Lina's eyes sparkled as she looked at the cave symbol on the map. "Are we going there? It looks like a real adventure!"
For a moment, Bars was captivated by the allure of the unknown on the map. His detail-obsessed mind wondered what the spiral rune meant, what awaited inside the cave. But his logic intervened with a cold, hard reality that suppressed this curiosity.
"An unknown cave means unknown creatures," Bars said, his tone firm. "We're still Level 1, with only one skill each. Going in there unprepared isn't a strategy, it's suicide." He pointed his finger toward the forested area filled with Zipiriks. "This path will be boring and long, yes. But it's a path we know. We know the enemy. We must get stronger first, then explore the unknown."
Though Lina's excitement faded for a moment, she understood the undeniable logic in Bars's words. She let out a deep breath. "Alright, strategist. Well then... time to hunt those fluffy brats."
And so, the longest and most exhausting trial of their first days in Aetheria began. When they entered the forest just outside the Genesis Grove, they felt the atmosphere change instantly. The dense leaves of the giant trees filtered the sun like a sieve, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Before long, they spotted one of the first groups of Zipiriks. There were three of them, chewing on the roots of a tree.
"Here's the plan," Bars whispered. "I'll focus on the one in the back. It takes me a few seconds to prepare my Mana Bolt. In that time, they'll come for you. Can you protect me?"
Lina nodded with determination. "Leave it to me."
Bars extended his hand, and purple energy began to gather in his palm. As expected, two of the Zipiriks noticed him and charged toward them with high-pitched screams. Just as they were about to reach Bars, Lina struck the ground with her staff. "Light Shield!"
A translucent, honeycomb-patterned barrier formed around Bars. While the Zipiriks' claws scraped harmlessly against the shield, Bars's Mana Bolt found its target. The rearmost Zipirik let out a squeal and dissolved into digital particles. Bars and Lina managed, with some difficulty, to defeat the remaining two with this strategy.
This was a summary of the next twelve hours.
The process was painfully slow. Each fight required maximum concentration. When Bars's mana ran out or Lina's shield weakened, they would hide in the bushes, waiting for precious seconds and minutes to pass for their energy bars to fill. The sun slowly rose in the sky, reached its zenith, and then began to descend westward.
During these long hours, they talked. Or rather, Lina talked, and Bars accompanied her with short answers. "Why did you start playing this game, Bars?" Lina asked while regenerating mana at the base of a tree. "I mean, no offense, but... you don't really seem like the gamer type. You're so serious."
Bars thought of his small room in Aethelburg, his rejected applications, his dwindling credits. "I was looking for a way out," he said simply. That brief answer carried far more weight than Lina could ever guess.
Finally, as the forest shadows lengthened and the sky turned orange, they found the 30th Zipirik. It was alone. They were no longer novices. Their movements were more fluid, their timing impeccable. Bars's Mana Bolt worked in perfect harmony with Lina's Light Shield. When the last Zipirik also vanished, that magic text appeared on both of their screens:
[QUEST COMPLETE: The Valley's Plague]
There was a deep silence. Then, both of them collapsed to the ground at the same time. Not physically, but they were completely drained mentally.
Lina yawned, a surprisingly human gesture for an avatar. "I'm exhausted. I think that's enough for me for today. In the morning... real-world morning, shall we meet here? We can collect the rewards together."
"Deal," Bars confirmed. His mind was filled with a kind of fatigue he had never felt before.
Lina smiled, her avatar flickered for a moment, and then she disappeared in a digital glow. Bars was left alone. He opened the system menu and focused on the [LOG OUT] command.
The world went dark for a moment, and then his consciousness returned to his body.
He felt the coolness of the helmet on his forehead and the familiar silence of his room in his ears. He opened his eyes. It was still dark outside. He checked his clock; despite twelve hours passing in the game, only two hours had passed in the real world. Time dilation... an expected feature.
When he stood up, he noticed something strange. His body was tired, yes, but it wasn't the hopeless, lethargic fatigue of his life in Aethelburg. It was the satisfying ache felt after accomplishing a difficult task. His mind... his mind was surprisingly clear. The details in his room seemed sharper, his thoughts more lucid.
He interpreted it as a psychological effect created by the game. But that feeling, that momentary mental sharpness, had been planted like a seed in a corner of his consciousness. This game might not be just a game.
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Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to rate and leave a comment; any feedback or criticism is welcome!
I'll be releasing a chapter a day. Stay tuned!
This is my first release, so I'm releasing 10 chapters!