Chapter 12: 3rd Trial!! Lost in the Illusion!!

Chapter 12

The land gave me a mysterious feeling. Despite its name, it was covered with huge trees. The trees looked as if they supported the whole sky and, on these trees, I could see numerous monsters. They were like apes casually swinging from one tree to another. They were practically smaller version of King Kong. I used my heavenly eyes upon them.

HP:5,000/5,000

Weakness: They have high agility and difficult to kill inside forest. They have low defense.

It was the first time the heavenly eyes showed me weakness of the creature. It wasn't much though. I equipped my bow and fired 3 arrows at the nearest Kong.

Maybe it was because they were just strolling around like every day. My all 3 arrows hit it perfectly at head and dealt huge damages.

-200

-400

-200

With this, I was sure that the only advantage I had upon them was their low defense and my high damage. So, my best chance was to close in and deal as much damage as possible while evading all their attacks.

being a passive skill was on right now but I clearly felt the difference when I was rushing at the apes. I could see things more clearly with my vision broadened, could hear more clearly, feel the surrounding more and my thought process was also becoming faster. When this happened, I had a terrifying thought but I put that thought aside for now and focused on the fight before me.

I equipped and attacked the nearest ape with Triple Cut.

-200

-200

-200

I was about to follow up with inclined slash but the other apes attacked me with Heavenly throw or whatever. They must have a skill which allowed them to turn a tree branch into a sharp arrow at an instant or something like that. Many arrows rained down upon me before I could follow up other attacks. I dodged them swiftly with the help of my swift, agile body and Heightened Sense.

Fortunately, they didn't have HP restoration ability. I danced around the whole forest here and there with full concentration mode and reduced their HP slowly but swiftly. I didn't feel bored doing this as there were many enemies and I didn't have the ability to do 1 hit kill at least for now.

Our HP decreased slowly. I couldn't dodge all of their strikes or throws despite my high alertness and . But I was winning as I was slowly growing used to their tempos and attack pattern. I was left with only 100HP when I finally killed the remaining ape. It took me more than 4 hours to kill 500 apes.

Ting

<12 TP obtained>

(100% needed to use tranquility)

The previous void again appeared and I entered through it.

I was again back at the pyramid dungeon. I was wondering how the trial would be this time when everything changed around me. I was back at my home with my father and sister. I was having the time of my life as I also had a mother this time around. Apparently, my father remarried.

I knew that it was an illusion. But I didn't want it to be an illusion. Everything felt real. The sense of time flow, the emotions I felt. Everything was real. Before I knew it, I was already here for a month. I really liked this that I didn't even realize the flow of time. I was slowly and slowly getting more and more absorbed into the illusion. I knew that it was an illusion but. I initially wanted to spend some time here to experience everything I missed. I thought it was only natural. But I didn't know that it would grow up on me. Slowly I started having thought that my real life was a dream and this was real.

Everything I was feeling and seeing was so real that I was about to get lost in the illusion forever. Somewhere inside of me, a part of me was telling that everything was nothing but pipe dream I had wanted. My real sister and father were still in risky place with danger lurking around everywhere. But its voice was so small and faint that I didn't hear it or maybe I chose to ignore it.

A year had passed. I liked my mother, and everything around here. I had got a big project and I was doing good. I also had a girlfriend here. I had everything I wanted in here. But the more I got what I always desired, a strange feeling was also growing inside me. It made me feel like something was wrong. I couldn't pinpoint what it was but it was already so big that I couldn't ignore it and get on with my life.

Another year passed just like that. I was already getting accustomed with that feeling. I looked very happy to outsiders as I had everything, I had always wanted but my inner peace was long gone. By now, I had already forgot about the dungeons and my real life. I was starting to believe that the life I had was real. But I was not happy. I wasn't at peace with myself. I always felt as if I lacked everything despite having everything. One day, I was returning home finishing my project. I was just thinking abut my life when I paused. I was at the place where I saw the goblins for the first time.

I would always pause whenever I passed by this place. I didn't know why it was like that. But I would be at peace whenever I was here. I stayed here for a while. I collected my thoughts and went back home.

…

…

I woke up again with a nightmare. I was fighting monsters there and every day I would wake up when I realized something. I didn't know what it was but it felt cruel and terrifying. This had become my daily routine as I woke up mostly with this dream.

Another year passed by.

I was returning home when I heard my sister. She was playing something. I didn't know what it was. I focused and listened intently. I could then hear some terms. But the term I heard "VR" froze me. I froze for a while. When I came back to, I had prepared myself. I realized what was happening and how lost I had become in the illusion. I didn't break the illusion. I talked with my dad, sister intently.

The next day

When I came to the dining room, everyone was there. My father, sister, mother and my girlfriend. I slowly walked towards them. I didn't hesitate at all when I equipped and killed them swiftly.

…

…

The illusion finally broke and I was again back at the dungeon.

<50TP obtained>