RLRD Chapter 12

Chapter 12 What Does Death Feel Like. 

“You want to try something?” Kyro asked, raising an eyebrow. “With this tusk, I mean. I don't think we can do anything with it. Maybe sell it or give it to someone back at the starter village. That’s usually what you do with stuff like this, right?”

“Are you seriously trying to play the fool right now?” Slith asked, letting out a defeated sigh.

Just as Kyro was about to shoot back a retort, he heard a sudden noise behind them—a low, menacing growl. Instantly spinning around, Kyro spotted another creature approaching. He cautiously raised his hands, forcing a nervous smile.

“Is it just me, or does this thing look way tougher than an F rank?” Kyro questioned uneasily.

The beast before them had rows of razor-sharp teeth, drool dripping from its open jaws and pooling on the ground. It stood roughly the same height as Kyro himself. The closest animal Kyro could compare it to from Earth would be a bear.

Except this creature had a devastating tail, armed with several large, jagged spikes protruding from it. The spikes looked rugged, almost like bones jutting straight out from the beast's flesh.

“GRAH!” The bear-like beast roared, immediately dropping onto all fours and charging straight at Kyro. He swiftly rolled to the side as the creature leapt towards him. Glancing upward, Kyro watched as the beast collided forcefully into a massive tree, causing its trunk to crack loudly and tilt forward slightly.

“I seriously doubt a rank F skill like Harden is going to shield me from something like that,” Kyro muttered.

“Maybe that's exactly how you'll get stronger,” Slith joked, but Kyro wasn't finding the situation funny.

Everything felt incredibly real—the sounds, the smells—and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest, adrenaline rushing through his veins. Yet, strangely enough, this intense sensation was becoming familiar to him. He'd experienced it twice already and was slowly adapting.

The beast turned and charged again. Remembering those videos where people dodged bulls at the last second, Kyro opted not to roll this time. Instead, he quickly sidestepped, watching as the creature hurtled past him and crashed heavily into another tree trunk.

Immediately, Kyro didn't waste a second, quickly activating his skills.

'Lightning Charge first.' His body instinctively sensed whether he could use the skill, electricity gathering swiftly around him. Right afterward, he prepared for his next move. 'Strong Charge!'

Kyro lunged forward, driving his fist directly into the beast's massive body. He felt a powerful impact, his punch charged with electricity, yet unlike the previous beast, this one didn't budge an inch.

Before Kyro could react, the creature's spiked tail whipped around, striking him in the side. Several sharp points pierced into him, sending him sprawling sideways.

“AHHH!” Kyro screamed, rolling across the ground before scrambling to his feet. He touched his side, expecting blood or wounds, but nothing was there. 'I'm not bleeding, but the pain—it’s so intense. It feels like there's a wound even though there's none.'

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over Kyro. He looked up, locking eyes with the bear-like creature. In an instant, the beast lunged forward, its claws slashing relentlessly. Pain overwhelmed him completely until, just as suddenly, his eyes shot open again.

“AHH!” Kyro gasped, breathing hard and sweating. The attacks were gone. The overwhelming pain had vanished instantly, as if switched off, leaving him staring at a familiar stone-paved floor.

It felt exactly like waking from a terrible nightmare.

“Haha, the reactions from newcomers are always priceless,” Kyro heard someone laughing nearby.

He lifted his head slowly, realizing he was back in the starter town. Several people around him were glancing his way, snickering and whispering to each other about his dramatic response.

“What just happened?” Kyro asked, dazed.

“It’s pretty obvious, isn't it? You died,” Slith explained calmly. “But somehow, you're still alive, transported right back here.”

That matched exactly what Alex had told him. If he died, he'd respawn back in town. No matter how real everything felt—the sights, sounds, and sensations—this was just his avatar. It was a game, and now he was right back at square one.

“Damn, that creature must’ve been rank E or something,” Kyro muttered. “Alex mentioned my skills are only rank F, so I should really only handle rank F monsters. I knew the forest was rated for ranks F to D, but I never expected such a massive gap.”

“True,” Slith mused thoughtfully, “but maybe beating something stronger using your lower-ranked skills is exactly how you'll evolve those skills.”

Kyro didn't think that Slith's guess was far off. The game had no experience points, and skills didn't seem to level up after a specific number of uses. But constantly challenging stronger beasts to push one's skills—that was something everyone did. It was the most common strategy to grow stronger. The main issue, though, was each person's natural talent and limitations. Without clear guidelines or measurable progress, many players found themselves trapped, endlessly hoping they'd eventually break through.

Picking himself up, Kyro began walking back towards the forest.

“What are you doing?” Slith questioned.

“I'm training,” Kyro replied determinedly. “I'm going to keep using my skills against rank F creatures, getting used to fighting this way. And if we run into that bear again, we'll give it another shot. This isn’t like that portal break we faced before. There's no real danger here if we can just keep respawning. I might as well make the most of this while I can.”

Slith admired Kyro's determination. It was definitely an admirable quality. Although Kyro hadn't truly died, Slith had sensed the raw emotions and genuine fear coursing through him at that moment. It wasn't something just anyone could quickly overcome.

It didn't take long for Kyro to return to the forest, quickly encountering the strange ostrich-like creature again. This fight went smoother than before, with Kyro dodging several attacks and carefully combining his two strikes.

This time, he decided to leave the tusk behind. It felt wasteful, but he had nowhere practical to carry it. Soon after, Kyro continued deeper into the forest, encountering another one of the creatures.

This round, Kyro chose not to use Lightning Charge. It was a skill he hadn't shown or mentioned to Alex yet. Regular players typically received two skills and would rely on them to fight these creatures.

This fight proved more challenging. Kyro had to be cautious; after landing a solid hit, the creature swiftly countered, forcing him to activate Harden just in time. It ultimately took three powerful Strong Charge punches to finally defeat it.

His whole body felt utterly exhausted.

'How long has it been? Two hours already? I should probably head back to town and find Alex,' Kyro thought. 'I need to let him know I'm leaving soon or Mom and Dad will start worrying.'

Until he heard that same menacing growl again. Turning swiftly, Kyro spotted the bear-like creature from earlier.

“Seriously? Right now?” Kyro groaned inwardly. “I'm exhausted...I might have already hit my skill limit for today.”

“You could just let the bear finish you off,” Slith suggested lightly. “It’d be a quick shortcut back to town.”

The idea of deliberately allowing himself to be killed again sent chills down Kyro's spine. It wasn’t something he could easily accept. Facing death willingly was entirely different from enduring it out of necessity. He felt like someone forced to amputate a limb just to survive—a choice he couldn't easily make.

“Alright, I sense your reluctance, so let me step in,” Slith offered. “I was trying to tell you earlier—I can feel a stronger connection now. I think I might be able to do something.”

“If it’ll get me out of this mess, do whatever you can,” Kyro replied quickly.

With permission granted, Slith began condensing his energy, channeling it through Kyro’s body. The link between them intensified, and Slith’s power surged through Kyro, instantly revitalizing him. Yet, that wasn't the only change that occurred.

[You have acquired a new L-Rank Skill]

“L-Rank?”