C.S.O.

 Death City.
The first city exclusively inhabited by undead monsters.

Death City is one of the many large cities in Midgard, the first world.
Like the real world, cities in CSO vary in size from small to large.

However, the city Kuro passed through earlier was a small and easily traversable one.

But…

(Although it's a big city, it's too…
deserted…)

Desolate.
Liber (Player) is also rarely seen on the city streets.

So far, Kuro has mostly seen NPCs bustling around.

(Could it be because this city is more like a ghost town?)

The buildings in Death City mostly have European-style designs, but most of them are old and dilapidated.
If it were called a ghost town, it would be quite fitting.

(Why am I thinking about this? I almost forgot my purpose for coming to this city…)

“…….”

Kuro then searched for a shop that specializes in selling armor.

He realized that if he wore his starting equipment, he would arouse suspicion.
So, reluctantly, he had to change his appearance.

It didn't take long for him to find a shop selling armor.
Not far from there, a weapon shop was also present.

This is the standard setting in an RPG game, so Kuro already knew.

He entered the shop, and a female NPC immediately greeted him.
From her appearance, Kuro knew that the NPC in front of him was also an undead monster.

(Now I understand why this city rarely has players.)

Unlike the previous shop he visited, which had beautiful and gentle women serving customers, this city had many NPCs with undead characteristics.

(I guess it's understandable…)

Kuro intended to buy the cheapest armor, something like a beginner's sword.
After all, he just wanted to change his appearance.

Another reason was that he didn't have much money.
Although he had some money after killing the mob monsters that blocked his way, it wasn't much.

But before he could buy anything, his hand was pulled by something.

“?”

Kuro turned to the side and found who was pulling his hand.

No, he didn't see anyone pulling his hand.

“Down here!”

Kuro heard an old man's voice from below.
He then looked down and found a dwarf.

(Hmmm…
he's not like the dwarves in movies.)

The dwarf next to Kuro resembled a short, muscular, and intimidating old person.
It was nothing like the cute depiction of dwarves.

(NPC?)

From the blue HP bar, Kuro knew that the short old man was an NPC and not a player.

“Can I help you?” Kuro asked.

“Would you assist me? If you do, I will give you armor for free as a reward!”

Suddenly, a panel appeared in front of Kuro.

[Do you want to accept this quest?]

[(Yes) or (No)]

Kuro immediately understood the meaning of the question.

(Is this what they call a quest?)

Curiosity got the better of Kuro, and he finally pressed (yes).

“Tomorrow is my son's birthday.
I want to make him the best cake for his party.
For that, I need important ingredients from the dungeon located east of this city.
I hope you can retrieve them for me.”

After the NPC finished speaking, a panel appeared in front of Kuro explaining the quest he accepted.

[Drog asks you to find cake ingredients for his child's birthday:

5 Giant Bat Wings.

3 Rat Meats.

1 Dragon Skeleton Egg.

You can find the ingredients in the Cave of Death.]

(I have to obtain all those items in the dungeon, but…
for some reason, I have a bad feeling about this quest.)

Kuro then stepped out of the city towards the dungeon located east of Death City.

Kuro checked the data showing the location and monsters he would encounter in the dungeon.

Most of them were level 20-25 monsters.
And that was bad news for Kuro, who was only level 16.

(In other words, the monsters in the dungeon are stronger than the Grim Reaper.)

But that didn't mean he couldn't defeat them.
In the end, Kuro went on with a somewhat reluctant enthusiasm.

“[Summon: Grim Reaper]”

Kuro summoned the Grim Reaper, who had become his subordinate.

Black smoke spread, and from the smoke emerged the Grim Reaper, wielding a large and intimidating scythe.

“Grim, buy me a drink from the shop.
I forgot because I was in a hurry.”

(“?”)

Kuro produced coins from a small pouch and handed them to the Grim Reaper.

(Hurry up and go.
I will fight the monsters on the path to the dungeon, so you should be able to find me.)

(“……….”)

The Grim Reaper didn't respond and remained silent.

“Don't you have ears? Oh…
you don't, but you're not dumb, right? I'll be waiting.”

(Kuro then continued walking towards the dungeon, ignoring the Grim Reaper.)

After about 10 minutes of walking, Kuro finally arrived at the eastern part of Death City.
The sight of dead trees and a creepy atmosphere reminiscent of horror movies greeted him.

In the real world, the place Kuro was in might be called a dead forest.

(“………..”)

Kuro kept walking and walking.

Suddenly, a human-shaped skeleton monster wielding a broken and rusty sword appeared in front of him.

[Skeleton Knight] Level 20.

Kuro was already aware that he would encounter monsters, so he wasn't too surprised.

Kuro immediately used the skill [Dark Flame].
A half-meter-sized black flame flew and attacked the Skeleton Knight.

Kuro observed the impact of his attack.

(The HP only decreased by 5 percent.
Meanwhile, my MP decreased by only 3 percent.)

Kuro then used [Dark Flame] once again, but the Skeleton Knight blocked with its sword and evaded.

However, that didn't mean the attack had no effect.

(The HP only decreased by 1 percent?)

“Tsk…”

Kuro jumped backward, creating a distance of about 10 meters between him and the Skeleton Knight.

Kuro then used [Dark Flame] once again.
The black flame attacked the Skeleton Knight.

