《MMORPG: Rise of the Peerless Pumpkinmancer》
Chapter 1: Peerless Pumpkinmancer!
Chapter 1: Peerless Pumpkinmancer!
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Jack O¡¯Neil was a bastard! (Or so everyone said)
Jack O¡¯Neil really was a goddamn bastard, the worst of the worst!
He was a literal bastard since his parents had never married¡ª andter died.
He was a figurative bastard too, an insane one! He had caused, was causing, and would cause so much pandemonium in the gaming world of INFINITE-. It was the only VR MMORPG worth ying in the 22nd century because of its incredible realism.
ying INFINITE was akin to living a second life. Except, this one wasn¡¯t in a modern world filled with stacked boring gray boxes forming skyscrapers.
Before INFINITE, there had been gamers and normies. But after INFINITE, there were only try-hards and casuals, with the formers bing celebrities! It became the first chance to rise up the socialdder for many, ever since they lost their jobs to U-bots.
The reviews were 99% five stars, with 1% being misclicks. It made for a page full of 5*, 5*, 5*, 5*, review PP, 5*, 5*, 5*, 5*! With the review linked to one¡¯s ount, even the trolls didn¡¯t dare to write any BS. No one wanted to repeatedly get spawn-killed by angry fans!
It looked a bit like this:
¡°LegendaryHero: 5* Do you want adventure? Do you want challenge? Do you want incredible treasures? Do you want to live in the greatest magical world ever? Do you want to write a review like me for that sweet ¡®Wannabe Critic¡¯ title? Say no more, friend!¡±
¡°GuyWearingsses: 5* This game has so much potential! As the name says, it¡¯s INFINITE. There is always something to be done, some secret to uncover, and one can even create personalized sses! It can be quite quirky at times, but it¡¯s so much fun!¡±
¡°IScareEasily: 5* This game has helped me ovee my fear of jump scares. Before, I was frightened and internally screaming: ¡®Oh no, I¡¯m gonna die!¡¯. Now, I don¡¯t feel any fear at all while internally yelling: ¡®I¡¯m totally gonna die AND get sweet loot!¡±
¡°HobbyFisherman: 5* I like fishing. This game has fishing. It¡¯s great.¡±
¡°FriendlyPKer: 5* This game is the best to renew friendships! It brought the gang back together! We take long, rxing walks on the merchant route while talking about our feelings, philosophy, the world itself, and ughtering a few dumb travelers.
¡°HotBloodedHero: 5* This game is awesome! Explore every nook and cranny of an amazing virgin world: the deep valleys, the soft mounds, the wet caves¡ Special mention to the busty elven maidens, busty fairies, busty nymphs, busty cyclops, etc.¡±
There were people of all walks of life ying INFINITE. Whether they wanted to rx or aimed to be Rankers, everyone loved the game. Most of them had one thing inmon: They all hated Jack¡¯ O!
It had reached such a point that the young, the grown-ups, the elderly, and the deceased all hated him to the veryst of his undead bones! But, he wasn¡¯t even trying to be despicable! Not at all!
He was the only Pumpkinmancer, a self-created ss. If one were to scour the Inte, there would be countless legends and myths about him, but none evening close to the truth!
This is a tale of rebirth and of oveing the shadows of one¡¯s past.
This is Peerless Pumpkinmancer!
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Wee to MMORPG: Rise of The Peerless Pumpkinmancer
Also known as Rise of the PP ¡ª> RPP
Thanks for giving this a try. Hopefully, you¡¯ll enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it ??
Enjoy! ^_^v
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Pumpkinmancer (noun)
/?p?m(p)k?n?mans?r/
A person who uses dark magic with a pumpkin specialization, especially to reanimate dead people. They are often associated with chaos, pandemonium, unholy goddamn messes, reckless destruction, etc.
PS: It is unknown how many Pumpkinmancers exist, but they appear in every corner of the gaming world ¡°INFINITE¡± and are believed to be legions.
PS¡¯: They are known to be highly whimsical and sometimes will even bring blessings. But know this: no matter what they have in store for you, it is already toote when encountering one!
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I won¡¯t force you to read the author¡¯s notes, but I¡¯ll assume everyone has. You know, that little box at the end of every chap? Yes, that one! Simrly to CA, it¡¯s all canon! ??
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Want to decide what happens next in the novel? You can do a story request!
It is at the author¡¯s discretion, and the story will never bepromised because of it. It could be stuff like Naming/Creating a Character/Race/ss/etc. If there is something you feel passionate about, then it would be cool to have it in the novel!
Here¡¯s how!
1. Discord = Regr giveaway titled ¡®Novel Request¡¯ on the official discord. The discord link is always on the novel¡¯s page directly. Feel free to join.
2. PRIV readers = Comment ¡°!PPrequest¡± under a Priv chapter with details of your request. Winners are randomly chosen.
3. Top 3 contributors Golden Tickets every month
4. GIFT = Any gift that gives the novel a feature receives a novel request.
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Creator¡¯s Thought
In my previous life, I lost everything! I lost my loved ones. I lost my worldly possessions. I lost any semnce of health. I lost my reputation, ndered beyond belief. I lost the warmth of human contact, loneliness ever-present. I lost the will to live, only a zombie existing to fulfill this promise of mine. I lost my soul, selling it to gaming. I became the bullshit Light Goddess¡¯ servant in exchange for power! Eternally bound by her restrictions. Loss, so much loss! Despair, sorrow, adversity, agony, and other dark emotions¡I endured them all! This was not living: it was surviving at best. This time, I will protect them all, I will be happy, I will cruise through adversity, and I will live! Not just live but live the best fucking life I can! ¡ª Jack O¡¯ ~ The one and only Pumpkinmancer
Chapter 2: Jack VS Chaos Maleficient
Chapter 2: Jack VS Chaos Maleficient
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Origin Story: Thest battle of the Herald of Light¡
Story Starts chapter 7
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? Roar! ?
The Ancient dragon¡¯s roar resounded across the battlefield, making the entire realm tremble. Exactly 500 max level yers were facing the deadliest threat that currently existed in the gaming world of INFINITE:
©Ç [Lv600] Chaos Maleficent, Ancient Nihility Dragon ?? ©Ï
Just from looking at it, the yers couldn¡¯t help but shake in their armors:
The creature was bigger than any of them would have fathomed possible. It was so long that it would take days or perhaps weeks to just walk from its tail to its gargantuan head. In fact, it filled most of the Chaotic Realm just lying down.
Its dozen of wings were so huge that they could have eclipsed the sun any time. Every p of its wings would generate tornadoes crackling with baneful dimensional winds that seemed unstoppable.
Its body looked like a sordid amalgam of chaotic evil energy, one that had taken shape to ruin the world. It was dark, shadowy, filled with ck imprable scales & dreadful spikes, and featured the sharpest ws & fangs.
On its skin, countless monstrosities, tentacles, even chaos clones kept spawning! Thesest ones were a pain in the ass: they were copies of the yers themselves. The most disgraceful death was to one¡¯s own OP skills, painstakingly raised!
However, the true horror of the Boss was its darkness magic! It had infinite mana and kept raining deadly AoE spells upon them. The most dreadful was its ¡®Call of The Void¡¯ that opened a gigantic corrosive portal leading to the shadow realm.
The yers had been tortuously evading the tornadoes, dodging the enemy¡¯s magic, blocking the chaos clones, parrying the tentacles, and attacking all at the same time!
The tanks were all over the ce, trying to protect the others. The supports were stacking so many buffs on everyone that they felt like Supermen. Then the DPS did what they did best: cause damage as if their lives depended on it!
Everything was going surprisingly well, but that¡¯s when the almighty creature drove an incredible quantity of mana toward its mouth. Every dragon had a breath attack, and this Chaos Dragon was no exception¡ª well, it had a Unique Roar skill.
? Roar! ?
That is when it used its ¡°breath¡±. Its roar echoed once more, shaking their hearts, minds, and souls. All the yers stopped dead in their tracks, freezing. This instantly brought a disaster upon them:
The chaotic tornadoes engulfed some, never to be seen ever again.
The yers¡¯ chaos clones dispatched some in the shiest of manners.
The tentacles very roughly handled some until death ensued.
The Boss directly ate some.
That is when they came back to their senses, ready to get revenge! Well, most did. The sound wave had affected 100 yers (chosen randomly). Their eyes becamepletely onyx ck as they turned against their allies!
That is when a random Arch-Cleric used an appraisal spell before crying out loud in despair: ¡°They¡¯re afflicted by the S!!! Mass Confusion Curse! I can¡¯t dispel something so OP. No one can!¡±
In such a case, they would need to kill all 100 affected. That would leave less than 400 yers to do a 500 men raid. The main problem was that Dragons in INFINITE always breathed thrice.
Instantly, the entire Raid turned frenzied as the yers began panicking. They understood the situation they were in. Against such nonsensical power, they felt so insignificant!
They tried their best to survive whileining:
¡°Oh crap! We¡¯re screwed!¡±
¡°How are we supposed to beat that?!¡±
¡°These Devs don¡¯t know wtf bnce means!¡±
¡°Screw whoever designed this cheated Boss!¡±
¡°Fuck! I knew a PUG wouldn¡¯t work! This is insanity!¡±
¡°The rumors were true! We shouldn¡¯t have followed this madman!¡±
¡°Screw that idiotic raid leader! He lied about knowing how to counter it!¡±
But that is when someone in the crowd began chuckling. He had Draconic features and was crushing every shadow creature in his vicinity. He was even smiling! He then calmly spoke to the panicking members:
¡°That is exactly why you guys were only picked to fill the numbers. Take a deep breath, make sure you don¡¯t perish stupidly, and be patient. Everything will be alright.¡±
One of them couldn¡¯t take it. ¡°What do you mean: take a deep breath?! Don¡¯t you see that¡ª¡± but he was interrupted by a nearby yer.
¡°Shhh¡ª That guy is the Immortal Half-Dragon Kron! The only one called a true dragon in INFINITE!¡± the man shouted, starstruck.
¡°Kron?! Kron the Twice limit Breaker?! Holy shit! No wonder he looked familiar!¡±
¡°So what if he¡¯s a legend? We¡¯re all going to die anyway!¡± A bystander scoffed with disdain.
¡°It would take a miracle to save us!¡± A scared yer utter in a cracking voice.
A miracle, was it? Their current raid group had something even better! The Humanoid Dragon nonchntly replied: ¡°Have faith, for HE is leading the raid.¡±
The crowd all nced toward the man that had recruited them for this event but instantly lost all hopes. Their so-called leader, the Jack fe, was standing there with his eyes pitch ck. They all knew what this meant.
Their raid leader had been taken out directly by the Nihility Dragon¡¯s Madness Breath attack! This was incredibly bad luck: It had a 1/5 chance to happen, but it did. No one could me him either, for the attack was unavoidable.
Still, they felt terrible since this Raid would be a failure for sure. It was impossible to free oneself from the curse. The only solution was for a teammate to use an Ancient level unique item. These were so rare already, and it required a cleansing one to boot!
But, just as most were despairing, a mor was heard amongst the troops. It started with a few observant yersughing boisterously but then spread like thunder! The yers that had joined to fill the numbers were utterly lost. What was happening?!
Kron the Half-Dragon chuckled once more: ¡°As I said, have faith. Jack is leading us.¡±
There was a short moment during which time seemed to freeze¡
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
That is when the eyes of the man in the middle of the army began fluttering. The darkness in them receded as he observed the state of the battlefield with clear eyes before smirking.
¡°Hehe, I¡¯m back!¡± Jack giggled, not caring about all the deaths.
A golden aura began radiating out of his being. Jack looked like a deity as he glowed with the purest light. His gaze was now as intense as the sun itself! He looked like the very definition of modesty, elegance, and kindness.
Jack then raised a simple-looking staff worth a few¡ª many millions of Credits/billions of Gold. Out of it radiated a holy light that bathed the entire realm, getting rid of ALL curses.
As the crowd was bbergasted, a discordant voice resounded that made everyone¡¯s hair rise in sheer difort.
¡°ImPoSsIbLe! HoW DiD YoU WaKe uP?! No hUmAn wIlLpOwEr iS ThIs sTrOnG! wHo aRe yOu?!¡± This was the first time the Dragon Chaos Maleficent even deign to address the lower lifeforms crawling at its feet.
Jack provocatively red, not intimidated in the least by the strongest Boss. ¡°I am the Herald of the Goddess of Light! Prepare to die foul beast for¡ª Wait a fucking minute! This is the Chaos Realm! That bitch can¡¯t see what¡¯s happening here!¡±
He had just gleefully realized that he didn¡¯t have to follow the strict teachings at that moment. God, did he hate thesemandments! They prevented him from drinking, swearing, murdering, thieving, lusting, and any and all fun really! This was such a goddamn killjoy!
That is when the holy Herald of Light seemed to disappear, only good old Jack remaining. His posture instantly rxed as a vulgar smile appeared on his face. No one would have believed that he was the representative of the Goddess of Light!
Jack was now ready to execute the most insane and stupid battle n ever to exist since the release of INFINITE! After today, he would finally have his ce in the PANTHEON¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Let me tell you. The Goddess of Light was a huge Bitch! Really her whole Church was horrible. I¡¯m convinced whoever designed her faction meant it as a punishment for whoever would be tempted by the sweet promises of power. That¡¯s the evilest thing I can imagine!
Chapter 3: Mad Leader, Mad Followers!
Chapter 3: Mad Leader, Mad Followers!
Jack was getting ready to execute the most insane and stupid battle n ever to exist since the release of INFINITE!
After today, he would finally have his ce in the PANTHEON! It required him to defeat the Nihility Dragon, the current final Boss of Infinite. It was said only to be possible to beat it with a raid full of twice limit-breakers.
The problem was that Jack¡¯s party only had 10% of its members with such qualifications. All the remaining were nothing more than max-level canon fodders.
How was it possible for cannon fodder to be max level?! Well, they were only cannon-fodder to the very top yers: the 1% of the 1% of the 1% of the 1%! In that realm, limit-breakers were everything!
To be a limit breaker, one had toplete insanely perverse trials. These were the ultimate challenges of the game. Even finishing a single one meant that one was a great ranker with both amazing gear and skills.
Even then, Jack wasn¡¯t about to give up. Since defeating it with the known method was impossible, he would get creative! He went out of his way to recruit the yers with the highest damage potential without regard to their survivability.
Their job would just be to sit in rtive safety and DPS. No one was doing such a thing because it was impossible to keep the Boss¡¯s aggro on one individual¡ª or so everyone thought.
Jack knew how proud dragons were. If there was one thing that they were especially proud about, it was their breath attack. Jack managing to regain consciousness on his own was the greatest insult to the monster.
Jack only needed to give it a little push. As a squishy cloth-wearing Archpriest, he would keep the aggro on him. Yes, it was madness!
It was now time for the insults:
¡°I¡¯m your fucking father, you dumb fucking overgrown lizard! What¡¯s with these ugly as fuck tentacles?! This MMO may have 18+ content, but it¡¯s not a goddamn H game! How can you be so stupid as to confuse the two?!¡±
This dragon was wise and wouldn¡¯t be overwhelmed by anger that easily. That¡¯s why Jack kept going relentlessly:
¡°You have such huge wings, but you can only p them weakly because you¡¯re so fat! Are you a dragon, or are you a chicken? Also, what¡¯s with the tornadoes? Are you jealous of the wind dragons?¡±
¡°Hey, Nihility Dragon. Do you want a job? I can offer you a respectable position as a barbecue stand. We¡¯ll just use all these useless spikes of yours as skewers for the meat. Ah, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll spare your chicken brethren.¡±
¡°Is that what you call a curse? Howughable! I can cleanse all of it with just one spell, talk about useless!¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you a little old to be copying someone else¡¯s homework? Howzy and useless are you? Stop copying the yers and create something original for once!¡±
¡°I have a gift for you! I brought you a wife! Look at this beauty! I made sure to pick one that would be just the right fit for you down there if you know what I mean ;).¡±
Jack threw a tiny gecko toward the titanic dragon. It seemed like thatst one did the trick as he could feel so much murderous killing intent locking right on him. But Jack retained his calm and confidently dered:
¡°He¡¯s locked unto me! Time to go all out, you guys! Fuck this Biatch up! HAHAHAHA.¡± His insaneughter filled the entire realm.
That is when many yers began stripping their cosmetic equipment as they got serious. All around, many boring-looking yers had suddenly turned into bloodthirsty devils.
The Noobs could only watch bbergasted as about 100 weird-looking yers revealed themselves one after the other. They gulped loudly in fright when they realized that about half of them had red names! They were murderers!
The Dragon rushed at Jack, but he was already gone. A nearby yer had thrown him farther away. This was the n: the tanks would throw Jack around, use him as bait, and try to slow the monster down. A single hit would be enough to defeat him, and a single error would doom the raid.
As Jack flew in the air, he kept casting S-ranks buffs as if beginner magic. Some of these abilities were renowned for being close to impossible to master and use. After all, magic in INFINITE wasn¡¯t that simple.
Yet, he didn¡¯t show any sign of stopping as he kept spinning airborne, at a speed that would have rendered the most skillful of assassins dizzy. He was only barely holding it together thanks to a Unique self-buff skill.
He could only do that because he was popping mana blessings like crazy, keeping his mana full. Each was worth 10k Credits (20k ramen portions) but it was a necessary sacrifice.
As he flew, he could see snippets of the battlefield and hear echoes of the shouts. The whole scene was a goddamn mess. The people he had brought along were quite peculiar too:
Archmages were throwing cmity level spells while yelling ¡°EXPLOSION!!!¡±. There was only one explosion mage in their midst, yet all were shouting that attack name!
Archpriests were blessing their teammates boosting their power over 9000 going ¡°WOLOLO-WOLOLO!
Archapotheticaries were throwing various poisonous and exploding sks all over, turning the battlefield into a fireworks exhibition.
Archpdins held weapons shiny enough to render anyone blind! ¡°Herees the holy hammer of justice, right in your ugly face!¡±
Archrangers were shooting more arrows than one could count. ¡°Take this, you big fat lizard! This is the retribution of the Four Blind Archers. Zi*lregen, lizard goes boom!¡±
Archberserkers were bellowing as they carried various weapons bigger than them, with one of them fighting with a literal castle tower! ¡°BERSERKER SMASH!¡±
Archmonks were mming their palms, feet, bald heads, shoulders, butt, and every other imaginable body part into the vile creature. Good thing there was nudity prevention in the game, for they all proudly fought naked! ¡°ORA ORA ORA!¡±
Archshadowknights were invoking the power of evil gods, with some even doing live sacrificial offerings. ¡°Blood for the Blood evil Deity thingy!¡±
Archnecromancers were raising undead relentlessly akin to live factories. ¡°Go, my spooky scary skeletons!¡±
Archsumoners were invoking other kinds of deadly beings all over the ce. ¡°Release the Dimensional Kraken!¡± & ¡°Go, my Duck Legion!¡±
ArchDragonyers were excitingly shopping (kinda). ¡°I¡¯m wearing your brethren, and soon I¡¯m gonna be wearing you!¡±
Archbards were motivating the troops in the frontline. Yes, most were happily dodging deadly attacks one after the other at close range as they let their musical talent shine. ¡°We¡¯re all going to fucking die! Ll!¡± ¡°Never gonna give you u¡ª¡±
Archninjas kept teleporting all over the ce at a speed that would have rendered anyone sick while wearing strange outfits: shy red suit, green tracksuit, maid outfit, etc.! They were brandishing two-handed weapons while shouting ¡°NIN-NIN!¡±
Then there were the archfishermen, archcksmiths, archarchitects, archenchanters, archjewelers, archtailors, archgatherers, archcooks, archminers, and many more. Some didn¡¯t have a precise ss either, but they still used the Arch-recurring joke.
The fight kept going, with Jack feeling like a potato sack, but that didn¡¯t matter. They survived the second breath and finally the third breath attack. At that point, victory was in sight.
Jack couldn¡¯t help but cackle loudly like a madman: ¡°HAHAHAHA With this kill, I will finally have my ce in the PANTHEON!¡± He then murmured under his breath. ¡°I¡¯ve finally done it, Lil¡¯ sis. I hope you¡ª¡±
But he was rudely interrupted. Next to his flying body, someone had suddenly appeared.
It was an individual wearing ck ethereal-looking clothes that fluttered counter to the wind. Around that person¡¯s neck, there was a medallion he was familiar with, the Eye of the Abyss: an assassin¡¯s mark.
Jack instantly reacted, as he went to parry. He knew he could only survive 1 second at best against such a deadly assassin but it would be enough. His friends woulde to his help, he trusted them!
This dumbass was in for a world of pain. Not only wouldn¡¯t he get the clear title for the Nihility Dragon but he had just made a very petty enemy. Jack had a small smile on his face even in such a tense situation, but it then turned to a grimace.
He heard a cacophony of shouts as way too many spells and skills were thrown all over the ce. The raid group he had carried all this while was revealing its true colors. The random members were turning on them!
No, nonono! Why?! This was the stupidest decision they could ever make! They would all fail! Why the betrayal?! No, it had been a setup from the very start! This was the only exnation!
¡°Stop this madness! We can all beat this raid together and enter History!!¡± Jack shouted, but none bothered listening as the ughter continued.
His opponent then spoke. It was a cold voice, one that enjoyed seeing him suffer and oozed with greed. One that felt like gloating ¡°It¡¯s no use, broke bastard. They¡¯ve all been bought. Your head is worth a lot right now, you know!¡±
His opponent swung its dagger, one sharp enough to tear the fabric of the world as it crackled with negative energy. Jack felt his arms grow weak, unable to block anymore. He was doomed.
The finishing blow came. The dagger moved too fast for him to see it, but he felt it. He felt a sudden burst of pain in his body and his soul.
Then Jack¡¯s vision went dark¡.
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©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
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Creator¡¯s Thought
I was so close, so damn close! No, who am I kidding? There was only 1 spot left. I was struggling so much to enter the veryst position amongst the Pantheon. To others I was great, but to the True Rankers, I was nothing but a wannabe with big dreams. That was the sad reality.
Chapter 4: I Miss You Sis
Chapter 4: I Miss You Sis
Awakening was always the worst. It wasn¡¯t just displeasing, it was downright torturous.
As Jack regained consciousness, his brain instinctively made him draw a deep breath. The cold air invaded his lungs, grating his insides and making him cough continuously. It was a cough so deep it almost made the whole building quake!
His diaphragm kept tremoring as he fought to steady his now-shaking body. He felt as if he would cough his lungs out but knew it would stop after a few minutes. It was always like that.
Such was the curse of deep diving, aka logging on for way too long straight. This was possible because the VR headset was truly magical. It could slow down a human¡¯s bodily functions to their bare minimum, akin to being in stasis.
But, there was only so much that technology could do. Excessive VR diving would confuse the brain into epting this slowed-down state as the new normal, thus this huge reaction.
Jack freed himself from the device, searching his room with a steady gaze that didn¡¯t fit his weak body. His prison-like tiny gray apartment was separated into two sections.
One side was utterly filled with trash. There were dirty dishes, empty ramen packets, rice grains, and other non-identifiable objects. It didn¡¯t look habitable in the least.
The other side was an extreme contrast and was so clean that it was unbelievable. But Jack barely nced there. He knew what he was looking for wasn¡¯t there.
Jack rummaged into the trash, not minding the mess one bit, until he finally found what he was looking for. It was an old brick-like cellphone that looked so old yet wasn¡¯t. It was one of those military grades cellphones with close to infinite resistance and battery.
He opened it and that is when came a flurry of notification sounds. There were so many missed calls and text messages. But, they all basically said the same thing in different terms.
¡°Don¡¯t kill yourself, Jack!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t kill yourself, please!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t kill yourself, please! Don¡¯t kill yourself, Jack!¡±
Funny how all of it all came from gaming buddies. They were people he had never met and that he probably would never meet.
That¡¯s when his body began shaking as he felt another coughing fit take over. No, they definitely would never meet. Not with him in this state.
He knew how terrible his exhausted body looked. He probably had more ck under the eyes than a damn panda!
He gave a self-deprecating smile as he understood his friends¡¯ worries. He had lost millions upon millions of credits to organize this raid, hence the shitty apartment, and now it had failed.
He had been so close, but now it was toote. He wouldn¡¯t be able to join the pantheon. This was the exclusive beta test of the uing update, reserved only for the best yers. There had been onest spot remaining, but he had failed to join.
He knew himself that his skills were trashpared to the other top-Rankers. He was better than 99% of the yers, but he had also reached his mastery limit. He knew he could not improve further, unlike them.
This opportunity had been his Hail Mary. Beta test meant more knowledge, and also the possibility of getting new character abilities strong enough to bnce his own shorings.
He truly had lost too much with that betrayal and that assassination. Still, he would never kill himself, he wouldn¡¯t follow the old man¡¯s path.
He put his phone in do not disturb mode and removed the notifications. Then, he searched his short contact list, pressing the ¡°Odd Job Willy¡± entry.
For a few instants, the ringing and his irregr breathing were all he heard. But then an excited voice picked up.
¡°Boss! You¡¯re alive! People on the Net are all saying you killed yourself after that monumental failure.¡±
¡°Save it, I have a job for you.¡± Jack lowly said.
¡°Hehe, I was hoping you¡¯d call! I heard all about it. Some prick from Abyss Gaze caused all this mess! You want him gone, right? What about the other random yers?¡± Willy asked expectantly.
¡°You¡¯re wrong. The target is from Death Sentence. They have a new executive eager to prove himself. They¡¯re trying to take down Abyss Gaze as well, forcefully bringing them in the crossfire.¡± Jack exined.
¡°B-boss, how do you know?! All clues lead to-¡°Willy asked utterly confused.
¡°Exactly. A professional Assassin doesn¡¯t leave clues. You know what to do, I want the culprit to be begging for death.¡± Jack instructed.
¡°Yes, Boss! As for payment¡¡± Willy tentatively asked.
¡°Yes.¡± This was enough. They both knew what this meant.
Jack decisively ended the call, Fucking pricks from Death Sentence! They were a bunch of elitists with exorbitant rates. They thought themselves hot-shit just because they were the renowned #1 assassin guild.
But, there was a difference between being a strong assassin in-game and being strong IRL. The culprit behind his demise would soon very very painfullye to understand this and so would to true mastermind behind him.
Jack had sacrificed too much for him to simply ept this loss. They had thrown money around IRL to screw up his life. He would counter IRL too and make an example of them so it never happened again.
INFINITE had long stopped being just a game for many. The stakes were too high and the money involved too much. Money corrupted and made the worst in humanse out.
He now realized the mistake he hadmitted. He has sold everything he owned to finance that raid and driven himself to poverty.
Meanwhile, his enemies had ndered his name to the ground. Many called him a cheater and an exploiter since his mechanical skills werecking. Jack couldn¡¯t win a fair 1 v 1 anywhere near his level of y if he had to use a dummy tournament ount.
All this hadn¡¯t mattered to him. Why would he care about reputation? Why would he care about money? But it had made some fools think of him as an easy target to bully. The ones responsible would regret it and die an agonizing death, but what was the point? He couldn¡¯t help but sigh.
Jack boiled some water, grabbed 2 bowls along with 2 packs of ramen, and headed to the clean side of the apartment. There stood an altar, the kind that was dedicated to deceased loved ones.
In a simple but elegant wooden frame, there was the picture of a youthful young woman. Her long ck flowing hair epassed a cute face with a radiant smile. She was making a peace sign while looking straight at him.
Jack ced a ramen bowl right in front of her: ¡± Here you go, Sis! It¡¯s your favorite: beef vor and the perfect temperature!¡± He spoke in a tone so jovial it would have made one question the setback he had just suffered.
Jack wasn¡¯t crazy. Well, he was in his own way. No one else would sacrifice so much for gaming without being a little crazy.
But, he very well knew that she was dead and that this was nothing more than a framed picture. It was only a memento of the past, a past when he was still happy.
Still, talking to ¡°her¡± helped him. It served as a kind of therapy. He knew that if he were to consult a professional they would reproach his ¡°self-destructive¡± tendencies.
¡°Sis, remember when you told me you wanted me to live until I became number 1 in INFINITE? Today I came very close to joining the Pantheon!¡± He spoke as if a kid bragging about his achievements.
Yes, he knew she had only said it because it felt like an impossible goal back then. He hadn¡¯t been anywhere close to the Rankings. She had wanted to give him to a reason to live.
Jack was ying INFINITE because of her: it used to be their thing. It had been the distraction they both needed to distract themselves from the old man¡¯s death.
¡°But, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m strong and I won¡¯t give up just yet. When the new updatees, I¡¯ll work my magic. I¡¯ll find a way to cheese it as usual! I¡¯ll do it so well that people will think I¡¯m cheating again!¡±
A moment of silence followed, broken only by the slurping sounds. He finished his favorite chicken ramen in a jiffy before turning to his sister¡¯s bowl:
¡°Are you full already? It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll eat it so we don¡¯t waste food!¡± Anyone seeing this would have considered him insane.
Jack didn¡¯t even like the beef vor! But every time he ate it, his brain associated the taste with happy memories. Then he would wordlessly smile, a very nostalgic smile, one tinged with sorrow.
¡°Thanks for the meal, this was great!¡± Jack patted his skinny belly in satisfaction. He probably should remember to eat more.
He then stared at a gray wall for a few minutes. He had spent thest month tirelessly working on that one raid. He had spent every waking hour fixating on this one goal and now he felt empty.
Now that he had missed this opportunity, he had nothing to do until the new update came. He had the best gear, all his relevant skills were maxed out. He could always amass wealth but what was the point?
No, for a while he was probably better off tending to his broken body. He would actually sleep for once, eat well and get back in shape. This way when the new update came out, probably in a few months, he would be ready to farm 24/7.
He sighed deeply, found his keys, wore the first hoody and jogging pants he could find, and for the first time in forever left his apartment.
The town was as gray and dull as usual. Then again this town, in particr, was extremely boring. Most buildings served as storage and only had safe and cheap going for them.
His current destination was outside the town, a few minutes away if riding a hovercraft or about a 1-hour walk. Right now he had ample time and needed the exercise.
Jack was heading to a park that also served as a natural reserve for a few weird species. No one knew how they got there or how they even existed but no one cared either.
This outing would definitely do him good¡.
Creator¡¯s Thought
Loneliness is harsh, very harsh. When we are sad we look forfort. When we are happy we look for someone to share it with. This is how humans are. Sometimes I felt less than human. I felt like a Zombie, a very lonely Zombie.
Chapter 5: Hiking: Suicide Trail
Chapter 5: Hiking: Suicide Trail
¡°Thanks, sign, but I¡¯ve never seen a citizen of city Z here in my life. They have a fancy useum and wouldn¡¯te to this dump,¡± Jack chuckled, breathing roughly in between.
At the park entrance, a lone security guard in a small metallic cabin was diligently watching porn. How long had this man been here? At least five years for sure. As soon as he noticed him, he smiled.
¡°Hey man, you¡¯re back! Look at how flexible this girl is! She can literally give you a titfuck in doggy style position!¡±
¡°You know I don¡¯t care, right?¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah. It¡¯s always Infinite this, Infinite that! You need to getid, man. Ah, but first, you need some muscles. Just look at your skinny ass! Even if you got a girl, I¡¯d be worried you¡¯d die under her! Then again, there are worse deaths¡¡±
¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t n on embracing Thanatos just yet.¡±
¡°That sounds gay AF, man. Anyway, if you need some good stuff For Academic Purposes, you know who to ask. Not to brag, but that¡¯s how I saved a guy¡¯s lifest week! He wanted to kill himself, then I shared my collection with him, and he went home urgently with tears of gratitude!¡±
The guard seemed so proud¡with reason. ¡°You¡¯re heading to the Suicide Trail, right? Don¡¯t jump, or I¡¯ll have to file an incident report!¡± Then he waved him goodbye and went back to his hectic viewing schedule.
This was the worth of human life: an incident report. But Jack was used to it. He used to be a regr here. How many times had he gazed at the abyss, wondering if he should end it all? It was a rhetorical question, and he had lost count.
This ce was a mountain with plenty of hiking trails and filled with tons of carnivorous predators. Even then, it was pretty safe as an automated defense system protected the routes with sma canons. The animals knew better than toe anywhere near.
Overall, it felt like an excellent low-budget safari:
¨C Lots of wildlife
¨C No barrier blocking one¡¯s vision
¨C A minimalist feel with all safety measures hidden
Then, why was there a trail called suicide trail? Since times immemorial, despairing people would throw themselves off mountains. This trail had a vantage point to observe thendscape and creatures eager to clean the remains!
Any suicide that happened here was a messy suicide avoided! A man throwing himself in front of a subway was sad, but the cost of the disruption was the true tragedy! Such was the current state of the world.
Jack slowly ascended the mountain,boriously breathing akin to an extremely old pilgrim. It was autumn, and leaves were colorful as they fell off the trees, looking vibrant and smelling of death. It matched his mood perfectly.
The chilly wind tickled his neck during the whole ascension. He finally reached the top where he would definitely take a break, for he was tired as hell!
Surprisingly, there was someone there already. Jack found it weird: the guard would have usually told him about it. It was a young man sitting on the rocky ledge, his legs swinging over the abyss. The youngster was loudly mumbling to himself:
¡°I really should jump. What¡¯s the point of living anymore?¡± Jack could only sigh, so much for the serene calm that he had been hoping for.
The man looked like any other youngster: short brown hair, brown eyes filled with tears, and tanned, healthy brown skin. As he saw Jack appear, he unconsciously became wary. He frowned, wrinkled his nose, and showed a facade of a being resolute.
His bodynguage said: ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but you won¡¯t change my mind!¡± But, he was bound to be surprised as Jack went to sit away from him.
¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± Jack nonchntly said. This shocked the youngster to the core.
¡°Y-you, what did you just say?!¡± He uttered, his mouth gaping.
¡°If you really have nothing to live for, jump. But, I really doubt that¡¯s the case.¡± Jack shrugged as he gazed at the night sky, slowly bing one with nature.
¡°My girlfriend dumped me, and my mom just died! Now I¡¯m stuck with my step-father that hates me to the bone. Can you even picture the anguish that I¡¯m going through right now?¡± The kid whined.
Jack slowly uttered in response:
¡°I¡¯m broke, my body is broken, I don¡¯t have a single rtive or close friend left, I possibly just missed my best chance at ever achieving greatness in Infinite, and my name has been dragged through the mud. So, no. I have no clue about the anguish you¡¯re feeling.¡±
That sarcastic reply made the youngster freeze. It wasn¡¯t what had been said, but all the unsaid that astonished him. He could instinctively feel how honest Jack had been, and yet he was not showing a single ounce of despair?!
The youngster¡¯s life was nowhere bleak inparison! He was akin to a guy with a paper cut visiting a terminally ill patient ward toin about pain. He stared for a few seconds before finally uttering.
¡°H-how?! How are you coping with all that?!¡±
¡°It¡¯s easy. Instead of focusing on all that goes wrong in your life, pay attention to that one thing that goes right. Humans can be surprisingly resilient, you know. ¡± Jack slowly said, the soft glow of moonlight giving him an unfathomable aura.
¡°It¡¯s about that single thing that is right¡.¡± The youngster softly mumbled over and over. After a few minutes of doing so, he finally raised his head once more, a huge smile on his face.
¡°You said that you y Infinite, right?! I y it too!¡± He excitedly shared.
¡°-_- Who doesn¡¯t y Infinite nowadays?¡± Jack sneered.
¡°Hehe, that¡¯s true. How long have you been ying? What ss and Race are you ying? Who¡¯s your favorite Ranker?!¡± He shot questions with the speed of a virgin embracing a woman for the first time.
¡°I don¡¯t especially have a favorite Ranker. But I loathe humans, especially the ones that are self-righteous and stuck up like the Church of the Holy Light.¡± Jackined from the bottom of his heart.
¡°In general, I 100% agree! But have you heard about the Herald of Light? This guy is a goddamn Legend! People say he stole his ss change item from other rankers and that he¡¯s worthless, but that¡¯s horse shit!¡± He shouted with enthusiasm.
¡°You seem to know a lot about him,¡± Jackmented, scratching his head. What were the chances for him to randomly stumble upon one of his fans?
¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors that the Herald of Light has tons of shady friends, one crazier than the others. He¡¯s also the one that has ruined the most factions single-handedly. How did he even do it while upholding the Church¡¯s beliefs?!¡±
¡°Who knows¡¡±
¡°I heard that even IRL he¡¯s a freaking badass. Each of his appearances in amercial is worth millions of credits! Even then, he only endorses products that he truly agrees with, no exception no matter how much is offered!¡±
¡°Is that so¡¡±
¡°Do you know how he deals with gold diggers or fame sluts? He quizzes them about the world of Infinite, saying the least they can do is learn about their target¡¯s job! Apparently, he once said: ¡°Breasts are temporary, but Infinite is eternal!¡± This is a next-level ¡®begone thot¡¯ move!¡±
¡°There are many Rankers with way more interesting scandals¡.¡± Jack remarked.
The youngster calmed down as he turned serious.
¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. But you know, all the other top Rankers are skies beyond skies. They have superhuman reaction speed and mechanical skills. They¡¯re just built different, and that¡¯s why they reign supreme.¡±
He then gave a meaningful smile.
¡°Not him! His mechanical skills areparatively trash. He¡¯s not some lucky god chosen born with better genes. He¡¯s worked for it. Well, in-game he¡¯s totally a Goddess¡¯s chosen, but you know what I mean.¡±
¡°I see¡¡±
¡°You know¡This is going to sound weird, but you kinda remind me of him. Well, he¡¯s still a top Ranker, so I¡¯m sure he lives in a giant mansion somewhere fancy. Ah, I¡¯ve been rambling, haven¡¯t I? Sorry¡.¡±
A huge mansion, was it? At some point, Jack had lived in one. He had beautiful maids, the fanciest decoration, the most incredible flying wave pool of all time, and tons of other useless shit.
He had given it all up without hesitation for a single chance at joining the Pantheon. He had plenty of regrets, but his only recent one was that one raid failure. He didn¡¯t care about any of the rest.
DING-DING! The loud sound of mobile notifications shattered the silence.
The youngster received some message that made his face transform as he began beaming in happiness. He then started running down the mountain, shouting a simple ¡°Sorry, gotta go! Thanks for everything!¡±
Jack could only sigh. The quality of his fanbase sure had fallen!
For a few seconds, there was silence, but then it was disrupted by tons of reproachful quacking sounds. A flock of duck rose from the forest below,ing to hover in front of him, just far enough not to be shot down by the turrets.
QUACK!
QUACK!
QUACK!
QUACK!
The ducks were quite ugly. They were brown, showed malformations akin to eldritch monsters, and had beaks full of sharp piranha-like teeth but bigger. They were angry at losing their lunch, and they knew Jack would never jump.
These creatures were as intelligent as ugly. A few secondster, they jerked in shock before diving back downward, hiding hurriedly with the world returning to stillness.
A few minutester, Jack heard footsteps. Was the youngstering back? Usually, he could spend hours here without a single disturbance. Today really wasn¡¯t his day.
This time it was a young woman, but there was something wrong with her. So goddamn wrong! Jack instantly realized that she would be a massive headache.
Who came to a mountain in high heels and wearing such revealing clothes?! Her red dress was short enough to be mistaken for a shirt and hugged her body so tightly that it could have burst at any moment.
But that wasn¡¯t all. She also had white hair and shiny glowing white eyes: she was a modder! These people who modified their bodies tended to be either very fucking awesome or very fucking crazy. Somehow, Jack had an awful feeling about this one¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
This is why we can¡¯t have nice things! A nice mountain trail with a cool vantage point turned into a glorified suicide cabin! Shame, such a shame! Also, I always stayed away from modding. It was fine in single-yer games but I have my reservations about it IRL!
Chapter 6: One Crazy Bitch!
Chapter 6: One Crazy Bitch!
White hair, white eyes, white skin, and clothes that would have made an immoral temptress blush. As soon as Jack saw her, he knew she¡¯d be trouble. That¡¯s what his instinct told him.
She nced his way with her mesmerizing gaze, one that could entice any man¡ª or so she thought. Jack barely nced at her and even seemed to be about to leave, startling her.
She was used to people avoiding her gaze while feeling insecure. She was used to people looking at her with a lustful gaze. She was used to all types of reactions¡ª all except being ignored.
For her, his calm was surprising, intriguing even. In her mystifying eyes, there was now a hint of amusement as she slowly moved toward him, imperceptibly swaying her full hips and cing a slender arm under her full bosom, ¡°inadvertently¡± raising it upward.
She then slowly raised her dainty hand toward the night sky with longing: ¡°Isn¡¯t the moon stunning tonight? Such splendor was definitely worth scaling this precipitous peak. Did the moon also guide you here, mister?¡± Her voice was as clear as gentle.
¡°No, my restless thoughts and a need for peace did. I¡¯ll be going now, enjoy moon gazing.¡± Jack murmured, but she wasn¡¯t done.
¡°The most beautiful of sights are wasted if kept to oneself. The world¡¯s marvels can only be truly appreciated in goodpany. Would you stay a few more minutes and enjoy this beautiful night with me?¡± She pleaded softly.
Jack¡¯s bad feeling had somehow gone away. Had he been too on edgetely? This girl was a weirdo for sure, and her appearance here was unsettling, but perhaps she didn¡¯t mean any harm.
She slowly approached, so lightly as if afraid to disturb the quiet with her footsteps. She then sat next to him with an innocent smile. She looked so pure under the moonlight, enchanting even.
¡°Do you oftene here, brother?¡± She curiously asked.
¡°Not these days. I usually keep myself busy.¡±
¡°I heard there are many desperate people thate here. Is it true, brother?¡±
¡°Yes, far too many.¡± Jack sighed.
¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to visit this ce. Legends say this mountain was once a magicalnd, a ce of worship. Did you know, brother?¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid now it¡¯s and of ugly mutated animals.¡± Jack chuckled lightly.
¡°People used to worship the god of renewal here. He would bless his believers and bring them happiness, for a price, of course.¡±
¡°A price?¡± Jack raised an eyebrow.
¡°Yes, people would offer him sacrifices in exchange for prosperity. The greater the anguish, regrets, and rage of the sacrificed targets and the greater the blessings. Can you believe it, brother?¡±
¡°People can believe in anything when they are desperate enough.¡± Jack knew that firsthand.
¡°They say that this god could travel through time and even revive the dead. How amazing is that?¡±
¡°Every good story includes miracles.¡± Especially religions, Jack thought.
¡°True. Still, the power of time sounds so amazing! Over the years, this ce slowly became a suicide trail. To think that the god would be forgotten but that the sacrifices would continue!¡± Shemented.
¡°No, a sacrifice is giving up something. That¡¯s impossible when one¡¯s life has lost all meaning already. If it wasn¡¯t the case, they wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± Jack exined.
¡°How wise, brother! You know, I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re here with me. It must be fate that we met. You can call me Lilly.¡± She whispered gently.
Lilly? Was she really? It was such a beautiful name, the most beautiful in existence. No. No, she wasn¡¯t. She wasn¡¯t Lilly! Her using that name was no coincidence! That¡¯s when Jack returned to his senses. Pure and innocent? She wasn¡¯t. She had never been. Enchanting? Not!
They had been having a pleasant conversation all this time, but there was something wrong, so very wrong. As he turned toward her once more, there was no trace of this ¡®innocent¡¯ side of hers.
She was gazing at him with the gaze of a predator, eyes glowing in the darkness. Her smile was anything but pure. It was a perverse smile, one that knew she had entranced him but one that was slowly bing distorted.
¡°Who are you?!¡± Jack growled
¡°I-I¡¯m Lilly¡¡± She replied meekly as if a terrified rabbit.
Jack decisively got up. He wouldn¡¯t stay here. How had she even done that earlier? An entrancing chemical perhaps? He didn¡¯t know, but he also didn¡¯t want to know. He wouldn¡¯t fall in whatever scheme this was.
Just as he was about to leave, he heard her voice once more. This time there was no timidity, only a tempting tone. She yfully chuckled: ¡°Ah, the jig is up, eh? You know, you¡¯re a very hard man to track, Herald of Light Jack.¡±
Jack almost froze. She perfectly knew who he was. She had known since the beginning. What did she want from him? He couldn¡¯t feel any killing intent. This felt worse as her motives were cryptic. He kept walking away, she was throwing bait, but he wouldn¡¯t bite.
¡°Are you just going to ignore me? Please stay, I¡¯m so lonely! I could use a valiant man tofort me all night long. Please, pretty please!¡± She was caressing herself as she said that, giving him a very suggestive smile.
¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Jack remained unfazed.
¡°Tch¡ªYou¡¯re no fun. What if I told you I know who made you fail that raid? You¡¯ve sacrificed so much for it, haven¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t it a shame? Aren¡¯t you angry? Don¡¯t you want revenge?¡± She whispered akin to a devil.
¡°No thanks. I¡¯ll do without your help.¡± He remained steady.
¡°Are you sure? I¡¯ll even throw in a freebie! Back when you avenged your sister, you missed someone. The ck Hand wasn¡¯t working alone, you know. He had a partner: I have proof.¡± She threw a bomb at him.
What?! Was this even possible? Was it just bait?! It wasn¡¯t that hard to research his past. For the first time, Jack turned back and stared straight into the woman¡¯s eyes. He kept gazing until she began to shudder. He hadn¡¯t detected any falsehood in her eyes, but he felt that this was only a game to her.
¡°Fine, talk.¡± He relented.
¡°Come sit next to me.¡± She said while patting the rock. He slowlyplied, remaining on his guard. She then leaned over him with her entire body as she hugged him. He was about to push her away, but she spoke again.
¡°Here, listen to this!¡± She yed a recording on her phone. One that instantly chilled him to the bone with fury.
¡°No¡ª please, why are you doing this?!¡± Came a voice he knew far too well, one that had been silenced forever. This was the recording of a murder. What followed were muffled screams that pierced his soul directly, screams that still haunted his nightmares.
There was also the sound of not one but two baritone voices. How could that be?! Fake or real?! He thought he had avenged her, but what if he truly missed one. He couldn¡¯t live with that. He¡¯d find the guy and¡
¡°How does it feel to know your sister¡¯s true murderer is still atrge? Do you feel hate? Do you feel regret? Will you kill him? Of course, you want to! But, can you?!¡± Sheughed, reminding him of her existence.
¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Jack sternly asked.
¡°I just need a little favor from you.¡± She shyly spoke.
¡°Speak.¡±
¡°Will you die for me?¡± She grinned.
What the fuck?!
Suddenly, she emitted killing intent. She grabbed a dagger and plunged it toward his heart. Jack was in bad shape, but he had experience. He grabbed her wrist, stopping the dagger, the sharp tip barely prating his skin. Then he twisted.
*CRACK*
But he didn¡¯t stop at breaking her wrist. He raised his hands and wrapped them around her slender neck. Jack exerted enough pressure for her to turn blue.
Would she repent? Would she confess? Who was she even?! But she showed a twisted smile as she repeated:
¡°Will you die for me? Pretty please!¡± She began emitting killing intent once more.
¡°No, and fuck you.¡± Jack exerted as much pressure as he could.
*CRACK*
With this, it was over¡
Jack began coughing his lungs out. He really wasn¡¯t in shape to fight. Fuck that crazy white bitch, fuck her games, and fuck the ck Hand¡¯s associate if real! But that¡¯s when he felt something terrifying. The head in front of him rose up akin to a puppet, and it showed a nightmarish grimace.
¡°You don¡¯t want to die? Good. Regret and despair. Scream like your sister. Will watching you die be as entertaining?¡± This thing¡¯s voice was so grating!
That¡¯s when the girl with the broken neck pushed him¡How?! Jack fell off the cliff, followed all the way down by that ugly smile and these white eyes.
RUSTLE! RUSTLE! BAM!
The trees barely cushioned his fall. The impact was harsh. He felt many bones shatter, his blood slowly leaving his body,
But, it was already toote¡
QUACK!
QUACK!
QUACK!
QUACK!
The ducks were smart. They knew he¡¯d never jump, not again anyway. They wouldn¡¯t miss the opportunity. The human that had taunted them all those years had finally fallen.
It was time for a feast¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Logic said I should have walked away far earlier. But, I couldn¡¯t. Not as long as there was information about her. Even then I was ready for everything¡ª or so I thought. Why wouldn¡¯t she die?!
Chapter 7: I’m Back?!
Chapter 7: I¡¯m Back?!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Rebirth and new life¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
¡°Fuck that mad bitch!¡±
Jack found himself hoarsely screaming, his arms iling around in the darkness, his breathing inplete disarray, and his clothes sticking to his body, drenched in a cold sweat.
Wait¡awoke?! He had just died! Pain still coursed through his entire body. So much pain! Was there anything more agonizing than being torn to shreds by mutating ducks? Maybe, but it still hurt like hell!
He could vividly picture it: their sharp fangs sinking into his soft flesh as he heard the echoes of their evil quacking. They had craved his flesh for so many years already! Now they had finally tasted it, savoring his anguish as much as his body.
Such a worthless way to die, and it was all that mad bitch¡¯s fault! There had definitely been something off about her. Who went hiking half-naked?! No, off didn¡¯t cut it: moving with a broken neck was beyond human!
She had pushed him down, iprehensibly mumbling to herself about a sacrifice. Something about the greater the anguish and anger, the better the blessing. Something about the god of time.
She grinned as she watched him fall, her glowing white eyes showing happiness at his demise. Then came the ducks, enough of them to eat a mammoth! Thus his life ended¡ª or so he thought. But now Jack was awake.
Where was he? What was this? Had he been rescued? No, after he failed to enter the Pantheon, who would even actively want to save him? There were plenty of other top Rankers to focus on instead. Was he dead? He¡¯d almost expect there to be a stacked goddess reincarnating him.
Then came a rustling sound, making him flinch.
Whoever or whatever wasing would give him answers. There was a Click sound as a gentle glow illuminated the surroundings. It came from a smallmp in the shape of a pumpkin, one that came from his past.
A gentle voice broke the silence. ¡°What happened, big bro? Another nightmare?¡± How could it be her voice?!
¡ª Jack froze¡ª
In front of him was a perfect copy of his sister Lilly, exactly as he remembered her: at her brightest, around 16. Her cute face and long flowing dark hair were so pretty! She wasn¡¯t disfigured and bloodied like in hisst memory of her. She was as beautiful and precious as she had been. She also looked so real!
She lightly rubbed her eyes while showing a kind smile. In her purple irises, there was boundless warmth. How much had he longed to see her! How had he missed her! So fucking much!
But she was supposed to be dead! What kind of sick bastard was ying a prank on him? Was this some purgatory-like torture, and would she disappear once more?
He inspected the surroundings. It was their tiny room from back then:
¨C Light amethyst walls, the same shade as Lilly¡¯s eyes.
¨C The barely stable white nightstand with a library book on top.
¨C The closet door that wouldn¡¯t closepletely.
¨C Their two old beds, that mysteriously could hold their weight.
¨C The ck curtain separating the room in two (for privacy) looking like a pirate g.
If Jack weren¡¯t a sinner, he¡¯d think this was Heaven. This was the happy ce his mind wandered to whenever he neededfort. This was as good as it could get.
Maybe, for once, he could indulge in the happiness¡
Jack dashed toward her with so much momentum that they both were sent tumbling on her bed. Of course, he made sure not to hurt her. Then he hugged her. That¡¯s all he did.
She faintly gasped in surprise but gently embraced him in her arms, even patting his back. Jack could feel her warmth envelop him. He hugged her wordlessly as he cried. How long had it been since he hadst cried?
Seeing her once again had made him lose allposure. At that moment, he didn¡¯t care about possibly being dead. He didn¡¯t care if this was an illusion. The happiness he felt was true.
After dying and awakening to her, he couldn¡¯t bear to walk away. She was too real! He didn¡¯t want to wake up from this dream. If a god were to try and separate them, he¡¯d bitchp him and kick his ass!
This was bliss, a bliss Jack had forgotten was even possible. He closed his eyes in satisfaction as he enjoyed the moment.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about that bitch. She¡¯s truly mad! As a girl, I can assure you that you¡¯re a catch. It¡¯s her loss!¡± She softlyforted him.
¡°W-what?¡± Jack felt puzzled.
¡°You really are! You¡¯re loyal, hardworking, smart, gentle, and kind! She has no right to look down on you for being poor! All she has is an okay face. She¡¯ll eventually be old, shriveled, her tits will look like ball sacks, and she¡¯ll die alone!¡± Lilly cursed happily.
¡°¡¡± She seemed to be talking about a rejection he had suffered. It had been one so insignificant that he had forgotten all about it.
¡°Hey, let¡¯s eat together tomorrow after my job! It will be great!¡± Lilly sweetly proposed. She obviously wanted to change his mind, but yes, it would be great!
¡°Sure. What¡¯s the job?¡± Jack smiled brightly, making her show relief.
¡°I told you about it! It¡¯s the one at the VR store. They need helpers for theunch of Infinite. It pays a whopping 50 Credits for the day, can you believe it? Many friends from school will be there and¡.¡± She kept talking, but Jack missed it all.
Infinite¡¯sunch?! Had hee back to the past?! Theunch had happened on¡ March 21, 2132. March 21?!
¡ª Jack froze¡ª
His heart almost exploded. His stomach churned. Cold sweat began trickling down his back. He felt worse than when he had died. The room suddenly seemed so bleak, the darkness frightening.
March 21 was the day everything started to go wrong. March 21 was the day the old man had died. March 21 would set his life up for tragedy. He thought it would be the worst day of his life back then. He had been so wrong!
Tonight would be the precursor to tomorrow, a harbinger of the despair toe.
-Jack felt sick¡ª
He knew what woulde, but could he prevent it? He had to, somehow! But, how?! Tonight they would receive visitors, but not guests. They would break in unannounced and shatter their peaceful life.
They were debt collectors. No, goons of a debt collector, Goris with muscles of steel and hearts of darkness. They were the embodiment of pure violence, and it was impossible to reason with them.
If only he had a little bit more time! A debt of a few hundred thousand credits was nothing to a Ranker! He just needed more time! But, these bastards wouldn¡¯t give him any! He knew they were killing machines void of kindness.
What could he even do?!
Beg? It wouldn¡¯t work!
Intimidate? They would never take him seriously, not the current him.
Run? This was the only option. But could they?
He knew how this business worked. The goons would be following them around, watching. They would then use their lives to pressure the old man. The bastards would inform their boss as soon as they tried fleeing.
Jack needed to buy enough time for his loved ones to vanish.
¡ªJack would kill¡ª
Dead men couldn¡¯t report their activities. Their boss probably wouldn¡¯t suspect a thing either. In his eyes, a middle-aged man and two youngsters were no threat. He¡¯d think his men lost their phone or something.
But he hated it. They would have to run and keep running. They would be fugitives, and it would screw up Lilly¡¯s school lifepletely. He didn¡¯t want to, but he probably wouldn¡¯t have a choice.
¡ªJack would kill both of them¡ª
That¡¯s when they both heard it.
BAM! It was the sound of their front door being violently kicked open. It was the sound of the enemies invading.
¡°What was that?!¡± Lilly frantically asked.
She jumped in worry, stressed. She was already ready to check if everything was alright. But he stopped her.
¡°Sis, stay here and let me handle this, no matter what you hear. I¡¯ll be right back. Everything will be alright, I promise.¡± Jack reassured her, calmly smiling.
She understood from his tone that he knew what was going on. She apprehensively nodded, clenching her fists tightly. There were now angry shoutsing from the kitchen. There was also the low pleading of the old man, trying to bring this confrontation outside.
Jack walked as if a somnambulist. His whole body seemed weak and non-threatening as he stumbled his way toward the kitchen. This would be the most brutal fight of his life, and he would probably sustain injuries even if he took them by surprise.
Jack finally entered the room and noticed that the entrance door had been closed.
The old man was nervously sitting at the kitchen table, looking so frail. His once luscious ck hair mane was turning gray, and he had too many wrinkles from worrying.
There were two goons in total.
Bad guy A was next to the old man and was showing him a diagram of all the bones they would break if he didn¡¯t repay them. For instance, they would start with a finger if he didn¡¯t pay today.
Bad guy B was sitting on a chair a little farther away and seemed busy with his cellphone. He would grin from time to time. But, there was something weird with the situation¡
¡ªJack froze¡ª
Creator¡¯s Thought
I swore to myself that this time I would protect her. For her I was ready to do anything, to kill anyone. I was ready to shoulder any sin if it meant she could live in the light. After all, she died because of me, because of my stubbornness.
Chapter 8: I’m Back Bitches!
Chapter 8: I¡¯m Back Bitches!
¡ªJack froze¡ª
The unsurmountable enemies from his memory were nowhere to be seen. Instead, there were two poor blokes. They were somewhat muscr, but it was nowhere near steel. Their ck clothes showed signs of wear and traces of dirt.
They seemed so unguarded at that instant, both nonchntly sitting. They didn¡¯t wear any gloves, leaving fingerprints all over the ce. They didn¡¯t have any weapons, apparently only relying on their fists for the job.
The worst was probably the guyzily ying a game on his phone, letting the intimidation job to his partner. These guys were no killers, heck they probably didn¡¯t know how to fight! If they were this sloppy, there was no way their boss could be that great either.
Jack felt silly. Memories were often subjective, but only now did he realize the extent. He even began lowly chuckling in relief until thisughter turned into a full-blown giggle.
The man on his phone raised his eyes upward, sneering. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? Is he retarded or something?!¡±
The old man was at a loss, for he knew full well how brilliant his adoptive son was. He didn¡¯t know what he was up to, but he tried ying along: ¡°Something like that¡.¡± He sighed heavily.
¡°Talk about a dumbass! I bet he doesn¡¯t even realize what¡¯s going on right now!¡± The cellphone mob ridiculed Jack once more.
They then all ignored the ¡°retard¡±. Jack shook his head at how garbage they were until he reached his destination, the kitchen sink.
¡ªAcquired a kitchen knife!¡ª
The rest was the fun part. Jack confidently walked in, approached Bad guy B that was ying ppy Ducks, and plunged his knife deeply into each legs in session. The man¡¯s face changed as he felt the endless pain. But, it was so sudden that he froze for a wonderful instant.
Then came the screams, screams worthy of a calf being ughtered. Blood began pissing out: all over the man, the chair, and the floor. It was a sight to behold for sure!¡ª Not that Jack was looking.
Bad guy A heard his colleague bawling in agony and turned his head. He was then nicely greeted with the sharp, shiny tip of a bloodstained knife. His eyes bulged as he wanted to recoil in fright, but a steady hand held his head in ce.
Jack turned toward the screaming dumbass, threw him a few towels, and warned him: ¡°If you don¡¯t shut up, I¡¯ll open a few holes in your neck too. Now, put some pressure on the wound, and don¡¯t disturb us.¡± That rendered him silent.
Jack then turned to the guy he was still holding.
