The voice that used her name came from one of groups, from a man with deep orange hair that made him look fox-like. He looked at her expectantly.

Nikola wondered how to answer. She didn't want to draw attention to herself, but would ignoring the woman do more harm than good?

She wondered, also, why people kept referring to her by her *full name*. Why were others, like Violet, simply referred to by their first name while she was 'Nikola Brightdark'? It was like she was always in trouble.

"Yes," she replied simply, her icy blues growing icier.

"I knew she was Nikki B," one of the others chimed in with a grin.

Nikola suddenly preferred her full name.

"Darn, I can't believe somebody awakened you before we could get to you," another said, implying they had the means to do so. So others had been gifted NPC Awakening Cards as well...

"I awakened myself," Nikola offered pensively, still wondering as to their objective.

"*Awakened yourself?* That's not possible, is it?"

They looked between themselves, puzzled.

"It is possible, as I did it. Is there a reason you are questioning me?"

"We always like to get to know our victims before we kill them," the one with auburn locks uttered, "but we already know more about you than you know about yourself, so you're right. There's not much of a point in continuing."

He said the vile words with a smug superiority. Sometimes, she hated being an NPC with a backstory for everyone in the world to see. They seemed to know secrets about her even she wasn't aware of, secrets that were obscured from her in her youth or had been eroded from her mind by time or trauma. Or, being rewritten. And they weren't the first ones... Luke, too, spoke as if he had a deep familiarity with her.

"You claim familiarity with me, and yet you wish to kill me?"

"You've killed us enough times," one muttered beneath their breath.

"These bozos ragequit your quest," said the red-haired one, gesturing at the four others in his party, "so imagine our surprise when we see you here later now that we've Prestiged."

She glanced between all of them; there were five, so a full party, and each was donning a full set of armour. Their armour all matched; they all wore the same utilitarian silver set that looked to be medium or light armour. The crook of their forearms were exposed, allowing them a range of motion and a convenient place for her blade to slice their flesh. Their faces and necks, too, were out for the world to see, and their knees. More importantly, the backs of their knees.

Not all of their weapons were drawn for her to examine, but two had sword hilts jutting from behind their shoulders.

She concluded that she could take at least two of them out alone, and if she went through them swiftly enough, much more. Their choice of protection looked rather like what the shopkeepers in The Copper Citadel were selling for a few Silvers.

They wanted to defeat her as a notch on their belt, to prove themselves - a worthy quest in some ways, and a petty one in others. She wrinkled her freckled nose. "I have leveled as well, since I was an NPC. I will not allow you to kill me, so you best be sure of your decision, as it will be your last."

Two of them backed up subconsciously, and she noted which ones they were with a keen, dark stare. They were the most frightened of her, the ones she could pick off first to secure the best possible chance of survival.

One was physically smaller than the others, his muscles wiery and limp. The other, upon further inspection, had a staff poking out from beneath the lid of his backpack. A healer or mage? Even if he didn't show signs of being intimidated by her, a mage or healer would be an excellent candidate for a quick and decisive kill. So far, she had been hit by almost every fireball thrown her way.

"We'll see who kills who on the inside, Nikki B," spat the fiery-haired man with a grin that bared his sharp, canine-like teeth. He had a set of ears nestled in amongst all his hair.

They formed a tight circle and slinked away into the crowd, allowing her a brief moment to prepare. At that moment, a ding went off in her mind, and then another.

She pulled up her red box. There were several notifications there, whose sounds had been dulled by the conflict with the party of butthurt men.

Vengelica: Nikola has gone to a nearby Dungeon or Challenge Room, and I have been told to remain in Sweetstay to clean up after our battle. She has requested that I inform you of this.

Violetmist04: Wait, she went to a Dungeon or Challenge Room without us? Is that wise, Nikola? ))):

LukeKnight64: Damn it, it figures that one would pop up as soon as we got knocked out.

LukeKnight64: You better hope it's a Challenge Room, Nikola. Otherwise, it's just suicide. My advice; drop our party for now and find a new one in there. There's safety in numbers.

Violetmist04: Yeah!! And take lots of healing items. In fact, let me transfer you some healing potions right now.

As promised, a Trade Request was sitting on her home screen. 3 Minor Health Potions were there waiting for her to accept, and [Accept] she did.

Nikola Brightdark: I do not wish to lose our advantage. If I am to earn you EXP or credits, I must remain in this party. If I must, I will sever my ties, but my goal is to not do so. Thank you for the potions, Violet.

Violetmist04: You're welcome!! okok, I can see why you want to go in ): I'm just sad we can't be there to help. Good luck!

LukeKnight64: You'd better not die in there.

Nikola Brightdark: Your concern is touching. I will take all possible steps to not perish.

Nikola Brightdark: However, it will be more challenging than anticipated, as I have been recognized by a party claiming to have died by my hand when I was an NPC.

Violetmist04: Oh noooo... but you shouldn't be held responsible for what you did when you were written by somebody else. ):

Nikola Brightdark: It seems I must pay the price regardless of fairness - however, as I said, I will attempt to last beyond this Challenge Room.

Nikola was surprised to see Luke's suggestion to leave the party; her being in it would ensure his mother got Credits each time she took down another player. Did this mean he was growing attached to her as a person?

The wind beneath her feet kicked up, the grass around her shaking in a wild dance.

[The Challenge Room will begin in 10 seconds.]

The people around her began to float off their feet, hundreds of bodies rising from the ground.

A complex assortment of rooms began to descend from the sky, forming a somethingness where there was once nothingness. Several rectangular prisms were formed together into a building-like structure. Some bits were off to the side, spinning erratically.

It was a colourful structure, painted pink and green on the outside.

Nikola's raven hair whipped around her face as she caught the eyes of the orange-haired man. He was looking straight at her, an assurance that he was still planning on snuffing her out.

She didn't back down, returning his glare with her own icy one right until they were blinked away into the blackness of teleport-space.