The Skeleton Knight blocked with its sword again, but Kuro also noticed something different from before.

(It seems that [Dark Flame] is only effective within a distance of less than 10 meters.)

In other words, Kuro had to attack within a range of less than 10 meters.

Now he knew the weakness of [Dark Flame] and the advantages of his skills, but there was still much for him to do.

He had too many skills, and he wanted to understand all their weaknesses and strengths.
That's why he came to Death City.
In that city, he could use all his skills effectively.

Kuro approached at a distance of about 5 meters but didn't draw his weapon.

There were still skills he hadn't tried, and he wanted to see how effective they were.

“[Steal]”

Kuro pointed his hand towards the Skeleton Knight and used the skill [Steal].

The Skeleton Knight's sword suddenly disappeared and appeared in Kuro's hand.

“Hehe…”

With a villainous smile, Kuro used the skill [Shadow Bullet] and slashed at the defenseless and weaponless Skeleton Knight.

And that's how Kuro finally won after several slashes against the Skeleton Knight.

After defeating the Skeleton Knight, Kuro continued his journey towards the dungeon.

(I suspected it.
[Steal] can be used not only on players but also on monsters.
Unfortunately, I can only use it on monsters that have weapons.)

But that wasn't the only issue with using the skill [Steal].

(My MP didn't decrease much, but I still can't use [Steal] again even though several minutes have passed.
Could it be…-)

[Steal] is a skill with limited usage?

Kuro shook his head, refuting his speculation as it seemed unlikely.

(CSO has realistic settings, including skill usage…
In other words-)

[Steal] is a skill that cannot be used at any time.

…or

It is a skill that takes a long time to recharge.

(“………..”)

Kuro smiled faintly after realizing the truth about the skill [Steal].

With the rusty sword that originally belonged to the Skeleton Knight, Kuro finally arrived at the mouth of the cave, which served as the dungeon in Death City.

The cave entrance could be described as wide enough for three trucks.
The eerie and damp atmosphere felt like a real cave.

Kuro couldn't see clearly, so he used the skill [Night Vision].

20 percent of Kuro's MP was used to activate this skill.
Afterward, the MP slowly replenished.

[Night Vision] seemed to be a skill that needed activation once, and then it would remain active as long as it was needed.

Kuro slowly entered the cave.
He could see quite clearly, as if it were daytime, but with minimal light.

Setelah melewati jalan yang cukup lama, Kuro came across three corridors.
Players would easily get lost, but Kuro already had a map and information about the monsters he would encounter.

Kuro entered the middle corridor.

Not long after, he encountered his target monster.

[Giant Bat] level 24.

A 2-meter-wide black bat was flying high above, not too far from the ground.

But it wasn't just the Giant Bat inside the cave.

[Poison Spider] level 24.

There were also a considerable number of them, just like the Giant Bats.

The [Poison Spider] was a giant spider measuring 2 meters in size, and it looked terrifying.

(This is getting difficult.)

Kuro started losing his confidence.

Even though he had many skills, if the opponents were too numerous, he would struggle.
Especially considering the mob monster's level was quite high for a level 16 player like Kuro.

(But this is also becoming interesting.)

“!”

The Poison Spider attacked by spraying a white liquid from its mouth directly towards Kuro.

Fortunately, Kuro managed to dodge by leaping backward, but he was surprised when the white liquid immediately spread and turned into an extremely sticky web.

Kuro's right leg was trapped and stuck to the rocky ground, rendering it immobile.

And to make matters worse, the [Giant Bat] flew towards Kuro, preparing to attack him with its claws.

(This is bad…)

“Tch…”

Instinctively, Kuro immediately attacked using [Dark Flame] with his free left hand.

The black fireball attacked the [Giant Bat] and managed to push it back, albeit temporarily.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kuro used [Acid Blade].
His sword was enveloped in black flames.
Kuro then freed his trapped leg from the spider web.

After freeing himself, Kuro jumped backward and distanced himself, but unfortunately, he didn't realize that another [Giant Bat] was already waiting for him.

“Damn.”

Kuro was hit by the attack and fell to the ground quite hard, rolling a few times before stopping.

“What was that…”

Kuro realized that his HP had decreased by more than 65 percent.
It was proof that even a simple attack had a significant impact.

(Not only are they high-level, but the mob monsters here are designed to work together.)

Kuro observed his surroundings again to assess the situation.

He stood up and assumed a fighting stance.

Although he was currently cornered, he had no other choice.

An idea came to Kuro's mind after understanding all the weaknesses and strengths of his skills.

And he intended to try that idea.

Fortunately, even though his HP was low, his MP was still plentiful.

To implement his idea, Kuro calculated the amount of MP he would use.

(Just once…
If I fail, I'll die…)

Kuro then glanced at the [Poison Spider] near the two [Giant Bats].
He intended to defeat the [Poison Spider] as it was the most troublesome monster.

For that, he had to attack the Vital Soul, but the Vital Soul of the [Poison Spider] was located beneath its abdomen.
It was very challenging, but that was only the case for most players.

Kuro used the skill [Acid Blade] once again.
His sword was once again enveloped in a black aura.

Kuro then ran towards the [Poison Spider].
As Kuro expected, the two [Giant Bats] flew to intercept him.

That's when Kuro used the sword skill [Shadow Bullet].
His body shot towards the [Poison Spider], passing through the two [Giant Bats].

