Chapter 2: Testing the Limits of Reality
The weight of my situation pressed down on me like an invisible force. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of excitement, fear, and sheer disbelief battling for control.
I was inside Eternal Realms Online. Not in a VR simulation, not in some lucid dream. This was real—every blade of grass, every wisp of wind, every sensation running through my body was genuine.
And the most terrifying part?
No respawns. No second chances. Death was permanent.
I took a deep breath and forced myself to focus. Panicking wouldn't help me. If this world played by the same rules as the game, then I had an advantage—a massive advantage.
I knew everything about this world.
The bosses, the hidden quests, the unpatched exploits—I could break this world in ways no one else could.
But first, I needed to make sure my body worked the way I remembered.
Testing My Abilities
I flexed my fingers, feeling the familiar grip of my daggers strapped to my waist. The cool steel felt natural in my hands, as if I had been wielding them my entire life.
I took a step forward—then vanished.
[Phantom Step Activated]
My body flickered into a blur, moving faster than the eye could track. Within a second, I had crossed nearly twenty meters and reappeared, my boots skidding slightly on the grass.
I exhaled. It worked.
Next, I tried [Shadow Blink], one of my signature movement skills. Focusing on a spot about ten meters away, I stepped into the shadows—then instantly emerged in that location.
No motion, no delay. One second I was here, the next I was there.
A grin spread across my face.
"Alright… I can work with this."
I reached for my daggers, pulling them free in one smooth motion.
The blades glowed with an eerie violet hue, their edges sharp enough to slice through steel like butter. They were my ultimate weapons—Twilight Fang and Dusk Reaver.
I spun them in my hands, adjusting to their weight. It felt so natural, like I had been wielding them for years. My movements were precise, my reaction time instant.
Even though this was my first time physically holding them, my body already knew exactly how to fight.
The First Enemy
I needed to test my combat skills. In the game, the starting area always had low-level monsters roaming nearby. If I was still near the beginner spawn, I should be able to find—
A snarl echoed through the trees.
I turned sharply. A pair of glowing red eyes peered at me from the underbrush. A moment later, a Dire Wolf stepped into view, its black fur bristling with aggression.
I almost laughed.
"A level 5 monster? This thing wouldn't last two seconds against me."
The wolf lunged.
My body moved before I could think.
I sidestepped, my agility stat kicking in, making my movement feel almost effortless. As the wolf soared past me, I twisted my wrist and slashed.
[Reaper's Execution Activated]
A single flash of violet light, and the wolf's body froze midair.
For a second, it looked as if nothing had happened. Then—
A clean slice ran across its body. Blood sprayed into the air, and the beast collapsed, dead before it hit the ground.
[Dire Wolf Defeated!]
[+100 XP]
I stared at my glowing daggers, my heart hammering.
That felt real. Too real.
The resistance of flesh, the warm splash of blood on my hands, the way my blade sliced through muscle and bone like paper—this wasn't a game mechanic.
I took a deep breath. I needed to adjust. Fast.
Because if this world wasn't just a game, then the enemies I would face later wouldn't be just pixels on a screen.
They would be monsters that could kill me.
Checking the System
I crouched next to the dead wolf, wiping my daggers clean. Then, I mentally pulled up my inventory.
A glowing blue screen materialized in front of me. My inventory looked just as I remembered, filled with legendary weapons, artifacts, and rare items I had collected over years of playing.
Health Potions. Mana Elixirs. Scrolls of Teleportation.
But something was missing.
"Where's my logout button?"
I scrolled through every menu, every option, but there was nothing. No Exit Game, no Disconnect, no System Settings.
I swallowed hard.
"So that's how it is, huh?"
I was trapped here.
For good.
The Road Ahead
I clenched my fists, my mind racing through everything I knew about this world.
In Eternal Realms, there were five major continents, each ruled by different factions. The world was filled with empires, gods, secret guilds, and ancient beings.
And at the very top of the food chain…
The Final Boss: The Lord of Shadows.
In the game, he was supposed to be the strongest entity in existence, a god-like being with powers that could warp reality itself.
But here? In this real world? I had no idea how strong he truly was.
One thing was certain, though.
If this world followed the same rules as the game, then there was only one way home.
Beat the game.
I tightened my grip on my daggers and took a deep breath.
If that was the only way out, then fine.
I had done it before.
And I would do it again.
But this time, the stakes were real.
And if I failed?
Game Over. Forever.
To be continued…