---

Holly couldn’t help but feel a bit amazed at the goblin city, however. It was only because of the fact it was a city built in a game world compared to building it yourself. However, that made her a bit more annoyed that between the Goblins and her freedom of this game was having to kill some goblins. She could believe why she was late to meet up with her friends, which was mostly because of helping Kipper. ”Kipper, why do you have to be always hunting for things for your subclass you want to be?” She had a bit of an annoyed tone in her voice mostly talking to Kipper, however. With what was going on made her focus a bit more since making a mistake usually will cost you your life in this game. Because there was a battlefield and she needs to focus on the enemy in front of her. The mostly the fact of Goblins are ugly creatures and having to fight them so much is a pain in the ass but these goblins were much more organized.

She took out her white Ivory bow, which was a beautiful reward she gotten. ”Damn Goblins… Please go die?” She knew one thing her liners weren’t that good. In terms of things, she was trying to emulate Akumi and wasn’t that good at it. She pulls back on her bow for a few seconds and releases a Power Shot specifically at a Goblin Archer, hopefully it wouldn’t miss. However, she did hear Ceci in the distance saying something specifically like her.

“WARCHIEF!"

She couldn’t help but sigh at the fact Ceci is still as reckless as ever. In terms its nice she finally met up with her friends. However, it caused her to load up another arrow and fire it normally directly at a different Goblin Archer. ”I do hope she never changes. It was mostly because of her and Akumi I haven’t given up in this game.” She had a proud looking smile on her face at the friends she met before this game released. At least they are still here and kicking some major butt and they have a very long way to go to get out of it. The goblin city is one step in that long journey of freeing themselves from the hell that is this prison.

The presence of Pepper was a miracle unto itself. Bursting out of nowhere, the faerie dragon’s sheer mass deflected the incoming goblins, giving the adventurers those much needed seconds to reorganize themselves. Prome’s flames charred, Holly’s arrows pierced, River’s lightning obliterated, and as more adventurers charged to suppress the threat, three definitive drum beats resounded, and the wedge formation of Brute and Warg began their retreat.

But this was not a loss for the goblins. No, for all the awe-inspiring terror that the full-grown faerie dragon struck in their hearts, what those beautiful feathers caused was more than fear. It was desire.

A dragon. A true dragon. Oh, how many stories would be told in their name if they were the ones to claim the life of a dragon. Those feathers would make a beautiful headdress. Imagine how gorgeous using those glistening eyeballs would be as an amulet. The talons, so razor-sharp, much greater than any dagger they could craft. And imagine how grand it would be, claiming a faerie dragon’s beak as your helmet.

They dreamed. They obsessed. They craved.

To fly over the battlefield was to expose oneself. And to do so in a world where magic could not be dodged? Doubly foolish. The greediest of all was a Shaman that raised his birdskull staff in a triumphant roar, sending out unholy lightning. One searing crack and Pepper was tumbling, shot out of the skies, her right wing heavily damaged. She spiralled, fell, and crashed behind enemy lines, leaving a trail of feathers and upturned dirt in her wake. A few goblins were crushed beneath her weight but more were worked up into a frenzy by this gift from the heavens. Before Pepper could rise up, the monsters descended upon her. A Brute wrapped his arms around her beak, sealing the noxious fumes before they could be spilled again. Wargs crashed against her muscular, but fragile wings, while lesser goblins, hungry for blood and glory, swarmed her body like ants, raising rudimentary farming tools with malicious intent.

River could see this, all in the backline, behind the raised shields of Paladins, Knights, and Warriors. Could see the physical representation of his pet’s health scatter into the winds as they ripped and tore.

Seconds remained before the faerie dragon expired. Prodigiously sized she may be, and yet that same size did not translate to significant strength.

---

---

---

>>Health:
(2600/2600)
>>Mana:
(3950/3950)

---

Rage and worry filled River as he watch Peppers bar quickly diminish. The staff he once held was now swapped into a whip and wand, the lightning from earlier still coursing through his body, making every movement he did faster. River began to cast self buffs, quickening his speed before launching into a full sprint. Using the diversion Pepper had caused to RIP past enemies unnoticed. Those who dared to test the trainer were quickly met with a crackling whip and blast of electricity, only causing him to move faster and faster. With every hit, he healed, every hit fueled his anger and rage as blasts of electricity discharged from his body. He quickly swapped back into his staff to gain more range and unsummon Pepper from the field as tears fell down his cheeks, it wasnt supposed to be like this. He placed down his electric ward, any who dared to come near him would be fried. This was reckless, stupid, he needed to think. A goblin attempted to approach River and he had an idea. He bolted towards the goblim with a sheild, blasting surrounding enemies with lightning to help keep his speed higher and higher. A quick jump onto the sheild as he faked the goblin out, making him raise it, and River propelled himself into the air. He didnt have much ground to cover to reach the main force, so with a land he exploded into a lightning field, ridding himself of a few enemies before crying out to Willow for help.

Health: 2700/2700
Mana: 3550/3550(+450)









Willow nearly tripped in surprise as she stumbled back from Pepper’s fully grown form. But a series of notifications quickly brought her back from the stunning sight to the battle. Again healing spell after healing spell went out, both to her party members and a few others in dire need. She popped her intimidation periodically, keeping her intelligence boosted, until Willow noticed her battery make a mad dash into enemy lines. Willow let loose a string of expletives, preparing to snatch the idiotic trainer back but a goblin headed for her again and she was forced to nether push it into crossfire instead. By the time she looked up, River was gone. She kept an eye on his heath bar from the menu but had to continue healing or lose someone else.

Willow’s head snapped up at River’s shout, barely audible over the roar around her. She disrupted an arrow headed for Kira before turning her telekinetic move on River. With that, she almost turned away but a sudden ping on the status page brought her attention back. Immobilized. Who had the audacity…

A sneaky little goblin managed to snag her friend in the middle of her spell. What a damn waste of MP. She stomped closer to the frontline of the fight, pushing Tower off to the side, and pointed at the little fiend.

“Neither pull.” She snapped. The goblin and its hostage jerked towards her, howling all the way. As it flew, she triggered clear mind and shot her intelligence over 100. “Don’t interrupt my spell again, you little shit stain. Intimidate.” She growled at the creature once its forehead tapped against her wand. “Shadow raze.” And she watched shadow energy shred the goblin to ribbons. She snatched the trainer by the ear and ducked behind the tanks again, marching back towards the mages, healing along the way.

