Monster Royale

It was a horrible day. I woke up with a massive headache and fell out of bed. After scraping myself up off the floor I stumbled to the bathroom. Searching through the cabinet I finally found some pain medication. Ripping the top off I took a few hoping it wouldn't be too much. I chugged the soda I left on the counter to wash it down.

"Goddamnit, this day sucks. What the hell happened to me." I looked around seeing the remains of the party I threw last night "Oh."

I stared in the mirror inspecting my face. I was average by beauty standards. My normally blue and purple eyes now bloodshot, I had heterochromia. My short blond hair was a total mess, I didn't bother brushing it yet.

I created a path through the trash on the floor and made my way to the kitchen. Dropped some pop tarts in the toaster and grabbed another soda. Looking at the clock I saw even worse news, I had work in five minutes. I sprinted to my room nearly tripping on the junk.

I had to be fast and grabbed my work outfit and found some clean panties and bra I left out for myself. Thank goodness for sober past me. Slipping then on I heard the toaster popup, breakfast time. I ran out still buttoning my shirt. I snatched the super hot tarts ignoring the pain. Thankfully my keys were still in the bowl and I locked up before I left.

I ran out to my car still parked in the garage and kicked it into high gear. Unfortunately for me, I passed a cop speeding and he pulled me over. "Great can this day get any worse." I slammed my head into the steering wheel just as the cop came up to the window.

"License and registration mam." He stood waiting as I fumbled around in my bag. I grabbed out my id and reached over to the glove box to get my info. Silly me I forgot I had my gun in there and of course it fell out, the cop saw.

He must have been new as when I picked it up to show him he drew his own. "Put the gun down and get out of the vehicle." He pointed more furiously and I complied. Getting out he must have taken me dropping the gun as a threat and he shot. Time seemed to slow down as the bullet headed straight for my heart, then it stopped.

I was super confused, was this the life before death thing people say? After a few seconds, a figure dressed in a fancy suit came into view. "Tsk tsk, here you are inches from death. Looks like I came just in time. I'm here on behalf of my company, Death games inc." He handed me a business card with the name Gilbert on it.

"Ok, I'm very confused. What the hell is all this? Am I on some weird reality prank show?" I found I could move and even got up standing outside my car. The rest of the world is still frozen.

"I am here to offer you a chance to entertain millions and save your own life. If you accept I'll take you to the processing area and fill you in. Refuse and I'll put you back here and let that bullet finish you off now." He started to walk away into a large ornate portal.

Not wanting to suffer death by dumbass I follow him into the portal. On the other side, I find myself in a small room with a desk and two chairs. On the other side sat a large red-skinned black horned demon looking, guy. He motioned to a chair and sat down.

"Congratulations on being one of our most complacent victims yet. Most tend to resist and have to be put under a sleeping spell. So I'm gonna go ahead and start since you don't have any more questions. I work for a company that hosts large death survival battles. We do this for the fun of it.Creatures all over the mindscape tune in and watch hundreds of contestants try and survive. It is one of our highest-rated programs around."

He pulled out a few papers setting them in a pile. "You get to be part of the septuacentennial battle royale. You among hundreds of other humans pulled from your and many other piles of the earth will fight and survive for 28 days. Larger and larger threats will be released as time goes on or if people are getting too complacent. Nothing worse than large peace groups bent on not fighting. Now we don't expect you to go down there barehanded."

He pulled out a large chunk of the papers and set them in two different piles. "The first one here will be the reason you fight." He spread the pile out into 8 individual choices. "These are your grand prizes. Everyone gets one whether you pick it or not. If you are the last one alive who wants it you get it. So don't be getting all friendly cause only one can win."

I looked over them all and found they all looked good. The first one was a fountain of youth. All you had to do was just fill it with normal water and it would make more. Obviously drinking it would bring your body back to its peak age without losing any ability.

The second one was just a big chest. Filled with a never-ending supply of gold or other currencies of your current earth. It says there are cool magic items and gems but it might require some digging.

"The third was a magic bracelet. It seemed to be able to open portals to other worlds and back. I guess that would be really useful if you had to escape cops.

