The soft glow from three 27-inch monitors lit up Kai’s face as he frantically mashed the buttons on his keyboard.
On his central monitor, his character - a heavily armored dwarf warrior - desperately parried blows from the giant boss monster. The creature, a grotesque fusion of machine and flesh, loomed over the battlefield, its metallic tentacles lashing out at Kai's team.
"Shit, shit, shit!" Kai muttered, his eyes darting between his health bar and the boss's attacks. "Sarah, I need a heal!"
A golden light enveloped Kai's character as Sarah's priestess cast a healing spell. But it wasn't enough. The boss's next attack sent Kai's dwarf flying, his health bar depleting to zero.
[YOU DIED]
Character: Grimbold the Dwarf
Time alive: 8:42
Damage dealt: 145,623
Experience lost: 2,500
"Not again!" Kai slammed his hand on the desk. His eyes darted to the party status indicators as two more messages popped up in rapid succession:
[PARTY MEMBER DEFEATED: Shadowblade]
[PARTY MEMBER DEFEATED: LightBringer]
The discord channel erupted with groans and curses.
"That's it. I'm done," Sarah's defeated voice came through. "Six hours and we can't even get it below 40% health."
"Yeah, man," Jake chimed in, sounding exhausted. "Maybe we should call it."
Kai leaned back, running his hands through his disheveled brown hair. His blue eyes burned from staring at the screens for so long. Empty energy drink cans, crumpled snack wrappers, and a forgotten slice of pizza cluttered his desk – typical of a Friday night marathon gaming session.
Kai was about to agree when something caught his eye. Leaning forward, he replayed the boss fight in his head, focusing on its attack patterns.
"Wait," he said, excitement creeping into his voice. "Guys, I think I've got something."
Jake groaned. "Dude, come on. It's 4 AM."
"No, seriously," Kai insisted, pulling up the boss's stats on his second monitor. "Look at this. Every fourth attack, it does that big AOE slam, right?"
"Yeah, so?" Sarah asked, curiosity overtaking her fatigue.
Kai's fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up their character stats. "So, what if instead of spreading out, we stack for that attack? Jake, if you pop your evasion right before it hits, and Sarah, if you time your group shield..."
He laid out the plan, pointing out how they could use the boss's own attack pattern to create a window for massive damage.
There was a moment of silence, then Jake let out a low whistle. "That's... actually a good idea."
"It's risky," Sarah added, but Kai could hear the spark of hope in her voice.
Kai grinned, cracking his knuckles. "High risk, high reward. That's how we play, right? One more try. If it doesn't work, the next time we meet, beers on me."
"You're on," Jake chuckled. "Let's do this."
They respawned, making their way back through the neon-lit cyberpunk cityscape to the boss arena. Kai's dwarf took point, shield raised as they entered.
The fight began, and Kai called out the attacks. "AOE coming in three... two... one... Now!"
They stacked. Jake's rogue shimmered, becoming nearly invisible. Sarah's priestess threw up a light barrier. The boss slammed down, but this time, they were ready.
"Go, go, go!" Kai shouted.
Jake's rogue appeared behind the boss, daggers flying in a flurry of critical hits. Sarah's priestess unleashed a torrent of holy fire. Kai's dwarf charged in, his warhammer glowing with level 72 enchantments.
The boss's health bar plummeted. 75%. 50%. 25%.
"Holy shit, it's working!" Sarah yelled, her priestess dodging a retaliatory strike.
With a final, coordinated assault, they brought the mighty creature down. It collapsed in a heap of sparking metal and oozing flesh.
[VICTORY ACHIEVED]
Boss defeated: Cybernetic Abomination
Time: 14:23
Damage dealt: 1,543,267
Experience gained: 50,000
Rare loot unlocked!
"We did it!" Jake whooped. "Kai, you beautiful bastard!"
Kai leaned back, a wide grin spreading across his face. "See? Told you we could— wait, what the hell?"
A small glitch appeared in the corner of his main screen, pixelating the edge of the victory banner. It spread rapidly, consuming the image.
"Guys, are you seeing this?" Kai asked, frowning as he leaned in for a closer look.
"Seeing what?" Sarah asked, still celebrating. "Kai?"
The glitch exploded across all three monitors. The game world dissolved into a swirling chaos of code and fragmented images. At the center, a trident-like symbol pulsed with an eerie red glow.
"What the fu—" Kai started to say, reaching for the power button.
An overwhelming surge of energy burst from the screens. It wasn't just visual – Kai could feel it crackling over his skin, seeping into his very being.
He tried to move, to call out to his friends, but found himself paralyzed. The strange energy enveloped him as the world began to fade.
