Second World Chapter 2 - 2. First Combat

Had he stumbled into some kind of zombie apocalypse VR title by mistake? Jack wondered. The experience felt disturbingly authentic. Usually, when diving into VR games, a certain layer of artificiality remained. But here, the textures, the minute details, and the sensory input were overwhelming! Every sensation on his skin felt exactly as it would in the physical world.

The biting cold, the howling wind, the exhaustion, and the sharp sting of pain—this was no mere VR game. If it was, it was an impossibly perfect simulation. Furthermore, he had no memory of entering a VR chamber. To access a virtual world, one had to link their consciousness to a machine, since Virtual Reality was nothing more than a man-made digital landscape existing as data within a computer.

Just before his world was turned upside down, there had only been a blinding flash of light and a brief moment of vertigo. There was simply no time for him to have been hooked up to a VR rig. Or was there? Doubts began to eat at him. Even if he had been plugged in, what could possibly be the reason?

Before he could finish that train of thought, the situation before him turned violent. As the man in white reached the final step, a zombie lunged from above, slamming directly into him. The man crashed to the floor, losing his hold on both his staff and a circular object. That round item rolled across the ground toward Jack.

“No! No!” the man cried out in a panic.

The zombie pinned him down, beginning to bite and rip into his flesh. Suddenly, several red numbers floated into the air above the man’s head.

Damn! It really was a game.

The man screamed at the top of his lungs as the zombie tore away chunks of meat in a nauseatingly graphic display.

Was this truly just a game? Jack found himself doubting again. The level of detail was sickening!

The sound of those screams felt far too genuine; they sent shivers down Jack’s spine.

I can’t just watch this. Game or not, nobody should suffer like that, Jack thought, drawing his short sword from its sheath. Instinctively, he glanced at the blade with the intent to analyze it. A blue window of text materialized over the weapon.

Bronze short sword, level 1 (common one-handed weapon)Physical damage: 20Attack speed: 1Durability: 30

Next, he checked the armor he was wearing.

Leather armor, level 1 (common medium armor)Physical Defense: 5Magical Defense: 3Durability: 30

Standard beginner gear, Jack noted as he moved toward the dying man. However, the second zombie detected his approach. Leaving its feasting companion behind, the creature sprang forward and charged at Jack.

That’s incredibly fast for a zombie, Jack realized.

Keeping his composure, he stepped to the side. His extensive background in VR gaming served him well here. He allowed the zombie to rush past him and delivered a sharp slash. He felt the physical resistance as the blade bit into the zombie’s stomach. It felt completely real! he thought once more. A red number 20 appeared over the zombie’s head.

Feeling a surge of confidence, he landed another strike on the zombie’s back before it could pivot.

Critical! 40 damage!

Nice! Jack prepared for a follow-up, but the zombie whirled around with a swiping motion. Its claws caught his side, shoving him back. He nearly stumbled as a red number 10 appeared above him.

The kinetic programming is too realistic! he shouted internally while adjusting his stance. He would have to be very careful with his balance in this environment.

He glanced at the scratch on his side. A red welt was visible beneath his shredded shirt, accompanied by a stinging sensation.

Too real! This is way too real!

The zombie lunged again. Prepared this time, he dodged the strike and launched a counter-attack. He maintained his focus by constantly telling himself that this was merely a game, despite how it felt. After landing three more slashes, he noticed the screaming had stopped. He looked over at the man in white, only to see the first zombie turning its attention toward him. Startled but remaining calm, Jack executed several backsteps to put distance between himself and the threats.

That was a close one! he thought. He had always possessed sharp reflexes, and the martial arts training he received from his grandfather as a child had helped him become a top-tier independent expert in various VR titles. Given the extreme realism of this world, he felt he could control his movements with even greater precision.

He stole another look at the man in white. He lay in a widening pool of blood, mangled and motionless.

Did they really have to make it this graphic? Jack fought back the urge to vomit. Usually, in VR games, defeated players or monsters simply dissolved into particles of light.

As the two zombies resumed their hunt, Jack used his footwork to circle toward the one he had already weakened. He didn't want to fight both at once for long, so he focused on finishing the one with low health. During the exchange, he managed to land two more hits, though he took a claw swipe and a bite in return. With the final slash, the wounded zombie let out a dying wail before crumbling into dust.

Now that’s more like a game! Jack thought, even as he dodged an attack from the remaining monster.

With the odds back to a one-on-one fight, the pressure eased significantly. He focused entirely on whittling down the second zombie's health. During the fight, a moment of carelessness allowed the creature to claw him again, draining another 10 HP. He recalled seeing 120 HP the last time he checked his status, so he still had plenty of life left. Finally, the second zombie collapsed. The familiar mechanical chime of a VR RPG victory echoed in his ears.

“Congratulations on winning the battle. Receiving 4 experience points.”

“Well, that was draining,” he panted, gasping for air. In standard VR games, he never felt this kind of exhaustion—a true physical fatigue where his lungs burned for oxygen. His body was functioning exactly as it did in reality. He looked back at the piles of dust and then at the sword in his grip.

Was this reality, or was it a game...?

After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head. Whatever it is, I’ll just have to deal with it as it comes. He walked over to the man—or rather, the corpse the zombies had left behind. The smell was unbearable! He had to hold his nose just to get close. Foul odors were never an issue in his previous VR experiences. As he looked at the body and its gruesome details—not out of morbid curiosity, but wondering how a programmer could achieve such fidelity—it suddenly dissolved into streaks of light.

“Holy—” he gasped, falling back onto his backside in surprise.

The body, the blood, and the stench all vanished instantly. Only a few red stains remained on the floor, along with three dropped items: the strange monocle the man had worn, a card, and a bag.

He waited a beat before picking them up.

Administrator Key-Card (Special item)Can be used to open restricted areas within the Trigitech Corporation building.

Large bag (Unique item)Capacity: 100 cbm

Administrator God-Eye (special equipment)Passive ability 1: Radar – detect allies, neutrals, and hostiles within a 300-meter radius.Passive ability 2: Scan environment – detect and analyze important objects within line of sight.Passive ability 3: See invisible objects, monsters, or players.Active ability: Inspect objects without restriction.

The monocle had an incredibly arrogant name, and its stats suggested it was a powerful tool. In any VR game, this would be considered a "heaven-defying" item. He tried to shove the key-card into his pocket, but a holographic window appeared instead. 'Standard storage bag' was labeled at the top, with 'Capacity: 5 cbm' at the bottom.

The interior of the holographic box was surprisingly spacious. The key-card floated inside the digital projection. He placed the large bag inside as well. His basic storage was only 5 cbm, but this new bag offered 100 cbm—twenty times the space. This was quite the haul.