¡°Now, why don¡¯t we have a friendly little chat, just you and me? What do you say? ¡± Jack grinned as he spoke gently, without a trace of anger.
¡°P-please! D-don¡¯t k-kill me! I-I h-have a wife ¡ª¡± He stammered, panicking.
¡°A wife and kids? Great! They¡¯re not ¡®widow and orphans¡¯ just yet. How lucky!¡±
The old man interrupted: ¡°Jack, I really owe them money! They aren¡¯t bandits. It¡¯s thanks to them that I¡.¡± But Jack had gestured him to shut up.
Their true intentions didn¡¯t matter, not to him. What mattered was the result. The old man had died because of their intimidation in the past¡or was it the future?
The terrified man began begging once more.
¡°P-please! I¡¯m just¡ª¡±
¡°Just here to destroy my family. Yes, I understand that. Now, why don¡¯t you do a little something for me?¡± Jack didn¡¯t show any sympathy.
¡°A-anything! I¡¯ll do anything!¡± He cried out hurriedly.
¡°I like your enthusiasm. Why don¡¯t you tell me a little more about that boss of yours?¡±
¡°Y-yes, He¡¯s called Darius and¡.¡± Bad guy A spilled it all.
The more he talked, and the more at ease Jack felt. The big scary boss of his memories turned out to be a third-rate tyrant with a fourth-rate crew. Hell, he was even posing as a Roombot seller by day, the tiny robots that cleaned one¡¯s house.
¡°Now, why don¡¯t you reach into your pocket and call your boss?¡± Jack ordered calmly.
¡°Y-yes!¡±
Ring-Ring-Ring!
¡°So, how did it go? Did that stingy guy pay? It¡¯s already been two years. I really can¡¯t afford to wait anymore! So?¡± An impatient voice resounded.
¡°B-boss, we fucked up. W-we fucked up big time!¡± The goon¡¯s voice oozed with horror.
¡°What do you mean?!¡± Darius asked anxiously.
Jack picked up the phone with a convivial tone, one that didn¡¯t fit a tense situation at all.
¡°Darius, Darius, Darius. Why do you sound so worried? It¡¯s not like they¡¯re dead¡Not yet anyway.¡±
¡°W-who are you?! W-what happened to my men?¡± There was apparent fear in his tone.
¡°I heard you sell cleaning robots. Talk about a great coincidence! There is so much blood here! Your guy really made a mess. Ah, will one be enough?¡± Jack seemed to be describing a mundane problem.
¡°W-who are you?! W-what are you talking about?!¡± He felt extremely ufortable.
¡°Now, tell me, Darius. Do you believe in repaying one¡¯s debt?¡± Jack kept the friendly conversational tone.
¡°W-what?!¡±
¡°Do you believe in repaying one¡¯s debt! As a loan shark, you probably do. Am I right?¡±
¡°Y-yes, of course.¡±
¡°Great. First of all, let¡¯s talk about your debt. You¡¯ve sent two of your men to disrupt my peaceful life: one did a boring presentation while the other kicked my front door and bled all over the ce. Are you in agreement that as their boss you have to take responsibility for this?¡±
¡°There¡¯s no way that!¡ª¡± Darius protested.
Jack addressed the two thugs, making sure their boss overheard the conversation:
¡°Bad news, guys. Your boss says he¡¯s not responsible for you anymore. Guess you¡¯ll die.¡± He shrugged.
¡°Please no!¡± Goon A begged.
¡°We¡¯re sorry. Please let us go!¡± Goon B followed suit.
¡°Wait! Wait! Let them go!¡± Darius shouted through the phone.
¡°Oh, you changed your mind? Great! I¡¯ll send you an ount number. Just send 2000 Credits aspensation. Oh, and a Roombot!¡±
¡°Fine!¡± Darius was loudly grinding his teeth.
Ding-Ding, as soon as Jack confirmed the reception of the payment, he smiled.
¡°Great. Now, this is settled. You said something about the old man¡¯s debt, right? You¡¯re going to draft us a contract for a debt transfer, that is if you ever want to get paid. Let¡¯s meetter to finalize the small details.¡± Jack proposed.
¡°Fine. But, who are you?!¡± Darius asked, sighing.
¡°Someone who you would rather have as a friend.¡± Jack confidently replied.
¡°No, seriously. Who are you? I need a name for the debt transfer¡.¡±
There was a short awkward moment of silence.
¡°¡.Jack, Jack O¡¯Neil.¡±
****
Jack happily waved the thugs away. They wanted nothing more than to leave and kept checking behind them in fear that he would change his mind.
The old man slowly approached: ¡°What the heck was that?!¡±
¡°You know, just taking care of a problem. Oh right, before I forget.¡± Jack headed toward a specific drawer in the kitchen. Under it, there was a hidden envelope that he instantly opened.
¡°Wait, that¡¯s important! It¡¯s¡ª¡± The old man cried out.
¡°Your life insurance policy, right? It¡¯s the one that expires tomorrow night: The one that pays enough credits to solve your debt, for Lilly to attend University and to keep her mom alive a little longer, right?¡±
¡°H-how did you know?!¡± The old man asked, astounded. He had done everything he could to keep it a secret.
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Jack took out a lighter and set it aze.
¡°Stop! What are you doing?!¡±
¡°Making sure you don¡¯t die, old man. Don¡¯t worry. Money won¡¯t be a problem from now on. Promise me that you won¡¯t do anything stupid: Lilly needs you, and so do I.¡± Jack stared at him meaningfully.
¡°Fine, I promise. But how do you n on¡?¡± The old man showed worry.
¡°Pro-gaming. You¡¯ve seen how I¡¯ve handled the guys before? It¡¯s all from VR fighting training. Look, you can¡¯t tell anyone, but some entric rich guy has recruited me to join his guild in Infinite.¡±
¡°VR? Infinite? Don¡¯t try to fool me! When was thest time you even had time to y games?! Why would someone recruit you out of the blue?!¡±
¡°Old man, Infinite isn¡¯t any regr game. Some tests can determine how well one can control a virtual avatar. I just happened to pass one with flying colors. These tests are still super secretive, but I¡¯m sure it will be all over the news in a few months.¡±
¡°I understand¡¡±
The old man said, but he didn¡¯t understand ¡ª at all. Still, he felt Jack¡¯s confidence. This whole thing felt exceptionally far stretched, but so was the youngster going all Pro-Assassin mode on the debt collectors. He even had gotten money from them! How?!
¡°Goodnight, old man. Tomorrow will be a great day: I can feel it! Infinite isunching, I¡¯ll officially be a pro-gamer, and you¡¯ll be alive to see it.¡± Jack happily said.
Jack still had no idea how he hade back in time, but he wouldn¡¯t miss this opportunity. No matter if this was real or the afterlife, he would clear all the regrets from his past life.
This time he would live.
This life would be a good one.
Creator¡¯s Thought
Burning the insurance policy was more symbolic than anything. The old man had a copy for sure and so did the insurancepany. Even as I regretted what he had done, I never hated him for it. He had done it for us to have a better life. This time around, I would be the one shouldering the burden.
Chapter 9: — VR Headset Obtained!—
Chapter 9: ¡ª VR Headset Obtained!¡ª
Jack¡¯s eyes slowly fluttered open, a smile still stered on his face from yesterday¡¯s event. He could feel it; this was the beginning of his new life, a good one! He slowly fished his pocket for his cellphone.
¡ª You have 7 new messages¡ª
This had to be his boss a the burger joint. Tony was an abusive piece of shit that had obviously red out with Jack missing his shift. As if the asshole had the right toin considering all the unpaid overtime he always made them do!
In Fat Tony¡¯s eyes, workers were nothing but disposable pawns. Jack had to miss the old man¡¯s funeral in his previous life because this fucker wouldn¡¯t allow him to take a day off without being fired. Rent had to be paid, after all¡
Jack happily keyed in the number to Tasty¡¯Burgers.
¡°Hello there Tony, it¡¯s Jack! Kindly go fuck yourself. I won¡¯t being in anymore! See you never!¡±
¡°You worthless little ungrateful bitch! You think you¡¯re anything special, eh! Your family¡¯s gonna end up on the street! You¡¯ll be begging me to take you back, you bastard! You¡ª¡±
¡ªClick¡ª
What a dumbass! Anyway, it was time to go shopping! Jack left with a pep in his steps and a huge smile. But, he was intercepted a few meters away from the door!
¡ª A wild hobo appeared!¡ª
What would Jack do?!
¨C Fight? ¨C Ignore?
¨C Item? ¨C Run?
The man was wearing rags, was dirty enough to make a pile of shit look clean, had the breath that went with it, and teeth more rotten than politicians.
¡°H-help me. Help little ol¡¯ me. Just a few credits will do! I¡¯m so hungry!¡± He pleaded, trying to grab onto Jack¡¯s clothes.
Grave mistake, very grave mistake! This ce was considered a ¡°good¡± neighborhood. That¡¯s the reason their family hade here in the first ce, for Lilly to be safe. Jack could already see the public safety agents heading over.
They wore ck military suits, armbands identifying themselves and carried electric nightsticks. Before the hobo could even react, they were already violently beating him, so much that he was now convulsing and coughing blood.
But, a middle-ageddy suddenly cried out: ¡°Stop! What are you guys doing! Are you out of your mind?!¡±
In the victim¡¯s eyes, there was a faint trace of hope, one that was bound to disappear with her following words.
¡°My taxes pay your sries! You need to be careful! You¡¯re getting blood all over the street! Also, go easy on toasting him. It¡¯s gonna smell of burnt hobo now!¡± She criticized harshly, many concerned citizens nodding in agreement.
Jack kept walking, used to such scenes. F Hobo! One thing for sure: he¡¯d never fucking allow Lilly to suffer a simr fate! Never! He would conquer Infinite, make tons of $ and protect his family at all costs!
Soon enough¡
¡ªWee to the shopping district!¡ª
It felt like another world and was so damn lively! He could already notice shy signs, cute-looking U-bots singing publicity jingles, pop music in the background, the smell of hot dogs drifting from food carts, and tons of happy passerby.
Life was good in the city. It was safe, void of beggars, there were great schools and plenty of entertainment. This ce was a happy haven¡ª for people with Credits at least. Jack could already notice a queue of youngsters at his destination.
¡ªReached the VR Shop!¡ª
The building was 70% covered with a huge screen that showed various VR games. Yes, various of them, even if today was theunch of goddamn INFINITE! Why?! Well, people and businesses were skeptical about the game.
Jack could hear echoes of discussion about the topic. He listened as he had nothing better to do. It was 13:07, and the game wouldunch at 17:00. Infinite headsets took time to buy as they required on-site calibration. He¡¯d be there for hours¡
¡°I¡¯m so hyped to buy Infinite! I¡¯m gonna be gaming all night! What about you guys?!¡±
¡°Oh, it¡¯s a scam, you know? I¡¯m here to buy Deste Desert Online! You should try it. It¡¯s fun!¡±
¡°What?! The best game ever is releasing, and you¡¯re not here for that?!¡±
¡°I¡¯m not here for Infinite either.¡±
¡°Same¡¡±
¡°Alright, out of the 50 of us, who here is waiting for Infinite?!¡±
Thus began a survey with very mixed results.
1. (28 individuals) Waiting for Infinite with great enthusiasm.
2. (24 individuals) Trying to buy other stuff. (Archaic Age, Always Winter, Guilds at War, Eldritch Scrolls Online, Eve of Day Online, RuneLandscape, World of Much War and Little Craft, etc.)
¡°So, why are you guys even here. Infinite requires a special headset, but can¡¯t you guys just order your stuff online?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t trust my neighbors enough to order a headset by delivery. What if they try to steal it?!¡±
¡°I can get an exclusive skin if I buy in-store¡.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t believe you guys are missing the best game ever! The game footage of Infinite is so damn amazing!¡±
¡°Yep, the NPCs feel so damn real! It¡¯s like it¡¯s truly a new world!¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you guys going to mention the fact that the devs arezy as fuck? The only race avable in Infinite is human! There is no ss choice either!¡±
¡°Bro, you obviously didn¡¯t research properly! You can be whatever ss you want, even create sses! It¡¯s possible to learn everything you see in the game!¡±
¡°See, that¡¯s the problem! There is no way such a thing is possible! It¡¯s just impossible to develop and bnce something like this!¡±
¡°That¡¯s why Infinite is the fucking best! They use an AI to take care of all of this. That¡¯s OP, am I right?!¡±
¡°What about races? Are you going to tell me that people can just change their races?!¡±
¡°They said it¡¯s possible to change race too. I¡¯m just not sure how¡.¡±
¡°Eh, once you have this figured out, then maybe I¡¯ll change my mind!¡±
That¡¯s when Jack chimed in.
¡°It¡¯s called Race Change Ritual. With the right conditions, usually enough affinity with a specific race, you can convert species. One just needs to be careful with the alignment: there are good and evil races.¡±
¡°Seriously?!¡±
¡°OMG?! That¡¯s epic!¡±
¡°So I can y a dragon?!¡±
¡°Dragon? Yes, but remember that the stronger the race, the harder it is to achieve. Dragonewt would be easy, but dragon¡good luck!¡± Jack chuckled.
¡°This guy is an expert!¡±
¡°What about Quests?!¡±
¡°I heard they are infinite too!¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be overwhelming?¡±
¡°Maybe it just means repeatable ones?¡±
¡°Expert, do you know anything about this?¡±
¡°The AI generates personalized quests for every yer based on their gamey style, thousands of them at any given second. You¡¯ll only see a few at a given time, but it¡¯s impossible to run out. You¡¯ll see, it¡¯s fun.¡± Jack assured.
¡°Wow. That does sound really cool!¡±
¡°It sounds too good to be true¡.¡±
¡°But what if it IS true?!¡±
¡°You can refund, you know¡.¡±
¡°Seriously?! I¡¯m buying Infinite right now!¡±
¡°Guys, the queue is moving forward!¡±
That¡¯s when the guy in front turned around and pointed at Jack.
¡°Hey, expert! I was going to miss on Infinite, but you¡¯ve convinced me to try it! Let¡¯s switch ces!¡±
¡°Are you sure? I only said three sentences¡.¡± Jack was baffled.
¡°It¡¯s about how you said them. You make it sound like it¡¯s amazing! I feel like trying it now!¡±
¡°No need to switch. You can just go ahead. It¡¯s evident you¡¯ve researched the game a lot! There are only a few hours to theunch. It would be a shame if you missed it.¡±
¡°Yeah, just go ahead.¡± The crowd agreed.
Jack nodded as he entered the building. Instantly he was wee by a cute and lively brown-haired girl in a school uniform. What kind of businessman would do such a thing?! A smart one! (duh)
¡°Wee to VR world! What are you looking for, mister?¡± She asked.
¡°I¡¯ll need an Infinite VR headset.¡±
The girl jumped in surprise. She had been fooled by his outfit: jeans with holes in them along with an old hoody. How could someone dressed like that afford a 1500 Credits headset?! This was months of ie!
No one sane would wait such a long time just to browse! That¡¯s when her expression changed as an impish smile adorned her sweet face. She had figured out Jack¡¯s secret! He was obviously a rich young master in disguise! How humble!
¡°¡?¡±
¡°Please follow me, handsome!¡± She gently said as she guided him toward the back toward the VR calibration room, trying her best to walk elegantly, swaying her hips.
Jack almostughed out loud. What was she even trying to do? He silently followed her all to a small room with the calibration machine that looked identical to a massage chair linked to the test headset.
¡°Please sit down, and befortable. I¡¯ll be right back with my associate.¡± A few minutester, the girl came back.
Her associate turned out to be Lilly, which wasn¡¯t too surprising. She froze when she saw him. What was her brother doing here?! She knew their financial situation better than anyone else!
Still, she didn¡¯t dwell too much on the situation. Jack probably had a good reason for buying this. Instead, she turned toward her colleague with a teasing smile.
¡°Just to confirm, he¡¯s the guy that you said you have dibs on, right? Is he the reason you redid your makeup just now? Have you asked for his number yet?¡± Lilly asked in session.
¡°W-what?! Whaaat are you talking about?!¡±
¡°Oh? Guess I misunderstood. Sorry! Guess he¡¯s up for grabs then¡.¡± Lilly ¡°apologized¡±.
¡°W-wait! No! That¡¯s not¡you traitor!¡± The girl cried out, half in tear.
¡°Hahaha.¡± Jack couldn¡¯t help it. He chuckled madly, without regard for the poor girl¡¯s feeling. She appeared so confused!
¡°Pfft¡ª hahaha¡± Lilly couldn¡¯t help it either as she loudly giggled.
The other girl was left standing there in shock. What was happening?! ¡°Hey, Lilly. Do you guys know each other by any chance?!¡± She tentatively asked.
¡°Let¡¯s put it this way. I have his number in my contacts. I even have a heart emoticon there too.¡± Lilly mischievously and very misleadingly added, even winking!
¡°What?! Oh my god! He¡¯s your secret boyfriend?! That¡¯s why you aren¡¯t interested in any of the boys at school! Oh my god! This is a huge secret! Don¡¯t worry. I will keep it with my life!¡± She excitedly screamed.
That¡¯s when Lilly showed her friend her cellphone. There it was: ¡°Best Big Brother Ever! ??¡± That¡¯s when the poor friend showed the expression of a goldfish, mouth wide open in shock! Had she really tried hitting on her best friend¡¯s brother?! How embarrassing!
¡°Alright, can we proceed with the calibration? Otherwise, people are going to die out of boredom outside¡.¡± Jack remarked.
¡°Sure, thing! Alice, let¡¯s get to work!¡±
So the weird girl was called Alice. Jack was d to see that Lilly had at least one close friend. He closed his eyes as the process started. It honestly felt like taking a nap on a dentist¡¯s chair. After close to 10 minutes, it was over.
Jack left the ce, escorted by a blushing Alice. This had been Lilly¡¯s suggestion, teasingly reminding Alice that dibs were sacred.
At the entrance, there was a dumb bitch trying to cut the queue, arguing that Jack had done the same. The nerve of some! She even tried iming that she knew him. How preposterous!
He would have to remind Lilly to be careful of vile scammers like thatdy. His sister was smart but maybe a little bit too kind-hearted for her own good.
Anyway, it was time for Infinite!¡.
Creator¡¯s Thought
Young girls sure can have vivid imaginations! I have no idea what that Alice girl pictured exactly, but she was showing colorful expressions. Then again, she would probably get mad if I called her a ¡®young girl¡¯, especially in my younger body.
Chapter 10: Maintenance Void: Jack VS Gods!
Chapter 10: Maintenance Void: Jack VS Gods!
In a world of darkness that reminded one of space, a single being watched a glowing blue holographic clock. In exactly 1 hour 7 minutes and 37 seconds, it would be possible to log into Infinite!
¡°This is nice. I¡¯ve missed this.¡± Jack murmured, shaking in excitement. He had always loved the maintenance void. It felt like awaiting presents from Santa! It was also the best environment to think: quiet and peaceful.
Now, what was Jack supposed to do with his life? Should he be the Herald of Light once more?! He carefully considered the Pros and Cons:
Pros:
+ Legendary ss!
+ Already knowing the skills!
+ Intricate knowledge of how the Church works!
+ Wide AoE heals and buffs that make raiding OP!
+ Powerful Church NPCs to dominate the world!
+ ess to a widework to make money easily!
+ Leveling up at the speed of a rocket on steroids!
Cons:
¨C Goddess Commandments
Since he was a very logical man, the oue was obvious: fuck being the Herald of Light! No, seriously, fuck it! It was akin to voluntarily locking oneself in prison and throwing away the key.
Not picking this ss would remove some of the advantages of his previous life¡But, so what?! This time, Jack would change his life entirely! If he couldn¡¯t even stand at the top with all his experience, then what was the point?!
¡°Actually, let¡¯s do a drastic career change! Before, I was a boring human in the camp of light, but I¡¯ll join the side of darkness this time. It will be so damn satisfying to fight these stuck-up NPC that I had to babysit in the past!¡± Jack chuckled.
What was the exact opposite of the Holy Church¡¯s faith? The undead, aka necromancy! He could already picture himself swaggering from town to town with an invincible undead army, trampling on a few unfortunate yers and collecting loot tax!
But then Jack suddenly froze, feeling a phantom pain in his chest. Necromancers were great and all but also so damn squishy! What if assassins went after him? He couldn¡¯t ept that!
¡°Wait, what if?!¡± He suddenly jumped up happily, having a sh of insight.
He wouldn¡¯t be a boring old necromancer. Nope, he would create his own unique ss from scratch! It would go in this specific order:
1. Necromancer (INT) ¡ª> OP solo clear, but too squishy.
+
2. Tank ss (STR) ¡ª> Not squishy anymore butcks mobility
+
3. Mobility ss (AGI) ¡ª> Great mobility, but requires agility for damage.
But, intelligence, strength, and agility couldn¡¯t be leveled up all at once. He¡¯d have to min-max the shit out of it! This was an exciting challenge, to say the least!
Another point to note, if he was serious about bing a necromancer, he would have to be an undead himself. Why? Because of his goal!
If he wanted to be #1 in Infinite, Jack would need to be ahead of others. For this to be possible, he had to be self-reliant! He couldn¡¯t afford to get a self-heal for humans and a dark energy heal for the undead.
After that, he just needed to add a touch of personality! Pumpkins would do since Lilly loved them for some reason.
¡°With this, it¡¯s decided! I shall create my own legend: the amazing Pumpkinmancer!¡± Jack¡¯s voice resounded across the realm.
This goal would take a lot to realize: many individual sses, poison, a method to keep his sanity, a mana source, a great helper¡.and much more!
That is when the glowingunch countdown reached 1 hour. Instantly, a handsome butler appeared out of thin air in a white glow! His ssic suit screamed of sophistication, and he had a well-groomed white springy mustache.
If Jack wasn¡¯t mistaken, this one was a copy of Strateg, the god of strategy. It would be the same for every yer¡¯s first login as a copy of a random god would serve as a tutorial NPC. They had valuable information, but it was all utterly worthless to Jack.
¡°Wee young traveler to the marvelous world of Infi¡ª¡± He graciously said.
¡°Skip! I want another helper.¡± Jack decisively interrupted.
¡°But we have just met! I assure you that¡ª¡±
¡°Skip! I don¡¯t care. Stop wasting my time!¡± Jack repeated.
That¡¯s how the poor god (copy) had no choice but to leave and send a recement. In the following minutes, the void was filled with shes of light as many gods appeared only to be shut down by Jack!
¡ªsh of dark purple light¡ª
¡°Rancor? Skip!¡±
¡ªsh of brownish-red light¡ª
¡°Vulcan? Next!¡±
¡ªsh of deep green light¡ª
¡°Greenwood? No, thank you!¡±
¡ªsh of rusty golden light¡ª
¡°Chrono? Get out of here!¡±
Every single god was savagely rejected one after the other. One had to know that all these helping copies had the same knowledge avable. They also couldn¡¯t provide a concrete advantage at all in any way.
Then, why was Jack driving them all away one after the other? Was it because he disliked them? Was it because he felt good turning gods down? Nope! (Maybe a bit) The main reason was that these ones were all men! Then finally¡
¡ªsh of brilliant white light¡ª
That¡¯s when appeared the Goddess of Light in all her beauty. She had golden eyes and lower back-length white hair. Her face was a work of art, her waist slender, her arms delicate, and yet she was THICK with ginormous breasts!
Honestly, she should have been the goddess of abundance, or perhaps the goddess of fertility, or even the oppai goddess with her physique. How many had lost themselves in her deep cleavage or found themselves peaking at her ample rump?
She was precisely what Jack needed!
Did he have a perverted design? Not at all! He had a much deeper purpose, one that necessitated a goddess!
¡°Wee lostmb to the world of ¡ª¡±
¡°Skip!¡±
¡°Let me guide you toward the l¡ª¡±
¡°Skip!¡±
¡°Please select your character appearance and¡ª¡±
¡°Skip!¡±
Jack had already resolved not to remain human. He would have the opportunity to change his looks when performing the Race Change Ritual. Thus, he ignored this step for now.
This series of skips left the poor goddess at a loss. What was she supposed to do now? Ah, obviously convert him to the Church!
¡°Have you ever heard of¡ª¡±
¡°Skip!¡±
¡°¡.What¡ª¡±
¡°Skip!¡±
As soon as she would open her mouth, Jack would instantly tell her to shut up. Well, he had done the same with every god so far. But, he had a n with this one.
¡°Alright, I can consider joining the Church of Light, but you have to help me first. Do you understand?¡±
¡°Yes I¡ª¡±
¡°Skip! Oh, sorry, habit! Anyway, I need you to act like the goddess of love herself. Don¡¯t be afraid to take a sexy pose. Then, repeat this while making a peace sign!¡± Jack murmured directives in her ear.
Good thing this was only a copy because the real one would have tried murdering him already. As Jack activated the Infinite gamey recording function, the goddess reluctantly began her act!
¡°Wee all of you to Chaotic Pumpkins Gaming! Careful, the following content is rated MFEAFGC for motherfucking epic as fuck gaming content! Enjoy, subscribe, like andment!¡± She expertly followed the directives.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s try a few more names. How about ¡°I am Legion¡±, ¡°One Gaming¡±, ¡°World Domination¡±, ¡°Peerless One¡±, and many more¡¡±
The poor goddess had no choice but to record material for Jack¡¯s uing streams. Still, he was just preparing in advance. He would never stream real-time gaming¡ª otherwise, it would give away information and invite PKs.
After an hour, the NPC could only sigh in relief as it was freed from its misery. Then, a blue aura enveloped Jack as he was teleported directly to the game. It was finally starting!
[Wee to New Leaf Vige!]
Creator¡¯s Thought
Fun fact: Infinite Co didn¡¯t mind one bit even if someone used their NPCs in a stream. Well, as long as it was rted to the game. Plus, it wasn¡¯t like I would have much time to stream anything else. Yep, that sexy goddess would be the perfect clickbait!
Chapter 11: [Welcome to New Leaf Village!]
Chapter 11: [Wee to New Leaf Vige!]
[Wee to New Leaf Vige!]
The sky was so damn blue!
It was a blue that couldn¡¯t be seen in the city. It was as pure as Jack remembered it! This blue somehow brought him happiness, as it had done for her.
As he breathed deeply, he felt at ease. This was his world, one that he knew better than the real one.
He was at a vige za, his naked feet in the dirt. Around him were many yers spawning relentlessly, all wearing the same basic rags as him, barely covering their privates.
On the side were curious vigers, but one that especially stood out. There was an old man that was slyly grinning while observing them. This one had to be the vige chief, the legendary creature that had more quests than wrinkles! The NPC called out to them:
¡°Braves! Braves! Heed my call and gather around. The gods have sent me an oracle about your arrival!¡± ¡ª An oracle? This was obviously bullshit. The guy headed a beginner vige!
¡°I know our world is unknown to you, but you can be sure that I will guide you every step of the way!¡± ¡ª He would work them to the bone! Then again, who would refuse freebor?
¡°From now on, you can consider this New Leaf Vige as your new home!¡± ¡ª These NPCs had orders to wee them from their higher-ups, not like they had a choice in the first ce.
¡°Grow strong, and you will be able to head to the nearest Town!¡± ¡ª Aka, reach level 10.
¡°Now, all of you. Come and see me, and I will assign every one of you a task!¡± ¡ª Quests galore iing.
Instantly, all the yers in the surroundings charged toward the old man until they were forced to queue. They looked like children waiting to sit on Santa¡¯sp, half-naked children.
But, inevitably, some would act naughty. A group of tough-looking men pushed their way toward the front, ring at anyone that dared to protest. Jack could only sigh: why look tough when one can look heroic? These guys had screwed up big time at character creation!
¡°Tch! Out of the way, losers! The Mighty Wolves areing through! Get out of our way if you don¡¯t want to be spawned killed to level one!¡± ¡ª Said one bully to the level 0 yers.
¡°Braves, braves! What is happening?¡± The vige chief cried out.
¡°Chief, stop wasting your time with these idiots! My crew has 20 people in this Vige, just say the word, and we¡¯ll follow your orders!¡±
¡°Oh, really?¡± Alright, anyone in a group of 10 or more can cut the queue. It will be faster this way!¡± The Chief sagely added. ¡ª How to reduce the workload 101, individually assigning quests was apparently hard.
That¡¯s how many yers began heading outside, where they would face deadly level 2 creatures. They would struggle so damn much, and for what? Some shitty quest reward. This wasn¡¯t efficient enough for him!
Jack instead navigated the vige until he found his destination. There was a small brick building with a very simple anvil metallic sign by the door but on the floor. This meant that the forge was facing some kind of trouble: cksmiths would usually proudly disy their signs.
But, Jack wasn¡¯t dressed well enough to meet anyone. He focused his mind in a very particr manner, akin to meditating, until a blue and glowing interface appeared in front of his eyes.
This ovey was always avable, but there was a trick to opening it, one that a specific NPC would teach yers after they reached level 10.
¡°System, use purple as default UI color and disable any assistance module,¡± Jack said to the air.
[Are you sure? Disabling the modules may render the game unyable without sufficient expertise and¡ª]
¡°Yes, absolutely certain!¡± He had more expertise than all the current yersbined! In the top right corner, there was now a purple message icon shing.
¡°Let¡¯s open this, shall we.¡±
[Wow! You¡¯ve found the super-secret mailbox! Gratz! Anyway, wee to Infinite. You look pretty shabby right now¡ah! I know what you¡¯re missing! It¡¯s something that every great hero possesses! Here¡¯s an Infinite Cloak! Ta-da!]
Out of thin air appeared a dull old Cloak that nevertheless was a godsend for the current him. That¡¯s when he heard a gasp. ¡°What?!¡± Raising his eyes, Jack could see a delicate head poking from the roof of the forge.
The girl was looking at him, but especially at the cloak, with astonishment. She had pink hair, pink eyes, pink lips, and a pinkplexion. Yet, even with that overload of pink, it all felt natural and graceful.
¡°What are you doing up there?¡± Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.
¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you tell me how you obtained this item!¡± She decisively tried to bargain.
¡°Oh, I see.¡± Jack wore his new equipment in silence.
There was a very neat ¡°?¡± symbol on it that meant pioneer. He was so damn d to have it! The Infinite Cloak was a collector¡¯s wet dream. Completing specific events would add rare symbols to this cosmetic item. In the past, he had always missed this one.
It was time to face the cksmith NPC that he was sure to find inside. But as soon as he had taken a step.
¡°Hey, where are you going? Let¡¯s share information. We can help each other!¡± The girl enthusiastically proposed. She felt that this mysterious man had to be an expert. He was the only one that had clothes. She was so jealous!
¡°Oh, I¡¯ve just realized that I really don¡¯t care what you¡¯re doing up there. It¡¯s not like the rooftop chests contain anything valuable anyway,ter.¡± Jack nonchntly uttered, stepping into the building.
The pink-haired girl was left frozen. He had just revealed the info she thought highly confidential that easily?! Seriously, who was this man?!
As soon as he pushed the door, Jack was weed by the cold. Yes, this cksmithing building had no warmth inside. On the floor, there was a middle-aged man just sprawled there with empty bottles nearby. He barely raised his head before shouting:
¡°Hey, who the fuck are you?! This is my goddamn house! Trespassing is a fucking crime, you bastard! If you don¡¯t get out, I¡¯ll beat your ass up!¡±
¡°Oh yeah, trespassing is definitely a crime, but there is an even bigger crime here. Why is your ce so cold?! This isn¡¯t how a cksmith should live! Plus, looking at you, I doubt you have enough motivation to kick my ass.¡± Jack teased.
¡°ARRG¡.Yeah, you¡¯re right. Screw you, kid! I¡¯ll just remain here and drink. If I keep going long enough, perhaps the old crook will kick the bucket. Naw, who am I kidding? The bastard is immortal.¡± ¡ª NPCs having an archnemesis usually meant a juicy quest.
¡°You won¡¯t forget your problems anytime soon if you¡¯re drinking water¡.¡± Jackmented.
¡°I¡¯m not rich enough to drown my sorrow in alcohol, bite me!¡±
¡°Who¡¯s the old bastard? Is it the vige chief by any chance? Why don¡¯t you tell me what happened?¡± Jack requested.
¡°I came here because every vige needs a cksmith byw. But New Leaf Vige is a cradle for the elderly! They barely do anything all day long, so no one needed my services.¡± ¡ª Ironic!
¡°Now there are plenty of brave around. That should be enough, right?¡± Jack remarked.
¡°Nope! The bastard imported weapons from Sprigfield Town directly, saying he wanted the best quality for the braves. Why the fuck am I still here then?!¡± He angrily shouted.
¡°I want you to forge something for me. What will it take?¡± Jack calmly asked.
¡°What?! Seriously?!¡± Instantly the man jumped to his feet, even doing a flip. There was no trace whatsoever of the listless bum from a few seconds ago. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this! We¡¯ll need some ores and fuel!¡±
¡°Aight, I got it. See you soon.¡± Jack waved.
¡°Wait! For the metal, you can head to¡ª¡±
¡°Skip! No worries, I know. Just wait for my glorious return!¡± Jack reassured.
The cksmith could only stand there as happy as perplexed. How did this strange brave know so much? Wait! How wasn¡¯t he naked?! Hadn¡¯t the braves literally just spawned?! What kind of monster was he?!
Said monster was already scheming for his next step¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
This cksmith was pretty cool. At least, he was extremely passionate. There is something about passionate people that draws one to them, this wonderful ability to care about somehting. I will never understand people that try and extinguish such a me.
Chapter 12: Do What In A Potion Shop?! 0_0
Chapter 12: Do What In A Potion Shop?! 0_0
[Q- Bring Ores and Forge Fuel to Unknown cksmith!]
This was Jack¡¯s questing window. Fun fact, the quests in Infinite usually would not tell more information than the yer already possessed. This exined the ¡°Ores¡± and ¡°Unknown cksmith¡±.
¡°Now, the fuel is rtively easy to get. The problem is actually the ores. For them, I¡¯ll have to venture into Wolf territory, and these bastards are vicious.¡± Jack couldn¡¯t help butin.
No, there was an even more pressing issue. He was utterly broke: he had all that swag with his badass cloak and not even a gold coin to his name. He preferred to avoid fighting monsters with his fists.
¡ªRustle Rustle¡ª
Jack couldn¡¯t help but smile. That one pink-haired girl was following him, trying to discover his secrets. It seemed like his money problems were about to go away.
¡°Hey, Bubblegum girl. Come on out.¡± Jack ordered.
¡°¡.¡±
¡°Guess I¡¯ll log out for a break.¡± Jack exaggeratedly sighed.
¡°Wait! I¡¯ming!¡± She exited a nearby bush with leaves sticking to her head. ¡°Also, I¡¯m called Seraphine, not Bubble¡ª¡± She grumbled.
¡°Denied. Now, you asked for an exchange of information, right?¡± Jack reminded her.
¡°Yes, we can help each other and¡ª¡± She happily replied.
¡°Nope. That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. I can assure you that our knowledge of this game isn¡¯tparable. Now, I can teach you, but there will be a fee.¡± Jack rxedly grinned.
¡°A fee? How much?¡± She suspiciously asked.
¡°Everything.¡±
¡°What do you mean everything?!¡± She red up.
¡°Simple, I order, and you obey. I keep the loot, and you get to learn. Simple, right?¡± Jack shared.
¡°What there¡¯s no way that¡¯s¡ª¡±
¡°Fair? It isn¡¯t, and it won¡¯t be. I don¡¯t need you at all. For me, you¡¯re nothing but a random girl that loves pink too much. So, are you in or out?¡± He gave her an ultimatum.
¡°¡..Aren¡¯t you worried that I¡¯ll betray you?¡±
¡°Hahaha.¡± Jack began walking, chuckling to himself. ¡°You¡¯re funny, Bubblegum!¡± would she betray him? Only if she was aplete idiot. He was about to rock her world!
¡°Hey, I¡¯m not¡ª!¡± She weakly protested.
¡°How many chests did you get and where?¡± He interrogated.
¡°I checked every building rooftop already. There were four¡.¡±
¡°Sounds about right. Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Jack enthusiastically guided her to the well in the middle of the vige. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty; get your teacher some water.¡± He obnoxiously asked.
¡°Y-you! Why would I? ¡Fine!¡± She reluctantly approached the well, fully prepared to stick her foot in his ass if he kept being irritating.
Jack used the opportunity to push her straight into it. He thenughed at her expense like the most basic prankster, even hollering at the bystanders. ¡°Did you guys see her face?!¡±
¡°How dare you!¡± She slowly climbed back up, looking like a wet dog, her pink eyes red with fury.
¡°Now, now. Don¡¯t get too mad and follow me.¡± Jack barely showed remorse as they went away.
But, as soon as they were out of sight, she instantly seemed to changepletely. ¡°Oh my god! How did you know there was a chest down there?!¡± She excitedly cried out.
¡°When aren¡¯t there chests down wells? Like seriously¡It¡¯s a staple of the genre! Seeing how happy you are, you got a weapon, right? Let me guess, Rosewood?¡± Jack deduced.
¡°How did you¡ª ?!¡±
Jack ignored her. She¡¯d get used to it soon enough. He brought her to a wooden building a little on the side of the town. Above the door, there was a sign representing a potion: . As they were about to enter, a group of yers left the ce, cursing.
¡°Damn, that bitch is so damn greedy!¡± Then turned to Jack. ¡°You guys shouldn¡¯t waste your time with her. She sells her basic potions 5 silvers. How the fuck are we supposed to get 5 silvers?!¡±
¡°Thanks for the info, guys. We¡¯re just visiting. I have an exploration blog.¡± Jack justified himself.
As soon as they were left alone, Bubblegum couldn¡¯t help but whisper. ¡°So¡do you really like exploring or¡? Ah, you¡¯re frowning. Okay, my bad! We¡¯re here for official business!¡± They entered.
Behind the counter, one could see an olddy elegantly sitting with her legs crossed while reading. She was wearing a tight outfit that showed all her forms. Honestly, it would have been nice if she didn¡¯t look like an ogre.
Then, there were various posters on the walls with motivational quotes that said bullshit like: You¡¯re beautiful just the way you are! Talk about BS in a world where one could magically change appearance! Jack approached the counter.
¡°Hey there, I¡¯m here to do business. How are you doing on this wonderful day, gorgeous? You know, I¡¯ve always respected esteemed alchemists. It¡¯s such a worthy profession!¡ª¡±
¡°You¡¯re a professional kiss-ass, aren¡¯t you?¡± The olddy sneered.
¡°Only when it¡¯s your magnificent ass, fairdy! I cannot take my eyes off from your¡ª¡± Jack was then interrupted.
¡°T-teacher, stop! She already called you out for¡ª¡± Bubblegum eximed with Jack shaking his head.
¡°Meddlesome girl! I never told him to stop! Tch, she killed the mood. Ah, fine. Tell me, how many potions do you want to buy?¡±
¡ªShocked Bubblegum¡ª
¡°¡.¡± How could these people be so shameless?!
¡°I¡¯m actually here to sell,¡± Jack admitted.
¡°Say whaaaaat?!¡± His student screamed, bbergasted.
¡°Boy¡.you do know this is an alchemy shop, right?¡± The olddy almost seemed to be questioning his cognitive abilities.
¡°Bubblegum, take out the potions you looted from the chests, all of them. The small and the bigger ones. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll like them.¡±
Seraphine had a slight shock. Right, of course, he knew about the potions! How?! Still, sheplied as she could only cry internally. These seemed very valuable at this stage of the game!
She took out all five smaller ones and the two big ones. As soon as she revealed them, the olddy instantly gulped, her eyes transfixed on the bigger ones.
¡°4 silvers for each smaller ones and 1 G per big one.¡± Jack began negotiating.
¡°I just want the big ones, 20 silvers each.¡±
¡°4 silvers / 1 G, buy all or none.¡± (Jack)
¡°3 silvers / 40 silvers¡±
¡°3 silvers / 60 silvers¡± (Jack)
¡°2 silvers / 50 silvers¡±
¡°Deal! This will be 1 G and 10 silvers in total. Bubblegum, give her the potions.¡± Jack happily eximed.
The poor girl handed the ecstatic old woman her precious treasure as she saw Jack pocket all the coins. What the heck had she just done?! 1 Gold meant being rich right now! She could only console herself, knowing she still had her dagger.
As they exited the shop, Seraphine couldn¡¯t help but ask, extremely perplexed. ¡°Why in the nine heavens did a potion maker just buy potions?!¡±
¡°Reverse engineering. She¡¯s going to study them to further her craft. She didn¡¯t care one bit about the small ones. But, she had no choice if she wanted the big ones.¡± Jack magnanimously exined.
¡°?! I see¡.¡±
This game was already proving beyond herprehension. It turned out that he had been right. Whatever she knew was nothingpared to him! He had even bargained so naturally. Why did it seem like he knew the price they¡¯d agree to beforehand?
¡°Don¡¯t be too impressed yet. This was just step #1 of a very long list.¡± Jack teased her. Behind him, he could hear her enthusiastic steps.
Oh, this would be he fun!¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
All the Beginner Viges are simr yet different. The trick is to watch for clues to figure out the appropriate scenario. For instance, a shop called Fairy with beauty motivational speeches meant an owner weak to ttery ;).
Chapter 13: DON’T TOUCH THE SHOP!!
Chapter 13: DON¡¯T TOUCH THE SHOP!!
In the New Leaf Vige, a young man was walking humming happily. ¡°I¡¯ve got money in my pocket. This is fucking awesome!¡±
Following behind Jack was his new sidekick Bubblegum, with her eyes full of wonders. What would happen next?! ¡°Teacher, what¡¯s our next stop?¡± She enthusiastically inquired.
¡°Food.¡± He curtly replied.
¡°What?!¡±
¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± He gave a mysterious smile.
Soon, a rtively big wooden house appeared. What made this one special was that it actually had a vitrine! There was a small pouch symbol on the double doors:, aka a general shop.
Inside there was a slender middle-aged man with grayish hair and a little goatee. He was busy cleaning a corner of his shop, one that was full of delivery crates that remained unopened.
Jack observed the walls, but they were empty. Then, he noticed a small metallic trinket near the register that reeked of ¡°ancient¡±, a coin ne. He smiled in satisfaction, for he was at the right ce.
That¡¯s when the doors were mmed open as a party entered. Jack instantly noticed the cause of the trouble: an aggrieved-looking woman was leaning in the embrace of a brave-looking youngster.
¡°Is the asshole here?!¡± The boyfriend shouted.
¡°Yes, it¡¯s this guy! I helped him clean a few crates up, and he didn¡¯t give me any reward, like none at all! Can you believe it?!¡± Sheined about the injustice.
This instantly rendered the NPC Steven flustered and confused: ¡°What? I allowed you to ess a new selection in my shop. This should be reward enough. I don¡¯t understand¡.¡±
¡°Reward enough?! Are you shitting me?! Show me the money and keep that crap for yourself! That so-called VIP shop of yours is all useless fruits!¡± She rebuked!
¡°No-no! All are fresh, juicy, and delicious, I can assure you! That¡¯s why they are in the VIP shop!¡± Steven defended his products proudly.
¡°Tch¡ª Nice scam! Do you think such things are useful inbat at all?!¡± She shrieked.
¡°What? Of course not! Why would anyone try to use fruits in a fight? That would be dumb!¡± Steven seemed puzzled. How would anyone misunderstand this?
¡°YOU!¡± The boyfriend became impatient, charged at the NPC, and began beating him up!
¡°Should we help him?¡± Bubblegum whispered uncertainly, looking at the NPC on the floor, trying its best to protect its head.
¡°Nope, he¡¯ll be fine. In the meantime, help me clean this up.¡± Jack began sorting the boxes.
¡°Hey, you two in the back. Didn¡¯t you hear? This guy only unlocks useless fruits if you do his quest!¡± The girlfriend called out to them.
¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind me. I have a food blog. I¡¯m just checking out the ingredients in Infinity. Ah, but I heard that the NPCs are pretty strong¡.so maybe you should tell your boyfriend to fall back.¡± Jack sagely advised.
¡°Please, as if! Look at him go, my guy¡¯s a hero!¡± The troublesome girl dered with sparkles in her eyes.
Jack couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. Said hero was beating up the poor NPC over and over¡.but not for long. It was just a matter of time before he slipped up. After a few minutes of beatings, it finally happened. The boyfriend¡¯s hand slipped and hit a shelf.
One quick way to die in Infinite was to trash a shop. Some shopkeepers could be assaulted all day long, insulted, anything¡.But! Never. Ever. Touch. Their. Shop!!!! Steven cried out in emotional pain: ¡°My shop!¡±
The dumb boyfriend was still chuckling when the NPC rose up, grabbed him by the neck, and raised him up high up in the air. He then slowly carried the poor yer outside before repeatedly mming his head on the ground¡
SLAM! SLAM! SLAM!
¡°Pweeaassee stooooppp!¡± The victim cried out with blood alreadying out of his temple.
¡°Let him go!!!¡± The girlfriend begged.
SLAM! SLAM! SLAM!
¡°ARRRGGGG!¡± He cried in agony.
¡°Murderer! Murderer! Help!!¡± She tried getting help¡ª how cute!
SLAM! SLAM! SLAM!
¡°¡..¡±
¡°You killed him, AH!¡± She screeched like a banshee.
Steven turned toward the girl, who ran as if the devil was after her. The NPC slowly returned back in and assumed a demure appearance once more. He even smiled at them:
¡°Ah, you guys are helping sort the merchandise?! I really can¡¯t pay you for it!¡± He deplored.
¡°No worries, we¡¯re just doing this for fun. Just do your stuff, man.¡± Jack reassured.
Seraphine couldn¡¯t help but nce at her teacher. He was still calmly working! How?! Hadn¡¯t he been affected by what had just happened?! No, he knew about it! The weird part was that there hadn¡¯t been a Beta test as far as she knew¡.so how?!
Anyone normal would have given up after hearing that earlier testimony. What was the angle here? He had said food, right? Did they require fruits for some reason?! They worked in silence for a few hours until they were done.
¡°Wow! You¡¯ve organized it all! Thank you so much! This is so helpful, but how can I repay you?! I can sell you fruits from my stash if you want¡but that¡¯s about it¡.¡± Steven showed happiness but also slight shame.
¡°Bubblegum, get the unknown item out,¡± Jack ordered.
She had to sacrifice this too?! In the initial chests, there had been a small wooden statue. It was one of a goat, a very nd one for sure! She could hear him whisper, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a statue.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll trade you this unknown statue for fruits and a backpack. What do you think?¡± Jack offered.
¡°Deal! This is perfect! Haha!¡± Steven instantly agreed to the stupefaction of Bubblegum.
The backpack could enter the system inventory when unused and reduce the weight of items ced in it. It served to carry heavy objects. As for the fruits, there were so many of them: apples, oranges, pears, and others.
As soon as they were out, Seraphine couldn¡¯t help but query: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bargain this time around?¡±
¡°He was already feeling bad for not directly paying us for the help. This feeling of guilt actually gave us more rewards.¡± Jack remarked.
¡°I see¡then why did we have to get all these items?¡± She sounded skeptical.
¡°To progress in the Vige¡¯s Quests, why else? Use your head!¡± Jack reproached.
¡°Right¡where are we going now?¡± She curiously asked.
¡°It¡¯s time to meet an expert killer, one that has ughtered thousands in his life.¡± Jack sounded so ominous!
¡°What?!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but jump in surprise.
She could feel her tension rising. Why was it that each of their stops seemed to be more and more violent?!¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Seeing this scene made my hand twitch without me even initially realizing it. That one maddy that had caused my demise had been grabbed by the neck too. I just couldn¡¯t finish the job. Heck, there is something wrong with that part of my life.
Chapter 14: Acquiring Tools!
Chapter 14: Acquiring Tools!
In a small beginner vige, a pink-haired girl was staring at a small shop, feeling cheated. This wasn¡¯t what she had pictured, hearing about an expert killer that had ughtered thousands!
What was up with this name?
¡°Are you going to stand outside?¡± Jack inquired. What a weird girl she was¡
¡°Coming!¡± She followed the man that kept trolling her.
As they entered, she nearly choked from the heavy odor of blood. It seemed to permeate the wood. Meanwhile, madman Jack was breathing it in rxedly: ¡°How nostalgic¡.¡± He even murmured. What was wrong with this guy?!
Footsteps were heard as a man wearing a surprisingly clean white butcher apron showed up. ¡°Hello, braves! What brings you here today? I have nk, short te, brisket, rib, chuck¡ª¡±
¡°I¡¯ll take a basic rib, one that¡¯s very juicy!¡± Jack instructed as he handed five silvers over, already knowing the price.
¡°Great choice! I¡¯m surprised that a brave is patronizing my shop, to be honest. Braves are really great, and¡.¡± He enthusiastically began.
But, the NPC¡¯s lips were slightly pursed, and his hand was bing white from gripping the counter. He was most definitely holding back his true thoughts. How would a butcher truly see yers? Jack opened his mouth.
¡°Braves are the fucking worst, am I right! They¡¯re nothing but brutes that only know how to attack their victims brainlessly. They¡¯ll turn everything they touch to shit, any good meat to a bloody paste that¡¯s unusable!¡±
The NPC recoiled in shock but soon began grinning thenughing out loud. ¡°HAHAHA! You do get it! These Braves are so damn trashy! I didn¡¯t know there were decent braves out there! I like you!¡±
¡°Meh, they are almost virtually all like that. Anyway, I need something else. Can you sell me a good knife?¡± Jack requested.
¡°Are you sure? Knives are pretty expensive, my friend. I can sell you a decent one for one gold if you need.¡±
¡°1 Gold?!¡± Bubblegum was choking in surprise on the side.
¡°One Gold? Sounds perfect to me. Here you go!¡± Without even batting an eye, Jack handed a gold coin and happily received a basic iron knife in exchange.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Common Butcher Knife
Rank F
Level 5
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[Attack] 1-2
[Speed] Very Fast
[Range] Close Melee
[Durability] Very High
[Attribute] + Butcher
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¡°Right, friend! Are you heading into the forest? Do you want a good luck charm to help you in your endeavors?¡± The butcher amicably offered.
¡°Of course!¡± Jack loved free stuff!
A few minutester, the butcher came back with a small emblem of a me. ¡°Here you go, this is the emblem of the Benevolent Lord! It will protect you.¡±
Jack picked it up but suddenly froze. The emblem he was now holding had the symbol of a torch illuminating the surrounding darkness. It was very simple but elegant and had a certain charm.
But, there was an issue. The Benevolent Lord¡¯s torch was supposed to show 3 lines at the handle. It meant to be benevolent toward allies, strangers, and enemies. This one had 4 lines instead.
Anyone unfamiliar with Infinite would have assumed it was a simple manufacturing error. However, would someone religious get their emblem wrong? Nope!
Jack couldn¡¯t help but chuckle loudly. ¡°A torch with 4 lines, I fucking love it!¡±
Once more, the NPC was stunned, but then he too beganughing. The two of them just began cackling in the utmost evil-sounding manner.
The poor Bubblegum felt like they were speaking anothernguage entirely. Who fucking cared about how many lines there were on a trinket?! Seriously?!
¡°May you be sessful in your hunt. I will buy any meat that you bring me as long as the cuts are well made!¡± The butcher said.
¡°Understood! I will bring you the best of the best! Take care, friend.¡± On this note, Jack brought along a confused sidekick.
As soon as they were out, she instantly burst into questions: ¡°What the fuck was that?! Is the knife worth that much?! Why did you buy one steak?!¡±
¡°Lore. Yes. Because I only need 1.¡± Jack curtly replied.
Such answers only made her more confused. Lore? Somehow 3 versus 4 was a big deal. Yes, just yes?! How was it good? He only needed 1? How could he be so sure?! Would it kill him to exin better?!
She could only sigh. Jack was akin to an iceberg with only the very tip showing. No, perhaps the little he showed was nothing but bait to misdirect from all the other stuff that was happening underwater.
¡°We have one more stop.¡± Jack shared.
¡°We do? There are only five silvers left, right? Do you have more money?¡± She questioned.
¡°No need.¡± Jack shook his head as he brought her to what was very evidently a florist: he pushed the door open with confidence. ¡°Hello there!¡±
The interior was filled to the brim with colorful flowers everywhere. There was also something very peculiar. On the tables were many magical circles drawn that were all inactive.
A man wearing sses and a long blue robe weed them: ¡°Visitors, nice! How can I help you today?¡± This guy was probably the unofficial magical instructor of the vige. Not that he¡¯d be able to teach necromancy.
¡°I¡ª¡± Jack tried replying.
¡°Ah, silly me. You¡¯re obviously here to buy flowers for your girlfriend! Give me a second, and I¡¯ll create the perfect bouquet for you lovebirds!¡± He gleefully went around the ce.
Bubblegum became even pinker as she slightly blushed. What was up with these peculiar NPCs?! Each was more quirky than the others. For instance, this one kept sniffing his products, trying to create the perfect floral arrangement.
¡°Actually, I came here to buy a spade.¡± Jack interrupted.
Instantly the NPC turned hostile. He red at them as if they had killed his parents. ¡°Why would I ever sell you tools! Are my flowers not good enough for you, perhaps?!¡± He thundered furiously.
¡°I need it to pursue magical excellence,¡± Jack exined (?).
What kind of reason was this?! Where had all his eloquence gone?! No, wait. Seraphine observed her surroundings. That¡¯s when she noticed the magic circles. Oh! Was this guy a mage?!
The NPC froze and then smiled. ¡°Oh, that makes sense! Alright, it will be 1 Gold.¡±
¡°I have something else to offer instead. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be pleased with it.¡± Jack confidently said.
¡°Intriguing¡¡±
¡°Bubblegum, give him your rosewood weapon.¡±
¡°WHAT?! No fucking way! Why would I..?!¡.¡± Jack was just looking at her, frowning and gesturing her to hurry up. What kind of monster would force her to part with her beloved dagger?!
¡°Rosewood weapons are only good at the very beginning of the game. Plus, we¡¯ll get some from the cksmith anyway.¡± Jack exined.
¡°A-alright.¡± She brought out her treasure and slowly handed it over. It felt like getting rid of a piece of herself. It was the worst and she felt like crying!
The exchange happened quickly, Jack received a tiny shovel, and the NPC kicked them out because he wanted to examine the enchanted dagger.
¡°Alright, with this, we are all set. Let¡¯s start this party, shall we?¡± Jack could be seen grinning.
Hopefully, all these sacrifices would be worth it¡
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Common Gathering Spade
Rank F
Level 5
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[Attack] 1-1
[Speed] Very Fast
[Range] Close Melee
[Durability] Very High
[Attribute] + Gather
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Creator¡¯s Thought
Preparatory work is the most important. Otherwise, one ends up doing all the same tasks many times over for different purposes: It is simply too inefficient. I would be lying if I said I didn¡¯t enjoy her teary eyes as she parted with that dagger.
Chapter 15: CHICKENS!!!!!!
Chapter 15: CHICKENS!!!!!!
Next to New Leaf Vige, there was a small in that led to a nearby forest. Currently, there was only one way to describe this piece ofnd¡
CHICKENS!!!!
All over the ce, white chickens were getting ganged upon by yers. The naked yers were kicking and punching the best they could, continuing their assault with incredible motivation! Had these chickens killed their families or something?!
The chickens were pecking back in self-defense and scratching people with their talons. Many yers were actually dying from these attacks. How could chickens be that strong?! There were even some chickens with deeper colors that were 100% avoided by everyone.
¡°What¡¯s with the chickens? Also, why is this so intense?!¡± Bubblegum asked, perplexed.
To anyone new to Infinite, the scene looked weird for sure. How in the hell were groups of 10 yers struggling to kill a simple chicken?!
¡°What do you expect? The chickens are level 2, while the yers are level 0 and naked. If they had any gear at all, this would be an easy fight. But as things stand, the yers need about 30 hits to defeat it, but die after taking four attacks.¡± Jack exined.
¡°This is crazy! The developers added such powerful creatures to the beginner viges?!¡± Bubblegum cried out in shock.
¡°Indeed. See it as a kind of trial by fire. Either one conquers the chickens, or one remains stuck in the beginner vige forever. Again, it¡¯s easy with gear. They are taking the harder path instead.¡± Jack shrugged.
¡°Couldn¡¯t the vige chief loan us weapons or something? What if we try to persuade him?¡± Bubblegum suggested.
¡°That¡¯s a definite possibility, also an easier one than dealing with the cksmith,¡± Jack admitted.
¡°I guess there is a reason we aren¡¯t doing so, right?¡±
¡°Random weapons or custom-made weapons, which do you think is better?¡±
¡°Makes sense. So, what¡¯s the n?¡± She inquired.
¡°First, we get the Hardwood Timber. While not optimal, it will definitely do the trick for fuel.¡± Jack exined.
¡°Wouldn¡¯t we need an axe?¡±
¡°We could get an axe and spend an entire day cutting a single tree, but I¡¯d rather not spend so much time on it. I don¡¯t want to be a lumberjack, so we¡¯re going to loot it instead.¡± Jack admitted.
This game truly wasn¡¯t simple. It seemed like there were many methods avable to aplish every single task. It was all a matter of figuring out the most optimal one for one¡¯s ystyle.
¡°Alright, follow my directives closely and remain 5 meters from me at all times. This is extremely vital, or you could aggro monsters.¡± Jack instructed with his sidekick nodding.
He wasn¡¯t too worried. He had a gut feeling that this wasn¡¯t her first VR game at all. She shouldn¡¯t have too much issue with staying at a proper distance.
Now, it was time to have fun! He strode toward a nearby chicken and kicked its ass. Many yers could be seen sneering at him, for they expected him to have a horrible end.
Instantly, the chicken used the skill that made it a force to be reckoned with: a lunge! This peck attack would surprise most newbies because it was so sudden. Except Jack had already moved out of the way, the attack missing him by 1 centimeter.
He could hear exmations of shock from the surrounding yers:
¡°Did he just dodge?!¡±
¡°Tch¡ª Probably just beginner¡¯s luck.¡±
¡°It¡¯s possible to dodge these things?!¡±
¡°Dumbass, avoiding isn¡¯t the hard part. Counterattacking is!¡±
¡°He¡¯s started the fight with only one ally. It¡¯s going to take them forever to kill it even if they can.¡±
They weren¡¯t entirely wrong either. Jack was sure that a few yers had tried a simr tactic but had given up from ack of familiarity with the Infinite controls. It was one thing to know what to do and another to execute it.
Oh, there were bound to be geniuses already soloing chickens, but they would be as rare as a legendary ming immortal chicken¡¯s feather.
¡°Let¡¯s fuck him up!¡± Bubblegum happily came to help. She was probably getting bored with all that NPC talk.
¡°Nope, stand back.¡± Jack curtly replied, to her dismay.
Instead of fighting back, he went toward another level 2 chicken, punching its head. Instantly the bystanders couldn¡¯t help but draw cold breathes.
