As I teleported back to Galrinth, I got a glimpse of the Hundred Floor Castle. This time it felt like I was actually there, as if the castle was calling out to me. This time it was like I could hear everything that was inside of the castle. I vaguely remember, but it was like if I was hearing screams of players and loud roaring of monsters at every floor. Before I could forget I recorded it in my mind. When I woke up I found myself laying face first on the floor with the townspeople surrounding me. I just got up and headed to find my brother and my party members, back at the meeting point. I finally reached the meeting point, I was very excited but yet tired at the same time. I told my brother and my party members about Mishiji Temple and how we cleared it. I was looking forward on seeing their faces as I told them of my adventure. Their mouths dropped in awe of my story, because Mishiji Temple was one of the places they cleared, but they never taught that there was a hidden area in the temple. After all that explanation we celebrated with a banquet, because I was very much famished. The next day I told my brother that we will be going on a quest to the "Hundred Floor Castle". Where there would be lots of rewards and different types of players and unknown places, where we can go adventures together. Without any delay, we set out for a great adventure that lies before us. Can't wait to see what awaits us on our journey to the "Hundred Floor Castle". Not knowing what monsters await us on the quest to beat the game. Walking down the path towards the "Castle", we saw a lot of trees, trees that were tall, very tall about (two hundred feet) in the air. Followed by tall grass and lots of strange plants. Plants that look like piranha with sharp-like fangs and colorful features to lure in prey of all kinds. One would be foolish enough to go or venture next to it. A dare walked by next to it and within a blink of an eye, it was gone, it was like if it was a magic show. Also, there were lots of monster-like creatures, some with high HP Levels and some with Low HP. Most of the monsters were very big and they looked very ferocious and not very friendly. We would most likely have to keep our guards up. I did not want to draw attention towards my party members or myself, so I kept myself calm counting to ten. As I reached nine, I heard something moving in the bushes. Slowly an animal that reminded me of the baboons I had seen in pictures appeared. It was unlike any monkey or baboons I have ever seen. With thick hair, large eyes and a very loud and strong-like figure. Its breathing was so hard I got frightened and used a magic spell to run it away. But it didn't move a muscle, it seemed like it was looking for a fight. Now I was razor-focused on the beast, blocking out all other sights and sounds. "Back up!" I shouted. The creature screeched in response, but didn't move away. I pulled out my sword and waved it threateningly. I heard Justin cry "Stephen, stop!" he said. "Be still". I know he could not see how my vitals were skyrocketing, I thought it was working. When suddenly a bunch of baboons burst out of the Bush, "raaaaar", just joking. Their blood-curdling, war cries echoing through the forest. It was like they were alerting the other animals about our presence. I could not draw any other attention to myself or my party members. Justin, Tyler, and I began using spells to try and provoke them to leave. With creatures surrounding me, I used my flaming red sword and it was beginning to scare them away but they were more attracted to it. Glancing behind me, I saw an opening between some trees. I told my party members to make a break for it, while we distracted them. I told my brother and his friends to go with them also. So that I could not have any casualties within my party members and my brother and his friend. Quickly I put my black sword away and with my flaming sword in hand, I ran as fast as I could. The baboons chased me while I darted through the forest. Good thing I'm fast. I leaped from rock to rock and sprinted through the dense forest, outrunning them. While I was running I laid down some bomb spells as traps to hold them back. As I heard the loud explosions going off I began running further and further away. One or two of them died and I saw my level up gauge going up rapidly, with just only two creatures being defeated. I was happy for the HP Points but, I wasn't out of the forest yet. I said to myself "like mother nature doesn't like me or is it my love for animals my kryptonite!". Meanwhile, still running in the forest, they swung into the trees and started gaining on me. That there was one technique I could remember at the time. They grabbed large pine cones from the trees and hurled them down at me. More of them were joining the chase every second. I counted ten, then twenty, then fifty of the creatures were still chasing me, I felt as though this was the end for me. All of them were swinging and jumping through the trees, all throwing things at me. Somehow I managed to dodge everything they threw. Guess baboons don't have great aim. But eventually one of them was bound to get in a lucky shot. A giant pinecone struck me square in the back, and I stumbled before turning the motion into a forward roll and springing back on my feet. I immediately cast some more explosive spells and to my surprise I saw a large river. I stopped short when I reached the bank of the raging river. The water was rougher than I had expected, but with the creatures screeching close behind me, with the loud explosions I had casted before, I had no choice. I dove in. From the shore, all forty-seven baboons continued throwing branches and pinecones after me, the water exploding around me with their projectiles, I did not even see my level up gauge move since the explosion, so that meant that none of the forty-seven baboons were even caught in my magic spell. Although I am a strong swimmer, but bobbing in and out of the water to dodge their attacks was wearing me out fast. I remembered while I was in the blacksmith's shop that I had equipped a floating device in my inventory, in case I had to use it to travel on water. That would be very handy right about now. So without any hesitation, I cast the spell and use the floating raft, so that I could stay afloat just over the water. While staying behind the raft, I looked back, but saw no signs of those pesky baboons. I was so relieved, I saw land up ahead so I quickly used my hands and paddled to shore. As I began to walk out of the water, I felt foggy, frozen in place. So using my equipment I scanned my body for any unexpected