Kuro attacked [Poison Spider] directly on its head.
As the sword almost touched the head of [Poison Spider], Kuro used the skill [Vital Curse] to amplify the impact of his attack.

+

The body of [Poison Spider] was sent flying quite far, with around 20 percent HP remaining.

“It's not over yet.”

Kuro then finished off [Poison Spider] by stabbing its wide-open Vital Soul.

[Poison Spider] died and turned into particles.

Kuro glanced at his current status.
His HP was still at 50 percent, while his MP was full.

Kuro's MP should have been depleted, but he used the skill [Life Absorption] while using the skill [Vital Curse].

This allowed Kuro to replenish his MP, but he couldn't use this method again because the skill [Life Absorption] required a long time to be used again.

The difficulty of this method was if he missed the mark with [Vital Curse] because the monster would move.
That's why Kuro used [Vital Curse] when his sword was almost hitting the target.

This couldn't be done indiscriminately because when using skills, especially sword skills, the body would be automatically moved by the game system.

Kuro was someone skilled in kenjutsu, accustomed to observing fast movements and reacting quickly.
This allowed him to hit his intended targets.

Using four skills in succession, that was Kuro's idea.

And he succeeded, unfortunately, his idea didn't allow for any mistakes.

“Now only two left.”

Kuro aimed his sword at the two [Giant Bats] flying not far from him.

Kuro was lucky that although the number of monsters was quite large, the monsters were designed to attack when players entered a specific area (around the monsters), so not all monsters immediately surrounded him.

Kuro advanced and attacked using the sword skill [Shadow Slash] while also using [Acid Blade].
After a few attacks, he finally managed to defeat the two [Giant Bats].

When they died, an item drop appeared, which was what Kuro was after.

(Do I need three more?)

Kuro glanced at the other remaining monsters and compared the amount of MP and HP he had.

HP was only 30 percent, while MP was empty.
Plus, there were several skills that still couldn't be used.

“…………”

(I guess I have no choice but to wait until they fully recover…)

Finally, Kuro needed about half an hour to defeat all the monsters and obtain the item he was looking for.

Kuro then exited the passage and headed to the next location.
He needed to find three Rat Meats.

With the help of the map data, he easily found the targets he was looking for, but he didn't just find a giant rat, but a 2-meter tall stone human.

[Rock Golem] level 25.

[Big Rat] level 25.

Their numbers were fewer than before, but-

“This is too much….”

Kuro raised his eyebrow out of frustration and didn't know how to react, but he knew what he had to do.

He attacked, slashing the [Big Rat] which was an easy target.
As usual, Kuro aimed for the Vital Soul because he had no other choice.

It took three attacks on the Vital Soul to deplete the [Big Rat]'s HP.

Then he faced the [Rock Golem].
Kuro used [Shadow Bullet] to attack the Vital Soul located in its right eye.

Unfortunately, it wasn't easy because the [Rock Golem] dodged when Kuro's sword was about to hit the Vital Soul.

But that wasn't a problem for Kuro.

From the beginning, he had no intention of fighting against the [Rock Golem] with its strong defense.
Kuro's goal was to pass the [Rock Golem] and defeat the other [Big Rat].

His current priority was to complete the quest, but he also realized that it was a good opportunity to level up.

Kuro attacked the [Big Rat] with multiple sword slashes.
He didn't use any skills because he needed to conserve his MP to defeat the [Rock Golem].

“Kamikiri-Ryu [Kamaitachi].”

A gust of wind blades shot out from Kuro's sword, hitting the [Big Rat] and killing it.

(Can I use all of Kamikiri-Ryu?)

The reason he didn't use all of Kamikiri-Ryu was that he didn't know if Kamikiri-Ryu would work in CSO.

Kamikiri-Ryu utilized energy similar to [MP] called [Ki] in the real world.
Since game characters were merely data manipulated by nerves, this should be impossible.

“But-“

In this world, magic could even be used.
The same applied to Kamikiri-Ryu.

Kuro had a wild imagination, and it should be impossible too.
But considering the vision he had, just like in the real world, it made sense.

(But who cares about that?)

Kuro only smiled slightly, thin and menacing, as if he were the demon himself.

Kuro attacked the [Rock Golem] in front of him.
He prepared to execute a horizontal slash.

“Kamikiri-Ryu [Kamikaze].”

After Kuro's slash, a tornado lifted the body of the [Rock Golem] into the air.
Quickly, Kuro launched a finishing attack.

“Kamikiri-Ryu [Eagle Blade].”

Eagle Blade was an attack that used a single high-speed downward slash in the air.
This technique was specifically designed for flying enemies.

That's why Kuro lifted the body of the Rock Golem using [Kamikaze] first.

The Rock Golem's HP was depleted, and it died.

Afterward, Kuro continued the massacre using Kamikiri-Ryu continuously until he finished off all the mob monsters.

This caused Kuro's level to increase to 17, but he didn't feel much of a difference.

Kuro then exited the tunnel to search for the final item to complete the quest, but-

“Skeleton Dragon…
that monster must be level 30.
It's definitely going to be a tough battle.”

After checking the data, Kuro knew where he could find the [Skeleton Dragon].
It didn't take long to reach that location.

On the way, he came across a treasure chest.
Without hesitation, Kuro opened it, but the chest immediately transformed into a monster with sharp teeth.
It resembled a crocodile's mouth at a glance, but in the shape of a coffin.

