This is definitely not a good thing. Definitely, definitely… If when I was given a sword and a shield I had to face a tiger, a top predator, I don’t even want to begin to imagine what I would face next based on the huuuuge rack full of weapons that just spawned.

Should I just accept my fate? I am fucked aren’t I? And what is not from your world supposed to mean? Is this a movie? Is my life simply a subconscious dream of a teenager? Or am I a mindless character in a fantasy novel? So many questions and only one sure thing, I am going to be fighting something horrific soon.

It is what it is in the end, isn’t it? Better to just accept the facts and at least pick some weapons. Let’s see now.

A huge rack laid sprawled right in front of Tyler. All kinds of fantasy weapons to choose from. Next to the rack were 3 armour stands with 3 different types of armours. The first one from left to right was what Tyler presumed to be the heavy armour. A full plated medieval knigtish looking armor with barely any openings. Next to it was a leather armour, with some under cloth. The right-most barely qualified as an armour. It was basically a robe with just some minor leather protection around the midsection and groin.

The weapons themselves ranged from a simple knife to some real fantasy bullshit. Tyler continued his inner musing on whether he really wasn’t a character in a fantasy movie or novel as he stared at a huge 2 meter long bladed half sword half axe hybrid.

How is that a viable weapon!? Is it even possible to lift this thing? It must weight over a hundred kilos if the blade is metal.. Right, whatever, let’s focus on myself. Basically I am forced to fight, doesn’t matter if I like it or not. So I am at least going to do it properly. What style would best suit me, hmmm.

I guess I have always been a more offensive type of person. Something that will help me keep a fight in my control, plus I want maneuverability. Something that hits hard, but not too hard, I’d prefer to have quite a bit of speed and agility in a fight.

Suddenly his eyes landed exactly on what he wanted. The perfect weapon that represents his fighting style - a spear with a curved twenty cmr long blade at the end. The shaft was a white wood material with black carved lines spirling all around it. Eyes sparkling, Tyler slowly grabbed the weapon and felt the shaft. Cold to the touch of his skin, the wood of the shaft felt strangely accepting and comforting, as if all his worries would wash away, stopped dead in their path by a single thrust of this beautiful spear.

Why does it feel so familiar, so friendly? Like I have just found a lost friend, or as if I am just remembering something that I have forgotten for years! No matter the reason, I like the feeling!

Quite pleased with his choice Tyler did some basic swings and thrusts with the spear, figuring out the weight and reach. After a couple of minutes of playing with the spear, a strange empty feeling started to make itself apparent. First slowly, then as time ticked by it continued growing stronger and stronger. Currently it was at the brink of being painful. Absolutely baffled by what is going on, Tyler simply grit his teeth and tried to think. Was it perhaps the wound from the tiger playing games on him? Probably not, it was completely healed, just like his arm.. It doesn’t make sense for it to start hurting. Besides the feeling was not one of physical pain.. It was more spiritual, an empty feeling, just like the feeling of losing someone really close to you.

A wave of sadness and mental agony assaulted him as he started to silently cry.

This pain.. This feeling of not being full.. Of missing something. Is it perhaps..

Slowly getting up on his feet, while his whole body was trembling, Tyler started to slowly walk towards the weapon rack once again. The conclusion he came to was that the feeling of emptiness was, perhaps, because he actually wasn’t completed yet. What if he needed another weapon or shield, not only the spear.

On the surface it seemed like a completely stupid deduction, made by a madman, however, it was the only thing that he could come up with under the pain.

After an agonizing couple of minutes of thinking, Tyler finally chose what his second arm would be. Judging by the past experience with the shield and how poorly it actually performed, he decided to pick a second weapon. Yes, perhaps the shield collapsed because he was inexperienced and couldn’t use it properly, however, Tyler was not risking it again.

Besides, the best defensive is a great offensive, right?

Picking up his second weapon, Tyler slowly brought it in front of his face, to closely inspect it. It was a short sword, with a basic brownish leathery grip with a metal spike looking pommel. The guard and the blade itself were completely black in colour, with a faint wave-like pattern of dark purples and yellows flowing through them like little streams of water.

Tyler found himself staring like a braindead zombie at the sword for a couple of seconds, forgetting to even breathe.

“Absolutely beautiful”, following the exclamation the pain and pressure he felt thus far lifted itself off of his shoulders, making him smile a bit and sigh with relief.

So it really was that, huh. Was that the being that spoke to me earlier? Trying to make me subconsciously pick another weapon? Is it a trap or is he trying to help me? Or was that actually my subconsciousness , my very being making itself heard?

Arghhh I don’t know anymore! The questions keep piling up! Whatever, I will find an answer when the time comes, if I even live long enough to seek any answers..

Right now, I cannot let my mind wander. I can feel it, a faint numbing sense of danger. My next opponents are coming.

And so they did.

A humanoid dark figure stepped out of the wall-hole. A tall, around 1.90 meters, slender figure with dark, almost black skin covered with fur. Lithe and strong muscles coiling around it’s bones like snakes, the figure was not bulky, yet the explosiveness and tension of it’s muscles could be felt by just a single glance.

The thing had two long dark purple-ish horns protruding it’s forehead, going straight upwards. It had red glowing eyes with which I can swear it stares right through my soul. It doesn’t appear that it has any weapons on it, however, it does have large, really deadly looking claws. It’d rather not get hit by those.

