Clyde sits up and finds himself lying on a castle wall, instead of the comforting bath with the twins. Coming to his senses, he can hear the thunderous noise all around: the screaming of beasts and the yelling of men. He still can't see, realizing the metal visor on his helmet is blocking his vision. He lifts it up, exposing the world around him.

The castle is being attacked by monsters. He stands up, struggling in the armor that clad every inch of his body in plate. As he stands, he rests his hand on top of the sword strapped to his belt out of habit. Realizing he’s armed, Clyde looks down at the swords and small buckler attached to his hips.

"Looks like I'm fully equipped. Is this some type of dream?" Clyde mutter aloud, just before a box flashes in front of him that reads:

Protect the castle from monsters and unlock Warrior!

"Seems simple enough," Clyde sighs.

A man runs towards Clyde, so he steps out to block the man's path. "What is going on?" Clyde quickly asks.

"We have to protect the east gate! The Direbear is breaking through the gate! It won't last much longer," the man yells, before shoving Clyde out of the way to run toward the gate.

Clyde looks around. "I guess that's my task," he says and follows the man.

As he approaches the gate, he sees men bracing it. The door is made of thick wood and iron bracing. That door could hold back a horde of bulls, Clyde thinks to himself.

Suddenly, an enormous mass hits the door from the other side, rocking the area like the peal of thunder. The sound shocks Clyde to his very bones, making him freeze for a moment, but the sound of wood cracking snaps him out of it.

That isn't good… Clyde quickly draws his two swords from their sheaths and takes his battle stance. He looks at his armor briefly, "There isn't a scratch on it. This seems similar to my last load out when I played the LARP!"

Holding his stance steadfast with determination, Clyde assures himself, "Whatever comes through that door, I will kill."

The beast crashes into the gate again, knocking down the men and barricades bracing against it.

"It's coming through! GET AWAY!" Clyde hollers. Some men retreat, but others are too slow. The door breaks and pins some of them, but the Direbear tramples most.

There is a shift in Clyde's body as the adrenaline surges through him, causing a wave of anxiety and fear to wash over him. His flight reflex screams at him to run, but he stands firm, denying the innate response from taking over. The monster he is facing isn't an animal, nor a bear. It is a demon- one that has climbed its way out of the deepest pits of hell, overwhelming any being that crossed its path.

Spoiler :

As it crosses the threshold of the gate, the Direbear focuses its attention on a fleeing mother and daughter. A miasma filled the air with hatred as it focused on its prey.

"NO, YOU DON'T!" Clyde yells at the top of his lungs towards the Direbear. The words he has yelled at so many other players while LARPing come naturally out of his mouth, "[I taunt thee.]x3 YOU MANGY MUTT!"

(Taunt: The target can only attack the caster for 30 seconds. The target may defend itself against attacks from others, but cannot strike them. The target must stay within 20 feet of the caster. This ability can only be used on one target at a time.)

The Direbear shifts its complete attention to Clyde. Annoyed, it makes a mad dash for him. Clyde's entire body braces for the impact as the Direbear swipes at him. Clyde is flung across the courtyard, only stopping when his body hits a tree and falls to the ground.

Clyde breathes deeply, almost as if he wasn't even hit. In the corner of his eye, he sees -3 AP. His attention focuses on the corner, where he can see his health points, mana points, and armor points.

HP: 2

MP: 6

AP: 9

The bear has the ability to crush armor… Clyde thinks as he gets back on his feet.

(Armor Crushing: Strikes to the armor remove 3 armor points.)

Clyde laughs, "This is just like the LARP!" He stands up, places his hand on his chest, and yells at the bear, "If you can crush my armor, then I'll protect it with Ancestral Armor!" He incants, "I call upon the spirits of those who died protecting their loved ones, adorn this armor and protect its wearer from harm." As he finishes, a spirit of a hardened warrior falls from the sky and enters his armor, causing it to glow slightly.

(Ancestral Armor: The effects of magic balls, projectiles, and weapons are ignored when striking the player's armor. The armor loses 1 point instead. This effect will not trigger if there are no armor points left.)

HP: 2

MP: 4

AP: 9

Enchantment: Ancestral Armor

Clyde readies his swords and sprints at the bear, exchanging blows back and forth. By flanking the bear's side and weaving in and out quickly, Clyde lands four strikes for every one of the bear's.

Growing tired of playing with Clyde, the beast shifts its attention to another prey. Clyde, not realizing the duration of his Taunt ability had expired, tries to cast it again.

I’m too late!!

