Chapter 8: The Struggle

I tried to use my lightning slice skill again, but it was no use. The demons were too powerful, and they managed to kill me. I respawned back at my spawn point, but when I returned to the demons, it was like I had never even fought them. All of the damage I had done was already healed.

I could not cheese the system anymore. I had to think and come up with a plan. I had thought of one. I would cut off their arms which would make it harder for them to attack.

As I swung my sword at the demons, I hoped that slicing off their arms would disable them enough for me to finish them off. However, to my dismay, my attacks seemed to have little effect on them. They remained unscathed and continued to attack me with their fiery magic.

Frustrated, I decided to try dodging their fire magic attacks instead. I managed to avoid a few of them, but eventually, they still managed to kill me. I knew that nothing I did would work at my current level. The only way I would win is if I unlock the transformation.

The issue is that I was still too weak to beat the bone boss. I decided that I would spend all the money I saved up on new gear and then take on the boss again.

It took me around an hour to return to the town. The world was massive and there were no fast travel options.

As I walked into the blacksmith's shop, I was immediately struck by the heat emanating from the forge. The forge itself was a massive contraption, made of black metal and surrounded by various tools and equipment. The fire inside burned brightly, casting a warm glow over the entire workshop. The blacksmith stood at the forge, sweat dripping down his face as he worked the bellows with expert precision. The sound of metal on metal filled the air as he pounded and shaped the glowing hot metal with his hammer. The air was thick with the smell of burning coal and the heat was almost unbearable.

I was determined to find the right gear to take on the boss again. After careful consideration, I settled on a sword with a shimmering blue blade that seemed to almost vibrate with energy. I also picked out a set of white and blue armor, which was made of a lightweight material that would allow me to move easily in battle. Finally, I chose an agility ring, which was made of shimmering silver metal and had intricate designs etched into it.

I was left with only 150 credits left which was not even a noticeable fraction of what I had before.

The path leading to the destroyed town was elongated and serpentine, with tall trees towering on either side. The ground was coated with a dense layer of fallen leaves and twigs, making a crunching sound under my feet as I traversed it. The sky above was a deep orange color, with the sun setting behind the trees. The air was crisp and refreshing, and I could smell the faint aroma of woodsmoke in the distance. To me, this was no longer a game. This was reality.

As I set my spawn point at the gate, I couldn't help but feel the tension wash over me. The setting was a bleak one. I felt bad for the townspeople even though they were not real. I no longer thought of them as code. I was ready to take on the bone boss and show him what I was made of. As I locked eyes with him, I charged forward, my sword at the ready.

Despite the boss's formidable size and strength, I managed to land a few decent hits, causing more noticeable damage than before. I could feel the effects of my new gear and skills, and I knew that I had made the right choice in investing in them. I took less damage as well.

As I dodged the bone boss's attacks, I could feel the strain on my body. My arms felt heavy and my breaths were shallow and labored. But I knew I had to keep going. This fight had been going on for over 30 minutes, and I was determined to come out on top. Despite being exhausted and low on health, I refused to give up. I had made the right decision in investing in new gear and I was determined to see this through to the end.

My low health allowed me to deal more damage. I had to continuously dodge the boss's attacks to win. If I died the boss would regenerate by the time I would make it back. The boss seemed to only use his sword however he seemed to have infinite energy since he never showed any signs of slowing down.

If I lost now then I would never qualify for the battle royale in time. I was already so far behind and 334 people had already qualified. Mia and May were many levels ahead of me. I saw an opening and attacked the boss. He had planned for me to attack and I charged right into his sword.

100 hp. 43 hp. 0 hp. I had failed. I had respawned at the gate. As I ran towards the boss, tears streamed down my face. I couldn't believe that I had died again, after putting so much effort and time into the fight. When I saw that the boss had healed fully, my heart sank. I felt defeated and frustrated. All of my hard work seemed to have been for nothing.

367 people had qualified now. Mia was level 59 and May was level 52. I remained at level 30. Even if I defeated the boss before it would still be a stretch to qualify. It was just like my old life. I was always behind everyone and I never had any talents.

My pride wouldn't allow me to ask for Mia's and May's help. But I had to. If I didn't I would fall behind again. I never asked for help back then. Was that why I was alone?

I opened my messages and messaged Mia and May.

"Hey, can you guys help me with a quest real quick?"

"Sorry, I'm too focused on leveling up," Mia said.

"Yeah sure. Do you want to call until I get there?" May responded

"Sure."

I got an incoming call from May and I accepted it.

"Hey, Mark so what quest do you need help with?"

"It's the transformation quest.'

"Oh yeah, that one was hard. Wait have you been offline for a while because it says you're only level 30?"

I had to lie to her. If I didn't I feared that I would look weak. Yesterday May relied on me to fight. Now I am relying on her to fight.

"Yeah I had a doctor's appointment and the doctor was so late."

"Oh alright. I should be there in about 10 minutes. It's going to be hard for you to level up but I know that you can do it! I'll text you when I'm two minutes away or so okay?"

"Alright May. See you soon."

I hung up and waited for May to arrive. I looked around at my surroundings as I waited.

The sky above was a dull, cloudy gray, and the ground below was a pale, ashen gray. The trees and bushes surrounding me were all a muted, lifeless gray. Even the air seemed to be tinted with gray as if all the color had been stripped from the world. It was a monochromatic, desolate landscape that made me feel small and insignificant. The only sounds that broke the silence were the gentle rustling of the leaves in the wind and the occasional chirp of a distant bird, contributing to the feeling of isolation and emptiness. It was a gloomy, desolate place, and it left me feeling lonely and forsaken.

I felt ashamed asking for May's help. I was too weak on my own yet she was fine. Mia was fine too. 300 others were fine too because there was no way they would level up so fast at a party. I had to catch up. I did not care about my level after 100 as long as I made it into the competition.

May is losing time helping me. I would feel horrible if I were the reason she got left behind. That's why Mia is continuing her leveling alone.

I knew that I had to make it up to May. I don't know why she would go out of her way for me. I was thankful nevertheless.

Even though I felt ashamed I felt glad to have met May. A few days ago I called her a scammer and now I call her a friend. But I wanted her to be more than a friend deep down

I then received a text from May.