RLRD Chapter 11

Chapter 11 A Stronger Connection.

It had been a long time coming, and Kyro felt confident about stepping into the world of Shira. After all, he had already encountered a beast in the real world, and judging by its size and ferocity, he was certain it had to be at least a Rank C creature. Although, he had to admit it was hard to tell without much reference to compare.

As Kyro started toward the forest Alex had mentioned, he paused, noticing something as he turned his head.

"Aren't you coming with me? You know, show me the ropes and all that?" Kyro asked.

"Ah," Alex replied, scratching the side of his face awkwardly. "Honestly, it’s pretty straightforward here. That area’s mainly for Rank F and D players. I'm a Rank C, so there isn’t much benefit for me to tag along. Besides, I don't get a lot of chances to play Shira, so I was kind of hoping to explore a bit on my own." Alex lowered his head slightly before meeting Kyro’s gaze again. "I hope you understand."

"No, no, it's fine," Kyro quickly reassured him. "You've done more than enough already. I'm sure I'll figure things out."

Alex hesitated for a moment, then added seriously, "Just one more thing. Even though different areas in Shira are designed for certain ranks, there's always a chance you'll run into a creature that's not supposed to be there, so stay alert. But don’t stress too much—after all, it's just a game. You know what that means, right? If you die in the game, you die in real life."

"What?!" Kyro’s eyes widened, nearly popping out of his head.

Alex burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. He never thought anyone would fall for that old joke, yet here Kyro was.

"Relax, I'm just messing with you! It's just a game. If you die, you’ll just respawn right here."

With that, the two of them went their separate ways, and Kyro felt a slight sense of relief. It meant he could finally test out all the skills he had at his disposal. As he approached the edge of the forest, he noticed several other players moving in and out.

Some of them carried large backpacks, oddly filled with what looked like tusks. Kyro briefly regretted not asking around more to understand why exactly players were lugging around monster parts. But the mere idea of approaching strangers made him shudder. He was definitely not the social butterfly type.

The forest was large enough that eventually, Kyro found himself alone, away from any other players. It didn't take him long, though, before he stumbled upon a creature sprawled on the ground directly in front of him.

‘That thing…is so ugly,’ Kyro thought immediately.

‘Now, that's not very nice,’ Slith chimed in. ‘What if it's thinking the same about you? You might look absolutely hideous to him.’

The creature had three bulging eyes on its head and large, curved tusks protruding from either side of its beak-like mouth. Strangely, it resembled some sort of bird, though with wings so massive they seemed impractical for flight. It was like a miniature ostrich crossed with a bull, topped off by those unsettling eyes.

‘Alright, so how do I even use these skills?’ Kyro wondered nervously. ‘Alex mentioned this place is mostly for Rank F and D players. All my skills are Rank F, so I guess I can only handle Rank F monsters. But what exactly is this weird little guy?’

Taking one step too far, Kyro accidentally caught the attention of the strange bird creature. It quickly spread its wings wide, opening its mouth to reveal a disgusting, split tongue. In the blink of an eye, the creature lunged straight at Kyro with its sharp beak.

“HARDEN!” Kyro shouted instinctively, almost like he was in an anime, calling out his moves. Surprisingly, it worked. He felt a strange sensation ripple through the cells of his skin, a defensive energy coating his body.

The beast’s beak slammed into him, and Kyro quickly lifted his arms in defense. The impact shoved him backward, sending a jolt of pain through him, but to his relief, his skin remained unbroken.

A moment later, the protective energy faded, leaving Kyro feeling slightly drained.

‘This isn't like the games I'm used to,’ he thought anxiously. ‘There’s no energy bar or anything. I have no idea how many times I can use these skills or if there's a cooldown.’

However, noticing the creature shaking its head in confusion, Kyro saw an opening. Without hesitation, he charged forward and threw a powerful punch aimed at its body.

“Strong Fist!”

The same energizing sensation surged through his fist, tensing his muscles as he struck the creature squarely in its stomach. The impact lifted it off its feet, sending it crashing into a nearby tree. The creature seemed stunned but wasn't completely defeated.

The first two skills had impressed Kyro, just like Alex had explained. Having both offensive and defensive abilities was ideal, especially for someone like him.

‘I guess it's time to try out the last skill—Lightning Charge!’ This time, instead of shouting, Kyro simply thought the skill's name, instantly feeling the familiar surge of energy activating within him.

The tingling sensation surged strongly through Kyro’s body this time. As he glanced down at his hands, he noticed small sparks of blue lightning dancing across his skin. Remarkably, it wasn't painful—just electrifying—and it wasn't limited to his hands; his entire body was enveloped in the energy.

“This is...actually pretty cool,” Kyro murmured, fascinated by the sparks rippling across his arms.

But the bird creature recovered quickly from its daze and leaped toward him again, forcing Kyro to roll hastily to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. As he stood back up, he noticed the lightning had already dissipated.

“What the heck? That's it? Just a little static shock across my body? It doesn't even shoot lightning bolts from my hands or anything!” Kyro complained aloud.

Slith chimed in calmly, “Why don't you try using your head for a second? Think about it—the skill electrifies your entire body with lightning energy for a short period. Isn't there something else you could combine it with to enhance the effect?”

Kyro didn't have much time to ponder Slith’s advice, but instinctively he felt he knew exactly what to do next.

‘Lightning Charge!’ he thought again, his body crackling with renewed electricity. Without hesitation, he followed it up, ‘Strong Fist!’

Throwing his electrified fist forward, he struck the creature directly in its stomach. The punch unleashed an explosive electric shock, amplifying the power dramatically. The creature flew backward, slamming into a tree with such force that it splintered loudly.

Kyro stared at his own fist, then at the defeated creature, his eyes wide with amazement.

“Holy crap! That was me—I actually did that!” he exclaimed excitedly. “Combining these skills made the attack at least three times stronger than Strong Fist alone. Is this really supposed to be just an F-rank power?”

“Calm down,” Slith said dryly. “You’re getting excited over defeating one little bird. Honestly, I don't see why you're so thrilled—especially since you couldn't have done it without my guidance.”

Slith’s words felt like a dagger piercing Kyro’s heart. He had been genuinely proud of this moment, feeling as though he'd narrowly escaped danger, particularly with the creature’s vicious tongue and sharp beak.

As Kyro turned back toward the creature, he saw it slowly dissolving, breaking apart into tiny particles that floated gently into the air. In its place, lying on the ground, was a single tusk.

‘Okay, this part really feels like a game…but this is supposed to be a real world, right? Where did it actually go?’ Kyro wondered as he stepped closer and picked up the tusk. Seeing just one reminded him of the other players he'd spotted earlier, their backpacks filled to bursting with similar items.

‘I clearly have a long way to go before I'm anywhere near the level of those other players.’

“Kyro,” Slith suddenly spoke, breaking through his thoughts.

Kyro was startled; Slith rarely addressed him directly by name, which immediately piqued his curiosity.

“There’s something strange about this place,” Slith continued cautiously. “Ever since you entered this world, I've felt a much stronger connection to your body. Do you mind if I try something?”