¡°He¡¯spletely fucked.¡±
¡°He just screwed their party. They¡¯ll both die now!¡±
¡°Nope, the girl hasn¡¯t attacked yet. If she¡¯s smart, she¡¯ll run far away from this suicidal madman.¡±
But, this was only the beginning. Jack went toward a third chicken, attacking it. The chickens following him were rtively slow, but they would use that dash attack from time to time.
Every time, it would pass right next to his body without hurting him in the least. What was up with this evasion mastery?! But this incredible disy became a bit goofy when he visibly stumbled,ying t on the ground, and survived thanks to this.
Was the guy just in lucky?! Was such luck even human?! Seraphine was one of the few that clearly understood what he was doing. Jack even had the energy to make his actions seem like a fluke?! How powerful was he?! This wasn¡¯t just about knowledge anymore!
He wasn¡¯t even looking at his pursuers. It was as if he knew 100% their next actions! How unbelievable was this?!
As he kept dodging, Jack was reminded of some of the Trials he had to aplish to limit break. Compared to them, this was pretty rxed, especially that there were no ranged attacks.
He went to aggro onest chicken. As soon as he did, yers all around resolved to remember this crazy guy.
¡°That¡¯s one of the high-level chickens!¡±
¡°These things can kill yers with only three attacks! He¡¯s doomed!¡±
¡°I mean¡it¡¯s not like it matters if he¡¯s dodging it all.¡±
¡°True, but now look at this onught. It¡¯s impossible to counterattack now!¡±
¡°He¡¯ll lose this fight for sure, but his goal is probably to train. Dying in the beginner Vige isn¡¯t as punishing, so it makes sense.¡±
This was actually a valid strategy. Chicken attack patterns were rtively easy to grasp. This made it a perfect training mob for newbies. But, increasing their numbers instantly raised the difficulty exponentially.
There were the enemies to consider, the timing of their skills, the terrain itself, the other mobs and yers around, etc.¡
Jack nodded with satisfaction at the monsters following him. He was ready for the next part of his n. In fact, the crowd was right: it was close to impossible to win even if he were to fight right now.
Well, he could take advantage of the terrain to separate them, but it would still take hours and hours for the actual kills. But, fighting the chickens had never been his n. Instead, Jack headed toward the nearby forest with Bubblegum following wide-eyed.
The crowd couldn¡¯t help but chime in once more, pleased by the distraction. To be honest, repeatedly bashing chickens was pretty boring. Infinite was different, but they were so used to regr MMORPGs that they had instantly begun farming mobs mindlessly.
¡°Holy shit! Am I going crazy, or is he going into the forest?!¡±
¡°Nope, this crazy guy is heading into it for sure!¡±
¡°There are level 4-6 foxes in there, right?!¡±
¡°Yep, there are many of them.¡±
¡°He¡¯s going to die!¡±
¡°Indeed he will.¡±
¡°F, Brave Hero!¡±
¡°F¡±
¡°F¡±
¡°F¡±
Creator¡¯s Thought
One could wonder: why would the Vige Chief give them a quest to kill Chickens if they didn¡¯t have the level nor equipment for it? Well, NPCs in Infinite had their own thoughts. He simply wanted to test the potential of these ¡°Braves of Legends¡±.
Chapter 16: FOXES!!!!
Chapter 16: FOXES!!!!
New Leaf Forest was slightly dark, and yet visibility was good inside.
It was as if the trees themselves suffused a soft light into their surroundings. Legends had it that this was a blessing from thend itself toward all the creatures inhabiting it.
¡°I heard them mention foxes. How strong are they?¡± Bubblegum asked with interest.
¡°Strong enough to wipe the floor with both of us instantly. While it would take them 2-3 bites to kill us, the main issue is their speed. There is no way to dodge them with our current level 0 stats.¡± Jack calmly remarked.
As he was speaking, he kept evading dash attacks from the chickens that were still after him. Seraphine was frightened by how natural this all felt. They could have been talking in a safe zone that he would have the same goddamn tone!
¡°Yet we are heading straight into fox territory, right?¡± She remarked.
¡°Indeed. Now, make sure you remain toward the back. In Infinite, one needs to be careful with territories. The edge of the forest is a no-creature¡¯snd and pretty safe, but it soon changes.¡± He exined.
¡°Aye Aye, Captain.¡± She yfully answered.
Jack guided them through the forest, walking a very peculiar path. He was leading them in zigzags. They were probably trying to avoid monsters, right? Eventually, he stopped and turned toward the chickens, seemingly awaiting something. What now?
That¡¯s when a chicken lunged at him! Jack sidestepped it, the monster stopping a few meters away. Suddenly, there was a sh of orange light! What?! A fox had just jumped out of a bush and grabbed the chicken in its jaw!
Without waiting any further, it dragged its prey back in the bush it came from. Was this a sacrifice?! Wait, Jack had made sure that the chicken was the first to enter the fox territory, right?! How scheming!
¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Jack made them resume their journey.
Soon, he repeated the same action with two new foxes, respectively level 5 and 6 this time around. They had to hurry up for the window of opportunity would quickly close otherwise. Luckily, the foxes liked to y with their food.
Before long, they were standing before arge tree that had a hole in it, with the Elder Chicken still trying to murder Jack.
¡°What¡¯s in there?¡±
¡°A deadly Fox Boss¡±
This one would be rtively challenging. Going inside would be easy. The issue would being out. Luckily, he knew a trick for it. It was showtime!
First, Jack made sure that the chicken intruded into the fox¡¯s nest directly. Afterward, he quickly ran away, with the chicken following him. Behind it, there was already a sh of orange following.
The poor chicken had no clue about the fate that was awaiting it. Jack waited for the fox to reach the chicken, and then the both of them ran toward the fox nest. The inside was an easy-to-navigate tunnel.
At the end of it, there was a small bed made out of twigs. Without hesitation, Jack dug it until he found a few t logs that served as the foundation. Grabbing them, he hurriedly turned heels!
¡°Bubblegum, make sure you stay in front. You¡¯ll have to charge at the boss directly!¡±
¡°Won¡¯t I die instantly then?!¡± She protested.
¡°Yep, see you at the Vige!¡± He admitted.
What kind of viin was he?! Had Jack brought her along just to serve as a meat shield?! That fucker! What kind of teacher did this?!
¡°You better make it worth my sacrifice!¡± She grumbled as she went forward.
As they tried leaving, the boss appeared:
The skull icon said it all. This thing could murder them over and over before they could even damage it. All the New Leaf Vige yers could gang up on it, and it would still emerge victoriously.
The monster grabbed the poor Bubblegum in its powerful jaw. Now that she was stuck in there, her fate was already determined. The first tick of damage almost killed her, and the second finished her.
¨C 15
¨C 15
Bubblegum¡¯s HP:
20 to -10 ¡ª> DEAD
The boss threw her bloody corpse on the ground as it turned toward the remaining human. Jack had used this time to slide between its leg, arriving on the other side.
But, could he outrun the boss? Nope! Foxes were as fast as a thief running from the police. That¡¯s when Jack took out an apple from his inventory, throwing it toward the back of the nest.
The fox hesitated a second but then went after the apple. It could always catch up to the humanter, right? It had to secure the sweet-smelling apple first! This was the creature¡¯s weak spot!
Had there been a party still alive, the fox would have prioritized them since they could be a threat to the weaker foxes. This only worked because Jack wasn¡¯t seen as a threat at all.
Jack left as quickly as his legs could carry him. He now had to follow the exact same path they hade from without straying at all. Otherwise, a stray fox would quickly murder him.
He really couldn¡¯t afford to die, or he would lose the Hardwood since it was a boss guarded item. Otherwise, yers would just run into every bossir and die with tons of sweet loot in their inventory.
He managed to make it back to the Vige. Instantly, he was weed by tons of yers losing their shit.
¡°What the fuck?! He¡¯s alive?!¡±
¡°Who the hell is this guy?!¡±
¡°Wasn¡¯t he chased by 4 Chickens?!¡±
¡°Not only that, he somehow killed them all in the forest?!¡±
¡°Where is the girl that was with him? The pink-haired one?¡±
¡°Who knows and who cares! I want to know how he did it!¡±
¡°For sure! We¡¯re here struggling to kill one chicken, and yet he¡how?!¡±
¡°Maybe the foxes killed the chickens? Maybe we can farm XP using such a trick?!¡±
¡°Let¡¯s try it right now! Who here is good at dodging chickens?!¡±
There were already yers heading his way to ask for tips, so Jack hurried toward the Vige. He gestured at them to go away: He didn¡¯t really need more than one student (ve).
Most understood and didn¡¯t insist, for he wasn¡¯t obligated to help them. But, as usual, life couldn¡¯t be that simple, right? A group began to assemble as they blocked Jack¡¯s path.
They were the guys that had skipped queue to receive a quest from the Vige Chief. There were about 20 of them grinning at him. Now what?¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Foxes are fast and great at hiding. The paths that seem safe at first nce are usually protected by foxes in ambush. At least, there are fewer of them then. By using a 100% hiding foxes path we could face 3 of them instead of a dozen. There is a trick to finding the ambushes: the bush sways a quarter of a beatter than the actual wind.
Chapter 17: NPC Bully VS Player Bullies
Chapter 17: NPC Bully VS yer Bullies
At New Leaf in, there was currently a showdown happening: madman expert versus numerous bullies.
While the former bullied monsters, thetter group specialized in oppressing their brethren. There was one spot of the in where many level 2 Chickens spawned near one another at a rtively decent rate: they had monopolized it.
Honestly, if the monsters weren¡¯t so hard to kill, chances were the guys that called themselves the Mighty Wolves Guild would have driven theirpetition away already.
Had this been the goal behind the super-strong creeps near the Vige? After all, often beginner mobs would get instantly deleted upon new MMO releases, and people would fight to tag mobs and steal the XP away. Here, there hadn¡¯t been much fighting.
¡°Hey there! I¡¯m Dom, one of the executives of the Mighty Wolves Guild. Would you be interested in joining our family?¡± A naked burly man offered Jack warmly.
¡°No thanks. I¡¯m more of a solo yer, you see.¡± He politely declined, ready to bypass them. But, they didn¡¯t bulge in the least as they blocked him.
¡°I don¡¯t think you understand. Anyone that isn¡¯t part of the family is considered an enemy. You do not want to make an enemy of us, for there is nothing stronger than family. Think it over carefully.¡±
¡°Hm, I see. I maybe have a suggestion to make then.¡± Jack pondered a few seconds.
¡°Go on. We will give you great working conditions.¡± The man grinned as he understood that the mysterious yer was only making a show of refusing to raise his own value.
¡°Alright, I can join you guys if I be the guild leader. As long as you all obey my orders, then I might just consider keeping you guys around.¡± Jack proposed what seemed like a fair trade to him.
Of course, this was knowing all that he knew. How was he supposed to exining back to the past? It was a known concept in fiction, but chances were they would either refuse to believe him or, on the contrary, try to exploit him.
¡°Tch¡ª Crazy guy! There are some things one shouldn¡¯t joke about. This is one, and you just screwed up big time. If you want to join, then you¡¯ll only have a grunt position. Otherwise, you¡¯ll go on our cklist.¡± The man frowned as he spat out.
Of course, the gallery had a ton to say about this exchange.
¡°Wait, how can they be a guild already? How?!¡±
¡°Idiot, they are obviously an IRL guild at the moment.¡±
¡°Figures, how strong are these guys anyway? They seem tyrannical.¡±
¡°They¡¯re a Deste Desert Online Guild, I believe. They mostly PVP and own a few castles on one of the most popr servers. They¡¯re branching out to Infinite.¡±
¡°So, any solo yer going against them is fucked, right? Infinite only has one server, so changing server is not an option¡.¡±
¡°This guy¡¯s joke was really a bad idea with their temperament. I¡¯m surprised that they¡¯re not beating him up already.¡±
¡°What are you talking about? The in is a safe zone. They can¡¯t use violence even if they want. Still, they can screw him up as soon as he enters the forest.¡±
¡°How do you know all this?!¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you listen to the Vige Chief?!¡±
For them all, the altercation was bing less interesting. In their minds, he was bound to ept the ultimatum. The only other option was for him to find another guild as powerful as the Mighty Wolves as backing. There were none in the New Leaf Vige so far¡
Jack very calmly replied to the man he had dubbed a power-hungry idiot.
¡°I wasn¡¯t kidding at all. Anyway, I¡¯ll have to pass on your crappy offer. By the way, here is a friendly tip: you guys should stop ganging up on the chickens. Otherwise, they¡¯ll fight back with numbers too, and you won¡¯t like it.¡± Jack kindly advised.
¡°Tch¡ª Dumbass. You better not leave the safe zone if you know what¡¯s good for you. You¡¯ll be begging us to serve the Mighty Wolves. Brothers, let¡¯s go. No need to waste any more time on this crazy guy.¡± The idiot scoffed as he left.
The crowd began talking in hushed voices. On the one hand, the expert was bound to be defeated by the mighty power of a zerg! On the other hand, drama! People loved drama so much! They would have posted about it on the official forum if it was avable.
Bubblegum came closer, frowning her pink brows with worry. ¡°Are you sure about this? Holding a few castles in Deste Desert Online is no easy task. For now, they probably only have a few people in Infinite, butter¡.¡±
¡°You mean to say they¡¯ll all transfer over once the game bes bigger, right? I probably won¡¯t have to face more than a few hundred of them in the short term. It should be fine,¡± Jack assured. It wasn¡¯t that he had failed to assess the danger. He simply didn¡¯t give a fuck!
¡°I see. How about you add me as a friend? Then if you require assistance, you can message me. I know a few yers from a strong guild that could help.¡± She kindly offered.
Jack hesitated for a second. How many friends had he parted ways with over the years? How many had been in trouble because they knew him? The old him would have never added a random girl for helping him, not even a whole day.
She probably had ulterior motives. What if she was trying to get as much information as possible out of him before betraying him? What if¡ª he forcefully stopped his train of thought. This was a new life, a new beginning.
Why should he worry about the potential ramifications of his actions? He would just have fun. As long as the people he loved weren¡¯t endangered, it wasn¡¯t the end of the world.
¡°Sure.¡± Jack finally epted. He could see Bubblegum struggling to open her menu. He quickly manipted his UI, sending her a friend request. She was seeing something like this:
[yer Jack¡¯ O Wants to be your friend, do you wish to ept?]
She shed a small smile as her lips silently repeated Jack¡¯O. She felt a slight sense of satisfaction at being the first one to know the mysterious expert¡¯s name. Perhaps it was childish, but she didn¡¯t care. But then she heard Jack¡¯s next sentence.
¡°System, change the disy name of this new friend to Bubblegum Girl. Thanks.¡± He nonchntly rebaptized her.
¡°What?! This is bullying! I have a name. I object! I am vetoing this change!¡± She eximed in mock anger. Still, he could detect a hint of yfulness in her voice.
He silently went toward the Vige, reaching the Unknown cksmith¡¯s forge. ¡°Guess who¡¯s back with fuel!¡± Jack shouted victoriously as he kicked the door open.
The middle-aged NPC had left the floor and was exercising with heavy hammers, using them as weight. ¡°How about we bet some alcohol? I¡¯m gonna bet you¡¯re the one that grabbed it.¡± He chuckled.
¡°Wow. No bet then! Here you go, take care of it properly!¡± Jack instructed while handing over the three hardwood logs.
As long as one¡¯s familiarity with an NPC was sufficient, they could serve as banks. There was a certain risk to it, but it wasn¡¯t like people came here much in the first ce. They would leave as soon as the cksmith asked them to go into the forest to get materials.
¡°With this, we¡¯re just missing the ores, right? Where are we going now?¡± Bubblegum asked curiously.
¡°Right now, I¡¯m logging off, and you can do the same.¡± Jack proposed.
¡°Whaaat?! No way! This is the first day. We can¡¯t take a break yet!¡± She vehemently objected.
Jack only shook his head in refusal before exining himself:
¡°You can wander around the Vige and do random quests. I reckon you can do stuff like farming, cleaning, watering nts, etc. You could get a bit of XP, silvers, and even learn the basics of a profession. I¡¯m waiting for an event to happen. I¡¯ll be back then.¡±
¡°An event?¡± She murmured, intrigued.
¡°Actually, you could watch over the in and record it all if you want. It should be pretty entertaining. See you in about 30 minutes,ter.¡± Jack waved her goodbye before login out in a purple light¡why was it purple and not blue?!
Seraphine hurriedly headed to the in. What kind of event was he waiting for? Also, what kind of man was this Jack¡¯O? Obviously a prophet, but what else? So mysterious¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
One thing that many misunderstand is that effort automatically means better results. Sure, effort is always needed and oftentimes the most decisive factor, but efficient effort is the key to sess. The first hours Infinite were the most troublesome as people were left to their own devices. Afterward, it would be way easier to progress.
Chapter 18: So There’s a Girl?!
Chapter 18: So There¡¯s a Girl?!
As Jack removed the VR helmet, he felt fantastic!
He was lying on his bed, the surroundings dimly lit. He couldn¡¯t help but smile as he saw Lilly studying by the side. She was frowning her brows in concentration and looked so damn cute! It was such a sh to his previous lonely and shitty apartment.
¡°How lucky! It seems there has been apassionate goddess watching over me while I was gaming.¡± He joked while smiling brightly at her.
¡°Oh? You¡¯re up! Wee back. How was it? So, you¡¯re a professional gamer from now on? How did that even happen?¡± She asked with a glimmer in her amethyst eyes.
¡°You know, I just happened to be at the right ce at the right time.¡± He shrugged.
¡°I¡¯ve seen a few posts. How hardcore are the chickens in Infinite?! People are crying all over social media about their party getting wiped by goddamn chickens! I thought it was a joke at first.¡± She chuckled.
Jack went to sit next to her, looking at the book in her hands: Functions and Applications. He then exaggeratedly spoke as if frightened. ¡°Is this the horrendous evil known as mathematics?! It seems there is a foe deadlier than the Infinite Chickens!¡±
¡°Pfft¡ª Yes indeed. But, fear not, for I am about to vanquish it! How about you? How did your quest go, Legendary Hero? Did you manage to y your poultry adversaries?¡±
¡°Nay! But fear not, fairdy! I shall soon obtain equipment worthy of my heroic standing. Afterward, I shall rechallenge those feathery monsters! The world shall be mine to conquer!¡± Jack rose, striking a heroic pose.
¡°I see, I see. Then I shall await your victorious return. In the meantime, how about we eat?¡± She left toward the kitchen with him following right behind.
She went toward a slow cooker that had been working all this time, opening the lid slightly. Instantly, a whiff of rice, curry, and pork permeated the entire apartment. Jack couldn¡¯t help but bask in it with yearning. How had he missed this!
¡°Here you go.¡± She handed him a bowl filled to the brim, heading for the kitchen table. They both sat in silence, but she was stunned as she turned to look at her brother.
He was sitting there, a silly grin on his face and tear streaming. His shaky hand brought a bite toward his mouth: It tasted like Heaven. There was no other way to describe it. This was pure bliss.
¡°Too much spice?¡± She asked, perplexed.
¡°No, this is perfect. It couldn¡¯t be better.¡± He contentedly devoured the food.
There was a moment of silence as he ate while observing her. She was alive, she was vibrant, and she would goddamn stay this way!
¡°It has to be a miracle because I left it unattended for so long!¡± She chuckled.
Jack nodded before asking ¡°How was work?¡±
¡°Pretty fun. I have to say you left quite an impression on my friend. She kept asking questions about you after you left.¡±
¡°Is that so? She seems like a nice friend.¡±
¡°Yep. Also, I heard about what happened afterward. Was it hard to see her again?¡±
¡°Who?¡±
¡°The madwoman that rejected you. I heard you ran into her.¡±
¡°I did?¡± Jack was confused. Ah, was she talking about the rude woman? So she did know him. Oh well, whatever: not like he wanted to associate with someone so entitled.
¡°Seems I was worried over nothing. What about your first day? Did you find a party?¡±
¡°Yep, I found myself a decent helper. She still has a bit of trouble adjusting to Infinite, but so does everyone. At least, she¡¯s following orders properly.¡± But then Jack suddenly stopped as he saw the grin on Lilly¡¯s face.
¡°Oh? She? She follows orders too? What kind of rtionship do your guys have?¡± She mischievously asked.
¡°It¡¯s not like that. Bubblegum and I have a strict teacher and student rtionship.¡± He objected.
¡°You already have a nickname for her?! You guys sure are fast! First its nicknames, then it¡¯s adding each other as friends, and then¡.¡± She gave a meaningful wink.
¡°I call her that because she designed her whole avatar pink! Hair, brows, lips, everything!¡± Jack justified himself.
¡°Oh? So you¡¯ve been looking at her lips? Suspicious¡.¡± She retorted.
Jack didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. There was no winning against her. She was having mad fun teasing him. Then again, this felt nice. He had missed such banter.
¡°There you go smiling again for no reason. This is only going to make me more curious!¡± She pouted cutely.
¡°Nono, I have a great reason for smiling. We¡¯re having a wonderful dinner. This is enough to keep me smiling, especially with your amazing cooking!¡± He cheerfully replied.
¡°Tch¡ª Kiss ass.¡± Sheined, but her smirk betrayed her. ¡°Anyway, when are you going to see this Bubblegum again?¡± She interrogated.
¡°Not before 10 minutes for sure. I¡¯m waiting for something big to happen. Then I¡¯ll log back in and grind for levels for real.¡± Jack exined.
¡°So mysterious! Infinite seems like a lot of fun. Maybe I¡¯ll have to check it up myself at this rate.¡± She giggled.
¡°Of course! I¡¯ll buy you a headset so you can join too. You¡¯ll see it¡¯s really fun. I¡¯m 100% confident that you¡¯ll love it!¡± Jack enthusiastically replied.
¡°T-that, it¡¯s too expensive, there¡¯s no need!¡± She protested.
¡°Denied. I¡¯ll bring you to see this beautiful world. You can be sure of it! In the meantime, make sure to focus on your studies. Also, you can ck on taking part-time jobs. You should rx from time to time too.¡± He advised.
Jack would have to give simr advice to the old man. But, it would be hard to convince him to take fewer shifts at the hospital. He was probably the most overworked janitor ever!
Lilly was at a loss for a few seconds, but then she sweetly whispered. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll count on you then.¡±
They finished eating in great harmony. How could a simple dinner be so great? Because she was here. Afterward, Jack went back to Infinite. He couldn¡¯t help but grin, knowing Lilly would be guarding his side. This ought to bring him great luck!
As his body went soft, she approached his side, caressing his cheeks. ¡°You¡¯ve changed, brother. There is so much that you aren¡¯t telling me, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s be happy, shall we¡.¡±
She nced at him once more. Hopefully, his new job would work out. She was well aware of how stressful professional gaming could be¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Sometimes Lilly could be so damn yful. I¡¯m d that she never lost this part of her personality, even when she began working to help support the family. She deserved way more! At the very least, she should never worry about money. This life I¡¯ll make sure she doesn¡¯t miss anything!
Chapter 19: Night of the Chickens!!!!
Chapter 19: Night of the Chickens!!!!
While Jack was having a very peaceful and pleasant dinner, the world of Infinite was going through its first upheaval.
So many braves had spawned in the New Leaf Vige and had made their way toward the New Leaf in. Even the ones that had decided to explore the vige first had joined them not long afterward. After all, no one wanted to do the odd jobs the NPCs offered.
At first, people kept dying to the surprisingly overpowered beginner monsters, but now they could hunt them rtively efficiently. They would almost spawn-kill the creatures by surrounding their respawn points. The task was bing an automatism to them.
On a nearby rooftop, a pink-haired girl was observing them while recording. Seraphine had no clue what kind of event Jack had been referring to. Did he have information from a private beta test or from a dev directly?
But, as she kept looking, she noticed something. The more the yers killed the chickens and the angrier they appeared. The once cute and cuddly creatures now spawned with feathers raised in anger.
The physical model of the creatures steadily changing had to be a clue! That¡¯s when she remembered Jack¡¯s warning about not ganging up on chickens anymore. Had he been serious?!
The more she looked and the more she could discern pure and unadulterated rage in the chickens¡¯ eyes. Did she imagine things? It was more likely that Infinite was full of easily overlooked details that would give hints about the game.
Such a concept was definitely different than most regr MMOs! Usually, one could skip quest dialogues and simply follow the minimap to one¡¯s destination. Infinite seemed to reward yers for truly ying and not just mindlessly grinding. Well, this tactic would probably work to an extent¡
That¡¯s when an outburst happened in the crowd as a party suffered many casualties. Instead of one chicken, two had spawned.
¡°You guys suck! You can¡¯t even take care of 1 chicken!¡±
¡°Shut up. There were two! That¡¯s a goddamn bug!¡±
¡°Yes, we were just unlucky.¡±
A bug? Was it really? It started as an isted case, but then it spread all over the field. The yers had no choice but to be even more vignt as one-chicken spawns became scarce. Many died, but they could run back very quickly after reviving in the vige. But, what was happening?
¡°Guys, perhaps there are more mobs during nighttime?¡±
¡°Oh, this sounds about right. The night is about to fall.¡±
¡°Hear that, brothers? We gotta grind harder!¡±
¡°I¡¯m reaching level 1 before I sleep for sure!¡±
¡°y them chickens! Huzzah!¡±
The casualties were not enough to dampen their rekindled motivation. Even when there started to be instances of 3 chickens spawning, they remained motivated. Every three-chicken spawn meant aplete party wipe of all yers in the vicinity.
Seraphine was observing the chickens, and they seemed ready tomit murder. Their physical model kept evolving: they were literally spawning with red murderous glowing eyes.
¡°Guys, look at this! Red eyes!¡±
¡°Damn, night chickens are badass!¡±
¡°How are we supposed to kill packs?!¡±
¡°Kill the groups of 2 beforehand, that¡¯s all!¡±
¡°The stronger they are, the more XP they¡¯ll give!¡±
That¡¯s when there was a sh of red light as a single chicken spawned. Instantly, many yers nearby charged at it to pummel it. But, they couldn¡¯t help but freeze a secondter. What the fuck was this?!
The monster was bigger than humans: it was one fat chicken! It didn¡¯t even budge as so many fistsnded on it. Then, it counterattacked. It pecked a nearby yer, reducing his head to a bloody mush.
The yers could only watch inplete stupor and fright as the Chicken Overlord turned to one yer after the other and reproduced the same feat. A single peck was all it took to one-shot people. Seriously?!
It wasn¡¯t even over: the Chicken Overlord clucked loudly toward the sky. The weird noise reverberated across the entire hunting ground, affecting its brethren. They all charged toward the nearest brave, disregarding their normal aggro range.
Seraphine was d to be watching from above. This was a bloody massacre! What made it even more nightmarish was that the chickens kept spawning over and over, seemingly infinitely.
Some tried resisting:
¡°Stay strong, brothers! This is an event!¡±
¡°Kill all the chickens!¡±
¡°RAWR!!!¡±
But, these screams of bravery soon turned into dying screams. In a few minutes only, not a single brave was left standing. That¡¯s when the Vige Chief came running. He was holding a bright blue gem in his hands. He activated it, and suddenly a shy blue barrier appeared all around the vige!
A newbie had just revived when he saw a chicken charge at him. Just as he was screaming in panic, the creature bounced back on the blue screen. Thank God the vige was a safe zone!
It was ironic how the tables had turned. The chickens were now the ones spawn-killing the yers! They were giving them a taste of their own medicine!
Was this why Jack didn¡¯t want to farm just yet? There was no point trying if he would have to evacuate not long afterward. Now that people were safe, they were moring loudly.
¡°Holy crap! What kind of gameunch is this?!¡±
¡°Was this a scripted event?¡±
¡°Perhaps they really are trying to get revenge.¡±
¡°This game sucks. It¡¯s too hard!¡±
¡°You can leave, but I¡¯m staying. This looks he fun!¡±
¡°This is a beast tide, isn¡¯t it? How many games have this?¡±
¡°None as early as the beginner vige, for sure!¡±
¡°Still, what do we do now?¡±
¡°Guerri tactic? We can kill a few at a time.¡±
¡°Nope. There¡¯s way too many of them.¡±
That¡¯s when the vige chief walked toward the crowd. ¡°It seems I have overestimated you all. To be subdued by chickens is extremely shameful.¡± He sighed, the yers hanging their heads low. Others came forward and opened their mouths.
¡°Sir, we wish to get revenge! How can we be stronger!¡±
¡°Yes, Sir. Please tell us!¡±
¡°We¡¯ll do anything!¡±
They all chimed in, all sharing the same sentiment. They could all feel that the Chief¡¯s apparition was no coincidence. He was the key to sess!
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you all a hint. Two individuals can potentially help you. Whether they decide to train you will depend on how sincere you can be.
¨C In the house with no door is a man that used to be an instructor for the royal army. He could teach you all you need to know about weapons.
¨C In the shop with the flowers is a great florist that also dabbles in magic. He should be able to teach you all the basics.¡±
Hearing this, the yers couldn¡¯t help but beam: they had been right!
¡°Ah! I see. Thank you so much!¡±
¡°I know where the building is!¡±
¡°Thanks for the guidance!¡±
¡°We¡¯ll do just that!¡±
¡°Weapons!!!¡±
¡°Magic!!!¡±
¡°Hell yeah!!¡±
With a clear goal now in sight, they all turned their effort to finding themselves a teacher. They were overflowing with motivation!
As Seraphine watched it all happen, she was itching to join in on the fun. Where the hell was her teacher?! That¡¯s when she noticed a line appear in front of her, one that disappeared as soon as it came.
¨C Jack¡¯ O: Yo, Bubblegum! I¡¯m back. Everyone died yet or no?
How was she even supposed to reply?! ¡°System, write back: Motherfucking Chicken-ageddon happened! What¡¯s our next move?!¡± She tentatively said.
¨C Jack¡¯ O: Chicken-ageddon, eh? As for our next move, you¡¯ll see soon enough¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
In Infinite, some events are driven by both the world and the yers. For instance, it would most likely be possible to unlock the instructors early if everyone begged them to teach. But, it wouldn¡¯t make much sense without prior information now, would it? Plus, the Chicken-ageddon made it easier to convince them anyway.
Chapter 20: Instructor Igor
Chapter 20: Instructor Igor
A sea of yers was rushing frantically toward a corner of the vige. Behind the crowd, two individuals werezily following behind.
¡°Have we been waiting for this training NPC all along, teacher?¡± Bubblegum asked with interest.
¡°Yes and no. I have another prerequisite to executing my next n. This training NPC is a shortcut to fulfilling it, that¡¯s all.¡± Jack mysteriously replied. Bubblegum could only follow in wonder.
Before long, they arrived in front of a well-maintained building made entirely of chiseled rocks. There were already many yers running around trying to locate the entrance as they called out loudly:
¡°Hello, anyone here? We¡¯re yers, and we need help!¡±
¡°Dumbass, we¡¯re called braves in this world¡.¡±
¡°Sir, we¡¯re braves, and we need a teacher!¡±
¡°There really isn¡¯t any door. This is BS!¡±
¡°You, what are you doing on the ground?¡±
¡°Kneeling and begging him to take us in, obviously.¡±
¡°Screw this shit! I was hesitating between knight and magician, but the florist NPC will be easier to find. I¡¯m out!¡±
A few decisively decided to leave for the easier option. Still, most of them stayed. After all, picking a ss was extraordinarily significant. They wouldn¡¯t be swayed by a little adversity! The vast majority even copied that one guy as they began ¡°sincerely¡± kneeling next to the building.
¡°Teacher, I must admit that I¡¯m shocked,¡± Bubblegum whispered.
¡°About?¡± Jack softly inquired.
¡°I¡¯m picturing you as the scheming evil lurking in the shadows kind of guy. I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re not gunning for the magic NPC trainer.¡± She way too candidly murmured.
¡°¡.Hey, that¡¯s uncalled for!¡± Jack protested. How did she perceive him?! He wasn¡¯t even that scheming! He was only trying to be efficient! It couldn¡¯t be helped if he knew more than most.
She only replied by mischievously sticking out her tongue. How was she sofortable fooling around? Wasn¡¯t she worried that he¡¯d get a new student?! Well, it would be a pain to find another as obedient as her indeed.
She wasn¡¯t wrong that he leaned more toward a magical ss. It was just that necromancer wasn¡¯t so easy to obtain. Otherwise, it would reign supreme as newbies were incapable of even dealing with one summoned skeleton.
Meanwhile, the others were still doing whatever they could think of to get the man inside the building¡¯s attention. But then, a few minutester, amotion happened.
Arge crowd appeared with long faces, disappointed. In their midst were the guys who had just left this ce. They were all back. As many sent them curious nces, one of them exined.
¡°The magical instructor is easy to find but won¡¯t see nor teach anyone. Apparently, he¡¯s busy analyzing a magical dagger or something¡.¡±
¡°So he drove all of you guys away just because of such a silly reason?! You all told him you were braves, right?¡±
¡°Of course we did! He didn¡¯t care at all. He told us all toe and see him once he was done. But, he wouldn¡¯t even give us a time frame!¡±
¡°What¡¯s with the training NPCs ying hooky?! In most MMOs, they are in in sight with a huge above their heads!¡±
¡°I know, right! This game is so goddamn crazy. Whoever created it is a madman!¡±
¡°Either a madman or a mad genius. At least, it¡¯s unique. Anyway, what¡¯s the n now?!¡±
Thus followed a long discussion about the options that they had. Well, bickering would have been more urate. Many were quite frankly confused as they had never expected such a troublesome situation.
Jack could only watch them all amused as his student intently stared at him, countless thoughts swirling in her head. The magical instructor was busy inspecting a dagger?! She knew for a fact that they were the cause of it!
Had this been part of Jack¡¯s n all along?! Back then, she only thought he was trying to acquire tools for some obscure purpose. She had assumed it was for a gardening quest or something.
But, what if his main objective had always been to influence the yers? What would happen if the mage instructor wasn¡¯t busy? People would prefer him to the other mysterious instructor that was nowhere to be seen!
This seemingly simple sale had determined the fate of this entire vige: it would have fewer users with magical sses! Had this all been premeditated?! Just as she was going crazy with realizations, a thundering shout echoed.
¡°Braves? Don¡¯t make meugh! All I see are weak worms!¡±
Hearing this made so many beam with happiness. Were they all masochists? Nope, the training NPC was finally here! He was standing on top of his house, looking extremely valiant, totally copying Bubblegum earlier.
His back was straight. He wore a simple but great-looking ck cloak, had ck hair tied in a man-bun, bushy brows, a chiseled jaw, and most importantly, was carrying a war hammer.
¡°Careful, I¡¯ming down!¡± He shouted as he made a plunge attack toward the yers assembled below.
It only took a few instants, and he wasnding powerfully, his hammer creating a shockwave all around that sent all yers nearby straight to the respawn zone. Insta-kill!
¡°Why didn¡¯t they move? I even warned them¡.¡± He grumbled, perplexed while many yers were facepalming.
There was a moment of silence. Had this NPC really just killed a dozen yers that easily?!
¡°Holy shit! Teach me, daddy!¡± An enthusiastic yer shouted.
Many couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback. How fucking awesome was this guy! Instantly, they began pushing toward the front, all to be the first ones to receive his teachings.
¡°Bunch of worthless animals! Freeze!¡± He bellowed loudly, bringing all the yers to a stop.
¡°I will never teach anyone thatcks discipline. If you maggots can¡¯t handle this, then fuck off! You won¡¯t be missed!¡± This was a first for many to meet an NPC with such ¡®personality.
Most games were trying their best to be PG13. This one didn¡¯t care at all as the basis was R18. It was possible to y while younger, but the experience wouldn¡¯t be the same as the AI would filter out some stuff.
¡°Stand in a formation!¡± He ordered.
The yers were at a loss. What formation? They made a pathetic attempt at it, only to get scolded.
¡°Are all of you idiots?! Don¡¯t you even know how to take a formation?! Wait, you really don¡¯t?! Garbage, all of you!¡± The instructor looked at them with great disgust.
Many just left directly, not wanting to deal with this NPC¡¯s bullshit. Some were calling him a control freak. Others wereining that he was way too arrogant for an NPC, and some even said they¡¯d report him to the admins¡ª as soon as they figured out how.
Still, the majority stayed as they hardened their resolve. They all wished to get revenge on the cheeky chickens. It was a matter of pride! They were also extremely eager to brag to their friends once they had be powerful. It would be awesome!
It took a few minutes, but people finally managed to do rows. They looked more like school children waiting for roll call than soldiers, but it was a start. The instructor nodded with satisfaction.
¡°All of you, I am instructor Igor. I can teach you out of respect for the king who expects great things of the braves, but know one thing: you are all worthless! Potential is meaningless in the face of mediocrity.¡± Igor warned them.
Many couldn¡¯t help but gulp. As expected of a man that had been an instructor in the royal army! While they didn¡¯t know anything about the royal army, it did sound mighty! They couldn¡¯t help but shiver in excitement.
¡°Alright, the first order of business is to inspect the troops.¡± Igor began walking near the yers starting from the back and diligently observing them. They thought it was nothing but a formality at first, but then¡ ¡°You, the quivering one, you¡¯re out! Get out of my sight!¡±
What?! Many couldn¡¯t help but gasp in shock. This was a test?! Was he examining their posture? If yes, they had to stand as straight and confidently as possible. The yer evidently wouldn¡¯t go that easily as he dropped to the man¡¯s feet.
¡°Please! Please let me stay! Otherwise, others are going to make fun of me for failing the tutorial and¡ª¡± The poor guy seemed to have a plethora of excuses, but his tirade was prematurely terminated by one very hard fist.
Igor had sent the yer on an express trip to respawn. He clicked his tongue in annoyance: ¡°No begging, no crying, and no running away! A man needs to be manly at all times, and a soldier needs to be even more of a man!¡±
One girl nearby couldn¡¯t help but scoff: ¡°Talk about archaic thinking. Girls can be soldiers too. Why would they need to abide by such dumb principles and¡ª¡±
There was another teleportation to spawn happening. This time Igor had thrown a pebble at the annoyance to make her disappear.
¡°No talking back either! I¡¯m using man as in human. If you want to question my methods, then go screw yourself far away!¡± Igor warned.
Most were now looking at the NPC with heated gazes. He radiated so much confidence! In this new world, they felt utterly lost. The only quests they had received were either killing OP chickens or doing odd jobs. This guy would be the rock they would rely on!
This rock just happened to be passing next to Jack. That is when he was able to see Igor¡¯s back for the very first time. The NPC¡¯s cloak wasn¡¯t entirely ck. No, there were orange glowing runes, ones that Jack was able to read.
??? ???
He tried his best, he really did, but he instantly eruptedughing. Hisughter resonated in the otherwise stern atmosphere. The bbergasted yers all turned toward him, wondering what was wrong with him.
That¡¯s when Igor turned back¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Instructors in the royal army are all a very serious bunch. For them, a man should never break down, but that¡¯s utter BS. It¡¯s fine to break down every fucking day as long as you find a method to pick yourself back up afterward. I truly believe this to be true.
Chapter 21: Legacy of the Fisting King
Chapter 21: Legacy of the Fisting King
The crowd of yers was gawking at the crazyughing man. What would happen to him? They had seen instructor Igor trash people for way less.
Jack¡¯s eyes were fixed on the symbols on the cloak, reading them. It went ??? ??? which tranted to ¡®Fist Justice¡¯. While it sounded slightly strange, this alone wasn¡¯t cause for much concern. The problem was that he had seen too much in his gaming career.
There had been plenty of ¡®Justice¡¯ guilds. This specific way of writing was pretty much associated with degeneracy and trolling (no judgment). Oppai Justice, t is Justice, Buns Justice, and many more.
There had been so many ¡®Justice guilds¡¯ that aption thread had appeared to list them all. It had enough pages to rival the dictionary! Whatever trendy joke people would get hyped about figured there.
Now, Fist Justice had been the name of one particr monk guild. Their motto had been: ¡°All you need in life is a mighty fist. Perfect for the battlefield and the bedroom alike! ;)¡±
Jack had utterly lost it as he saw the NPC instructor proudly showcase the official title of the ones that were called the Fisting Monks¡There was an enormous sh!
Igor approached him growling: ¡°Is there something funny?¡± His brows were furrowed in anger, and he was so damn close to killing him on the spot. He was only an impertinent weakling in his eyes.
On the side, Bubblegum was more excited than worried. Was this another incredible n?! Thisughter had seemed so natural too! Was he trying to impress the yers, the NPC, or even her?! no way that it was thetter, haha¡
Many in the gallery recognized the expert who had kited the chickens to the forest. Some were gloating, rejoicing at seeing the demise of an arrogant bastard. Others were on the edge of their seat as they watched with rapt attention.
It was toote for Jack to ask for forgiveness, far toote! He knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to ess the training ground if the instructor were to kick him out.
It wasn¡¯t that big a deal as the NPC would likely forget about the matter the next day. However, would Jack ept to dy his n for even a single day? Fuck no!
What should one do when a confrontation happens? Against military men, there was no need to be wishy-washy! Jack stared straight into the man¡¯s eyes as he uttered confidently.
¡°I just happened to see your cloak is all.¡± He admitted.
What the fuck?! Gasps of astonishment resounded all around. This guy had an apparent death wish! Had he really just insulted the man¡¯s fashion? This would get him murdered! Was it worth it? Hell no!
Igor hardened his grip on his hammer as a smile appeared on his face. Except, this smile was extremely stiff and had no warmth. It was the face of a man that was about to kill.
¡°This cloak is a present from the king himself for my years of loyal service. It is the utmost honor for a warrior. The magical glyphs on it mean ¡®The Fist of Justice¡¯ for all the injustice I pummeled. It means that one is strong and upright. Is this funny to you?¡± He barked.
Jack couldn¡¯t help but think that whoever had written the runes didn¡¯t know what the heck they were doing. He wouldn¡¯t tell the man, but instead of the current version it should have been:
??? ??? ¡ª> ???? ??
There was a second of silence as everyone expected Jack to apologize and beg for mercy. Nope! The madman didn¡¯t back down at all!
¡°It¡¯s not just funny. It¡¯s hrious! It means you were a rank 5 officialmanding at least 200 soldiers, right? Why don¡¯t we skip all the BS? How about a sweet and nice old-school Glory Trial?¡± Jack proposed with an incredibly huge smile.
As soon as he had called the man¡¯s cloak hrious, everyone was looking at him as if a dead man. But it all took a sudden turn. What the hell was this glory trial?! Whatever it was, it shocked the NPC, then made him grin.
¡°Glory Trial?! How surprising that a brave knows about it! Let¡¯s do it! We¡¯ll need an arena first. All the standing dumbasses, make arge circle right now!¡± He ordered boisterously.
The yers were as perplexed as curious as they nhelessplied. It probably would be a duel between the two, right? How did the mysterious man have the confidence to go against the training instructor himself?!
The two soon faced each other. The tension was palpable, with the majority of the yers in the entire starter vige staring in wonder.
¡°As per protocol, I will limit fighting power to yours. Now, since you are the challenger, you can pick your weapon of choice. Fear not, for I am adept in all of them.¡± Igor magnanimously offered.
All of them? How would the man react if Jack asked for a duel using bananas or something goofy? This NPC probably wouldn¡¯t enjoy the joke, so he nonchntly but seriously replied.
¡°Let¡¯s fight with our fists.¡±
The NPC¡¯s face couldn¡¯t help but twitch for a second. His title was literally The Fist of Justice! Was the youngster underestimating him, or was he an extremely overconfident fool?!
The crowd couldn¡¯t help but draw a cold breath. This man ought to be insane! Some actually had theories: ¡°Maybe he¡¯s not trying to win but only to make a good impression.¡± Many nodded in agreement.
As he faced his opponent, Jack couldn¡¯t help but reminisce. In front of him, there wasn¡¯t the NPC anymore. He was picturing the vision of a friend that had once helped him train¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
How long had it been since this had happened?
He could picture the invincible naked monk staring at him with his ever so peaceful gaze. The man had a bald head that reflected the sun, a genuine bright smile, and blue eyes as tranquil as still water.
¡°Are you sure you want to fight me at such close range? Not even the strongest of Rankers would dare face me like this, you know?¡± the monk calmly asked.
¡°Yet, here I am. How am I supposed to be stronger if I don¡¯t challenge my limits?¡± Jack shrugged.
The monk eruptedughing ¡°HAHAHAHA!¡±, then calmed down and kept going:
¡°You¡¯re one of a kind, Jack. Even the Rankers that have 99% victory odds against me avoid me like the gue. They¡¯d never ept being defeated by a naked dude. Yet, here you are, a healer with supposedly trash mechanics and more balls than all of thembined!¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m not ballsy. I¡¯m simply desperate. Anyway, let¡¯s start already. The sooner you kick my ass and the sooner I can figure out how to improve.¡± Jack requested, with the man nodding.
As soon as the monk went intobat mode, the peaceful atmosphere turned¡even more peaceful?! This would have baffled anyone unfamiliar with this man.
His fist was a fist of peace and love. How did it make any sense?! Well, an ingame mechanic allowed one to deal Non-Lethal damage, aka damage that didn¡¯t affect the HP bar one bit.
Once enough Non-Lethal damage had been dealt (same as the HP), the target would be rendered unconscious. However, taking real damage or waiting a few seconds would allow them to wake uppletely refreshed.
The general consensus was that the mechanic was retarded. Why go through all this trouble when it was possible to target the enemy¡¯s HP and get a kill directly. Most considered it something only useful for life skills like capturing wild pigs.
This monk had developed an entire fighting style based on it! Attacking with one¡¯s fists was one of the easier methods to proc it. He was giving up extra real damage to remain unarmed and increase his Non-Lethal damage.
He had used this strategy to be king of the 1 v 1 no consumable PVP arena. No one could do anything against the naked monk! He would always get the first knockout. Afterward¡There was no afterward, it was over!
Jack hade to him to learn. He knew perfectly well that he didn¡¯t have the reaction time necessary to adapt to such quick ever-changingbat. He would have to rely on an alternative.
He would fight over and over and over until he could feel the moves his opponent was about to use. So what if he wasn¡¯t the fastest? He would freaking start preparing counters before his opponent could even think of his moves!
That is how he fought the incredibly powerful monk with the resolve to die. Unsurprisingly, he did repeatedly die: for hours, days, weeks, for a month even!
He had trained so much that he had forgotten the color of the sky. He would always see a giant fist right in his face or the sight of the ground as he was pummeled into it. He had suffered so much, but not once had he given up.
All until¡
Jack stood above his defeated foe. For the first time ever, he had won. The victor was smiling brightly, and the defeated monk was smiling even brighter. As he helped him rise, they shared an appreciative nce.
One was thankful for the patient teachings, while the other was impressed by the student¡¯s resilience.
¡°Impressive. For you to even stand a chance against me at such close range without relying on consumables means you¡¯ll be fine against most monks. The next one that ambushes you will be in for a very bad time!.¡± The man chuckled loudly.
¡°Indeed. Thank you, my friend.¡± Jack felt especially great.
¡°Alright, hurry and go back. The world has been way too peaceful since you were away. Go on one of your famous crusades of something!¡± He giggled as he waved goodbye.
The two went their separate ways.
Jack returned to being the Legendary Herald of Light, an impossibly strong being misunderstood by the whole world. He who kept challenging his own limits instead of crushing the weak hadn¡¯t let hisck of talent stop him.
The monk remained behind, a weaker yer but almost as infamous: Fisting King, the Eternally Naked Monk, the Arena Cheater, the Leader of Fist Justice, etc¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
A shout brought Jack back to his senses. In front of him was instructor Igor, ready for battle. It was time to fight¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Why was such a strong yer nicknamed the Fisting King? At some point, people had misunderstood him as a pervert because he was fighting naked. He had just kept going along with the joke. He was both serious about perfecting his craft and incredibly easygoing. Am I bing an old man, talking so much about the past?
Chapter 22: Manly Fight!
Chapter 22: Manly Fight!
At the New Leaf Vige, two men were facing each other with a thrilled crowd surrounding them.
Jack stared at Igor, who was oozing confidence. The training instructor was highly experienced and prepared to crush the naive young calf that dared challenge him.
¡°Let the gods witness this fight for glory¡.¡± Igor began.
¡°Let this disy of valiance inspire the men¡.¡± Jack naturally added.
The NPC jumped in surprise. This brave knew about the pledge?! He nheless quickly regained hisposure as he continued.
¡°Let the world tremble from the valor shown today!¡± Igor spiritedly roared.
¡°Let the Glory Trial Begin!¡± Both of them shouted at once.
At this moment, the spectators were utterly confused. What was this performance all about?! It was as if they had repeated this little dialogue in advance!
They suddenly gasped as an ethereal pale blue light enveloped both contestants. That¡¯s when a line appeared atop their heads. Respectively it was: &
Was this their title?! Seeing this, many couldn¡¯t help but feel that the NPC would win this challenge. Both may be temporarily at the same level, but the instructor was bound to have better technique. This was even more true given that the newbie had no title!
Seraphine was actually surprised that her teacher didn¡¯t possess one yet. Still, this was such a shame. Had yers not been so broke, she could have opened a betting booth on the spot! She would have be rich just from dumbasses underestimating him!
Everyone¡¯s attention shifted to the instructor as he took a powerful step forward, raising a cloud of dust. How powerful was his foot to produce such an effect?! No, it wasn¡¯t the body. It was the technique!
The smart ones had their eyes glued toward the instructor. Whatever move he made, they would reproduceter on against the chickens! Hell, a single step with such intensity would probably be able to kill their clucking foes!
Others were enjoying the show as they yedmentators:
¡°Gosh, this is nice. We can witness a royal instructor whooping ass!¡±
¡°What about his opponent? Oh my god, look at his posture!¡±
¡°Is he even preparing to fight? He looks so rxed!¡±
¡°It¡¯s even worse than that. He¡¯s even smiling happily!¡±
¡°Maybe he¡¯s a fighting addict. He could be a born killer¡.¡±
¡°Born killer? Look at his eyes! He wouldn¡¯t hurt a baby!¡±
¡°I know martial art, and I can 100% say he¡¯s an amateur.¡±
¡°Tch¡ª I was hoping for a good fight. Guess this will be boring.¡±
Then there were the ones that were just ying around:
¡°Anyone wants to bet on the oue of this fight? I¡¯ll wager a chicken feather. Disimer, it¡¯s utterly worthless!¡±
¡°Look at the instructor! He¡¯s so energetic. I wouldn¡¯t mind fighting him all night if you know what I mean!¡± ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)
¡°Please, do you think such a thing is even possible? Oh, wait¡isn¡¯t there an R18 rating for this game?! So ¡.maybe? Hot damn!¡±
¡°Shhh¡ª No time for such depravity, do you girls know no shame?! This is sacred: two handsome half-naked men pummeling each other! Then in the heat of the moment, they wille to realize how much they enjoy their opponent¡¯s touch and¡ª Why are you all staring at me?!¡±
What the hell were they all talking about?! This was such BS! Yet, for some strange reason, Jack couldn¡¯t help but smile at how silly they were. This was a game. Infinite was only a game. How long had it been since he had only seen Infinite as a game? Forever!
How would they all react once he had won? Would they be shocked, or would they be shocked? For now, he focused on his opponent.
If he wanted to have a chance at victory, he would need to emte the Fisting Monk¡¯s moves. Could he? Maybe he would be able to pull off 1%, but this would be sufficient! He pictured himself fighting his old friend, a smile blossoming on his face.
The instructor dashed forward and threw a right hook with Jack evading. The way he did it was peculiar and appeared idental. He was evidently not used to fighting at all! His entire upper body seemed to sway as he had trouble remaining stable.
Seeing his opponent¡¯s weakness, the training instructor didn¡¯t let this chance go. A flurry of blows followed at a swift pace. The spectators were afraid to blink in case they missed one. Was he really doing this with level 0 stats?! Yes. Yes, he was.
Jack precisely knew what the man was doing. He was using a misdirection principle. It wasn¡¯t that he was fast, but that he was unpredictable. The way he was hitting was always unexpected, thus making it hard for the eyes to follow.
They both kept ¡°dancing¡±, the NPC attacking and Jack being pressured to retreat over and over. From time to time, he would counterattack andnd a lucky hit. At first, some began rooting for the underdog, but then someone noticed a crucial detail:
¡°This kind of blow won¡¯t leave asting effect. This yer is using strikes that will only stop one¡¯s opponent without hurting him. He has the wrong mindset. He¡¯scking the ferocity needed to win. He¡¯s too innocent.¡±
As they peered at Jack¡¯s gentle expression, they couldn¡¯t help but agree. Seraphine couldn¡¯t help butugh inwardly. This guy, innocent?! Were they all crazy?! He was the goddamn devil! She couldn¡¯t wait for him to turn the tides!
Without none the wiser, Jack was progressing as per his n. He had subtly dished a few strikes, just enough for his purpose but not too many to rm his opponent. He was really taking a beating!
His 20 HP quickly lowered. Luckily the longer thebat went on and the more he was ¡°learning¡± to block. He had gone from taking three damage per hit to only 1. This was a vast improvement!
-3
-3
-2
5 minutester¡
-1
-2
-1
10 minutester¡
-2
-2
-1
-1
15 minutester¡
At this point, he only had 2 HP left, and the instructor was beginning to get impatient. Jack was really dragging things out. He was a man at the end of his rope, but he was still standing no matter what!
-1
Just as the NPC managed to do one more hit, he realized two things. First, he only needed one more strike to end the fight. Two, his opponent was showing an exploitable weakness!
He would have to overextend a bit to finish him, but so what?! The fight was so one-sided that he could afford to take a single hit without any issue. It was time to end it!
Igor mercilessly followed his previous attack with another one confidently. At that moment, the fight ended.
Jack shed a peaceful smile as he sidestepped the hit, swept the legs, and there was a beautiful instant where time seemed to stop. Igor was in mid-air, falling while sporting the face of a deer in headlight. He now realized how much he had fucked up!
Then happened an eight-hitsbo that rendered the powerful training instructor unconscious directly. As the body hit the floor, there was a long moment of silence. Then, a single voice resounded, one that spoke everyone¡¯s mind.
¡°What. The. Actual. Fuck?!¡±
A level 0 yer had dispatched the trainer?! Was this even legal?! There was genius, and there was monster!
That¡¯s when many turned toward the ¡°enlightened¡± martial expert from earlier with reproachful gazes. Except, he didn¡¯t bother defending himself. He was too busy reying the previous scene in his head.
This yer fighting a losing battle had been in control of the situation the whole time?! What kind of nning was necessary for this?! He had called the man naive. Fuck, he had been as blind as a bat! This guy was a scheming predator! A strategist incarnate!
Many excitedly went over to crowd over the victor. They couldn¡¯t wait to send him a friend request and invite him to their respective guilds! Did they even have a chance? Who cared! One could dream!
Many were thinking of offering credits to tempt him into helping them in Infinite. Others were subtly adjusting their clothes to show more cleavage¡ª quite a sad sight, given the primitive ragged beginner clothing they were wearing.
But a sneer stopped them all in their tracks.
Creator¡¯s Thought
Honestly, while my victory was assured it could have been more troublesome. I waited for him to be impatient and made sure he underestimated me. This allowed my finalbo to work so well. Otherwise, the fight would have likely dragged longer considering the Glory Trial doesn¡¯t end until a victor is decided.
Chapter 23: Do You Know CPR?
Chapter 23: Do You Know CPR?
But a sneer stopped them all in their tracks. Well, a sneer and the twenty-ish burly men were making their way forward, sending intimidating res their way. A voice echoed powerfully:
¡°Tch¡ª You guys have all been tricked. Didn¡¯t you all see how the NPC made a risky move towards the end of the fight? I¡¯m sure the training instructor was trying to end things quickly so he could teach us. This guy only won because of this!¡±
A man came forward. It was the one that had just spoken. Jack recognized him. It was the unknown character that had asked him to join his Wolf Furry family or something. He was provocatively ring at him as he spoke again:
¡°You cheated to win! How dare you revel in all the glory, eh?! Aren¡¯t you ashamed? What do you have to say for yourself! Are you going to deny winning thanks to such a trick?!¡±
¡°Deny? No? That¡¯s exactly how I did it¡¡± Jack admitted without any remorse. Was he supposed to congratte the guy for having eyes? He also had a mouth for sure¡ too bad hecked a brain.
The leader spun around with arms raised in triumph:
¡°There you have it,dies and gentlemen! He cheated! Now, this isn¡¯t that big of a deal, but what will happen with the knocked-out instructor now? This little stunt will cost us dearly. While we are here standing still, the yers in the other viges are progressing!¡± He roared.
It¡¯s at this exact point that public opinion shifted. People had considered the man a rude asshole, but they now had a different impression. He was a rude asshole that spoke some truth!
They all came back to their senses. What the fuck were they doing dilly-dallying?! Perhaps the other yers were already killing chickens by now!
They all stared at Jack with evident disapproval, some realizing that they too were to me for enjoying the show so much. Still, this didn¡¯t change their current predicament. What were they supposed to do? Some began lowly discussing the issue.
¡°Maybe we can wait, and he¡¯ll wake up?¡±
¡°How about we bring him to a doctor?¡±
¡°Is there even one in this vige?¡±
¡°There is the olddy that sells potions¡¡±
¡°No, we can¡¯t buy any. It¡¯s too damn expensive!¡±
¡°Perhaps we could bring him to the vige chief?¡±
Some even turned to Jack in search of answers. After all, he was the main culprit behind the current state of the instructor.
¡°This¡I¡¯m awful at saving lives¡I can¡¯t even do CPR.¡± Jack admitted in a low voice as he shyly scratched his head.
Of course, the Wolf Leader wouldn¡¯t let such a chance to ridicule him go:
¡°What? You can¡¯t even do something so simple! All one needs to do is pump following the beat of Staying Ali¡ª¡± The man chuckled only for a henchman to stop him for copyright reasons.
¡°Wow. You know how?!¡± Jack eximed, his eyes and tone full of admiration.
¡°What?! Of course!¡± The furry guy was confused by this sudden reversal.
Had the mysterious experte to his senses and decided to suck up to him? Praising his CPR was definitely an odd and clumsy move, but it was a start. Should he tend him an olive branch? After all, the man had evident skills that could help their family.
But then this followed¡
¡°Great! You can revive him then!¡± Jack happily pped his hands before pointing at the unconscious training instructor.
A gentle breeze passed amidst the frozen yers. They reyed that innocent sentence over and over in their heads: only to be disgusted! Why would he even suggest such a thing? There were plenty of female yers. Why would he ask a guy to do it?!
¡°Fool, why the heck would I¡ª?!¡± The man instantly protested.
¡°If you don¡¯t want to do anything about it, then stopining. It¡¯s childish.¡± Jack innocently shrugged as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The crowd couldn¡¯t help but stare at the man that seemed so innocent yet was so darn impish! This left the wolf leader in a very awkward position. He had just bragged about knowing CPR, and it would be weird if he refused to perform it now.