Kuro lost 50 percent of his HP due to the attack.
However, it didn't take him long to defeat the slow-moving monster.

“Haa…
Is this the monster called a Mimic? It's truly surprising…”

Mimics were monsters that disguised themselves as chests to trap players.

For an inexperienced player like Kuro, falling into the trap was understandable.

Since he had lost half of his HP, Kuro decided to take a break and wait for his HP to recover.

“If only there was a skill that could be used to detect enemies like a radar.
I wouldn't have to look at the data so often.”

Kuro complained.

He had almost died many times before because he didn't know where the enemies were.

“But what's the use of complaining…
that skill won't…
coul…”

Suddenly, a panel appeared in front of Kuro.

Based on his experience, he knew it was a skill panel, but the number of skills displayed was not as many as before, only two.

[Enemy Link]

[Undead Curse]

“Eh?”

Kuro was confused because from the skill names, he could immediately tell that they were the skills he wanted.

It shouldn't be possible, but…

(Could it be that the CSO system generates the skills I need?)

He didn't fully understand it, but if it were true, it was like searching on an internet search engine.

In other words, if…

(I think about the skills that might be useful for me later, then…)

Kuro concentrated on thinking about the skills he needed.

After a while, a new skill appeared in the skill list.

[Auto Use]

Kuro smiled happily upon realizing the skill system in the CSO world.

However, he realized he still had one Soul Point left, which he could exchange for a new skill.

He was a bit confused about which skill to exchange, but after a few moments, he smiled because he found another potentially useful skill…
maybe.

Once the skill appeared, Kuro used all his Soul Points to exchange them for skills.

Kuro's HP bar was fully replenished, and it was time to continue his journey.
He was also running out of time because he wanted to sleep in the real world, but before that, he had to complete the quest first.

Kuro arrived in a corridor as large as a basketball court.
There were several colorful crystals that could be used as lights, but thanks to [Night Vision], Kuro had no trouble seeing.

(The dragon should be here…)

And he found it.

A dragon made of fleshless bones was sound asleep.
Near it, a nest made of bones was visible.
It was in that nest that Kuro found what he was looking for: three dragon eggs.

Unlike the previous items he obtained after defeating monsters, it seemed like he only had to take these eggs.

But it wasn't as easy as it seemed because upon seeing the monster's level, Kuro immediately thought that this quest was impossible.

[Skeleton Dragon], level 30.

Kuro swallowed hard, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

(First, let's just give it a try.)

Kuro slowly stepped towards the bone nest.
He also had to be careful because there were scattered bones like landmines.

But instead of exploding landmines, they awakened the bone dragon.

At that moment, an idea popped into Kuro's head.

(If only I could make that dragon my subordinate, like the Grim Reaper.
That would be interesting…)

But considering the monster's level was twice as high as his own, Kuro dismissed the idea.

Kuro reached near the nest, but the real challenge was just beginning.

Since the nest was made of bones, it would certainly make noise when stepped on, which would wake up the dragon.

(…….)

“……”

What should he do?

Kuro tried to think of skills he could use, but he ran out of ideas.

No, he didn't run out of ideas, but he didn't know if those ideas would work or not.

He then used his new skill, [Dark Wing].
Four black wings made of dew appeared on Kuro's back.

This was the skill Kuro desired.

-Wouldn't it be nice to be able to fly?

He succeeded, but he couldn't relax just yet.

He had wings, but could he fly?

Kuro had never flown before, let alone used wings.

(I guess I have to concentrate first…)

He also realized that his MP was slowly being drained like a leaking bucket.
If he didn't hurry, the skill would soon deactivate.

Kuro's body slowly floated upwards.
He almost fell, but managed to regain control and hover.

(Almost there…)

Bit by bit, Kuro learned how to control his wings.
Then he flew towards the three dragon eggs, slowly and cautiously.

Kuro successfully took the three dragon eggs, each almost the size of a basketball, and placed them into his item storage.

“Fuuuhhh…
tha-“

He stopped as he realized his mistake.
He had spoken aloud.

This woke the dragon from its slumber.

Bright red eyes appeared in the dragon's eye sockets.
The dragon was definitely observing Kuro, who was flying above its nest.

ROOOOOOOOAAARRR…

The dragon roared loudly, causing Kuro to be buffeted by the gust of wind and thrown back.

Losing his balance, Kuro quickly deactivated [Dark Wings].
The wings disappeared, and Kuro landed and rolled on the ground.

He turned his head to see the enraged Skeleton Dragon.

(Trouble.)

Kuro had a bad feeling as he saw the Skeleton Dragon open its mouth wide.

In the real world, dragons were known to breathe fire, and Kuro knew this dragon could do the same.

Reflexively, Kuro immediately used [Shadow Bullet] twice towards the small corridor door.

Almost simultaneously, a reddish light and heat erupted from behind him.

Fortunately, Kuro had managed to hide behind a cave wall, avoiding the dragon's attack.

After the attack subsided, Kuro sighed in relief.

“Ha…
I made it…”

Kuro smiled happily and walked towards the dungeon exit.
He intended to return to Death City as he had successfully completed the quest.

The Skeleton Dragon wouldn't be able to leave since the corridor was narrow.
In other words, this quest was a big success.

At least that's what Kuro thought.

“?!”

