Green Dystopia

I open my eyes.

Green. Everything is green. Trees, grass, leaves. The sky… blue. But a different blue. Lighter. Wilder. No filter applied.

I'm lying on my back. Cold earth underneath me.

There's a weight on my wrist. The watch. Dark metal case. Screen off. But it's there. Real. Wrapped around my wrist. Like it's stuck to my skin. No, like it's part of my skin. It vibrates along with my pulse.

I breathe. Real air. The smell of leaves, the smell of earth and… something else. A smell I don't know. Something I can’t place.

I sit up.

Ah! Green dystopia. No, not the radiation cliché. Nature reclaiming everything. Grass bursting out of concrete cracks, ivy swallowing building walls, tree roots splitting the pavement. And animals. Huge animals.

A giant deer looks at me in confusion. I'm probably wearing the same expression. Our staring doesn't last long. Its ears prick up. After listening for a moment, it quickly moves away.

I really am in another realm. I look around. I realize I'm on a street. There are wrecked vehicles everywhere. Rusted, crushed, unrecognizable. There are building signs. Faded Turkish lettering clings to the broken signs.

I look at my hands to figure out whether I'm dreaming.

Real.

I slap myself just to make sure.

Real.

I actually did it… I even have a watch that shows my character screen.

So what do I do now?

The watch on my arm vibrates. A voice sounds in my ear—or rather, inside my head. A genderless voice with a faint robotic edge.

Grace: My recommendation is that you run.

"What? Why?"

Grace: Threat approaching. Twelve o'clock.

"What's twelve o'clock?"

Grace: Apologies, you are not a soldier. In front of you!

When I focus, I make out a huge silhouette among the ruined buildings. It's coming toward me.

══════════════════════════════

THREAT DETECTED

══════════════════════════════

Species: Unknown [ursidae 34%]

Mass: 650-750 kg

Hide: anomalous, optical transmittance

Threat: NOT CALCULATED

Insufficient data. No match in database.

General comment: "very large and very angry."

══════════════════════════════

I back away slowly.

"Grace, right? What do I need to do?"

Grace: You need to run. Very fast.

"Should I just run randomly?"

Grace: I need to map the area to find a safe location. However, there appear to be buildings still standing to the left. That thing cannot fit into a narrow space.

I look to my left. There are a few buildings standing about 100 meters ahead. I rarely ran except to make it to work. Let’s see what kind of shape I’m in.

The moment I start running a terrible roar comes from behind me. What it is, how big it is, whether it has wings, how many teeth it has—I don’t care.

Adrenaline floods my whole body and I run for my life.

There's an apartment building in front of me with its front door broken. I can feel the thing behind me closing fast. Pure panic launches me up the steps.

My watch vibrates.

Grace: Congratulations! You ran 100 meters in 16.16 seconds. With these physical attributes that is a magnificent achievement.

I throw myself inside and head for the upper floor. As I pass the elevator I press the button by reflex.

As I set foot on the stairs I notice out of the corner of my eye: the enormous creature coming after me can't slow down and flies into the elevator.

More accurately, it smashes the door and falls down the shaft.

Another horrible roar shakes the building.

I run. My lungs are about to burst and a stitch tears into my side. But there's no time to stop. Because judging by the sounds coming from the walls, this thing is climbing after me.

As I approach the top floor my body is reaching its breaking point. The building shakes and rattles with the monster's force. The vibration shakes loose more concrete. I spend seconds wondering whether I should run back down. The wall in front of me shatters and huge sharp claws reach toward me.

Time stretches. Everything slows down. My heartbeat pounds in my ear like a hospital monitor. I've forgotten its name out of fear. The thing that goes beep beep. The name won't come to me. It doesn't matter either. In a moment it'll be one line.

Beeeeeeeeeeeep.

Is this it? Is this how it ends?

There's a strange creature in front of me. A translucent hide the color of dark amber. The muscle tissue is visible underneath. Unfortunately there's no time to be amazed.

My brain throws up a thousand useless ideas at once. Remember the mental exercises! I try to calm down. Suddenly an Instagram video pops up in front of me: "How to survive a bear attack! Open your arms, look big and shout."