¡°Who else here knows CPR?¡± He turned toward the crowd, hopeful.
However, everyone averted their eyes wisely. Usually, there would have been many volunteers, but did they want to step into this conflict between an expert and a powerful PVP guild? Hell no! Who knew how they would die! Both had the potential to make their lives hell!
The wolf guy could only turn toward his minions, signaling them to take the fall. They couldn¡¯t help but curse this whole situation right now, but they had to do it nheless.
A quick rock paper scissors gameter, a poor guy was dragging his feet toward the defeated NPC. Why had he picked rock! This was a tragedy. Should he fake losing connection? No, it wasn¡¯t that easy. Just as he reached his target, Jack spoke again.
¡°Will you seriously sacrifice one of your men? Are you that reluctant to save a life? I pity your so-called family. If one of them needs CPR one day to survive, they might as well be dead, am I right?¡± Jack exaggeratedly sighed.
Dom couldn¡¯t help but feel cornered. He had no obligation to proceed with such a farce, but it would probably stain his reputation with his men. His family-oriented reputation was on the line! He resolved himself for the worse, swearing that he¡¯d destroy the cheeky bastardter on.
¡°Fine! I¡¯ll freaking show you all how CPR is done! All of you observe carefully!¡± He roared akin to a courageous hero. Surprisingly he managed to make it seem epic rather than pitiful.
He powerfully walked toward the NPC. The nearby henchman was crying tears of relief as he admired the courage of his boss. The others were giving a silent salute for his sacrifice too.
Meanwhile, that one rotten girl in the crowd was bing really excited, her breathing rougher by the second. Two men were about to kiss! This was akin to a scene from a fairy tale but with BL making it better!¡ªor so she was mumbling.
The man slowly approached the sleeping NPC. He was slightly flushed as his heart seemed to be beating faster than usual, from the freaking shame! He ever so slowly approached his lips from the man¡¯s face¡ªin extreme reluctance.
Just as their lips were about to touch, the NPC opened his eyes.
There was a magical moment with both the CPR participants looking at each other utterly bbergasted. Then the instructor seemed toe back to his senses.
¡°You¡what are you doing?!¡± He lowly growled.
¡°T-that¡I can exin!¡± The poor man felt like going crazy.
On the sidelines, Jack was chuckling to himself. Yep, Non-Lethal damage¡¯s unconsciousness was only temporary. It couldst a few minutes if the surroundings were peaceful, but the man approaching for a kiss had disturbed the NPC¡¯s sleep.
The moment was interrupted by an enthusiastic voice on the side.
¡°Ah, a prince waking his true love with a kiss. Truly beautiful!¡± As Jack pped happily, the bystanders were left shocked. What kind of crazy was he?! No, perhaps it was better if they didn¡¯t know.
The instructor cleared his throat and quickly rose, hurriedly changing the topic. ¡°Now, who here wants to train under me?¡±
No one was going to pass this chance! They couldn¡¯t help but feel hyped¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Honestly, it surprised me that he would go for the kiss. I almost expected him to cook an excuse, but I guess he felt remorse toward his men for falling into this trap. He could have forced someone from the crowd to do it, but then there could have been a bacsh against their group. Still, valiant move for sure¡
Chapter 24: FRIEEDDDD CHICKENNNN!!!!!
Chapter 24: FRIEEDDDD CHICKENNNN!!!!!
At the edge of the vige, tons of yers were crowding in anticipation.
In front of them was the training instructor who looked as fearless as ever. What about his earlier defeat? No one dared mention it nor cared. Instead, all eyes were turned toward the in full of chickens.
The yers were tightening their fists as they waited for the event to begin. They had almost gone crazy when the NPC had told them about his n. They would reim part of the in and build a training camp!
Jack couldn¡¯t help butugh at how crazily they had reacted. Many were moring excitedly: such arge-scale cooperative quest in the starter vige?! This was better than the usual tutorials!
Igor looked at the crowd before shouting:
¡°Today, we will be facing the pesky chickens! I¡¯ll strike first, then you guys head to the forest and grab some wood! You will have to bring back fallen logs! Can you guys do this, or are you all cowards?!¡±
The yers were pretty weak, but what theycked in strength, they more than made for in hype!
¡°We¡¯re not useless. We can do this much!¡±
¡°We¡¯ll pluck all their feathers and make them eat them!¡±
¡°We¡¯ll soon have the best goddamn training camp ever, Sir!¡±
¡°A brave can be killed but never humiliated. We shall have revenge!¡±
The ambiance was heated as they all prepared themselves. That is when Igor raised his hammer high up in the air, heroically. ¡°Move out!¡±
At this moment, not a single yer was missing. Everyone currently online at the New Leaf Vige was in that one group. They charged ahead like a swarm of locusts ready to devour all on their way.
Jack could hear Bubblegum¡¯sughter nearby as the both of them joined in the fun. They all formed a giant arrow that had incredible momentum. Their pitiful clothing aside, it looked epic!
Igor was the first to charge into the sea of chickens. There were feathers everywhere the eye could see with a clucking cacophony resounding. But then he began glowing in a golden light and so did his hammer.
The yers gawked at the surreal scene that appeared. The golden light around the hammer quickly formed a giant magical hammer the size of a goddamn house!
The NPC chuckled loudly: ¡°Why did the chickens cross the in? To fucking die HAHAHA!!!¡±
On that note, he swung his weapon with incredible force. The yers could feel a gale rise up, their clothing pping violently in reaction. Their faces flushed heatedly. Just the wind was already so strong?!
Then there was a blinding light as the hammer finally collided with the ground. It was as if a meteorite had impacted the in! The earth trembled, the yers trembled, the damn houses trembled, the chickens¡ª what chickens?!
Gulps were heard as many were just speechless. They stared at the cloud of soil that had risen. A few instantster, they could see the aftermath. There was a circr imprint on the in with no life to be found, not even grass.
¡°Alright, boys. This will be where we will set up camp. Now, go on!¡± The NPC happily said, not minding the chicken paste and gore thatyered this new emcement.
The chickens were showing distinctive reactions.
1. They showed fear toward the training instructor as they retreated a distance away. The creatures¡¯ instincts were telling them that he was death incarnate. He had justmitted one over-the-top ughter after all.
2. They stared at the yers with red eyes as they tracked their movements carefully.
Would the NPC protect the yers while they went to grab wood? Hell no! They now had toplete this collection task that had been assigned to them.
As the yers were still mind-blown, Jack hollered at them:
¡°Are you all going to stare, or are you going to get the wood? Gosh, snap out of it already!¡±
¡°Oh? How about we try to duo this mission? The reward ought to be awesome then, am I right?!¡± Seraphine yfully added.
At this moment, one unsung hero in their midst took the opportunity: ¡°They¡¯re fucking right! Let¡¯s fucking do this, brothers! Tonight we¡¯re eating fried chicken! HAHAHAHA!¡±
While factually inurate, this weird shout soon became a war cry for the whole vige. yers were fighting for their freedom, for revenge, for wealth, for glory ¡but more importantly, for the fried chicken!!!!
That¡¯s when the yers turned into an unstoppable tide as they charged forward once more. The NPC had defeated most of the enemies, and they would deal with the remnants.
But, the chickens were still spawning at this very moment. Even with their incredible momentum, it was only a question of time before they were utterly overwhelmed by the chicken counterattack!
They rushed toward the forest directly, painting the in with blood. Chicken blood, yer blood, who really cared! They were also defending their profound beliefs that beginner mobs were supposed to shut up and die!!!
¡°This is what you get for bullying us!¡±
¡°Damn cheating chickens! This ought to teach you a lesson!¡±
¡°This is humanity¡¯s power! Get wrecked! Humans will prevail!¡±
yers were shouting various insults, seemingly forgetting that they were the ones ganging up on the poor creatures.
Jack and Seraphine were part of the front line as they gleefully killed chickens.
He couldn¡¯t help but remark how urate her movements were. It was as if she was born to y VR games. He couldn¡¯t even fathom how much stronger she would soon be once she had gotten more experience in the game.
Meanwhile, she was even more impressed. How were every single of Jack¡¯s movements so natural?! This was beyond the realm of VR! He was thriving on the chaotic battlefield! What kind of bloody past did he have?! Was he a mercenary IRL? A mafia Boss? A killer?!
Suddenly, Jack signaled her to slow down her pace. Bubblegum followed his directive without an afterthought. There were just about to enter the forest when suddenly their front line was attacked!
Cries of surprise and fright resounded as many couldn¡¯t even figure out what was happening.
¡°AHHHH!!!
¡°What the fuck is this?!¡±
¡°There was an orange sh! It¡¯s back in there!¡±
¡°There are monsters in the forest! Be careful!¡±
¡°What are we supposed to do now?! We need the logs!¡±
¡°Who the fuck cares about the monsters?! Push through!!!¡±
¡°Even if you die, just run straight back. Let¡¯s chargeeeee!!!!¡ª Arggg!!¡±
As yer after yer kept dying, Jack used the timing when the foxes would kill his allies to counterattack. His fist would urately strike the temple of the creatures. While he didn¡¯t manage to kill any, they ran away whimpering.
This was the fate of monsters that were outside of their usual territory: they would be way more cowardly. No matter, they needed to collect the logs.
How were they supposed to cut the trees? They didn¡¯t have to as the earlier earth-shattering strike had felled the weaker ones! The yers didn¡¯t realize this since they hadn¡¯t been here before, but Bubblegum gasped in shock.
¡°There¡¯s a log right there. Grab it!¡±
¡°Alright, let¡¯s bring this and¡ª this is so heavy!¡±
¡°Quick, we need teams, 3 to carry each log, and the others protect them!¡±
¡°Sounds good, let¡¯s go! The sooner we bring them back and the sooner we can train!¡±
The yers were new to Infinite, but they knew how to do a collection mission. Still, many exited the forest only to get pecked to death!
¡°Holy crap, the chickens are back!¡±
¡°We need to block for the carriers! Be careful!¡±
¡°It¡¯s that goddamn charge attack. It¡¯s the worst! It¡¯s too fast!¡±
¡°So what if it¡¯s too fast?! Stand in the fucking way and run back from spawn!¡±
The tactic they all followed was very dumb and primitive but also effective. They would act as a meat shield if it were thest thing they did!
Jack and Bubblegum joined a random team. However, they were doing things a bit differently. Instead of repeatedly dying, they used the carriers as bait and mmed the chickens during their attack animation with impable timing.
A few saw their perfect coordination and couldn¡¯t help but try the same. So many unfair deaths followed! Many realized that such a feat wasn¡¯t that hard but wasn¡¯t especially easy either¡ª especially in an unfamiliar game.
Then they began reaching the drop point. Three yers barely carrying a log together would drop it in front of the training instructor. Then, he would grab a log in each hand as he stabbed them deep in the earth, making an instant palisade.
Many almost felt like cursing at how easy he made it seem! Nheless, they all went back to the forest to grab more logs. They would fight plenty of chickens and foxes asionally.
It kept going long enough that everyone had the opportunity to try their hand at log carrying or dying a violent death from a chicken pecking their eyeballs¡.fun times, really!
All until thest part of the newly made wooden wall was made¡.
¡°Alright, with this, the training camp is set up. Good job, everyone!¡± Igor congratted them all. But then resounded a furious clucking sound as a yer screamed in panic:
¡°Guys, bad news! The chicken Boss is marching toward our camp! There are even more chickens than earlier! What the heck are we supposed to do now?!¡±
¡°Defend it, obviously. Make me proud, recruits¡.¡± Igor chimed in.
The yers could only share a nce. How the fuck were they supposed to clear this?! Would all their previous efforts go to waste?!
They now had a camp¡but how long could they protect it? Who knew¡.
Creator¡¯s Thought
I only had one thing to say to these newbies: good luck cooking fried chicken in the beginner vige. Here are a few ingredients required: ¨C Chicken ¨C Salt ¨C Pepper ¨C Flour ¨C Cornstarch ¨C Paprika ¨C Ground Cumin ¨C Garlic Powder ¨C Vegetable Oil
Chapter 25: Chicken Onslaught!
Chapter 25: Chicken Onught!
In the newly established training camp, the tension was high. yers were clenching their fists as they red at the iing feathery monster wave.
Many couldn¡¯t help but give wry smiles. How the hell was the first Infiniterge-scale conflict against chickens?!
On paper, it felt so silly, but the reality was different. The creatures¡¯ eyes glowed a menacing red, and many had their beaks stained with blood and remnants of the yers¡¯ flesh. Those were goddamn chickens from Hell!!!
Just as some were feeling uncertain, a valiant voice resounded:
¡°Chickens?! HAHAHAHA! They chose the goddamn wrong opponents! Let¡¯s show them what wolves do with chickens!!!¡±
All eyes turned toward that one guy that knew CPR. He and his family were protecting the only entrance to the training camp, not cowering in the least. Then they noticed the mysterious expert who was rxedly whistling nearby.
Jack and the CPR guy shared a nce. Their conflict could wait until after the event. Right now, the priority was to defend. Without the training camp, they would all be behind the other viges¡¯ progress.
The enemy leader, that one huge chicken, clucked loudly. It was the signal for the madness to begin¡
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª
This wave of chickens seemed utterly unstoppable. Many gulped, looking at the heroes at the front in order to calm themselves.
But suddenly, that one unsung hero answered the enemies¡¯ war cries with his own: ¡°Fried chicken! Fried Chicken! Fried Chicken!¡±
Not a soul realized who exactly had shouted this, for others instantly joined in on the chants. Until the clucking cacophony was drowned by the fried chickens chant. This gave them courage.
What was death in front of the promise of a better life? Not Heaven: motherfucking fried chicken!
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª
¡ª Fried Chicken! Fried Chicken!¡ª
Then they all collided. The momentum was unbelievable. Hundreds of chickens were all squeezed together at the entrance, now a funnel of death.
Blood sshed, flesh got devoured, feathers exploded all over the ce, and cries of pains mixed with clucks of pain.
Many chickens tried using their special charge attack only to collide with their own brethren. They were impossibly strong but theycked coordination so much!
The humans felt the touch of death, a cold and feathery one. Many actually died and came back rushing straight from respawn. The way things were going was slightly advantageous to them!
That is when the chicken leader seemed to realize that his troops were killing each other more than they were killing the enemies. This wouldn¡¯t do!
¡ª CLUCK! CLUCK! ¡ª
The boss powerfully cried out. With its shout, the wave of chickens rescinded as they all fell backward.
¡°We should have a few minutes now, but the next wave will be even stronger. Still, this is great news. We survived the first wave. Do you all know what this means?¡± Jack chimed in.
¡°It freaking means that they can¡¯t defeat us! So what if they send more chickens?! We¡¯re basically immortals in the Newbie Vige HAHAHA!¡± Bubblegum picked up on his cue. It wasn¡¯t time to let the morale go down.
¡°Everyone! If you have any friends that are logged off right now, tell them to log back in! We¡¯ll need more people!¡± The CPR dude shouted at the masses, who all nodded in agreement.
During the short break, many quickly essed their phones and messaged everyone they knew. It looked like this:
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
¨C InfiniteChickenyer: @Everyone, Send Dudes!!!!
¨C Rocks&Rolling: What¡¯s with that new username? Also, you meant send nudes, right?
¨C SoBakedRightNow: Dude probably misced his phone, and someone is trolling him.
¨C InfiniteChickenyer: Fuck no! Send Dudes! We need more manpower to fight those damn bloodthirsty chickens! Anyone who spawned at New Leaf Vige log the fuck in, right the fuck now! Gotta go back, hurry up!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
¨C SweetDandelion: @Everyone, Anyone in New Leaf Vige, log in ande help with the fight! For freedom, for revenge, for XP, and for fried chicken!!!
¨C NakedTurtle: @SweetDandelion, What¡¯s this about? Fried chicken?
¨C StandingDeskForSale: It seems like she¡¯s already back in the game¡ I guess I¡¯ll log in and check.
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¨C CanYouFeelTheHype!!: @Everyone, ?? Infinite! ??New Leaf Vige!! ?? Battle of the Century!!!?? Get your asses here!!!! ?? Kill dem chickens!!!!!??
¨C ICanFeelTheHype!!: @Everyone, ??Hype train!!!!!!??
¨C BallsTinglingWithHype!!: @Everyone, ??Hype train!!!!!!!??
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That is how even more yers began logging in at an rming rate. All the ones that had logged off after struggling to farm the chickens wereing back on!
They couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the current situation. They had thought the first day would be very dull, with yers slowly grinding chickens to level up.
What the heck was this?! What kind of gameunched a battle event on day 1?! How many yers would miss it andin afterward?! This didn¡¯t make any sense at all.
Then, as they made their way toward the yer encampment, they couldn¡¯t help but feel at a loss. What the fuck was this?! There were hundreds of yers just chanting Fried Chicken over and over?! But why?!
Many slowly drifted toward the yers¡¯ ranks. They looked as confused as they did their first day of school ever. Others were reminded of their first day as an intern at work. They didn¡¯t know what the fuck was happening!
Some were weed by their friends.
¡°Oh! You¡¯re here, awesome! We gotta defend this ce: our battle motto is fried chicken! Time to show those damn chickens that we ain¡¯t no chicken!¡±
¡°Bro, I don¡¯t have a weapon, and I literally just spawned. There is no way that I can help¡.¡±
¡°Hahaha! Look around. We¡¯re all level 0 and naked! Well, maybe some are level 1, I¡¯m not sure. Either way, wee to the resistance! Hahaha!¡±
The confused neers could only join the others, slowly being ovee by what looked like mass hysteria. But, so what if they were all insane? This was a goddamn game!
Then one man at the front screamed loudly: ¡°Guys! Guys! The second wave ising! Let¡¯s pluck them all!!!¡±
¡°Hell yeah!¡±
¡°Well said, CPR dude!¡±
¡°CPR? What¡¯s this about?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a long story! Just be ready to fight!¡±
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª
¡ª Fried Chicken! Fried Chicken!¡ª
The second wave was even more violent than the first one. The chickens had been briefed by their leader, and they were ready to cause mayhem!
The neers couldn¡¯t help but tremble in fright as they saw the massive armying their way. Were those things chickens? Why did they look like they came straight from a nightmare?!
But then they saw the other braves near them and heard their spirited shouts. Instantly their pride saved them from the fear. Would they be the only ones cowering while the others fought valiantly? Hell no!
This time, the chickens didn¡¯t use their special attacks. This actually made things difficult as this stopped the friendly fire in the chicken army. Yet, the humans remained steady and didn¡¯t give an inch.
As soon as one died, the gap was instantly closed by other enthusiastic yers. They were rushing from respawn to their death without any issue. As they ran back, many couldn¡¯t help but nce with admiration toward the front.
Many recognized the now well-renowned Mighty Wolves and their leader Dom. He was standing at the very front of his men and fought relentlessly. Whenever he died, he would rush back without missing a beat.
Many watched this and seriously considered joining his family. He appeared a little tyrannic, but such an ally was always great to have!
But there was someone else that attracted their gaze even more. Right next to the right wall, a man was standing and fighting. No, he didn¡¯t seem to be fighting: he was ying!
He was using chickens to deal with other chickens. He would p them away right into the others¡¯ attack trajectory. Everywhere else, yers were trading their very lives to defend the line: not him!
Just seeing him, many knew that he was the one that would die the least in this fight! But many didn¡¯t seem to realize how true this was. At this moment, he was probably the only yer in New Leaf Vige who had never died!
Every time the yers looked at these seemingly unbeatable allies, they felt their blood boil and their courage surge. Feeling oneself die in a VR game was usually an awful feeling (even with the pain at the lowest setting), yet they did not care one bit.
That is how they all managed to repel the second wave!
¡ª CLUCK! CLUCK! ¡ª
As soon as the enemy troops fell back, the yers cheered like crazy.
¡ª Fried Chicken! Fried Chicken!¡ª
When was thest time that they had felt so happy? They hadn¡¯t even earned anything concrete yet. They were still level 0 and in rags! Then again, perhaps this was what made this event so enjoyable.
As they had nothing to lose, they could give their all without any fear of a loss. Any other time, such a ridiculous event would have provoked outrage. But at this moment, they didn¡¯t give a fuck about dying over and over!
This would always remain a story they could forever tell their friends. Oh, you¡¯ve defeated X dragon? You¡¯ve fought Y deity? You¡¯ve conquered Z world? Sure, that¡¯s great and all¡but did you participate in the OG chicken war?! No? Sucks to be you, haha!
Even the ones that were goal-oriented couldn¡¯t be angry. They were unlocking the training ground. They were eager toplete the mission so they could potentially get a ss!
The ones that didn¡¯t love fighting participated too. They were cheering the loudest! The feeling of unity as they all fought for the greater good was addictive!
Then there were the trolls. In the midsts of the army were now plenty of self-proimed members of the Hype Squad who couldn¡¯t be happier about shouting Fried Chicken like madmen.
The ambiance was just phenomenal!
Amidst them all, there was one pink-haired girl that couldn¡¯t help but stare at the man next to her. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off this mysterious Jack.
He was brightly smiling, and yet it was such a nostalgic smile, one filled with longing. It was as if he had just found something very precious that he had lost ages ago. That¡¯s when he turned her way.
¡°It¡¯s about to begin once more. This will be thest wave,¡± He murmured, nodding at her.
¡°Yes, Teacher!¡± She excitedly replied with expectation.
She was so eager to see what he had nned next¡.
Creator¡¯s Thought
I was like a fish out of water. All this time I had been struggling to survive. I had to w my way up both in-game and IRL. There I was, facing the chicken army and it felt so natural. I could just live and be happy¡
Chapter 26: Very Angry Chicken!
Chapter 26: Very Angry Chicken!
On the New Leaf ins, tons of yers were valiantly drooling. Yes, drooling!
Whoever had jokingly started the funny fried chicken war cry had rendered the countless yers hungry! Even then, the human army was courageously enduring its increasing hunger.
The yers were preparing themselves for the third chicken wave. The morale was at an all-time high as they knew they were making history! Many were even taunting the feathery creatures in the distance.
¡°You livestock, you¡¯ll never defeat the heroes of humanity!¡±
¡°Even with so many of you, you can¡¯t pierce our defense! Worthless!¡±
¡°That¡¯s it, retreat! This is humanity¡¯s bastion! As long as we can stand, it shall never fall! Glory to the human race!¡±
Many were nodding in agreement, totally forgetting that their enemies were nothing but beginner chickens. Jack couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile. He raised his voice, instructing them.
¡°Now is not time to celebrate just yet! The enemies will being back in full force. Listen carefully, get out of the boss¡¯s way when it reaches us. Is that understood?¡± Jack nced at them all. There was already one yer raising his hand high-up.
¡°Excuse me, but why do you think the chicken boss will attack? Isn¡¯t it ordering the rest of its flock from the back?¡± He asked, puzzled.
¡°Look at it carefully. Its eyes have been progressively changing color. Right now, it¡¯s almost the same berserk red as its brethren. It¡¯s furious!¡± Jack exined as an indignant shout was heard.
¡°Why the hell should we run?! We¡¯ll fight it head-on and kill it! We ain¡¯t pussies!¡±
¡°If we fight it at the defense line, it will copse for sure. Seeing how troublesome the regr chickens are, you can be sure this one will be dangerous. Just let it through, and we¡¯ll take it down away from its flock.¡± Jack retorted.
¡°There¡¯s no way that I¡¯ll ept such a thing! I¡¯ll¡ª¡± The belligerent man began a tirade, only to abruptly stop as he saw the CPR dude ring at him.
¡°Either you follow the n, or my family will add you to our hunting list. My squad is not falling behind because you feel like ying the hero. So, what will it be?¡± The CPR dude growled.
¡°What?! You¡¯re taking his side?! Weren¡¯t you guys enemies?!¡± The yer eximed, bbergasted.
Many couldn¡¯t help but shake their heads and click their tongues as they murmured loudly, ¡°idiot.¡± Would a prominent guild like the Mighty Wolves have an imbecile leading a team in Infinite? No way! Understanding the bigger picture was an important skill to have.
The man finally realized that he was in the wrong and lowered his head in shame. He didn¡¯t dare cause any more waves. It was fine to go against a lone yer, but not an organized guild. They could spare the manpower to track him and make his life miserable!
The CPR dude spoke again, pointing at Jack: ¡°In the uing fight, if this guy or I make a call, you all better follow it! We¡¯re all in this together! Now, get ready!¡±
Jack couldn¡¯t help but sigh in relief. How many viges would fall thanks to discord between the yers? Still, it was only his earlier performance that had allowed him to establish such credibility.
He had sessfully ventured into the forest, had managed to win against the training instructor in an equalized match, and had shown his brilliance in the previous battle. Were it not for all these feats, perhaps no one would have listened to the rant of a lone yer.
That is when a war cluck was heard from across the battlefield. But, this one was different. It was the boss instigating courage into its troops as they answered in kind!
¡ª CLUCK! CLUCK! ¡ª
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª
The clucking cacophony was only bing more intense by the second. It was a dissonant crescendo, the harbinger of the bloodshed to follow.
¡ª CLUCK! CLUCK! ¡ª
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª
That¡¯s when the chickens began glowing a bloody red. Those were goddamn motherfucking berserk chickens. The humans instinctively felt how savage this exchange would be.
As the feathery monster wave approached, it brought along a bloody stench. Then the chicken army crashed on the defenders, hard. Many yers instantly died, dispersing into blue light particles. The survivors shouted while trembling.
¡°These chickens fucking have rabies!¡±
¡°How the fuck are they so damn strong?!¡±
¡°Who the hell cares. Just cut their heads!¡±
¡°I just did, and it¡¯s still fucking moving! Screw this!¡±
The defense line was slowly getting pushed back but was somehow still holding¡ all until the boss finally reached it.
This monster pecked yers as it rushed forward: 1 hit meant fatality! Remembering Jack¡¯smands, they quickly spread out, opening a breach in their defenses. Well, most of them did. There was a small group of about a dozen yers that remained steady in a vain glory attempt.
Seeing the packed little group, the boss suddenly moved very strangely. It seemed like it was¡inting?! A secondter, everyone understood what exactly was going on. The boss¡¯s feathers extended as it spun around in a circle, drawing a deadly red magical arc.
The dozen of yers got bisected. The surroundings spectators couldn¡¯t help but shiver. This was an AoE attack that was impossible to block! Not only was it fast, but it was an instant-kill too! They looked at Jack, thankful.
¡°Hold the line, you guys! Buy us enough time, so we deal with the boss, and this will be our victory!¡± Jack shouted as he turned toward the angry Chicken. ¡°Hey, you! I¡¯m gonna turn you into a pillow! Bring it on!¡±
Did the boss understand the words? No one knew, but it did furiously charge at the man. The bystanders could only sigh in relief as the Mighty Wolves and Seraphine followed behind to help dispatch the creature.
¡°What¡¯s the n?¡± Bubblegum inquired.
¡°Dodge the pecks, retreat 10 meters whenever it intes, and otherwise punch it till it dies,¡± Jack ordered.
¡°Punch it till it dies? I freaking love the sound of that!¡± A random guy chimed in, with many repeating that one motto. Then again, it wasn¡¯t like they had many options right now¡ª or did they?
The CPR dude noticed the training instructor by the side, who was just observing the battlefield. Could they perhaps draft him to help? He hollered at him: ¡°Sir, can you give us a hand?¡± This was probably a wasted effort, but he had to try.
¡°Sure.¡± As the NPC epted so readily, many couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback. This would get resolved so soon!
Jack recoiled in surprise. He swore he remembered that the NPC would never help during this fight! What was happening?! This was bad: killing this one boss was part of his n!
Should Jack convince the NPC to give up? No, this would provoke public ire, and he still needed the other yers. He had to stand down, damn it!
The training instructor took a powerful step forward and began glowing in a golden light once more. Except, this time, it was even more intense. His eyes began radiating like suns as he readied his hammer.
He raised it above his head as it remained the same size but began glowing more and more brightly. Heartbeats elerated, yers began panting, and their legs turned weak as they instinctively felt that this attack would end everything.
Even in its berserk state, the Chicken could only Cluck weakly in fear. It even recoiled on itself, wishing to find a hole to bury itself in. Sadly for it, the ground was perfectly t.
This uing strike would really end everything¡perhaps even their own camp?! Wait, was it toote to change their minds? Maybe they could defeat the enemy alone after all! ¡ª Or not¡
Under many awestruck gazes, the NPC gave a confident grin and¡.coughed out blood. What?! He suddenly turned weak at the knee as he took a few steps backward before sitting in a corner.
He then spoke to the bbergasted yers: ¡°It seems I¡¯ve pulled a muscle. You guys will have to take care of the rest alone. Good luck.¡±
¡.WTF?!
The Chicken didn¡¯t waste time to begin celebrating, pecking random yers. This quickly turned into a bloodbath, with everyone trying their best to survive. The problem was how crazily unpredictable the creature was!
Its feathers would partly hide its movements. It could be turning its neck, and they would only realize it at the veryst second. Then, there were the depressing damage numbers that showed up atop the creature¡¯s body after every hit. It looks a bit like this:
-0
-1
-0
-0
-0
-1
-1
-0
It was as if the game itself was paying respect to their pointless struggles! Even then, they kept fighting, withstanding the desperation brought about by so many zeros. There was only one thing greater than their fighting spirit: their death rate!
Once again, there was only one guy that wasn¡¯t dying no matter what. Jack remained steady, never putting himself in danger. Seeing him gave others courage, even when the Chicken didn¡¯t show any sign of weakening.
¡°How much HP does this thing even have?!¡± One yerined more than he asked.
¡°Probably 200. But it seems to be able to regenerate almost as fast as we damage it.¡± Jack remarked.
¡°So we just keep beating it? Or do we change strategy?¡± The CPR dude asked, the tension heavy. At this point, some of their troops were beginning to despair. It felt like an impossible mission.
Jack looked at them confidently before moring:
¡°Men, fear not! We can do this, and we¡¯ll keep pounding it all night long if necessary! We¡¯ll keep going until our bodies be sore. We¡¯ll prate its defenses until we see blood for the first time, and then we¡¯ll keep going some more! Together we¡¯ll fuck this Chicken!¡±
Some couldn¡¯t help but choke. What was wrong with his words choice?! As they nced at this mysterious guy, theypletely forgot about their despair and kept going. The more damage they inflicted and the more dangerous the enemy became.
At some point, the Chicken began using its spinning attacks even more. A bitter, it began using lightning-fast dashes + pecksbos. It was so deadly that there were only 5 or 6 yers alive out of the 30 fighting the boss at any given time.
These elite yers were somehow holding the boss in ce until the others revived. Then, this kept repeating over and over. But every time they risked a wipe, the boss would regenerate a lot of HP.
Even then, little by little, they whittled the Boss¡¯s HP away. All until it was at death¡¯s door. At this rate, they would soon defeat it! But suddenly, a respawning yer brought ¡°good news¡±.
¡°Guys¡¯ the magical instructor ising over! He¡¯s pissed about all the clucking! We¡¯re fucking saved!¡± He enthusiastically cried out.
Jack¡¯s face instantly turned cloudy. For the first time in the fight, he showed panic. ¡°Quick! We need to finish this Chicken before the NPC arrives, or we¡¯re fucked!¡±
The yers were confused, but it sounded serious¡
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[A/N] Many thanks to leolph for the ??! This gave RPP an awesome feature in Messages! Time to write some more chaps! ^_^v
Creator¡¯s Thought
Most monsters in Infinite have a berserk state. This usually triggers once they take enough damage. It means bonus CC resistance, increased damage, increased movement speed, and lower cooldowns. Leader type bosses will often go berserk as their brethren die.
Chapter 27: Learn From One’s Mistakes
Chapter 27: Learn From One¡¯s Mistakes
Seen from above, the New Leaf in was a sea of feathery white. The chickens were encircling the training camp, eager to destroy it. Hundreds of yers were valiantly blocking their path.
In the camp, Jack fought while observing the horrible situation they were in. The florist was about to show up, and the result would be disastrous!
His face hardened as he exined their predicament in a solemn tone as he kept fighting.
¡°The guying to our help is a man obsessed with magic, who has no regard for braves. What do you guys think will happen once he shows up?¡±
¡°We¡¯ll miss all the loot and XP? All our efforts will go to waste?¡± CPR dude tentatively proposed.
¡°Oh no! He¡¯ll take care of the problem as quickly as possible, right?!¡± Bubblegum cried out, her voice shaking.
¡°Exactly¡¡± Jack nodded somberly.
¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± CPR dude remarked, perplexed.
¡°Not if the chicken army is anywhere near our base.¡± Jack sighed.
¡°Oh crap! He¡¯s going to nuke the entire ce?! Just to kill chickens?! How do we stop it?¡± The CPR dude asked hurriedly.
¡°We don¡¯t mess up, and we kill this boss before the NPC shows up. That¡¯s the only way!¡± Jack seriously uttered. The other yers in the group couldn¡¯t help but gulp as they realized the enormous challenge. This was now a race against time!
The stress was getting to them, but then they began shouting to pump themselves up:
¡°Roger that!¡±
¡°Let¡¯s kill it then!¡±
¡°We just gotta git gud!¡±
¡°If we don¡¯t get hit, we¡¯ll live forever!¡±
What theycked in experience they made for with drive. A serious glint appeared in their eyes as they looked at the boss differently. Before they were having fun, but now it was time to get real.
Jack got serious too. From this point onward, he began calling the boss attacks. His deep voice was akin to the beat of a war anthem, resounding every goddamn second.
¡°Peck forward.¡±
¡°Side Peck.¡±
¡°Backward Peck.¡±
¡°Dash front-right.¡±
¡°Dash left.¡±
¡°Feather Cleave!¡±
The many yers were all taken aback. How was he doing this?! It was as if he was a prophet. Every random sway of the monster feathers he would associate to an attack pattern. How?!
For Jack, it wasn¡¯t thatplicated. The color of the chicken¡¯s talons would shine a subtle red before every dash. As for the cleave, it would barelypress its feathers in preparation for the ability.
In his eyes, these were clear tells after honing his skills through years and years of practice. It was simr to how newborns would take a while to learn to recognize faces, but the gamer version.
Ever since Jack¡¯s calls had begun, people were dying less and less. It also helped them to learn the attack patterns. Soon enough, they were able to dodge without his help. After all, it wasn¡¯t rocket science. There were two different attacks: peck and cleave.
They began grinning full of confidence. Many were so sure of their uing victory that they began happily shouting:
¡°We totally got this!¡±
¡°Die, you fake OP chicken!¡±
¡°It¡¯s over! We cracked the code!¡±
¡°Peck all you want, you¡¯re going down!¡±
But Jack¡¯s worried voice quickly brought them back to reality. ¡°This won¡¯t be enough. We have a clear working method, but we need more time. Way more time! At this rate, the entire camp will get blown up!¡±
¡°What if we ask some defenders to help us? It won¡¯t take long to kill the boss with a few more hands.¡± CPR dude proposed.
There were constantly yers who were reviving and rushing back to the frontline. They could ask a few of them for help. Jack didn¡¯t even have to reply. Bubblegum did so in his stead.
¡°We¡¯re already at the breaking point. A bit more pressure for a few minutes, and the line will copse. Plus, it will take them some time to get used to the boss attacks.¡± She exined.
Seraphine had just realized how eerily precise Infinite was. It had generated a monster army with the perfect power to push them to their very limits. Was this all a coincidence? She didn¡¯t think so!
She suddenly clenched her fist as she came up with a n:
¡°I¡¯ll take care of it. Count on me. I¡¯ll dy the NPC and buy as much time as possible. You guys kill this arrogant chicken!¡± She exchanged a nce with Jack, then rushed toward the vige.
Jack appreciatively nodded. She was already thinking outside the box. In other games, events were precisely scripted, but not in Infinite. Whether she would be convincing enough to drive the NPC away¡they could only hope.
That is how they kept going. Would everything be okay now? It seemed like they could finally rx. s, would it be so simple? No way!
As their group was focusing on the fight, they suddenly heard dying screams. What was happening now?! Were the yers getting tired? No, the adrenaline was still high, and many hardcore yers were encouraging the crowd relentlessly.
These hardcore yers were, in fact, the issue. Many of them had suddenly disappeared?! That¡¯s when Jack suddenly understood. It was a ridiculous yet straightforward issue, one that hadpletely slipped his mind. After all, he had missed the Infiniteunch in his previous life.
Jack turned toward the others, quickly ordering:
¡°Half of you stay here, and the other half head to the battlefield. You¡¯ll have to shout as if your lives depend on it. Repeat after me: System, disable the Auto-Logout Function! Make sure others follow!¡±
The yers gasped in astonishment. This was the cause of this crisis?!
It wasn¡¯t a big deal¡ª or it shouldn¡¯t have been usually. After a few continuous hours of y, the system would log the users off for a break.
Why did it even activate duringbat? Probably because this ce was technically a safe zone. Since the yers wouldn¡¯t lose anything in-game by dying here, their mental health had been 100% prioritized.
Luckily, the logged-off yers would be back in seconds, and the situation was easily salvageable. The real problem would happen in a few minutes when too many yers would disappear all at once.
In the distance, the fried chicken shouts were reced by yers begging the Infinite AI not to log them off. They were so close to victory! Through the power of silly chants, the tragedy was avoided!
The raid members came back, sighing in relief. The way they nced at Jack was now highly peculiar. How the hell had he known about this?! But they didn¡¯t raise a fuss. Instead, they obediently took their positions and resumed hitting the boss!
The crazy pummeling continued with full raid power. The boss could only cluck out in pain as its ass was getting beaten over and over. At this point, it was almost magical how their brains had begun filtering the clucking cacophony out.
The raid members even began conversing as they fought:
¡°Guys, this is weirdly calming.¡±
¡°I think I might have a talent for this, haha!¡±
¡°You¡¯re definitely a professional meat beater.¡±
¡°A pervert even! You¡¯re not even wearing clothes!¡±
But, the peace was suddenly shattered:
¡°G-guys. I can see the NPC! Oh, fuck!¡±
¡°Less talking and more pummeling!¡±
¡°I¡¯m already pummeling as fast as I can!¡±
Jack made a quick mental calction. At the pace the NPC was walking, he was going to arrive in about 30 seconds. They would need a full minute at least to finish the boss. They were so close! What could he do?
Ask help from the defensive line? No, it would copse too quickly, and there would be small chickens everywhere inside the training camp. The NPC would nuke the ce regardless.
Convince instructor Igor to deal with the angry iing magical florist? Perhaps this could work.
¡°Instructor Igor, could you go talk to your colleague to buy us a little time before he takes matters into his own hands?¡± Jack begged.
¡°Nope, but don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not a big deal if you guys lose the training camp. We can rebuild it tomorrow.¡± The instructor nonchalently replied.
One slightly naive yer couldn¡¯t help but shout in shock. ¡°Wait, was the pulled muscle fake?! You were¡ª are trying to test us!¡±
There wouldn¡¯t be any reinforcements from either yers or NPC, and he was sure Bubblegum had already tried her best to dy. What could he do?! There had to be a minor detail he was missing!
That¡¯s when he looked at the boss. His eyes just happened tond on its beak.¡wait, what if?! In a few weeks, there would be an update that added enemy weaknesses. What if vital spots were already in-game and yers just didn¡¯t know?
Jack was grasping at straws, but that was all he had left. If he couldnd a few vital strikes, they had a chance! It would only increase the damage by a few points, but a few points were huge when your damage was 0-1!
Jack voluntarily positioned himself in front of the boss, baiting it to attack him. As it did, he dodged with minimal movements. The creature¡¯s bloody beak created a gale that ruffled his hair as he could feel its fetid breath.
Jack did a beautifulbo of powerful and precise punches: right into the beak! Theynded on the creature¡¯s pink triangr tongue with all the punches connecting!
Jack¡¯s heart was beating fast as he eyed the damage numbers.
-0
-1
-0
-1
-0
-1
-1
-0
RIP!
Jack swallowed hard, his heart heavy.
After so much effort, it had ended up in a failure. All he could do now was to reflect on his mistakes. He really should have gone all-in from the start. If only he had known about the NPC in advance¡
In the distance, he heard an angry bellow: ¡°You stupid chickens. You keep clucking and clucking and fucking clucking! Just let me research in peace! See how I deal with you all!¡±
Wait, what if this was all his fault? He had given the NPC a dagger to research. This had led him to get angry at the chickens for disturbing his research. Was this karma?
That is when a green light filled the area. The NPC was about to strike. Oh god, this would hurt a lot! Poor training camp¡
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
That¡¯s when Jack noticed something weird.
The damage numbers from histestbo began glowing a bright purple. What the heck was happening?! Then they suddenly began morphing as if the numbers were evolving?!
-5
-10
-5
-10
-5
-10
-10
-5
Holy shit?! 60 Damage?! This was a third of the Boss¡¯s HP in one go! Had his actions prompted the game to update?!
This was Infinite, a game in constant evolution. The system was always trying to perfect itself and had now just learned from Jack¡¯s moves. Was this how Vital Strikes hade about the first time too?
Jack couldn¡¯t help but grin as the boss began dissipating into glowing red lights. This would be windfall¡.
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[A/N] Thank you Ragewaar for the ??! Another Message Feature. OP! OP! OP! RPP is popping off right now! Hell yeah! I definitely have to write more chaps now ^_^v
Creator¡¯s Thought
The firsts to be logged off were the ones who hadn¡¯t bothered with dialogues or character creation. Had I not taken a break I would have been amidst them. Me prioritizing eating with my sister had unknowingly saved me. She really was my good luck charm!
Chapter 28: Is the Event Over or Not?!
Chapter 28: Is the Event Over or Not?!
On the New Leaf in, there was an incredible scene happening. Many couldn¡¯t help but stare in wonder at the glowing light particles that had once been a giant chicken.
As soon as the Berserk Chicken Overlord was defeated, a reversal happened on the battlefield. The bloody aura that had been enveloping the chickens began to dissipate slowly.
The creatures were now staring at the yers with their little eyes bulging. It was as if they were seeing them for the first time. The bloodthirsty clucking became high-pitched as they showed fright.
Their little hearts really couldn¡¯t take so many yers drenched in blood ring at them. Instantly, the army became leagues weaker. It wasn¡¯t evenparable! The human defense line immediately began pushing the chickens back.
At the same time, a green light began permeating the atmosphere. The florist was about tounch his spell! Luckily, it didn¡¯t cover the training camp since the boss had been defeated prior. Many were ecstatic: they had won and would witness magic!
They happily shouted in celebration, blissfully ignorant of how close they had been to defeat. They were even cheering the NPC on, rooting for him toplete his spell as fast as possible. A cold wind chilled the neck of the braves and announced the magic¡¯s activation!
Suddenly, a peculiar sound was heard.
¡ª Bam! Bam! Bam! ¡ª
At first, no one understood what it meant. It seemed to being from the earth as the entire in began trembling. What was happening?!
¡ª Bam! Bam! Bam! ¡ª
That¡¯s when the whole in began exploding all over. At regr intervals, the soil was violently sent flying. The dirt somehow created a dust cloud, screwing up all visibility!
¡ª Bam! Bam! Bam! ¡ª
Any yers outside the walls died as it kept going. No one could distinguish anything, but they heard terrified clucks. It was akin to a horror movie with all the deaths!
¡ª Bam! Bam! Bam! ¡ª
Then it all stopped, as suddenly as it had started. A yer cautiously advanced¡and died as soon as he entered the dust cloud. What was happening in there?! They could only wait. As the air finally cleared, they couldn¡¯t help but gasp in shock.
All over the in, there were human size carnivorous nts! From time to time, chickens would respawn, only for most of them to get devoured instantly! Had they eaten the other yers?
A few braves walked toward one slowly until they could see its namete.
< Magical Shapeshifting Weed Level 10 >
A weed? A weed that was level 10?! What was wrong with this thing?! A yer valiantly tested the attack range of one of the creatures, only for the monster to bite him faster than he could retreat.
His torso disappeared into the bloody maw instantly. The rest of his body then turned to blue particles a few secondster. People shivered as they realized how crazy strong, and fast this thing¡¯s attacks were.
They could only watch the in, not sure whether tough or cry. The florist had helped them, but at what cost? Their beginner area was now infested with OP carnivorous nts!! Hunting chickens without dying would be a nightmare!
Some yers could already be seen begging the florist to remove the spell. He didn¡¯t even bother replying as he walked away, heading back toward his house. His bodynguage sent an unambiguous message: his job there was done!
Apart from the crowd, Jack was looking at the in with slight surprise. Bubblegum approached and inquired in a whisper. ¡°Teacher, do you know what those things are?¡±
¡°They¡¯re Carnivoras, well imitations. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the spell he used is a party trick that generates random weak nts as decoration.¡±
¡°Those Carnivoras don¡¯t appear to be decorative¡.¡±
¡°Well, they¡¯re decorative by this world¡¯smon sense. We¡¯re simply far too weak right now. Ah, but don¡¯t misunderstand, Carnivoras can be he strong depending on their level.¡±
¡°I see. What about the boss we just killed? Why are there no rewards?¡±
¡°Give it a second. In global quest events, the loot is distributed based on contribution. Well, there can still be some that drop on top of that. It¡¯s just that chickens are really bad loot-wise.¡±
The two patiently waited for their just reward. But for some reason, it seemed to be taking a little too much time¡Jack racked his brain, but he too was perplexed. Meanwhile, many yers turned toward the training instructor for answers.
There was something strange going on with the NPC. He had adopted a fighting stance, hammer out, as he was staring intently at the empty sky above the in. The calm instructor was gone. He looked uneasy and was shivering.
The yers felt at a loss. Why wasn¡¯t he setting up the camp? Why wasn¡¯t he congratting them? Also, what was he looking at?
As Jack followed the NPC¡¯s gaze, he too began shivering. But, he was shivering in jubtion: whatever wasing would change everything for the New Leaf Vige. It would be even more significant than the man-eater nt invasion.
¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Bubblegum was consumed with curiosity after seeing his reaction.
¡°Do you think humans have souls?¡± Jack asked, seemingly randomly, not even bothering to look her way.
¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I sure hope so. Why?¡± She asked.
¡°Then, do you think animals also have souls? What about monsters?¡± Jack asked.
¡°Wait, are you talking about the souls of the dead chickens?!¡± She realized, startled.
Jack pointed toward a white cloud that waszily floating in the sky. As she observed it with more attention, Seraphine lost her wits. In the sky were hundreds upon hundreds of immaterial chicken-shaped translucent apparitions.
They were all merging, slowly bing more apparent. All until it created a huge chicken-shaped cloud. Then it was as if a spark had been lit inside as it quickly became filled with red crackling energy.
What kind of natural disaster was this?! The yers hurriedly rushed towards Igor¡¯s side. They could only hope for the NPC to deal with it.
¡°Should we get to cover?¡±
¡°No, just watch. These things happen once in a blue moon.¡±
This didn¡¯t make any sense, not right now! This event wasn¡¯t supposed to happen until the New Leaf area was almost 100% cleared. How was it happening so soon?! A single fight had generated enough grudge?!
With every passing second, the energy inside only increased in magnitude. It seemed to pulsate akin to a heart. All until it finally became so filled that it blew up!
A gigantic lightning strike bolted toward the in below!
¡ª Zzzzzzzzzz-PANG !!! ¡ª
The yers¡¯ vision turned red, and their eardrums vibrated from the shockwave. At this rate, would they even survive this day?! As themotion subsided, the yers were stunned.
In the middle of the in, there was now a sizeable chicken-shaped crater. But it became even weirder. In the middle of it, there was a chicken-shaped hardened dirt statue. In its beak, there was an entrance.
The yers couldn¡¯t believe their eyes as many shouted:
¡°What the heck is all this?!¡±
¡°The in had a lightning tribtion?¡±
¡°No, look there. Look at the crater!¡±
¡°What¡¯s up with the statue?¡±
¡°Guys¡isn¡¯t this a freaking dungeon?!¡±
¡°I¡¯m ready to bet it¡¯s one! This is huge!¡±
¡°Does this mean it¡¯s finally over?!¡±
¡°We fucking survived! Hahahaha!¡±
As calm slowly returned to the New Leaf in, the yers¡¯ hearts were still beating so fast. They had been lulled into thinking the game would be a slow chicken grind. Then all this crazy stuff had happened! This MMO was so insane!
But it wasn¡¯t over just yet. Well, the event was, and it was now time for the rewards. Messages appeared in front of their eyes, apanied by heavenly notification chimes¡
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[New Leaf Vige has survived the chicken onught! Congrattion!]
[+50 Reputation In the Greenwood County]
[+200 Reputation in the New Leaf Vige]
[Acquired Title: Anti-Chicken Militia +1 DMG vs. Chickens]
[Acquired Cluck-Cluck Reward Box! Reward Based on Contribution!]
[+ Experience Based on Contribution!]
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[Witnessed Natural Soul Phenomena (Lightning)]
[Acquired Title: Many Souls! Much Lightning! I]
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[Witnessed Large Scale Floral Party Trick]
[Acquired Title: Pretty But Useless.]
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[Congrattion on establishing the New Leaf Training Camp!]
[Unlocked Status Screen (Basic)]
[Unlocked full Inventory (Basic)]
[Unlocked Local Social Settings]
[Unlocked Training Courses]
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The yers felt utterly overwhelmed.
Still, it didn¡¯t prevent them from smiling so exaggeratedly that they would likely suffer facial cramps! They had fought so hard, and now they had unlocked so many new things!
Reputation was bound to help their rtionships with the NPCs, thus giving ess to better quests, rewards, and possibly shop discounts.
The titles were numerous. While thetter two didn¡¯t seem to have any effect, they were still nice to have from a collector standpoint. But, it was another story for Anti-Chicken Militia: +1 damage was huge! It meant a 100% increase!
Then there was the item box with its reward based on contribution. It was easy to carry around, and the yers could open it whenever they decided. This way, they could figure out how to use the inventory first.
Last but not least, was all the new functions associated with the Training Camp.
-Status screen would allow them to level up and see their stats.
-Inventory would prove helpful to store their new loot.
-The social setting meant they would be able to add friends.
-The training courses meant getting a ss, right?!
Little did they know that all these new ¡°unlocked¡± functions had been there from the start. This simply allowed them to ess a simpler version of what Jack had been using since the beginning.
The yers now had so much to learn, and they were so eager! But, Jack wouldn¡¯t be the one teaching them, for he was on the side preparing to open his loot box¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
In Infinite, magic can be generated from pretty much anything (with restrictions of course). Souls are an especially potent source of power. Enough chickens dying generated enough energy to link this ce to a Dimensional Dungeon. I always loved DDs.
Chapter 29: Epic Loot!
Chapter 29: Epic Loot!
At the edge of the New Leaf Training Camp, a young man was handling a small white cube with a nostalgic smile. The Cluck-Cluck loot box had always been a ssic of Infinite!
The item surprisingly looked chic with barely noticeable feathers engravings on the sides. With a grin, Jack powerfully clenched his hand, reducing the item into purple glowing particles. He then carefully controlled his mana to fish inside the amalgam of light.
He gave a satisfied smile, and it was over. The entire process barely took a second, and only Bubblegum witnessed it. She couldn¡¯t help but gasp. This guy even had a secret technique to open loot boxes?! How extravagant!
The other yers all had their loot appear at their feet, bending to grab it. Jack had instead sent it to his inventory directly. This method considerably lowered the chances of targeted PK happening. It was a habit that was ingrained in his bones.
Jack had received plenty. As soon as he had opened the loot box, system messages had flooded him:
[Analyzing Contribution: Chicken Onught]
[Ding! ~ 25%: Mythical Grading! Wow!]
[+300 Reputation in the New Leaf Vige]
[Acquired Title: Anti-Chicken Warrior +10% DMG vs. Chickens]
[+ Bloodstained Head of the Overlord]
[+ Bloodstained Chicken Feather]
[+ Bloodstained Chicken Beak]
[+ Cluckinator]
One OP Title and 4 OP items!
Jack couldn¡¯t help but grin. This was HUGE!
The Chicken Warrior title would barely show an effect at the start of the game but would scale monstrously. Anything % based had the potential to reach incredible heights by stacking buffs.
The chicken part wasn¡¯t that restrictive either. The damage buff would activate against anything with any remote link to chickens. A good example of this was cockatrices. Hell, it even had the possibility to affect certain breeds of phoenixes.
Plus, there was a dungeon that had just appeared. As the shape of the entrance suggested, there would be plenty of these feathery creatures in there.
The bloodstained head was a trophy. He could have it stuffed to act as a buffing station or use it to negotiate with NPCs. For instance, it could be used as proof of subjugation.
The bloodstained feather and beak were magical materials with so many uses that he couldn¡¯t list them all. He already had a few inklings of how he would use them.
Then there was the Cluckinator. It was a long feather shape white falchion that would no doubt slightly glister in the sun. Jack had truly lucked out on this one.
It was Epic!!
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Epic Cluckinator! ??
Rank F+
Level 10
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[Attack] 3-5
[Speed] Fast
[Range] Melee
[Durability] Very High
[Passive] + Cluck-Cluck
[Active] + Berserk (1/h)
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Obtaining such an OP item this early was a miracle!
To put things into perspective, most yers wouldn¡¯t see an epic item before they were level 50, much less own one! The little ?? proved that the falchion wasn¡¯t a pseudo-epic.
What made it Epic? Of course, it was the two skills! Jack was more than eager to test them, but he had a decision to make beforehand.
At the end of the previous event, he had heard the level-up chime sound twice. This meant he now had more HP, mana and had attribute points to spend.
He opened his status screen, almost shocked at how empty it looked. The system really was doing its best not to overwhelm the yers too much with the menus.
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[ STATUS! ]
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yer: Jack¡¯ O Level 2
ss: None
Title: Anti-Chicken Militia
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HP: 24
Mana: 12
Condition: Healthy
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STR: 1
AGI: 1
INT: 1
SPI: 1
+ 6 Points avable
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As he noticed the Condition line, he thanked the constant regeneration in the beginner vige once again. Not having to eat, drink or chug stamina potions was a blessing.
He now had two choices to make.
The first one was to select his preferred title, but this one was a no-brainer. Early-game, Chicken Militia was 100% the best one he had unlocked.
The second was to invest his bonus attribute points. He could either dump it all in one stat or spread them to many.
1. Strength would help his physical damage capabilities and his capacity to block. It also affected any physical activity.
2. Agility would increase his movement speed as well as increase his evasion. It helped with anything requiring dexterity.
3. Intelligence was the key stat he would eventually need as a necromancer. Any schrly activity would require it.
4. Spirit was always good to have in any and all builds. It affected all regeneration and buffs. All professions could use Spirit!
One could have expected that such a choice would be easy because of his knowledge, but it was the opposite. He knew many ways to progress by investing in any of the attributes. The question was now which one would serve him best right now.
For a while, he would have to hunt chickens, foxes, and wolves.
¨C The chickens would be a cinch thanks to his title and equipment
¨C The foxes were way too fast
¨C The wolves were fast and powerful.
An intelligence rush would leave him a sitting duck. He would then require someone to act as his vanguard, which would screw his ns to attempt to solo clear for increased rewards.
Spirit could have worked very well if he had more time. Picking a bard pseudo-ss was always a possibility, but he had no experience with it and would have to learn from scratch.
Bards were actually overpowered early game because they had many small percentage-based buffs. The system would round up the final result to a +1, and it was even more effective for self-buffs. But, all in all, it was bnced in the grand scheme of things.
This left him with two choices.
1. He could do an agility rush and dodge every single hit. This was something he was perfectly capable of doing. Plus, the increased movement speed would increase his clear speed a lot.
2. He could invest his points into strength. This would mean relying on blocking to counter the speed of the enemies and would require decent gear. The advantage of this was that his damage would increase drastically too.
Agility would be better right now, but strength would fit more in the build he had in mind. Having reached this conclusion, Jack poured all his avable points into strength. This would make him a mighty warrior with the speed of a snail!
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STR: 7
AGI: 1
INT: 1
SPI: 1
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He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. This looked so damn unbnced! He would definitely have to branch out at some point, but for now, this would suffice.
As he came back to his senses, he noticed Bubblegum. She was ring mid-air at her status screen as if it owed her money.
¡°You alright?¡± Jackughingly asked.
¡°I¡¯m hesitating between 2 STR + 1 AGI or 1 STR + 2 AGI¡.¡±
¡°That¡¯s it? What kind of ss are you aiming for?¡±
Bubblegum took an elegant pose, raising an arm high in the air as if shooting down the stars. ¡°I¡¯ll be a legendary assassin dreaded by all!¡±
Jack couldn¡¯t help but fleetingly grimace at the ss, forcefully pushing the bad memories away. ¡°You can put all your points into Agility then. No need to over-think this.¡±
¡°Won¡¯t there be diminishing returns?¡±
¡°Yes, but reaching certain milestones will give you another push forward. Think about this, as an assassin, most of your skills will require Agility. Relying on gear for your skills can lock you out of great new equipment.¡±
¡°What about in the future?¡±
¡°For a melee assassin branch out in strength, for a magical one add intelligence, for a ranged one you can go pure agility, and finally for mad sustain pick spirit too.¡±
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep this in mind. I guess I¡¯ll have to figure out my preferred ystyle for Infinite.¡±
¡°Yep, don¡¯t worry too much about it. It takes time.¡± Jack reassured.
¡°Quote of the day: It takes time. Says the man that somehow knows everything about the game. Say, you¡¯re one of the developers, right?¡±
¡°Haha, no way.¡± Jack chuckled.
¡°True, seeing you¡more like the lead developer!¡± She sized him up before nodding confidently, sure of her conclusion.
¡°Well, that¡¯s¡.¡± Jack scratched his head awkwardly.
¡°Yes, yes, I know. You can¡¯t admit to it, NDA and all. I understand!¡± She gave him a thumb up.
Jack was okay with this oue. This exnation was better than something as crazy asing back to the past. Just as he was musing about his circumstances, a pop-up appeared in front of his eyes.
[Bubblegum has invited you to join a party.]
Jack looked at her puzzled but epted. As they formed a party, she began to emit a soft green glow in his eyes.
¡°Oh my god! You¡¯re glowing! You¡¯re all green! This is so cool!¡± She eximed with stars in her eyes. ¡°With this, I can easily locate you whenever! I see your name too!¡±
¡°This only works in rtive proximity. Allies will glow green, the neutral units blue, and the monsters red. This is to make the raids a little less messy, I believe.¡± Jack exined.
¡°What happens when you are farther apart then?¡±
¡°Medium range it tells you the general direction in which the allies are. Long-range, it just stops working.¡±
¡°I see¡¡± Bubblegum absent-mindedly replied. A secondter, Jack understood why.
¨C Bubblegum: I can now spam you with messages Muhahahaha! ??
¨C Jack¡¯O: I can block you ¡¥_(¥Ä)_/¡¥
¨C Bubblegum: Nooo *breathes in* noooo!