The fourth one was a mysterious book of magic. Apparently, with enough time and study, which is plenty of immortality, you could learn anything. From magic to how to sew if you really wanted. I seriously considered that one.

The fifth one was a working soul grafter machine. Apparently, it's what they were gonna do to me. You could splice monster DNA into humans giving them powers. It even said you could enhance existing ones or add a second or more. Powerful if you have the knowhow.

The sixth one was way more simple. You could claim ownership of the island used for the show. They get rid of old ones as prizes to lucky winners. Even after it's done, you'll still get to spawn monsters and summon random contestants. "Maybe if you pick that one we can make a second show. Boost the ratings." The devil guy said as I looked.

The seventh one was labeled highly sought after. It's a super rare and ultra power android. Indestructible, never sleeping, never stopping bodyguard. They don't even make them anymore so this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. She's also highly versed in cooking, cleaning, and pleasing.

The eighth one was the most unique. All it said about it was that it is a clay jug. They don't even know why it was in the back of the vault but anyone who wants it can open it and see what's inside. "I guess if you really don't want anything you can pick that."

I pondered them all. Like a super cool robot-maid/bodyguard would be wicked but also the infinite youth. If I could get immortality maybe the book. "Look lady we don't have all day just pick one or we'll pick you one." I finally settled on the island. Maybe then I can live my own life in my own way.

After I picked which one I wanted the horned gentlemen took the rest. He placed several other sheets with pictures of monsters on then. "All right now here's the first real taste of power. We will splice you with monster DNA. You'll take on some of their appearance and powers. Each one will have several choices for upgrades as you grow stronger."

As he talked a cart was wheeled in by a smaller gremlin looking, fellow. "As you fight monsters, natural hazards, and other contestants you'll gain strength. You have to make sure they are dead or completely surrender to you. You'll know if they tell the truth as a rush of power flows into you. Be merciful or be ruthless, we don't care so long as you're entertaining."

I must have had a confused look on my face cause he was shocked too. "Wait did you forget that already? This is a show for high paying customers. We use inferior species to compete for our entertainment. Trust me if I wanted it you'd be a smear on the floor before you could move." He started laughing as the cart was opened and several vials with labels were on shelves.

"These here are grafts. Since you've been so cooperative and seem to have strong genes you get plenty of choices. Now each of them is good, there's no clear choice. As well they all have an immortality upgrade you reach at tier 4. You start at tier 1 and go up. To get to tier 2 you need to beat 3 tier 1's, Tier 3 needs 4 tier 2's, and tier 4 needs 6 tier 3's. If you beat anything weaker you won't gain anything other than less competition. Don't think you can just clear an area of monsters and well just send more at you."

He takes a drink of what could only be described as hot lava. "Ahh anyway once you reach tier 4 unless you are really dumb you'll make it out. Each graft has a loose condition, sort of you-fucked-up-situation. If you lose you'll still get to leave just without your grand prize. In the end, everyone who's alive no matter their tier gets to go with whatever they have collected."

"I heard last season we even had a tier 1 girl make it to the end. Everyone loves an underdog but don't do it yourself. We all know you humans want power so go out and take it. So I'll let you have some time to look and when you picked it out well get ya set up. Don't try and steal them, we know what you're doing." He got up leaving me with a cart and the gremlin.

Each of the vials was for a particular monster. I saw ones I knew like Vampire, Zombie, and Slime. A few were more strange to me like Djinn, Arachne, and Yeti. Looking through I just couldn't decide till I spotted Dryad. I heard about them before, nature spirits who guard the forest. That might be a really great one for the whole living on an island bit.

"Ok, I'm ready to make my choice. I picked the dryad one." I called out to the void forgetting the gremlin was there. A set rises up from the floor with straps on it and several needles on arms. A large metal device descends from the ceiling hovering over it. The creature motions for me to sit on it and helps strap me in.

