《The Peerless Emperor of the Skies》


 Prologue 1 The Number One Under the Cloud Realm

    Lighting crackled through a dark, cloudy sky.

    The massive rumbles of thunder shook the ground below.

    Under the chaotic scene was an even more chaotic battle!

    Within a large canyon, thousands of warriors battled. Armed with swords, axes, spears, and staves, the warriors fought with little regard to their well-being. There was only one thought that raced through their minds... "Kill!"

    There was no friend or ally in this mess. Only predator and prey. Their movements, although complicated in battle, were simple from the bigger picture. Attack those who are weak and run from the strong.

    One man suited in full plate armor raised his sword above his head. He was about to end the life of a simple looking farm boy. Before he could land the finishing blow, however, the farmer looking youth pulled a dirty brown book from his pocket.

    "To thee death comes!"

    Suddenly, a black mist escaped from the book and devoured the armored man.

    "Heh heh! Good thing I brought the Tome of Darkness with me! With this, I''ll be able to get th-"

    Before the youth could finish gloating, an arrow flew from seemingly nowhere and pierced his skull.

    Similar scenes could be seen throughout the canyon.

    What could be spurring all of these people into madness? The answer was in the center of the canyon.

    Within a larger crater was a young man in a lotus sitting position. His eyes were closed. It was as if the violence around him didn''t exist. wounds could be seen all over his muscular body. Cuts as deep as a thumb dug into his arms and sides. A hole gaped from his stomach. Despite these injuries, the young man calmly sat.

    A fiery sphere surrounded this man, preventing anyone from getting close. Those who managed to escape the violent fighting and reach the barrier would burn the moment they got within a few feet of it.

    "Stop fighting each other! Let''s just team up and get rid of Sky Master Solomon, that annoying man! The moment he dies, the spot for number one under the Cloud Realm will be one of ours! If we let him recover, we''ll all surely die!"

    Among the brutish battles, a handsome, middle aged man commanded. The people around him seemed to have snapped out of their violent dazes, and they readied their sights on the injured, young man.

    "Get in position!" The middle aged man commanded.

    Soon a team of uniformly armed men surrounded the flaming sphere. Each man held a staff which glowed a dazzling yellow as they chanted.

    "Lord of the Flames, hear our call! Let Fire bend to our will and may your flames guide us to victory!"

    As soon as they finished, the flaming barrier began to dim. The barrier continued to burn, but it was obviously weaker than before.

    "Go now! End his life!" the middle aged man yelled.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    A flood of warriors crashed through the flames. Some were still too weak to survive the flames and perished halfway through.

    The first to reach Sky Master Solomon was a skinny teen dressed in ninja attire. He sneered as he swung his knife towards the neck of the Sky Master.

    "You dare?!"

    The moment the steel touched the neck''s skin, it shattered!

    "You are ten thousand years to early! I was going to let you all leave in peace, but you leave me no choice!"

    Sky Master Solomon opened his eyes and fiercely gazed at his opponents. It was like a tiger in the hen house!

    He suddenly jumped at them. Lunging from one foe to another. As soon as he left, the men would explode into a mist of blood. They didn''t even know how they died!

    The massacre moved like a tidal wave. Instead of fighting to get to Sky Master Solomon, the men began to fight their way away from him!

    "It was a huge mistake coming here!" they thought.

    Barehanded, Sky Master Solomon tore flesh and bone on his way toward the middle aged man.

    "Hmmph! Let''s see if you''re as great as they say, Solomon! Come taste the blade of Saber King Matthew!"

    "Fine! Come at me! You''ll die with your arrogance!"

    The middle aged man-Saber King Matthew- unsheathed his saber and charged toward the beast of a man Solomon.

    A yellow glow covered the Saber King''s blade. The Saber King swung his saber horizontally, hoping to cleave Solomon in two. The force of the swing created a gust of wind which blew the warriors around him away. All that was left in the blade''s path was Sky Master Solomon.

    The saber came quickly. It would only take five seconds for it to reach its target.

    One Second passed and Sky Master Solomon stood firmly where he was.

    Two Seconds.

    Three Seconds

    Four Seconds had passed and Solomon still stood in the path of the saber!

    The saber was going to land in the next second! It was about to cleave into the flesh of his waist!

    Just as the saber touched the hairs on Solomon''s skin, a bolt of lightning flowed through Solomon''s body, through his hair, and into the saber. The deadly energy then made its way past the blade and up Saber King Matthew''s arm, where it would begin to course through his meridians.

    The moment the lightning left the blade, the saber shattered, and no harm was brought to the Sky Master.

    Saber King Matthew, on the other hand, was left in a sorry state. He squirmed on the ground in excruciating pain. He was paralyzed by the intense stinging in his body.

    "GAH! You coward! You should have faced me with your actual skills! GAH!"

    Sky Master Solomon sneered as he said, "You don''t deserve a serious exchange with me!"

    And with that, Sky Master Solomon chased out the rest of the warriors who had come to scavenge off of his misfortune.

    "Powers of the sky, heed my call! Bring forth thy energy to heal my scars!"

    Sky Master Solomon raised his hand as he chanted. As soon as he finished, the hundreds of lightning bolts struck at his hand like dragons and entered his meridians. It was very similar to his attack on Saber King Matthew earlier. Unlike before, however, the lightning nourished Solomon''s wounds. The hole in his stomach instantly sealed. The Cuts on his arms and legs stitched themselves together. In the time it takes one to blink, all of Solomon''s injuries were healed.

    "Ha! They never learn, do they? Acting like an injured master really draws in all of the powers in the local area! This is such an easy way of robbing them all of their treasures without having to chase them all down!"

    All had gone to Sky Master Solomon''s plan. This wasn''t the first time he had done this. Throughout the continent, he had performed similar feats. He would ride the clouds during their peak of power and injure himself. He was not worried when this happened, however, because he cultivated the ways of the skies. Nothing that was born above would truly make him tremble in fear.

    When his injuries made it appear that he truly had been injured in a battle, he would crash himself into an open space that would make it hard for crowds to escape. The steep canyon he was in now was a perfect example.

    He would then await for the message to pass around and slaughter the groups that would arrive.

    The areas he would tarnish like this would then come to hate him, and after performing this a dozen times, Sky Master Solomon had become the number one hated man under the Cloud Realm.

    But unfortunately for everyone else . . . Sky Master Solomon was also the number one fighter under the Cloud Realm!

    All who would come after him would definitely regret it!

    Solomon whistled an upbeat tune as he gathered all of the treasures that caught his eye.

    "Today was a good haul... Where should I go next?"

 Prologue 2 The Main Character

    My name is.... or rather . . . .  Let''s start out with the past first....

    I was born in the year 2025. Life hasn''t changed much from the beginning of the millennium. No major wars. No major discoveries. No new inventions. All there was to look forward to was an Iphone of a different number and size. Life was at a constant with no change in sight.

    One day, however, a man made a breakthrough discovery - Virtual Reality.

    This wasn''t your good ol'' Oculus Rift. This was full immersion VR. You could actually taste the virtual foods. You could actually tire yourself out from virtual running.

    To those who had their senses dulled in reality, this new VR was even realer than real life! The blind could see. The deaf could hear. The full immersion VR was seen as the flagship of hope. A ship that would send us all into a better tomorrow.... and it did.

    By studying the body''s reactions in VR, man was able to make breakthrough after breakthrough.

    The medical fields were able to study multiple diseases at a faster pace, leading to the eradication of many illnesses.

    The study of the brain and the body''s functions lead to the creation of Artificial Intelligence and robots.

    Man had finally stepped into the future.

    All of these new inventions and discoveries were appreciated, but no one forgot their childhood dream of experiencing another world from the comfort of their home. Game companies immediately began the production of new MMO''s.

    Soon everyone was spending their time in VR. Many people began to worry for the health of their fellow countrymen who spent weeks within their homes. In order to deal with this, nations all over the globe made it mandatory for their citizens to spend five hours at their local gym every week, and to spend time outside their homes for another five hours.

    The mood of the shut in populace soured at these new decrees. They would much rather explore the world of VR than spend their time in the boring, outside world.

    Many companies began work to to solve this soured mood. The solution they came up with was disproportionate time.

    This was the same property of VR you may have seen in the novels of the past. For every two hours spent in VR, only one hour would pass in reality.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Many people questioned the safety of this new solution, but they soon came to accept it.

    <hr>

    Enough with the history lesson. Let''s get back to me.

    My parents were both opposed to the idea of VR. They grew up well before its creation, and were very skeptical of it. I couldn''t blame them. Thinking from their perspective, a random man came up with a device which would send the mind some place else. Too many problems could come from this.

    When I was born, my parents named me Solomon Grant. With this name, they hoped I would grow to become a wise man who would lead others.

    I inherited my parents'' distrust toward these devices, thinking I would be sent into a coma if the device were to be forcefully removed.

    During my first year middle school, however, a couple of my friends invited me to the VR arcade. I was hesitant at first, but finally decided to join them.

    We played VR racing games and VR puzzles. I definitely didn''t play any fight games, though. That would be too much for me to handle.

    By the time we were done, although I still feared the possible pains from the device, I had come to love it.

    I would spend my time after school at the arcade since I did not own any VR equipment at home. I mean who did? It was a hot new product. It would be hard to find one under a thousand dollars. What made it even harder for me to get one was my parent''s opposition to the equipment.

    Playing VR games had become a norm for me. I was surprised my parents hadn''t caught on... that was until my freshmen year in high school.

    On my way to my arcade, it seems that my mother had spotted me. When I got back home, my parents had a talk with me.

    They asked me how long I had been playing. I answered truthfully.

    They asked me if I felt anything weird since I started playing. I told them no.

    They asked if I really enjoyed VR. I told them yes.

    They continued asking the questions of any worried parent and I hid behind no lies.

    When they finished, they paused for what seemed like hours, but was probably only a minute or two.

    "Maybe I really did get some side effects from the VR. I can''t even tell time properly." I joked in my head.

    After gathering their thoughts, my parents told me they would allow me to use the VR equipment as long as I would stop the moment I felt something was wrong, and as long as I kept my priorities in check.

    <hr>

    After having the talk with my parents, I went back to my routine of visiting the VR arcade, although I was a bit more watchful to see if someone was following me.

    My days passed like this for the next couple of months.

    When Christmas came, I find to my surprise that a set of VR equipment lay under the tree.

    My parents played it off as being less expensive than going to the arcade, and that if something did cause me problems, they would be within reach.

    I thanked my parents and excitedly set it up in my room.

    It took me a few hours to get everything put together. I had no clue how the actual equipment worked after all. In the arcade I would only come in to play and then leave. I never cared for how it was put together.

    Once it was all put together, I sat in my chair in a way I was sure to be comfortable.

    I slowly brought the head gear to my face. I took a few moments to appreciate it before putting it on.

    I had done this hundreds of times in the arcade, but having one of my own made me much more nervous.

    I gently brought my finger to the power button and pressed it.

    A flash of light shot through the screen and I was instantly sent to the familiar world of virtual reality.

    "This is going to be fun." I thought.

 Chapter 1 – The Dull Routine

    Solomon logged off from the game he had been playing - Immortals of the Skies.

