Chapter 214: What Now?

I flew over to where my friends were and then transformed back into myself. I could have done it back there, but the big dumb hairless ape had made a real mess of the place. So, it would have just been a real big pain in the ass to try and walk back off the broken landscape.

"So, what is this about a challenge?" I asked the group after I was finished transforming, but Cable asked me something before anyone could answer.

"Why do you have to always make it look so damn easy?! Couldn't you even try to make it look like that was hard for you? You treated that guy like a child, swatting his hands away as soon as he tried to hit you!"

"Hey! I made it look easy, but that was no walk in the park! I have some stress to work out after getting whacked from those Vector Blocks and the time I was gone. Did you know that I was in bed for ten days unconscious? Then I woke up not being able to move my body."

"But, you're okay now, right? You are not actually hurt and hiding it are you?" Moshi asked me, but Buddy squeezed her hand and shook his head.

"No, the guys would know if I was hiding something like that. So, is the challenge done? Now what?" I asked.

The rain was only now starting to pick up, but it was starting to come down pretty hard.

"No, we should head back to the ship and get more supplies ready for tomorrow, the storm only gets worse from here. The longer we stay in, the worse the storm gets, so it is best if we call it a day," Breth said, waving everyone forward.

They were all still big, so I was like a child running with the adults, but that was fine, I could keep up. It would be more trouble if the other three ran out of their drinks before we got back, then we would have to carry them or go slow. 

Breth was running ahead with Cable, and Moshi and Buddy were behind them, but Rena was jogging with me, which would have been nice if she wasn't splashing me with mud. The woman was an intense fighter that used a beast of a great sword, but she didn't have it with her this time. Instead, Rena wore purple jogging shorts and a pink bikini.

I had to keep my eyes forward most of the time, or I ended up getting to see a lot more than I should. I wasn't going to start checking out other women, that was the last thing I needed, there were already enough girls in my life. I guess.

The others slowing down made me pay attention, we were back at the village...or we were supposed to be. There was only one path, and it led to the mountain. Where the village was, was just trees now, solid. I started to get a bad feeling, and I slowly turned around.

"Son of a bitch, This is a fucking dungeon!" 

Everyone turned to me, and then shrunk at the same time, except for Breth. Jokes on you game, I already saw that one coming! But it was still a major piss-off. And the fucking girls, GRRR. I just got back, this was not happening.

The men pulled the girls back from me as my anger started to boil. I walked away from the group, and over to the trees, transforming into a dragon with barely a thought, but then halfway through, I was kicked out. I had to stop as the half-dragon disappeared and I was Human again.

This was like in the final game world, the dungeons had tons of extra stuff and hard enemies to find before starting the quest for the area. You could do them without triggering anything, but once you completed the first quest you were barred inside until you completed it or died.

"Hyde? What is this? You don't think we can leave?" Breth asked, walking up to me cautiously.

I took in a deep breath, and then let it out. Spilled milk. Fine, it had been a while since I had to do something like this.

"Are the BBC Drones gone as well?" I asked.

"I haven't seen one since we backed up during the fight." Cable said.

"Okay, this is going to be different for you all, because none of you have ever experienced the world for what it truly is, a game. This is what we call a dungeon, now don't try to tell me it doesn't look like one. Every one of them is different and unique, this one is a challenge-based quest."

The group stayed silent so I continued.

"We will have to complete three more challenges, maybe four before reaching the final one to get whatever it is we came for. The main problem being that we have no way to get back or help. So, we all need to complete this to get out; everyone still with me this far?"

"So, what? This is a game? How? No, I came from the earth! I was transported…" Cable tried to argue in defiance, but he knew it was pointless to try and argue something like this.

"I will explain more as we go, but I have been holding something back from all of you. I have been living countless lives to try and complete this game that I am talking about. How long isn't important, but my task is always the same, to save the world from whoever is trying to destroy it, and this time that is the Game Master Talon."

"So then, what now?" Buddy asked out loud.

"Well we need to get to the next challenge, but we are going to need to move fast. The water is really starting to make a mess of the ground and I would like to get somewhere dry."

"What do you suggest? I can carry two, but…" Breth trailed off looking at the count.

"Boys can run, you carry the girls Breth if that's okay?" I asked.

"Can I just ride on your back?" Rena asked me so quietly that it was almost drowned out by the rain.

Hmmm?