Yitro’s death, of course, happened in slo-mo.

Ben’s mouth opened in a scream as his dagger plummeted toward the kneeling dwarf’s unprotected nape. Milenna’s lips slowly curled in a grim smile. Dark Heart’s eyes widened, his mouth started forming the word “Nooooo''. 50 feet away, Shiraz and Red stood side by side, hands on their weapons. The zombies were still, ever watchful.

The dagger struck home. It was a perfect backstabbing maneuver, and though Ben’s skill was still low, he had the perfect conditions and just couldn’t miss. The scout put all of his fear, anger and ambition into that attack. Anger - both at Dark Heart, who had forced his hand into killing his best friend, and at Yitro, whose secret RL doings had put him in such a situation. Fear - that this move would change him forever; virtual or not, Ben was knowingly putting a blade into his friend’s neck, sacrificing his avatar for completely selfish reasons. And ambition - for Ben knew in his heart that were he to succeed in this mad plot, his quest for power would be that much closer to fulfilment.

The dagger’s tip pierced the dwarf’s thick skin easily. Ben’s enhanced Strength score helped him push the blade deep and he kept screaming as it cut through Yitro’s windpipe, bursting with a shower of bright blood from the dwarf’s throat, just beneath his bearded chin.

Yitro’s head jerked back. His eyes - wide and unbelieving - stared into the burning desire that was reflected in his friend’s unmerciful gaze. You told me to trust no one! Ben wanted to yell at him. And you were right. I can trust only myself. The dwarf’s head rolled and the scout let go of the dagger’s hilt, watching as Mike’s avatar slowly fell, the spattering blood accompanying his death in an exaggerated video-game effect.

Finally, the dwarf’s head hit the black surface of the stage, bounced once, then stilled.

Time resumed its normal course.

“What. The fuck. Was that!” Dark Heart, having finished shouting his denial, was staring at the body of Yitro Stone Crusher. His hand was on his staff, which was glowing again. His other hand held the small amber stone. “You fool of a noob! What have you thought to accomplish with that, other than proving to me you’re a complete moron? He’s cursed, remember? He will keep resurrecting by my side until - “

But Dark Heart’s words died on his lips as suddenly the amber stone in his hand began to glow. He looked at it, frowned - then uttered a stream of curses as the stone promptly crumbled in his palm, turning into ash. The half-elf’s eyes widened and he raised his head to look at Ben. “How - “

Ben smiled coldly. His eyes were on Yitro’s body, which remained where it was, bleeding from both his throat and his mutilated hand. He shifted his gaze to the dwarf’s right wrist - and his smile broadened when he saw that the curse mark had vanished.

“There are stronger magics in this world than your pitiful curses,” said Ben and finally raised his head to stare the necromancer in the eye. “A true Blood Sacrifice being one of them.”

Next to his feet, Yitro’s blood started to gather and stream - much like the blood of the dead slaves did when they were back on the dungeon’s first floor. It pooled together, bypassing the bulk of the dwarf’s body, moving around Milenna’s feet. Then it gained speed, rushing toward the center of the stage - and floating up, up and upper still, toward the hovering crystal.

Ben slowly raised both his hands, palms up. When he spoke, his voice was not entirely his own. “Finally, I shall have my reward -”

Dark Heart screamed, releasing a bolt of black energy from his staff - a powerful offensive spell that would surely have erased the smile from Ben’s face were it not for Milenna. The sorceress was ready for such a move and countered with a ready spell of her own. A split-second before the necromancer’s dark bolt hit the scout, Milenna’s life bolt intercepted it. The collision shook the very foundations of the stage, but even before the opposing spells’ backlash hit the three combatants on the platform, something else happened that changed everything: Yitro’s blood reached the protective aura around the Eye of Pargamir. the shimmering light disappeared, leaving the crystal exposed for the first time in centuries.

Several things happened. First, Ben felt himself flying. The backlash that was the result of Milenna and Dark Heart’s colliding spells threw him in the air, flaying some of his skin in the process. By his side, he could see that Milenna was also slightly pushed back. The necromancer, however, seemed unaffected - and he was now greedily reaching with his free hand toward the shimmering crystal, to claim it as his own.

