Hollow Vessel (1352 words)

Standing before the misty form of what introduced itself as a godlike being I had little to say, after all I died after having lived a fulfilling life.

"You've got one wish little one, make it count." The being said to me in an otherworldly voice.

The whole scenario of dying and then getting a wish for the next life is not unfamiliar to me, having read more than my fair share of novels and manga in my time alive.

If I was still younger, I would probably try and get the most overpowered wish possible, but now, after all that I experienced, I wish for something other than instantaneous and absolute power.

Gazing at the strange form of the being that gave me this opportunity I couldn't help but smile a little when I decide upon my choice.

"I wish for an interesting and enjoyable adventure that doesn't end till I am satisfied." I say before waiting patiently for its response.

And luckily, I didn't have to wait for long as soon after the surprise that my choice seemed to have caused subsided and the being let go of an amused chuckle.

"Granted, I will personally watch over the development of your story little one so be assured that it will be an interesting life that is laying before you." With those words the misty form of the being starts to spread out through the empty space and slowly envelop me.

"Now then, time for you to embark on your journey little one." The mist rises and blocks out my vision and I could feel how my mind seems to sink into a deep sleep.

Before I lost consciousness, I manage to offer my gratitude to the mysterious being in a weak whisper, then everything went blank.

After what felt like centuries I finally once again managed to form a cohesive thought and the first thing I of course did was to open my eyes and look around.

Before my eyes a seemingly endless wasteland of grey rocks and dust stretched itself far beyond the horizon except for a single place where an enormous mountain pierces the sky.

Curious I look down to inspect my body, since the moment I awoke I already noticed some things that felt different form my previous body.

A featureless black body with two short arms and legs that possess whether fingers nor toes appeared in my vision, only concealed by a grey cloak that I had draped over my shoulders.

I move my 'Hands' and notice that instead of fingerless, it seemed more like all my fingers are currently stuck together which meant that I still possess the ability to grab.

Yes, it will take a while to get used to it but at least I still have it.

Next thing I do is using my hands to feel my face to get an idea of how it looks.

Placing my completely black hands onto my cheeks I feel something hard.

Letting them wander over the entirety of my head I figure out that I'm wearing some kind of helmet that had four horns coming out of its sides.

They are placed symmetrical with short, spike like horn underneath a long, curved one.

Other than that I also discovered that I had no mouth or any openings like ears or a nose except for my two eyes.

With my little self-inspection completed I went on to the next thing to do, trying to stand up.

The reason as to why I thought this could be a challenge is because I not only lack toes, my 'feet' are also pointed, meaning I would have to balance at their tips in order to stand.

Taking a metaphorical breath as I also don't seem to have an actual need or even the capabilities for it, I attempt to stand.

And succeed on my first try.

Staring at the short subby and pointed legs that are currently carrying me I couldn't help but be impressed.

Not only do I not seem to have a problem keeping my balance, my hold onto the ground also feels very firm, it is as if stuck to it to a certain degree.

Lifting one of my feet off the ground in order to make sure that I could in fact remove it and it wasn't really stuck to the ground I made a new discovery.

Standing with one leg on the ground I marvel at the impressive sense of balance and strength that my new body seems to poses, as I didn't even sway in the slightest nor do I feel any strain form the action of supporting my whole body on a single leg.

After a while hopping around and moving my new body in order to get more familiar with its capabilities, I got a decent grasp of what I could and couldn't do.

One of the most interesting things about my new body is the complete absence of physical exhaustion.

No matter what I did while testing my new body I didn't feel tired, nor did I feel pain from overexertion.

This made me very happy, I never liked the feeling of physical exhaustion and the pain that it accompanied in most cases.

Other than that, there is my strength which I find impressive for someone my size and it also allows me to jump well over four times my own height.

With light steps I start to walk in the direction of the mountain, where else is there to go?

While running, of course I would run, I no longer can feel exhausted after all, I made sure to look around for anything interesting on the way.

That is how I found the giant dust covered corpse in front of which I am currently standing.

Lightly tilting my head as I circle the dead body of the bug like creature that laid curled up in the rocky ground, I couldn't help but find it vaguely familiar.

Not this bug specifically, but more its overall look and design.

Scratching my cheek, I give the bug one a last survey before moving on, there wasn't really anything I could do it.

I do not have a mouth nor anything else that could be used to eat so it is pretty clear that I have no need for food and the bugs shell had a shape that wouldn't allow me to try and use it as a makeshift weapon.

With nothing else to do my little legs once again carry me in the direction of the mountain.

Time seemed rather irrelevant in this world as even after hours of running through the wasteland the light weak light that shone through the thick clouds of dust in the air didn't dimmish nor increase in strength, indicating that there is no cycle of day and night and instead a perpetual dusk covered the world.

Another thing that helped to screw with my perception of time is the fact that I don't feel hunger or thirst together with my infinite stamina I can literally walk on forever without ever needing to rest.

On my way I came across a few more dead bugs but the closer I came to the mountain the more they seem to change.

The most noteworthy one being a bug whose torso was about the size of my entire body and with four proportional limbs.

Next to his dead body which leaned against a rock I found what could be said to be a sword.

Its design was different from the ones used by human back in my old world but still similar enough that I could recognize it at first glance.

To be simple it is just a pointy triangle with a handle and sharp edges, no hand guard or leatherbound handle nor knob.

Curious I grab the handle and pull out the weapon that was about the same size as me before swinging it around for a bit.

It was heavy, not too heavy but enough to let me feel the force it carries with each swing I make.