What would one normally feel when suddenly greeted with the sight of a blood-red sky?
Fear, panic, and alarm would be some of the more common emotions.
However, Nico felt no such thing. Sure, it was a pretty jarring sight, however, the adrenaline coursing through his veins helped mitigate any chance of potential fright.
All around him, a vast rocky plain stretched outward, multiple peaks dotting the landscape. A litany of howls and snarls echoed, carrying into the wind.
The scent of blood and death streamed into his nose. Nico momentarily gagged before he closed his eyes and focused on something other than the putrid smell.
He scrutinised his immediate surroundings more carefully to help with that.
The base of a mountain towered above him, intending to breach the heavens with its tip. Several jagged outcroppings occupied the ascent to the summit, no doubt designed to make his journey more difficult.
Nico stood still for a moment, taking it all in.
'How is this so realistic?'
His mind failed to comprehend the sheer effort and skill required to create such a lifelike environment. So, lifelike in fact, that for a moment Nico wondered if he had wandered into some sort of living hell.
He suspected that magic was involved in this virtual landscape's creation. It was the only explanation for such a strange yet realistic phenomenon.
Nico shifted his gaze, staring at the peak of the nearest mountain. A competitive light bloomed in his eyes.
That was his target. He had to get there before 'she' did.
Nico clenched his armoured gauntlet with excitement. A narrow path twisted and turned, leading up to the main summit. He glanced at the green bar flashing at the corner of his vision, alerting him of his health status.
His lips curled slightly.
Nico began the long trek up the path. He gripped the golden spear in his left hand tightly, his expression shifting to one of steely determination and grit.
As he ascended the natural trail, the wind roared and howled, as if enraged a trespasser dared to encroach upon the mountain. Nico had to be careful with his footing, lest he fall to his doom from the steep drop to his left.
Right now, the height wasn't too big. That was to say in the event he fell, the worst he would receive would be a few bruises and a bucket load of pain.
At higher altitudes, however, it would be a completely different story.
Idly, he was curious what an outsider's view of him dying would look like. Would he fade into sparks? Crumble into a pile of ash? Dissolve into an innumerable number of pixels?
The possibilities were endless in Nico's mind.
'I probably shouldn't be thinking of something like that while travelling up a steep mountain…'
Shaking his head to remove that line of thought, he pressed on. The first sign of trouble came soon after. The ground beneath his feet began to vibrate and rock, throwing the tenuous balance he had built up out the window.
Nico staggered, his feet threatening to slip and send him reeling back down. He clenched the rock face beside him, his metallic gauntlet somehow finding purchase in a few tiny crevices.
Another vibration rocked the ground, this one more intense.
Nico held on for dear life.
The boy breathed a sigh of relief as it ended before he cast his gaze toward the source of the commotion. Tall, gangly with wide membranous wings attached to its back. Dark skin. A deranged crimson flame of madness swirled furiously within the depths of its eyes.
A serrated horn rose from the centre of its forehead. Its mouth parted, revealing a razor-sharp set of pointed teeth.
Dried blood stained the harrowing maw.
Nico shivered slightly; the rotting smell the Demon opposite him emanated becoming almost too much for him to bear. He gritted his teeth, before standing up to his full height and getting into stance.
He had chosen the Knight Class primarily for two reasons. The first, lay with the added physical boost it gave him - something he was insanely curious to experience firsthand.
The other reason had to do with their extremely high defence.
Nico was confident that he could withstand a few hits without his health bar decreasing to a dangerously low level. Although another class like the Shaman would have raised his magic stat and allowed him to cast more powerful spells, their weak constitution was just a major flaw he couldn't ignore.
Thus, with his polished plate armour, the boy dug his feet into the ground and took a deep breath. As he inhaled, his figure glowed. Slowly at first, then faster and faster until eventually a golden radiance suffused every inch of his figure.
It looked like the perfect scene of good versus evil displayed on the Descender Association's propaganda campaign.
The Demon snarled seeing the power output of its prey rise. It lunged, maw-first seeking to end the gnat.
Nico ignored the indescribable emotion in his chest, spurring straight into action. A manic grin split his face as he sensed the power flooding his veins.
Here, in this virtual environment, he could become anything he wished. His imagination was the limit.
Of course, he couldn't just turn into a herald of steel straight away. Like any other thing, sufficient practice was required for him to reach such mastery.
Yet, that didn't bother Nico in the slightest.
Rather, the aspect he focused his mind on differed.
The radiance covering the boy's figure brightened, his smile widening to reflect his inner glee.
As Nico dashed forward, carrying out the First Form, the holy power coursing through his body reacted as well, flowing along the length of the spear shaft, and converging toward the tip.
His figure blurred, appearing like a shooting star.
Goosebumps appeared on the Demon's skin as it watched its prey disappear.
Then, suddenly, the world spun, its vision distorting strangely. Following that, a thick line appeared on its neck, before a flood of pain racked its mind, darkness enveloping its artificial consciousness.
Nico watched the fruit of his efforts with dark satisfaction. The abomination's headless body dropped to the ground. Not a second later, crimson sparks ignited and swallowed its figure, eradicating its once eerie presence.
'Now this is what I'm talking about!' his face beamed with exhilaration.
The boy surveyed himself, his cheeks hurting from grinning so much.
With there practically no limit to what he could do, Nico emulated what a warrior with mana could pull off.
Although what he used, wasn't the actual mythical energy itself; the virtual substitute was not half-bad at all. It achieved its intended purpose.
And for that Nico was thrilled.
He flicked the remnant fetid black blood of the abomination from his spear, before resuming his uphill journey once more.
His steps filled with committed resolve and a desire to win.