    He had been playing since its release one year ago. In the one year he had been playing, he had risen to become one of the strongest characters on his server. Of course, there were plenty of people who could probably beat him, but he would always be sure to cover his tracts. ''Til this day, Solomon''s character- Sky  Master Solomon- had only died once. He blames that tarnish to his record on not being familiar to fighting games.

    Solomon floated through the Hub World, an empty white space which could be customized to the user''s tastes. Solomon opted for the default white since he didn''t spend much time in the Hub World anyways.

    The Hub World was essentially the desktop on your laptop. From here, one could access their games, web browsers, and messages.

    Solomon was surprised when he noticed he had been sent a message. He didn''t have many people who messaged him through VR. If his friends needed to tell him something, they would text him or tell him in person.

    He opened the message with a flick of his finger.

    A crooked smile appeared on the side of his face when he read the message.

    User 10052: You little brat! How dare you kill my character! Do you know how long it will take me to recover?! I SPENT 15 HOURS GRINDING FOR THAT SABER!!!! Why don''t you meet me IRL?! I''ve got thousands of confirmed kills! I''m trained in actual martial arts! You won''t be so arrogant if I meet you in person!

    Solomon realized the message was sent by Saber King Matthew. The dignified Saber King turned out to be a rager... Did such people still exist?

    "I thought these kinds of people only played MOBA''s and Call of Duty...."

    Solomon decided to amuse himself and sent back a reply.

    HumbleHut: Peh! Who''re you callin'' a brat? For all you know, I could be 40! What are you? One of those hip grandpas? Sorry, but those yoga routines in the park aren''t actual kung fu moves. If you wanna fight come get me! I''ll beat you to a pulp old geezer!

    Solomon was satisfied with his reply. This truly was a new age for internet trolls.

    Solomon shut down his VR equipment and removed his head gear. When the equipment was taken off, a slightly tanned face was revealed. He had a small nose with a thin nose bridge. His eyes were dark a dark brown and were capped by equally dark brown brows. Solomon''s face was clean shaven with no beard or mustache. He had wanted to grow his facial hair, but no matter what, the hairs would remain a length that was more disgusting than handsome, so he decided to shave it off completely.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Solomon did not care much for flashy outfits or trends. He confidently kept his childhood bowl cut to this day, and he wore a simple gray shirt with black shorts.

    After putting away the VR equipment, Solomon took a shower and changed into clothes that were slightly more acceptable in public.

    If it weren''t for his disinterest in fashion, he would definitely be considered good looking for his age.

    Solomon left his house, hopped on his bike, and began travelling down the street. He was on his way toward his local youth center to get an hour for his weekly exercise.

    Ever since he gained access to his own VR equipment, Solomon slowly become more and more introverted. It seemed that he was so introverted that it would affect his personality online, leading to the haughty personality Sky Master Solomon portrayed. the only times Solomon would interact with others would be at school or this youth center.

    After thirty minutes of biking, Solomon arrived at his destination. Solomon quickly locked his bike and made his way inside.

    "Ah, hello Solomon! The ping pong tables were just cleaned, so no one is there right now."

    A female receptionist greeted Solomon when he entered. She seemed to be in her mid twenty''s. She was pretty and gave off the "innocent" vibe. Solomon got acquainted with her over time, as he became a regular visitor when she began working.

    Solomon shyly nodded to her in gratitude. The receptionist had figured out that Solomon preferred being alone, and would always help him find something he could do by himself.

    Solomon made multiple twists and turns before he finally reached the ping pong tables. Truthfully, he had no idea how the game was played. All he new was that it was an easy way to fill up exercise hours. There would be no intense movements as long as you played casually.

    The room was empty just as the receptionist had said. Solomon picked up a paddle and some balls, then he booted up an AI robot to be his partner. The robot looked just like a tin trash can with wheels. from its sides sprouted arms that could hold the paddles. Solomon was glad that he lived in an age that helped him to avoid human interaction.

    Solomon set the robot to merely return his serves rather than to play an actual game with him. Solomon had spent his exercise hours like this for the past two years, with the only exception being when he came with his few friends.

    He kept at his monotonous task for the next hour, enjoying the rhythm of the ball hitting the paddles and table.

    Pik

    Pok

    Pik

    Pok

    Once his alarm went off, informing him that the hour was over, he returned the room to how he had found it.

    Solomon made his way back to the receptionist to update his hours before finally leaving the building.

    The sun was already setting and the sky was turning a comforting orange.

    As Solomon rode his bike back home, he took in the world around him.

    This was the atmosphere he liked best in reality. The atmosphere when all of your senses were stimulated. The whizzing of wind on your body as you cut through the air on a bike, the warmth on the body turning cold as the sun sets, the changing of the sky''s color as thoughts race through your mind, the smell of the food stalls following the breeze toward your nose, and the dull ambiance of the world all around.

    Although many would look at Solomon''s daily routine as dull, no matter what, Solomon didn''t want to miss out on moments like these where one could feel at peace.

 Chapter 2 – Dividing the Trash from the Treasure

    By the time Solomon got back home, it was already five.

    His parents would not be back until ten, so Solomon decided to eat an early dinner which consisted of  lunch''s left overs - a fried fish, two bowls of rice, and a variety of vegetables.

    Solomon may cheat the mandatory exercise, but he would never alter his eating habits. He believed that meals should be made generously with plenty of side dishes.

    After so many years of half-baked exercise and his hearty eating, Solomon was surprised he was still somewhat skinny. He could only thank his parents for passing him their good genes.

    Once he had finished his meal, he washed his dishes and made his way to his room on the second floor of the house.

    Solomon immediately sat back on his chair and readied his VR equipment. After immersing himself in the virtual reality, the first thing he saw was the empty white space of the Hub World. He was about to launch Immortals of the Skies when he noticed that Saber King Matthew had sent him another message.

    User 10052: Hmmph! Even if you''re 100 years old, you are still a little brat! Since you''ve accepted my challenge, then don''t blame me when I beat you up! All I have to do now is find you now! Just you wait until I figure out how to hack computers!

    Solomon found Saber King Matthew''s threat amusing.

    "How are you going to find me, old geezer? Do you really think you can hack me and find my address?"

    Solomon was sure he wasn''t dealing with a smurf hacker. He checked User 10052''s profile page, and found it was covered in personal posts and pictures.

    The profile was covered in rant posts and images of the user''s meals.

    User 10052 was even dumb enough to post a selfie picture of himself!

    The picture showed a bald old man who was probably in his fifty''s doing a duck face, making Solomon nearly barf.

    "This guy really is one of those trendy grandpas...." Solomon shivered as he thought this.

    Solomon thought of the silly image of someone''s grandpa furiously sending threats while hooked up to their VR equipment. Then he thought of said grandpa trying to hack his account.

    HumbleHut: Waste your time however you want, old man. Don''t you know the VR space is guarded like a bank account? I''ll be surprised if a noob who can''t even change his username can get past all the security!

    Without wasting anymore time with Rage King Matthew, Solomon launched the MMO Immortals of the Skies.

    <hr>

    A bright flash filled Solomon''s eyes, and in the next moment, Solomon found himself standing in a blood covered canyon.

    Multiple corpses littered the earth, and they all wore horrifying expressions.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    "Peh, that''s what you greedy scavengers get!" Solomon spat on one of the bodies before pulling a simple red rug from a small pouch.

    "Why can''t space bags exist in reality.... they''re so useful!"

    Solomon then sat cross legged on the rug and sent some of his spiritual power into it. After receiving his energy, the rug began to float of the ground, earning a excited laugh from Solomon.

    "Haha! I can''t get tired of this! I''m just like Aladdin! Red Streak, On wards!"

    After hearing his command, the rug titled Red Streak shot out of the canyon and into the surrounding jungle.

    As Solomon shot past the vegetation, all that could be seen of him was a red streak of light.

    After a the time it takes to make a cup of cocoa, Solomon arrived in front the base of a mountain. A simple wall of dirt and rock. No signs that anyone had been here lay in sight.

    Only Solomon knew that beyond this natural looking landscape was his great lair!

    "Seals, open!"

    Once commanded by Solomon, the hidden restrictions could only obey!

    Bright red chains revealed themselves all over the surrounding area. They were coiled around trees! They cover the floor like grass! They hung from the branches like vines!

    It was as if the world was held together by these crimson chains!

    Had anyone else unleashed their spiritual power, all of these chains would have lashed out at them. They would have surely died! But since it was Sky Master Solomon who called them, they could only yield!

    Shortly after they revealed themselves, the crimson chains opened a hole within the base of the mountain. One could not judge how far the tunnel went. The tunnel was already pitch black after a few yards in.

    When the tunnel was opened by the chains, the rug sped in without hesitation.

    Just as soon as he had come, Solomon had left.

    Without further command, the chains closed the tunnel on their own. After sealing the lair entrance, the chains then hid themselves back within their surrounding, waiting to strike at any intruders.

    <hr>

    Solomon made many twists and turn through his labyrinth. It was easy for outsiders to get lost here.

    Towards the end of the tunnel, the Red Streak Rug began to slow down.

    The tunnel was very long, and even with Red Streak''s speed, travelling through the tunnel still took about thirty breaths.

    Red Streak finally stopped within a spacious stone room. It was a completely empty room that Solomon used to sort through his new treasures.

    Solomon had dug this lair out on his own. It had taken him a month to dig it out completely and another month for him to place all of his seals.

    Sky Master Solomon was extremely proud of his work.

    After he arrived to the heart of his lair, Solomon hopped off of Red Streak before putting the rug bag back within his spatial bag.

    Solomon then took out multiple spatial bags and began dumping what seemed like an endless amount of items.

    Solomon couldn''t help but grin at the sight of his profit.

    "Heh heh! Look at all this! I bet it''ll sell for a lot!"

    Whenever Sky Master Solomon would finish his harvests, he would end up with more items than he needed. He didn''t want to keep a bunch of trash lying around, so he decided to sell the rarities he didn''t need back to players for double the price.

    Not many items could catch Solomon''s eyes with the level he was at now. In the past, it would take days before he could properly sift through everything, but now that he was one of the most powerful warriors, only few items could grab his attention.

    After a few short moments, two piles were made. One large pile designated as trash and one pile consisting of only thirty items designated as items of interest. There were no items that he thought were useful for himself.

    Out of hundreds of items, only thirty were acceptable to Solomon!

    "Adding this to the last harvest, I should have enough to buy the new VRMMO''s!"

    With so many treasures, Solomon only saw a couple of dollars. Solomon didn''t play Immortals of the Skies to get stronger. He played it so he could make money!

    Solomon sighed. "Even the most expensive items in game are only worth a couple dollars in real life... It''s taken me five excursions, but I think I''ve saved up for some new games!"

    Solomon''s parents, although less strict about VR, still made Solomon responsible for what he does with his VR. He had to buy new attachments on his own. He had to buy games on his own. He had to earn everything himself!

    Solomon couldn''t care less about his ranking in games. All he cared about was moving on with his VR hobbies!

 Chapter 3 – Cloud Realm Warrior

    Why didn''t Solomon just get a job like a normal person? Why did he have to be such a cyber-jerk to fund his VR hobbies?

    The answer was simple - he didn''t want a normal job.

    The "normal" jobs like waiters and item stockers were boring. They were monotonous tasks that paid little.

