Chapter 27: Epic Escape
[Your equipment set bonus has been halved.]
The equipment set was one of the best gaming features.
It increased the items' bonuses, added a peculiar stat, and some even blessed players with unique effects to help them with their another world adventures. Those effects were only possible if a player gathered all equipment pieces.
That feature compelled players to search, exchange and look around the world for their items.
Of course, the completed set gave the best bonuses, but having two or three pieces also would provide a player something in return. It all depended on the equipment and its rarity.
In Alex's case, he had it way too easy. He found a way to find the skeleton bosses, and he had hunted them all alone, gathering all pieces near effortlessly.
Many would be jealous of him.
And now, Alex took off a piece of that unique general set.
He fished a black robe out of thin air and donned himself in the new item, negating the mush rain completely.
[You have equipped Medusa's Apprecitance Robe.]
[Epic Item from Medusa's Apprecitance Set.]
Alex was not a magician. He didn't take that item out of nowhere! It belonged to Marvel, and that second-rate villain did a good job dropping it for the couple.
With that item on his body, Alex's stats more or less returned to his peak. He wasn't in his peak form, obviously due to moving around the forest, fighting the mushroom monster, and contesting the villain.
Then, Alex took off one of his set items. His stats naturally halved.
But even if that was the case, Alex was no longer at the Mush Rain's mercy. That was the reason he felt like his power returned.
It was as if he had gone through serious training in a peculiar chamber. And now, he returned to show off.
It wasn't just a feeling, though. He indeed had reached a profound understanding of the swordsmanship!
That was because he had faced mushroom monsters and their acid in two forms.
The first form was the one he had seen in the beginning. The form that used the Mush Rain to hide itself.
Alex faced that bravely.
He then slashed through the second form, which came from Marvel's technique. In that form, Alex easily saw through it. He followed every poison arrow closely, cutting them down precisely.
In all of this, Alex was nerfed through the environment. Since that nerf was unexpected, Alex didn't have time to properly adjust to it. He fought with 'new stats' and his instincts alone, honing his abilities at every step.
And after his stats returned, Alex's understanding and strength bloomed in the forest!
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
"You no longer… can hide that acid bolts!" Alex shouted, his voice carrying his thrill.
After killing Marvel, he didn't have time to check other loot. He just searched for the best piece and equipped it immediately. Of course, that piece was what he had been looking for.
And then, he immediately threw himself forward.
He rushed in one direction, slashing through every acid bolt. His speed never slowed down, and he was even picking up the pace!
From behind him, Olivia was doing a splendid job of following her boyfriend. She wasn't too close, but also not too far away.
Alex didn't have to stop nor turn around to keep her safe. All he had to do was just to go forward!
Moreover, Alex's sword was also 'happy'. Alex's new understanding and the forest experience allowed him to see through mushroom monsters, meaning that his slashes didn't cost him any durability points.
Even in that deluge of poison, Alex's equipment durability hadn't lost even a point!
Olivia was the same!
At last, Alex was just a few steps away from the mushroom monsters. Since they had teemed this area, they had formed a thick wall to prevent humans from escaping. Their numbers exceeded what this area could hold.
Only a powerful wind mage would be able to throw them all away at once!
'We just need a narrow path!' Alex was intensely focused.
He gently tilted his wrist, then performed his special thrust. Unfortunately, mushroom monsters didn't have any bones! Still, Alex's skill left a small dent on the monster wall.
He quickly took his sword back, then repeated the move for as long as possible.
Perhaps, it was because of his one-handed style, but Alex effortlessly added thrusts to his enemies.
Then, the surrounding monsters finally had pounced at him.
They wouldn't stay idle, looking at their buddy, would they?
Their forms went after the couple. Their plan was to burst out their bodies, taking the couple down with themselves. Those mushroom monsters indeed had such a suicidal ability.
Of course, Alex wasn't aware of it yet.
But their move didn't escape his eyes.
[Chilling Slash.]
His eyes shone with coldness as he channeled that skill!
