Chapter 5: Chapter 4

Alexander woke up and immediately looked at the timer. There were two hours left. He shot up and noticed most of the pain was gone. His brain was still fuzzy though, so he took a second to recollect himself. Everyone was either in position or doing some final touches to their equipment, and they paid no notice to him. 

He stumbled over to the administrator, using his one-hundred credits to buy some nutrition blocks and water. He stumbled back to his bed and ate, and continued eating, and continued until his stomach was bursting. After his body was satisfied, he took a second to focus on what he should do next.

He already bought everything he wanted ability and feat wise, so he took a second to maybe think about either some clothes or a weapon. But then he thought about it some more. Again... this IS just a game, and I wanted to make an impression. Maybe I should stick with this whole "kilt only" gimmick? He thought about it some more. 

I'm lucky not to have any missing toes from frostbite, and I'm even more lucky to have survived until now. But there's just no fear in me. No screaming need for a weapon. No need for anything else but my fists and this cape. God I sound stupid. 

But Alexander kept thinking, and each time he was reminded about what happened. He flipped a switch, and let something he buried long ago come out. It wasn't an entity or some kind of poison, it was simply him. There was no other personality, no other side, just a dark impulse that he hoped never see the light of day. But now it was beating in his chest. He wanted blood. 

Alexander got up and started to do some stretching. He didn't know yoga, and he kept wobbling and falling over. 

"Need some help, oh Berserker?" Jenny said in a sly tone. Alexander looked over with pleading eyes.

"Please..?" 

Alexander spent the next hour trying his absolute best mimicking yoga poses that Jenny did effortlessly. He memorized them the best he could, and Jenny provided a great deal of useful advice about what muscles need stretching, the best beginner poses, and basic breathing and mindfulness techniques. 

Afterward, he was sweaty and exhausted, but he also felt incredibly limber. And while he felt no kind of amazing mental state, he felt more at peace and more focused. He thanked Jenny who went back to her post on the roof, then went over to Brandon, who was sharpening his broadsword, now also with some basic leather armor. 

"Hey there champ. You've been passed out for another thirteen hours..." He gave a chuckle. "I developed another plan for the yetis."

Alexander sat down next to Peter, who was affixing his own pieces of armor. Jade was nowhere to be seen. "I'd love to hear what you've got going on."

"Alright, it's basically the same idea, but a different strategy." Brandon paused. "Us four are still going to be outside while Kate is on the roof with Jenny, but this time Steven and Sarah are going to be using an energy cannon." Brandon smirked. 

"A cannon?" Alexander asked, slightly dumbfounded. 

"You got that damn right. We moved the shield generator to the roof, and we were able to afford a cannon as well." Brandon hit Peter playfully, and they both shared a look of 'awesome.' "It's only got four shots before we're done for this round, though, so we'll have to make them count."

"How are we going to do that?" Alexander asked, almost wishing he hadn't.

"It's simple– you. Well, more accurately, you're going to be the distraction." Alexander tried to speak up, but Brandon kept barreling on. "Peter, Jade, and I, will stay near the building, providing defense but still outside the generator. You will distract the Yetis a distance off until Kate can hit the eyes." Brandon paused, needing some time to take a closer look at his sword. Peter continued in his place. 

"After a yeti is blinded, at least hopefully halfway, Brandon and I are going to taunt it towards the building. You'll have to taunt the others into staying away from the building, so good luck." Alexander gave a "are you serious" look, then Peter continued. "Jade will stay near the building and activate a some wire traps we were able to configure. Hopefully, we'll draw it in, and essentially trip the beast. Once that happens, Us three will cut the tendons to its legs, allowing the cannon to have a good chance to hit." 

"So what happens if I die?" Alexander finally got out. Brandon took up the conversation again.

"Well, simply don't." Brandon said with an entirely serious tone. "But if you do, I'll fulfill your role in a limited sense. Essentially, the goal is to blind them, trip them, immobilize them, then blow them to bits with our cannon. Any questions?" 

"I mean I guess not. Why are you entirely relying upon me to do this?" 

"We're also entirely relying upon Kate to shoot eyes from a hundred yards away and for the brain twins to have a working cannon. We're all cogs. Now go out and be a good soldier." Peter said with more marine than usual. 

Alexander thought to himself about the task. He still had no fear. None at all. But he felt like he did. Then he realized one horrifying thing. He wasn't nervous, he was excited. The gut-wrenching feeling was entirely anticipation for carnage. He didn't like that. 

A half-hour later, and with nine minutes left on the clock, everyone was in position. Alexander was out in the frigid cold, cursing himself for not at least buying some shoes. But somehow his feet weren't cold. Well either that, or he lost feeling complete. 

When the clock struck zero, a horrible pounding was heard not far off. After a few seconds, he saw three yetis, in a triangle formation, all slowly walking towards them, pounding their chests in unison. 

They all looked roughly the same. They were almost fifteen tall, had mostly white fur with patches of blue, and dead black eyes that signaled death. Their teeth were massive and crooked, with horrifying tusks jutting out. And while he couldn't smell it yet, Alexander assumed their breath was just horrendous. 