After sitting on it for a while the first horned guy and another one both walk into the room. "Ah, so this is our cooperative patient. I see you've chosen already and gotten all prepped. Must be more tame than the last fellow I had to knock out first. Now I'm going to ask you a few questions that hope your tiny mind can understand." A little condescending but whatever I'm getting superpowers.

He pulled out a clipboard as the gremlin creature started adjusting things beside me. "Ok do you know what your favorite kind of tree is?" I thought about it and answered with Ebony wood. "Ok into the black woods we go. Next, I will need you to pick your first upgrade you will get from your graft. Future upgrades will present themselves in the field but this first one we help you with."

He held up a small checklist of choices. Before the choices, it listed what the first tier did. The dryad was gifted with hard bark-like skin that could be changed to a softer version without losing any strength. As a bonus, if the dryad is near plantlife in significant quantities they get a boost to vitality. The first tier upgrades help build on that further.

The choices involved the ability to make wood growths for use in crafting or makeshift weapons. The ability to gain speed when near plants. Getting a boost in strength just for being. Enhanced healing in the presence of plantlife. Finally the ability to grow vines from your back to acting as extra manipulators. I decided to start with the extra strength as getting early kills would help speed to the other ones. I checked the correct box and handed it back to the devil guy.

"Ah very interesting, usually the healing is more popular since you can just recover but I like your style. Now you're gonna experience some mild discomfort and then have a quick nap. We'll work on the changes for when you wake up." The chair started to hum as small needles were injected into my arm as the world slowly drifted off to sleep.

I woke up a little while later sore but still alive. Inspecting my hands I saw my skin was now covered in a thick but flexible brown bark. I felt stronger too like I could carry in all the groceries at once. Blinking a bit I noticed my vision was a bit clearer. The chairs restraints unlocked and I was allowed to move around. I stumbled a bit until I noticed my feet had grown into high heel shoes yet I didn't feel like falling. Running my hands through my hair I felt leaves and twigs yet they didn't seem to bother or hurt me.

I didn't get much more time to inspect the changes when the two devil men came back in. "Ah, she's awake and ready to go. Excellent news." The first devil guy put some more papers on and pointed to the chair waiting for me. Sitting down felt a bit stiff due to the extra bark.

"Looks like you survived with all of your mind intact. Now we have two more things for you to pick. First, we're giving you two special items. These will be available to all contestants so they have the same advantage. We make a million of these things so giving them to you contestants is trivial. Now make a selection of two things and you'll be onto the last task." He layed the paper out in a fan and inspected them.

There were plenty of offensive options like a sword that teaches you combat. A bow that lets you use anything as arrows and shows you the path. A shield that absorbs elements and blasts them back. A dagger that gets stronger the further it flys. A cool staff that you can control with your mind even ride on. Finally, a staff that can scare away weaker things. I decided to make my first item the bow, the range would be good.

A selection of utility items was next. A set of gloves that let the user reach stuff from a distance, a set of boots that make you crazy fast and make electricity, a belt that makes you tougher and stronger but only if you are in a dangerous situation, a ring that makes sparks for a tiny cost of magic, a cloak, good for hiding and moving quietly, a scarf to help protect from the ambient temperature. A circlet that helps one think more clearly. An opera mask that makes you more charming. A top hat that gives glimpses of the future. None of them caught my eye so I moved to the last section.

The last ones were more focused on survival such as a pouch that always contained enough food to survive. There was a flask for making potions that helped you make them. A simple book describing things you would encounter on the island. I scoffed at the hourglass which was basically bullet time. Somehow a wheel of cheese was on the list but I ignored it. My favorite was the clockwork animals, perfect for scouting. Knowledge is power as they say.

I made my choices and the pages I chose burned up in front of me. "Don't worry you'll find them on your person when you make it into the field. Now onto the last thing, your starting location. Each of them will be safe initially, we won't start you smack dab next to someone but that doesn't mean they are not far. Because our viewers don't want too much of a bloodbath early monsters will spawn a few hours after you start. Once the party starts they never stop." He slid more pages in front of me.

There were a few good spots like the village, some ruins, fields but none of them screamed the starting area till I saw the forest. Obviously, I'd be full strength and there was plenty of food. I feared it would be very popular though so id has to carve out a niche quickly.

