Plyne was already downstairs sitting in his chair beside the fireplace when I burst in. As soon as the words left my lips he was up on his feet in an instant.

“You’re going to fight the bear?” He asked perplexed as he came over to the shop half of the store and immediately began picking things off the wall.

“I got a subquest with a timer to go rescue Iagan, the bear trapped him in the cave and he can’t get out.” I panted. Tick tick tick. The timer in my lower left HUD continually drained of time as timers do, but damn if it didn’t feel like this one was moving a lot faster than real time.

“That bear is resistant to most slashing damage,” Plyne told me as he set the items down on the counter. More rope, a grappling hook, a short sword, some bandages, a bow and several arrows. “Fighting it will be pointless unless you can find a way to get a critical hit onto it somehow. Be careful and DON’T go in without a plan.

“Take the road south down to the river and follow the bank back to the waterfall. There will be a cave system nearby where the bear lives. You’ll have to find it inside from there. This is all I have that I can think of that would help. I don’t have any more potions at the moment.”

I couldn’t use any of the weapons so I slapped my credit card onto the counter and paid for the rope, bandages and grappling hook. 35 gold. I thanked Plyne and dashed out, making a note on my watch HUD for the gold Iagan would owe me by the end of this. More pink messages popped up on my run out through the forest.

Mr.BigwIggy whispered to [MykaReviews]:

MykaReviews whispered to [Mr.BigwIggy]:

The timer read [39:25] by the time I reached the river, cardio is certainly not my strong suit. I hooked a right, breaking from the stomped down traveling road for the untamed wilderness. I stuck as close to the riverside as I could manage, the mangled root systems of the trees made for rocky terrain and I had to slow down lest I ended up with a twisted ankle.

I’d had to slow down even further when I encountered a deep bramble patch in the woods. I pulled out my extra Dapper Crate logo tee shirts and wrapped them around my arms as some small extra cushion towards having to deal with the thorns. I chugged the scalding coffee from my water bottle and watched as another timer came into play for the movement bonus I’d applied to myself. It helped, if only barely as I traversed through as quickly as I could manage. My Bermuda shorts did little to protect my legs and the thorns prickled and scraped my shins till they were a mess of stings.

[15:56]

Heavy moisture clung to the air as mist alerting me that I had reached the waterfall. I was scratched to all hell but I’d still managed to make it within the timeframe, thank noodles. The waterfall was magnificent, a private lush lagoon nestled against the gray rocky face of the mountain. A picture perfect paradise, but I didn’t have time to stop for a picture: I needed to find the cave.

I caught my breath and studied my surroundings looking for any hint or trace of a clue. A lush forest surrounded the miniature lagoon, the drooping branches arced toward the water. Lillies and reeds dotted the edges of the water in the soft wet mud. My HUD highlighted a square on the ground. I moved over to it and found one animal track complete with claws imprinted perfectly into the mud, the shallow laps of water highlighted the outer edges in a shimmering ripple.

Ker-chunk.

I summoned my camera and hung the strap around my neck as my HUD identified it as a bear tracks. I looked through the mud and dirt to see if I could find more tracks to follow. A few steps further my HUD tagged another bear track ahead along the banks, this time correctly labeling it now that I’d updated my compendium.

Both tracks followed a well worn trampled pathway up to the face of the mountain where they stopped at the wall. Well that wasn’t good: I’d lost the trail of where the bear had gone. Maybe I’d tracked the wrong set of tracks and this was just where the bear liked to come sit and watch the scenery. I heard they do that from time to time.

[13:25]

Mr.BigwIggy whispered to [MykaReviews]:

Tick tick tick. I was running out of time and Iagan’s panicked worrying wasn’t helping. I didn’t respond, I didn’t need a backseat gamer adding more pressure to me. Quests with time limits are my least favorite part about video games. I want to be able to do whatever quest I want when I want to, not on the game’s schedule. I clamped my eyes shut as I took a steadying breath, panicking would get me nowhere fast and I needed to focus. There was something I was missing, there had to be. I squinted across the lagoon for any signs I might have missed in my search when I saw a glint.

Hidden in the mists at the bottom of the waterfall was a single flattened boulder that could fit one person. I summoned and slipped my poncho on and stuck my camera under it’s protection, clasping it shut tightly with my free hand. I rested my hand on the wall and took a breath, praying that I didn’t eat it spectacularly.

[12:30]

I ran and launched myself off the ground toward the rock in the water. My feet landed on the slick rock and I somehow managed to maintain my balance waving my arms about like a madwoman. The water roared behind me the main stream missing me thanks to a well disguised overhang. In front of me was a tall cave opening. A secret.

[Skill Increase: Investigation level 4]

I waved the notification away and leaped into the cave. Just over twelve minutes left until the quest was over. I didn’t want to think about what would happen if the timer ran out before I was done. I slid the poncho off, sending it away and summoned my letter opener in my free hand.