Suddenly, the ground shook.
The cave ceiling also began to collapse slowly, falling onto Kuro.

Crack…
Craaackkk…
Craaaaasshhh..
Dooom…

The cave wall behind Kuro suddenly crumbled and scattered, raising a cloud of dust in all directions.

“…..ahhh….”

Kuro could already guess what awaited him as the dust settled.

[Skeleton Dragon], Level 35.

He had seen the sudden increase in the monster's level, so he wasn't too surprised anymore.

-Meanwhile, outside the cave.
Leo and Umi were preparing to enter the dungeon.

This was their purpose in coming to Death City, to conquer the dungeon.

Both of them used the skill [Night Vision] to see in the darkness of the cave.

“Huhh…
Do you think that Kuro-pedia is here?”

“…I don't know.
Why are you so interested? Could it be that you're genuinely attracted to him? Hii hi hi…”

“Stop it, I'm not gay, but if I were interested, I would be interested..”

“…..”

“Why are you looking at me as if I'm repulsive? I'm interested because he's an interesting person…
Wait, that's not what I meant..”

“………Yeah.
I understand, but I hope you won't mention that again.”

“I thought you were right..”

“Since we entered the city, we've encountered strange things.
Boss monsters didn't confront us.
We saw Grim Reaper queuing at a restaurant.
This game is getting weirder.”

“And what's even stranger is that we haven't encountered a single monster in this dungeon…
It's boring.”

Leo swung his sword in the air repeatedly out of frustration.

“Don't worry, I think we'll soon encounter a monster.”

At that moment, they heard a rumbling sound coming from inside the cave.
Slowly but surely, the sound grew louder and clearer.

“………”

“……….do you also have a Kuro-pedia?”

Umi shook her head.

After knowing that a monster was approaching, they both positioned their weapons in an attacking stance.

Umi also prepared to use her strongest magic skill.

Before long, the sound of footsteps echoed through the cave walls, indicating that the monster was getting closer.
But when they saw the approaching monster, they immediately sighed.

The monster that appeared was Kuro.

But Kuro ran past them at full speed, as if they weren't even there.

“What's wrong with him?”

“I don't know.”

But upon hearing the increasingly clear rumbling, they immediately glanced towards the crumbling interior of the cave, as [Skeleton Dragon] was heading their way at high speed.

They were also shocked to see the level of the [Skeleton Dragon].

“Ah…
I think I know why he's running.”

“And I think we should do the same.”

They quickly turned around and ran at full speed towards the exit.

Once outside, they ran towards the rocks to hide.

“What was that..?”

Peering through a gap in the rocks, Leo asked.

“I have no idea…” Umi replied.

“Ah…
there.
It seems that dragon is angry because I took its eggs.”

“”Eh?””

Both of them looked in the direction Umi was pointing.

They found Kuro hiding there as well.

“You…”

“What? I'm just completing the quest I received.”

They both then realized why the [Skeleton Dragon] was now going berserk and spewing fire in all directions.

“Why do you always cause trouble? But if it's a quest, did you receive it from the armor shop dwarf?”

“Dwarf? Ahhh…
you mean that old and ugly dwarf?”

“Why do you refer to dwarves as ugly? There must be something wrong with your brain.”

They both sighed simultaneously.

“What can we do? I've never played a VRMMORPG before, so I don't know anything.
I'm still naive.”

“………..”

“………”

They thought there was something wrong with their ears.

“Is defeating an Ogre in 30 seconds considered naive? You're more like a monster.
Do you know that?”

“……no.
Besides, what I did was normal in this game world, right?”

“You're the one who's not normal,” Umi replied.
“You use skills outside the system and even the Kuro-pedia.
Are you actually a cheater?”

“Hey, Kuro-pedia is just map data and monster information I got from my little brother.
And the skills you're referring to are just my own sword techniques.”

They both sighed once again.

“You are indeed a cheater.”

“…it's not cheating to have information you can find on the internet.
Besides, it's your own fault for not looking for information.”

“………….”

“…………”

Realizing what Kuro said was true, they couldn't argue against it.

“What about your own skills?” Leo asked.

“Oh…
those are just my real-life skills.”

“…..”

“……..”

They were now certain that something was wrong with their ears.

“Why are you both silent?”

“No, we're just thinking if the sword techniques you use really exist in the real world.”

For those who saw Kamikiri-Ryu for the first time, they would surely think the same as Leo and Umi.

“Regarding that, Kamikiri-Ryu is indeed a bit abnormal, but it can truly be done by humans.
…maybe.”

“Hey…”

“Never mind, the most important thing is how we can escape from the enraged [Skeleton Dragon].
Do you have any ideas?”

“If you're asking for ideas, I have one.” Umi suggested.

“What is it?”

“I'll kill you here.”

“Don't worry.
I'll also kill you.”

“Why are you so eager to kill someone you just met? You're truly monsters.”

“We don't want to hear that from you,” said Leo.

“Besides, this is your fault for accepting the most difficult quest in Death City.
Doesn't your Kuropedia have anything about this quest?”

“Can you repeat that? Somehow, it seems like there's something wrong with what I heard.”

“KILL HIM!!”

Umi and Leo attacked Kuro simultaneously.
But Kuro managed to dodge with agile movements.

“Why are you attacking me? Do you want to become murderers?”

Kuro asked while avoiding Leo's sword slash.

