The slug rips into my stomach, knocking me flat on my back. Red blood clouds my eyes, turning the edges of my vision crimson and opaque. My health has dropped, now also below zero.

I roll my head to the side as life ticks out of me, looking at Fenna, her eyes hollow and open in the sand, blood mixing with that beautiful red hair of hers.

It was a good few hours we had in this world. If that's all we had, I was glad I got to spend it with you, Fenna.

Then I feel this intense energy build up in my chest, tingling like toothpaste does in your mouth. I feel open and clear as light pours out of me in a bright flash.

I'd been getting exp from the level 1 skellies, but nothing like this level 3 one.

As the experience points flow through me and the energy surges, my health refills to full as I ding to level 2. My wounds seal up and are completely closed, although minor scarring and damage to my clothing remain.

You have gained a level! New advancements are available. Do you wish to advance now?

You have chosen no.

Stumbling over myself, I haul my body across the sand to Fenna, whose revive timer just crossed ten seconds. Pulling out a bandage I was unaware I had, I put pressure on the wound and concentrate on healing her.

Nothing.

"Revive, dammit," I say, thinking of the world tutorial and how it taught me to access various actions. I picture my hands connecting with her life force, stitching her together, lifting her up.

Still nothing.

"C'mon, Fenna. Fight! Live! You can do it."

Her timer ticks down. Three seconds. Two seconds.

If not with my hands, then my heart, maybe. I imagine we're connected, two beings becoming one, my heart connected to hers, my heart beating for her, pumping life-giving blood through her veins.

The revive timer stops at one second and stops going down as Fenna's revive status starts filling.

It's working.

"C'mon, Fenna, you can do it," I whisper. The blood coming from her chest seems to have slowed, and her revive bar inches up ever so slowly.

It may have been a minute. It may have only been twenty seconds. However long it took to revive Fenna, it was way too long. But finally, the revive bar completes, and the timer disappears.

Fenna's health bar pops up at 10%. Her eyes open. The first thing she sees is me staring down at her.

"Now I owe you twice," she whispers, the corners of her eyes pinching in a deep smile.

#

We take a breather on our anchored ship, Fenna reclining against the railing. "Eat something, and you heal faster," she says, taking a bite from an apple that we recovered during salvage. "It would be nice to have some meat in my mouth, though."

Now that we're safe, I have time to see what this whole level advancement deal is all about. So I open the proper menu in my mind, finding my character sheet.

Captain Angela Connolly

Level 2

~Skills~

* Firearms: 1

*** Slight Edge, Pistols

* Repair Ships: 1

* Stealth: 1

* Swimming: 1 (3)

There is no edit option near my name—which is very disappointing–but there is a glowing button that indicates an advancement is available. Clicking that, I'm given these options:

Choose a skill to improve:

* Repair - You're a top-tier captain. When it comes to your ship taking damage, none compare.

* Smooth Talking - Do you even listen to yourself? You sure need help here.

* Swimming - Drowning is the third-most-common cause of pirate death, but it seems likely to be your first.

All of the level-up options are based on something that happened in the world since I joined. And honestly, both ship repair and swimming seem like core, fundamental skills that I could clearly put to use immediately. Real pirate stuff—high priority, constantly useful, required skills to excel at the job.

Then I look back at Fenna and watch her stare out at the vastness of the ocean as her red hair flutters in the breeze.

Smooth Talking it is.