A vast landscape spread out before Lux. He fell straight into mud. Suddenly, he felt a crushing weight slam into his back. His body hit the mud hard. Lux rolled to the right and saw a beautiful girl.
She had blonde hair, thin like fine threads, shimmering like gold. Her eyes were blue and glowing. She wore white armor that covered her entire body. Lux did not recognize her. He had never known that such a beauty lived in the village. A long hilt was visible at her side. The blade was white and gleaming.
Lux stood up, about to speak, when he noticed another boy standing beside her. He wore black armor and carried a small pointed sword at his side, with a small knife next to it. This was the most commonly used fighting style. Attack with the sword and finish with the knife.
Lux thought for a moment. These two would be his companions in this world.
The girl spoke first, quickly and excitedly."So hello. We have to work together now!"
The boy in black armor had blonde hair and blue eyes. His gaze toward Lux was cold and dismissive. Lux noticed how he looked at the girl, then he spoke."We really have bad luck ending up with the blindfold boy. We are basically dead."
Lux sighed."Shut up," he thought, but decided not to say anything and waited for the girl's reaction.
"Blindfold boy. Is that what you call him?" she said. "How lonely he must be."
Lux tilted his head. Did she mean that kindly?
"Hey, what is your name?"
Suddenly, the girl smiled and looked at Lux. An actual girl wanted to know his name. Okay Lux, focus. A real girl wants to know your name. How many children will we have together.
Lux pulled himself together and tried to hide his excitement. He failed completely."My name is Lux. Yours?"
The girl grinned."My name is Fie!"
The boy behind them raised a hand in annoyance."My name is Byl."
Fie nodded."Hm okay."
She clearly was not interested in Byl. Lux thought that made sense. The bastard called me blindfold boy. He deserves to die. DIE.
Lux shook his head and looked around. They stood on a long, flat stretch of land. No trees were in sight, only dried wheat and grass. In the distance stood a massive castle. Behind it shimmered something bright. A gigantic blue crystal.
Everyone stopped.
[Destroy the blue great crystal!]
That was their task. Once the crystal was destroyed, they would return.
They discussed it briefly. Lux looked at Fie. She shimmered in the sunlight. Her skin looked soft. But now was not the time for admiration.
Lux turned serious."Okay. Destroying the crystal is our goal. We can do this!"
Lux released his motivation. The boy only raised a hand and sighed. Fie smiled."That's the spirit!"
Lux formed a small grin. He liked Fie.
They looked down. Mud covered the ground. They were already dirty. Lux suggested,"Let's head to the crystal now. Our energy will not last forever."
Fie nodded. Byl said nothing and walked ahead.
Lux followed behind Byl and tapped his shoulder. Byl jumped instantly."What?!"
Lux stopped and spoke calmly."What did I ever do to you?"
Byl paused. The anger faded from his face for a moment, then returned."My parents told me to stay away from you."
"W why?" Lux asked.
Byl turned forward and kept walking."B because everyone else does."
Honestly, that hit Lux straight in the heart. He had no friends since childhood. Maybe it was because of the blindfold. But he wanted to wear it. He wanted to make his mother happy.
Lux sighed.
Fie had heard everything. She tapped Lux on the shoulder."Then I want to be your friend now."
Lux's breath stopped. He had done it. A real friend.
"E really? F friend?"
Fie nodded warmly."Yes. What do you say. Do you want to be friends?"
Lux was about to answer when something cold grabbed his foot. He had no time to react. Something pulled him down with brutal force.
Fie lunged forward and grabbed Lux's hand tightly. Whatever had his foot could not be seen. It was under the mud.
"Hold on!" Fie shouted, pulling with all her strength.
Lux sank deeper. Suddenly, Byl stabbed his pointed sword into the mud. Something large moved. Lux felt the grip on his leg loosen.
Fie pulled him out. Lux lay in the mud, half covered, gasping for air.
Lux jumped up."Shit. We have to get away from the mud now!"
They looked around. Everywhere was one massive mud field. They had entered enemy territory.
A mud monster.
Suddenly, brown tentacles shot out of the ground. They were grayish brown, with many thin threads at their tips.
"Disgusting," Byl said.
Fie's eyes widened. More tentacles burst out. They missed them, but one thing was clear.
