Trapped In Elysium: A Virtual Reality Nightmare

Jason stood still, his eyes fixed on the charging Orc. The creature's sheer size and speed were daunting, but Jason didn't flinch. His pulse quickened as the Orc's war cry echoed across the clearing, but a strange calmness settled over him.

"Alright," Jason muttered to himself. "Let's see what I can really do."

The Orc swung his massive axe with terrifying force, the blade slicing through the air with a deadly whistle. Jason dodged to the side just in time, the axe slamming into the ground where he had stood moments before. The impact sent dirt and rocks flying, but Jason was already moving.

He darted forward, aiming a punch at the Orc's ribs. His fist connected, but it felt like punching a wall of stone. Jason winced, shaking his hand as the Orc growled and turned to face him.

"You hit like a child," the Orc sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.

"Yeah?" Jason shot back, backing away as the Orc swung his axe again. "Let's see if you can catch this child."

The Orc roared, swinging the axe horizontally in a wide arc. Jason dropped to the ground, rolling beneath the swing and coming up behind the Orc. He leapt onto the creature's back, wrapping his arms around its thick neck in a chokehold.

The Orc roared in frustration, reaching back to grab Jason. It wasn't long before the Orc's massive hands found Jason's arm and yanked him off with alarming strength. Jason was thrown to the ground, landing with a grunt as the Orc loomed over him.

"You're fast," the Orc admitted, raising his axe for a killing blow. "But not fast enough."

Jason rolled to the side as the axe came crashing down again, narrowly avoiding the strike. He kicked out with his legs, hitting the Orc in the knee and causing it to stagger.

Using the momentary distraction, Jason jumped to his feet, his breath coming in quick gasps. "You know," he said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow, "for someone so big, you sure have terrible aim."

The Orc's face twisted in rage. "I'll carve that smug grin off your face!"

The fight continued, with Jason darting around the Orc like a mosquito. Every time the Orc swung his axe, Jason was already gone, dodging and weaving with surprising agility.

"Stand still and fight, coward!" the Orc bellowed, his frustration mounting.

Jason laughed, narrowly avoiding another swing. "Why would I make it easy for you?"

But Jason knew he couldn't keep dodging forever. His stamina was already starting to wane, and the Orc showed no signs of slowing down. He needed a plan.

As the Orc lunged forward, Jason made a calculated move. Instead of dodging to the side, he stepped closer, ducking under the Orc's arm and landing a solid punch to the creature's solar plexus. The Orc grunted in pain, stumbling back slightly.

Jason seized the opportunity, grabbing the handle of the axe with both hands. The Orc realized too late what was happening and tried to pull the weapon back, but Jason held on with a determined grip.

"Not so tough without this, are you?" Jason grunted, using all his strength to wrest the axe from the Orc's grasp.

The struggle was intense, but Jason's smaller size gave him an advantage in agility. He twisted the axe sharply, breaking the Orc's grip and sending the weapon flying out of its hands. Jason caught the axe midair, its weight surprising but manageable.

He turned to face the Orc, a grin spreading across his face. "Now it's my turn."

The Orc froze, its eyes narrowing as it regarded Jason warily. For the first time, there was a flicker of uncertainty in its gaze.

Jason planted the axe on the ground in front of him, resting his hands on the handle as he caught his breath. His grin widened. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

The Orc roared in frustration.

Jason stood still, gripping the axe tightly in his hands. The Orc in front of him bared its teeth, snarling, but Jason didn't flinch.

"Let's end this," Jason said, his voice cold.

The Orc lunged forward, its massive fists raised to crush Jason. But Jason was ready. He stepped to the side, swinging the axe with all his strength. The blade sliced cleanly through the Orc's side, eliciting a guttural roar of pain.

The Orc staggered, clutching its wound, but Jason didn't give it a chance to recover. With a fluid motion, he spun around and brought the axe down onto the creature's neck. The impact was decisive, and the Orc collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Jason exhaled, dropping the axe momentarily as he stared at his fallen opponent. "Not bad," he muttered to himself, flexing his fingers.

But the victory was short-lived.

The remaining Orcs let out enraged roars, their fury palpable. Even Grogath's eyes burned with hatred as he dismounted his horse, his massive frame hitting the ground with a thud.

"Kill them all!" Grogath bellowed, his voice echoing. "Leave the woman alive!" His gaze lingered on Sophia again, making her spine stiffen.

The other Orcs jumped down from their horses, weapons in hand, and charged toward Liam's group.

"Great," Marcus muttered as he jumped off his horse. "Here we go again."

He grumbled under his breath, unsheathing his sword as Eleanor dismounted gracefully beside him.

Since when does Marcus has a sword, Liam murmured as he looked at him in shock. He didn't have a memory of him buying any sword but now wasn't the time to ask.

Sophia, still on her horse, pulled her bow from her back and notched an arrow. She straightened her spine, her shoulders pulling back as she drew the string taut. Her movements were precise, fluid—like a professional archer preparing for a perfect shot.

Her sharp blue eyes locked onto her target.

With a steady breath, she released the arrow. It shot forward, whistling through the air before striking an Orc in the thigh. The creature halted, glancing down at the arrow lodged in its flesh. It yanked the projectile out, snorting in disdain.

Marcus turned toward Sophia, his brows furrowed. "Since when has your aim been this bad?" he asked, exasperated.

Sophia ignored him, notching another arrow. This time, she fired three in rapid succession. Each arrow found its mark: one struck an Orc's arm, another hit a leg, and the third embedded itself in a stomach.

Marcus groaned. "Are you serious? What's wrong with you? Can't you just aim for their heads? How bad can you be?"

But before anyone could respond, something unexpected happened.

The Orcs that had been struck by Sophia's arrows suddenly froze, their movements becoming sluggish. One by one, they collapsed, lifeless.

The battlefield went silent as everyone stared in shock.

"How...?" Marcus muttered, his sword lowering slightly. "How did they just... fall?"

Sophia didn't respond immediately. She was staring at the translucent system interface that had appeared in front of her. The words glowing on the screen caught her attention.

[Skill Unlocked: Venomous Quiver]

Description: Coats arrows with a mild toxin that weakens and eventually kills weaker creatures upon impact. Ineffective against stronger opponents or those with immunity.

Note: The skill activates automatically with each shot.

Sophia's lips parted slightly in surprise. "Venomous Quiver…" she whispered.

Before she could fully process it, another notification popped up.

[Mission Complete: Use the Venomous Quiver skill.]

A soft chime echoed in her mind, followed by a display of her stats.

---

[Sophia's Stats Displayed]

Strength: [2/100]

Agility: [5/100]

Endurance: [3/100]

Dexterity: [6/100]

Intelligence: [4/100]

Archery Proficiency: [7/100]

---

[Mission Reward: +2 to Archery Proficiency, +1 to Dexterity.]

Sophia felt a surge of confidence as the system added the points. She glanced at her bow with a newfound sense of pride.

"Not bad," she muttered, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group was still processing what had just happened.

"What the hell did you do?" Marcus asked, his voice laced with confusion.

Sophia didn't answer immediately. She lowered her bow, her fingers brushing against the arrows in her quiver. "Let's just say," she began, "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

The group exchanged glances, but there was no time to question further. Grogath's enraged roar shattered the moment.

"You think you're clever?" he spat, stepping forward. "I'll crush you myself!"

Sophia didn't flinch, her grip on her bow tightening. The battle was far from over, and she was ready to face whatever came next.