Ryujin sat contemplating his next move. "Should I keep playing HADO, or should I just quit? I don't know what to do... I guess I'll play for now." He booted up the game and played for an hour, but progress in Hearts and Woods Online was slow. He managed to level up just once, but the thrill of going solo had quickly worn off.

"This is so boring playing alone. None of my real-life friends are into RPGs either. What should I do? Should I look for a new guild? No, that would feel like abandoning my new friends. Ugh, my mind is a blank slate."

Frustrated, Ryujin decided to take a break from HADO and turned his attention to a new game called "Combot of Dawn." The vibrant graphics and engaging gameplay captured his interest, and he played for hours, rapidly leveling up to 56. Just when he thought he'd found his rhythm, boredom crept back in.

Exhausted from the gaming marathon, he decided to step back and spent the next two days binge-watching anime on his Chromebook.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

On the third day, he heard the familiar notification sound as Tsubasa messaged him: "Hey, bro! You down to play HADO?"

Ryujin quickly replied, "Of course, I'm down! Anytime!"

"Cool! Join the server 'DaylightSun,'" Tsubasa wrote.

"Okay, give me a minute." After a brief delay, Ryujin and Tsubasa entered the world of HADO together.

Tsubasa, a skilled player, was quick to take charge. "Follow me! We're going to get you some new armor."

"Really?" Ryujin's curiosity piqued.

"Yep! So, what level is your armor right now?"

"I'm level 17, and my armor is... level 5."

Tsubasa's eyes widened. "Bro, why haven't you leveled up your armor?"

"I... um, kind of forgot how to," Ryujin admitted sheepishly.

Tsubasa sighed, but his tone softened. "Alright, what class did you pick again?"

"I'm a warrior," Ryujin replied, slightly more confident.

"Great! Let’s head to the blacksmith."

Once they reached the blacksmith’s shop, Tsubasa asked, "Okay, so how much coal and tin do you have?"

"Uh, none..." Ryujin admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Bro, what were you doing all this time?" Tsubasa couldn’t hide his incredulity.

"Grinding levels," Ryujin said, shrugging in resignation.