[You have faced your fear and crossed the bridge at incredible speed. As a reward for your courage, you have received 5,400 Courage Points.]
[You have acquired 2/10 of the Lone Survivor of a Forgone Era tale sheet.
[The second challenge has been conquered. Your Courage Points have been doubled as a reward.]
[Name: Broken]
[Courage Points: 16,400]
A broad smile stretched across Broken’s face as he absorbed these words. Joy bubbled up within him, filling him with a sense of accomplishment. The rewards were beyond what he had expected, and the sense of validation was exhilarating.
His curiosity piqued, he glanced at the tale sheet he had just earned.
[2/10 – The Lone Survivor of a Forgone Era.]
[She survived. While the others perished.]
Repeating the words aloud, Broken murmured, “She survived while the others perished?” He paused, deep in contemplation. “I’m certain this has nothing to do with Princess Alora.”
Turning his head, Broken addressed Polly, who stood close by.
“Hey, Polly. Do you know anything about Yunatea’s past?”
Polly’s face took on a look of confusion. “Master, um… What specifically do you want to know?”
Broken leaned in. “Have you ever heard of a group, nation, tribe, or race being completely wiped out in the past?”
Polly’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she recalled ancient whispers and legends. After a moment, she replied cautiously, “Master, I may not be very old, but I’ve heard various tales. There are quite a few tales of entire peoples being wiped out in history.”
“And among those stories, could there be someone who survived while their group perished?”
Polly hesitated, searching her memories before slowly shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Master, but I can’t recall any tale that fits that description.”
Broken offered a reassuring smile. “That’s alright. We’ll ask Freya about this next time.”
With a determined nod, he climbed back onto Polly’s back. “Let’s head to the next island, Polly.”
Polly briskly dashed across the second long bridge, her movements fluid and swift. In no time at all, they reached their destination. To his surprise, the new island looked the same as the others, a haunting familiarity in its scenery.
Yet, as he stepped onto the new ground, no notification welcomed him. A small chuckle escaped his lips. “Well, I guess I was too optimistic to think the third challenge would mirror the second.”
Broken wasted no time as he leaped off Polly’s back, his eyes scanning the center of the island. His feet carried him forward quickly until he came upon three imposing rocks arranged in a triangular formation.
“Alright,” he murmured to himself. “It appears I have three choices this time.”
With a sense of caution, he edged closer to the rocks. Just then, Polly’s voice broke the silence, reaching his ears with a note of concern. “Master…”
He glanced over his shoulder, still moving forward. “Yes?”
“Is there any way out of here other than completing all the challenges, Master?” she asked, her voice tinged with worry.
“That’s been on my mind too, Polly,” he admitted. “So far, I haven’t seen any exit. It looks like this place requires you to finish every challenge or fail altogether. There’s no midway escape.”
As he arrived directly in front of the three boulders, he finally distinguished the inscriptions carved onto them. The first rock read:
[You can pay 5,000 Courage Points to complete the third challenge and unlock a Mystery Chest.]
The second rock offered a different proposition:
[Take a bonus of 5,000 Courage Points, and you will complete this challenge and also unlock a Mystery Chest. This is the best choice you can get.]
The third rock bore a much more intimidating message:
[The Guardian of The Island roared out in fury, “You stupid idiot! Pick me and fight me to the death!”]
Broken considered the options carefully, mulling over each one in his mind. “Alright,” he began to analyze aloud.
“The first option demands 5,000 Courage Points to immediately clear the challenge, plus the chance to open a Mystery Chest. It’s similar to the first challenge, but the cost is higher this time.”
He turned to the second rock and continued, “The second option offers a bonus of 5,000 Courage Points and also completes the challenge instantly with the reward of a Mystery Chest. It looks incredibly tempting, but it might very well be a trap.”
His eyes moved to the third rock, and he read the inscription once more, feeling the weight of the words. “The third choice is a duel with some unknown guardian of the island.”
Broken nodded to himself as he weighed his options. “So, it’s a straightforward exchange of points for progress, a seemingly generous offer that could be hiding a trick or a direct confrontation with the island’s guardian. Decisions, decisions.”
Broken exhaled deeply, his mind racing with the potential ramifications of each choice laid before him.
“In the first challenge, I gained quite a few Courage Points,” he mused aloud, seeking reassurance in his own voice. “Maybe my skills or Luck Stat had some impact on that. This could play a role here, too.”
“Losing the Courage Points I’ve worked so hard to earn… Maybe that’s what this challenge is testing-my fear of loss and my willingness to take risks.”
With a resolute nod, he steadied himself. “Alright, I’ve made my choice!”
He took out his sword, its blade gleaming in the muted island light. Without a moment’s hesitation, he surged forward and drove his sword into the surface of the second rock with determined force.
“If there’s an option to get a bonus of 5,000 points and an assured completion of the challenge, then why not take it!”
As the blade made contact, another holographic message materialized before his eyes.
[Your courage is applauded here. Even if it was a difficult and deceiving call, you made up your mind without delay. As a result, 5,000 Courage Points are added to your total.]
A rush of relief and triumph washed over him as a chest magically appeared before him. He opened it with eager hands.
[You received 3/10 of the Lone Survivor of a Forgone Era tale sheet]
[You earned 20 Stat Points.]
[You earned 10 Stat Points.]
[You earned 5 Stat Points.]
[The third challenge has been conquered.]
[Your Courage Points have been doubled as a reward.]
[Name: Broken]
[Courage Points: 42,800]
He couldn’t contain his excitement as he read the notification. “Woah…! I got a whopping 35
stat points!” His eyes widened in disbelief, shaking his head. “It’s insane to think about the progress these points can bring to someone at level 150. That’s almost like leveling up three
times!”
Eagerly, he moved onward to the fourth island. His anticipation grew with each step, but nothing could have prepared him for what he found a colossal rock standing alone, three times the size of the previous three combined.
Determination etched across his face, Broken approached the massive boulder. The ground seemed to tremble beneath its weight, almost as if it were barely containing the immense power trapped within.
A message engraved on the rock caught his eye.
“No way,” he muttered under his breath. “Am I really going to have to face the guardian of
the island now?”
As if in response, another message flashed before him, causing his breath to hitch. [You’ve been playing for too long. Take a break and enjoy the real world for a while. Spend time with your family and friends in person; have some face-to-face conversations with others. Once you’ve done that, you’ll appreciate the virtual world even more when you
return.]