I sank down behind a boulder and tried to get my breathing under control. Sweat poured down my face as I pulled ragged breath after ragged breath. It was in the dead of night. The moon was up. I blinked sweat out of my eyes, trying to ease my acing chest back into a normal rhythm of breathing.

Earlier this summer, I broke my current record of 1 hour and 15 minutes on the 10-mile run along the Ocean Front Walk in Santa Monica. I almost threw up the whole last mile. My energy reserves had been spent; everything had been spent expect my determination to break that time that has evaded me for almost a year. I did break it, but I had never been more exhausted in my life, until now.

Cloak plunked down on top of the boulder.

“Kraahh!”

“I’m.. oh-oh-kay, buddy.”

My breathing started to get back down to human levels, and I downed another stamina potion, couldn’t remember how many I gulped down during my run to the hills just outside the abandoned fortress, but they were many. I just hoped you couldn’t get stamina potion poisoning or something from excess drinking. I needed to gather my mind as well as my body. I had burnt everything I had getting here, and the mere thought of actually going into battle in this shape almost made me want to laugh, in despair.

I’ll tell you the grand plan. It’s the product of a true master mind. It’ll dazzle you, I promise.

I didn’t want to get down into the dungeon beneath the fortress for said reasons, that I didn’t want to be inside that meat grinder when things started moving. Instead, I planned to ambush those that came down the path below me, trying to get to the fortress.

Easy pickings. Even if I didn’t get the sword, I would gain a truck load of XP and maybe level past some of my remaining opponents.

But during the run over here, I might’ve reconsidered. There had already been two legendary items in the contest to begin with, and now this mythical behemoth of a sword was in it as well? What chances did I have to win the clash if I had to fight my way through that? Slim to none, I would say.

I needed that mythical sword. I had already taken a huge risk running like a mad man to get here before everyone else. There could be hours… maybe days even before anyone else turned up. I could literally just go in and grab that sword and be out of here before anyone else even knew it was gone. That wouldn’t probably happen, but there was a chance, and if I needed to fight, wouldn’t I rather do it with a mythical sword in my hand? If I didn’t go for it, I would need to fight the guy getting it later down the path, and something just told me that person would be Tristan Toth. At the same time, I couldn’t get my mind of off Ricks words:

Stay away from Tristan.

Decisions, decisions, what to do. I licked the salt from my upper lip and stared down the ground. I wouldn’t win this by playing safe. I’d always known that. You could sit back and see how things unfolded when you were in a position of power. I was the furthest thing from that. I needed to take risks to reap any significant rewards, and I couldn’t think of a greater reward than Orak’s Wrath.

It was decided then.

I got back to my feet and lumbered down the rocky foot path towards the abandoned fortress.

The fortress, squat and angular, was cast in shadows of blue and grey. The foot path passed in front of it, continuing up the hills on the other side. The cliff in front of the fortress it sheared off and below was a white torrent of water, creating a low and constant rumble, filling the night air with cold mist. I saw rocks jutting up through the white froth.

The fortress had two semicircular window openings and a square door, lined with sturdy rectangular blocks of stone, belted with iron. The lion-share of the fortress seemed to be built into the mountain side itself.

I saw no lights in the windows. I guess no one would be as foolish to light a candle but mages were found of summoning those little tracer balls of light that followed them around. Their light was weak, but I would’ve seen it if it was there.

I continued down the foot path. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was the first one here, but that meant nothing if they caught me still in the fortress when they got here.

There was only one entrance to the fortress, as I could see. That didn’t mean there couldn’t be an exit somewhere else. In fact, I thought there had to be. A mountain fort like this? All the enemy had to do was to bar the doors and the poor bastards could sit and rot in there until they starved to death. I wasn’t making me any illusions though; the abandoned fortress was only the tip of the iceberg, beneath, I would bet, there was a vast sprawling dungeon and there would be no easy fetch quest with an entrance door clearly visible.

When the path levelled out, I fixed my eyes on the narrow pass at the other end of it. This would be another gruelling kill zone, when people came from both sides of this path to get to the entrance of the fort. The decision to get in as soon as possible started to feel like a sound one.

I pushed on the forts door and it swung open, menacingly creaking.

Just step into my mouth, dear sir. Never mind the fangs-s-s.

I stepped in, seeing nothing more than what the lunar light allowed, which wasn’t much.

A dark shadow exploded on the wall.

My heart jumped.

Cloak landed in the window opening.

“Jeeesus,” I hissed. “Stop doing that, being all sneaky and stuff.”

