My boot caught on an old twisted root, sending me crashing onto my back. Pain shot up my spine as dead leaves clung to my sleeve. Exhausted and drained, I hadn’t expected getting back to where Cashius was to be this difficult. Yet here I was, lying on the forest floor, exhaling and determined to reach camp before the afternoon slipped away from me.

  When I left, it was still early morning, and I had plenty of energy. I had been confident in my abilities and not worrying about a thing. But now, after all the close battles I had fought and tracking two of three Pouchies, a brother like me couldn’t think straight, much less hold my sword steady.

  For the most part, since I had found the treasure chest and the boomerang, I had been avoiding any fight I could and trying to conserve my mana. Those fifteen mana per throw made me hesitant to use it too often.

  I did have mana regeneration, but it took a full five hours to replenish itself, and that was far too long to be tossing the boomerang around recklessly.

  I was still keeping an eye out for the last Pouchie, but honestly, all I wanted at that point was to get back and see what Cashius had found for us to eat.

  Sprawled out on my back, staring up at the canopy of trees, I silently wished I could find that last Pouchie before returning to camp. At least then I could walk back with a real win.

  I rolled over, stood up, and continued my trek. I switched weapons again, this time back to the arctic staff, as I had grown accustomed to calling it. I heard more Zbios in the nearby bushes and eliminated them, shattering their low-to-the-ground bodies and collecting the rewards.

  I thought I heard something behind me and quickly turned around, eyes scanning the terrain.

  Would you believe it? Right in front of me was the last Pouchie, purring and scratching at the ground like a dog.

  I strolled over, knelt, and scooped it up.

  I held it in my hands and pressed it to my forehead, burying my face in its soft fur.

  “Thank the heavens,” I whispered.

  Seconds later, a sound went off, much like a rubber duck being squeezed, and the little furry thing vanished, just like its siblings had.

  3/3

  I stood there for a moment, staring at it, then walked over and kicked it open.

  The lid creaked back, revealing ten potions neatly lined up in two rows of five.

  I narrowed my eyes and read each description, dopamine hitting me like a rush. I smiled broadly, like a dog that found an unexpected treat.

  Five Mega Potions and five mid-level Endurance Potions. Each was a vial shaped like a science beaker with a wooden cork shoved inside.

  The Mega Potions were Kool-Aid red and would replenish half my health bar per use. The Endurance Potions, a deep blue, would allow me to move at incredible speed, similar to Liquid Speed, which I hadn’t used since defeating Vaelthar.

  There was one key difference, though.

  The Endurance Potions worked for everyone in my party. That meant even Cashius would benefit when I used one. That alone made them priceless.

  Tucking them into my inventory, I walked ahead—finally, with a win.

  After walking for a while, I checked the map and saw that Cashius should have been just up ahead. Right where I left him, safe and sound.

  Before I even saw him, the scent hit me. It was rich, smoky, and divine.

  “Damn, man. You sure got it smelling good this afternoon,” I said, stepping out of the trees.

  Cashius glanced from the fire, poking some kind of vegetable with a stick. “I was beginning to worry about you,” he said, then licked his fingers. “How was your excursion? Did you reach level 25 yet?”

  “No, I didn’t, but I did find all the Pouchies, so there’s that to celebrate.”

  “You’ll know when you do. But that’s wonderful news to hear,” he said, congratulating me. “Now sit here and tell me all about it,” he added, motioning to a stump with a grin. “Oh, taste this,” he said, reaching for the rotisserie stick and grabbing a piece of smoking hot vegetable.

  I fumbled with the rising heat before popping it into my mouth. “What am I eating?” I asked between sizzling bites.

  “Sonti. Almost like corn, but meatier and full of vitamins.”

  I scarfed it down and felt a warm energy surge through me. “Oh,” I said, sitting up. “This feels like an energy drink, but more potent.”

  Cashius raised an eyebrow at me. “What’s an energy drink?”

  “In the mid-90s, they started selling these caffeinated drinks with tons of sugar called energy drinks. If you were tired, you’d go to a convenience store, grab one, and in seconds, you’d feel more energetic. Bad for the heart, though—or so the old folks say.”