“Absolutely unacceptable, Charles.” She yelled over the din. “You do not move from my side, do you understand?”

They had been waiting for that.

Breaking out from the lines repeatedly was nothing more than a sign of lack of discipline, from a trainer painting a massive target on his back by breaking into enemy lines solo, to a mage pushing aside her tank in order to get a clear shot at a singular goblin. As Willow vented her anger on the two trainers, human and goblin alike, an opening exposed itself, one that no glory-seeking Goblin would ignore. Three poisoned bolts drove themselves into her body, her healing spells already set to cooldown as they were expended upon River. Immediately, debuffs such as <<Disease>>, <<Grevious>>, and <<Poison>> emerged on her status, chipping further away, but those were an afterthought compared to the sudden struggles that sounded through the rest of the backline.

The wedge of goblins that crashed the lines hadn’t just been there to kill. They had also served as a distraction, one that was only magnified by the sudden appearance of a faerie dragon knocking everyone away. And as the attention shifted back to the frontlines, the clash between the main forces, no one realized that the enemy was still amongst them until it was too late.

Holly felt a pinprick on her neck, before the world immediately blackened in front of her. The <<Sleep>> status burned right before her eyes, and no matter what she willed herself to do, she could not force the darkness of unconsciousness away.

Prome, lost in his own world as he unloaded Fire Blast after Fire Blast, suddenly choked, thin wire tightening around his neck as a small creature latched onto his back, pulling harder and harder on the garrotte.

All around them, other backline DPses were suddenly tipping over, disabled or debilitated, while the Goblins surged with renewed vigor in this moment of respite, their own backline offenses now able to fully commit upon smashing apart the shield wall. Goblin Ambushers. That was what had slipped in during the mess that the wargs and brutes had caused, small, black-cloaked creatures that specialized in disabling rather than killing, a whole assortment of powerful debuffs in their small, deadly hands.

---

Health: 2000/2000
Mana: 3850/3850

---

Kipper was hard at work, cleaning up after the raid party ahead of her did almost all of the hard part, and Holly was even staying back to keep her safe! She was currently hunched over a warg and cutting at it with her small knife, gathering what monster parts it had and smiling happily as it's blood poured over her hands. As it began to dissipate into light, so did the blood on her hands. It was a process she had gotten used to. In the beginning, she was always grossed out by it and couldn't wait for it to vanish but now it was just routine. She barely noticed and a few times even wiped some on her face by accident.

She stood up quick and made her way back toward's holly, smiling up at her and shrugging. She had made it this long in the game pretending to be a mute, and as far as her friends other than River knew, she was! It was perfect for her. No embarassment, no... easy way to communicate. The act was bound to end some day and she dreaded when it did. She had anxiety about it ever since her friends convinced her to buy the game even. And then they got stuck, which made it worse and just thinking about all of this, Holly would see her eyes fill will mild fear, though her body was just as relaxed as ever.

She was snapped out of her daydream as Holly started firing arrows and suddenly... stopped. She could see the <sleep> status next to her name and quickly shifted her body to be on top of the poor girl. She waved her wand, it looked as though she was drawing a careful rune in the air but truly she was scrolling through menus in order to find something to protect herself and Holly until she would be able to be awake and fighting again but was interrupted as her fellow back line DPS's were being dropped and attacked! She scrolled to a different menu, closing out of the ice spells and opening Fire, muscle menu selecting her favorite spell.

She waved her arms, and then suddenly dropped them as the ground in front of not just her but a large portion of the back line began to glow, dividing a section of the goblin ambush and the casters and archers. A flurry of sparks and flickers of light, loud pops and then heat erupted from the earth as pillar after pillar of flame shot forth toward the goblin ambush. Fire Wall was always fun for a good getaway. She looked down at Holly, the heat sending waves of wind that would blow her hat off, had it not been a video game.

---

---

---

>>Health:
(2600/2600)
>>Mana:
(3850/3950)

---

Rivers body tugged harshly as Willow attempted to move him, however it appeared a Goblin had gotten to him first. Two forces fighting for control of the Trainers body. Finally a dark energy ripped River and the Goblin towards Willow. Grateful tears replaced those of anger and Sorrow he had previously shed towards Pepper. Soon her health bar was struck with a number of debuffs on her. River lashed out a healing spell onto Willow, his eyes burning with anger. These goblins would all pay. He quickly ramped his mana back to full and his wicked grin grew wider than ever. "Don't you EVER TOUCH PEPPER AGAIN!". He unleashed a storm of lightning and rage across all the goblins nearby. Dropping bodies faster than the stock during the great depression. Lighting danced across his fingertips and onto the enemies until finally he switched over to his whip and cracked it against the green flesh of his enemies. Pixals after pixals flew as River laid down a barrage fueled by his anger at these creatures. How could they do that to pepper? How dare they do that?! By the end of if River stood there panting as he glared at the goblins who slowly backed away from the berserk Trainer. "Anyone else have a death wish?"

Health: 2700/2700
Mana: 3550/3550(+450)









Damn it. Three bolts slammed into her, inflicting status debuff after status debuff. Damn it. She was clocking Charles in the damn face if they got out of this alive. The healing the trainer provided have her enough time to see the Fire Wall help categorize some of the gash the goblins managed to make in their formation, reaching out to copy the spell while her intelligence was boosted to help control the influx of enemies. Kipper’s wall doubled in length as Willow connected the tips of their spells together. Another shadowraze sent Prome’s way dealt with the irritable creature chipping away at the Tinker’s health.

She flicked out healing spell after healing spell and a quicken on herself as necessary, riding the mana wave of River’s barrage, and using her body passive to minimize the debuff damage until they finally wore off. A few movement spells here and there, coupled with a shadow raze, brought enemies rounding the wall right back into it. She grumbled at River’s shouted threat.

“Yeah, you apparently. Can you care a bit more about us and a little less about the pixels?” Willow muttered irritably, sending another heal out before shouting above the noise. "Intimidate going out!" The following ripple of magic washing over the goblins.

The world sang its requiem.

Some were blinded by rage. Others were blinded by an Ambusher’s blows. But most of them were blinded by fire. Not a metaphorical flame, but true fire magic, walls of flame surging up to separate the backline DPS from the frontline tanks and melees. Such a tactic, started by Kipper and then expanded on by Willow, only brought temporary peace of mind, and only cut off the slowest Goblin Ambushers. The enemy was already upon them, after all, brandishing their poisoned weapons and their assassination tools, and at melee range, a wall was hardly effective as a tool for separation.

