As my excitement surged I didn’t waste any time to pressed its icon and use it, still—

[Can't use this item now.]

“Wait, what is this, a bug?”

I got confused by the system's automatic response. As anyone would do in this situation, I proceed to use it again, just to make sure.

[Can't use this item now.]

Again, and again.

[Can't use this item now.]

[Can't use this item now.]

[Can't use this item now.]

[Can't use this item now.]

[Can't use this item now.]

“To hell with it!” The system’s response echoed in my consciousness as it mocking me with its repetitive refusal.

Did they make a change so players can't use certain items when facing this sky-towering horn? It made sense, in a way. Anyone who gives up halfway must accept that they failed and accept the consequences falling into the abyss. The ability to teleport would indeed remove the essence of the challenge itself, a shortcut too convenient to be allowed, something like that?

Those dev, I thought bitterly. They're helpful in a way that actually complicates my situation further.

It never crossed my mind that willingly jumping down and meeting my demise would be an option at this stage. It's true that I could use this wide platform as a foothold and slowly make my way down, but reality was far from simple—I hadn't fully passed through the veil of thin clouds; they still surrounded me; the fierce wind had become a persistent obstacle.

It seems like there's no other way but to do it slowly. Just then an idea formed in my head. Why not use a skill? I remember there's a ninja skill that allows you to teleport a few meters in an instant, yeah, that would be helpful. Alas, reality struck me once again, "I'm a mage, I didn't have that kind of skills, and I also have yet to grasp the basics of skill usage in this virtual reality."

For someone who simply checked the "Agree" on User's Agreement without reading anything but nothing, I'm actually quite diligent in things that interest me. So just don't underestimate my willness, you damn devs! And so I spent a considerable amount of time reading guides and tutorials.

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—"Well, this would be difficult without practice,” I then chirped.

However you look at it, this is not your generic novel; the transition from pressing a button to fully immersing oneself in virtual reality was no simple feat. "Sigh, what a disappointment! I was hoping for unique items or skills like the ones in those notoriously boring genre of anime."

"SHREEAAK!"

I jolted, suddenly aware that the tranquil ambiance up here had transformed. Evening had given way to night, a fact that I didn’t pay much attention to because of my own predicament.

The recent screech, resembling the call of birds—or perhaps a flock of nocturnal creatures—had caught me off guard. I remembered slaughtering them near this place for their materials. "Haha, I guess they won't remember me, right? AI can't be that intelligent, can they?"

However, the rumbling noise caused by the flock of avian beasts grew more frequent, more vigorous, and seemed to draw nearer. "Well, I suppose I'm in trouble now. Better to be caught by them than impaled by thorns, I suppose."

I resigned myself and waited for my fate. After all, I can log in again once the death penalty is over. This isn't Blade Art Online, so why am I overthinking over a regular game? In fact, this is a world where I have the opportunity to do things I can't do in the real world. Isn't that the essence of virtual reality? At least for me it is. So it's settled, then!

My left hand found a grip to maintain my balance while bending one of my legs. I opened the character window displaying the equipment I was wearing. I pressed on the main and sub-weapon slots and selected two items I had in mind.

For the sub-weapon, a magic device that resembled a translucent orange fire scarf, securely wrapped around my neck. As for the main weapon, I swung my right hand and an ordinary-looking magic rod materialized in my grasp.

In this game, players can add or modify an item's status and appearance using Blacksmith skills. What I'm wearing is simply a preference of mine for something simple and straightforward. Even the character I created looks exactly like a newbie who just started playing this game, at least in terms of appearance.

Oh, as for this scarf, it's actually a drop item and I haven't made any changes to it yet, so it can be excluded.

"SQUEAK, SQUEAK!"

"Here they come!"

Aided by the moonlight I could see through the thin clouds, witnessing the shadows of monsters flying towards me. I readied myself, several skills came to mind to savor this moment.

A bird, or a chicken, as big as an ostrich, pierced through the clouds. Followed by two, followed by three, and... "Wait, wait, wait, how many of you are there?" I was clearly taken aback. The number of them was not just in the tens. There was nothing like this before, you know.

If this is the case, they will come rushing at me without me being able to defend myself. All the skills that were in my head suddenly became useless. But that means they will charge towards me here, am I wrong?

Another skill comes into my mind. With a hard tap of my magic rod on the platform, magic circles of various sizes spun around, forming a dome around me. I can feel the energy surging from within me as my MP bar decreased by a certain amount.

"[Cast: Wind Storm!]," I exclaimed as the magic circles came to a halt.

I have leveled up this skill to its maximum level. Besides being the most dominant area of effect skill used by a mage, it also provides equivalent effects and damage. However, this skill has a very long cast time. But with my current set, I can cut it down to almost two seconds. I also have a set and combo for insta-casting it, but the preparation takes time, so I have to settle with this for now.