When the yetis got closer, they stopped and stared at Alexander. Here was this tiny human, clad only in a kilt, with his arms crossed like a concerned parent. The one to the left scratched his head, almost debating what was going on. The one in front just shrugged, stepped forward, and screamed. Now Alexander could smell the breath, and it was somehow more disgusting than his imagination. 

The billowing cry echoes through the mountain top, seeming to shake the very fabric of reality itself. It lasted almost a full minute, and by the time he was done, Alexander couldn't hear right. The yeti looked smug at the human now coated with saliva. But Alexander wasn't going to just let that happen without a response. 

Alexander dug deep and started to slip into the same black fury as before. He didn't turn into anything, he just let loose. He took perhaps the largest breath in his entire life, taking in as much air as physics would allow, then started to scream. 

After what was just under ten seconds of his barbaric scream, his chest started to cramp with how much he pushed. His face was red and he was seeing stars, but the yetis had stepped back a bit. 

The yeti in front twisted his face with rage at this human and started to swing his massive fist down at him. But just before he brought it down, there was a slight zipping noise in the air, and less than a second later, an arrow was embedded in the right eye of this giant. 

The beast let out another scream, this one of pain, and started to charge at Alexander. Alexander started to run back towards the bunker, hurrying as fast as he could go. But he wasn't fast enough, and he knew that. 

The yeti grabbed Alexander as his two companions were still behind him, unsure of what to do. The yeti grasped down hard and lifted him up, laughing as he did so. Alexander felt the full pressure of the squeeze and felt the air escape from his lungs. But he kept his resolve and waited. His patience paid off. A second before his rib cage would collapse, another arrow streaked through the sky and landed in the left eye of this giant. 

Alexander bit down hard on the hand at the same time, and the yeti relented. With rage, the beast charged forward, but Alexander just painfully jumped to the side, allowing the beast to ramble onwards. But when his two companions tried to follow, Alexander stepped back and grinned.

The two screamed as they started to either grab or smash Alexander, narrowly missing each time as Alexander kept sprinting and dodging. But he felt his energy lower, and he felt his lungs burn with tremendous force. Alexander heard a thunderous sound and looked back to see the blind yeti now collapsed on the ground. But for the split second he looked away, he wasn't able to dodge, and one of the yetis smashed his fist into his right side, instantly breaking several bones in his arm and chest. 

Pain shot through his system. Unimaginable pain. He collapsed on his knees and his vision blurred. He coughed and blood splattered onto the snow. One of the yetis laughed as he raised his hand. But then a sickening base sound echoed through the mountain top. One Yeti was down. 

Alexander tried to get up, but he just couldn't. It took all of him to even stay upright on his knees. The shock of the cannon going off only stalled the yeti for a second, and they both swung their arms down. Alexander felt time slow again, and his mind relented again. The rest of the chains on his mind broke, and a nature-defying energy shot through his system. 

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Alexander leaned forward, did a handstand on his one functional arm, then flipped onto his feet. Without skipping a beat, he lurched forward and behind the two yetis, but before they could turn around, he jumped up and drop-kicked one behind their right knee, forcing them onto their knees. 

He then dodged to the other side, now facing the other yeti. A scream of pain bellowed from the downed yeti trying to get up as an arrow flew through the air and got one of his eyes. The yeti scrambled up and launched forward towards the annoying archer, but before he could get close enough, another arrow shot into his other eye. A thud sounded as he was tripped, then another mechanical nightmare shot out and obliterated his body. 

Meanwhile, Alexander was burning all the energy he could find in his body to evade the attacks from the one remaining yet. Since his back was turned away, Kate couldn't blind him. He was alone, and he was struggling. 

A reckoning came as the yeti finally managed a hit, breaking his left leg upon impact. Alexander collapsed on the ground, and the Yeti joyfully picked him up. An arrow shot out, but the thick skin and muscle of the yeti's back prevented any real damage. 

Alexander saw blood in his vision as the yeti lifted him up to his mouth. But then a sound echoed through the forest as the cannon shot out and grazed the giant's left shoulder. Skin seared, but it did not incapacitate it. Still, the yeti was pissed and dropped Alexander down into the snow. Then, he charged towards the concrete obstacle. 

Kate was able to finally hit one eye, but only after several misses. It was too late, then, as the yeti easily saw the tripwire and tore it apart. The three melee fighters struggled to keep it occupied and survive, attacking and circling each other to keep themselves alive. But they just couldn't get him to hold still long enough to give Kate a clear shot. Several attempts were made, but neither arrow nor cannon could fell the beast quite yet. 

Steven and Sarah could not risk their last shot. It was difficult enough to aim the damn thing, and it was another to have their last opportunity vanish. So the three fighters continued to occupy the beast as it probed the weakening shield generator. 

Alexander felt cold. Seriously cold. He lost way too much blood, and only had two functioning limbs. Still, he could see what was going on. It didn't look good. Be like a good soldier. Be a grunt. Those were the last sane words he muttered. 

