On the first floor of the Adventurer Guild, Caution sat on a creaky, wooden bench and leaned against a wall. With a frown on his face, he drank his fourth mug of beer. He craved something stronger, vodka preferably, but the bartender didn't serve any.

The room was packed, filled with laughter and chatter. Fully fledged adventurers crowded around tables and all of them seemed to be wearing the most expensive equipment. It was easy to tell what class each adventurer specialised in. Warriors wore full body armour, while rogues wore thinner, chainmail armour, and mages and healers wore flashy wizardry robes.

Completely out of nowhere, Caution loudly sang an intro and chorus from Manny's world almost pitch perfect.

"Many men wish death upon me

Blood in my eye, dawg, and I can't see

I'm tryin' to be what I'm destined to be

And niggas tryin' to take my life away

I put a hole in a nigga for fuckin' with me

My back on the wall, now you gon' see

Better watch how you talk when you talk about me

‘Cause I'll come and take your life away

Many men

Many, many, many, many men

Wish death 'pon me

Lord, I don't cry no more

Don't look to the sky no more

Have mercy on me

Have mercy on my soul

Somewhere my heart turned cold

Have mercy on many men

Many, many, many, many men

Wish death 'pon me"

A few adventurers turned around, smiling. Caution repeated the chorus a few more times before abruptly stopping.

Moments later, Senni stood over him, hands on her hips. "You're not an adventurer yet, Mr Hunt. You have no place being here."

Caution raised his wooden mug. "Oh, but I do."

Senni took a seat next to him and sighed. "I've lost comrades myself. I understand your pain, I really do, but you should go home. You have lessons tomorrow."

"Reuben's death reminded me of a few fights I've been in," Caution said. "Sometimes, I'd throw a punch so brutal that I knew the outcome as soon as it connected. Their body would go stiff and they wouldn't move an inch, let alone try and get back up. Every time, I was convinced they were dead."

"Were they?" Senni asked.

"No, but the whole experience was chilling. I went from great satisfaction to fear within a matter of seconds." Caution looked up at the ceiling. "What's it like being an adventurer?"

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"It's fun... sometimes horrifying. In my opinion, being an adventurer is the greatest job in the world. Exploring dungeons and taking on high-level quests always gets me excited. More often than not, you find fascinating people along your journeys. It's the type of job that's hard to get bored of. In some countries, monsters still freely roam around the land and cause trouble, and there are still areas of land yet to be ruled by humans due to their overwhelming presence and power."

"I read about that," Caution said. "Death Zones. Have you been to any of them?"

"Yes, I have."

"What are they like?"

Senni paused for a moment like she was deep in reflection, then darted off. She came back with a mug of beer and drank it entirely in one go. "Hell. You don't go there unless it's a rescue or suicide mission. They're exclusive to rank S adventurers for a reason."

"Wow," Caution said. "I need to go there one day. Can you tell me more?"

Senni gave him the "Are you crazy?" look. "No! Go home!"

----------------------------------------

"Abeoooo..." Caution sang. "Phobeeeee. Sonyaaaaa. I miss yooooou."

He staggered around the city streets before leaning on a wall in an empty alleyway. He opened up the dashboard and with a few finger taps the contestant support icon appeared in front of him. He spammed the button.

An entity appeared.. Its height never failed to amaze Caution. The giant towered above him, arms folded, eyes wide with glee. "Hello, contestant. How can I help you today?"

"How long until the game ends?"

"The game ends until all the contestants are dead. In the event that there is no winner, all contestants will die in their first life in the next 23 years."

"How long does this shit usually last?"

The entity tilted its head slightly to one side. "It varies considerably. We've had games lasting thirty-nine years. We've had games lasting thirty years. The previous game lasted twenty-one years."

Caution's eyes widened. "Twenty-one? That's only five years from now! Barely anything's happened yet!"

"It's quite common for the early game to last this long," the entity said.

"I remember one of you guys mentioning that. What's the early game?"

"It's simply the beginning stage of the half-dead, contestant," the entity said in a bored tone. "Most games take a while to gain momentum due to the fact that players are randomly reincarnated across the map and need to readjust to the new world."

"Only five years from now," Caution whispered. "How did things escalate so quickly in the last game?"

"Humans are exceptionally good at building conflict. Factions form. Beliefs, values, and desires clash. And then of course, we intervene with special events."

Caution nodded, remembering rule four from The Half-dead Rule Book. "What are the events like?"

"I can't tell you that, but they're mainly for entertainment purposes and to progress the game. Is there anything else I can..." The entity stopped mid-sentence. Its eyes blinked rapidly. "Wow," it said.

"What?" Caution asked.

"Oh. I'm just watching the MVC. Their playthrough is absolutely phenomenal."

"MVC?"

"Most viewed contestant."

"What are they doing? Who is it?"

The entity winked. "No spoilers I'm afraid."