Chapter 3.1 The Sea Labyrinth
[Alter Koi Fish
Lvl: 1-5]
Its name fits the creature perfectly—Alter Koi Fish. They change form depending on whether they’re in water or air, and right now, with the name marked in red, I knew they were above my level. I could feel my pulse quickening as I scanned the swarm circling me, their gleaming scales shimmering menacingly under the moonlight.
The moment I killed the lead koi, the once-serene night was shattered by an ear-piercing screech. Dozens of the alter koi, now equipped with sharp, piranha-like teeth, launched out of the water, their wings slapping against the air as they surged toward me in a cloud of chaos. The stillness of the night was instantly replaced by the whistling wind and the shrill cries of these airborne predators.
“Heuk!” I gasped, instinctively jumping backward. I could feel the rush of cold air graze my skin as I narrowly dodged the snapping teeth of one. The sound of their wings, flapping erratically, created a haunting backdrop to the chaos. My heart raced, pounding so loudly that it drowned out the distant flicker of Ishigawa’s bonfire.
I knew one thing for certain—these monsters always moved in packs, twenty of them at least. No time to hesitate.
*Click!* My finger squeezed the harpoon gun’s trigger.
*Shlick!* The harpoon sliced through the air, the sudden recoil vibrating through my hands. I watched as the sharp metal spearhead pierced one of the flying fish, the momentum driving it into the side of a jagged rock column. The impact sent a shuddering echo through the cave-like formation.
“Uwaaaak!” The koi let out a final screech as its HP bar drained away. In a flash of light, it exploded into particles, but I couldn’t afford to be distracted by the spectacle.
[You’ve defeated the Alter Koi Fish. Exp +10]
“Waaaak!!” Another wave of screeches broke the night as the rest of the koi leaped out of the water, furious, their grotesque piranha faces snapping at the air. Their glistening scales reflected a deadly sheen as they launched toward me, teeth gnashing.
I barely had time to think, relying purely on instinct. I leapt backward again, feeling the solid rock beneath my boots just as the swarm landed hard on the ground where I had been standing moments before. The sound of them hitting the earth was sickening—fleshy slaps and the tearing of claws scraping at stone.
No time to pause. I quickly reloaded the harpoon gun, my hands moving automatically. Another quick trigger pull and *shlick!*—the harpoon found its mark, piercing yet another fish as it flailed wildly before dissolving into particles.
But they were relentless. As the harpoon gun reloaded, I quickly unsheathed the sturdy harpoon spear strapped to my back. The cold metal felt reassuring in my hands, and with a quick thrust, I stabbed one of the koi on the ground, its body writhing as it let out a final screech before disintegrating.
[You’ve defeated the Alter Koi Fish. Exp +10]
[You’ve defeated the Alter Koi Fish. Exp +10]
Despite their shift to land, these creatures weren’t slowing down. I could still hear their screeches cutting through the night air as they flapped their grotesque wings, trying to reach me again. Every screech sent a shiver down my spine. The smell of damp earth and fishy water filled my nostrils, thick and heavy, making it hard to breathe in the chaos.
But I couldn't afford to stop. With each leap to dodge their attacks, I shot another harpoon or swung my spear, my body moving with muscle memory. Every hit brought more of them down, but they kept coming—persistent, relentless. The cold night air bit at my skin, making the sweat beading on my forehead feel icy, but I focused on the warmth of the spear in my hands, the sound of metal slicing through flesh and air, and the faint hope of survival.
I could feel my legs tiring with each dodge, but I couldn’t stop now.
[You have leveled up!]
A familiar *ding* rang in my ears, the sound tugging at a distant memory from my days playing the PC version of SOLA Online. My pulse quickened as I glanced at the notification, its soft glow casting a faint blue light across the waterlogged environment around me. After nearly a hundred of these wriggling, menacing fish, I had finally hit level two.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
In SOLA Online, leveling up means two things: a base stat boost and three additional stat points to assign however you choose. The virtual interface hovered before me, its translucent panels flickering as I quickly allocated my newfound points—agility, dexterity, and strength. My fingertips moved deftly across the floating keyboard, the faint *click* of each confirmation satisfying.
Strength stat increases attack power and melee power. Since I'm using physical power, it will be useful in addition to agility and also useful when I'm doing melee harpoon attacks.
