Episode 8

Project Nexus: Beyond Reality

Episode 8: The Weight of Choices

After the battle, Renji and his party took a moment to recover. Airi held up the Iron Tusk, the rare loot from the Iron-Tusk Boar, examining it under the sunlight.

"It looks valuable," she muttered. "But I have no idea what it's for."

Leon, who had been idly staring at his interface, suddenly noticed a small "i" icon beside the item's name. His eyes lit up with curiosity. "Hey, there's an info button." He tapped on it, and a detailed description appeared in front of them.

[Iron Tusk: A rare-class material. Can be used to craft high-tier weapons and armor.]

Airi also checked the item details and raised an eyebrow. "It's rare-class? That means it's worth a lot."

Kai perked up. "So we can sell it for a ton of money?"

Airi nodded. "That's what I was thinking. If we sell this, we can use the money to upgrade everyone's equipment equally. But if we craft with it… we'll only get one piece of gear."

Leon crossed his arms, deep in thought. "That's true, but if we craft a weapon from this material, it might be stronger than anything we can buy." He glanced at Renji. "And if we're going to craft anything, it should be a sword for you."

Eve nodded in agreement. "It makes sense. Renji is the most capable in battle. Giving him a stronger weapon would make us all safer."

Renji looked at his team, considering their arguments. Both sides had valid points. If they sold it, they'd all get moderate upgrades. But if they crafted a sword, it could give them a powerful advantage—though only one person would benefit.

After a moment, he made his decision.

"…Let's keep it for now."

Airi raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

Renji nodded. "We don't need to decide right away. Let's think about it first."

The team agreed, and with that settled, they headed back to town.

A Moment of Reflection

The group arrived at Hamlet, the small town that served as a base for beginner players. As they split up to handle various tasks, Renji found himself wandering alone.

He walked to the town park, where a few NPCs and players were scattered about. Finding a quiet spot beneath a large tree, he sat down and leaned back against the trunk.

His mind drifted back to the battle earlier.

More specifically—his skill, "Agility Boost."

It had activated in the heat of the fight. But… how did he get it? Skills were usually unlocked through level-ups or quest rewards, but this one just appeared during combat.

"Did I trigger it instinctively…?" he murmured.

His eyes shifted down to his sword. He pulled up its details.

[Steel Longsword]

Attack: +18

Mastery: 1

Weapon Level: 2

Renji's brows furrowed. Mastery?

He hadn't noticed it before, but now he realized that the weapon itself had levels. And based on the stats, each weapon level gave +3 Attack, while Mastery provided +2 Attack.

That meant… the more he used a weapon, the stronger it became.

It made sense now. His Agility Boost skill must have unlocked because of his growing Mastery with swords.

But before he could think further about it, another thought crept into his mind—Kai's injuries.

Kai had been hit several times during the battle. Eve had healed him, but his reactions… the way he winced in pain—it had looked almost too realistic.

"What if… the pain in the game also affects us in real life?"

The idea sent a chill down his spine. If that were true, then taking damage wasn't just a game mechanic—it could have real-world consequences.

Renji's grip tightened around his sword.

He couldn't ignore this.

He stood up and made his way back to the group. He had to tell Kai.

To be continued...