Surviving in my Own Unpublished Failed Novel

[Warning: Pain Reduction is NOT applicable]

[There will be no Pain Tolerance]

[Every stats, rank, and skill were retained in the Virtual World as per the Virtual Capsules settings]

The first two groups of students who arrived at the 'Jellyfish Island' looked in disbelief at the Virtual System messages in front of them.

Some of them clearly had fear and anxiety in their eyes.

Some felt like having a mental breakdown, clearly fearing suffering and death.

Because even though it was only a Virtual Reality, with no such thing as Pain Reduction, it meant that everything would feel real. One could only hope that if they would die, it must be instantly.

But after some time, a woman, belonging to a certain group, with blonde pigtail-styled hair and sapphire-like eyes that resembles the seas spoke with her four group members who were somewhat managing themselves.

"Don't panic, compose your selves first, nothing will change if you are all going to stay like that."

As she said that, she noticed a necklace on her neck with a token depicting an Obelisk piercing the Sun. It was the Obelisk Token that each leader possessed.

Then her voice which was gentle, and full of warmth resounded in the ears of the other four group members. Then, after ten seconds of calming themselves down, one student asked a question.

"Princess Rumia, what should we do?"

Upon saying that, Rumia asked them to browse to Virtual System messages, not minding the honorifics, and they found the most necessary instruction that greatly lessened their feeling of apprehension.

[You can conjure your weapon and armor in this Virtual World]

[The weapon and armor you can conjure can only be done once]

[The weapon and armor, regardless of what you can conjure, have no bonus stats, but their intrinsic effects will be retained]

The Virtual System messages that first came as a warning was now turned into a blessing, although additional stats were not given, they didn't need to find equipment somewhere.

Rumia Flora and her group conjured their own weapon and armor, and because the Virtual Capsules were connected to their subconscious, the equipment they conjured was something that they felt familiar with.

Rumia Flora conjured a Whip with an intricate design based on 'nature' as her specialty was focused on nature, especially the 'seas'.

After organizing themselves, Rumia's group looked around and realized that they were inside a small cave that served as their starting point.

What they couldn't perceive earlier due to initial shock now registered in their sight.

The small cave that looked like its main purpose was to accommodate people during the rain has luminescent grass fluttering due to the cold wind.

These grasses sprouted on the wall of the small cave with different luster.

Some were yellow glowing like a morning Sun, some were red like fresh blood, and some were light blue depicting the sunless sky.

After some time of scrutinizing their surroundings, a collective notification sounded in their ears as they reflexively looked at the Virtual System's message.

[The Wall Jellyfish living in the dead Rock Turtle's hide are awakening]

Rumia and her group looked dumbfounded as they realized their situation, as the small cave started to quake, and cracks on the wall began to form.

The fluttering grass seemed to come to life!

"Run!"

Rumia said, prompting the remaining group members to run outside the small cave.

After a few seconds of running, they left the small cave, and when they looked back, they saw that it resembled a turtle's back because of the imprinted patterns.

The small cave was still quaking, meaning that the awakening of Wall Jellyfish didn't end yet.

"Rumia, are those luminescent grass the Wall Jellyfish?"

An attractive woman with silver hair, grayish eyes, and a height of at least 167 cm said while holding a 'gray staff' with a design depicting the waves of glaciers.

"I think so, too. Rika, please be on guard as I think of something."

She said succinctly as she fell into thought and sat on the ground as they hide behind a gigantic tree, maintaining at least 15 meters away from the dead Rock Turtle hide.

"Aren't we going to run?"

Rika asked while the other three members were silent, just waiting for the opinion of their leader because they instinctively knew that she knows best in this situation.

"No… I think we can take care of them if my guess is right."

Rumia recalled the information about the Jellyfish Island, it was one of the Strayed Dungeons found in her country 'Nereia' which was famous for sea delicacies, and supplies of aquatic marine resources.

The first time she saw the Jellyfish Island in the list of Virtual Battlegrounds, she recognized it immediately and she inferred that every Virtual battleground was recreation and modification of a conquered Strayed Dungeons.

"Rumia!"

Rumia heard Rika's voice and instantly understood what was happening, prompting her to follow the gaze of Rika, as well as the other three group members.

There, they saw the Wall Jellyfish, floating in the air as if they were under the ocean. They were circling the entrance of the small cave, or the dead Rock Turtle's hide as if to protect their habitat.

Each Wall Jellyfish has 8 tentacles in the shape of a sharp grass.

After thirty seconds of inspecting the 'behavior' of the Wall Jellyfish, Rumia Flora used one of her important skills.

pAn,Da-n0v e1,c [Activating the Skill: Insight of the Living Water]

Insight of the Living Water (Lvl. 9)

Water is one of the evidence of life, what more if the Water itself has life?

Rank: S+

Cost: 200 Mana

Duration: 90 minutes

Cooldown: 100 minutes

Effects:

- Increases the user's vision by two-fold on land, and ten-fold underwater.

- Instinctively determines the weaknesses of the marine-type monsters.

- Damage against marine-type monsters increased by 300%.

- Damage against marine-type monsters that walk on land increased by 500%.

- [Lock]

- [Lock]

Instantly, Rumia's sapphire-like eyes became deep blue with a bluish luster that depicts blue crystals or gems.

