《Echo of the Hammer》 Chapter 1 11:57. With three minutes on the clock, Max stared at the items on the surface in front of him. As the seconds ticked by, his mind ran over the preparations of the last year. His eyes flashed to the full backpacks and boxes scattered around the workspace around him, brow scrunching with doubt and tension. 11:58. He got up, started to pace, and promptly sat down again in front of the table in a fit of restlessness. He moved two hammers on the table, shifting them ever so slightly to align with the other tools lying there. 11:59. As the last minute started ticking down, Max leaned back and closed his eyes. In an effort to calm himself, he started counting down. As he hit zero, he opened his eyes to see the clock flip over. 12:00. Max waited. Five seconds later, he put his face into his hands and moaned, not sure whether to feel relief or grief. It''s not real after all. Everything I did in the last year, all for nothing. I''m an idiot, I should have known to get some help rather than considering myself some kind of Chosen One- His mental rant was abruptly interrupted by a loud fanfare behind him. Falling off his stool in shock, he blinked up from the floor to see a set of screens floating in front of him. He blinked a few times, but they remained at the same point in his vision, even as he pulled himself up off the floor. Massaging the hip he landed on, he began to read.
Welcome New Contender!
Your planet has been chosen as the newest addition to the Interface! From here on, your species will contend for a place at the Table of Champions! Challenge yourselves, each other and even nature itself in your bid to become the ultimate lifeforms!
As new Contenders, you have been granted a tutorial period. Please be aware, some physical/geographical/biological/metaphysical changes may occur in your surroundings as your reality is integrated into the Challenging Grounds.
Integration Tutorial Period: 24:00:00
Max stared at the final box for a few moments, confirming that the tutorial period was in fact twenty-four hours as the seconds ticked down. He sighed and tilted his head at the roof, but his vision remained blocked by the information screens. "Ugh, what was the word again? Dismiss?" As he spoke, the screens flickered and disappeared. A tiny stylized bird popped in the corner of his vision, along with a timer. Looking at it, Max realised it represented the tutorial timer. With his vision mostly free, he leaned against the table, staring at the ceiling. His mind flashed between all the information he''d gathered, recalling the plans in place. His mind soon slowed however, circling the same point over and over. Either he had finally cracked completely, or truth was really stranger than fiction. Either way, he was up shit creek and the paddles were long gone. After stewing for ten minutes, Max shook his head and pulled himself out of his funk. He turned back to his workbench, casting a critical eye over the implements and materials. He did a quick mental review of the steps he needed to take, and reached for the long steel blade. Working quickly, he attached and secured the hilt to the tang. Looking the completed shortsword over, he gave a nod. Not the most elegant product, but it wasn''t intended to take him far. He placed it on a separate worktable to allow the guard to cool and tighten, and proceeded to start the process again on a shorter blade. Two hours later, Max grabbed a water bottle and sat heavily on the beaten couch at the side, looking at the two blades. Drinking greedily, he closed his eyes and leaned back, trying to let the tension fall from his body. After he felt some of the soreness fade from his muscles, he opened his eyes to look at the items on the floor. After a moment, he reached for the body armor, but his hand stopped just short. Doubt clouding his face, he pulled out his phone, quickly navigating to a news site. He barely had to scroll down before a headline jumped out at him. "The Interface: Hoax, or New World?" He stared at the words, before searching for other sites. Across all of them, the top headlines had some reference to the screens Max had seen earlier. "What is the Interface?" "Reports worldwide of strange floating display screens." "Coastal city relocated to mountainside." "Meteor shower visible by day over country town." Well, he thought, if I''ve gone crazy, looks like the whole world''s gone with me. He reached for the body armor again with determination set in his face. He rapidly stripped down and changed, then did a thorough check over the small backpack and its contents. Satisfied, he let out the straps and swung it on to his back, and then grabbed a bulky object wrapped in a few shopping bags. With a grunt, he lifted it over his shoulder, shifting himself as he attempted to slide it between his back and the bag. After some adjustments, he managed to get it positioned, pulling the straps of the bag tight to hold the object between himself and the bag.