Once the work day ended, Saad didn't wait for his roommates. Just like yesterday, after a quick goodbye to Zafar and Farooq, he was already running off to the parking where they all put their cycles. Saad's determination burned brighter than ever as he pedaled his cycle towards the apartment building, just like he had the day before. He was actually in a much better mood but of course, peddling did tire him out.
Since today was Amir's turn to cook, Saad just grabbed a glass of water and took a five minute breather under the cool air from ceiling fan and then went to wash his face. Once he was done and felt refreshed, he closed the door of his room and took his VR suit out. He still felt 'naked' wearing it but he wasn't going to think about that.
As Saad logged into the game, a familiar message greeted him, signaling the start of a new day within the salt mines. But it was the next message that gave him a pause.
[Day 3 has started]
[The difficulty has been adjusted.]
Saad's gaze swept over the safe room where he stood. It was eerily quiet, devoid of other sounds. This safe room was the fun just near the pit so it made him feel a little weirded out to not hear those sounds. Something felt off, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. But there was no time for contemplation; he had a mission to complete. Besides, he was already mentally prepared for difficulty to rise. It was nothing new.
His attention turned to the salt snake as its sleek, venomous form slithering just beyond the boundary of the safe room. He wondered just what how much level adjustment had been done for the salt snake.
With a deep breath, he summoned the status window of the salt snake, hoping to gauge its strength before launching into battle. What he saw sent a shock through him, freezing his thoughts like a sudden chill.
[Salt Snake]
Level: 35
HP: 980/980
Attributes:
----------------
Stamina: 80
Strength: 80
Agility: 80
Intelligence: 85
Vitality: 80
Arcane Points: 130
Skills: Fear (paralyze for 30 seconds), Venomous Saltaire Strike, Tail Strike, Bash
The salt snake had transformed into a monstrous foe, its stats exponentially higher than before. Saad's eyes widened in disbelief. How could the creature have gone from level 29 to 35 overnight? It was an insurmountable hurdle, a mountain of challenge he hadn't expected. Not to mention, his status were all above 80- it was an insane difference. He gnawed on his lips in worry. He had thought that he would be able to get done with this today but now he was regretting going to sleep yesterday. If only he had just completed it yesterday, it wouldn't have turned into this mess.
Saad's mind raced, searching for a strategy, a glimmer of hope. He had come prepared, with his previously upgraded skills and improved stats, but this... this was beyond what he had anticipated. The odds were stacked against him like never before. He was once more reminded of the blunder he had made.
If only he had chosen the easy difficulty…
With a sigh, he turned his attention to the in-game shop, hoping to find something that could aid him. To his dismay, the shop held only potions. The skills and items that had once been available were gone. He purchased as many potions as he could with his 6000 salt crystals, knowing that they might be his lifeline in the battles to come.
Waiting until he could no longer hear the ominous slithering of the snakes, Saad cautiously ventured out of the safe room. His senses were on high alert as he made his way to the salt critter respawn point, only to be met with a startling sight. There were no salt critters to be found. Instead, in the pit below, two salt snakes rested.
One was crimson, while the other was obsidian black. Fear coiled within Saad's chest as he attempted to check their status from a distance, but the information eluded him. He inched closer, every movement calculated and cautious, his heart hammering in his chest.
And then, from behind a massive salt rock, he managed to access their status windows, his eyes widening in disbelief:
[Salt Snake]
Level: 35
HP: 980/980
Attributes:
Stamina: 80
Strength: 80
Agility: 80
Intelligence: 85
Vitality: 80
Arcane Points: 130
Skills: Fear (paralyze for 30 seconds), Venomous pink mist, Tail Strike, Bash
[Salt Snake]
Level: 35
HP: 980/980
Attributes:
Stamina: 80
Strength: 80
Agility: 80
Intelligence: 85
Vitality: 80
Arcane Points: 130
Skills: Fear (paralyze for 30 seconds), Venomous embrace, Tail Strike, Bash
Saad's heart sank as he realized that these salt snakes had not only gained levels but had also acquired new, deadly skills. Panic bubbled within him, and he silently withdrew, retreating to the safety of a nearby salt rock.
As he turned to leave, he was abruptly confronted by a salt snake, its sinister gaze locked onto him. Time seemed to slow, and in the eerie silence of the salt mines, Saad prepared to face his greatest challenge yet.
As he stood before the monstrous creature, the eerie silence of the salt mines surrounded him. The salt snake, his cold, calculating eyes fixed upon him, seemed to emanate an air of malevolence. The fear struck him. The other two snakes were right behind in the pit and as the snake slithered and moved, looking down at him, Saad wished with all his heart for him to not make noise. He needed to run and run fast but could he even beat the 80 agility of the snake. But of course, his luck was just that bad because soon he could hear the slithering sound of the snakes.
The only path was to go through the pit in front or to go forward- He slowly stepped back as he thought of his combat power. What were his chances of beating the snake? The snake's average combat power was around 89, while Saad's combat power was 29. It was a difference of 60 stats. He was going to die-
He knew it but he couldn't admit defeat right away. He was going to run away the second he got a chance. But of course, bad luck never comes alone and so as he was thinking and getting ready to just dash. The salt snake had lunged at him. Saad had to fall back and quickly try to avoid it but he soon realized what the '80' points in agility meant. The snake bit his shoulder and slammed him to nearest wall. Saad let out a loud groan as the message windows popped open, one after another.
[You have been wounded. Your HP decreases by 5 every second for 20 seconds.]
[You have been inflicted by poison. You HP decreases by 10 every 5 second for a minute.]
Saad had to quickly get up and dodge but that's when his gaze met with the snakes in the pit. They had noticed him and were looking at him. There was no more time to think.
Saad began by activating his [Whip Tornado] skill, channeling his whip mastery to create a swirling vortex of razorsharp lashes. The whirlwind of strikes engulfed the three salt snakes, inflicting 130160 damage per second and causing a bleeding effect that added to their woes. The venomous creatures hissed and recoiled from the relentless assault. Saad quickly took the potions and soon his condition was getting better but he knew not to expect much. He was almost ready for the death knowing the difference. The safe zone was so close, yet so far away.
As Saad maintained his distance from the snakes, he swiftly followed up with a [Stormlash] attack, combining the finesse of whip techniques with the raw power of electricity. His whip crackled with energy as it struck one of the snakes, delivering a devastating blow that dealt 500 damage. Chain lightning arced to nearby foes within a 5.5meter radius, dealing 80% of the base damage to each additional enemy hit. Electricity surged through their bodies, inflicting the "Electrified" status effect that reduced their movement speed by 45%.
The snakes, now agitated and in pain, retaliated with venomous strikes of their own. One of them released few long salt crystal in a venomous saltaire strike, aiming for Saad. He deftly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly projectile that shattered upon impact.
Saad wasn't finished. He unleashed his [Whip Snap], a rapid snap of the whip that created a powerful sonic boom. The strike found its mark, delivering 400 points of physical damage to one of the salt snakes and potentially knocking it back. The disoriented snake hissed in agony as it struggled to regain its footing.
As the battle raged on, Saad's passive skill [Sin Offering] came into play. After critically damaging the snake, he wanted to kill it but he just couldn't get the chance. His next attack would have dealt a whopping 65% more damage if he could just finish that one. He seized the opportunity and focused his relentless assault on the weakest snake, striking with his upgraded [Whip Lash] skill. A swift lash of the whip struck the target with precision, dealing 125 points of physical damage and temporarily disarming it.