All Out Battle Of The Fears (with card games)

I hid away and started doing some research on the game. I spent several hours studying the rules carefully, but I didn't learn much, and I didn't have time to.

It wasn't long before I bumped into him.

“Gordon,” I said to him.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

“My name is David Kallaway,” I said to him. “I'm here to challenge you.”

He laughed. “If you think you have what it takes, go on then!” he said.

We stood across from each other and drew our starting hands.

“I'll go first,” he declared. “I summon Axe Dragonute in attack position.”

A humanoid dragon creature wielding an ax appeared. I had 2000 attack points, and from what I know of this game, that's really good for a low-level monster.

“Next I'll set a card face down and end my turn,” he said.

I drew my card, then I heard O'Zalia's voice.

Summon the card you just drew, he told me.

Are you insane? I asked him. This card only has 1300 attack points, it's no match for that dragon!

I am insane, actually, He replied. But that's not the point. Just do it. Trust me, I know how to play this game.

“Alright then,” I muttered under my breath. “I summon SlenderProxy Mechanic in attack mode!”

“A SlenderProxy card!?” Gordon said.

“You've seen em before?” I asked.

“Yeah, I have,” he said. “Who gave you that deck?”

It was the same guy who gave him the Burning Shadow Dragon, O'Zalia informed me.

“Jack The Hand,” I said. “I believe you've met him. He gave you that card of yours. He's the reason we have to fight each other.”

“I see,” Gordon said. “So, are you gonna finish your turn or what?”

Activate the effect of SlenderProxy Thug, O'Zalia told me. It can be special summoned from your hand when you normal summon a SlenderProxy card.

“I special summon SlenderProxy Thug to the field!” I said.

Perfect! O'Zalia said. Mechanic is a level 3 tuner monster and Thug is a level 4 non-tuner monster, so by sending them both to your graveyard, you can summon a level 7 synchro monster from your extra deck.

Okay, I replied. I pulled the extra deck from my back pocket and searched through it.

Summon SlenderProxy Ravager, O'Zalia instructed.

“I tune level 3 SlenderProxy Mechanic to my level 4 SlenderProxy Thug to synchro summon the level 7 SlenderProxy Ravager!” I announced.

Okay, I will definitely admit that the summoning was FUCKING AWESOME!!! The Mechanic transformed into 3 glowing rings and the Thug turned into 4 stars, and then the rings surrounded the stars and then there was a column of light and then this really insane looking Slender Proxy with twin kodachis appeared. It had 2100 attack points and 1300 defense.

“Now, I'll have my Ravager attack your Dragon,” I said. The sword wielding proxy charged, but Gordon had a trap ready.

“I activate Dark Armor Of The Underworld!” he said. The dragon was cloaked in what appeared to be armor made out of flames. “I discard Flamvell Grunika and reduce Axe Dragonute's attack power by 500 to prevent him from being destroyed in battle this turn!”

Use Ravager's effect! O'Zalia said.

“SlenderProxy Ravager can attack twice per turn,” I informed Gordon. “Your monster may survive the assault, but you'll still take the damage.”

He was hit with 600 points of damage twice, which brought him down to 6800 life points.

Set the trap card in your hand face down, O'Zalia told me. I did as he instructed.

“I end my turn,” I said.

Gordon drew his card. “I activate the effect of Cthuga Dragon from my hand,” he said. “At the cost of 700 life points, I can special summon it to the field.”

His life points dropped to 6100 and he summoned a dragon made out of fire with 1400 attack points.

“Since I control two monsters, I can tribute summon my Plague Doctor!” he said.

Tribute summon? I thought.

You have to offer tributes to summon high level monsters, O'Zalia explained. Level 7 or higher monsters require you to tribute two monsters you control.

“Come forth, Plague Doctor!” Gordon shouted. The Doctor appeared, with 2200 attack points. I was expecting it to stronger, honestly. “I activate the Plague Doctor's effect,” Gordon said. “Now I can place a Plague Counter on a monster you control!”

A serpent slithered from beneath the Doctors robe and bit the Ravager. The Ravager collapsed, with his skin turning really pale really fast. His attack power dropped to 1800.

“What did you do!?” I demanded.

“It's simply,” Gordon said. “Monsters with Plague Counters lose 300 attack for each one they have. And as an added bonus, Plague Doctor gains 100 attack for every Plague Counter on the field. And if a monster accumulates 3 or more counters, I can destroy that monster at the cost of 500 life points. Now, attack!”

