When Bars logged out of Neuro Shard, he found himself back in his cold, silent room. That strange clarity in his mind was still there, but the rumbling in his stomach quickly reminded him of Aethelburg's harsh reality. When he opened his refrigerator, the sight was pathetic: a half-empty tube of nutrient paste and a bottle of purified water. There was nothing else.
Squeezing the last remnants from the tube, he ate the tasteless, gray paste. As he did, he stared at the red, flashing "RENT OVERDUE - FINAL WARNING" notification on his holo-screen. He had to earn money. Today.
One of Neuro Shard's most revolutionary features came to his mind: the instant money transfer system. Players could convert the money they earned in-game directly into real-world credits, guaranteed by Aethel Corp. The exchange rate was simple, yet brutal: 100 Copper = 1 Silver, 100 Silver = 1 Gold. And 1 Gold was worth exactly 1,000 American Dollars.
This wasn't a game. This was a new economy. And it was Bars's only lifeline.
Without wasting a moment, he lay down on his bed, put on the helmet, and returned to Aetheria.
When he appeared beneath the Great Tree, the area was quiet. Lina hadn't arrived yet. Bars felt a momentary pang of loneliness but then collected himself. He didn't have time to wait. The few silver coins he would get from turning in the quest wouldn't be enough to pay his rent. He needed more.
He returned to the Zipirik forest. But this time his goal wasn't to hunt; it was to understand. He began to piece together the small details he had noticed while fighting for hours with Lina yesterday. He recalled that some Zipiriks patrolled specific routes, while others acted as if they were taking orders from somewhere. Following the faint tracks on the ground, he advanced into a denser, darker part of the forest they had never been to before.
Finally, he found it. In the middle of a primitive nest made of bone and twigs in the bushes, a Zipirik, clearly larger than the others, was sleeping. Its fur was darker, patchy in places, and there was a deep scar over one of its eyes. The tag above it made Bars's heart race:
[Alpha Zipirik - Level 3 BOSS]
This was madness. He was alone, and he was about to fight a boss. But the rent warning flashing in his mind overrode his logic. He quickly scanned the area. Escape routes, obstacles he could use... A large nearby rock and a thorny bush caught his eye. He had a plan. It was risky, but he had a plan.
He took a deep breath and sent his first Mana Bolt.
The spell hit the Alpha Zipirik's shoulder, and the beast awoke with an ear-piercing shriek. It was much faster than the normal Zipiriks. As it leaped toward him, Bars put his plan into action. He started running around the beast, luring it to follow him. It was a dangerous dance. Bars ran, and when he found a brief opportunity, he would turn and fire a Mana Bolt, then run again.
The Alpha Zipirik let out a high-pitched shriek to trap him. Bars's vision blurred for a moment, and his movements slowed. Just as the beast was about to pounce, with a final move, Bars leaped to the side, and the Alpha Zipirik, unable to stop its momentum, crashed into the thorny bushes. This bought Bars the few seconds he needed. He gathered all his mana into a single, powerful shot and sent it into the head of the beast, which was screaming as it tried to free itself from the bush.
The Alpha Zipirik vanished in a violent burst of light.
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE DEFEATED THE ALPHA ZIPIRIK ALONE! +350 EXP]
Two objects had dropped to the ground. One was a gnarled, dark wooden staff with glowing green runes on it. The other was an elegant, slightly curved sword.
[RARE ITEM DROP: Sage's Staff]
[RARE ITEM DROP: Wind Sword]
With trembling hands, Bars picked up the staff and equipped it. Instantly, he felt the mana flowing through his veins become smoother and more powerful. He had grown stronger.
He threw the sword into his inventory. He quickly returned to the Genesis Grove and went to the small, glowing trade terminal next to the notice board. "Marketplace." He listed the Wind Sword for 10 Silver, a price that seemed high to him but perhaps reasonable for a Warrior.
Within seconds, a notification arrived:
[YOUR ITEM HAS BEEN SOLD! +10 SILVER GAINED]
He felt like his heart was going to leap out of his chest. He opened his menu. In the finance tab, he pressed the "Credit Transfer" button next to the Aethel Corp logo. He selected the 10 Silver and confirmed.
He felt a slight vibration from his terminal in the real world.
He immediately logged out. He practically threw the helmet off his head and ran to his holo-screen. In the middle of the screen, a message from Aethel Corp was glowing:
[INCOMING TRANSFER: $100]
This wasn't a fortune. It didn't even fully cover his rent. But it meant food. It meant a day's breathing room. It was hope itself. As Bars's face was illuminated by the screen's bright light, a genuine smile appeared on his lips for the first time in weeks. This game could truly change his life.
___________________________________________________________________________
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to rate and leave a comment; any feedback or criticism is welcome!
I'll be releasing a chapter a day. Stay tuned!
This is my first release, so I'm releasing 10 chapters!