Raymond looked at the quest window, calmly. His previous excitement dulled slightly as the weight of reality settled now.
Sure, he had tremendous potential and talents. However right now, he was weak…so much that he was sure that even the weakest game villain would kill him easily.
Thinking about the villains, he also remembered something very important. His sole goal. To reach a perfect ending. A goal which he couldn't complete even after three years of grind.
However, now thinking deeply about it. Why was he so obsessed with this perfect ending? Was it truly because he was just stubborn?
It didn't take much long for him to get the answer. There were two reasons why he wanted to reach the perfect ending.
First was curiosity, how can he not be?. He had played this game tens of thousands of times, in three long years. He had searched through every loophole. He had completed all the different routes for every alternative ending.
Thus, he was curious about what that ending would be.
The second reason, though, was very simple. He just wanted to save them. The three who would face the world alone, suffering and despairing along their hellish life.
He didn't know if it was pity or kindness he felt, after all they were once a character in the game. However, there was one thing he was sure of, this time he would save them.
No matter what happens or what he has to face. He would save them and live a happy life.
*****
The sun had reached its apex into the sky, as it looked down on the world. On the ground, a boy with shimmering golden hair and pale build could be seen running.
Well, dying was almost the right word. Raymond looked like he was just a step away from collapsing straight on the ground.
Sweat dripped down his body, as he breathed raggedly. His muscles burned with ache, his lungs feeling like someone had blocked them.
However, he didn't stop.
"Haa, damn this body has even lower stamina than my previous one." He spoke breathless from the strain on his body.
Right now, Raymond was determining what are the limits of this new body of his and how can it endure. The result, he got.
Trash.
This new body of his was undoubtedly trash. He couldn't even understand how this guy had survived till now with this weak body. Was he that lucky?
No, seeing what his luck was. He dismissed the thought.
"Haa haa." With a last push, he somehow managed to finish, his second round of constant jogging through the field.
The field he was running on was around the size of a football ground. For a normal human on earth, running this much would have been a good exercise.
However, here in this world named Erylix standards were different. Here with the presence of mana and other energies. Even a normal unawakened human could run four to five laps easily, not to mention the awakened even more.
Breathing hard, he collapsed on the ground hard. His chest heaving. He looked up at the sky, as the sun seemed to laugh at his weakness…
"Haa haa, guess that's my physical limit for now." Pushing his body up from the ground. He moved towards the corner of the field.
The corner was quiet and serene, an exception from the constant activities going on the ground beside him. He obviously wasn't alone, as other members of the guild ran and trained throughout the field.
There were some who nodded at him, while others just ignored him and continued their exercise. Without minding them, he stood quietly in the corner.
"Now then." He muttered lightly. Closing his eyes and calming his breath, he concentrated inside himself. Strangely, it didn't take him much time.
He could instantly feel the ambient mana moving through his whole body. It was a warm sensation that started from his chest and spread through his whole body.
Slowly, he opened his amethyst eyes and glanced at his palm. His palm lit up with a faint azure glow as mana wrapped around it like a protective armour.
"Wow." Wonder sparkled in his eyes as examined his glowing hand. To a person who had seen nothing like this before it was enchanting. He could tell his fist, it felt strong, that the mana was enhancing his power.
"Okay, my control in mana is not that bad. Let's try with the elements now." He spoke to himself.
Once again he concentrated, raising his hand towards the nearby tree, he tried to use his element.
In just a simple blink, ice heard him. As if eagerly waiting for a long time and finally being called upon. Frost mana began to develop around his palm.
Quickly a frozen spike just the size of an adult's palm began to form in the empty air. The spike formed. A chill radiated from it, as it hovered in the air.
With a thought, Raymond hurled it, towards the tree. The spike flew immediately hitting the tree, as it rattled from the impact of the strike.
However, other than that the spike didn't do much as the power it contained was very low.
Raymond exhaled a cold breath from his mouth, as he lowered his hand. He had gotten a rough idea about the limits of his powers.
Though, now it was the time to push through these limits and break them. Thus, the noon passed as Raymond found himself immersed in his training, even though most of the time he was just experimenting with the magic.
*****
After having his dinner, Raymond lay on his bed calmly. He wasn't sleeping nor did he plan to tonight. Rather, today he going to start his quest.
He felt excited yet nervous, as he thought about how scary the monsters were in the game. The clock on the wall hit twelve with a soft tick.
"Time for the hunt." He immediately raised his body from the bed.