I rose to my feet and raced back up to the tunnel with the painted door, counting down the seconds as I went.

Reaching the downed skeletal bats, I ground to a halt. The four undead remained frozen and motionless. Hands on knees, I took a moment to regain my breath. There is still time, I told myself. Better to do this carefully. I drew my blades and knelt over the nearest familiar.

Then I slashed downwards.

You have injured Txal! Warning, you have taken hostile action against a friendly entity. Txal is no longer bound by your Pact with Erebus and is now your foe!

Ignoring the Game message, I kept hacking. With every hit, my blades dug deeper into the frozen body, sending bits of ice flying. Eventually, the notice, I had been waiting for appeared.

You have killed Txal.

Without pause, I moved onto the next familiar. Loken’s intervention had given me a priceless opportunity, one I could not ignore. With the familiars senseless, I could attack them with impunity, and without fear of the creatures alerting Erebus through the aether. I could finally rid myself of the Power’s observers.

You have killed Mazi.

You have killed Hurn.

Only one skeletal bat remained. I had deliberately left him for last. “I’m sorry, Gnat,” I breathed. “But I have to do this.” Plunging my swords downwards, I struck at the undead.

You have injured Gnat! Warning, you have taken hostile action against your familiar, voiding your Pact. You have lost the trait: undead familiar. Gnat is now your foe!

…

…

You have killed Gnat. You have reached level 23!

I rolled away from the corpses and lay on my back, chest heaving. It was done. I was free of Erebus’ spy. Now there was no turning back. One way or the other my path was set.

And I had to finish what I set out to do.

~~~

Nearly eight hours later, I was back in the safe zone cavern.

I’d spent four of those hours sleeping in a small, out of the way cave. The other four, I’d spent sneaking around the crater and observing those within.

Players moved freely in and out of the safe zone. Most, I recognized. Some were former followers of Morin. Others were gang members. And without fail, they all sported Marks of the Dark.

I didn’t act against any of them, or do anything to reveal my presence, even when some passed only a few feet away from me on their way into or out of their safe zone. Instead, I stayed hidden and trained those skills that I could: sneaking, meditation, insight, and deception.

I was biding my time.

When Saben was finally resurrected, I wanted him stupid and unconcerned. I had less than twenty minutes to kill the gang leader after his rebirth, and I couldn’t risk him delaying his departure from the safe zone. After that, anything could happen. I shivered. Including Stayne showing up. If I could help it, I wanted to be long gone from the dungeon before that occurred.

Without Gnat, I had no exact measure of the passing hours, but from sitting on the crater’s edge and observing the players that emerged from the resurrection tent, I knew when the time drew close for Saben’s rebirth.

Three elites emerged from the tent together. All had been with Saben in the goblin complex tunnel and if I recalled correctly, they had died not long before him. I loosened my swords in their sheaths and cast minor enhance reflex.

Your Dexterity has increased to 15.

I had invested the attribute point I had earned from my last level in Dexterity once more. For this encounter, speed would be my ally.

I checked the latest Game messages waiting for me.

Your sneaking has increased to level 42. Your meditation has increased to level 31. Your insight has increased to level 32. Your deception has increased to level 9.

Good, I thought. Now only to wait.

~~~

Saben emerged from the resurrection tent a few minutes later.

I saw players turn and whisper at his appearance, but surprisingly no one approached the gang leader. Former gang leader, I thought as I observed one of the elites turn his back on Ishita’s priest.

I smiled. That has to hurt. Poor Saben. I guess defeat isn’t looked on too kindly by the Dark.

Even from where I sat on the crater’s edge, I could see Saben’s face turn purple with rage as he realized he was being ignored. The priest took a step towards the player in question before seeming to rein in his anger. Muttering something under his breath, Saben made for one of the crater’s exits.

I noted the direction and tiptoed that way. When Saben reached the west ramp, I was concealed ten yards away and out of his direct line of sight. The priest didn’t even glance towards me.

A hostile entity has failed to detect you!

I let Saben get a few yards ahead, before I crept after him, stalking him patiently. Only when he reached the north tunnel mouth, did I draw closer. He is probably planning on returning to his chambers for his stash, I thought.

I closed rapidly. Ten steps separated us. Still Saben didn’t sense me. Then six.

Two steps. One.

I struck.

You have backstabbed your target for 50% more damage! You have critically injured Saben. A hostile entity has detected you! You are no longer hidden.

My blade slipped easily through the former gang leader’s back. Saben gasped and his back stiffened. Withdrawing my blade, I slapped my left hand to his shoulder before plunging my blade into my target again.

You have stunned your target for 1 second. You have killed Saben. You have slain a priest of Ishita, increasing her ire!

