[ You have received a slime essence, but your inventory is full. Please remove an item to make room for Slime Essence ]

My decision of what to remove was easy enough. I was low on energy and had taken a little bit of damage, the best decision would be to eat my remaining berries to try and get as much of both stats back as I could. Without any further deliberation, I swapped out my sword and quickly ate all three.

[ You have consumed 3 Berries.

+30 Health

+15 Energy ]

[ Health: 100 / 100 ]

[ Energy 40  / 100 ]

Satisfied I was in okay shape for the time being, I took a moment to inspect the slime essence. It looked cool, like a squishy blob of translucent blue energy. Squeezing it felt like using a stress ball. Beyond that, I couldn’t find out any more about how to use it and whether or not it was consumable, craftable, or just something to play with. I put it away in my inventory, drew my sword, and continued onwards.

As I walked the rest of the way down the dark tunnel I didn’t encounter much more resistance. I easily defeated two lone slimes with a combination of heavy and light attacks. I found that as enemies they were quite predictable. I just had to watch for their charges, dodge, and time my own attacks accordingly. I checked my energy after the second battle to make sure I was still in the clear.

[ Energy 25 / 100 ]

I was cutting it close, but I was in deep. That exit has to appear any second now! I walked forward for a few minutes and encountered no more slimes. I checked my map and saw that I was approaching a dead end, a large circular space.

I entered the final chamber.

The area was empty at first glance but upon a closer inspection, I saw something at the very center. It was a hole containing the ladder and exit down to the next level. I had made it through the monster infestation. Once I cleared this last ladder, I could count the new level as explored and use the elevator to head right back up.

I felt relief wash over me. I had not only been cutting it close on energy but time as well. It was well after 6:00 pm  The girls were waiting. But in my defense, I’d accomplished a lot. Once I descended I’d have done it, I’d have shown those adventurers who I truly was and gotten one step closer to completing the wizard’s quest.

I’m not just a farmboy or a lawyer! I’m an adventurer now! A killer of slimes, an explorer of caves. That was worth being a little late.

I smiled and walked forward slowly, careful of any traps set in the floor or ceiling. There was nothing. I almost reached the hole when I heard it. A rumbling sound. Then the ground shook. All around me, chunks of rock fell from the ceiling.

[ A golem has formed! ]

What the heck!?

The pieces of rock that had fallen began to shake, bounce, and draw closer together, coalescing into a large mound. Dust swirled into a cloud and obscured my vision in a mini cyclone. I covered my eyes and mouth, coughing and stumbling back. When I withdrew my arm to look, the dust had settled, and in the place of the rubble stood a hulking stone creature several heads taller than me and at least twice as wide.

My pulse quickened. Fear warred with adrenaline. This was a foe of much greater strength than any of the slimes, perhaps all of them combined. I drew my sword. No good would come of hesitation. I pushed past my nerves and yelled at the top of my lungs, swinging my sword in a hard upwards strike aimed straight at the creature’s stone chest.

Unlike the slimes, this creature didn’t recoil from the blow. It didn’t react a all other than making a grunting noise as small chunks of soil and rock sprayed upwards from the force of my swing.. Despite appearing to have taken damage it continued towards me as I backed away.

Then It swung its giant fists.

I dodged the first blow but the second caught me right on the chin, sending me sprawling. I tasted blood and wiped a trickle from my mouth as I got to my feet. Thankfully the thing was slow. I kited it around the center of the room, using the hole and ladder as a makeshift barrier when needed. It seemed that, unlike the slimes, the golem had no ability to charge or jump. It had one speed and it was slow, but it hit like a freight train and kept on coming.

Every chance I got I landed blow after blow upon the creature. I smashed open its chest, busted its knees, and even took off a whole arm. Even with all the damage I’d inflicted, It kept coming. Thankfully with each round of damage I inflicted it was getting slower and slower.

But so was I.