    Rather than forcing himself through boring tasks, Solomon decided to expand his VR collection with the VR games he already had. That way he could spend his time earning money in the VR world rather than in reality. It would also prove to be an exciting job that would almost never get repetitive.

    "Heh heh! Solomon, you are so clever!"

    "Of course I am! I am Sky Master Solomon, after all!"

    Over the time he spent in VR plus his innate introversion, Solomon developed the tendency to talk to himself. He was aware that it was a very embarrassing habit, but habits are hard to break. Fortunately for Solomon, he at least had the self control to stop himself in front of other people.

    "Well, I guess its time to sell the items!"

    "I don''t think so. I think I''ll be taking those for free."

    Solomon''s eyes widened. He had trouble talking to himself, but he could definitely tell that the second voice did not belong to him. He immediately spun on his heels to face the intruder.

    Standing at the room entrance was a young man dressed in a white rob. Long black hair fell to his back.

    "Wh-who are you?!"

    Solomon wasn''t able to detect this youth''s arrival. His restrictions didn''t even notify him! Solomon was confident in his restriction skills and he had used many top grade treasures to defend his lair. How did this person enter unscathed?Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    "For someone so arrogant, you sure are easy to fluster! I am Master Soul Cloud. Is there anyone who doesn''t know my name?!"

    Solomon''s face paled as multiple thoughts raced through his head.

    Master Soul Cloud! He was the one of the top warriors in the game! He was in the Cloud Realm!

    In Immortals of the Skies, there were four known Realms that determined one''s strength.

    They were the Mortal Realm, Earth Realm, Cloud Realm, and Sky Realm!

    Master Soul Cloud had already reached the Cloud Realm while Solomon was still only at the peak of the Earth Realm.

    The differences between realms was humongous. A person could never hope to beat someone one realm above them-self!

    No! Wait, Solomon. You are at the peak of Earth Realm, and this is your lair. You''ve set down multiple restrictions in this room and although he looks fine, he''s probably been weakened on his way here! You have a chance to win! The rewards shall be great!

    "You must have worked hard to enter my lair! Too bad you worked so hard just to die! Seals, strike the intruder!"

    Suddenly, crimson red chains smashed through the walls of the room and shot toward Master Soul Cloud.

    "Hmmph!"

    Master Soul Cloud sneered as he drew a katana from his spatial bag. In the next instant, Master Soul Cloud cut at the crimson chains.

    Before they could even reach him, all of the chains had fallen to the ground.

    "You''ll die a dog''s death for that!" Master Soul Cloud yelled.

    With those words, Master Soul Cloud leapt toward Solomon.

    "Eeeeek!"

    Solomon jumped to the side and barely avoided Soul Cloud''s blade.

    "Restrictions, don''t hold back! Kill him!"

    More chains burst from the ground and tangled Soul Cloud''s legs. As soon as they touched his legs, the smell of burning flesh permeated the air.

    "GAH! You think some hot chains will be enough to stop m-?!"

    Master Soul Cloud was about to cut off the chains when the walls on his sides rushed towards each other and crushed him.

    After watching the powerful Master Soul Cloud crushed by his restrictions, Solomon let out a sigh of relief.

    "Hooo~ I guess the Cloud Realm isn''t all that great? Well... just to be sure...."

    Solomon used his spiritual energy to call the seals throughout his lair. In a few breaths, thousands of crimson chains encircled him.

    "If anyone comes out of the rubble, kill him!"

    With that, Solomon hurried to leave.

    "I don''t want to take any chances staying here.... I guess it''s time for me to move..."

 Chapter 4 – Running Away

    Solomon immediately summoned Red Streak and hopped on top.

    He quickly sped through his lair, leaving only a red light in sight.

    He made twists and turns, skipping many rooms on his way.

    "I doubt a Cloud Realm warrior can be so easily defeated! My restrictions will only buy me a couple of minutes...."

    Solomon made his way to his most important rooms. Although Solomon kept his life saving treasures with him at all times, there were many important non-combat items he stored in his lair.

    Along the way to his treasure rooms, Solomon noticed the ground was littered with broken chains and other restrictions.

    "He was actually able to get this far without me knowing...."

    A fiery panic was set in Solomon''s eyes.

    "I definitely need to leave as soon as I can!"

    Solomon made another detour and decided that of his twelve treasure rooms, he would only visit three.

    "The alchemy rooms! Those are the most important rooms here..."

    Of Solomon''s twelve treasure rooms, three were dedicated to weapons for refining, three were dedicated to items with nostalgic value, three were dedicated to his restriction research, and three were dedicated to his alchemy!

    Solomon stored many pill recipes and elixirs within his alchemy rooms. There were many rare pills that could sell high! There were many pills he had saved to boost his cultivation!

    If he had to salvage a room during this crisis, it was going to be an alchemy room.

    Solomon sped through the tunnels like a madman.

    He stopped when he arrived at a golden door.

    With no hesitation, he kicked the door open and began putting everything into a spatial bag. Once everything was devoured by his bag, he immediately moved to the next room.

    After three minutes had passed, Solomon was in the middle of storing the second alchemy room. Just as he put in the last item, a loud explosion could be heard. Shortly following the explosion was an echoing voice.

    "Sky Master Solomon! Dare to resist no longer! I''m coming for you!"

    Hearing the coming threat, Solomon gave up the idea of harvesting the last alchemy room. He gloomily shot toward the lair exit.

    By the time Solomon escaped, only six minutes had passed.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Once he was outside, Solomon continued to speed through the jungle and away from his lair. After he was a good distance away, Solomon took a piece of jade from his spatial bag.

    With an aggrieved look, Solomon crushed the jade.

    A large pillar of light then appeared where Solomon''s lair had been.

    Apart from the thousands of red chain restrictions, Solomon had also covered his base with hundreds of destruction seals. He had never expected to actually activate the seals, but he knew that if left unhindered, Master Soul Cloud would soon catch up to him.

    The huge explosion destroyed everything around it. The mighty mountain toppled over as its base was destroyed.

    "Hmmph! You may have survived the my red chain restrictions, but can you survive the activation of hundreds of destruction seals? Can you survive the weight of an entire mountain falling on you?!"

    Solomon didn''t dare look back as he raced as far away as he could. His face was ghostly pale and covered in sweat.

    "That was way too close.... I said he wouldn''t survive, but I don''t have the balls to go back and check... I may sound arrogant, but I''m not dumb enough to deliver myself to possible doom!"

    <hr>

    Solomon had traveled non-stop for two hours. Whenever he felt tired, he would waste no expense to recover.

    During his escape, he had used well over a dozen pills.

    He had traveled at least fifty miles and had change direction many times. He was also careful to hide his tracks.

    Solomon finally decided to take a break. He had just escaped a catastrophe, and although his body was fine due to pill consumption, he was very, very fatigued mentally.

    Solomon took a deep breath as he sat in the shade of a large tree. He then pulled out many dishes from his spatial bag and began to eat.

    "I lost a lot in my lair... If I knew this was going to happen, I would have sold them all before hand..."

    The lair Solomon had built composed of many restrictions and seals. It also stored many valuable items. Solomon was in pain as he could have easily sold his lost belongings for at least two hundred dollars.

    "Well, I guess I''ll log off now. Too much has happened and I need to sleep... I got school tomorrow too..."

    Solomon sat down calmly and kept the idea to log off in his head.

    In order to prevent combat logging, the game was designed so that as long as malicious intent was targeted at you, and as long as it could affect you within a three minutes, you would not be able to log off. Of course, you could not be taken hostage in the virtual world like this. The developers made a sure-to-work method that would allow a person to log out. The drawback, however, would be that half of you belongings would be dropped, and your cultivation would be decreased by half for a week. You would then have to log in within a day or else you character would be killed.

    <hr>

    After a few moments, Solomon was transported to his empty Hub World.

    In order to vent his frustration, Solomon decided to send a message to Saber King Matthew.

    HumbleHut: Oi, duck faced geezer, how''s that hacking coming along? Can you use your morning yoga to virtually fight the privacy protection?

    Solomon imagined the comedic seen of a bald old man in kung fu clothing ready to fight his computer.

    Solomon''s mood lifted a bit after sending his toxic message. He was then surprised at a quick response.

    User 10052: Who are you calling duck faced? Wait... is my account not private?!?!?! Screw you, you hacker! You hacked me, didn''t you?! You''re gonna regret it! I''ma beat you ''til your parents don''t recognize you!

    HumbleHut: Your account is public, dude. Everyone''s able to see your dumb rants against those m*sical.ly kids...

    Saber King Matthew didn''t respond. Solomon guessed that the Rage King was in a state of panic, trying to figure out how to change his account to private.

    Solomon felt a sting of guilt for trash talking an old man, but reassured himself when he remembered that said man spent his days on the internet ranting about everything.

    Solomon laughed as he prepared to turn off his VR equipment.

    "This guy is a pain to the eyes, but I guess he''s pretty amusing to mess with."

 Chapter 5 – The Next Morning

    It was a mostly quiet morning. All that could be heard was the pleasant chirping of the birds and the occasional passing of a car.

    Once the clock hit six, however, the quiet was broken.

    Rrrrinnng!

    Rrrrinnng!

    Rrrrinnng!

    The terrible sound of an alarm clock disturbed the peaceful morning.

    Solomon slowly rose out of bed as he wiped his eyes.

    "Monday, huh? I hate Mondays...."

    Solomon wasn''t a morning person. He was the type of person to stay up late into the night and wake up after halfway through the next day.

    Unfortunately for him, he was a student, which forced him into a an early-rising cycle.

    After getting out of bed, Solomon prepared himself for the day. He took a warm shower after eating a large breakfast of eggs, rice, and toast.

    After showering and eating, he changed into his schools uniform which composed of a white colored shirt and khaki pants.

    Solomon left home on his bike after saying goodbye to his parents.

    When he left home, the sun was still beginning its ascent, and thus the world was still covered in a grayish shade.

    As he biked, the cool morning air chilled his skin. His warm breath gave off a strange feeling to his skin when contrasted to the chilly weather. Along the way to his school, Solomon would see all kinds of things. As he passed by a convenience store, he would occasionally see a fellow student being scolded for shoplifting. As he passed by an apartment complex, he would sometimes see an old woman caring for her plants. The cars that would zoom past him would be different each day as well.

    Every day was different.

    Everyone had their own lives. Sometimes Solomon would wonder what life was like from their perspective, and guessed that curiosity of his was the reason for his love for VR.

    With VR, Solomon could experience countless lives other than his own. With VR, Solomon could sate his curiosity for a new perspective.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    <hr>

    After a twenty minute ride, Solomon arrived at his school. It seemed that he arrived sooner than he expected.

    Solomon locked his bike at the nearest bike rack then made his way toward his first class.

    The school''s campus was composed of multiple buildings which encouraged the students to walk under the sun. The area was known for its great weather that lasted all year, so no-one had a problem with this.

    The exposure to the sun in this campus was also the reason for Solomon''s slight tan. Had this been a mostly indoor school which confined its students to a single building, Solomon would probably look a sickly white. Besides his exercise and time at school, Solomon spent almost no time outdoors.

    Solomon dragged his still tired body to his first class. The room wasn''t open, so he decided to sit and lean his back to the building.

    "Why do you look so tired? Did you play games the entire weekend?"

    Solomon raised his head to the voice of his friend Tommy.