I do it.

WAAAAAA!

The translucent bear's noise stops. It looks at me through the crack in the wall. A yellow eye. For some reason very angry. After a short silence a roar erupts.

WHY!? What did I ever do to you!

Grace: The creature perceived your movement just now as a challenge. Congratulations! You have acquired your first enemy.

As I burst onto the roof the bear smashes the wall. My plan is to go down with the rope in my bag. But before I can open my bag the huge bear breaks the door and comes out onto the roof.

Wasn't I the chosen one? Was that a joke?!

I throw the pieces of stone I get hold of on the ground at the bear. The stones bounce off the bear's angry face.

I'm angry too. But at the god!

It can't end like this!

It can't end before it starts!

The bear comes slowly. It's missing an eye and its hide is very strange. But I don't have time to describe these things. I have nowhere left to go. I look around. There are gaps in the building's roof. But the bear would come after me very easily.

A few scattered trees below. Not enough to break a fall. Even if I survive by a miracle the bear will catch me again. Maybe I can jump to the building across. The gap is about three meters, and the other roof sits one floor lower. And there's someone with a gun standing on top of the building.

Who is this?

BAM!

A heavy round bursts against the bear’s face and red particles scatter everywhere. The bear roars in pain and swings its claws around.

Hold on! That's not blood. A red mist cloud. Pepper stings the air.

"Jump!" the armed figure shouts.

I don't linger. I jump with everything I have. While I'm in the air my watch vibrates.

Grace: With current conditioning, fatigue and adrenaline, success rate 45%

I barely reach the edge of the building. Pain explodes across my chest when I hit the edge.

Please let my ribs not be broken!

A strong hand grabs my wrist and helps me climb up.

Once I'm on the roof I lie on my back. Tears pour from my eyes. Half from relief. Half from pepper spray. That was a tear-gas round.

There's a shadow over me but I can't open my eyes.

"Don't you die!" my rescuer says.

"Ok."

Wait! Was that a woman's voice?

"We need to get down from here right now."

That is a woman's voice.

She lifts me up and takes me to the other edge of the roof. There's a rope hanging down.

"Be careful."

I have no other choice.

I use the sleeves of my clothes to protect my hands and I slide down. Normally even standing on a balcony would make me tense. Now I'm going down practically like a soldier.

Wow.

BAM!

Another gunshot. The bear roars again.

At the bottom, I drop the last meter.

══════════════════════════════

DAMAGE REPORT

══════════════════════════════

Chest .. Anterior blunt trauma.

Eyes.. Capsaicin exposure

Hands.. Friction burn + subungual bleeding.

Legs.. lactic acid buildup. Micro-tears.

2.2x worse tomorrow. DOMS.

Active: adrenaline crash, acute fatigue, shock

Combat capacity: 0%

Escape capacity: crawling

Advice: find water, find food, rest.

>Congratulations! You did not die.

>For a more detailed report you can use the watch interface.

══════════════════════════════

"Don't move," the same voice says.

I can't move anyway.

Ah… Water splashes over my face. That helps.

"Are you better?"

"Yes…" I open my eyes with difficulty and… Everything is blurry. But I can make out long braided hair and a beautiful face. In anime, this is where the scene goes into slow motion and flowers bloom in the background.

In reality my eyes are burning from tear gas and the woman is saying "We need to get away from here right now" in a serious tone.

I get to my feet. We move away quickly.

"Thank you," I say with difficulty. "If you hadn't been there… I'd already be dead."

She doesn't answer.

"I'm Orhun." I hold out my hand.

She eyes my hand, then gives my fingers the briefest shake.

"Defne."

Nice name.

"What was that thing?"

"Polybear. Legendary monster. Everyone's heard of it." Then she mutters, "Normally it lives in the eastern parts. For some reason it came all the way here."

"Poly? But its hide was translucent?"

"Yeah, they always tell it differently in the stories. I was surprised too the first time I saw it."

Poly… Short for polar or for polygon? Though both are unrelated.

"Why do you call it Polybear? What does it mean?"

