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whether someone was playing a joke on him. No. There was no internet connection. The branch in the dead man’s hands w s was blazing fiercely, and the reflections danced in his eyes.
    Nick’s fingers typed the next sentence almost by themselves. ‘What is it like to be dead?’
    The man laughed – a gasping, panting laugh. ‘You are the first nameless one to ask me that!’ He threw the rest of his stick into the fire in a distracted gesture.
    â€˜Lonely. Or full of ghosts. Who can say.’ He brushed his hand across his forehead. ‘If I asked you what it’s like to be alive, how would you answer? Just as everyone lives his own life, so too everyone has his own death.’ As if to underline his words, the dead man pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, throwing a shadow over his eyes and nose – only his small mouth remained visible. ‘No doubt you will find out one day.’
    No doubt. Nick wiped his damp palms on his pants. He wasn’t feeling comfortable with this subject any more.
    â€˜How must I proceed?’ he typed, and realised to his own amusement that he was expecting a meaningful answer.
    â€˜Do you wish to proceed? I’m warning you: it’s not a good idea.’
    â€˜Of course I wish to proceed.’
    â€˜Then turn to the left and follow the stream, until you come to a ravine. Walk through it. After that . . . you will take it from there.’ The dead man withdrew deeper into his cloak, as if he was freezing.
    â€˜And watch out for the messenger with the yellow eyes.’

CHAPTER 4
    Nick sent his character along the stream, always keeping its throaty gurgle on the left, at an easy trot that didn’t strain the stamina meter too much. Stamina, Nick was discovering, wasn’t his nameless character’s strong suit. After the smallest climb he started gasping and had to take a rest, wait until the bar on the bottom right-hand edge of the screen started glowing blue again, then go on. Clambering over stones, jumping over obstacles, keeping a look out for the ravine. Nowhere was there a messenger with yellow eyes.
    The land to the right and left of the stream was gradually rising, and the dark forest floor was giving way to stony ground. Again and again scree slowed down Nameless’s progress, and more than once caused him to fall. It was only when the terrain on both sides was twice as high as his figure that Nick realised that he was already in the middle of the ravine. Moreover, he noticed that he was not alone. There was rustling in the dry undergrowth to the right and left of the path, something was moving, and then – as if at an inaudible command – small toad-like creatures leapt out and fell upon him. Their feet were equipped not just with webbing, but also with claws, with which they did considerable damage to Nick’s Nameless. It took a few awful seconds before he remembered the staff his figure was holding in his hands and began to defend himself.
    Two of the toads took flight. One died at Nameless’s feet from a well-aimed blow with the stick.
    â€˜Strike,’ Nick murmured.
    But there was one last toad clinging to Nameless’s left leg and a bloodstain was spreading beneath its claws. Alarmed, Nick noticed that the red life meter was only a bit over half full. He struck at the space bar, which made Nameless jump, but didn’t impress the toad.
    Finally, the escape key achieved the desired result. Nameless executed a lightning-quick turn, shook the toad creature off and, at Nick’s command, finished him off with the stick.
    In the meantime his life meter had plummeted to way under half. Nick made sure that there were no more attackers in sight, then he moused over the toad’s carcass, and the information ‘four meat units’ appeared.
    â€˜That’s something at least,’ he grumbled, put his exhausted figure back on it’s feet, and got it to collect the meat,