Standing just in front of the portal, Arthur and Eric stood side by side as they stared at the glowing archway casting flickering purple light over their anxious faces. The faint hum of energy filled the air, seemingly growing louder the longer they stared at the portal.
Arthur clenched his fist, jaw tensing, something Eric noticed. "I'm sure it'll be alright," Eric said, though even he didn't sound too certain. "We'll have weapons. And there's two of us now."
Nodding his head, Arthur took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves. "We should have a quick check of our profiles and see who's better suited for what weapon. We should at the very least try and get some form of strategy."
Eric agreed and the two pulled up their PROFILES though as Arthur looked across at Eric, he couldn't see anything in front of Eric. By the look on Eric's face, he couldn't see Arthur's and for a brief moment, they had a little chuckle because, of course, this wouldn't be that simple.
"Nice of them to give us some form of privacy at the very least." Eric joked humourlessly and Arthur grunted in agreement.
"I would have preferred a room and a shower more." That made Eric nod his head firmly. "You wouldn't suppose it would be as easy as saying share profile would you?" As if in response, Eric jerked a little in shock as he looked at Arthur with wide eyes, or in Arthur's general direction. "I suppose I shouldn't really be surprised at this point."
Arthur looked down at the glowing blue screen in front of him, reviewing the details on it.
PROFILE
NAME: Arthur Hale
LEVEL: 1 (25/100 EXP)
HEALTH: 120/120.
MANA: 65/65.
STATS:
- Strength: 8
- Dexterity: 6
- Endurance: 7
- Intelligence: 8
- Wisdom: 6
- Luck: 5
STAT POINTS: 0
"Share profile," Eric said, Arthur turned to see a blue screen flash in front of him.
PROFILE
NAME: Eric Collins
LEVEL: 1 (0/100 EXP)
HEALTH: 120/120
MANA: 55/55
STATS:
- Strength: 6
- Dexterity: 8
- Endurance: 7
- Intelligence: 6
- Wisdom: 5
- Luck: 6
STAT POINTS: 0
"Looking at this, I think it's best I take the spear, while you take the sword and shield." Eric noted, Arthur nodding in agreement. "We have the same endurance, but your strength is higher whereas my dexterity is higher. What do you say?"
"You'll have no argument from me." Arthur quite liked the idea of having a shield to protect himself with even though he knew based on the discussion he and Eric had earlier that it would involve him being in front. "Just make sure to keep an eye on the flanks. These things are fast."
"No worries, I've got you covered," Eric said, fists clenching as he rocked nervously on his feet, the pair of them turning back to the portal. The two spared one last look to one another, a silent nod being shared before they stepped through the portal.
The world shifted into the same, uncomfortable and unfamiliar lurching that Arthur remembered from before. Yet it wasn't as bad as it had been as he came out the other side, remaining on his feet though he wobbled slightly. Eric was not so lucky, collapsing to one knee and breathing a little heavier than usual.
"That was...that was not fun." Arthur chuckled lightly, remembering the feeling well.
"Not it is not." He agreed, looking out at the forest around them—dark, oppressive and reeking of decay. The air was heavy, damp and still, as though the environment itself sought to crush them.
Then the familiar glowing message appeared before them both.
WELCOME TO FLOOR 1.
OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE AND REACH THE EXIT.
WARNING! SHOULD YOU DESIRE TO ESCAPE EITHER REACH THE PORTAL AT THE EXIT OR RETURN THROUGH THE PORTAL YOU ARRIVED THROUGH.
A second prompt followed.
PLEASE SELECT A WEAPON.
BOW AND ARROW.
SPEAR.
SWORD AND SHIELD.
WARNING! SELECTED WEAPON WILL NOT BE STORED IN INVENTORY UNTIL COMPLETION OF THE FIRST FLOOR.
Reaching out, Arthur tapped the third option, the weapons materialising in his hands, their weight making the nervous beating of his heart quieten. Eric hesitated for a moment longer before selecting the second option, the long sleek weapon appearing before.
"It feels weird," Eric muttered, moving it around experimentally. "But better than nothing I suppose."
Adjusting the grip on his sword, Arthur scanned their surroundings. "They'll be coming soon. As we planned, I'll lead from the front. You follow. Let's not get separated from one another."
Eric nodded, his face paling but still determined.
They had made it no more than a few steps before they first heard a rustle of movement coming from the left. Arthur's head snapped toward the sound, his shield raising instinctively as moments later, glowing eyes appeared in the undergrowth.
From it, four Giant Rats emerged, each as grotesque as Arthur remembered—filthy fur, rippling muscles and jagged teeth bared in predatory snarls as they stalked forward slowly and menacingly.
"Fucking hell!" Eric cursed under his breath, feet shifting back a few steps reflexively. "They're bigger than I expected."