    Tommy was two heads taller than Solomon and was quite muscular. He had very tanned skin and short black hair. He looked the part of an athlete.

    Tommy had been friends with Solomon since middle school. They had known each other before Solomon even tried VR.

    The youth named Tommy was a star athlete in the school. He would play in the almost all of the school''s sports teams. Whether it was track, football, soccer, or basketball, Tommy would rise to be one of the top participants.

    Although Tommy was younger than Solomon by six months, Solomon looked like the younger of the two.

    Solomon replied with a low grumble.

    "I didn''t play for the entire weekend... just for most of it...I did some exercise..."

    Tommy made a crooked smile.

    "We''re already juniors in high school. Shouldn''t you be more focused on your grades or something?"

    Tommy didn''t know whether to laugh or cry at his friend''s behavior. He then continued.

    "And not that I''m discouraging your exercising... its actually good that you go outside instead of shutting yourself in all the time... but why do go to those exercise centers? We''re still students. The mandatory exercise and mandatory time outside doesn''t apply to us. We already spend a lot of our time at school."

    Solomon expected this question to come up sooner or later. Solomon began his exercise at the youth center a year ago. What Tommy said was true. The mandatory exercise and time outdoors only applied to shut-ins who weren''t students or were jobless.

    Solomon gave a simple reply to his friend.

    "I don''t neglect my grades. You don''t have the right to question me about that when your grades are below mine! You''re the one who neglects his grades for sports. And as for my exercising . . . I just feel like I should."

    Although Solomon wasn''t a complete NEET, he was very close to one. The only thing keeping him from it was his identity as a student.

    He was aware of his present predicament and felt uncomfortable knowing he was at a near NEET status.

    In order to appease his guilt, Solomon decided to at least visit the youth center to perform the "mandatory exercise".

    "I can''t be a complete shut-in" He thought.

    Obviously, Tommy couldn''t read Solomon''s thoughts, and did not know what Solomon meant by his words. He did, however, understand that Solomon was an extreme introvert and that he had trouble expressing himself.

    Tommy decided to leave the topic alone and move on to another one.

    Outside in the cool morning air, the two boys sat and continued their idle chatter until class began.

 Chapter 6 – Negotiation

    Four hours had passed since Solomon arrived to school.

    Tommy and he made their way to meet up with their other friends who were part of another class.

    They found their destination outside under the shade of a large oak tree within a brick planter. Beneath the tree was a set of lunch tables for the students.

    Solomon swiveled his head back and forth, searching for the rest of his friends. After a few twists of the neck, Solomon spotted them and quickly walked toward them.

    Around his friends was the only time Solomon felt comfortable to socialize.

    When Tommy and Solomon arrived, the table seated four young boys.

    "Took ya long enough!" said a chubby youth as he slurped from his microwavable ramen.

    The boy was short. He only reached Solomon''s brows. The boy''s name was Zachary.

    Zachary had skin white like toothpaste. The sickly colored skin displayed the boy''s hate for the outdoors. His body took the shape of a pear which would wobble from the slightest movement.

    It had been Zachary who introduced Solomon to VR back in their first year of middle school. Back then, Zachary was extremely skinny like a straw. It was a wonder how such a huge transformation could be made in a few years.

    Had Solomon known that Zachary would turn into a living potato, he would have dreaded VR even more. But by chance, Zachary still seemed normal in middle school, leading to Solomon''s current VR predicaments.

    "It couldn''t be helped. We were kept back because of a test.... it wasn''t very good..." Tommy replied as he took a sandwich out of his bag.

    "Not good for you. I was just waiting for you to finish." Solomon joked.

    Solomon may have been a VR addict, but he took his promise to his parents seriously. As he said earlier in the morning, Solomon did not neglect his studies, and made sure to keep his grades away from the C ranges.

    "Solomon, I heard you caused a ruckus in the Eagle Canyon over the weekend. Do you need us to sell the items again?" asked the last of the boys.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    The boy was average looking. He wasn''t muscular like Tommy nor was he fat like Zachary. He stood at a height identical to Solomon.

    The only thing that stood out about Joey was his head of red, curly hair.

    Unlike Solomon''s other two friends, Solomon only became acquainted with Joey when they began high school. It seemed he was friends with Zachary back when the two were in elementary school.

    Joey tended to keep to himself and always acted calmly. He was quiet, but not as socially incapable as Solomon. It was an odd contrast to Zachary''s explosive personality.

    "Joey''s right! I bet you got a good haul this time! We''re splitting it forty for us and sixty for you again, right? It''s not like you can exchange those items without causing a commotion. The moment you enter a town, the people will either flock or run!" added the obnoxious voice of Zachary.

    Zachary was right. Solomon had become a well-known character in Immortals of the Skies. This made it hard for him to sell the items he would take.

    In order to get around this problem, Solomon employed his two friends, Zachary and Joey, to sell the items for him. In return for their help, Solomon would let the two keep some items and some of the profit.

    "Yeah . . . I''ll be needing help with those"

    Solomon made a brief pause before continuing.

    "I don''t think I''ll be playing as much after this haul. I think I''ll find a new game to spend my time on."

    Solomon already reached the near pinnacle of the player base and he was about to get the funds for a new set of games. He already got a good feel for the immortals trope, and planned to switch it up soon.

    The recent attack by Master Soul Cloud only hastened his decision.

    "What do you mean?! If you stop playing, how am I supposed to get more items? How am I supposed to get stronger or richer?! Solomon, I''m only at the mid-Earth Realm! At least help me until I''m as strong as you!"

    Zachary was horrified at the news, and thought up ways to get Solomon to keep playing.

    "Thirty-Seventy! You can take away from Joey''s share since he doesn''t care as much! If that isn''t enough, you can just take Joey''s share completely! Please just grind a bit more!"

    Zachary wasted no time to throw his friend''s share down the drain. Solomon''s character was the lifeline of Zachary''s power. If Solomon were to stop playing, Zachary would have a much harder time getting items.

    Solomon''s expression didn''t change. It seemed he had already made up his mind.

    Noticing his counter-offer wasn''t working, Zachary got up from his seat and prostrated on the floor. On his way to the floor, he had spilled his cup of ramen. The hot ramen scalded Zachary, and he quickly took off his shirt, revealing an even paler white chest and stomach.

    "Sky Master Solomon! Have mercy on this lowly peasant! Please keep up your tyranny until I can take your place!

    It was a strange scene to behold. A fat, pale boy bowed to his classmate. His position combined with his strange looks resembled a large, sentient rice cake. Many of the nearby tables eyed the boys with confusion and mocking in their eyes.

    Under the gazes of all his classmates, Solomon''s introversion began acting up. Cold sweat formed on his back, and he began to freeze up.

    "O-okay, okay. I''ll give you my items and help you for a week. After that, I''m done. Now get up!"

    Zachary quickly got back up and didn''t even bother to cover his pasty skin.

    "Haha! I knew you couldn''t let a friend down, Solomon!"

 Chapter 7 – Switching it Up

    Solomon left school at three and got back home thirty minutes after.

    After getting inside, he headed towards his room where he then plopped onto his bed.

    Solomon lay on the soft mattress, rethinking the events at lunch. He immediately cringed as he remembered the embarrassing scene Zachary displayed in front of their classmates.

    "Why am I friends with such a weirdo?! Now everyone thinks I''m just as weird as him! Now they won''t be my friends! Since they won''t be my friends, I''ll be stuck with that weirdo even longer! Then the cycle will just continue until we''re old men!"

    Solomon could see it now. Two old men with no friends. One balding with a pasty white beer belly that plopped to the floor, making him look like spoiled cheese. The other was a bag of bones regretting ever becoming acquainted with the other.

    "I can''t end up like that... I definitely won''t! I''ll make a bunch of friends in the future!"

    Solomon solemnly sweared to himself that he wouldn''t allow himself to get in such situations.

    Solomon decided that he needed to clear his head, and that there was no better way than to head into the world of VR.

    <hr>

    Solomon put on his VR equipment and was soon floating around the empty Hub World.

    He opened his messages and just as he suspected, Saber King Matthew had messaged him.

    User 10052: Ha! Fool, you shouldn''t have warned me that my account wasn''t private. After you slipped out the words "duck face", I instantly knew that I had to fix my settings! Now you can''t see my account! If I were you, I would have blackmailed me or something, but now you can''t access my profile! Now you can''t see my posts! MUAHAAHAHAH! You''re so dumb! I''ll pay you back a thousand times for this humiliation!!!!!!!

    This is just what Solomon needed after such an embarrassing day.

    He promptly cracked his virtual knuckles before sending a message back.

    HumbleHut: Stupid, why do you think you''re safe from blackmail now? How do you know I don''t have any screenshots of your account? If I were you, I would watch how I address me!

    Solomon stared at his last sentence. Was that proper grammar? Who cares! This was an internet rant. No one cares about grammar in rant posts!

    Solomon didn''t actually save screenshots of the rage grandpa''s account.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    What would he want barf material for? He could barely look at the geezer''s duck face, much less the other cringe-worthy trends.

    After messaging the "hip" grandpa, Solomon opened up a program other than Immortals of the Skies.

    There wasn''t much for him to do in the game since he was waiting for Zachary and Joey to help him sell his items. He didn''t feel like grinding for even more items and he felt burnt out just thinking of his destroyed lair.

    He needed something more casual.

    He opened FaceMask a chat program that would send the user into a random chatroom.

    There, one would be able to rant anonymously in real time with people they probably wouldn''t see again.

    It was a perfect place for <del>degenerates</del> like himself.

    Solomon was transported into a dark void as he waited to connect.

    While he was waiting, he took a look at his avatar.

    It was an upright, silverback gorilla in a black tuxedo.

    Solomon found his looks amusing. It had been a while since he had last used FaceMask and he had completely forgotten how he looked.

    FaceMask had been one of the first programs created in VR and was one of the first programs Solomon tried when he was given his VR equipment.

    After practicing a few poses, a bright flash covered his body and he was transported into what looked like a log cabin.

    "This is nostalgic" Solomon thought.

    Solomon took in the once familiar layout as he searched for the other accounts in the server.

    Solomon flicked at the air with his fingers and opened the list of users online.

    There was only one other user other than himself. It was titled "LittleRedBird."

    "I guess it has been a while... FaceMask hasn''t updated in a year now, so I guess it isn''t a surprise that its empty like this..."

    Solomon debated whether or not he should just use a different program to vent today, but finally decided against it.

    "The catharsis won''t feel as good if I delay too much. Finding a suitable program will take a while..."

    Solomon made his way around the cabin.

    After thirty minutes or so, Solomon had yet to find LittleRedBird. He was about to give up his hopes of venting when his eyes suddenly brightened.

    "Oh right! There was that one place..."

    Solomon moved up to the attic and checked the window.

    Outside he could see the snowy display of an endless forest with grand mountains in the distance. A full moon hung over everything as if it were watching over the world.

    Solomon took a moment to appreciate the scene before opening the small window.

    He remembered that on the cabin map, a person wasn''t limited to just the cabin. A person could climb up to the roof to enjoy the cool breeze of the winter night wind.

    Solomon moved his arms through the window and then his head. Soon after that, he began to climb through the opened window.

    As he was half way through, Solomon realized he could move on no longer. He was stuck.

    Solomon''s gorilla avatar was too big to fit!

