Ahead of Sim a tall tree with thick branches sprouted from the ground in front of him blocking his path to the exit of the cave. The tree was covered in thorny vines as they wrapped themselves around the trunk stopping Sim’s escape. In front of the vine barrier, a long branch reached from the top of the tree towards Sim as he snapped out of it.
[In’nali Chambers.]
“Sim?” A voice chimed.
Caleb, Caspar, Sim, Ava, Roman, Lily and Sim stood in front of a large cavern , surrounded by trees. The entire cavern was built of a black dirt, which gave the cavern an eerie feeling. The walls curved around them creating a maze. It appeared that these forests had been cut from the earth with a powerful magic spell.
“Big brother, your hair is so weird this way,” Lily snickered.
They all marveled over his hair color change . The tips of his hair began to look lighter as it became a verdant green hue over the gray, his skin color also looked more pale. His clothes looked a little baggy on his slight frame, but they fit him perfectly.
“You need to stop going after that girl man!” Roman scolded.
“He carved the rune into his skin and ape all for that girl?” Caspar laughed.
He sighed knowing no one would understand what he was trying to do. He needed to keep Della safe, she was the only thing that mattered. It didn’t matter if she liked him back or not, that’s not his main priority.
As long as this otherside of soul is leaking out there is no way he should keep in touch with her, he thought. Ava noticed how down Sim was.
"Are you alright?" Ava asked.
He nodded in response, "Yeah..."
“You really don’t want to be here do you?” Ava questioned.
“Is everyone ready? This chamber is levels 10-20 so we should be fine!” Caleb shouted.
The tunnel was just one straight shot ahead . It led to a stone archway that led to a lot of different rooms filled with shelves and racks filled to the brim with books and jars. At the center of the room sat an orb that shone brightly. Its bright light was reflected through a pair of glass doors and illuminated the current room.
They thread carefully through the hollow halls trying their best not to knock anything over. Some areas had small tables filled with books while others were filled with jars containing potions and gems. At the end of the hall stood a set of double wooden doors. They slid open and revealed another long hallway filled with more bookshelves.
“Looks like Helix’s library,” Sim thought.
[Rune users will be affected so please be aware.]
They heard a squirming noise. Sim glanced behind him to see three men wearing strange armor. They wore helmets and carried swords strapped to their backs. They pushed the small group aside so they could enter the library.
The bookshelf doors closed automatically when they entered causing the library to become dark except for the glow of their weapons. There seemed to be no windows to let in any sunlight and it felt a bit claustrophobic. Sim felt trapped.
“They seemed in a hurry,” Caspar smirked.
“Remember, we are here so the others can level and in case the others need help,” Caleb scolded.
They entered next to each other with the four men in front as Sim walked with Ava and Lily. After entering, the group followed a winding pathway through the shelves until they found themselves at a door leading to a long stone bridge over a river. There was only darkness in front of them save for a dim blue orb above.
“Two or three hours sounds like enough time here right?” Caleb thought.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Undead spawns spawned everywhere. Their bodies were covered in gray armor, white eye beams were embedded into the chest plates of their armor, and red runes were carved onto the breast plate. They had no faces. However, most people couldn't tell whether their eyes were empty holes, a blank stare, or both.
“Lily, battle stance!” Roman shouted.
“I am a spirit user idiot!” Lily mumbled.
He pulled the necklace off his neck allowing it to transform into a sword he jumped in slicing the undead one after. With his magical prowess, he easily took down the monsters with ease.
“Too easy!” Lily laughed.
[Lily Owens.]
“Unify Control!” Lily commanded
[MP -200.]
[MP remaining 4800/5000.]
Raising her hand up she allowed the metal sphere to obliterate. the remaining undead in a dazzling display of power. The metal sphere in her hand glowed brightly before releasing a concentrated beam of energy, disintegrating any undead unfortunate enough to be caught in its path. The enemies fell one by one, their bodies turning to dust and fading away into nothingness.
[Roman Loughty.]
Slamming his sword into anything that moved while Sim watched not moving as Ava gawked at him curiously while Caspar shook his head in disbelief. Lily watched an orb of light that went flying out of the cavern. Roman continued fighting. The last one dropped dead with an audible thud.
“You should be fighting Sim,” Ava smiled.
“Why?” Sim questioned.
“So you can level and gain strength,” She replied.
“What is the point?” He asked.
