This is a story intro for the contest previously announced. Read the rules first before proceeding to writing the next episodic entry.
Comment under this post a link to your entry.
You have a week after posting this for a deadline.
10 HBD awaits for the winner + side rewards for participants.
I'm not going to mention what those side rewards are or conditions to get them. Just get interactive, participate or do something that involves engagement with the community during the event. We'll notice you.
Voting for the winner will be on Discord.
Disclaimer:
All characters written here are a work of fiction and are not in anyway an accurate representation of any real life persona. I mentioned that this is a fever dream type of story where nothing was meant to be coherent and it's up to the community how they want to shape the plot as the story progresses.
Title: Saving Jazz Hero
“Tell me why I’m here again?” TP broke his silence amidst the sounds of mortar rain and blazing gun fires. His ears were already getting used to the intruding noise bombs made.
“To win this tournament and get the clue leading us to the wizard named Jazz.” Demotry didn’t mask his frustration as his brows knit upon eye contact. He didn’t wait for TP to utter a word before resuming his scanning of the battlefield. They were hidden beneath the covers of a bush for already half an hour caught in the crossfire.
“But why though?” TP pushed the subject further. He could not recall how he ended up to where he was. The last half hour was as far as he could recall. It was as if everything that happened before that were wrapped in his mind’s haze.
TP’s first recollection was opening his eyes to a forest. He saw a rock. It was shiny. He picked it up and examined it. It was a marble stone. Not too heavy or big and not too small. It was the right size to scrub his body with. Why did he thought of taking a bath? He wondered that too until he saw a newspaper fly his way. The headlines read of a rise in oil prices due to wars in Antarctica.
But this didn’t answer why he found himself in the forest. He scanned the immediate area and saw a variety of flowers, mushrooms, and butterflies.
None of this is real. He thought to himself.
“How so?”
A voice replied which jolted him to spin searching for the owner. He turned to see man dressed in a medieval noble’s garment. He was fat as he was mysterious.
“How? Who are you?” TP felt his six pack abs and shoulders tighten on their own ready. The man had the element of surprise but chose to let himself be known.
“My apologies bald Sir, I picked up a bad habit on my travels when it comes to prying for people’s thoughts. I am Demitri Trymebabyonemoretime. My friends just prefer to call me Demotry if they choose life. I am traveling landlord who happens to know the ways of mystic and occult.” Demotry said in a firm and confident tone.
There were several questions that could be asked from the man’s introduction. But nothing tickled TP’s curiosity more than seeing the struggling button on the man’s tunic to keep the fashion intact. The buttons and threads keeping the clothes together looked like they are at their limits. One small gram of fat to tip the scale and those buttons of the stranger can become projectiles.
“I am TP. I…” TP realized there was nothing more he could add to the introduction. It seems he had forgotten who he was.
“Say no more bald Sir, if you wouldn’t mind, let me see your right palm.” Demotry slowly showed his palm signaling a stop and quickly gestured for TP’s hand to be examined to which he obliged.
“The flowers… these variety don't grow naturally together in one place. These are either planted artificially.” TP remembered to answer the question.
“And right you are, hmmm… these hands of yours have undergone a lot of hardships. The fame line… the wealth line… uhuh… the wills be told ang dami mo palang utang.”
Demotry remarked muttering to himself as he looked at TP’s palm pensive.
“Where am I? at bakit ang sakit mo mag judge?” TP didn’t hide the hint of annoyance.
“Magagamit ko to.” Demotry concluded as he let go of the palm. His eyes darted to the surrounding area and wore a scheming expression. This did not sit well with TP knowing how his question was dismissed. He was about to utter a word when Demo signaled a swift hush with eyes alarmed.
Demo rested his palms on the Earth with eyes closed in focus. It was as if his party member was sensing something he couldn’t. TP unconsciously followed suit trying to feel for the Earth.
“Ano ginagawa mo?” Demo asked suspicious.
“Nakikiramdam lang, ano meron?” Tinaray back ni TP.