A mistake in the heat of the moment. A loss of focus, brought on by personal loss. They had left the goblin army’s Shamans alone for too long. River’s valiant, furious lightning cut down the common goblins like a farmer’s scythe did with wheat, even as his MP spiralled up and down with the irregularity of someone’s bursting heart. Willow pushed and pulled and plucked and tossed more Ambushers into the pyre, watching them burn with irritation and satisfaction. Kipper continued to protect Holly as the <<Sleep>> debuff ticked to the last seconds, the archer eventually opening her eyes once more. Prome found the chokehold around his neck loosening, felt the viscous sensation of goblin flesh splatter against his back before dissipating into a thousand pixels that flew up the skies.

Wait, the skies?

When had that happened? When did they begin to notice it? When did it become something to consider? All around the army, goblins and wargs were slain. All around the army, they saw the corpses pixelate, dissolve, and float up. Float up, but not disappear.

What was the core of a Goblin Shaman’s magic?

It was sacrifice. Of the soul, of the blood, of the life.

And, far in the back, unmolested by the human mages and archers who were concerning themselves with yet another section of sacrificial troops, the Shamans formed a collective, offering up their prayers to eldritch entity that granted them power beyond imagination. The cold, machine like voice that demanded life in return for miracle, that wanted them all to offer up the most glorious, most visceral sensations in return for a singular, crushing blow. How many Goblins were pushed into the meat grinder of the adventurer army? How many of them had fought, knowing that their everything would be used for this purpose?

All of them.

They were Goblins.

They feared not death, only death without meaning.


A final incantation, and the Head Shaman, decked in beautiful feathers and wyvern scale, lifted her ritual knife and drove it into her heart. Blood gushed out, dying her world scarlet, and in return, dying the world scarlet. A heartbeat sounded over the desiccated wasteland, and all adventurers could see it now. The sky cracking, fracturing, oozing with liquid lightning. Each droplet caused an eruption of magical and physical force that left a crater upon the ground, and the sky rained with those condensed balls of green lightning. Attempts to counter the spell only erased a single droplet. Attempts to escape were stopped by the hordes of goblins, laughing in the apocalyptic weather, even as the area-scale eradication spell tore through chunks of their own army.

The world was falling to pieces.

Who would stand by you when it ended?

Fight and survive.

You are the only one who can take hold of your own fate.

Health: 2700/2700
Mana: 3550/3550(+450)









It was like a nightmare. No. It was a nightmare. Scarlet ran like tears, striking harder than boulders and punishing anything that thought to stand against the deluge. It was punishment for their hubris, not setting up an observation team against the horde, and it would be a lesson learned and paid with the lives of the slow or unlucky. Now it was a game with the stakes as high as they could be.

A burst of expletives rang across the field as Willow swore between spells. They had been stupid and naive. They were better than this. How many days, weeks, months had their little group lasted together through dungeon and raid and contest? And yet a single damn war brought them to the brink. A brink Willow would die before she let the others fall over.

“River, keep me Quickened and then heal as fast as you can.” Willow shouted over the screaming, the sound of pixels-friend and foe alike-, the cacophony of explosions. “Kipper, we need to focus on overla-” She was cut off as she barely avoided a droplet, “Focus on overlapping our Arcane Resistances! Keep Weaken Magic on cooldown and add your Quicken on me! Everyone else, just focus on dodging! Let the damn rain kill them!” Her voice barely loud enough over the terror of combat. Or rather, the slaughter.
She’d run the concept over and over in her head, just in case. She hadn't chosen her spells lightly and it was time to flex her muscles so to speak. One fucking hell of a test run. She took a deep breath, feeling the rush from her AGI supplemented and, flipping her wand like a bad old western movie, cast her web.

Push, pull, move. Cancel, push, Weaken, Copy: Cancel, push, move, push, pull.

Willow drew on every ounce of experience she had, moving her group around and through the droplets. She set into a rotation, the mana loop between Kipper and herself keeping her consistent, and soon the movements and the words blurred away into a calm focus as she spun her web.

Push, pull, move. Cancel, push, Weaken, Copy: Cancel, push, move, push, pull.

The noise, the screams and the crying and the jeering of goblins, disappeared as she whirled as best she could, shifting, moving, pulling. The sting and pain of hits and the relieving glow of River’s light became secondary to survive. And so she tried, spinning and respining tendrils of inky dark and sudden shifts into a web to hold her friend’s friends alive.

Health: 1000/1000
Mana: 1400/2000

---

Prome had never been strangled before. He found it to be an unpleasant experience.

"Gah!" The thin strand blocked his throat, cutting of both air as well as the ability to call for help. He watched his health bar slowly tick down as he struggled to escape. Suddenly, something hit his assailant, freeing him. A few seconds later, a healing spell hit him. Prome shivered in fear 'How...how close did I get to 0 HP?' He asked himself, even though he was afraid of the answer '...I wasn't ready. I'm such a fool! How did I think this puny suit of armor would be enough to keep me safe!? It wasn't even enough to stop some trash mob from choking me to death!!! I'm so stupid!'

That was when the rain of magic began. A swarm of drops of death, and no tanks to block them for him 'This...this is the end...isn't it? My HP is so pathetic, that I doubt I'd survive even one of those. I'm going to die...'

The drops inched closer.

'...I'm scared...'

The drops inched closer.

'...I don't...'

The drops inched closer.

'...I don't want to die...'

The drops inched closer.

'...I don't want to die...'

The drops inched closer.

'...I don't want to die...'

The drops inched closer.

'...I don't want to die...'

The drops inched closer.

'I WANT TO LIVE!!!!'

Just like that, Prome moved, dodging out of the way of one of the incoming drops 'I can't die here! I still have so much to do, so much to see, so much life ahead of me. I won't let these monsters take that!!!!'

---

Holly opens her eyes and notices Kipper protecting her from the goblins by what she could see as a Flamewall. She sighed that she got hit by a goblin’s sleep arrow, which was a pain in the ass. ”Kipper, I thank you for protecting me, while I slept. Wish the sleeping wasn’t on a battlefield against Goblins.” Holly said towards Kipper, with a smile on her face. She knew that Kipper doesn’t respond normally to anyone mostly because she’s mute. In terms of everything, she was highly angry at the goblins for using tactics unlike any other mmo she’s been in with her friends. She stood up with a bit of an acknowledgment for noticing River and Willow. ”Hi Willow and River. What the hell is going on while I was sleeping?” Holly asked with a bit of anger at the last part of her question. She was aiming it mostly at the fact she was put to sleep by Goblins.

