"The Hollow is another Realm." Informed Sally. "The [Hollow Wanderer] skill allows you to travel into it."

I grinned. Cool! I can travel to a new dimension? "Let's try it out!" I decided.

So, how do I do this? Do I just say the name of the skill?

"[Hollow Wanderer]!" I yelled.

A glowing purple portal appeared on the wall in front of me. This must be the entrance to the Hollow!

"Let's go!" I excitedly said, running into the portal.

"Wait Host-" Sally started to say, before her voice was cut off as I traveled through the portal.

I quickly exited the portal, but I wasn't in my dorm room anymore. No, I was somewhere else.

It was some kind of forest, with dark blue grass and giant, dark wood trees, accessorized with cyan colored leaves. The air was a foggy purple, giving a creepy and mysterious vibe to the landscape.

"What is this place?" I wondered aloud, mesmerized by the surroundings.

"This is the Hollow, Host." Sally informed.

"Amazing..." I muttered, gazing around.

"Host, we should head back." Sally urgently stated.

"Why?" I asked.

A howl pierced the air. An all too familiar howl.

Just the sound of it caused my knees to shake and my palms to get sweaty.

No...why is it here?!

"That is why Host! It's dangerous here!" Sally nervously yelled.

Out from the trees in front of me appeared a Corrupted. It was just like the last one that interrupted my date with Anna. A purple werewolf looking thing with light purple crystals jutting out of it's back.

It snarled at me, walking closer.

No.

No.

I'm useless, aren't I? Because all I did was run. That's what I did back then, and that's what I did now.

I turned and ran. In my panic I ran past the portal I used to get here. Likely my only way out.

I ran. I didn't matter where I was going.

I ran. Another howl pierced the air.

I ran. Keep moving feet, keep moving!

I ran. I ran. And I ran.

My feet pounded against the ground, propelling me forwards as fast as I could go. My [Freerunner] skill urged me to go right, so I followed it's suggestion.

"Host! Calm down!" Sally requested.

I didn't listen. I ran.

I could hear it's feet behind me. The sharpening of it's claws, the snarling of it's teeth. I could feel it's beady eyes on my back, determined to not let it's prey escape.

I should have been more prepared.

I shouldn't have been an idiot.

But I was, and now I'm running.

Until I wasn't.

I didn't notice [Freerunner] trying to urge me to go a different direction. I didn't notice the giant ravine in front of me.

I didn't notice until my foot stepped upon air.

Looking down, my eyes widened with fright. There was nothing under me. And I fell, watching the Corrupted look down at me from the edge of the ravine.

I blacked out.

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

Ugh...what's going on...?

My head is throbbing, my body feels numb. What happened?

I opened my eyes, only to see darkness. Where am I?

"Are you alright Host?!" Asked Sally worriedly.

"I'm fine..." I groaned, my voice raspy.

"That was quite the fall." Sally commented.

I sat up. Is everything fine?

Ouch! Not fine! Not fine!

A searing pain burned through my left arm. I didn't know what was wrong, it was too dark. I couldn't see anything. But it hurt. I couldn't even move it, that's how bad.

"Sally...what's with...my arm...?" I asked.

"It's broken from the fall." She informed me.

So...this is what it...feels like...

To have a bone broken.

It hurts! It hurts! It hurts so freaking much! I want the pain to go away!

"Stay calm Host. Panicking won't help." Sally suggested, trying to calm me down.

Okay, deep breath in, deep breath out.

In, out.

In, out.

It hurts.

In, out.

Calm down.

I shakily stood up, my left arm hanging limp at my side. It hurts! What do I do?

Wait. I have the [Hollow Wanderer] skill. Can't I make myself another portal? Then someone can help me.

A screen popped up in front of my vision, slightly illuminating the darkness.

[Mission] - Find and save The Prisoner of The Hollow in the ravine.

[Reward] - 100 AP

[Punishment] - [Hollow Wanderer] skill disabled for a day.

[Time] - 5 hours.

[Bonus] - Convince the Prisoner to come with you.

[Bonus Reward] - 20 AP

[Y/N]

You got to be kidding me. I have to accept the mission. If I don't, I'll lose access to my only way out for a whole day.

I don't know if I can survive a whole day.