Saben’s lifeless eyes stared uncomprehendingly at me as his corpse fell to my feet. “Now we are even,” I whispered softly.

More Game messages scrolled through my mind. I closed my eyes and swallowed nervously. The moment of truth had come. Now I would find out if my plans had come to fruition. After what Hamish had told me, I worried that I had gone about things all wrong and that everything I had done since resurrecting was for naught.

Turning my focus inwards, I scanned through the messages.

You have dealt final death to Saben and fulfilled 2 of 2 objectives of the task: Vengeance for the Fallen. You have completed a task! Your deeds have attracted the enmity of Ishita and furthered the interest of Loken. The Marks on your spirit signature have grown.

Your actions have redressed the imbalance in the sector and have met with the approval of Shadow, deepening your Mark therein. You have punished the killers of those who you claimed as pack. This is true path of the wolf. The pack is all. It is your duty to protect the ones you’ve claimed for your own, and avenge them when necessary. Your Wolf Mark has deepened.

Your true motives in fulfilling this task have not gone unnoticed. You sacrificed your familiar and abandoned your companions for personal benefit. The Dark approves. You have acquired the Mark: Lesser Dark, and have begun to tread the ways of Dark. Despite forsaking your companions, you acted for the betterment of all allied players in the sector at great personal risk. Light is satisfied. Your Light Mark remains unchanged.

Your task: Escape the Dungeon has been updated. You have been Marked by the Dark, and have been granted access to the sector’s exit portal. Revised objective: Use the sector 14,913 exit portal within 10 minutes.

If you fail to complete this task before then, your Pact with the Master’s minions will be enforced.

I read through the Game messages with a sense of stunned shock. My plan to gain a Dark Mark had worked, yet not in the manner I had anticipated.

I thought of Jorin. What I had done to him had been as much as to earn the Mark as it was to extract information. Yet the Adjudicator’s messages made clear that my preconceived notions of the Dark were wrong. The Dark was not evil.

Loken had been truthful it seemed. The knowledge the Power had provided was invaluable, and in the future would let me navigate the ways of the Forces more clearly. I had rejected his offer, but the Power was still my most reliable source of information in the Game.

Perhaps I should seek him out. Assuming, he didn’t find me first, of course. But all of this were matters for future consideration. I still had to get out of the sector. And I had only ten minutes to do it. I sheathed my blade.

Time to leave.

A white shape descended steeply out of the cavern’s darkness and hovered before me. “Where is your familiar?” he demanded.

I turned around. It was a skeletal bat. “Who are you?”

The undead creatures scowled. “Answer the question.”

I folded my arms, affecting a nonchalance I didn’t feel. Where had the bloody creature come from? It could ruin everything. Play it cool, Michael. “You first,” I insisted.

The bat descended onto the corpse at my feet. “I’m Saben’s familiar.”

Aargh. Of course. “Well, your master is dead,” I said, mustering all the scorn I could. “Best you get out of here.”

“Where is Gnat?” the familiar demanded.

“Busy,” I said curtly. “Now go.”

“You’re lying,” the bat screeched.

I turned my back on the creature. This was no use. And I was wasting time. I took off running. Behind me, I heard the familiar squawk in protest and take off after me. Putting my head down, I ran flat out, trying to open the distance between us. The familiar pursued.

I reached the metal door ahead of the undead and tried dropping into stealth.

You have failed to conceal yourself from the nearby entities.

I bit off a curse and resumed my running. The familiar kept up easily. “Where are you going?” he called.

I didn’t answer. Feet pounding against the ground, I hurtled down the passages of the goblin complex.

“You’re heading to the exit portal, aren’t you?” the bat asked, gliding effortlessly by my side. “Why?”

I didn’t look at the creature.

“You don’t have a Dark Mark, so why go there?” the bat asked suspiciously. It paused. “Or do you?”

The bat winged in silence by my side for a drawn-out moment. “The Master must be told,” he declared before flying away.

