Sadly, you do not have a whip with you. You do, however, have a perfectly good rock right beside you. #I'm bored. There's no particular reason — you are just bored and hitting strangers with rocks seems like the best way to pay the time. #"I want to see him bleed. You have this desire for blood in you. For carnage. A desire that can never be satisfied in the fullest — only temporarily fulfilled. You fling the rock with all your might, putting all of your inhuman strength into the throw — it lands easily, connecting with the old guy's skull. And then he falls. Just like that. Like a normal, ordinary old man, he topples down from the tree and hits the ground with the loudest thud his starved body can manage. He doesn't get up. Doesn't even appear to be breathing. *set threw_rock true *goto may_have_killed_elderly #Walk by. A suspicious old man on a suspicious old tree? Nope. Not happening. You continue walking by, avoiding the old man to the best of your ability. *goto_scene free_roam free_time *goto_scene free_roam