As usual, my body’s a little sore, spending so long without any proper movement doesn’t do you much good on that front, and it’s not like I have particularly high quality immersion gear…

Eh, whatevs! Now, let’s get down to business!

I [Recall]ed everybody before logging out, so it’s not like I’m in a race against time here or anything, they won’t get mauled while I’m gone, because right now none of them exist, but I would like to get back to gaming within a not significant amount of time.

Okay… huuuuup!

One stretch… two stretch, red stretch blue stretch, don’t trip over yourself, get adjusted to being a normal person again, and… cool! Now, what are we feeling?

I’ve got a bunch of ready made stuff, and it’ll probably spoil soon enough, so getting around to that is the priority, but at the same time, I haven’t actually eaten in awhile. It’s uh, it’s been a bit of a day you know?

So, do we solve this issue with a proper meal? Ooooor, do we just chuck more than one thing in the microwave?

Ding ding ding!

Open up the nuggies, tear the pretzels out, wham bam in and in they go, slam beep boop bop, and now we wait.

“Du-dululudu-du… Hey Luci?”

“Yes Ethan?”

“Disable the Immersion Gear.”

“Certainly, Ethan.”

I’ve left it on for a good while now. These things aren’t usually prone to lagging or overheating, but you’re always better safe rather than sorry, no? Like I said, not exactly a high quality model that I’ve got my hands on.

“Du-dululudu-du, du-dululudu-du, du-dululudu-du, du-dululudu-du, du-dululudu-du, bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bop-bah, rabadingadabadoobadin-”

Beep!

YOINK!

Indeed, those were the slowest thirty seconds of my life. But now, my prize of sustenance awaits me.

I’d go eat outside, but I get the feeling I’d just be disappointed. Better to eat in house, the mundane is much better than the false glamor of the outside world.

Oh also it’s really cold out. Middle of winter, not very coolio.

So… I sit down, the plate follows suit, and the munchies thereafter.

It’s a very standard affair, follow suit some other necessities do, and just like that? I’m once more ready to log back in.

“Luci!”

“Yes, Ethan?”

“Please get the immersion gear ready, yeah?”

“Working on it now.”

…First time in a week that it’s said anything else. Neat. Well, that’ll take a minute or two, so what to do while I wait?

…

“Du…”

Nah, don’t wanna get that stuck in my head while I’m playing… what else? It’s cold outside, not much to do… I could… shoot some of my friends a DM, I guess?

Oh yeah, it’s been a day, I wonder how Onesie’s doing? Surely he’s made some amount of progress by now? A fighting force of fifteen people total, was it? Fourteen guys and himself… yeah I think that’s about right. Fifteen people-surely have to had made some kind of dent in the game by now? They were level seven average last time we talked, and they’re not exactly a group of incompetents, so… couldn’t hurt to check in, right?

“Hey nerdalerd how are u and your guild doing on omniscient?”

…I guess I could also fill him in on how I’m doing as well. No harm to be done, plus I’m probably better off than he is. Flex time BABY!

“Im at an average level of eleven now-” do I count Jerry in there…? Naaaaaaaaah. “And I’ve got a buncha different stuff, howzabout you guys?”

He didn’t respond with the last message I sent either, so, now we wait. While we’re waiting on that front… Hm, how are Cassie and Rither doing?

It’s been a bit, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind a check in as well.

—

You know what? Despite the lack of low stamina, with the most recent meal? It really feels like everybody is proper sleepy right now! Jerry and Screech are both quiet-well, for Jerry that’s normal, but Screech is definitely more subdued than normal. Jasper is her usual self, in that she doesn’t speak out unless spoken to, but… I guess what I’m trying to say is that Screech isn’t being obtuse.

For a moment there I was worried that the dev team, or whatever had ended up going through with that personality change or whatever it was, but with a simple question consisting of the words “are you doing alright?” I quickly figured out how alright she was doing.

