“Oh...my...gods...why...did...we...agree...to..this”

“I...have...no...idea...but...this...ocelot...isn’t...making...it...easier””

Henry and R1pper were both struggling over the weight of over 500 items each, ones that don’t stack. As they both were ‘volunteered’ to help by Emerald and her new best buddy,the loli teen Karla, who was also R1pper’s little sister out of the game. Muffin the ocelot was also there, occasionally sitting or peeing on either of the guys.

“Hurry up already, Mrs. Emerald is carrying quadruple the amount you are with ease.” Karla said, enjoying her perch on Emerald’s shoulder

“So...what...you’re...saying...is...that...you...weigh...four….times....the...amount….we… individually .. are...carrying?” R1pper said, struggling under the pressure of the luggage

Karla’s face turned red with embarrassment. Turning her head, she said

“Muffin, attack him.”

Muffin, who was currently sitting on top of R1pper’s head, stood up and started scratching.

“OWOWOW, I’M SORRY” R1pper shouted in pain.

“Good, Muffin down.”

“Meow” the ocelot replied with a deceptively kitten like meow as it ceased it’s onslaught of doom to R1pper’s hair.

The small group was currently walking towards the city, well half of them were walking, the other half was riding on a horse. Henry and R1pper had identical backpacks that were 10 times the size they were. Emerald had a similar pack in one arm, though obviously larger than the other two’s combined. Plus she was carrying Karla on her other shoulder. She was doing this while wearing heavy armor. To the two guys it was like their original understanding of Emerald’s strength, which was already way above theirs, was shattered. She wasn’t just strong, she was comparable to a demi-god in strength.

As the four of them traveled through the mountainous forest, they saw a multitude of wildlife. Soon they came upon a small clearing.

“Alright, let’s rest here, I think the guys have been torchered long enough for now.”

“OH MY GODS THAT WAS HEAVY” Henry said, slipping out of the death trap of a backpack.

“GAHH” R1pper yelled as his pack finally crushed him under it’s weight

“PFFFTTT HAHAHAHA, IDIOT HAHAHA” Karla laughed , falling off Emerald’s shoulder

“Get me out of here” R1pper’s muffled voice shouted out from under the pack

A loud thud sounded as Emerald put her pack down and moved over to R1pper’s.

Normally Emerald would’ve prefered to travel with only Karla and carry everything herself, which she could’ve easily done. However, there wasn’t exactly a good steed around that could carry everything. So she decided to ask/force the helpers/victims

“Can someone please explain to me why we didn’t just teleport over there?” Henry asked, hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

As a planet full of experts, the game designers soon realised that their games had to include the player’s actual stamina, in order to give the feeling of fatigue, however some people complained, so there were two settings available. Under a certain age, those with health problems, and those who toggled it, ‘game’ stamina was used, Everyone else used actual stamina. The difference could mostly barely be seen. ‘Game’ stamina was measured in numbers, and was linked to skills, if you were low on stamina you couldn’t use certain skills. Actual stamina was more physically draining, causing muscle soreness and exhaustion, but skills were always available.

Dumbed down the choice was either numbered stamina and no soreness, or as much power as you want. Long fights versus shorter fights.

Or, as in the current case, extreme exhaustion when carrying too much.

As Henry and R1pper rubbed their sore and tired muscles, Karla looked over towards Emerald, who was leaning against her pack on the ground. In front of her was an old looking journal.

“What’s that?” Karla asked Emerald.

“A journal” Emerald replied, flipping the pages of the old book.

“Probably holds her fantasies like BL.” R1pper murmured to Henry

“Dude, no bad idea.” Henry whisped back “she’s going to eradicate you if she hears what you said.”

“True, but seriously, a journal?”

“If you two are done being a pair of pansies not brave enough to insult me openly, I think we can arrange a better means of travel. And by travel I mean carrying more stuff. And by carrying more stuff I mean carrying me.” Emerald sternly told the two guys who were doing the sun stretch on the ground.

“Nope, we’re fine being pansies, right?” Henry spoke up, punching R1pper’s arm.

“Yup, totally fine.” R1pper nodded vigorously.

“Ok then.” Emerald said, continuing to flip through her journal

Karla sat down next to Emerald, unlike the two boys, she had numbered stamina, and she was carried by Emerald, so she wasn’t as tired as the other two.

“What’s the journal for?” Karla asked

“What a journal is used for, recording events.” Emerald replied, turning to a blank page, near the back. Taking a quill, she began to record the recent events.

By the time she was done the sun was already setting. She looked around, not seeing her companions, she then saw the message drawn in the dirt.

We’ll be back after the sun rises, Henry, R1pper, and Karla

. “let’s see, it should take about five hours.”

Saying that, Emerald stuck her sword in the ground, and waited

As the world around her started to turn faster in her eyes, a group of pkers were hiding in the forest.

“What do you think guys? NPC or Player?” one in front of the group said peering past the trees into the opening

“It might be a new boss.” a woman said in the back, leaning against a tree

“I think it’s a player.” the one hanging from the tree said

“If it was a player then it wouldn’t be standing still like that, it would’ve moved by now. You tell me who hasn’t been logged out for falling asleep in game.” the man that was sitting on the rock said

“Me, because I don’t fall asleep in game, that’s just stupid.” the armored man said

“knock it off people, it doesn’t matter if it’s a player or NPC, we attack.” the Shrouded man said.

Emerald was standing in her new Frozen Ebony armor, it’s white brilliance reflecting the moonlight, her Blade in the ground in front of her. She opened her eye, and knew immediately something was wrong.

Grabbing her Blade, she turned her body, dodging a crossbow bolt.

She looked over to where the bolt came from, only to step to her left, avoiding a sword the flashed past where her neck was.

As she was about to slash back in retaliation, she turned to block upward, deflecting the knife blow that came from overhead. She launched the attacker back into the air as she bashed the butt of her blade into their face.

A fire blast roared towards her back, as she turned and slashed it in two. The separated magic attack flew past her into the trees, turning them a blaze.

Emerald looked up and caught the crossbow bolt that was flying towards the right side of her head.

Snapping the bolt she straightened up, finding that she was surrounded by six people.

“That’s not a nice way to treat a lady” Emerald said to the hulking armored man standing in front of her.

“That’s true, however we don’t treat a stranger as a lady.” the man holding the crossbow said, as he loaded his weapon.

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you’re rather rich for a person way out here.” a woman with a staff said, following her comment by a magical power starting to swirl around her.

“So we’re going to take it!” The armored man shouted as he charged at Emerald.

Emerald dodged the charge and spun her blade to deflect the throwing knife that was thrown at her eye.

“If you want a fight, I’ll give you one.”