Should I use the trap? I asked O'Zalia.

Not yet, he said. Powering up your monster won't work. His Plague Doctor can only be beaten by other Fears.

So I have to take this attack? I asked.

Don't worry, I think of a way to recover from this, he said.

I don't know much about O'Zalia, but I do know that he's a genius, so I trusted him and allowed my monster to be defeated. My life points went down to 7400.

“I set one card face down and end my turn,” Gordon said.

What's going through his head? I asked.

No idea, O'Zalia replied.

I thought you were a mind reader, I pointed out.

I am, but his mind is protected by the Brute, he said.

The Brute!? I exclaimed (mentally).

Yeah, you can feel its power, can't you? O'Zalia asked.

“You possess the Brute's power, don't you?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “That last clown I beat says I'm destined to resurrect the thing.”

“How dare you speak that way about Saylo!” I shouted, drawing my next card in a very angry fashion.

Listen to me, O'Zalia said. You need to-

Shut up! I barked. I'll win this on my own!

“I activate the Slender Walk spell card!” I said. “I banish two level 4 or higher SlenderProxy cards in my graveyard, my Thug and Ravager, in order to special summon Slender Man from my deck! His effect will be negated this turn, but I can still attack with him!”

Master appeared, and his power resonated. I know I said I would seek freedom, but his power was so great. I that moment, I was his servant again.

“You really think you can defeat me?” Gordon demanded.

“I swear, in the name of my Master, I will destroy you and the power you've been given!” I shouted.

He started laughing. “Destroy my power?” he asked. “Don't be ridiculous! You can't destroy rage! You can't destroy war! You can't destroy the Brute!”

“Well I'm about to try!” I exclaimed.

And, just like in my vision, the two forces charged at each other.

“I activate the trap card Shield Spear!” Gordon exclaimed. “Now my Plague Doctor gains 400 attack and defense, bringing him up to 2600!”

Slender Man only had 2500. Weaker than his Doctor.

“I activate my own trap!” I said. “With the effect of Miracle Locus, you draw a card and Slender Man gains 1000 attack!”

My monster had been powered up. His Plague Doctor was destroyed.

“Due to the effect of Miracle Locus, I take no damage,” Gordon said bitterly.

“I set one card face down and end my turn,” I said.

“Now, I'll go. I activate the spell card Ancient Rules, Now I can special summon a level five or higher normal monster from my hand, so I call forth the Meteor Dragon!”

This was a dragon that seemed to be composed entirely of burning rock, with 1800 attack points and 2000 defense.

“Next, I normal summon my Crawling Chaos Dragon!” he announced.

This one was a really ugly looking dragon that I don't even think I can describe properly. It only had 400 attack points.

“Now, I tune my level 1 Crawling Chaos Dragon to my level 6 Meteor Dragon to synchro summon the Convocation Phoenix!” he said. A giant flaming bird with 2600 attack points appeared. “Phoenix, attack his Slender Man!”

“I activate the trap card Collision Of Fear!” I said. “When two Fear cards battle, I can end the battle phase and reduce both players life points to half their current value!”

The battle ended. My life points were reduced to 3700 and his to 3050.

You're doing great! O'Zalia said. I didn't think you'd be able to do so well on your own.

I'm just going with the flow of things, I said. It's like all of this is just coming naturally to me.

“I set a card face down and end my turn,” Gordon said.

“My turn,” I said. “I activate Slender Man's effect, allowing me to normal summon high level SlenderProxy cards without having to tribute! So I summon SlenderProxy O'Zalia The Illusionist!”

Wait, you're summoning me? O'Zalia asked.

Yes, yes I am, I said.

He appeared, with his snow white hair (I wonder if that's his natural color) and a black shirt displaying the Operator symbol, and a large glave in his hand.

“Next, I activate the spell card Tune Down,” I said. “I select one monster I control and reduce its level by 2. Also, any monster I xyz summon with it gains 600 attack points until the end phase! I'll use this effect on Slender Man!”

In order to xyz summon, I need to take two monsters that have the same level and stack them on top of each other. Then, I take an xyz monster whose level is equal to the rank of those monsters and stack it on top of them. In order to use the xyz monster's effects, I have to send the cards underneath it to the graveyard.

