Spirit Game

While Rain and the others were busy strategizing and preparing for the Hobgoblins, Nathan continued to be absent from school.

Somewhere in the Spirit Realm, in the area known as the Singing Grove, was where Nathan found himself these days.

"W-what's with this place?" Nathan panted, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. He had been transported to the Spirit Realm just a day ago, but he was continuously under attack by beasts, leaving him no time to breathe or relax.

Not to mention, he still had to build a house, a small village so he could defend himself and his troops when his Novice Lord Title challenge came.

The good thing was that his troops, though only five, were efficient. They were able to chop trees, build fences, and fend off beasts simultaneously.

They were known as the Firbolg race — plant-like creatures with no eyes, have wide jaws, and razor-sharp teeth. Their bodies were adorned with clusters of mushrooms, and frog-like holes on the sides of their heads from which vines burst forth. They moved on four elephant-like legs, with no torsos — only heads connected directly to their limbs.

Resembling mutated frogs the size of half a human, they were terrifying at first glance. Nathan had screamed the first time he laid eyes on them. But as time went by, he grew accustomed to their presence, learning to see past their monstrous appearance to the primal power they embodied.

In the span of a few short days, Nathan had soaked in everything he needed to know about this realm. With the help of the Player Association database, and forum he had access to all the information that could help him survive here.

After defeating the last of the attacking beasts, Nathan slumped to the ground and caught his breath. He wasn't a fighter and definitely wasn't athletic, so he left the battles to his troops while he ran around with his lord statue as the beasts chased after him.

"This is so hard," Nathan muttered under his breath. "How do the others do this?"

He had read on the forums that the first time was definitely hard, but once he had established his village, everything would eventually fall into place.

"If only I had someone to rely on here," Nathan muttered while looking over the horizon. The feeling of isolation intensified with each passing moment.

According to the association, there were a lot of humans here, but their identities were kept secret. It wasn't always this way, but due to players fighting over territories, the association decided to keep their identities a secret for safety reasons.

It wouldn't be safe in the real world if players knew each other's identities, after all.

Still . . . "This place might be full of resources, but I'm being attacked left and right," Nathan groaned. "I always wanted to be isekai'd into another world, but not like this."

Nathan jumped to his feet and yelled, "Where's my overpowered skill? If you're going to transport me here, at least give me an overpowered skill!"

'My Lord, are you okay?' one of his troops asked, looking concerned.

The Firbolg communicated in gurgles and wheezes, yet strangely, Nathan could understand them, and they could understand him.

Some of them exhibited a surprising level of intelligence, engaging in complex tasks and strategic thinking, while others were simply stupid, requiring constant direction and guidance.

This unique blend of intellect and primal instinct made the Firbolg a fascinating, if unsettling, presence in his troops.

Nathan shook his head and muttered, "I wish I could tell Rain and the others about this, but the association advised against it. They'd probably think I'm losing my mind anyway," Nathan said. "They'll say I'm addicted to games and can't discern reality from fantasy anymore."

Nathan's frustration grew as he continued to survey the horizon. He missed his friends, his routine, and the sense of normalcy that came with his everyday life.

Here, every moment was a struggle for survival, and the constant attacks from beasts were taking a toll on his mental and physical health.

Nathan sighed deeply, knowing that he had to endure and adapt if he wanted to succeed. The Spirit Realm was harsh, but he was determined to stay alive.

"Anyway, if things gets too tough, I could always hand over my territory and just be a regular player," Nathan muttered to himself.

But for now, he was determined to do his best, build his village, and fend off the beasts. He couldn't call himself a top player if he gave up now. He had his pride as a top player after all.

This was just like any game he had played, only the stakes were higher. If he failed, he would die.

"Ah . . . it's so great to be me right now," Nathan mused sarcastically.

=======

"Is Nathan absent again?" one of Rain's friends asked.

"I guess so."

"He's been absent for three days now. He'll definitely have to go to the Guidance Counselor."

"Who knows, maybe Rain and he will end up in the same therapy session," they teased, laughing.

Rain glanced over at Nathan's empty seat, worry gnawing at him. "I wonder what happened to him?"

"Who knows? He might have found a new game. This isn't the first time he's done it."

"That's right. Remember last year when he was absent for a week because a game had him glued to his computer?"

They laughed again. "If it weren't for his parents, Nathan would have been held back a year by now."

While the others chatted, Rain couldn't shake his concern for Nathan and decided to dial his number.

Maybe he got sick? Or worse, had an accident.

Rain pressed dial, and just then, the door opened, and in walked Nathan, looking haggard.

"Oh! Speak of the devil!"

"Hey Nathan! You're here! Good thing you didn't increase your absences to four, or else you'd be kicked into the guidance office and end up like Rain here, who has to attend therapy sessions."

The boys snickered while the rest of the class asked Nathan what had happened to him.

Nathan sighed and looked to the side. "Been gaming, like usual."

"I knew it!"

"See! I told you. Now pay up!"

"Damn it! And I thought you'd gotten sick!"

"I bet you'd been in an accident."

"Hoi! Stop killing me off just yet!" Nathan berated his friends, but they just laughed at him.

Rain, however, sensed something was off with Nathan. It was his friend's habit to wiggle his eyes left and right when he was lying.

Still, Rain was happy Nathan was here now. That was the most important thing.

Whatever the problem was, he was sure Nathan would tell him about it when he was ready.