I whiffed it. I don’t know how I threw it so badly. This god damn game and my shit Athletics score. The bottle soared through the air, heading towards one of the infected. It hit the infecteds head and then, to my shock, the bottle didn’t break. The bottle bounced off the head and soared into the air now heading towards Tyler. I passed the one in my left hand to my right as Brail loosed her arrow. The arrow pierced through the air, sticking right in the back of Tyler’s head. His body started to slump as it caught flame, now amplified by the flask breaking open at his feet.

The room was now starting to catch on fire, the vegetation quickly igniting. Brail and I instinctively started moving back from the heat. I saw Fussze on the ground, his head severed by the creatures. I didn’t even know when that had happened. I was frozen for I don’t know how long until something spoke.

“Just as one lives, so do we all,” stated one of the infected individuals. “You will never be able to stop us.”

“Let’s go!” I said, pulling on Brail who was staring at her fallen friend and her fallen lover.

I pulled on her shoulder again and she started back pedaling up the stairs as three infected humans, untouched by the flame, pursued. I tossed the flask at the group, and it hit the first one splashing onto the other two. With no flames nearby, the liquid had no effect. Brail took out her igniter lighting a piece of fabric she tore from her shirt and threw it. The creatures ignited in a massive torrent of flame as we ran up the stairs. As we left the doorway, I pushed the stone door closed behind us.

I slumped against the stone door, panting—this was happening way too often. Brail just stood, unspeaking, eyes hallow. When I finally caught my breath, I stood up, Brail leading the way. As we walked by the cleric and the acolytes, I picked up their loot boxes. I got one from the cleric and three others from the acolytes, trying not to draw attention to it in front of Brail.

We made our way back to town in silence, the moon still bright, with no sign of daylight nearing. A woman ran up to Brail as we neared the inn, and Brail crumbled into her hug, sobbing. I stood there watching the embrace, not sure what I should do. Do I just go back to the inn? Go to my camp? Stay here and make sure she is, okay?

I stayed for a minute until Brail regained her composure. She finally spoke her voice clear with an edge of resolve.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Braar and Fussze are dead. Get a group together. I believe the threat to be gone, but we must check at first light. It was Tyler.”

Brail made her way down the street the other woman next to her. A notification appeared, and I selected it, my interface reading it aloud.

Partial quest completion! You have partially completed quest joining the Watchman to investigate the cemetery. 10 renown points gained. By the way, quick question, how many fucked up people did you have on your planet?

I entered the inn, finding it empty with clean tables and no sign of Keep. I sat at a table by the window to keep an eye on the street and waited eagerly to volunteer, motivated by more than just the loot boxes that awaited me. At least, my motivation was slightly beyond that.

I spent the next few hours copying my money each time my mana recharged. I opened my loot boxes from the acolytes and the cleric, some of the acolyte’s boxes being empty, which was a new experience for me. From the cleric, I received an excellent tier vial of holy water, and from an acolyte’s box, I got five noob-level healing potions.

As the faintest glow of morning light appeared, I stepped outside onto the inn porch. The streets were quiet, and no one seemed to be awake yet. I made my way to the vending machines, noting that the refresh times were still many hours away. I scrolled through, purchasing mana potion after mana potion. The machine didn’t seem to have a limit, and neither did my inventory. I had 100 mythic-level mana potions when I felt someone watching me. Startled, I turned to see a person giving me a strange look.

“Oi! What are you doing standing here in the dark, moving your hands about all weird,” he asked.

“Oh, sorry. Just doing my morning stretching routine,” I replied, lying.

The NPCs must not have been able to see the vending machines. I was fine with looking weird, knowing that having this many mana potions ensured I could cast two spells off in each fight.

I was bored, so I cast Speak with Animals. Looking around, I didn’t notice anything different. I guess I need to find some animals. What did I expect to happen? I glanced around the fine early morning, taking in the crisp dawn air. Ya know? Fucked up game or not, I had to admit it was a pretty nice morning. And then I heard it, softly, in the distance. “FOOOOD. FOOOOOOD,” in the low mooing voice of a cow.

“Yummy bugs, yummy bugs,” I turned to see a chicken, pecking its way up the street.

A full cacophony of noise started to sound all around me. There goes the peaceful morning vibe. I couldn’t even make out all the voices. Even the bugs seemed to be talking, all at once. It was way too much. When will this shit wear off? I checked my interface.

Two weeks. Fuck.

Every fucking one of these spells seems to have a draw back. What the fuck is up with my class? I went back to the inn to contemplate my life choices that led me here and to keep an eye out for Brail. Right after I sat down, I heard something out of place amidst the talking animals, if there could even be something more out of place.