"Our ancestors named it that. I don't know the meaning. You've never heard it before?"

"Never heard of it."

"You've heard it by another name. They also call it yellow eye or the furless monster. You must’ve heard of it."

Poly…

Ah! Of course. Hard, flexible, translucent. Some kind of polymer material.

══════════════════════════════

BESTIARY — NEW ENTRY #001

══════════════════════════════

Polybear (Polymer Bear) — local name

Other known names: Yellow Eye, Furless Monster

Data quality: ██░░░░░░░░ 18%

>Observation required.

══════════════════════════════

"Do those names sound familiar?"

"Well… Not really. I’m not from around here."

"You can tell from your clothes."

Ah! I came straight home from work and started the ritual. I'm wearing a light blue work shirt, gray pants. Under my shirt I have my t-shirt that says "Prepare to die." Interesting… The t-shirt I picked this morning had an Overlord print. Probably the isekai god's sense of humor.

Same with the steel-toed boots I left at work—except somehow they’re on my feet now.

By the way, my clothes are wrecked…

While we walk I look at Defne's clothes out of the corner of my eye. Dark leather clothes from head to toe. Hooded leather jacket. Leather trousers and leather boots. I don't know much about leatherwork. There's wear here and there but I'd say they look well maintained. Under the jacket there's a dark linen shirt. A belt at her waist with various things hanging off it.

And weapons. She has very strange weapons. Almost all of them are converted from mechanic's tools. The knives at her waist are made from rebar. The knives on her arm and calf are made from the small wrenches used for repairs. There's a leather wrap on the grip. She also has a short sword at her waist. It sits in a plain leather sheath. Judging by the shape it could be a machete. The workmanship looks well-made.

The rifle she used while saving me is slung on her back. Modified. There are strange mechanisms bound with copper wire at the muzzle and on the magazine.

Like she stepped out of the Mojave desert. With a bit of zombie apocalypse added. But a bit different from what I've seen in fictional universes. How do I put it… Local… Anatolian style.

By the way the small scar on her left eyebrow catches my attention. When she raises her eyebrow it stretches.

I realize I’ve been staring too long. Our eyes meet.

Cold amber eyes.

"So… where are we going?" I ask, sniffing at the same time.

"There's a small village around here. We're going there."

"Your village?"

She stops suddenly. "We've gotten far enough. If you've come to your senses then tell me: who are you? Where did you come from, where are you going? And why are you dressed so strangely?"

There it is. The unavoidable question. I'd thought about this question before I came.

I was going to give an explanation along the lines of 'I'm a traveler from distant realms. I left home to become an adventurer.' It's not even a lie. For the metallurgy, I’d planned to say, 'My father was a blacksmith. I learned by watching him.' Because my hands are too clean to belong to a blacksmith. I’ve spent years holding a mouse, not a hammer.

But now things have changed. I'm somewhere I never expected. So, plan B: amnesia!

"I don't remember."

"What do you mean?"

"I woke up here all of a sudden. I don't remember anything."

She gives me a long, assessing look. The scar at the end of her left eyebrow stretches slightly.

"Do you have a napkin? My nose is running."

"And the watch on your arm?"

If she’s asking, then she knows it isn’t an ordinary watch. And I couldn't see a watch on her arm. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

"It was on my arm when I woke up."

"You woke up and this watch was on your arm?"

"Yes."

She sizes me up again.

"Hold out your arm."

I hold it out.

"Mark 0… I'd never seen one. Does it work?" Without coming any closer, she reaches out and touches the glass. "Lv 0… did you come from the domes or something?"

"Dome?"

"Just the watch or does it have the chip too?"

"What?"

"Take the watch off."

I don't object. I follow orders until the tension passes. But there's a problem. The watch strap is completely smooth. No clip, no buckle, nothing.

Grace: Once the watch is attached it becomes a biological part of the user. A simple surgical procedure is required for removal. The brain implant is a different matter.

"It won't come off."

"Arm. Now."

I hold out my arm.

She fiddles with it a bit. Then she starts to pull.

"Hey! That hurts."