"Don't let them get behind us." Arthur warned.
The first rat lunged at Arthur, scurrying across the forest floor before leaping up at him, mouth opened and front paws reaching out for him. Arthur swung his shield around, a shout of effort escaping his lips as he smashed the wooden surface into its face. The creature squealed as it was knocked to the side, slamming to the ground harshly.
But there was no time to celebrate as the other three rushed in.
His heart pounded in his ears as Arthur felt his palms sweating, yet he tightened the grip on his sword in his right hand and swung it wildly in a downward diagonal arc. It caught one rat across its flank, bloody spraying as metal cut through flesh. The creature hissed out in pain as it backed away in pain.
It was only temporary as it quickly rushed back in.
The other two Giant Rats leapt at Arthur and he just barely managed to get his shield up in time, their claws scrapping against the wood and nearly knocking Arthur off balance. At his side, Eric thrust his spear forward at the first rat Arthur had knocked to the side, yet it darted out of reach.
"Fuck! These things are so quick!"
Grunting, Arthur swung his shield around and threw the two rats to the side managing to give himself some breathing room. Yet that was when the rat that Arthur had cut with his blade came in, claws scraping across his sending pain shooting through him, sharp and immediate.
"Shit!" Arthur cursed, swinging his sword around and driving the rat away.
"You alright?" Eric called, thrusting his spear at two rats that were closing in on him, the two creatures too quick for him to land a hit as they dodged his attempts.
"I'm fine."
It was then that Eric finally managed to get a hit, spearhead piercing the shoulder of one rat that had gotten too close. But his victory was shortlived as the other rat came in and sliced across his side, forcing Eric to stumble and clutch his side, barely able to keep his footing."
"What your flank!" Arthur yelled, stepping between Eric and the advancing rats, sword swinging wildly to ward them off. Together, they regrouped, back nearly touching as the rats circled them.
Arthur's mind was wild with thoughts and emotions, his arms growing weaker whether that was due to physical exhaustion or simply the mental strain he didn't know. Yet he couldn't afford a moment to think as the rats charged once more.
More by luck than anything else, Arthur managed to slam his shield into the rat that leapt at him while swinging his sword around at the exact same time. He had been intending to knock the first one to the side and then use his sword to ward off the other coming behind it. As luck would have it though, his timing was perfect and the sword sang as it cut through the air and then through the neck of the rat he had smacked with his shield.
The creature crumpled lifelessly to the floor.
It was dead.
However, Arthur had no time to acknowledge or celebrate his victory as another rat lunged at him, forcing him to spin and raise his shield again.
Meanwhile, Eric, emboldened by Arthur's success thrusting his spear at the rat Arthur had injured previously, its movements slow due to the deep cut on its side. The strike found its mark, sinking deeply into the side of the creature as it let out a final, shrill cry before collapsing.
"That's two down!" Eric shouted, his voice shaky but triumphant.
"Good!" Arthur panted, deflecting another attack.
The remaining two rats seemed more cautious now, circling at a distance as they assessed the situation. Yet rather than giving the rats time to decide, Arthur took the lead, charging at the nearest rat that remained uninjured. It darted to the side and tried to get him on his flank, but Arthur swung his sword wildly making it back away.
Right into Eric who came down on it with his spear that pierced through its back and pinned it to the ground. Sensing an opening, the final rat rushed at Eric's exposed back, clawing at it making him cry out, releasing the grip upon his spear as he collapsed to the ground as the rat clawed away.
Arthur reacted as quickly as he could, smashing his shield into it with enough force to knock it to the ground. He didn't hesitate, leaping over Eric's body as he slashed and hacked at its retreating form. It was already injured with a spear thrust from Eric to its shoulder earlier and dazed from the shield strike by Arthur. As a result, the first couple of wild slashes by Arthur managed to land true, stopping its movement and leaving it completely exposed to the remaining slashes.
The forest fell silent once more, save for the laboured breathing of the two men. "You okay?" Arthur asked, looking to Eric to see him getting to his knees. His back was covered in scratches and cuts, blood pouring from his wounds.
They weren't deep, but they looked painful.
"Yeah," Eric muttered, he reached out gripping hold of his spear and rising to his feet, adrenaline still pumping through his body like it did Arthur's. "Thanks for stepping in back there. I thought that last one had me."
"You saved me as well." Arthur took note of Eric grimacing. "Are you sure you're okay? We can head back through the portal to the Safe Zone if you want?"
Eric shook his head. "No." He said firmly. "I want to get through this floor and get home quicker."
Nodding his head, Arthur took the lead once more as Eric followed behind, neither of them looking back. Yet behind them, the corpses of the Giant Rats that lay still, unmoved and untouched after they had been killed began to bulge. Their fur twitched and their flesh stretched unnaturally as though something inside of them was trying to break free.
Things were far from over.