Nikos and Cora had packed some food. It wasn''t anything too crazy, just a few hand-picked crops and dried meat that they had from their village. Alexander cooked some of the meat over a fire once morning came, and they all ate mostly in silence.


    The rain had stopped pouring around the time the sun rose. Day one of the Murder Games had come rather quickly. That left just six more until the Immortals would make their move. Just six days to prepare and find a way out of here.


    "Nikos, you and your sister are going to be heading out, right?" Hope asked as they began to head out of the cave.


    "Yeah. We''re going to be heading back to our village." The older boy nodded. "Why do you ask?"


    "Well, I was wondering where the queen you mentioned was." Nikos suddenly grew very nervous as Hope spoke. "I''d just like to know what town or city she hangs out in."


    Nikos scratched at his chin the same way he did last night. It was a dead giveaway that he wasn''t happy to be talking about the subject matter. "I don''t actually know where she is. I grew up in a village, as I said earlier. We have a few cities; I''m sure one of them is where she is, but from what I remember, she just sort of appears whenever the time is right. You''d have to speak with a scholar or a merchant that travels around a lot if you wanted to learn more."


    Hope nodded softly. "In that case, would it be okay if I tagged along with you and your sister to your village? I think the reason the ''mages'' didn''t seem bad was because they were all getting ready for the Murder Games. Now that it''s started, these lands are going to be kind of dangerous to travel in. I don''t want you or your sister getting hurt." She also wanted to see one of these villages up close and maybe find out more about the realm. Earlier, Nikos had mentioned someone she''d be able to talk to in Pine Tree Village.


    Nikos looked a bit uncomfortable for a moment. "I guess I could, but if I''m being honest, miss, your way of thinking is very different from ours. We were taught to trust the mages and that they are here for us, yet you claim some are evil. Not to mention how closely you resemble the Queen... Are you perhaps related?"


    "No."


    "Oh..."


    Hope gave the boy a smile. "Please. I''ll be on my best behavior."


    Nikos nodded after some time. "You are a mage, and it is our job to help your kind out just as you helped us out. Even if you are a bit odd..."


    "Odd? How am I odd! I''m perfectly normal."


    "Well, it''s really that red little thing," Nikos explained. "I thought it was a wild beast or a monster at first, but it and that wolf seem to listen to you."


    "I don''t listen to her!" From the entrance of the cave, Lycaon walked out with Kevin on his back. The red orb formed a pair of large buff arms, which it folded over its body. "I don''t listen to anyone. I do what I want when I want. I''m my own person, got that? Shift is the only top dog around here!"


    Also, from the cave, Cora and Alexander stepped out. "So, are they coming with us, brother?" Cora asked.


    Nikos nodded to his sister. "Yes. This mage asked to come to our village." He turned back to Hope and gave a faint smile. "I''ll warn you now, though, it is a bit of a walk. It''ll take at least half a day."


    "Seriously?" Hope felt herself be hit with a bit of annoyance. She really didn''t have all that long to do anything, thanks to the ticking time bomb that was the Murder Games. Her plan right now was to find the fake Cinder, beat the crap out of her, and then use the information she learned from Druid to force the monster to open a way out of here. Once her dad was out, she''d be able to think a lot more clearly and wouldn''t have to constantly worry about him.


    "So we''re heading to their village?" Alexander asked.


    Hope nodded and cleared her thoughts. "Yeah. I just need to check something up top real quick, and then we can head out."


    "Up top?" Nikos glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean-" She was gone in the blink of an eye, blasting high into the air with a super jump. Nikos and his sister both stared up with wide eyes. "She can fly?"


    "Well, she is a mage." Cora shrugged.


    Hope felt the wind through her hair as she blasted up. It took her only a single jump to reach the top of the mountain, and she forcefully spun her body, using momentum to direct herself. Eventually, she landed at its peak and had to shiver a bit. Her lungs stung a little, and ice began to creep over her flesh, but she had been in literal outer space once, so the change in temperature and air barely affected her.