I quietly and carefully made my way through the cave. The thrum of the water behind me echoed off the cavernous walls, masking the occasional squeak of my shoes on the shiny wet floor. The waterfall dampened the light from outside so it became dark very quickly as I crept onward. I didn’t dare use my Light and waste my magic when I could carefully walk alongside the wall.

My eyes slowly adjusted and my HUD took on a greenish tint like I was looking through night vision goggles, allowing me to see the bare minimum in front of me. Ahead of my down the tunnel was the furious echoing grunts and and roars of a very agitated bear. I pressed myself against the wall and froze, not daring to breathe.

[Skill Increase: Stealth level 1]

[9:36]

I crept quietly around the natural bend in the tunnel to find the room opened into a cavern pocket. There at the back of the room was the bear with shaggy matted brown fur towering on it’s hind legs as it swiped at something high along the edge of the ceiling. Sticking out from between the stalactites hanging from the ceiling was part of a pauldron and a swath of spiked mauve colored hair. Iagan had somehow scampered himself up the wall and wedged himself between stalactites to keep himself out of the bear’s reach.

MykaReviews whispered to [Mr.BigwIggy]:

I watched Iagan get the ping and stretch to twist himself to look for me. I gave him a wave to prove I was really there as our eyes met.

Mr.BigwIggy whispered to [MykaReviews]:

I elected to be gracious and ignore his snark at my punctuality. A new message popped up:

[[Mr.BigwIggy] has invited you to his group.]

I declined the invitation and sent my own back.

Mr.BigwIggy whispered to [MykaReviews]:

MykaReviews whispered to [Mr.BigwIggy]:

[7:43]

Tick tick tick.

[Role Changed to PARTY LEADER:

You have one (1) member in your party. You can now see other Party Member’s Health and Mana bars. Bonus* to Charisma activated while in the -Party Leader- role. *Bonus scales with number of members in your group.]

Iagan’s health bar popped up in my HUD as he relented and joined my offer. Most of the red and all of the blue was missing, he’d done poked the bear alright. His name appeared in the group chat box, the messages we’d shared when we’d grouped up before came back up instantly.

Mr.BigwIggy whispered to [The Group]:

Well the plan was I didn’t have one right at that moment. I hoped I would have more time to work with but the trek to get here had taken most of it. I’d have to come up with something fast.

MykaReviews whispered to [The Group]:

Mr.BigwIggy whispered to [The Group]:

As if on cue Iagan’s boot slid and scraped down the stalactite showering dirt and debris onto the bear who roared swiping at him again. The deep primal fury of the beast was enough to send my knees shaking as I crouched against the wall. Shit! An actual real fucking bear and I was debating what I could do to stop such a thing. Oh noodles, I was not prepared for this, but Iagan needed me and I had to think fast.

I pulled up my inventory and went through the items most of which were useless in this situation. I had a mana potion, two healing potions and a minor potion of stamina as well as bandages to tend to any other wounds but nothing that would help me immediately in dispatching the bear.

MykaReviews whispered to [The Group]:

Mr.BigwIggy whispered to [The Group]:

The bear was robust and healthy looking and I was most definitely NOT prepared.

MykaReviews whispered to [The Group]:

Mr.BigwIggy whispered to [The Group]:

[1:43]

Tick tick tick. Time was almost up. I opened a trade with Iagan and sent over one of my two Healing Potions, the unbreakable camera strap and all the rope I could muster.Anything and everything that could possibly help. I gripped the camera in my hand, hoping the strap would be useful as the time ticked away. Iagan accepted the trade and I made a note for later of what he owed me. Yes, I was being that petty.

MykaReviews whispered to [The Group]:

[0:53]

Now or never Walters. Adrenaline coursed through my body nearly taking me out at the knees as I leaned on the wall to steady myself. I took a slow steadying breath, slid on my shades and readied my camera as I held my free hand out.

“Light!” My voice echoed throughout the cavern as the tiny sun formed in my palm, lighting the room instantly. My shades protected me from the sudden daylight brightness that cast hard black jagged stalactite shadows across the room. The bear groaned, squinting in the abrupt change, turning to face me. It’s lip lifted angrily as it let out a roar.

“Come get some then!” I shouted, my voice overpowering the echo left from it’s roar. It slammed down onto the ground, shaking the pebbles loose around my feet. The bear charged.

Ker-chunk.

A blinding white flash chased the last of the shadows away as it encompassed every corner for one brief moment. The bear slid to a stop and howled in pain, grunting and flinging it’s head around. It swiped out wildly with it’s long clawed paws, hoping to find me. The flash faded as instantly as it came, the only light left was my single sun at the end of my free hand.

A loud shout came flying down from the ceiling as Iagan landed on top of the bear. His health bar had boosted all the way back up to full thanks to the Healing Potion I’d given him. His weapon was sheathed and instead he was wielding the Unbreakable Camera Strap in both his hands. In one swift motion Iagan looped the strap around the bear’s snout, securely muzzling it.