The question that she gave Willow and River felt a bit stupid to ask since they were still on a battlefield against Goblins of all things. She did notice all the strange thing happening, however, one specific thing was apparent the goblins were doing something terrifying. It caused her to speak up a bit. ”What in the seven hells is this shit?” Holly asked, to no one in particular. She specifically used a reference to FFXIV she used to play in terms of the Seven Hells. However, she knew from the panicking and how Willow had in a worried look, which means they had to dodge raindrops or they will die.

She knew she had to dodge each raindrop, at least she had her friends near her to do this. Because the coordination of her friends are second to none, even though she wasn’t around them before this battle. She dodged one of the raindrops that tried to fall on her, which felt like a dance but she was using her AGI to dodge said drops. The one thing, she wasn’t trying to show off or nothing with dodging the green raindrops. She noticed in front of her Prome, the Tinker in question dodging the raindrops too. ”I don’t want any of my friends to die in this game, please don’t hit him.” Holly thought to herself, with a smile. She was hopeful that everyone would dodge the raindrops and live through this part of the battle so the people who went after the Chieftain can kill it and they will be done with this part.

Holly couldn’t stay in her thoughts or risk of dying to the raindrops. In terms she kept dodging the raindrops specifically to keep everyone from feeling like they need to worry about her. ”I hate the goblins even more so now than I did...” Holly said, to no one in particular. It’s mostly because the Goblins were the most overused first enemy you face in a mmo ever but these goblins in particular really ground her gears. She sighed while she dodged another raindrop as she was watching her friends movements to keep an eye on them. It was mostly because she enjoyed their company and wanted to stay with them throughout the entire game until they are freed from this prison. She couldn’t help but sigh in relief as everything was happening as once. This kinda pissed her off mostly at the fact she couldn’t really fire her bow while this spell of death was going on. She was grateful the bow was indestructible.

---

---

---

>>Health:
(2600/2600)
>>Mana:
(3850/3950)

---

He looked onto the sacrificial magic in horror. How could anyone expect to win when every death made them stronger? The sky began to turn red as blood as the pixalationa of all the goblins began to fly towards it, congealing into a cloud above the field and then raining down vibrant green drops. A single drop hit a player near River and he watched as his health bar dropped. "Its acid rain...the rain is harmful...how does one avoid it?" he mut6to himself, half in shock, half in thought. Willows voice broke the Trainers thoughts as he now focused on the task at hand, surviving. First up was Willow, his lightning fast movements whipping his wand at her casting a quickening spell as soon as hers wore off. Next was Prome, a simple healing spell should top off the squishy tinkerer just fine. Now recharge. These next few moments were crucial to cooldown management.



The lightning spell keeping his movements fast and fluid, watching his speed increase with every cast. Anytime he became topped off again on mana, he would cast off a few lightning spells to deal mass damage and then return to his cycle of bluffs, heals and mana gain. One hand quickly opened up a menu and pulled up Cecilias name.

"Ceci, where are you? If you can avoid the rain and take down the shamans as soon as possible thatd be great. Stay safe and run here if you need to get healed! No heroics!"

His quickened self, energized by the mass amounts of electricity flowing through his body, made it easier to slip and dodge the pools of green that fell from above. He only hoped others failed juat as well.

Tower

Health:
7000/7000
Mana:
???/4050

Status:

---

Dennis had long since prepared himself for the fight - he knew well in advance that it would be both larger, as well as more dangerous than any other conflict he had experienced up until that point. He honestly hoped that maybe, if he was lucky, he could be lucky enough to be assigned to the Vanguard and provide much-needed support to the frontliners. His job, however, was with the rest of his guild in the Main force. Keeping them alive was his top priority, with the other players coming in as a very close second. Taking enemies out was not what he had in mind this fight.

Cecilia ran off ahead, a habit that Dennis was rapidly growing to dislike more and more about her. This time though, there was nothing he could do - she signed up for the independent mission, so he just had to trust that she wouldn't end up getting her skull caved in. As his companions launched spells and River sent out his pets, Dennis chose to try and make his way towards the front of the army of Adventurers - his paladin slowness had been a blessing in disguise, as it left him out of the range for Brutal Taunt when it was cast. Unfortunately, by the time he caught up with his faster and less encumbered teammates, River's pet was already shot out of the sky and the trainer was casting his lightning spells. The paladin paused readying his Mass Aggravate.

The world exploded.

It started to rain. Blue orbs dropped from the sky with great speed, striking the ground and lighting it in a blue glow that broke the earth below it. Dennis was a bit ashamed to admit that his first concern was the regret that his shield had broken - he immediately rectified this by using his Mass Aggravate, trying to draw the hordes of goblins to himself in order to allow the others to escape. Now wasn't a time to curse his bad luck, or swear vengeance on the game developers, or yell at the goblins, or speak to his teammates. Now wasn't the time to think, or breathe. Dennis just had to sit and take the abuse, do as he was supposed to do. Help.

That simple acceptance of his responsibility made the whole, chaotic scene around him a little less debilitating. He continued to spam Mass Aggravate, settling for a Bless or Greater Bless on himself when he was waiting on cooldowns.

---

Nothing. There was nothing in this endlessly dark room save for its one inhabitant...its one prisoner. Chains attached to metal clamps were attached to her arms, restricting her movement not that she had any desire to rise. Nothing ever changed inside this sunless room of hers, and that was how she preferred it. She just remained sitting on her knees with her eyes blankly staring into the abyss. This room used to be much different. There was warmth, joy, and even excitement that gave color to the now gray concrete walls and the cold, stone floor. It was fine. Here she didn't have to do anything. She didn't have to open to heart break and suffering. The demon that possessed her was more tangible in that regard. The self-created demon Akumi took all the pain away but it also took everything that made Ryu her own person.

The world that lay beyond this dark, cold room frightened her beyond measure. She even forgot what it felt like to live in that world free of Akumi's influence and her unshakable confidence. Now that she was inside of a world where death was a very likely possibility, she found no reason to do anything. This was a place where Akumi could thrive and provide the kind of help that Ryu would never be able to. She used to have some kind of say in Akumi's actions but ever since coming here, her fragile hold has been slipping away. But what did it matter? Akumi was the only part of her that was special anymore. Everything else had faded away with time. Ryu was nothing more than a bland, soulless being whereas Akumi was brimming with spirit and color. It was okay. She didn't mind staying here where nothing would hurt her. A safe comfort until the slipped into the void for one last, final time.

