James sat on the steps outside a quiet, run-down inn, exhaling deeply. For the first time since he had been dragged into this insane world, he wasn’t actively dying. He had his gear back—minus a few coins the thieves had spent—and he finally had a moment to breathe.

Lyra leaned against the wall beside him, tossing a dagger between her hands. “So, what now? We go after that money-making job I told you about?”

James shook his head. “Not yet. I need to figure out how this game actually works.”

Lyra quirked an eyebrow. “Took you long enough.”

James ignored her and pulled up the game’s UI.

A faint, translucent interface materialized in front of him, floating in his vision. Unlike modern MMORPGs he had played back home, this one had a distinctly old-school, minimalist design. A stats menu, inventory, and skills tab hovered in front of him, all with a slightly pixelated look—like something straight out of OSRS.

He started with his stats.

----------------------------------------

PLAYER: JAMES

Level: 5

Health: 25/25

Stamina: 38/38

Mana: 10/10

Gold: 43

COMBAT STATS:

* Attack: 7

* Strength: 6

* Defense: 4

* Ranged: 1

* Magic: 2

* Prayer: 1

SKILLS:

* Mining: 3

* Smithing: 2

* Agility: 1

* Thieving: 1

* Cooking: 1

----------------------------------------

James frowned. “I’m a total weakling.”

Lyra peered at his screen. “Wow. That’s embarrassing.”

James gritted his teeth. He had been fighting for his life—or lives—since he got here, and this was all he had to show for it? His Attack and Strength were barely above beginner levels, and his Defense was abysmal. No wonder everything hit him like a truck.

Then there was Ranged and Magic. A single point in Magic? He hadn’t even used magic yet.

“Alright,” he muttered. “I need to train up—a lot.”

He switched tabs to check his inventory.

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INVENTORY

* Cursed Sword of the Forgotten (??? Effect)

* Iron Chestplate (Dented)

* Ragged Cloth Pants

* Belt Knife

* Coin Pouch (43g)

* Moldy Bread

* Rotten Apple

----------------------------------------

James grimaced. “I have nothing useful.”

Lyra peered over his shoulder. “You have moldy bread. That’s kinda impressive.”

“Not in a good way.”

He closed the inventory and focused on the skills tab. This was where things got interesting.

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Unlike class-based RPGs, this system was purely skill-based—like OSRS. You weren’t locked into being a warrior, mage, or ranger. You could mix and match however you wanted.

James tapped Magic, and a small submenu popped up.

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MAGIC (LEVEL 2)

Spells Unlocked:

* Lesser Spark (5 Mana) - A weak electric jolt.

* Basic Light (2 Mana) - Creates a small floating orb of light.

----------------------------------------

James blinked. “I can use magic?”

“Yeah,” Lyra said. “Why do you think there’s a Magic stat?”

He sighed. “I just assumed it was another thing that hated me.”

Testing it out, he focused on Lesser Spark and willed the spell to activate.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then—

ZAP.

A tiny, flickering spark jumped from his fingers… and immediately fizzled out.

Lyra snorted. “Terrifying.”

James scowled. “It’s a start.”

The Ranged stat was equally neglected, but at least now he knew he could train it. If OSRS logic applied, he could start using a bow without needing to switch to a different "class."

Which meant—

“I don’t have to be stuck swinging a sword like an idiot,” James realized. “I can try magic, ranged, or anything else that works.”

Lyra smirked. “Yeah. But you do swing a sword like an idiot.”

James ignored her.

This game wasn’t going to hold his hand. Every lesson had been learned through pain, but now that he understood the mechanics, he could actually plan ahead.

He needed gear. He needed skills. And most of all, he needed to stop dying so much.

James closed the UI and stood up. “Alright. I’m ready.”

Lyra tilted her head. “For what?”

James grinned. “To stop being a weakling. First step—we need better armor.”

Lyra raised an eyebrow. “Got gold?”

“Some.” James patted his pouch. “Not a lot, but enough to check out some vendors and see what’s available.”

Lyra shrugged. “Alright. You’ll quickly find out that you can’t just buy everything.”

James frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You’re still low-level,” Lyra said, starting to walk toward the market district. “This world’s like OSRS, remember? You need the right stats to equip certain armor. Try putting on a steel chestplate with your current Defense and—poof!—it won’t let you.”

James grimaced. “Seriously?”

Lyra smirked. “Oh yeah. You’re still a total scrub.”

James sighed but followed her anyway.

The marketplace was bustling, a chaotic mess of wooden stalls and merchants hawking their wares. Armored adventurers bartered for weapons, robed figures examined potions, and blacksmiths displayed newly forged armor.

James approached a vendor selling protective gear. A Steel Chestplate caught his eye—far better than his current dented Iron Chestplate.

“How much for the steel chestplate?” he asked.

The vendor, a burly man with soot-stained arms, gave him a once-over. “Seventy gold.”

James hesitated. He only had 43 gold. Maybe he could negotiate—

“Hold on,” Lyra interrupted. “He’s Level 5. What’s the Defense requirement on that thing?”

The vendor chuckled. “Level 10 Defense.”

James winced.

Lyra grinned. “Told you.”

James sighed and glanced around at the more basic equipment. There was an Iron Helmet for 20 gold, a Leather Vest for 15 gold, and Padded Gloves for 10 gold.

“Okay,” he muttered. “I need to train Defense. A lot.”

Lyra folded her arms. “Took you this long to figure that out?”

James exhaled. If he wanted to survive, he couldn’t just rely on his cursed sword. He needed actual armor—and the stats to wear it.

He made his decision.