That should lure him out. Leon thought coldly as he fired off the Arcane Missile. He knew MadSmile was somewhere in the forest. Now only to find an Elite. The next step was to recreate their first encounter.

Leon would fight an Elite, and after the battle, MadSmile would attack him. That was the plan. Why was Leon so sure that MadSmile would come for him? His cruel smile told Leon that he enjoyed toying with people like him.

Leon walked around the forest keeping a close eye on his surroundings for an Elite and MadSmile. He didn’t know MadSmile was following him the first time around and he had a thought about that.

It’s impossible to be a class skill. Stealth skill books are too expensive, so it’s likely some hard-to-spot equipment he’s using like a ring or necklace. Leon theorised.

While Leon was theorising, he saw a shadow pass by the trees. It looked too large to be a person, but he still carefully walked towards it. Soon the shadow came into view and Leon nearly did a double-take at what he saw.

[Brown Boar] (Elite)

Level 5

HP 180/200

It was the biggest boar he had ever seen in his two lives. Leon noticed the health bar and looked carefully at the boar. Sure enough, he could spot multiple wounds that had scabbed over. MadSmile’s handiwork likely.

This was good news to Leon, as it meant that MadSmile was nearby. The next part would be the most tricky. He had to put on a bit of a show to make MadSmile attack him, although he was certain MadSmile would attack him, regardless. It never hurt to be sure.

Leon replicated his actions against the Elite wolf and launched an Arcane Missile at 7 mana, causing the missile to collide with the boar and making the boar squeal in pain.

-44

He didn’t use his wand because Leon wanted to keep that secret for now, but the damage was still good. The boar turned to him and scratched the floor with its hooves, intending on a charge.

And the boar charged at Leon quickly. Not as fast as the wolf. Leon noted as he prepared to dodge the charge. Suddenly, the boar sped up once it was halfway across. What the!? surprise flashed by Leon and he quickly jumped out of the way.

It was too late as the boar whipped its head against Leon’s stomach as it passed. Leon felt like someone punched him in the gut, making him take a few steps back while coughing up some saliva.

-30

It’s still an Elite. I shouldn’t underestimate it. Although baiting MadSmile was the primary goal, it wouldn’t do Leon good to die to the Elite. He can speed up when he’s charging. Leon quickly assessed the Elite in front of him.

Leon calmly waited for the Boar to charge him again. He didn’t have a dagger anymore, so it was pointless to charge at it. The boar turned at Leon and ran towards him. Leon’s cooldown had finished, and he fired an Arcane Missile at the boar.

-50

The missile impacted against the boar, making it steer off target because of the pain, letting Leon dodge it easily. He used an 8 mana Arcane missile once. The damage was higher, but the size difference was barely noticeable.

The boar quickly locked back onto Leon and charged at him without giving him rest. It knew that Leon had to wait a bit before he could attack him again. As the boar sped up much later than before, it nailed Leon again, despite his attempt to dodge.

-32

Taking out an apple and giving it a bite helped relieve some of the pain. It was also the perfect set-up for later. The same pattern quickly followed with Leon firing at the boar when it charged and getting hit on the second charge.

HP 58/100 Leon looked at his own HP and internally nodded. The apple was doing its work and he could execute the plan perfectly. [Level 5 Elite Brown Boar killed. Obtained 101 EXP.] Giving the boar the final blow gave Leon some EXP, not enough to level him up, but it was close.

The boar shined like before and Leon went to ‘collect’ it. The bushes rustled like before and Leon quickly turned to face it. He saw the familiar metallic shine and MadSmile with his cruel look.

-25

The dagger plunged deep into Leon’s stomach as MadSmile missed a vital point. “Looks like you couldn’t dodge it this time.” MadSmile taunted Leon as he smiled. Leon didn’t answer as he suddenly held onto MadSmile’s arm.

“You’re the one who can’t dodge.” Leon’s voice was bitter as he pulled out the wand and activated Arcane Missile. Wands, Staves, and Orbs also acted as a focus, allowing the user to cast their spell through it.

A massive purple light came at MadSmile, who was stunned. Was it always this big? He thought before the spell crashed into his chest.

-70

MadSmile felt like a massive sledgehammer blasted into him, causing him to fly a few feet back. He coughed up some blood and scrambled to regain his footing. MadSmile laughed as he pulled out an apple, “Heh heh heh, you didn’t kill me in one shot, too bad.”

He looked at Leon, who was running towards him at full force. He was a little confused why Leon would do so. Suddenly, Leon lifted the wand and yelled out, “Flash!” A blinding white light came from the wand.

The light was too painful for MadSmile, who dropped the apple and covered his eyes in reflex. Leon breathed hard as he pointed his wand down at MadSmile, who had tears in his eyes. He only had to wait two seconds for the cooldown to end.

In these two seconds, countless thoughts flashed through Leon’s mind. Do I spare him? Or maybe just disarm him? What about just running away? Or maybe- In the end he made his mind up as he noticed MadSmile’s look on his face.

