Chapter Text
Second chances in this weird world full of holes might actually be a thing. When I opened my eyes for the first time after falling into the void I was back on the surface.
For the last few days of my life I had been trapped in “parkour prison” as those “parkour pros” called it. While I was down there they explained to me what a parkour noob was(apparently I was one of those) and that there was a whole hierarchy system in place. Each level represented a group of people who were on the same level of prowess.
Everything was going great until they selected me for random parkour testing, the guy in charge set up a jump on some blocks I'd never seen before, but honestly I thought it was no biggie. I've done some pretty impressive jumps in my time… before I fell on my first jump.
So I didn't make it on the jump and fell to my death yeah whatever big deal. My life should've ended there and then but then why am I still here? And why here on the noob level?
When I was up here I spawned where there was absolutely nothing, no food, no nothing. Just 1 block jumps as far as the eye could see. But here I've spawned at a building as tall as the sky with houses made of wood and stone scattered across the fields of 1 blocks and a whole community of people who lingered in small groups.
So This was parkour civilization.
This was totally different from my first impressions. While I was marveling at the sight in front of me some guy came up to me and started talking. “Hey you must be one of the Revived guys right?”
“Revived guys?” I was confused, revived? That would make a lot of sense as to why I was standing here but—
“Oh yeah, you wouldn't know. The new champion made a new change where every single parkour noob who died during the old champion reign gets to be revived. Isn't that great? You're being given a second chance!”
Wow okay so that's why I’m here now. The guy in charge gave me a second chance, sick. “Nice, that's good to know. Is that why there’s a crowd of people around here?”
“Yup! Some of the people here who fell were buddies so they've formed groups, some of the Revived are actually some former pros or masters, most of them have already left to rank up though.”
Ranking up, that was how life was lived in parkour civilization, from what the parkour pros told me it's a ruthless life of struggle, if you miss a single jump you’d be going down a level or even worse, death. But that didn't make sense, how were there people who were already ranking up?
“Hey, from what I heard from the pros in parkour prison it’s impossible to rank up what's going on?”
“Yeah so among the changes they made the ranking up course way easier, or that's what I’ve heard from the pros who come down here to hand out the daily parkour checks.”
Seems like I need to go get myself updated with the latest whatnots all my info from the pros is outdated.
“Thanks man, I'm gonna go ahead and try to make some friends.”
“Sure cya!” I jumped my way into the open field and for the first time did I step into the world of parkour for real. The air about this place felt different from the area where I first spawned, it was lively and upbeat it actually felt like something.
The last thing I remember when I was up here was meeting some guy named Evbo. I was begging him for some food but he was going on about… Something about being the only one to be able to do a 360? I still don't know what that was about but it was honestly my tipping point, I walked miles with no stop. I was starving and this guy just… thinking about it makes me kind of angry when I see him again I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!
Right now it isn't the time to be thinking about the past. I should figure things out before nightfall.
Those people over there seem pretty friendly. I think I’m going to go over and say hi. I made my way over and introduced myself explaining my situation, after I explained myself they easily gave me a gist of what they've figured out. It’s just as the guy at the spawn area said. The Parkour Champion made changes that ended with a lot of people being revived. Unfortunately there aren't enough houses for everyone even with those who’ve gone to rank up there just wasn't enough, and the houses that were being added daily weren't enough, some of them even look kind of off, whoever’s in charge doesn't seem to be very good at his job.
“Before the current Champ there was actually a different guy running this place!” a Parkour Noob, probably one of the older ones interjected. “Evbo, the parkour god and the 360 master! He was way better at this job. It's no wonder he got ranked up to be the Parkour God.”
Parkour god? 360 master? Okay this guy’s got it way over his head with all these titles. Wait, did he just say Evbo?
“I think I know that guy.”
“Duh, everyone knows him, he's the parkour god.”
“No, I mean like I know him, I've met him before”
“That's impossible, you said you've never been above a parkour noob rank before unless you two met when you were both noobs. but how can you prove it?”
He’s right. I can't prove it, I have no proof or evidence. After that everyone shunned me away and I went elsewhere to look for something else to do.
I wandered pretty far from the group, jumping from block to block without any kind of aim. I want to prove to them that I did know Evbo, but there's no way I could get that sort of proof, unless…
“Hey you.” Suddenly there was a voice behind me. I turned around to see who it was and it was some guy I’ve never seen before. He wasn't with the group from a while ago, nor did I see him in the spawn area.
I steadied myself preparing for anything he could throw at me, the pros told me there was this thing masters did that kept the pros from ranking up. But the pros wouldn't let up on what it was. Even if this person was a noob like me or that respawning was a thing I didn't want to die again just yet.
“What do you want?”
“Watch the tone I don't want trouble,” he starts out, “I heard you talkin’ with that group a while ago. You said you knew a guy named Evbo.”
So that's what this is about huh? Does everyone want a piece of this guy?
“Yeah, I do. But if you want info you're gonna have to pay.” I put my fists up, I wasn't sure what I was doing but this felt right.
“..What are you doing?”
“I don't know this just feels like the appropriate response.”
He chuckled at me, “You really know nothing about this world do you? Are we really sure you're one of the revived?”
“Just so you know I was handicapped from the start okay!?”
“Whatever I dont care just tell me what you know about this guy.”
“Ugh you’re a pain, I only knew the guy because I met him while I was starving, I showed him a 360 and he started going on about how he’s the only one who's able to do it. Clearly he’s not the only one who can do it considering I'm right here.”
“What, a 360!?” This is getting old.
“Why does everyone seem so surprised by 360s? They're so easy here, look I’ll show you.” I then proceeded to do a 360 right before his eyes. He just stared at me, the only way I could describe the way his face looked was a face of pure bafflement.
“I’ve never seen anyone do a 360… not until Evbo showed up.”
“Are you mad at Evbo or something?”
“He infuriates me. He made a fool out of me! Every time I happened to interact with the guy, something bad always seems to happen to me.”
“I don't know man, that just seems like a streak of bad luck coming from you.”
“My career as a parkour pro was a stable one until he showed up. My life was just fine until then, so clearly it's his fault.” He sighs.
“Look, I used to be a parkour pro, we could team up. I help you and you help me. Deal?”
There wasn't really anything he could really help me with to be honest. The only person getting anything out of this would be him.
“I don't know about you but there isn't really anything that would be considered dangerous here.”
“You don't seem to get it do you? Typical of you Parkour Noobs. Here in Parkour Civilization the higher you go the more competition there is, take it from a Par— Former… soon to once again be— Parkour Pro.”
I thought about it some more, there is something that’s been itching at the back of my mind that I couldn't seem to get out of my head. Maybe with him as an ally I could have a chance of figuring it out.
“Okay, but if we’re teaming up then you’ll come with me somewhere.”
“And where would that be?”
Soon enough he’d realize his mistake of pairing up with me.