That would not be. The ancient magic, designed by a renowned DM and enhanced by a cunning AI, recognized who had completed the ritual. Before the half-elf’s fingers could touch the powerful item, the crystal shot through the air like a comet, leaving the frustrated player to grasp only air. The Eye of Paragmir flew across the stage right into the waiting, injured hands of the Scout of Sonadin. Ben took hold of the item when he was still airborne, halfway toward the floor.

You have claimed an epic Power Crystal: The Eye Of Paragmir.

Crush it to reap your reward.

Warning: crushing this crystal will make the completion of “The Eye Of Paragmir” Quest impossible.

Choose your path wisely, adventurer.

Ben finished reading the prompt just as he landed painfully on his back on the hard floor a few feet below the stage. Air left his lungs in a whoosh, a dazed icon appeared in his vision, and for a few moments all he could do was watch as all hell broke loose around him.

Above him, on the sacrificial stage, the two mages - mortal enemies, indeed - engaged in a furious battle. Ben couldn’t see from his prone position what was being cast, but even from where he lay he could feel the air sizzle with the power of their magic.

Across the room, another battle was joined - the Ratkin Zombies against the Red Mercenary and the Vagabond Shadow Mage. The undead monsters surrounded the duo but were driven back as the human warrior unleashed a powerful whirlwind power that was enhanced by his named weapon’s unique abilities. Shiraz appeared behind the growling zombies, disorienting them with her shadows and slicing viciously with her shadow dagger. Still, Ben didn’t think the two could hold much longer - not against twelve zombies, one of them a level 7 Elite.

But even as he watched, the big Elite suddenly detached itself from the melee, following a silent command, and turned on its heels with five of its minions. As the timer on Ben’s dazed icon closed to zero, the six enraged zombies started running toward his position, two of them putting arrows to their bows.

Ben had precious few seconds to decide how to proceed - seconds that will determine how the rest of his VD experience would look like. He could either keep the crystal and return it to Throndrefeen, thus giving final peace to the undead Duergar Guardians and completing the quest for his entire party. Or, he could crush the crystal and claim it as his own, thus becoming a true nemesis of the Duergar spirits, failing the quest given to him by the dead dwarven wizard - and completing a much older quest that has been waiting for countless years.

Two arrows zoomed toward his prone, defenceless position. Six snarling zombies were only a few feet away.

Oh well.

Ben crushed the shimmering crystal in his hand, and the world changed forever.

First, the game paused. Not just for Ben, but for everyone present inside the virtual world of Nolxar. Arrows froze in mid-air. Weapons that were raised for a death-strike halted in mid-swing. The flutter of wings from among the stalactites seized. The wind outside the Dungeon of Dwarven Despair stopped howling. In the heart of Sonadin City, a certain Lord was paused in the middle of a hearty drunken laugh, with tiny droplets of wine sprayed around his beard. Beside him, two well-dressed adventurers froze in the middle of giving a toast, alarm showing in their eyes. Around the three, dozens of lesser lords and partygoers were stopped amidst various activities, mostly revolving around drinking and dancing. Outside Sonadin, hundreds of thousands from every race - both living and dead - were paused as well. Everyone, everywhere, couldn’t do anything else but read the black and golden prompt that appeared in their vision, together with a clear trumpet call.

Attention, Nolxarians! A new Beacon has emerged!

The words blazed triumphantly for a few moments. Dramatic music filled the ears of everyone watching and then the words disappeared and were replaced with an image of a young man holding a crossbow. He was shown from the chest up and had a bloody leather armor covering his upper torso. His face was thin, haggard and proud and he held it high, his olive eyes narrowed in determination. Few strands of his black hair fell to his forehead, where an angry red scar was visible above his left eyebrow. The crossbow he was holding was made of wood and bronze and on its head was engraved an eye that looked like that of a bird of prey.

After a few more moments the image fazed out of view and the black-gold letters reappeared:

The Vindicator Of The Depths has claimed an epic Power Crystal and has fulfilled the terms determined by the Heroes of old. A sacred pact is now in effect, tying the fate of the Vindicator with the fate of this world - whatever happens to one will affect the other. Praise your new Beacon! Through his courage, our world may once again enter an era of fame, hope and glory.

