Stunned and disoriented, I stood there stupidly, sword in hand, as I tried to process my surroundings. Westia, the fantasy world from the video game, had somehow become my reality. But what had happened to my friends who were with me when I got sucked into this game? I felt like I was going numb as panic started to set in. What was I supposed to do?

I took a deep breath, and looked around. The valley stretched before me, the rolling hills and clear blue sky peaceful and welcoming despite the strange circumstances. But I had no time to admire the scenery. My focus shifted to the glowing frame that hovered in my vision, displaying my stats.

Life: [■][■][■]

Magic: [■][■][■]

XP: 0/50

Level 1

So, there were three red boxes indicating my life and three green boxes for magic. That wasn’t a lot to start off with. If this was like Adventure of Westia 1, I would get more life boxes as I leveled up. For now, I had to be cautious; my life in Westia depended on those glowing boxes. The game elements were still part of this reality.

The amorphous blob was still jiggling on the road ahead of me. I decided to move forward, but avoid the blob for now. My heart raced as I stepped around it, trying to distance myself from the unsettling monsters. Though I knew I would have to face them eventually for XP, the thought of attacking them in real life was unsettling. They were far from cute, and the pixelated charm they had in the game was absent here.

I managed to step around it without incident, and continued down the beaten dirt road. I had a leather pouch at my hip, so I rummaged through its contents, hoping to find something useful. Among a few other items, I discovered three hearts. My own real heart sank as I realized their purpose; they represented the number of times I could die in this world. The implications were daunting, and I knew I couldn't afford to be reckless. Three times were all I had.

Fortunately, there was a map tucked in there as well, and a little notebook for me to write things down in. I opened the map and looked it over. There was a town not far from here called Arl. It didn’t look far away, in fact I thought I could see some of the buildings even from here.

I started to walk down the path toward Arl, glancing at the map I had found. The town ahead seemed like my best bet to gather information and possibly find a way back to my own world. I clung to the hope that the NPCs in the town might have some answers.

As I hurried towards the town, my thoughts were interrupted by another blobby creature leaping into my path. The familiar 8-bit battle music started to play faintly in the background. Really? Had there been background music before that?

I had no choice but to fight. The creature was coming right at me!

"Alright, focus, Sylas," I muttered under my breath, trying to steady my hands. "You've played the first game countless times, the second can’t be that different. Well, except for the part where I’m not really playing it, but living it. You can do this."

As the blobby creature lunged at me, I swung the sword in my hand, my movements clumsy and uncoordinated. My injured hand protested against the strain of gripping the heavy weapon. I struggled to find the right balance and grip, as the sword was designed to be wielded with both hands.

The creature managed to land a hit, its slimy appendage grazing my arm. A surge of pain coursed through me as half a life box vanished from my sight. Gritting my teeth, I jumped back, creating some distance between us. I needed to regain control of the battle.

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I adjusted my grip on the sword, trying to find a comfortable position despite my injury. I focused on my opponent, studying its strange Jello-like movements, and then lunged forward. I thought I’d aimed true, but the creature was agile, and it dodged my attack with surprising speed.

Well, that was frustrating, but I couldn't give up. I had to keep fighting because this blob would not get out of my way, and I needed to level up. I managed to block the creature's next attack, narrowly darting out of the way of its slimy grasp. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I executed a swift sidestep, then hacked at it again.

The hit landed! The creature's movements became erratic, its defense weakening. But at Level 1, it seemed like I’d need another hit to kill it. I just wasn’t strong enough yet.

It jumped at me, and landed right near my foot, almost hitting me. Fortunately I managed to slide back just in the nick of time. I took another clumsy swing, and I landed a solid hit, my sword slicing through its gelatinous form.

The blob let out a guttural shriek before dissolving into a blue pool of slime. I watched as five XP points materialized in the air, signifying my victory. Pride swelled within me as I witnessed the reward for my first kill.

To level up, I would need to defeat ten of these creatures. I’d already got one, so that was nine more. The thought both daunted and motivated me. If I wanted to survive and find my way back home, I had no choice but to level up. I would never win if the most basic monster, the blob, was giving me trouble!

As I continued down the road towards the town, that battle kept replaying in my mind. The blobs, which were somewhat endearing in the game, were downright creepy and repulsive in this real-life version. If these were the lesser foes, I couldn't even fathom what awaited me later on in this world.

In fact, I wondered if I could cut it at all here. My main thought was, shouldn’t I go back, and try to find a way back to the other side? But I knew deep down that there was no turning back until I beat the game - and even that was not a guaranteed ticket back home. I had been thrown into this adventure, and the only way to survive was to tough it out. The stronger I could make myself earlier on, the better.

I decided to intentionally seek out more of the blobby creatures on my path to the town of Arl in order to start leveling up.. As I encountered each one, I practiced my swordplay, honing my skills to avoid getting hurt. It was challenging at first, but gradually I became more adept at anticipating their erratic movements. The sword began to feel more natural in my hands, and my swings became quicker with better aim.

In one of the battles, I managed to avoid taking any damage at all! My confidence was through the roof for a few minutes after that. But in another encounter, I misjudged, made a clumsy attack, missed, and the blob landed a glancing blow. Another half of my life box disappeared, leaving me with only two out of three remaining.

That wasn’t great, but I pushed forward, determined to achieve my goal. I battled more blobs, remembering not to underestimate them.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of battling the grotesque creatures, I vanquished my tenth blob. A sense of triumph washed over me as I saw the words "LEVEL UP!" flash before my eyes. I checked my stats, and sure enough, I was now at Level 2, with 50 XP out of the 100 needed to reach level 3. I checked all the stats:

Life: [■][■][□]

Magic: [■][■][■]

XP: 50/100

Level 2

Looks like it would take a bit longer for me to gain another life box. Maybe at level 10?

My focus now shifted to the town of Arl, which lay not too far ahead. I tucked the map safely back into my bag, confident in my sense of direction. As I walked, my surroundings gradually transformed, and the lush green valley gave way to a more developed landscape dotted with little farmhouses here and there. The town's silhouette became visible in the distance, and I picked up my feet.

Approaching the outskirts of Arl, I noticed the architecture resembled a medieval city, with tall stone walls encircling it and turrets peeking out. Flags fluttered in the wind, bearing the summo symbol of an oak tree, apparently the emblem of the town. My mouth was hanging open in awe as I reached the entrance of the town walls.

Guarding the entrance stood a pair of armored guards, their swords glinting in the sunlight. As I approached, they eyed me suspiciously. "Halt! Who goes there?" one of them demanded.

"I-I'm Sylas," I stammered, feeling a bit out of place in this world. "I come in peace. I'm new here."

The guards exchanged glances before one of them stepped forward, eyeing my worn tunic and sword. "You don't look like you're from around here, lad. What's your business in Arl?"

"I'm just trying to find my way home," I replied, hoping they would be sympathetic to my plight.

"Lost, huh? We've had some strange happenings lately. Lots of monsters trying to get in. Well, if you're not causing trouble, you're welcome to enter. Just remember to mind the rules within our walls."

Thanking the guards, I stepped past them, entering the bustling streets of Arl.