---

Kira was exactly where she wanted to be. A seemingly endless horde of enemies for her to utterly crush and show to the other players just who they should be worshiping in this battle. She weaved through enemies like a graceful dancer and attacked with the viciousness of a lioness. If only she could bathe in the blood of the foes defeated and relish in their defeat. Kira had to ignore these momentary desires to focus on the slaughter at hand and pull these pathetic excuses for life into the cold, welcoming embrace of the void. Despite being drawn by blood-lust, she held her ground around her minions. It would be extremely tedious to find another member of her demon council that would be as loyal as the ones she fought beside now. Suddenly the battlefield changed with the sky filling with the crude, but effective last effort of the goblin shaman. How disappointing that such an attack would cost him his life as it would not stop the great Akumi from hunting each one of their miserable hides.

The advantage was hers with her high agility and acrobatics skill and maneuvering around the orbs were a breeze. However, this cowardly attack would not go unpunished. That thought passed by quickly as one of the orbs detonated nearby though luckily Kira had been outside of its explosion radius and was simply hit by the shock-wave, knocking her off her feet. Her fist tightened to the point her nails were about to draw blood as she stood back up. It was an insult. A direct attack on her position as the great demon of Last Genesis. Every goblin in this forsaken city of theirs would be put to the sword, HER sword. Death would come and it would be absolute. Nothing will be tolerated to remain in her presence.

"All those opposing me will fall to my dark covenant of souls. Pray to the hands of fate but you shall find yourself groveling at my feet. Nothing shall comfort you in your final demise as I bring the embrace of the abyss to you and your families. Prepare for the end, for you shall be begging for its arrival."

Kira proclaimed as she stood on top of the edge of one of the craters.

The Warchief hadn’t been hiding. He was the leader of their people, not some cowardly strategist hiding in the tunnels, not some heartless sovereign holed up in a fortress. Standing in the backlines amongst his Drummers, who relayed orders for the army at the speed of sound, he paced and he narrowed his eyes, a guttural growl rising with satisfaction. Leaders they may have had amongst them, but it was clear they had no efficient manner of communication in the quagmire of conflict.

Many chiefs could not lead an army effectively. Conflicting orders, conflicting tactics, conflicting objectives. The adventurers were a multi-headed snake that had no idea what they wanted to do, while his glorious horde? A powerful drumbeat sounded, and in unison, the entire horde cried out their satisfaction, their devotion, a thunderous roar that washed over plains. The Warchief smirked, his gnarly fangs exposing themselves.

Either they feast at the feet of their lord or on the corpses of these foolish adventurers. Regardless of what it was, they would feast, they would drink, they would celebrate.

But in that moment, a meteor disturbed his revelry. No, not a meteor, a single adventurer. Her lavender hair billowed like fairy silk amongst the dust. Her amber eyes burned like frozen lightning. In her hands was a simple spear, and in her heart was a white hot flame. And her voice? Like knives dragging against his bones.

“Found you.”

The woman made a gesture in the air, and, a long distance away, Skygod, a level 15 Runechanter, let out a deep sigh, his half-moon glasses dipping down his long, narrow nose. That Lancer was easily the youngest of them all, and there was no way he approved of her reckless actions, but results were what mattered here. She was the fastest of their scouts, even if she was also supposed to be saving her strength, and with a shrug, the balding man raised his arms, bringing from his souls the final words of power that his ritual required.

“I DECLARETH MYSELF SKYGOD, MASTER OF ALL LANDS BENEATH THE AZURE. EARTH, RISE AND ISOLATE, IN THE NAME OF THIS GRAND MAGIC EVOCATION!”

These were words that would never reach Cecilia, words that would never reach the Warchief. But for one, it didn’t matter, and for the other? It was a surprise. As Skygod’s mana plummeted to near-empty, massive walls of granite burst around the Warchief, the monster letting out a surprised growl before immediately launching his offensive. A challenge? Then have at him! He was Vrazdol the Overeater, the mightiest and wisest of his clan! Reaching out towards the heavens, he pulled a green bolt from the skies itself, creating a greataxe of eldritch energy, emanating with terrible might.

That, however, was not the only thing that fell from the skies.

Dapper and cleanshaven, Taleisen cavorted through the opening of the high-walled Arena with eloquent steps, his raven hair swept sideways as twelve different weapons orbited around him, before they all shot like arrows down towards the muscular goblin. Some were daggers, buzzing around at blinding speeds. Others were spears, striking with the force of ballista shots. Still more were chains and swords, binding and cleaving at rapid succession. An Aspect was primarily an elemental mage, but Taleisen manipulated the world in its entirety with his mind alone, a flurry of strikes outpacing even the fastest duelist.

Amidst the iron storm, Nagi dashed, her short hair streaming behind her as she ran down the earthen walls. A mantra on her lips, she willed her fists to become iron before kicking off. Elbow strike, low kick, eye gouge, knee to the groin. Though her class was Assassin, her experience in Kyokushin Karate made her the only player that used the Exotic Weapon: Body to maximum effect. And though that experience couldn’t be fully leveraged against beasts or small creatures, the Warchief, at a truly humanoid size, was the perfect target for her fists and elbows, her feet and her knees.

But a boss was nothing if not resilient. Pushing through Taleisen’s flying blades and Nagi’s punishing strikes, Vrazdol let out a blast of magical force that slammed the monk into an opposing wall and charged immediately, a decimating swing unleashed from his axe.

“Parry!”

In that moment, Chateau threw off his Light’s Bane Cloak, his twinned blades flashing out with a force that was hardly sufficient to physically counter the Warchief’s glorious blow. But this was not reality. There were laws that overruled all logic, and it was with that logic-defying move that the blond swordsman overruled the goblin’s earthshattering blow, bouncing the strike back even as Nagi bounced on her feet again. With a flick of his wrist, the surreptitious swordsman tossed his feathered hat over the face of the Warchief, before immediately launching into a powerful upper strike that launched even the armored boss monster to the sky. “He’s all yours, Tada!”

“SHUT THE FUCK UPPPPPPPP!” went the bespectacled Berserker. Leaping off the top of the wall, he somersault twice (losing his glasses in the process) before howling like an enraged demon and unleashing a full-spirited Decimate. The hammer struck deep as both player and monster crashed into the ground again. Tada was the first to act, his gauntleted hands ripping and tearing at Vrazdol’s armor, before a hard punch sent him tumbling back. But the Berserker tore off a shoulder piece for his efforts, and Tada smirked, hefting his greathammer on his shoulder before flipping the creature the bird and then pointed up.