  “Well, these aren’t,” he said with a smile. “They’re good for you, and the effects last a nice long while. It should be enough to hold us over until we get our Atarax today. It also enhances your perception by +4. Really nice to eat and easy to prepare. And the best part,” he added, fixing his plate, “it goes great with this.”

  I moved him out of the way. “Is that chicken I smell?”

  “Yes, it is. And for some strange reason, this is something Orbralis and Earth have in common. The people here don’t eat them, though, which I find even stranger.”

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  “Where and how did you find this?” I asked.

  “A few of them were in the forest nearby. All I did was lure one with a piece of sonti and clobber it against a stone. The only downside was having to skin it, so I lost a lot of meat. But other than that, it should be fine.”

  “How long until it’s ready?”

  “Soon. But in the meantime, why don’t you tell me about your adventure this morning? And don’t leave anything out.”

  I told him how the Gulag I ran into almost killed me, which made him laugh and instantly irritated me. Then I explained how William had left a boomerang inside a chest after he died, and how I nearly passed out from exhaustion trying to conserve potions.

  That’s when I pulled out the boomerang and tossed it to him. That’s when I noticed something I hadn’t before. Partly because I never thought to try, and mainly because I took his words as truth. But would you believe it? As soon as the boomerang hit his hand, he paused, wide-eyed, and then a second later, he glitched.

  His form turned gray and fractured into digital bits, fuzzy and shifting in an erratic pattern, just like when I first saw him appear in my room on Earth.

  All I heard was his voice, thin and hollow. “Get it away from me. Please!”

  I moved as if he were on fire and grabbed the boomerang from the ground, slipping it back into my inventory. “Are you alright, Cashius?”

  He solidified, shaking his head. “I… I believe so. But for a moment, it felt like I was about to fizzle away for good.”

  “I can’t believe they went this far to stop you from holding a weapon. It’s been about a week since I came to Orbralis, and we’re just now finding this out.”

  “I’ve known the whole time, hard-headed assed boy. I just didn’t think you’d toss the thing at me so fast. If I had, I would’ve stopped you or moved out of the way.”

  Moments later, while listening to the sound of my urine hitting a tree, a herd of Zbios attacked. Among them was an elite version of the enemy, darker in color with black circles around its eyes. It was also a little bigger than the rest. If I hadn’t spotted them in time, thanks to the sonti boosting my perception, my balls would’ve been torn to shreds.

  I pulled out the staff in an attempt to freeze them. Wrong maneuver. A trio of them ripped it from my hands as it disappeared in a cloud of zeros and ones.

  I pulled it back out, but once again, the creatures wrestled it from my grip.

  I staggered backward, fighting the rest off me using the buff from my chain. The one that turned my fists into weapons.

  Wham. I sent one sliding into the distance, its little furry body curling up as it prepared to dash at me again.

  “Shit, Cashius!” I shouted. “What should I do?”

  He ducked into a bush. “Kill ‘em!”

  I shook my head and kicked another one as it pawed at my leg. For the third, I brought my elbow down on its body, just as a fresh band of the little fuckers attacked.

  Then it clicked.

  The boomerang could stun enemies.

  All I had to do was hit their little asses and then find the leader.

  I summoned the boomerang to my hand and tossed it at them while stepping backward.

  A loud crash followed, and I saw three of them frozen mid-attack in the air.

  When the boomerang returned, I threw it again. The elite one dodged, lunged at my chest, and scratched my cloak. I spun and hit it with a backhand, but it started growling.

  I tossed the boomerang again, but it dodged, jumped, curled into a ball, and dove into the earth.

  My eyes darted around the battlefield, waiting for it to pop up like whack-a-mole.

  It would surface, take a swipe, then dive back into the dirt. After a few rounds of this, I was getting annoyed. If it kept up, the others would snap out of their stun, and I’d have to start this irritating battle over again.

  Then I felt the rumble behind me.

  It burst from the ground in slow motion, its beady little eyes filled with hate.

  The sonti sharpened my instincts—I waited, then hurled the boomerang again, freezing it mid-charge.

  “Yes!” I shouted. “Caught your raccoon-eyed ass!”