Spoiler warning, she’s still a yapper.

Anyways! As we were.

So, I’m always up for some late night gaming, but there is one minor issue here. It’s rather dark out, yeah? I’m not sure how well that bodes with half the total of the team being sleepy, and the other half not having super duper magic sense. I’m also not sure what exactly I should even be out here doing?

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

I know that, lady, who I’m just going to start calling The Compensator (with an accent), told me that there’s something around here worth my time? But I’m also not sure how I should go about finding that. Especially given, the, you know, aforementioned darkness?

Well, I suppose it couldn’t hurt to just start with walking, right?

“Mm.”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“Mmh…”

“It probably couldn’t hurt to have you out and about right now, you have better night vision than I do, of that I’m sure we’re certain.”

“So,” [Summon]! “Just you and me for now.”

“Mhm.”

I move to pat her on the head, but she shies away from the touch, taking a few steps away. Or, well, I’m not sure I’d say “shied” away, moreso that she’s explicitly uncomfortable with the idea of it. Which is odd, given she was practically on my lap about thirty minutes ago?

“You alright?”

“...Mhm.”

“Alright, I won’t pry.”

Well… where was i? Just… walk around, leave behind the smoldering embers of this impromptu campsite.

Whilst it’s, like I said, not particularly bright out, it’s also not that difficult to just trace the side of the canyon. The non-sloped side especially is easy on this particular front.

You know, the thought does occur, most of these walls seem to connect to each other at some point. And I’ve seen two clearings in total by now. So… is this place just kind of, one, giant maze? If I think about it like that, then, won’t I eventually find something no matter what as long as I hug one wall?

Hm… that could work, not like I have any other plans. So, here we go!

—

First hour report! Hello gamers, god gamers, and plebs alike, this is Koth signing in. Hour one of our little moonlit walk? Me and Jasper have trounced about thirteen different chimera serpent things! Specifically, they’re called Medusal Snares, but I didn’t look to leave them alive long enough to figure out why they were called that.

I would’ve if any of them managed to survive more than two hits from Jasper, but each and every one of them were incredibly squishy, at an average level of ten no less.I dunno if they’re like, magic hard counters, or, super high damage dealers but they have no agility, but either way they’re not in the cards for me.

In other news… literally nothing has happened. I got about a hundred fifty experience from that little encounter, but, that’s it. I mean, Screech also got that experience, cause I summoned her for individual kills, but that’s it.

Uh, sorry to leave you hanging? There really just wasn’t much that happened. Moving on…

—

THE SECOND HOUR! EVEN LESS HAPPENED!

Which is weird, cause there was usually at least one monster encounter per hour. There isn’t anybody else in this whole area either, is there? So what’s up with the low monster spawns? I was finding at least one goober every minute or two in the starter area… Oh well, just keep on hugging this wall. Not like Jasper is miuch for conversation either.

—

The third… hour…

You know, I love getting invested into these little things, right? But this might be pushing it just a little bit. Throughout the entirety of the third hour, do you wanna take a wild guess as to what happened? Absolutely god damn NOTHING, it’s absolutely ridiculous! Like I swear I’m about to just go do something else entirely.

If nothing happens during the entirety of the fourth hour, then buddy, we’re doOH SHIT!

The wall at my side suddenly caves in-no, caves in isn’t right, it opens up, no that STILL isn’t right, there was a massive crevice in the wall! I didn’t see it, for, you know, obvious reasons, but it was still there! What are the consequences of this crevice I hear you ask? Well, you see, it takes me about half a second to find out!

14!

…Ow.

“Mm?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine…”

Ugh…

Pushing myself up, I dust myself off and take a look around, all to see pitch blackness.

As is to be expected, but this is definitely an improvement over what I was just doing! An actual opening into a cave of some kind, woah, wow, holy moly even!

Now… Just need a source of light!

And… I have no torch. Hm, that might be a predicament.

“Oh Screeeeeeeeech!”