Against his better judgment, Vrazdol did so.

It was a shadow. A deathly shadow, wielding a sword fit for execution.

But it was also only a skinny, short Japanese middle schooler, with wide, innocent eyes and hair that had the habit of getting his way.

It was Arata, one of the highest level adventurers in Talrae, the Level 16 Marauder who was the first to claim the head of Fenrir’s Herald.

With a defiant roar, Vrazdol weaved his own cruel magic, ancient words of power spilling out of his mouth. But Taleisen’s chains burst out, denting the helmet and crushing the tempered metal against his lips. Nagi leapt in next, the martial artist twisting and turning like a snake as she locked down the champion’s dominant arm, her arms and legs tightening around it. Before the Warchief could throw her off with his other arm, Tada was already there, eyes mad with battlelust as he turned the bones to dust with another Decimating strike. Escape wasn’t an option either, Chateau’s oddly-shaped blades flickering out and slicing open the tendons. And finally, like a nail driven into a coffin, Cecilia’s spear thrust into the Warchief’s spine, the Lancer’s expression stone-cold as the <<Stunned>> status emerged upon their foe.

Death came for all. There was no escape this time.

“Calamity Crusher.”

It was an eternity, and it was an instant.

Like lightning through the night, Arata’s <<Blood Moon Executor>> sliced off the Warchief’s right arm in the same instant Nagi leapt off. Blood sprayed everywhere as Vrazdol roared in pain, his severed arm still squirming as the eldritch axe faded out of existence.

Victory? No. They all knew it.

Just like how the system allowed Chateau to parry an attack that should have snapped his blades in half, the system had also prevented Arata’s attack from cleaving through the Warchief’s skull.

Nagi acted first, ki swirling in her open palm as she went for a stunning blow, but even she was too slow.

From the earth beneath, green lightning shot upwards like a branching oak, wiping the world in godless light as the Warchief broke free of his bonds. In the death-defying light, Taleisen’s chains disintegrated, Cecilia’s spear melted, Nagi was tossed three stories up onto the wall, Tada was tossing every curse word he knew as he was pressed into the ground, and even Arata was forced back, the ordinary middle schooler smiling a savage grin that didn’t fit his babyface.

What emerged from the wreckage was the true form of Vrazdol the Overeater. His own armor had been vaporized by the transformation, exposing an awe-inspiring musculature that stretched his red skin. Green veins pulsated underneath, and his heartbeat was a drumbeat, heard by every person within the arena. The stump of his right arm bubbled with tumorous flesh until it regenerated fully, and before him was an axe of even greater size. He grasped it, and with a single swing, levelled out the entire wall, the ring of electrical power turning the earthen arena into dust.

For a moment, the great Warchief let out a laugh, expecting to be welcomed again by his Drummers, the elite warriors that would no doubt help him show these peons the true meaning of despair.

But for all the screams of terror, all the revelry of his kind, there was not a single drumbeat.

The growl turned from mirth to fury to confusion, the creature wheeling around, only to have his head snapped back by an echoing boom, the monster’s skull exposed for only a moment before that injury was regenerated.

“Wow, this totally is a cheater, huh?”

An unbothered tone. A cavalier attitude. If Arata could claim the title of the strongest, then this man, dressed an ostentatious swallowtail suit and spinning two sleek sniper rifles in his hands, was most certainly the most skilled of them all. Killer Gram, the level 16 Gunslinger who doubtlessly had the highest number of monster kills in the game.

And flanking him was Insomnant, the Purifier already weaving holy magic as he coated himself in resplendent flames. These two alone had cleared out the entire pack of elites while the others brought down the floor boss to his second stage, and now…

Nagi picked herself up, spitting out a bloody wad and popping her shoulder back in.

Taleisen opened up his inventory, drawing out his entire armory of thirty six rare weapons.

Skygod emerged with an army of golems, each step smoothing over the ruptured earth.

Tada laughed and flipped the bird at the Warchief, a new set of glasses on his nose.

Chateau flippantly downed a Zephyrus Potion, a magical wind gathering around his form.

Arata’s small hands tightened over his sword, eyes burning like smouldering coals.

Cecilia let the last pixels of her Zenon Spear sift between her fingers like starsand, before, from the ether, the Langley Spear was called forth, razor-sharp and completely untouched.

Two bullet casings popped and bounced out, and Killer Gram adjusted his goggles. “Well then, mates, let’s wrap this show up, eh?”

And, as one, they charged.

Under the scarlet sky and the luminous rain, the Kill Team pushed themselves to the very limits, struggling against the constraints of the cold, heartless system to achieve something truly beyond their means. Their foe was terrible and almighty, drawing strength from the thousand souls of the fallen, each swing of his Overcharge Axe causing tremors that could be felt throughout the area, but Chateau and Insomnant pushed themselves to the brink as well, sharpening their senses to a razor point as they tanked and deflected, debuffed and healed, the chinks in their defenses made up for by Taleisen’s floating shields. In the wide open area, the Mind Aspect was at the fullest of his element, a man possessed as he dodged and deflected electrical arcs, while his own weapons were a swarm of bees, biting down with furious might. In that iron storm, Nagi and Arata were in their absolute element, Assassin and Executioner making use of the flying weapons as aerial footholds, fist and steel striking at every possible angle. They were spectacular, they were unstoppable, and they inspired greater fury in Tada as well, the lower-leveled Berserker calling on the foulest of his curses as he whaled upon Floor Boss with wild abandon. It didn’t matter if he was struck in return. It didn’t matter if he was tossed or bashed or shocked or anything like that. He kept on coming, a Berserker in the truest terms that howled like a mad man. And whenever he was in any true danger, Skygod’s golems would emerge from the ground, smashing into the enraged Warchief and buying the precious milliseconds for the Berserker to backstep out of a life-extinguishing blow. Further off, Killer Gram showed his expertise as well, firing a constant stream of armor-piercing bullets towards the monster. Each shot threaded a needle, each shot was a critical blow, each shot allowed someone else the opportunity to act, and soon, at his feet was a pool of golden bullet casings.

This was a legend in the making. This was a story to be told. Each one of these adventurers were stars, a protagonist of the story, a guiding path for so many others to aspire towards.

And in this legend, where was Cecilia?