The yeti finally got one of them. He grabbed Brandon in a death grip, and no amount of knife or spear attacks could make it let go. The yeti drew his arm back, aiming to throw the poor man at Kate. But then the yet stopped. He felt someone tugging at his fur. 

The yeti turned to look and couldn't see anything. But it felt like someone was scratching him. He yelled and started to writhe around. Then, everyone saw it.

Alexander had climbed his way up the back of the yeti with a tooth of one of his fallen friends clutched in his mouth. When he got to the top, he wrapped his only functioning leg around the throat of the yeti. The beast immediately dropped Brandon, and while screaming, tried desperately to punch and pry the berserker away. But it was too late. After getting a good grip, Alexander took the yeti tooth out of his mouth and jammed it into his only functional eye. 

The world turned black, and Alexander fell. The last things he heard was a loud scream, followed by a world-shaking blast. 

--

To describe Alexander's physical state as unstable did the word injustice. He was quite literally seconds away from death when Sarah and the others got to him. 

The last yeti had died, but the team was shaken up. Some of them have never seen that much blood in their lives. And while they were able to work through to attempt to save poor Alexander and the others who were injured, it was difficult beyond measure.

An hour had passed, and the others with their injuries like burns from the cannon, fractures, or scrapes had been tended to, they questioned if they could even get Alexander awake again. They got stable, sure, his body was like a jigsaw puzzle. After some bickering, Sarah decided to spend all her money on a syringe of nanobots, a piece of futuristic technology only really available in the game. And like all the other new pieces of tech and magic, it did wonders to both heal and damage people.

But it wasn't as simple as just injecting it. Because of the high cost, Sarah and those who contributed what they could, could only afford a small amount of basic nano-bots, essentially meaning they had no inherent directions for what to do. 

Over the next ten hours, while the others suited up and prepared with their newfound wealth for the deadly battle ahead, Sarah and Steven worked as a duo. Sarah would keep Alexander as stable as she could while Steven tried his absolute best to try and program the damn things. It proved to be a challenge unlike either had ever dealt with. But they were both some of the top performers in their fields, and with enough trial and error, they had something that might work. 

"Brandon, get over here." Sarah started after a sigh. Brandon came downstairs, now with a full suit of metal armor, and walked over to her.

"You got something?"  He asked cautiously. Brandon had never seen someone break a sweat from programming something. 

"Possibly. Steven said that he scoured any materials and information he could, and it's the best we could hopefully have."

"Alright, so what should we do?" Brandon asked.

"I-I don't know." Sarah shot back. "That's why I called for you." 

Brandon never liked being a leader. In fact, he hated it for most of his life. And when he joined the Navy and kept being promoted and given men to lead, he kept questioning why. One day, he was sitting down playing some checkers with his grandfather on his porch. It was a dusty and creaky thing, but it was where he spent a lot of his time as a child. 

He had been venting to his grandpa about having to lead people and how much he hated it– how much he felt like he didn't deserve it. His grandpa stayed dutifully silent, just listening, until Brandon finally gave up with a sigh and sat back. And after his grandpa made his move, he started to speak in a low voice.

"Kid, the fact that you don't think you're above anyone else is what makes you a great leader." His grandpa took a pause and looked right in Brandon's eyes. "And the fact that they keep promoting you means you're doing a damn fine job. People listen to you, and you're always there when they need it. You may be a dumbass, but at least you're not a power-hungry one." Those words stuck in his mind like nothing else ever had. And ever since then, Brandon found leadership to be much less awful. 

"Look, it's his life we're talking about. Sure, it is just a game, but if this goes wrong he will feel the pain and may not be able to log out." Brandon took a long sigh. "There are too many variables here, and with how brutal this "game" has been so far, I'm hesitant to say we should just do it." 

Sarah looked at her feet. Somehow, and in some way, she knew that injecting this violated the rules of practicing medicine. 

"But if we don't do it, he won't be healed until ages. And he might just be torn apart by what's coming at us." Sarah tried to reason.

"Maybe that's for the best. If that thing kills him, he'll just re-spawn good as new, I think. But if your experiment goes wrong, the agony he will feel might be like hell." He had a good point, and Sarah knew it. But they both also knew that without their favorite distraction, they had no chance in hell against what was coming.  

"Here. Let's just put it to a vote. Democracy style." Brandon spoke up after some silence. 

After some time, they gathered everyone. They ultimately agreed that a vote would be best, and after publically declaring their vote, it was unanimously agreed to inject Alexander with the syringe. 

Sarah ultimately did it while Steven was close beside her. The rest of the group sat or stood back, just watching. The room was dead silent. 

Sarah found a vein, pumped the syringe fully, the slowly took it out. But as she went to press a cotton ball against the recent puncture, she didn't find it. In fact, it didn't look like a needle had been poked through him at all. She double-checked that she even used it, and when finding that the syringe was indeed empty, she just stared. 

The team waited and waited, and after twenty minutes they could see his body start to reform. And in two hours, Alexander looked perfectly healthy and started to wake up. 

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