    Now that she was at the top of the mountain, she flared her enhanced senses out as far as she could, using the peak to see across the land. Her eyes were able to see a lot further than any human''s, and with them, she saw a vast sea to the east, a seemingly never-ending forest to the north, a grassy wasteland to the west, and to the south, she saw what she assumed to be the village the two siblings came from. It was built into another mountainside a bit past the small forest her father and she had come from. It wasn''t very big, being a small village with only a few white-marbled buildings and what looked like a town square that had been carved out of the mountain. She spotted a few people dressed in the same clothes as Cora and Nikos, all walking around.


    Despite how far she could see, though, she didn''t spot any obvious signs of the realm''s edge. Even looking up, she saw a vast cosmos above her. Legend''s realm was big, bigger than any other realm that has ever existed or likely will exist. She figured looking for the edge wouldn''t work, but it was a little annoying to find out that the easy solution was impossible.


    There was still one way to get out for sure, though. All realms had an exit built into them, even Sky''s. It was likely that Skin Walker had the exit with her, and that was how she could freely come and go from the realm. She really was going to have to confront the fake her sooner or later.


    With a shake of her head, Hope jumped back down, letting gravity carry her down. She awkwardly smashed into the ground next to the large wolf, landing on her feet. "No obvious exit sign. Looks like we''ll be here for a few more days." She shrugged.


    Alexander nodded slightly and helped Cora and Nikos pack up the last of their things onto the wagon. "We''re ready to head out when you are."


    "Are we seriously bringing this lady?" Kevin asked. From the top of Lycaon, Druid was tied down and constantly struggling against her bindings. They tied the lady up with more of Kevin''s makeshift rope and also formed a gag when the woman wouldn''t stop cursing them out. Cora and Nikos seemed pretty uncomfortable with the idea but didn''t stop them. "You know she''ll find some way to break out eventually, right? That always happens in comics and stuff."


    Hope shrugged slightly. "We can''t let her go because she''ll try to kill more of the players, and I don''t want to kill her. If we were in the real world, we could just lock her up, but if we just leave her tied up, she could starve to death or drown like she did yesterday. The guys who built this world did a sloppy job; it looks like it''s going to rain again later, and the clouds seem to just follow a set pattern. I''m guessing they took some shortcuts. I also noticed part of the world was awkwardly flat. If I''m being honest, this place reminds me of a badly coded video game."


    "I feel a bit insulted..." Nikos muttered. "We''re all packed and ready to head out if you all are."


    Hope jumped up and landed on the wolf next to Kevin. "Ready!" She announced. Her father decided to ride in the wagon with Cora while Nikos stayed up front with the donkey, leading it forward.


    They didn''t have much to talk about and began to head down the mountain in silence. They moved slowly since Nikos''s donkey was quite old. Now that she thought about it, Druid had likely been the one to create it and all other animals that ran around in the realm. Druid hadn''t done a good job, though, as things like bugs and other creatures needed for an ecosystem didn''t exist here. Despite how vast it looked, the world looked awkwardly flat and empty.


    She thought about simply picking each person up and quickly carrying them to the village but decided against it. She was strong enough to lift everyone but wouldn''t be able to get a proper grip on all of them, so a few people would have been forced to be left behind. With her speed, it would still take her a little under an hour to get to the village and back while carrying several people, so a few members of their group would be left alone, unable to defend themselves, which was something she refused to let happen. Especially because of the noise she was hearing.


    It was far off in the distance, several miles away from them, but her enhanced senses heard it. Screaming. Mad yells of rage and anger as what she assumed to be several villains stomped around the world. There weren''t any sounds of fighting, at least none that she could hear. It seemed, instead, that several bad guys were getting frustrated they hadn''t run into any players and were taking their rage out on the world around them. Or maybe they were adding to the land and improving it, being ordered so, and were mad that they were obeying Skin Walker''s orders. It didn''t really matter. Just so long as they stayed far, far away.


    "So you kids grew up in this village?" Alexander asked once they reached the woods.


    "Yep!" Cora said happily. "Pine Tree isn''t very big, but it''s a nice place, I think. We mainly hunt and mine for ore."


    "Mine for ore?"


    "Our village is built into a mountain," Nikos explained from up front, where he led the wagon. "Our village works under a city called Oak Tree City. We have a lot of blacksmiths who make armor and weapons for the city."


    "Why do you need weapons and armor?" Alexander asked, taken aback.