“Actually, we didn't want to engage in PvP, but you forced us.”

“What?”

“Do you know that if you die, the quest will automatically fail? This is the fastest way.”

Kuro understood their reason for attacking.

But-

“Unfortunately, I don't want my first quest to fail.”

Kuro kept his distance from Leo and Umi while directing his rusty sword with limited durability.

Umi and Leo stopped as they noticed Kuro's posture, which could be considered well-trained in swordsmanship.

“Sorry, but I have to do this…”

Kuro activated the skill [Acid Blade].

“Tch…”

“Leo.”

Realizing Kuro intended to engage in Player vs.
Player (PvP) combat, Umi and Leo prepared to fight.

Kuro aimed his sword horizontally to the side, while his left hand pointed forward.

Leo and Umi didn't understand what Kuro was trying to do, but they realized that Kuro would likely use Kamikiri-Ryu.

And their speculation was correct.

“Kamikiri-Ryu [Blade Spear]”

Kuro spun around and used the spin to accelerate the sword throw.
This was the [Blade Spear] technique or the sword-throwing technique.

Blade Spear was used to fight enemies at a long distance but could also be used to prevent enemies from escaping.

Due to the acceleration, Kuro's sword shot towards Leo and Umi, but it missed the target and flew between the two of them.

Rooooooaaarr!!

The roar of the [Skeleton Dragon] sounded very close.
Leo and Umi quickly turned around and saw the [Skeleton Dragon] writhing in pain as Kuro's sword pierced its chest.

“Umi!!”

“Yes!!”

Realizing it was not the time to fight, Umi and Leo prepared to face the [Skeleton Dragon], or rather, they couldn't run away because they had become the target of the [Skeleton Dragon].

“[Ice Spear]”

Dozens of ice spears attacked the [Skeleton Dragon] and hit most of its body.

Not to be outdone, Leo also attacked the [Skeleton Dragon].

Leo's sword was engulfed in a tornado of fire, and he swung it vertically towards the [Skeleton Dragon].

“[Fire Tornado]”

The fire tornado attacked the [Skeleton Dragon], increasing the impact of the attack.

The three of them then gathered and looked at the [Skeleton Dragon] still covered in flames.

“Did it work?”

“Of course not.
That dragon's level is twice ours.
Attacks like that only have a minor effect,” Kuro answered.

“Tch…”

At the same time, they noticed that the [Skeleton Dragon]'s HP bar had only decreased by 7 percent.

“You two, run quickly.
I can handle this dragon alone.”

Two daggers that Kuro had used before appeared in his hands.

Normally, players would switch weapons through the panel window, but thanks to [Auto Use], Kuro no longer needed to do that.

His experience fighting the [Grim Reaper] had led him to choose skills that allowed him to use or switch items with just his mind.

“Don't kid yourselves.
You're just level 20 players like us.
You can't possibly win.”

“Leo is right.
Even if you use skills outside the system, you'll still lose.”

Kuro fell silent, realizing what they said was true, but…

“Why have you given up before even trying?”

“It's not about giving up or not, but…”

“Because of our levels? Because this is just a game? Don't joke around!”

“……” “…….”

“CSO is a game, but it's not just a game because it has rules that align with the real world.
In the real world, surrendering before a fight is defeat, and the same applies to CSO, no, to this world.”

“……” “…….”

“Let me tell you a little secret.
I'm actually only level 17, which means I should be weaker than you.
But you know, if we fight, you'll definitely know who the winner is, right?”

“Kh…”

“Tsk.”

If it were PvP, Kuro would surely win easily.
They knew the difference in their strengths after fighting the Ogre.

“Enough.
Leave quickly and don't disturb me.
I want to finish this quest and sleep before Ruko does something strange in my real body.”

Kuro ignored them and walked towards the [Skeleton Dragon], which was now moving towards them.

“Haa…
I really hate you, but…”

Leo stood beside Kuro and prepared to fight.

“What you said is true,” Leo continued.

Umi then stood beside Kuro as well.

“Besides, this is just a game.
We'll be resurrected after we die.
If you think about it, there's no reason to give up.”

“I'm glad to hear that from you.”

“Hey, don't misunderstand.
I heard that a monster experiencing [Berserk] becomes stronger, but if we manage to defeat a monster like that, we'll obtain a rare item.
I'll get that after defeating it.”

“Alright, you can have it.
Rare items or whatever.”

“Are you sure?” Umi asked.

“Don't worry, I want something cooler than a rare item.”

“….”

“…..”

Although they didn't understand what Kuro meant, the two of them smiled faintly.

Just then, a panel window suddenly appeared in front of the three of them.

[Extra Quest: Dragon Killing]

[(Yes) or (No)]

“Heh? What does this mean?” Kuro asked.

“Quests in CSO sometimes change depending on the situation, but this is very rare.”

“In other words, we're lucky, right?”

The three of them smiled together and pressed (Yes).

The quest began after the [Skeleton Dragon] attacked the three of them with Fire Breath.

“Spread out!” Kuro shouted.

Umi, Kuro, and Leo spread out in three different directions.

The [Skeleton Dragon] seemed a little confused but chose to chase Leo.

“Open communication.
Leo, Umi.
Can you hear me?”

Fortunately, they had added each other to their Friend List, allowing them to communicate telepathically.