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Max turned to the bench, picking up the two blades. Sheathing them both, he strapped the shorter one to his leg, holding the longer one loosely in his left hand as he marched towards the door. Stopping to put on a motorcycle helmet, he stepped out of the door, blinking in the sudden brightness. Looking around, it didn''t seem much had changed in the vicinity of his home, although he did seem a worried group of people talking quietly further down the street. He swung himself onto his e-bike, straining for a moment as the weight on his back threatened to topple him, before he set off through the city. Forty minutes later he stopped in front of a boarded up building, looking at his phone to check it was the correct address. Noting that his marker and the pin overlapped, he secured his bike to a nearby lamppost, and began searching the front of the building for a way in. He was just about to try and break through the front door when a teen girl nearby called out to him. "Hey, are you with the cops?" Surprised, Max turned to look at her. The girl was clearly distressed, with red eyes and mascara smeared. "Did something happen?" he asked. The girl grabbed on to his arm, eyes darting as she tried to find his behind the tinted glass of his helmet. "Please, you gotta help, my friend, she got sucked in, please, save her!" "Whoa whoa, slow down." He lifted his visor, fixing her with a stare to make sure she was listening. The teen took a deep, shuddering breath and nodded. "Now, in as few sentences as you can. What happened to your friend?" Max asked her, trying to talk in a slow, soothing tone. The girl nodded again and started speaking. "Okay, I know we shouldn''t have been, but we were chilling inside in the demo building, and the weird message popped up, you know the one like a real life notif? We were just about to bounce when the air flexed or something, this weird portal thing just popped in and Mari was just pulled in." At this point the girl began to tear up again. "Please, you have to help her, everything was just so fast, and I called like hours ago but you''re the first person to show up, please please please." Her voice trailed off, quietly repeating ''please'' over and over. As she began to shake with sobs, Max placed a hand on her shoulder, unsure how to soothe this stranger. The girl had no such reservations however, and latched onto his torso, the crying increasing to a flood of tears. Unsure what to do with his free hand, the other still occupied by the sword, he hovered over her back, before awkwardly patting her on the back. Inwardedly he felt grateful that the arrival of the Interface meant anybody nearby had bigger things to occupy them than a girl bawling on the streets. After a couple of minutes, the cries began to slow, and Max gently pried the girl off. Leaning down to meet her eye-level, he rubbed her arm in an effort to further soothe her. "What''s your name?" he asked. After a few hiccups, the girl managed to reply. "Maria," she said, "and my friend''s Mari. M and M, like a bag of candy." "Maria. Listen. I know it''s tough right now, but if we''re going to help Mari, I need you to show me how you got into the building." Maria nodded wiped her eyes. She lead him around the side of the building to a service door in an alley. Leaning her shoulder into the door, she gave it a sharp shove, then pulled it open and walked inside. Following her, Max noted a a number of props and costumes. Along with clues from the door signs, he guessed that this had probably been a theater building of some kind, a guess further supported as they entered a door marked "Stage". "Over there," said Maria as they clambered onto the stage. Pushing a dusty curtain out of the way, Max was stunned by the sight in front of him. A swirling surface floated slightly above the stage, the torn edges making it look like someone had stolen a galaxy and set it spinning on its edge in front of him. He walked up to it in a daze, the bizarre reality truly setting in as he watched this unworldly occurence turn lazily in front of him. "You okay?" The question from Maria startled Max out of his reverie. He nodded, commenting, "It''s so strange, you know? Life is never going to be the same." "Yeah..." Hearing the forlorn tone, he berated himself for getting lost in thought while Maria fretted about her friend. Come on, you can do this. Through the portal, find the girl, save the day. Easy like Sunday morning. When he had gathered up the determination to go through the portal, a thought struck him, and he twisted back toward Maria. "Hey, I need you to head back out, okay? Wait for us outside, and when someone comes by, make sure you tell them what''s going on." Seeing her about to refuse, he pushed on. "Please, Maria. I need you to do this. Mari needs you to do this." Maria flinched at her friends name. She nodded, slowly walking back the way they came. Max looked back at the portal, waiting for the sounds of her footsteps to fade. When he was left with silence, he took two deep breaths, flipped his visor down and reached for the surface of the portal. His fingers met a membrane-like surface, and a message popped up in front of him.
