The field around Tyr faded and standing before him was a cloaked figure, jet black robes flowing to what would have been the ground. He couldn't see a face. Dramatic effect is nice.

"Congratulations Tyr, you survived when we didn't think that you would." The source of the voice echoed from around him and didn't originate from the hooded form in front of him. The hooded figure reached out a hand and a shadow extended from it until it wrapped around Tyr. The shadow wrapped around his vision and his HUD reshaped with an edge of shadow around it. "As a reward for surviving the challenge we are granting you what others would call an unfair advantage. You have been gifted Shadow, which is a fully functional AI that is going to do everything it can to help augment you towards success. For lack of better terminology it is going to help guide you through the game. However, the condition that comes with it is that you may not divulge its existence to other players. If you do, your access to it shall be revoked."

"So, Shadow is basically like having a quest guide path?" Tyr asked the hooded figure. I do that and so much more. We will become stronger together. I'll level with you, and together we will become a force of nature. Hearing this ominous voice inside his mind made him visibly flinch.

"We trust that you will help develop it beyond just that." The hooded figure started to fade and the game realm started to come back into focus. Unceremoniously Tyr was dumped on the forest floor where he'd been with Brutus. On a quick glance he didn't see Brutus. He's nearby, presumably. He shook his head as the voice echoed within his mind. Shadow nudged in a peripheral of his mind and he started walking in that direction.

After several minutes of pressing through limbs and bushes in the thick underbrush a sword flashed in Tyr's line of sight, right at eye level. Shadow pressed on his mind and his body reacted before he could think. The blade passed so closely that he felt as though the blade could have shaved him.

"DIE!" Brutus' voice boomed as he swung the sword around again.

"Whoa whoa whoa dude it's me!" The sword stopped mid-swing and Brutus gasped.

"Oh wow. I'm sorry man." Brutus' sword dropped to his side, "I thought that Banshee had killed you. What happened?" Tyr shook his head. Tell him you got teleported to a bonus stage, but all you got was some bonus experience after you got your ass kicked. Really? Do you have a better idea?

"I uh... got teleported to some kind of bonus stage."

"Oh sweet! Did you get anything good?"

"Besides an ass kicking?" Tyr laughed at the lie in his throat, "No. Just some experience." Brutus grimaced, and made a face that Tyr had seen him make several times over the past few hours. It seemed to be more of a trademark expression at this point.

"Well, when I get a bonus stage I'm sure it'll be me doing the ass kicking." As he said this he kicked some small fallen branches. "So where do we head from here? By the time we get back to town it'll be almost lunch, so we may as well keep pushing right?"

Shadow pressed against Tyr's peripheral again and Tyr immediately started walking in that direction. I have a feeling you're going to help me more than I thought you would.

"Let's go this way. I have a good feeling about it." Shadows laugh echoed in Tyr's mind as the warrior took the lead and started hacking his way through the brush with his sword. A good feeling... the words echoing within his mind as light started to filter in at dawn's break.