“I overlay these two level six monsters to xyz summon Unleashed O'Zalia!” I said. O'Zalia and Slender man turned into glowing orbs and were pulled into a portal that had appeared. Then my new xyz monster stepped out of the portal. He looked just like the regular O'Zalia, except his eyes were glowing, his hair was flared up as if being blown by wind, and the atmosphere surrounding him seemed to be distorted.

“I know this card,” Gordon said. “It's xyz materials can be used to destroy monsters on the field. Unfortunately for you it won't do you much good. Phoenix can rejuvenate when destroyed by a card effect during the end phase. And if you do destroy it and try to attack, It'll hurt you more than me.”

He still had his face down. I wasn't sure if he was bluffing or not, but I wasn't planning a direct attack anyway.

“Tune Downs effect activates,” I said. “Now, Unleashed O'Zalia has his attack power increased from 2400 to 3000. Also, since SlenderProxy O'Zalia the illusionist was used to xyz summon him, I can have him use any of O'Zalia's powers. So by sending the top two cards of my deck to the graveyard, I can negate the effects of all card you currently control. However, since I'm activating this effect, I can't use any effects this turn that would destroy cards you control.”

“So my monster and my face down card are powerless!?” Gordon said, shocked.

“That's right!” I said. “That means that Convocation Phoenix looses its invincibility! Now, O'Zalia, destroy his monster!”

His phoenix was destroyed and his life points dropped to 2650.

“I end my turn,” I anounced.

He started laughing. “You really think you can beat me?” He asked. “Well, guess what? It's far from over! I draw, then I activate the trap card Reckless Greed! This allows me to draw two cards and then skip my next two draw phases!”

So yeah, he was bluffing earlier. Whatever. As soon as he drew those cards, I felt his aura shift and the power of the Brute filled the air.

“I banish the dark attribute Crawling Chaos Dragon and Axe Dragonute, along with the fire attribute Meteor Dragon and Flamvell Grunika to special summon the Burning Shadow Dragon!”

A giant, smoky dragon appeared, with a high attack power of 3000.

“Next, I activate the spell card Sacrificial Strike,” he said. “By tributing my monster, I can destroy your Unleashed O'Zalia!”

“Destroying your own monster?” I asked.

“That's right!” he said, still laughing. “Now, both our fields are empty. And by banishing Burning Shadow Dragon from my graveyard, I can special summon the Chaotic War Dragon Brute!”

It was here. Staring down hungrily at me. I gulped. It was over. My destiny was coming true. The dragon opened its mouth and was about to start breathing smoke and fire down at me. I was about to give up and accept it when it happened. She appeared. She looked me in the eye briefly, then vanished again. I understood the message. I could still win.

“I activate the effect of the SlenderProxy Guardian in my graveyard!” I said. “This card got sent to the graveyard when I used O'Zalia's effect, and now by paying half my life points and banishing him, I can negate your monsters attack and end the battle phase!”

“You think that means anything?” he demanded. “You don't understand what my monster's really capable of. As long as I control him, you can't skip your battle phase, and all your monsters are forced into attack mode and have to attack him. Don't you see? All you can do is stall. All you've done is bought yourself and extra turn.”

“An extra turn is all I need,” I said to him.

“Oh well,” Gordon said. “If your that confident, lets see what you can do. Since my battle phase is over, the 500 attack bonus for each of my banished cards that the Brute gains is lost until my next turn. Now show me what you're made of.”

I drew. “I'll start by activating the effect of SlenderProxy Agent in my graveyard!” I said. “Like the Guardian, he was sent to the grave when I used O'Zalia's effect, and now I'm gonna put him to use. By banishing him and SlenderProxy O'Zalia the Illusionist, I can special summon Slender Man from my graveyard!”

“That guy again?” Gordon asked. “Please, give me a challenge.”

“I will!” I said. “I normal summon SlenderProxy Hacker to the field!”

I brought out the level 1 tuner to my field. He was weak, but his effect would win my the game.

“Thanks to Hackers ability, I can special summon a level 4 or lower SlenderProxy card in my graveyard,” I said. “So now I special summon SlenderProxy Mechanic!”

“What's the point of summoning all those weak monsters?” Gordon demanded. “They'll all be forced to attack the Brute, and you'll lose!”

“The point is that I now control 2 tuner monsters and a non-tuner monster whose total levels add up to 12!” I said.

“I can't be!” he gasped. “You're going to summon that card!”