[ Ryuujin Mizushiro
Lvl: 1
Class: Merchant
Str: 3 (2+1+0)
Agi: 6 (2+1+3)
Int: 2 (2+0+0)
Vit: 2 (2+0+0)
Dex: 6 (2+1+3)
Luk: 2 (2+0+0)
WP: 2 (2+0+0) ]
A sharp rush coursed through me—an unmistakable surge of power. My muscles felt tauter, my limbs lighter, as if the weight of fatigue had been lifted. The cool, salty air of the underwater cavern seemed to fill my lungs more easily. I could sense the increased strength flowing through my veins as if my body had finally adjusted to the virtual world’s physics. However, the immediate threat of new monsters quickly sobered my moment of satisfaction.
The swarm of fish I’d been battling was no longer level one; they were now a group of level two, and their movements had become faster, more erratic. Yet, I felt strangely calm, my body already adjusting to their rhythm. Each swipe of their fins, each sharp glint of their scales as they darted towards me, was predictable. Muscle memory from my countless hours on the PC version kicked in, guiding me as I dodged and countered.
[**Ishigawa is voice-calling. Accept/Decline.**]
The notification startled me, a jarring contrast to the frenetic pace of combat. I exhaled sharply. *What now, Ishigawa?* I thought. My harpoon was still embedded in a writhing fish when I hesitantly accepted the call, my eyes darting between the remaining enemies.
“What?” I snapped, trying to keep my frustration in check.
“I was checking the history logs of your precious character on SOLA PC Online,” Ishigawa’s voice echoed through the communication line, its tone uncharacteristically serious. My grip on the harpoon tightened instinctively. Something about his voice felt... off.
“What of it?” I replied, distracted but curious. My eyes scanned the chaotic battlefield in front of me, tracking the fish as they circled back for another attack.
“I looked into the exp logs,” Ishigawa continued, his voice calm but unnerving. “It took you 103 hours and 24 minutes of farming these fish before you unlocked the requirements for the underwater labyrinth.”
I shot a quick glance at the virtual screen displaying Ishigawa’s face. He sat at a cluttered desk, surrounded by holographic windows, looking more like a gaming developer than ever—well, he *was* a developer. But right now, his intense focus was disconcerting.
“I was busy with real-life work back then,” I muttered, narrowly dodging a fish that had lunged at me. “I could only play in the afternoons and nights. My daughter always wanted to come with me when I went fishing, but it was too dangerous. So, I showed her this... and well, she enjoyed watching spearfishing.”
The memory of those days surfaced for a moment—my daughter’s small hand gripping mine as she watched in awe. That’s how I ended up spending over 100 hours in the game, spearfishing my way to the labyrinth.
Ishigawa chuckled, breaking the momentary silence. “Oh... So that’s the prologue of the urban legend.” His voice shifted, a strange excitement lacing his words. It was eerie how he went quiet for a few seconds, only to burst out laughing. “Amazing! That’s the birth of the legend!”
I winced at his maniacal laughter, my focus returning to the battle at hand. The fish were relentless, but I’d gotten used to their erratic movements. If I kept grinding at this pace, maybe I could unlock the labyrinth again in about five or six days. I vaguely remembered needing to kill at least 15,000 of these flying fish.
Just as I thought Ishigawa had finished his bizarre outburst, he continued. “Hey, Ryuujin-kun, have you heard about the team in Germany doing research on gene therapy?”
My heart skipped a beat. *Gene therapy?* I blinked, barely keeping up with his sudden shift in conversation. Of all the things he could have brought up... why this?
“What about it?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant as my chest tightened.
“They’ve been reaching out to us for a year now. They think VR systems could be the key to advancing gene therapy, especially after SMA operations. Something about isolating brain activity from the spinal cord...” His words faded into the background as I focused on the battle, but they still sent a chill down my spine.
The mention of my daughter’s illness... it was too important to ignore.
“That’s... good news, right?” I forced myself to sound calm, though my grip on the harpoon tightened until my knuckles turned white.
“But there’s a problem,” Ishigawa’s tone shifted again, the earlier excitement replaced by a grave seriousness. The unease in my gut returned.
“Money?” I guessed, knowing that financial strain was always the problem over my daughter’s treatments. “Didn’t we cover that in the contract?”
He let out a dry laugh. “Money isn’t always the solution, my friend.” His voice was quiet now, too quiet.
I clenched my jaw. “What do you need?”
For a moment, there was silence—just the sound of virtual water lapping against the rocks, the distant screeching of the fish. Then, he spoke.
“Have you seen the announcements today?”
If I've seen any announcement today that seems to be important then it is the, " SOLA VR International."
“Bingo!” he shouted, his manic energy returning full force. The sudden outburst made my blood run cold. Something was very wrong.