Trapped In Elysium: A Virtual Reality Nightmare-Chapter 31: Stats Updated

Nadia dipped the cloth into the warm water, wringing it out before gently dabbing at the wounds on Liam’s arm. She worked with care, her fingers brushing against his skin as she cleaned the dried blood and dirt. What surprised her most was his lack of reaction. He didn’t flinch, didn’t even tense up. His posture remained relaxed, his face impassive as though the stinging sensation was nothing to him.

"You don’t feel pain?" Nadia asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she focused on his wounds.

Liam glanced at her, a small smirk playing on his lips. "I’ve been through worse."

She raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further. Still, she couldn’t help but admire his resilience. As she continued, the faint scent of lavender and honey filled the air—her natural fragrance. Liam inhaled it involuntarily, the pleasant scent distracting him for a moment. His gaze unintentionally drifted downward, catching sight of her ample chest swaying slightly with her movements. He snapped his eyes away almost immediately, but the brief moment wasn’t lost on him.

"Ahem." A deliberate throat clearing shattered the moment. Liam turned his head to see Sophia standing there, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

"I will continue with the cleaning, thanks," Sophia said, stepping forward.

Nadia smiled knowingly, handing the cloth over to her. "Of course," she said with a teasing glint in her eyes before standing up and walking away.

Liam sighed inwardly as Sophia took over. Her movements were just as gentle but carried a different energy—firm yet graceful. She ran the cloth along the cuts, her lips pressed together in silent concentration.

"You should be more careful," she muttered after a moment.

Liam chuckled softly. "You sound like Eleanor."

Sophia rolled her eyes. "And maybe you should listen to us both. You almost got yourself killed out there."

He leaned back slightly, watching her as she focused on his wounds. "Didn’t know you cared so much."

She paused briefly, her eyes flickering up to meet his. "Of course, I do," she said, voice quiet but firm. Then she returned to her task, not giving him a chance to respond.

Across the room, Jason was sitting on a stool while Celeste, Nadia’s twin sister, tended to his wounds. She was more playful than her sister, humming softly as she worked. "You took quite a hit," she noted, dabbing a particularly deep scratch on his shoulder.

Jason adjusted his glasses and let out a dry chuckle. "Yeah, well, getting thrown into a wooden fence wasn’t exactly in my plan."

Celeste giggled, shaking her head. "You guild folks sure are reckless."

"More like unlucky," Jason muttered, wincing as she applied a salve. "But thanks."

Meanwhile, Marcus was stretched out on a wooden bench, his injured leg propped up as Eleanor tended to him. Unlike the others, he wasn’t exactly being cooperative.

"You know, you’re really beautiful," Marcus said casually, flashing her a mischievous grin.

Eleanor didn’t even look up. "Shut up."

He popped another nut into his mouth, chewing loudly. "Come on, Eleanor, loosen up a little. We’ve been through a lot together, don’t you think it’s time to embrace a little romance?"

She finally looked up, her gray eyes narrowing slightly. Without warning, she pressed a little harder on his leg than necessary.

"Ah! Dammit, Eleanor!" he yelped, nearly choking on the nut. "That freaking hurts!"

She gave him an innocent smile. "Oops. My hand slipped."

Marcus glared at her but couldn’t stop the smirk tugging at his lips. "You’re evil, you know that?"

Eleanor shrugged. "And yet, you keep flirting."

Liam chuckled from his spot, shaking his head at the scene. Despite everything, moments like these made him realize just how close they’d all become. They weren’t just a group of mercenaries completing a mission—they were a team, a dysfunctional but well-meshed team.

The farmer, who had been watching quietly from the doorway, finally stepped forward. "Y’all did good out there," he said, his deep voice carrying an air of respect now. "Didn’t think a bunch of young folks like you could handle those beasts, but you proved me wrong."

Liam gave a tired nod. "We keep our word."

The old man studied him for a moment before nodding back. "Come inside and rest properly. You’ve earned it."

As the group slowly gathered their strength, Nadia and Celeste bustled around, bringing warm blankets and extra food. The night air was settling in, but for the first time since arriving at the farm, the tension had finally lifted.

Even Marcus, despite his aching leg, leaned back with a satisfied sigh. "Maybe this wasn’t such a bad mission after all," he mused.

Eleanor shot him a dry look. "You were literally the one who wanted to abandon it."

"Details," Marcus said, waving a hand dismissively. "Now, where’s that tea again?"

Jason shook his head. "You’re impossible." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Liam sat quietly, watching as his team—his friends—shared a moment of laughter despite their exhaustion. He knew more challenges lay ahead, but for now, they had won. And that was enough.

After they were done cleaning up and drinking the tea they were offered, the farmer approached them with a warm smile. "I appreciate what you all did for me. If it weren’t for you kids, those damn beasts would have wiped out my livestock completely. Here, take these as a small token of my gratitude."

He handed them a basket filled with fresh fruits—plump apples, ripe oranges, and even a few exotic-looking berries that none of them recognized. The group gratefully accepted the gift, thanking the farmer for his hospitality.

As they stepped away from the farmhouse, a sudden chime rang in their ears. Their vision briefly flickered, and a familiar blue screen appeared in front of them.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: STATS UPDATED]

Liam instinctively opened his stats window, his eyes scanning the updated numbers:

Liam’s Stats:

Strength: [8/100] (+2)

Agility: [9/100] (+2)

Endurance: [7/100] (+2)

Intelligence: [9/100] (+1)

Dexterity: [7/100] (+1)

Charisma: [10/100] (+1)

Luck: [6/100] (+1)

New Skill Unlocked: [error???]