Jack couldn¡¯t help but smile, seeing how happy she was. This was only the friend chat too!
¨C Bubblegum: Ah, the CPR wolf wannabe ising our way. Time to run?
The Mighty Wolves were approaching with incredible momentum and stern faces, the whole squad. What now¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Getting an Epic weapon this early is incredible! Was it the first one in the entire game? Quite possibly. Getting one was only possible with a contribution rating of at least 15% on the Chicken Onught. Mine was so high thanks to being the main strategist and that one devastingbo at the end.
Chapter 30: True Identity Revealed!
Chapter 30: True Identity Revealed!
At the training camp, the Mighty Wolves gang was powerfully marching toward a duo that was just minding their own business.
As Jack saw their momentum, he understood that they were ready for war! Their eyes were tinged with blood as they red at him as if he had murdered their family. The CPR dude stopped right in front of him before lowly growling.
¡°What was all that about? It doesn¡¯t add up!¡±
¡°Come again?¡± Jack asked, puzzled.
¡°How did you know about theyout of the forest. How did you know about the Glory Trial? How are you so strong? How do you know so much about the chickens? How could you predict what the mage NPC would do?¡± He questioned at a machine-gun pace.
He was now staring at him with such intensity that Jack almost thought the man was interested in him. He could feel that he wouldn¡¯t give up before he had answers. He would humor him for now.
¡°I like hiking. I¡¯ve talked to the NPCs. I know karate. I grew up on a farm. I spoke with the florist before. Satisfied?¡± Jack spat out in one breath.
¡°Bullshit!¡± The CPR barked.
¡°¡¡± Jack just shrugged. What was he supposed to say?
¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go. No need to listen to this fool.¡± Bubblegum chimed in as she started walking away. But then the man raised his voice again.
¡°You, you¡¯re Seraphine, aren¡¯t you? THE Seraphine!¡± He dropped what he had hoped would feel like a bomb, but she simply ignored him entirely. He couldn¡¯t help but internally praise her calm. But what followed wasn¡¯t something she could ignore anymore.
¡°No need to y dumb. Look, I just want to talk, that¡¯s all. Hear me out, or I¡¯ll tell everyone who you are. Then you can say goodbye to this wonderful peace that you¡¯re enjoying so much!¡± He threatened.
¡°You!¡± Bubblegum uttered, fury in her voice.
¡°Give me 5 minutes, please!¡± The CPR dude begged earnestly.
¡°Fine, speak¡¡± She spat out.
He gestured to her that he wanted to talk in private. The two slowly left, with Jack left staring at them, stunned. What was all that about? Should he be worried? Then again, he trusted Bubblegum was smart enough not to betray him just yet.
How mysterious¡
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The two of them stopped a distance away.
Seraphine¡¯s visage wasposed, but she was boiling hot with fury internally. Had this not been a safe zone, she would have had to control her urges to murder the guy. How had he even figured out her identity?
He seemed to hesitate for an instant before he finally bit the bullet. ¡°Say, what do you know about him? The man you¡¯re ying with?¡±
¡°You¡¯re wasting your time if you think you can drive a wedge between us.¡± She scoffed, not even bothering to hide her disdain.
This guy was an imbecile if he thought such mind games would work with her! Without listening to his bullshit anymore, she turned heel and began leaving. She had just taken one step that he cried out in a hurry.
¡°Wait! I¡ª!¡±
¡°Go ahead and reveal my identity if you want. But, do you dare?¡± She gave a smirk full of confidence.
¡°Fuck no! I just said that to get your attention. Look, I¡¯m not trying to start any drama, but there is something strange about this guy!¡± The CPR dude chimed in.
¡°You¡¯ve said enough. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Seraphine was done wasting her breath on this fool. But suddenly, he shouted.
¡°He¡¯s an NPC!¡± CPR dude looked at her turning back as she slowly spoke.
¡°Are you retarded?¡± She didn¡¯t mince her words at all.
¡°Look. I¡¯m not saying this out of anywhere. I know it sounds impossible and crazy, but I¡¯m sure of it!¡±
Seraphine looked at him baffled. How could he even say stuff like this with a straight face? Still, she couldn¡¯t help but feel curious as to what the hell had been his thought process.
¡°At first, I thought he was some wannabe bigshot from another game. After all, it takes a lot of guts to ask for someone to relinquish guild leadership to them out of the blue.¡±
¡°At first?¡±
¡°Exactly! Then, I witnessed his skills and knowledge firsthand. I¡¯ve never seen something like that!¡± He eximed with eyes full of admiration.
¡°So, how exactly did you get to NPC?¡± Where had he gone haywire?
¡°My second guess was that he somehow had more experience because he was a beta tester or perhaps even a dev directly.¡± He uttered slowly.
¡°Any of these two can exin it¡did you expect him to admit to it? Both would be sworn to secrecy. This is obvious¡.¡± She replied.
¡°Yes, but you realize it too, don¡¯t you? There is something more about him. Look, I¡¯m not the best gamer, not in the least! Sometimes I even get swept up by emotion, and ¡.¡±
¡°Get to the point.¡±
¡°Look. I can feel people. This guy isn¡¯t just ying Infinite; He¡¯s living Infinite. Every breath he takes, he does so as if he¡¯s native to this ce. There is no way this can be faked. Infinite is so insane that he could really be an NPC.¡± He said solemnly.
¡°That¡¯s a crazy conspiracy theory! I have him on my friend list. He knows this is a game. He knows the difference between yers and NPCs. Hell, I¡¯ve even seen him log out!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but exim.
¡°Ah¡ I guess I was overthinking this. It didn¡¯t help that he didn¡¯t die a single time, haha. But the blue logging-off light doesn¡¯t lie! Sorry.¡± CPR dude chuckle while awkwardly scratching his head.
But suddenly, Seraphine froze. She remembered vividly seeing him log out, and it had been a purple light! Had it been some trick instead?! But, she was still hesitating to trust the man.
¡°What are your intentions toward him?¡± She inquisitively red at her interlocutor, using all her experience to read him.
¡°I want him to be a consultant for my guild. He could help us greatly with understanding the inner workings of the game.¡± He admitted, honestly.
¡°Fine. I¡¯ve seen him log out once, but he was surrounded by purple light. I guess your theory is far-stretched but not impossible. What does this mean concretely?¡±
¡°We can¡¯t allow him to die. Who knows if he¡¯d respawn! Also, we can¡¯t let him know that we have our suspicions. Perhaps he¡¯d cut tie with the both of us instantly!¡± CPR dude sternly said.
¡°Fine. That¡¯s a deal. We¡¯ll slowly collect more information and do our best to protect him then.¡±
¡°Perfect!¡±
¡°Onest thing. How did you recognize me?¡±
¡°This¡¡± He scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°I have some of your posters in my room. I¡¯m a big fan¡.¡± He shyly admitted.
Seraphine could only sigh. So much for going incognito. Even with her appearance changed, her fans could still recognize her?!
Then again, this weird guy seemed oddly perceptive¡
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As they came back, Jack couldn¡¯t help but notice that they seemed to be looking at him strangely. Yet, there didn¡¯t seem to be any ill intent behind their gaze. They also seemed really friendly with each other all of a sudden¡
The CPR dude walked right in front of him, staring directly into his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s make an alliance! All of us here to crush this beginner vige, what do you say?¡± He offered with way too much enthusiasm.
Jack nced at Bubblegum, who was nodding in agreement by the side. Was this what they had been talking about in private? No, it most probably concerned her past. He couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly curious.
In any case, this was great news! He would never say no to freebor! He even warmly put his hand forward for a handshake.
¡°Wee aboard!¡± Jack grinned. They would be leagues better than random yers. Who could have guessed that the chicken event would allow them to reconcile?
¡°Alliance leader, what¡¯s the n now?¡± CPR dude respectfully inquired.
¡°All of you,plete Igor¡¯s training until he gives you a hard stick. Only with weapons will you bunch be useful.¡± Jack instructed.
¡°What about you, teacher?¡± Bubblegum asked.
¡°I already have a weapon, so I¡¯ll take a short break. Alright, talkter.¡± Jack smiled at them before logging off.
Thest thing he heard was their gasps of surprise at the custom purple color. Noobs were so easy to impress, haha!
As he removed the VR helmet, Jack noticed the time 10:08. So much had happened in so little time. It was crazy! On the side, Lilly had fallen asleep with a literary theory workbook. She was so damn hardworking! She truly deserved a break.
He slowly grabbed the book and ced it on her nightstand, right next to the pumpkinmp. He then gently rubbed her hair. She looked so peaceful right now.
Suddenly a smile blossomed on her face as she grabbed his hand, slowly opening her eyes. ¡°Wee back.¡± She gently murmured.
¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to wake you up.¡±
¡°No worries. Tomorrow is Sunday anyway. How was it? Did you guys get revenge on the monstrous chickens?¡± She curiously asked.
¡°Indeed! I even managed to get great loot from the boss! I found helpers too, so this first day is a great sess!¡± ^_^V Jack happily made a victory sign while grinning.
¡°That¡¯s great! I heard about how important party members are in MMOs! Are they pro yers too?¡± She enthusiastically asked, not doubting his new job title in the least.
¡°Some are part of a guild in another game. Then there is my student who seems renowned. It looks like she hid her identity to y incognito. You can look her up. She¡¯s known as Seraphine.¡± Jack happily shared.
¡°Brother, if she didn¡¯t tell you, it¡¯s best not to pry. Maybe she has a good reason to keep it a secret.¡± Lilly wisely replied.
¡°You¡¯re right. Alright, I¡¯ll take a quick shower. Want me to bring you back a snack from the kitchen?¡± He offered.
¡°Hot coco, thanks!¡± She sweetly smiled as he left their room.
Lilly stood still for a few seconds. Then, as soon as she heard the running water, she hurriedly got to work. ¡°Seraphine, Seraphine, who are you?¡±
She expertly typed on her phone, essing many different social media sites one after the other: Facelist, Instantgram, Twittering, Chatsnap, Purpleddit, and so many more!
A few minutester, Lilly stared at her phone with her hands shaking. Her soft voice resounded in the silent room.
¡°Holy fucking shit!¡±
Creator¡¯s Thought
As I felt the warm water trickle on my skin, I couldn¡¯t help but smile gently. Lilly truly was an angel. While I wouldn¡¯t trust Seraphine unconditionally, everyone should have the right to keep some secrets. I was carrying a heavy one myself after all¡
Chapter 31: This Forest Is a Little Too Peaceful!
Chapter 31: This Forest Is a Little Too Peaceful!
At the New Leaf training camp, a young man suddenly appeared in a sh of purple light.
Jack¡¯s gaze was instantly attracted to the many yers who were shouting. They were violently striking wooden training dummies with their hard sticks.
Igor was a man who had a passion for woodworking, and it showed! Not only had he slightly modified the palisades to give them a nicer look, but he had supplied the yers with their training equipment.
Getting a weapon involved ¡°ying tag¡± with some foxes and making trips to the vige to sharpen the NPC¡¯s carving knife. Every time a yer would receive one, they would beam in profound happiness. They would forever remember their first!
Jack searched for his minions, finding them amidst the sea of yers. They seemed to bepeting as they showcased theirbos. Jack appreciatively nodded, for they had already familiarized themselves with their new weapon.
¡°Alright, this should be enough training for now. Are you guys ready?¡± He hollered at them.
¡°Teacher! You¡¯re back!¡±
¡°Alliance Leader!¡±
They all turned toward him with their faces glowing in excitement. They were getting tired of such dull training and happily followed his lead toward the forest.
There, many yers were causing a ruckus trying toplete the training camp questline. This, of course, attracted some foxes. How could they resist when their next meal was so nicely announcing itself?!
They proceeded deeper, leaving the riff-raff behind. The Mighty Wolves were looking all over the ce in wonder. The glowing trees really were a sight to behold! However, this magical scenery was bound to be dangerous.
¡°We¡¯re in fox territory now. Be on your guard at all times and keep your eyes open.¡± Jack instructed.
Instantly, they all looked solemn as they observed their surroundings warily. They walked for a few minutes until Jack suddenly gestured them to stop.
They all hurriedly adopted defensive postures with their sticks raised in front of their chest. This would allow them to either parry or attack in one fell swoop. The tension was high as they observed their surroundings.
¡°Who here can tell me what¡¯s wrong with this scene?¡± Jack inquired while frowning deeply.
But, the more they searched and the more perplexed they became. Everything was peaceful, too peaceful! Seeing Jack¡¯s reaction, there was bound to be peril, but what?!
¡°So, do you guys know?¡± Jack asked again.
¡°Not at all.¡± They lowered their heads in shame. It seems like they were failing his first test.
¡°Remark the absence of monsters. This is because the area between territories is usually a no monster¡¯snd. Be ready to face a new creature species whenever this happens.¡± Jack exined.
They all nodded in understanding as they couldn¡¯t help but ponder this concept. Both danger and theck of it had to be noticed equally! They looked at Jack with barely veiled admiration in their eyes: this NPC was so wise!
They resumed their progression, only for the same process to repeat. They went on high alert, didn¡¯t find anything, and then thought hard about what it meant.
¡°We¡¯re still in the no monster¡¯snd but also have been for a while. This means that we should be reaching the end of it soon, right? Ah, now would be the time to sneakily proceed forward, right?!¡± CPR dude tentatively said.
¡°True, but there is something else too. Look right there!¡± Jack pointed toward a beautiful tiny red flower. It was growing hidden between a few exposed tree roots.
¡°This is a New Bloom¡¯s Begonia that one can only find in the New Leaf forest. It can notably be used to craft healing potions. Being alert doesn¡¯t only mean being wary of dangers, but also to look for opportunities.¡± Jack patiently taught them.
¡°Is it as expensive as it is pretty?¡± Seraphine asked, her eyes glowing.
¡°This is the beginner vige, so it¡¯s only worth a few coppers at best. But, coppers add up to silvers and silvers to golds.¡± Jack replied as he crouched on the ground. Using his gardening spade, he carefully scooped the flower out.
The yers couldn¡¯t help but grin. They were so lucky to have their own guide NPC! While others were fighting over the training instructor¡¯s attention, they were receiving a VIP forest tour! This tour kept going, with Jack sometimes stopping them to ask his usual ¡°What about now?¡±
Every time, they had to use all their wits to answer this very simple question of his.
Sometimes Jack would point out various nts:
¨C New Bloom¡¯s Brachyschome (Pink)
¨C New Bloom¡¯s Poppy (yellow)
¨C New Bloom¡¯s Begonia (red)
Jack even talked about two more flower types that could only be found in the wolf region further ahead:
¨C New Bloom¡¯s Chicory (blue)
¨C Last Bloom¡¯s Darkrovias (ck)
Some other times, Jack would make them stop near the trail of a fox. Whenever they found such traces, they would change direction instantly. After all, the foxes were extremely deadly.
He had also stopped them at some random moments only to troll them. He was a firm believer that only stopping when there was something noteworthy would hinder their learning process. It would have made them rely on him way too much.
Still, they didn¡¯t mind it one bit. They were all just soaking in as much knowledge as they could. Jack was a goddamn living encyclopedia!
Jack couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile as he saw how impressed hispanions were. They still had so much to learn!
At some point, he asked once again: ¡°What about now?¡±
¡°No precious nts, no fox traces, and nothing out of the ordinary! We¡¯re clear to go, Sir!¡± One confidently replied. They were used to the exercise by now.
¡°Nope, look again.¡± Jack calmly uttered, his arms behind his back akin to an experienced schr.
They tried their best, but the wolf crew really couldn¡¯t figure it out. Luckily, Bubblegum came to the rescue! ¡°There¡¯s an enemy in the bush right there! Am I right, Teacher?¡± She pointed to the vegetation a mere 10 meters from their party.
¡°There is?¡± One remarked bbergasted.
¡°Oh my god! It¡¯s moving but not following the wind! There¡¯s a fox in there?! This is huge! How did I not notice it?!¡± One excitedly shouted.
Jack nodded, giving her a thumb up before eagerly introducing the lurking monster:
¡°In there awaits a fluffy and cuddly fox. One so friendly that it will hop toward you, wagging its tail in joy. Well, it does have the slightly annoying habit of devouring humans, but at least it¡¯s cute, am I right?!¡±
Many unconsciously took a step back, gulping in fright. They didn¡¯t fear the foxes themselves or even dying, but this trap was way too pernicious! What a crazy world: even the bushes could kill! What was this, Vietnam?!
They could already picture how disappointed they would have been at having to walk back from the spawn all the way to their current position!
¡°How do we bypass it this time?¡± Seraphine asked.
¡°We kill it. There are 20 of you, with each hitting for about two damage. This fox will have 50 HP and will be incredibly fast. We gang up on it while it¡¯s still in the bush, and we violently smack it. Do you guys all understand?¡± Jack smiled at them.
¡°Yes, Teacher!¡±
¡°Yes, Boss!¡±
Boss? Were they a mafia now?
Without waiting any further, Jack gave the assault signal. They charged toward the bush with power in their steps, courage in their hearts, and a shitload of adrenaline! Then, they swung like madmen.
¡ª Sck! Sck! ¡ª
¡ª Sck! Sck! ¡ª
¡ª Sck! Sck! ¡ª
But suddenly, an orange sh darted out straight at a yer¡¯s throat! It took 3 seconds for him to be mauled to death! Blood sttered on the soft-looking fur as the victim disappeared in a gargle of his own blood¡.and blue light!
¡°Revenge!!¡± The others instantly screamed, their eyes now blood-red with fury.
In theory, they should have been done with one attack each if they went all at once, right? No, the reality was different. The fox was rtively small and extremely slippery. It would dodge most of their attacks!
It even seemed to be ying with them. It would suddenly sidestep as they sometimes ended up hitting their own allies. They couldn¡¯t remember thest time they had shown such an embarrassing sight!
Jack stood a distance away as he watched them die one after the other. In the end, it took 16 deaths for them to finally manage to y the beast. As soon as the fox breathed itsst, they all fell like puppets with their strings cut off. They panted heavily as their tried regaining their bearings.
¡°What the fuck! How is a single level 4 fox so strong?!¡± CPR dudeined.
¡°You¡¯ll get used to it,¡± Jack reassured with a small smirk, one that seemed to promise them countless deaths. Was he the Devil?! Luckily he was on their side, but even then they were trembling.
Jack then kneeled above the corpse of the creature, taking out a butcher knife. ¡°Now, it¡¯s imperative not to be wasteful.¡± He offhandedlymented as he began skinning the beast with frightening precision.
They could only watch baffled as he proceeded very methodically:
1. He created an incision at the joints behind the paws before snapping each off cleanly.
2. He turned the creature, ass upward. In this grotesque posture, he began cutting at the legs all the way toward the middle, following the line where the fur became slightly paler.
3. He worked on the tail, removing the fleshy appendage out of its fur coating.
4. Then he pulled on everything, turning the previously majestic creature into a grotesque flesh abomination, with its blood-red muscles out for the world to gaze upon.
Seeing this, a few yers with weak stomachs turned livid. Then there was Bubblegum. She approached the carcass and began poking it with interest. ¡°Where¡¯s all the blood? You didn¡¯t even drain it!¡±
¡°What can I say. It¡¯s still a game in the end.¡± Jack could only shrug before he kept going. This time, he dexterously hacked the entire body into pieces, separating it into all its smaller portions.
Then, he grabbed everything, storing it in his inventory. The others could only stare in shock. How long had it all taken him? One whispered in shock ¡°34 seconds!¡±
Jack gave a satisfied smile as they waited for their colleagues to make it back from spawn. When everyone was assembled, he addressed them all.
¡°Great! Now, how about you guys die a few more times so I can get some more pelts and meat?¡± He formted it like a question, but it wasn¡¯t one.
They could only sigh. After dying over and over to chickens, they would die over and over for his sake. He had taught them so much, and now he was collecting payment.
Perhaps he really was the devil¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
I was so lucky to have met such driven people! They could have easily backtracked and farmed XP against chickens¡Yet, they chose to train with me. They even allowed me to grab all the loot! Talk about boundless generosity!
Chapter 32: There Be Wolves...
Chapter 32: There Be Wolves¡
Once upon a time in a magical forest, there was¡.animal abuse?!
A group of yers was violently beating a fox, expertly using their sticks to bash its skull. There would be a satisfying smacking sound with every hit, followed by a red -2 above the creature¡¯s head.
Then, from time to time, a clucking sound would resound. It felt so out of ce! It had confused them so much at first. Were there chickens so deep inside the fox territory? Nope, it was the Epic Cluckinator! The Cluck Cluck passive¡ made the peculiar sound with every hit!
Every time it resounded, they would smile while their eyes went searching for that bright red damage number: -5, -6, sometimes even -7! Jack was doing thrice their damage. How freaking impressive was it!
Jack andpany were getting so used to hunting these creatures that they were pretty much a mobile fox processing factory. In went the lively fox, and out came the pelt and the meat! With every repetition, Jack¡¯s grin would deepen.
As he looted it all, he didn¡¯t just see materials. No, he saw quest items, rewards, and the progression of his ns. It was all so satisfying! He also enjoyed seeing his allies struggle and win after improving.
CPR dude¡¯s voice resounded to mark the end of their current battle:
¡°We only lost 2 of us this time around. We¡¯vee a long way from the 16 deaths it initially took us.¡± He happily shared.
¡°You¡¯re proud of that? You guys gotta dodge better! There shouldn¡¯t be a single death with our numbers!¡± Seraphine chastised them.
¡°Yes, mom!¡± A yer mischievously replied while ¡°earnestly¡± nodding in agreement.
¡°You should behave, man. What if you get spanked?!¡± Another one yfully added.
¡°Jokes on you, I¡¯m into that shit!¡± The troublemaker heroically dered.
¡°Now, now, children. Stop fighting!¡± One added to ¡°pacify¡± them.
These guys were having so much fun killing foxes and chatting. Jack liked to think that every time they abused a fox, a PETA¡¯ member was crying somewhere in this vast and beautiful virtual world.
Jack gave a wry smile before addressing his troops:
¡°All of you, we¡¯ve been hunting foxes for a while. Now that you guys have attained some experience, it will be time to move on. Our true goal lies further into the forest!¡± He exined.
The yers instantly jumped up as they realized what this meant. They could feel their blood boil, excited about what was toe. They would finally encounter the legendary wolves, right! Were they even ready to face them? Irrelevant!
This expedition was barely worth it in terms of XP, and Jack was monopolizing all the loot. Yet, they still felt it was so damn worth it! They would learn now and do the mindless grindingter. They would take a step back to progress even fasterter!
¡°Alright, let¡¯s move out! I¡¯ll let you guys scout like you¡¯ve been doing all this time!¡± Jack instructed.
They all nodded as they followed his directives. The journey was quite pleasant. From time to time, they would kill a fox. Sometimes they would stop to gather some flowers. At one point, they even passed arge ancient tree with a hole inside.
Jack took the opportunity to act like a touristic guide:
¡°This right here is their of the Fox Progenitor. It¡¯s also the entrance to the Fox Garden, the easiest dungeon of Infinite so far.¡±
He was willingly sharing tidbits of information with them. Anyway, it would all very soon bemon knowledge. Even then, they were taking it all in as they listened intently. His affirmation made them raise their brows in surprise.
¡°Wait, the easiest? That means the chicken dungeon in the in will be harder?!¡±
¡°There are so many deadly nts right now that it might as well be a level 10 area! It would make sense for the dungeon to be higher level too.¡±
¡°We¡¯re just lucky that the training instructor cleared a few of them, or we wouldn¡¯t even be able to step foot on the New Leaf in, needless to say here, haha!¡±
¡°I can¡¯t wait to enter a dungeon. Well, exploring like this is really fun, but dungeons are the best part of an MMO for sure! I already have the feeling they¡¯ll be¡ peculiar!¡±
They kept walking while lowly chatting. Jack barely had to do anything as they would avoid the fox ambushes and patrols by themselves. Just like that, they reached a new area. This was definitely a significant milestone!
¡°Whoa! This ce looks really nice. The trees are more spaced out and bigger.¡±
¡°More importantly, there are no shrubs! No more monsters hiding in bushes!¡±
¡°Guys, we¡¯re the first ones in New Leaf vige toe so far, right? I¡¯m gonna feel emotional!¡±
¡°We are henceforth in a new territory. That¡¯s one small step for a yer, one giant leap for gamers!¡±
Many were saying whatever they could think of at the moment. But, a few secondster, they obediently turned toward Jack as they awaited his directives.
¡°In a few minutes, we¡¯ll enter the depths of thend of the wolves. They¡¯re way stronger than foxes, and they¡¯re seldom alone since they are social animals. However, what makes them really frightening is how much they enjoy roaming! Do you all understand what it means?¡±
All the yers sucked a cold breath as they could picture the monsters ganging up on them. This newnd sounded so challenging: hell, they had trouble winning a 20 vs 1 fight in their favor! How could they win against many wolves? No way!
¡°This time around, our goal isn¡¯t to kill the wolves. Our objective is to slip through undetected. There will be plenty of them, way too many! But, I believe we cane out victorious as long as we y this perfectly.¡± Jack added solemnly.
They could feel in his tone that this task would be extremely arduous. He expected them to be happy about this new challenge, but they instead stared at him anxiously. What was up with them all of a sudden?
¡°Boss, how about we practice heading in there alone for a bit? This way, we won¡¯t drag you down if we fail¡¡± CPR dude proposed.
What a ridiculous suggestion! But, for some reason, the others were all in agreement¡.even Bubblegum?! What did they take him for? It wasn¡¯t like it would be the end of the world if he died either.
¡°No need. We¡¯ll do this together. As long as you all follow my calls to the letter, we should be fine.¡± Jack reassured them. A great leader should never cower before his men!
They somehow seemed to find this incredibly inspiring as they chimed in.
¡°Yes, Boss!¡±
¡°We¡¯ll do our best!¡±
¡°I¡¯ll personally beat up anyone that messes up!¡±
Jack nodded at them with a smile, and then they began moving forward. He was now picturing a mental map of the forest and expertly navigating it. He knew all about the wolves¡¯ movement patterns. It was just a matter of figuring out their exact position in real-time.
¡ª Cautiously Walking ¡ª
Nothing seemed to be happening, and yet they all understood how crazily close to death they always were. The more they progressed and the truer this was.
¡ª Cautiously Walking ¡ª
There were more and more traces of the wolves. This took many forms but was in in sight: these creatures were the forest overlords and didn¡¯t hide it. Sometimes it was paw prints on the ground, and at others w imprints on the trees.
The yers could only gulp as they noticed how profound the wcerations were. What kind of damage would such an attack cause to their soft flesh? Would it be an instant kill?! But, it didn¡¯t stop their journey.
¡ª Cautiously Walking ¡ª
Then they began hearing them, always nearby. It reached a point where they considered ¡°Awoooo!¡± a regr background noise. At first, they thought the wolves were upon them and had been ready for battle. Nope, it was all perfect aggro control, more urately barely staying out of it.
They kept going, trusting their leader.
¡ª Cautiously Walking ¡ª
Finally, they saw wolves for the first time! No, it would have been more urate that they saw gray streaks that were hurriedly leaving the area. They were big, and the yers could instinctively feel deadliness oozing from them.
They all thought they were doomed but resisted the urge to scream and run away. Luckily for them, Jack hadn¡¯t let them down that time either. They were baffled at first. How hadn¡¯t the wolves realized they were there?!
They had been silent and walking contrary to the wind! Jack truly was a mastermind at aggro control! It was as if he knew everything about this ce, down to everyst of its creatures.
¡ª Cautiously Walking ¡ª
At one point, Jack¡¯s tactics reached a new level of horrifying. He had them shadow a wolf group to make their way even deeper inside! That¡¯s how they managed to reach a peaceful-looking clearing without fighting a single time.
¡°Good job, you guys! You¡¯ve survived part one.¡± Jack congratted them.
They could only give wry smiles. All they had done was follow him and shut their traps. There was nothing particrly heroic about it. No, it was all thanks to him!
As they silently thanked Jack from the bottom of their heart, he gestured not to mind it. This guy was way too humble for his own good!
They could only observe their surroundings in awe. Why was there suddenly such a big open space in the forest? There was bound to be an exnation, right?
¡°Guys, look there. Isn¡¯t that a boulder and a cave towards the back?!¡±
¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Why do I feel like this is familiar?¡±
¡°It gives the same vibe as the earlier hole in the tree!¡±
Jack interrupted them by chuckling: ¡°You guys are perfectly right. It is also a Bossir and incidentally our target. Are you all ready?¡±
They couldn¡¯t help but begin panicking. Were they going to face a boss?! They felt that they weren¡¯t ready at all! But that¡¯s when a creature slowly exited from the cave. This one had to be their target!
< Happy Wolf Cub Level 6 >
They couldn¡¯t help but feel their blood boiling as they were eager to fight. What kind of reward would this enemy give?!
It was time for some more animal abuse¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Something as simple as walking around a forest actually requires a lot of skill. One needs to know a lot about each individual monster, then figure out how they will all interact with one another. Then again, it¡¯s possible to aplish a simr result using instinct, it just takes a LOT of experience.
Chapter 33: Wild Chase + Playing Catch!
Chapter 33: Wild Chase + ying Catch!
Inside New Leaf forest, a bloodthirsty-looking group of yers was staring at a young wolf pup a distance away.
It was happily rolling in the grass, enjoying its simple existence. For the young creature, life was good. There was no need to work, there were no enemies, and as a virtual wolf, it wasn¡¯t bound by the mortal burdens.
What did the yers see in such a cute creature? Loot, loot, and motherfucking loot! Oh, and also awesome bragging rights. How many could say they had defeated foxes? Probably a few. Then what about wolves? No one!
The yers enthusiastically turned toward Jack.
¡°Boss, shall we use the usual strategy?¡±
¡°Boss, my big stick is throbbing in trepidation!¡±
¡°Boss, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll get you that wolf fur right now!¡±
Jack had to admit that hispanions were super motivated. They didn¡¯t have any qualm whatsoever about violently murdering a wolf cub either. Bubblegum was the only one that could be seen frowning.
¡°What do you think, Seraphine?¡± Jack gently asked her.
¡°There¡¯s no way this cub is just defenseless. Attacking it will begin a boss battle, am I right?¡± She perspicaciously noticed.
This simple sentence instantly doused the heated ambiance. The yers remembered how difficult the level 6 Chicken Boss had been. If the cub was already this level, how incredibly OP would this boss be?!
¡°Exactly. Right now, it¡¯s almost impossible to defeat the Alpha Wolf. It would require an army and good luck getting them all past the fox and wolf territory without any casualty.¡± Jack exined.
They had all been eager to kill that wolf cub, not realizing the critical mistake it would have been. One mischievously teased: ¡°Psst¡ª Is your big stick still throbbing in trepidation?¡± Spoiler, it wasn¡¯t.
¡°Then why are we here?¡± CPR dude asked, perplexed. The yers all perked their ears. Was there a secret monster, a secret dungeon, any secret really?!
¡°We¡¯re here to ¡. rob itsir!¡± Jack revealed amidst the curious gazes.
Robbing meant loot, and yers loved some thick booty! As long as they seeded once, they would be able to reproduce itter on! They could already picture themselves swaggering in the vige, fully dressed! How marvelous!
¡°So, how are we proceeding exactly?¡± CPR dude asked with everyone¡¯s blessing.
¡°First, we need to draw our enemy away from its treasure. Then one of us will slip in, steal the loot and hurry back out while we buy time. This operation will be extremely harsh and will need perfect teamwork to seed.¡± Jack exined.
His colleagues¡¯ faces hardened. They remembered clearly how nonchnt Jack had been when faced with the Chicken Apocalypse or even hunting foxes. This time was different! This unexpected challenge made them feel alive.
Jack was already assigning duties:
¡°Bubblegum, are you ready to make use of your speed? You¡¯ll be in charge of heading inside. At the end of the tunnel, you¡¯ll find iron pebbles the size of a fist. Grab those. As for the various nts, ignore them. It¡¯ll take too long to collect.¡±
¡°Perfect! You can count on me!¡± She replied with determination.
Jack then turned to the others: ¡°The rest will work together to draw the boss¡¯s attention. This challenge can be resumed to one mantra. Repeat after me: we ain¡¯t fighting!¡±
¡°We ain¡¯t fighting?!¡± They replied, puzzled. How would they keep the aggro then?
¡°Remember these two key points:
1. Never attack the Wolf Cub! This could doom our entire party by making the boss angry beyond belief.
2. Don¡¯t even bother attacking the boss. Your attacks likely won¡¯t even get through its tough fur!
At our level, we really shouldn¡¯t be here at all! This is all so we can cheese some loot out! Do you guys understand?¡±
The yers heavily nodded.
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll grab the cub, and then we¡¯ll do this. Are you all ready?¡± Jack inquired.
¡°Yes, Boss!¡± (X20)
¡°Always, Teacher!¡±
So what if they were only stealing?! They would still be able to brag to their friends! At this stage of the game, such an achievement would be incredibly worthy! They ardently watched Jack make his way toward the wolf cub.
It began growling in a high-pitched voice as it saw the human, trying to imitate a deadly hunter. But then it suddenly stopped, observing the man with curiosity. It even began to circle him in confusion.
This was the first time it saw such a weird creature! Why was it walking on two legs?! Where was its fur or feathers?! Was this animal sick? Not only didn¡¯t it attack, but it drew closer and poked Jack with its tiny pink tongue.
That¡¯s when Jack gently approached his hand, petted the creature a few times and¡.BAM! He started to beat the shit out of it! The wolf cub would soon be nothing but bloody pulp!
They could only watch in shock as they saw him executebo afterbo. What the fuck was happening?! He had literally just told them never to attack it! Had the whole thing been a joke?!
A yer spoke what they were all thinking: ¡°WTF?!¡±
That¡¯s when Bubblegum remarked wisely: ¡°Watch more carefully. It¡¯s the same technique he used on Igor. I think that he¡¯s not actually damaging it.¡±
¡°Wait, you mean that he¡¯s just knocking it out? He¡¯s not hurting it?!¡±
¡°Holy crap. How is he even able to do this?! I need to learn this too!¡±
They watched in awe, trying to fathom his thoughts. With a final punch, the wolf loudly whimpered as it fell unconscious. Without waiting, Jack grabbed the creature in his arm and sprinted away.
Wait, was he kidnapping the wolf?! This was possible?! He ran next to them all as fast as he possibly could. ¡°Hurry up, guys! It¡¯s time to get the fuck out! Bubblegum, get ready to sneak in. Everyone else, follow me!¡±
That¡¯s when a fearsome and deep howl resounded:
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
Whatever was in there sounded so dangerous! A few secondster, their assumption was proven right. A big ck wolf exited the cave in a hurry. This thing emanated so much power!
< Wolf Progenitor Level 10 ? >
This monster was level 10?! The yers gulped as they observed it from the corner of their eyes. It had blood-red eyes filled with fury,rge ws that could easily rip a human in half, and big fangs that it would try to sink in them! The creature was massive!
The wolf would have put a tiger toplete shame. Their chances to kill it were about as slim as an anorexic on a weight loss diet! They now understood why their leader had told them to run, and so they freaking did!
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
The howl was enough to chill their hot blood. Then they heard it dash toward them as much as they felt it. This wolf was akin to a reaper, and it wasing for them! Its speed was way too fast!
They felt that this race was definitely unfair. How the hell were they supposed topete in speed with this thing?! It was impossible! It took a total of 2 seconds for the creature to catch up to Jack. This was crazy!
Even he, who was experienced, barely managed to dodge the beast as it lunged at him. At the veryst second, he had thrown himself on the side. But, it would be his end in a second, as only its straight charge could be dodged, not his regr movements.
However, Jack had known about this issue all along. That¡¯s when he decisively hollered at the nearby CPR dude. ¡°Catch!¡±
The man was confused but instinctively made a catching motion toward whatever Jack had thrown. That¡¯s when he found himself holding a furball. He had thrown the wolf?! As he realized this, so did the wolf Boss.
¡°Oh crap! It¡¯sing for me now!! Oh fuck!¡± CPR was in a predicament! Without waiting, he threw the wolf cub far away toward another yer. ¡°Catch!¡±
Thus the Mighty Wolves started ying with a wolf cub as if a game of hot potato. Except, this was worse! Instead of getting burnt, they risked getting devoured by a bloodthirsty beast!
The yers could be heard as they chanted akin to a magical spell: ¡°Please don¡¯t throw it my way. Please don¡¯t throw ¡ª Ah fuck!!¡± They would receive a pass at some point and would begin cursing as they ran for their lives.
In the beginning, everything worked well. They were throwing fast enough that the boss didn¡¯t know who to target. But, as things usually are, it quickly turned to shit. It finally realized that it could hunt the yers first.
That¡¯s when it suddenly became a bloodbath. It would take about 2 seconds for the creature to kill a yer. This meant that in about 40 seconds, their whole group would be wiped entirely. How were they supposed to cope with this?!
The yers began screaming at the top of their lungs:
¡°AArgg!¡±
¡°We¡¯re all gonna die!¡±
¡°Yes, but I bet you¡¯ll die before me!¡±
¡°Brothers, avenge me once I¡¯m gone!¡±
¡°Nope. The best I can do is take care of your widow!¡±
They joked around even as their bodies were getting mangled to pieces. Good thing that the pain was minimal in a game, or they would have needed professional mental counseling, and that shit was expensive!
¡°We can only hope for the best.¡± Jack solemnly said with the few survivors nodding. That¡¯s when he threw the Wolf Cub farther near the boss.
It grabbed its progeniture, checked that it was perfectly fine, and made its way back to itsir after growling onest time at them.
¡°It¡¯s leaving?! Nice! Holy shit, I thought it was gonna bite us just for good measure.¡± CPR dude cried out in relief.
¡°It would have if the cub had suffered damage,¡± Jack exined.
Out of the 20 yers, only three remained. Jack opened his friend list, quickly finding Bubblegum.
Jack¡¯O: So, how did it go?
He stared at the message screen, anxiously awaiting her reply¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
In the whole party, I was the only one who could even damage the boss. Then, none of us could outrun it-, not even Bubblegum with all her points in AGI. It would require a full raid to beat it, which wasn¡¯t something that was even remotely possible at this stage of the game.
Chapter 34: Rescue!
Chapter 34: Rescue!
A small four-man party was anxiously waiting at the edge of fox territory while their leader stared at his message screen.
Jack¡¯O: So, how did it go?
Jack was counting on the loot from this operation to gain a huge power spike! It would fix his biggest w as an STR build character and allow him to soar in one go! He couldn¡¯t help to be restless about it.
That¡¯s when he heard the long-awaited notification chime, one that was akin to Schr?dinger¡¯s cat. Had Bubblegum seeded? He would know as soon as he checked.
¡ª Ding!¡ª
¨C Bubblegum: I obtained it, but I need help! I¡¯m surrounded by wolves.
¨C Jack¡¯O: Right now?!
How long could a yer her level survive against such monsters? Only a few seconds! This was really bad. There was nothing he could do either. She would die and lose all the loot. Fuck! They had been so damn close!
¨C Bubblegum: Teacher, I need help! I¡¯m in huge trouble. I managed to climb a tree, but now I¡¯m stuck. There are three wolves just eying me. They want to devour me for sure!
Ah! There still was hope! Jack hurriedly figured out her coordinate. Thanks to the party system, he would be able to know her rough location.
¨C Jack¡¯O: Hold on tight. Reinforcements are on their way! Fight!
¡°Boys, she got the loot, but she now needs our help! Let¡¯s show the wolves who¡¯s the Boss! No one messes with my student!¡± Jack shouted vigorously
He began rushing to her as if the devil was on his heels. He had the speed of a youngd who had just been told by his girlfriend: ¡°My parents aren¡¯t home¡¡±
The yers couldn¡¯t help but wryly smile as they exchanged nces. He sure was quick toe to her rescue. They were almost jealous! No, scratch that. They were He jealous! They, too, wanted a dashing expert to rush to their side when in trouble!
¡°Once we get there, I¡¯ll count on you guys. Each one of you draws the attention of a wolf, and we¡¯re out of there. Make sure you separate when fleeing. We don¡¯t stand a chance in a frontal assault!
¡°Yes, Boss!¡± There were only three of them, but they didn¡¯t cower in the least.
It took them a few minutes before they burst inside the area where the monsters were bullying Seraphine! She was stuck on a low branch as she was fighting for her life. The wolves would jump at her, maw first, trying to rip her to shreds.
¡°Holy shit, these things are so violent! Why doesn¡¯t she climb higher?!¡± Onemented.
¡°Wolves can climb. They aren¡¯t doing it right now because she¡¯s barely in range of their leap.¡± Jack exined.
Faced with the monsters, she didn¡¯t show any fear at all. She was swinging her stick valiantly as she smacked them right on their head in mid-air! Damage wise it didn¡¯t do anything, but it was enough to make them fall back down. She was even shouting at them:
¡°Down, boys! Bad doggos, sit!¡± She was taunting the bloodthirsty creatures as if misbehaving dogs.
It was a first for these monsters to be treated like that! When had another life form in these woods ever looked down on them? Never! Jack quickly surveyed the situation. They had to make a move now or the ruckus would attract more wolves.
¨C Jack¡¯O: Get ready, we¡¯re here! Do you see us?
¨C Bubblegum: Yes! What¡¯s the n?
¨C Jack¡¯O: Run as fast as you can. We¡¯ll hold them off.
They then shared a nce. She was ready, and it was now their turn to shine.
¡°Aggro them asap, run in the cardinal directions, except the south. You want to smack the ears or the eyes for the best results. The more you annoy them, the better. Alright, let¡¯s do this!¡± Jack instructed.
Thus began their charge. The wolves turned around in confusion, just in time to be smashed on the head. Damage? None! Anger? Off the charts! The wolves were 100% going to devour them. All they could do was buy time.
As the wolves turned, Seraphine fearlessly jumped down from her safe spot. Then, she bolted away, disregarding everything else. This move was perilous, but she trusted them! She didn¡¯t overthink it. She knew every second was precious!
The fight, if it could be called as such, onlysted 10 seconds. Afterward, they had pretty much wiped. There remained only CPR dude, Jack, and Seraphine from the earlier party. They needed more time. Way more time!
That¡¯s when Jack figured out precisely what he needed to do. Without hesitating, he used all the strength he could muster. Then, he began hunting the wolves, dishing out the pain! He made sure to hurt every single one of them.
-6
-4
-5
The monsters yelped, more in surprise than pain. It was the first time a human was proving to be so dangerous! That¡¯s when their target changed. Who cared about the other two weaklings? No, they would annihte this horrible human first!
Without waiting, Jack copied Bubblegum¡¯s strategy. He climbed atop a nearby tree. Even with his experience, he still got hurt in the process. He felt the incredibly sharp ws rip his skin open and render his back a bloody mess.
He could only wince in pain as he saw his HP going down quickly.
-10
-10
Out of 24 HP, he only had four left. A level 0 yer would have died right there already! But, so what if he had sustained damage?! Not only was he still alive, but he now had the high ground! He couldn¡¯t help but give a taunting look at the wolves, unting his superiority.
Jack then turned to the still alive CPR dude, who was shocked by this quick reversal.
¡°I¡¯ll take care of things here. You guys keep going, make me proud andplete the mission! Hurry up!¡± Jack shouted.
He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to himself. This would make a good drinking story. That one time, he had heroically faced three deadly furry predators to allow his team to live. For some reason, the CPR dude had a lot to say.
¡°I¡¯lle back for you, Boss! I¡¯lle back for sure, I swear! You have to stay alive. You can¡¯t die no matter what!¡± He shouted, his voice tremoring from the emotion and sheer resolve.
Wait, what?! Jack couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback. What was wrong with him?
Ah, had he perhaps figured out the recording function? This would exin it all. He was acting! But how was he so good at it?! It felt so natural, as if he truly feared for his boss¡¯s life. Either the guy was an actor IRL, or he should have been one!
The mobster-looking guy gave him onest nce charged with emotion. At this moment, it felt like he would go against the world before breaking his promise. He even seemed to be¡crying?! Wow, he was more than good. He was amazing!
He then quickly ran away, as if he was abandoning someone genuinely precious to him. Anyone watching this scene would have never believed that they had just met! Ah, such talent almost made Jack jealous.
After watching such an incredible exit, Jack remained on his solitary branch. His legs were swinging along with his Cluckinator, very rhythmically. The wolves¡¯ whimpers of pain apanied the Clucking sounds.
Ah, this was actually rxing. Perhaps he was stuck, but he would be an incredible annoyance to the wolves every second of it. He could see the helpless fury in their eyes as they faced him. So what if they were apex predators? He was motherfucking Jack¡¯O!
He began whistling softly. The rest would be out of his hands, and he could only hope they would seed. Luckily, he had taught them well, their gaming skills were pretty good, and the most challenging part was behind them.
The only sad thing was that no matter how much damage he dealt, he wouldn¡¯t be able to kill the wolves from his vantage position. After all, the lower their HP got and the more careful and wary they became.
Hopefully, he¡¯d soon receive a message from Bubblegum celebrating their sess¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
This one wasn¡¯t my best rescue operation. But, we were pressed for time with little manpower. The wolves were simply way too strong for the current us. Two attacks almost took my life and I was focused on escaping rather than fighting. All in all, I¡¯d consider this a huge sess!
Chapter 35: The Mighty Wolves....?!
Chapter 35: The Mighty Wolves¡.?!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
As Dom escaped the wolf clearing, his heart felt incredibly heavy. The one they all called Boss had remained behind to save him.
Ever since realizing that the man was an NPC, he considered him an ally. Of course, he would refuse to join their guild! Now, he had grown to enjoy having a mentor so much that he didn¡¯t even care if the guy was a human being or not!
As Dom abandoned him, he had wanted to shout, scream and protest with every fiber of his being. This didn¡¯t make any sense! He, as a yer, should be the one sacrificing himself for the NPC! After all, Dom could always revive afterward.
But he had understood the issue. Even if he did sacrifice himself, it wouldn¡¯t do shit! He was far too weak. The best he could do was to buy a few seconds. It wasn¡¯t enough for the others to leave the danger zone.
Only Jack had the required damage potential to infuriate the beasts. Only he could make the wolves give up on hunting the others. He was a goddamn hero!
The first thing he did while running was to send the same message to all the yers of the Mighty Wolves guild.
¨C Mighty Dom: Assemble and make your way toward the Fox territory. Hurry the fuck up. We need to save him!
As Dom reached Seraphine, she turned toward him:
¡°What happened to Teacher?¡± She asked, puzzled.
¡°He¡¯s staying behind to buy us time. He wants us to bring the loot to safety¡.But, the others are alreadying back. Once they¡¯re here, let¡¯s save him first!¡± Dom eximed while wiping his tears.
¡°No. We won¡¯t do that.¡± She instantly denied.
¡°What?! Why! We can always retry the expedition any time, but if we lose him, who knows if he¡¯ll even respawn?!¡± Dom instantly protested.
¡°First, we aren¡¯t 100% sure that he¡¯s an NPC. Second, you underestimate him. He said toplete the mission, so we¡¯llplete the mission. I¡¯m sure he has his ns.¡± Seraphine affirmed with certitude.
¡°That¡ª¡± Dom wanted to object, but did he have the right to?
He knew for a fact that Jack truly was part of Infinite. He wasn¡¯t a foreign entity like the yers. He couldn¡¯t prove it, but he just knew that he was an NPC. He hadn¡¯t known him for long, so perhaps she was right¡
Either way, he didn¡¯t care much about the loot. For him, gaming had always been about family, about creating worthwhile bonds with amazing people. He couldn¡¯t ept permanently losing a friend, not another!
What should he do?! Disregard everything and focus on saving him? Get the loot to safety instead? What about ¡ª A clear voice interrupted his spiraling thoughts.
¡°Just have faith. He¡¯s very scheming. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine.¡± Seraphine reassured him, with her voice so very calm and soothing. She wasn¡¯t worried at all.
Faith, was it? Dom had always disliked the word. No, he hated people throwing it around willy-nilly. To many, it was nothing but aforting but otherwise empty and meaningless word. It raised your hopes high up only to crush them.
Just have faith, they said. Have faith, he¡¯ll get better. Have faith, everything will work out. Have faith until he¡¯s gone, and regretes too fuckingte! Have faith again? Would it be nothing more than a hollow illusion this time too?
The pink-haired girl nearby seemed so sure that faith would be rewarded. Could he truly trust in this new mentor? He had a n, right? For an instant, he remained silent, but then he chose to believe.
¡°Fine, let¡¯s go. I hope you¡¯re right. We get the loot to safety, and then we go right back to get him with reinforcements!¡± Dom growled reluctantly.
¡°Of course! We¡¯ll have to ask him about the next step on his world domination agenda anyway!¡± Seraphine yfully remarked.
World domination? It wasn¡¯t a bad idea. It sounded like fun, plus it was bound to give a lot of loot and XP!
¡°Sounds like a n!¡± Dom replied energetically.
¡°You look so serious! I was joking, you know!¡± Seraphine chuckled softly.
Joking? It truly was a great n. It must be hell for an NPC to be self-aware. It meant having knowledge of the IRL world without ever being able to experience it. The least they could do was to apany him on his journey to world domination, right?
That¡¯s when they saw arge group of yers approach. Dom couldn¡¯t help but smile. They were here!
¡°Chief, we¡¯re back! Quick let¡¯s save him!¡±
¡°It¡¯s too risky. There are three wolves there, enough to potentially wipe us all. We need to keep going and¡ª¡± Seraphine began to object, but she was interrupted.
¡°You, shut up.¡± Solemnly growled one of the yers.
¡°The Mighty Wolves never abandon our people.¡± Another added.
She frowned, taken aback. What was wrong with them?! If they thought they could treat her like that, they were dead wrong! She grabbed her stick, ready to bash the impertinent as she confronted him, almost shouting in anger:
¡°That¡¯s what he requested himself! If you¡¯re too brain-dead to fathom such a simple concept, then frankly there¡¯s something wrong with¡ª¡±
¡°Enough. We won¡¯t fight between ourselves!¡± Dom interrupted before sighing.
¡°But boss¡ª¡± One weaklyined.
¡°No, she¡¯s right. That¡¯s what he asked for himself. I¡¯m sure he knows what he¡¯s doing we¡.¡± Dom forced himself to utter.
Even then, he couldn¡¯t finish this simple sentence. It brought too many memories. He could almost taste the ash once again. His brother had also told him to go on ahead back then¡
That¡¯s when he noticed the way his brothers all looked at him, with so much warmth. They knew what leaving someone behind felt for him. They understood him way too well. They were the ones that had helped him in his darkest moments.
That¡¯s when they began speaking. They looked like petnt children that wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer.
¡°Nope. The Mighty Wolves never leave anyone behind! We¡¯re saving him first! What do you all say?¡±
¡°Abandoning friends isn¡¯t mighty at all! We can¡¯t do that for sure!¡±
¡°I say, why are you asking when you know the answer?!¡±
¡°What do you say, Boss?¡±
They all looked at him with such kindness. That¡¯s when it clicked for him. So what if they ended up losing the loot? So what if they all died again? So what if the man himself got mad at them?
Dom felt a smile blossom on his face. He was so damn lucky to have found them! So very lucky! He then shook his head apologetically toward the pink-haired girl:
¡°Sorry, miss, but the Mighty Wolves never leave anyone behind.¡± Even then, Dom didn¡¯t regret this decision. He said it with so much relief in his voice that it was almost palpable.
Seraphine stopped frowning and gave an understanding nod. This decision wasn¡¯t based on logic, gain, or a mission, and it transcended the game. As she observed the CPR dude, she couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback.
What hid behind his seemingly stern facade? She could discern a man who had been on the verge of breaking down, one who had been repressing his emotions. What was this about? She had no clue, but she wouldn¡¯t ask either.
Instead, she exaggeratedly sighed. She made it soical that the others couldn¡¯t help but chuckle:
¡°Aaaaahhhhh, It can¡¯t be helped then. So, who¡¯s ready to go screw up some wolves? I think we have someone to save¡¡± She was finally on board with their n, even if it didn¡¯t make any sense.
That¡¯s how a merry group of tenwy-ish yers charged back toward wolf territory. They did it akin to a moth throwing itself in a me. It was dumb on all ounts!
They had lots of pep in their steps, with their legs trembling from the fear, stress, and excitement. No matter how courageous they were, this was and of death for yers their levels!
Many times, they almost got noticed by a wolf. This would have been disastrous as a single one was enough to wipe them out! They felt that adventuring in the beginner forest was even more intense than some raids!
They kept going¡ all until they finally reached Jack.
Whether it was dumb luck, divine providence, or even a miracle, they weren¡¯t sure. But they found him!
Jack was still atop of his branch, but the wolves had stopped leaping at him. They were now on the ground, growling at him menacingly.
¡ª ?? ¥´¥´¥´¥´!!¡ª
But all they got as a reaction was:
¡°What? Do you only know how to growl? Are you trying to scare me? God, you¡¯re worse than a hyperactive chihuahua when the mailman arrives!¡± Jack scoffed.
The wolves understood that the strange creature was insulting them, but they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. This thing had a really long and sharp feather! Every time they tried to climb or leap at him, he¡¯d use it to hurt them.
They hated being reduced to only growling, but what could they do?! Being a wolf didn¡¯te with a manual on how to deal with such a pesky bully!
That¡¯s when the wolves heard shoutsing from a distance. As they turned around, they saw plenty of simr creatures to the one on the tree.
Their first instinct was that these were all food, all of them! They began salivating, opening their maw wide and licking their fangs in expectation. But suddenly, they heard that one nightmarish creature¡¯s voice.
It was a voice they were bing attuned to recently. It was one that drove rage and fear into their bones! It was a voice they couldn¡¯t drive out no matter what. It would invade their brains along with that damn high-pitched sound attack, something called whistling.
¡°Oh? Why are they back? Ah, whatever. I somehow managed to lower their HP enough: might as well go for the kill! I need wolf pelt and meat anyway. Nowe here, little ones!¡± Jack chuckled.
The wolves felt the greed in his voice and saw his predatory gaze. They were mighty wolves, and they were at the top of the food chain¡ but what if the neers were as strong as this perverse bastard?!
That¡¯s when Jack jumped to the ground, his Cluckinator ready to taste their blood. It was an incredibly risky move, considering the monsters¡¯ damage.
¡ª Thud¡ª
As the yers came over, they couldn¡¯t help but gawk in astonishment. What the fuck was going on?! No, seriously, what the hell had happened?!
Their eyes were glued to the bloodthirsty wolves who were fleeing for their lives. Behind, Jack was hacking their way with his trusty Cluckinator while shouting insults.
They hade to save a life. But who were they supposed to help, the wolves?! So much for a rescue operation¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Wolves are pricks. You spend so much time slowly lowering their HP and then they run away with their insane movement speed! Hell, even a full AGI character wouldn¡¯t be able to outrun them! Well, to be fair, as long as the fight isn¡¯t too long they won¡¯t even think about running¡
Chapter 36: Amazing Welcoming Party!
Chapter 36: Amazing Weing Party!
In New Leaf Forest, twenty-ish yers were staring ck-jawed at a man who was chasing wolves away, terrorizing the creatures so much that they didn¡¯t even dare to fight back.
After a minute of chasing, Jack had to give up. The wolves were way too fast! They had fled with their tails between their legs. He had scared them shitless, a feat even Jack hadn¡¯t expected to be possible.
That¡¯s when he heard the system¡¯s notification chime.
[Scared away monsters 4X yer¡¯s level! Congrattion!]
[Acquired Title: ¥´¥´¥´¥´ Menacing! Unknown effect!]
Holy shit! What the Hell?! Jack could only stare at the announcement with a huge grin. This was a title he hadn¡¯t even seen in his previous life! He instantly analyzed the situation:
1. Scaring monsters twice one¡¯s level was already impossibly hard, needless to say, four times. This title was probably only obtainable in the beginner vige!
*He reckoned that an illusionist could probably get a simr title at a higher level, but it would be its magical equivalent.
2. He had made use of the terrain to bring the monsters to their breaking point. This would be harder and harder as the monsters¡¯ levels increased and they evolved.
3. Scaring wolves as a Newbie was close to impossible. It was simply a matter ofcking damage. But it was different for him, thanks to the Cluckinator.
4. More than the damage, the constant Clucking with every hit had probably yed a vital role too. Wolves getting beaten by a chicken? This was insanity and was bound to render them crazy!
Just for this title, the whole raid had been worthwhile. What did it do? Jack couldn¡¯t be sure, but unknown effects were always promising! This one was probably rted to fear itself, whether causing it or resisting it.
Titles that sounded abstract usually only gave slight bonuses, but it could be the determining factor in aplishing a task. This was especially true for stats that were impossible to invest in.
Jack gave a satisfied sigh.
As he turned to his wannabe saviors, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Their mouths were open so wide that an ostrich egg could have fitted inside. Their eyes kept shifting from him to where the wolves had fled.
¡°How?! You beat them all, alone?!¡± A yer uttered, shocked.
¡°We wereing to save you, but¡¡± Another gave a self-derisive smile.
¡°You guys helped a ton. If I didn¡¯t know I had reinforcements, I wouldn¡¯t have jumped down so resolutely. It would have been way too risky! Thank you all.¡± Jack nodded at them in appreciation.
He truly was grateful! After all, loot was temporary, but titles were eternal! ¡ªbarred special quest lines, of course. Yet, they all looked at their feet awkwardly as they really hadn¡¯t done anything!
¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, shall we! Time to head to the New Leaf vige! Protect Bubblegum, and we got this!¡± Jack serenely headed toward fox territory.
The Mighty Wolves gave wide smiles. He had carried them enough for his back to be hurting! Yet, he was kind enough not to rebuke them for this failed rescue attempt. They were so d that Dom had proposed an alliance!
Jack appeared to be peacefully walking, but he was furiously sending messages to Bubblegum.
¨C Jack¡¯O: So, why did you guyse back precisely? I¡¯m d you did, but I¡¯m still surprised.
¨C Bubblegum: All the members of the Mighty Wolves insisted on saving you. They were well-intentioned, I know that much.
Honestly, he was genuinely impressed. They had managed to navigate the wolf territory without wiping at level 1. How crazy was that? Very! Wolves were level 6 to 8, much higher than them! Then theirck of equipment made it even harder.
Jack would be an asshole toin right now.
¨C Jack¡¯O: No worries. Right now, things couldn¡¯t be better. As soon as we reach the vige, we¡¯ll have gear. The next step will be to farm XP and to work on skills. This is the holy trinity of things yers should work on at all times.
¨C Bubblegum: Sounds good. Now, how about you tell me what happened with the wolves?
¨C Jack¡¯O: I slowly lowered their HP and then managed to scare them. What do you want to know exactly?
¨C Bubblegum: I don¡¯t care about that. I noticed you staring at mid-air. It¡¯s a new title, right?