Anger and humiliation were clear on the man’s face. He couldn’t believe that some kid had outplayed him like this. There was no way MadSmile would make peace with Leon anymore. Leon gritted his teeth and fired one last Arcane Missile. He focused his entire being on the spell and felt the invisible hand guiding him further than ever before.

-71

[Arcane Missile Spell Completion 75%, Tutorial Soul bonus +5%, 89% of the skill’s power displayed. Mastery +2.] The message rang out, giving Leon +2 Mastery for the first time. The spell exploded against MadSmile, who lay there unmoving.

His body turned into motes of light as Leon got another message, [MadSmile Level 5 killed. Obtained 0 EXP]. MadSmile’s body left behind a faint green and white light.

Leon breathed roughly as he realised what he had just done. His legs felt weak, and he felt queasy. Calm down, it’s just a game. A very realistic game. Leon chanted in his mind. It wasn’t easy for Leon. It really felt like he had just killed someone.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

It took him a minute to calm down, but when he did, he felt some invisible weight off his shoulders. The stress and anger from MadSmile leaving his body made him feel tranquil. Was I still in my meltdown? Leon was astonished, as he had never been this long and lucid in a meltdown. He looked at the items dropped by MadSmile.

[Ring of Shadows] (Green)

Passive Skill: Blend. Blend into the shadows with this skill, making it harder for people to see you.

Durability 20/20

[Tough Shield] (White)

Requirement: 8 Strength

Physical Defence: +15%

Durability 15/15

It was indeed a ring. Leon noted upon seeing the ring, he immediately put it on, disregarding the foul taste in his mouth. The shield was likely the spoils from the wolf. Speaking of spoils. Leon remembered the boar that was still there.

Collection of the boar came first and the Treasure Chest came into his inventory. Leon opened it immediately. Even if MadSmile ran here, it would still take him around 20 minutes.

+20 copper coins

+Steel Longsword (White)

[Steel Longsword] (White)

Requirement: 12 Strength

Attack Power +20

Durability 15/15

A very standard reward indeed, and one Leon couldn’t use. That was to be expected. One couldn’t always get what one wanted. Leon suddenly let out a massive yawn as the sun was setting. I’m exhausted. Leon’s body felt sluggish as his meltdown ended.

The previous burst was likely the last bit of energy in the tank. Perfect time to test out the ring. Leon realised it grew darker, which created shadows. As Leon stepped into the shadows on the ground, he could feel something envelop him.

It felt oddly like a coat that didn’t create any warmth. It certainly felt a little off to Leon, as his mind worked against the effect. Leon tried to shake off the feeling and ignore it, but he was having trouble.

Just bear with it for a bit. Leon moved forward to the village. He was certain MadSmile wouldn’t just give up like that. Sure enough, 10 minutes into his walk, he noticed a person walking with a fuming expression.

“Where are you coward!? Stop hiding and face me!” MadSmile yelled as he tried to look everywhere for Leon, but couldn’t notice him in the shadows as they passed each other. Leon didn’t want to kill MadSmile again. His mind was still reeling from the first time.

Good luck finding me. Leon mentally taunted the man and continued to go to the village. Once he was in the open plains, he took off the ring, as it felt like a million ants were crawling on his skin.

I’m definitely only using that in certain situations. Leon made a mental note as he approached the gate. Although it was late, the gatekeeper still allowed him in. Killing players with a wanted status would not create a wanted status for him.

Leon went straight to the inn where he had stayed before. As he walked the now quiet streets of the village, he felt oddly at peace. There were minimal sounds and little to no people, making him perfectly at ease.

Entering the inn, he noticed that there were a lot fewer people there than before. I guess everyone’s resting elsewhere. Leon thought as he walked to the counter.

The innkeeper recognised Leon as he asked, “Ah! Are you here for a room, sir?” Leon looked the man directly in the eyes and nodded intensely.

Last time MadSmile targeted him because of how he acted at the inn, he sounded too meek and unsure, so Leon kept a mask on during this.

The innkeeper flinched a little from Leon’s attitude shift, but he still didn’t comment on it. “A room should be available soon sir, please take a seat over there.” the innkeeper pointed to the main dining area.

Leon wasn’t happy that he had to wait, but he didn’t show it. He nodded again and walked over. People glanced at him before going back to what they were doing before.

Seems like it’s working, but how long has it been since I had to mask? Leon thought back to his first life. Masking was a way for people like Leon to hide their autism by acting like others.

It wasn’t foolproof though, acting this way was difficult and could bring massive headaches and exhaustion if overused because of emotional numbness. Not to mention the slew of other things like identity issues.

Had to have been over 10 years ago now. Leon recalled. He went to school and couldn’t make friends, so he started masking. The downside was mental exhaustion and headaches on the weekends, making going out difficult. Which meant the ‘friendships’ didn’t last long.

