CHAPTER: IN-GAME

Ding.

*Quest complete.

Troy heard the mechanical female voice and smiled. He pulled the ice sword out of the last scorpion's body. This one was a bit tough since it was boss level but he managed to kill it in the end. A thought cloud appeared in front of him and words began forming on it

[Congratulations on completing the quest]

Beginning reward distribution

1. You have received 500 coins

2. You have obtained the skill 'minor poisoning' (You can check skill info in your status window)

3. You have levelled up by three (Level 6 - level 9) and have 6 additional stat points for distribution

4. Skill 'Ice manipulation' has reached level 2

Troy opened his status window after confirming his rewards. This time a golden interface opened up in front of him.

[Status window]

Username: Langreve

Level: 9

Race: Human

Class: Mage

Strength: 25

Perception: 20

Essence: 30

Agility: 15

Stamina: 18

Health: 215/240

Active skills: Ice manipulation level 2, Freezing point level 1

Passive skills: Self-healing level 1

Ultimate skill: Ice golems level 1

Troy nodded his head and closed his Status window. It had been a week since he got the VR headset for the game "Terra'. Within this week he had slowly moved from level 1 to level 9 and had managed to even level up one of his skills ice manipulation. He remembered how he felt when he was told the headset he had preordered was out of stock. He had walked away with $6000 which was twice the amount he had paid as compensation. But by some unprecedented good fortune, he bumped into someone at the game company who for some reason didn't want it. In the end, troy walked away with a new VR headset and $3000. He just couldn't believe the idiot who actually gave this up to him for the exact price.

He had taken it to his house and begun playing it immediately. The reason why the game was in high demand was due to the high specs that came with it. For starters, once you were in game it didn't feel like there was anything on your head and since the headset made use of something called neural tech everything in the game was extremely realistic, even the food. Also, there was a timer you could set to make sure you didn't play more than you had to. Even though Troy was a grown man with a job as a lab technician, he really liked games and had a whole Gaming room for the purpose.

He had successfully completed the first worldview and just completed the second one. From this point onwards, the real challenge would begin. A portal was produced to transfer him to the next world view. He shattered the ice sword in his hand which he had produced with his ice creation skill and slowly entered the portal. He was met with a wide farm area with different bushes and trees of different fruits on them. Some people harvesting some maize at another side waved at him and he waved back at them.

*Welcome to world view 'Terra' (Before the fall). The female automated voice said.

Someone walked up to Troy and handed him a bunch of grapes.

*Player has revealed their name to you.

A lady with red hair and a pretty, chubby face smiled at him and left after handing him the grapes.

[You have encountered player 'Kara the Farmer']

The cloud slowly disappeared after this. Troy looked at the grapes with a complicated face. He hadn't eaten anything from the game before so he wondered how it would taste like. He took one and put it in his mouth. He bit into it and quietly chewed it. Surprisingly, it tasted like any normal grape. He ate the whole bunch and discarded the stock.

Ding.

*You have a new quest.

"Confirm." He said and a quest window appeared in front of him.

[Scenario quest: Grapevine]

Details: There is a rumor spreading of a group of wild boars causing trouble for the inhabitants of the village 'Briara'

Requirements: Kill the boars and restore peace to the villagers.

Rewards: 600 coins, possibility of new skill.

Will you accept quest?

Troy nodded his head.

*Beginning automatic path finding

His legs began moving by themselves and after a few seconds he stood in front of a forest.

*You have arrived at your destination

He formed an ice sword and imbued it with poison from the minor poisoning skill he had obtained and slowly walked into the forest. As soon as he entered the forest, he was hit with the rancid smell of blood. He walked a bit and was met with a horrible sight. The wild boars he was supposed to kill were already dead. Their wounds still looked fresh but their bodies were rotting. He studied the bodies and found claw like marks on them. What could have done this?'

Just then he felt weird. He could sense someone or something standing behind him but couldn't move a muscle. The presence was so overbearing that it made him feel like vomiting. He tried to turn around but he was locked in place. He fell on his knees and his ice sword fell powerlessly to the ground. The presence started moving. Each step was distinct and heavy.

"A little bird has fallen into the pit." A voice spoke from behind him. "What should I do to Mr. Bird?"

Saliva was dripping from Troy's lips just by the person moving closer. He was still on his knees and no matter how hard he tried he stayed there. The person was now standing right in front of him. Troy couldn't even look up. The person sat on one of the dead boars. "I'm sorry you had to see such a sight." The person was a middle aged man with black long hair and a handsome face. "Don't worry, this won't kill you permanently." The man thrust his hand into Troy's chest and pulled it out again. Troy's vision distorted and he saw the outline of a message.

[Player has died]

Troy removed the helmet from his head and held his chest. It hurt. It hurt real badly. He felt as if his heart would just tear up in any second. His breaths were short and raspy. After unsuccessfully trying to balance himself by holding the arm rest of the chair he was sitting on, he fell on the ground and fainted.