Where the fuck's the shield? This clutter will be my downfall.

With a browser still open and the trading window covering most of the view, it's hard to tell what's happening. They are coming though, the gankers are back.

How could I miss it?! The tiny win from the Pharmacist's mistake and the cheap artifacts on the market led to tunnel vision. It's nothing new, the usual 'Arnim loses his shit when he's excited' thing, like a real Noob.

Well, that's my alter-ego's name within the system so it's fitting.

It's easy to make excellent decisions when things are calm and quiet. Getting lost in thought is fine too, while calculating the odds and alternatives. Everyone can feel like the best strategist in a comfortable armchair. Or laughing at the mistakes actors make in movies.

If this pairs with good reflexes, you'd think there are no situations you can't cut yourself out of. Of course, you'd do better than those idiots if the same thing happened. Why is he not running, why isn't he trying to defend himself?

I would do this and that.

Well, reality is a bit different, fear does crazy things to the brain. What CineMraft does best is simulating this feeling. The shock of realization, the panic, the rooted feet, the adrenaline rushing the brain, it's all here. What the fuck am I going to do now?

The same thugs who murdered everyone an hour ago and took everything from me are closing in. They aren't trying to corner the crowd, they saw the avatar doing the purchases and sales, and it's a juicy target.

It's a mistake I was aware of and still made, so what now?

The weapons are near the potions in the stocks as the avatar had them before loading stuff from the stash. It'd be a sensible choice to grab one and attempt to fend them off, but it's a terrible idea. Think of what happened to the Textile Worker guy.

COTTONEYEJOE made the same mistake, saw the gankers coming, and wanted to strike first. This only resulted in his name turning red too, and the Angels killed him, rather than the attackers. Besides, there are four of them here already, there is no chance to fight them.

The battered shield is somewhere in there too, under the piles of clutter, damn it. Holding that up could stall them once they're on me, but only after it's in the character's hands. The swords are gone at least, it was a 'one-click' sale, and it paid the hundred gold too.

Yes, there is no mouse or cursor in the game, it's only a phrase.

And talk about reflexes, yes, it doesn't matter how fast they are if the mind is all over the place. Focus, for fuck's sake. The heart rate is through the roof already, and the thugs started running. What did I do all this time to fend them off?

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I thought about the market, the lack of a mouse, and how easy it is to be smart from a safe distance. None of these are helpful at the moment. Or are they? The trade window is still open, and it only takes one glance with the right thought put behind it to sell an item.

Leave the potions, bandages, the two weapons on top, and sell everything else as fast as possible. There's no stopping until the shield is dug up from the clutter, then grab it and run. I wanted to sell all this crap anyway, this is the perfect opportunity.

It will help to make the inventory lighter and run faster too.

This is nerve-wracking, they are so close, their blades unsheathed, and I am here trying to trade. Those plus two artifacts that the character can't wear? Sold. The boots that give plus-one dexterity? Sold. Why did you bring the backpacks? No, no time to think, sell, sell, sell.

The bedroll and the black cloak are here too. Okay, those stay, the recurve bow, and the rest from the bandits, ugh, keep one at random. There was no chance to think this through but now it's too late. How far until that fucking shield shows up?!

Didn't this inventory only have thirty slots? What's all this junk in it?

Whoa, after a blink they all reorganized. Other than the first line it's much more compact now, and the unused slots disappeared. So it wasn't a hard limit to thirty? For fuck's sake, this isn't the right moment to think about this.

Keep one dagger and sell the rest. They won't buy the level-locked protectors. And here I thought there was only stuff with valid orders on the market. Skip, don't sell the plus-three arrows either, but the rusted swords and all that crap can go.

Who knows how much they paid for this crap, but the inventory is getting lighter. And there is the fucking guard, near the bottom. Equip, close the window, look up, and they're right in my face. This has to be the luckiest move, even better than the surprise sale in the Pharmacy.

The first attacker's mace clangs hollow on the shield.

He aimed straight for the head, and half a second later it would have shattered it. This triggers a warning but the tunnel vision is back, and the enemy's the only thing visible to me. His name flashes from an aqua to a crimson color and back, showing that it's okay to strike back now.

The engagement is on and since he failed the rest is about to join. The guard is in the left hand, it seemed so natural to grab it that way since I didn't even think about pulling out a weapon. That longsword should be enough to keep them at bay though, as an extra defensive measure.

The second strike comes from the side and knocks that blade straight out of my hand. Well, that turned out worse than expected, but who knows what happens if it's not there. It's a good thing there was that war hammer too, and it takes the sword's place.

And this time I hold on to it tight.

There is no flashing in the sky, these Guardian Angels must feel lazy today. No wonder these guys went on so many rampages, for them it's free real estate. The third one attacks from the front, and gets held up by the shield. The fourth lands a hit from behind, but it's only a dagger.

The issue is that the avatar has no armor whatsoever. The trusty plus-two mail is still in the Textile Works, and the other is no more after their previous kill. This wasn't a good stab, though one more would bring me down again.

[02:05:56. A Heavy Stab with Rusty Dagger on Noob. +4 Damage.]

Thank God it was rusty and he had a bad roll, let's not wait for another one. But what the fuck can you do, surrounded by four players? These aren't mobs, they know exactly what they're doing, and more show up by the exits.

The inventory is much lighter now, so running it is, but where?

Fuck, why am I this stupid? The Training Grounds are next door, and only beginner players can enter. Please tell me these guys are all above level ten. They should be to get the basic skills trained, so they won't be able to follow. Can the avatar make it?