"Well good then. I wish you luck in your endeavors. You'll feel a mild tingle as the magic takes you to the island. If you have any questions now is the time to ask them." As I opened my mouth to speak he just smirked as a wave of color covered my body.

I felt a pulling sensation and then I was falling. Looking down I saw the gratitude of the island. It was massive and diverse. On one side there was an active volcano. Rivers cut through the landscape. Some lakes could be seen and the whole ocean surrounded it. Several ruins dotted the nearby lands and a mostly intact village sat on one side. A large mountain range sat in the middle forming a desert area behind it leading to a tropical beach. Two large patches of forest covered the other sides of the mountain with a large field being the last side.

I looked down and could see the ground coming into detail. Only then did I realize I was falling down with no way to stop myself. Despite my expectations as I hit the ground a large cushion of air completely stopped me and I was now standing alone in the forest. A sudden weight on my back signaled the arrival of my supplies. A simple water skin half full, a small sack of food, a satchel containing the pets, and the bow with a few arrows.

The smells immediately filled my nose. Softwood mixed with dirt and pollen. The new sounds came next as birds and animals of all kinds reacted to my arrival. I didn't waste time and started off in search of shelter and food. The trees were huge and seemed to stretch up to the sky. Plenty of ambush spots so I was on my toes.

I remembered my pets and let loose a raven pet to scout ahead for threats. I found a small pond of fresh water and had a few drinks. Looking at my new form I saw I had become beautiful. Smooth soft cheeks despite the barky appearance. I wanted to test something and focused on the bark making it grow. It seemed to react a little and I slowly formed a mask to cover my eyes. It was sort of like a thief mask but I need help. Looking down I saw I was completely naked but my skin hid any dangerous bits.

With the new arrangement of my feet, I found it could cover ground quite well being protected from the rocks. My inspection was interrupted as the raven returned with a sighting. Following their guidance, I found a lone human slumped against a tree. They had soft pale skin and wore a shirt with jeans. On their head was a small blue horn and I recognize them as a unicorn graft.

I wasted no time grabbing a nearby vine turning it into an entanglement arrow. Lining up my shot I aimed for their arms letting it loose. It struck his torso wrapping his upper half to the tree. He immediately panicked as he sensed my intent. I walked close to him, locking eyes with him.

"Hey, you're another contestant. I need your help getting out of this. Please hurry they might be close and they might hurt you too." Id left the bow safely tucked away. He had an innocent look in his eyes but this was all about survival. I leaned down pretending to help him before I grabbed his face staring him in the eyes.

"Oh, I'm not here to save you. I'm here to win. Now, what do you regret most?" I smiled an evil smile knowing his fear was taking over.

"What you're crazy. We're all human here just team up and we can survive. I don't care about some stupid grand prize I just wanna get home." He struggled intently and I noticed the effect was wearing off so I acted fast.

Breathing in the power of nature I felt the strength come to me. Grabbing his neck I choked him watching the light fade from his eyes. When he finally stopped struggling I could feel the rush of energy flow from him to me. Then I heard small applause as a gift popped into my hands.

Skeptical I opened it away from my face and nothing came out for me. Instead, a cookie was inside with the words "First Kill" iced into it. Looking up I saw a display of deaths with one name on it and a picture of the person I killed. My blood rushed as I realized something. They kept score and I was going to be the leader. Then and there I decided to abandon decency and hunt people without mercy. I won't be reckless about it but I won't hesitate.

Checking his body I noticed something come off them. Dust particles from the items he carried. It looks like he chose the book and food, basic bitch choices. Opening the book it was all rotted and turned to dust in my hands. The pouch was now full of rotten food. Must be some kind of special defense so someone doesn't just stack up items.

Looking around I simply decided to leave the body there hopefully to attract some monsters or curious players. I heard some commotion around but surprisingly no one else was killed. It was then that I spotted the first of the wild monsters. A small group of three goblins. They looked wild and crazy with blood-red eyes and sharp teeth. They investigated the body and I knew this was my chance to strike.