“That's right!” I said. “I tune level 1 SlenderProxy Hacker and level 3 SlenderProxy Mechanic to level 8 Slender Man to synchro summon Vision, The Fear Of Destiny!”

There were more light works and stars an stuff, and then she was there. She was ready to fight for me.

“I activate the Vision's effect!” I said. “Now I draw a card for each level 8 or higher monster in play. We each control a level twelve monster, so I get two!”

I drew. I got SlenderProxy Quan The Enhanced and Reload. Quan, I thought to myself. It's been a while. I hope you can hear me, where ever you are right now. Wish me luck.

“I activate Reload!” I said. “By shuffling this card into my deck, I get to draw a new card. And it looks like I lucked out, because I drew Eclipse Of Fear!”

“Oh shit, not that card!” Gordon said.

“I banish any level 7 or higher Fear cards from both of our graveyards to give the Vision 1000 attack points for each of them!” I said. “So I banish Slender Man from my graveyard and the Plague Doctor and Convocation Phoenix from yours. This brings her up to 6300. It's over! Vision, attack!”

The Vision cut the Brute to pieces, then stabbed Gordon in the gut with her claws before vanishing.

I approached him. He gave me a malicious glare before he died. I picked up the Brute's card and burned it along with the Vision's. She helped me a lot, but it needed to be done. I needed to dispose of the remaining fragments of those two Fears.

I think I finally understand it. She showed me my destiny so that I would be able to overcome it.

The Weapons I Need

I saw Jack. He appeared before me in a new body. He wore a black trench coat,had long black hair and a goatee, and was wearing a pair of shades. He looked different then the last time I saw him, but his sun burnt hand gave him away.

"Nice finally meet you Kallaway," he said.
"So this I've hearing about you conspiring to kill me?" I asked.
"It's more complicated than you think," he said. "You see, The obstacles I've been sending your way have a purpose you haven't figured out yet. Unfortunately, things didn't work out well with the Piper, and the Hanging Man is a little 'tied up' with some other competitors. However, I still have one more trick up my sleeve."
"And what would that be?" I asked
"Gordon Tayler," he said. "The duelist. The man who killed Saylo. The perfect opponent for a man like you."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" I demanded.
"Saylo was nothing but kind to you," Jack said. "He saved you, and even extended your life. And what did Gordon do? He killed him in cold blood! And I know you. You're an agent of punishment! You agree to kill on your Master's behalf because you feel that they deserve it!"
"You don't know a God damn thing about me!" I shouted at him."
"The boy you took that lap top from?" Jack began. "Molested the girl he was paid to baby sit. Three years ago, the woman who you dropped off that cliff? She murdered her newborn child so that her boyfriend wouldn't find out! You knew of those sins, which is exactly why you took their lives."
"Shut up!" I ordered.
"But there's more, isn't there?" he asked. "The woman at the orphanage, who beat you and lock you up along with the other orphans? Your father, who killed your mother in a bout of drunken rage?"
"I said shut up!" I barked at him.
"And what about four months age?" he said. "The man who drove you to become an Enhanced?"

That was the last straw. I drew my sword and chopped him in the chest. He was sent flying and crashed into a Bishop building nearby. He got up, and walked back up to me, rubbing his chest where the sword had hit.

"That was rather rude," he said. "As I was saying, Gordon has wronged you. Does he not deserve your wrath?"
"I intend to kill him," I said. "But I don't need a deceitful asshole like you getting involved."
"Oh, but you see, you can't fight him as you are now," he said. "You see, to kill Gordon, you must beat him at his own game!"

That's when he gave it to me. a device just like the ones that Gordon and Saylo wore. I also contained a deck of cards.

"You see, I know about the Vision card you acquired," Jack said. "But you can't play a game like this with only one card, so I decided to give you a fighting chance. Go find Gordon, and give him the fight of his life! I wanna see you two duke it out, using your cards to their full potential until one of you is six feet under!"
"I don't even know how to play this damn game!" I said.
"Then I suggest you learn," He said, before disappearing.

After he left, I pulled the Vision's card out of my pocket and looked at it. I was hoping she might offer me some guidance or something. What she showed me was far from what I expected.

I saw myself and Gordon facing off with each other. The giant dragon was there, towering over the towers themselves. It opened its mouth, shooting a stream of fire and smoke down at me. I saw my own body being burnt to a crisp and incinerated.

