I click my tongue as the Primal Ape lashes out in abandon, roaring so loud that the PC's speakers nearly pop. Ever since that streamer proved that it was in fact possible to complete the prologue, I had decided to reinstall the game and give it another go. It was childish to let a game rankle my pride, but I decided to just go with it. Knowing that something couldn't be done all because you weren't good enough was plenty of motivation to get cracking on the prologue.

Also, finding out that you had barely cracked the surface of the game in the first playthrough was an added bonus.

The prologue is meant to teach the player the basics of the game mechanics. And to be fair, it does do a fair job of that. However, what's more important is the stuff left unsaid. Running about the battlefield, I keep an eagle eye out for all the bodies scattered about. Plenty of friendly NPCs had already bitten the dust, each corpse yielding a paltry amount of common grade loot. That wasn't what I'm interested in at the moment though.

I'm looking for NPCs that are either incapacitated or close to death.

Spotting a potential candidate, I send my avatar sprinting toward the blood stained man sprawled out in the mud. As I pause over the dying man, the NPC weakly pleads with me for help. Jabbing the interact key, my avatar bends over and executes the looting animation.

Except you can't actually loot someone that's still alive. The game won't allow it. You will, one hundred percent of the time, pull out an empty loot screen while your victim moans and groans as his life bleeds away.

What you're meant to do is pull up your own inventory and drop a healing item into the other guy's loot screen. This immediately heals the dying NPC, putting him back in the fight. Of course, this process is not documented anywhere in the game. You're meant to figure it out by yourself. Though that's a big ask when the player has to contend with mutants and the boss monster trying to tear him a new asshole.

But the really interesting part is when you click on the "TAKE ALL" option on the empty loot screen.

Most of the time nothing happens. The loot screen just disappears, like now. Spying a woman weakly crawling on her stomach nearby, I quickly move on to the next prospect. Hovering over her like an angel of death, I press the interact key and the empty loot screen pops up again.

Yup. TAKE ALL.

And the woman immediately drops dead the moment the loot screen closes. You wouldn't expect to nab an item from this process, that's how I overlooked this trick in the first place. But then I saw how my inventory tab would very occasionally get highlighted whenever an NPC died after the TAKE ALL treatment.

And my inventory tab has obligingly turned green. Meaning I've received a new item.

Backing away to a quiet spot of the battlefield, I pull up the inventory screen to check my spoils. One new item. With no description or even item model. Just a black void identified as '?'.

Whatever could it be?

I haven't the foggiest. But what I do know is that ? can be placed in my avatar's accessory slot. And it increases all my base stats. Plus provides an additional health bar which effectively serves as an extra life.

Seriously, ? is totally awesome. Its better than a lifeward amulet, which doesn't improve base stats at all. And lifeward amulets are artifact grade accessories that can only be bought from the shop at an exorbitant price. ? is a random drop, one with a super low chance of spawning for sure, but nevertheless available for grabbing right at the prologue.

With ? in hand, I actually have a chance against the Primal Ape. The boss fight is still tough, but those higher stats and additional health bar mean I have more leeway to make mistakes during the battle. Having played through the prologue umpteen times, I managed to get the Primal Ape down to half health exactly once. And it was in that playthrough that ? decided to spawn as well.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

So the question is, should I fight the boss now, or keep searching for more of that ? goodness? More ? means a more powerful me. Though with how low the spawn rates are, I might be wasting my time.

And then my character abruptly starts walking on the spot. The Primal Ape abruptly lunges forward, fists flying right at my avatar.

"Damn it." I sigh in resignation as my avatar is promptly reduced to paste.

That stupid invisible wall.

................

"So, yeah, I need sometime off." I relate to the HR guy over the phone while mentally going over my luggage one more time, "I have plenty of leave left, right?"

"You have one week of paid leave left, Adam." the HR guy answers, "Are you alright though? You don't sound well."

"Just tired." I yawn, "Been a crazy last few days. I even dozed off a little just now, like maybe for a few seconds?"

"Sounds like microsleep, Adam." HR guy says, "Might want to get it looked at. Could be a sign of something more serious, like Parkinson's. Or maybe even schizophrenia."

"I'm not crazy." I grumble flatly, HR guy's comments striking a little too close to home.

"It was a joke. Jeez." HR guy groans, "Anyway, get yourself checked. Your medical might even cover the condition, who knows?"

"Yeah, sure. So about my leave," I hurry the conversation along, "can I take a solid week off then?"

"No." a simple denial is shoved into my face.

"Why not?" I quibble, "I am entitled to paid leave, aren't I?"

"The Guild is having a beach party event. Everyone's invited." HR guy unhelpfully states.

"There's a company beach party every year." I roll my eyes, "What does that have to do with me taking leave?"

"Uh, attendance is mandatory this year." HR guy explains, "The orders just came through as well. Straight from Rachel's desk."

"I have never attended a single company beach party. Ever." I point out, keeping rein over my temper, "Why is this year different?"

"Uh, team building exercise apparently." HR guy mutters as he reads from the memo, "To nourish the bonds which hold us together as a Guild. And so on to that effect."

"And to nourish those bonds," I sigh, "the Guild coerces attendance at a company function? I feel so much better about everyone at work already."

"I don't make the rules, Adam." HR guy verbally shrugs, "Think of this in a positive light though."

"Can you at least grant me a few days off?" I plead, rubbing my scalp in annoyance.

"Oh wait, you've been seconded to the party's planning committee." HR guy shoots me down again, "In fact there's a committee meeting tomorrow."

"What the hell?" I demand, "Who seconded me? Why wasn't I informed before this?"

"Let's see ..." HR guy mutters, "Oh, this is a bit of good news for you, actually."

"Really." I mutter sourly at how my plans to disappear quietly into the night were rapidly vanishing into smoke.

"Rachel herself volunteered you for the committee." HR guy congratulates, "Looks like you made a good impression on her, Adam."

"Fine. I got it. Busy, busy week ahead." I struggle to get my plan back on track, "Can I at least take today off then? I've got something urgent I need to do."

"Don't see why not, I'll handle the admin side of that right now." HR guy begins, "Oh, call from the executive suite is coming through. Just give me a minute, Adam."

"Cool." I grunt and HR guy is replaced by elevator music played on an endless loop.

All my luggage is packed. And I've got more than enough money for a ticket out of the city. All that remains is getting to the city's border and picking one of the long haul buses to make my escape in. I had originally planned a week's grace, enough time for me to muddy my trail against any pursuers, but that's not likely to be possible now. If I don't show up for work tomorrow, Rachel would immediately start asking questions.

A far more dicey situation that what I expected, but I'll deal. The alternative is facing Excelsior and that's a non starter for obvious reasons. The longer I stay in Phoenix Guild, the greater the danger. Better to escape now.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting, Adam." HR guy is back on the line.

"No problem. Everything's settled than?" I ask, getting ready to hang up.

"Uh, about that. Something came up." HR guy makes an awkward cough, "James was on the line just now. He's part of the committee too, y'know."

"And?" I mutter, a building sense of unease crawling up my spine.

"He's scheduling a pre meeting today afternoon." HR guy finally replies, "So that tasks can be divvied up. You're going to need to attend."

"You're playing a joke, aren't you?" I query, barely restraining myself from screaming in frustration.

"No, I'm not. You should be getting the notice in your company mail box soon." HR guy says apologetically, "So I can't approve your request, sorry."

"Can't you -" I try to get in a word, but its no use.

"Executive level committee. Above my paygrade." HR guy answers in a rush, "You'd need to apply directly to them. Bye."

And the line goes dead.