Resuming School

After defeating the boss, Ray was panting heavily, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Despite his initial expectations of an epic and grueling battle, he had defeated the boss with surprising ease. His energy bar had barely been dented, and he felt a mix of relief and disappointment. 

Elric was right; Ray had lingered too long in the tutorial. It was time to move on. Checking his experience bar, Ray realized that leveling up would require him to kill about fifty wolves. The thought of what awaited him at the next level made him shudder. He wondered about the game's maximum level and how exponentially the experience requirements increased with each level.

As he walked back to the cabin, he saw Elric sitting in his usual chair, sipping coffee. Despite Elric being an NPC, the thought of leaving the tutorial and possibly never seeing Elric again made Ray's heart sink. Over the past month, Elric had become a significant presence in Ray's life, more so than anyone else. He felt a sense of comfort and guidance from Elric, almost like a father figure.

"Elric, I guess I will be leaving now," Ray said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Wait, you can't leave," Elric responded.

"I have to. I know that you will miss me, and I will miss you too, but I have to go and move on, and you should too," Ray said, his eyes welling up with tears.

"That's not it. In fact, I would be so happy if you would leave the tutorial," Elric replied.

"If you don't want me here, I guess I will leave," Ray said, feeling a bit hurt.

"I can't believe that I was actually about to be sad leaving this guy," Ray thought to himself.

"Wait, I already told you, you can't leave," Elric insisted.

When Ray tried to exit the tutorial, a message appeared before him.

**Notice to all players: The new server shall arrive tomorrow. Because of this, no one shall have access to the main server. The only area accessible is the tutorial. Those players who have already left the tutorial can no longer play until tomorrow.**

"So I guess that's the only reason you kept me here," Ray said, slightly relieved.

"Yeah, but it's not as if I wouldn't miss you or anything," Elric replied, trying to hide his own emotions.

Ray was amazed at the technology that had brought this virtual world to life. The advanced AI, the detailed environments, and the immersive experience were truly impressive.

Logging out of the game, Ray removed his VR headset and stretched. He felt a renewed sense of purpose and satisfaction. He checked his phone to see when the new server would be opening, only to find out that it was coincidentally the same day his school was resuming.

"Great," Ray muttered to himself. "Just perfect timing."

Just then, his sister, Lily, knocked on his door and peeked inside. "Hey, Ray. How's the game going?"

Ray frowned. "How did you get in? I thought I locked the door."

Lily smiled. "Oh yeah, you left your door open," she said, laughing, trying to play it cool.

"Oh, so you stole my key from me," replied Ray, not believing her for a second.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Lily admitted, looking guilty.

Ray sighed. "Well, I have to go back to school tomorrow. The new server opens then too."

"School, huh? Sounds fun," Lily said sarcastically. "Need any help getting ready?"

"No, I'm fine. But thanks," Ray replied, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sudden return to reality.

After checking the server announcement, Ray decided to check his calendar to confirm the date. He opened his phone and scrolled to the calendar app. Indeed, tomorrow was marked as the first day of school. He felt a mix of frustration and resignation. Balancing school and gaming would be a challenge, but he was determined to make it work.

"Guess it's back to the grind," he muttered to himself, closing the calendar app.

The evening passed quickly as Ray and Lily talked about various things, mostly about the game and Ray's experiences in the virtual world. Lily teased him about being emotional over an NPC, and Ray retorted by reminding her of her own attachment to fictional characters from her favorite TV shows.

"Yeah, but Mr. Darcy doesn't give you quests and valuable life advice," Ray argued, crossing his arms.

"True," Lily admitted, "but he's still dreamier than Elric."

The next morning, Ray woke up early, feeling a mix of excitement and dread. He prepared for school, packing his bag and making sure everything was in order. He checked his phone one last time to see if there were any updates about the game server.

"Still on track for tomorrow," he thought, feeling a bit relieved that he hadn't missed anything important.

As he walked out of his apartment, he saw Lily waiting for him at the door.

"Don't forget to drop my keys," Ray reminded her.

"Yeah, yeah. Here you go," Lily said, tossing the keys to him.

Ray grabbed the keys and pocketed them. He walked to the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast. He poured himself a bowl of cereal and ate quickly, his mind still racing with thoughts about the game and school.

"You're going to be late if you keep daydreaming," Lily called from the living room.

"I'm not daydreaming," Ray retorted, though he knew she was right.

He finished his breakfast and grabbed his backpack. As he was about to leave, he realized he had forgotten to pack his lunch. He quickly threw together a sandwich and an apple, shoving them into his bag.

"Ready now?" Lily asked, smirking.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go," Ray replied, rolling his eyes.

The walk to school was uneventful. Ray and Lily chatted about random things, trying to keep the mood light. Ray couldn't help but feel a bit nervous about returning to school after the long break. He wondered how his friends would react to his new obsession with the game.

As they approached the school gates, Ray took a deep breath and prepared himself for the day. It was going to be a long day, but Ray felt ready to face whatever came his way, both in the real world and the virtual one.

Just as they were about to enter the school, Ray noticed a familiar face among the crowd. It was his best friend, Alex, who looked just as anxious as Ray felt.

"Hey, Alex!" Ray called out, waving.

"Ray! Long time no see," Alex replied, smiling.

"Yeah, it's been a while. Ready for another year?" Ray asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Alex said with a chuckle.

The three of them walked into the school together, chatting and catching up. Ray felt a bit more at ease with his friends by his side. He knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, he had a solid support system to help him through.

As the morning went on, Ray found himself slipping back into the routine of school life. Classes, assignments, and social interactions filled his day, but his mind kept drifting back to the game and the new server opening.

During lunch, Ray and Alex sat together, discussing their summer adventures. Ray told Alex about the game and his experiences in the tutorial. Alex listened intently, fascinated by Ray's stories.

"Man, that sounds amazing. I might have to check it out," Alex said, his eyes lighting up with interest.

"You definitely should. It's incredible," Ray replied, feeling a surge of excitement at the thought of playing with his friend.

The rest of the school day passed in a blur. Ray attended his classes, took notes, and tried to focus on the lessons, but his mind kept wandering back to the game. He couldn't wait for the school day to end so he could dive back into the virtual world.

Finally, the last bell rang, and Ray practically sprinted out of the classroom. He met up with Lily at the school gates.

Ray and his sister, Lily, were twins and they were both in the same class, but their interactions often made others think Ray was the elder sibling. Despite being the same age, Ray's mature demeanor and protective attitude contrasted with Lily's more carefree and playful nature.

As soon as he got home, Ray dropped his backpack and grabbed a snack. He logged into his computer to check for any updates about the game. The server was still set to open the next day, and Ray felt a mix of anticipation and impatience.

"Just a few more hours," he thought to himself. "I can wait just for a few more hours."