Later, when Ben would finally manage to learn some of the rules of the game, he would encounter a paragraph about Initiative. It read as follows:

When something triggers reactions from all or some of the participants in the immediate surroundings, an initiative check is being made to decide who acts first. Initiative is determined by multiple factors, the most crucial amongst which is wisdom - the ability to grasp the severity of the situation and act accordingly. Other factors are also taken into account, such as each participant's dexterity level, as well as relevant skills, powers, affinities, magical auras, magical gear, and active buffs and debuffs.

Note: while the participant with the highest initiative acts first, the time gap with the next highest is determined by the difference of their initiative score - each whole number is a fifth of a second (if your initiative is 10 and your opponent has 15, you would act 1 second after them). For more detailed information please refer to the Expanded Rule Book (ERB).

As it was, Ben didn't have time to think about rules or numbers. He only heard the order to kill him and knew that he had to do something right now, or it would be a very embarrassing Game Over for him. He didn't know that, but his initiative score at that exact moment was 11 - which was two levels higher than that of Tam - which meant he had two-fifths of a second to act before Tam registered the command to shoot. Two-fifths of a second is hardly enough time to roll out of the way of a crossbow bolt flying at you from almost point-blank range, but Ben had a few fractions of a second more - the time it took the guard to change his aim from Red to Ben, to smirk cruelly, and to pull the trigger. In total: one whole and glorious second.

Ben pushed against the floor, throwing himself sideways and as far as he could from his previous position. He even managed to grab the dagger as he scrambled for his life, and in his mind's eye, he could picture himself rolling on the floor like a ninja and throwing the dagger in one smooth motion, hitting his assailant blade first between the eyes.

It was a beautiful fantasy, but in reality, the second he had to leap away from danger wasn't close to being enough time. His muscles were weak, his agility poor, and his dreams of becoming a ninja evaporated in an explosion of pain as the bolt hit him very close to his ribcage, penetrating his skin and flesh. He collapsed to the floor on his stomach and cried in pain - an actual, real, terrifying pain. Was it normal to feel such extreme pain inside the game? What the fuck! Angry red letters formed in his vision:

You were hit! City Guard hits you with a crossbow bolt for 6 hit points. HP remaining: 6 out of 12. Be warned! Your HP is at 50% or less. You should probably take cover or something. Be extra warned! You are bleeding. Treat your wound or you would lose an additional HP every 30 seconds.

Ben moaned. He never felt such intense pain in his entire life. It felt like, well, like a freaking arrow was stuck in his body. He risked a look down and saw that indeed the bolt was deep inside the left side of his torso, a couple of inches from his navel. The bolt made a large tear in his already tattered shirt, and he could see blood gushing from the wound. Waves of incredible pain brought tears to his eyes.

He heard someone curse. "I said kill him, you asshole. Not injure. Kill. How hard can that be?" There were footsteps, and Ben looked up to see the bearded swordsman looming above him. "Here, let me show you how it is done. A blow to the neck, you see, is far more likely to - "

The guard didn't get to finish his demonstration, though. Whatever inhibitions Ben had had before about stabbing these men were gone. His vision was bloody red, his body and brain trying to cope with the pain, but the fierce anger he suddenly felt towards the guards helped him forget everything and focus on one simple mission: attack. As the guard came near, Ben lifted himself with his left elbow, giving himself enough leverage to bring his right hand - the one still holding the dagger - to an upright position. Then he struck with all his might.

His aim was true: the crude blade pierced the guard's knee, slicing through his pants and finding flesh. It was followed immediately by a cry of pain from the guard, and a message that flashed briefly and then disappeared:

You hit City Guard with crude dagger for 3 damage.

There was also a prompt about a new “Daggers” skill, but Ben dismissed it. He knew that his blow wasn’t fatal in any way, and moreover, that retribution would be swift. He let go of the dagger and tried to roll away, but even as he did so he could see the screaming guard's sword coming his way -

But the blade never reached him. As Ben looked wide-eyed, the guard's angry scream ended in a gurgle, and the tip of another crude blade emerged from his throat. Behind the dying guard, Red was pulling the bloody dagger away with a wide, manic grin. The guard let go of his sword, which fell to the floor with a metallic clatter next to Ben, and raised his hands to his throat, trying vainly to stop the fountain of blood, but to no avail - a second later he fell facedown, never to rise again.

Ben felt thick droplets of blood on his cheeks, but let them be. His perception kicked in, and he saw movement. "Behind you!" he cried out, but Red was not finished with his move - even as the crossbowman jumped at him from behind with a drawn dagger, the mercenary spun and kicked high, his boot connecting solidly with the other guard's chest. The crossbowman staggered back, which gave Red enough time to ready himself for another attack.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Ben pushed himself up, grabbing the guard's fallen sword as he slowly stood up.