    "Well, for wars and protection and other stuff." Cora shrugged. "Bandits and the like roam some of these lands, you know. Not all of us are as strong as you mages are. Plus the monsters."


    "I guess this world isn''t as peaceful as I first thought," Kevin muttered, letting out a soft snort. "Leave it to a bunch of people to get trapped in a world like this and turn to a life of crime and go to war with one another. I''m guessing all the cities don''t like each other and sometimes fight?"The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "They do!" Cora nodded. "How did you know?"


    "Just a hunch." Kevin shook his body and sighed. "How many are there? Cities, I mean?"


    Nikos glanced toward the red ball, studying the man. "You guys truly aren''t from around here, are you? It''s obvious with all these weird questions. You might not want to draw so much attention to yourselves." Nikos shook his head slightly. "To answer your question, though, there are four cities, and each city is in charge of about two or so villages. Oak Tree is in charge of Pine Tree and Ash Tree. A lot of times, the cities are led by their own king, who uses us to gather resources for war with the other cities. We only celebrate peaceful times when the Queen returns. She''ll appear in a city, gather a meeting, and hold a big celebration. The rulers will pretend to like each other before going back to trying to kill each other the next week once the celebration has died down."


    "Oh, cool, you guys reinvented politics and pointless wars." Kevin gave a half smirk. "Rad."


    "If you want to know more, you''ll have to speak to a scholar." Cora piped up. "They''re the ones that keep track of history and other stuff. I''m sure if anyone knows why the cities are at war with each other, it would be one of them."


    "Would one of these scholars be able to help us find the queen?" Hope asked. "Cause I really need to talk to her."


    "Yep!" Cora nodded. "Our village has one. I''m sure he''d be able to help you!" Nikos just sighed once more and shook his head. "They''d love to help a mage out as well."


    Hope smiled a bit and lay down on the back of the wolf, looking up at the sky. Kevin and Nikos kept talking, seemingly going over random bits of facts, while Alexander talked quietly with Cora, wanting to learn more about the history of Pine Tree. Druid was still tied up and gagged, constantly fighting against the restraints. She really didn''t know what she was going to do with the other woman, and she was starting to feel a bit guilty dragging Druid around like this. It didn''t really feel very heroic.


    She really didn''t like being alone like this either. She had expected to have already talked to Mr. Larison and set him straight by this point, yet it seemed like she was still so far from reaching that goal. Things were changing, and they were doing it fast. She was starting to feel left behind, like she didn''t have a place, and it seemed like no matter how hard she fought, this change was starting to affect her as well. How long would it be until the hero, Cinder, was someone else? She just hoped she got to remain as a good hero. A hero who could save the people she cared about and the people who were hurting who stood in front of her.


    That would be enough for her. At least, that was what she kept telling herself.


    She shot up suddenly as her enhanced senses went off once again. "Guys, we got trouble." That was all she had to say to get Nikos to stop the cart. They had made it past the forest and were now on a long, rocky path that stretched out. Far off in the distance, the mountain where Nikos''s village resided, but they still had a long journey to get there, and it seemed like something was keen on stopping them. "Something''s here."


    "I don''t see anything?" Nikos asked, looking around. Besides the forest behind them, it was nothing but an open field around them. Surely, they''d spot something that was coming at them from a mile away, yet no matter how much Nikos looked, he found himself unable to spot anything. Despite that, though, he trusted the mage''s words and moved to the back of his wagon. It wasn''t very big, most of the room being taken over by his sister and Alexander. A few supplies of rations rested in the back of it, as well as a wooden bow and a few hand-crafted arrows, which he took. He notched an arrow and moved back up front, looking out for any sign of danger. He still didn''t see anything. "Are you sure there is something? Is it able to go unseen or something?"


    "Maybe." Hope frowned, and her eyes scanned the field around her. She even looked up to the sky. She wasn''t seeing anything, but she could hear it. It sounded almost like a scratching sound. One that was softly rumbling around them, going slow. It took her a few seconds to figure out where it was coming from. "It''s the ground! It''s-"


    A crack echoed out, one that was loud enough for everyone else to hear. Part of the stone path in front of them crumbled a bit, and then a large hand shot out of the ground. It was made of a gray, rocky-like substance, and whatever it was, it began to pull its way out of the ground. It wasn''t a person. She was sure of that fact.