The beast has already escaped the 20-foot range of the ability. It brazenly attacks a peasant girl, tearing away her constitution and knocking her to the ground. The Direbear sinks its sharp fangs into her flesh, causing her to scream in pain.

Clyde, realizing what is happening, sprints after the beast and points his sword at it, preparing to cast Taunt again. The Direbear, still holding the girl in its jaws, refocuses its attention on Clyde.

"YOU BASTARD!!" Clyde screams before recasting Taunt.

"I taunt thee!" The Direbear grins at Clyde, and starts thrashing the girl in its mouth.

"I taunt thee!" The force of the beast's jaw on the girl's body begins to tear her in half.

"I TAUNT THEE!!!"

With the final line of the incantation, the girl snaps in two from the violent thrashing. The Direbear stares at Clyde with a sickly, gore-filled smile, provoking him more so than any ability. The girl's tear-filled eyes meet Clyde's as she falls to the ground next to his feet, her broken body laying still on the ground.

"DAMMIT!" Clyde exclaims.

Despite the terrible injuries she has sustained, the young girl is still conscious, with absolute terror etched into her face. Clyde kneels over the girl and places his hand gently on her cheek. "I'm so sorry... I couldn't protect you," he whispers, as she breathes her last. He drops his swords and pulls out a small buckler from his belt. “Dream, hallucination, baptism, whatever- I WILL kill you!”

Clyde takes up his buckler and grips it firmly with both hands.

"I BECOME AN UNMOVABLE WALL!" he screams hoarsely.

(Bulwark: To activate this ability, the warrior must hold a shield with both hands. The player is stopped for 30 seconds or until they move, ending this effect. Anything that would normally remove armor points is ignored. If the shield breaks, this effect ends.)

HP: 2

MP: 3

AP: 5

"EVERYONE!” Clyde shouts to the remaining company of men. “I WILL DRAW ITS ATTENTION FOR ONE MINUTE! SLASH IT WITH YOUR SWORDS, STAB IT WITH YOUR SPEARS, JAB IT WITH YOUR ARROWS, AND SMASH IT WITH YOUR MACES! KILL THIS FUCKER!"

Bulwark remains active as long as this shield doesn't break... I’ll use every second to take agro. It probably has shield breaking as well, so I can’t take a hit!

(Shield Breaking - Strikes to shields remove 1 shield durability point.)

Soldiers around the castle hear Clyde's battle cry, and begin their full assault on the Direbear as Clyde keeps its attention. The rage of the beast is palpable as it claws at Clyde, aiming for his shield. But Clyde, determined to protect those around him, stands still and keeps the shield out of the way of the beast's attacks, almost as if doing a dance. The attacks that do land on his armor do nothing.

Clyde recasts Taunt, knowing the beast will attack others if given the opportunity. Sensing its impending doom, the Direbear becomes desperate. Its once intelligent strikes become rash swings as the air around them changes from murderous intent to that of survival.

As the duration of the Taunt nears its end, the beast poises to flee, but Clyde's incantation comes out again. "I taunt thee."

The beast turns around, filled with an enormous amount of rage. No creature has ever stood in its way. But now, standing before it is a small, immovable wall it cannot plow through. Every soldier in its sight is attacking it: the men on the walls fire volleys of arrows, while the forces on the ground stab it with spears. Yet, the beast cannot respond to their blows.

It was as if the Direbear were caught between a raging inferno and a stone wall. One thought goes through its mind: "Break through that wall."

The Direbear charges at Clyde just as the duration of Bulwark has ended. Clyde tries to block with his shield, but it breaks into pieces. The beast swipes and gnashes at Clyde, hitting his armor.

Now unarmed, Clyde does his best to evade the powerful blows, as he is hit repeatedly and tossed around like a rag doll. He is no longer grounded, since Bulwark ran out.

It's over. I'm going to die here and I can't do anything to stop it! I wish I didn't drop my swords.

His armor shatters and he is hit again, losing a hit point.

HP: 1

MP: 0

AP: 0

The Direbear raises its claw, knowing it has won. A gleeful, ravenous smile creeps up its face, feeling more fulfilled than when it ripped the girl's body apart.

The beast initiates its final strike and misses, as it collapses before Clyde. Awestruck, Clyde looks at the Direbear. “We did it…” he whispers, as he breathes out through a disbelieving smile. "WE DID IT!!"

Those who are still alive shout praises, but before Clyde can fully enjoy his victory, a white light envelops him. A singular thought entered Clyde’s mind.

Did I die?