With a now well-lit room, everyone could see each other much better, but no one said anything or even moved at first. The real freak out moment happened half a minute later when the reality of what was going on started to really sink in for everyone.

I stood back against the weapon rack as everyone unleashed their feelings on the matter with complaints, anger, and tears. Anger was the closest thing to my own response, but I didn’t let myself think about it. We had just started a new RPG, or role playing game; a deadly one. More accurately an MMORPG, or massive multiplayer online role playing game. It was time to decide which strategy I wanted to use to play.

Stepping up next to the elf eyed girl, I asked her and all those around her. “Do you guys know what time it is?”

I received a few shrugs and a single “no”, from the girl that had the courage to ask what we had all been thinking. Directing them to the status screen I brought the time to their attention.

“It might be a good idea to get some food,” I said to no one in particular.

A girl that had been standing close with rich caramel skin and shoulder length extension rebuked me. “How can you think of food at a time like this?!”

“Because I don’t know when I last ate.” I shrugged. “The imp that kidnapped me knocked me out with some spell.”

“I’d worry more about if the food was even eatable.” A chubby guy with glasses added.

“Might as well find out.”

When the elf girl, who wasn’t really an elf but cute like one, nodded, about 3 other people followed us to find this dining hall.

Smells of freshly baked bread assaulted our senses and we were more pulled than forced to enter the large stone square of a room with about 8 stone tables lined with benches. On the far side of the room was a long table with enough bread for a hundred people. They were long loafs the size of my arm. The water was in normal plastic water bottles. I had expected them to be in animal skins or something.

So I downed a whole loaf in a few minutes sitting with five other people I had just met. Eating is always good when you have something on your mind…

“My name is Aeris from New York.” The elf looking girl said, breaking the silence. “My talent is wind magic and dexterity.”

The rest of the group followed her lead. Everyone was suddenly weighing one another. A hunting group was starting to form.

“I’m Travis from Cali. My talent is tracking and piercing weapons.” He was on the shorter side but thickly muscled if you didn’t count his gamers gut.

“Ara. I’m from Denver.” Introduced the girl who rebuked me about the food. “Nature magic and traps.”

“Russ. Constitution and blacksmithing. Texas.” Said the pudgy guy who would probably make a good tank once he slimmed down.

“Elorion. Florida. Healing magic. I played sports all my life so I was hoping to fight up front though.”

“Of course you were.” Ara mocked, eyeing my many weapons. Since the Mistress and old man had been giving me a hard time, she seemed to think it was appropriate to continue the practice.

Before I could think of anything witty to throw back at her, the guy who had pumped his status screen with strength burst in with about ten people at his heels.

“I don’t know about you, the sooner I can make some money, the sooner I can get out those barracks. The cots are miniature.”

The rest of the group seemed to be in agreeance.

Ignoring our group entirely, he marched over and grabbed a loaf and a water bottle, then led his congregation out the way they had come.

There was suddenly a stir among my group. The competitive gamer in each of them didn’t like the idea of a large group getting a head start on them. I was pleased that the group I had fallen into seemed motivated.

Staying at the back of my group, I followed as I planned my course of action. I needed first to figure out how to use my Creature Observation skill and healing spell. Once I got this down I needed to try and learn as many blue magic spells as possible, but I was afraid it would take quite some time. Not to forget, I needed to pitch in on the front lines as much as I could to make sure I was getting experience.

It was only a 100-meter walk down the hall to reach the hunting area. At the end of the hall was an opening to a room that seemed to have a natural light hanging in the air. Though I couldn’t see anything I guessed there was some kind of magic barrier here keeping monsters out.

As we entered the large room, the ceiling was at least two stories up, even if it was hard to see because of the lack of light up there. There were numerous side passages, some well-lit and others pitch black. Random light orbs seemed placed on the walks in no logical pattern.

The larger group was already ahead of us preparing to fight. Three pathetic looking four and a half foot skeletons were roaming on the other side of the room next to them.

After overhearing the other group who had figured out how to open the party system, our smaller group all joined up together. The trick to opening up the party window or any window for that matter was to just say ‘party’ with the intention of opening the window. It seemed to work just like magic. At your will, it would open and close.

And then we were joined by an unexpected visitor.

“Elorion.” Called a throaty, familiar voice that summoned an intense anger inside of me. A sudden urge to hit an imp in the face returned.

My party turned to see my kidnapper flying toward us. Or more specifically me.

He didn’t seem happy to be joining us, at least from what I could tell from his ugly turtle face.

“Yes?” I acknowledged him.

“Her Head Mistress wanted me to teach you some blue magic that might be helpful.” He eyed me suspiciously.

Something was off. “What’s the catch?”

“Only that the quickest way for you to learn blue magic is if you experience the spell yourself. The one I will teach you is a stun of a sort, so I will have to cast it upon you for you to learn it.”

My excitement overrode my concern. “Okay…”

He seemed to hesitate when I had agreed so easy. The creature smirked before uttering the word, “Pain.”

A magic cord shot from his finger and struck my chest before I realized what he had just said.

Suddenly every muscle in my body flexed tight at the same time as if an electric jolt shot through me. It was a moment before the pain began. When it did it overwhelm all of my senses. All that existed was an intense burning sensation like all of my muscles were extremely sore and someone was stabbing me in each muscle over and over again.

Time no longer had meaning to me. There was nothing but pain.

As if waking from a deep sleep, all that remained was a searing memory. Opening my eyes I looked from my back and saw my torturer and four other humans looking down at me in horror.

The popup window that indicated I had comprehended the blue magic Pain, was like rubbing salt in my wounds. A new spell had been born from my troubles, but my normal self that would have been thrilled was enraged.

Standing up, my adrenaline pumped through me.

Everyone gave me a wide berth, except the imp who stood his ground.

I ignored him initially, looking down at my hands as they trembled. It was time.

Without so much as looking at him, except through my peripheral vision, I relaxed as much as I could manage and relaxed my arms to my side. Then I turned my torso.

My father had taught me the key to throwing a punch was to be as loose as possible because muscle tension will slow you down. I brought my hand up, only making a fist milliseconds before contact. My left hook came in from a deceitful angle. It caught the imp square on the chin. He was caught completely unaware.

Finally, I hit an imp in the face! His neck snapped to the side, knocking him woozy enough that he fell to the floor.

There was a popping noise during the impact, but it didn’t come from the imp. The face my fist had just come in contact with had been like hitting nothing but solid bone. My fist struck low on my knuckles breaking my ring finger and pinky.

I’m an idiot. My adventures with pain had just begun.

Cheers came from my immediate group as they saw what had just happened.

The larger group had moved on and were facing their second skeleton already.

Perhaps if I hadn’t hesitated and started stabbing the monster before it got back up it would have been dead and I would have saved myself from what happened next.

“You dare challenge a level 200 imp?!”

Everyone around me, including myself, was suddenly filled with terror. I suspected some form of fear spell had been cast.

When the imp attacked me again with Pain, they ran. I didn’t blame them.

Before the pain overtook me, I heard the imp say. “I don’t have permission to kill you, but there is still a lot of fun we can have before you reach that point.”