...Go!

This is insane. Looking over on the wall here I can see it all. The amount of monsters that are making their way up from the beach is staggering. It really is just like a flood of monsters. Just like my dreams…

Were my dreams a warning about this? The flood of blood was trying to show me the monsters breaking free from the dungeon? Then what about the dragon? The birds?

I don’t really want to know how the creepy black figure fits into all this right now.

I don’t have time for this, maybe I can pray about it.

Luckily I don’t see any naga amongst the horde. Those serpents are the ones that give me the most trouble.

Are they still alright fighting down there? I’m worried the others aren’t doing okay. If this many monsters are breaking through they must be in trouble.

“Hey get down from there, what are you thinking? This isn’t the time for any heroics!”

I’m not entirely sure but I think that might be Keith. No time to worry about it. I'll apologize later.

I leap from the town wall into the fray of monsters below.

I just need to pick a softer target and–

I land on the head of a frog warrior. It is a lot more bouncy than I thought it would be. Being able to fling an adult male with their tongue does seem to make their necks sturdy. I’m launched a little higher in the air. This is very familiar, I know what to do with this…

My best path forward now is to run on top of the heads of the monsters. I kick off a zombie's head with my left foot. Then bounce off of a frog warrior with my right. I do my best to avoid the Living Coral and keep working my way through the horde.

I thought I was crazy when I felt like my body was lighter. This really confirms to me that maybe my body is a little different in this world.

I can’t get back on the ground even if I wanted to because this crowd of monsters is too dense. Thankfully there is a monster head everywhere I step. As I run along I notice a large shadow getting smaller. I look up. Quickly I jump towards a group of skeletons to evade.

A giant rock crashes to the ground killing a large mass of monsters. I see up on the wall a group of adventurers casting magic while others roll boulders off the side. I wave up at them hoping it gets their attention.

It is hard enough to avoid the monsters. I really don’t want to dodge boulders the whole way down. Now isn't a good time to be pestered by real world game mechanics. What's next barrels?

“Hey I think that's one of ours down there!”

Yeah that's me, your friendly neighborhood speed runner about to be pulverized by one of your boulders. No it would be nice if they could let up just enough to let me pass.

“It really is him that's the speed demon!”

I guess the name is going to stick now.

I keep increasing my stride while trying to balance along the top of these monsters. Thank the

Goddess there are a lot of bouncy frogs to use. I am getting further down the path. I should be able to see the beach and the entrance soon.

“KEEP GOING SPEED DEMON!”

You know this feels a lot like before. It feels like I have an audience again. Here I am running alone with people cheering for me. It's giving me the confidence to charge ahead. With every new thing in this life. It’s comforting to be back doing some old hobbies again.

I quickly down a mana potion tossing the glass bottle down the open throat of a frog warrior. Hope the thing chokes. I need to be careful how much of these I drink but they really are no different than energy drinks for me. They really are no different than the X-TREMEBurst Lemon Sizzle that stopped my heart that night.

I really hope that the novice alchemist merchant isn’t mad. I grabbed his sack of mana potions on the way toward the gate. Hopefully he caught my gold coin and that it covers everything. It's not like I had the time to ask for change. I hope I didn't over pay. That was all I had…

Now I can see the chaos at the dungeon entrance. The dust of battle and magic obscures everything. I can occasionally see a group of monsters being flung around. There in the sandstorm I can see a familiar silhouette.

She looks exhausted but that is clearly Momo. Her giant club slams into any foe within her range.

Her shield holding back multiple enemies at a time.

Brutus is at her back. He slices through the crowd of zombies before him like they were nothing. As I get closer I can see the wounds on both of them. This isn’t good.

I run faster. I have to run faster. They are not going to be able to maintain this for much longer. They are going to be overwhelmed.

Floating high above the battle is a familiar elf. They seem to be struggling to maintain their magic. I don’t even need to yell. I think they are looking right at me.

I don’t have much time. I hope my delivery is going to make a difference. Silence gestures their hand but I can’t really see through all the sand and carnage.

At full speed I use a frog warrior to leap over Momo. Her eye matches me for a singular moment. She looks confused.

That’s comforting at least she doesn’t look afraid. I toss the bag of mana potions at her feet. She will know what to do.

I am going to speed run this dungeon.

Deathless.

Any percent.

I am going to get that fantasy world record.

With the fastest time possible.

Because if I don’t…

I won’t be able to save my friends.

I click the start button on my stopwatch and jump through the horde straight into the entrance that leads down into the dark below.

The timer ticks…