TOP SECRET: Adventures in the Dark Continent Chapter 3: Fighting for the first time

Shuooo...

A brilliant light flashed, and the young man suddenly materialized.

"What is this place?" He scanned his surroundings, realizing he stood inside a passageway within an ancient medieval castle.

Dark clouds blanketed the sky as thunderbolts streaked through it. No rain descended.

An eerie, weighty atmosphere enveloped the location.

"Is this some kind of virtual reality game? No. This is impossible. I remember that I entered the island. It looks like those strange lights transported me here." The young man glanced around but detected nothing.

His only option was to press forward.

Cautiously advancing, the young man checked for traps lurking nearby. After several minutes, he confirmed the area held nothing—just a barren corridor.

"What is it?" Midway along the corridor, the young man spotted a wooden shield lying on the floor. He picked it up and gripped it in one hand.

The shield wasn't too heavy, yet holding it long-term would weary him.

"It looks like it's just a normal shield." The young man stowed the shield and continued onward, slinging it onto his back to avoid arm strain.

A few steps further, the young man discovered an assortment of weapons scattered on the ground: sword, dagger, axe, bow and arrow, giant sword, bladed glove. These were the selectable armaments.

"What do I get?" The young man picked up the sword for a test swing. It felt as ordinary as any typical blade.

Slash ... Slash ... Slash ...

"The sword has a medium weight and is sharp."

Slash ... Slash ...

"The dagger is very light and very sharp."

"The axe is a little heavy."

The young man tested every weapon, seeking the perfect fit for himself. Finally, he hesitated between the sword and dagger.

His slim, frail build prevented sustaining heavy loads in his hands for long. The bladed glove offered potential, but required powerful wrists for effective strikes.

"Can I get these two weapons?" The young man grabbed the sword and dagger together, one in each hand.

"It looks like there are no problems ..." Before completing the thought aloud.

Pang ...

The wooden shield tumbled from his back to the floor the moment the young man wielded both sword and dagger.

"It seems that I can only choose one of the weapons ... I think I will take the sword because of the range. It is much better than the dagger, although it has a little more weight." The young man replaced the dagger and reclaimed the shield.

The sword scraped along the floor while the shield rode on his back, minimizing arm exertion.

The trek went on for a while. At the hall's terminus stood an aged steel door.

The door swung open upon a push, unveiling a vacant chamber furnished solely with a chair, table, and book.

"What is it?" The young man stepped inside and inspected the book.

General Guide. That was the book's title.

The young man pored over the book meticulously, knowing it held crucial insights into the Dark Continent.

"For those who are reading this book, here is written the basic information of the Dark Continent.

Tutorial - The tutorial serves only to show the basics of what you will face on the continent.

During the tutorial, you can die as many times as you want. But once out of the tutorial, if you die, your life is over.

Living beings that live on the continent have magical powers and can evolve by defeating the creatures that inhabit the continent.

These are the following status that can be improved by evolving: Strength, Agility, Vitality, and Intelligence.

These are the four fundamental attributes of the beings' bodies.

Strength - The physical body gets stronger and improves power.

Agility - The body is lighter and has a faster reaction speed.

Vitality - Increases the power of recovery from injuries and the resistance of the physical body.

Intelligence - Improves reasoning ability and mental power.

Evolution - Whenever you evolve, you will receive a point to distribute in one of the attributes above. For every five levels, you will receive two points. Every ten levels, you will get one skill point. Skill points are used to improve a skill you have.

The starter village - There are a total of five starting villages where new inhabitants can choose to live. Each of these villages has its own peculiarity. Each village is in a part on the edge of the continent.

Village A - The village is surrounded by mutant beasts.

Village B - The village is surrounded by mutant sea beasts.

Village C - The village is surrounded by mutant desert beasts.

Village D - The village is surrounded by horrendous demons.

Village E - The village is surrounded by carnivorous zombies.

As long as you are below level 10, that is, up to level 9. You cannot be attacked by other players under any circumstances, either directly or indirectly.

The monsters steer clear of the starting village. They're distant and manage to approach no closer than ten meters to the village.

Battle for survival. Venture across the continent.

End.

"This truly seems like an odd game. Yet there's no Save feature; we get just one life. Perishing here feels like actual death." Such thoughts raced through the young man's mind, though he couldn't fathom how anyone crafted such a game.

"Could this be a government test? Nah, that's impossible... No nation possesses the resources to build a vast continent like this with these rules. It's beyond all reason. Secrets abound on this land. That's why the army deploys death row inmates as test subjects, but why drag in ordinary folks like me? Why abduct regular people to hurl into this hell?" The young man remained clueless about the truth. He kept guessing wildly.

creak...

Once the young man finished the book, a metal door creaked open.

He glanced aside and spotted a new exit. It hadn't been there moments ago.

"Looks like pushing forward is the path. It's my sole shot at survival." The young man resolved to fight tooth and nail for life in this unfamiliar realm.

Stepping through the door, the young man discovered a compact arena on the other side. Shaped like a circle, the coliseum matched a soccer field's dimensions.

Pang Zzzzzz Pang Zzzzzz Pang Zzzzzzzz

Thunderous footfalls echoed, as a massive entity pounded the earth while hauling something heavy behind it.

creak...

The metal door groaned again. Across the coliseum, another entrance swung wide.

A hulking shadow loomed within. Moments passed, then it emerged: a towering three-meter beast with a single eye, gripping a massive wooden club.

(A cyclops !!!!) Shock gripped the young man at the sight of the cyclops. He'd never dreamed of facing a legendary myth in the flesh.

"Defeat your opponent to complete the tutorial and receive your reward." A robotic voice announced as the Cyclops materialized.

"Garrrrr !!!!" The Cyclops bellowed, charging at the young man while towing its enormous club.

"Shit!!!" The young man swore. Combat was alien to him. He never pictured his debut brawl against a fable-born monster from tales and games.

Shuooo !!!!

The cyclops swung its wooden club in a wide horizontal arc toward the young man. He tumbled aside, evading the blow.

Shuooo !!!!

The club lashed out once more. The young man rolled to the side again, slipping from the cyclops's view.

Confusion beset the Cyclops, unable to spot its foe. Its single eye curtailed its field of vision.

(Looks like the games got it right— that lone eye's the vulnerability. I can pull this off!!!) The young man roared in his head.

While the cyclops searched, the young man circled behind it. Each time the Cyclops advanced, he mirrored the move, staying concealed. Hiding in its blind spot was his only edge.

"Arg !!! Arg !!! " Frustration boiled in the Cyclops as it failed to locate the young man. Wildly, it flailed the club side to side.

Staying glued to the cyclops's rear, the young man pondered strategies for victory.

(How do I take down this brute? The sword's keen, but can it pierce that thick cyclops hide? If only I strike the eye...) An plan formed to target the cyclops's solitary eye—its most fragile spot.

(Go time!) He slung the shield onto his back, gripping the sword two-handed for a mighty blow to cripple the Cyclops.

(Now !!!) Mentally yelling, the young man lunged and stabbed deep into the cyclops's back.

Slash!!!!

Pang !!!!!