Exercising Control

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 breakfast.

...and so, a few minutes pass, and I hurriedly go 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 in, 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 slime that is easy to take out. The first group I settled on taking out only comprised of 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 emerge from behind and swiftly pounce on the group of slime, gripping my spear with one hand, and catching a slime on my other.

Believing I can crush the slime due to it just feeling like jelly, I harshly disintegrate the slime on my hands, as its liquid falls down 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. My plan was 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 both 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 the 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 get 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 softly, as I hold my spear and target the slimes in front of me.

~~~

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 from the fake ones...a player with 10 epic-tiered women, a rare-tier 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 else but mediocre, and surrounded by a variation of beauties who cling 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 then covers his body, causing a 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 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 ladies 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 begins.

~~~

...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 red flower that was growing near the tree. It was the color of 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, 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 furrow into confusion wondering what I should do...after all, 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 drops 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 and walking back to the mountain. It's still far away, so I take a look at the flower I got.

It's a very pretty crimson color...I wonder if she'll like it?

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. My stamina is already close to zero.

And just when I thought I had to give her this flower at a later time...I see her patrolling in the streets. There were plenty of people staring at her from a respectable distance, most of them males, who were players like me...

I hesitate at first, wondering what people will think of this scene...but who cares, right? She is my wife.

"Rosvyliana," I call out amiably, the same emotion I use when I'm dealing with people in my school.

The crowd stares 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. 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 sunkissed, 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 Pagoda,"

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...