How perceptive! Others had been overwhelmed by the scene of the frightened wolves, but not her! Jack gave her a mischievous look, winked, and kept mum.
¨C Bubblegum: Alright, then. Keep your secrets. -_-
But he then gestured atop his head, before shing his title for a split second: ¥´¥´¥´¥´ Menacing! As her eyes widened in surprise, he couldn¡¯t help but feel proud.
Chatting kept them busy through the fox territory. Well, this didn¡¯t stop him from remaining vignt. Luckily, he didn¡¯t have to act a single time. The Mighty Wolves had already cleared a path on the way there and were now simply backtracking.
Their faces all radiated in happiness as they recognized the area around them. In a few minutes, they would reach the New Leaf in and would be safe! What about the chickens and nts? Please, they had survived far worse!
The CPR dude even meaningfully spoke a few words:
¡°Remember this moment, boys. We sessfully stole from the Wolf King! You can all be proud!¡± He then turned toward Jack. ¡°And it¡¯s all thanks to you. You will always remain a friend of the Mighty Wolves, no matter what the future brings!¡±
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep it in mind the next time I need helpers.¡± Jack chuckled.
He would have used them whether they wanted to cooperate or not, but he was d they had had willingly helped. They hade a long way from their initial encounter, all thanks to that one chicken event.
There was joy overflowing from the small group. But, suddenly, the happy atmosphere was shattered by a cold derisive voice.
¡°What do you know, they were telling the truth! Who would have guessed that the Puny Puppies would have ended up in the same starter vige as us? Talk about great luck!¡±
That¡¯s when arge group of yers appeared. There was a shitload of them, at least 50! They were approaching, all equipped with sticks with huge grins on their faces. They gazed at their party as if they were nothing but meat on a cutting board. This didn¡¯t bode well!
A handsome man stepped forward, with his arms crossed and a sadistic smirk on his face. He had golden hair, and his blue eyes showed scorn as they rested on the leader of the Mighty Wolves.
As soon as the CPR dude saw him, his entire body tensed as his mouth contorted in a grimace. In his eyes, there was barely contained fury that seemed about to explode.
¡°What do you want, Rich? Your dumbass should have stayed in Deste Desert. Infinite won¡¯t suit an arrogant prick like you! You better scram and return to being the wannabe Golden Dragon in your fucking golden castle!¡± He spat out.
¡°Talk about rude! Aren¡¯t you happy to see an old friend? You¡¯ll hurt my feelings!¡± He pouted in exaggerated sadness. ¡°I came here especially for you, you know. Aren¡¯t you happy?¡± He even obnoxiously winked.
¡°Yes, very fucking happy. It was nice seeing you. You can go back now.¡± CPR dude growled, not sparing any time for bullshit fake pleasantries.
¡°You see, I¡¯ve done a bit of digging. You guys have been spotted heading very deep in the forest. It¡¯s almost as if you found some great opportunity. How very lucky! Ah, but I guess you have this man to thank for, am I right?¡± He yfully nced at Jack.
¡°You heard about me? ¡± Jack asked, perplexed. Was he bing famous?
¡°Of course, thank you for helping our vige unlock the training camp. Thanks to you, we managed to get weapons as soon as we logged in. Funny how we¡¯re all caught up with you all even if we startedte.¡± The dragon prick was still smirking.
All caught up? Oh, sweet summer cub, what foolishness!
But, it didn¡¯t change how dangerous these guys were. This early in the game, numbers were absolute! Could Jack kill them all with his Cluckinator? He would absolutely murder a few, but he¡¯d quickly run out of HP.
What the fuck was he supposed to do?! Fight and try to create an opening? Run back into the fox territory, lose them, and try to sneak back? Try to negotiate? All options seemed equally bad.
¡°You guys are so jovial! I take it your little excursion was a sess. Now, how about you hand over whatever loot you got? Who knows, I may be clement! Otherwise, be ready to die over and over whenever you leave the in.¡± The dragon prick threatened very naturally.
¡°You think we¡¯ll cower so easily? Get fucking real! So what if we die? We¡¯ll revive ande straight back. We won¡¯t even lose XP since it¡¯s the beginner vige!¡± The CPR dude scoffed.
¡°You¡¯re right, haha. But I don¡¯t think you can afford to die right now. Otherwise, you would have done it to teleport back, am I right? Be a good dog, and hand it over.¡± the man ridiculed.
¡°Tch¡ª As if you ever knew what mercy meant.¡± The CPR dude barked back.
¡°Haha, busted! You¡¯re right! Whatever happens today, we¡¯ll kill all of you! Over and over and over, day after day! This will be so much fun!¡± He chuckled madly.
The man¡¯s sadistic smile was back, evenrger than before. Negotiating didn¡¯t seem to be an option anymore¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
I have to admit, even I wasn¡¯t expecting this one. I would have scoffed had anyone told me the Newbies could be dangerous. After all, they were all still figuring out the game. But then these assholes appeared. Why the fuck was it that every guilding from Deste Desert had tried to screw me over at first nce?! Fucking PVP-only gamers!
Chapter 37: Domineering Jack’O!
Chapter 37: Domineering Jack¡¯O!
In the forest, two groups were ring at each other, the air incredibly heavy!
Jack observed the enemy leader. In the man¡¯s eyes, he could detect the desire to hurt them, pure malice stemming from a deeply rooted rivalry. The asshole wanted to kill him too, if only for his association with the Mighty Wolves!
Jack was painfully aware that the odds were against them. The enemies were too numerous. They had decent equipment and were experienced in VR PVP. His party would be slightly stronger thanks to fighting monsters, but not by much.
If only he had better gear or a yer with ranged attacks, like an archer or a mage. This would have allowed plenty of outying maneuvers! Sadly, winning against them wasn¡¯t possible, and the prick wasn¡¯t open to dialogue.
But would Jack ept defeat so easily? Hell fucking no! He suddenly acted, yet remained unmoving, and soon became the focus of everyone nearby! He was now revealing his strengthyer afteryer to the yers¡¯ stupefaction!
¡ª Epic Cluckinator! ?? ¡ª
First, a weapon appeared in his hand. It was obviously magical as the feather engravings on it seemed to pulsate slowly. Jack was bringing a sword to a stick fight! Oh, and he was ready to murder people with it!
¡ª Infinite Cloak! ¡ª
Then, it was a cloak with softly glowing glyphs that seemed alive on the fabric. There was the ? of pioneer and the ?? of chicken annihtor. While it was only a cosmetic, the yers didn¡¯t know it! This even vaguely resembled the cloak the training instructor had! Holy fuck!
¡ª ¥´¥´¥´¥´ Menacing! ¡ª
As the title came out, the bystanders instinctively trembled. They didn¡¯t know what it meant at all, but they turned serious as their gazended on it. But, this disy of dominance wasn¡¯t over just yet!
¡ª The Herald of Light¡¯s aura! ¡ª
Jack seemed to transform once more. This time nothing visible happened at all. No, it was far more subtle and far more terrifying. His entire aura changed as he stopped being the seemingly innocent Jack¡¯O who was peacefully enjoying his new life.
The Herald of Light was back!
He suddenly showed all the confidence, dominance, and power he had cultivated through years of living in Infinite. He let out the aura of a man who had been at the top for so many years! It had them all gulp in amazement.
Jack gave them a disdainful nce, one that spoke more than a thousand words. He was looking down on all 50 of them! So what if they had the numbers? He was Motherfucking Jack¡¯O!
He had an assured and almost mocking smile as he disregarded them entirely. He was utterly silent, but his expression sent a clear message: do you dare? Do you really dare to attack me? Do you have a death wish?
The dragon guild would have been trembling in their boots¡ª if they could afford some. Jack gave them a conqueror¡¯s smile. As he saw how astonished they were, he knew that he had truly made an impression on them!
From this point onward, there would only be one logical oue to this quarrel. Anyone with half a brain would realize that the man known as Jack¡¯O shouldn¡¯t be messed with no matter what!
After all, they could temporarily suppress him all they wanted, but he would inevitably rise one day. No sane person would make such a powerful expert as an enemy! Bubblegum and the Mighty Wolves were even staring at him with stars in their eyes.
That¡¯s when the dragon prick opened his mouth. ¡°Men, after looking carefully at this man, it appears that¡.¡± He began.
There it was! He had obviously changed his mind. Jack felt like patting himself on the back. Was there any other yer who could intimidate 50 opponents alone? Damn, he was good!
But then, the guy finished his sentence:
¡°¡he¡¯s carrying all the loot! I¡¯m promoting whoever kills this bitch! Fuck him up, Mighty Dragons! HAHAHAHA!!!¡± He screamed!
Wait¡what?! What the fuck was wrong with that guy?! Was he mad?! Yes, yes he was! The man¡¯s eyes were now glowing with intense greed as he gazed at the magical equipment. He was probably even picturing himself leading his men with cloak and falchion equipped.
Fuck, fuck, fuck! How could this guy be so idiotic?! This was so troublesome! Sadly, there was no time to lose!
¡°Spread out and run!¡± Jack shouted at his allies at the top of his lungs. They still had hope. As long as Bubblegum reached the vige, everything would be fine!
At least, she now had the perfect diversion to slip out! No, perhaps it was too good a diversion! As he gazed at the 50 bloodthirsty avaricious assholes, he couldn¡¯t help but gulp. How was he supposed to buy enough time?!
¡°Come and fight me, you wannabe lizards!¡± Jack heroically screamed as he took a step forward. He was going to charge at them!¡ª or so it appeared. A secondter, he was turning heels and running for his fucking life!
There was no way he¡¯d fight them head-on! He was a pro yer, not a goddamn hacker! That¡¯s why he ran toward the wolf territory as fast as possible! As he fled, he heard the CPR dude shout behind him.
¡°Save him! We can¡¯t let him die at all costs!¡± There was so much seriousness and desperation in his voice that Jack had to apud his performance once again.
Making the enemy think that he was afraid to die was genius! Instead of going after Bubblegum, they would all head his way! This would be perfect!
But then he noticed an issue. Shouting it to confuse the enemy was fine, but why was he also sending all their men to help him?! Who freaking cared if he died?!
The items the enemies were targeting were ones they had no method of obtaining. The cloak was a bound cosmetic that kept track of yers¡¯ achievements.
As for the Cluckinator? Every yer had a few safe inventory slots that offered better item protection. There were ways to bypass this, but none that beginner yers could employ.
Conclusion:
¨C The enemies were wasting their time
¨C They had angered him
¨C Fuck them!
But a few fast ones were already reaching him. They were obviously AGI characters, and escaping was impossible. Luckily this meant that their attacks wouldn¡¯t pack as much of a punch!
As one attacked him, Jack moved his de, parrying the blow while pushing the yer back. As the enemy lost his bnce, Jack went for the kill!
Red damage numbers appeared above the man¡¯s head!
¨C 5
-7
But that¡¯s all the damage he managed to do as the other guy was already on him and forced him to parry! Still, they suddenly were extremely wary of him. They stared at his weapon in shock. WTF was that damage?!
¡°You guys don¡¯t stand a chance, haha! Jack heartily chuckled as he tried intimidating them. But inside, he was pissed and couldn¡¯t wait for them to fall back.
¡°Oh my god! This sword is insane. We need it!¡± They shouted heatedly.
Yes, Jack¡¯s disy of strength had only fueled their greed further. Goddamn imbeciles! He fought back, hard. But every passing second, there would be a new yer arriving, no matter how many he killed.
At this point, the Mighty Wolves were already almost wiped.
¡°I won¡¯t let you die!¡± Bellowed the CPR dude as he tried to charge his way, but the dragon prick stopped him. Once again, wasn¡¯t he over-selling it? Also, what was happening to Bubblegum? Was she fine?!
He couldn¡¯t see her as he had gone too far away. He could only hope that everything would be fine. Then, thest of the Mighty Wolves disappeared, dispersing in blue particles. The forest seemed to be silent for a second.
Twenty enemies were remaining, all surrounding Jack. In total, he had defeated 15 alone, and their group had beaten more enemies than their numbers! But it was now freaking over as he had nowhere to run, with his HP a pitiful 3 points.
That¡¯s when the dragon prick stepped forward. ¡°You struggled so much, but this is the end. I wonder what you¡¯ll drop upon dying, hehe!¡± Then he added one more sentence that infuriated Jack.
¡°Grab the loot as soon as it spawns. We don¡¯t want it to just disappear like what happened with that pink-haired girl. Have I made myself clear?¡±
¡°Yes, Sir!¡± They all shouted in unison.
Fuck, Bubblegum had died. Since the ores were bossir¡¯s resources, they had all disappeared. So much for their sessful raid.
All wasing to waste because of these bastards! And for what? They wouldn¡¯t get a single concrete benefit from this! They would only hinder Jack¡¯s progress!
Fucking assholes! Jack took onest look at them as they attacked him to deal the killing blow. He would remember their faces, all of them!
That¡¯s when his screen went dark.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
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Jack O¡¯Neil had plenty of shorings, but one of them was being excessively vengeful. They were called the Mighty Dragons, right? Soon he would make this irksome guild disappear from Infinite.
Had he been so nice that people were underestimating him again? He would have to rectify this.
Even after this setback, he found himself smirking¡
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[A/N] Jack was domineering enough, but they were blind. Also, going premium soon and going for that win-win. Thoughts?
Creator¡¯s Thought
They say one¡¯s IQ goes down a lot when in a group. One¡¯s judgment can also be heavily affected by emotions, especially excitement from greed. These idiots really were world-ss imbeciles! I can¡¯t believe my first death was so freaking illogical! It made no sense for them to attack me!
Chapter 38: Calm, a Little Too Calm!
Chapter 38: Calm, a Little Too Calm!
Death¡whates after death? In Infinite, the yers were normally sent straight back to their base, the beginner za in this case.
But for one man, things were very different. As Jack opened his eyes, he couldn¡¯t distinguish anything but darkness. He hadn¡¯t expected toe here so soon, but there it was: the death void.
All yers passed through this ce inevitably in their career, but it was usually automatically skipped barred special circumstances.
Suddenly, there was light as an ethereal purple message window appeared, floating in mid-air.
[Revive at New Leaf Vige?]
Instead of replying, he gazed at the surrounding obscurity. He couldn¡¯t distinguish anything at all, akin to a blind man. Was he truly alone? Was the realm¡¯s owner here? Did it even exist at this point? He had no damn clue!
Jack chuckled and gave a self-deprecating smile. Had he known that he¡¯d go back in time, perhaps he would have been more diligent in his study of history.
But for now, he¡¯d just assume the being was here.
¡°Hey Thanatos, are you there, buddy? Can you believe it? It¡¯s the first day, and I¡¯ve already died! Me, of all people! Crazy, isn¡¯t it?!¡±
A bystander would have asked: had Jack turned insane?! Nope. He was simply talking to a very, very shy god. He kept monologuing, even when he didn¡¯t receive a single reply. This is what it meant to have faith!
¡°I¡¯ll soon send plenty of people your way. Reading their memories should be pretty entertaining. You can consider this a small gift from me! ;).¡± He winked to the air before resolutely willing to respawn.
He already had a n¡.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
As soon as the peculiar yer was gone, the entire realm rippled.
The space itself seemed to crack to pieces, revealing the four gigantic bloody eyes that had been hiding in another dimensionalyer. All four were staring at the spot the human had disappeared from. This was a first for the being.
Braves were being blessed by the gods¡ª or so people thought. The truth was far different. Braves were invaders, ones that existed on a different ne, a stronger one. This made them true immortals!
All the gods did was guide them. As they first appeared, they would be sent to the material ne. Every time they ¡°died,¡± they also had to be sent back to it, sealed in there. Yet, this one brave had been an exception.
How could he enter this ce? How did it know the being¡¯s name? It could even send itself back to the world alone?! For the first time in its existence, the god found itself wondering about this man.
Its domain was the death void, and it couldn¡¯t peer into the material ne directly. It could only peek into the visitors¡¯ memories. The human even knew about this!
He had said something about a gift. What kind of memories could be so interesting? The being didn¡¯t know, but it would patiently wait. After all, time had no meaning to one such as it.
For the first time ever, it felt something strange at its core. Why was its essence trembling every time it thought about this gift?
How very puzzling¡
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Jack respawned in a remote corner of the vige. It would take a while for the beginners to figure such a trick, but it was possible to change the spawn location as long as it was within the same vige.
He quickly headed inside the cksmith¡¯s forge. As he entered, the NPC weed him with excitement: ¡°Do you have the ores?!¡± The grown, muscr man looked like a child expecting a very happy meal at the golden arches!
¡°Nope, but I¡¯m working on it.¡± Jack mercilessly shot him down.
The NPC¡¯s disappointed expression was quite hrious. He even could be heard low grumbling: ¡°You really gotta bring them. Myrge hammer is itching to bang some sweet pieces all day and night long! I¡¯m counting on you!¡±
Either way, Jack ignored him.
¨C Jack¡¯O: Hey, I¡¯m back. So, what¡¯s the situation?
¨C Bubblegum: You¡¯re alive! That¡¯s great! Let me see. The Mighty Dragons are watching over the area closely. I think they¡¯re waiting for your return to make a move. They seem pissed.
¨C Jack¡¯O: They¡¯re pissed? They¡¯re fucking pissed?! Wow, the freaking nerve! We lost all the ores thanks to them.
¨C Bubblegum: Hehe, I take it they failed to rob you, Teacher. Right now, I¡¯ve told the others to kill chickens to push for level 2. If we can all reach it before them, we might stand a chance.
¨C Jack¡¯O: Not really, the difference isn¡¯t that massive between levels 1 and 2. Alright, for the next hour, tell the others to fake logging off, one after the other. It shouldn¡¯t be too suspicious since they¡¯ve been ying for a while.
¨C Bubblegum: What next? Do we regroup and try to sneak out? I doubt that will work out.
¨C Jack¡¯O: All we need is to buy a little bit of time. By the time they are done regrouping to chase us, we¡¯ll be done! Alright, be back in an hour. See you then!
Anyone watching Jack would have been bbergasted. Why wasn¡¯t he angry? Why wasn¡¯t he cursing? He looked oh so very calm! He was even slightly smiling at theining cksmith.
At this point, he was burning with a cold fury. Yes, he was mad at his enemies, but he was also slightly mad at himself. Had he known about it, he could have separated from the group, along with Bubblegum.
He had only been killed because there had been too many enemies ganging up on him. Fifty versus 20 had his helpers all die and him forced to confront the enemies alone. Had they separated prior, he would have probably faced a maximum of 10 yers.
Ten? To one such as him, such a small number of enemies was a joke! But, there was no use dwelling on the past. He would let his revenge speak loudly instead! They would learn not to fuck with him!
This would be so very fun!¡
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How does one kill an hour? There was nothing better than a power nap! Oh, and a goddamn meal!
As Jack came out of the game, he heard the monstrous growls of his stomach! The first order of business was to feed the ravenous monster, to quell this insatiable hunger he felt!
As he made his way toward the kitchen, soft morning light fell on his face. The warmth was nice! He quickly grabbed himself a very basic yet ssic and marvelous breakfast: cereals, milk, ghost peppers.
As he sat to eat, he found a tiny note sitting on the table.
< Good luck at work. I¡¯m sure you can defeat all the chickens! signed Lilly =). >
Jack chuckled as he took his phone out and texted her.
¡°I saw your note ;)¡ Fool! Your brother is already done with mere chicks! I¡¯m about to hunt foxes, wolves, and baddies! Hahahaha!¡±
A few secondster came a reply.
Sis: ¡°Oh? Already doing some PK? How exciting! Remember to use the power of friendship to gang up on them! Oh yeah, Alice says Hi, BTW.¡±
¡°Alice?¡±
Sis: ¡°Pfft¡ª Hahaha! 9999 damage! You really are done with chicks, haha xD¡Ah, I gotta get back to work. Talkter!¡±
¡°Oh wait, your coworker! #Confused for a second, Have a great day! ^_^¡±
As he was enjoying the very subtle spicy taste, the sound of the door opening resounded. Jack slowly turned his head, only to scream inplete shock, his face livid:
¡°Oh my god, a ghost! What the hell?!¡±
It was the old maning back from yet another shit at the hospital. He rolled his eyes, a smile on his face:
¡°Ghost? I almost became one earlier this night! I mistakenly grabbed one of your sandwiches! The spice would have killed me if Lucy hadn¡¯t pointed the humongous red part sticking out!¡± He exaggeratedlyined.
¡°Hehe, nothing like a bit of spice to wake you up from a long and boring shift! Plus, people tend to steal spicy food less. I learned that from work!¡±
¡°Cause they don¡¯t wanna die! Obviously!¡± The old man cried out.
¡°Talking about dying, You¡¯ll have to be more careful, old man. I really can¡¯t have you dying now.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promised you. I may have many ws, but I¡¯m a man of my word, you know it.¡± He reassured.
¡°I¡¯m not talking about killing yourself, old man. I¡¯m talking about overworking yourself. Shifts are nice, but you¡¯ll have to stop eventually. Don¡¯t worry too much. I already have it figured out.¡±
¡°You do? Mind sharing your n with an old relic like me?¡± He asked with a small smile.
Jack could feel the concern in his voice. He just wanted the both of them to have a good life. He was probably ready to shoulder back all the debt at a moment¡¯s notice. This old man was reliable, so much that he forgot himself!
¡°What do you mean by old relic? You look so old you¡¯d make dinosaurs look like spring chickens! That¡¯s why you gotta rest. Anyway, my n is pretty simple and effective.
1. Gain strength and a footing in the world of Infinite
2. Sell in game-stuff to tide in for the time being while slowly increasing my fame.
3. Once my fame is high enough, I¡¯ll stream! This will further increase my poprity and revenue.
4. By then, Infinite should be the #1 game on the. With famees lots of opportunities to make money. I¡¯m talking paid appearances, starring inmercials, cameos in films, E-sport, and even IRL goodies! ¡°
Jack¡¯s speech was bing more and more heated by the second as he enunciated his n! In the end, the old man stopped him.
¡°Alright, it seems that you¡¯ve given this a fair bit of thought. What about the job you found? You said something about gaming¡.¡±
¡°Gaming studio? Don¡¯t worry too much. See the guy hiring me as an angel investor. I¡¯ll send some benefits his way. He¡¯s really well-intentioned.¡±
The old man¡¯s face suddenly turned as stern as a block of cement: ¡°Be careful with what you sign. You don¡¯t want to end up like me.¡± He advised.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, old man. I¡¯ve got this! ;). Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll rest my eyes a few minutes before dealing with some pricks in-game, haha.¡±
¡°You already made enemies?! On your first day?!¡± The old man cried out in stupefaction.
¡°Yep, but haters are the first indication of sess. Talkter! You should rest too.¡±
As Jack returned to his room, the old man was left alone in the kitchen. His face looked deathly pale, and yet a shadow of a smile gave it warmth. The kid wasn¡¯t a kid anymore¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
One trick I¡¯ve learned in Infinite: being nice to NPCs can pay off! This even includes gods! For me, it only took a few seconds to offer a ¡°gift¡± to Thanatos, and Bam + Affinity points! Well, if the god was even there in the first ce¡
Chapter 39: OP Wolf Cub!!!
Chapter 39: OP Wolf Cub!!!
A man could be seen sneakily exiting the New Leaf vige.
A few yers that saw him couldn¡¯t help but gasp in shock. They all recognized him! A lot had happened in thest hour, and this guy was at the very center of the storm!
yers from this beginner vige had all thought the Mighty Wolves to be an impressive guild, but suddenly there were new tyrants in town! The Mighty Dragons guild had appeared out of nowhere with incredible momentum!
They obviously knew what the heck they were doing! They hadpleted the stick quest-line at a frightening pace and had relentlessly dueled one another to get used to the game¡¯s controls.
Then all this lightning-fast preparation had shown its power when they had confronted andpletely crushed the Mighty Wolves! Both guilds were huge in another MMO, but the Dragons were victorious in Infinite so far.
Jack could feel many gazes tinted with curiosity, but there was also something else. There was greed. As expected, the dragon pricks had offered a bounty for information about his whereabouts.
They had to act fast!
¨C Jack¡¯O: I¡¯m here! Meet quickly at the northeast of the vige. We¡¯re leaving in precisely 42 seconds.
¨C Bubblegum: Understood! We¡¯ll be there!
Why 42 seconds? It was the time it would take for the information to reach their opponents. Speed was the #1 priority here!
There were so many yers farming in the New Leaf in, but all the wise ones understood that a storm was brewing as they saw the 20 members of the Mighty Wolves hurrying to the forest.
They whispered to their friends in hushed voices:
¡°Did you see? It¡¯s the Mighty Wolves!¡±
¡°Are they seriously heading to the forest?!¡±
¡°Yes, there will be another fight. It¡¯s a PVP zone, after all.¡±
¡°Wait, they¡¯re already gone. They sure moved he fast!¡±
¡°Sure, but is it fast enough? The Mighty Dragons have scouts everywhere¡.¡±
As the gallery was happily discussing the situation, Jack¡¯s group was progressing incredibly quickly. They reached the fox territory and then the wolf territory. The yers were smiling in satisfaction.
Well, all but Bubblegum. She was staring at her messages while frowning.
¨C Jack¡¯O: What is it?
¨C Bubblegum: We¡¯ve left so quickly, and the Mighty Dragons show no sign ofing after us. In fact, they¡¯re nowhere to be seen.
¨C Jack¡¯O: Oh, you found yourself some informers at the vige?
¨C Bubblegum: That¡¯s beside the point. Fifty yers don¡¯t just disappear magically. It¡¯s impossible for them to all have logged out. They probably hid and are now tracking us.
As she typed these lines, her expression wasically solemn. Jack couldn¡¯t help but give her a thumb up., praising her logical thinking.
But now wasn¡¯t the time for such concern. Jack guided them to their of the wolf boss once more. There, they found the most dreaded and powerful enemy of all time, the legendary¡
< Happy Wolf Cub Level 6 >
It still looked as cute as the previous time, as it rolled itself in the grass happily. It would even show its fearsome side as it hunted helpless sticks and leaves! It would pounce majestically head first to the ground akin to an apex predator! ¡ª or not¡
¡°Boys, we¡¯re defeating this crazily powerful enemy today! Are you all ready?!¡± Jack heroically announced.
They all looked at him at a loss. Crazily powerful enemy? The cub? What?! But suddenly, the CPR dude¡¯s face turned livid. He then lowly murmured solemnly.
¡°Boss, I¡¯ve just received bad news. Some dumbass in the dragon guild just wrote a Twittering postining about how OP wolves are. I think they¡¯re here, maybe even watching us!¡±
¡°Oh yeah, for sure, but it doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll fight this OP wolf cub until we almost wipe and it almost dies. Just stick to the script, and let¡¯s make this a good show! ;)¡± Jack instructed.
¡°Pfft¡ª Alright! Let¡¯s do this! I¡¯ll make sure to use all my power in every strike!¡± Bubblegum instantly understood his n.
¡°Wait, we¡¯re faking that the cub is strong to bait them into stealing it?!¡± The CPR dude realized with extreme shock before grinning: ¡°Hehe, you can be sure that we¡¯ll give our all in this fight!¡±
¡°The more 0 appear, the better!¡± Jack gently reminded them.
That is how began the most intense boss fight of all time! The Mighty Wolves VS OP Wolf Cub!
The yers took a little while to adapt, but they soon followed Jack¡¯s lead to perfection! To anyone watching this scene, the cuddly-looking wolf appeared to be a deadly beast!
1. Every swipe of its w would send multiple yers flying a few meters backward! ¡ª They totally weren¡¯t throwing themselves!
2. Every time the creature howled, the yers would hold their heads, obviously enduring a powerful sonic attack. ¡ª 100% believable!
3. Every attack had about a 99% probability of being ineffective. It was as if the wolf was almost invincible! ¡ª no faking involved whatsoever!
4. Every sessful bite was a death sentence, with the victim disappearing in blue particles.¡ª They totally weren¡¯tmitting suicide with mutual PK!
The wolf cub was having a st! It usually yed alone and was now ecstatic at having so many friends to y with! y hunting with them was so much better than doing it with sticks or leaves!
It really looked like the most intense fight of all Infinite! This boss seemed even more troublesome than the chicken boss! But, the Mighty Wolves didn¡¯t give up!
They were fighting with all they had under the direction of their powerful leader, Jack! In fact, he was the one with the aggro 99% of the time. How was he even able to parry such deadly attacks?! He had to be a fighting genius for sure!
Even then, their party kept losing members, and they were reaching their limits! They were about to wipe yet remained hopeful!
Jack even shouted to encourage them all: ¡°C¡¯mon guys, we can do this! A few more hits, and we¡¯ll have some more cloaks! Afterward, we¡¯ll be able to trounce the dragon assholes!¡±
¡°Wait, couldn¡¯t they just kill us to steal them?!¡± Bubblegum asked with unmistakable fright in her voice.
¡°Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s a bound item. It won¡¯t drop upon defeat!¡± Jack reassured them. ¡°Alright, herees the finalbo! Ten more hits, and we¡¯re done! Glory and revenge will be ours!¡± Jack shouted in incredibly high spirit!
But suddenly, many humanoid shadows appeared on the sides. The Mighty wolves were so focused that it took a few seconds for them to notice. But as they did, their faces showed extreme despair.
¡°Oh fuck! What the hell are they doing here?! Quick, finish it!¡±
¡°Hurry up! Anyone can have the loot, but not those fuckers!¡±
¡°Increase the damage!¡±
¡°Huzzah!!¡±
But, thatst shout was so full of energy that the wolf cub found it fascinating. Without waiting any further, it began to yfully copy them as it howled!
The Mighty Wolves saw this happen horror-stricken. The sound attack instantly brought agony as they had to regain their spirits. No! They had been so close!
Luckily for the Mighty Dragons, they were right outside the range of the ¡°impossibly strong¡± attack. They avoided it altogether and used the time their enemies were paralyzed to rush forward andst hit the boss!
They smiled happily as 8 of them smashed the wolf cub all at once.
-2
-3
-2
-3
-2
-3
-3
-2
Instantly they removed a big chunk of the poor cub¡¯s HP. It loved ying with the other humans, but these neers were bullies!
Blood spurted out of its fur, tainting the lush grass. The youngling couldn¡¯t tolerate so much pain as it whimpered loudly, calling for help.
The dragon pricks instantly realized that there was something wrong with this scene. They had just seen the Mighty Wolves fight this boss for more than 15 minutes, barely doing one damage per hit at best.
What the fuck was happening?! How was it suddenly so weak?! This reversal was so sudden that their brain couldn¡¯t process the info. All they knew was that something was fucking wrong!
That¡¯s when they saw Jack¡¯s smile. ¡°Ah, you guys sure are powerful. Very impressive! Say, are you all in the same party right now?¡±
What was he talking about?! The man¡¯s voice was tinged with so much sarcasm as he ¡°praised¡± them! What was he on about with the party?!
¡°Did you know that the aggro is shared between all members while in a party? Jack happily shared this very well-known fact.
Why was he even saying this? There were still 50 of them versus 5 of them. How could the man look so rxed?!
But suddenly, a deep and fearsome howl resounded. It chilled everyone to the bone¡well, except the Mighty Wolves, who just enjoyed the show.
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
That¡¯s when the wolf progenitor left his dwelling, instantly locking on the yers who had brutalized his child.
< Wolf Progenitor Level 10 ? >
It was at this moment that the cub beaters understood that they had fucked up. The Mighty Dragons were suddenly feeling very weak at the knees.
As the boss charged at them, they protested indignantly:
¡°What the fuck! Why is it charging at us?!¡±
¡°These guys have been attacking it for so long!¡±
¡°This is so unfair, quick run! There¡¯s no way we can beat this!¡±
Perhaps it was unfair, but so was life.
A few headed toward the Mighty Wolves, trying to cause their demise but were soon devoured. Damn, this wolf was OP!
Jack wanted nothing more than to enjoy the show happily, but he had something else to do. He rxedly headed toward the boss¡¯s dwelling as he couldn¡¯t help but feel thankful. #Teamwork #Gathering Time
How nice of them all to distract the deadly creature for him¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
I was initially nning to try such a tactic with the Mighty wolves, but 50 yers > 20! Logically, they could screw my n if they died ASAP with the boss returning to itsir. But, it¡¯s human nature to fear death and struggle for survival, even in a VR game. They would buy lots of time!
Chapter 40: OP Wolf Cub?!?
Chapter 40: OP Wolf Cub?!?
The New Leaf forest was resonating with tons of dying screams as the Mighty Dragons were toyed with by the powerful wolf boss.
Meanwhile, Jack was sneaking inside the boss¡¯sir as quickly as he could. The rocky tunnel was long and led toward arge cave. The wolf had left gigantic w marks on the walls, and below one of them were the iron ores he had been looking for!
But, this wasn¡¯t all. There was something else that stood out. In the rocky surface was an imprint of a wolf, seemingly menacingly guarding the ce. Following the pattern were flowers glowing with a soft blue light: lunar blossoms!? How?!
Jack, who had kept this his cool all this time, couldn¡¯t help but stare, gasping. This flower was first seen in the level 20 fairy garden?! What was it doing here?! For the early stage of the game, there was no better magical catalyst!
In theory, the current Jack couldn¡¯t gather this flower. After all, he didn¡¯t even have a gathering skill yet! But, in Infinite, things weren¡¯t always a game of numbers and levels. Skill was important!
He steadied his trembling hands, delicately plucking them. This seemingly simple action was more challenging than fighting the chicken onught! Gathering was an art, and most likely, the original explorers of this ce had wasted the material!
After a few seconds, he was finally done. He had managed to gather a third of the flowers! This was an incredible result!
He couldn¡¯t help but grin, seeing the lunar blossoms resting in his inventory. Just for this, the trip had been worth it! He even saw an instant benefit as a message prompt appeared.
[Gathered Rare Lunar Blossoms! Completion Rate Epic!]
[+ Gathering Proficiency!]
[+ Gathering Proficiency!]
[+ Gathering Proficiency!]
[+ Gathering Proficiency!]
[Gathering skill obtained, F Rank!]
He couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile. Who knew that his first skill ever would be a life-skill one?! Usually, reaching this point required at least five days!
But it was time to go. Without waiting, he grabbed the ores and hurriedly left, giving onest look to the wolf imprint. He would soon be back!
The outside world felt calm, a little too calm. The screams had stopped and this was bad news! Jack ran. He simply ran, rushing as far away as he could. Gathering the flowers had taken too much time.
He was just about to leave the clearing when an enormous ck shadow appeared to block his way. This shadow was one that he had no chance to defeat. The wolf progenitor was there, with the wolf cub in its maw.
The entirety of its fur was stained blood, blood that he knew belonged to the 50 yers it had just annihted. The creature rested its yellow eyes on Jack, and he knew that he was done for.
Could he outrun this beast? Hell no! It seemed like getting a few ores was even more challenging than he thought. Had he underestimated the tutorial too much?! Sure he knew a lot, but some things took time and grinding¡
He resolved himself to die at this moment, but he wouldn¡¯t go out without a fight!
His eyes darted to the surrounding. The trees were too far away: he¡¯d die trying to climb one. What if he tried using the steak he had as bait? It likely wouldn¡¯t buy him enough time, not so deep into wolf territory.
No matter what, he was fucked! That¡¯s when he focused on the wolf pup. Was this a way out? Instead of cowering, he looked at the wolf that was many times his size, dead in the eyes, with his menacing title.
¡°You should take care of your pup, live and let live. You do not wish to fight me.¡± Jack growled at the wolf!
The creature red at him with incredible disdain. Did this human think it had a chance against its power?! Preposterous! The beast slowly lowered its cub to the ground and gave a mocking growl to the human. It would now die!
Jack could sense the monster¡¯s killing intent focused on him. A regr yer would have been frozen in fear, but not him. That¡¯s when the creature pounced, determined to end his life!
The attack was so fast that a yer of his level couldn¡¯t react to it. It was simply impossible. But Jack still dodged it. He had thrown himself to the side as soon as he had seen its frame recoil slightly backward in preparation.
¡ª Woosh! ¡ª
Jack felt the gale produced by its movement. He felt the deadly ws pass right next to his head. He felt the creature miss him and end up farther away. This was the only attack he could dodge, so he didn¡¯t waste any time. He instantly dashed to the cub!
He immobilized the cub and equipped his Cluckinator. He then looked at the boss straight in the eyes. It had looked down on him and ignored his warning¡grave mistake! He could see the fury in the creature¡¯s eyes but so what?!
Jack would ughter the youngling and get some XP, but most importantly, he¡¯d make this fucking boss regret it! ¡°I told you, you do not wish to fight me. Fuck you!¡± He grinned as he went for the kill.
The boss howled in grief as it saw the deadly de reach the pup¡¯s head. But, just as Jack was about to murder the creature, he saw its clear eyes, staring at him so gently. He unconsciously released his grip on it.
Instantly the young one pounced on him and violently¡.began licking his face! It remembered the human that had yed with him before! For some reason, he smelled so nice! It was a very familiar smell, one that made it feel safe.
Jack suddenly changed his mind and lost all power in his body. His quarrel was with the boss. It was foolish, but he didn¡¯t feel like killing the little wolf anymore. That¡¯s when the gigantic maw of the wolf progenitor cast a shadow on his body.
He couldn¡¯t help but give a self-deprecating smile. Who would have believed that the motherfucking Herald of Light would ever sumb to cuteness? He remained still, waiting for death. Sparing the pup was only on a whim and wouldn¡¯t affect the big picture anyway.
The boss¡¯s maw engulfed Jack¡¯s head. This was the end. But that¡¯s when a shrill whimper resounded. Somehow it felt¡reproachful?! The deadly fangs stopped a millimeter from tearing his neck apart.
Jack could distinguish the blood and the bone fragments inside the creature¡¯s mouth. He could feel the fetid scent of its breath. He sensed gross saliva drenching his hair¡.but he was still alive?! Another cute whimperter, the boss let his prey go free.
Jack couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. Had the pup saved him?! Had it interjected to beg for his life?! What the fuck was happening?! That¡¯s when it began licking his hands, especially the one he had used to gather the Lunar Blossoms. Wait¡what if?!
He took out a Lunar Blossom. Instantly, the eyes of the little wolf began glowing with the light of desire. Holy crap! Jack slowly fed it one, as it devoured it gleefully, softly howling in happiness and licking its lips.
It then began begging for more, its tail wagging from side to side. Jack waited a few seconds, but nothing at all was happening. One would have to be crazy to feed the little thing another incredibly precious flower!
But then, Jack hesitated for a few seconds before feeding it another. Perhaps something would happen after a few? After all, there had been so many flowers in their! With every new flower, the pup¡¯s tail wagging seemed to be even faster!
Jack couldn¡¯t help but fear that he was making a great mistake, but he also kinda wanted to see what would happen if he just kept feeding it. Would its tail wag so fast that it would fly away helicopter-style?!
That¡¯s how he fed it eight flowers out of the nine he had! He had fed it enough wealth to buy a few beginner viges over! He could have likely paid a month of rent with that he had just squandered!
But, as a gamer, he was dying to know if he could unlock a secret event! Infinite wasyered with mysteries. Was it a coincidence that Lunar Blossoms grew inside the wolf cave? Probably not! It was perhaps a hint for a quest!
Maybe he was going crazy, but he wouldn¡¯t rest easy if he didn¡¯t try! After this extravagant feast, the little wolf finally showed a hint of being full. It rested its head on Jack¡¯sp for a few seconds before peering straight his way.
That¡¯s when its eyes began glowing a soft blue light, the same one as the Lunar Blossoms! Magical symbols began swimming in them as if alive, slowly forming a pattern. Jack,s heart began beating faster, holy shit!
This whole event stemmed from the power of a bloodline. How the fuck did a seemingly normal wolf possess it?! Jack could not only read the symbols but also knew what they meant.
????? ??
This was the initiation of a magical contract! The wolf pup wanted to be his pet, but not any pet. This was a total submission contract! Such a concept only applied to mythical and up creatures! What kind of origin did this one have?!
Jack instantly willed to ept the contract! He¡¯d be crazy not to! While it would probably start out weak, it had incredible potential! The leveling up quests for mythical creatures were arduous, but so what?! He was motherfucking Jack¡¯O!
It only took an instant and then it was over.
[Magical Link Established!]
He felt their souls intertwine. He felt the heartbeat of the young wolf, how happy it was for them to be partners, how it longed to explore the vast world with him, and so much more all at once!
All Jack could do was smile as he gently embraced the little furry creature. They exchanged a nce, sharing this happiness. Who said a dog was a man¡¯s best friend? Wolves were super soft and even better at hunting!
But the magical moment was suddenly interrupted by a message.
Bubblegum: ¡°Be careful! The Mighty Dragons areing full force to get you! They made promises and enlisted literally all the yers in New Leaf. The assholes already forgot how you helped them during the chicken onught!¡±
Jack¡¯O: ¡°I see.¡±
Bubblegum: ¡°We¡¯re trying to get an army going to fight them, but we really can¡¯tpete. What should we do?!¡±
Jack¡¯O: ¡°Don¡¯te anywhere near the forest and let theme. I¡¯m more than ready to wee them all, hehe!¡±
Jack gave a nce at the wolf progenitor nearby. That¡¯s when he began cackling like a madman with the wolf pup doing the same in its cute high-pitched voice.
He couldn¡¯t wait for them to attack¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Is a Lunar Blossom that great? Well, it¡¯s subjective. Considering the game in its entirety, it¡¯s nothing but a cool glowing flower. But, when the strongest yers are level 2-3 a level 20 flower is great! Perhaps only a week of chain questing would give something almost as good.
Chapter 41: Forest Invasion!
Chapter 41: Forest Invasion!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
The New Leaf forest was going through an apocalyptic level upheaval!
Usually, the yers would only ever hang around the forest¡¯s edge toplete the stick quest. Not this time! There was a literal army of yers assembling as they prepared to march inside the deadly woods.
What gave them the confidence to do so? Immortality, numbers, and promises! (Totally not empty) The one in charge of the Mighty Dragons was at the forefront, addressing them all:
¡°All of you! Today is the day that we will conquer the New Leaf forest! No more will we fear the foxes and the wolves! We will storm inside like a hurricane: they can¡¯t stop all of us!¡± He paused for a second before continuing.
¡°Many of you know the man that hangs out with the wannabe wolf guild. We were fighting a powerful wolf boss when he sneaked into itsir and stole our well-deserved loot! Whoever gets it back will be epted as an executive of the Mighty Dragons!¡±
The yers assembled couldn¡¯t help but feel that this was a good deal. Joining a powerful guild still in its infancy was the fastest track to sess. This right there was a golden opportunity!
It was only day 2 of Infinite and the Mighty Dragons already controlled the beginner vige! What would happen once the main guild sent more reinforcements? They would soar like a rocket!
¡°Alright, let¡¯s move out! Remember to kill anyone belonging to that trashy wolf guild on sight!¡± He reminded the crowd.
They all nodded happily. What about the fact that the Mighty Wolves were also arge guild in Deste Desert? Well, they¡¯d consider apologizing when they sent more troops to Infinite! In the meantime, they would side with the dragons!
They all departed amidst the yers¡¯ chatter:
¡°It¡¯s my first timeing here. I¡¯m so nervous now!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everyone is nervous during their first time.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, you ass! I¡¯m worried about the foxes!¡±
¡°No need to worry for them. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll enjoy devouring you.¡±
¡°¡-_-¡¡±
¡°Hey guys, are we really hunting that expert?¡±
¡°Sure, why not? Even the Mighty Wolves are afraid to fight us!¡±
¡°I almost feel bad for him. He¡¯s gonna get bullied with numbers.¡±
¡°Hehe, I don¡¯t mind at all. I¡¯m joining the dragons. Then, it¡¯s money and bitches!¡±
Suddenly, a sh of orange appeared out of nowhere, attacking a yer! The fox defeated him before the victim could even react and ran away with the body in its jaws.
¡°Oh my god! Where the fuck did ite from?!¡±
¡°It came out of the bush! Everyone be careful of bushes!¡±
¡°Watch where you¡¯re walking! Stay with the group! Be ready to fight!¡±
Commands resounded one after the other. The yers finally turned incredibly serious as they nced everywhere around them! The bushes, the trees, the ground, the sky (?!) and even the rear of fellow yers! ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)
Later, they encountered two foxes out in the open, moving together and minding their own business. Oh, it was time for retribution!
¡°Fuck up this orange bitch up!¡±
¡°Wait, isn¡¯t he out of office already¡ª¡±
¡°Fuck them up so bad that even their mother won¡¯t recognize them!¡±
Then came the beating of the century! More yers than the foxes could count started trashing them! They had huge smiles on their faces and kept at it until the creatures became bloody mush! Then they turned back to red particles.
The foxes had been born from the system, and they were now returning to it. How poetic! Well, the savage grins and talks of fucking more foxes in all of their holes did kinda ruin the moment.
Their current raid leader had to bring them back to their senses: ¡°Good job, guys! But, we¡¯re just getting started. Onward to defeat wolves!¡± He started what soon became a war cry:
¡°Onward to the wolves!¡±
¡°We¡¯re gonna fight wolves!¡±
¡°We¡¯re gonna fuck those wolves!¡±
Yep, a secondter, there were already talks of bestiality. Did they mean fuck up wolves as in beat them up? In an online game, it was hard to know for sure¡
They progressed through the forest akin to a locust gue in a beautiful and bountiful wheat field. Like absolute cmitous pests! The peaceful forest was no more, and their army made a mockery of the monsters.
¡°Haha, this is the best! It¡¯s like we activated god mode!¡±
¡°God mode? Are you serious? You mean freaking zerg mode, right?¡±
¡°I will only say this. Error 404, difficulty not found! Bring me more foxes! Muhahaha!¡±
But soon, the yers were met with the first wolves, three of them. The wolves howled ferociously, and the yers screamed likeplete retards!
They charged at each other! The yers were jubnt to kill their first wolves!
But soon, dozens of yers began quickly dying! The survivors realized that this was an entirely different beast! (Quite literally)
¡°Oh my god! I¡¯m only doing 1 damage at best! How are they so tanky!¡±
¡°What do you mean only 1 damage?! Isn¡¯t your usual damage 2?!¡±
¡°That¡¯s half of my freaking damage! It¡¯s a big deal!¡±
¡°Guys, shut the fuck up and keep hitting!¡±
¡°ARRRGGGG! Tell my pet snake I love it!¡±
¡°They have so much HP! WTF!¡±
But, even after so many chaoticints, the yers soon won. There was only so much that three wolves could do against hundreds of yers. They had no choice but to kick the bucket with whimpers and grieving hearts!
¡°We won. We¡¯re the best! The wolves stand no chance against us!¡±
¡°Hell yeah! That will teach them to attack us!¡±
¡°Sucks that there isn¡¯t a corpse to teabag¡.¡±
The poor wolves were lucky to be nothing but particles and avoid this sham of a victory celebration.
The yers then kept going, following the Mighty Dragons. All until they finally reached a clearing where a man was happily ying with a wolf cub. He seemed so distracted that he didn¡¯t even notice them at all!
They couldn¡¯t help but widen their eyes as they saw this scene.
¡°It¡¯s the stealing expert!¡±
¡°Wait, what¡¯s going on here?!¡±
¡°H-he¡¯s ying with a baby wolf?!¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t this ce like¡ really dangerous?¡±
¡°Oh my god! The little one is so cute! I want one!¡±
There were diverse reactions, but most felt that something was weird. But, the Mighty Dragons were there to give them courage: ¡°Remember, whoever kills him and grabs what he stole will be able to join us!¡±
For a few seconds, the yers seemed to hesitate, but then one dared forward. He¡¯d use the surprise to win this fight! So what if the man was an expert? He was sitting defenselessly! He could already smell victory!
The other yers lowly grumbled as they followed suit. Why had they been so slow to react?! Fuck! 30 yers were charging at Jack. The ones farther behind could only give up with a sigh.
The man was bound to be defeated. One VS 30?! No way he could survive! They were just about to reach him when suddenly an earth-shattering howl was heard.
¡ª HOWL!!!¡ª
¡°What the fuck is that?!¡±
¡°Is that the boss?!¡±
Oh yes, it totally was! The wolf progenitor came out of its cave in a show of force as it charged toward Jack. So much for the bounty. What would happen once a monster killed him?!
But, they wouldn¡¯t get the answer as the bosspletely ignored the sitting Jack. Nope, it charged at the yers and began to ughter them! Yes, not kill, ughter! It waspletely one-sided!
As for the 30 yers near Jack? What yers?! They had all been cleaved in half, chewed or downright gotten crushed under the boss¡¯s weight! They were all back in the vige! Compared to the Mighty Guilds, their performance sure was pathetic!
The yers that were sighting in disappointing for being too slow were now sighing in relief. But suddenly, the wolf boss turned its head toward them as it howled once more. That¡¯s when they shat themselves¡or would have if this wasn¡¯t a game.
They began running away as fast as their legs could carry them. Some ran into other yers, some ran into trees, some tripped over their own feet, and it was all so chaotic! Never had they feared so much for their lives!
Many had seemingly forgotten that their lives weren¡¯t at risk. The graphic scene of the victims getting destroyed was too much for their little hearts! What about the ones that were used to violence in VR games? Even they ran!
This was one of the points that made Infinite¡well, Infinite. The wolf may have been virtual data, but it felt real! It wasn¡¯t as bad as IRL not to scar yers, but it still felt true¡ª it was hard to exin.
That¡¯s how hundreds of powerful wolf conquerors (self-proimed) ended up fleeing a single being. Sure, it was a really strong one, but what happened to their bravery? All gone!
It¡¯s only after many minutes of mindless running that they finally noticed theck of screams. How was this possible?! The boss had been so fast and strong! They had seen it annihte 30 yers in the blink of an eye. What was happening?
They soon came to realize that they had all been running for absolutely no reason. The wolf boss had never chased after them in the first ce! Hundreds of yers began looking at each other awkwardly.
¡°Eh¡how about we never talk of this ever?¡±
¡°Agreed¡±
¡°+1!¡±
They slowly backtracked only to witness a heated exchange.
¡°I see how it is! You somehow managed to make peace with the boss by tempting the young one! No matter, it won¡¯t change anything.¡± The leader of the Mighty Dragons spat out.
¡°How so?¡± The expert replied calmly, still ying with the wolf pup.
¡°You have a treasure with you and can¡¯t die without losing it. The boss won¡¯t leave this clearing either as it will protect its cub. We just have to wait for you here, and you¡¯ll be screwed!¡± He sneered.
Oh my god! This was such a devious n! They would camp the lone expert?! This was precisely why one shouldn¡¯t steal from the big guilds! They had so much influence!
¡°So you¡¯re telling me hundreds of yers will remain here to guard little old me? Wow! I¡¯m gonna blush. I didn¡¯t know you cared so much about me.¡± The expert replied while doing a coquettish pose.
What the hell was that pose?! It was so disgusting! Did he think he was a maiden or something?! No, he was definitely trolling them! But he did have a point¡Would they seriously all remain here?
The yers were busy people. They had chickens to kill, and¡ª actually, that¡¯s pretty much all they did. After all, most couldn¡¯t be bothered to do most quests. They were all doing the mayor¡¯s quest since he had promised them gear!
¡°Remain here and do nothing? Ha, do you think we¡¯ll sit around waiting for you? No! We¡¯ll be exploring the forest and killing wolves! We¡¯ll clear a direct path from the vige to here so people cane back quickly after respawning too!¡±
The yers felt their blood boil when they heard this! Kill wolves, kill the expert when hees out, and join the dragons! This all sounded so wonderful!
Inside the clearing, the expert could be seen sighing in despair¡ª or so they thought.
Jack was actually sighing at their stupidity while internallyughing his ass off¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[A/N] Name Poll for the little wolf! The coolest will be chosen!
Creator¡¯s Thought
The idea of making a chain from the New Leaf vige to the wolf area was actually genius. It allowed to easily build a reputation as the guild that brought people to conquer the wolves! But, a good idea can quickly be a catastrophe if not executed properly¡
Chapter 42: #All Meat Matters
Chapter 42: #All Meat Matters
A lone man was happily ying with a wolf pup, seemingly not noticing the army surrounding them¡.a distance away.
¡°How is he so calm? There¡¯s something wrong with him!¡±
¡°He¡¯s obviously bluffing. The minute we leave, he¡¯ll sneak out for sure.¡±
¡°Should we fake a retreat to trick him? We could then copse on the guy at full power!¡±
¡°No, it won¡¯t work. Think about it. There are so many yers currently with us. Information leaks about our movements will definitely happen.¡±
¡°Makes sense¡.so we¡¯ll just wait until he dies from old age or something? I¡¯m just itching to fight! You know what? I¡¯ll kill a few wolves to vent. Be right back.¡±
Discussions simr to this were happening all around the clearing. At this point, everyone wanted to kill Jack, if only to get in the good graces of the Mighty Dragons. But, they would never dare to intrude upon the clearing.
That¡¯s how Jack kept scratching his new pet behind the ears as they yed together. Its fur was so soft, and its tiny tail wagging from side to side so cute. But he had priorities! He was actually training it!
¡°Give paw.¡±
¡°Roll over.¡±
¡°y Dead!¡±
¡°Quick attack!¡±
¡°360 no scope!¡±
¡°Menacing Howl!¡±
¡°Kameha-me-hahaha!¡±
¡°Total score: 5/7. A good start, but don¡¯t get cocky just yet. It will take a lot of effort for you to obtain your true wolf hunter license. Keep working hard!¡± Jack advised the young wolf.
It nodded in agreement, eager to be an apex predator like its dad or even better like its master.
But, its current appearance could only be called cute. Its maw was so tiny that biting a humanoid-sized target would be hard. As for its short ws? Perhaps it could use them to cut down a sandwich at best.
It had be smaller upon bing Jack¡¯s pet, but that was expected. Most pets had a travel form (morepact) and a battle form. As for this wolf¡¯s battle form, it was amazingly¡.nonexistent.
This obstacle wouldn¡¯t discourage them: #Weak to Strong #Road to Glory #Serious Training #Lots of yers Lurking #Popr
Many yers couldn¡¯t help but gawk at the duo whilementing:
¡°Is it me, or is the wolf improving at a visible pace?¡±
¡°Yep, at this rate, it will soon be more coordinated than half of us here.¡±
¡°Never before have I been so offended by something I 100% agree with.¡±
¡°What the heck are you guys doing just standing there? Are you all ying with your dicks?! Come hunt wolves with us!¡±
Like that, all the yers would inevitably end up hunting wolves. The dying howls of the forest creatures echoed in the forest. It was aplete massacre! Bloodied yers would wander all over the ce.
But, even with their dreadful appearance and their sess in war, they had little to show for their efforts. Sure, the XP for killing wolves was really high, but they shared it with so many that it rendered it worthless.
As for the loot itself? Well, they would beat the corpses even after their enemy had been defeated and waste it all in their excitement. It didn¡¯t help that no one knew how to gather pelts or meat and that they were still on the chicken quest with the mayor.
But they didn¡¯t give a fuck. For them, this was an entirely new world that they were happy to explore. It wasn¡¯t about profit at all, only having fun¡ª Oh and potentially killing Jack! They would even taunt him;
¡°Coward! While you hide in there, we¡¯re ying Infinite!¡±
¡°Look at him stay there with fear in his heart! A true man would Leeroy it!¡±
¡°It¡¯s impossible for him to reach the vige. Why is he even clinging to life?¡±
¡°Tch¡ª Can you believe how arrogant he is? He should be begging for mercy.¡±
¡°Does he think the Mighty Wolves will send reinforcements or something? That¡¯s a pipe dream!¡±
But, as the insults kept raining, so did the dying howls of the wolves. With each, Jack¡¯s smile would be more derisive. He only kept ying with the pup as he waited.
He waited until the forest turned red from wolf blood, he waited until an aura of despair fell unto the entire forest, he waited until the wolves all began whimpering as they begged for help.
Jack gave the yers one very meaningful and ¡°concerned¡± nce:
¡°You guys sure have a bad memory. Wait, could you all have Alzheimer¡¯s?! You should see a doctor right now just to be safe. It¡¯s like you¡¯ve all forgotten what happened with the chickens.¡± Jack sighed as he shook his head.
The reactions to this statement were diverse:
¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me¡oh god no!¡±
¡°No, he¡¯s only trying to frighten us!¡±
¡°Why are you guys uneasy? What is he talking about?¡±
¡°You¡¯ve joined a few hours after theunch, eh? He means Chicken-ageddon!¡±
Most of the yers had simply forgotten about it all in their excitement. As for the Mighty Dragons, they had heard about it but hadn¡¯t lived it. They couldn¡¯t help but ask.
¡°Chicken-ageddon? What do you all mean?!¡±
¡°What¡¯s the link with the Chicken Onught and our situation?¡±
That¡¯s when Jack began cackling loudly. His incredibly heartfeltughter resonated in the forest, making the yers unconscionably shiver.
¡°Easy, when you gang up on monsters, they reply in kind. Are you all ready to get fucked?¡± Jack gave them a bright smirk.
¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. He¡¯s just trying to¡ª¡± But the wannabe dragon never got to finish his sentence.
¡ª HOWL!!!¡ª
The boss chose this timing to reappear. At first, the yers didn¡¯t even twitch since they knew it wouldn¡¯t leave its clearing anyway. Oh boy, were they wrong!
This time was different as there were replies¡.
¡ª HOWL!!!¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
The ones who had lived the Chicken Onught became livid. This was the exact same freaking pattern the Chicken boss had used. First was a war cry to regroup the troops, and then was the charge.
¡°We¡¯re fucked!¡±
¡°Run!! Get the fuck away from this forest!¡±
The most perceptive ones began fleeing as quickly as they could. But it was already toote. Running away from ressentful wolves? What a joke!
¡ª HOWL!!!¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
That¡¯s when it all began, the nightmare.
Wolves began swarming over the ce at an incredible rate. The clearing soon became filled with the monsters¡ª and a man giving them a devilish smile.
As they saw the look in Jack¡¯s eyes, they couldn¡¯t help but gulp and tremble. Had it been his n all along?! He had remained close to immobile in there to bore them so they¡¯d hunt wolves.
¡°Who the fuck said that we outnumber him?! Let¡¯s have a talk!¡±
¡°Say, mister expert, can you spare us? We¡¯ll behave in the future.¡±
¡°Suddenly, I wonder which one is scarier between the Dragons and this guy!¡±
But all Jack did was sigh loudly as he gently encouraged them. He truly was well-intentioned. Yet, with every sentence, they began grimacing and shivering more.
¡°So what if there are hundreds of wolves? You are there to stop them!¡±
¡°Stay strong. As long as you each kill two or three wolves, you will be victorious!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t just let fear creep in your hearts. Think about how true men would Leeroy it!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry. As your avatars get violently torn to pieces, remember that a wolf is finding you delicious. #All Meat Matters¡±
At this point, the yers had given up all hope. Stop them? How?! Two wolves each? They needed 50 yers to kill one! Leeroy it? They would simrly wipe. All Meat Matters?! Were they really nothing but food?! Yes, the answer was yes.
