The rain hammered down, each raindrop a cold fist against his face. His sister's words echoed in the roaring storm that rattled his mind. "Like Mum did?... Like Dad did?..."He clenched his fists, knuckles white against the soaked leather of his gloves. The weight of responsibility pressed down harder than the rain. "I won't turn out like them," he whispered. The wind snatched at his words, leaving only uncertainty in its wake.

  The village gate loomed before him, a grim reminder of all he had to shoulder. He glanced at his quest log, desperation clawing at him.

  -Slay 15 Boars 6/15

  -Slay 15 Stingers 0/15

  -Slay 10 Shargans 0/10

  -Collect 25 Crystalline Tree Bark 0/25

  -Escort the mage to Valerias 0/1

  His eyes fixated on the bark quest. "The tree bark seems like the easiest; should be the quickest too..." he muttered, but the words felt hollow. Hope was a flicker amidst an encroaching darkness, barely illuminating the storm-wrecked landscape of his mind.

  He opened the map menu; the Crystalline Forest, a swirling blue blotch, beckoned. "I should be able to kill a few Boars on the way, too," he thought. Yet, the dread clung to him like a shroud, relentless and heavy. The burden he carried for his sister weighed heavily on him. What if he faltered?

  "When I finish these quests, it should—" He hesitated. The pressure felt like chains, weighing down his every thought. What if he wasn't strong enough?

  As he stepped forward, the landscape blurred through a veil of rain. But he had to push on. If he didn't, who would ensure his sister made it home?

  Fuelled by a desperate mix of determination and the gnawing weight of responsibility, Shu plunged into the Peaceful Meadow. The serenity of the name was a cruel joke. The meadows were anything but peaceful.

  He emerged from the tree line, the rain a curtain obscuring the world, and there they were. Three hulking Boars, their eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. The anger that had been simmering beneath the surface of his determination erupted. It was a raw, primal force fuelled by the fear of becoming like his parents.

  The first Boar charged, a blur of tusks, fury, and hunger. Shu didn't dodge the upcoming attack; he met the beast head-on, a roar of frustration tearing from his throat. The other two followed closely behind, their snorts echoing in the storm.

  He slashed the first Boar, the steel of his sword biting into its flesh. The second Boar came from the side, slamming into him and sending him sprawling. He scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding frantically against his ribs. He saw his chance; the third Boar momentarily distracted. He lunged, his sword a blur, and plunged it into the beast's back. The Boar let out a strangled bellow before collapsing.

  The beast was dead, but that wasn't enough. He was a whirlwind of fury, a relentless storm. He hacked at the fallen Boar, his screams lost in the rain, his anger a consuming fire. One of the other boars rushed towards him, and with a simple slash, it was dead. The last Boar rushed in from his blind spot as if to avenge the others, its tusks glinting in the rain; it slammed into him, sending him crashing into the mud. The world spun, the taste of earth filling his mouth. He felt the weight of the beast pressing down on him, a suffocating presence. But beneath the fear, a fire ignited, fuelled by pain, loss, and survival instinct.

  He fought back, his hands finding the Boar's thick hide. He flipped the beast over and rained blows down, each a testament to his fury. Two, Four, Six, each punch a tiny victory against the world, causing him so much pain. His knuckles throbbed, his vision blurred, but he didn't stop. He hammered, and hammered, and hammered until the Boar's struggle grew weaker, its grunts turning into whimpers. Finally, the beast lay still.

  Shu remained atop it, a silent monument to his rage. The ears came then, a torrent of grief and anger flowing silently down his cheeks. They merged with the rain, masking the pain that threatened to consume him. He didn't cry out, didn't let out a single sob. He let the rain carry away the tears as if they never existed.

  The silence finally drifted away, and the sound of rain crashing on the ground returned as he finally forced himself upright. His gaze fell on the mockingly empty XP counter.

  "Not a single point,"

  He muttered, his voice hollow and defeated. He pushed forward, the forest looming like a dark promise in the distance. The sound of rain was deafening, a constant reminder of dwindling hope. He trudged on, his sword a cold comfort in his hand.

  "This is it," he whispered, his voice a mere rasp.

  A flash of blue caught his eye, a piece of bark shimmering on the forest floor. He picked it up, and the screen flashed with the item's description.

  'Crystalline Tree Bark'

  'Item Description'

  'Piece of tree bark belonging to trees native to the Crystalline Forest. If used to pierce the skin, it can inflict a poison debuff.'

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  "of course it does," he mumbled.

  He pressed on into the forest, collecting bark as he found it, each piece a painful reminder of his exhaustion.

  'Quest Updated'

  '25/25 Crystalline Tree Bark'

  'Return to quest board'

  The screen finally announced. There was no surge of triumph, no sense of accomplishment, just weary acceptance. "Better head back," he mumbled, the words barely audible.

  He started making his way back, collecting anything that looked valuable. The rain soaked through his clothes, and the forest was a chilling embrace. A sound pierced the silence—a faint crack, like glass shattering. His heart pounded, his eyes frantically scanning the trees. There, between the branches, a wyvern emerged from the shadows, its scales resembling those of the trees.

  He ducked behind a tree, holding his breath, using the reflection of the crystals on the trees to predict the monster's movements. As its heavy footsteps drew closer, he closed his eyes, accepting his fate. Off in the distance was another cracking sound. Then nothing, silence. The wyvern had turned, disappearing into the forest. He let out a shaky breath, a sigh that echoed his emptiness.