Bloody hells! I swore. Exhorting myself to greater effort, I ran even harder. There was nothing I could do now but escape before the Master or his minions figured out a way to stop me.

~~~

Less than a minute later, I was hurtling down the passage with the sector portal and presently the exit’s shimmering curtain of bright white came into sight.

But so too, did the figure standing before it.

Stayne.

I skidded to a halt. “What are you doing here?” I gasped. My lungs were on fire and my chest heaved uncontrollably.

The undead player’s eyes sparked ominously. “You are reneging on your deal with the Master.”

“What? Of course not.”

“Don’t lie to me, boy.”

“I’m not,” I insisted, and began walking forward again. I was ten yards away from the portal.

“Stop,” Stayne barked.

“No,” I replied.

The undead appeared momentarily flummoxed by my response, and I closed another two yards to my destination. “Are you crazy? If you refuse, I will cut you down where you stand!”

I laughed shakily, my breath still not fully under control. “Do that, and you will be the one breaking the Pact Erebus forged with me. And the Adjudicator, I suspect, will not look kindly upon that.” I was six yards away now.

Stayne’s eyes narrowed. “You will address him as the Master.”

I snorted, but didn’t say anything. Four yards.

The undead drew his blade.

I stiffened, but made no move to draw my own weapons. Fighting Stayne would be beyond stupid. There was no way I could win. I kept walking.

Now, let’s see how much the Game’s vaunted rules actually mean.

I was two yards away. Stayne raised his blade to strike. Unflinchingly, I kept walking.

One yard to the portal. I was beneath his weapon. Stayne’s arm flashed downwards.

My heart skipped a beat, but I didn’t let my fear show. I lowered my gaze. The undead’s open hand had stopped inches from my chest. His weapon had disappeared, but he was still barring my way. I lifted my gaze to his own. “Well, Stayne?” I asked mildly. “Are you going to risk the Game’s wrath?”

“You will regret this, Michael,” he growled.

“Perhaps.” I smiled and stepped forward. “Or perhaps not.”

Before I could bump into his hand, the undead player whipped his arm out of the way.

I exhaled a careful breath.

I am free.

“Goodbye Stayne,” I called over my shoulder and entered the portal.

Transfer through portal commencing…

…

…

Passage granted!

Leaving sector 14,913. Entering the Forever Kingdom.

Your Pact with Erebus has been fulfilled. You have completed the task: Escape the Dungeon. You have failed the task: Find your own way out.

~~~

The End of Book 1.

I hope you enjoyed the story! If you did, please leave a review and let other readers know what you think.

Happy reading!

Tom Elliot.

Player Profile: Michael

Level: 23. Rank: 2. Current Health: 100%.

Stamina: 100%. Mana: 100%. Psi: 100%.

Species: Human. Lives Remaining: 2.

Marks: Wolf-friend, Lesser Shadow, Lesser Light, Lesser Dark.

Attributes

Available: 0 points.

Strength: 2. Constitution: 5. Dexterity: 13. Perception: 8. Mind: 5. Magic: 0. and Faith: 0.

Classes

Available: 1 point.

Primary-Secondary Bi-blend: Mindstalker.

Tertiary Class: None.

Traits

Psi wolf heritage: +2 Dexterity, +2 Strength, +4 Mind.

Beast tongue: can speak to beastkin.

Marked: can see spirit signatures.

Nocturnal: perfect night vision.

Skills

Available skill slots: 0.

Dodging (current: 31. max: 130. Dexterity, basic).

Sneaking (current: 42. max: 130. Dexterity, basic).

Shortswords (current: 38. max: 130. Dexterity, basic).

Two weapon fighting (current: 33. max: 130. Dexterity, advanced).

Light armor (current: 22. max: 50. Constitution, basic).

Thieving (current: 1. max: 130. Dexterity, basic).

Chi (current: 20. max: 50. Mind, advanced).

Meditation (current: 31. max: 50. Mind, basic).

Telekinesis (current: 13. max: 50. Mind, advanced).

Telepathy (current: 16. max: 50. Mind, advanced).

Insight (current: 32. max: 80. Perception, basic).

Deception (current: 9. max: 80. Perception, basic).

Abilities

Crippling blow (Dexterity, basic).

Simple charm (Mind, basic).

Stunning slap (Mind, basic).

Basic analyze (Perception, basic).

Minor backstab (Dexterity, basic).

One-step (Mind, basic).

Lesser trap detect (Perception, basic).

Basic trap disarm (Dexterity, basic).

Simple lockpicking (Dexterity, basic).

Conceal small weapon (Perception, basic).

Minor reaction buff (Mind, basic).

Simple mindsight (Class, basic).

Known Key Points

Sector 14,913 exit portal and safe zone.

Equipped

common thief’s cloak (+3 sneaking).

spider’s bite shortsword (+15% damage, webbed).

shortsword,+1 (+15% damage, +10 shortswords).

common fighter’s sash (+3 shortswords).

enchanted leather armor set (+20% damage reduction, -4 Dexterity).

Backpack Contents

26 x field rations.

2 x flask of water.

3 x minor healing potions.

2 x iron daggers.

1 x bedroll.

7 x moderate healing potions.

1 x coin pouch.

1 x keyring.

3 x full healing potions.

1 x basic fire-starting kit.

1 x Catalog of Skills and Abilities.

1 x rank 1 priest’s robe.

1 x blood siphon master Class stone.

Bank Contents

Money: 46 gold, 4 silvers, and 9 coppers.

2 x full healing potions.

2 x basic steel shortswords.