¡ª HOWL!!!¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
With onest howl, the wolves began the hunt. The little wolf even joined in. It sat on Jack¡¯s head as it ¡°menacingly¡± howled in its high-pitched voice.
¡°Now, shall we begin.¡± Jack had been waiting for this moment all along.
Amidst the crazed yers, Jack began navigating the forest unimpeded. As the wolves soon noticed how weak the yers were, they began ying with their food. They trapped thempletely!
That¡¯s when many noticed Jack, who was leisurely walking amidst the bloodthirsty monsters. He slowly approached them with a smile. Would he help? Probably not, but they were grasping at straws.
¡°Please help me, I ¡ª ouch!¡±
In Jack¡¯s hand, there was a butchering knife. He had just pricked the yer with it. But why?!
-1
One damage is all he did. He then moved toward the next yer before repeating the same. The yers couldn¡¯t help but gawk in confusion. Was he going around giving paper cuts to people?! This scene was so strange!
¡°Hey man, what the hell are you¡ª ouch!¡±
¡°Can we talk for a sec¡ª ouch!¡±
¡°You asshole, say something!¡±
¡°What do you want?!¡±
But all he did was hum a happy tune about¡cooking? It talked about meat was all they knew.
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
Everyone stared in confusion, even the wolves. They couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. Was this human on their side? It had the wolf heir on his head after all¡so maybe?
But, what was he doing? Was it some kind of advanced torture? They weren¡¯t sure, but the bad humans really seemed to hate it. The wolves watched as they tried to figure it out. Meanwhile, the little wolf was happily wagging its tail with every new victim.
But, there was only so long that the creatures would wait. Jack had to give them a reason not to kill the humans themselves.
¡°Now, let¡¯s do this, shall we?¡± He approached a yer with his bloodstained butcher knife and arge smile. Somehow, it made the target recoil back in fear¡ª or try with the wolves barring its way.
¡°S-stay away!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry. It will be over soon.¡± Jack reassured.
None would ever forget the scene that followed. At this moment, many regretted not having set up their VR capsule with a PG13 setting.
In front of them, Jack began to dissect his target alive (0_0). Infinite indeed was Infinite. If one could butcher animals, why couldn¡¯t they do the same to humans? The screaming yer soon found himself immobilized by a nearby wolf as Jack kept going.
¡°Stop it already! Stop!¡±
¡°I hate this game!¡±
¡°Let me go!¡±
¡°Noooo!¡±
Jack magnanimously appeased the guy:
¡°What are you talking about? The game turns the pain setting real low for this. Just imagine that it¡¯s someone else¡¯s skin getting ripped from their body, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±
Yet, strangely, this didn¡¯t make it better as he screamed even more. He kept iling around until the end of the process, disappearing in a sh of blue light.
Behind there remained human skin and human meat. Now, Jack had to pay his helper. He sent a bit of flesh toward a wolf who happily began to gobble it. The other wolves witnessed this and became excited.
The yers now felt sick. They finally understood his #All Meat Matters mantra. Was the wolf army a nightmare? Hell no! This man was infinitely worse! He was the devil incarnate, he was¡ª
That¡¯s when Jack turned his gaze toward them¡
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[A/N] We do not discriminate here. #All Meat Matters ^_^v
Creator¡¯s Thought
To be honest, I may have looked all-powerful with wolves doing my bidding, but that was only because these guys had generated so much aggro! It had reached the ¡°Want to make them pay zone¡±. The wolves were using me as much as I was using them. Luckily wolves aren¡¯t too peculiar about loot and are happy getting a small share of meat.
Chapter 43: The (Demon) King Is Here!
Chapter 43: The (Demon) King Is Here!
All across Infinite, yers were joyfully killing chickens, eitherpleting the Onught event or just grinding XP. Well, almost all yers¡
In New Leaf Vige, it was theplete opposite. Tons of yers were respawning, their faces livid, their teeth chattering, and their eyes twitching. Many were touching themselves all over, not even noticing the system message they had received:
[Butchered! Temporary Stat Penalty!]
[New Title Acquired: Cattle!]
¡°Arrgg! What was that?!
¡°D-do I still have my skin?¡±
¡°W-what the hell happened there?!¡±
¡°H-he used his sharp knife and¡ª and¡ª h-he¡ª¡±
Many were still confused and stuttering as they remembered the earlier event. That devil had opened them up!
¡°You, I saw you get torn to pieces!¡±
¡°It¡¯s a game. It wasn¡¯t real. Just a game. Just¡ª¡±
¡°This is bad. How can he even do something like that?!¡±
¡°My skin is itching. It won¡¯t stop! It¡¯s fucking burning!¡±
Truthfully the game had shut down the pain associated with the experience itself. What they had felt was simply the typical damage feedback. But, the graphic image was stuck in their brains: POV skinning was rough!
They were so confused as they wrongly believed that they had felt it all. Simply put, they had a major case of group hypochondria. But some were already regaining their rity.
¡°It actually didn¡¯t hurt that much, but still.¡±
¡°Holy shit, no kidding! This was intense AF!
¡°This is the gore option at max? I¡¯m lowering it right now!¡±
Then there was thest group that began to roughly breathe as they stared at the forest in longing:
¡°Now that¡¯s what I call true horror, so nuts!¡±
¡°Did you see that guy¡¯s intensity? I¡¯m so wet right now!¡±
¡°Bro, you¡¯re a guy! But yeah, this was¡something else.¡±
¡°Oh my god. Who said Infinite is boring? It¡¯s goddamn crazy!¡±
¡°Just wait till I post this on my wall! People won¡¯t believe it!¡±
Many were already sharing the experience. They had attacked the forest and had met their match: a man who was evil incarnate.
Many turned toward the forest in nervous anticipation. He would soone out, right? That¡¯s when a yer expressed what all of them were thinking:
¡°Who the actual fuck is that guy?!¡±
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Said evil incarnate was rxedly making his way through the forest.
Not long ago, the duo of man and wolf had gotten rid of thest yers. Even then, they continued their journey alongside the wolves. This had been a butchering paradise: wolves, foxes, and yers.
The little one hung its head low in disappointment as they had run out of humans to butcher. But they weren¡¯t done just yet.
There were still plenty of amazing nts. Usually, Jack would only get a few at a time, but he now had ess to the whole forest! Brachyschome, Poppy, Begonia, Chicory, Darkovia, all of them!
This was a unique opportunity. After all, the yers probably wouldn¡¯t be dumb enough to cause another beast tide again. As for artificially creating one, it wasn¡¯t possible either. Infinite would usually patch such exploits by itself.
For instance, the wolf progenitor would likely instruct its brethren not to let anyone steal the forest¡¯s resources in the future.
But, for now, it was smooth sailing, the human and the wolf pup were happily conversing.
¡°Such a nice day for gathering, isn¡¯t it? The air is fresh, the forest is warm, and it is so peaceful.¡±
¡°Woo.¡± (Happy)
¡°See that ck flower over there? That¡¯s a Last Bloom¡¯s Darkovia. Then, that blue one is a New Bloom¡¯s Chicory. Make sure you remember their appearances properly, alright?¡±
¡°Woo.¡± (Nodding)
¡°In fact, you have to be very attentive at all times. Any resource that seems remotely valuable is worth gathering.¡±
¡°Woo.¡± (Serious)
¡°The first step of world domination can sometimes start with a simple flower. Wonderful, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Woo.¡± (Heroic)
¡°Well, yeah. You begin small, and then you slowly build an empire. It takes lots of time and effort for sure.¡±
¡°Woo.¡± (Resolute)
¡°Of course I¡¯m counting on you! Here, want some meat? We have all kinds.¡±
¡°Woo.¡± (Hungry)
¡°Yeah, but you can only have a little. I¡¯m nning to trade it for cool stuff. It¡¯s gonna be huge!¡±
¡°Woo.¡± (Dreaming)
¡°Gear? It will likely prove troublesome since New Leaf is a small vige. Then again, I¡¯m sure we can find you something..¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Hopeful)
¡°You want intimidating equipment? I¡¯m sure that can be arranged at some point.¡±
As they happily talked, the little one remained highly attentive. It would happily skip forward whenever it spotted a flower. Then it would circle it and howl in triumph. Jack even pretended not to notice a few to give it a chance.
The wolves seeing this scene were utterly confused. Why was the human so interested in flowers? There were flowers everywhere in the forest!
But, the little one didn¡¯t share their skepticism. After all, it had tasted the Lunar Blossoms and knew that some flowers were the absolute best. Its master definitely had a great reason to desire them.
That¡¯s how the little wolf gained life experience, and Jack gained life-skill experience points. Both worked together in harmony, all until they finally reached the edge of the forest.
The Mighty Dragons were waiting in ambush, one that failed monumentally. The wolves charged straight into their midst and began a killing spree. As for Jack, he naturally went to work, diligently gathering all the ¡°resources¡±.
The trembling yers witnessed him stab his victims once before performing his ungodly butchering process. Some stared with morbid curiosity while others adverted their eyes in profound repulsion.
¡°This is insane.¡±
¡°Why is he stabbing all of them once?¡±
¡°It¡¯s probably a promise to the suffering toe.¡±
¡°That¡¯s bullshit. That¡¯s his way to get revenge, I¡¯m sure.¡±
They sure were imaginative. He was using his gathering tool on them to slow the disappearance of their bodies. Revenge and suffering? Did he look like a bad guy or something?
¡°Oh god, he¡¯s looking this way.¡±
¡°No matter what, don¡¯t make eye contact!¡±
¡°Just mind your own business and apologize!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t rub this guy the wrong way. He¡¯s a demon.¡±
Jack couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Demon? What?! No eye contact? Was he supposed to be Medusa or something? He definitely had better things to do than hunt yers looking at him funny. After all, his time was more precious than their existence.
Jack gently fed a piece of meat to hispanion, absentmindedly. As they saw the tiny puppy devour the human flesh, they recoiled in fear.
¡°Did he just feed the leader of the Mighty Dragons to a dog?!¡±
¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s a wolf¡but also yes.¡±
¡°Holy fucking shit.¡±
They stared at him with bulging eyes. That¡¯s when he finally left the forest, stepping onto the chicken territory. He was out of the PVP area, not a single hair missing on his body.
The yers couldn¡¯t help but remember how some had taunted him. He was the one that had been peacefully ying in the clearing. Interrupting him had been a monumental mistake.
Jack strove forward, and the world turned silent.
All he did was walk, but this moment would be remembered for ages. There were hundreds of yers assembled on the in. Yet, the sea of yers parted for him.
He had a small smile, was rxedly strolling with a pup on his head, looked so very friendly, and yet none dared to stand in his way. This was a safe zone? So fucking what!
All they knew was that they wouldn¡¯t fuck with that guy. He was aplete monster! Even a true god couldn¡¯t convince them to make a move against the man.
Jack nonchntly entered the now empty vige. The yers knew that the Mighty Wolves were in there too. But, if he wanted to have the vige, it was his! They wouldn¡¯t pry on whatever was happening inside.
As he disappeared into New Leaf vige, it was as if a spell was suddenly broken. The yers looked at each other, giving awkward smiles then breaking intoughter. They had felt fear, but so had all the others. They weren¡¯t alone!
¡°I thought I was gonna die when he looked my way.¡±
¡°This guy literally bested all of us at the same time!¡±
¡°Cunning like a fox, savage like a wolf and¡ª who am I kidding. The man¡¯s aplete demon!¡±
They all nodded in agreement. There was something oddly scary about a man able to process humans while smiling the whole time. But, someone soon changed the topic.
¡°Did you all see the wolf on his head? It was so cute!¡±
¡°How did he manage to tame it? I wanna know so badly!
¡°It wasn¡¯t just that one, the other wolves too. Gosh, perhaps even the wolf king.¡±
They remembered vividly how the wolf boss had just ignored him. What if he had tamed the boss too?! They all thought about it, but none dared to utter it. Such a thing was impossible, right? Somehow they could believe it if it was him.
¡°So, what are we going to do now?¡±
¡°All I know is what I won¡¯t do. I won¡¯t try to take him down.¡±
¡°Hell, it would be easier to catch Santa us than that monster.¡±
¡°Yep, screw the bounty from the Mighty Dragons. Fifty of them versus him. The choice is easy.¡±
How would the Mighty Dragons react upon learning of this? Who knew. But frankly, they had bigger problems anyway. The yers soon returned to talking about their interests.
¡°I just hope he won¡¯t seek revenge.¡±
¡°Man, what are you worried about? We can always create new ounts.¡±
¡°Not to worry? Do you think it¡¯s logical to all remake our characters cause we pissed off one dude?!¡±
¡°If it¡¯s that dude¡.totally, yes! What if one day you¡¯re just farming XP, and he attacks you with a monster army? It¡¯s not worth the risk.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right. So, how do we apologize? We seriously screwed up on that one.¡±
That is how a few hundred yers began seriously brainstorming how to appease a lone yer, all so that he wouldn¡¯t murder them all.
As for Jack, he hadpletely forgotten about them. After all, he was finally about to get some new gear¡
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[A/N] Achievement unlocked: scaring an entire beginner vige into submission. Also, little wolf = best dialogues.
Creator¡¯s Thought
Honestly, it is such a sh to witness the yers of this timeline versus thepetitive ones I knew. They were all watching me stroll¡what the fuck?! Didn¡¯t they have anything better to do? Apparently not¡ Hell, even after I entered the vige, they kept happily talking. What a waste of time!
Chapter 44: Forging 101 (1/2)
Chapter 44: Forging 101 (1/2)
A lone man entered the New Leaf vige and was instantly approached by a middle-aged man who could be seen trembling all over.
Jack couldn¡¯t help but feel perplexed. Was the mayor personally weing him? Had he managed to aplish a secret quest unknowingly?
He opened his ears wide, awaiting the quest prompt, and so did the Mighty Wolves who hade out of nowhere.
¡°Where are all the braves? Do you have any idea?! Why did they stop bringing me the chicken feathers that I requested?!¡± The NPC inquired.
¡°Eh, they¡¯re all in the in, so you can ask yourself, I guess,¡± Jack replied. So much for a hidden title¡
¡°What about you? You¡¯re not busy, are you? Braves like you should be hunting as much as possible. The gods have blessed you! The more you hunt and the stronger you be, so why don¡¯t you¡ª¡± He enthusiastically encouraged him to work.
¡°You know what? Sure! I¡¯m pretty good at hunting. Do you need anything in particr? Oh, also, I¡¯m pretty naked, so if you could¡ª¡± Jack¡¯s meaning was obvious, he needed gear!
¡°Of course, I understand! Here, follow me.¡± He then proceeded to bring Jack to his house before showing him a pile of shabby equipment. ¡°Look at this, isn¡¯t this amazing! It¡¯s all a brave could ever need!¡±
While it was far from impressive, it was better than nothing. Depending on the price, it could be worth it. But that¡¯s when the mayor spoke once more.
¡°For every 100 fox corpses that you bring me or every 50 wolf corpses, you can pick one. That¡¯s a great deal, isn¡¯t it? Oh, it¡¯s twice for the weapons and non-negotiable. I¡¯m already making a loss!¡± He looked so kind.
¡°Eh¡sure. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I have to go now.¡± Jack couldn¡¯t help but grimace before hurriedly taking his leave.
The items from the pile were at the very best level 5 and were worth 1G. The problem was that every fox corpse was worth about two silvers, meaning that 100 foxes were worth 2G instead of 1G. At this stage of the game, a 1G difference was staggering!
Jack couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile and a silent prayer to the yers. As expected of Infinite, the NPCs were as scheming as he remembered.
As soon as he came out of the vige chief¡¯s house, he was weed by his allies, who excitedly pestered him:
¡°How was it? What did the mayor tell you? Oh wait, it¡¯s probably confidential, right?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t believe you managed toe back alive from the forest! This is gonna be a legend of Infinite for sure!¡±
¡°Did you receive a new title? What about New Leaf Hero? Oh, is it something like the indisputable brave, who¡¯s the bravest of them all and showed extreme bravery!¡±
¡°Congrattion, Teacher. Still, everyone here needs to be careful. We¡¯re definitely on the hit list of the Mighty Dragons. Just don¡¯t be reckless.¡± Bubblegum stared at the others as she said that.
¡°Tch¡ª Them being a pain in the ass is nothing new. Don¡¯t worry too much about them. They¡¯re just like annoying cockroaches. Just ignore them, and they¡¯ll go away.¡± The CPR dude grumbled.
What kind of shitty advice was that? That¡¯s how one gets a cockroach infestation! He gestured him and his apprentice to follow him to the forge.
The other minions went back to check the perimeter. They seemed to believe it was their duty to protect Jack from fans for some reason. Fans? That would have required fame, and all he had was infamy!
As they reached their destination, Jack was satisfied. The once cold and lifeless forge was now warm with its owner exercising. He was half-naked, and pearls of sweat trickled down his well-toned muscles.
Jack couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to himself. How long before cksmithing became popr with many young maidens? They would eventually flock to the cksmiths, having developed a sudden interest in the craft.
As the nameless cksmith noticed them, he cried out: ¡°Tell me you have the ore this time around!¡±
¡°Sorry, I only¡.¡± Jack began.
¡°Goddamnit, please hurry! My soul is hot and pulsating right now. I can feel my blood boiling already. After all this time of being a jobless loser, I¡¯ll finally be a cksmith again!¡±
¡°¡I only have three. Hopefully, you¡¯ll be able to work with that.¡± Jack gave him a teasing smile as he took out the ores.
¡°What?! Do you really have them?! Show them to me!¡± The cksmith grabbed them with both hands as he yed with them. ¡°Oh my god, this is the best! So round and so big! This is gonna be more than enough!¡± The NPC was ecstatic.
The sigh of a half-naked man hugging ores as if a precious treasure was definitely a sight to behold. But, he quickly turned serious:
¡°Alright, I can make three weapons with this much. What would you prefer? I can make everything you can possibly desire!¡±
¡°I want a mechanical golem then,¡± Jack replied teasingly.
¡°I can make almost anything that you desire.¡± The cksmith corrected himself.
¡°It will be a shield for me. What about you two, do you want anything? It won¡¯t be free, though.¡± Jack offered.
¡°What?! There¡¯s no need!¡± The CPR dude declined modestly.
¡°Yep, daggers.¡± Bubblegum instantly replied.
¡°Shield and two daggers? Alright, I can do that for sure!¡± The NPC eximed with motivation.
¡°Do the shieldst,¡± Jack instructed.
CPR dude couldn¡¯t help but nce at Jack and Seraphine. There was definitely something going on between them! He lowly praised: ¡°How chivalrous!¡±
¡°Chivalrous?¡± Jack nced at him, confused. ¡°This guy hasn¡¯t worked with metal in a long time. If he screws up from being rusty, it won¡¯t be with my shield.¡±
The CPR dude instantly choked. So much for his clever analysis.
¡°Here, look at this, does this work for you?¡± The cksmith asked.
He waved his hand slightly, and weapons appeared out of thin air.
¡°It¡¯s possible to preview the crafting in Infinite?!¡± CPR dude eximed.
¡°It seems to be magic. How can a cksmith know magic?!¡± Bubblegum asked.
¡°Hehe. It¡¯s just a small magic trick. Anything created this way will break with slight exertion, and any professional would see through it in an instant.¡± The NPC revealed.
Jack wasn¡¯t surprised in the least by this. He was busy observing the prototype. He would twist it around and check every angle for any problem.
¡°Pretty nice, but the part here needs to be changed a bit. Add a crease to catch and lock enemy weapons in ce if required. This part here should be smoother to deflect blows. Finally, the thickness here needs a small change for the overall bnce.¡±
¡°How?! When did you learn about¡ª¡± The cksmith couldn¡¯t help but stare at him jaw-cked.
¡°That¡¯s just basic stuff. If I knew cksmithing, I wouldn¡¯t ask you to craft for me, would I? Alright, get to work.¡±
¡°What about your daggers, youngdy? Do they fit you?¡± He inquired.
¡°Do you have any suggestions to make?¡± Bubblegum peered at Jack inquisitively.
¡°I can give advice, but I¡¯ll charge extra.¡± Jack offered.
She circled around the dagger, carefully observing the dagger prototype. But, she really couldn¡¯t discern any issue. She turned to her teacher, puzzled.
¡°Alright, what do you suggest?¡± She asked.
¡°Oh, nothing, it¡¯s pretty good as is.¡± Jack serenely nodded with a small smile.
Just like that, he had scammed a naive youngster. The CPR dude was seriously reconsidering the chivalrous part¡
Without minding the awkward atmosphere, the cksmith got to work. He lit the fire in his forge, carefully melted the ores, made a rough dagger shape with it, and hammered it untilpletion.
Then he plunged the metal into a bucket of water, sending steam all over the ce. Thest step was to sharpen the de¡¯s edge and wrap a simple leather string around the handle.
¡ª Ta-da-da! Sessfully crafted a dagger!¡ª
The NPC¡¯s face was glowing with happiness. He was akin to a man that had finally found a reason to live. He even closed his eyes for a moment, just enjoying this sensation.
Then he opened his eyes again confidently as he began working on the second dagger, quicklypleting it. But just as he was about to start the process for the shield, Jack stopped him.
¡°Wait a minute.¡±
¡°No need to worry. I¡¯m perfectly in shape. I don¡¯t need any rest and¡ª holy shit!¡± The cksmith couldn¡¯t help but swear.
Jack had taken out the Bloodstained Chicken Beak he had obtained during the Chicken Onught. It looked incredibly sharp and had red streaks on it that seemed to be pulsating.
The NPC couldn¡¯t help but stare at it as he lightly murmured.
¡°C-can I really?¡± His voice was trembling.
¡°How confident are you?¡± Jack asked.
¡°T-that¡.10% at best.¡± He gave a despondent expression.
¡°Alright, add spikes on the shield then. Don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± Jack smiled as he handed it over.
¡°I-I said 10%¡.¡± The NPC reminded him in a small voice.
¡°Shut up and get to work already.¡± Jack spat out at the man. Yet, he didn¡¯t get angry in the least.
He instead began crying. Not tears of weakness, but manly tears, tears of gratitude. A secondter, he breathed deeply, and his eyes began showing incredible resolve.
Was this brave willing to believe in him? Was he seriously trusting him with such valuable material? He wouldn¡¯t let him down. He would do all that he could to seed.
He would prove to them all and to himself that he was a worthy and proud cksmith!¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Finally, I had the ores that I needed! This had been the very first thing I had ever nned for upon entering the world of Infinite. This was going to be the start of a new chapter for me. Funny how I ended up looting them myself.
Chapter 45: Forging 101 (2/2)
Chapter 45: Forging 101 (2/2)
Was this brave willing to believe in him? Was he seriously trusting him with such valuable material? He wouldn¡¯t let him down. He would do all that he could to seed.
He would prove to them all and himself that he was a worthy and proud cksmith!¡
The others stared in awe. How was he so detached? He was willing to gamble with such a rare material! What kind of mental fortitude did such calmness take? After all, there was only one such beak in the entire New Leaf vige! How crazy was that?!
Jack wasn¡¯t too worried. The NPC¡¯s current mental state would definitely boost his sess rate by a lot. Perhaps the initial 10% would reach around 30% or close.
Was 30% low? Not really. This was only for true sess. He would pretty much have a 90% chance that the final result would be at least better than it would have been without the beak. That was all he needed.
¡°Oh my god! The suspense is killing me.¡±
¡°Hopefully, the result will be a good one.¡±
They all watched while crossing their fingers. The rtively normal-looking process now felt entirely different with the higher stakes. Only Jack was utterly rxed. Whatever happened there, he¡¯d get a shield. That¡¯s all he needed.
The process took longer than the other two daggersbined. Every hit of the hammer exhausted the cksmith more and more. He began sweating like crazy, water at first, then blood. Jack nodded in appreciation.
At this rate, this NPC would level up.
Then finally came thest hammer hit. The room turned silent, the air stilled, and the atmosphere felt heavy. The result looked¡really bad.
The shield part looked great. The beak that resided in it also looked nice. As for the final product? It would have made Frankenstein¡¯s monster look like a hot model! Yeah, it was bad, horrendous even.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t do it. I¡¯m so sorry, I¡ª¡± The cksmith fell to his knees, not finding the words to apologize appropriately.
¡°No need to be. You did a good job. You¡¯re a cksmith, not an exorcist.¡± Jack offhandedly remarked.
The others couldn¡¯t help but look at each other in confusion. What did that even mean? They stared in rapt attention as he slowly approached the shield and began slowly caressing it before uttering:
¡°If you don¡¯t submit, I¡¯ll murder a million chickens every day. While they Cluck in anguish, I¡¯ll pluck their feathers, plunge them into boiling oil, devour their flesh and feed their remains to the young chicks to fatten them¡Then I¡¯ll fucking do it again and¡ª¡±
No one could understand what was going on. But suddenly, there came a shrill Cluck! A bright red glow enveloped the shield, one that was the same color as the red of the Chicken Overlord¡¯s eyes or its cleave attack. It seemed like a spirit was dissipating¡
¡°There we go. It¡¯s all good now.¡± Jack happily nodded.
They couldn¡¯t help but stare in disbelief at the ck shield that now had short spikes on it and red glowing veins. It looked utterly demonic in nature!
¡°Wait¡.was this residual resentment?!¡± The NPC cried out.
¡°Yep, the monster¡¯s spirit was affecting it and reducing its quality. Your forging was on point.¡± Jack praised as he put the shield away.
¡°That was amazing! There¡¯s just one¡ª¡± CPR dude began only for the door to be kicked open.
¡ª m!¡ª
The mayor appeared with fury in his eyes, and his face twisted in anger:
¡°You¡¯re freaking forging again! How dare you! Didn¡¯t I tell you?! Your shoddy equipment isn¡¯t good enough for the braves. It¡¯s not worthy of them!¡± He then turned to the yers, inspecting them. ¡°Which one of you did he try to scam?!¡±
¡°Not to worry, mayor. He hasn¡¯t asked any payment from us,¡± Jack reassured.
¡°That¡¯s not it! What if he gave you failed equipment? What if it causes your demise during an important fight? How could he possibly atone for such grave sin?!¡ Actually, let me inspect what he crafted you, and I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s sturdy enough.¡± He offered.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. There¡¯s no need for¡ª¡±
¡°No, I insist! Not letting me do my job is something I cannot ept. So, who was it?¡±
Bubblegum clearly realized how amazing her teacher¡¯s new shield was. She prepared to summon one of her daggers as a sacrifice, but Jack subtly gestured her to refrain.
¡°He made me this shield. How is it?¡± Jack handed the item over. The vige chief¡¯s eyes bulged for a second before he rposed himself.
He hade there to make sure the old cksmith wouldn¡¯t work. After all, there was no way he¡¯d be able to make so much gold off the braves if this generous asshole was in the picture.
Still, how the fuck had he crafted this?! This was way beyond what he himself could buy. What the hell?! Not only had he already spoken, but he really couldn¡¯t allow the cksmith¡¯s fame to rise.
But, what could he do?! He couldn¡¯t risk anyone else appraising it, or the truth woulde to light. He had to make this impressive shield disappear somehow. Wait, what if he wrecked it entirely? Even the scraps would be worth something!
That¡¯s when he took a dignified air:
¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this simply. I will test the resistance of this shield. As long as it proves sturdy, I will naturally give it back and even reward everyone involved in its creation. Is that fine with all of you?¡±
¡°Yes, I¡¯m confident in this item. It¡¯s the best I¡¯ve ever made!¡± The cksmith shouted powerfully.
¡°Go ahead.¡± Jack amicably gave the green light too.
The mayor took a deep breath. A secondter, his entire upper clothing exploded violently as his muscles inted and bulged so damn much! What the heck was happening to the guy?!
It was as if he had activated a secret technique. He gave a mighty shout as an axe appeared in his hand. Then he violently smashed it toward the shield, making the entire forge tremble and the air disappear in his immediate surroundings.
As for the shield¡.well, it was gone,pletely. Only a few pieces were remaining, so small that even the tiny dextrous hands of a sweat-shop child wouldn¡¯t be able to pick them up.
At that moment, both Jack and the cksmith fell on their knees in despair. One had just lost his brand new OP shield, while the other had seen the culmination of his craft disappear.
¡°It seems it wasn¡¯t strong enough. You should be ashamed of yourself, Baldur. Entrusting braves with such shitty a product, how dare you! Hmph¡ª I can¡¯t even stand to look at you right now. This won¡¯t be the end of it!¡±
He left quickly, his clothes in tatters, leaving a mess behind and hiding the blood he had coughed.
Jack¡¯s followers turned toward him tofort him, only to freeze. The two despairing individuals were now standing up, their back straight as theyughed heartily.
¡°Wow, he sure was motivated. He even used a forbidden technique!¡±
¡°I know, this is crazy! He even threw up blood, can you believe it?!¡±
¡°Well, he had to. Your weapons are leagues above the ones that he¡¯s scamming yers to trade for.¡±
¡°Oh! So that¡¯s why! I always wondered why he was so motivated about the braves.¡±
¡°Oh yeah. He¡¯s selling at twice his cost while iming to do a good deed. So much for being a generous vige chief and all.¡±
¡°I wonder how long he will be stuck at home enduring pain just for this moment.¡±
¡°Not sure, but not long enough for sure. Screw that guy!
CPR dude felt that something was very wrong.
¡°What about the shield?!¡± He asked, perplexed.
¡°They obviously used the same trick as when he was showing us prototypes. It seems he paid a huge price to destroy a fake.¡±
¡°Yep!¡± Jack gave a bright smile and a victory sign.
That¡¯s when a small wolf raised its head and cutely howled in triumph.
¡°What?! How long has it been there?!¡±
¡°What do you mean? All along, obviously. Anyway, it was nice seeing you all. I got some more gear to collect. Talkter¡± Jack waved before hurriedly leaving.
They watched the wolf and human duo leave, still stunned¡
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As he left the forge, Jack began chuckling madly and noisily.
¡°Muhahahahahaha!¡± It resounded across the entire vige, even reaching the in.
It wasn¡¯t about sessfully tricking the vige chief. It wasn¡¯t about the funny faces his allies had made. It wasn¡¯t even about the child-like happiness the cksmith had shown.
Nope, he had simply looked at the stats of his new item. He couldn¡¯t help butugh as he pictured everything that he would aplish with it.
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Rare Clucking Aegis ??
Rank F+
Level 10
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[Attack] 1-1
[Speed] Slow
[Range] Melee
[Durability] Cluckindestructable
[Passive] + Vengeful Mark of the Chicken
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There was the goddamn ?? symbol! How crazy was that?!
Only epic items usually had icons like this, but there was an exception. It was something that rarely happened, something called resonance. His rare shield and epic weapon were now acting as if part of the same item set! Holy fucking shit!
Could this day get any better?
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[A/N] Here we fucking go! Oh yeah, we¡¯re premium now. Thanks to everyone supporting the novel, love you guys! ^_^v
Creator¡¯s Thought
Even past the ring set resonance, there is something else that is noteworthy. A shield with a damage value is kinda fucking huge. It means that it¡¯s possible for the enemies to get damaged every time they hit the wielder. Yep, OP AF!
Chapter 46: More Gear!
Chapter 46: More Gear!
A man could be seen excitingly skipping toward a nearby house in the empty New Leaf vige.
Jack was in a good mood, no a great mood! This Clucking Aegis was all he had wanted and more.
Hell, it was as if the universe was thanking him for his good deeds by rewarding him with incredible luck. What good deeds? Eh¡.maybe feeding poor hungry wolves? Who knew! Anyway, why stop there!
Right now, Jack waspletely set with his weapons. He was 99% sure that it was impossible to have anything better at this stage of the game.
Jewelry would be impossible for now. He had to focus on the basic armor pieces (5/9). They were respectively: Helmet, chest, gloves, leggings, and shoes. It was time to visit plenty of NPCs!
Jack first passed by the potion shop. The olddy was still showing her wrinkly body in all its ugliness. ¡°What can I do for you, dear?¡± she murmured.
¡°The question should be more what I can do for you, beautiful.¡± What was a white lie in the grand scheme of farming affection points?
¡°Do for me? Do you think that I need your help to concoct potions or something?! I¡¯m perfectly capable of aplishing everything on my own!¡± She replied curtly. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned if I let a youngster tell me how to do my fucking job!¡±
¡°What about gathering ingredients?¡± Jack offered.
¡°Oh? I do need help with that. But don¡¯t expect too much money since I¡¯m the one that has the hard work of mixing it all. It requires great skill and¡ª¡±
¡°What do you need exactly?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve beencking in ingredients to craft health potions recently. I¡¯ll need you to venture into the New Leaf Forest and find some New Bloom¡¯s Brachyschomes as well as Begonias. I¡¯ll need about 12 of each. They look-like¡ª¡±
She began a long description but suddenly stopped in her track. Jack had just taken out what she had requested. She couldn¡¯t help but gasp. ¡°Wow, okay, what are the odds of you having some on you? Wow, just wow!¡±
She happily grabbed them all before handing him over three health potions. Seeing this, Jack couldn¡¯t help but grumble: ¡°C¡¯mon, you¡¯re going to make 12 of them with what I gave you. Three potions, really?¡±
¡°Tch¡ª Fine, there you go. This is my final offer.¡± Jack now had six potions in total, with each healing 20 HP. It would be beneficial for his uing endeavors.
¡°Great doing business with you. Is there anything else that you require?¡±
¡°As a matter of fact, yes. There¡¯s a recipe I¡¯ve been meaning to try. It requires 10 New Bloom¡¯s Poppy and 11 Chicory. These flowers look-like¡ª¡±
¡°There you go.¡± Jack happily handed it over.
¡°How the hell do you have that already?! Chicories can only be found in wolf territory?! Actually, I don¡¯t really care. I¡¯ll be back in a second. Wait here.¡± She then retreated to the backroom, only toe out 10 minutester.
¡°Ta-da! How is it? Notice anything different?¡± She appeared to be glowing and was fishing for apliment.
¡°Excuse me, young miss, have you seen the owner of this shop?¡± Jack yed along.
She had just concocted herself a new beauty cream. It was effective but barely. Still, he could hear the affection points rising (almost).
¡°Ho-ho-ho! It is I, the fair maiden and owner of this shop!¡± But then she looked at herself in the mirror. ¡°Actually, there is another recipe that I¡¯d like to test. Would you fetch a few more ingredients for me?¡±
When NPCs instantly suggested a new quest, it could be one of tho things:
1. This was a motherfucking chain quest!
2. They had realized the yer was a sucker that could be exploited.
¡°Sure thing.¡± Jack amicably replied.
¡°This time, I¡¯ll need 11 Brachyschomes, 12 Poppies, 13 Begonias, and a single Last Bloom¡¯s Darkrovia. Oh, and also a few fruits: here¡¯s a list (it was long). Now this time there¡¯s no way that¡ª¡±
But she instantly choked on her words. Jack was already getting everything ready. She couldn¡¯t help but rub her eyes as she saw him take out all the flowers along with apples, oranges, pears, and melons.
¡°H-how?!¡±
¡°I got the flowers in the forest, and the fruits from Steven''¡± Jack exined.
¡°What?¡± He shared his fruit stash with you?! He always tells me that it¡¯s private and that he can¡¯t afford to sell me any! This is so unfair!¡±
First world problem Infinite edition: an olddy raging about her inability to buy fresh fruits. But, she then proceeded to grab it all before hiding in the backroom once more. A few minutester, she was back, a cloud on her face.
¡°I was so close to seeding! I can feel it. I just need one more try and¡ª¡± She wasining aloud.
Jack wordlessly pushed more ingredients her way. This instantly wiped all that he still had. Sure he had gathered from arge forest area, but only once and alone. There was a limit to his stock.
A few minutester, she was back, overflowing with happiness. ¡°Damn, this rejuvenating smoothie tasted so good. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s that amazing!¡±
¡°You definitely look younger! Very pretty!¡± Jack gave her a thumbs up. This time the difference was noticeable with the naked eye.
¡°Thank you so much! I¡¯ll be researching this some more. Oh, right. I should reward you for helping me. Here, take this since I¡¯m in a good mood.¡± She shoved a pair of gloves in his hands before disappearing.
¡ª Ta-da-da! Acquired Gloves!¡ª
He quickly equipped it, already heading for his next target. While the gloves were pretty average, they did have a trait that made them pretty nice and gave an attribute.
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Umon Alchemist Gloves
Rank F
Level 5
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[Armor Rating] 2
[Armor Type] Leather
[Durability] Average
[Attribute] +1 SPI
[Trait] + Bonus Potion Healing
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Now, who should he visit? There was the general merchant, the magical Florist, the butcher, the training instructor, or even the vige chief as ast resort.
Jack hurriedly headed to Steven¡¯s shop. ¡°Hey there, I need some equipment. Do you have anything to sell?¡± He thundered.
¡°Oh, it¡¯s you! You¡¯re the one that helped me the other day to sort my new shipment. I swear you¡¯re the only good Samaritan in this vige! You said equipment, right?¡±
As the man checked his shop inventory, Jack couldn¡¯t help but find the situation funny. The NPC had a better opinion of him just because the yers didn¡¯t want to do his worthless quest.
To be fair, he could understand them. They weren¡¯t suckers that would clean up for free! Many probably had PTSD of their parents/spouse nagging them to clean their shit. They wouldn¡¯t do something like that for free!
¡°You¡¯re in luck! I have pants and boots. Is there any that interests you? I can put them aside for you if you don¡¯t have the funds just yet.¡± Steven asked with a warm smile.
¡°Any possibility to barter for it? I have lots of pelts from foxes and wolves.¡±
¡°Pelts? Most certainly, we can trade. How many do you have?¡±
That is when Jack showed the collection of pelt he had assembled by diligently snatching the corpses from the wolf army. ¡°Oh, this is awesome! I¡¯ll be able to turn a profit in no time.
Here you go, these two items shall be yours then.¡±
¡°Pleasure doing business with you.¡± It had only taken a minute to do the exchange, and this was another power spike for Jack.
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Umon Traveler¡¯s Boots
Rank F
Level 5
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[Armor Rating] 2
[Armor Type] Leather
[Durability] Good
[Attribute] +1 AGI
[Trait] + Bonus Walking Speed (Road)
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The passive waspletely useless in the forest, but the AGI was definitely something hecked. It was the same for the leggings as they both came from the Traveler series.
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Umon Traveler¡¯s Legging
Rank F
Level 5
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[Armor Rating] 2
[Armor Type] Leather
[Durability] Good
[Attribute] +1 AGI
[Trait] + Bonus Walking Speed (Road)
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Now, Jack was only missing a chest and a helmet. The Florist would likely be useless to him as he was the trainer for the mages¡but didn¡¯t know necromancy. The training instructor would probably have skills to offer.
That¡¯s why he headed toward the butcher shop. What did this have to do with the equipment? Well, Jack had plenty of meat to bargain with. That and what lied below the surface of it¡
As he entered the blood-smelling butcher shop, he was weed by the grin of the shopkeeper.
¡°Hey there! Would you like some thick sausages? I can assure you that mine are incredibly delicious!
But, he didn¡¯t have too much time to waste with that and went straight to the point. ¡°I need gear. Do you have anything lying around by any chance?¡±
¡°Brother, this is a butcher shop. What are you expecting?¡±
¡°Is that a no then?¡± Jack asked.
¡°Ah, let me check. I may have some stuff from my adventuring days.¡± He soon returned with a helmet in his hands. ¡°That¡¯s all that I have. But honestly, I¡¯m not sure if it could hold in battle¡±.
There was a metallic helmet in his hands that had seen better days. It was slightly rusty, and there seemed to be traces of blood on it. Yet, even with such a pitiful look, it didn¡¯t daunt Jack in the least.
¡°Nice! How about I trade it for some meat?¡±
¡°Maybe, but it will take a lot of it.¡±
¡°Here, how about this?¡± Jack began taking Fox and Wolf meat out, with the NPC nodding at the rtively well-made cuts.
But that¡¯s when Jack made human meat appear. Instantly, the NPC¡¯s face changed. Yet, there wasn¡¯t any sign of repulsion on it.
No, he was suddenly grinning¡..
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[A/N] The uing chapters are sponsored by Ragewaar! Is it a bird, is it a ne? It¡¯s a goddamn Spacecraft!! ?? Thanks for the message promotion ^_^v
Creator¡¯s Thought
Questing can be useful. It¡¯s a great way to kickstart one¡¯s progression. This especially applies in beginner viges. After all, when spawning one ispletely naked. In a few minutes, I had already more than doubled my items. Great, am I right? I wasn¡¯t even remotely done either!
Chapter 47: Full Motherfucking Set! (Kinda)
Chapter 47: Full Motherfucking Set! (Kinda)
As the butcherid eyes upon the human flesh, a humongous grin blossomed on his face.
A regr yer would have found the NPC¡¯s expression ominous. At this moment, he 100% looked like a viin. As for Jack? He grinned back, the both of them sharing a nce.
¡°I like your style, kid. At the end of the day, meat is meat, am I right?¡±
¡°Indeed.¡±
¡°Still, you should be careful with stuff like that. Some people wouldn¡¯t see too kindly to such¡.business. Lucky for you, we¡¯re the same, haha.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why I came to see you.¡± Jack winked, mustering his best salesman voice. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that this meat right here is fresh, organic, free-range, without additive and forest to table. Isn¡¯t it great!¡±
¡°Hahahaha! This is the freaking best! Turning braves into cattle would be condemnable everywhere, but I sure love the irony. The braves who indiscriminately destroy everything in their path, now suffering the same fate as the monsters they ughter.¡±
¡°You really dislike braves, eh?¡±
¡°Braves? No, not themselves. It¡¯s the hypocrisy that I loathe. I¡¯ve heard many of them im to be heralds of the gods, but all they¡¯re doing is follow our ¡°dear¡± vige chief¡¯s directives. They kill chickens and ask for free stuff in the name of themon good.¡± He scoffed.
¡°So, can I trade this for the helmet?¡±
¡°Helmet? Sure, why not! Actually, I may have something else for you too, something that only butchers are allowed to use.¡±
¡°Oh? Do I have a test to pass?¡±
¡°Please! I really doubt you received help obtaining that kind of special ¡°product¡±. Such a crime is not one that others would ever share with the world. It could only end in a catastrophe. Anyway, be right back.¡±
Hide it from the world, was it? Well, it was true that collecting human meat was seen as vile by the general public. Yet fighting and killing one¡¯s opponents was seen as heroic. The world praised wasting resources. What a joke!
The NPC had left the helmet behind. Jack happily wore it, instantly noticing how peculiar it was. The blood and rust covering it made it look pretty much worthless. How long ago had itst been maintained?
But, as he equipped it, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. He was so damn d not to have traded with the vige chief. He would have ended up with a way shittier product.
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Rusty Bloodstained Helmet
Rank F
Level 5
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[Armor Rating] 1
[Armor Type] te
[Durability] Bad
[Attribute] +0 STR, +0 AGI
[Trait] + Blood Scent (+1)
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This was so goddamn worth it!
This was pretty much the equivalent of a cursed item. Contrary to popr beliefs, some of the strongest items in Infinite were cursed items. It simply meant power at a cost.
Hell, the Herald of Light¡¯s power could have been considered cursed since he had to follow the goddess¡¯smandments.
This Bloodstained Helmet had a low Armor rating (1 instead of 2), had low durability, and didn¡¯t give any attribute, but the trait more than made up for it. Blood scent was probably one of the loveliest traits.
Any time there was the smell of blood in the surroundings, it would buff one¡¯s stats. This meant that it would give +1 STR and +1 AGI whenever something was bleeding nearby. This was super easy to activate!
The butcher came back. ¡°Here, try this too.¡± He handed him a leather butcher¡¯s apron. Jack instantly noticed the heavy smell of blood on it. It was so strong and smelled so heavenly!
Why heavenly? Because such a heavy smell would freaking activate the Blood Scent Trait. How freaking awesome was that?! It was as if the two items had been made to be used together.
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Umon Bloodstained jacket
Rank F+
Level 10
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[Armor Rating] 3
[Armor Type] Leather
[Durability] Very Good
[Attribute] + Regeneration if ?? (¡ª)
[Trait] + Blood Bank (??)
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This was just getting better and better! A rare trait!
Blood Bank meant that it would store the blood that fell upon it. This was what gave it this heavy blood scent.
As for the attribute, it was a conditional one. As long as there was blood in the blood bank, it would boost one¡¯s regeneration. The regeneration was unranked (¡ª) and wouldn¡¯t be noticeable inbat, but it nheless would be a big help.
Regeneration out ofbat could be done with food, but there was always a limit to it. It precisely was what he needed! This would speed up the process and increase the potential hunting time.
¡°So, what do you think? It¡¯s a bit messy but¡ª¡±
¡°I love it! This is way better than what I¡¯d hope to find in a beginner vige!¡± Jack praised.
¡°What do you mean beginner vige?! The world doesn¡¯t revolve around you braves. It¡¯s my vige. You can drop the beginner part!¡± The butcher mumbled.
¡°Sorry, you¡¯re right.¡± Jack couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.
¡°Anyway, how much meat do you have? It would take about 100 pieces to be able to afford this, but I can¡ª¡± He suddenly stopped talking as he saw Jack grab a ton of meat from his inventory. Thank god for the fact that ingredients could be stacked!
¡°How the fuck do you have so much of it?! How many braves did you kill to get that?!¡±
¡°Eh¡all of them?¡± Jack honestly replied. Well, there were the Mighty Wolves that had survived, but that was pretty much it.
¡°I take it back. You and I are nothing alike! Fuck! You¡¯re freaking crazy!¡±
¡°Thanks for thepliment.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t one, you bastard!¡± He then took a few moments to calm his breathing, mumbling a lowly ¡°everything will be alright¡± to reassure himself.
They thenpleted the trade, with Jack being all smiles. He had gone from naked to fully equipped in one go! Hell to the fucking yeah!
But that¡¯s when an earth-shattering despair-induced cry resounded. On the floor was the little wolf who had been hopping around happily exploring this new human world. It was now staring at the hundred meat portions they were losing.
This was a catastrophe! They were losing all their tasty food, and for what? For an old leather jacket and helmet?! This was definitely a bad trade! Never had there been a more pitiful-looking wolf.
¡°Woo!¡± It began howling lowly in outrage. Its meaning was clear. ¡°(Master, you have to stay strong and protect the meat!!!)¡±
The butcher began to guffaw as he went in the backroom for a second beforeing back with a bit of cooked meat that smelled heavenly. It was a small piece of steak that just had the perfect juiciness to it.
¡°Here you go, little one. Try this.¡±
¡°Woo.¡± The little wolf looked at it suspiciously before tentatively taking a small bite with Jack¡¯s urging.
That¡¯s when the little wolf¡¯s eyes opened wide in utter shock as it licked its lips. It was its first time tasting a cooked meal, and it waspletely mind blown! How could this taste so good?!
¡°Hehe, it¡¯s nice, isn¡¯t it? Want some too?¡± He offered Jack, and the three of them began eating in pure bliss. After a few bites, a system message he had expected appeared.
[Ate Home Cooking! Satiety Rising!]
[Well-Fed! Increased Regeneration!]
Well, there was also an additional message that made him double-check:
[Ate Human Flesh! Congrattion?]
[Acquired Title: Cannibalism! Dyspepsia Resistance!]
That¡¯s when Jack gave a second nce at the food he had been shoving down his throat¡.Okay, now that he got a good look at it, it seemed about right.
He did what anyone else in his position would have done. He shrugged nonchntly. He would have unlocked the title at some point either way.
That¡¯s how a meal that anyone sane would have considered revolting ended up being shared in harmony between newfound friends. Ah, life sure was beautiful. Luckily for the other yers¡¯ hearts, they were utterly oblivious to it.
This meal was a great way to celebrate Jack¡¯s sess and had the slight side-effect of giving the small wolf a newfound appreciation for human flesh.
Yep, this new Status sure looked good!
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[ STATUS! ]
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yer: Jack¡¯ O Level 2
ss: None
Title: Anti-Chicken Militia
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HP: 24
Mana: 12
Condition: Healthy
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Armor Rating: 10 (50%)
Defense Type: Bnced
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STR: 7 + 1
AGI: 1 + 3
INT: 1
SPI: 1 + 1
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¨C Gathering F
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¨C Well-Fed
¨C Regeneration (¡ª)
¨C Blood Scent (1 STR + 1 AGI )
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He couldn¡¯t help but happily nod as he checked his Status screen. His total stats had gone from 10 to 15, but more importantly, he now had an Armor Rating. An AR of 10 was OP for his level!
A level 2 yer wouldn¡¯t usually have any damage resistance. This alone was already very strong, but one also had to factor in his shield and regeneration. He had just gone from ss-canon to beefcake.
The % of damage reduction couldn¡¯t be trusted since too many variables impacted it. It was only an approximation of how he¡¯d fare against typical yers his level.
As for the defense type, it simply meant that he would resist as well to magic as physical attacks. This was because most of his gear was leather.
Jack couldn¡¯t help but find it hrious how his only skill was gathering. How would the others react if they knew this? Well, his butchering skill would likely reach the same level soon (aka level 5).
But, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that this was something he had to fix as he remembered the holy trinity for gamers!
XP ?? (Level 2 was a start)
Gear ?? (All essential armor pieces)
Skills ¡ª> Current Objective
It was time to learn abat skill, one that would send terror into the hearts of his enemies, one that would make them all feel helpless¡
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[A/N] CA is getting a banner right now! ?? As soon as RPP reaches 5K monthly PRIVs unlocked = surprise for you all. (Not sure what yet, gotta think of something, haha)
Creator¡¯s Thought
I always enjoyed the cursed bloody sets. They¡¯re perfect for min-maxing. It¡¯s the type of set that bes stronger the more you kill. It sucks in a 1v1 scenario, but it can show great prowess on the battlefield. As the Herald of Light, I sadly had to stay far away from such items, it was a huge fucking bummer!
Chapter 48: Engulfing Mana Room!
Chapter 48: Engulfing Mana Room!
At the New Leaf in, the yers were still gathered in a circle, discussing. But they suddenly became utterly silent as a man left the vige.
¡°Is it a new NPC?¡±
¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s him!
¡°What¡¯s with that appearance?!¡±
¡°All of you, quick, act natural!¡±
Jack couldn¡¯t help but raise a brow. What the fuck were they doing? ying with their dicks or what? Oh well, it wasn¡¯t his business how they desired to y Infinite. He ignored their peculiar behavior and went toward the training camp.
It was finally time to collect his long-awaited reward!
It waspletely deserted, with only the training instructor present. The man was busy crafting yet another wooden training dummy, but why did it have huge wooden tits? Was he crafting a dummy or a sex doll?!
Sensing his gaze, Igor turned around:
¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. What do you think? Does this look natural? The braves kept insisting that it would help them get fired up.¡±
¡°Uh, I¡¯m sure it will get them fired up.¡± Probably in more ways than one.
¡°Great! Anyway, what brings you here? Also, what¡¯s with the wolf? How did you manage to tame it? One thing that¡¯s for sure is that you¡¯re resourceful.¡±
¡°I want to train in an Engulfing Mana Room. You can set one up, right?¡± Jack inquired.
¡°What?! Do you have a death wish?!¡± He bellowed so loudly that it shocked the entire in residents.
The yers turned toward the training camp shocked, the chickens plopped on the ground trying to make themselves invisible, and even the man-eating nts stopped swaying in the wind!
They all perked their ears, attentively paying attention to themotion. The yers felt their hearts beat faster. What could have possibly agitated the stern Training Instructor so much?!
¡°An Engulfing Mana Room?! Are you serious?! It¡¯s way too soon for you to use something like that! You need to be many times stronger, or you¡¯ll end up dead or worse crippled!¡± He shouted.
¡°No need to make such a big deal out of it¡ª¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think you understand! Even if the gods bring you back, you may remain crippled forever! It would be toote for regret then!¡± Igor hammered it all in. He wouldn¡¯t let such a promising youngster ruin himself!
¡°Look, I get it. You like me and worry, but there¡¯s no need, really.¡±
¡°Like? It has nothing to do with liking. I don¡¯t want anyone to die needlessly under my watch.¡± The wannabe tsundere instructor rebuked. It was almost cute.
¡°Igor, tell me, do you remember how I beat you up in the Glory Trial? Did you think I could win then?¡±
¡°Of course not, but¡ª¡±
¡°Great, and who knocked you unconscious?¡±
¡°You, but this is a different matter and¡ª¡±
¡°Who¡¯s the one doubting me yet again?¡±
¡°It¡¯s me, but I really¡ª¡±
¡°Exactly! Now, lead the way.¡± Jack gave him a peaceful smile as he gestured him to move his ass.
¡°That I¡ª What If? ¡ª Ah, fine!¡±
¡°You promise you won¡¯t nag me anymore?¡± Jack shamelessly requested.
¡°Alright¡.¡±
¡°Great!¡±
A dejected Igor began leading the way toward the vige. He still had the feeling that he wasmitting a great mistake, but this brave was so confident and stubborn! It wasn¡¯t like he could prevent him from courting death forever¡
They reached his incredible house. At first nce, there wasn¡¯t any door, but it was actually on the roof. The NPC grabbed him (+wolf) and jumped straight upward, with a gigantic leap! #How to Keep Visitors at Bay.
The interior of the room was so austere that it seemed empty. Well, until the man moved a brown carpet, revealing a secret trapdoor with an irondder leading downward. This was a secret base!
¡°Nice.¡± Jack couldn¡¯t help but praise.
The underground had been turned into one big training facility that was surprisingly well lit. Jack nced appreciatively at the glowing yellow crystals embedded in the walls that gave a warm glow.
¡°These are called Fool¡¯s Sun. It gives a radiant yellow glimmer that brings false hope to those who see it. Ironically it disintegrates if ites into contact with sunlight. Alright, keep following.¡±
Nearby was a small room that looked simr to a solitary confinement one. There was even one massive iron door that looked as heavy as a few dozen Jacks.
¡°This is it. Are you really sure you want to do this?¡± Igor asked onest time.
¡°Yep. Stop worrying. I wouldn¡¯t do this if I weren¡¯t confident.¡± Jack gave him a reassuring nce.
¡°Fine. I¡¯ll get you a catalyst, and we¡¯ll be ready to begin.¡±
¡°No need, I have my own.¡± Jack retorted as he summoned the Bloodstained Chicken Feather he had obtained a while back.
As soon as Igor noticed it, he began trembling. He stared at it shellshocked, his mouth opening and closing akin to a yellow rat overwhelmed by surprise.
¡°Are you really gonna use that?! You don¡¯t just have a death wish. You already have a foot in the grave! This catalyst is far too powerful for a beginner!¡± He vehemently objected.
¡°You promised me not to nag. Alright, watch the little one while I¡¯m in there. See you soon.¡± Jack instructed.
Nagging? Igor was trying to save a life! But, as he saw the resolve in the youngster¡¯s eyes, he realized that he wouldn¡¯t back down no matter what. He could only clench his teeth and go along with it. As he closed the metal door, an awful creaking sound resounded.
Inside, Jack was reminded of being buried alive. The air felt incredibly heavy, without a sound except the soft beating of his heart. But suddenly, the feather began pulsating with a bloody red glow, its light permeating the air.
¡ªWoosh!¡ª
An incredible quantity of mana began gushing in, driven inside by Igor. This was the Engulfing Mana training: his body and mind would be overwhelmed by chaotic mana, and he would have to resist it.
His only path to salvation was to draw upon the power of the catalyst. The struggle would bring forth improvement, with the difficulty varying a lot depending on the catalyst used.
The one that Jack had chosen just so happened to be a Boss drop. This meant that not only would he have to resist the high mana quantity but also the remnant of the enemy¡¯s energy.
Igor had been right, this was nothing short of suicide! A singlepse in focus would result in his ount being crippled.
Yet, Jack seemed rxed as he even closed his eyes, feeling the power of the feather. The spirit of the Chicken Overlord suddenly began to feed on the ambient mana, quickly forming a bloody red shadow creeping toward the brave.
¡°You¡¯re nothing but a meager chicken, one that¡¯s already dead to boot. Talk about ridiculous!¡± Jack didn¡¯t hesitate to taunt his adversary.
¡°Cluck¡ª Cluck¡ªCluck!!!¡± The bloody shadow cried out as ittched onto the defenseless human, starting to peck at its brain.
Jack instantly winced in pain. It was as if his head was about to explode, and there was nothing he could do to alleviate it. It was as if he were a hungover student battling an impossibly dreadful math exam!
The evil spirit relentlessly kept the offensive going.
¡°Cluck¡ª Cluck¡ªCluck!!!¡±
¡°Cluck¡ª Cluck¡ªCluck!!!¡±
The damn clucking was so loud that it transcended the walls of the metallic room and even reached the vige itself.
¡°Cluck¡ª Cluck¡ªCluck!!!¡±
¡°Cluck¡ª Cluck¡ªCluck!!!¡±
On the surface, the various NPCs couldn¡¯t help but shiver. That aura brought back old memories and nightmares from the past.
¡°Cluck¡ª Cluck¡ªCluck!!!¡±
¡°Cluck¡ª Cluck¡ªCluck!!!¡±
¡°Will you shut the fuck up already, you damn failure! What kind of chicken is so red? You¡¯re aplete sham. Get lost!¡± He criticized.
¡°Cluck¡ª Cluck¡ªCluck!!!¡±
¡°Cluck¡ª Cluck¡ªCluck!!!¡±
But, there was no way that it could be so simple. The spirit suddenly grew in size, seemingly giving up on its initial n. Its body then began to bubble as if blood was boiling.
A secondter, the evil presence began inting. It became sorge that it covered the entire room. That¡¯s when it turned toward the weak human, devouring it entirely.
All that one could hear were the painful screams of the reckless brave.
The training instructor waited and waited, knowing that he couldn¡¯t interfere. He waited until the screams were no more, only an ominous silence remaining. Was it over? Was the man still alive?
He hurriedly mmed the door open, the man in the middle turning his way.
¡°Ah, you¡¯re still alright! Congrat¡ª¡± but he suddenly gasped as he noticed the man¡¯s bizarre state.
Jack¡¯s head was slightly tilted to the side, his eyes were nk, and his arms iled around aimlessly. It got worse as he began glowing a deep bloody red. This wasn¡¯t an aura a brave should emit. Was it even human?
Jack (?) slowly opened his mouth uttering a shrill:
¡°Cluck¡ª Cluck¡ªCluck!!!¡±
Igor¡¯s face turned livid. The man, no, the thing made chicken noises. It could only mean one thing: there had been a remnant spirit in the catalyst. This evil had now taken over the man, possibly forever.
