Chapter 2 - Monster Training (1)

It was some type of message, and it wrote, "Welcome Player, Alden." I tried to move my legs, but I couldn't even feel them anymore. It was like I was paralyzed. The next time I looked in front of me, the message changed. It changed to "Do you wish to take revenge?" and its color was now red. I had millions of questions in my head. Was this really the count's doing, or was it someone else? I couldn't answer my own questions, but I knew one thing. And that was that I wanted to take revenge and pay him back for what he has done to my father.

As I thought about it, two options started to appear: "Yes" or "No". In that moment, I realized I could use my arms, even if I couldn't see any other part of my body. I lifted it up and pressed it against the button that wrote "Yes". In the next moment, I was teleported into a room. It had white and hard concrete walls and didn't have any doors to it.

Suddenly, a wooden sword appeared in front of me. Because I was down, I had to get up on my legs and take the sword. Upon taking the sword, a green atrocity appeared. It was three times bigger than any human I had ever seen. As I was panicking, I remembered something from when I was with my father. It was when he read a book about monsters, with his father.

"It was the first page, the ogre! It looks exactly like the image it was on the book!" I said with a silent voice. I could feel fear gripping my chest as I faced the monstrous creature. My heart raced, and my hands trembled as I gripped the wooden sword tightly. The room felt suffocating, and every breath I took seemed to echo off the cold, hard walls.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. "I have to do this," I whispered to myself, mustering up every ounce of courage I had. With determination in my eyes, I raised the wooden sword, ready to face the ogre head-on.

The ogre roared ferociously, its massive fists raised menacingly as it lumbered towards Alden. Fear gripped Alden's heart, but he knew he had to stand his ground. Gripping the wooden sword tightly, he braced himself for the impending clash.

With a swift movement, the ogre swung its fist at Alden, aiming to crush him beneath its massive weight. Alden ducked just in time, feeling the rush of air as the fist whizzed past his head. "By the gods, this thing is relentless!" Alden thought to himself, his heart pounding in his chest.

Taking advantage of the ogre's momentary vulnerability, Alden lunged forward, aiming a powerful strike at its knee. The wooden sword connected with a satisfying thud, eliciting a roar of pain from the ogre. "You won't get away with this!" Alden shouted, his voice filled with determination.

But Alden knew he couldn't afford to relent. As the ogre stumbled backwards, Alden pressed his advantage, delivering a series of rapid strikes to its exposed flank. "Just a little more!" Alden thought, his arms burning with exertion.

Despite his best efforts, the ogre remained formidable, its thick hide absorbing the brunt of Alden's blows. With each passing moment, Alden's arms grew weary, and the ogre's attacks grew more relentless. "I can't give up now!" Alden cried out, pushing himself to his limits.

But eventually, Alden found himself overwhelmed, knocked to the ground by a powerful blow from the ogre's massive fist. As darkness closed in around him, Alden felt a sense of defeat wash over him. "Is this it?" he wondered, his vision fading.

But to his surprise, Alden suddenly found himself back in the room where he had first appeared. Confusion washed over him as he realized he was alive, the memory of his failed battle with the ogre still fresh in his mind. "How... how am I still alive?" Alden muttered, his mind racing with questions.

But as Alden looked around the room, he noticed something different. There, lying at his feet, was a gleaming silver sword, far more formidable than the wooden one he had wielded before. With a sense of wonderment and determination, Alden grasped the sword tightly, knowing that he had earned it through his valiant efforts in battle.

Armed with his new weapon and renewed resolve, Alden prepared to face the ogre once again. "This time, I'll be ready," he said to himself, his voice filled with determination. 

The ogre's roar echoed through the room as it charged towards Alden once more. Alden's heart pounded with determination, but he knew he had to try something different this time.

"I need to be quicker," he muttered to himself, steeling his resolve as he dodged the ogre's first swing. He danced around the creature, attempting to find an opening for his attack.

But his new strategy proved to be his downfall. As he dodged one of the ogre's swings, he stumbled and fell to the ground. Fear gripped him as he scrambled to his feet, but it was too late. The ogre's massive foot came crashing down, ending Alden's life in an instant.

As darkness engulfed him once more, Alden couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration and disappointment. "I thought I had it this time," he muttered bitterly, his voice filled with regret.

Waking up back in the room where he had started, Alden lay motionless, his body tingling with the sensation of defeat. He had hoped his new approach would give him the upper hand, but instead, it had led to his swift demise. But to his surprise, there was something new that was given to him, a wooden shield.