They had to run.
"Run!" Lux shouted and started sprinting.
Byl caught up and looked back. Fie ran beside Lux. Tentacles shot up in front of them. They stopped and tried to turn back, but two tentacles rose behind them, blocking the way.
"To the side. Now!"
Lux dove sideways and rolled through the mud. The others followed. A second later, tentacles burst from the ground where they had stood.
Lux had saved them.
"Get up!" Fie shouted, running forward.
They ran side by side. Lux drew his sword, ready to strike if it would even help. They ran along the edge of the mud, hoping to reach solid ground.
"I hate mud!" Fie shouted.
"Don't worry. Me too," Lux thought.
Then two tentacles shot toward them from the left.
"Byl strike. I will help!" Lux shouted.
They had one chance. If they failed to cut through, they were dead.
Lux focused. Just before the tentacle reached them, he struck on instinct. He heard flesh being cut. Green blood splashed onto the mud.
His strength was enough.
He looked toward Byl in relief.
But Fie covered her mouth in horror. Her face was pale. Her eyes wide.
Lux looked at Byl.
He had been pierced by a tentacle. Red blood sprayed onto the mud. His entire stomach was gone.
It was over.
Blood dripped from Byl's lips as the tentacle pulled his body down.
Lux and Fie used the moment to run.
"L-Lux. he is dead!" Fie cried while running.
Lux nodded."I know. It's a shame."
What was Lux supposed to say. It was sad, but he thought Byl was an idiot. Dying this fast was pathetic.
Lux looked at Fie."What do you think happens to his body in the real world?"
Fie grew paler."His poor parents."
That was true.
Later, Lux wondered if he could have helped him. But Lux had faced danger himself.
I could have ended like that too, Lux thought.
He focused on the present again. For two minutes, no tentacles emerged from the ground.
Were they safe?
The answer revealed itself immediately.
A massive brown mass rose into the air. Beneath it were nearly twenty thick tentacles, and on its side was a gigantic mouth. Lux got goosebumps at the sight. Blood clung to the edges of the mouth, red and dripping downward. This monster was about to crush Lux and Fie.
Lux reacted instantly."Run!"
They both jumped to the right. The enormous monster slammed into the brown mud, hurling sludge into the air. It barely missed them and landed on the surface of the mud. The creature turned its mouth toward Lux and Fie and immediately stretched its tentacles forward.
"Shit. Run!" Lux shouted.
They turned and sprinted as fast as they could. Behind them, the massive tentacles chased relentlessly. If they slowed even a single centimeter, the tentacles would reach their backs.
Lux screamed in panic."How long are those things?!"
Fie said nothing. She fought to keep herself from panicking, knowing that panic would mean death. Still, a flickering spark of hope remained.
Ahead of them, they spotted normal ground. Not mud. Real earth.
"There!" Lux shouted, pointing ahead with hope.
Suddenly, the tentacles stopped and snapped back toward their master. Lux and Fie did not question it. They were only about twenty steps away now and forced themselves to run faster.
Lux dared a glance back and felt a chill run through him. The massive monster was partially submerged in the mud and moving toward them at terrifying speed. They had to be faster. It would catch them.
"Fie. We have to run faster. Give everything!" Lux shouted.
"I can't anymore!" Fie gasped.
They focused and drew out their last remaining strength. With a long forward leap, they reached solid ground. They hit the earth and rolled safely forward.
The monster stopped.
"W-what the hell?" Lux muttered, his face pale.
He looked back and saw the mud monster slowly rising from the sludge and stepping onto the solid ground. But luck was on their side.
The moment the monster fully reached firm earth, its color changed from brown to gray. Its skin tightened, as if its energy was being drained away. The massive creature collapsed forward and lay motionless on the ground.
The tentacles hanging in the air fell like rain, crashing onto the solid ground. What had happened? Lux watched intently and realized that the creature was dead, but he wondered why. What had killed the monster?
Lux immediately sharpened his senses and widened his eyes, ready to react at any second, watching closely.
"Is it dead?" Fie asked.
After a brief moment that felt like an eternity, black text stretched out before Lux's eyes.
Lux stared as shimmering text appeared before his eyes.
[You have slain a Class 5 monster!][You have received.....]