Well…

She was everywhere.

Intermittent flashes of her Redeeming Glows were all that served as a method of telling where she had gone, the Lancer accelerating to breakneck speeds. In one moment, her Piercing Strike paralyzed the Warchief before he could fully defend against Tada’s singular strikes. In another moment, she sailed to the backline, pulling Skygod away from a disintegrating beam. Yet still, she caught up with Nagi, tossing the martial artist a potion so she could sustain her pummeling combos. And she danced too beside Insomnant and Chateau, taking the full attention of the boss for just long enough that their cooldowns could be refreshed.

A part of her raged against it, that she was incapable of outputting that same amount of damage. But another part of her knew that every action taken would help, no matter how insignificant it may appear. That was why she chose to specialize in Agility to begin with. One small step may not matter, but what about five? Ten? Twenty? If she piled up enough deeds, even she could become great.

Even she could play a role in the finale.

“EARTHEN FORTRESS!” Expending the last of his power, Skygod deflected a stream of calamitous lightning, falling back even as others rushed forwards.

“RIPOSTE!” Rushing forward to receive the first blow, Chateau abused the laws of the system for the last time, the Overcharged Axe deflected even as his own beloved blades shattered like glass.

“TELEKINETIC AUGMENTATION!” Gathering the scraps of his sundered armory, Taleisen crafted a new weapon, a hundred pieces of rare weaponry forming over Nagi’s fist.

“MOUNTAIN CRUSHING PALM!” And she answered his expectations in return, raven locks streaming as golden energy emerged in the cracks of the makeshift gauntlet before bursting into the goblin’s chest.

“EVEN THE ODDS!” On the borderline of life and death, Insomnant unleashed the grandest counterswing of all, holy flame rushing out to consume the staggered Warchief.

“DECIMATE!” Through the flames, Tada and Arata surged forth, weapons stripping away the flesh of the regenerating monster to exposing the ribcage beneath.

“PENETRATING SHOT!” Twin .50 cal bullets whistled by the Marauders’ ears, Killer Gram launched back by the recoil of his own shots, his masterful accuracy cracking open the bone-plate to expose the beating, putrid heart within.
And, in the vacuum of everyone’s efforts…

“Sprint. Quick Reflexes. Greater Accelerate.”

Cecilia ran off, meeting the first wave of green lightning.

“Greater Dash.”

It was magic, naturally unavoidable, but she didn’t care, pushing through the pain to get at her target even faster than before. Beneath her, unholy magic turned the ground into a swamp, her legs suddenly sinking low.

“Devastating Charge.”

In an instant, she shed those movement impairing effects, as light as a feather, her eyes focused on her target. The bone was repairing, the flesh was seeping back, the v-

Suddenly, a drop of green lightning fell before her.

An explosion shook the world, completely vaporizing her form.

It was as if time stopped, for that single moment, and the Warchief’s lips turned upwards, strength returning to his body. Their chance was over. His time was now!

SHNNNNK.

A flash of light, as transient and eternal as a shooting star.

“Piercing Strike.”

Bloodied and scorched, drained to her very limits, Cecilia pushed her spear through the last gap within the ribcage, the tip barely making it in. With a coarse groan, the single goblin discarded his weapon, both hands reaching for the shaft.

“No, you don’t!” Nagi, even with one arm broken, leapt up and, with a twist of her hips, popped one arm right out of his shoulder. Arata, reaper that he was, drove his executing blade into the other arm, his canines emerging as he pinned it down. The Warchief groaned in agony, his life expiring, but his spirit still unbending. Opening his mouth, he forced the first words of power out of his mouth, tremors of magic responding to the last vestiges of his soul.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Tada was there to respond now, his berserk visage like that of a God of War as he brought the hammer down upon the beast’s crown. He laughed, blood-drunk and light-headed, lost in the adrenaline.

And, through it all, Cecilia pushed and pushed, fighting for each millimeter as the tip of her spear pushed deeper and deeper into the goblin’s heart.

End it. End it. End it!

…

All he needed was an instance of tranquility.

A quiet, shallow breath. A narrowing of his eyes. The pulling of a trigger.

On Talrae, everyone knew that there was no marksman as skilled as he. But few knew that there were also none who were as kind as he.
The bullet flew and struck the butt of the spear, transferring all that kinetic force into the weapon and giving it the last oomph needed to.

Pop.

The.

Heart.

The light faded from the Warchief’s eyes as his green veins faded, black blood gushing out of his extremities. A last whisper left his lips, a prayer for all the souls of his brothers and his sisters, his warriors and his friends.

Slowly, the Warchief’s body dissolved, like ash in the wind.

Health: 1/1000
Mana: 0/2000

---

1 HP

1 single solitary point of health

Anything could kill him in his current state. Hell, someone with their strength at 1 could kill him by throwing a pebble at him...probably. Prome sat on the floor, frozen, not quite in fear, but something else. Too shaken to even ask for a heal.

'I need to build'

Desperate for some way to never go through this again, Prome's mind went into overdrive, thinking up possible upgrades 'It's no good, I'll need to rebuild it from the ground up. A brand new suit. I really need money.'

Prome suddenly noticed that he was shaking '...wow, I'm such a wreck. I...I just need to get to a workshop and start tinkering. Once I have a new suit of armor, then everything will be alright again.'

---

Holly looked over the battlefield that they finally won over the Goblins. It was a bit of relief that they won but she should’ve brought more arrows to this battle. She didn’t realize it was going to be three to four hours worth of a fight. ”Bashing goblins over the head was fun with my Bow.” Holly said. She sighed only because of the fact, if her bow wasn’t indestructible she would be up shit creek without a paddle.

She looked towards her friends, specifically Prome since she noticed something a bit shocking. It was a bit shocking to see he had a single solidarity health point. She just stood there with a fear that anyone could kill Prome easily with anything. It was a good thing that they were in a group of people that aren’t player killers. ”Prome are you alright?” Holly asked, with a worried tone in her voice. She was hopeful that Prome would respond to her but he does get lost in his thoughts much over the fact he’s a tinker. In her thoughts, she was grateful no one died throughout this long battle but she needs to be more prepared next time if this happens again.