The bird tilted its head, looking at me.

My eyes had adjusted a bit to the darkness and I saw the outlines of another door further into the room. Toppled and mangled benches was strewn across the floor. Wood splintered and sharp.

There had been a fight here, but not recently. I can say for sure how I knew, but there was a stillness in the room and a damp chill that told me I was the first person in here for ages. There was a certain scent from fresh wood, but these splinters were old. If I would’ve had enough light to see the splinters properly, I knew they would be grey, not white.

I shuffled to the second door and pulled it open. I was met with the soft glow of a torch on a sconce on the wall. I snuck in and started closing the door. Cloak zipped past me before the door closed completely.

“Really? You want in on this?”

“Kraah-kra-kra.”

Obviously. In front of me there was a steep set of granite stairs and a handrail of unadorned iron, plummeting into new darkness. I hurried down. No need to be cautious any more. I was first to the cave and the only factor right now was speed. I came out in a small dark room, like an antechamber of some sorts. Light seeped through a pair of arched double doors in front of me.

I pushed them open, and ground to a halt, my jaw slowly dropping.

Oh, hell no…

The vast hall was well lit up with balls of light that seemed to float in the air, and from lights that was set into the many stalagmites that went from floor to ceiling. That wasn’t what had got my chin to drop, though.

The air inside was alive with the clatter and clacking from jaws. The floor of the cavernous hall was full of skeletons, ambling around mindlessly, their shoulders drooping, their skeletal arms hanging, their faces in perpetual deranged grins. There had to be at least fifty of them in there. It would take hours to clear them out if it was even possible.

I scanned the room. Most of the skeletons was low level, around level five and level six. In another situation I wouldn’t have minded sitting perched above them picking them off, one by one with arrows, building my archery skill – or cut them down, slow and methodical, building my one-handed skills. But I didn’t have the time. I stared at the sea of skeletons below me, the air rustling and clattering from their movement. Now would have been a perfect time to activate that teleportation skill – if I had gotten it to work properly.

Crap…

But, on the other hand? Why should I be the friendly neighbourhood plowman? Every second I spent on these stupid skeletons was seconds those behind me wouldn’t need to bother with, seconds that would slow me down and speed them up.

That equation didn’t work to my benefit.

I looked around the walls. There was no way of sneaking past them either. I’ve encounter theses mobs before. They were as dumb as anyone would expect, and they didn’t see for shit. But when they sensed movement, they came at you and then they came fast. And when one of them went, they all went.

So, if I couldn’t clear them out, and if I couldn’t get around them, I had no other choice than to go through them – brawler style.

I surveyed the hall. The closest way to the door on the other side of the hall was a straight line. I pulled my epic sword of chills in my right hand and one of my flame swords in the other. The floor looked smooth and even. I just needed to gun it and stop for nothing. I drank down a portion of stamina and then, in quick succession one potion of increase strength that would last me for 30 seconds, and a potion of increase attack speed.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Then I started running.

The closest skeleton stopped and whipped its head towards me. I crushed it with a super charged strike from left to right, cleaving the skulls of two other skeletons at the same time. My legs were pumping, my teeth gritted, whipping my swords, sending skulls and skeletal arms flying. Then the mass of clattering bodies thickened. I chopped and hacked and pounded; grinning skulls cracking in front of me, skulls being reduced to bone meal. I cut them down in droves and they just kept coming, lunged over their dead brethren, mouths agape, screeching with fingers splayed as they grasped for me.

I was stalling. Rigid fingers were clawing at my face. A bony hand clamped around my ankle, dead black eyes looking almost excited.

I stomped down on the head of the skeleton holding my ankle. Its head went clomp and then split like a jagged rose over the floor. I elbowed another in the face and concentrated my power in a short bullrush. That got me some momentum again.

I started working both my swords again, using them alternately as a grand scissor, decapitating skeletons while at the same time cutting outwards at those trying to close in. Then space became too cramped again, my forward movement one again stalled.

Cloak was flying circles over the carnage, going krahh-kra-kra, dive bombing the skeletons, his beak bouncing of their skulls.

My stamina was draining fast.

I downed another stamina potion and made another bull rush forward.

The stamina bar plummeted right back to a flashing red.

Crap.

I was in over my head here. I tucked my epic sword of chills back into the inventory, and started punching like a jack hammer, sending teeth and cheek bones rattling over the floor. Downed yet another stamina potion and was able to stay above the low-level alert.

