Virtual Reality : Dystopian Tales Online

001.6 | NOOB'S FIRST KILL

Quick, agile- these words are not enough to describe the speed of events before them. The beast is almost 20 meters tall with four arms, two long legs, and a twin tail from behind. Its senses are keener, with eight eyes occupying the face full and hairs sharp like porcupines covering from the head down to the tail. The skin is also tough and made up of diamonds that piercing it would only break the weapon.

Leon calculated the defense and offense - both are in numbers higher than the boss' floor. The deviant beasts really lived up to their names. 

"Are you even kidding me," Leon muttered. "We can never defeat this one."

Spring is dead. Crown and Rain are both in safe ranges, but they too will be dealt after the warrior and the elf dies. With his HP reaching the lower minimum, he could have guessed that he will be reaching the rebirth stone anytime from now. Even the warrior beside him is also in the same state.

They are good as dead people.

"I'm sorry," Shin apologized. "If only I managed to have higher stats, you can use me to fight off this beast."

"What is there to apologize?" Leon scoffed. "But you're quite calm. Ready to die?"

"Nope," Shin said. "But this is quite exciting. Maybe we can turn the situation over again?"

Shin looked at him with eyes filled with excitement. How can he be excited in a situation like this? Leon closed his eyes for a while to clear the numbers before opening it back again to stare at the new beast.

Conjuring the spells, they have at hand and the health statuses, Leon can see the possibility of raising each good potential. Though the techniques can lessen the new boss' HP in half, other than that, they will be left to a stalemate.

No, they will be left with nothing but zero MP, and HP will follow.

"I can still see one percent that we can still go through this," Leon honestly said. Shin peaked his head, wanting to hear the next passages. Leon doesn't want the warrior to expect much. "But it is still one percent. There's no way that will happen."

"How can you be so sure?" Shin looked up at the humongous being. "You said that there's twenty percent that a new boss will appear after the previous one. Don't you think we can still hit that one percent?"

"One out of one hundred? Heh, I don't usually believe in miracles," Leon scoffed.

"But I do."

Shin is still facing the beast, but Leon can see the resolution of the man. Believing in something so small? He is never like that. Leon only believed in statistics and numbers; miracles don't play a role in his mind. But maybe... Maybe this time, something will change about his beliefs?

Indeed, one percent is small. But it is still a probability.

"Tell me," Shin asked. "Tell me how to get this one percent of chance?"

"Ah, that's simple," Leon uttered nonchalantly. "We only have to wait."

"Okay! We will be waiting!" Shin exclaimed enthusiastically if only he realized what it meant. "Huh? Just wait?"

"Uh-huh," Leon nodded.

"No punching? Or trying to hit the monster? Or a single s***h?"

"Nothing. We only have to wait."

Shin tried to comprehend what is happening, but his brain broke up the fuse. How will they able to defeat the boss if they will not inflict any attack on it? And just by waiting, the boss will kill them in no time. The boss will think that they are fools not to move and advance to do anything. Besides, what or who are they waiting for?

"Your face is funny," Leon commented. Shin's face is all distorted with the thought.

"I'm sorry, but I guess you are just plain mad. How can we win if we will wait?"

"You're asking that one percent, right?"

"So that one percent means that we should just wait? How can we defeat the beast?"

"Who said that we would defeat it?"

"Huh? But this one will not die on its own-"

Like a spring clock, a knob should be turned to start it running. And like a screw is being hit, Shin's mind processed the thought Leon gave him. The elf said that they have to wait. By just guessing, they are indeed waiting for the miracle to happen. For a miracle to happen, one should place another condition to the normal ones to make it happen.

A dysfunction. Or the addition of variables.

Who said that we would defeat it?

"Are you waiting for a rescue?" Shin asked almost impossibly.

"Yes!" Leon proclaimed. "That one percent means that someone stronger than this beast will come to rescue us."

"Isn't that impossible?"

"That is why I'm telling you that it's only one percent."

Knowing that the new floor is opened, the one who cleared the earlier dungeons will surely come again to clear it. The system gave the latest map twenty-four hours ago. Then, at this time, those guys might be back to claim a place on the seventh floor. And from the announcement earlier, this only gave them the urge to look for these first adventurers who dared to take their place.

"So, are we following this one percent or fight?" Leon asked. "I'm okay either way."

"You sure have the guts," Shin said. "Why not do both? At least we died fighting."

"Sure thing. That one percent chance won't change anyway."

And so, that was what happened to them. Only a small step to death, Shin and Leon were saved from the beast. Who could ever tell that something as small as one percent could really actually happen?

The dragon figure that appeared before them screeched as if calling [AGGRO] to the incoming beast. Instead of seeing a real serpent body with scales, a small figure descended from the view. It was a young boy, maybe about two or three years lower than their age, who is currently walking in the air holding a spear.

This guy then uses the spear by striking the tip on the Beast's head. By just guessing, one can tell that a simple spear can't open a wound to the diamond skin of the beast. However, as if seeing a waterfall, the both of them were stunned to see splashes of green blood flowing from the beast.

