Early in the morning before my next Challenge, Mr. Atlas took me to the top floor of the Bounty Hall tower. It was an observatory, and quite vacant. Most of the top floors were; the tower had no escalator, and fifty flights of stairs were no joke. The observatory was a simple and elegant room, with panoramic windows and marble floor. A pair of cushioned chairs flanked the entrance. Those were the only furniture in the room. Outside, the sea of mist extended in all directions. We had nothing to observe, really.

In less than an hour, I'd be whisked away into the Seasonal Challenge. My final one in Gold, according to the Knight of Anomalies. Regardless of whether I won or lost, I would no longer be here afterwards. This time, I had opted to enter alone, as a solo player.

Mr. Atlas and I looked out at the endless mist together.

"What will you do in Platinum?" he asked me.

"The Liberation's Call Syndicate makes their home there," I said. "I'll probably have to deal with them."

That was the organization Hal the druid was a part of, which had been waging endless conflict with the Bounty Hall. In the past months Atlas and I had attempted to work out a truce with their leadership, with little success. They, the LCS, demanded handover of 50% of the Bounty Hall's magic items. We could not accept those terms. Not even Hal, our ally, was able to help us secure a better deal.

To hand over our equipment would allow the LCS to break the truce without fear of retaliation. That was unacceptable. Even Reens recognized that much, and had agreed to maintain the continued existence of the Bounty Hall. The LCS was the one issue she had no answers for. They did not promote bloodshed, as the Bounty Hall had done, but they were nonetheless tyrannical in their plundering of resources. Without the Bounty Hall keeping them in check, they could soon take over Gold and control everything.

"And you'll need to deal with them here," I said to Atlas. He closed his eyes for a brief moment.

"I'll do what I can," he said.

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Mr. Atlas's hair had grown gray around the ears. I don't think he enjoyed ruling over the guild, nor any of the politics Reens and I had gotten ourselves into. But out of us three, he was the best at it when he actually tried. Whenever we needed to settle internal disputes, or anything of the sort, Reens and I always went to Atlas when we doubted our own judgements.

"I'll be waiting for you in Plat," I told him. "Don't dawdle too long here."

"This is plenty far for me," he said.

"Don't say that! It's not over until we make it back."

An amused sniff escaped from his nose. As though I had been talking of hopes and daydreams and childish things.

"Do you have your equipment ready?" he asked.

"Of course," I said. But I couldn't stop myself from double-checking. I had my Ring of Water Purification, my Magus Battlehat on my head…of course, my railgun with me. The satellite dish had been properly reattached by the guild smith, so Eye of Odin was back in full force again.

I also had my new Ring of Pursuit, which I picked out from the Bounty Hall treasury. It would serve me well in the imminent Challenge, as well as the journey beyond.

And last but not least, there was the secret I had kept from the rest of the guild. It was a steel chain necklace whose pendant was a tiny, golden sword. I had kept it in my pockets this whole time, but now I wore it around my neck. It was the item I had earned from our last PvP match, Defense of the Ancients Mk. II.

"Where's Reens?" I asked.

"Been busy, keeping track of who's gone for the Seasonal Challenge and who's returned. Want me to go look for her?"

"This is fine," I said. "It's a long way down to our offices."

I walked in front of Mr. Atlas, with my back facing him. I leaned back into his chest, and draped his arms across myself.

"I'm scared," I whispered.

"This will be easy for you," Mr. Atlas replied.

"I don't want to go."

Mr. Atlas held my hand. He gave it a light squeeze.

"A hero should be more confident," he said.

I allowed myself to close my eyes and rest. To be held there, like that, was the realest thing.

Not before long, a flash of light shone through my eyelids.

I looked around. Mr. Atlas was no longer there, nor was the tower.

I was back in the arena, in the walled base. Alone, as I would be from now on.