Dex Warrior (Libertas Online)

1: Reroll

Here I am, sprinting down this pitch black tunnel wondering why I thought that living in a virtual world would be any easier than living in the real one. I guess I'm just an idiot. I expected this game to be just that—a game—filled with cheery animated characters and some sword-based combat. But just like real life, I'm in way over my head. So far, it's all blood and no waifu.

Everything is just too realistic for my mind to tell that this isn't the real world. The natural cavern walls are cold and slick to the touch. The humid air clings to my clothes and skin, leaving me feeling clammy. Staring at the fire on my torch for too long temporarily blinds me, and those rat-faced bastards coming up behind me are absolutely terrifying.

I can hear their claws scratching as they run after me. Their teeth chatter as they communicate to one another with squeaks and growls. The tunnel widens, and I find myself next to an underground stream that reflects the torchlight against the far end of the cavern. There are three tunnels ahead, and all of them are just as black and hopeless as the next. I narrowly jump from stone to stone across the stream, ice cold water splashing up into my boots. By the time I get across, I can see the creatures are catching up.

Their clawed hands tighten around the leather grips of their swords and the wood of their bows. They have crooks in their backs like Quazzy, long noses with whiskers, and are completely covered in hair and old scars. One of them spots me and lets out a horrible screech and points to show the others. Three of them begin racing towards me with a frenzy in their eyes and foaming at the mouth, and I, yet again, wonder how this could be a video game. Seeing these rats come at me feels like real life. My gut and my human instincts don't know any better. Even though I'm not in any way eager to experience death again, I freeze up in terror for a few seconds, sick to my stomach.

I snap out of it and think I may have been going about this the wrong way. I drop my torch and pull the bow from my shoulder. Luckily for me, the rat-people don't seem to be able to see very well in the dark without their torches, so I can see them clearly. I reach behind my head and an arrow materializes in my hand as I withdraw it from my inventory. Notch it, pull the string back, aim down the shaft, and let it loose. The arrow whizzes forward and ricochets off of a stalagmite right next to the one I was aiming for.

That pisses a few of them off. They take out bows and pull back their strings. I scoop down and grab my torch, ducking to the side as I look at for cover when they return fire. Behind a boulder, I set my torch back down and ease up against the stone until I get view of them again. I fire off at them three more times before I get my first blow in.

You hit the Yishi Scavenger for 17 damage!

Finally! At least I know what these things are called now, and thin red health bar appears above the one I hit. I manage to fire off a few more rounds before the Yishi realize where I am and begin shooting arrows at me again. Based on what's left of the Yishi's health bar, I decide that these things are too strong for me, and I really don't want to die again.

I make a break for the closest tunnel in a dead sprint, the arrows whistling all around me. The uneven cave floor almost trips me twice before I reach the threshold. Once I'm inside the narrow passageway, I can see the flicker of torchlight around the bend ahead. Knowing that those rats are still going to chase me, I continue to run towards the fire. I don't care whether I win or I lose at this game, the only thing I want is to escape what I'm leaving behind. But so far, this place doesn't seem to be any better.

I feel a tug on my ankles and hear the line snap. A massive iron grate covered with spikes swings down from the tunnel ceiling like a pendulum. I try to roll on my heels and swing my weight to the side but three of the spikes connect with my torso.