A way out?
“Hold on, I’m getting to the point. There is one scroll that’s tied shut with a golden ribbon. When I asked the man what the reward for it was, he simply told me that it would grant me life. In my desperation to leave, I said that I would do it and rushed into battle even though I was warned that it would be too difficult.” The man looked down and then sighed. “That’s how I died… but before I respawned at the temple, I saw a golden gate behind the final monster. It was almost like a portal, and I’m sure that it’s the way out!”
His story fills you with hope and determination, something hard to come by here. “But if that’s the way out, why haven’t you just tried again?”
“I tried that, but once I returned to the shop to start over, the quest guy wouldn’t talk to me or even take notice of me. I hate to say it, but I think we only get one shot at this. Or rather, you get one shot, at this point.”
You gulp and stare back into the half-empty bowl, seeing that foreign face and wondering what it might be like to be like this forever. Still, you have to try or else that will happen anyway.
“That does make this very difficult. Do you have any advice? I really don’t want to mess this up,” you eventually say.
“Don’t rush into this like I did. The monster is huge and very powerful, so you’ll want to have lots of health potions and the best gear you can find. I think there is even a way to recruit the NPCs so that they can help you fight.”
The temptation to give up here gnaws at you, but you refuse to give in. You look at the man and thank him for his help and then leave the tavern. Then, you approach the woman at the front desk and have the exact same conversation as yesterday and head to your room. If you want to continue adventuring to get yourself out of this situation, you will need to be well rested.
You fall asleep with a smile on your face and a good feeling about tomorrow. There is still hope for you and you won’t give up on yourself, not now and not ever.
Written by Quuentong on 02 October 2018
The end (for now)