During the course of the game, Wesley had vanquished many foes and explored many dungeons; however none could compare to the warmth he felt by being with his family. Thinking of them was like taking a magical elixir that would revive his spirit and restore his strength.He opened his game’s inventory and looked at memories placed in his virtual backpack. Every one of them, from precious relics to the simple potions, made him remember the real life experiences he missed. His brother had challenged him to have better performances in gaming and that had been his drive while his parents’ words gave him the morale boost.While sitting by a fire Wesley remembered the relationships he had with his family. It was not like simple buffs or debuffs, as they were in truth the essence of who he truly was. The virtual world might have imprisoned him but home was always his beacon of light even when he was trapped in the midst of the dark dungeons.He finally got up and with yet a deep breath prepar
The name ‘The Abandoned Desert’ flashed on screen as the sweat on Wesley’s forehead dropped and he wearily clutched the handle of his sword. "Okay, deep breath... I just need to get through this level. There must be a way out of this game…”. He and his companion, Thorn, were traveling across a barren region under the scorching heat of the sun. A thick sandstorm surrounded him and obscured his vision. ‘Be careful about your health, player! You’re low on energy now. Drink a potion before the next wave hits’ a fellow player suggested.Wesley rummaged through his stash and pulled out a health potion off his bag. “Well, that should suffice me for the moment.” He moved forward and in an instant, the screen blinked. The ground seemed to buckle and move, and there, just for a moment, a familiar sight flashed before him, a memory. Mom’s garden in spring, beautiful and ringing with colors. His dad laughing from the outside and his brother and other friends coming down the street on their b
"Maybe your save file is corrupted. Happens sometimes. Just reset your console, dude." "No you don't get it, we're trapped here. Time has passed. Weirdly, actually. Everytime I close my eyes, I spawn back at the last check point." "Wait. Are you serious?" "Dead serious? Remember that forest level, where you have to dodge the traps? I've run through it over a hundred times." "Dude, that's impossible. Respawns only happen when you die. Right?" "Except I haven't died. I just reset, like the game's looping " 'New quest unlocked: BREAK THE CYCLE. Objective: ESCAPE' The game AI said. "See that? It's like the game knows I'm trying to break free" "Okay, let's think this through. Maybe there's a hidden mechanic, like a secret quest line you haven't triggered." "I thought so too. Tried everything. I've collected every item, completed every side quest, maxed out my XP. Nothing changes." "Have you tried multiplayer? Maybe someone else can pull you out." "No one els
A clock appeared in the top corner of his screen, counting down from 24 hours in real time. His heart thudded in his chest as he started moving through the forest, his HUD glowing red, indicating enemies were near. "Just stay calm", Wesley muttered. "It's just an event driven quest." But this time the enemies weren't mindless AI-controlled mons. They were ruthless adapting to his tactics. He switched between stealth and combat mode, landing critical backstabs and counter-parries, but they just kept coming, their movements more erratic, as if the game's AI was learning faster than any other game he'd played. For the first time in years, he felt like he was outmatched. Finally after what felt like hours of endless fighting, he reached a clearing. In the center stood a towering black beast, Tador. It's body a mass of writhing shadows, its glowing eyes locked on a figure bound to a pillar of light. His mother. Wesley's breath caught in his throat. She looked exactly like his real mom.
"Alright, inventory check," Wesley muttered to himself as he pulled up his HUD, his health was low and he was running out of potions. He still had a handful of bombs and traps but they wouldn't be enough if he ran into another pack of enemies. With a sigh, Wesley closed the menu and leaned back against the wall, thinking. He had recently received a message from another player, someone named Zilor, claiming there was a way out. The message was cryptic, filled with strange coordinates and warnings. But Wesley had nothing to lose. He was desperate for any lead that could get him out of this nightmare. "Okay",he whispered, glancing at the waypoint marker that blinked on his mini map. "Just follow the path. Easy enough." He stood and began to move cautiously through the hallways of the castle, his boots tapping lightly on the stone floor. He kept his sword drawn and his eyes darted around every corner. The castle was quiet, too quiet.In games like this, that was a very bad sign. After
Wesley knew he didn't have much time left. He was thus determined to fight any mini-bosses that might be left lurking in the shadows. He had a strong resolve to ensure he made his family proud. Coming from a home where games were prioritized even by his father he was thus determined to ensure he kept to the mark. He would then tell his victory story of how he was able to make it out of a game that meant to lock him up forever.He had countless mini-bosses ahead of him to fight. So he was bent on being as prepared as possible. He had just confronted some of the strongest of them. That meant that those ones he was yet to confront might even be stronger than the ones he had fought and won. And they also weren't easy battles. He continued on his way. Making sure to keep to all guidelines and rules given. He was bent on being the winner. He was stopped in his way by a clawed hand. The hand was very muscular and he kept wondering how this hand located him and who exactly the hand belonged
"What ember? I don't have any ember that you may need." "Of course you do. It's right here." The mini-boss replied calmly, pointing softly to the fine, shining ember on Wesley's sword. "The ember on my sword! That of all things? Is what you want me to give to you?" We both know that's not possible. So soak it all in." Wesley said as he flashed his sword at the mini-boss who tried to strangle him."What are you trying to do? Get away? News flash! I lied! There's no way out in this game. There's no turning back. You're in, you are in and that's the final fate of all players. You'll be eaten by Shadow and that is the end of the story! The earlier you get used to and understand that, the better for you!" "And for you too." The mini-boss had told the truth. He never envisaged Wesley would be able to escape. He was now bent on making sure he'd kill Wesley, seeing that he had passed on very vital information to him."There's no way you're making it out of here alive. Seeing what you know,
'You are welcome to the bridge of Despair' a notification read on the screen as the AI voice read rhythmically. Wesley was filled with an awe he was so intrigued at and overwhelmed with. He thought so much that he was close to finding the exit portal for the game. Little did he know he was close but not yet as close as he thought. The grounds immediately began to shake and tumble. He was terrified. The ember was weak and he was yet to exit this level so there was no upgrading or gifting till he did. "What do we do?" Wesley asked, looking frantically at Thorn. "We might need to seek the help of the goddess. This seems like doom if we don't find a way out." "Ta-da? I'm here!" Lily said from behind Wesley's ears. "You scared me Lily! What did you do? The ground is suddenly steadied!" "I did what I had to do to help a dying hero!" Lily mocked. "You mustn't mock me! C'mon! That's what you Lightans do! Help people! Ain't it?" "Yeah, so is it a crime if we take some feather