    "Why did I make such a huge character?! Me of the past, why did you care about being big a muscular so much? Why couldn''t you just make a small mouse that could go anywhere!"

    Solomon cursed his past self for having such a childish desire to look big and strong.

    He lay halfway through the window before making a violent struggle to push himself through. Rather than moving back inside the cabin, Solomon was going to force his way out. He already started and he was too stubborn to turn back.

    Thud!

    Thud!

    Thud!

    Solomon had repeatedly rammed his lower half against the wall, trying to squeeze through.

    After taking a minute long break, Solomon was about to perform another round of squeezing when he suddenly felt an impact at the back of his head.

    Thud!

 Chapter 8 – Online Scum

    Solomon held his head as he groaned.

    There was a throbbing pain at the back of his head and his vision blurred.

    What had hit him?

    Solomon twisted his neck to look behind him.

    All he saw was an incoming baseball bat!

    Thud!

    Solomon''s head swiveled back around and he let out another long groan of pain.

    "What the heck is this! I''m trapped in a window getting pummeled by a baseball bat! I came here to make myself feel better, not to awaken my masochism!" Solomon gloomily thought.

    I should''ve just logged out immediately to play something else... I could''ve been using a new program by this time.

    Solomon was about to turn around again when he felt a violent chill shoot down his spine. He had the feeling that if he made any sudden movements, then he would be assaulted once again.

    "St-still not dead yet? I guess I''ll go with another strike!"

    The quivering voice of a girl entered Solomon''s ears.

    "Ah, Ah! You''re LittleRedBird, aren''t you! What are you doing? This isn''t a fighting game! If you wanted to bash people on the head, then go play M*rtal Combat or something! Don''t go around hitting casual players, you gorilla!"

    "Wh-what?! I''m the gorilla?! That''s not something you call a girl! You''re the gorilla! You''re a gorilla in a suit!" the frail voice replied.

    Solomon held his pain not in pain, but because of how dull this girl was. He then felt the malicious intent of the bat and realized he wasn''t in the position to scold the girl.

    "I meant you''re violent like a gorilla! Not that you are one! I actually like gorillas, though! I wouldn''t look like one right now if I didn''t!"

    Solomon lied. He was beginning to hate gorillas. This stupid gorilla avatar was the reason why he was stuck in the first place.

    "Can you help me out now?" Solomon pleaded.

    The girl''s voice seemed to hesitate before answering.

    "F-fine, I guess I feel bad for hitting you..."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Solomon held onto the baseball bat so that the girl could help pull him out while he pushed his way out with his legs.

    With the girl''s help, Solomon was freed.

    Once Solomon was safely standing on the roof, he was finally able to get a good look at his assailant.

    It was a pretty girl around his age dressed in a baggy sweater and sweat pants. She only stood up to his gorilla shoulders. She had light brown hair and fair skin.

    "Why the heck are you assaulting the other users?!"

    That was the first thing Solomon blurted out once he was out of the window.

    It seemed Solomon''s loud gorilla voice startled the girl. She reflexively readied her baseball bat for a swing.

    Solomon sneered in his heart.

    "Ha! You think I''m scared of you anymore?! I was in a bad position before, but now how can your teenage girl avatar match up to the physique of a gorilla!"

    "Y-you got it wrong! I didn''t know you were another user!"

    What do you mean? Did FaceMask make an unannounced update for gorilla raids? Since when!

    "N-no one really uses FaceMask anymore... It took me by surprise when I saw a gorilla crawling out the window.... You looked like a monster..."

    LittleRedBird''s voice grew fainter and fainter as she talked.

    Solomon didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.... No! It was neither! He definitely wanted to scold both this air-headed girl and his younger self!

    Younger me, why did you choose such a bizarre appearance?! Do you know how much trouble it''s caused for future you?! I was mistaken for a game monster!

    And you air-head! Why are you hitting without speaking?! If you get surprised at people for joining a public server, then go find a single-player program!

    Solomon was too worn out to actually scold the girl. He knew it wouldn''t get him anywhere, so he decided to just let it go. He was already satisfied looking down on the girl''s intelligence.

    "Why are you even playing this dead game?" Solomon asked.

    Solomon only stayed online since he was curious about the last user of this dying program.

    LittleRedBird blushed.

    "I like the atmosphere here... It''s usually quiet and peaceful here.... I come here to clear my thoughts... What are you doing here?"

    Why does it feel like this is my fault now! What am I? The big bad gorilla who invaded a young girl''s privacy?!

    Wait... I''m not even sure this is a girl. This might be some middle-aged man who wants to know what it''s like to be a girl in her youth!

    You sicko! Your real reason for being alone here is probably to appease your disgusting desires! When you saw another user find your pervert paradise, you decided to bash their head in! That''s definitely it!

    "Just you wait until I call the authorities on you!" Solomon thought.

    It then hit Solomon  that he could not report this scoundrel. FaceMask was designed everything about its users private. There was no way for Solomon to report this pervert successfully.

    I''ll have to catfish this guy, then...

    Solomon was determined to rid the internet of another predator! He would gain the trust of this air-head until he got enough information to report him!

    LittleRedBird had a confused expression.

    She had no idea what vile thoughts Solomon had about her, and she patiently waited for him to say something.

    Solomon realized he had left her question hanging. He wanted to "befriend" this pervert and thought that his original purpose to rant would scare them away, so he lied.

    "I wanted to... enjoy the snowy scene here! I used to use FaceMask a lot, and I missed the peaceful atmosphere that you came here for too! Yup! That''s what I came here for!"

    Solomon puffed out his gorilla chest as he heroically thought.

    "Just you wait you fiend! I''ll have you swatted in no time!"

 Chapter 9 – Confronting the Fiend

    The two sat on the roof in silence.

    It was a calm winter''s night on the log cabin map. After the ruckus the two had caused, the atmosphere quickly become that of a peaceful night.

    They basked in the light of the moon and stars. The cold, icy air would make their skin tingle.

    No word was exchanged between the two of them. The only thing that could be heard was the howling of the winter night wind.

    It was just a well dressed gorilla and a young girl holding a baseball bat watching the starry sky.

    This would be the ideal place to relax, but currently it was making Solomon''s instincts stand on edge.

    Solomon would occasionally glance at LittleRedBird and see a melancholic look on her face. For some reason, her slight frown would provoke many emotions from Solomon. It made him have the desire to protect or tease her. Anything to grab her attention.

    No! That''s not a girl! That''s definitely some old pervert acting as one! They were waiting for Solomon to drop his guard so they could attack him!

    "I''m not so easy to fool! My name''s Solomon for a reason!" Solomon sneered in his head.

    Solomon felt awkward during this time. He was sitting a few feet away from a pervert. Although it was a virtual world and that in reality, the two were probably miles away from each other, he sweated bullets.

    What if this dude awakens his beastly desire for gorilla! I''m not safe around <del>her</del> him!

    Solomon wanted to log off and escape, but then he felt his sense of justice tugging at his morals. He decided to make a vow to himself.

    No! If I leave now, how is society supposed to rid itself of this criminal! I''ll sacrifice my dignity for the greater good and get rid of them myself!

    Solomon had to figure out how to break the ice. He had to get evidence of this fiend''s perverted acts!

    "So.... Little Red, what do you usually do here? You can''t just come here to look at the scenery, right? That'' gotta be boring! There''s gotta be something you do! *Cough! Cough!* Like exploring yourself (<del>exploring  the female body</del>) *Cough!*

    Solomon wasn''t well-versed in the art of being discreet. Heck, he didn''t know how to be discreet at all! This was his Achilles heel as a shut-in introvert.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    LittleRedBird sighed. Had she realized he was setting her up and that he was trying reveal her crimes?!

    "Exploring myself? Yeah, I guess that''s something I do a lot here..."

    Solomon''s face paled.

    Did this <del>chick</del> guy just admit to their perverted activities?! Did they just say that they do this a lot?!

    Solomon was appalled by what he heard.

    "They already made the confession! Now I just need them to reveal their identity!" Solomon thought.

    Shame on you for defiling this innocent looking avatar! I bet you based its looks on your crush! How would you feel if someone were to defile you! Actually, wait, an incel like you would be flattered if that were to happen!

    "Sometimes when I''m here, I wonder how life would be had I made different decisions. Would my small changes lead to big differences? Or would fate bring me back to how everything is now? . . . Other times, I like to just rethink my personality, and I try to figure out how I can be a better me."

    What? Is this pervert reflecting on their perverted crimes? Do you feel remorseful for violating your virtual avatar? Do you want to get back on the track of an honest man? Well don''t give in to your lecherous instincts then! Forget fate! Fate wouldn''t lead you down the path of perversion!

    Solomon began to pity LittleRedBird. If this fiend were to change his ways and amend his ways, Solomon would consider letting him go.

    "I guess deep down inside, even perverts want to make things right..."

    "But  then I think again... I am actually satisfied with my life! I wouldn''t trade my life for anyone elses! The life I have now is the result of my own decisions! The choices I made are what make me, me. So what if I made some mistakes here and there? So what if I was a bit foolish! Those decisions are what make me stronger! Without them, I would be someone completely different! I should learn to love myself!"

    LittleRedBird began her self-motivating speech. It was as if no wall of negativity could stop this unstoppable train of thought.

    While LittleRedBird went on with her words, Solomon instantly lost the pity he held for her.

    All his expectations for leading Little Red down the right path were shattered. There was no helping this pervert!

    Crap! There''s no redemption after all! This perv is happy being a scum of the earth! I''m sorry. I thought you had some hope for rehabilitation, but it turns out fate won and you really are destined to be a fiend!

    Hurry up and reveal yourself, you scum!

    LittleRedBird twirled around in joy. It seemed she had reached some sort of enlightenment.

    "Thank you. You didn''t really say much, and you don''t really know much about me either, but you helped me a lot. Thank you... I need to go now while I still have this energy in me. I hope we can meet again!"

    With that, LittleRedBird''s avatar dissolved into fragments of light. She logged off.

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo!

    I just let the pervert get away! I failed!

    They knew! They must have known I was planning a trap! They realized it and decided to book it!

    "I''m sorry, world, I failed you and all of humanity! I wasn''t able to stop that pervert!"

    Solomon had taken a huge blow to his little pride. He had come to vent his heart out, but all he accomplished was gaining an immense feeling of failure and guilt.

    He felt even worse than how he had come!

    After a sitting on the roof in silence, Solomon decided to finally log out of FaceMask.

    "I guess I''ll just go back to cyber-bullying the old rage geezer...."

 Chapter 10 – Elixir? No Way!

    Solomon was back in the Hub World.

    The chilly air no longer caressed his skin. He no longer looked like a gorilla. He no longer was in the reaches of a pervert.

    Solomon opened his clock and saw that it was still only four. Only thirty minutes had passed in the real world!

    Vr really was a modern miracle... or maybe it was a curse?

    People could easily lose their sense of time when they dove into the Vr universe.

    The time distortion in Vr was something developers had to be careful with.

    Humanity had actually developed an even more distorted time space in Vr, but they did not release it to the public in fear of causing psychological problems.

    Solomon had read somewhere that Russia had achieved six times time distortion! You could spend six hours in Vr and only pass one hour in reality!

    The very thought of six hour time distortion made Solomon''s mind tremble. It was something he wanted to try. Alas, it would be pretty much useless to him, though.