Mycene Nesting Tunnels Portal
Would you like to enter the Mycene Nesting Tunnels? You will not be able to exit until the Challenge is cleared.
Confirm Abort
Steeling himself, he said, "Confirm." He closed his eyes, preparing for the nausea he''d been told about. When nothing happened, he opened them again, finding himself presented with another screen.
WARNING
As you have not been initiated within the Interface yet, you will receive no Interface bonuses or assistance for the duration of the Challenge. Are you sure you want to proceed?
Confirm Abort
"Confirm!" he said quickly, before his resolve could start crumbling at this interruption. His fingers began to distort and stretch into the portal, followed quickly by his hand and arm. In a blink, he found himself in entirely new surroundings. He didn''t have time to assess his new environment however, as a wave of nausea immediately washed over him, and he fell to his hands and knees, retching. Closing his eyes, Max concentrated on keeping his stomach contents where they were. Minutes later, he felt steady enough to lean back and sit on the floor. He loosened the straps on his backpack, slipping the weight off his back as he suddenly became aware of the sweat soaking his back. Retrieving a bottle of water from the backpack, he lifted his visor and turned his attention to a new screen as he drank.
You have begun a Challenge! Be warned: Until you complete the Challenge, you will not be able to leave the Challenge zone.
Challenge Zone: Mycene Nesting Tunnels
Clear Conditions: Incapacitate or otherwise defeat all inhabitants of the zone
Grimacing, he tucked the water bottle away and dismissed the screen. Looking around, he appeared to be in an underground cave, dimly lit by the glow of the portal behind him. A dark tunnel provided the only exit. Max swallowed nervously and took out his phone, navigating to some notes he had made previously. Alright, just review one last time. 5 targets. Sequence is shoot, spray, stab. Keep an eye out for the girl. He tucked the phone away in his bag. Unwrapping the shopping bags revealed a disassembled crossbow, which he put together and loaded. Placing it carefully on the ground to the side, he took out a spray can wrapped in velcro and attached it to a velcro patch on his right leg. Satisfied with his preparations, he zipped up the bag and slung it over his shoulders, picking the crossbow as he stood. He pulled down his visor and walked into the dark, leaving behind only an echo of his voice. "Geronimo." Chapter 2 Max walked forward down the crude tunnel, straining his eyes as he tried to make out details in the dark. Thankfully there appeared to be some kind of bioluminescent plant growing sporadically in the rock, which he used as a rough gauge for the contours of walls and ceiling. Taking slow steps, he kept his feet close to the ground in an effort to minimize the sound and vibrations from his walking. Every few steps he would reach out with his right hand, confirming that the wall was still nearby. After what felt like a few minutes, Max came across a large area of the glowing plants, the cave stretching to double its width. Crounching on one knee, he released the safety on the crossbow, his eyes scanning through the trails of light. Not finding what he was looking for, he relaxed his gaze. He placed the sword on the ground next to him, hilt near his knee, then settled himself more comfortably and continued to watch the area in front of him with eyes slightly unfocused. His knee was beginning to ache when he suddenly noticed motion to one side. Slowly turning his head, he noted a small patch of luminescence moving across the wall. As it moved it became apparent that the glow was camoflage for a creature of some kind. Max guessed that it was similar to an angler fish, as if not for parts of its body blocking light from the plants as it moved, he would never have guessed it was an animal at all. Well, it helps that I was warned as well. Moving slowly, he took aim with the crossbow, doing it as much by feeling as by sight. He pulled the trigger and was rewarded by a loud screech, followed by a loud approach of the creature. He set the crossbow on the ground and pulled the spray can from his leg as he stood. As the mobile luminance approached him, he braced himself, holding the spray can loosely next him. The beast was nearly on top of him when he managed to spot the vague outline of a spider, the arachnid nearly the height of his