On the other side of the door we emerged onto dirt highway. Flanking our sides were what seemed like infinite acres of thick trees with army green leaves. It was night time, my vision assisted by a powerful full moon.

"That was risky young man," said Mizuki

Jordan did not show any sign of hearing what the old man had said.
He was too busy reading something on his panel. He finally closed it, took a deep breath and crossed his arms.

"Did I not get us through?" he said

"You did" said Tyler, "But we are kind of like a team and stuff"

Jordan chuckled.

"A team huh?"

"Mizuki and Tyler are right" I said, "It would be best to consult the rest of us before you do something that risky"

Kap scoffed.

Jordan approached me. He was tall so I had to look up to him. Tamia shuffled over and placed her hand on his thick forearm but he yanked it from her grip.

"Was there a secret meeting were you elected leader of the group"

"No. I just think that the best shot we have at escaping this place is by working together"

"Escape?"

Jordan scanned me from head to toe and chuckled, a sound devoid of humor.

"And what do you have to return for? Who's actually looking for you?"

"My mom," I said, "And I can tell by the way you're acting that you probably don't have one"

"Yeah," said Tyler, "This is escalating"

Jordan grabbed the collar of my shirt. It was surprising, but what shocked me most is how I felt so calm.

"John," said Kaprice, "Let it go"

Tammy hugged Jordan from behind and rubbed his torso as she pulled him away.

Then, from somewhere in the forest exploded a cacophony of hollers and screams. From the source of the sounds billowed a thick cloud of black smoke.

My panel notified me of the objectives:

WELCOME TO ARKTUS' DISH

(FLOOR 4)

OBJECTIVE:

SAVE THE VILLAGE FROM ARKTUS' DISCIPLES

FIND KING ARKTUS' LAIR AND DEFEAT HIM

REWARDS:

BLOODLUST

BONE BLADE

ARKTUS' CLEAVER

950 GOLD

HINT:

DON'T DIE🤘👐✊

The smoked invaded my lungs as we approached the village. Rooftops blazed aggressively and livestock both big and small escaped in pandemonium. The heat was scalding as a truss crashed on the ground before us and exploded in cinders and coal.

At the center of the hamlet were five villagers held captive by scantily dressed savages. The three attackers had copper brown skin, polished by sweat and illuminated by destructive fire light. On their faces were skulls engineered to serve as masks. Concealing their private parts were poorly stitched together rags of animal skin with what seemed to me like a piece of bark serving as a belt.

One of the savages whooped and ululated as he raised his rusty machete-like weapon. His partners joined in support, a ghastly contrast to the weeping men, children and women before them.

I bolted towards the scene and tackled one of the attackers. We crashed to the ground with him in my grip, tussling and rolling as each one of us fought for an upper hand. Finally, I pinned him down to the ground, braving through the rancid stench that emanated from his rotten mouth as he roared in defiance. Then a loud clang reverberated from behind me. I looked and noticed that just like with Tyler versus the Warden, a dome shaped mass of moss-colored stone had formed to protect me from a beheading. I returned my attention to the savage before me, summoned and raised my blade and drove it into the center of his chest. He let out wet gurgling throat sounds before dissipating into a copper and cream cloud.

A few feet off, I witnessed Veronica behead on of the invaders while he was cornering Kap into a kraal. Tammy slit the throat of the last one who was held back by Jordan. I realized that Mizuki and Tyler had gathered the near victims and taken them to the front step of an intact building.

CONGRATULATIONS!🎉🎉🎉

YOU HAVE SAVED THE VILLAGE FROM ARKTUS' DESCIPLES

REWARDS:

BONE MACHETE *1

150 GOLD

NEXT OBJECTIVE:

FIND ARKTUS' LAIR AND DEFEAT HIM.

HINT: DON'T DIE

A few faces peeked through the soot-stained windows. Doors unlocked, letting out men and women with buckets of water and sand. Soon, the flame devolved into sour smelling damp mist that choked the village.