Kuro hid behind a dead tree, watching Leo being chased by the [Skeleton Dragon].

“I can hear you clearly.”

“I'm being chased by a dragon.
Can we discuss how to save me?”

“That's easy.
We just need to kill the dragon, right?”

“For some reason, you make it sound so easy,” Umi complained.
“So, Mr.
Kuropedia, how do we kill it?”

At the same time, Leo was hit by the dragon's fire breath, causing his HP to decrease significantly.

“Umi, can you use healing magic?”

“Of course.”

“And what about the potions you both have?”

“We each have 12, but Leo has 9 left after using some to restore his HP.”

“Good.
We can win, but follow my plan.”

“…”

“…alright.”

“First, let me tell you about a skill I have, [Vital Curse].
It allows me to create a second Vital Soul in the monster I'm fighting, albeit for a limited time.”

“Are you referring to the black magic circle like when we fought the Ogre earlier? Hmmm…
no wonder you could easily win.”

“But that skill only works for 5 seconds.”

“Eh?”

“Don't joke around and save me quickly!”

“Alright.
Second, I will replace Leo as the decoy, so you two can attack freely.
When you attack, I'll use [Vital Curse] precisely on your target.
That's the plan.”

“It's a simple plan, but can you hold on for long?”

“Who do you think I am?”

Leo and Umi sighed softly and smiled.
They were currently fighting alongside a formidable player.

This was not the time to hesitate.

“Operation, commence.”

“Roger!!”

Kuro emerged from behind the tree and headed towards the [Skeleton Dragon].
Kuro immediately used Kamikiri-Ryu [Twin Breaker] as the [Skeleton Dragon] focused on attacking Leo.

“Leo, run.
Restore your HP first.
Leave this big lizard to me.”

“Okay!”

Leo went to Umi, who was on the rocky ground.

Umi then used her magic skill, Heal, to restore Leo's HP.

Meanwhile, Kuro fought the [Skeleton Dragon].

“Kamikiri-Ryu [Kamaitachi]!”

Two wind blades flew towards the [Skeleton Dragon] and hit its body.

The [Skeleton Dragon]'s HP was now around 87 percent.

Kuro saw that and realized that to deal a significant effect, they had no choice but to use [Vital Curse] or attack the [Vital Soul] area.

“Don't worry, I'm ready to help.”

Leo approached with his HP fully restored.

“Don't forget about me, eat this!”

Leo's sword was surrounded by a small tornado of fire, indicating he's using skill

“[Fire Tornado]”

The fire tornado attacked the [Skeleton Dragon], but the [Skeleton Dragon] countered with [Fire Breath].

Leo's fire tornado was overpowered by the [Fire Breath] and disappeared.

“Hey…
that's cheating.”

But it was proof that their opponent was indeed strong.

“Leo, scatter.
We'll attack from two different directions.”

“Okay.”

Leo and Kuro scattered.
Kuro took the front, and Leo took the back.

“Be careful of its tail.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

“Umi, can you use [Ice Spear] on the chest or forehead of the [Skeleton Dragon]?”

“Is that where the Vital Soul is located?”

“Yes.
We're lucky.
According to Kuropedia, the [Skeleton Dragon] has two Vital Souls!”

“Yoshh..
I'll aim for the chest.
Umi, the forehead is your target.”

“If we miss, I'll use Vital Curse.
Let's quickly finish off this skinny lizard.”

Kuro then leaped high into the air and spun.
That was a sign that he was going to use Kamikiri-Ryu.

But at the same time, a dark black smoke enveloped Kuro's dagger, indicating that he was using [Acid Blade].

“Kamikiri-Ryu [Kamaitachi]!”

The black wind blade shot towards the [Skeleton Dragon]'s body.
Black smoke billowed around the area where [Acid Blade + Kamaitachi] struck.
It was the lingering effect of the [Acid Blade] skill that lasted for a few minutes.

Not only that, but Kuro also used the next technique.

“Kamikiri-Ryu [Eagle Blade]!”

This time, Kuro attacked using [Eagle Blade + Acid Blade].
A straight black line appeared on the [Skeleton Dragon]'s body, from top to bottom, accompanied by a decrease in HP.

Kuro then deactivated [Acid Blade] to reduce the side effects.

After that, Kuro leaped back to keep a distance.

“Umi!”

“Okay, [Ice Spear]!”

Dozens of ice spears attacked the [Skeleton Dragon]'s head.

The [Skeleton Dragon] didn't stay idle and prepared to unleash [Fire Breath].

“I won't let you! [Blade Burst]!”

Leo slashed at the [Skeleton Dragon]'s body, preventing it from unleashing [Fire Breath].

At the same time, dozens of ice spears hit the [Skeleton Dragon]'s body, but they missed the mark around its neck.

Realizing this, Kuro immediately used the [Vital Curse] skill at the last moment before the attack hit.

Roaaar…..

The [Skeleton Dragon] let out a loud roar, and its HP dropped to 60 percent.

“Everyone, get away!”

“Eh?”

“Just do it!”

Leo quickly followed Kuro's command and moved away, almost simultaneously, the dragon's tail moved in a dangerous whip-like motion.

The ground was even scratched, leaving behind a long hole.

“That was close!”

Leo felt relieved that he didn't get hit by the deadly attack that could have instantly reduced his HP to zero.

“But how did you know it was going to attack?” Umi asked.

