Another day ends in the blink of an eye, and I find myself still perplexed and annoyed...most likely because I played way too boldly yesterday.
I spent too much energy fighting useless fights, only prioritizing my ego rather than my sanity.
So today, I will practice exercising control...after I eat breakfast with my mother.
...and so, a few minutes after my mother went down the path to the market, I hurriedly went back inside my room and set up my equipment, all to play Charming Beauties again.
Today, I plan to fight some slimes again, but I won't be fighting as I did the other day. No, this time, I shall focus on knowing what it is I lack, and what it is I easily get riled up for.
Taking the path to the Pasture of Mire, I immediately scout for a group of slimes that are easy to take out. The first group I settled on taking out only comprised 7 members, which should be doable.
So then, I camouflage myself by hiding behind another tree and immediately launch a surprise attack when I see a defenseless slime that's far from its group.
My attack successfully lands, and it takes the whole group off guard. The patrolling slimes, the fastest of the bunch, come to see the scenery first, immediately alerting the leader. 3 of these slimes lay behind to encircle themselves around the spear.
Believing that this was my chance to take out the 3 separated slimes, I emerged from behind and swiftly pounced on the group of slimes, gripping my spear with one hand, and catching a slime with my other.
I harshly disintegrate the slime on my hands due to its jelly-like and weak structure, crushing it with my hands as its liquid falls onto the ground. The other two are alarmed and back away, giving me enough time and distance to create my stance.
With a spear, I point it at the center of both of the slimes.
I planned to attack the one that moves the most erratically...however, they both move together at the same time, deciding that it was best to regroup with their other members.
But I won't let them.
Thrusting the spear, I manage to almost hit one of the slimes, divulging their course of direction. This causes the other one to be erratic, as I've closed the gap between the two of them, my back facing towards the one not targeted, and my front towards the one targeted.
One gibbers with an inapprehensible wail, as I thrust my spear once more, this time hitting their body. Now, there is only 1 slime to go...err, rather, one slime far from the group.
I turn my back, only to see it finally regroup with the slime from a distance.
But something's wrong...
The slime group, which was originally 7, has come but with 10 more members! Now, instead of dealing with just 4 more...I have to deal with 14!
I start to panic, wondering if I should proceed with the battle or flee. The recoil on my body if I push myself too hard will only get worse...and yet, I will only stay cowardly and stagnant if I don't push through.
So...what's my decision?
I fight. Not to prove my ego that I can do it, but to prove that I can exercise control perfectly-- that being, knowing how to flee when things go wrong.
I calmly compose myself, sighing a breath of relief. My body doesn't feel that heavy yet...I reckon I only spent around 30% of my energy in that battle. I have to spend about just 40 to 50% energy to do this...which might be equal to just killing 4 or 5 slimes.
Maybe 7 if I'm lucky.
"Here goes," I whisper, as I hold my spear and target the slimes in front of me.
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< Aureous: Cavern of Frost Dungeon — 7:45 A.M.>
Meanwhile, in a dungeon widely renowned as the "pro-player killer", a dungeon that shows the true overwhelming gap in skill between the real pros and the fake ones...a player with 10 haunting-tiered women, a gleaming-ranked weapon, and godly looks, comes to challenge the dungeon with a smug look on his face.
This player, shrouded by the darkness of both his cloak and the dungeon, was none other than 'Master Shun'...a rising newbie who got this far into the game despite only playing for 2 months.
Covered in gear with anything but mediocre, and surrounded by a variety of beauties who clung to his side left and right, he strides inside the Cavern of Frost with a calm demeanor.
"Serena, buff," He says, stretching his muscles and grabbing his dagger, "Siren's Edge", with carelessness. A faint red aura covered his body, forcibly reinforcing his muscles while serving as a cause for the self-satisfied smirk on his face.
"Beatrice, light up the cave," He orders, and with a click of her fingers, the dim cave becomes enveloped by light...displaying hordes of bloodthirsty monsters emerging from the area with crazed teeth and swirling eyes.
Any sight of this...a horde of monstrosities with glacier bodies that refracted with light, would have sent most players cowering in fear.
However, Shun wasn't like any other player.
