'Crap!'
Sunny rolled across the dirt floor, dodging the blade that glanced right over his head. Before him was a ferocious bestial humanoid… creature? He wasn't too sure if it could be associated with humans, considering that it looked more like an animal than anything else.
However, it held a sword, and spoke just like human. A dark growl escaped it's maw.
"You might as well give up, little fox. Struggle all you like, there's nowhere to run…"
Jagged streaks of glowing purple traced along it's limbs and torso like veins pulsing with arcane energy. It's frame was lean but brutal, every inch sculpted for combat, with clawed hands and digitigrade legs ending in wicked talons.
Gold and teal bands wrapped its limbs like relics from some long-buried ritual, half-ornament, half-restraint. Coarse fur flared along its back and tail, streaked with violet markings like sigils of corruption. Its very form looked forged from conflict — ritualistic, regal, and ruinous.
It's maw was hanging open, with wicked teeth and elongated fangs carved with gold peeking out.
Right now? It was too busy trying to dismember Sunny to worry about any of that.
In the middle of the coliseum, roaring crowds could be heard. Each shift in volume caused the furry appendages atop Sunny's head to twitch — something he really didn't want to talk about.
Something he noticed was that neither him nor his opponent were Awakened. In fact, his adversary seemed to only be blessed with superior strength. Not knowing if this was some strange Nightmare Creature or a distant offshoot of humans, Sunny at least figured that they were both mundane — despite the fox ears poking out of his hair.
'Who the hell even has fox ears?!'
Unfortunately, Sunny was unarmed, physically weaker than his foe, and had no advantages. Instead, he could only rely on the skills he had attained throughout his life.
Deception and murder.
Sprinting away from the wolf-like creature, Sunny circled the outer ring of the arena. He ignored the outraged crowd — filled with even more of those intelligent creatures. As the sword-wielding wolf chased after him, Sunny's eyes scanned the ground, confused by an irrational fear swelling within him.
Then, as his foot hit a rock, he tripped.
Laughs echoed across the coliseum as the wolf stood over him. Raising the silver blade, glistening under the sunlight raining from above, it said:
"Looks like your luck ran out…"
Before it could finish, Sunny tossed a handful of sand into it's eyes, causing it to grunt in confusion. Heart quickening — something he didn't have in his real body — Sunny lunged forward to grab the blade, which had loosened in the canine's grip, pulling and breaking it's fingers while he did so.
The moment it was in his hand, Sunny adjusted his grip, and stabbed through the creature's gut. It had reacted, it claws raised in an attempt to regain the weapon as it howled in agony.
Twisting the sword, Sunny drew it out in a flash of blood, allowing the canine to fall back.
The coliseum was silenced.
Staring down at the canine's body, Sunny's eyes widened as he saw the wound he inflicted begin to close — rapidly, in fact. The blood vessels and flesh began to stretch in an attempt to reconnect, so, panicking…
He sliced off the wolf's head, watching as it's neck exploded in a spray of blood.
[You have slain a Dormant human, unknown Borisin.]
Once the notification for the creature's death appeared, Sunny suddenly felt the irrational fear within him disappear. He furrowed his brow at the strange phenomenon, considering that a single creature wasn't usually enough to make him absurdly afraid. Not unless they were particularly powerful.
As the scene faded away into nothingness after a pull on his belly button, showing that he had finished with it, he asked:
"Uh… Herta? What was that thing?"
[It's a Borisin. They're a distant branching race from humans, and are closely related to Foxians. Foxians are mostly human with a few traits from foxes, while Borisins are more… complex. And before you ask, their mutations are from the Aspects of their ancestors, not… you know.]
"…What do you mean?"
Sunny blinked in confusion. She sounded a little bit uncomfortable, which was strange. Herta seemed a little bit too narcissistic for that.
[…That's not important. Anyways, you're probably wondering why you felt so afraid, right? Well, in a fight, the Borisin emit a pheromone called Lupitoxin, which stimulates the amygdala.]
Sunny tilted his head.
"What's an amygdala?"
Herta paused for a few moments.
[…Why would the Erudition recognize you? The amygdala is the part of the brain that recognizes fear, got it? You're lucky I'm so gracious.]
Sunny huffed in annoyance.
"Yeah, I got it. Also, wouldn't you think that the I, uh… have a natural affinity with the Erudition because I'm smart? Like, really smart! I think you're just jealous."
[Dont get ahead of yourself. I'm an Emanator! Capital E! If you're a pebble, then I'm an asteroid! That's how big the difference is!]
Sunny shrugged in amusement.
"Well, whatever. Anyways, why did you make me the Foxian? I was closer to prey than a hunter."
Herta adjusted to the change in topic.
[A hunter needs to understand their prey. Evidently, the simulated Lan seems to think so too… and THEY are headed your way. You weren't really supposed to turn things around in your favor, but it looks like killing that Borisin attracted THEIR gaze. Make sure to get as much as you can out of THEM!]
Sunny froze.
"Wha—"
***
Sunny stood in a vast expanse of whiteness and raised his head. He saw a tall, valiant figure — like a crown prince — striding across the Fragmentum. The dazzling stellar wind wavered. He saw THEM draw a bow, and then, in an instant, THEY leapt into the distance. He had clearly seen them coming, but a moment later, only their shadow remained.
Herta's voice softly rang in his mind:
[Lan, The Hunt... Don't be in a daze. THEY are ahead of you, hurry up and call THEM.]
Sunny found himself unable to move at all — it was as if THEY had nailed him to an invisible wall, and he didn't even know when THEY had made the move. He struggled, said THEIR name, and...
THEY ignored him and, in the blink of an eye, disappeared from his sight.
Herta hummed in intrigue.
[Don't be too discouraged. I will increase THEIR social attribute next time. THEY move too fast. But I was able to intercept some of THEIR information.]
[THEY're probably not very familiar with Akivili. Perhaps THEY only have THEIR enemy, the Abundance, on THEIR mind.]
She paused, before adding:
[A tragic being, according to our record. They are bound by hatred and destiny, never to have even a moment's rest. But that's life.]
Sunny didn't hear any hint of sympathy for said tragedy in her voice.
"What's the Abundance?"
Herta's indifferent tone continued:
[Yeah, Yaoshi, the Aeon of Abundance. The kindest being in the whole universe, probably also a monster. THEY would heal everything THEY see, be it as small as an atom or as large as a star system. Perhaps THEY can solve your Stellaron problem for you.]
The last part was added jokingly.
[Furthermore, you saw how the Borisin regenerated, right? That's due to the Abundance. An Emanator is almost undying.]
Sunny's brow furrowed in contemplation.
"Yeah…"
Before he could finish his thought, Sunny was pulled out of the Simulated Universe.