If Ben could widen his eyes, he would have. If he could shout WTF, Raxlon! He would have. He couldn’t do anything, though, but stare first at his image (which looked very badass, no doubt there - though he wasn’t sure where he managed to get that scar), and then on the text that seemed to bind him into a contract he never agreed to sign. When the prompt started to dissipate he still couldn’t move - which was fortunate, as several other messages followed right after.

Epic Power Crystal Rewards You have claimed the Eye Of Paragmir Epic Power Crystal as your own and are rewarded with the following boons: XP: +10,000. Current XP: 23,350 (You have gained two new levels). Points to next level: 4,650. A Class Choice (enter your level-up screen to claim your new class). A new Title: Vindicator of the Depths. Special Title bonuses: Damage against all Depth dwellers: +20% Damage against Duergar and undead Duergar: +30% All curses of the Deep are hereby cancelled. A new Epic Title: Beacon. Special Title Bonuses: New Active Status: Beacon (all allies around you get +2 to all ability scores). Beacon Power: Godlike (once a day you may use the blessing of the world to increase all of your stats by 200%. Duration: 1 minute) Fame +5 Charisma +5 Leadership +3 New Path discovered: Path Of The Hero (Tier 1) Path of the Hero Your actions have led you to the discovery of a new path - the Path of the Hero. You have received the mark of the hero. Current Path Tier: 1 (hero points: 1,000. Points to next tier: 2,000) Bonuses: +1 to fame +1 to all ability scores +10% attack and damage to your weapon of choice. +10% more likely to find loot Lords’ boon. All lords of the world must respect the Pact: Protect the Hero and supply him with food and lodging as needed. In return, the Lord shall be granted fame and protection to their kingdom. Special Beacon Pact Adjustment: Lords may envoke the Pact to give the Beacon quests - which he must uphold if he deems them just. Refusing Lords’ quests may result in irreversible damage to the Beacon’s reputation. Level Up! You have gained enough experience points to reach levels 6 and 7. Way to go, adventurer! Level up bonus: health, stamina and mana points are fully restored. You receive 8 points to allocate - either to your skills or to your ability points. Choose wisely. VD Achievement: Epic Title Few have ever managed to gain such a title across all VD worlds. The system analyzed the actions that have led you to such an achievement and you receive the following changes to your stats: XP: +1000 (current XP: 24,350. Points to next level: 3,650) Bluff +2 Perseverance +2 Magic resistance: +5% Intelligence: +2 Tactics: +1 Quest Failed: The Eye Of Paragmir By crushing the Power Crystal, you have squandered any chance of completing the quest given to you by Throndrefeen Ironhead. The Duergar of the Ironhead clan will forever continue to seek their peace, but without the Eye Of Paragmir, theirs will be an eternal search. Be warned: you have become a mortal enemy of all Duergar, both alive and dead. Be warned: your actions and new title have upset all Depth dwellers, who now distrust and fear you - but will also seek revenge for the dishonorable way you have dealt with the Ironheads. New Active Status: Dungeon Menace Your presence in any dungeon of the realm will now attract more attention - and more powerful foes may come your way. Be prepared for uneven odds whenever you enter the Depths. Honor: -1 Notoriety: +1

The last prompt vanished from his sight, and Ben’s world suddenly vanished - one moment he was lying on the floor of the Treasure Room, the next he was floating in his interface bubble. Ben gasped and looked around him frantically. His mind was overloaded with information, there was just too much to take in all at once. And why was he here? He intentionally didn’t click on the Level Up prompt, not wanting to leave his companions to fight on their own. Did Raxlon whisk him here? “Raxlon!” He shouted. “Take me back there! I’m not ready for this!”

The DM appeared before his eyes, and Ben closed his mouth. The blond man seemed agitated. His blue eyes looked at Ben with what could only be described as alarm. “We don’t have much time,” he said. “I can’t keep the game paused for long.”

Ben blinked. “You’re the fucking dungeon master. What - “

“Just listen!” Raxlon nearly shouted. Ben was suddenly standing next to him, although he didn’t remember moving, and the big DM was grasping his arm. Painfully. “It’s happening! All this Beacon stuff. I didn’t plan it like this, man. I don’t understand how it’s even possible. And this pact! I don’t - “

This time it was Ben who cut the other man off. He pulled his arm away from Raxlon’s grip, looking angrily at him. “What are you talking about?” He snapped, though deep inside he was starting to comprehend.