The last thing Kai heard was Jake's voice, distant and distorted: "Kai? Kai, you there, man?"
Then darkness claimed him, the red trident symbol burning in his mind as consciousness slipped away.
His last coherent thought was: God, I really hope this is just some weird dream...
----------------------------------------
The first thing Kai noticed as he regained consciousness was the smell. Gone was the familiar scent of his room - a mix of coffee, electronics, and the faintest hint of sweat from long gaming sessions. Instead, his nostrils were assaulted by the nauseating smell of manure.
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Did someone leave my window open again? he wondered groggily.
Kai's eyes fluttered open, then immediately widened in shock. Instead of the familiar sight of his bedroom ceiling, he found himself staring up at the evening sky.
"What the..." Kai muttered, pushing himself up to a sitting position. His head swam with the movement, and he took a moment to steady himself.
As his vision cleared, Kai took in his surroundings with growing disbelief. He was in the middle of a forest. Towering trees stretched as far as the eye could see. The ground was carpeted with a thick layer of moss and ferns, dotted here and there with overgrown mushrooms.
This has to be a dream, Kai thought, pinching his arm hard. The sharp pain did nothing to dispel the scene before him.
"Okay, stay calm," he said aloud, his voice sounding oddly muffled in the large forest. "Think this through logically."
Kai stood up, brushing leaves and dirt from his clothes. He was still wearing the t-shirt and sweatpants he had on while gaming, but his feet were bare.
First step, assess the situation, he thought, falling back on his analytical instincts.
He patted his pockets, finding only his phone and wallet. The phone, unsurprisingly, had no signal.
"Great," Kai muttered. "No shoes, no food, no idea where I am. This is just perfect."
As he continued his self-assessment, Kai noticed something strange on his right wrist. A faint, glowing mark pulsed just beneath his skin. It resembled the symbol he had seen on his computer screen just before... whatever this was had happened.
"Okay, that's new," he said, prodding at the trident-like mark. It didn't hurt, but he could feel a subtle warmth emanating from it.
Focus, Kai, he chided himself. Weird glowing tattoos can wait. Need to figure out where I am and how to get back home.
Kai picked a direction at random and started walking. As he moved through the forest, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The air felt different - thicker somehow, charged with an energy he couldn't quite explain.
It's like I can almost feel the life in this place, he thought. Stop it, that doesn't make any sense. You're just disoriented.
After what felt like hours of walking, Kai's ears perked up at a sound that didn't belong to the forest - voices. Human voices.
Finally, some answers, he thought, quickening his pace.
As he pushed through a particularly dense patch of undergrowth, Kai found himself at the edge of a small clearing. His jaw dropped at the sight before him.
A small village nestled at the foot of a towering mountain, its architecture unlike anything Kai had ever seen outside of historical documentaries or fantasy games. The buildings were constructed of wood and stone, with sweeping, tiled roofs that curved upward at the corners. People milled about, dressed in robes and carrying baskets of what looked like herbs and vegetables.
"No way," Kai breathed. "This can't be real."
He watched from the treeline for several minutes, his mind racing. The villagers spoke a language he couldn't understand, but their mannerisms and the general layout of the village reminded him of something...
It's like I've stepped into one of those Xianxia novels, he thought. But that's impossible. Right? This must be some sort of prank?
Deciding that standing in the forest wasn't going to get him any answers, Kai steeled himself and stepped out into the open. Almost immediately, several villagers noticed him and began pointing and talking excitedly.
Here goes nothing, Kai thought as he approached the nearest person – a bald old man.
"Excuse me," Kai said, trying to keep his voice steady. "Can you tell me where I am?"
The old man's eyes widened in surprise. He replied in a language Kai didn't understand, gesturing animatedly.
"I'm sorry, I don't..." Kai began, but trailed off as he realized something incredible. While he couldn't understand the man's words, their meaning was somehow becoming clear in his mind.
"Young man," the old man was saying, "are you lost? This is Misty Waterfall Village. If you don’t know where that is, we’re at the foot of Mount Celestial Ascent."
Misty Waterfall Village? Mount Celestial Ascent? I’ve never heard of either place. These names sounded like something out of a fantasy game, not real locations!
Kai struggled to keep his face neutral, not wanting to alarm the old man. Where on Earth was he? Or was he even on Earth anymore? The thought sent a chill down his spine.
"Yeah…I think I am lost," Kai said. "I'm not sure how I got here. Everything's a bit... fuzzy."
The old man's expression softened. "Ah, a troubled mind. Come, come. Let's get you something to eat and drink. Perhaps that will help clear your thoughts."
As Kai followed the elder into the village, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt at his deception. But he pushed the feeling aside, knowing that before he found out what was going on, caution was necessary.