She inspected the details of the floating Wall Jellyfish.

[Wall Jellyfish]

Inhabitants of the Jellyfish Island that likes to hide themselves on rocks, especially in the shell of the species called Rock Turtle.

Health Points: 500

Mana Points: 500

Stamina Points: 500

Stats:

Strength: 50

Dexterity: 50

Constitution: 50

Agility: 50

Vitality: 50

Perception: 50

Willpower: 50

Tenacity: 50

Charm: 5

Luck: 5

Magic Power: 50

Skills:

Enhanced Tentacles (Passive)

Be careful of tentacles! For it becomes as sharp as a sharpened blade!

Rank: E

Effects:

- Their jelly-like tentacles harden like a blade when they sensed an enemy.

Tentacle Jump

Due to the enhanced tentacles, they could use rocks as a cushion for their advantage to launch an attack.

Rank: E-

Effects:

- This can be triggered if there are rocks within 10 meters of the Wall Jellyfish's sight.

…

Dissimilar to humans and other races, monsters or beasts don't receive a bonus Agility and Vitality stats per 3 points of Dexterity and Constitution stats respectively.

Rumia recalled the System Information regarding the thorough details of stats, then after checking the Wall Jellyfish information, she formulate a plan to finish them off and get some points.

'We have to make it quick.'

Rumia said inwardly while feeling an inexplicable sense of nervousness.

After 5 minutes of preparing, Rumia, Rika, and the other three members of the group started to move.

Their plan was simple, after re-confirming the professions or classes of her teammates, they finalized for the five-star formation.

The five-star formation was one of the common group formations used in dungeon raiding whether from Strayed Dungeons or Dungeon Towers.

Just as the name of the form implies that every student or player would form a star position where the following was assigned properly.

Rumia reconfirmed the roles of her group members based on their professions before proceeding with the plan.

Murktan Khan – Tanker (Brute Enforcer)

Dessa Deya – Damage Dealer (Rod Spinner)

Rika Snow – Damage Dealer and Support (Ice Mage)

Henriad Frostine – Damage Dealer (Winter Ranger)

"Alright, Murktan, as a tanker, you are in the front while I'll take the left flank and Dessa on the right flank. Then, you… Rika and Henriad will take the rear."

Upon hearing their group leader's words, they nodded and readied their weapons, proceeding to engage in combat.

[Activating Skill: Brute Provocation (E)]

Then a cry of a taunt by Murktan resounded in the part of the Jellyfish Island where the dead Rock Turtle hide was located.

...

Before the cry of taunt that spans at least 10 meters were activated, Rumia's group first scouted the surroundings to check if they were going to attract another group of monsters just in case.

After confirming the quietness of the area, the plan to attack commenced.

[Wall Jellyfish have sensed your presence]

[Wall Jellyfish becomes irritated]

Numerous Wall Jellyfishes numbering at least twenty collectively used the Skill: Tentacle Jump using the hide of the Rock Turtle as a cushion.

Cracks appeared on the exterior of the sturdy Rock Turtle hide, then with a quick, but possible-to-be-seen kind of speed, the Wall Jellyfish jumped towards the one who provoked them.

Their igloo-shaped heads slammed on the metallic shield called "Gray Slimy Shield" conjured by Murktan.

It was a defensive weapon he was very familiar with because it was a gift from his parents.

This shield was made from the slimes under the Metal Family, one of the elements possessed by a slime according to their classification.

And aside from being sturdy under normal circumstances, the Gray Slimy Shield could produce sticky mucus that could be considered a trap because if the attacks hit the metallic shield, there's a tendency that the means used to attack would stick to it.

[The Intrinsic Effect of the Gray Slimy Shield has been activated!]

~ Clang!

~ Clang!

The bodies of the Wall Jellyfishes that slammed on the metallic shield produced a loud sound of metal particularly because the Wall Jellyfishes' constitution became metal-like.

Although every Wall Jellyfish jumped at the same time, not every one of them arrived at the same time, giving the range damage dealers a chance to strike; Rika used consecutive Ice Blast while Henriad used arrows covered with unknown fur as he also used the Skill: Winter Arrow to take out the ones at the back; Rumia and Dessa finished off the ones that stick on the metallic shield of Murktan.

'It's easy because of the Intrinsic effects of our weapons... Intrinsic effects are effects of weapons based on what they were made of... So, if we know high-grade weapons, even though the bonus stats are gone, it's still good to go.'

Rumia thought as she stabbed the last one remaining that stick to Murktan's shield.

[You have gained 1 Point for killing a Wall Jellyfish]

...

Rumia's group leaned their backs on the shell of the Rock Turtle after the battle, planning their next move as they have more than a day.

Rumia looked at the blue sky with numerous clouds.

'Everything inside the Virtual Reality seems so real, if not for the fact that we are aware that we are inside VR Capsules, we would probably believe that this is reality...'

Rumia thought while admiring the Virtual Technology inwardly.

As she continued admiring the grandeur of the virtual sky, a shadow overlapped her sight at almost the same time she thought about the other princess.

'I wonder how Eliza-'

Before she could finish her thoughts, the hairs on her back stood on end with the foreboding danger.

"Found you."