His eyes focused on each swipe against the undead. Every swing, every stab, every kick he executed with perfect aim. All those times when he saw a monster attack from afar, all his effort, energy and blood went into each strike. The attacks created damage on the body of the enemy. As the enemies died, their armor broke, leaving flesh and bones exposed.
[“Bone Warriors” Defeated. EXP +50. Current EXP 100/2000. [Useless Man Coins] X5 Acquired.]
[Roman Loughty: Congratulations you’ve reached [Level 12].]
“Brother Roman, you are so dedicated!” Lily said happily.
Ava opened the oversized book in her hands as Sim gawked at her reading it. He couldn't read. He tried to gauge what it said without success.
“I'm sure you have never seen a book like this before, have you?” Ava chuckled, “
“Why can’t I read it?” He questioned.
“Because this your world as mine was destroyed along with all my friends and family…Sim I barely got away,” Ava explained.
“Sorry to spoil your moment, but Sim you need to get your ass out there!” Celab scolded.
Getting behind Sim he pushed him out in the middle of the dungeon floor.
“Go!” Celab ordered.
After Celab left Sim walked forward in the darkness looking for the next creature. Just then a large purple dragon landed in front of him. Its scales sparkled in the moonlight. A golden horn sprouting from its forehead.
He steeled himself taking deep breaths. His heart was pounding against his ribcage. The monster was clearly annoyed at being disturbed. The dragon lowered its head and charged. Sim dodged the dragon’s first attempt at catching him but his legs gave out underneath him. Sim stumbled on the floor landing hard, scraping his arm on the stone.
[You can identify at hand. Just say identify]
“Identify!” Sim shouted.
[Violet Serpent-Like Dragon: Dungeon Enemy [Level 11.] ]
“Hmm…”
Getting up from the cold ground he looked around for other threats to eliminate. He spotted a small opening in the wall behind the creature. Without a second thought, he darted towards it. The beast roared furiously.
“Big brother! You need to use your rune abilities!” Lily chided.
“R-Right!” Sim shouted.
“Yay! I did it!” Lily yelled.
[“Violet Serpent-Like Dragon” Defeated. EXP +50. Current EXP 100/2000. [Useless Man Coins] X5 Acquired.]
[Lily Owens: Congratulations you’ve reached [Level 12].]
“Two levels behind us bro!” Lily smirked.
Sim felt frustrated and wanted to run away from the dungeon. He started running towards the door but tripped. Rolling over on his back he looked up to see the monster standing over him. It raised its claws to stab at Sim.
“Rise!” Sim shouted.
[MP-150]
[MP Remaining 850/1000.]
The ground beneath the beast knocked its feet out from under it. Sim used its momentum as a boost to jump to the side. Sim rolled onto his knees.
“Assault Sylvan Fusion!” He commanded.
Nature burst through the concrete floor of the library as tendrils smashed into the dragon’s chest
with incredible speed. It flew across the room. Slamming into the far wall, making the entire structure shake and fall to pieces. A few of the fallen shelves broke free from their moorings and crashed through the ceiling falling with great force.
[“Violet Serpent-Like Dragon” Defeated. EXP +50. Current EXP 100/1090. [Useless Man Coins] X3 Acquired.]
He stood in disbelief and felt like he was in an RPG game that he got stuck in. Sim stood up, dusting himself off and staring at the fallen dragon in awe. The room was in ruins, but he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement and accomplishment. The words that had appeared before him, signaling his victory and rewards, echoed in his mind.
"This is insane," he muttered to himself. "Defeating a dragon and gaining experience points? Useless Man Coins? What kind of world am I trapped in?"
Sim couldn't deny the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins. It felt oddly satisfying to have defeated such a formidable enemy. He glanced around the demolished library, his eyes landing on the fallen shelves and broken ceiling.
Taking a deep breath, Sim realized that he had two choices: he could either wallow in confusion and despair or embrace the adventure that had unexpectedly unfolded before him. The latter option seemed more appealing, despite the bizarre circumstances.
With a determined expression, Sim reached out and collected the three Useless Man Coins that had materialized in front of him. He examined them closely, wondering what purpose they held in this strange game-like reality.
"Alright," he said, a grin forming on his face. "If I'm stuck in some weird game world based on my book, then I might as well make the most of it."
Sim's mind raced with possibilities. He recalled stories of brave heroes and epic quests, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. This unexpected turn of events presented him with an opportunity to become a legendary hero himself.
“Ava, I am gonna get us out of here!” Sim smiled.