Common Short Sword: level 2 Damage: 1-8 Critical chance: 7% A standard weapon used by most of the guards in Sonadin, it is a simple yet sturdy sword. We wouldn't recommend trying to behead anyone with it, but in the right hands, it would last for dozens of fights without breaking. Use it well, warrior!

The hilt felt a bit uncomfortable in his hand - the dagger felt better - but Ben couldn't ignore the better stats of his newfound weapon. He also didn't have much time to consider it, as another wave of pain nearly sent him back to his knees. He briefly wondered if he should pull out the bolt that was still jutting from his waist, but feared it would only make him bleed faster, which was a bad idea considering his meager 6 - no, make it 5 now - remaining hit points. Instead, he looked up and tried to focus beyond the pain and see if he could help.

Red and the guard were circling each other, each holding a dagger, waiting for the right moment to attack. His cellmate wore a big smile, apparently extremely enjoying the situation. By the light of the oil lamp, Ben could see that Red's face was smeared in blood. His shadow was dancing menacingly on the opposite wall, twice as large as the man himself.

The guard spit through his crooked teeth. "You dogs," he hissed, not taking his eyes from the mercenary. "Yer dead, dogs. The Lord would give you to the snakes. But first my friends upstairs will kill and butcher you dead."

So there are friends waiting for us upstairs? Thanks for the intel, thought Ben, registering the information for later use. He already assessed the situation and was forming a plan that would hopefully prevent the articulate guard's promised butchery. True, he was a bit overwhelmed by the situation - he was seriously injured, holding a sword and standing above the body of a dead man - but there wasn't enough time to appreciate the gory realism of it all. He could feel his blood streaming down his waist, and knew he had less than three minutes before his character died.

Ben was about to tell Red to take a step back so they could charge the guard together, but just then the mercenary seemed to lose his patience. Red abruptly stopped his movement, feigned an attack to the right, and then charged to the left, his dagger leading the way. Ben assumed it was intended to be a masterfully planned maneuver, but his companion's virtual dice roll must have been pretty awful because it ended badly: the guard saw him coming, jumped to his right to avoid the dagger, and then slashed with his own blade.

The counter-attack left a deep gash across Red's forearm and made him lose the grip on his bloody weapon, but the mercenary recovered quickly and with a mighty roar leaped on his opponent. The guard tried to lift the dagger again to stab, but by now Red was too close. As Ben watched, the two fell and started grappling on the floor, the guard still holding the dagger and Red struggling to wrench it free from his grip.

My turn, thought Ben. He changed the grip on the sword's hilt and took a step toward the grappling combatants. Red was stronger than the guard, but not as canny nor as fast - the other man managed to twist away and punch him in the face, and suddenly his dagger hand was free. Then, for a brief moment, the guard's back was to Ben, presenting him with a perfect opportunity and an extremely easy target.

It's now or never. Ben heard himself giving a mighty roar as he grabbed his sword in both hands and plunged it down, putting all his weight, as well as his fear and anger, into the blow. The level 2 blade pierced the guard's leather armor, and continued down to penetrate his skin, his flesh, and by the feel of it even reaching his spine.

Time seemed to slow. No, it didn't seem to slow - it did. Ben's shout lengthened and echoed. The blood from the wound in the guard's back splattered everywhere in slow motion. The man's head jerked back - slowly, just like in a good action movie. Ben watched it wide-eyed, knowing that it wasn't just his imagination. He remembered reading somewhere that some DMs programmed their games so when you kill a foe their deaths would be presented in slow motion, as was once customary in popular RPG computer games. Experiencing it firsthand was mind-blowing.

As Ben watched the slow-motion death of the guard, he took the time to read two messages that appeared in his vision. The first was exciting yet expected. The second, which came in sparkling purple letters, left Ben overwhelmed.

Critical hit! You hit City Guard with common short sword for 16 damage. You kill City Guard. XP received: 110. Current XP: 160. Points to next level: 840. VD achievement: My First Kill Congratulations! You have killed your first ever foe in the world of Virtual D&D. The system analyzed your actions and you received the following boons: Instant Heal. You fought against stronger foes and managed to survive. As a reward, your HP are completely restored. You are no longer bleeding. Current Hit Points: 12. Additional XP. You managed to kill before being killed in your first game of Virtual D&D - a feat not many can accomplish. As a reward, the system grants you an additional 500 XP. Current XP: 660. Points to next level: 340. New active status (hidden): Honorless. Stabbing a man while his back is to you has its advantages, but what does it say about you? Think about it no more, for the system has already decided how to reward you. You receive the following changes to your stats:

Initiative +1

Perception +1

Tactics +1

Stealth +1

Politics -1

Trustworthy -1

Honor -2

A new skill: Backstabbing

Congratulations! You have discovered a new skill: Backstabbing. You now get bonuses whenever you decide to stab someone in the back. Sweet, ain't it? The higher the skill, the greater the bonuses. Associated ability: dexterity. Backstabbing: level 1 You can easily backstab anyone who is not directly looking at you or otherwise engaged. Chance for a critical hit: +10%. Regular restrictions apply. Check the ERB for further explanations regarding the conditions that have to be met in order to successfully backstab.