“Bakit meron kabang kapangyarihan sa lupa? Landlord ka ba? Mukhang hindi naman gurl.”
“Taray mo ghorl, sige ikaw na may kakayahan, kaw na may ari ng lupang kinanatatayuan ko.”
Demo smirked. He was the landowner and TP didn’t know it.
“I sense a magic user nearby casting a spell… high caliber magic. Weather based…” Demo continued his survey of the unknown. The winds blew harder that it muffled the sharp explosions from the background. The skies turned darker as the seconds passed. Demo muttered something incoherent quick as if he it was a prayer.
“What’s happening?”
“The enemy has casted their spell and it’s coming towards us. I hope you live.” A hexagonal green barrier wrapped Demotry encasing him away from the world. The sound of thunder rumbles louder from a distance and the grew gradually louder. Like the sound of hundreds of hooves, it kept rumbling closer than ever.
“Paano ako?!” TP panicked as he banged his first through the barrier.
“Hindi kasya eh, kulang ng breathing room.” Demotry said casually. He was calm and waiting for the passing storm. The space within the barrier was enough to accommodate three more people in.
TP tried to muster a reply but stopped at his train of thought when the curtain of lighting that seemed like a net manifested within view. It was fast. It was as fast as a virgin boy looking forward to Netflix and chill on the 3rd date fast. It was this time when TP knew he was screwed. Unconscious desperation made his arms moved on their own and banged on Demotry’s sanctuary. He was pantomiming for help but Demotry tried to decipher the situation as TP’s attempt to play charades.
“Tapang naman nito, may gana pa mag laro habang malapit na yung katapusan… sige nga… 1 one word… English? 2? Something long… 2 long? 2 long? What does two long mean?” Demotry couldn’t hear the outside. He saw the curtain of lighting approached but unfazed. He pulled out a chair from his magical tush and a tea set to wait it all out. Demo peered through his smartwatch. The scoreboard already show the top ten battle royal players.
Out of the hundred players across the 10 kilometer battlefield, the warrior named Arc defeated 33 players. The last satellite scan showed the enemy’s position was a few more kilometers off their position. There was another threat that showed earlier from the scan. A wizard that specialized in elemental budol magic placing themselves at rank 2.
There was a high chance that the enemy they will be facing now is a strong contender. Demo poured hot water onto his tea cup revisiting his plan of attack. The enemy is approaching his way and confrontation was inevitable.
“Nagawa mo pa mag timpla ng tsaa?!...” TP didn’t have time to accept his fate. He knew he lost his gamble appealing to the mercy of the wizard that abandoned him sipping tea. The curtain of doom approaches and impact is within seconds. He froze. He felt a jolt of spark within the air and a strong gust of wind slap his face tipping his body off balance. He felt the heat and shock overstimulate his senses to black out.
Naramdaman niya na parang sinampal siya ng hangin at nawalan ng malay sa mundo. He was slapped by the wind and gone with the world ika nga.
“Why does everything have to come to an end? Was the purpose of having a life merely for a cosmic sadist’s ploy? To throw let the creations conceive their own purpose that may or may not actually be the case? To ask a question in the void and have no resolute answer? Watashi wa… chinchin sugoi dekai.”
TP saw his younger self ask the question in silence. He does not have any recollection of this scene. He knew from an instant that this was a recollection from his past. A dream. But the child sitting in front of him did not seem to be aware of another person within the room. In fact, the child continued to play Lego muttering to himself philosophical questions beyond his time while putting the small pieces of Lego up his nose.
“Kelan kaba gigising sa panaganip napariwara kong estudyante?” A familiar voice of an old man intruded TP’s train of thought. He shifted his gaze to the source and saw the old sword master staring at him. Their eyes met and everything within the pupils of the aged master spoke wisdom.
“Master?... nasaan ako?” Biglang naalala ni TP na pumanaw napala yung kanyang guro sa espada. Ang malapanaginip na mundong ginagalawan niya, ang taong nakikita niya, at ang bigla niyang pag alala sa kuryenteng tumapos sa kanya bago siya napadpad sa ganitong lugar.
