I plunged into salt water. The briny depths stung my nostrils and I opened my eyes. Darkness surrounded me, I flailed for some frame of reference. In one direction, a faint white light shone and in another a dark purple glow slid slippery through the murk. White or purple? The white almost felt like fresh fallen snow and I swam furiously for it. Search and rescue had quite high requirements for its active team members, and I moved through the water at a decent clip.

On the way up I passed a figure passed out in the water, slowly drifting down again. My lungs burning, I looked at the air overhead and instead shifted course. I paddled towards the figure, looping their unconscious arm over my shoulder and kicked for the surface.

I broke the surface and sweet air filled my lungs. Water all around me and clear sky above. A gentle wave rolled over me, and smacked into the face of my companion. I could see now that it was Mason, and he wasn't breathing. A small plank of wood rose up on one of the waves and I paddled for it, throwing Mason over the plank. Another piece drifted by with a cord of water logged rope and I lashed it together. Further debris including a barrel and a tattered length of sail cloth were similarly acquired as I built a small raft.

Throwing Mason down onto my five foot by five foot makeshift raft I thumped on his chest. Over and over I compressed his ribs until he shot upwards, spraying seawater everywhere.

Finally, with Mason awake and looking about as good as he normally did after drinking, I collapsed onto my back on the tiny floating raft. What the hell was going on?

'Greetings triallists.' Came a tinny robotic voice, with cheeky overtones. 'You have one year to climb the ten levels of the Tower. Legendary Rewards are available for the first ten to complete each level and a sliding scale of rewards, including XP, will generate based on how you rank.

But for you lazy bones, don't wait too long, once eighty percent of the population has exited the level or perished, the level will be annihilated within one day.

And remember, we all believe in you so reach higher!'

What the bloody hell. It was only when it stopped speaking that I realised it had been in my head, not booming across the ocean. Mason looked at me wide eyed.

'What the hell did I drink?' Mason asked.

The tinny voice came again.

'Welcome to Level one. The Sea of Rafts. This scattered wreckage of some calamity is the tutorial level for you tower champions, or climbers as the slang goes. Make your way to the exit and climb the tower before the level sinks. Everyone loves water levels right!

But don't worry, if you thought this was just a swimming competition, then boy do we have surprises in store for you. But guess what? The audience loves surprises so if you want to shoot up those rankings, start carpe diem'ing as hard as you can.'

We were on a couple of planks of wood lashed together. A sea stretched out before me, scattered debris floated on the slowly moving waves. One plank had what looked like a bite mark in it. What the frak? This was an ocean, not a tower. Had they been transported somewhere else on Earth? Or somewhere else entirely?

Or was this all held within the metal columns that had descended from the sky?

Mason nudged him. 'Aliens, right? So don't suppose you brought a spare pint along with you? I'm parched.'

I looked over at him. 'That's your first question, really?'

Mason shrugged. 'My therapist says its a coping mechanism. I can probably cancel my Thursday session though, save me a quid.'

'Water. We need water.' I said, surveying the endless ocean.

Mason raised an eyebrow.

'Drinkable water.' I clarified. Drinkable water would buy us several days, hopefully enough time to flag down a passing ship or make it to land.

Mason knocked his fist on the barrel they'd rescued. 'What about this, water should be in this thing right.'

'Stop!' I said. 'Its the main thing keeping us buoyant.'

Mason grunted and looked around again. He reached down and tried to paddle the raft, just making it turn slightly in place. He emptied his pockets finding only a wallet and a phone that had been destroyed by the water entry. 'So...you a fan of I spy?'

I grunted. That message had said there were exits, like this was some sort of challenge, or a game? What twisted power was behind this though?

'Hey I think I see someone?' Mason said.

Something paddled towards them, with the sun at its back. Another survivor?

What the living ….

A green skinned humanoid with horrible fangs, lumpy ears and nose and a vicious grin paddled towards them. A goblin. That was an honest to goodness goblin. A goblin paddled towards them on a plank of wood. The vicious bugger was water logged, leaking pus from wounds and bearing a tiny dagger. A jaunty pirate bandanna complemented his motif.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Information blurred in front of my eyes, along with another eight bit pixel art representation of a goblin.

Sea goblin LV1

HP 5/5

Vicious buggers and only further up the food chains then water-rats, sea goblins can only be trusted as far as you can throw them. While they rarely defeat enough enemies to level, being bested by a moderately skilled starfish in most cases, occasionally one will defeat enough enemies to climb to the rank of goblin pirate, or goblin pirate-captain.

Like roaches, if you see one, there's probably more.

The screen disappeared in a burst of pixels, just as the goblin leaped from its plank of wood onto the raft. I grabbed a loose plank and swung it at the beast, cracking its skull. The creature tumbled into the waves, flailing its hands. The horrid beast sunk under the water line.

Huh. Guess goblins can't swim?

Mason cocked an eyebrow. 'Do you mind not breaking our raft?'

I held the snapped timber, part in each hand. 'You deal with the next one then.'

'THAT WAS GREAT!' shouted a tinny electronic voice. 'Can you do it again with a heroic pose? Or a catchphrase?'

A small orb floated beside them, made of scrap metal and rusted iron. A camera lens formed most of its face, with a 8 bit smile beneath it. It had two tiny mechanical limbs with oversized white glove hands. It made a square with its fingers, zooming around them to different angles.