She opened her items list and noticed all she had left was a greater mana potion and no more health potions. ”Damn… looks like I have to shop for more potions then… and arrows it seems. Preparedness definitely needs to be on my priority list.” Holly thought to herself. She was a bit lost in her thoughts until she snapped out of them by herself. It was only because of the fact, she wanted to chat to her friends and was a bit worried about Ceci. ”I do hope Ceci is alright. How’s everyone else doing?” Holly asked, curiously. It was pretty obvious how Prome was doing but she was mostly asking that to everyone else near her, even though Kipper wouldn’t probably respond since she’s a mute. She can’t wait to reach a new town so she can resupply her arrows and other things she will need.

Health: 2869/3000
Mana: 3900/3900
Renn: 7013 Renn
STATs Tree:




Arsene
Health: 800/800
Mana: 1100/1100
STATS Tree



Dubstepp continued ordering Totoro to repeat his onslaught of punches. Nothing appeared to be too grim. He slightly noticed the twins fighting in the background. The musician remembered he acted playfully at the start of this game; however, he was fighting against boars. These are full-grown goblins!

After the last enemy fell, Zeke knocked down the totem with ease. Dubstepp crossed his arms, his forehead slightly glistened in sweat. He had no problems breathing since he was only commanding his monster throughout the battle. His ears perked up when he heard Cecila’s complaint. Eyes widen when he too noticed that they did not gain any experience points.

Dubstepp enjoyed the fact his life was still intact, but it sucked how there was no merit or reward to fighting those creatures. Looking down at the ground, he contemplated, wondering how his final battle might prove to be useless. He imagined that he would die for a rare item though this debunks that daydream. ”Dying for zilch. How ridiculous.”

After several moments later, Dubstepp found himself biting his tongue. He fought enough goblins leading up to the last room. He figured as a first boss, the creator of the game was going to throw something practical or lazy. The musician figured a giant skeleton or boar would suffice as a first boss. Nope, the musician was clearly wrong. An army of green knee-stabbers began approaching in a rhythmic pattern.

Breathing through his nostrils, Dubstepp began collecting his thoughts. He grabbed onto his head and held it still. Normally, something like this would excite him, but this was life or death. He had to rely on the power of his teammates, which he doesn’t know that much, and his monsters, a class that he had randomly chosen for shits and giggles.

Realizing the numerical advantage the goblins possibly had, Dubstepp summoned his second pet for the first time. ”Arsene! It’s time for you to shine! Help guide me and Totoro in battle!” Patting the giant rabbit on its back, he began relaying his strategy. Totoro’s purpose remained as the tank, drawing the attention of any nearby goblins. Using weapons and abilities, Dubstepp and Arsene will become an extra set of damage dealers to quickly thin out the herds. Additionally, Dubstepp will cast healing magic if he fears their health is too low.

He kept close to his pets to easily communicate with them. Even though they were nearby, it was difficult to give them orders. The sounds of metal clashing against each other and crys of war were hard to scream over. All the noise made Dubstepp’s heartbeat race; his eardrums kept ringing.

While evading potential sword swings, Dubstepp averted his attention to his teammates. He tried looking for them in the sea of green men. That slight second caused him and his pets to lose a portion of health. ”Fuck, I only looked away for a second! Totoro, clear them out!” Dubstepp ordered Totoro to abuse one of his abilities to stun the surrounding goblins.

Yelling over everything began making his voice grow hoarse. His voice cracked several times. A shadow cast over his face and he instantly looked up. ”Is that River’s-” Nodding it off, he focused on the enemies before him. The constant healing on Totoro was really eating up his mana. ”Keep at it, guys! Dubstepp will never die!”

He chuckled nervously. Even through all this intensity and possible death, he still could crack a joke. Parrying a goblin, he began contemplating if he wanted to go out as this person afraid of dematerializing. Or the individual that smiles to the end.

Dubstepp struggled with finding a stopping point in this continuous raid of goblin hell. ”Of all the annoying fucking things to fight-” Frustration began building up. When rage is present, so is desperation. He blinked a few times and acknowledged from the start this was going to be a stamina battle. But he definitely was not going to survive any longer. Totoro’s health just kept depleting.

Dubstepp bit his lower lip until he broke off skin. Turning to his cat creature, he told Arsene to counterattack any strong or area-based attacks. Finding not a lot of mana at his disposal, he started to push the goblins away from Totoro with his wind capabilities. He started calmly getting back to his senses.

“So many goblins, too many hauntings.
Ugly mofos left and right,
Mugs hurt my eyesight,
Sit tight cuz’ I’m ditching an uptight appetite,
And going to reunite at daylight,
Rhyme till I die because it’s my birthnight,
No stupid green men,
Again and again,
Fight to the end,
So many goblins…
…
…
…
So many goblins…
...goblins…
…
...
I can’t see myself in a coffin.”

Dubstepp began getting overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. His mana had done depleted. ”Totoro! Keep guard! I can get some restoratives! You just need to hold them down!” He screamed. Without the air pushing the goblins and the magic to heal Totoro, the giant rabbit’s health plummeted.

Gritting his teeth, Dubstepp started to panic and couldn’t find the item properly in his handbag. ”Damn it! Not like this!” Totoro’s health sank down less than one hundred. Once the rabbit breaks, Arsene and Dubstepp are dead. The musician clenched his teeth, not ready to call it quits.

And with that, the goblins broke into a shimmering light. Dubstepp’s body went numb when he immediately realize the players had conquered the goblins. He dropped to his knees in exhaustion. ”I need to lie down,” he muttered as he waited for heart to stop pumping immensely.

After defeating the boss of floor 1, a large ornate door appeared in the center of the field. Beautiful designs were engraved into the metalwork, depictions of foliage wrapped around the frame, with the two doors adorned with images of ruins. A loud thud resonated throughout when the door materialized before the players, letting all know its presence. One player approached the mass and touched where the French doors met. The sound of steam hissing could be heard as the doors slowly opened outwards, thick heavy fog rolling across the fields of the dungeon, coating the players feet, making it impossible to see what laid beneath. The air near the door became humid and hot, giving the feeling that someone, or something, was breathing down your neck. The sound of thunder could be heard resonating from the other side, loud cracks closely following flashes of bright lights that lit up the faces of those who were near and looked towards the door. The patter of heavy rain hitting thick fronds as some life made noises that echoed into the night. Upon entering it was finally revealed to be a tropical rain forest. Trees, plants, and lush greenery, all taller than the players. Fronds as big as some, helping to provide some cover from the deluge. In the distance, between the flashes of lightning, one could see small lights that flickered in the rain. A town occasionally lit up but the crack of lightning that flicked across the sky. A few more steps revealed a white sand beach just between the players and civilization. Exploration can begin tomorrow, but civilization should be sought after for now