My breaths were ragged and I could see the energy bar flashing red. I knew I was close to defeating it, I had to be! But I was in rough shape too. I had taken a punch to the gut and shoulder. I heard a strange rattling sound as I inhaled and each swing of my sword pained me. My health was higher than my energy, but I could see that it was in the yellow, indicating that it too was at dangerous levels.

Just a few more swings. I can take this thing.

I managed to get behind the golem, which was stumbling its way in a circle. I gripped the blade so hard my knuckles turned white and raised it upwards. I took a deep breath and then brought it down with all the force I had left in the form of a heavy attack.

The blade connected and the golem’s head exploded into shards and specs of dust and rubble and its large lifeless body slumped to the floor, hitting it with a loud bang that reverberated off the cavern walls. Whatever magic held the beast together came undone and each individual stone and clod of dirt began to roll apart and separate. In the center of this now unmade mound of debris was a shiny golden orb. A piece of loot so attractive that I ran forward to snatch it up immediately and without hesitation, my hands still trembling from the exertion of the final blow.

But before I could reach it a banner appeared and words scrolled across my dimming vision:

[ You have run out of energy. You have blacked out ]

No! But I did it… I defeated the monster…

Then consciousness left me completely and I collapsed.

***

“Where on earth have you been George?” Mr. Carpone’s voice rang out loud and clear, waking me up.

I arose from a pile of drool on my desk and blinked, rubbing sleep from my eyes. I was groggy. Everything felt off. Wrong. It took me a solid minute to recognize my surroundings. The beige wallpaper, the desk, the row after row after row of grey metal filing cabinets. The corkboard with schedules and briefs pinned to it.

I was in my office. Oh god, my office!

“George! You lazy little rat, have you been hiding out here? You missed a meeting with the DeMarlo Corporation. We were supposed to pitch them on our representation for the tax fraud case. Remember? Your big chance? Your last chance?”

I shook my head.

The truth was I couldn’t remember. My brain was in a fog. I knew this was my old workplace. I recognized Mr Carpone. But the words that he was saying to me were mostly meaningless. I pawed through the manila folder on my desk to see if it would help orient me in any way. The words were all gibberish, written in a language I couldn’t seem to understand. I stood up from the desk.

Mr Carpone was at the door, his bug eyes even wider than usual. “Where are you going!? I’m talking to you! Answer me!”

I brushed past him. “Out. I’m going out,” I mumbled.

I saw the row of desks. I had sat there once, I remembered. I had sat with all the little clerks, biding my time and working my way up to my new office. My little kingdom. But even that office was so small. Tiny compared to my farm in Halfmoon Hills.

It was just a small plastic cage.

I walked past the gawping office workers and straight towards the fire exit. I opened the door and entered the parking lot. I breathed the fresh air and sighed. I loosened my tie, for it was like a noose around my neck, and then I threw it to the ground.

I missed more sensible clothing. I felt like I could barely move in this suit. This place was a nightmare.  A dream I needed to wake up from.

I heard a sound, a soft meowing. I looked from side to side and then spotted it, a little black cat in the center of the parking lot. I chased after it.

It darted from car to car, forcing me to go under and over, scraping my knees, and soiling my shirt. But it didn’t matter. I felt a playfulness to our chase, I felt myself reverting back to a happier state: that of a child.

Then the cat darted through a large wall of bushes and disappeared. I looked at the shrubs. This was the edge of the parking lot. An exit to the firm. I turned to see the whole office crowded at the window, staring at me. They were watching, waiting. Disbelief was written across all their faces.

I bowed at them. I laughed at them. I saluted them. Then I turned and ran through the bushes, heedless of their scratching branches, and emerged on the other side.

Into a new world.

I heard a meowing sound and saw the backside of a naked woman. Then I saw her tail… and my eyes roamed upwards to see two twitching ears. She stood before me, her arms outstretched as if in reverence. I could understand why. Surrounding us were beautiful green fields as far as the eye could see.

Then a voice called from the heavens:

“George….! George! Wake up!