I took in the sight of the armed men. They had black leather armor with the symbol of a sword on their chest. They had black leather gloves as well.

I then scanned my surroundings, finding the dead bodies of the cultists. The sight of blood seeping out of their wounds was made even more creepy by the atmosphere of the basement.

I took a deep breath out of slight fear, only to gag and try to cover my nose with my left hand. It felt like I was a human vacuum, gathering all the stench of waste from the dead bodies.

Honestly, the sight of the blood and dead bodies doesn't make me disgusted. I have already been there and done that. What does make me disgusted is the horrible smell and the fact that people died here.. in the place I am currently standing on.

I looked back at the soldiers, finding them still standing, with their swords on the ready. I closed my eyes before opening them and saying, "Hello…?". The soldiers remained in their position, except for one.

The man who moved was behind all the others. He had beautiful blonde hair that reached his shoulders, blue eyes, sharp cheekbones, and an obviously toned body.

He moved by taking a few steps back in the direction of the staircase. What he didn't anticipate, it seems, was that on his third step, he would slip on some blood.

CRUNCH! I cringed. The back of his head hit the edge of the first step, making an unpleasant sound. Then, his body laid there, unmoving.

"Fucking incompetence…" I heard the supposed leader of the soldiers mutter under his breath, which made my gaze turn to his. We made eye contact. I felt my muscles tense. Blood pressure was building in my head, making my feet a bit wobbly.

"How… did I get here?" I asked tentatively, anticipating to get nothing from the veteran standing a few meters in front of me. And nothing I got. Not even a single word was exchanged. He didn't even seem to react to my question.

We stood there for a few more seconds in a staring contest before the leader blinked. "Ha! I win!" I said out of stupidity and to try and lighten up the mood. The leader frowned, staring right into my soul. Or so it seemed from my perspective.

"Men, take it." The leader commanded his troops. The two soldiers approached me, still ready to fight.

Ah, why did I say that? Why the fuck all the stupid shit comes from my mouth in these kinds of moments… This is my shock ridden brain trying to cope with the situation, isn't it? Fuck.

When the first soldier was near me, he tackled me to the floor. I grunted in pain as my naked back hit the bloody cobblestone the floor is made of. I tried struggling, but it seems he's stronger than me.

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I peeked behind the soldier holding me to the ground and saw the second soldier taking out some kind of rope from his bag. Huh, I didn't notice he had a bag.

This is not good. I started panicking. Struggling even harder, I tried to slide from underneath the soldier holding me. But he had the advantage. I wasn't strong enough. Shit, this is bad. Now that the shock passed, I understand what this situation entails.

I was summoned from that circle, wasn't I? And those guys killed the guys that summoned me… does that mean they will kill me too?! Fuck! How did I get into this situation?! It was the game wasn-

There was a loud smacking sound, and then everything went black.

------

I woke up inside a dark place. My sitting position, if you could call it that, was very uncomfortable, to say the least.

I wriggled about, trying to find a position I could be comfortable with. While I was doing that, I managed to find out I was in some kind of cage. One of the metal bars of the cage bruised my right knee after all.

After a few seconds, I finally found my preferred pose. Now, to assess the situation.

Getting summoned, having a staring contest with an obvious veteran, getting knocked out and finding myself in a cage which is probably made for animals. This pretty much sums it up.

I sighed. This is some fucked up shit.. Suddenly, my surroundings started rattling aggressively. Honestly, I'm not sure what is happening. There was no carriage outside in the cutscene, so where am I? Am I tied to one of the horses? No, it can't be. A horse can't support my weight and the cages weight. Or am I just being dragged around on the ground?

I sighed once again. This is not the time. I'm in a very dangerous situation. I could potentially die. But.. if I die, I will see her again, won't I?

I pondered that line of thought for a few seconds before my rational mind kicked in. I'm not religious. I don't believe in the afterlife. But I do believe in life. And currently, my life is at risk. I need to escape somehow. Maybe I can negotiate with them? Probably not.

Sighing a third time, I closed my eyes and pictured all the things that could happen to me. All of them end bloody. I don't want that. I'm just a random run-of-the-mill gamer. How could I even do anything in this kind of situation?

Well, I guess I can’t really do anything right now. The cage I’m in at the moment is obviously made out of metal. It is smooth and cold to the touch. I am naked, and it is very unpleasant.

All I can do right now is wait.

---

My inner clock told me that a few hours passed. The rattling finally settled down, which means we have arrived at our destination. At this point, my entire being is filled with despair.

Give a man a few hours in the dark and an uncertain future, and what you get is a mess. My head hurts from the rattling of the cage, My chest hurts from my nervousness, and my stomach hurts because I'm afraid. The combination of those and the fact there is a high probability of me dying is making me shit myself.

I waited for a few more minutes, thinking about all that transpired, almost getting into full-blown depression, when light came into being. The rag, or whatever, that was covering my small cage, was lifted. Finally, I could see.

And, not only can I see, but I can also perceive that I’m fucked.