Raxlon looked at him. “You are becoming one with my world, Benjamin,” he hissed. “A thing that shouldn’t be possible. Do you remember how you got this scar?” He snapped his fingers and a mirror appeared before Ben. Looking at himself, he immediately saw the scar above his left eyebrow - the same one he saw when his image appeared on the world prompt that announced his Beacon status. He opened his mouth to say that no, he didn’t remember - only suddenly he did. He remembered the vision he saw when he’d entered the treasure room, of the hero who had fought his way through the Duergar realm. He remembered the vicious cut that the man had gotten from his battle with the demon...

Ben’s eyes widened. Raxlon nodded. “You are assuming the identity of a hero I’ve written for this game many years ago…” he whispered.

Ben heard the words, and then he remembered another vision - this one of the history of Nolxar. He once again saw the events unfolding before his eyes, saw the man who was cresting a hill toward the group of human fighters, wounded yet victorious. But this time, when the humans cheered, Ben could identify the name they were chanting - “Scout Benjamin of Sonadin!” They cried. “All hail the Scout of Sonadin! Our beacon of hope!”

The vision vanished and Ben was looking again at the worried blue eyes of his DM.

“Yes,” said Raxlon. “You are him. Or he is you. I don’t know how it’s even possible. Unless...” he suddenly grasped Ben’s shoulders, looking intently into his eyes. “I have to see you in real life. Finish the battle, then I will log you all out - your session time is nearly over anyway.”

Ben could hardly find the words. This was crazy. “How will I find you?”

“I will find you. Now go back,” he suddenly looked up, as if sensing something. “Quick! There’s no time for level up, the pause is nearly over.”

Ben saw the interface bubble dissolving around him. “Wait! How can I win!” He cried into the darkness. He could well remember his flayed and shattered body, the arrows zooming his way, the enraged zombies who were closing in on his prone position.

Raxlon’s whisper was all the answer he needed. “You’re godlike now, remember?”

And there he was, lying on the black floor again. Without hesitating, Ben did the only thing that could save him - he activated his new Godlike Power.

His body exploded with power just as the two arrows penetrated his flesh.

You were critically hit! Ratkin Zombie Ranger hits you with longbow for 19 piercing damage. You were hit! Ratkin Zombie Scout hits you with crossbow for 8 piercing damage.

A second before, these two hits alone would have seriously damaged him - but not now. His Godlike Power meant that each and every one of his stats has just increased by 200% - most importantly his Constitution, which jumped from 19 to 57, granting him additional 76 hit points. With over 100 HP, he could now easily sustain both of the arrow hits, which took a respectable amount of his health but were far from incapacitating him in any way.

Ben roared and jumped to his feet, the arrows still stuck into him. He ignored the shafts sticking out of his body and turned to meet the charge of the zombie Elite - who was a mere three feet away from him, its greatsword raised high. But Ben’s Dexterity was now also unbelievingly high, as was his Strength. With the ease of a true superhero, the scout evaded the clumsy swing of the Elite. With the same motion, he jumped back and kicked the brute with all his 33 Strength score. It wasn’t enough to fell the big Ratkin, but that wasn’t Ben’s intention - he just needed a moment of respite to prepare his weapons.

And that’s just what he did. With a practiced move, The Vindicator of the Depths drew both of his mighty weapons - his Crossbow of Skewering in his right hand and the Wand of Throndrefeen in his left. With a roaring battle cry, he fired both at the same time - the bolt at the Elite, and the ball of undead power at the group of five zombies that were just a few feet away. True, he wasn’t a melee class and there were penalties to using two weapons simultaneously, but Ben was godlike now - at least for what remained of his 1 minute of power duration. He had an insane Wisdom score of 90, so each move he took was well-calculated and thought of, and his Initiative jumped so high that everything the others were doing around him seemed slow and lazy compared to his super-quick mind. Bottom line: shooting both of his weapons seemed like the easiest thing in the world.

The bolt hit first, hammering against the Elite’s breastplate with the force of a bullet. His crossbow also scaled up with him finally reaching level 7, making it just a bit more likely to score a critical hit - and that’s exactly what happened.