I clicked the [Y] button, accepting the mission. This System is cruel...

Another howl pierced the sky, from way up above. The howl was incredibly faint, as the Corrupted was sitting at the very top of the ravine.

"We should quickly find the Prisoner." Sally suggested. "The Corrupted will arrive soon, and you are in no condition to fight it."

"Alright." I agreed. I winced as I started to walk. Ow, my leg is hurting too. Not as much as my broken arm. I can still walk. It's fine.

This is pretty bad. But it could be worse.

And I pray that it doesn't become worse.

I slowly limped across the bottom of the ravine. I don't know where I'm going, but the Prisoner is here somewhere.

Another faint howl reached my ears, followed by a second one of a different tone.

My blood ran cold. There were more of them.

I started to limp even faster, moving through the darkness. The quicker I found this "Prisoner" the quicker I can get out of this place.

If only I had some way to light up my surroundings. Then I could much more easily move around.

All I can see is darkness. It's too dark, but light enough that I can tell when there is a wall in front of me.

But otherwise than that, I can't see anything...

Wait. What's that glow?

Up ahead. There's a glow. Sally?

"I'm not sure Host. However, it is quite likely that the Prisoner is down that way." Sally responded.

Alright. I'll trust you.

I followed the light, heading towards the small orange glow. I reached the mouth of a cave, lightly illuminated by the small, glowing, orange crystal in the ground.

It looks like the ones from the Corrupted's backs, but it was colored orange instead.

I picked it out of the ground, examining it. What is this thing?

"Put it into your inventory." Suggested Sally. "The System can then examine it."

"Got it." I grunted. Closing my eyes, I imagined dropping the stone into my inventory. As soon as I thought my command, I felt the stone disappear in my hand.

I opened my eyes back up. The stone was gone.

It worked!

"Sally...activate the System..." I slowly asked, wincing in pain.

"Of course Host." Sally replied.

The System menu popped up. Selecting [Inventory], I entered the tab for the second time. This time it wasn't empty.

[Inventory]

Fire Crystal - 1 - Crystallized mana in the elemental form of fire.

So it's a fire crystal...

I walked into the cave, following the path. There were more glowing crystals which illuminated the way, but these were too large to grab.

I continued to follow the path for a good couple of minutes, the crystals that littered the walls and ceiling slowly growing bigger until they reached the size of my leg.

Simply, they became large.

Eventually, the cave led to a room. It was large, vast, and mostly empty.

Giant pillars held up the ceiling, and there was an old carpet which had long lost it's color. It led through the large, open room to to a small altar at the end. Giant fire crystals littered the walls and ceiling.

Wait...is that a person?

I hurried across the carpet, limping as fast as I could to reach the end. I reached the altar, looking at the person.

They had their head down, staring at the ground. Chains were wrapped around their two arms, spreading them apart. The chains were wrapped around two giant square stones.

There was a stone pillar behind her which her body was attached to by a chain wrapped around her waist.

"Hello?" I asked.

I received no response. Not even movement. Is she dead...?

I checked her pulse. She was still alive. I let out a breath of relief I didn't know I was holding. In front of her was a strange stand. On its top, was an indent in the shape of a handprint.

"What is this...?" I asked.

I placed my right hand into the indent on the stand. For a moment, everything was silent, until chains launched from the stand, wrapping around my arm.

The chains burst into a white fire, searing my skin as I screamed in pain. The chains that held the Prisoner also lit on a white fire.

It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!

It hurts so bad!

Why?! Why?! WHY?!

My arm! My arm!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" I screamed.

[Commencing Fusion...] a robotic voice rattled in my head.

But I was too busy being in extreme pain to notice.

[Fusing...]

...

[Fusing...]

...

[Fusing...]

...

[Fusion Complete]

...

[Integrating Fusion.]

...

[Integrating Complete]

...

[New Skill Acquired]

...

[Chains of Holy Fire]

...

The pain suddenly went away, as the chains broke. They uncurled around my arm, revealing it to be badly burnt.

The chains holding the Prisoner broke, letting her free from her prison. She dropped to the floor in front of me.

Slowly standing up, she looked at me.

"D-did you free me?" She asked.

"Uh..Yeah..." I replied.