“It's just instinct and from the [Skeleton Dragon]'s body movements.
If you want to strike, you have to anticipate certain movements, right?”

“You make me think you can predict the [Skeleton Dragon]'s moves.”

Leo laughed dryly.

Instead of calling it predicting, we can call it guessing or anticipating.
Anyway…
Leo, use [Fire Tornado] to target its wings.
Umi, aim for the [Skeleton Dragon]'s forehead like before.”

They both nodded.

Leo and Kuro attack once again

Leo, weakened and exhausted, lies on the ground.
He had used up his potions because he had been frequently targeted by attacks.

“You're overdoing it,” Umi remarks, as she drinks a Life Potion to restore her depleted MP.
Leo and Kuro had made sure to keep the [Skeleton Dragon] away from Umi.

“Not bad for a party formed by people who don't know each other, right?” Umi adds.

“I'm the only stranger here,” Leo replies with a dry laugh.

Meanwhile, Kuro had only used 4 Potions and 6 Life Potions.
He rarely used skills and was seldom targeted by attacks.

“You can take all the item drops.
I'll just take this bone,” Kuro says, picking up a one-handed sword that was among the drops.

“Hey…
are you sure? I heard these item drops are quite rare,” Leo questions.

The five item drops they obtained after defeating the [Skeleton Dragon] were a Doll Plate Armor, Magic Bone Bracelet, Resurrection Scroll, Skull Ring, and Dragon Bone Sword.

These items were considered difficult to acquire or expensive if purchased from a store.
Since there were a considerable number of items, two for each, Leo and Umi intended to split them evenly.

“Don't worry…
besides, this is enough.
[Raise],” Kuro says.

Kuro uses the skill [Raising] to resurrect the defeated [Skeleton Dragon].
He throws the bone on the ground, and it is enveloped in black smoke.
From the smoke emerges a skeletal dragon figure.

Roooaar…

Once again, they hear the terrifying roar of the dragon.

“Are you still interested in bargaining for the items?” Kuro asks.

Leo and Umi shake their heads.

“That skill is very useful.
It's a shame that [Raising] can only be used by dark-element characters.
I regret it a little,” Kuro says with a weary expression.

Although Leo had recreated his character as a dark-element, he realizes that he wouldn't be able to make the skeletal dragon his subordinate.
“I don't want to do that either…
typical…”

“Now, I'm going back to town to complete the quest and get the free armor.”

“Huh?” Umi and Leo freeze at Kuro's words.

“It's a reward from the quest.
Why are you surprised?”

“No, I think I want to kill you right now.”

“Really?”

“Alright, alright, but it's normal because the quest reward is an armor.
If you're jealous, you can get the armor and sword too,” Umi says, trying to ease the situation.

“Is that true?” Leo's eyes light up immediately.

“Yes…
Besides, I don't really need it.
Or rather, I can't use it,” Kuro responds.

“Thank you, Umi,” Leo says, smiling like a little child.

Umi then turns to Kuro.
“So, what will you do after the quest?”

“I'll log off and sleep.
That's all,” Kuro replies.

“Too bad.
I wanted you to join us in exploring Death City.
But it's okay…”

“In that case, I'll go now.
[Cancel].”

The [Skeleton Dragon] turns back into bones and enters Kuro's item storage.

“Well then, see you later.”

“See you later,” Leo says.

Kuro then walks back towards Death City.

Umi and Leo sigh from exhaustion but also feel grateful for the experience of defeating a monster that was almost twice their level.

Umi smiles faintly.
“He's a strange person.”

“Well…
hey, look over there.
Isn't that the Grim Reaper from earlier?” Leo points out.

Kuro is not too far away and can be seen.
They also notice the Grim Reaper approaching Kuro.

What surprises them is that the Grim Reaper hands a drink to Kuro.

“He's too strange…”

“….uhh..”

The two of them can only hold their breath as they see Kuro walking together with the Grim Reaper towards Death City.

— About 2 km away from Umi and Leo, a gothic lolita girl with a small smile is dressed in gothic lolita attire.
Despite the gothic lolita style, she wears armor made of metal on both her hands, which is a high-level item.
A slender one-handed sword is sheathed in a scabbard adorned with golden metal, a beautiful indication that her sword is also a high-level weapon.

The girl observes everything that happens during the battle between Leo, Kuro, Umi, and the [Skeleton Dragon].
If she wanted to, she could defeat the [Skeleton Dragon] with just one strike, but she didn't want to do that.

“…Interesting.”

The girl then disappears into the darkness of Death City.

The next day, MMO news is abuzz with a photo of the Grim Reaper queuing for a drink.

Kuro, who never looks at MMO news, remains unaware of this news.
However, he is more surprised when he finds Ruko sneaking into his room again without wearing any clothes.

“It seems like I should make a room like a bunker,” Kuro mutters.

“……..”

Kuro's life with Ruko continues.

 

Note

=>In CSO, all skills possessed in the real world can be used.
Whether it's martial arts or sword techniques.

=>Other skills such as visual acuity can be used after undergoing adjustments based on the player's stats.

=>Undead-type monsters will leave behind item drops and also items called Rest.
Rest will disappear after a few minutes if not taken by the player.
Rest is also used as the main requirement for the Raising skill.

=>Kamikiri-ryu is not a technique that can be used by ordinary humans.

=>Ruko is the best little sister.