It's not really lying, he rationalized. I am confused and lost. I'm just... omitting some details.
The old man led Kai to a small tea house near the center of the village. As they walked, Kai took in every detail he could, cataloging information for later analysis. The villagers went about their daily routines, but many paused to stare curiously at the newcomer in his odd clothing.
Inside the tea house, the air was fragrant with the scent of herbs and spices. The old man gestured for Kai to sit at a low table, then spoke quietly to the proprietor. Soon, a steaming cup of tea and a plate of dumplings were placed before Kai.
"Eat, drink," the elder encouraged. "Then we can talk about your situation."
Kai nodded gratefully and took a sip of the tea. The flavor was unlike anything he'd tasted before - complex, earthy, with an underlying energy that seemed to invigorate him.
Focus, he reminded himself. Gather information. But be careful what you reveal.
"Thank you for your kindness," Kai said, setting down the cup. "I'm afraid I don't remember much. My name is Kai, but beyond that..." He trailed off, shrugging helplessly.
The old man nodded sympathetically. "I am Chen Lao. It's not unheard of for cultivators to experience memory loss after a particularly intense breakthrough or battle. Perhaps that is what happened to you?"
Kai's ears perked up at the familiar term. Cultivators. So, this really is a xianxia world…
"Cultivators?" he asked, feigning ignorance. "I'm not sure what that means."
Chen Lao's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You don't know of cultivation? But surely, with your level of qi..." He trailed off, studying Kai more closely. "Fascinating. It seems your memories are more damaged than I thought. Tell me, young man, what do you know of qi?"
Kai pretended to concentrate, as if trying to recall something just out of reach. "Qi... it sounds familiar. Something about energy? Life force?"
The elder nodded encouragingly. "Yes, yes. Qi is the energy that flows through all living things. Cultivators are those who have learned to harness and strengthen their qi, gaining great power in the process."
As Chen Lao spoke, something extraordinary happened. A translucent window suddenly appeared in Kai's field of vision, hovering in the air like a holographic display. Kai managed to keep his expression neutral, but internally, his mind was racing.
A status window. Just like in the games. Either I’ve taken too many mushrooms again or I’m really in a new world…
The window displayed his name at the top, followed by a series of stats:
Name: Kai Thorn
Level: 1
Qi: 10/10
Strength: 10
Agility: 12
Durability: 10
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 9
Kai's eyes widened slightly at his stats.
"Is something wrong?" Chen Lao asked, noticing Kai's distraction.
Kai quickly refocused on the conversation. "No, sorry. Just... trying to process everything. You said cultivators can gain great power? How does that work?"
As the old man launched into an explanation of the basics of cultivation, Kai listened intently while also experimenting with the status window. He found that he could interact with it using his thoughts, expanding different sections and viewing more detailed information.
This is a game-changer, Kai realized. With this interface, I can optimize my growth in ways others can't even imagine.
"...and that's why many young cultivators join sects," Chen Lao was saying as Kai tuned back in. "The major sects provide resources and training that can greatly accelerate one's cultivation journey."
Kai nodded, filing away this crucial information. "These sects, are there many of them?"
"Oh yes," the elder replied. "The largest in our region are the Azure Sky Sect, known for their righteous path, and the Dark Moon Sect, who... well, they have a reputation for being more pragmatic in their pursuits."
Righteous path versus pragmatism, Kai mused. I'll need to learn more about these sects before making any decisions.
"Thank you for explaining all this," Kai said, bowing his head slightly. "It's helping to clear some of the fog in my mind. I'm still not sure how I got here or where I came from, but at least I have a better understanding of where I am now."
Chen Lao smiled. "You are welcome, young man. Now, we should consider your next steps. Without your memories, you are vulnerable. With your talent, perhaps we could arrange for you to meet with one of the sect recruiters when they next visit our village?"
Kai considered the offer. It was tempting - a direct path into this world's power structure. But he also knew he needed more information before committing to anything.
"That's very generous," he said carefully. "But I think I need some time to... find myself first. Is there somewhere I could stay for a few days? I'd be happy to work in exchange for lodging."
The old man stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Hmm, yes, that could be arranged. My nephew runs the village granary. He could always use an extra pair of hands during the harvest season. And we have a small guest house where traveling cultivators sometimes stay. It's yours for as long as you need."
Kai bowed deeply, genuinely grateful for the man's kindness. "Thank you, Chen Lao. Your generosity is overwhelming."
As they stood to leave the tea house, Kai caught his reflection in a polished metal surface. He still looked like himself - short dark hair, lean build, blue eyes - but something seemed different. There was an energy about him that hadn't been there before.
Welcome to your new life, Kai, he thought to himself. Time to start playing the game.