Ian is my best friend and brother from another mother. My parents were always on business trips so his parents helped watch me as I grew up. Don't get me wrong, I loved my parents and I went on some of their trips with them, but I got to this point where I just wanted to be a kid and grow up. They understood and they asked Ian's parents to watch over me when Mom and Dad went on business trips (which was like 10 months of the year).

  Ian and I had met some time around my 7th birthday, I don't remember exactly when, but we were two peas in a pod. We always caused trouble together, but nothing too bad most of the time. I was usually the bad influence, dragging him to any place that wasn't home after we got out of school.

  I was the one who usually saved him from bullies and fights, and he saved me from failing my tests. I survived school as long as I did thanks to him. And then his parents pushed me to take some after school lessons (I think they just wanted to save me from my own stupidity in my free time). So I got a tutor in a sport of my choosing. And I chose swordsmanship.

  Swordsmanship was purely because I read far too many superhero comics. I loved Tanks, from Drag Gun Z (*Intentional title and name change*) and I wanted to be just like him. I entered contests, and never once lost. No matter how many times I got hit or knocked down in life, I always got up, and would take those frustrations out in my contests and spars.

  However, when Ian and I entered university, I dropped swordsmanship, so I could take studying a little more seriously. Well, seriously studying everything except philosophy, because Professor Zalkost was crazy.

  I miss the days of Ian and I back to back, fighting those classic cliche kids who dislike nerds. Ian ended up more bruised and bloody than me, but what can I say. His focus was more on studying than fighting. He even became one hell of a personal writer although he has no idea I have read his diaries and journals.

  Ian has always been there when it mattered, and I do not thing there is anything I would refuse to do for him or his family. I haven't even seen my own mom and dad since they went to Japan 6 months ago, and I could deal with that long time without them thanks to having Ian and his family to support me.

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  So why is it.... That there's a time limit on Ian's life now?

  [Quest update. Save Ian. Status: Heavily Injured. Time Until Bleed Out: 8 minutes and 33 seconds]

  "Please... Where are you Ian?"

  [Life signs of Ian located. Adding visual marker for user ease]. I sigh in relief. "Thank you."

  I rushed towards the assumed whereabouts of Ian, passing by damaged and broken buildings. I found myself approaching loud booms and screams, as I ran towards him. It seems he got injured while running away, considering how far out he was. Finally I approach the marker which was on the other side of a tree.

  "IAN!" I cry out as I round the tree. I find him, breathing weakly, in a pool of his own blood, with his left leg and arm broken. "Arthur... I knew you were alright," he weakly whispers. Of course, that is just like him to worry about me, no matter how badly injured he is.

  "Ian, save your strength and don't move. I'm here now. What happened to you? And the campus, what is going on?"

  He coughs some blood as he begins to speak indicating he probably has some internal bleeding, "After you left the classroom, suddenly the wall exploded with a massive cloud of dust and debris. As the dust settled... We saw this giant humanoid being with a giant mace." The Atlas interrupts his story [Creature identified: Ogre]. Suddenly an image of this creature floods my mind as Ian speaks again, but I block it out and focus on Ian. "I ran out of the classroom to look for you, but as I entered the halls, I saw nobody either direction, then suddenly, more explosions happened around me, and people went flying through walls, the giants wrecking everything in sight, slaughtering everyone mercilessly. I watched Professor Zalkost get crushed in front of me... It was awful and I was worried you were hurt, but since there was no sign of you, I just prayed for the best, and looked for my own escape. But it seemed like you literally vanished completely from the building, as if you were never there."

  I did disappear though. I shouldn't tell him that, instead I should find him some help.

  "Stay here. I'm going to find you something to help you." I assure Ian. [Hero's Starter Kit available. Would you like to inspect it?] "Does it have something to help Ian?" I think. [Negative]. "Then I don't ca-" I get mentally cut off by Ian's panicked yell, "Arthur look out!"

  Suddenly I feel a massive pain on my left side, and the last thing I remember is flying through the air.