He hadn't been lying. My dad had been telling the truth.

Somehow I stood in a cavern, and the air smelled damp and moldy. Stone walls circled around me with a few feet to spare. An archway led to more darkness, and a torch that flickered near the doorway didn't pierce that darkness.

"Welcome to the Jungle," said a soft voice. It wasn't the song, but something else.

This was real, everything he had told me about this place, was freaking real. That meant the money had to be real as well. Suddenly I wished I’d paid more attention to that night, and asked more questions. It was too late now, now that I was here in this cave with a torch. The countdown timer was gone. Instead, I had a character sheet in front of me.

Diver Name: Alex

Level: One

Strength: Average

Dexterity: Higher than average

Constitution: Higher than average

Intelligence: Average

Wisdom: Average

Charisma: Average

"You have three options in front of you, pick whatever you think will help you best."

The air shimmered, then, floating in the air, appeared a sword. It was a gleaming longsword. A glint of torchlight off the blade caught my eye. The hilt was wrapped in fine leather, gnarled and tight, with a dark green gem embedded in the pommel.

Next to it was a hammer. The head of the hammer wasn't too wide, but looked like it could smash something good if it wanted to. Leather wrapped the wooden handle to prevent slipping. The hammer's head was made of some dark green material and came to a long, jagged point at the back, like a plow blade.

Last was a spear. It wasn't made of metal, but wood. The carved tip was long and sharp. The wood had a greenish tinge, with specks of black and brown. But the spear was taller than I was.

"What's the goal?" I asked.

For a moment there wasn't a response. Then more words appeared on my screen.

Quest Accepted: You have been poisoned. You have until the end of the song to make it to the pool of clarity to cure yourself. The song will start as soon as you leave this room.

A gasp escaped my lips, I couldn't help it. My heart pounded in my chest and I forced myself to calm down. A race, of all things, was something I could do. I’d gotten a track and field scholarship for how good I was in High School, specializing in long-distance running. It hadn’t been enough, but it had definitely helped those first few years. I knelt down and tightened my sneakers, resisting the urge to smile. That whispered voice who had recommended this song must have known I could do this. My fears had been that I'd need to fight something, or be the last man standing after fighting everything. A race, on the other hand, was possible. Totally possible.

My mind switched to the weapons in front of me as I stood up. The spear was too long, I'd slow down too much. The bulky sword had the same problem, plus I really didn’t know how to use it. That left the hammer with the pointed tip. I stretched down to my toes buying myself time. Did I need to even use a weapon? Could I just race to the pool as fast as possible? But it was offering me a weapon, and if I didn't take one, what would that say to the dungeon?

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I reached out and my fingertips touched the hammer's handle. It appeared in my hands, the sudden weight almost causing me to drop it. Still, it wasn't too heavy, and I felt like I could swing it. The other two weapons vanished, but an icon appeared in the top corner of my vision, shaped like a suitcase. Mentally, I clicked on it and it brought up inventory space.

That was even better. I could keep the hammer in my inventory and only take it out when needed. Still, I gripped the handle tightly for now. The archway loomed in front of me, pitch black. Keeping the hammer in my right hand, I stepped through on high alert.

The song played softly at first. A countdown timer appeared in the top corner of my screen - 4:30. A map appeared under the timer with a gold star plastered on the edge. Less than five minutes to get to where the clarity pool was. I'd need to follow the star through the jungle that was now in front of me.

Green vines, palm fronds, vibrant flowers, and leaves filled my vision. A kaleidoscope of color and life lay before me. The jungle was a mess of green, with vines snaking up the sides of trees and bushes, more vines strewn between trees held up by thick branches. The light didn't reach through the canopy, only pockets of it hitting the floor. I stared for several seconds, but the countdown timer jolted me forward.

Tall fronds blocked the way, and I shoved them aside, trying to figure out the best way forward.

You have been poisoned.

Something jabbed at the back of my left hand and a dark green dot appeared between my thumb and forefinger. It burned for a second, but that was all. Fear clenched at me and my eyes darted ahead. Something moved through the fronds, near the base. I held the hammer out, ready to swing. When my eyes finally focused, it was only a small bird-like creature with clawed feet. It barely came up to my knee. Yellow and red short feathers covered it, but patches were missing showing greenish skin. The creature didn't make a sound, just stared at me with black eyes.

"Woah, little guy, do you know the way to the pool?" I asked.

Then it screeched at me, flashing a tiny mouthful of teeth. Chirps rumbled through the fronds, and movement from behind the creature made me jump. Additional feathered heads peeked out, staring at me.

I took off toward the gold star on the map. If any of the dinosaur movies I'd seen taught me anything, it was that small things with sharp teeth would take you down in a pack. I dashed through the bushes, careful to keep an eye out for holes or trip hazards. There wasn't a path I followed. Instead, I searched ahead for any space large enough to move through or jump over. The palms were tall, and I had to move through them and dodge under branches that crossed through in front of me. Stagnant air and rotting plants filled my nostrils.

As I dashed away the bushes rustled, and more chirps followed behind me. The edges of the palms were sharp and rough; they jabbed at my knees and legs. Still, my jeans protected my skin fairly well. My arms were bare, though, and the green leaves scraped at my skin. I couldn’t let it stop me; I'd take a few cuts to avoid all of those little teeth.

Time ticked down as I moved through the jungle, staying ahead of the feathered creatures. The hammer was still clenched in my right hand, pushing aside branches. My breathing grew more frantic as I passed the halfway mark in the song, the wailing of Axel Rose keeping me company. There wasn't a way on the map to see if I was getting closer. The gold star stayed on the edge of my map. All I could see were more palms, fronds, and vines stretching out before me, but I didn't dare stop.

Pain lanced up my left hand, and I held it up in a patch of light. The dark green dot now had roots branching off of it, stretching up my wrist and between my fingers.

"No, no nonono..."

This wasn't worth the $10,000 I'd get for completing it. But I couldn't head back, even if I wanted to. Who knew if the poison would go away if I left? Something darted out toward my ankle and I jumped back swinging the hammer. It smacked into a feathered creature, sending it flying through the bushes. I didn't stick around to see what would follow it, and dashed in the correct direction, pushing on.

Sweat dripped down my back, and the song playing softly in the background grew louder. The guitar echoed through the treetops and I couldn't hear anything but the solo I’d heard so many times with my dad. My running grew more frantic as I stumbled a few times in a row, but didn’t fall.

I scanned the area ahead for the pool, but just saw more of the same: tall palm trees and vines. Yet, behind the music playing, I could hear something else. Water. It had to be a stream or waterfall; it was just at the edge of what I could hear.

With a burst of energy, I sprinted through the jungle toward what I hoped would be my target. Now and then, one of the feathered creatures would dart out or around a tree. I swung my hammer wildly, making contact as long as it didn't slow me down. I knew I hadn't been running for hours, but my calves burned along with my lungs. Something glimmered through the trees - a stream. It headed toward the gold star still on my map. I jumped down into the stream bed and picked up the pace on the rocky surface right next to the water.

The chirping behind me faded.

Time ticked by as the stream grew larger, before spilling over a large log. A gap expanded in front of me, showing a drop-off. I skidded to a halt, the gold star on the map finally moving. Down below me by at least ten feet was the clarity pool. Another jolt of pain lanced up my arm, and the deep green roots underneath my skin spread. The mark pulsed in the dim light to the beat of the music, and I knew I didn’t have much time left.