Critical Hit! You hit Zombie Elite with Crossbow of Skewering for 50 points of piercing damage.

The Elite was thrown back from the powerful impact, his charge interrupted, but if Ben was hoping for a quick win he was in for a disappointment - the creature was undead and felt no pain, even when he was down to nearly one-fourth of his total HP. When the thing regained its balance, it had another hole in its chest where the bolt skewered him, but its snarl was fiercer than ever.

While that happened, Ben’s second attack came to fruition. The ball of undead power exploded amidst the charging Ratkin zombies, engulfing all five in its purple rage of necrofire. The impact of the blast - as Ben well knew before he fired - was minimal. With maximum damage of 10 in such a close range, and with the creatures being undead themselves, the necrotic fire sheared off precious few HP from each of the zombies. But the purpose of the attack wasn’t to kill, but to give Ben more time. He used the moment of disorientation as the zombies were suddenly engulfed in flames to jump from his current position to the third stair leading to the stage, gaining the upper ground.

Ben used his Power to pause the game, attaining a few more seconds of delay to think things over and look at how the others were doing. It seemed that Red and Shiraz were handling themselves better than expected; two of the zombies were missing their upper torsos - a result of a power cleave, executed by the Red Mercenary. The warrior was engaged in close melee with another two, while shadows engulfed three more. Ben could see Shiraz’s fiery red hair amidst the shadows and was reassured that both the shadow mage and his warrior friend would triumph.

On the stage, things weren’t looking so good for Milenna. The sorceress’ strength lay mostly in support and defensive spells, while the necromancer - who was also higher in level - seemed to be adept in offensive spells. Milenna had a shield around her but Dark Heart was hammering against it with dark bolts and for the moment the sorceress couldn’t do anything but try to survive the magical onslaught.

Ben had troubles of his own. The Elite, having recovered from the crossbow’s hit, was bull-rushing toward him and was only 5 feet away. Behind the brute, the five zombies were beyond the flames, closing in on him as well.

Ben calculated his odds and realized that despite his enhanced stats, he wouldn’t be able to win a melee with all six of the creatures. He had to lower their numbers before they reached him, and for that, he’d have to use what had always saved him in the past - his brain, and the benefits of his surroundings.

Ben chose his strategy. As the timer on his Pause The Game Power clicked zero, the scout drew his second dagger and threw it at the advancing Elite with one swift motion. His luck held - the dagger struck the monster in its knee, taking with it 4 points of damage. But once again, damage was not the purpose of the attack; Ben grinned as the zombie’s foot slipped on the stair and it stumbled - giving the scout a few more moments to execute his plan.

The Vindicator of the Depths quickly reloaded his crossbow, at the same time jumping to the fourth and then to the fifth stair. The Elite was recovered by then and it jumped to the second stair - and Ben released.

His aim, though, wasn’t even close to the zombie Elite. Ben raised his magical crossbow above his head and fired at what caught his attention from the first moment they had entered the room: a large cluster of sharp stalactites - nearly 6 by 6 square feet of them - which was held together by a single spur of stone. Ben’s bolt flew true - he could hardly miss with a Dexterity score of 60 - and crashed against that single spur of stone, instantly shattering it to rubble. With nothing to hold it in place, the cluster of sharp stalactites, some of them still glowing, promptly fell down - straight onto the group of rushing zombies.

Ruckus filled the room as the heavy stalactites crashed, some of them impaling the undead creatures whereas others were being shattered into a thousand pieces from the powerful impact. Up above along the ceiling, other stalactites began to quiver, their hold on the stone having been destabilized. Soon, some of them began to fall as well. The first crashed on the stage - not two feet from where Milenna was battling for her life - then another dislocated and plummeted to the floor a few feet away from Ben’s position on the stairs, showering the scout with little shards. After only a few seconds, the entire chamber was filled with the booming sounds of crashing stalactites and stones - it appeared Ben’s skewering bolt did more structural damage to the ceiling than was his intention. Among the falling debris, dozens of large bats - previously hidden among the multitude of glowing stalactites - were forced into the open. Their screeches and frantic flaps of wings added to the sounds of crashing stone and battle cries. All and all, it was a magnificent chaotic scene.