  Fear tightened around him. It felt like a vice, squeezing the breath from his lungs. Death was not just a thought at that moment but a presence, tangible and terrifying. On all fours, his heart raced, and his breath quickened. He paused, inhaling deeply, then forced himself to stand and push forward through the thick and sharp forest. Each second he spent there was a matter of life and death. He scavenged for bark as he moved, hoping to find a little extra to sell. Eventually, he broke through and found himself back in the Peaceful Meadows.

  Relief washed over him; he hardly believed he was still alive. A smirk formed on his face. No other player had even considered attempting a quest, yet he was nearly finished with two.

  The village came into view, and his relief quickly gave way to horror. He felt a sudden impact, knocking him backward and hitting the ground with great force. A gasp escaped him, the air driven from his lungs. Standing before him was a gigantic boar, angrier and bigger than those he had previously fought.

  "This... is bad," Panic set in, accompanied by a mix of adrenaline.

  "I'm low on energy; can I take on this task?"

  There was no retreat; the beast would chase him down. He glanced down at his XP bar again, still showing zero XP.

  Thoughts of his parent's last words rushed into his mind.

  "We'll be back soon, okay? You be a big boy and look after your sister." Those words echo in his mind, describing the lies, betrayals, and waiting by the door every day for them to return—the loneliness. Just then, a fire ignited within him.

  The Boar began to charge; it was incredibly fast for something of its size. He pointed his sword at the beast, connecting to its side and barely leaving a mark.

  "Slashing isn't working; going to have to try and lunge," he muttered, breathless. The beast ran and leaped at him, but he dodged just in time. Seeing an opening, he lunged toward the beast without hesitation and managed to stab his sword into its neck.

  The connection was made, and chaos erupted around him. The Boar thrashed, charging away, Shu still holding the blade stuck in its hide. He threw Shu off of him, crashing to the ground. Pain exploded in his chest as darkness closed in.

  A monstrous wall of tusks and muscle charged, its snorts echoing like thunder through the clearing. His body bruised and battered, he stumbled back, his sword arm trembling with exhaustion. He'd underestimated the beast, its ferocity exceeding anything he'd ever encountered.

  "Damn it," he gasped, his voice ragged. "I can't hold on much longer."

  The Boar slammed into him, sending him flying through the air. He landed hard; the wind knocked from his lungs. As the beast loomed over him, its eyes burning with primal hunger, Shu felt a cold dread creep into his heart.

  "This is it, then," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "The end."

  The Boar's massive foot descended, crushing his chest. A wave of pain washed over him, stealing his breath. He coughed, blood staining his lips, his vision blurring.

  "No... not like this," he thought, his mind racing. "I can't... I won't..."But the weight was too much. His body screamed in protest, his will crumbling under the immense pressure. The darkness at the edge of his vision began to consume him and, with it, the faint flicker of hope.

  "This can't be it."

  His eyes begin to close, accepting that this is the end.

  "I'm sorry... Hana. Turns out... I ended up like them after all.

  "He closed his eyes, accepting his fate. The crushing weight of the Boar's foot felt like a tombstone on his chest. His breath came in ragged gasps, each one a struggle against the suffocating pressure.

  But from the depths of despair, a spark of hope emerged. A familiar cracking sound pierced through the haze of pain. His eyes snapped open, a flicker of defiance igniting within him. "The bark..." he gasped, recognizing the sound.

  He summoned every ounce of strength he had left, his muscles screaming in protest. With a grunt, he pulled out a sharp piece of crystalline bark, its edges gleaming with an otherworldly light. Sensing his renewed defiance, the Boar let out a snort of annoyance.

  Shu didn't answer. He gripped the bark. He knew it was a desperate gamble, a last-ditch effort against a foe far more powerful. But he had to try. He had to fight. For himself, for the life that was slipping away.

  "I'm not giving up," he muttered, his voice barely audible. "Not yet."He thrust it into the Boar's leg, and the beast shrieked, reeling in shock. He stumbled to his feet, limbs trembling, but he refused to back down. His sword remained lodged in the beast's neck, and the poison began to take effect.

  The Boar, a snorting, tusked behemoth, charged again, this time with a lumbering, almost hesitant advance. With a desperate sidestep, he dodged. He snatched the sword, still embedded in the beast's flank, and with a roar that echoed through the forest, slashed it across the Boar's throat. The air was thick with the scent of blood and sweat as the Boar's blood spilled onto the forest floor and crumpled to the ground.

  Panting, Shu slumped to the floor, his chest heaving. He glanced at his XP bar, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face."Nothing," he muttered, a cough rattling in his throat. Blood stained his lips, a testament to the ferocity of the battle. He reached into his bag, his fingers closing around the cool glass of a health potion. He needed to replenish his HP quickly; the forest was dangerous, and he knew he wasn't out of the woods yet.

  Still wounded, he made his way back to the village. Slow, limping, and ready to pass out at any moment, he kept pushing forward. The Guide HQ loomed ahead. He leaned against the door, pushing it open.

  "wow... tougher than you look," sneered the receptionist. He wanted to snap back but limped towards the desk to complete the quest.

  'Quest Complete!'

  'Reward'

  '1000 Shil'

  'Crystalline Sword'

  '3 HP Potions'

  He began limping towards the door; he turned around.

  "Are there any healers in this village?" he barely got out.

  The receptionist replied, smirk on her face, "Just down the street and to the right, sir."He left, using the last of his energy to limp down the street, his breathing, his movement, his heartbeat, all slowing down. As he got to the healer building, he went to push it open but collapsed into it, passing out on the floor.

  "sir?... SIR?..." the healer shouted, rushing over. She quickly cast a spell, weaving a thread of hope in the fading darkness of his consciousness.