    If he had six times time distortion, he would be on another time field than other networks. He wouldn''t be able to connect to his favorite games that ran at double time distortion!

    It would be a wasted gem....

    After checking the time, Solomon checked his messages.

    He was excited to see what Saber King Matthew had sent.

    User 10052: HOLD ON!!!!!! Don''t leak my information! Dooooont!!!! I''ll do whatever you want! If you release those posts, my life on Vr will end! I''ll have to start all over!! Money? Is it money you want? How about one of my game accounts? I have an almost maxed out character in Space Gate! What is it? Name your price!

    Solomon once again felt guilt tugging at his heart. Here he was destroying what seemed to be this old geezer''s life blood. Maybe he really was going to far. Sure the old geezer was an annoying troll, but all he did was let out his toxicity. He didn''t hurt anybody...

    HumbleHut: Don''t worry. I''ve changed my mind.... I deleted everything. Just be less toxic.

    Solomon thought he could let the two of them go their separate ways now. He gave Saber King Matthew a good scare, and now he would probably stop messing with him.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    User 10052: Yeah right! Like I''ll fall for that! You''re playing the "nice" guy, aren''t you! Ur gonna dump everything out on 4Ch*n! Don''t! They''ll eat me alive! Just name a price!!!!!

    Solomon was about to find something else to do when he got an immediate response.

    After reading the message, Solomon let out a crooked smile.

    "Doesn''t this guy know there are good people out there?"

    HumbleHut: Can''t you just trust in my good will? I''m not trash like.

    User 10052: Trash! you just called me trash! You really are out to get me! You leave me no choice.... I really didn''t want to do this..... if you don''t make the right decision, you''ll definitely regret it! It''s the fortune of a life time!

    Solomon was slightly intrigued by the response.

    "What are you, a fortune teller?"

    What could this once in a life time chance be?

    HumbleHut: What is it?

    After a long, suspenseful wait, there was finally another message.

    User 10052: Elixir. I''ll give you a real elixir if you let me go. It''ll increase your abilities by tenfold! It''ll eventually allow you to reach power a thousand fold if you use it well!

    "What is this dude talking about?"

    What elixir could tempt Solomon? Solomon was league ahead of Saber King Matthew in Immortals of the Skies. Why would he want a peasant''s trash? Maybe it was a secret event item? Solomon was going to quit Immortals of the Skies soon. It wouldn''t make much of a difference to him even if it could benefit his character.

    Was this elixir for another game? It might be a good trade if he liked the game... The games he was looking forward to, however, were going to be released a month from now. Did this geezer pre-order items? That was impossible. The big companies almost never let you pre-purchase items as good as the one he''s describing....

    It seemed Saber King Matthew was impatient for an answer and sent another message.

    User 10052: It''s not a virtual elixir. It''s an actual potion to make you stronger. It''ll increase your life span too! Take it or else you''ll regret it!

    So it wasn''t for a game!

    It was an actual magical potion that would lead Solomon down the path of a real immortal!

    Solomon knew he had to get this elixir!

    He immediately sent a reply.

    HumbleHut: No! I''m not interested in drugs! Screw off why don''t ya?

    Yeah right! Like I''ll take some strange dude''s random liquids!

    Is this old fart being serious? If he is, then he should go get his mental state checked.

    How sketchy is this? An old internet troll trying to send me an "elixir"? That has "bad" written all over it!

    Would he want to meet in person? Yeah, let Solomon set himself for a hit or kidnapping right now!

    Would he want his address to mail it? Yeah! Solomon might as well open his front door for people to steal his stuff!

    Solomon wasn''t a fool who would give out his information to strangers! Especially not with creeps like this guy!

    This guy wanted hack Solomon not too long ago. He probably wanted to speed up the process by doing this.

    "No way Jose! Keep that H*rry P*tter crap outa here!" Solomon exclaimed.

    Solomon''s mood was totally ruined today.

    He was embarrassed in front of his peers during lunch, he was assaulted by some pervert in FaceMask, and now some crazy grandpa was trying to send him drugs!

    He quickly shut off his Vr equipment.

    After removing the gear, he pushed today''s events to the back of his mind.

    He decided to clear his thoughts by doing some homework and some studying.

    Solomon had enough of today.

 Chapter 11 – Killing Intent

    Solomon spent the rest of the day with his books.

    He wanted to clear out everything that had happened from his mind.

    By the next morning, Solomon''s head was a mess.

    He had a dream that night of him getting chased by a giant, perverted gorilla. Atop of the gorilla''s head was a fat rice cake shouting out offers and counter offers. It was like he was getting chased by debt collectors! As he ran, he felt his legs giving out. Solomon knew he wouldn''t last much longer....

    That was when some old bag of bones appeared beside him, offering a magic drink that would give him the power to fight his pursuers.

    Solomon rejected the offer immediately, slapping the drink from the man''s hand. Soon after, the gorilla''s hand reached out and grabbed Solomon.

    <hr>

    "Hey, Solomon, you don''t look too good. Don''t tell me you were up all night with your games again, were you?"

    Tommy was worried after noticing Solomon''s ill expression in the morning.

    Solomon was pale and he had overslept. Dark bags hung below his eyes.

    He missed his breakfast!

    "Stupid idiots! You can put me through embarrassing situations, but don''t mess with my sleep and meals! If I don''t pay you back ten times for these troubles, I''m not Sky Master Solomon!" Solomon thought.

    Solomon''s head truly was in a shambles. He was mixing up his game identity with reality....

    Solomon looked up from his desk after hearing his friend''s concern.

    "No, it was the complete opposite. I was studying ''til I passed out... I was trying to stay away from Vr yesterday..."

    Solomon avoiding Vr? Was the sun rising from the west today?

    Tommy shrugged his shoulders. If his friend was turning away from his unhealthy Vr habits, then it was fine.

    Solomon trudged on with the day, and as time went by, he slowly recovered from his stupor.

    When lunch had come, Solomon was back to his normal self.

    The four boys were eating lunch as usual. Zachary mouthed off about his Vr accomplishments while the rest silently listened.

    Joey''s face was expressionless like a wall. It seemed he was used to this. After all, he had known Zachary since they were little. It seemed they would see each other a lot outside the school since their parents were friends.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Tommy on the other hand was filled with confusion. He would occasionally ask questions like "What is a Dragon''s Ascension cultivation method?" or "Why do your characters take so many pills to get stronger?"

    Tommy didn''t play as many Vr games as the others. Although he would play with the others occasionally, he would usually focus on his sports. To him, most of the game talk was gibberish.

    Zachary was in the middle of his story about slaying a Crimson Dragon in Tales of the Mountain when one of their classmates approached them.

    "Don''t you ever shut your mouth? You''re the only one I hear talking whenever I pass this table!"

    The one who scolded Zachary was a tall girl. Black, shiny hair fell to her back. She had pale skin as if she never went outside. Solomon was curious if it was her lotion or if she was naturally like that. It was hard to not get a tan here unless you truly despised the sun like Zachary. Although she was pale, it did not make her seem ill like Zachary. It gave others the impression of pureness. As if she were sheltered from he troubles outside.

    If Solomon were to rate her looks, she would be a seven out of ten. Solomon''s rating wasn''t very reliable, however, as his friends would often tell him he had a poor eye when it came to ranking beauties.

    "It''s always Vr this and Vr that with you guys! You guys haven''t turned in your class funds yet. How are we supposed to prepare for class events like field trips if we have leeches like you!"

    The girl was Sarah Bell, she was the class treasurer.

    Solomon shrunk back like a turtle retreating into his shell. He forgotten to pay his share. It was already a week overdue, but it would always slip from his mind.

    It didn''t seem like his friends were any better.

    If he weren''t being scolded as well, he would have thought the scene was quite comedic.

    The large and muscular Tommy hung his head down as if a powerful tiger was prowling around him.

    The usually calm Joey gave out a sheepish smile and pretended to look through his bag for the funds.

    As for Zachary, he happily whistled an upbeat tune. He didn''t seem to have a care in the world!

    "Idiot! Have you no shame! We were supposed to pay a week ago! How can we be considered men if we can''t even keep simple schedules!" Solomon scolded inside.

    Zachary''s disgusting voice then resounded through the area.

    "Ha ha! Sarah, aren''t you a bit uptight? Looking at the pale faces of the other tables, it seems like they forgot as well! You can''t punish us all can you?! Why don''t you just scold the entire class while you''re at it! Can''t you see you''re bothering everyone?"

    Solomon slowly looked around. He didn''t want to seem like he was readily agreeing with Zachary, that scum.

    Just as Zachary had said, most of the other students were flustered. They must have forgotten to pay too....

    But Zachary! Your method of saving us from the Treasurer''s berating is the way of a coward!

    You''re using the power of the crowd to make her seem like the outsider who''s destroying the peace! Will you blame the police for breaking into a gang infested town too? After all, those gang town''s have their own sense of "peace" that the government is destroying! No matter how you look at this, you are turning the tables when your still in the wrong!

    To Solomon''s surprise, however, Sarah didn''t falter to Zachary''s words.

    "Hmmph! So what if I''m destroying the peace! If you were criminals, I wouldn''t hesitate to execute you all!"

    Sarah sent her cold stare across the lunch tables. It felt as if she was staring everyone in the eyes at once!

    The students couldn''t help but lower their heads in defeat.

    Does this chick have a super power or something? Are you one of those masters who are so well-trained they can defeat their enemies with just a look? Will I die just for making eye contact?

    After defeating the entire class with her stare, and imprinting her dominance into people''s instincts, the treasurer left three simple words.

    "Pay by tomorrow."

    Three words, but for some reason it felt like a thousand.

    Solomon could feel killing intent from the simple request!

 Chapter 12 – A Visit to the Library

    After school, Solomon began biking to the library.

    Although he wasn''t as hopeless as Tommy, he didn''t do very well on yesterday''s quiz.

    His math grade was slipping dangerously close to a C.

    Solomon wanted to abstain from Vr today and just focus on his studies. At the library, he would be able to accomplish his studies without the temptation of Vr. Sort of.

    Solomon was planning on using a Vr set at the library.

    At the library, there were Vr sets that you could rent to study within a time distorted space. This could help a person study at a much faster pace. It was also disconnected from many programs that could tempt you away from your studies.

    Why didn''t people just learn in the Vr space if they had such useful tools? Why did students continue dragging themselves to schools?

    There were a couple reasons for this.

    It was expensive. Not everyone could afford a Vr set. There were also people like Solomon''s parents who abstained from Vr.

    The government also wanted the youths to be used to travelling outside. If they grew up without having the need to go outside, they would eventually grow into a generation of NEETs. The nation would soon meet its collapse once these shut-ins took over.

    The only reason why students were exempt from the mandatory exercise was because they were already forced to go to school. Take school away, and you have a bunch of couch potatoes.

    A society of lazy, weak recluses was something to be avoided, thus physical schools were still necessary.

    Only a select few would enjoy an entirely Vr education. Such people would usually be rich descendants who could afford Vr sets and had social statuses that kept them away from the NEET life.

    Solomon sighed.

    Why couldn''t he be one of those young masters who could spend their days in Vr?

    <hr>

    After a twenty minute bike ride, Solomon arrived at a large building with a modern style.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    There were a total of three floors to this library and it was wide enough to fit multiple houses inside.