Ben nearly missed all of that chaotic splendor he created. After he hit the ceiling, he was left exposed - for only a short moment, but that was enough for the mortally wounded Ratkin Zombie Elite to finally reach its elusive target. Not even Ben’s godlike enhanced body could save him this time, and the large undead monster slammed into him with all the force it could muster - and it was a respectable amount of force. The brute’s greatsword slashed along Ben’s chest, tearing through his armor with the ease of an Elite Boss. Ben could only throw his face backwards to avoid his face being cut as well, but there was no denying the sheer brutality of the blow. Ben screamed in anguish as a red prompt appeared:

You were critically hit! Ratkin Zombie Elite hits you with greatsword for 24 points of slashing damage.

Even with that amount of damage, Ben still had more than 50% of his health remaining, but the Ratkin’s powerful bull rush attack had another unfortunate consequence - it threw Ben off his feet. The scout’s luck seemed to run out and he stumbled on the foot of the last stair, falling on his back. A large chunk of stone fell and shattered next to his head, nearly blinding him as tiny shards were embedded in his face. The Elite was on him in an instant, its greatsword raised as it was about to use its warrior ability - extra attack - to finish this new Beacon off the face of the world.

Through his pain, Ben smiled - not because he welcomed the possible death, or because he was battle-crazy - but because he could see straight through the hole in the Elite’s throat. There, materializing through shadows that weren’t there an instant before, appeared Shiraz. Ben thought that the shadow mage never looked more beautiful; her fiery red hair whipped about her, her lips were pulled back in a battle cry, blood was covering the entire length of her arm as she raised her shadow dagger. She was perfect.

A dark aura shimmered around the dagger when Shiraz plunged it through the back of the zombie’s skull. Shadows leapt from the blade and surrounded the Elite’s head. It had high resistance to magical attacks, but Shiraz’s shadow magic was unique and the monster was helpless as the shadows devoured what little remained of its hit points. Still, in a final effort to claim another life, it tried to ignore the blow that killed it and focused all of its remaining energy to complete the command it had been given - kill the scout. Even as its HP reached zero, its greatsword kept descending with a clear course: cleaving Ben’s head off.

Ben raised his arm at the last possible moment, and the large sword connected solidly with his new bracer. He watched, wide-eyed, as the blade stopped an inch from his nose, but lacked the force to go any further. With a final grunt, the zombie Elite died a second time and fell next to Ben.

The scout ignored the prompts that appeared in his vision and looked at Shiraz, who was offering him a hand. He took it and let her pull him to his feet. Behind her, he could see Red giving the death blow to his last opponent, slicing the zombie’s hand and then using his shield to smash the undead’s already ruined face against a black pillar. The mercenary gave a triumphant roar and raised his bloody face to look at Ben across the room. He began running toward the stage.

Shiraz opened her mouth to say something, but her words were swallowed by another boom - this one clearly of a magical nature. Both the scout and the shadow mage turned to look at what was going on a few feet next to them.

Milenna’s shield was gone - its disappearance was what had caused the resounding boom. The sorceress was on one knee, holding her Enforcer Staff in both hands. Dark Heart stood above her, screaming in rage, forked lightning coming out of the fingers of his right hand. His left was holding his own staff, which was glowing with an ugly green aura. The lightning from his fingers gathered around Milenna’s staff, which seemed to be the only thing that remained to protect the woman from the wrath of the necromancer.

Ben exchanged glances with Shiraz. Without another word, they both acted simultaneously.

Ben loaded his crossbow and fired.

Shiraz threw her shadow dagger.

Both projectiles hit the necromancer’s back at the same time, doing enough damage to cause the evil mage to lose his concentration. The lightning from his fingers seized, and Dark Heart arched his back with a painful shout.

Milenna, still on her knees, tears of pain in her beautiful eyes, did not let the opportunity go away. “To hell with you, Jonas!” She cried. A large stone fell and crashed next to her, but she gave it no heed. The sorceress let go of her staff, which fell to the floor. With a scream of rightful rage, she lunged up and forward, releasing the mechanism that held her little dagger strapped to her wrist. Dark Heart managed to look down in time to see the blade glinting in the light of the falling stalactites. Then his eyes widened as Milenna screamed and shoved the entire length of the small blade into the half-elf’s unprotected throat.