He was the "noob player" who took the community by storm when players saw his accomplishments.
One thing to note about Charming Beauties is the fact that the more prestigious you are— whether it is through degeneracy, wealth, or strength— the more advantages you have in knowing where you stand in the world.
For reference, you gain access to the Wall of Achievements, a feature in any guild hall, and the only "game-like" feature that you can get whenever you gain a certain amount of influence in the world of Belunia.
"Get in formation," Shun says, as all 10 of his beauties disperse from his side and take up all their formations. 3 of them were in his backline, 5 at mid, and 2 at the frontlines with him.
Thus, with a large growl from the deepest ends of the horde...the battle to determine one's gap in skill begins.
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...minutes pass, and miraculously, I was able to fend off 8 of them! Now, I'm only stuck with only 6 of them.
The problem? That I now have 20% of energy left...
So, what do I do?
I bail.
I rapidly run from the group and walk to the path...before meeting my eyes with something mystical.
There seemed to be a beautiful flower with long, slender petals that shimmered under the shade of the tree: its color a vibrant shade of crimson that resembled her eyes.
Her.
Rosalina's eyes.
I'm tempted to grab it, but I'm preoccupied with the slimes chasing me...and the fact that I'm holding both my spear and the drops I got from the slimes.
It would mean that I have to lose one or the other.
And yes...if you're wondering, why don't I just use the bag that I got from entering the game as a way to bring my drops easily?
Well...I can't.
Like...I really don't know where it is.
Did Rosalina ever find my lying corpse yesterday and bring my things?
Or did she just leave it where I was when I collapsed?...
I don't know.
I have to ask her about that later.
And so, my brows furrowed into confusion as I wondered what I should do.
Even if my wife is only bound to me by contract...I'm grateful that she picked me up wherever I fainted yesterday.
So, with a bird brain, I drop the loot I got from those slimes...which are fine since they are just common fragments that sell for 1 cent in real-life currency.
And I run!
This time, with a slight diversion to my path, which is just enough to grab the flower— and now? I'm finally on the path back to Mount Lianthan with...aesthetic decorations in my hand.
It's a striking crimson color...but I wonder, will she appreciate these things?
I mean..."affection" can be gained by your wife if you give her gifts, resulting in a better relationship with her, but...then again, Rosalina's a different case. She's only my wife in name.
...after more minutes of walking, my knees are already feeling sore, and my stamina is close to zero.
And just when I thought I had to give her this flower at a later time...I see her patrolling the streets. There were plenty of people staring at her from a respectable distance, both male and female.
But most of them? They were players just like me...
I hesitate at first, wondering what people will think of this scene...but who cares, right?
She is my wife.
"Rosylviana," I call out amiably, the same emotion I use when I'm dealing with people in my school.
A moment of silence is brought to the atmosphere— serving as the catalyst of the confusions brimming in my heart.
But there's no time to think...nor to analyze.
Not when the crowd was staring at me: some of them shaking their heads and laughing.
As if expecting that I was going to get my head bashed to the ground instantaneously.
Some are even recording right now, as seen with the "camera" button on top of their heads.
She looks back at me, a curious and suspicious look in her eyes.
So, with a steely resolve, I smile at her and give her the flower...only to turn my expression into that of a sour one in just a second.
And no, it's not because of her look of disinterest...or the fact that the players are laughing at me...
It's the fact that the flower I have isn't just a stem cut...but I got its roots in the process...
She stared at me nonchalantly, and for what felt like minutes, she finally reacted.
She laughed.
"Mortal gifts such as these are unnecessary," She remarks, but I can't get off the expression of her pure bliss plastered on her face...even for just a few moments. I thought that she was already pretty enough sun-kissed, but she looked gorgeous when she was happy.
"But I offer you my gratitude, husband," She answers after getting the flower from my hands. "I'll be sure to treasure this in my pavilion."
And then. My world stopped...and I was left frozen in place as she continued patrolling the area.
Naturally, the crowd disperses again, some of them still following her from behind.
But now that I think about it...I think it was a bad idea to just stand there frozen in place.
Especially when my actions would get into the highlights of the forum again...