Summoner Online: I Became the Tutorial Boss with a 999+ Villainess-Chapter 32: Are you familiar with the term virtual reality?

Chapter 32: Are you familiar with the term virtual reality?

As they ventured deeper into the dense, suffocating foliage of the forest, the hostility of the environment became palpable.

It was not just the atmosphere that had turned against them.

Countless monsters began to draw toward Kai and Lyra, attracted like moths to a dying flame.

There were droves of them, emerging from the shadows of the ancient trees and the thick underbrush.

They did not hesitate.

They threw themselves at the duo with a reckless abandon, attacking with a ferocity that suggested Kai and Lyra were their sworn enemies from a past life.

Despite the sheer volume of the ambush, they posed no actual threat.

Lyra was a whirlwind of precision and death.

She moved with a grace that belied her lethality, ending the lives of the creatures before they could even come within striking distance of her master.

While Lyra handled the extermination of the local wildlife, Kai focused his attention elsewhere.

He walked with his hands clasped behind his back and another stroking his chin, his eyes fixed on the translucent blue menu floating before him.

He used the ongoing battles as a source of data, studying the combat logs and the status screens of the falling enemies to understand the fundamental laws of the world.

He noticed a peculiar pattern regarding the health points of the creatures.

Firstly, every entity of level 100 and below seemed to suffer from a harsh restriction.

Their Health Points were strictly capped at 100 hp.

It did not matter if they were level one or level 99.

The number remained static, no more and no less.

It appeared that the only method to physically break this ceiling and increase one’s HP pool was through some specific, likely obscure, ritual.

It was a brutal system for the weak.

However, Kai noted that Vitality played a crucial role in survivability.

While it did not increase the HP number, high Vitality drastically reduced the rate at which HP drained upon taking damage.

It acted as a formidable defense mechanism, a shield for the fragile life force beneath.

Yet, there was a catch.

Fatal damage was absolute.

A severed head or a pierced heart would instantly drain the HP to zero, regardless of whether the victim had ten hit points or a theoretical million.

Critical injuries bypassed the mitigation of Vitality entirely.

Moving on from the lower levels, Kai read further into the help menus regarding those who crossed the threshold of level one hundred.

Once a being surpassed that limit, HP calculation changed completely.

It became dependent solely on the type of Class the individual selected.

The disparity was significant.

A Mage moving from level 101 to 102 might only gain a measly two additional hit points for their efforts.

In contrast, a Tanker or a warrior-type class would receive around 15 points for the same advancement.

This created a massive divide in durability at higher tiers.

That said, if one was able to manually increase their Vitality stats, which did not rise automatically like HP did for certain classes, it would be incredibly helpful.

In one-on-one combat, the ability to mitigate damage was just as valuable as the ability to absorb it.

Kai rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

’Hm. I do not even know my own HP. I do not have a stat sheet like everyone else, so I cannot really tell where I stand. But I am certain Lyra has one. I just have not gotten the time to take a look at anything other than her origin and ability.’

Kai raised his head from the menu.

He looked ahead at Lyra, who was currently flicking the blood of a wolf-like creature off her bare hand.

He ignored the suspiciously attractive allure of her figure and focused intently on her existence.

A new window popped up in his vision.

[Lyra’s Stats]

HP: 900,000

Vit: 600,000

Atk: 800,000

Mana: 100,000,000

Kai stopped walking.

His jaw literally dropped.

’What the fuck?’

He blinked, staring at the numbers again to ensure he wasn’t hallucinating.

’No, wait. I should not be surprised. She is a level 999 entity. It would be quite shameful if her stats were mid-tier. But damn. 100,000,000 for mana points?’

He tilted his head to the side, feeling his soul threatening to leave through his mouth out of sheer inadequacy.

’I keep getting reminded about how absurdly powerful she is. Then again, I have also been growing quite strong as well. I cannot see my stats, but I can sure as well feel the difference in my power.’

Just as he was about to formulate another thought, Lyra halted in her tracks.

She turned to look at him, her expression serene and composed.