    It was truly a giant when compared to other buildings.

    Solomon walked through the automatic doors and navigated around the building.

    The second and third floors were empty within the middle, allowing a person to see the roof of the library from the first floor. Because of this design, a person could easily see each of the sections after walking into the building.

    There were shelves and shelves of books as well as a lounge with multiple games. Rather than checking out the building, Solomon walked directly toward the Vr Sets on the second floor.

    There were multiple sofas and beds for people to use the Vr equipment. The place was packed and there was easily fifty people.

    As he saw the strange scene of more than four dozen people hooked up to Vr equipment, he heard some irritated grumbling by his side.

    "Look at these people! Youths these days spend all their time on these things! What happened to playing outside or holding group study sessions at home?! Bah! Society is gonna collapse because of this Vr crap! Don''t turn out like them, okay kid?"

    The speaker was a hunched back old man. If the man had proper posture, he could probably be a head taller than Solomon, but because of his bad posture, he only reached Solomon''s shoulders. Under the man''s glasses many wrinkles could be seen on his face. A long, fluffy, white beard grew from his face.

    Solomon gave a quick glance at the old man. He was embarrassed because he was one of the youths this man was talking about. Solomon quickly moved away from the old man to set himself up.

    Solomon found a vacant bed and got ready to use it.

    After paying for thirty minutes, an hour within the Vr, Solomon hastily dove into the world of Vr. Each second of the precious Vr renting was precious and Solomon didn''t want to waste a single moment!

    Solomon suddenly found himself in the library''s Hub World.

    Instead of the blank white space he was used to, the Hub World was a complete replica of the library. Solomon opened the messages tab and was shown how much longer he had with his rented time.

    Solomon then tried to access the internet. He was restricted only to government websites and a select few programs that were proven to be educational.

    This Vr space prevented Solomon from performing his usual Vr habits.

    It was completely void of human interaction!

    It was a perfect place for him to study!

    Solomon then received a notification asking if he wanted to join a group lobby.

    Obviously he rejected the invitation.

    "I came to study, not to meet with people! Those normies will drag me away from my original purpose!"

    Maybe it was because this Vr space did not allow you to become anonymous and was modeled on a real life setting, but Solomon''s introversion was still acting up despite being in the world of Vr.

    Solomon sat in the Vr space for twenty minutes and skimmed through a couple books. After a while, he slumped down on a couch.

    "I''m bored...."

    Solomon resorted to reading comics and novels half way through. There was a messy pile of books all around him.

    Solomon opened the timer and found he still had thirty minutes left.

    "This is torture..... I don''t want to waste the time in this space though.... Maybe I really should find a lobby to join?"

 Chapter 13 – Conflicted

    "Nah! Why would I do that! I came here to study, not to mess around!"

    Solomon ultimately decided against joining a lobby.

    If he joined one, he wouldn''t be able to hide behind an avatar.

    Since he was using a public Vr set, he was required to use his actual face. He didn''t want people to recognize him and he didn''t feel like getting to know random strangers. They would be sure to drag him away from his studies..... not that he was doing that himself....

    Solomon pushed the pile of comics and novels to the side and decided to watch video lessons.

    You can''t go wrong with video lessons! They''re full of knowledge and guidance! They''re definitely not sources of entertainment!

    Solomon clicked on video after video.

    He started with Calculus then to Chemistry.

    He went from Chemistry to Physics.

    He went from Physics to M*th Busters.

    He <del>accidentally</del> went from M*th Busters to "top ten tricks when it comes to talking to people" <del>because of a mis-click</del>.

    He went from M*th Busters to ghost hunting.

    He went from Ghost hunting to Gh*st B*sters.

    He went from Gh*st B*sters to popular media.

    Finally, he went from popular media to tech updates.

    After getting led along a rabbit hole of topics, Solomon had strayed far from the math lessons he came for.

    His resolve for studying was apparently very weak.

    Soon he was reading updates and blogs on the tech advancements. Maybe there were some good Vr updates in there.

    "Oh, they finally confessed to having six hour time distortion... That must mean they''ve already developed seven times too. When will they be honest with the public?"

    "Hmm? They almost have a vaccine for the common cold? It''s been taking them a while now.... Maybe they''re embezzling the funds?"Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    "What?! The military developed l*ght s*bers?! Maybe my dreams of watching j*di kendo will come true!"

    Solomon was scrolling through dozens of updates. Each update was just as interesting as the last to Solomon.

    The update were mostly made by large companies or government agencies, but once in a while some lone wolf researchers would post their discoveries.

    Of course not just anyone could post their research on the tech research sites. You would have had made a bit of a name for yourself.

    Of all the rogue researchers, his favorite was Stan Grey.

    He couldn''t really be considered a rogue anymore because he now owned one of the leading corporations now, but back when he was all on his own, he had been the one to create the first intelligent AI''s. He also developed hover-boards and made the Hollywood famous holograms a reality!

    Doctor Grey had also created multiple robotic suits the that were looked at as the modern tanks of the world. Around this time was when Doctor Grey established his corporation. He worked with the government on many advancements soon after.

    Although he was now part of a large organization, Solomon still saw Doctor Grey as one of the lone wolf researches. He merely had more hands to work with now.

    Solomon was taken by surprise when he saw an update by the renown doctor.

    Usually updates were posted by Grey corp., but for some reason it came directly from the doctor''s account.

    Hello everyone!

    I am aware that Vr technology is not exactly my forte, but I wanted to try my hand at it anyways. I am proud to reveal that I have been working on my own MMO for the past six months! It will be a while until it is actually released, but I can assure you it is something to look forward to. It will have aspects from all your favorite genres. Be it the magic and sorcery of arcane wizards or the profound spells of immortals. Be it the grand giants of kaiju or mechs. Be it the world of superheroes and super-villains or a torn apocalypse full of zombies. The game will have it all! I''m sure all of your interests have been piqued and you cannot wait. Worry not, for I will occasionally provide some beta testing for all! Your favorite MMO''s have been contacted and have agreed to help. Whether it is the aspect of small, new games or the qualities of the MMO giants, everyone will work together to make an all-encompassing hit that will shake the world! I am not too sure when the official release will be, but when it comes, it''s sure to be grand.

    Please keep a look out for further updates.

    -Stanford Grey

    Solomon had conflicted thoughts. A game by such a famous researcher was sure to be expensive! Would he have money when it was released? Should he hold onto his funds until the day comes?

    No! What was even more conflicting was that his favorite lone wolf researcher was going to create a trash game!

    Stick to a single genre you madman! Why are you throwing mechs into the world of xianxia?! Why is the H*lk going to fight zombies?!

    It was going to be a jumbled mess of everything! Was the genius at tech actually an idiot when it came to game design?

    Nonetheless, Solomon was looking forward to the game''s release.

    After reading the update five times over, as if searching for hidden clues for some solution to a murder, Solomon checked his timer.

    Three minutes!

    "Crap! I wasted too much time! Doctor Grey! You wasted my precious study time with your update!"

    Even with the library keeping him away from his games, he was still unable to stay focused.

    Solomon scrambled back to the messy pile of books on the floor, trying to stuff as many words into his head as possible.

    A self mocking expression covered his face as he realized how far he strayed from his original purpose.

 Chapter 14 – Entering the World of Immortals

    The rest of the school week was uneventful and it was now Saturday.

    Solomon finally turned in his share for the class funds. He was also able to recover his math grade with the next quiz. It seemed his studying, albeit very washed out studying, payed off.

    Saber King Matthew also never failed to tell Solomon that he had missed a chance of a lifetime by rejecting the elixir. He said he was foolish and that he should watch out for the inevitable day when he would hack him.

    Solomon didn''t care about the old fart''s threats. The geezer had his Vr account for two years and hadn''t figured out how to set it to private until a couple days ago. At this rate, it would take Saber King Matthew one hundred years to get the basics of hacking down. It would probably take another thousand for him to get proficient enough to stand a chance against the privacy protection.

    As for the pervert who prowled FaceMask, Solomon never encountered them again. He had checked every day to see if he could squeeze out more information from the fiend, but unfortunately they never showed up. Every time Solomon logged in, the servers would be completely empty.

    Had the pervert really been driven out? Although Solomon had been able to catch the fiend, he was able to at least stop them from committing the crime further. Or was he? Now that the pervert''s paradise was gone, they may have moved on to another more populated program! Did Solomon mess up? At least before the pervert restricted them self to FaceMask! Now that Solomon scared them off, he had unleashed a pent up pervert to the public!

    I need to atone for my mistake... If we meet again, I''ll definitely report you to the authorities!

    Some of you may be thinking, "Why doesn''t Solomon tell the creator of FaceMask to track the pervert for him?"

    The answer was simple. The game had basically died because the developer let it die. The developer suddenly stopped checking on FaceMask and development was permanently put on hold. FaceMask used to be the number one Vr chat program, but when the developer stopped checking logs and updating, the users slowly migrated to more active programs. For some strange reason, although the game ceased its updates and the developer stopped responding, the servers continued to stay up. Even after a year of the program''s death, the servers continued to run.

    Solomon had already approached the problems he had gotten over the week. All that was left to settle was selling his items in Immortals of the Skies.

    Solomon  was floating in his Hub World. He had already replied to Saber King Matthew''s daily message. All that was left was to do was enter the game.

    <hr>

    Solomon found himself back under the large tree.

    He carefully looked around his surroundings.

    "Even if Master Soul Cloud was able to track me here, I doubt he would camp for six days." Solomon thought.

    Solomon reorganized his equipment just in case.

    His character, Sky Master Solomon, was very muscular. It wasn''t to the point of a body builder, however, and was more lean and slim.

    A large white robe covered up most of his figure, and thus hid the tanned muscle of his character.

    Bushy light brown hair topped his head and his equally light brown eyes appeared as if they were shining.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    "I''ve still got a few restriction blocks and I have multiple destruction seal covered beads."

    "The speed talismans are also fully charged.... The spirit recovery pills are kinda low now though....."

    Solomon hadn''t really lost much from his lair''s destruction. Only his pride and income were damaged.

    He would usually keep his important items on him. Things like attack and defense talismans, immortal treasures, spirit recover items, and self refined tools were kept in his bags of holdings.

    It was only the spirit recovery items  and a few escape items that were used up during the chase.

    When he was running from Master Soul Cloud, Solomon had used three high quality pills and at least a dozen medium quality pills. He had also used up several speed talismans to the point where they could no longer be recharged. It seems his sudden, taxing use of them had worn them out.

    After making sure all of his equipment could be summoned at any moment, Solomon brought out the Red Streak and immediately hopped on. The red light then zoomed away into the distance.

    Solomon whizzed around the trees and would occasionally grab a passing fruit.

    He would let out a loud yell of excitement every now and then just to see the frightened birds fly away.

    He was acting very casually. It was as if the events with Master Soul Cloud had never happened.

    Along the way, Solomon saw towering trees that were easily the size of skyscrapers. Giant vines fell from their branches like serpents.

    Bizarre creatures would stare at Solomon''s passing figure.

    There were ostrich like animals with the heads of lizards.

    There were blue elephants with multiple tusks.

    There were even winged panthers that glided from branch to branch above Solomon!