    Intake was able to take on a stone-like form, but he still looked rather human-like when transformed. Not this thing, though. It looked closer to Stone, one of the monsters that used to work for the Bad Timers. The thing stood at eight feet tall and was very blocky looking, being crafted entirely out of stone. It didn''t breathe or make any sounds as it moved, walking silently toward them. If not for the crunching of rocks, it would have been impossible to know that this thing was even here.


    Maybe it was her enhanced senses, or maybe it was something else, but she could tell right away that this was nothing more than a construct. It had no feelings or emotions, instead being crafted from someone''s power. That was a good thing, though. Because that meant she didn''t need to hold back.


    Before anyone could even register the fact that the stone monster took a step toward them, Hope vanished and reappeared in front of the creature. She struck out with an almost lazy punch, and that was more than enough to blow the thing apart. It crumbled to dust, shattering into a million pieces instantly. The broken pieces of the rock creature fell around her, and she pulled her smoking fist back.


    "Whoa!" Cora said with wide eyes. "Not only can she fly, but she''s stronger than a bear!"


    Nikos shook his head, recovering. "Don''t let your guard down!" The boy screamed out. "Those are golems created by Magnolia Tree! They can reform and-"


    Hope jumped a bit when the broken shards put themselves back together and, in a flash of movement, formed a hand that wrapped around her ankle. It squeezed down as hard as it could but was unable to shatter her leg. She was about to kick it once more but stopped when it began to brightly glow. The rock was shining, and it began to beep softly.


    "Oh, you''ve gotta be kidding me-"


    The golem exploded, the force of it blasting her back. The entire thing erupted in a mighty explosion, but luckily Kevin was able to shield the others, transforming himself into a large wall of red flesh that appeared in front of Nikos and the others. She rammed into the flesh wall and winced a little. Smoke was pouring off of her body. The blast had hurt a tiny bit, but for the most part, she was fine.


    "You okay?" Kevin asked, the wall forming a face that looked down at her.


    "Yep, just pissed." Before she could even stand up, the scratching sound was back, and then a second pair of arms jutted out of the ground as another golem pulled its way out. It was followed by a third, then a fourth, and then a fifth. She stopped counting after that and instead watched in annoyance as dozens of the creatures ripped their way out of the ground, all clicking and walking toward her. "Really annoyed. You ready?"


    "I''m going to get blown up a bunch of times today, aren''t I?" Kevin grumbled but began to change and swam over Hope, forming into the costume of Cinder.


    Nikos and Cora both stepped away, staring at Cinder in shock. "Now she looks like a real mage." Cora said, stunned.


    "Y- Yeah." Nikos nodded.


    Alexander gave a small grin. "You got this, sweetie."


    Cinder placed her hands on her hips and stared out at all the golems with a small grin. "Yeah. I know."


    Meanwhile, somewhere else within Legend''s realm, a few other players were also having a hard time.


    "So, we''re totally lost, right?" Kyle asked sheepishly.


    "We''re not lost." Rowan shook his head.


    "So you know where we''re going?"


    "Well, no, but-"


    "Then we''re lost."


    "We''re not lost!"


    It had been a full day since the two of them appeared within the weird realm. It had taken them some time to build up the courage to move after they learned just how hard the deck was stacked against them. Sleeping out in the cold had been more than enough to convince both boys, though, and as soon as the sun came up, they began to move. They were in a field of flowers now and had been walking for nearly three straight hours with no sign of anything, not even any bad guys or something interesting. It was almost as if they were playing a certain block game on super flat mode or something.


    "So what exactly is our plan?" Kyle asked, letting out a weak sigh. His stomach was killing him, and he was really thirsty, but there weren''t any animals or anything nearby for them to eat. There had been an ocean, but that was in the other direction, and they''d have to walk all the way back just to get it. Rowan also wasn''t in the best condition, as he hadn''t been able to bring any big suits along since he didn''t have any when he was taken. In fact, Rowan just had a single bit of tech with him. Well, that and the card. "You''re still looking at that thing?" Kyle teased when he noticed Rowan was looking at the card he had picked once again.