waist. Aiming at its face, he lifted the can and pressed hard on the trigger. There was a scream as the outline of the spider was lit up in phosphorescent paint. It flailed around, Max dropping the can as he lifted the sword point-down above his head. Holding it with both hands, he shuffled around trying to aim for the spider''s head as it skittered about. When it paused for a moment, he brought the sword down hard, crunching through the exoskeleton as he used his body weight to drive the sword down. Breathing heavily, he waited until the spider''s body stopped twitching. When it did, he planted a foot and pulled at the buried sword. It took a few attempts, but he managed to wrench it free of the corpse. Holding it loosely, he shuffled slowly back to where he''d left the crossbow. Disoriented by the dark, it took two sweeps before his foot bumped into the bow. He crouched down and reloaded the bow by touch, fumbling slightly as he struggled to feel through his gloves. Thankfully he''d practiced enough that soon he heard the click as the bolt settled against the retention spring. He picked up the crossbow and started walking further into the caves when he realised he''d lost the spray can in the rush of the fight. Cursing, he cast his gaze about, futilely trying to spot the can in the darkness of the tunnel. He retrieved his phone and hesitated, the conditions of his plan flitting through his mind as he considered his next step. After thinking it over, he swiped on his phone and turned on the torch, immediately sweeping the area with the light. He spotted the can some distance to his left and turned off the torch, but didn''t move. When his eyes had readjusted to the darkness, he carefully made his way over to where he remembered the can. Having replaced it on his leg, he waited again, straining his senses for any sound or movement. Minutes later, he decided he was satisfied that nothing was attracted to the brief burst of light, and proceeded on through the caves. At the next large area of plant growth, he repeated his hunting progress, this time remembering to slap the can back on his leg before brandishing his sword at the spider. This died in the same style as the first, and with added confidence he kept moving. Three more spiders were hunted down like this, each found alone where the plant growth was most prolific. When the last spider stopped twitching, Max let out a breath, collapsing to the floor as the adrenaline wore off. He slid out of the backpack, relishing the lack of weight. Praise fucking be, that''s done. Why did it have to be giant fucking spiders, regular sized ones are bad enough- He screamed as something jumped on his back, pushing him forward as it scratched at his reinforced collar. He swatted at it with his arm, twisting around as best he could, only to have this new spider jump at his face. In a panic, he tried to grab the spray can, only to have it knocked out of his hand by one of the spider''s legs. The weight of the arachnid pressed him down, and Max struggled to push it off.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Suddenly recalling his dagger, Max gave the spider a sharp shove and shot his left hand down to his leg. He''d barely managed to grasp the hilt when the spider was atop him again. He defended himself as best he could using the armor plating on his free arm, while attempting to stab it from below with the dagger. However, between the awkward angle and the spider''s exoskeleton, the dagger didn''t dig in. The spider reared back for another lunge, and in a desperate attempt, Max shoved the dagger into its open mouth. There was a crack from one of the plates on his arm as the creatures mandibles bit down. He twisted the knife around as much as he could within the spider, trying to saw upwards and cause maximum damage. As the attacks from the spider lessened, he ripped out the dagger and pushed out from underneath it. Aiming for a set of eyes, he stabbed down, which appeared to seal the creature''s fate. Soon it had stopped moving altogether. Heart pounding, Max scrambled backwards on his bottom as the familiar cold weight of a panic attack settled over him. Pushing himself against the wall, he turned on his phone''s torch and looked around wildly, no longer caring about stealth. An Interface notice popped up in his vision.
Mycene Nesting Grounds Challenge: Stage 1 complete! The gate to the final phase has appeared! Please proceed to the gate with your fellow Challengers!