    This really was a world of immortals! This is what drew him into the genre in the first place! A world filled with fantastical animals and plants. A world which could not be seen in reality!

    After thirty minutes of travel, Solomon arrived at a small creek.

    The little stream of water flowed over a fallen tree and let out a soothing ambiance.

    He looked left an right, up and down. He was searching for any disturbances in the area. He was searching for signs that someone had been here.

    "Sky Master Solomon, you sure did take your time! I was beginning to think you were backing out!"

    A heroic voice resounded from above.

    A youth dropped from the trees. He was tall and pale. He had ink black hair to contrast. His looks were well chiseled, and if he were to exist in real life, idol groups would be fighting over him. Unfortunately this person did not exist in real life, or rather, this person did not look or sound like this in real life.

    This youth was actually the human rice cake Zachary!

    "Zach, you know don''t really play on the school days. Especially when my math grade was as low as it was."

    "Oh come on! Quit being a goody goody! You call a C plus low? You''re already doing well! You''re already in Calculus two while I''m still stuck in pre-Cal! I have a D too! You should be happy to have a C when you''re so far ahead of this young master! And don''t call me Zach! Call me Lord Tranquility!"

    Solomon was not comforted by his friends words at all. It just made him feel worse that his friend was asking him to settle for a lower grade just because his friend was behind.

    "Well whatever! I''m here now. Where''s Joey?"

    "Over here."

    Solomon turned toward the voice and saw a skinny boy arose from the ground. His entire body was covered in mud and dirt. It was hard to tell his appearance.

    Joey''s character was nicknamed "Master Gaia" because of his skilled ability to hid his presence. It was as if he was one with the earth, hence the name Gaia. Joey was only at the middle stage of Earth Realm, but had been able to evade peak Earth Realm warriors like Solomon. Joey had even escaped a Cloud Realm warrior with his expert presence concealment.

    "Well, everyone''s here now so I guess I''ll hand you all of the items."

    Solomon tossed a spatial bag toward Zachary, or should I say Lord Tranquility.

    Lord Tranquility immediately peeked inside and was awed by what he saw.

    "You got Old Po''s sledge hammer? You got the Flute of Stillness too! I don''t know which I want to keep!"

    "You can keep the cheapest one, nothing else! I want to get my money as soon as possible."

    Lord Tranquility''s expression darkened at the words, but eventually put the spatial bag away.

    Solomon then threw another spatial bag to Lord Gaia.

    "You two go sell them for as much as you can. I''ll watch you from the distance to make sure you don''t get robbed."

    The two nodded to Solomon before going separate ways to sell the items.

    "I guess I''m almost done with this game, huh? I won''t reach the Sky Realm, but things''ll get repetitive soon. It''s better that I stop playing now while the feeling''s still magical."

    Solomon took in the surroundings. What would the next world be like?

 Chapter 15 – Immortal Will

    From the side of a large mountain grew a tree.

    The tree towered over all of the other trees around it, providing a great view of the land around it.

    The tree was like the king of the jungle overlooking its subjects.

    A tan youth leisurely sat on one of the large branches. He was eating a juicy fruit that didn''t exist on earth. His bushy, brown hair blew according to the wind.

    From his vantage point, the young man could observe everything that happened within the two small towns at the base of the mountain.

    This youth was Solomon.

    Because of his infamy, Solomon couldn''t enter many towns. If he wanted to visit, he would need to spend a lot of effort on a disguise.

    Rather than going through the trouble of concealing himself, it was much easier for him to ask his friends to sell items for him.

    Although his friends Lord Tranquility and Master Gaia weren''t high ranking players, he had faith that they wouldn''t encounter problems they couldn''t handle.

    Solomon had gifted them multiple items to help increase their attack and defense capabilities. He also gave multiple items to aid in their escape should they meet troublesome enemies.

    Should such a situation arise, Solomon would bolt down the mountain to help them.

    The only problem that could stem from this strategy would be if both Master Gaia and Lord Tranquility were attacked at the same time. Solomon naturally couldn''t be at two places at once.

    The best solution to this was within Solomon''s spatial bag.

    Solomon pulled out an orange lightning bolt that stretched about the length of his index finger.

    This odd colored bolt of lightning was actually a strand of immortal will!

    Immortal will came in all kinds of forms. They could come as rain from the clouds, waves from the seas, dust in the wind, fire, magma from the earth, and lightning!

    Immortal wills came in colors that ranked their power. The order from weakest to strongest was white, red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, and finally black. The colored wills could then be divided by effectiveness against warrior realms. White and red caused problems for Mortal Realm warriors, however with enough skill they could recover or protect themselves.  If they were to face an orange bolt, however, they would have little chance at survival. Likewise, Earth Realm Warriors would have trouble with orange and yellow immortal wills and get stumped by a green immortal will. Following this order, Cloud Realm Warriors could handle green and cyan wills. Finally, Sky Realm Warriors would struggle with blue and purple Immortal wills. The highest ranking Sky Realm Warriors would still find their bane against black colored immortal wills. These immortal wills  were definitely game changers!

    The immortal wills could be further strengthened and be refined. Immortal wills could be refined by either cultivators or be refined naturally. Cultivator-refined wills increased the power of the will depending on the warrior''s cultivation realm. A naturally refined immortal, however, was leagues above a artificially refined will of the same rank. Naturally refined wills would have less gaps in their formation, allowing a more explosive power to be unleashed.

    Solomon held the bolt of immortal will while covering his hand in a white cloth. His eyes were full of caution as he handled it. If he were to hold it barehanded, the bolt would likely shoot into his hand and damage his meridians until he was wasted!

    Of course he had other counter measures for this, but why would he waste perfectly good resources along with a highly coveted immortal will?Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Solomon planned that should trouble arise for both his companions, he would send the bolt toward one town as he traveled to the other. This would hopefully provide enough time for his friend to escape.

    "Too bad it''s only of the orange rank. I''ve been refining it ever since I got it, but it seems this is as strong as I could make it... If I were able to refine it into a yellow immortal will, that Master Soul Cloud would have been in for a big hit!"

    Solomon shrugged. At least he had a piece of immortal will. It would still prove to be useful. It could probably sell for a lot when he was done with the game.

    "I was really lucky to come across that heavenly storm!"

    <hr>

    When Solomon had just entered the Earth Realm, he was travelling alone through a canyon. A storm had been forming in above the canyon for weeks, and Solomon thought it would be the perfect place to cultivate.

    Solomon''s cultivation method relied on absorbing the spiritual energy from the skies. Rain, clouds, and lightning were all things that Solomon used to increase his power.

    He had been cultivating there, absorbing the stormy energy for weeks when the clouds suddenly condensed into one.

    Solomon had no idea that he was beneath a heavenly storm and was baffled by the scene. He foolishly absorbed the dense spiritual energy and was at the peak of early Earth Realm.

    Solomon sucked up as much energy as he could, and in turn directed the storms focus on him.

    Lightning crackled across the surface of the clouds. First it was white like normal lightning. Then it soon turning red. By the time Solomon realized the coming danger, the lightning in the clouds turned orange and struck at Solomon who was directing a large amount of spiritual energy toward himself.

    The lighting stretched the length of a tall tree and snaked its way toward Solomon like a dragon.

    Solomon only had a split second to react, and he quickly pulled out his most powerful defensive treasure. Solomon threw a silver token toward the bolt of immortal will. The coin began absorbing as much off the immortal will as it could. It only lasted for a few breaths before it rusted and finally burst. The lightning then continued on its path toward Solomon.

    The time the silver token provided Solomon gave him enough time to take out the Red Streak and speed away.

    Solomon''s speed was fast. The Red Streak''s speed combined with his peak early Earth Realm power allowed him to travel faster than he ever had. Unfortunately, his speed was still insignificant in face of the immortal will.

    In order to stall for more time, Solomon sent out treasure after treasure. Each treasure, no matter how important to Solomon, made seemingly no difference to the lightning. The combined defense of ten treasure would only stop the coming danger for a second!

    Solomon had used up dozens of treasures and he was about to run out completely! Although the orange light was slightly red now, Solomon had no hope of outlasting it.

    Rather than wasting his spiritual energy on running, Solomon decided that he would only stand a chance by confronting it with his body.  He had no hope of dispelling the chasing lighting. Even if he were to weaken it, if the bolt were to reach him when he was out of spiritual energy, it would still be like a mortal getting struck by normal lightning!

    Solomon pasted dozens of spirit gathering slips onto his body. He then threw handful after handful of pills into his mouth. Once his meridians were sucking in spirit energy like crazy, Solomon put Red Streak away and faced the lightning!

    The bolt entered through his chest and he was immediately knocked back several yards.

    Solomon lay with a weakened consciousness as he combated the foreign power in his body. Excruciating pain could be felt. It was as if his a fire was tearing through his meridians. The pain was so great, he couldn''t even let out a sound. Although pain was dulled within the Vr world, the constant tingling would still feel like torture.

    All of Solomon''s focus was on staying awake and keeping the danger at bay. If he collapsed now, he would die for sure! If he were to die, he would have to start over from the mid stage of Mortal Realm. He would also lose all of his items!

    Solomon''s body was completely vulnerable. If someone were to find him, all they would need to do was give him a good smack! If his mind were to wander for even a second, the immortal will would break past his spiritual energy and end him!

    Solomon sent his power directly toward the immortal will. Solomon attempted to enclose the lightning with his spiritual energy so he could push it back out. As soon as his energy would make contact with it, the energy would dissipate. Luckily, Solomon had used numerous resources to increase his spirit recovery. He was just barely able to keep up with the destruction within his body.

    Solomon laid in the middle of the jungle. A crackle of orange electricity would occasionally flicker around his body. After what felt like days, but was probably only an hour or two, Solomon was able to force out the immortal will. The once large lighting was now only the length of his index finger.

    Solomon wrapped the bolt in a cloth and used the last of his spirit energy to throw it into his spatial bag. His clothes were charred and his meridians were completely void of spirit energy.

    Immediately after putting the bolt away, Solomon collapsed and was forcefully logged off  from Immortals of the Skies.

 Announcement

    I honestly wrote this story just for the heck of it. I had a bunch of free time and though "why not?" I wanted to see how my junk novel would do.

    I just grabbed a few random genres and decided to make something out of them. Pretty sure that system of making a story (grabbing random stuff and trying to put them together) killed this story before it was even born.Stolen story; please report.

    I honsetly didn''t have a direction to work toward for the first few chapters. I noticed some people reading so I thought I should make something at least a little acceptable.

    I might write a different, more planned out story if I decide to throw this one down the dump. I have a few ideas that I was always too lazy to actually write.

    Sincerly,

    The Master Dragon

    GAO!

 Going on Hiatus

    Hello, this is the writer of Peerless Emperor of the Skies (PES). I''ll be placing the novel on hold while I work on my other work, True Nobility. PES had nothing really planned. The plot for PES was made as I wrote, and seeing how many views it was getting, I decided to jump ship to a more stable story before it was too late. For those of you who enjoy PES, do not worry (that much). I''ll be updating PES every now and then, but I never intended to seriously work on it. I''ll plan out a more appropriate plot so it can be acceptable (at least in my eyes). Once I get everything ready, I''ll get back into updating PES. An ending will be reached someday, because just dropping the novel is the worst thing I think I could do.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    - Master Dragon

    GAO!