CHAPTER 12: ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER SURVIVAL ENCOUNTER

Michael approached the Shaman, which was hurling incomprehensible curses at him in its guttural tongue. With a single [Power Blow], he emptied its life bar, and the creature crumpled to the ground.

Breathing heavily, he realized his Spirit was completely drained. Again. Frustrated, he silently promised himself to invest more attribute points into Intelligence and Wisdom at the next opportunity.

After collecting the loot from the fallen Shaman, he climbed down from the elevated rock formation.

The sounds of battle reached his ears—his allies were still engaged with the goblin warriors. Michael moved quickly, taking advantage of the chaos. Flanking the distracted goblins, he dispatched them efficiently from behind. It took them 40 seconds to eliminate them all.

"Are you guys okay?" he asked, scanning his team for injuries.

"We’re fine," Kate replied, though her pale face and trembling hands told a different story.

The group looked utterly disheveled. Several of them still had arrows sticking out of their armor, and Joe looked especially shaken.

"Luckily, we brought detoxification potions," Kate added, gulping one down to counteract the lingering poison effects.

Joe, however, seemed the most rattled. "I... I can’t believe we almost died out here," he said, his voice quivering.

The others reassured him. Making sure he was fine.

Jake clapped Michael on the shoulder, his face brimming with gratitude. "Michael, that was insane! The speed you unleashed back there was unreal. I bet those goblins never saw you coming."

The others chimed in with their thanks:

"That was amazing!"

"Glad you’re on our team!"

Their expressions were full of admiration and relief, and Michael couldn’t help but smile. He was happy to have contributed to the group’s survival.

"No problem," he replied humbly. "Those goblins were strong, but they can't beat our team."

His modest response only endeared him further to the group, who now viewed him with a mixture of awe and gratitude.

Arin, however, broke the moment of camaraderie with a reminder. "We need to leave this place immediately. There’s no guarantee that was the only goblin party."

"Right," Michael agreed, suddenly aware of their precarious situation. They were still deep in enemy territory, and their health bars weren’t in great shape.

After collecting the remaining loot from the battlefield, the group retreated back toward the safety of the forest.

DAY 4

Leaving his VR capsule, Michael took a deep breath, letting reality settle back into focus. He sat down to process the near-death encounter with the goblins.

The problem, he realized, was their overconfidence. They had been too absorbed in slaughtering zombies to properly assess their surroundings.

We need to be smarter, he thought grimly. Mark potential ambush points like caves, elevated terrain, or chokepoints on the map. Maybe even send recon.

Stellarion wasn’t like other games. The monsters didn’t follow simple, predictable AI routines. They behaved like living, thinking creatures, capable of strategy and ambush tactics.

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After a while, Michael got up and went to grab breakfast. He made a mental note to discuss these strategies with Arin and the team during their next session.

Leaving his house, Michael felt a quiet excitement build as he headed out to train and spend time with Annabelle. Those moments with her were quickly becoming the highlight of his days.

He remembered one of her guilty pleasures—candy. Stopping by a small shop on the way, he picked up a packet of her favorite kind.

When he arrived at the gym, Annabelle was already there, stretching and tying her shoes. He chuckled softly when she adjusted the laces a second time, even though they were already perfectly secure.

It was one of her little habits, something uniquely her. Another was the collectible stickers she adored. Her gym bag was covered in them—tiny, colorful symbols of her personality.

They made her look more approachable, even playful, and Michael found it utterly endearing.

"Guess what I brought?" Michael teased, holding up the candy.

Annabelle’s face lit up with delight, her eyes sparkling as she took the packet. "You remembered! We’ll save these for after training," she said, tucking them into her bag with a grin.

Their training had become a routine, and Michael cherished the progress he was making.

"You’ve gotten a lot stronger," Annabelle remarked, genuinely impressed as they sparred.

Michael grinned. Thanks to [Shunpo] doubling his speed, his stats now rivaled those of a level 10 or 11 player. "You’re not bad either," he replied, noting the subtle improvements in her movements.

Based on her prowess, he guessed she was level 15 by now, far ahead of him.

Despite a pang of jealousy, Michael felt nothing but pride for her. She had worked hard to reach that level, and he admired her determination.

Their sparring session was intense. Annabelle still had the upper hand, leaving Michael bruised and out of breath, but she was patient and encouraging. She corrected his mistakes with a calm, steady tone and even slowed her movements to help him keep up.

"Focus on your footwork," she advised, demonstrating a quick pivot. "Don’t just rely on your speed—control it."

Their training left him tired.

After training, they freshened up and left the gym together. Michael offered her his hand, and though she hesitated briefly, she didn’t pull away. Her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink, and her pulse quickened as their fingers intertwined.

"Shall we?" he asked, his voice light.

Annabelle nodded, trying—and failing—to hide her blush.

They shared the candy as they walked, laughing over small jokes and stories. Annabelle picked out her favorite pieces first, her playful quirks bringing a smile to Michael’s face.

"You’re going to eat all the good ones," he teased, mock-pouting.

"Finders keepers," she retorted.

Michael laughed, feeling a warmth spread through his chest. These moments with Annabelle felt simple, but they meant everything to him.

Lost in his bliss, he didn’t notice the shadowy figures trailing them at a discreet distance.

*****

"Not a word of what happened today to my family," Annabelle said, her tone like ice.

She stood alone now, having parted ways with Michael, and addressed the two guards who had followed her. The warmth and lightness she had shown earlier were gone, replaced by a cold, commanding presence that radiated authority. Her piercing glare left no room for argument.

The guards exchanged uneasy glances. They were stunned. They had watched her grow from a child into the strong, resolute woman before them. But this... this softer side of Annabelle—the one laughing, blushing, and acting like a girl in love—was entirely foreign to them.

"What happened to that cold-blooded, killer like demeanor?" one guard muttered under his breath.

The other shook his head. "It’s still there. You saw how fast she switched back." He replied bewildered by her personality change. He worried she had developed mental problems. He had never seen someone change personality so quickly.

To see her soft side show this way...

The thought of this brought tears to their eyes. They had seen the young miss grown up, encountering all kind of events. Yet the difference of treatment between Michael and them was like night and day.

Where did they go wrong? Why ?

Their thoughts inevitably turned to Michael. The young man was a mystery to them, but one thing was clear: he was getting dangerously close to their young miss.

"If he dares to hurt her..." one of them growled, his fists clenching.

"...we’ll make sure he regrets it," the other finished grimly.

*****

Michael, now heading home, suddenly shivered.

Did someone curse me? he wondered, rubbing the back of his neck. The odd sensation lingered for a moment before fading.

Shrugging it off, he focused instead on how the day had gone. He replayed Annabelle’s laugh, her blush, and the way her hand had felt in his.

A small smile tugged at his lips as he walked on, completely unaware of the storm brewing behind him.