For a moment, the surrounding monsters felt chill in their short forms. It was so unfamiliar that all of them froze, including the monsters going at Alex.
Immense coldness like an absolute zero loomed over their forms. Then as Alex drew nearly a 180 arc with his sword, the cold feeling became a reality.
[Your skill, Chilling Slash, has advanced!]
[Chilling Slash has gained a new effect.]
[Soul Freeze.]
Pah! Pah! Pah!
All vile monsters dropped onto the ground, their forms cut. Although they didn't die from that slash alone, their bodies couldn't move.
They were frozen in fear.
Alex didn't even look at them, his eyes on the front. His hues still carried the chill, similar to Sara's blue eyes. In fact, their eyes looked too similar, as if Alex imprisoned souls here as well.
[Shattering Thrust]
[Chilling Slash]
Repeating these two moves, Alex slowly made his way out. When he saw no more monsters before him, he glanced behind. He confirmed Olivia's safety then left the forest with a grin.
"We did it…" Alex whispered tiredly.
Olivia was also out of breath, primarily due to her low level, "I think… I have fallen in love again…"
It sounded as if Alex's swordsman side charmed Olivia again. It was not the first or second time she used those words!
Her boyfriend burst out laughing while sprawled on the ground, "Again? Ugh!"
"What are you groaning? I am not heavy, am I?" Olivia asked after dropping exhausted onto her boyfriend.
Alex rolled his eyes, "I have no stamina left, and my defenses are vulnerable now. It would hurt, even if you were as light as a feather."
"I am already as light as a feather," Olivia whispered with her face in Alex's robe.
She took a comfortable spot on his chest and closed her eyes happily.
Alex stroked her hair. He was also content after their survival!
What they needed was each other's embrace. Alas, the poison all around them had been dwindling their HP down!
Alex looked over his inventory, "Marvel was truly generous. He dropped an antidote as well."
"He is so generous that the redemption path has opened for him," Olivia sneered.
Alex asked, "Redemption path?"
"You know… Some villains return to the good side, right? They go through redemption arc," she nodded on Alex's chest, then opened the vial, "With such generosity, he has such a path available."
She then parted her rosy lips and drank the antidote.
Alex lifted his head and looked at her oddly, "If anything, such a path will open around end game. Did you forget his words already? Haha! He was so mad."
"He sounded like a rebellious teenager. I already forgot his words," Olivia replied.
But more than anything, Marvel dropped an epic item!
No way he would go through the redemption path anytime soon!
The couple cuddled enjoyably, even though their clothes were messy. In fact, what they were going through now was one of virtual reality's cons.
Fights could get really messy, and the players' equipment had the worst.
The system didn't provide any cleaning option, so players could only take care of their equipment alone.
Alex and Olivia didn't have anything to fix their clothes in the leveling ground.
"Well, I already thought about it," Alex surprised his girlfriend.
He took plain but fresh and clean clothes out of his inventory. It was just a t-shirt and pants, but those were indeed enough.
Olivia stared at him with jealousy, "I didn't… prepare spare clothes…"
But to her second surprise, Alex took out the same clothes again!
"Handsome! I love you so much!" Olivia cried as she took those clothes.
Using the system, both of them put them on in a flash.
In those new clothes, Olivia could cuddle as much as she wanted.
Alex gave her a head pat, then let her stick to him for some time. But since Olivia could get really rough with her cuddling, Alex prepared himself to give her a noogie.
In the meantime, his legendary class silently reacted.
[You have formed a connection with the player, Olimiss.]
Alex once again didn't get a notification. In fact, he was busy calming down his girlfriend. But that connection was on the same level he had with the Deathwill Sisters!
He would learn about it soon.
[You have created your own skill, Cuddling(F).]
[Cuddling - Regenerate your stamina faster by exchanging warmth with the person you love!]
A few minutes later…
"Eh… How come my stamina is full already?" Olimiss moved her body around, no longer feeling any exhaustion.
Alex blinked his eyes, "For some reason, our stamina regenerated faster."
He opened his system notifications.
"Ah."