"Thank you, dear warriors,"

It was an old man with a portly frame and bulldogs face. His thick Santa Claus beard twitched as he spoke.

"We are forever in your debt"

"Hey!" said Tyler as him and Mizuki joined us, "We saved you too"

"Oh but of course!" proclaimed the man, "My name is Tobifa, I am the chief of the Village"

In the distance I caught sight of a large jagged silhouette of a mountain. From its direction came the trickles of drums and hollers.

"Please dear warriors" said Tobifa with a desperate look, "Lets go to my hut and continue this there.

Everyone else jogged and ran-walked back into their homes. Within an instant, it was like a ghost town.

We followed Tobifa to his house which was located a considerable distance from the others. A few feet to its left were a long building with what seemed like eight rooms. The stench of smoke and fear hadn't fully reached the Chief's residence but the residue was present.

As soon as he led us into the hut and shut the door, Tobifa turned around to reveal an altered countenance.

"Hey there little birdies" said Metaldo with a villainous smirk on his face

"I've been keeping my eye on you and oh boy are you entertaining to watch"

"So that's what this is to you," said Mizuki, "An entertaining movie to watch?"

"What? Noooo..."

Metaldo walked over to the cupboard erected on the wall. He opened it and scanned the contents,

"Ah! Here we go"

His hand emerged with a half loaf of bread. He made his way to the chair before the dead fireplace and hoisted his feet up in the air. It was as if the monsters taloned legs were resting on an invisible platform.

"This more like, I don't know, those gameplay videos they post on YouTube"

"Please," said Kaprice, "Can you just let us go, we need to return to our loved ones"

"Hoho!" said Metaldo as he pushed food into his cheeks, "I'm pretty sure if any of you actually had loved ones you wouldn't be here right now"

At the moment, illuminated by the dim lamp lights that ringed the hut, I noticed something. Metaldo looked a little different than before, and it wasn't just because of the fact that he was wearing suspenders, a coat and gumboots. Maybe it was exhaustion, but he looked vaguely familiar to someone I detested deeply...

"Well you must have something to tell you since you've decided to grace us with your presence my royal Fuckness"

"I like you, you're funny" said Metaldo, "Probably gonna die a gruesome death but hey! At least you have jokes"

Tyler looked shook by that, probably regretting his jab.

"And yes, I do have something to tell you," said Metaldo, "Since you've all been such good little sports, I'm looking at you Jordan hmmm! That subterfuge you executed in Oshin even surprised me!"

I couldn't believe my eyes but Jordan actually smiled at the praise.

"I've decided to make things a little bit more interesting for me and easier for you"

Metaldo finished the bread and rubbed of the crumbs from his face with Tobifa's coat,

"Whoever kills Arktus first, gets a fast pass to the seventh floor"

We looked at each other in turn,

"As in we wont have to do floor five and six?"

"Yeap"

"How many floors are there anyway"

"I don't know, could be seven, could be a thousand. Does it really matter though? I'm in control aren't I"

As much as it depressed me and scared me at the same time, he was right. The number of floors didn't matter, we were gonna have to clear them regardless.

"Now," he continued, "To make this more interesting, in order for the mission to be carried out yall are gonna have to split into two groups. Whichever group makes it the lair and slays the S.O.B first will cruise past the next two floors"

"And what about the other group?" asked Veronica

"Well the losers will just have to do things the old-fashioned way and put their knees into it"

"You're trying to turn us against each other" said Mizuki, "For your entertainment"

"Oh come on old man" said Metaldo as he sat up and circled his way to the door, "Don't be such a wet blanket"

Metaldo looked at each of us turn before smiling. Then, I realized that even his teeth had changed, they didn't look too monstrous as before.

"Oh yeah, by the way," he said, "Don't die"

NOTE FROM AUTHOR:
THANK YOU SO MUCH DEAR READER FOR STICKING AROUND. PLEASE VOTE AND LEAVE ANY CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IF POSSIBLE.

-EMOLYON