I should be fine for a little while. I am a bit rusty. Leon noticed the innkeeper’s reaction as he came off too intensely. He looked around, only to see the players oddly zoned out.

Before he could even guess what they were doing, the innkeeper notified Leon. He looked over and felt surprised as he saw the same bunny eared woman from before walking down the stairs once again.

“Oh hey, it’s you.” She said as she rubbed her eyes. Leon nodded, but said nothing. The woman looked at him curiously and asked, “Are you okay?” Leon was a bit annoyed at the question and nodded once again, looking at the key in her hand.

“You want this? How about we talk first? I still have a few minutes left, you know.” She blurted. Leon frowned, growing extremely annoyed by the second.

Calm down, no need for another meltdown. He took a deep breath. “Okay,” He said in a serious tone.

“Let’s talk outside, okay?” She said as she gave the key to the innkeeper. Leon quickly paid the innkeeper four copper for the key and asked to keep it for him. Leon followed the woman outside. The sun had fully set, making the sky light up from the full moon that hung in the sky.

The woman walked in front, and Leon followed, saying nothing to each other. They went up a few stairs and were suddenly on some rooftops. The woman sat down at the edge and Leon looked at her and also sat down with a little distance between them.

She looked up at the sky, “I really like the moon, it’s so beautiful. We don’t get to see it.” She whispered. Leon was confused and also looked up at the moon. He realised that this was the first time he had seen a full moon since coming to this world. He could see stars in the night sky, something that wasn’t common in Leon’s old life.

The moonlight shone down on them, not too bright or too dull for his senses. Leon felt oddly at peace as he took in the view, unconsciously lowering his mask. “See, that’s more like you.” She said as she looked at Leon.

Leon clammed back up as he asked, “What do you mean?” in a serious tone of voice.

The woman chuckled, “That act’s too stiff. It doesn’t suit you at all.”

Leon knew his gig was up and let out a deep breath, throwing away the mask and relaxing. He avoided the woman’s gaze as he no longer looked her in the eyes, feeling comfortable.

“Why even begin with the act?” She asked curiously.

Leon hesitated, but still told her about MadSmile. The woman fell silent as Leon told her. “I’m sorry,” she suddenly said, making Leon confused.

“Why are you apologising?”

“I started the conversation and put you in an awful place. If I didn’t do that, you wouldn’t have got targeted.” She explained.

Leon took a second to answer. “True, but it would’ve happened eventually with me.”

With Leon’s autism, it was only a matter of time before someone found him to be an easy target. Better now than later. Leon thought as he recalled the experience and what he learned from it.

“What makes you so sure?” She asked. She didn’t take offence at Leon agreeing with her.

Leon looked into the distance over the village. “I’m autistic, well, not diagnosed, but I’m fairly certain.”

In his past life, he underwent testing, and he didn’t mind sharing his autism with others. It had taken years for him to come to terms with that, but he was well past that point.

“Not diagnosed? Oh, I see.” Upon close inspection, she realised what Leon meant. Although the robe hid a lot of Leon’s malnutrition, it wasn’t a perfect cover and people could still notice it if they looked closely.

A moment of silence fell between them. Leon didn’t mind it, but the woman looked like she was struggling. [Congratulations to Titania for being the first Player to enter the mainland!] A message suddenly rang out, breaking the silence between them.

No surprises there. With her knowledge, this was a given. Leon immediately knew it was Rose. The woman next to him suddenly sprung up. “Dang, someone’s already made it! I gotta catch up!”

She walked over to Leon and stuck her hand out, offering to help him up. Leon looked at it and she seemed to realise something as she retracted her hand. “Sorry, I’m Luna, by the way.” Luna finally introduced herself.

Leon got up and said, “You named yourself after the moon?” He asked her instead of giving his own name.

Luna laughed awkwardly. “Kinda cheesy, isn’t it? So what’s your name, then?” She deftly deflected the conversation to Leon’s name.

“Tempest.”

“That’s…a good name, but why Tempest?” The name “Tempest” impressed Luna, and she wanted to know the reason behind his choice.

“I’d rather not talk about that.” He grew visibly uncomfortable, which made Luna back off.

“I see. Hey wanna be friends?” She shifted the conversation as Leon got a message from the system, [Player Luna has sent a friend invite, accept or decline?]

Leon had no reason to refuse. She seemed like a nice person. “Okay.” He accepted the invitation.

“Thanks! Well, I have to get going or else this buff will be gone before I hit the fields!” Luna smiled as she turned around to walk off.

“Good luck! Hope you get another soul!” Leon shouted to her, which made her laugh.

Leon watched Luna leave with a small smile on his face, to think I’d make a friend on the first day. He didn’t have any friends here and almost none in his past life. His expression fell as he thought about his name.

“My name holds many meanings. To others, it can mean a storm or raging winds. To me, it’s my meltdowns and inner turmoils.” Leon muttered to himself. He knew he would face many more meltdowns during this game if having one on day one was any sign.