I tucked the other sword into the inventory as well, and moved forward delivering quick jabs and swings, sending skeletons toppling left and right. I smashed one on the head with a hook, and for once its head didn’t snap off, but instead cartwheeled the wholes skeleton. I hit another one at the top of the head with my left and then crunched its jaw with my right. Its body jerked this way and that, performing an odd-looking dance before collapsing in a pile of bones. And then, I popped out of the crowd of skeletons.

I wasn’t at the far wall yet, had at least two strides left, but I’d left their immediate area of concern and now it was as if I didn’t exist to them anymore. They just ambled on, shuffling the remains of their double dead friends in front of their feet.

Cloak landed on my shoulder, lifted his wings while leaning forward, going all krah-krah on them – a bird’s version of giving the finger, I would presume.

“Good work, buddy.

When I was through the sea of skeletons, the achievements started coming in, most of them for killing a certain number of skeletons but also one for going in battle with an animal companion. Was that what Cloak was now, an animal companion? Didn’t know it was that formalized but, hey, the bird did good. He can be my wingman anytime.

My one-handed skill rose 2 levels to 26 and my un-armed combat to 22. It felt good going into battle and duke it out upfront and personal. I’d been relying too much on my bow. It needed to be a bit more knuckles and iron going forward, taking advantage of my brawler class bonuses.

I opened the door and on the other side there was a short flight of stairs leading down into a dimly lit room. I went down the stairs and came out behind a large brown boulder that obscured my view. A foot path circled the boulder on the left and to the right of it, I glimpsed what looked like another large area.

I snuck up to the boulder and peeked out from it.

There was a flat brown cave floor below and what looked like the edges of a body of greenish blue water.

I heard voices.

I crouched, turning my ear towards the sounds.

Other contestants? Had I been that wrong? But why would two contestants stand and chat around, when the mythical sword could be literally within their grasp. There were no teams allowed.

After a while, I was certain it was bandit mobs I was hearing.

I moved to the left side of the boulder and looked out.

There were five of them. One bandit chief and three regular bandits. The chief was level 17 and the others levels 5 to 6. That bandit chief meant trouble. I didn’t want to get entangled with him if I could help it.

I brought up my mini map. I couldn’t tell for sure, but it looked like there was three tunnels from the room below. I had already decided to continue my strategy of minimal contact, leaving the fights and the time sinks to my competitors. But if I rushed past the bandits and they chased me down to a dead end, I would be in serious trouble.

Suddenly, I go an in-gam-message that I’d levelled up my sneak ability to 14. I did that just by sitting here? How about that? Well, thinking of that; maybe I could sneak past them? They were at the far right of the room, and if I could sneak into the corridor closest to me… it wasn’t out if the question, even with a sneak ability of a measly 14.

If my Beast Mastery had been higher, I could’ve sent Cloak out and do some recon in for me, but –

Bong!

Contestant number 4, eliminated.

Bong!

Contestant number 2, eliminated.

Bong!

Contestant number 27, eliminated.

And so it begins, I thought my teeth clenched. The others had arrived, faster than I had hoped. Maybe they had run into each other in the mountains coming down to the old fort. Maybe, but I’ve gotten a clear signal I needed to push on.

I descended the sharp turn around the boulder in a crouch, peaking out at the side of a stalagmite, into the room.

The body of water was a perfectly round pond, with a strange but beautiful astral light shining up from it in a soft glow, grains of light floating inside it. Those bandits were guarding it.

What was it? The fountain of youth? The fountain of life – the source from where all the healing potions came? Or, maybe, the final resting place for Orak’s Wrath?

Maybe they tried to trick me to venture to the bottom of this goddamn dungeon, when they had in fact hid it at the bottom of the pond at the very beginning?

Wouldn’t that just be hilarious?

I could take the fight and have a look, but it wouldn’t be a quick fight and there were no guarantees I would win. To bring down a level 17 bandit chief with my bow I needed to stay not only concealed but also strike a critical hit, doubling up on the damage bonuses, but that fucker was halfway hidden behind a pillar, and he moved in and out of it while he was talking gesturing wildly, barking with laughter.

Oh crap, decisions, decisions.

I decided to continue with the original plan. If they spotted me, I would get the fight whether I wanted it or not. But this way, I at least had a chance of doing some actual exploring. I hoped I still would have the time to get back and check the pond before the others came tumbling in.

