Trapped In Elysium: A Virtual Reality Nightmare-Chapter 101: Blazing Sword

The morning came quicker than anyone expected.

Dew clung to the tall jungle grass, and the low mist hung like a veil between the trees. Shafts of early sunlight pierced the canopy, casting golden beams across the still-damp ground. The camp slowly stirred to life—groggy, silent, and slightly tense after the events of the night before.

Liam was already up, leaning against a tree, arms crossed, staring at the ash-covered spot where the priest’s remains had been burned. He hadn’t slept. Not really. His mind had refused him rest, tangled in thoughts that churned like a storm.

One by one, the others emerged from their makeshift bedding around the fire. Sophia was the first, her quiver slung over her shoulder and her gaze quick but unreadable. Then came Eleanor, walking carefully but clearly improved from her injury. Jason rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped out of his tent, yawning. Marcus moved stiffly, still recovering from last night’s incident, while Sera helped Borik tighten a leather strap on his wrist. Mariel lingered behind the others, arms folded tightly, her eyes drifting between Liam and the ground.

Once they were all gathered, Liam stepped forward.

"Before we move out..." he began, his voice calm but firm. "I need to ask—did any of you get a system notification last night?"

Everyone exchanged looks.

Jason tilted his head. "Like... stat upgrades? Skills?"

Liam nodded. "Anything at all."

Sophia shook her head. "No. Not a thing. That only happens after a mission’s complete, right?"

"That’s what we assumed," Marcus. "We’re still in the middle of this ruin journey. The system probably won’t trigger until we finish."

Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly, lips pressing into a line. "That’s what I thought too..."

Marcus spoke, arms folded, still nursing a faint bruise on his chest. "Why? Did you get something?"

Liam didn’t hesitate. "Yeah," he said. "All my base stats—strength, endurance, agility, dexterity, intelligence, charisma, and luck—each increased by ten points."

They stared at him.

Jason blinked. "That’s not a small bump, man."

Sophia raised a brow. "You serious?"

"I don’t joke about this kind of shit," Liam replied.

He took a step closer to the fire pit and looked at them all. "I also unlocked a new skill. It’s called Blazing Sword. When I activate it, my blade becomes engulfed in fire for ten minutes. It has a 30-minute cooldown."

The group fell silent. The only sound was the wind brushing through the leaves overhead.

"That’s not all," Liam added. "I also received two new titles: Group Leader... and... God of the Jungle Natives."

Marcus let out a low whistle.

Jason frowned, clearly deep in thought. "That... lines up, actually. You did something none of us did. You killed their priest, stopped the sacrifice, fought the giant, and led the natives to kneel. Hell, they literally worshipped you."

Sophia glanced at Liam, her expression unreadable. "I’ve never heard of someone unlocking a title mid-mission though... this might be a one-off case."

"Or maybe the system’s just adapting to what’s happening in real time," Jason offered. "None of this feels like a traditional quest structure anymore."

Eleanor, who had remained quiet until now, finally spoke, her voice softer than usual. "So... what does it mean, then? That you’re becoming something else? That the system sees you as more than us?"

Liam didn’t answer right away. His jaw tensed.

"I don’t know what it means yet," he admitted. "But I’m not keeping secrets. Not anymore. I’m telling you all this because I want you to know where we stand... and what might be coming."

The group nodded slowly, digesting the information, each of them battling their own thoughts. There was no cheering. No excitement. Just silence—and something heavier settling over them.

Something real.

Something permanent.

Liam turned his gaze toward the jungle beyond, where the path to the ruins waited.

Whatever was coming next... none of them were ready. But they were going anyway.

By the time the morning mist had burned off and the sun rose high enough to press golden heat against the jungle canopy, Liam had made his decision. He wasn’t going to waste time. He wasn’t going to hide behind doubts anymore. They’d seen enough blood. They’d been through hell. If he was their so-called god now, then he was going to make sure that meant something.

He called for Von.

The giant warrior found him near the large fire pit where the group had gathered earlier. Liam stood alone, hands on his hips, sword sheathed across his back, eyes fixed on the massive altar in the center of the tribal grounds—the same one where Eleanor was nearly sacrificed. It was made of dark stone, adorned with broken bones, blood-streaked symbols, and trinkets tied to old horrors.

"I need you to gather the tribe," Liam said without looking at Von. "All of them."

Von raised a brow. "Even the young and the weak?"

"Not necessarily." Liam replied.

Von nodded, sensing something deeper in Liam’s voice, and walked off with Gorr to spread the word.

Within half an hour, the clearing was full. Men, women, elders, children, the wounded, the healthy. They came with fearful eyes and hushed whispers, none daring to stand too close to Liam. Some kept their heads bowed low. Others peeked at him from behind the shoulders of those in front. Every single one of them had witnessed what he’d done the day before. He’d not only defeated their warriors and stopped their ritual—he’d crushed their faith with his bare hands.

Von stood beside Liam, arms crossed, as the tribe settled into silence.

Liam stepped forward.

"Translate exactly what I say," he told Von.

The giant warrior nodded once.

Liam looked across the crowd and began. "I am not here to destroy your way of life."

Von repeated his words in the guttural, clicking rhythm of the tribe’s language. The crowd shifted slightly, murmurs rising.

"But from this day forward," Liam continued, louder now, "you will no longer kill or eat other people. No more sacrifices. No more bloodshed for any god. That ends here. Now."

Von translated again, his voice booming across the village. Gasps followed. Some looked terrified. A few dropped their gazes, too ashamed to look up. Liam saw them all, saw the fear and confusion writ across their faces.

"I don’t want your blood," he said, stepping closer to the altar now. "I don’t want your kneeling or your blind devotion. But if you insist on seeing me as your god... then you’ll live by my command."

He unsheathed his sword.

A sharp shhhnk rang out as the steel gleamed in the sunlight.

Then, with a flick of his hand, he activated the new skill.

Blazing Sword.

Flames roared to life, rushing up the blade like a tidal wave of fire. The blade glowed bright orange, crackling with energy, burning hot enough that even the warriors in the front row took a step back from the heat.

Liam turned to the altar.

And without a single word, he struck.

One clean slash cut through the bone-covered stone like it was soft clay. The sharp impact echoed like thunder, and the top of the altar split down the middle with a hiss of scorched air. Liam didn’t stop—he moved fast, fire trailing behind each swing as he hacked through every remaining piece of the shrine. The bones shattered. The bloodied carvings crumbled. Charms and cursed talismans exploded into sparks as the fire licked across them. In less than a minute, the entire altar was reduced to molten chunks of stone and ash.

The air was thick with smoke and silence.

Liam stepped back, lowering his sword, now dim and cooling in his grip.

The group—Sophia, Marcus, Jason, Eleanor, Sera, Mariel, Borik—watched in awe, none of them saying a word. They’d not seen him use the skill the previous night.

The tribe stood frozen, wide-eyed and trembling. For several seconds, no one moved.

Then, one by one, they began to kneel again—heads bowed, hands pressed to the dirt. No chants, no cries... just silent reverence. Not out of fear this time. Something else. Something deeper. Respect. Submission.

Von turned to Liam with a stunned expression, half-smirking, half in disbelief. "They understand. They say they will do as you command, O’ God of Fire."

Liam didn’t answer.

He simply turned away from the ruined altar, the charred bones, and the bowed heads, walking back toward the clearing where his group waited.

There was still a long road ahead. But this... this was a start.