The necromancer opened his mouth in denial, but only blood came out of it. Life poured out of him and he slid to his knees - while Milenna, who still held the hilt of the dagger, rose to her feet. The vanquished player looked up at the woman who had killed him and, somehow, managed to give a gruesome, bloody smile. “I will… come looking for you,” he whispered.

Milenna spat and twisted the dagger violently inside his flesh. “I’ll be waiting,” she promised, and took the dagger out of his ruined throat.

The half-elf fell on the bloody stage, dead.

Then he vanished.

Milenna’s eyes were wild as she raised her gaze to look at Ben and Shiraz. Red joined them on the stage, panting, and for a frozen moment in time, the four bloody adventurers stood unmoving while the ceiling of the dark dwarves’ Treasure Room slowly caved in around them.

The moment was gone when a particularly heavy stalactite shattered in their midst, forcing all of them to jump away from the impact zone. Bats screeched above their heads.

“You should be dead!” said Shiraz, shouting to be heard over the noise. She was looking at Ben, who still had two arrows sticking out of his upper torso. His armor was sliced nearly in two and blood covered almost every part of his body. “How are you not dead!”

Ben didn’t answer at first, instead taking a few moments to gulp two health potions. The duration of his Godlike Power came to an end, which meant that all of his stats returned to their normal score - lowering his maximum health - and it would be so silly to die now after they had already won. Having gulped the blue potions that restored some of his health, the scout turned to grin at the shadow mage. “This game changes people, remember?” He shouted back.

Instead of smiling back at him, Shiraz gave him a cold look. “And what of the crystal?”

Ben’s smile wavered. “What of it?”

They were again interrupted as they were forced to dodge the falling debris. Milenna, tired-looking, picked up her staff and whispered a word of magic. A nearly transparent aura appeared around them and for a few moments they were protected from the falling stalactites by her shield. “What she wants to ask, Beacon,” said the sorceress, “is why did you crush the crystal that we were supposed to bring back to complete our party’s quest.”

At that, Red cursed and looked angrily at Ben. “Is that how you gained that title? By claiming the Eye of Paragmir as your own? That’s fucked up, man! We were supposed to bring it back to the undead Duergar! What of our rewards?”

“Yes,” added Milenna, her voice grim. “You never told me that part of your plan. I thought you were just going to take the crystal from Jonas.”

All three of them looked at him with accusation in their eyes. Ben lowered his head, lost for words. They were right - he never thought of them when he had to make the decision. He thought only of himself, of his own private goals and ambitions. His eyes fell on the body of Yitro Stone Crusher - Mike’s character - which, unlike that of Dark Heart, did not vanish - meaning that he had died his final death and would not be resurrected in this world.

He had killed his best friend. He had betrayed his friends’ trust.

Yet he was so much stronger now. He was part of this world - more than any of them could ever imagine. He was a Beacon. A hero of the world, an avatar of justice. He was the Vindicator of the Depths, the fulfiller of ancient oaths. Who are they to blame him for giving this world the hope it so desperately needed?

When Ben raised his eyes, there was no shame in them. His face - altered by the recent increase to his Charisma - wore an expression that could rival Milenna’s best regal look. He looked at his companions calmly, not blaming them for their mistrust but not trying to defend himself either. “I did what I had to do,” he said. Above his head more debris fell, crashing against Milenna’s magical shield. “I don’t expect you to understand, but know this: things are changed now. The world’s powers are shifting, and failing Throndrefeen’s quest matters not in the long term.” Ben, feeling truly heroic and just, raised his crossbow in the air, wanting to copy the image that had appeared in the world prompt. “Will you keep following me?” He asked, raising his voice above the ruckus. “Together, we will be the light in the darkness, the beacon in the night - “

His fevered monolog was cut short by a booming, godly voice.

“WHAT A LOVELY SPEECH! BUT I’M AFRAID OUR TIME’S UP - YOU’LL HAVE TO CONTINUE THIS NEXT TIME. UNTIL THEN - KEEP SAFE!”

Ben’s mouth was still open as the Dungeon of Dwarven Despair promptly vanished around him.