It's just like Saylo said. If I fight Gordon, I'm destined to die.

Fallen Duelist

I saw Saylo. He was locked in combat with some one. It was the same person I had seen in my vision. The one who was talking about the Brute. I ducked behind some bushes as soon as I saw them. They were playing that one card game, only the monsters were real.

She was there. She was standing before Saylo, fighting for him. The other man had a giant dragon on his side, surrounded by smoke.

He laughed maniacally as it sent a stream of smoke and fire at the Vision and Saylo.

Saylo looked toward me before he died. I think he was crying.

After the other guy left, I approached Saylo's body. He was burnt a crisp and nearly unrecognizable.

Somehow, the Vision's card survived. It's white, with twelve stars on it, and a symbol that says "Light". The text reads "spellcaster/ synchro/ fear. 2 tuners + 1 or more non-tuner monsters. This monster may not be destroyed in battle except by Fear monsters. When this monster is synchro summoned, draw one card for every level 8 or higher monster that is face up on the field. During your battle phase, this monster may attack all monsters your opponent controls once each." It has two other stats; Atk, which is 3300, and Def, which is 3000.

I don't know a damn thing about this game, but I'm holding onto this card. I may be of some use to me.

I'm going to have to fight that guy. I don't know how I'm gonna pull it off, but I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna avenge Saylo.

Freedom

First of all, I'd like to say that I'm extremely pissed at those guys who killed Axiom. I mean, I'm sure he'd have been killed sooner or later, but
I was hoping he could last a little longer, and also his death was unnecessarily brutal.

Anyway, while I was searching for Dewitt, this guy started shooting me. Fortunately, my sword is fucking huge, so I was able to block (most of) the bullets just by holding it in front of me. At some point, one of the bullets bounced off the blade and hit the guy in the shoulder.

I then got a look at him and realized who it was. A willing doll named Harold. I had been assigned on a joint mission with him shortly after my escape from juvy. To be perfectly honest, I don't like him much, but I was glad to finally see a familiar face.

I sat had a six pack with me, so I decided to offer him a beer and talk for a while.

Seems like somethings going on with him and the Wooden Girl. He forced his way into the tournament so that he could speak with the Game Master about getting revenge.

It really sucks that his Master betrayed him. As a servant, I've seen that kind of thing countless times.

During my conversation with Harold, I came to realize something; I've never been free. First, I lived with that scumbag father of mine. Then there was that fucking orphanage, then the time I spent in the slmmer. And even when I escaped from that, I immediately became servant to one of the Fears.

Harold and I went our separate ways, but I left with something. I have a new goal. I'm going to keep fighting, and if I can find a way out of this tournament, I'm going to devote t\what's rest of my life to becoming a free man.

Do you hear that, Master? I'm through with this! I refuse to serve you, or anyone else any longer!

So I Met This Guy.

I passed out shortly after that last post. I woke up see this really fat green haired lady kneeling over me. I nearly freaked out, but this guy just out of my field of vision told me to calm down and let Dian Keto work her magic. I realized that the woman was healing me somehow. Then she sort of just vanished.

I got up and got a good look at the man. He was about my age, with red hair, and a pair of sunglasses concealing his eyes. He had a weird device strapped to his wrist. I have a feeling I've seen it somewhere before, in a tv show or something.

"Who are you?" I asked.
"My name is Saylo," he replied. "I'm glad I've found you, Mr. Kallaway."
"How do you know my name?" I asked.
"I know a lot about you," he said. "I've come to warn you of something."
"What?" I asked.
"There is a man here named Gordon Tayler," he said. "I need to warn you that if you fight against him, you will die."
"And how do you know that?" I demanded. He then removed his glasses and looked straight at me. His eyes were just like Hers.
"I've already seen your defeat," he said. "You must avoid that man at all costs. Dian Keto was able to extend your life some. I can't say for sure how much time you have, but I suggest you spend it looking for an escape."

Then he left. I don't know who that guy was, or how he's connected to the Vision, but I'm not gonna give up just because he says I'll die. If I find that Gordon guy, I'll kick his ass. My arms better now, so I should be able to use that sword now, but I think I'll save it for when I really need to cleave something in two. I prefer unarmed combat.