The last word of the game prompt vanished from his vision just as the guard finally finished dying, and time returned to normal. Ben gasped, still a bit overwhelmed from everything that happened. Honorless. Backstabbing. Was it Raxlon who analyzed his actions and rewarded him accordingly? Or the game itself? The purple prompting seemed to come directly from the system, but Ben wasn't sure and once again he felt frustrated for not knowing the game mechanics. He also wasn't sure he liked being tagged "honorless" after such a short duration of gameplay, and more so - just because he used an opportune moment to finish the battle. It was unproportioned and unfair. And what was a "hidden active status", anyway?

"Say, didn't you have a bolt stuck in your belly?"

Red's gruff voice jolted him back to the situation. He blinked and realized he was still standing over the dead guard with the sword in both hands - the said weapon buried deep in the man's back. Red was sitting on the floor next to the body, grimly inspecting the deep gash on his right forearm. The mercenary once again looked at Ben. "You did, didn't you? I didn't imagine that bolt nearly killing you."

Ben looked down at himself. His ragged shirt was still torn and he was bloody as hell, but there was no trace of the previously horrible pain, and the bolt that injured him was now discarded on the floor. Instant Heal, he thought in wonder, remembering it was one of the boons he received.

Ben looked at his companion and gave a crooked smile. "Perhaps you did imagine," he said mysteriously. Letting go of the sword's hilt and leaving it inside the body, he offered his hand to the other man. "You okay?"

Red gave him a long and searching look, and Ben hoped the man wouldn't inquire further about the matter - he didn't know what kind of boons other players were getting from the system and didn't want to share his secrets so soon. Finally, the mercenary grunted. "I am fine. Lost just one HP to that moron, but it hurts." He spat on the body lying by his feet to emphasize the point, and then took the offered hand and let Ben pull him to his feet. They stood silently for a few moments, looking at the two dead guards lying in their growing puddles of blood.

Suddenly Red barked a short laugh. "Didn't get what they bargained for, did they? Ah!" He turned to look at Ben and slapped him heartily on the shoulder, nearly causing Ben to lose his balance. "And you! I must admit, I didn't think you were capable of something like that." He gestured at the sword buried halfway in the guard's back. "He almost had me. You saved my ass with that perfect timed backstabbing feat."

Ben wondered if he should be offended by his companion's choice of words, but decided against it. "I'll take it as a compliment. Besides, I could only do it because you saved my own ass with your perfect timed assassination feat."

"Ah! Right you are!" Red grinned. "A feat I only managed because you had the foresight to search for hidden weapons! Those daggers are the only reason we survived this encounter."

Ben grinned back, overcome by a glorious, wonderful feeling. He was victorious! He survived a battle against difficult odds, thanks to great teamwork and brilliant resourcefulness. With Red by his side, nothing could stop them!

Red appeared to echo his thoughts: "We're a great team, you and I."

Ben nodded. Indeed they were.

"Now," said Red. "You wouldn't mind if I take the sword, would you?"

Ben was still engrossed in this new and wonderful feeling. He nodded. "Take it. I think I prefer daggers, anyway."

Red nodded slowly. "Maybe you're right. Daggers would suit you more. And perhaps that little crossbow? After he nearly killed you with it, it is only fair you should take it."

Ben agreed. The crossbow was a great idea. He located the weapon lying on the floor where the guard dropped it and went to retrieve it, missing the thoughtful look crossing Red's face.

Common Crossbow: level 1 Damage: 1-8 (wooden bolts) Critical chance: 8% Range: 80 feet Loading time: 4 seconds A standard weapon used by some of the guards in Sonadin, it is a simple tool but one that can become deadly in the right circumstances. Requires loading, so you'd better train with it or you won't get more than one shot before you have to throw it and grab a more available weapon. Number of wooden bolts: 7

They spent a few more moments to search the bodies, which wasn't a pleasant task, to say the least. Ben had to turn the guard over and search in his bloody clothes, all the while trying to avert his gaze from the blaming eyes of the dead man that seemed to look into his soul. He had to constantly remind himself that he didn't really kill anyone, that it was just a game happening inside his mind.

The loot wasn't great. Other than the weapons, they found 14 copper coins and 2 silver, which they divided between them. Ben also took the keychain and then stopped to look at the bodies and their bloody uniforms. He gave them a long and suffering look, not liking what he had to do but knowing it was the best course of action.

Red stood next to him. When he saw where Ben was looking he twisted his mouth in disgust. "You're not thinking - "

Ben answered him with a grin. "Oh yes I am. And the sooner the better."

As Red sighed and started to take off his shirt, Ben wondered what had become of the other players of their group. Especially that redhead who was so shamelessly interested in him when he stumbled naked into the party table...