Liam frowned. "Error? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Sophia checked hers next, her blue eyes narrowing slightly as she read her stats:

Sophia’s Stats:

Strength: [2/100]

Agility: [6/100] (+1)

Endurance: [3/100] (+1)

Dexterity: [7/100] (+1)

Intelligence: [5/100] (+1)

Archery Proficiency: [9/100] (+2)

Skills:

Venomous Quiver - Potency: [4/10]

Sophia smirked. "At least my archery improved. And looks like my quiver’s venom is getting stronger."

Eleanor pulled up her own stats, her gray eyes scanning the screen with mild curiosity.

Eleanor’s Stats:

Strength: [3/100] (+1)

Agility: [7/100] (+1)

Endurance: [5/100] (+1)

Dexterity: [6/100] (+1)

Intelligence: [5/100] (+1)

Dagger Proficiency: [8/100] (+1)

New Skill Unlocked: Healer

Description: User is skilled with healing powers, knowledge, and attributes.

Eleanor raised an eyebrow. "So I’m the group healer now, huh?"

Liam glanced at her. "You unlocked a skill? What kind?"

"Something about healing," Eleanor said, rolling her shoulders. "Not sure how it works yet."

Marcus scoffed. "Healer? You? That’s gotta be a glitch. Eleanor’s as nurturing as a rock."

Eleanor smirked and punched Marcus’s shoulder—just hard enough to make him wince. "Want me to heal that for you?" she asked with mock sweetness.

Jason, meanwhile, was already reviewing his own stats.

Jason’s Stats:

Strength: [4/100] (+1)

Agility: [5/100] (+1)

Endurance: [4/100] (+1)

Intelligence: [8/100] (+1)

Dexterity: [5/100] (+1)

Charisma: [6/100] (+1)

Luck: [3/100] (+1)

Skill Unlocked: [error???]

Jason adjusted his glasses, frowning. "Huh. I got the same error skill as Liam. That’s weird."

Marcus pulled up his own stats, reading through them quickly.

Marcus’s Stats:

Strength: [6/100] (+1)

Agility: [6/100] (+1)

Endurance: [5/100] (+1)

Dexterity: [6/100] (+1)

Intelligence: [4/100] (+1)

New Skill Unlocked: [error???]

Marcus scowled. "Oh, come on. Why the hell didn’t I get a real skill? This is bullshit!"

"Not just you," Liam pointed out. "Jason and I got the same error."

Marcus wasn’t convinced. "Yeah, but the girls got legit skills. It’s like this damn system is rigged against us. What, are the developers simping for them or something?" He flipped off the sky. "Screw you, game makers!"

Sophia rolled her eyes. "We’re not even sure this is a game, Marcus."

Liam folded his arms, deep in thought. "That’s what bothers me. The more we fight, the stronger we get. That means whatever this world is, it’s designed to push us forward. But... something about this isn’t right."

The group fell silent for a moment, the weight of his words sinking in. They had always assumed Elysium was just an elaborate VR game, but the more they experienced, the harder it became to ignore the eerie realism of their surroundings.

Jason sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Well, whatever it is, I say we keep moving. Standing around complaining won’t get us anywhere."

Liam nodded. "Agreed. Let’s head back to the guild and see what we can learn."

With that, the group gathered their things and continued down the road, each of them lost in thought.

As the group made their way back to the guild, exhaustion was evident on their faces, but so was the satisfaction of completing their mission. The streets were bustling with merchants shouting about their wares, and the scent of roasted meat and fresh bread filled the air. Marcus, still limping slightly from his injured leg, grumbled under his breath about needing a proper feast.

When they stepped into the guild hall, they immediately spotted the two men who had been there earlier. The guild workers were busy handling paperwork and sorting through mission reports. One of the men, a grizzled mercenary with a jagged scar running down his cheek, glanced up from his drink and smirked. "Oh, look who’s back. Thought you lot might’ve gotten yourselves eaten."

"Well, we’re still in one piece," Liam said, placing the mission slip on the counter. "We took care of the problem."

The guild receptionist, a middle-aged woman with short brown hair and sharp eyes, took the slip and checked the records. "Good work. Payment was already deposited by the client. The guild takes twenty percent, so that leaves you with forty-eight bronze coins."

She handed Liam a small pouch filled with coins, and he quickly divided it up amongst the group. Marcus took his share and immediately tossed a coin in the air before catching it with a grin. "Not bad, but I was expecting something shinier."

"For a first mission, this is decent," Eleanor said, pocketing her share. "We’ll need to take on bigger missions if we want more."

"No shit, but we almost died fighting that damn bird," Marcus replied, rubbing his leg. "I say we eat first before thinking about anything else."

"Agreed," Jason said. "I don’t know about you guys, but I need real food."

The group left the guild and walked toward the nearest inn, a cozy place called The Silver Tankard. The warm glow of lanterns flickered through the windows, and the sound of laughter and clinking mugs spilled onto the street. They entered, the scent of roasted chicken and spices immediately making their stomachs growl.

A cheerful-looking innkeeper greeted them. "Welcome! What can I get for you?"

"Meat. Lots of it," Marcus said, slumping into a chair. "And ale."

"I’ll take stew and bread," Sophia said, stretching her arms.

Liam leaned back in his chair. "Same for me."

The group placed their orders, and soon steaming plates of food were set in front of them. As they ate, the tension from the battle slowly faded. They laughed, and enjoyed their moment of peace.