    The card was golden and had the image of an anvil and a hammer in front of a raging fire. The words ''Hephaestus'' were carved into the bottom. Rowan ignored Kyle''s teasing and turned it over, reading the back of the card. ''Tear this card in order to invent something'' was written on the back.


    "I just don''t get what it means. Like, do I create something, or do I get something random?" Rowan hummed. "And what are the limits? Can I make anything with it? If so, I think I have a good idea about something I''d like to make. Oh, and does the thing that''s created last or is it temporary? I hope it''s temporary because I really don''t have much." Rowan grumbled. Wrapped around his right arm was a red gauntlet. He had been dragged to the realm almost as quickly as Kyle had, so he hadn''t had time to grab any of his better suits. This piece wasn''t bad, but it wasn''t his best either, and he doubted he''d be able to find the resources to build anything better. This card was basically his trump card.


    "I get you''re stressed out," Kyle spoke up. "I am, too, but there is one bright side to all of this."


    "What''s that?" Rowan questioned.


    "When I was trying to summon a bodyguard, I tried for Cinder, and it said someone else picked her. All we need to do is find where she is. We can work with her and find a way out of this shit hole." Kyle suggested. "Plus, I''d feel a lot more confident having her by our side. No offense, man."


    "None taken. I''m not built for things like this. I need someone to play off of." Rowan nodded. "That''s why Kenny and I work together so well. We can cover each other''s weaknesses. I feel so exposed and alone out here without a team. Especially knowing some of the dangers that lurk in this stupid realm."


    Kyle gave a sad smile. "I''m sorry for dragging you into this place. It''s just my luck, huh?"


    "Hey, this isn''t your fault. I was your bodyguard before all of this, remember? I''m going to get you out of here." Rowan looked back at his friend and gave a small grin. "I promise, Kyle. You''re going to be safe with me. Nothing is going to hurt you-"


    The ground beneath Kyle suddenly split open as the land was torn in two, and Kyle tumbled down into a ravine that suddenly formed, smacking his head on a rock and getting hurt instantly.


    "Kyle!" Rowan screamed out, and Kyle yelled right back at him as he was dragged down by something. "I''m coming!" Rowan smacked his glove, and it whirled to life, metal forming around him, and then it transformed into his armor. He leapt down the hole, and a pair of boosters ignited from his hands and feet, which slowed his fall down until he landed at the bottom of the ravine. "What the hell?"


    The ravine opened up and dropped several meters into the ground, where it expanded into what looked like a large cave system. The walls of the cave, though, were covered in rows of thick, red crystals. They were sharp and almost seemed to hum, reflecting the light of the sun, which poured down from the top of the newly created hole. Rowan didn''t get to look at them for very long, though, as Kyle''s yelling bounced through the cave system. A hole was carved into the side at one end, and Rowan took off, booting his armor all the way on.


    "Metal Ronin, online!" He announced. The boosters blasted him forward, and he shattered through the hole in the wall, being carried forward by his rockets. A pair of energy sabers jutted out of his wrists, and he grabbed them, igniting both of the blades as he came to a spinning stop. "Let him go- Wait? It''s you! I- I know you!"


    Past the cave wall was a massive stone room. One that seemed to stretch out in all directions. More of those red crystals were present, though they formed into what looked almost like massive pillars that stabbed all the way up from the ground and reached the roof above, holding it up. In the center of the room, someone, or rather something, stood, holding Kyle. Kyle was held upside down, being grabbed by his leg, and couldn''t stop wincing.


    As much as Metal Ronin wanted to run in and save his friend, he was held in place by shock as he stared at the villain who held Kyle. It was a tall man, one who stood at eight feet in height, with a body forged out of solid stone, which was being absorbed by him. Many of the red crystals also covered parts of his body, forming chaotic, deadly spikes all across his flesh.


    "You''re Metal Ronin, a member of the Sub Enforcers, ain''t ya." Intake, a former member of the Bad Timers, gave a wicked grin as he glanced down at the tech-based hero. "I couldn''t help but overhear the two of you talking. What''s this about Cinder being here?"


    An old villain from the past had returned. Intake was back and better than ever.