What is strange, is that even though I am currently faced in a life and death battle against an.. I don’t know a fantasy alien looking motherfucker I feel somehow calm and.. Even a bit of anticipation. These weapons.. I feel free.. As if my body is water, an unstoppable force that can go through anything and evade everything.

With this strange feeling slowly encompassing my whole body I feel a small smile draw across my face as I step forward, towards my opponent.

There is no place for hesitation, no place for mistakes, let these feelings guide you, you are water, you cannot be stopped.

And with this little matra I let go of all my worries and indulged myself in the thrill of a death battle as my spear met with the monster’s claws in a storm of sparks and ringing ears.

Trying to keep my distance and controlling my enemy, I try to grasp my foe’s strength with some light jabs at different vital spots on its body. It seems it has good reactions as it blocked all my strikes with a single hand, not stopping or fretting for even a second. As expected, it wouldn’t be as easy as the previous challenges, this enemy has at least some measure of intelligence, as it seems it is studying me as well.

Well, let’s try changing to tempo a bit. Taking a step back, I pull my spear back and immediately follow with an overhead spear slash, putting almost all of my strength in the strike.

Meanwhile I prepare my left hand, gripping the sword tightly, waiting for the exact moment the creature tries to block my attack, so I can stab it. Unfortunately it seems like it saw through my plan as it didn’t try to block my attack this time, it simply used it’s left hand to slightly deflect it out of its trajectory, making it completely miss, while using it’s right hand claw to block my sword thrust.

Damn, it really isn’t going to be easy is it. I jump backwards and try to straighten my posture, however, I am left with little to no time as the creature jumps right after me, claws raised for a slash.

I try to parry and block the fury of attacks as best as I can with my sword, however, my defenses are lacking. I am simply not skilled enough to block both claws with only one sword, my right hand still gripping tightly the spear, even tho at this range it’s basically a hindrance, something in the back of my head stops me from dropping it.

Soon I my hands and shoulders were riddled with small cuts as I somehow manage to slither around most of the attacks that came through my sword-defence. The thing is that my hand is slowly starting to get numb, this thing packs quite the punch. I don’t think I will manage to continue blocking and parrying for much longer, I need a plan.

It should be easy right… I am water after all. Block, evade, spin, parry and strike. The combination suddenly sparked in my mind out of nowhere. There isn’t much to be lost right, only my life haha.. Right, let’s try it!

Squinting my eyes I sternly observe the way it strikes, how it brings it’s claws back, the mad fury in its eyes, the barred teeth, the bloodthirsty look it gives me, I engraved everything in my mind. Tensing my muscles, my body goes in overdrive, adrenaline pumping like it never had before. The sounds from the clashes dies down and everything slows down.

This is the moment, I wait with anticipation as the creature’s claw nears my sword, the moment it touches I spring into action. Blocking the strike, I weave to the right as it’s left claw nears my face, evading it by a hair’s length, following with a complete 360 spin on my right heel. Using all the strength of my thighs and core, I grip my spear and thrust forward with all my might as I yet again block another strike with my sword.

The creature being completely caught off-guard by the sudden movement could only stare with a slightly slacked jaw as my spear splits the air with a faint hum and meets it’s midsection. The spear went completely through, coming out of the back side of its body.

The confused creature slowly disappeared in numerous motes of light as I fell down to my knees with an unnaturally heavy panting. Nothing like this had ever happened before. This strange sensation in my body, this.. Uncanny calmness during the fight. It all felt extremely foreign, like it wasn’t part of me. Even the movements.. The water like fluidness that my body moved with it, it all felt as if something outside of my consciousness had an influence over my body, but at the same time strangely familiar and pleasant. It was a strange experience for a lack of better words.

HA HA HA, CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PASSED THE TRAIL! WHAT A DAMN SURPRISE HA HA, IF I HAD KNOWN YOU WERE A NATURAL I WOULD’VE GIVEN YOU A HARDER TRIAL! BAH, ALL IS PAST NOW THOUGH, BUT TO THINK THAT THIS OLD FOOL WOULD GET TO OVERLOOK AND SPECTATE NOT ONLY ONE, BUT TWO NATURALS!

TRULY WONDERFUL CREATURES, YOU HUMANS!

The booming voice of this.. Whatever he is, cut through my train of thought and his words bombarded my mind with even more answerless questions. I am a Natural? What does that even mean? Only one way to find out right?

HA HA DON’T FRET OVER IT BOY. MY ROLE IS TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE SYSTEM AND ITS MECHANISMS. FROM THERE ONWARDS I AM SIMPLY A SPECTATOR WHOSE ONLY PURPOSE IS TO RECORD WHAT HAPPENS. YOU WILL GET YOUR ANSWERS WITH TIME, IF YOU SURVIVE LONG ENOUGH, OF COURSE, HA HA HA!

That was a rather rude interruption of my thoughts.. Again, wait. Does that mean that he can read my mind? That’s not good, is it?

NOT QUITE, BUT CLOSE ENOUGH, YOUNG ONE. ENOUGH CHIT-CHATTING THOUGH. LET US GET STARTED! YOU ARE THE LAST ONE OF YOUR BATCH AND I DON’T HAVE ALL DAY HA HA!

Thus darkness started to slowly creep it’s way around my vision, slowly encompassing it, until I could only see pure black. Then I start to slowly feel my consciousness slip away. Trying my best to overcome the ever powerful feeling of sleepiness I fail miserably and soon enough sweet unconsciousness befalls me..