  Out of breath, I found the Zbios with the stripe on its tail and stomped it flat.

  Orbs, pouches of gold, and a notification lit up on my screen.

  Level up, it said.

  I opened the character screen, claimed my reward, and felt my screen vibrate with a new message.

  When I tapped it open, a blinding light flashed across my vision, and words in bright bold letters scrolled across the screen. As the message continued, my body surged with strength and energy.

  “You’ve passed the test,” it boomed in my ears. “Press continue to hear more.”

  A transparent message floated in front of my face in glowing text.

  Before I could even process the words, my muscles, bones, and everything that made me who I was began to grow.

  Then came the pain. It dropped me to my knees.

  “Argh!” I shouted, feeling my sinew and joints stretch and tighten.

  After a few agonizing seconds, the pain eased enough for me to pull up my stats. The opaque screen still hovered beside me, waiting for me to press continue.

  Level 25

  HP: 7,500

  MP: 1,300

  Strength: 69.5 (+19.5)

  Vitality: 50

  Magic: 50

  Defense: 69.5 (+19.5)

  Perception: 50

  Speed: 50

  Wisdom: 50

  Knowledge: 50

  All my attributes were evenly set at fifty across the board. Then, one by one, my boosts activated, not counting the ones I received from my gear. Havoc Maker’s stat increases were integrated for some strange reason, shown in parentheses.

  I could feel the changes, not just in my body but in how sharp my mind had become. Dense is the only word that fits. Packed with phrases and pieces of knowledge I could not even begin to understand.

  Thoughts came quicker, flooding in as information poured into my head and filled my skull.

  And my reflexes? Let’s just say I was more than alert. I felt like a veritable powerhouse, my neck and eyes snapping to movement as if they were set on springs.

  Feeling the enhancements, I crawled to my feet. “Am I taller?” I asked, lowering my head at Cashius.

  “Only by a few inches, but the game is adjusting your body and mind for what’s coming,” he said. “Everything up to now was just the tutorial. Now the real challenge begins.”

  I focused my eyes on the word “Continue.” A beep later, I read the rest of the message, narrated by the same James Earl Jones-like voice I had just heard.

  Greetings, Champion.

  It is with great honor that we welcome you to the upper echelon of players who have survived the grueling early levels of . To have made it this far is no small feat. As a reward, you have been granted 20,000 gold pieces which will come in handy in the days to come.

  We recognize that you’ve been playing on a harder difficulty, and we are even more impressed by your strength and tenacity. To commend your efforts, we also present you with a gift: an ultra-rare bracelet that grants +16 Speed and +13 Agility. When equipped, this bracelet allows you to charge at enemies with a powerful thrust, somersault over them, and land a guaranteed critical hit once per day.

  In addition, you are now bonded with a new companion: a battle fairy.

  Small in size but massive in heart, she will aid you in every encounter. She communicates through emotions and intuition, so pay close attention to your feelings—they are her voice. In combat, she can fire mid-range magical missiles at enemies, and if you carry the proper healing potions or support spells, she will automatically restore your energy when your stamina begins to drop.

  Congratulations once again, Champion.

  Now go forth, and may your path lead to the defeat of The Nameless One.

  Another blinding flash, and a small female creature appeared on my left shoulder, smiling and giggling into her hand.

  She was about three inches tall, with delicate wings and dressed in a leotard with a tiny military-like vest and combat boots.

  I stared in disbelief before other matters diverted my attention.

  On the heads-up display, a plethora of notifications blinked for my attention.

  To the side, Cashius nodded in approval. “Great, right?”

  I smiled but pushed thoughts of him aside. Now was the time to introduce myself to my new battle fairy.

  I extended my finger to her. “My name’s Lamont. What’s yours?”

  A warm feeling enveloped me, and I twitched. “Sparks,” I said, or… that’s what it felt like. “Good to meet you.”

  She giggled again and flew around my body like a tiny light.

  I stood there for a minute, stunned but ready to push forward and reach the Harshlands to deal with Linuux. But first, I had some decisions to make—choosing a weapon, distributing my stats, and selecting my abilities.