“What am I even doing?” Leo said, holding a stick. He was pointing it at a monster, the monster was a mean looking slime. But it wasn’t a normal slime.This slime was huge. It was taller than he was. It was a deep, angry blue color. It didn’t wobble like the little ones. It looked… muscular. It had two glowing white eyes that stared right at him. It was a Slime Boss.And he was a commoner. Level 0. With a stick.Just yesterday, Lex had everything. In the real world, he was rich. He was tall and handsome. He was a playboy from a young age. Everyone loved him. Life was a game, and he always won. He played with money and girls like they were nothing. He was born in that life. And the most thing he cherish the most is his Pride.It ended on a stupid night. He was at a club with three beautiful women. He drank too much. He still got into his expensive car to drive home. The street was blurry. Then, bright headlights filled his whole world. A truck was right in front of him. The last thing

The fight changed completely. These slimes were faster and tougher. Lex’s rusty dagger clanged against the bone sword. The slime with the shield bashed him in the leg, making him stumble. He slashed at the axe-wielder, but his dagger just got stuck in its gelatinous body.He yanked it free, the blade now chipped and bent. He was wounded—a cut on his shoulder from the sword, a bruise on his arm from the axe handle. He was losing. Tears of frustration and pain mixed with the slime on his face. The cool, collected Alexei “Lex” Darling was gone. In his place was a muddy, crying, desperate man fighting for his right to wear pants.With a final, screaming lunge, he drove his broken dagger into the core of the last red slime. It dissolved into a red puddle.Lex collapsed to his knees, utterly spent. He was a disaster zone of minor injuries and slime.Then, a beautiful sound chimed in his head. Ding-ding-ding!+10 Exp!+15 Mana!Level Up!Congratulations! You are now Level 1!5% health and Ma

Lex followed Borin through a narrow door behind the inn’s counter. It led to a small, dusty storeroom. Shelves were lined with jars and sacks. Borin lit a single candle on a barrel that served as a table.“Alright, kid,” Borin said, crossing his arms. “Private enough. You'll pay for information. Start asking.”Lex leaned against a sack of grain. He had so many questions, but he needed to sound smart. He couldn’t just yell, ‘How does this video game world work?’“Terrafantasia,” Lex began. “Give me the big picture. How is it all set up? And more importantly, how does a person move up? How do you get a higher rank?”Borin squinted at him. “These are things every child knows. Where are you really from? I’ve heard every accent from here to the Silver Mountains, but yours… it’s nothing.”Lex waved a hand, using his old, dismissive charm. “A very, very faraway land. An island. You’ve never heard of it. We kept to ourselves. Now, the information. One Gold Crown’s worth, please.” He placed th

He screamed as the hyena’s teeth bit into the gap at his shoulder. The pain was sharp and immediate. Pure panic gave him strength. He didn’t try to stand. Instead, he tucked his armored limbs in and rolled. It was a clumsy, noisy barrel roll, but it got him away from the snapping jaws.Clank, crunch, clank.He scrambled to his feet, the heavy armor groaning in protest. His sword was still nearby. He snatched it up, his breath coming in ragged gasps inside the stifling helmet.The hyenas circled, smarter now, their eyes fixed on the noisy, slow-moving meal.“Okay… okay…” Lex panted. He swung the sword. It was a huge, sweeping arc. The hyenas easily ducked back, just out of range. He swung again. And again. Each swing was slower than the last, each one draining his energy. He wasn’t fighting; he was just waving a giant metal flag. He didn’t hit a single beast.After a minute of useless swinging, he stopped, leaning on the sword like a crutch, utterly spent. The armor felt like a prison.

Lex arrived back at the inn, exhausted and with another shirt ripped to shreds. Borin looked up from polishing a mug and let out a long, weary sigh.“Again, kid? What happened to the strong and shining armor? Did you trade it for a fight with a thorn bush?” He said with a mocking tone.“Just give me a shirt,” Lex said, slumping against the counter. “I gave you a fortune in gold crowns, right? The least you can do is keep me in shirts.”Borin shook his head in disbelief but reached under the counter. He tossed a simple, coarse linen shirt at Lex. “At this rate, I should buy stock in a rag-maker. Here.”As Lex pulled on the scratchy new shirt, Borin leaned forward, his voice dropping to a gossipy tone. “Oh, right. Have you heard the news? We’ve got someone important making a big event in the Main Town. Whole kingdom’s buzzing.”“Main Town?” Lex asked, buttoning the shirt. “Where’s that?”Borin stared at him. “You are really, truly not from around here. Look. Aurelia has five major towns