“Hmm. Well, that was better. He did say that it was the wrong one though. What’s with not using the inventory? Some kind of self-imposed hardcore mode?

  The guide allocated additional moments pondering the situation.

  “Perhaps he is looking for more of a storyline? He wants more motivation? Maybe a bit more of a horror element? Let’s try something with more death up front. I know just the thing.”

  * * *

  I awoke amid a pile of dead bodies. One lay on top of me and pinned me down with its weight. Flies were buzzing everywhere, and the smell was horrific. I looked down expecting to see that I would be some kind of undead thing. However, my body seemed remarkably intact.

  Why had I been dumped here?

  I remembered dying. There had been no pain - something I wasn’t sure I understood, but which I was grateful for.

  I tried to take stock of my situation. There was a heavy body lying on top of me and another pinning my legs. The body above me was also partially weighted down by a third. I eventually managed to get an arm free and push the corpse away enough that I could rise. I struggled to my feet, which were barefoot and began making my way down the mountain of corpses. As horrifying as it was, I was becoming used to death. However, my nostrils certainly were not accustomed to the smell.

  I took a first leap landing on a couple bodies below me. They made a soft sound as I landed. I took a second step and leaped lower. These bodies had been here longer and my weight created an unpleasant squish as I landed. I lost my balance and fell back against the pile. I reacted pulling away and leaped to the ground.

  It was soft mud, and I was off balance falling to one knee. The stench was down here and I to cover my mouth and fight gagging.

  I struggled to my feet and looked around.

  I was in a huge cavern. Around me the earth lunged downward and out of sight. There were giant stalactites and stalagmites. I saw a giant land bridge between two stalagmites leading nowhere. I turned back and ahead of me was a building carved right into the side of solid rock. I ran toward it.

  As I did, I heard a thunderous boom and the ground beneath me shook. To my left a huge wooden tower that rose from far below splintered as part of it fell into the yawning depths below.

  Overhead bats chittered and flew disturbed by the rumblings.

  I wondered if it was an earthquake, but my instincts told me no.

  I made my way across a narrow passage of earth and a second book occurred. I hesitated as the shaking continued for a few moments. I felt the tremors coming from the building ahead of me. I saw a glowing piece of paper and tried to pick it up. Surprisingly, it did not fade in my hands. Instead I read a short memo from someone who was talking about the installation of an incinerator to burn the bodies of “unfortunate failures.” I shuddered at the thought of how close I might have awoken in the burning furnace only to die again.

  I dropped the paper, and it fell back to the table, still glowing.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  I turned to my right and saw a lever glowing next to the corner of the building. As I approached it i could see a body lying a stone pallet before a raging set of flames. The incinerator! I pulled the glowing lever and the panel tilted and slid into the flames. I choked back tears as I thought of how many must have perished. But even as the body slid down I caught sight of something else.

  The ears were not normal - they were pointed!

  There were several skeletons, and I backed away from the lever which was no longer glowing.

  More booms were echoing, and the ground was shaking more violently. What was going on?

  I turned back and caught sight of a small skeleton, small for a human but well formed. A large sword was driven completely through the body and into what appeared to be a wooden door.

  The sword and the body were glowing.

  I reached out and grabbed the sword pulling on it. It came free in my hand and the bones collapsed into an uneven pile as the door swung open. To my frustration the sword disappeared from my hand. I swore quietly. The Only way out appeared to be forward, so I entered carefully and began to make my way in what appeared to be a cavernous mine.

  In the distance i saw a group of small people running from an armored individual with a huge sword. One woman tripped and fell. The armored soldier cut the woman down with no remorse as she screamed out and died.

  The armored knight bellowed out

  “Scatter children of the dust before the might of the Tuatha!”

  He advanced towards the others.

  Suddenly a small man appeared in armor and engaged the larger man. The little guy was very athletic and gave an excellent accounting of himself as the somersaulted in the air and then struck his opponent several times. However, the larger man was not to be denied and the little guy took several hits in reply.

  The battle moved out of my sight and I carefully inched forward looking for a way past the battling forces. An opening appeared to my right, and I began to run down it looking for a way up and out of this nightmare.

  I rounded a corner only to be faced with two giant rats feasting on the remains of the dead. I tried to inch by them but they suddenly stopped their grisly meal and launched themselves at me. I went to punch one and suddenly my sword appeared in my hand! I also felt the weight of something on my back and realized it was a shoulder sheath. However, I had no time to ponder how it had happened. The weight of the blade threw me off, and I missed.

  The first rat bit into my shoulder and I fell back. The second one was maneuvering for a strike.

  But, I finally had a real weapon. Elated, I swung at the first beast maneuvering to keep the second one from striking. My blade sliced into the creature and it rolled backwards from the force of the blow.

  The damned things were almost as large as me! I pulled back to finish the first one, and the second leaped forward and bit down on my free arm. It surprisingly let go and backed off. The first recovered and leaped at me. But I was ready and might it in mid-leap. I sheared into the body and it fell to the side of me lifeless.

  The second one did not hesitate but leaped in again to try to take me down, but this time it barely scratched me as I turned it partially aside with the blade. Then I laid into it with all the strength I could muster. It joined its companion in death and I wiped the blade and swung it over my back.

  I was surprised at my own strength. The blade was very large, and I was swinging it with one hand. The weight felt good to me and in spite of the length, it seemed well balanced.

  I headed forward and rounded a corner. A small man with a balding head was being harassed by two larger men in matching uniforms and carrying long blades.

  The little man looked like one of the people I had seen cut down earlier. Remembering the woman I felt anger boiling inside me. I jumped down raced forward and struck one of the armored men from behind. My sword cut into him deeply and he fell clutching at the blood leaking from his side.

  Critical Hit! Backstab! Double damage! 30 points of damage!

  You have killed a soldier! 45 experience points

  “Experience points? What the hell is that?”

  I turned to the smaller man and said, “Run!”

  His eyes grew wide, and he said, “You’re alive!”

  “Not for much longer,” I heard a voice behind me say.

  Another of the soldiers had entered behind me!

  Something struck me in the back. I looked down and saw barbs from a crossbow bolt sticking out from my chest.

  “Critical hit! 45 points of damage! You have died!”

  The little man ran screaming away from my falling body.

  “At least I made a difference,” I thought as I fell.