Opening the door was anticlimactic.

Turning the key in the lock, I pushed the door open and dropped into a crouch. Hidden in darkness —I had extinguished all the nearby torches—I waited for a reaction.

Nothing jumped out of me. All that lay on the other side of the door was more grey rock and dank air, at least as far as I could see. Leaving the door unlocked behind me, I cautiously ventured within the new passage. It was empty. Feeling more secure, I increased my pace as I slipped down the length of the tunnel.

Two hundred yards later, I stopped in surprise. The tunnel had come to an end, terminating in another metal door that was a near-replica of the one I had just opened. With renewed caution, I crept up to the door and tried the handle.

It was locked.

Urgh, I despaired. Have I wasted all this time for a dead end?

I bent down and inspected the lock. It bore a bluish tinge. Hmm… I wonder. Pulling out the chief’s keyring, I tried the same key I had on the previous door.

The lock turned smoothly.

Yes!

Smiling, I stepped through the door. Expecting to see only more dank tunnel, I nearly fell back in shock at the sight that greeted me.

I was in another large cavern. This one was different though. Less than ten yards in front of me, it looked like the rocky ground had been sheared off, causing the floor to fall sharply away. It was the same all along the rim of the cavern. It was as if some giant hand had hollowed out the center of the cavern to form a bowl-shaped crater—one large enough house a small village.

More surprising, the cavern was filled with soft light. The crater was carpeted with glowing mushrooms and the ceiling was dotted with thousands of luminous crystals, making it brighter in the crater than a star-filled night sky. Yet it was neither the cavern’s design, nor the lighting that had me amazed.

It was the noise.

The crater was full of people, painted stalls, and tents. I spotted elves, dwarves, humans, gnomes, and undead. A low buzz of conversation hung over the sparse crowd moving through the stalls and on the far end, I saw pavilions and marquees of all sizes and shapes.

“What is this place,” I murmured under my breath, not expecting a response.

“It must be the safe zone,” Gnat said.

I glanced at him. “The safe zone?”

He nodded. “It can’t be anything else.”

I turned back towards the crater with a stupefied look. So close. I couldn’t believe it. All this time, I had been so close to safety and never knew it. But I am here now. I’ve made it. I ran my gaze over the people in the crater below. Most were dressed in white cotton shorts and shirts, and were clearly candidates.

It seems like I am not the only one to reach this place.

But how had the other candidates made it here? They had obviously not ventured through the goblin complex. I searched the rim of the cavern with more care. The cavern’s edges were the least well-lit area, and while I didn’t spy another obvious entrance, directly opposite me I spotted a patch of blackness that looked like it could be a tunnel mouth.

My fascination with the cavern faded and caution reasserted itself. Safe zone, or not, I was not necessarily safe here. My fellow candidates could prove as dangerous as the goblins, if not more so.

I thought of Saben and his ilk. If any of them are here…

I glanced at the open door behind me. Thankfully, both it and I were shrouded in darkness, and it didn’t look like my entry into the cavern had been observed. I realized, too, that a treasure trove lay behind me, one that I had largely been unable to loot because of weight limitations. But if there were merchants in the safe zone… I smiled. I could make a tidy sum selling all the goblins’ weapons and armor—as long as the other players didn’t realize where I was getting them from.

I need to keep my manner of entry a secret, I thought and locked the door behind me. For as long as possible. I turned back to the crater.

Now, how do I get down?

~~~

After further investigations, I discovered two ramps led into the crater, one the left side of the cavern, and the other on the right. At all other points, the walls of the crater appeared unscalable.

I didn’t immediately proceed to either of the ramps though. Staying hidden, I navigated a full circuit along the rim and confirmed that my initial assessment was correct—there was indeed only one other entrance into the safe zone, the passage opposite the metal door.

Standing in the tunnel mouth, I let my concealment fade. If anyone was watching, they would assume I had arrived through the passage. I was perhaps being overly cautious with my approach, but I wasn’t about to take any unnecessary risks at this stage. With a relaxed stride, I made my way towards one of the crater’s entrances.

The moment I set foot on the top of the ramp, a Game message opened in my mind.

Congratulations, Michael, you have discovered the safe zone of sector 14,913. This location is a key point and has been added to your Logs. Safe zones are regions of the Game where players are prevented from taking hostile action against one another. Only players and Powers may enter a safe zone. The regulations in the safe zone are strictly enforced by the Game. Do not attempt to harm another player. You will be given only one warning, thereafter punishment will be swift and merciless.

Enjoy your stay!

I paused in my step and reread the message. There is that mention of Powers again… I opened my mouth to question Gnat about it, but the skeletal bat was flapping away. I glanced at him in surprise. “What’s going on?”

The familiar circled my head. “I cannot enter the safe zone. I will join my brethren above and rejoin you when you leave.”

Not waiting for my response, the skeletal bat shot up into the darkness. I tracked him with my gaze and saw him alight on the cavern roof, and perch upside down on it. Beside Gnat, I made out the blur of other white shapes. My eyes narrowed. The small forms were others of Gnat’s kind, more undead bats.

The familiar’s departure, while something of a surprise, made sense given the Adjudicator’s message. I turned back to the safe zone, and smiled.

It seemed that I was on my own.