Relieved from potential further attacks, Max closed his eyes and attempted to calm himself. However, without the need to stay combat-ready, the panic and fear washed over him with full force. When he began to hyperventilate, he pulled off his helmet and curled up as best he could. I''m fine. I''m okay. I''m fine. I''m okay. I''m fine. I''m okay. I''m fine. I''m okay. I''m fine. I''m okay. Some time later, he stood on shaky legs, nausea still sitting heavy in the pit of his stomach. Gathering up his things, he did a quick inventory check. Seeing that he still possessed everything he needed, he took out two arrows from his quiver, then looked at the dead arachnids with some trepidation. Feeling the panic threaten to rise again, he scowled and marched over to one of the bodies, determined to push through. After a moment he walked back, strapping on the helmet again and bringing down the visor. Using the dagger and referring to notes on his phone, he pried open the exoskeleton surrounding the head. Minutes later, he grimaced at the fluids and body matter splattering him, but continued to excavate until two glands near the jaw were exposed. Taking the arrows, he plunged both into one of the glands, twisting them a few times before pulling them out. They came out covered in a semi-viscous fluid that quickly dried in the air. When they were completely dry, Max repeated the process with the other gland, then carefully placed them back in the quiver in the backpack. Scraping himself clean as best he could, he peeled off his gloves and threw them into the backpack after twisting them inside out. He collected everything and looked around, using his phone''s torch to examine the area. "Hello?" he called. He waited a moment to see if there was any response, but heard nothing. Since the cave didn''t seem to have any branches, he continued on through the tunnel, calling out as he went along. After a while, Max heard a quiet cry in response to his shouts. He clambered through some stalagmites and turned a corner to find a dark-haired girl rushing towards him. "Over here!" he called, and raised his visor. The girl stopped just short of barrelling into him. "Thank goodness, I thought I was going to be stuck here alone forever!" she cried, slightly out of breath. He aimed the torch at the floor so as not to blind her, and while he thought it unlikely to be anyone else, confirmed that this was who he was supposed to be looking for. "Are you Mari?" he asked. "Yeah, but who are you?" she responded, wariness instantly entering her stance. "My name''s Max, your friend Maria asked me to help find you. Are you okay, any injuries or wounds?" Mari sagged in relief at the reply and shook her head. "No, I''m fine. I was just thrown in a cave and haven''t seen anything down here other than you. This huge door rose up out the ground a while back, but nothing happened after that." Max nodded twice, pleased both to have found the way to the next stage and that Maria had made it through unharmed. A few questions revealed that Mari also had the initial prompt screen to start the Challenge, although she hadn''t accepted it, fearful of what would happen if she did. "Alright, here''s what we''ll do. I still need to complete the challenge by going through the door. There''s nothing left in the tunnels to threaten you, so you''ll be safe to stay here and wait. Once the challenge is done, I''ll come grab you and we can get out of here together." "Okay, yeah, sure," Mari replied. "Good luck?" "Thanks," he said with a smile. He flipped down the visor and walked down the tunnels. Soon he spotted yellow light further down the tunnel, and turned a corner to discover the door mentioned by Mari. Looking at it, Max felt that the word didn''t do it justice at all. The monolith in front of him stretched five metres high, two wide and was made of dark stone, carved with abstract curling designs. It was surrounded by a number of flaming torches, giving the double doors a steady glow. Taking out one of the treated arrows, he loaded the crossbow and prepared to head in. Bracing himself against the doors, he pushed, only to be greeted by a message.
Gate cannot be opened without all Challenge participants present. Participants present: 1 of 2
Max stared at the screen, mentally swearing as he processed the message. She didn''t even start the Challenge! Chapter 3 Max stood in front of the stone gate, looking at Mari as she stared intensely at the gate. Despite his reassurance and her surprisingly easy cooperation, he could see that she was extremely jittery about what lay beyond. Her knuckles were white gripping the shortsword he''d lent her. He wasn''t sure if she was suffering from shock, or if that was even possible without physical trauma. Worried that she might not have fully retained the plan, he decided to run through the plan once again. "Hey," he called. Mari turned her head to him, staring blankly for a few seconds before her eyes focused on him. Blinking, a quizzical expression crossed her face. "Just want to cover things one last time. I''ll be using poisoned arrows." He gestured at the crossbow. "I''m going to shoot the creature in there and then just run around until it takes effect. You''ll need to make sure you hide somewhere and don''t attract any attention, alright? Especially no noise." "I got it," she nodded, looking both vaguely annoyed and worried at the same time. Max looked at her a moment more, then turned to the gate and placed his hand on the stone.