One Falls, Another Rises

I found my way out of the tunnels shortly after finding the sword. What I saw was the Piper. He was playing his flute, luring a poor child toward him. As the child grew closer, he kicked his heel against the ground, causing a hidden knife to extend out of the toe end of his shoe, like something you'd see in one of those spy movies. When the kid was close enough, he snap kicked him in the throat with the knife, killing him. But he kept playing, and while I watch, a white substance, like some kind of cross between liquid and smoke, flowed out of the boys mouth and into the end of the flute.

He then noticed me.
"I've been looking for you, Kallaway," he said.
"What did you just do?" I demanded.
"Fun thing about this flute," he explained. "It consumes the soul of anyone who dies near it. Once it reaches a hundred, its full power will be unleashed. That boy was the 99th. You'll be the hundredth!"

He tried hypnotizing me again, but I was on him before he could. I started fighting him, and somehow I managed to win. I punched a hole straight through his chest, and he fell to the ground. But it wasn't over.

The flute rose into the air and started playing music on its own, and the white substance flowed from the flute players mouth and was absorbed by the flute. Then a tornado of white smoke surrounded the flute, and when cleared there was someone else standing there.

It was an odd looking man, wearing a really out of date uniform, with green and yellow stripes. I tried lunging at him, but an invisible force threw me back. The Game Master was standing between us. And there was someone else with him. A man in red, wearing a blindfold and carrying a solid steel bike over his shoulder.

"It's good to see you're alright, Piper," the Game Master said.
"Who is this clown?" the man in red asked, annoyed.
"My name is Dylan Medrius," he replied. "But you may know me better as the Pied Piper of Hamelin."
"I sealed his soul within his flute long ago to preserve his life," The Game Master explained. "And now it's time for you to repay your debt."
"Well, I did kill all those kids when that town refused to pay me, so I'd be a bit of a hypocrite if I didn't pay you for your generosity," The Piper replied.  "Now, might I ask who this strapping young lad is?"
"Damien," the man in red said. "You can call me the Bloody Biker."
"The two of you will be working together to eliminate Benjamin Malkator," The Game Master said.
"Alright!" The Biker exclaimed. "I've been waiting for another shot at that bastard!"
"What is his crime, exactly?" The Piper asked.
"His crime is existing," The Game Master said. "He is the progeny of the Vision."
"I thought you and her were allies," The Piper said. "Did something happen?"
"She bred with a mortal," The Game Master said. "So I ended her life, and have since been eliminating what's left of her."
"Ooooo, jealous are we?" The Piper chuckled.
"SILENCE!" The Game Master barked. "Return to the human world now and hunt him down."

The Biker opened a portal into some kind of red world, and they both left through it. Then the Game Master approached me. I was still lying down on my back from when I got thrown. He stood over me.

"What can you tell me of the Vision?" he asked.
"I don't know," I said. "She just appeared to me a couple times, showed me some weird visions, and left."
"And what of O'Zalia?" the Game Master asked.
"I can't tell you much," I said. "He claims the Master betrayed him, and he's sort of just been encouraging me to keep going."
"So he and the Stranger are enemies now?" the Game Master said thoughtfully. "Interesting. I could use this to my advantage."

Then he was gone. I started typing all this immediately after, while it's fresh in my head. I see someone coming. I don't know if I can put up a fight. This could be it.

Or could it? I see her now. I think she's trying to tell me... that I'll make it.

The Sword

I'm still trapped in these wretched tunnels. But I did find something interesting. It was a large sword, with a strange... thing, attached to it. The thing had a jewel in the middle, and four tentacle coming out of it. Two were wrapped around the sword, and the other two were hanging limply. It was levitating over a pool of water.

I walked over too it, curiously. I reached out with my good arm and touched the jewel. The two hanging tentacle suddenly jumped to life and wrapped around me. I struggled at first, but they quickly re-positioned themselves so that the sword was attached to my back with the tentacles around my chest. Then they stopped moving.

I reached up and grasped the hilt, and the tentacles holding the sword released themselves. It was heavy! I would need both of my arms to use it. I lifted it back up to my back, and the tentacles wrapped around it again, like a weird Cthulhu sheath.

I'm going to keep going. Hopefully, I'll be able to regroup with the others before the Enhancement ends me.

Speaking of which, I had an odd conversation with O'Zalia earlier.

You shouldn't be dying so fast.
"Why do you care?"
Because I have use of you. You should still have another month or two left before...
"What?"
Jack, you son of a bitch!

And then he just stopped talking. I have know idea what he's thinking.