elements. The reading said that "your body is showing rapid blood contamination, are you cut?" I'd been fighting, running, swimming, but I hadn't been cut. I would've remembered that, curled in on myself. I noticed that my life level had turned white, I didn't know what white meant. So I began to check myself, slowly I started to assess myself, but when I tried to stand, I staggered, off-balance. "I'm dizzy," I said to myself. The words didn't even sound right to me. My lips felt swollen, upon looking down at my hands and saw a giant leech-like parasite, attached to my left hand. I ripped it off, disgusted, and flung it away. But it tore my skin as I did, and a nasty rash bloomed where the thing had been. Soon after I casted a healing spell upon myself. But I felt as if nothing was happening. Then I heard a voice in my head saying "the poison is affecting your nervous system," It explained. "relax. Stay even." As clueless as I was, I figured it was probably the AI within the gaming system. I didn't see how relaxing would help when I was going blind. I couldn't see anything, my eyes swelling shut. I knew I couldn't afford to panic, but I couldn't help it. I shouted as loud as I could "someone, please come help me!", I cried out like a little kid. I knew it was impossible, but it was also impossible for me to save myself. "I can't see! Please someone help me!". "Stay even!" it insisted. "Cast the healing spell on your whole body!" Taking a deep breath, I said the words to the healing spell and hoped that it would eventually work this time. My eyes were completely swollen shut now, my hands shaking, but I managed to say the spell correctly. "I could not feel my hands for some time.." Darkness rolled over me in waves, but I fought to stay conscious. As I fell to my knees, I remembered the time when my brother and I were in the real world and he got bitten by a venomous snake. Luckily we got him to the hospital very fast. With the very last of my strength, I threw myself forward towards the ground. I slumped over and lay limp in the grass, barely conscious and unable to move. But somehow I dragged my body towards a bent-looking tree that was somehow concealing the light of day away. Now I would have to stay here until I could be able to move again. "Great work, Adventurer, now you're going to have to lie there." That I could do. "The parasite that bit you has a paralyzing agent in its venom. You're just going to have to lie there for a little while, until the spell does its job." I lay there forever. I felt like I was drifting but I also felt very, very heavy. It seemed like the world was getting darker and colder with each passing moment. I thought death might feel like that. "Stephen. " The AI's voice seemed to be coming from far away. Like if it was far away from where I was. I felt as if I was alone on a ruined ship just like how I felt when I got sucked into the game. I thought about answering, but my lips wouldn't move. Or maybe I just drifted off again before I could try. "Stephen, It's time to get up." The AI was speaking like if it was concerned about me talking like if it was alerting me, about something or someone. Something howled around me, maybe the wind, maybe a wolf. There was nothing I could do, either way. "Stephen, I want you to blink your eyes." I just wanted to take a little sleep, but it won't leave me alone. "Stephen, I need you to please blink your eyes." Trying to open my eyes was like if I had to force them to open as if they were stuck together with crazy glue. Squinting my eyes so hard. When finally I could see a little. I said to myself, next is to get myself to move. Struggling to my feet, I began gathering up some strength to move, and trying to get myself together. Now I felt terrible, still recovering from the leech's poison, but I had no choice but to try. Feeling very cold, I quickly cast a spell to warm my body up. I didn't cast the spell I would eventually freeze to death, Simple as that.PART 2I tried sending my brother and my party members a signal to notify them that I was alive and not dead. But I got no response, not even a call or text. I wonder if they're alive or dead, nah knowing them they're probably alright. I cast a navigation spell to tell me which direction north would be, I began following its bearings to the north. I sprinted unevenly over the grass stepping into icy terrain. Looking back at the bent tree, where I kept myself hidden. I saw animals scrambling underground to avoid the deep freeze. Then it started to snow, and I drew in a breath as the tiny ice crystals brushed my bare head and cheeks. The navigation system updated me saying, "Ten Miles out. Good all good." I ran steadily, though it took everything I had to simply keep putting one foot in front of the other as the cold seeped into my body. "Five Mikes out." it reported, feeling pretty proud of myself for shaking off the poisoning and running through the freezing air. I arrived at an elevated volcanic area where steam rose from the ground. Lush trees lay tipped over with the weight of huge overripe fruit, the sickly sweet scent of rot filling the air. It was getting hard to breathe, soon after I began to feel dizzy. I wasn't feeling so good but I had to muster up some strength to continue walking. I ducked into a musty hollow of a rotting tree, wanting to hide from a cluster of strange creatures, even more stranger than the ones I saw before. It was a good thing too because I'd only just taken cover when the sky burst open, pouring down the hardest rain I'd ever seen. The tree I was In offered some shelter, but not enough to completely protect me from the rain's stray splashes and splatters. Shivering and exhausted, I looked up at the giant leaves above me and saw a bee caught in a spiderweb. It tried to escape, making the spider's web that held it tremble. I really hated spiders especially the ones that had spidery hair on their legs, just talking about it gives me shivers. A spider bigger than my fist rushed down the web and started further entangling its prey. But the bee was still fighting, and I hoped it would win. When the bee stopped struggling, the spider seemed unable to find it, blind as a bat. I watched as the spider went for the kill, its venomous fangs bared, but then the bee snapped to life once more, stinging the spider again and again. It was wild, and savage sort of amazing. The spider made its sluggish way to the center of its web to die, while the bee, still tethered by the web, gave up trying to escape and died too. Maybe it was just because I was tired and lonely, but the whole thing struck me as such a tragic waste.