“NOW!” His voice rang out as the bear bucked wildly.

Ker-chunk.

My finger slipped as I dismissed the camera and I took another picture. I waved away the notification that came after it. That was NOT what I needed right now Roqor! I summoned my letter opener and dashed towards the bear.

[0:15]

Now or never.

I ran up to it as the clock timer ticked away. I somehow managed to avoid the swipe from it’s paw and reached it’s face. The camera strap was doing it’s job with Iagan straining and holding on tightly. Small brown furs along it’s snout poking out every which way as the strap dug in, clamping it’s mouth shut preventing the teeth from finding their way into me. In the fraction of the moment I arrived I could see it’s eyes starting to focus more, the stun was wearing off. It saw me and swiped again, this time connecting with my side and I yelped as pain struck. My health bar instantly drained to almost gone and air stung my new wounds as a slick wet poured down my left side. I gritted my teeth through the pain and yanked the makeshift muzzle closer. Pulling the bear’s head into my torso, it’s growling breath hot on my wounds as I plunged the letter opener into it’s eye up to the hilt.

[0:01]

[0:00]

[::Don’t Poke the Bear:: Quest Completed]

[Reward: 50 Gold Pieces]

[::Don’t Poke the Bear:: Hidden Scenario Completed]

[Reward: 100 Gold]

The bear fell limply to the floor with a whimper and I scrambled to back up away from it. The dagger through the eye and into the brain had done the trick for dispatching it. Several notifications popped up as Iagan and I both slid onto the floor for a breather. I popped my last Healing Potion, bringing my in-the-danger-zone red health bar back up to full. My skin reformed instantly, healthy and unscarred. Beach Bum wasn’t so lucky, the claws having gotten most of her side, tearing the now bloody fabric of my once white shirt.

“Thank you for comin’ back for me, Mica.” Iagan panted, laying flat on the ground. “And I’m sorry for actin’ like a dick last night.”

“You’re welcome.”

I had survived fighting a bear, I would be properly mad later once we were back in town. One of those kinds of bears are the ones you’re not supposed to fight and just play dead, I think I did it backwards this time. To be fair bears and bear fighting wasn’t mentioned in my survival booklet I’d taken from Roqor’s tutorial tower. I flitted through the notifications that had popped up.

[Floor 1 Animals 5/25]

[Skill Increase: Photography level 4]

[Weapons Skill Increase: Daggers level 3]

“Did you level any skills?” I asked as I moved to my compendium to look at the pictures I’d gotten of the bear.

“Strength at least a few times.” Iagan grunted. “And maybe dumbass but I don’t think they track that in game.”

“Yeah I can see that. You were up there for a while.”

My compendium gave me the option to choose a picture for the bear entry. Strange, I thought I’d only taken the one until I remembered my finger slipped as I was swapping for my letter opener. The first picture was a distance shot of the bear, beginning to charge at me with a roar once I’d gotten it’s attention. The second photo had been after it was blinded by the flash and Iagan was on top of it wrestling it’s mouth shut with the camera strap. He looked like some wild cowboy at the rodeo holding onto those bucking bulls, only it wasn’t a bovine but a bear. Iagan was pulling the straps, yanking the bear’s head backwards, it’s paw frozen in motion mid-swipe. Definitely a high energy shot worth leveling over.

I picked that one and scooted over to show Iagan. He barely lifted his head off the ground to peer at the tiny window but his brows went up none the less.

“Holy shit I look cool.”

“It was very cool.” I agreed looking over to the bear’s carcass just a few feet away from us. “You mind if I loot the bear?”

Iagan shook his head and laid back down. As party leader I had the option to do group loot or free for all so I swapped over to group loot which would pull up the loot on both our HUDS.

[GROUP LOOT :Bear:

Y/N?]

Click.

+Bear Pelt (Great) [Miscellanious Item]

+Bear Claws x7 [Scrap Material]

+Bear Tooth X1 [Scrap Material]

+Bear Meat x3 [Cooking Ingredient]

Iagan passed on everything so I sent it all to my fanny pack, except for the bear meat and the great quality pelt. Those would be way too much for me to carry back to Green’s Peak so I made Iagan take them anyway. He sent them away to his personal inventory, not getting up from the floor. The bear’s body evaporated into mist and my blue magic meter flashed, alerting me I was out of magic. The light flickered, plunging the room into darkness again.

My eyes adjusted slowly, my HUD shifted again to the almost green output and I could just barely make out Iagan’s outline still laying on the ground. He brought up his arm, fiddling with the invisible HUD created by his watch. I couldn’t see other beta’s screens but it didn’t take long to figure out what he was doing. A trade window with all the stuff I’d let him borrow popped up along with 30 gold.

“Here’s your stuff you lent me back.”

I accepted the trade and the items sorted themselves accordingly.

“If you’re really intent on paying me back you still owe me 5 gold and a Healing Potion.”

Another trade window opened for 5 gold.