"It won't come off."

"I told you."

"So they put the chip in." She examines my face. "You have a military watch on your arm. Given that you're level 0, it must have been put on recently. And your memory isn't right. You're very suspicious."

"What's a chip? What do you know about the watch?"

"I think you're telling the truth… The implant can wipe your memory when it’s installed."

"If you know what’s going on, could you please explain it?"

"I'll take you to the guild center. We'll find answers to our questions there."

"What guild?"

"The adventurers guild. Have you never heard of it or did you forget?"

"WHAT! There’s an Adventurers’ Guild here?" I'm grinning ear to ear.

Defne looks at me with concern. "Why are you so happy?"

"I want to be an adventurer too! Of course I had fantasy universes in mind but… I didn't get a choice."

"Your way of talking is as strange as your clothes."

"Are you an adventurer?"

"Yes."

I don’t want to seem any stranger than I already do, but I'm not sure that's even possible anymore.

"What's your level?"

She scratches her chin with narrowed eyes. She doesn't seem very willing to chat. Fair enough.

"I was just curious. And I thought it'd make conversation. Sorry."

I don't want to wipe my nose with my arm. Under Defne's gaze I pull a leaf off the ground and wipe my nose with that.

After a short silence she says, "Gold."

"Sorry?"

"The guild doesn’t use levels like you watch users do. We have ranks. I'm gold rank." She points at the badge on her jacket collar.

A hexagonal yellow badge. When I look closer, the shape becomes clear.

Grace: An icosahedron viewed face-on. Or a 20-sided die.

"A d20!"

"You said you didn't know the guild?"

"Not the guild, I know this symbol."

"This is the guild's symbol. If you know this you must know the guild too."

"No. You know how there are dice? D10 d20 d100? DnD?"

Yes, I talked too much again. Defne looks at my face blankly.

"Well, I guess gold is a pretty high rank." I need to change the subject.

"Yes."

"You're a good adventurer then. Cool."

Defne doesn't say anything. I don't push it either. I keep walking.

I'll ask everything when we get to the guild anyway. But I need to be careful and not get carried away. Because I don't remember where I came from.

An adventurers guild in a dystopian universe… This is really interesting. I never expected this. And I like it. A lot.

So the isekai god was right. What a person wants may not be what they need.

"Why do you want to be an adventurer?" Defne says, breaking the silence.

"Because it's cool." Ah! That was a screening question and I answered like a child.

"That's your reason?"

"And… helping people and stuff…" Shit! I think I lost not just my memory but my entire brain.

"How is someone who can't protect himself going to help people?"

Grace: Critical hit! Checking for psychologists in the vicinity.

"Nobody is born an adventurer! I'll learn too, obviously."

"Half of copper ranks don't see their first year."

"If we look on the bright side, the other half makes it."

We walk in silence again. This one is different. Our footsteps and the wind. Nothing else.

I know this type of character from anime. The adventurer who lost her party. She must have lost one, maybe more.

We walk a bit more.

"No," I say finally. "Not because it's cool." I want to tell her the truth. For some reason, I don’t want her to misunderstand me.

Defne doesn't turn but her steps slow.

"The only thing I remember about before… was aimlessness. I mean… a feeling. Like I was being blown around in the wind… Maybe that's the problem; I don't remember because I have nothing to remember."

Defne stops and turns to me.

"This place is dangerous. Terrible. I almost died a moment ago. But-" I stop. I look for the right word. "But for the first time I'm feeling something. And I don't care whether it's good or bad. At least it's real."

"Death is real too."

"Death is part of life. We can't live with fear. And knowing we'll die should make our lives more valuable. I don't want to spend my one life safe but unhappy."

Defne doesn't say anything. I can't read her face.

"By the way," I show my hands. "These aren't a fighter's hands. But I can work metal. I don't remember how I know but I know. Maybe I'll be useful for something at the guild with that. And as far as I know, adventuring is a team job. Even if I can't be an adventurer on my own I can be part of an adventurer party."

After a short silence Defne just says, "Fine." Then she turns and keeps walking.

I think I expressed myself better.