The cavern shook with each powerful step as predator hunted its prey. We weren't deep within the mine, but we also were carrying large packs, mining equipment, and weren't that high leveled.

As the sounds got closer and the shaking more fierce, I started to worry. What if my inventory reset upon death? What if I lost all of the Orihalcum and awoke a day behind. It would be a huge setback, even without the Death Timer.

Horizon Online, in efforts to be more realistic while also catering to parents who wanted their kids to actually take breaks from gaming, had instituted a "Death Timer", which disabled logging back in on a dead character for 1 hour. This normally wouldn't seem like much, but being that an hour of IRL time could be almost a day of in-game time, It would be a massive blow. The mine might even be discovered by someone else by then and I would be done for.

My plans couldn't afford to lose a day, nor could my physical body. Not when I was so close to breaking through the first barrier.

The Quest had completed, which technically meant I should get to keep my rewards, but I was also a Human NPC. Rules had gone out the window long ago and I knew I couldn't rely on them.

Besides, what would happen to me if I was killed in-game while also not being able to log out? I had seen enough tv series and read enough manga to not feel optimistic about it...

"Do you think it can follow us out of the cave?" Agus shouted, looking back at me as he ran. The black walls around us were now graying. Even though I was sure it was approaching sunset outside, I could still tell we were getting close. Maybe it was my new Lizard senses.

"I don't know, If it's instanced then it probably can't but..."

I looked behind me, seeing the ground shake.

"What choice do we have?"

As we rounded a last corner, the cave's entrance appeared before us, a pinprick of orange light and hope, not more than thirty yards away.

We could do this. Even though I was already exhausted from delving into my [DEBUG] menu, I pressed my amphibious body to its limits, ignoring the sharp rocks that stuck out here and there, cutting into my lizard skin and scratching my scales.

I felt my stomach drop when our pursuer appeared in the tunnel behind us. There were no twists nor turns to hide us anymore. Even if I used my [Active Camouflage] skill, I hadn't tested it and couldn't be sure it would work. I wouldn't know if the creature would be able to smell or hear me, let alone the fact that the tunnel was small enough that it could crash right through me, invisible or not. The creature roared as it finally saw its prey.

The cave shook, knocking me off my feet once more. My agility was severely weakened in this Lizard state and I wasn't used to my body yet. HellBlade would have easily escaped this situation. If not for the superior stats then the massive library of abilities would do the trick. I looked back only briefly.

A massive golem made entirely out of Orihalcum crystal charged at us, crushing all sides of the cavern wall in its rampage. Its body shone in its blue Orihalcum glow, barely fitting in the tight space of the cavern's tunnel. It didn't seem to care, as it shoved its way through, ignoring all rocks and crevices as if they were not even there at all.

I used my Max Level Scan ability, focusing as hard as I could on the creature and ignoring everything else.

[Orihalcum Golem]

Elite

Level : 97

HP : 49999/49999

The Golem's stats were off the charts. Not only would he be able to defeat a single player easily, he would be challenging for a group or clan to take on.

The two of us, even at max level, wouldn't stand a chance. Even as HellBlade... well... I wasn't sure If I could win this.

I checked the Golem's skills as I picked myself up and ran, my scaly tail snagging on every possible rock behind me. All of its skills were Melee except for a single Ranged attack, "Boulder Throw''. I had faced enemies with "Boulder Throw'' before and while it took a second to charge, it did massive damage. If a healer wasn't focusing on the Aggroed target, they would surely die.

Unless...

We were now only a few yards from the exit, but the Golem had caught up to us.

"Come on!" Agus yelled, waving me on. Blue was already on the other side of the cave entrance, trusting the instance barrier to keep it safe. If it didn't then we were all dead.

I looked behind me. The Golem was tearing out a massive chunk of the ground.

Boulder Throw.

I wasn't going to make it, but I knew what I had to do.

Or rather, what Agus had to do.

"Agus, use [Critical Save]!"

The Guardian didn't need to be told twice. He reached out, grabbed my hand and tossed me behind him, shoving me out of the cave. Instantly he erupted in white flame, his eyes glowing as the fire flickered and danced upon his skin.

The Golem threw the boulder at incredible speed, directly into Agus's ribs. I turned and watched, hoping to the Seven Gods of Rotharias that Agus had unlocked the skill...

The impact caused a massive explosion of rock and dirt, blasting outward towards us. For a few moments I worried that Agus had actually been defeated, before he came flying out into the clearing, body smoking as if hit by a flame.