I hunched down and ventured as far out as I dared. I was still mostly hidden by the stalagmite on my left, but I could see the group of bandits on the other side of the pond. They were drinking from study wooden cups, the chief holding court while the other three was grinning and nodding. I noticed that the chief, who was the one looking my direction, had this thing when he looked upward to the ceiling, smiling while shaking his head as if reminiscing a particularly funny story, before taking a big gulp of his drink. That was when I needed to move. I got up in a start position, almost as a sprinter, one hand on the stalagmite.

The chief smiled and looked up at the ceiling.

I took off, running awkwardly in a crouch. It was looking good, great even. And that was when I accidentally kicked a small rock on the cave floor.

The fraction of a second later I was in safety at the tunnel entrance.

“Whaaat!” The chieftain roared and I heard the rattle and clatter from weapons being readied.

“Kra-a-ah!” Cloak throated and swept in where I had kicked the rock.

Silence, before the chieftain started laughing.

“Had me fooled their son of Jotan! We’re honoured you’re visiting within our halls.”

I raised an eye brow. These northern bandits seemed to hold the raven in high regard, even considering it something of a minor deity, or at least the representation of one. Could be useful information. Soon, Cloak came flapping and landed on my shoulder.

Together we ventured deeper into the tunnel.

Torches lit our way, but the tunnel just curved down and down to the right, taking me further and further away from the pond.

Damn. I should’ve checked it while I had the chance.

On my mini map I saw another tunnel. If I was close enough for that tunnel to show up on the map, I guessed it went to the same room I was heading for. One tunnel leading down, and one leading up. If that was true, that would account for two of the tunnels on the floor above, leaving only the one where the bandits sat for further exploring.

If the sword wasn’t down here, I needed to haul ass and get back up. Probably there would be other tunnels in the room below, leading to other rooms and eventually to an exit, but the feeling I’d made a horrible mistake grew ever stronger; the feeling that I was moving away from the sword, not closer to it. Some bastard would just walk in there and pluck it from the pond while I was getting lost in an underground maze.

I could feel it.

There was no logical reasoning behind this feeling, and I wasn’t to let myself be governed by whims and superstitions, but my god it was a strong feeling.

When would this fucking, stupid tunnel end?

I gritted my teeth and started taking the steps three at the time. The steps were wet and slippery and, yeah, you guessed it. Suddenly my feet were pointing at the ceiling of the tunnel and I was going teeth rattling hump-a-dump on my neck and shoulder down the stairs, slamming into the curving wall, getting the air knocked out of me.

Groaning I turned back on my hand and knees, lights shooting before my eyes. Things could be broken, brain cells lost, but the only thing I could think off was by god I hope the Game Control had their invisible cameras on someone else.

I got up, brushed myself off and hobbled down the stairs, my left knee feeling as if the joint was about to pop apart. It couldn’t be helped; I had to waste a health potion to get my body back into full working order. What a waste: I did have 72 left in my inventory, so maybe I could spare just this one.

The pain in my leg lifted like fog on a summers morning and once again I was hurrying down the steps but going one step at the time this time.

Bong!

Contestant number 20, eliminated.

Bong!

Contestant number 8, eliminated.

Bong!

Contestant number 6, eliminated.

Bong!

Contestant number 10, eliminated.

Bong!

Contestant number 30, eliminated.

It was really happening now. One part of me was dying to pull down the score board and see how many of the kills that had gone to Tristan, but the sensible part of me screamed like a lunatic to keep going, without wasting either a step or a breath on the exploits of Tristan Toth.

Finally, I reached level ground. Another black door. I pushed it open while pulling my blade. There was nothing on the other side of the door. Only a round room with a single torch on the wall, a wooden crate and a pile of blankets – and another tunnel continuing further into the mountain.

“Fuck!”

I paced round the room and found the other tunnel, the one leading back up.

Why build a separate tunnel for going back up?

Because this isn’t real! Have you forgotten about that? This is a friggin video game! You thinking like someone has actually bult this fort as a functioning military installation is leading you to the wrong conclusions.

I licked my lips and stared at the dark corridor at the other side of the room. That tunnel lead further into the mountain, not to an exit. This fort was built as a set piece for the Battle Clash. It probably hadn’t even existed until the Game Control decided to throw the mythical sword into the mix.

That tunnel. It was bait. Nothing more.

I looked up the dark tunnel. Then I cursed. Then I ran.

Bong!

Contestant number 34, eliminated.

Bong!

Contestant number 41, eliminated.

Bong!

Contestant number 9, eliminated.

Bong!

Contestant number 11, eliminated.

Bong!

Contestant number 31, eliminated.

Bong!

Contestant number 37, eliminated.

Bong!

Contestant number 35, eliminated.