Chapter 15: Breaking Away
The Treasure Island questline was over, but the rush of it still lingered in my mind. After logging out, I just sat there, staring at the login screen. The excitement of the game, the thrill of uncovering its hidden lore, the camaraderie with ShadowStalker—it was intoxicating. But at the same time, something didn't sit right. I felt a strange emptiness, like I'd lost something along the way.
I decided I needed a break—a real break. I needed to step back and breathe, to clear my head and focus on the real world for a bit. With a heavy sigh, I closed my laptop and pushed it aside.
The next few days were a blur of schoolwork and half-hearted attempts to hang out with friends. I'd dive into my textbooks, trying to recapture the focus I used to have before the game took over. But my mind kept drifting back to the game, to the quests, to ShadowStalker. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.
Hanging out with my friends was... awkward. We'd talk about school, movies, and the usual stuff, but it felt forced. I realized that while they were great people, I just wasn't connecting with them like I used to. My mind kept wandering back to the game, to the adventures I'd had with ShadowStalker. He felt more like a friend than the people sitting right in front of me.
After a few days of this, I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to log back in. But this time, it would be different. I couldn't keep relying on ShadowStalker to carry me through everything. I had to stand on my own, prove to myself that I could hold my own in the game. No more leaning on him, no more feeling inferior. I had to get stronger, level up, and show that I was just as capable.
So, I logged back in, and a mix of determination and anxiety washed over me. The game world welcomed me back with its familiar sights and sounds, but I didn't immediately contact ShadowStalker. Instead, I set off on my own, diving into quests, grinding levels, and honing my skills. I needed to do this solo, to build myself up without relying on anyone else.
I got two skills from the scrolls. 1. Burst Blade: it allowed me to forcibly use the back of my sword to knock the enemy back. 2. Power Kick: This also allowed me to knock the enemy back but sometimes it also knocked them out for five seconds. Both had a cooldown of 2 hours and a max usage of 4 times a day.
I tried Burst Blade out on a nearby wolf monster. It was knocked back and I immediately cleaved its head in two, in a smooth motion.
Next, I located a chicken monster, and used Power Kick on it. It went flying across the field, and was actually knocked out for a few seconds. I used the opportunity to casually kill it and level up.
'That's twenty.'
I opened my menu and deposited the points.
SIRANCHA Strength: 12 Agility: 11 Endurance: 13 Intelligence: 8
The days blurred together as I pushed myself harder than ever. I explored new areas, fought tougher monsters, and gathered rare loot. Slowly but surely, I could feel myself growing stronger. My stats improved, my confidence grew, and the sense of inferiority that had plagued me started to fade.
But even as I threw myself into the game, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was still missing. ShadowStalker wasn't just a crutch—he was a friend, and without him, the game felt... emptier. I missed our banter, our shared victories, even our arguments. I was getting stronger, but at what cost?
As I stood in the middle of a desolate battlefield, surrounded by the aftermath of yet another successful raid, I realized that I didn't just want to be stronger. I wanted to share that strength with someone. The game wasn't just about leveling up or defeating bosses—it was about the connections we made along the way.
I logged out, feeling more conflicted than ever. I'd achieved what I set out to do, but I couldn't shake the loneliness that came with it. I knew what I had to do next. I needed to find a balance, to be strong on my own but also to reconnect with the people who mattered—both in the game and out of it.