“Gusto ko ng siomai rice. Bumili ka ng siomai rice.” His old master broke his silence looking him in the eye. He recalled how much the old man loved his pork siomai despite having been warned by the doctor to cut the fat down. The country’s public healthcare insurance sucked balls and he died not being able to afford the meds he deserved. TP knew the man could’ve lived longer and have recovered if only he had enough funding to sustain the daily costs of keeping him alive. Such is the fate for those master with no life insurance.
TP said to himself that he would never include any promotional ad about life insurances in his story. He refused to mention how the Sun which has a life and an insurance attached to the company name offered the most economical, useful, and financially secure policies the public has access to right at the palm of their hands. He refused to mention in his internal monologue how great the insurance policies offered by the company in his story.
“Nako, lolo, bawal po yan sa iyo. You know the doctor said you need to cut down the fat.” TP jokingly played along. He knew he was talking to the dead. He knew what happened to his body before he came to this place. He was being greeted and ushered by the master to the other side.
“Natalo kananaman na walang kalaban laban. Parang inaksaya ko lang yung mga panahon kong turuan ka.” The old man said with irritation.
Hindi mo parin makukuha yung siomai rice mo tanda. TP thought to himself.
“Naririnig ko iniisip mo gago.” The old man sniped back. Napatingin nalang si TP na mulat yung mata.
“Mahirap mabuhay master. Namatay ako na walang kalaban laban. Yung sword style na tinuru niyo, bale wala lang sa mga gumagamit ng mahika.” TP said in defeat. He gave a sigh.
“Remember your training my student. Remember the breathing style I taught you. Remember the breath of testu chinpo suki suki and it’s forms.” The old master looked at TP in the eye in all the seriously seriousness totoo na talaga di na to joke at seryoso na siya na look.
The flashbacks of TP’s sword training rushed into his head uninterrupted. It felt like a stream of information suddenly coursed through his head and his mind and body were registering them uninhibited. He could feel his muscles tighten and loosening on their own as they react to the mental imagery of the moveset he trained for. A + B + left arrow + Up arrow + Up arrow + L2.
“It’s ok to lose and run, just don’t quit. To uphold the ideals of nobility without compromising your integrity. Live with those beliefs and hold your noble purpose on high regard. You will never lose. To the student that I deem the strongest, whom I have confidence the most, whom I know will uphold the ideals taught my school… go back to the world of the living invincible, akumagai”. The old man said his parting.
“Lolo pinkhub, ako po si TP”. TP muttered to himself.
“One last thing, no matter what happens, don’t be like that other student of mine named TP.”
“kbye.”
TP awoke from the sound of explosions. He checked himself to see his body still intact with a few bruises to show for. He was alive and the lightning curtain from earlier. By instinct, he summoned a sword from imagination.
“Good, now help me finish the Witch off.” Demotry had his back turned against the swordsman. They were both standing on intact ground. The wizard saved the swordsman at the last minute. But it seems the TP was out cold and the two magic users were locked in combat a few minutes prior to his awakening.
“Shortcut, TP meet, The Witch of Zell named Witty, rank 2, came to slaughter us, fight her like now na.” Demotry split his attention between blocking the bolts of fire from the witch to explaining the current situation. The wizard was bleeding.
“It’s fine, as long as I have land to step on, I can regenerate. Even faster if yung lupa na tinatapakan ko may tenants na nag rerenta. This is my art as a Landlord and Wizard.” Demotry explained dispelling the concern. TP readied himself but in an instant, one lightning bolt slipped passed Demo’s guard and shot straight to the swordsman. TP staggered a few steps back but still intact and ready to counter.
“How are you this strong?” Witty the Witch of Zell questioned. She didn’t see the swordsman a threat but was intrigued by the tenacity he put. Matagal talaga aabutin ng taong may six pack abs, she thought to herself.
“While I was in the boundary of life and death, I was able to complete my training recollection arc thanks to my master. Thanks to this contract, I am now invincible.”