Participants present: 2 of 2 Enter final stage?
Yes No
"Yes." Max said. The doors slammed inward, revealing a large, dimly lit space. Before they could do anything, a strong wind sprung up behind them, shoving them through the doorway. It disappeared as quickly as it came, leaving them in a daze as they tried to get their bearings. An Interface screen popped up in Max''s vision as the doors crashed shut behind them. As he read it, the dim glow increased to full brightness, lighting the arena they now stood in.
Welcome to the final stage! You may not return to previous stages until the final stage is completed. Hail victorious, Contenders!
Looking around, the stage for the final trial was a large circular arena. It was roughly divided into an inner and outer ring by a set of thick marble columns. In the centre lazed a large feline beast with dark fur. Signalling Mari to move behind a column, he snuck behind one himself and quietly placed his gear on the ground. Taking out the poisoned arrows from the case, he loaded the crossbow and put everything on the ground. He took a quick moment to stretch his legs, then picked up the crossbow again. Waving at Mari, he indicated that she should move to a different spot. As she moved away he focused on the creature in the middle of the arena, but the only response to her quiet movements was a twitch of the ear. Satisfied she was distant enough, Max took a breath. He lined up the crossbow with the creature, exhaled, and shot. His aim was rewarded by a resounding roar that echoed through the arena. He stepped out of the shadow of the column, the beast''s head immediately snapping to him with a growl. Quickly placing the crossbow on the ground, he started moving to the right, keeping close to columns as the beast tracked him. He paused next to a column, confused at the behaviour. However, as soon as he slowed, the beast launched itself forward. The sudden dash startled a string of curses out of Max as he ran behind the column, running around the outer ring to keep obstacles between him and the predator. When he made it about halfway around the arena, the beast leapt through one of the gaps. Seeing the motion, he twisted and changed direction, cutting across into the inner circle to avoid the feline. With a growl, the creature started to chase him again, Max running slalom through the columns to avoid the beast''s fierce claws. As his muscles began to burn and breaths became gasps, the beast came closer and closer to catching him. How long is this going to take?! Shouldn''t it be down by now? Perhaps frustrated at his dodges, the beast had stopped chasing. It lay crouched on one side of the inner ring, eyes glaring at him as he ran. With the threat less immediate, he slowed as he approached a pillar opposite, trying to catch his breath. He only had time to get a few deep gasps before he had to dive out of the way of the creature''s pounce. A few claws scraped against his back as it passed him. The beast collided into the pillar with a crash while Max rolled as far away as he could. The collision was accompanied by a scream, confusing both combantants. Spotting his backpack three columns away, a cold hand of dread gripped Max as he realised Mari hid on the other side of the pillar.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The beast, having shook off its collision, started sniffing around the column in an attempt to locate the source of the scream. When it began to pad around the column, Max started yelling to try and regain its attention. "Oi!" He shouted. An lone ear was turned in his direction. "Hey! Come on you stupid beast, I''m the one who shot you, right here! Come and get me, you sorry excuse for a raid boss!" At the end of his taunt, the creature had turned to look at him, but otherwise refused to move away from the column. The two of them engaged in a staring competition for a few moments, bodies locked with tension. Abruptly the beast moved, Max dodging to the side by instinct to avoid it. However, the creature whirled and swiped at the column, claws screeching as it flexed. For a pregnant breath, there was silence, which was broken by a yowl as the creature reared back. Max spotted the shortsword he had given to Mari was embedded in its paw. With its attention firmly locked on identifying this new threat, Max looked about desperately for some thing to throw. To his right he spotted his gear, and his eyes lit up. He ran over and dropped to his knees, immediately trying to wrench open the case. Another screeching of claws rang out and the case slipped from his finger, the loose arrow rolling away across the floor. He scrambled after it, sparing a glance to see the beast swatting rapidly at the column. As Max fumbled for