"Urggghhh" he said, eyes spinning as he curled up in a fetal position.

I scanned him.

"Fuck yeah!" I shouted, seeing his meager single hit point.

Name

Agus

Level

46

Class

Guardian

Race

Human

Buffs

Last Stand, Critical Save

Debuffs

Weakened, Bleeding

HP

1 / 3980

My first reaction was to be shocked. I had been right!

[Critical Save] is an exclusive mid level ability that allows a Guardian to withstand any amount of damage, keeping them at 1 HP. Then for the next 10 seconds, they are unable to take damage from any source. It could be unlocked in two steps.

Step 1 was to reach level 40.

Step 2 was to complete a side mission that sent you on a massive chain of fetch quests, traveling back and forth across Rotharias. Some people had complained that it had taken them full IRL days to finish. It was a tiresome, boring, and expensive mission, depending on if you used teleporting stones or walked the whole way on foot.

But it was the first step on the Guardian path of the "Sentinel", an advanced class that, while once popular, had become more and more rare as people abandoned the difficult and time consuming side quests in favor of more rapid advancement.

At first glance [Critical Save] seems ridiculously overpowered. Until, that is, you realize that in Horizon Online you can actually feel the pain and visually see the damage done to your body. Trying to tank something for 10 seconds while your insides are on the outside and you're sitting in a pool of your own blood is much easier said than done.

It's one of many reasons why people gave up the Sentinel path. But I had had some ideas for the skill. This "Last Stand" method being one of them that had crossed my mind occasionally. But theory crafting and seeing it actually happen were entirely different feelings all together.

But there was something about Agus that tickled my intuition. I somehow just knew that he had unlocked the skill and was just crazy enough to use it.

I crawled over to him. He looked like shit.

"Quick..." he muttered, grimacing in pain and holding tightly onto his stomach. I couldn't see any protruding organs or bones, but after a punch like that I assumed it wouldn't be pretty.

"The [Critical... Save] will wear off any second... I'm Bleeding."

"Damnit, okay."

I kept my Scan on him, tracking the Buff timer and dug into my menus. I had no potions to heal him nor bandages to stop the Bleeding. With only 1 HP, as soon as [Critical Save] wore off, he was a goner.

Blue hopped around him in desperate circles, eyes wide in horror.

Okay think fast...

~~00:04~~

[DEBUG] menu.

I immediately felt the pressure as I dug through it, pushing between the menus and options. There were so many that it overwhelmed me.

[Bestiary] - [Town Menu] - [Shop Edit] - [NPC Edit]

Wait what? Edit features!? I'd have to look into those later. If I could ever find them again. I was a lost ship amidst an ocean of endless words and had no clue how I had gotten here.

As I sifted through options a sharp pain reached my chest and I noticed my own HP was plummeting. I was already in too deep.

~~00:03~~

[Quest Config]

Instinct drove me.

[Recipient List] - [Rewards] - [Cancel] - [Create Template]

I selected Rewards and found the answer that I didn't even know I was looking for.

[Limitations]

The first option in the list of [Quest Config] limitations stood out to me, set to the ON position.

[Owned - ON]

[Description : NPCs can only offer items as Quest Rewards that they have in their inventory.]

I turned it off.

[Owned - OFF]

[Description : NPCs can offer any items as a Quest Reward with an item level (iL) of a less than or equal to NPC's level.]

I then quickly returned to my main menu, gasping for air as though I had been submerged under water.

~~00:02~~

I opened up my [NPC Commands] menu, and started a [New] [Quest]. I filled out the info with random gibberish as fast as my Lizard brain would allow and sent it.

To myself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Quest : whatever]

[Description]

stuff

[Rewards]

Experience : 0

Gold : 0

Items : Bandages X1

[Restrictions]

None

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Even though the description was blank, I knew the quest completion requirements as I had created it.

I picked up a rock from the ground, probably a piece of the crashed cavern wall that had followed Agus's exit, and tossed it into my bag.

[Quest Complete : whatever]

~~00:01~~

I quickly exited all menus, still feeling dizzy and weak from my dive into the [DEBUG] depths, and withdrew my newly acquired Level 1 Bandage. I unrolled the fabric and shoved Agus's arms aside, wrapping the extremely common item, which also happened to be the most valuable item in the entire world right now, around his torn and bloody stomach.

~~00:00~~

I scanned him, gritting my teeth in anticipation. I had sure cut it close.