After resting for a while in the shelter of the tree, I mustered up the strength to continue my journey. The rain had eased off a bit, but the air was still heavy with moisture. I trudged onward, my boots sinking into the soft earth with each step.As I walked, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Every rustle of the leaves or snap of a twig set my heart racing. I gripped my sword tightly, ready to defend myself against whatever might come my way.Suddenly, I heard a low growl emanating from the bushes ahead. My muscles tensed as I scanned the area for any sign of danger. Then, out of the shadows, emerged a massive wolf-like creature with glowing red eyes.I froze in terror as the creature approached, its teeth bared in a menacing snarl. Instinctively, I raised my sword, preparing to fight for my life. But before I could make a move, the creature stopped in its tracks and began to speak."Please, don't hurt me," it pleaded, its voice surprisingly human. "I mean you no harm. I'm just a lost soul, cursed to roam these woods for all eternity."I lowered my sword, taken aback by the creature's words. "What are you?" I asked cautiously.The creature sighed, its eyes filled with sadness. "I was once a man, like you," it explained. "But I made a deal with a powerful sorcerer, and in exchange for great power, he turned me into this monstrous form."I listened intently as the creature recounted its tale of woe. It had been wandering the woods for centuries, searching for a way to break the curse that bound it to its current form. But no matter how hard it tried, it could never find a way to undo the sorcerer's magic.Moved by the creature's plight, I offered to help it find a way to lift the curse. Together, we embarked on a quest to seek out the sorcerer and force him to undo his dark magic.As we journeyed deeper into the heart of the forest, we encountered all manner of obstacles and challenges. But with each trial we faced, our bond grew stronger, until we were more than just companions—we were friends.In the end, it was not magic or brute force that broke the curse, but the power of friendship and compassion. The sorcerer, moved by our unwavering determination, agreed to undo his spell and set the creature free.And so, with the curse lifted, the creature transformed back into a man, his human form restored at last. Overjoyed, he thanked me profusely for my help and vowed to repay my kindness in any way he could.With the curse lifted and my new friend by my side, I continued my journey through the forest, knowing that no matter what dangers lay ahead, I would never be alone again.
As I watched the struggle between the bee and the spider, I couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy for both creatures. They were locked in a primal battle for survival, each fighting for its own existence in this harsh and unforgiving world. It made me wonder if our own struggles were not so different from theirs, just on a different scale.With a heavy heart, I pushed myself to my feet and continued on my journey. The rain continued to pour down, soaking me to the bone as I trudged through the muddy terrain. My muscles ached and my head throbbed with every step, but I refused to give up. I had come too far to turn back now.Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I saw a faint glimmer of light in the distance. It was the first sign of civilization I had seen since leaving the Hundred Floor Castle, and it filled me with hope. With renewed determination, I quickened my pace and pushed through the final stretch of wilderness.As I approached the source of the light, I realized that it was coming from a small village nestled at the foot of a towering mountain. The sight of the village brought a sense of relief and comfort, knowing that I would soon be able to rest and recuperate from my ordeal.But as I entered the village, I was met with wary stares from the villagers. It was clear that they were not used to seeing strangers in their midst, especially not ones as bedraggled and weary-looking as myself. I tried to approach them and ask for help, but they only backed away, whispering amongst themselves in hushed tones.Feeling dejected, I stumbled towards the nearest inn and collapsed onto a vacant bed. Exhaustion washed over me like a tidal wave, and before I knew it, I was fast asleep.But even in my dreams, I could not escape the memory of the monsters that had pursued me through the forest. Their bloodcurdling screams echoed in my mind, a constant reminder of the dangers that lurked in this world.As I drifted into unconsciousness, I made a silent vow to myself. I would not rest until I had found a way out of this game and returned to the real world. No matter what challenges lay ahead, I would face them head-on and emerge victorious. For I was an adventurer, and nothing could stand in my way.With that resolve burning bright in my heart, I surrendered to the embrace of sleep, knowing that tomorrow would bring new adventures and new opportunities to prove my worth. And so, with the promise of tomorrow guiding my dreams, I let myself slip away into the darkness, ready to face whatever the future held in store.