We found each other soon enough. The first two were Level 2 Kobolds. I was not going to just jump into this blindly, so I began relatively safely. The Kobolds did not hesitate and both stormed over.

  Both Kobolds stormed toward me, their claws outstretched. I had a solid arsenal of spells at my disposal, so I immediately cast Fleetstep. In an instant, my speed surged, allowing me to easily dodge the first Kobold’s swipe. The effect lasts only 10 seconds, but in a fight, that’s an eternity.

  I quickly followed up with Mana Slash, striking the first Kobold while nimbly evading the second one. However, its claws managed to land a shallow cut on my leg. I silently hoped that clothing wasn’t affected in the Illusion Realm — a small worry, but important.

  Turning toward the Kobold that had wounded me, I cast Mana Lash once again, this time with more force, followed immediately by Freeze to incapacitate it. I needed to take it out of the fight, at least temporarily. My attention then snapped back to the first Kobold, just in time to see it lunge at me again.

  With no hesitation, I unleashed Arc Slash. The lightning crackled and coiled around the Kobold, and I knew, with a grim certainty, that it was already dead — even if it hadn’t realized it yet. The arc of lightning then leapt to the second Kobold, still frozen in place, leaving it helpless to avoid the damage.

  As the lightning faded, I swung my staff and delivered the final blow to the frozen Kobold, ending the fight swiftly.

  Two down, three to go.

  I also noticed my Mini map was not working here, so I began walking carefully. It said to kill 5 Kobolds, not that there were only Kobolds.

  I walked for a while amazed that this place was not New York and that I am still in my apartment, or not?

  An illusion realm would not technically be on earth or even in my apartment.

  I forgot to keep my eyes open, and low and behold, a Level 3 Kobold found me. Luckily, it was alone. Unluckily for me, it wasted no time in attacking. Its speed and agility were immediately apparent, and before I could react, it landed a solid swipe with its jagged sword.

  The strike stung, and I realized just how outmatched I was. The Kobold's erratic and rapid movements made it clear: surviving past encounters with a Level 3 had been more luck than skill.

  I quickly cast Fleetstep and tried to put some distance between us, but the Kobold was faster than I anticipated. Despite my best efforts, I never managed to get enough ground between us. In the back of my mind, I recalled that Level 3 Kobolds were unstable — their speed came at the cost of balance. An idea formed, and I cast Stun.

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  The spell hit, and the Kobold froze mid-lunge, crashing to the ground in a heap. With my target now grounded, I knew I had the upper hand — at least for a moment. Instead of using Mana Slash, I opted for Arc Lash.

  The lightning surged from my staff, crackling and flooding over the Kobold, and I could see the damage rippling across its body. But it wasn’t enough to end the fight; the Kobold was still alive, though barely.

  As the spell faded, I saw the Kobold regain its footing. The Stun had worn off, and I was slower now, feeling the weight of exhaustion and the drained mana. But I pushed through and threw two quick Mana Slashes at it. The strikes hit but didn’t stop it — only slowed it down a little.

  Wounded but still moving, the Kobold darted toward me. Far too fast for my comfort, I realized I needed to end this now. I quickly cast Freeze.

  The Kobold froze in place; its body locked in immobility. I had exactly five seconds to finish it off.

  With no hesitation, I unleashed Mana Slash — once, twice, and then a final time. My aim was perfect, and with the Kobold unable to move, there was no way it could dodge. The strikes landed with precision.

  The Kobold remained frozen, but I knew it wasn’t over yet. As the last vestiges of the Freeze spell wore off, the Kobold tried to move. But its legs gave way, and it collapsed to the ground, dead.

  I was exhausted. I never fought so many Kobolds in such a short amount of time. I would rather hide and avoid the Kobolds than have back-to-back fights, in the real world, but this was not the real world. I could push myself here without the fear of death.

  I was still exhausted. I had two more Kobolds to fight, and I decided to give it my all. I wanted to learn, and I wanted to become stronger.

  The Kobolds found me soon enough. A Level 1 and a Level 3.

  The Level 3 Kobold was faster, but for some reason, it stayed back, allowing the Level 1 to charge. Fleetstep was kept in reserve for the faster Level 3, so I used Mana Slash on the Level 1. Fatigue must have been getting to me because the slash aimed at its neck only managed to cut across its chest.

  It slowed but didn’t stop. The chaos gave the Level 3 Kobold an opening, and it moved quickly to take advantage. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw its movement and had mere milliseconds to react. Fleetstep was the only option.

  I moved back, but the sword found me again, cutting deeper this time. Though it was just a simulation, the pain felt all too real.

  Before I could fully recover, the sharp teeth of the Level 1 Kobold sank into my calf. Kicking it away, I stepped back, narrowly dodging the sword that swiped inches from my nose. With no hesitation, I released Arc Lash. The Kobold stumbled but didn’t stop. Still, the brief delay gave me just enough time to land two quick Mana Slashes.

  It wasn’t dead… yet.

  Casting Freeze, I glanced at the Level 1 Kobold. It wasn’t moving, but it wasn’t dead… yet.

  Arc Lash cracked through the air, splitting in two and ending the lives — if they were ever alive in the simulation — of both Kobolds.

  The New York in front of me began to crumble, folding in on itself like a collapsing dream. Patches of glowing wall flickered into view behind the fading images as the illusion unravelled.

  Within moments, the city was gone.

  I was standing once again in the room—in the real New York.

  I needed a snack and a rest—and not necessarily in that order.

  I took the stairs up, walked straight to my bed, and fell face-first onto it. Then I just lay there.

  Sure, I probably should have been thinking about the fight, analysing what went right, what went wrong—maybe even coming up with some impressive, inspirational insight about how to improve.

  But I was way too drained for that.

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  first Royal Road chapter of each pair. The second one won’t have pictures. If you want to see all the art together (or earlier), it’s on Patreon with the combined chapters!