Leon stepped out of the sleek, high-tech capsule, and the room’s lights instantly brightened as if welcoming him back to reality. A soft, mechanical hiss came from the capsule next to his, signaling Freya’s arrival. He moved closer and extended a steady hand to help her out. She took his hand with a trusting smile, her fingers wrapping warmly around his.
Leon kept his grin as he watched Freya steady herself outside the capsule.
“What’s with that smile on your face? Are you that excited to go hunting with a pretty archer like me?” she teased.
“If that’s what makes you happy, then sure, let’s run with it,” Leon replied.
As he made his way to the exit, Freya gave him a gentle nudge, urging him to move faster. She hurried to the living room and flopped onto the couch next to Lily, who was relaxing with a glass of fruit juice and watching television.
“Is there any way I can see what you two are doing in the game from out here? I’m really curious about your adventures inside the game,” Lily said with a curious giggle. “Why don’t you use the capsule while Freya isn’t in it, Lily?” Leon approached.
“Maybe another time. I’ve got a lot of work with my new class,” Lily responded. “How about we go for a walk later, Lily?” Freya suggested.
“Yes, sure. How about 7 PM?” Lily glanced at the clock; it was only 5 PM.
“Sounds good. In the meantime, I’m off to the gym for a quick workout,” Leon declared. He headed to his room and soon returned with a backpack, ready to leave and get in some much- needed exercise.
For the past several weeks, Leon had been intensely focused on improving his stamina and physical fitness. Taking full advantage of the hotel’s gym facilities, he pushed himself relentlessly. Although his physique wasn’t in terrible shape, to begin with, he felt a strong need to push himself further, aiming for personal betterment.
He began his workouts with a run on the treadmill, maintaining a steady pace while striving to run for longer periods each time. Even though Leon preferred running outdoors, he found himself combining outdoor runs with treadmill sessions to maximize his endurance.
After the treadmill, Leon moved on to weightlifting. He had learned various exercises and combinations from online tutorials, which provided detailed guides on building strength. Despite being able to afford a personal trainer, he hadn’t yet considered hiring one.
Initially, such physical training had been grueling. It required significant consistency and dedication, something Leon had to balance with his gaming schedule, occasional classes, and responsibilities as Lily’s brother. He wondered if it might be beneficial for Lily to join him in his workouts. However, Leon’s erratic schedule-sometimes working out at dawn, other times in the afternoon or night-depended on when he finished gaming and felt the urge to complete his exercise routine.
Almost two hours had passed, and Leon felt his body reach its limit. He took deep, repeated breaths, his arms and legs hanging weakly by his sides. After showering and getting ready, he headed back to his hotel room, where he found Lily and Freya already dressed and ready. Did Freya bring a change of clothes here? Leon wondered as he noticed her new attire.
“Let’s go, Leon. We’ve been waiting for you,” Lily said with a giggle.
That evening, they decided to take a casual stroll to a nearby café, enjoying drinks and a simple dinner. Although Freya initially resisted joining them, citing her desire to give the siblings some quality time together, Lily’s persistent enthusiasm always managed to drag her along for their outings.
Most of the evening was spent with Freya animatedly recounting various adventures in Immortal Legacy to Lily, who listened with wide-eyed fascination. Meanwhile, Leon busied himself with ordering every dish he hadn’t tried before, savoring the joy of finally having the means to indulge without a second thought about the cost.
He started to feel the subtle but significant improvements in his life. While he hadn’t yet fully maximized his potential as the Sloth Champion, he was beginning to taste the sweetness of a better life, relishing the newfound freedom that came with financial security.
***
Broken and Freya spent three days roaming the dense forest, hunting monsters and steadily making their way toward Clario Town. Throughout their journey, Broken reached a significant milestone, leveling up to level 50.
“You spend a lot of time hunting, yet you still manage to level up, huh? Have you ever tracked your level progress, Broken?” Freya asked.
“Not really,” he replied, scratching his head thoughtfully. “But it does seem like my level increases faster when I’m not hunting. Maybe it’s because we only focus on high-level monsters in small numbers?”
Their conversation continued as they once again triumphed over a monster with a level in the 140s, both visibly exhausted from the day’s relentless hunting.
[Congratulations! You just unlocked the new Survival Stat!]
[Now, you can survive in the harshest of conditions and have the stamina to go the extra mile with your adventures.]
[The Survival stat has an effect of decreasing the duration of negative effects and prolonging stamina usage.]
[Who said surviving was hard? With this stat, you can show Mother Nature who’s boss!]
[You gained 20 Survival stats]
“Wow, a Survival stat?” Broken said, clearly amazed.
“Another achievement and it grants you a new special stat. It seems the game really loves you, huh?” Freya giggled.
She continued, “Survival stat is incredibly useful. It helps reduce the duration of negative effects and decreases stamina usage. It’s tough to increase, though, so not many people have
it.”
“Increasing the stat value for it will be my next priority,” Broken replied nonchalantly. “But it seems I’m pretty lucky today.”
“Congratulations, Mr. Got-it-all,” Freya said, her voice filled with sarcasm. “You really did buy up the entire store with all the loot we’ve gathered over the past few days.”
The sun had already dipped below the horizon, enveloping the landscape in a blanket of darkness. As they scanned their surroundings for a sturdy tree, one suitable for a night’s rest, their eyes settled on a particularly tall specimen. With no time to waste, they began their
ascent.
Freya, nimble and agile, reached the highest branch first.
“It’s so enjoyable here, isn’t it?” she remarked, glancing at the distant ground beneath them.
“We have such a comfy room and a really soft mattress waiting outside of this game, but here we are, choosing this instead,” she added with a quiet chuckle.
Broken rummaged through his Inventory and pulled out a meat bun, a gift from Ivana. He
glanced at Freya.
“Do you want to share this with me?” Freya asked.
“Sure, why not?” Broken replied, breaking the bun in half and offering her a piece.
Freya accepted gladly, and they both began to eat, eyes fixed on the twinkling stars above. For
a few moments, silence enveloped them, punctuated only by the sounds of the forest night.
“It’s kind of nice up here,” Freya said softly, almost as if she were speaking to herself.
“I have to log out soon,” Broken said.
“Then me too,” Freya echoed.
Suddenly, a cold chill swept across the forest, causing the trees to rustle violently and the birds to scatter in a flurry of feathers. The once peaceful ambiance was shattered.
“What is that?” Freya exclaimed.
Broken quickly grabbed his bow, activating his Hawk’s Eye ability, and scanned their
surroundings with sharp, focused eyes.
“Do you see anything?” Freya asked quietly.
Broken shook his head.
“Is that… a monster?” she gasped. “What do you think it might be?”
“I’m not sure,” Broken murmured, his breath steady but tense. “But I hope we find out soon.”
He pointed to a distant shimmer, saying, “It looks like some kind of energy field is forming
over there.”
“This kind of phenomenon is common when a domain is created,” Freya explained.
“Monster Dungeon?”
“Mind checking it out?”
“Let’s go,” Broken nodded solemnly.
They descended from the tree and mounted Polly. She was galloping towards the mysterious
disturbance. As they approached, the ground damp and soft beneath Polly’s paws, they encountered what felt like an invisible barrier.
Broken stepped forward cautiously, his arm extended as if to sense an unseen presence.
“As I thought,” Freya murmured, “this is a Trial Domain.”
Broken moved closer to the shimmering barrier, his hand hovering to gauge the situation. His
eyes narrowed in concentration.
[The Fate Trial Domain Lv. 150]