The new Level 4, though—that one I wasn’t so sure about. It looked very dangerous. Then again, the Level 1 and 2 Kobolds had been above my skill level not too long ago.
They’d already seen me and were storming toward me. I didn’t have time for a philosophical discussion with myself—I had a fight to finish.
I had more spells to play with, but they were gaining ground fast, and I wasn’t ready. I cast Fleetstep to put some distance between us. It worked to an extent, but one of the Kobolds was already too close.
Its sword slashed toward me, but this wasn’t my first rumble with Kobolds. I quickly cast a Mana Shield with semi-practiced ease. The shield absorbed the force of the strike. Luckily, it hadn’t been a direct hit—the Kobold was reaching a bit too far with its swing.
I followed up with Stun on the first one, then turned to release a Mana Slash on the second. It was getting too close for comfort. The slash caught it across the chest, and I followed it up with another. My aim was slightly off; if it had been a bit higher, the Kobold would’ve been dead, its throat slashed.
One was wounded, but the other was still fine. It charged forward while the wounded one held back. I unleashed Arc Lash, and the charging Kobold fell forward, hopefully dead.
The wounded one tried to storm over, but it was already weakened. I waited for it to get closer—I wanted to test out the new staff enhancements.
The staff swung true, and I felt the impact vibrate through my arms. It definitely felt stronger and seemed to do more damage. One dead Kobold, and one suspected dead Kobold.
The one on the ground stirred, and I finished it off with a sharp knock of my staff. I got my food and water packages and although there were still a lot of daylight hours left, I wanted to see what my new Arcane Combat Simulation Crystal had to offer. Charting the barrier could also wait, until the next day.
I was a few blocks from home and dodging Kobolds on my path made it feel even longer to get there. The irony did not escape me when I stood in my apartment at a loss as to what to do next.
The Crystal did not come with instructions. I had no idea how to operate it. The description mentioned touch activated… I was confused, as I touched it before and nothing happened.
High-fidelity means it would feel realistic but without risk of real-world harm would indicate that it is safe. Self-contained illusion realm – that sounds very impressive… but puzzling. What does that even mean?
Calibrated to the user's mana signature, level, and known spell set. That is comforting. I would not be facing Level 20 Kobolds, I hope. Users can engage in simulated battles, practice spellcasting, and test theoretical combinations. Bingo! Just what I want.
No experience points (XP) are earned, and no loot is dropped within the illusion realm. Perfect! Well, loot is also welcome, but I can improve my experience, so that I will be on par with the stronger Kobolds when we – me and the Kobolds – level up.
“Now, how do I use it.”
I retrieved the crystal from my inventory, planning to stare at it until inspiration dawned on me.
It was that easy…
I felt stupid for a little bit of time and then got over it. The only place I knew that would fit the bill was the apartment one floor down. It wasn’t an open space, but the system could build staircases and reposition doors. Clearing it out—tearing down walls and removing everything inside—would be easy for it.
I flew down the stairs. My curiosity and excitement drove me on. Again, I stood in the middle of the apartment, clueless, and waiting for the system to do something.
The Crystal lifted from my hand and hovered in the air. Soft blue light flowed from it, washing over the room in gentle waves.
The inner walls and fixtures began to dissolve, fading into nothing. One by one, they vanished, until only the outer walls remained—bare, silent, and waiting.
The Crystal began to disintegrate into minuscule shards, each one streaking toward the walls and vanishing into them on impact. A soft glow spread outward, flowing gently from the walls like light awakening beneath the surface.
A Blue screen opened in front of me showing all my stats.
The stats flickered for a moment, then vanished entirely. A soft pulse rippled through the crystalline walls, like a heartbeat beneath the surface.
Resetting with my stats?
Who knows…
I shrugged and turned my attention to the new window that had just appeared.
I pondered this for a bit. I knew I could not die so it gave me a bit of courage, but I was not crazy either. I wanted to learn to use my spells and increase my skills.
“Intermediate.”
Light poured from the walls and began to swirl, forming shapes—shifting, coalescing—until images emerged. Buildings. Familiar ones.
Buildings I knew.
The Crystal was building New York.
The walls dissolved, and the space expanded—stretching far beyond the original boundaries of the room. It was no longer just an apartment. It was something much larger, something impossible.
I first checked my body, and it felt solid, everything in its place. My staff appeared in my hand on command. I released a Mana Slash, and it worked perfectly.
Now I must look for Kobolds.
Hey everyone! ??
If you’ve been enjoying the story so far, I’d really appreciate it if you could leave a quick ? rating or review. It only takes a second, but it helps a lot with visibility and reaching new readers.