"We are here, my lord."

Kai blinked, shaking off his shock.

"That was quick."

’I know I was the one who gave her the direction, but I did not think we would cover the distance that fast.’

Kai stepped forward, scanning his surroundings.

The dense forest had opened up into a massive clearing, surrounded by towering trees and patches of dry, yellowed grass.

Right in front of him, dominating the center of the clearing, was the boss he was supposed to fight.

It was huge.

A large, Troll-like monster lay sleeping on top of a massive flat rock.

What made it unique was the pair of leathery wings pressed flat against the ground, suggesting it was an entirely different species from the common trolls Kai knew of.

’So this is the boss of this dungeon. Just like me, eh.’

Kai took a few steps forward, moving past Lyra.

He walked with confidence, the dry grass crunching softly beneath his boots.

He only stopped when he was close enough to the sleeping behemoth to touch it.

Another window appeared.

[Boss: Troll Monster]

[HP: 100]

[Level: 48]

’If I wake it up, what are the chances it would be angry at the fact we already killed most of its subordinates?’

Kai smirked internally.

’Not like we aren’t going to kill it too, but I need to confirm something first.’

He was surprised the monster was still sleeping despite their approach, but it was not something to worry about.

It was an easy fix.

He reached out and placed his hand on the monster’s coarse, stony head.

"Wake up. I have come to visit."

The reaction was instantaneous.

Upon hearing the stranger’s voice, the monster jerked up.

It leaped back with a speed that defied its size, letting out a loud, guttural growl that shook the leaves off the nearby trees.

It slammed its huge hands onto the ground in front of it, creating a small tremor.

"Be calm. I have not come here to fight you."

Kai raised his right hand slightly in a gesture of peace.

Lyra stepped up beside him, her hand hovering to the side, her claws threatening to come forth.

"Are we not here to kill it, my lord?" she asked, confused.

"We are. But we are also here to talk."

Kai sighed internally.

’This woman is really something. Always ready for violence.’

To Kai’s surprise, the Troll actually seemed to process his words.

The creature’s heavy breathing slowed.

It looked at Lyra, sensing her overwhelming power, and then looked straight at Kai.

Its eyes narrowed, revealing a spark of intelligence.

"What is a boss all the way from the Nameless Dungeon doing all the way here? You say you are not here for a fight, but do you understand what it means to trespass on another boss’s domain without permission? This is an act of war."

The monster growled the last word, baring its yellowed tusks.

’Ah, that explains why the monsters we ran into were so aggressive while attacking. I should have done more research on dungeon politics.’

Kai kept his cool.

He showed no fear, no hesitation, and certainly no regret.

"I am well aware of that. And I refuse to give you any reason as to why I have chosen to ignore that very rule."

Kai took a single step forward.

This act of defiance caused the Troll to become even more aggressive. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

It roared, turning and slamming its fist into a nearby tree.

The trunk snapped like a twig, and the Troll ripped the entire tree out of the earth, wielding it like a massive club.

"I have a question that needs answers," Kai stated, his voice cutting through the tension.

The Troll paused, the tree hovering above its head.

"Answers?" the Troll asked back, its voice rumbling like grinding stones.

’Eh, I am surprised it still has the patience to listen to me. I should take advantage of this as much as possible.’

Kai narrowed his gaze.

He needed to be careful.

He needed to word this precisely so he didn’t slip up and reveal too much, but enough to provoke a reaction.

"Are you familiar with the term virtual reality?" he asked.

The forest went silent.

"What are you talking about?" the Troll grunted.

The response was brief, and to an untrained eye, it might have seemed like genuine confusion.

But Kai was observant.

He was certain he saw a micro-expression, a flicker of recognition, or perhaps fear, cross the monster’s face before it gave its delayed response.

"Okay, perhaps I should rephrase my question."

Kai took another step forward, entering the striking range of the makeshift club.

He looked the towering monster dead in the eye.

"Are you from another world, or are you of this world? This I ask, and to this, I expect a response."

...

[A/N]

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