Name

Agus

Level

46

Class

Guardian

Race

Human

Buffs

Last Stand

Debuffs

Weakened

HP

1 / 3980

I let out an exhausted breath and fell onto my back, ignoring the lump that was my tail.

The bleeding had stopped just in time. Agus's single hit point was safe.

"That was a close one," Agus said through raspy breathing. "Though you could have just let me die and respawn in an hour."

I could have, but I didn't. I couldn't lose an hour of Agus's time, nor could I lose his trust.

This was one of many steps to bind him to me. Though I was no longer sure if I wanted him as a subject or...

A friend.

"Yeah well, you're welcome. Now let's figure out how to get your nearly-dead ass back to town."

Agus laughed, then coughed, then looked at me with a half-smile, half-frown. "You really are a Player, aren't you."

I stared at the digital sky, unable to notice a single difference that would mark it as fake. In fact I would sometimes catch myself seeing flaws in the real world, as if it were the imposter and this, Horizon Online, was real.

"Sure am," I said, sighing.

"Well whatever happens next," Agus began. I noticed him pushing to sit up and I did the same. He reached into his bag and pulled out his single Orihalcum stone, tossing it softly and catching it in his palm. The reflection of its glow flickered in his eyes.

"We're going to be filthy rich."

"What has happened to you!?" Leandra was panicking, checking nearly every inch of my Lizard body for injuries, shoving potions down my throat, and wrapping my bloodied legs in bandages.

We had arrived back at my shop just as night fell, which fortunately meant that not as many people were out and about to question the blood covered pair of misfits hobbling through their streets.

Agus sat down in the corner, resting his back against the wall with Blue on his lap. I stood at my counter, trying to pretend I wasn't enjoying the attention as Leandra pressed herself up against me.

Her soft skin rubbed against my rough scales as she put some ointment on an area where scales had been ripped off. That couldn't feel good for her, could it?

"I'm fine, I promise!" I said, hoping that she wouldn't listen and would continue. "Agus is the one who needs healing."

"Agus is several dozen levels higher than you Fergral! He will be fine."

She looked over at the recovering Guardian who gave her a weak thumbs up. Apparently convinced, she returned her attention to me.

"I was worried sick when I realized I had marked the wrong quest location on your map! But I couldn't leave the shop unattended to come after you, so I tried to hire some local help. But you know how they are about non-humans..."

She looked up at me with wet amber eyes through her violet strands and grabbed my hands. I gritted my teeth and ignored the pain that shot through me as she accidentally touched a raw spot on my finger.

"Please forgive me!" she pleaded, eyes locked on mine. "What can I do to repay you? I can't believe I marked the wrong location. I've never done that before!"

I had a few ideas for... repayment, but another thought crossed my mind that pushed the others aside.

How had she sent us to the wrong location? As an NPC she would have to have it programmed to be exact. Was it a bug in her system?

Or something else?

I decided to keep her close. Not that I was planning on getting rid of her or anything, but perhaps she could be the one to help me figure out my own issues as an NPC. And as a Player.

I looked down at her and smiled, doing my best to mentally force through my low charisma and lizard facial features and be some semblance of comforting.

"Don't worry, you don't have to do anything," I said, somewhat regretting not asking for a favor. "Your misstep has changed everything."

Her eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Wha... What do you mean?"

Agus chuckled in the corner and my Lizard mouth grew into a large toothy grin. This was it, the start of our Empire.

For the first time in a while I was excited about something.

I quickly double checked that the closed sign was up and that the shop was locked, before I lifted my Shopkeeper bag and slowly let its contents fall onto the counter top.

12 Orihalcum stones illuminated the shop with their azure glow, twisting and flickering. As torchlight danced, the stones projected our shadows as a dark spirit army upon the walls, battling amongst themselves.

Flashbacks of HellBlade came rushing back to me as I stood amidst the specters, turning my head slowly from side to side, reminding me why I was there. I couldn't get sidetracked. This was all a distraction.

I couldn't let friends or companions get in the way of...

Leandra leapt onto me and knocked me to the floor, squeezing me in an embrace that I wouldn't have thought possible for someone her size.

Then again, she was a much higher level than me.

"Fergral! Do you know what this means!? You've done it!" she yelled excitedly.

"Done what?" I asked, as I fought to breathe. I couldn't say that though, lest she get the wrong idea and be insulted.

She leaned back and looked into my eyes again. This time there was no sadness or regret, only pure happiness.

"You've saved the town!"