"What happened? Isn't that a... um... low-level equipment?" Leon exclaimed. He squinted his eyes, unbelieving at what he is seeing.

"Lower than the droppings that we got, yes," Shin confirmed.

"Then how did he...?"

It must be the angle that made the two not see the actual scene. From above, this boy can clearly see a spear dug deep in one of the eight eyes of the beast. If you can't scar it because of its tough skin, it's normal to go for the parts where weapons can directly hit the flesh. However, the beast has eight eyes. There's no way that it will also be hard as the skin.

The boy watched the beast cry in agony while holding the injured eye. His turn is now to look down the ground where two helpless players are hiding behind the boulders while two other players are standing right just below the beast. Hmmm? What are these guys doing here?

He hopped down from the high place and smoothly landed without a sound beside the warrior and the elf. On closer inspection, these guys are taller than him by inches. That is why he is actually raising his head to see their faces. Which made the two think that this one who is supposed to be the rescuer looks adorable.

"Aud-01," Leon reads the name of the player loudly.

"What are you doing here?" Aud quickly asked. "Why aren't you guys hiding?"

"Well..."

The two wanted to explain the situation, but they are in the middle of the boss battle. Without warning, the beast Aud managed to give a hit promptly moved its tail and arms consecutively to catch the new player. Leon and Shin almost wanted to pull him away, but their reaction time is slow.

The beast will surely catch the adorable little player!

Expecting the huge blow, they both covered their eyes. They didn't want to see another tragic end. The idea of the rescuer being killed in the process of saving them still surely happens. But-

"Why are you covering your eyes? Aren't you wearing some eye irritant-resistant accessory?"

The voice of this new player surprised them. They opened their eyes wide and saw Aud standing in the same place unhurt. His back is still on the beast, who is currently... currently being dragged by another player that is now skillfully rounding the beast while hitting any possible part. They could only catch a glimpse of the blade's light.

They just watched this scene like forever. Sparks of the blade from friction will just simply appear at some point in the air while the player executing the act is still looking invisible in their sights. The combo hit is getting higher and higher until it reached a thousand. Finally, the beast howled, and it reached the [RED RAGE].

"Aud," A voice called from above.

The player faced the two adventurers who are still in a daze watching the scene. He pulled the both of them to gain their attention. Of course, they faced him. Aud pointed to the boulder where the two other members are hiding.

"Those guys, please warn them to get away from their hiding place, or else they will be trampled by the boss," Aud ordered in a respectful voice.

"Why? What's the matter?" Shin asked.

But Aud didn't answer. He just nodded at the two of them as if giving the task and returned to the person who is still doing the hits. They followed his orders with no problem and told the two to be with them, be away from the center.

Right just in the time when they were totally out of reach when they heard an explosion.

Completely shifting gears while complicatedly moving in 180, Aud and his companion continued giving advances to the beast. The two would often stay running on the hard skin, randomly giving off slashes to the hard parts until it breaks like a shell. And when the beast wants to get them out from its body, the two will be jumping in the air, taking some momentum.

It was swift and silent as if the air is passing through their ears. The sound of the beast is surely hard to cover, but the unusual silence in between these two players made the air a bit eerie. Sometimes, they could pick up some sounds of clashing metals or scraping hard objects. Fast steps are controlled, and even the peng peng peng of their weapons echoed in a good rhythm.

Maybe Shin can't see it, or the other two, but Leon can clearly see the accuracy of every hit. Numbers exploded from his sight but in a form that won't blind the viewer. After the other, it simply appears one another, forming a series of chained equations in a flow clearer than the river. He had never seen such beauty before!

This is perfection!

The boss, upon entering Red Rage, became more ferocious and wild than before. By just aimlessly flinging its arms around, it would hit a part of the cave where large stalactites are found, crumbling them down to pieces falling the debris. Aud saw a part of these rocks falling towards the group.

Gripping the strings of his satchel, he forced open the zipper mouth of the golem bag, fishing from the depths of its infinite inventory the materials he needed for a certain action. Taking out some red and blue potions, in addition to some mandrake herbs and spices, Aud chanted a voiceless language that only a few could recite.

A circle with two inverted triangles is formed, a higher version of the transmogrification circle with a six-pointed star. He threw the ingredients inside the circle and quickly versed the spell. Leon watched the player do the trick and realized that it was magic. But, wait, is he an elf?

For a person to gratify the tantamount mana requirement of transmogrification, this player must be from the Elven Race!

However, Aud's features are closer to a human. His ears are also not sharp, his hair is a dark blue to black that is unusual to the Elven Race, his height is also away from the Elven natural physique, and the color of their eyes are different. Aside from the long light-colored hair and pointed airs, the Elven will always be classified by their eye color.

This might be the reason, or it's just that Shin and Leon are too focused on watching that they didn't notice the debris falling to them. It was already too late for them to realize. When they thought that the rocks would crush them, that's when two transmogrification circles appear side by side of them, spinning around like a top in play.

