Cain awoke exactly where he left off, standing in front of the group of miners. Before he could gather his bearings, he collapsed in fatigue…

“Nurse! I think he is waking up!”

“Wha-what? Where am I?” Cain opened his eyes slightly to realise he was in a room somewhere lying in a cot

“Lie down! Don’t move you bigot! You’re exhausted and need to rest!”

Cain settled back into the cot, it was the most comfortable place he had ever laid and against his will was glad for the relaxing moment.

“Adventurer, it seems that you have ignored the warnings of the game and refused to sleep after the forced removal of immersion. You must take the at least four hours per day sleeping before reengaging into this world otherwise you will damage your body. I will give you this medication to fix the problem. I hope I don’t have to see you again.”

Cain felt the needle go into his shoulder though didn’t mind as the cot was so comfortable even a riot couldn’t disturb him.

***

Cain opened his eyes to see he was back in his standard issue bed with the headset loosely on his head.

I only just got back in! What the hell is this game!

Thinking back over the guide, Cain remembered a note mentioning real life fatigue affected his in-game self, and if the headset recorded any neurological disturbances it would force him out of the game though in most cases utilising in game NPCs to reduce the boundaries between the real world and E.N.D.L.E.S.S. Checking the cupboards there was no new bread, yet the lights were on, so he couldn’t have been out for more than 3 hours. He must have slept with the headset on. He decided he may as well sleep another hour to make sure he gets a full 16 hours of levelling next time. He put the headset back on and fell asleep.

***

Cain once again awoke in a cot, though this time there were no nurses looking over him, he got up and following the corridor downstairs in hopes to search for the next quest.

“Oi! You! Git back ‘ere and pay ye rent!”

“What? I was upstairs for less than a minute!”

“A min’ite, you spent two days up ‘ere! The cost of nurses ‘nd recovery team that I covered you owe me eight sil’va!”

Cain checked his coin purse and realised he only had two silver from the quest he completed with Marowit.

“I only have two silver; can I repay later? I have things to do and places to be.”

“You ain’t leavin’ wiv’out payin’ punk, this is a business an’ I ain’t jokin’.”

Cain slumped in a bar stool to think of his options, as he flicked through the game menu he realised Maworit was online,

| Whisper Marowit: Hey, can you lend me six silver, I gave you those metal chunks last quest remember|

| Marowit: Sure mate! I’ve got that easy, where you at? Think of if as a gift as long as you join my party for the next group quest, you’re a psycho in battle! |

I’m the psycho in battle?

| Whisper Marowit: Come to the pub in the village we met, I think I’m there. I owe the owner six silver for the night apparently…|

| Marowit: Must have been a big night! I’ll be there soon! |

Half an hour later Marowit walked into the ale house and noticed Cain slumped at the bar with his face on the counter.

“Cheer up buttercup! Wow, you must have had a real big night to get in debt here! The drinks are only a few bronze each!”

“I didn’t drink here… I fainted and woke up to a few nurses, then I was back in the real world. Once I got back here I went downstairs had this owner was yelling at me to pay!”

“Hahaha! That got me as well, trying to avoid that force logout really gets you doesn’t it!”

“Can you please just pay the man so I can get out of here.”

“Sure thing mate!”

Marowit paid the owner for Cains stay and the two went to leave

“Big man! I wouldn’t expect you to be the type to buy a slave boy” someone called across the room

“WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!”

Marowit unsheathed his sword and stepped towards the voice in one movement.

“I said. Why. Are. You. Buying. A. Slave. Boy.”

Marowit launched forward dropping his sword and planting his fist straight into the mans face and continued to throw punch after punch until the player beneath him disappeared, the attack was so fast it was all over in a few seconds. The guards entered the building dragging Marowit onto the street before executing him.

| Marowit: Can you meet me north of town? |

| Whisper Marowit: What? You’re still alive? I’ll be there in a second |

Cain walked out the northern entry only to see Marowit standing there rubbing his arm looking embarrassed

“I’m sorry for hurting that guy, I just couldn’t let him call me fat like that”

“Marowit… He didn’t call you fat, he called you ‘big man’. You’re seven-foot-tall and covered in muscle lugging around an even bigger sword, isn’t that a complement?”

“I don’t want to talk about it!!!”

This guy has more issues than I do

“Okayyy, thanks for bailing me out anyway, I guess I owe you?”

“Just lets drop the subject ok! I’m not going to talk about it!”

“Ok, ok, subject dropped. I’ve been meaning to ask you though, I’ve seen you be killed twice now, doesn’t it hurt?”

“Hahaha, no of course not! Haven’t you read anything about this game? Before level 10 the pain sensors are set to 1, you only feel pressure but never pain. Remember when the imps attacked you what did you feel?”

Cain recalling his experience back in the cave assumed it was only adrenaline covering the pain, but when thinking earlier when his arm was cut so deep it was unusable he also couldn’t remember any pain.

“Well I guess that makes sense, but what happens when you die? I saw you die in that cave and now and you haven’t changed.”

“Same goes mate. I died 4 times in that cave, the respawn point was at the cave entrance though so I could get back to the fight quickly. But after level 10 the repercussions for death change. You haven’t read anything about this game, have you?”

“Only a little, but can you explain what happens after level 10?”

“Haha, you really are a mad man! After level 10, you lose all your equipment and loot on death, and according to your devotion to light the pain level scales!”

“Pain level scales… in what way?”

“well the higher you devotion the less pain you feel in combat, I heard if someone has zero devotion they feel the same pain you would in the real world”

“And… if they have negative devotion?”

“HAHAHA, you truly are crazy! I can’t answer that mate, I’m still only level 7 myself, I guess we’ll just have to find out!”

This is not good…

“I guess we will.”

“Hey Marowit, can you take me somewhere I can get some quest to level? I’m still only level two and need to unlock some abilities.”

“Sure thing! I’ll be killed there if I enter as I don’t follow any gods of darkness like you, but I know a place”

Cain followed Marowit until they reached the outskirts of a dead forest with a single path leading into it.

”Just follow this path mate! You’ll be alright I think, just don’t stray from the path aye!”

As mad as he is, he has only been help so far. I guess I should trust him. I really do need some quests

Cain followed the path until he reached a sketchy camp of ragged men.

“hey! Do any of you have a quest for me?”

“Another brother of darkness! Welcome adventure please come and join us!”

This is going to take longer than I thought

Cain uncomfortably joined the men in the camp.