It gestured with a roll of its mechanical hand. 'Camera is on!'

Mason smashed a piece of timber on the floating robot. It didn't even scratch the thing.

WARNING: Attacking CameraBots, Zoomies or Lensjockeys will result in level deductions, stat de-buffs and severe punishment.

Level deductions? Stat de-buffs? What were these messages on about. It sounded more and more like some sort of twisted game. Why were these camera bots so inviolate?

And if there was a camera, who was watching?

My thoughts were interrupted by a burst of eight bit confetti across my screen.

Ding! You have levelled up. You are now a Level One Tower Champion.

Look at you go, meeting the minimum possible hurdle. We believe in you, so climb higher.

You have 2 stat points to allocate.

Ding! New badge – Leo and Kate.

This is my raft and I decide who gets on it. Even if there is room for more people…

Reward: Basic Loot Chest

A wave of pixel art like white scares rushed across my body. I felt a surge of positivity, an almost addictive rush combined with a sensation like I'd just downed a Redbull. Another notification popped up in my screen.

Would you like to view status screen?

Mentally clicking yes it pulled up a portrait of me along with numbers like an old school RPG game.

Tower Hero Tenzing – LV 1

Class: N/A

XP: 0/10 to next level.

Stats (+2)

Strength: 12

Grit: 15

Agility: 11

Intelligence: 12

Survival: 14

Charisma: 11

Badges: Leo and Kate.

A blinking light below the status screen show a set of toggles I could manipulate to increase my stats. Each of the stats seemed like something from dungeons and dragons, but I was wary of assuming how it all worked without data. These were aliens after all, the sheer fact that they'd introduced a system we could wrap our heads around was lucky enough, what was the chance they'd gotten something wrong?

'Hey, floating camera orb?' I asked.

'Yes Climber, what is it?' The orb replied back.

'How do these stat things work?' I asked.

The cameras lens zoomed in and out. 'Oh good question, I'd love to help you but...' The camera paused, its lens flicking upwards. 'I'm just along for the ride, yessir, that's me, caemerabot 438203. I certainly couldn't tell you anything about how to survive. And don't forget, camera is on!'

I narrowed my eyes for a moment and the camera bot responded with a raised thumb. If I were running some sort of show, I'd throw in a mole or a traitor to keep things interesting. How much could we trust this thing not to stab us in the back?

Mason slung his arm over the camera bot. 'Sounds bloody brilliant mate, we're going to make this team a star. With your tech, my brains, and tall dark and brooding over here, we're heading for the top.' Mason raised a finger to the sky. 'Frak you Jackson Vanderbelt the third.'

Mason looked over the battered scrap heap of a camera bot and clicked his fingers. 'You just need a catchy name. We can't very well call you...'

'Camera bot 438203 plays very well with the artificial intelligence demographic.' The camera bot replied.

Mason pursed his lips, 'Good to know, good to know, lets see Cam...illa? No I don't want to presume your gender and the whole royal association isn't for us. Chamomile? No gosh I'm off my game. Let me think.' He leaned back and studied the floating robot.

'Don't forget, camera is on!' It said.

'Caemra...on, Cameron, we're going to call you Cameron!' Mason said, pumping his fist. 'See Tenzing, we're set for success now.'

I stared ahead with a blank expression. In order to escape the madness filling Mason, I went back to my stats screen and put a point into grit and a point into survival. My body flashed with pixellated light again and I felt my muscles spasm, before resetting. I felt stronger, probably the grit point, though I couldn't be certain if the survival stat helped as well. I didn't notice any rush of magic or superhuman senses.

Hmmm...I needed more levels and points.

I mentally clicked on the basic loot chest that had been awarded by my badge. The chest appeared floating above me, with a dull white glow, it was like something you'd see in the legend of Zelda.

'Quick throw your hands up in the air.' Cameron said, zooming out.

I glowered at him. 'No.'

'Its an ancient tradition amongst climbers! You've gotta do it.' Cameron said.

Mason wrestled my arms up as the loot box opened in a burst of light, confetti and a ding. In the caucophony of light and sound Mason leaned in to my ear and whispered.

'Play along mate, there's people watching and if there is people watching they're going to reward those who put on a good show. I'm already cast as the lovable goofy sidekick, so one of us has to play the hero.' He darted back and put on a wacky grin again.

Hmmm...put on a show. Fair enough. Lets see what weapon they've given us to fight with.

Propellor hat:

This stylish fashion accessory is ready to help you slay monsters and catch the wind. Get to it bucaneer!

1% Damage reduction

Note- requires power source

'Hey Cameron.' I said, glancing at the multicoloured hat with a propellor attached.

'Yes. climber?'

Put on a show, huh?

'I've got a great panoramic shot for you. Come here for a minute.'

[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1056728480768868442/1122298181837922344/cjtimms_goblin_in_a_pirate_outfit_on_a_raft_anime_style_bdd6e0b0-0f18-4a74-b741-2b811b2426ec.png]

[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1056728480768868442/1122298501091569684/cjtimms_flying_rusty_robot_with_camera_lens_wearing_a_propello_65dfc264-5fdc-443b-b74c-dc178f9e4e04.png]