From the center of both circles, an image of a rock golem appeared - buttoned eyes as large as a steering wheel, a concave nose with two large holes, and a crooked smile painted with cadmium red. The body is being formed as the circle pushed the creature out at a faster pace.

The Golem's body is bare from ornaments though filled with Egyptian hieroglyphics. There are also shapes and unknown letters around its body, representing the creature's affinity to magic. This is a familiar - a golem in this range will actually attack a player even without the aggro.

These two golems extended their arms up until the two of them met. They also banged their head in the middle where the players can be found. It looks like they are covering them from the falling objects by using their hard stone body to block them. The caster, who is currently fighting the beast, is multi-tasking it by making glances at the group.

"Aud, let's end this," the other player said.

" Okay," he nodded.

Running, hitting, clashing, and jumping - that is the strategy they are currently making. Though, this time, the other player stopped sending tackles to the beast. He, instead, backed out from the position and hurried over to the group that is being protected by the golems.

"H-hey, aren't you going to help him?" Shin asked when he noticed the arrival of this other player having weird clothing and two large rabbit ears on his back. He is under the name [Frass-02].

"Don't worry. If I didn't get away, I would surely be eliminated too," Frass said indifferently.

"Eliminated? What do you-"

A loud crashing sound is heard. Looking over the shoulders of Frass, they can see the beast entering Blood Cry. [BLOOD CRY] is another condition of higher bosses. When a low-level boss reaches Red Rage, it only exceeds its original characteristic ability with the thought of escaping and for self-healing. It is for the means of survival.

But in Blood Cry, it is like the last call of the boss. There is no chance for regeneration or escape. Instead, for the sake of accomplishment, the boss will randomly send attacks around it to ensure the death of those who are bullying the boss. Though some bosses didn't have Blood Cry, it is also a trait that makes high-level bosses hard to beat.

Aud is in the effective range. However, the beast's HP is already on the single digit, frolicking around, swinging and shifting its fists and tails in any direction, spitting the porcupine hair from its back, and blowing out poison to the above surface. In this all-direct attack, where could Aud be safe?

Worrying over someone near the boss is normal for them. But they are also in a dangerous place! Thanks to the golems protecting their heads from any debris, but it can't stop the incoming spikes from the beast. That's when they realize the role of Frass standing in front of them. So instead of having the incoming spit poison and hair bullet, an invisible round barrier is in the front of them, interrupting the impact of these things.

"Crushing Hand."

A spell is getting activated. From the bottom of the beast, a bright violet to red-colored circle appeared to surround its stepping field. The rocks around the circle distorted, rather, moved up as if zombies were rising from the dead. Though these moving rocks don't have a body or head, just hands appearing going up to grab the beast.

Not only that it grabbed the beast, but it also restricted its movements until it was gone stiff. Aud, controlling the earth, is floating in the air with a strange egg-like barrier surrounding him. His hands and arms are forming gestures, with each movement causing the land around them to maneuver. This player looked serious when forming new incantations around the formation of the rocks.

Two larger hands appeared on each side of the beast. Each hand is twenty-five meters tall; both are thick from the rock crystals of the cave. Aud first crooked a sinister smile, his hands away from each other. And he did, in one final movement, clasped his both hands as if killing a mosquito in sight.

The rock hands followed.

Aud defeated the beast in the same way a mosquito is killed. Splashes of green liquid spluttered out around the place, including the barrier around frass that is now dripping with slime. Frass could not help but look at this disgusting fluid around him. At least, he didn't take the direct hit of it.

Because if he did? That will actually become so gross.

A static ran around the place as the announcer turned the speakers on. Then, a translucent plate appeared from above to show an announcement. Without a doubt, two names appeared with a congratulatory sign.

[BEGINNER'S DUNGEON 7TH FLOOR HIDDEN BOSS 02 CLEARED]

[Aud-01] [Frass-02]

Aud felt his sweat dripping and heaved a sigh, facing the group that is approaching his direction. His hands are still under the influence of the spell, so he didn't wave his hand to them, or else the land will start moving and slap them away. Frass understood the situation and told the group to wait. There are only five seconds left anyway.

After the effect is gone, the group quickly congratulated Aud and Frass for the job well done, also thanked them for saving. Aud happily accepted it and chatted with them for a while. Rain and Crown keep the conversation as if looking up to a god or something. Both Shin and Leon just showed their gratitude to the player.

Leon looked around and found the numbers decreasing. When the fight is ongoing, these numbers are almost swarming everywhere. But right now, everything is settling down as if returning to the original pace. Aud saw Leon looking around and noticed something.

"Hey," Aud asked out.

Leon noticed the call and faced the shorter player. Even Shin is included with it. Aud pointed at the two with a sentence rather than a question. Upon hearing it, these two players remained unmoved as if static hit their body parts. Aud, hitting the bell right, said:

"You guys... You are playing [VIRTUAL REALITY] ... right."