The Breath of Tetsu Chinpo Suki Suki Style wasn’t the only thing TP had under his sleeves. He was born with the unique passive skill “Debt Berserker”. The more loans he takes, the higher his physical stats and existing talents increase.
“Pleasure doing business with you.” Demotry said with confidence. The stalemate was about to be broken and he will also profit from someone’s debt.
“Witty, I’m going to show you what true defeat really means…” TP’s let out a composed yet threatening reply before casting a barrage of self enhancement skills.
“Iron Body, Iron Chinchin, Iron Will, Legendary Fire Armor, Ermagerd Much Wow Armor, Bullet Shield, Wild Coyote Rage, Tenacity, Divine Armor, Divine Blessing, Holy Crusader Shield, Eye of the Falcon, Buffalo Rush, Enhance Regeneration, Enhance Thunder Resistance, Enhance Basta May Pwedeng Ma Enhance lang, Water Shield, Water Lotus Blade, Sword of Light Lv. 4, Sword of Light Lv. 10…”
TP continued his streak of self enhancement and each skill colored his aura until he just glowed like a rainbow.
“Ok! Tama na, kayo na panalo!” Witty surrendered to the self buff flex. This triggered the second condition of Demotry’s spell instantly.
“By admitting defeat, you now have incurred more debt. As written in the contract, you must now honor the agreement. You can stop that TP…” Demotry looked from the witch to the swordsman. The swordsman was still chanting buffs like a recurring national anthem.
“Hindi pa ako tapos, saying yung mga power ups ko.”
“Wala kaming paki sa power ups mo, panalo kana. Alis na tayo para patayin yung bruhang si Arc.” Witty the Witch of Zell snapped. TP didn’t hide his frustration. He was excited to test his strength with the rainbow buffs.
“Bigat naman nun, may mahabang backstory ka siguro kaya siya yung target mo no?” Demotry responded.
“Wala kana dun. Bakit ba kayo sumali sa battle royale?”
“I don’t know. I just woke up and biglang andito na ako.” The swordsman said truthfully.
“Someone sent me on a quest to find the hero named Jazz. He needs to be awakened again to restart the machine used to give life into the city of HivePH. I want to market my stuff at that city but no good peddling there if it’s not twerking right you know?” Demotry explained.
“Sino naman nagpadala sayo para hanapin si Jazz?” TP followed up.
“You seem happy today?” Jazz looked at the man sitting grinning at his screen.
“I found a sucker that wanted to make a deal with the city. Told him to look for you to startup the machine that powerups this shit together and gave him a long to-do list. Naniwala yung gago Ha ha ha."
“May nabiktima kananaman Adam, sino naman yung kawawang nilalang na budol mo?” Jazz shooked his head in disapproval. He mentally planned how he would later look into Adam’s story and search for the fool that sent to do an Odyssey.
“Just a landlord and I also summoned TP into the realm but wiped out his memories first. They’re in a battle royale right now. I tossed in Arc in the competition for the challenge.” A grin and a casual tone was the only thing clear to Jazz. Both figures have never seen each other’s true form and the human like avatars they use became the only physical interaction they had in the office while their real bodies remotely controlled it.
“You got Arc involved? Do you even have a conscience?”
“Arc’s a crowd favorite. Whenever she’s on, our ratings go up. I had my hope up for the new challenger from Zell, a witch I think? But she folded, so I heard.” Adam’s avatar gestured sipping a cup of coffee. It was a farce as dolls didn’t really need to consume anything.
Jazz just let out a sigh. There was no point in asking further. He will have to aid the people Adam put in harm’s way again. Because only he can do it.
“Fairest mermaid of sea, I beseech your audience in this time of need. May you grant me thy wish.”
Jazz entered the lagoon known well as the domain of the Wise and Fairest Pretty Tologo Mermaid ng Cebu. The moon’s light shined upon the glistening waters. The waters were calm and the place was like a pocket of paradise. Jazz now waits in silence.
Sinulat na shitpost ni Adam~