the crossbow, another scream rang out. The beast had spotted Mari and swiped at her, clawing a chunk out of the column as she dodged out of its sight. Despite her reflexes however, she was trapped behind the pillar, unable to move anywhere else. The lycanthrope crouched, haunches raised in preparation to pounce at the slightest sign of motion. The urgency of the situation began to breathe down his neck like a beast of his own. Hurry up why am I here just load you stupid thing I''m so scared you need to save her I need air stop shaking she''s going to die I''m going to die need to distract it - DO SOMETHING! Max charged. Alerted by the clatter of the crossbow as he tossed it to the side, the beast turned to him as he ran at it, dagger held in clenched fist. Seeing it crouch, he bent low, attempting a feint to the left before dodging to the right. His progress was brought short by a strong wrench on his left arm. He stumbled and looked to see the beast''s jaw clamped around his elbow. There was just enough time for a sense of impending doom to register before Max was shaken like a dog with a ragdoll. Amidst the spinning and whipping limbs, he felt his arm and shoulder burn and then turn numb. Apparently satisfied with the damage, the feline released its jaw, sending Max soaring through the air to collide with a column. There was a loud crack, which he hoped was an armor plate and not one of his bones. Max found himself staring at the ceiling, trying to pull his head from the spiralling vortex. He managed to roll onto his side to see the beast approaching him leisurely. He tried to push off the floor to scramble away, but somehow only succeeded in flopping onto his other side. Blinking at the floor, he realised that his left arm hadn''t responded to his commands. Focusing on it, fear spiked as he noticed the lack of feeling - not the thick numbness of anesthesia, but an absolute void of any feedback. Not good not good not good! Pushing himself up with his right arm, he just managed to scramble to his feet when he was bowled over again by the feline. He crashed onto his back, followed by a heavy weight landing on his torso. Looking up, the beast was standing with one paw on his chest. He groaned as the paw flexed and sent a claw piercing through his side. Fear spiked again when the beast leaned forward with maw open. Before he could react, he heard a crunch as the beast''s teeth scraped over his helmet. Instinctively, Max flailed at its head. His struggle only resulted in teeth biting down on his hand, and a scream escaped him as his fingers were torn off. Before the creature could do more however, he heard it yowl. Blinking through the haze of pain and tears, he saw Mari standing to the side, crossbow in her hands. The beast turned to Mari, Max taking a gasp of air as its weight was removed. It started running, only to stagger and slow after a few steps. Moments later, it collapsed on its side, breathing heavily as it glared at Mari. After a impotent yowl, an Interface screen appeared in front of Max''s eyes.
Hail, victorious! You have completed the Challenge!
A sigh burst out of Max as he read the message, soon followed by a giggle that quickly became hysterical laughter. When he''d calmed down, he noticed Mari watching warily nearby. His gear was piled next to a portal that had appeared in the center of the arena. He stood up from the floor, stumbling through the process as the dead weight of his left arm unbalanced him. Apparently satisifed he was sane again, Mari came over to give him some support. He winced as she pressed against the wound in his side. "Sorry! Are you alright?" "Everything feels like one big bruise, but I''ll live," he replied. "Don''t mind me, we need to get out of here. I''m sorry to say you probably need to carry most of the stuff." Mari nodded and walked over the gear. As she sorted things out, Max looked regretfully at the beast. Ugh, the plan is really screwed. No point butchering it though if I end up dying before noon tomorrow. Shuffling over to Mari, he made to pick up the crossbow. The motion brought attention to his hand and its missing digits, and like a tsunami pain reasserted its existence in his brain. Gasping, he fell to his knees, staring at the mess of flesh and fabric. To the side, Mari let out a grunt as she shouldered the backpack. "Holy - I know you got muscles, but you have to be Superman to carry this around everywhere!" she exclaimed. Noticing him on the ground, she walked over as quickly as she could. "Alright, let''s get you out of here," she said. She grabbed him under the shoulder to pull him to his feet, straining until he started moving. In a daze, Max allowed himself to be led, and together they stumbled through the portal.