The stern training instructor choked for a second, tears streaming down his cheeks. What a fucking waste! If only he had stopped him, if only he had remained adamant. He felt pity and incredible sadness. It was all his fault it was¡ª
¡°So, are you still going to im that you don¡¯t care? You ain¡¯t very convincing with all these tears, you know.¡± Jack uttered.
What?! That¡¯s when Igor noticed the teasing look in the man¡¯s eyes and his slight smirk. He¡¯d been messing with him all along?! Just to prove a point?!
The little wolf was even approaching its master, not a care in the world, as it excitedly shook its ass and howled happily.
¡°Alright¡fine. I do care a little, and I kinda like you.¡± Igor finally admitted.
¡°Hehe, knew it. Anyway, time to test this new skill, shall we?¡±
¡°What?! You managed to get a skill?!¡±
¡°Yep, it¡¯s called Bloody Cleave¡±
It was time to figure out how OP this new ability was¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
At this point, I was collecting the benefits of having a high affinity with the training instructor. Had he not been impressed by my earlier performance in the duel, this wouldn¡¯t have been possible. As for the little stunt at the end¡.well his face was hrious!
Chapter 49: Jack Already has Fans?! (1/2)
Chapter 49: Jack Already has Fans?! (1/2)
Murmurs could be heard as tons of yers stared at the training camp.
They had seen Jack leave with a panicked training instructor, only for the two of them toe back an hourter. The NPC was red in the face from excitement. What in the nine heavens had they been up to?
The curious bystanders sneakily lurked, trying to eavesdrop on what was happening in the camp, only for the NPC to nce at them before raising a hand.
That¡¯s when arge golden screen rose and blocked their vision. It left them with a glimpse of Jack facing against an army of dummies.
¡°I wonder what they¡¯re doing.¡±
¡°Maybe it¡¯s a hidden training quest?¡±
¡°It must be given how the NPC reacted earlier!¡±
They were dying to know what was happening inside but could only wait patiently. A few minutester, the golden barrier went down with them squinting their eyes to peer at the scene.
Sadly, they didn¡¯t know how to interpret this situation. The training instructor was maniacallyughing while standing amid tons of broken dummies.
The yers uttered in shock:
¡°What the heck happened here?!¡±
¡°The dummies here are so sturdy too!¡±
¡°Say, do you think that guy destroyed them all?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe? This was probably a test, and he probably passed it with flying colors.¡±
¡°No way! That¡¯s way too much destruction. It had to be the instructor making a demonstration!¡±
¡°Either way, That guy is crazy strong. But, he¡¯s gone, and we should probably get back to farming.¡±
The yers couldn¡¯t help but shiver as they pictured themselves suffering the same fate as those dummies for offending the one they called Demon King.
Many stepped forward excitedly, resolved to follow in the demon¡¯s footsteps. They¡¯d pester the NPC until he agreed to teach them his secret technique too!
Some were indifferent and returned to their business. They were so damn eager to level up and would let the others test the waters first.
Then there were the ones that looked at the scene with scorn. The Mighty Dragons stood on the side, heatedly discussing their current situation.
¡°There¡¯s no other way to say this: we got fucked real hard.¡±
¡°Before, they were all eager to kill the guy, but now everyone is scared.¡±
¡°The randos don¡¯t even want to join our guild anymore. They¡¯re worried about trouble.
¡°Trouble? What fucking trouble? One lone guy? Are you freaking kidding me! What do they take us dragons for?!¡±
Their faces twitched with displeasure. They had gone from being the masters of this vige to a guild that people avoided like the gue! All because of that one event! How had things turned this way?
What were they supposed to do now? But that¡¯s when their leader intervened:
¡°Our current problem is that they see this one guy as a god, or close. Thanks to this little stunt of his, with the butchering and all, he has driven fear into their hearts. But, this is also his weakness.¡±
They nced at one another. How was being revered a weakness? Not only did people fear him, but they were beginning to respect him too.
¡°We just need to show that he¡¯s a simple mortal like everyone else. We¡¯ll execute him publicly, and we¡¯ll be on top once more. We¡¯ve already defeated him before, and we¡¯ll do it again!¡±
The arrogant dragon nced at them all, making sure his subordinates were on board with his n:
¡°Alright, here¡¯s precisely how we¡¯ll proceed.¡±
Thus started a very in-depth briefing, one that had them grinning and praising the wisdom of their leader.
It was time to take down the Demon King¡
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Jack slowly awoke, his entire body trembling and his breathingborious. His chest felt like it was on fire, drenched with sweat.
This was to be expected. That previous training had put so much strain on his mind that it had even affected his body. It was akin to having a terrible nightmare, leaving one with palpitations even if only an illusion.
The shortcuts in Infinite were oftenden with traps. One had to prove worthy of the rewards. In this case, it had required resisting the corruption of a level 6 Boss as a level 2 character.
But, he had seeded!
He used the same trick he had employed on the Nihility Dragon in another life: sheer fucking willpower! Thanks to it, he had received a new skill and had avoided having his ount cursed.
Just as he was reveling in the happiness, he froze as something soft and warm began gently caressing him. Then there was the sensation of a cloth delicately rubbing against his skin, slowly wiping away the sweat. Finally, a tender whisper reached his ears:
¡°You¡¯re truly giving it your all, aren¡¯t you? I wonder what you¡¯re seeing and feeling right now. Is it some terrifying monsters? Perhaps some dastardly PK yers? Maybe you¡¯re doing some harsh training¡It seems soborious.¡±
Jack selfishly kept his eyes closed as he slowly calmed his breathing, basking in the warmth. He truly was so damn lucky! What had he done to deserve such a caring and tender treatment? As if on cue, Lilly kept murmuring.
¡°You made it all seem so easy: how you dealt with the debt collectors, how you threw yourself into this new profession, and how you saved dad. It can¡¯t be easy, yet you neverined, not once.¡±
He felt her concern, her gratefulness, but also a trace of self-me. This wouldn¡¯t do. He sneak-attacked her, gently grabbed her slender wrist, sensing her quiver in surprise.
¡°Ah! Since when were you awake?! Ahhh!¡± Lilly cried out as Jack wordlessly dragged her into a bear hug. She iled for about a second before letting her body go soft. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d hear that.¡± She confided, embarrassed.
¡°There¡¯s no need to worry one bit. In fact, I¡¯m expressively forbidding worrying from now on, is that understood?¡± He uttered in a mock stern voice while lightly patting her head.
¡°What about school? Shouldn¡¯t I worry about it?¡± She mischievously stuck her tongue out.
¡°Nope. Just do your best, that¡¯s all. If worsees to worst, I¡¯ll hire you as an errand girl to get me the most delicious snacks from all over the city.¡±
¡°Really? That sounds quite pleasant. At this rate, my will to study will melt akin to chocte in a volcano.¡± She teased.
¡°Oh, far from it, youngdy. It is an unforgiving job with horrible work conditions, unpaid overtime, and an abominable ve-driver boss.¡± He exaggeratedly warned.
¡°Pffft¡ª Yeah, right. As if I¡¯d believe that!¡± She giggled.
¡°Anyway, I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re already back. I must be losing my sense of time, for I would have sworn you¡¯d still be at work.¡±
¡°Oh, yeah, the calibration machine exploded, so it ended earlier.¡± She nonchntly replied.
¡°¡.What?!¡± Jack had never heard of the VR equipment having issues, ever.
¡°Not sure, but no one was hurt.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Hey, on my way home, I stumbled upon a crazy Infinite story.¡±
¡°?¡±
¡°Apparently, all yers are assigned to random starter viges. There¡¯s one with a crazy yer who¡¯s already being called a Demon King. People say he¡¯s a bloodthirsty, ruthless guy who used to work as a hitman IRL!¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Jack had no clue who she was talking about.
Was it that guy with the demon soul? No, it was too soon. A hitman? Usually, those guys became assassins in Infinite or something peaceful like fishermen or bakers. Then again, it didn¡¯t really matter.
¡°It¡¯s a guy from a ce called New Leaf Vige¡.¡±
That sure felt familiar¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
She didn¡¯t know it, but between the two of us, Lilly was the strong one. I got all my resilience from years of hardships, of crawling my way to the top and fighting daily. Yet, she had always managed to remain herself no matter what this crazy world threw at us, from the very start.
Chapter 50: Jack Already has Fans?! (2/2)
Chapter 50: Jack Already has Fans?! (2/2)
¡°Oh?¡± Jack had no clue who she was talking about.
Was it that guy with the demon soul? No, it was too soon. A hitman? Usually, those guys became assassins in Infinite or something peaceful like fishermen or bakers. Then again, it didn¡¯t really matter.
¡°It¡¯s a guy from a ce called New Leaf Vige. He led a wolf army to devour every other yer in the vige. They say he used dark magic to brainwash the monsters and even went out of his way to torture his victims!¡±
¡°Cough, cough! I see¡¡± Who the heck was spreading such bullshit about him?! The yers sure were free and imaginative.
¡°Here, let me show you! I feel like we definitely have to watch this guy and figure out his secrets!¡± She wrestled away from his embrace, fishing her phone excitedly.
¡°There¡¯s really no need for¡ª¡± Jack gave an embarrassed smile but couldn¡¯t help but appreciate the thought. She had been researching the game to help him.
But she suddenly gasped in shock. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s news! You gotta look at this for sure. Someone¡¯s already analyzing him. Ah, it¡¯s probably a disguised smear piece.¡±
She shoved the small screen in his face. What attracted his attention first wasn¡¯t the content but the screen itself, with cracks all over.
Making a mental note to buy her a new one, he began reading aloud in a needlessly deep narrating voice.
The ¡°amazing¡± Demon King
1. The truth behind the Wolf invasion: It wasn¡¯t rted to him at all.
2. The truth behind the so-called ¡°brainwashing¡±: The key lies with the wolf pup in the boss clearing.
3. The truth behind the invincible Demon King: He is fairly strong but has been defeated in the past and will be in the future. The gear he received from the Chicken Onught is increasing his might.
4. The truth behind his torture method: While somewhat shocking, it isn¡¯t that hard to reproduce. The butcher in New Leaf vige sells a butcher knife for 1 G. This item allows butchering monsters and humans alike.
5. In conclusion, while this yer shows great prowess, his reputation isrgely inted. This begs to question whether this is all a publicity stunt or an enormous misunderstanding.
This had been posted anonymously with details for every point. Jack couldn¡¯t help but nod appreciatively. He even happily gave it a like and added a supportivement.
¨C Devilish Lilly: Great work and very urate! This is totally a misunderstanding, d that you noticed! ^_^b
He couldn¡¯t help but notice the username. Devilish Lilly? How silly! She was the sweetest girl he knew.
She peeked, watching him type, before pointing to the screen again. There were already replies to hisment.
¨C Demon¡¯s King #1 Fan: @Lilly, You really should get all the facts straight before you write something dumb. I have a friend in New Leaf vige, and the Demon King is real!
¨C I Smell Bullshit: @Lilly, A misunderstanding? No F-ing way! All of this is a marketing scheme. I bet this Demon King guy will be streaming for sure once they make that function avable.
¨C Demon King Simp: I hope he¡¯s gonna be streaming! Otherwise, how are we supposed to gaze at his handsome appearance! Also, @Lilly, WTF do you mean urate?! GTFO!
¨C ming For Evil: @Lilly, Shut your trap. You¡¯re just jealous of how amazing he is! I bet you¡¯re a fat middle-aged dude eating dick sandwiches all day long!
¨C There Be Idiots: The above analysis is very logical. If you can¡¯t even understand it, then it¡¯s okay. That Demon King guy is evidently a wannabe throwing money around to make a sensation. It¡¯s all fake news! @Lilly, Don¡¯t be so naive, it¡¯s not a misunderstanding.
¨C Devilish Lilly: Once upon a time, I gazed at the culmination of human intelligence. It was a tool allowing instant transmission of infinite knowledge, without any boundary. How marvelous it appeared!¡.
¨C Devilish Lilly:¡.But then I met all of you guys above, masquerading as fellow knowledge seekers. I then sighed to myself, praying for you all. This ain¡¯t it chief, no intelligent life to be found here!
¨C I See Braindead People: @Lilly, Wee to my world. The Fools always mor the loudest. Better get used to it.
Then came a series of insults from literally all parties involved but the ¡°I See Braindead People¡± guy.
¡°Wow, that is a lot of hate! Dick sucker, idiot sandwich, brain-dead snowke, bat fucker, ¡ª¡± Lilly described in real-time.
¡°Ah, sorry about that. I should have logged out of your ount and¡ª¡± Jack apologized.
¡°Hehe, all good. Sadly I am forbidden from worrying, and this ought to include trolls on the Inte.¡± She winked at him yfully.
¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡±
¡°Anyway, spill the beans. Seeing how you reacted, you probably know who they¡¯re talking about. Is it a friend, perhaps? You spawned in New Leaf vige, am I right?¡± She inquisitively nced at him, akin to a detective.
¡°Eh, yeah. I did.¡± He admitted.
¡°Who is he? Tell me more! I¡¯ll keep it a secret if you want.¡±
Jack couldn¡¯t help but scratch his head awkwardly under her heated gaze.
¡°Well¡ I¡¯m pretty sure that they¡¯re talking about me.¡±
¡°Pfft¡ª Hahahaha! So you just got insulted by your fans?! Wow. They sure are very¡peculiar. Getting any more fans could be dangerous if they¡¯re all like that!¡± Sheughed heartily.
There was so much trust in her eyes. So what if others called him a demon? She knew the real him and that he was kind. Still, how would she react if she learned of all the shady stuff he had done in his previous life?
After a good minute ofughing at such an incredible misunderstanding, she regained herposure. She then nced at him thoughtfully with a trace of worry in her furrowed brows.
¡°You have to be careful. I really think that someone is trying to undermine your reputation. They¡¯re probably feeling threatened by your growing influence in the beginner vige.¡± She wisely warned.
¡°I told you not to worry. Also, I¡¯m not in danger. I am the danger!¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that from a show or something?¡± She instantly remarked.
¡°My point still stands.¡±
¡°Alright, alright, I get it! So what are you nning now?¡± She inquired.
¡°Well, my break is over. Time to head back to Infinite!¡±
Jack resolutely logged back in. After the ndering, he would probably be attacked directly. But, they would soon find out that he was very different from the weakling he had been yesterday.
In fact, he quite looked forward to it¡.
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[A/N] This was supposed to be 1 short chapter and somehow the words magically increased. I¡¯m innocent, I swear! Thoughts on Lilly and her online nickname?
Creator¡¯s Thought
Note to self: this persona of the Demon King has a few braindead fans. Here are a few points to consider: 1. How to remain hidden from the shitstorm they will inevitably cause 2. How to use them as free and probably unskilledbor. 3. How to avoid breaking anyw IRL. (Many forms of modern very are perfectly legal, but not all)
Chapter 51: The Demon King’s Song
Chapter 51: The Demon King¡¯s Song
A man spawned back in the training camp in a sh of purple light. As usual, there were plenty of yers whacking dummies as they got used to the game controls.
A few secondster gasps already resounded as yers noticed Jack. As he headed to the in, they all got out of his way hurriedly. They looked like terrified little piggies having seen the big bad wolf. How silly they were! He could only shake his head.
At the ins, many were shouting recruitment messages:
¡°Party of 5, need one more for hunting chickens!¡±
¡°Looking for one big stick chicken warrior!¡±
¡°Looking for a carry! Paying with Vinemo!¡±
¡°Recruiting four more, sexy babes only!¡±
¡°Selling coins for IRL credi¡ª¡±
¡°Wait¡did that gold seller just get insta-banned?!¡±
¡°Haha, this is great! Those guys are so goddamn annoying!¡±
Indeed, Infinite had a zero-tolerance policy for such conduct. Why? Simply because they would soon release a simr feature: the Credits to Gold exchange. It would allow yers to trade using Credits safely without fear of getting scammed.
The yers sure were lively! They ran around in small groups, struggling to tag the newly respawned chickens (MMO equivalent of calling dibs). Then, they would struggle to defeat their target, sometimes suffering casualties or even wiping.
It went a bit like this:
¡°Guys, I¡¯ve managed to tag a chicken¡.wait, guys? Where are you?¡± ¡ª Pecked to death.
¡°This chicken is ours! ¡Wait, it¡¯s a level 4 chicken?! Fuck!¡± ¡ª Stomped to death.
¡°I¡¯m so fucking good at dodging their charge now! Wait, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡ª Eaten by a nt.
¡°Hell yeah, 3 Fucking Damage Baby! Chicken Warrior FTW!¡± ¡ª Eviscerated while gloating.
¡°Goddammit, the Mighty Guilds are monopolizing too many spawns, leave some for us guildess peeps!¡± ¡ª Devoured whileining.
Jack couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile. The level 3-4 chicken areas werepletely deserted. The creatures were strutting around like kings, even taunting the nearby yers.
¡ª Cluck, cluck, cluck! ¡ª
Meanwhile, the yers were pressed like sardines in the level 2 chicken areas. This made for a ridiculous picture. But that¡¯s when many waiting for their target to respawn cried out loud.
¡°Wait, is there someone going to challenge the higher-level chickens?¡±
¡°Oh shit, he¡¯s back. That¡¯s the Demon King!¡±
¡°Ah! A wolf! Oh wait, that¡¯s his pet.¡±
¡°Arrrgggg!¡± ¡ª Died while distracted.
Amidst the yers¡¯ excited shouts, Jack reached his target, a level 4 chicken. Would he fight others for the level 2 chickens? Hell naw! Ain¡¯t nobody got time for that! (Not him anyway)
The creature stared at the foolish human with its tiny yellow eyes. How many had perished under its beak and talons? Countless! These weak featherless humans were just food for it! It even posed majestically while looking down on Jack.
What was up with this chicken? Why was it so arrogant? Oh well, without waiting he attacked it. The chicken didn¡¯t even bother to dodge. Was 1-3 damage frightening? Nope, it got ready to counterattack instead!
As the Cluckinator connected with the monster, many jumped in shock.
¨C 9
What the fuck?! How could his damage be so high?! This guy had the power of 3 chicken warriorsbined. The chicken felt a sense of doom looming over it as it charged with all its might.
But, all that Jack did was side-step it with perfect timing. Hell, one side of the creature¡¯s beak even slid on his ear. While it was in the air, he kept the assault going.
-8
-9
The chickennded, turned around, and pecked at the ankles of the man. It would destroy his goddamn legs, and then the fight would be his. Sadly for it, his victim had already jumped.
To the bystanders, it appeared as if Jack just nonchntly raised his foot with the chicken throwing itself under his boot. Wait¡just the fact that he had shoes was impressive enough!
Jack shed the chicken some more as he literally walked all over it.
-7
-9
The poor chicken rolled on itself and prepared to fight to itsst breath. It wouldn¡¯t let itself get hunted so easily. It gave the most ferocious cluck of its entire life and¡ª
-8
Well, it sadly ran out of HP before it could enact vengeance.
+16 XP
Oh? It seemed the system had added XP prompts. It would keep the yers motivated in their quest for world genocide.
As the chicken began to disappear in red particles, the surroundings yers couldn¡¯t help but stare with bulging eyes. This had been a level 4 chicken, right?! They had trouble hunting the level 2 ones!
Jack quickly got to work. It was time to collect the loot! As the other saw him grab his butcher knife, they instantly became nauseous and began shaking.
Now, how far was he from level 3? Level 2 (204/ 270) Oh well, this would go pretty quickly, wouldn¡¯t it?
Jack kept happily hunting. He somehow turned his brain off, going into grinding mode and letting his instinct take the wheel. He was absent-minded while thinking about how to capitalize on his newfound reputation.
He began unconsciously humming, then straight up singing, louder and louder. His singing was so off-key and discordant that it gave a headache to the listeners. But, that sentiment soon turned to fear as they listened to the lyrics¡
??
I lived my life poverty-stricken
But today, a new fate I¡¯ll carve
From now on, never will I starve
Every day I¡¯ll eat so much chicken
??
Someone call animal protection
Soon, no more chicken poption
Cause I¡¯m about to murder them all
The entire damn ecosystem will fall
??
Even then, I am unrepentant
I won¡¯t even bother to look back
All for that XP, so resplendent!
We yers are homicidal maniacs!
??
Let it be known, let it resound
Soon it won¡¯t be just chickens
Infinite will be my yground
Until all are terror-stricken!
??
They call me the Demon King
That¡¯s such an insane facy
Not only the demons under my wings
Nope, one day it will be all of humanity
??
They all stared at him shaking. Did this guy really n to enve them all?! Logically there was no way that such a thing was possible, and yet they somehow still felt threatened.
Some, on the contrary, shook in excitement. It seemed like they had underestimated him. He was even crazier than they had thought! Was the wolf attack just a taste of what was toe?
But what the hell would soon happen? There was no way that the big guilds would tolerate a lone yer with such wild ambition! It would quickly turn into a bloodbath, wouldn¡¯t it? They could already picture the Demon King being hunted by all.
At that moment, many couldn¡¯t help but feel regret. Why the heck had they been so unlucky to spawn here?! Why couldn¡¯t they spawn in a typical vige free of drama?!
While singing, Jack massacred chickens at a pace that would have prompted a ughterhouse to consider him a menace!
On the side, the Mighty Wolves were grinning to their ears. They had an alliance with that guy!
As for the Mighty Dragons, they felt a knot in their stomach as a sense of urgency rose in them. This guy was probably leveling about ten times faster than them right now! This was all because he wasn¡¯t sharing the XP with a party.
They had nned toy a trap for him slowly. But he had already found some gear, and now he was even leveling faster than all of them! At this rate, they would soon be unable to kill him!
They began whispering to one another:
¡°Boss, do you think we should make peace with him?¡±
¡°Do you think peace ever was an option? In our first encounter, we killed him, and don¡¯t forget the deep-rooted enmity we have with the Mighty Wolves. They¡¯re really close to one another and even have an alliance going.¡± The leader sighed.
¡°But, Boss, what will it even aplish if we kill him? He won¡¯t even lose XP, and there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll lose all his gear, right? He¡¯ll be able to keep farming chickens in the peace zone either way¡.¡±
¡°All we can do is prove that he isn¡¯t invincible. Having the unbeatable Demon King as our enemy will affect our recruitment negatively. We can also use his death to gain fame, no matter how unfair the fight is.¡± The leader exined.
They all nodded in understanding.
Once more, they realized how troublesome it was to manage a guild. What appeared as needless arrogance to others was backed by very logical concerns. To a guild, reputation was money AND power!
They were stuck between a rock and a fucking Demon King. They all turned to the man that was still hunting chickens. Seeing him suddenlyugh happily.
Jack regained his senses as he heard a level-up chime. Nice, he had finally leveled up! Level 4 (14/1250)¡Oh, twice actually, wow! This meant he had killed 40ish chickens already. Time sure goes fast when you¡¯re having fun!
As he turned around, he could sense so many gazes on him, with yers loudly gulping whenever he looked their way. What was wrong with them?
Could he have shown something weird while farming? No, it couldn¡¯t be. There wasn¡¯t any secret to hunting chickens, even for a ranker. So why were they all reacting like that?
Oh well, whatever. ¡¥¨x(-_-)¨x/¡¥
He just spent his hard-earned (?) attribute points very carefully¡or not. He just added it all into STR! He¡¯d branch out soon, just not now. He had to collect more magical skills before heavily investing in INT!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
STR: 13 + 1
AGI: 1 + 3
INT: 1
SPI: 1 + 1
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Just as he was smiling at his newfound strength, a familiar man ran toward him at full speed: CPR dude. He seemed excited yet wary as his brows kept quivering.
He stopped right next to him and opened his mouth.
¡°I won¡¯t help you guys hunt chickens if that¡¯s what you want. You have to gain experience.¡± Jack preemptively denied.
¡°That¡¯s not it! Some random yer told us about a rare nt in the forest. If the information turns out to be urate, we¡¯ll reward him. I thought you¡¯d be interested, but I¡¯m just not sure if the guy is reliable.¡±
¡°I see. What color is the nt?¡±
¡°Eh, he said orange with blue¡ª¡±
¡°There¡¯s a 99% chance that it¡¯s fake then.¡±
¡°It has to be a trap then! Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of it and¡ª¡±
¡°You will do no such thing. I¡¯ll be going, alone.¡± Jack instructed.
¡°What?! But why?! At least let us protect you and¡ª¡±
¡°Nope,ter!¡± He decisively left,zily waving goodbye.
Jack was heading toward what could only be an ambush without hesitation. After all, butchering humans was good XP¡.
Creator¡¯s Thought
Grinding mobs can be so peaceful. The feeling of your weapon prating the flesh, the cries of pain and anger, the movement of your body as you dodge, the feeling of bing stronger on strike at a time. Once you find the proper rhythm, it all bes so rxing.
Chapter 52: 1 V 50 (1/2)
Chapter 52: 1 V 50 (1/2)
A man carefullybed the forest, searching for a rare, treasured nt.
¡°It should be around here, right?¡± Jack uttered out loud.
Luckily for him, this ce was right next to the edge of the fox territory. This made it rtively easy to navigate. After a while, he finally noticed an orange flower with blue spots convenientlyying in the perfect ambush spot.
Wow, what do you know! Jack couldn¡¯t but chuckle as he saw this ¡°treasured¡± flower. He tiptoed toward it before carefully gathering it.
That¡¯s when it happened! All around, yers came out of the bushes, trees, and tall grass. Their faces were adorned with grins as phase one of their n had seeded.
¡°What?! Oh my god, I can¡¯t believe this!¡.¡± Jack cried out in shock as he eyed the neers.
They were menacingly approaching him and chuckled, seeing his reaction. Well, it was expected. They, too, would have been frightened by 50 yers suddenly surrounding them. They had sessfully used his greed against him!
But then hepleted his sentence:
¡°I truly can¡¯t believe it. So many of you are homeless?! Wait, do you all not know how to log out? Is that why you were all sleeping here?¡± He asked them with concern and pity.
That¡¯s when their grins turned into grimaces:
¡°Goddammit, of course, we know how to log out!¡±
¡°You¡¯re the dumbass that fell for our trap.¡±
¡°Tch¡ª trying to be a smartass.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll be a deadass real quick!¡±
¡°Brothers, let¡¯s fuck him up!¡±
They kepting closer. By now, the circle was already too tight for him ever to have any hope of escaping. They would just have to swing their sticks all at once blindly, and they were bound to hit him.
Even for Jack, it would be impossible to dodge everything. Then they would be able to body block him by using their numbers. Afterward, it would only be a question of time before they defeated him.
They were all used to PVP and understood that logic very well, hence why they were so confident. In fact, the Mighty Dragons were so confident that they had called for an audience.
Behind the encirclement were many yers tasked with witnessing the event.
¡°Look, guys, How about we call a truce? There is no need to fight in the first ce. How about you all apologize for ambushing me initially? A 5 Gold apology should do the trick.¡± Jack amicably offered.
If they hunted foxes, they could gain two silvers per. It wouldn¡¯t take that long to hunt 250 foxes with 50 yers. All in all, it seemed like a fair deal to him.
But, his proposal was met with clear refusal:
¡°Are you crazy?!¡±
¡°5 G isn¡¯t an apology but a poverty sentence!¡±
¡°You sure are acting high and mighty for someone who¡¯s about to die.¡±
¡°Hell, how about you give us 5 G, and we might allow you to leave alive.¡±
Somehow his offer had enraged them as they seemed so eager to pummel him to death. They were ying with their stick in anticipation. Why were they so against the idea? But then he came to a realization.
¡°Ah! Is it that you guys suck at math? 5 G really isn¡¯t that much if you¡¯re hunting foxes. Hell, the trashy armor I¡¯m wearing is worth more than that.¡± Jack patiently exined.
The spectators sucked a cold breath in awe as they uttered in shock:
¡°Oh my god, that¡¯s insane. More than 5 G?!¡±
¡°Wow, that¡¯s a huge fucking flex.¡±
¡°He¡¯s wealthier than a top guild?!¡±
As for the Mighty Dragons, their faces hardened as they sent him death res. It was fine if he was rich, but did he have to rub it in their faces like that?! Plus, was there anything else more ridiculous than to say such a thing to PK yers? They¡¯d kill him for loot!
¡°Flex? What do you mean a flex?! That¡¯s really not it!¡± Jack protested. After all, his boots and leggings were worn traveler equipment, his helmet was so rusty it barely offered protection, and his chest was nothing more than a butcher leather jacket¡
But, it was already far toote. The Mighty Dragons charged at him with a war cry: ¡°Show this punk our might!¡±
The bystanders couldn¡¯t help but shake their heads. What kind of madman would voluntarily infuriate his attackers? Then again, they had already been determined to murder him. They could only silently offer a silent prayer for the Demon King.
It was regrettable, but his invincible reputation seemed to end there. Of course, the Dragons kept iming they had killed him before, but no one had ever seen him respawn at the town za as far as they could remember.
¡°Alright, bring it on!¡± Jack valiantly roared, not showing any fear.
He responded by a charge of his own, heading toward the edge of the encirclement. When in a group fight, one had to divide to conquer. Instead of facing 50 of them at once, he could make it multiple 1 v 5. This was his goal.
The dragons¡¯ leader was still showingposure as he oversaw the fight:
¡°Remember, press him without giving him a single break. He may have the damage of 3 or even 4 of us, but he¡¯s going to run out of HP pretty fast!¡±
¡°Boss is right! Use all your power and screw him over! Dragons never show mercy!¡±
Jack couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. That was just in wrong. Dragons in Infinite were prettyplex creatures. Hell, the ones that knew healing magic were pretty much exorbitantly expensive flying shiny ambnces.
Then came the first contact.
¡ª Sck¡ª
¡ª Sck¡ª
¡ª Sck¡ª
Five yers smashed toward him almost at the same time. Jack instantly moved his body akin to an acrobat, albeit a very slow one since his AGI was pretty low. He managed to dodge two attacks directly.
Then he used his Cluckinator to parry the one that came on his right side. But, his assants knew how to PK. Two more attacks arrived on his unguarded left side!
-0
They couldn¡¯t help but grin. They would draw the first blood, and with this, the momentum would be theirs! But just as their sticks were reaching him, a shield appeared out of nowhere and deflected their attacks.
Creator¡¯s Thought
If I¡¯m not mistaken, they mixed red pigments from Begonias with yellow ones from Poppies to make some orange. As for the blue, it was probably from a Chicory. Well, either that or they just bought it¡but that¡¯s unlikely. After all, the NPCs charge a leg and an arm for life-skill stuff like paint. So yeah, they painted a flower to bait me¡quite creative!
Chapter 53: 1 v 50 (2/2)
Chapter 53: 1 v 50 (2/2)
They couldn¡¯t help but grin. They would draw the first blood, and with this, the momentum would be theirs! But just as their sticks were reaching him, a shield appeared out of nowhere and deflected their attacks.
-0
-0
Jack chuckled, and instead of retreating, he pressed forward and mmed the shield at them! The spikes entered their soft flesh, making them wince in pain andunching them a meter backward.
-2
-2
¡°What the heck is this?! How did he do that?!¡± All that saw this scene were bbergasted.
This was the power of a kick-ass shield and a whooping 14 STR!
Was 14 STR a lot? Not at all. Was it a lot when faced with level 2-3 yers? Hell the fuck yes! After all, shield bashing was a contest of strength between him and his opponent, nothing else!
¡°Wait, he has a shield now?!¡±
¡°Is that his trump card?!¡±
¡°Whatever, let¡¯s kill him!¡±
They shouted in false bravado, but he could see them tensing in unease. They were eying the shield with apprehension. Well, this was understandable.
The Cluckinator was actually stronger, but it had a rtively modest design. A feather-looking de wasn¡¯t exactly the most dreadful weapon in existence. This one was so different!
It waspletely ck with extremely sharp spikes and a devilish aura, especially with the pulsating red streaks akin to blood vessels.
¡°Get him!¡±
They shouted to give themselves courage. But all that awaited them was a merciless killing machine. Jack kept moving, making sure never to face more than 8 of them at once. Then, he would dodge, parry and block.
Miss
-0
-0
Miss
But that¡¯s when one made a suicide attack to assure that his attack would connect.
-1
¡°Guy¡¯s I hit him!¡± the man rejoiced. But, the celebration was short-lived as he double-checked. ¡°Wait, one damage?! He has 50% armor?!¡± Then came the reprisal.
-8
-7
-8
The man instantly panicked. Out of his 24 max HP he only had one left! Holy shit, this had been a close call!¡ª or so he thought. That¡¯s when he saw a shield magnify in front of his face.
-2
Dead!
But he wasn¡¯t the only one bashed in the face¡
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
The spectators rubbed their eyes in wonder. In a 1 v 50 fight, he had taken a single point of damage, turned this into a 1 v 49, and pushed back his enemies. Even if he lost, that performance was mighty impressive!
¡°Keep going! Twenty-five more to go, and he¡¯s down!¡±
Jack couldn¡¯t really me the poor bastards for thinking that he was level 3. He had just gotten level 4, after all.
They bravely fought, cheering every time they managed to hit him.
-1
¡°Hell yeah!¡±
-1
¡°Keep going!¡±
-1
¡°We got this¡±
-1
¡°Slowly but surely!¡±
But then their leader realized how insane the situation was. Every single 1 damage meant that one of them would die from a quick attackbo, every single time.
Then there were the freaking bashes. They dodged the shes only to get brutalized by that goddamn shield!
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
They weren¡¯t the ones cornering him, not at all. He was voluntarily allowing them to hit him to create a situation where they wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge his fullbo. A K.O. meant that they wouldn¡¯t be able to heal with potions.
¡°Oh god. What kind of monster is he?¡± The Dragons¡¯ leader despaired.
The bystanders 100% agreed with that statement, but what they felt was admiration. At this moment, they had forgotten the man and his possibly sinister ns. They were only gawking at the skill disyed.
¡°This sure is fun.¡± Jack eventually chuckled as he stared at the remaining enemies.
There were 24 ¡°Mighty Dragons¡± left, and he was at 2/28 HP. Sure he was getting pretty low, but he couldn¡¯t help butugh at how desperate they were getting.
¡°Goddammit, he¡¯s level 4, not 3. That exins the power!¡± One spat out.
Excuse me, what the fuck? One level exining the power? Had this guy just conveniently disregarded Jack¡¯s skill, his armor, and his weapons in one go? Wow!
¡°Who was it again that said they were all caught up even if they startedte? I think all the blood spilled is clouding my memory. Well, good thing it¡¯s mostly your blood.¡± Jack ¡°innocently¡± asked.
Their leader¡¯s face turned purple. He really had said that to a man that had just killed 26 of them and was still alive. He felt quite silly at this moment.
Caught up? They were so fucking far from catching up to him! Hell, they had no damn clue how he even got armor. It had to be the vige, but they didn¡¯t know the details.
But, he still regained hisposure as he stared at Jack.
¡°You were a mighty opponent, but it¡¯s over now! You only have 2 HP left, and there are still 24 of us. Boys, let¡¯s finish this!¡±
His men instantly rallied, extremely hyped. They had never expected such a challenge in what was supposed to be a one-sided crushing. This was why they loved PK. It made their blood boil!
¡°Hell yeah!¡±
¡°Avenge the fallen!¡±
¡°Kill the Demon King!¡±
That¡¯s when they all charged at him. But, somehow, all they could see was Jack¡¯s smirk. He took out a healing potion ever so slowly as if to taunt them. He had ample time to drink it before the sh.
Their faces instantly became livid. Oh god, no! They knew what it did. They were just too broke to use them.
Potion: +20 HP
What did 20 HP mean? It was the sacrifices of 20 of them. Once he drank the content of this small vial, he would definitely steamroll them!
Time seemed to slow as they saw everything happen in slow motion. He slowly approached it from his mouth. They understood that he was voluntarily making slower than it had to be. But, it would be fast enough.
Just as the vial touched his mouth¡a pebble appeared out of nowhere and sent it flying! What the hell had happened?! They had no clue, but they just charged ahead! They just needed two hits!
Their leader had been the one throwing the pebble. He stood on the side, his heart beating so fast. This had been so clutch! As the encirclement closed, he realized that they would win!
Jack had lowered his guard since he was about to be full HP (or close). He had evidently nned to tank a few hits and go on a killing spree, but now he was finished!
¡°HAHAHA! This is it! Victory is ours!¡± He happily shouted.
He had already forgotten reputation, profit, guild business, and all that bullshit. This happiness was genuine. They had struggled together to beat an impossibly strong enemy! It had been 50 v 1? So fucking what! The Demon King was that strong!
Jack disappeared inside the sea of yers, the bystanders sighing. This was such a pity! He had been so close to victory. If only he hadn¡¯t messed up at the end.
¡°Overconfidence is a sin, and we should remember that.¡± One wisely uttered.
Then the sticks came crashing and¡ª
¡ª WHOOOOSHHH! ¡ª
Suddenly a giant red arc of light appeared right in their midst. The bystanders stared at it. What the hell was that?!
¡ª Cluck¡ª
¡ª Cluck¡ª
¡ª Cluck¡ª
¡ª Cluck¡ª
¡ª Cluck¡ª
Tons of clucking sounds were heard asrge damage numbers appeared above the head of Jack¡¯s assants, all 23 of them!
-24
-18
-22
-12
-20
-¡°
Then there was only Jack left, with all the yers dead. The spectators felt like they were about to go crazy.
¡°What the actual fuck?!¡±
¡°That was a skill, right?!¡±
¡°How does he even have such an ability?!¡±
¡°No¡I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just any skill.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°This¡this¡If I¡¯m not wrong it¡¯s the Chicken Overlord¡¯s attack. The one that almost wiped the raid party a few times over.¡±
A motherfucking boss skill?! A yer had a boss skill?! How the fuck was that possible, and also how was it so OP?! 12-24 damage to all targets?! That had been what¡414 damage in one sh?!
That¡¯s when Jack casually grabbed the fallen potion, then turned toward them.
¡°I was busy fighting, so I missed the conversation a bit, you see. So, who was it that was overconfident?¡±
Creator¡¯s Thought
Motherfucking Bloody Cleave for the win! This skill is extremely OP against noobs. 1. They love grouping up 2. They can¡¯t identify the signs that the attack is being initiated. 3. Their armor sucks and they take lots of damage from it. 4. They don¡¯t noticed the Chicken Marks either
Chapter 54: The Demon King is Fake!
Chapter 54: The Demon King is Fake!
After defeating the not so Mighty Dragons, Jack turned toward their remaining leader, the friendliest smile on his face.
¡°How about buying peace now?¡± Jack ¡°amicably¡± offered.
The bystanders were shellshocked. After brutalizing his enemies, he was now switching to post-war reparations?! Why did it seem like it wasn¡¯t his first time doing so?
¡°Let¡¯s say ten gold,¡± Jack stated.
The bystanders almost doubted their hearing for an instant:
¡°Cough, 10 G?!¡±
¡°This is insanity!¡±
¡°Does the entire vige even own ten gold?¡±
But, they all perceived the veiled threat in his words. If they didn¡¯t buy this peace, he would make their lives a living hell. Eventually, they¡¯d probably be forced to create new ounts and hope not to spawn in New Leaf vige.
This was such a hard decision! The leader had to consider every aspect of it seriously. What if they ended up deleting their ount only to spawn back here again? They would have lost two days of progress for absolutely no reason.
He shook his head:
¡°I¡¯ll have to think about it and¡ª¡±
But he didn¡¯t even have time to finish his sentence that a bloodthirsty predator appeared out of nowhere, pouncing at him!
¡°Growl!¡±
The little wolf ruthlessly bit him, sending blood gushing everywhere¡in a 1 cm radius from the tiny wound.
-1
After dealing that insanely high damage of 1, it began howling, moring its victory. Afterward, the dragon guy¡¯s face began twisting in agony¡as Jack¡¯s Cluckinator prated his brain. He had used the distraction to approach sneakily.
¡°Take all the time you need. We¡¯ll discuss buying peace for 15 G the next time we meet.¡± Jack said to the disappearing yer. Ah, messing with people sure was fun!
The bystanders couldn¡¯t help but gulp loudly seeing this scene.
¡°He already increased it?¡±
¡°Is 15 G even repayable?¡±
¡°He truly can control wolves.¡±
¡°Guys, I¡¯ve just realized something: the pet was hiding.¡±
¡°So what if it can hide? It only does one damage anyway.¡±
¡°He knew this was a trap, or he would have brought the pet with him. He was toying with them from the start!¡±
They suddenly began feeling ufortable. They had been on the edge of their seat, considering the 1 v 50 an impossible feat all this time. Yet, he knew from the beginning?! This was madness!
¡°Alright, let¡¯s get to business, shall we.¡± Jack happily took his butcher knife out.
On the ground were 14 corpses, all the other ones gone already. Hopefully, this would do. Then again, there were still some live yers at the scene¡
As the spectators saw his knife and gaze, they ran away! There was no hesitation, only their survival instinct kicking in as they darted toward the safe zone.
Seriously?! Talk about cowardly! He had only thought about butchering them. He wouldn¡¯t do it now that they were behaving.
The human and wolf looked at them flee while shrugging.
Jack couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. What kind of rumor would they start now? Would he level up from Demon King to Great Demon King? Naw, there was no way.
Anyway, it was time to gather some meat¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
The news spread akin to a wildfire at an oil nt: it freaking exploded!
¡°Hey, did you hear? The Mighty Dragons got wiped out!¡±
¡°Did they try to fight the wolf boss or something?¡±
¡°Worse, they challenged the Demon King!¡±
¡°What exactly happened to ¡ª¡±
¡°You all! The Demon King just 1 v 50 and won!¡±
¡°Oy, are you kidding me?! Is that even possible?¡±
¡°I saw it with my own eyes! There¡¯s no mistaking it!¡±
The entire beginner vige was going wild. It didn¡¯t feel believable, but there were too many witness testimonies. That is how the rumors about it became increasingly popr and exaggerated.
¡°I heard he killed 10 of them at once!¡±
¡°I heard he murdered 60 of them at once!¡±
¡°I heard he annihted 100 of them at once!¡±
¡°Guys, there are only 50 Mighty Dragons¡-_-¡±
¡°I heard that he hungrily devoured their hearts!¡±
¡°Why the hell would he do that? Now, this one is obviously fake.¡±
¡°They say he has a legendary ss and bes stronger the more human souls he absorbs.¡±
Whether this was true or not, they all drew cold breathes as they pictured him gnawing on their flesh and organs as one would delicacies. They then shuddered as a thought came to them.
Actually, was it really impossible? After all, they had already witnessed many unbelievable events: Chicken uprising, wolf invasion, human butchering, wolf taming¡
¡°He truly is the Demon King.¡±
¡°The one and only Demon King.¡±
¡°The hidden Boss of Infinite: the Demon King.¡±
They all agreed on this title. The ones who had found it tacky began to think it fitted the man perfectly. The ones that had used it jokingly before were now serious.
The New Leaf yers were eager to share this story, and it just happened that there were countless dignified keyboard warriors in their midst. For a few minutes, Infinite + Demon King became a trending topic on social media.
It all started with a casual post from a renowned pro-yer:
¨C One Inch Deity: Hello everyone! One Inch Deity here, aka the thrusting god. Now, I¡¯ve stumbled upon a post about a man called the Demon King. It sounds scary, doesn¡¯t it! So, real or fake? (see link)
Many pro-yers hailing from other MMOs rose to the asion. They all came forward to debunk the myth, followed by their countless fans:
¨C Lightbringer: Fake. 1 v 50 is currently impossible. This whole thing is aplete farce and this so-called Demon King a sham.
¨C SSS-Hunting: Fake. It¡¯s just not possible. I¡¯ve been grinding sinceunch, and I¡¯m only level 5. The difference in stats isn¡¯t that massive either.
¨C cial Epoch: Fake. I don¡¯t think 1 v 50 is actually impossible. If one is facing Noobs and uses terrain ordingly, victory is possible. But, one-shoting 10+ yers in one attack is 100% propaganda.
¨C Thundering Lion: Half-Fake. I don¡¯t think the whole thing is true either, but I¡¯d still like to meet the guy. The base may be authentic, but the rumors were exaggerated.
¨C Rumbling Overlord: Fake. Demon King, you better hide! Don¡¯t let me see you, or I¡¯ll crush you until nothing remain of your bragging ass!
¨C Demonic Destructoid: Fake. Hehe, I can totally defeat 50 yers. But such an unknown guy? No way!
¨C The Professor: Fake. I¡¯ve analyzed this story, and it¡¯s click-bait. There are way too many ws in it. Don¡¯t be fooled, people, and remain critical!
Every expert seemed to agree that it was all BS. Thest one was even a professional analyst. Perhaps the pro-yers were just doing this casually for fun, but this guy had incredible credibility!
As such, any post spreading the Demon King¡¯s legacy was quickly downvoted to oblivion. Themotion died down in a flurry of insults. The New Leaf yers were called: Naive, dumb, sellouts, a glorious water army, fanboys, etc., until they dropped the topic.
Thus ended this small episode, leaving the yers in New Leaf vige disgruntled. Why wouldn¡¯t anyone believe them? They could only sigh as they returned to what they were doing.
But, without anyone truly realizing it, New Leaf vige was already changing.
yers began to diligently explore andplete quests no matter how bad the rewards initially seemed. They wouldplete whatever chain quest gave them the Demon King¡¯s armor set!
Some began to research various life skills. If goddamn human butchering was allowed, then there was no way that the most ordinary life skills wouldn¡¯t be avable. They just had to find out how to get started.
Others began to do their best to learn taming. They could be seen on the in, dodging the attacks of chickens while trying to make them obey them. They looked ridiculous, but no one wasughing.
They were all trying, one way or another, to follow in the Demon King¡¯s footsteps¡
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As for the demon of the hour? He was blissfully oblivious of all that he had indirectly caused¡
[+ Butchering Proficiency!]
[Butchering skill obtained, F Rank!]
¡°Oh? This is nice! Good news, little one. From now on, the meat will taste at least 1% better!¡± The human announced.
¡°Woo!¡± (Happy) What did % mean? Who cared? The meat would be even better! The wolf was already salivating.
¡°But even then, we will still need some proper equipment if we want to cook. Only then will we eat truly delicious meat.¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Resolute) They had a mission!
Jack had human butchering to thank for his fast progress. Good things came to people who weren¡¯t wasteful! Sadly, this activity would soon be slightly harder to practice with the Karma system and all. He had to stock up while he still could.
But suddenly came a surprise.
¡ª Ding!¡ª
[Gained Reputation Amidst the Braves!]
[Acquired Title: Demon King! + Fear (local)]
[Caution! Demon King is an Evolving Title!]
For a second, Jack couldn¡¯t help but be speechless. What the fuck was this?! No, he knew what it was but how?!
This meant that a vast majority not only knew of him, referred to him by this title, but actually believed in it. How was the AI even determining such a thing as belief? It used psychology to read and interpret the yers¡¯ microexpressions.
Had histest show of strength been too much for them?
¨C Bubblegum: Teacher, I heard about your fight, how you annihted the 50 of them. Is it true that you defeated 10 of them with one skill? Rumors are going crazy, and people on the Inte are all convinced it never happened.
¨C Jack¡¯O: We did fight. Anyway, what are you doing right now?
¨C Bubblegum: I¡¯m trying to learn an AGI-based technique with Steven. Teacher, how did you manage to win?! I¡¯m super curious!
¨C Jack¡¯O: Secret! (^§è^ )v
¨C Bubblegum: Pretty please?
¨C Jack¡¯O: Alright, I know a trick to defeat any number of enemies, no matter who they are¡Can I trust you with such transcendent insights?
¨C Bubblegum: I, Seraphine, swear on my own name to bring this divine knowledge to my grave!
¨C Jack¡¯O: The trick is¡to reduce their HP to 0!
¨C Bubblegum: -_-
¨C Bubblegum: (£?)
¨C Bubblegum: (?_?)©°¡É©´
¨C Jack¡¯O: Ah, the heavenly wisdom rendered another one mad! Oh, the atrocity!
¨C Bubblegum: Can you give me a hint?
¨C Jack¡¯O: Maybe once you¡¯re level 10. You¡¯d 100% screw up your ount otherwise. Anyway,ter.
Jack muted his notifications for now,pletely ignoring her. After all, she made a decent helper. It would be a shame if he had to find a new one.
They were all wondering how he had done it, but the fight could be analyzed easily:
1. He had better gear and a skill.
2. He had way more experience in Infinite
A. The Cluckinator gave more attack speed the more he attacked. The Cluck every hit wasn¡¯t just for show.
B. The Clucking Aegis applied a Vengeful Chicken Mark on every bashed enemy. Every mark would increase the damage dealt by any skill that could resonate with the spirit of the Chicken Overlord.
He just so happened to have the perfect skill for the job:
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Bloody Cleave
Rank F
Level 5
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[Cost] 10 Mana
[Damage] 200%
[Scaling] Weapon
[Range] Melee AoE
[Element] Bloody
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It was great overall, but not as OP as most believed.
1. The steep mana cost made it so it could only be used once by a level 4 yer.
2. It was possible to dodge it by stepping backward. (As they had done during the Chicken Onught)
3. The damage was significant, but only if considering the AoE. For a single target, it was easier to attack twice instead.
The Mighty Dragons had died because they hadn¡¯t realized that he was using an ability and because they hadn¡¯t noticed the subtle red glow that stuck to their body every time his Aegis hit them. (Disappearing over time)
But, Jack would let the world remain baffled. After all, the more trump cards he had, the better.
He decisively headed deeper into the forest, followed by a happy pup. It was time to defeat foxes¡.
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[A/N] Couldn¡¯t cut the chapter without it being awkward, so it¡¯s a pretty long chap haha.
Creator¡¯s Thought
It was one thing to tell people what would soon bemon knowledge and another to teach them about more in-depth secrets. For instance, the advanced method to gain skill is worth its weight in gold¡actually, more!
Chapter 55: Deadly Predator Stalking
Chapter 55: Deadly Predator Stalking
In the forest, a deadly predator was eagerly stalking its prey. Its glowing orange eyes were glued to the clueless human who had intruded upon its territory.
This takedown would be especially easy. The fox could sense that his target¡¯s stomach was bloodied all over: the man was wounded and would soon falter. Plus, it was confident in the shrub surrounding it, rendering it invisible.
It licked its lips as it awaited calmly. A bit more, a bit more, now! It pounced toward the soft flesh, its fangs about to sink into it with bliss. This was probably one of the greatest surprise attacks it had ever done.
But, just as it was about to seed, something phenomenal happened: a ck round thing appeared right in front of its maw! ng! The fox felt pain, its tongue pierced in the process.
-2
What was that?! All it knew was that this was bad. This human was dangerous!
The fox turned around, prepared to make a tactical retreat, but the ck thing kept chasing him relentlessly, akin to a bully wolf! That¡¯s when a sh of white light headed its way. What was this? A big feather?
-8
-7
-8
Pain, so much pain!
The white thing hurt even more than the ck thing! The fox really didn¡¯t feel like fighting anymore. There was too much it didn¡¯t understand. For instance, why didn¡¯t the bush surprise attack work?!
The white thing kept attacking over and over and over. It was unending! The fox tried to dodge, but it was impossible: the white streaks were too fast!
-7
-8
¡°Whimpers¡ª¡±
How could it survive? Wait, what if it dashed through the human¡¯s legs and escaped in its blind spot? It rushed faster than ever, only to halt in utter despair. In front of the fox¡¯s face was a wolf, a freaking wolf!
At this moment, it knew that it was doomed. Wolves were way too strong for foxes. What was it even doing here?! Their territory was so far away¡
In its despair, it didn¡¯t even realize how tiny or harmless this one was. It just cried sorrowfully, knowing it would soon perish. ¡°Kyuuuu¡ª¡± but that¡¯s when the white and ck attacks came once more.
-2
-7
¡ª Dead ¡ª
+16 XP
Jack chuckled as he butchered the corpse. Easy two silvers! (Aka a currency that would soon be obsolete)
The nearby wolf raised its head haughtily while howling, towering over their defeated foe. ¡ª Awoo! ¡ª It was pretty hrious how it had managed to frighten it till it froze.
¡°Good job, partner. But don¡¯t get too cocky. You can¡¯t be proud until you¡¯ve managed to intimidate dragons!¡±
¡°Woo?¡± (Puzzled)
¡°A dragon is a very big and strong magical lizard. It could destroy your father with a single flick of its toenail.¡±
¡°Woo!?¡± (Shocked)
¡°Yep, you¡¯ll have to work hard until then.¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Resolute)
¡°Alright, let¡¯s keep the hunt going. We need to level up!¡±
The wolf nodded energetically as the duo proceeded deeper. From time to time, they would encounter groups of yers cooperating together while exploring.
¡°Do you guys really think we can find a fox cub here?¡±
¡°Who knows, but if it¡¯s possible, we¡¯re gonna be the first ones to get it.¡±
¡°Picture a yer taming a chicken just for us to swing by with a fox!¡±
Jack couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled. Taming chickens? He just hoped for their sake they weren¡¯t talking about themon ones in the New Leaf in. While possible to level it up, it would be an atrocious process¡
Then there were the ones actively hunting for foxes. As far as leveling went, it was an incredibly shitty n, but perhaps they were doing it for a quest? Their goal was probably gear.
¡°Keep killing these bastards! As long as we get a full set for one yer, hunting will be a cinch!¡±
¡°Hell yeah, keep fighting! If we get the same gear as the Demon King, we¡¯ll be invincible!¡±
¡°We¡¯ll be the strongest party in this vige! Huzzah!¡±
Those guys sure were confused! It wasn¡¯t like his armor had yed that big a role in the previous fight. He could have won with his Aegis and Cluckinator. There was a reason The Mighty Wolves were patiently farming chickens¡
Then there was onest type of group, the reckless PKers. For them, the in was boring, and the vige was he boring! Sure, they¡¯d also grind to be stronger, but every so often, they would do a round in the forest for fun.
¡°Hey guys, there¡¯s a lone yer there!¡±
¡°Haha, he¡¯s so fucked. There are 10 of us!
¡°Hey, you, the one behind the tree! This is a tax! Either give us one silver, or we¡¯ll send you back to spawn!¡±
¡°Hehe, wouldn¡¯t it be a shame to have to travel back? Plus, we¡¯ll still be here when youe back.¡±
They sure were wasting their time. One silver between the 10 of them? This sure was pathetic. They would have gotten more by diligently farming XP with chickens.
Jack slowly revealed himself with arge grin on his face.
¡°1 silver? Naw, let¡¯s make it ten each. At least it will give a gold coin.¡±
As they saw who it was, they began trembling. There were 10 of them? The guy had just wiped 50 of the strongest yers in the vige! They didn¡¯t even stand a chance!
¡°T-the demon king?!¡±
¡°Fuck, run!!¡±
¡°GTFO!!¡±
They didn¡¯t hesitate to run. But, as they did, a whisper followed them: ¡°I¡¯ll be remembering your faces. Let¡¯s make it 20 silver each next time.¡± Oh god, they werepletely screwed! Who was the dumbass that had suggested they hunt yers?!
¡°Woo!¡± (Impressed)
¡°See, this is how you deal with bullies. Ah, but remember, you can¡¯t just scare them away and forget it. You have to use the asion to scam¡ª I mean to seek proper reparations. Do you understand?¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Nodding)
Luckily, as the two reached the level 5 fox area, the yers became as absent as a father gone to buy milk. Now, this had been their destination all along. This was the perfect training ground.
In Infinite, an XP penalty was given to hunting monsters weaker than one¡¯s level. Well, this was a good thing. Otherwise, the low-level training grounds would quickly be overcrowded.
Thus began a happy leveling session, one full of ¡°intimidating¡± howls, painful and sorrowful fox cries, as well as heavenly XP gain prompts!
+26
+26
+26
+26
+¡.
Ah, life sure was beautiful.
At this moment, he was especially grateful for his Bloodstained Jacket. It yed a vital part in his farming, even if it was only an umon item.
Every time he blocked a fox attack, he would take 1 damage. Thus, killing a fox had a cost of 1-2 HP. His 28 HP would have only allowed him to defeat 18 of them at best, but the regeneration permitted him to keep grinding!
That¡¯s how he managed to kill 48 of them and finally level up.
[Level UP!]
Jack¡¯ O Level 5 (28/ 2160)
¡°Another increase in strength for team Jack¡¯O!¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Festive)
¡°At this rate, I¡¯ll soon be the highest level yer in Infinite!¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Happy)
But then the wolf suddenly froze as it seemed to realize an issue.
¡°Woo?!¡± (Confused)
¡°Ah, you won¡¯t be able to level up until you graduate from being a pup,¡± Jack exined.
¡°Woo?¡± (Worried)
¡°Hehe, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s bound to happen at some point. There¡¯s no rush.¡± Jack reassured it while rubbing its tiny fluffy head.
The so-called Demon King was warmly smiling as he petted the little wolf. How would the yers react if they saw this heartwarming scene?
¡°Anyway, with level 5 unlocked, there is a really cool ce we can explore. Are you ready for an adventure?¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Enthusiastic)
Jack quickly guided them toward a massive tree with a hole at the base. It was their of the Fox Progenitor, a weird name considering there wasn¡¯t any fox cub. The small wolf began looking all around in wonder.
¡°Now, we¡¯re here to fight the Boss, but it will be impossible with just the two of us.¡±
¡°Woo?¡± (Confused)
¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry. Do you remember the people I brought at your ce? I¡¯ll just ask them for help ;)¡± Jack exined.
As Jack began to interact with his UI, the wolf looked at him with a gaze full of curiosity.
Why was its master tapping the air? It tried copying him, waving its small paws around with enthusiasm. Yet, nothing at all happened. How puzzling this was¡
Jack couldn¡¯t help butugh, seeing its shenanigans.
¨C Jack¡¯O: Yo! I need canon fodder for a hunt. I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the Fox Progenitor¡¯s ce. Bring the Mighty Wolves along ^_^v
¨C Bubblegum: No wonder people call you the Demon King. You¡¯re so honest about your evil designs!
¨C Jack¡¯O: What do you mean evil designs? I call it an opportunity for on-site learning! I¡¯m offering front-row ces to the event!
¨C Bubblegum: Front row as in the boss¡¯s maw? -_-
¨C Jack¡¯O: Exactly! It¡¯s an experience that truly is unforgettable.
¨C Bubblegum: Ah, whatever, but I¡¯ll tell them your exact words. ??
-Jack¡¯O: Thanks, see you soon! o/
So what if she told them about his use of the term cannon fodder? There was no way that they would mind. After all, wiping didn¡¯t matter much to them as long as they could witness the clear strategy.
It was a win-win situation!
The two of them yed fetch, the little wolf enjoying it very much. But, they were suddenly interrupted by a crystallineugh as Bubblegum, and the others appeared.
¡°Pftt¡ª how is it that you seem so rxed? This is a level 8 Boss, right? We¡¯re so under-leveled for that.¡±
¡°Fear not. We have a powerful wolf!¡± Jack bragged.
¡°Woo!¡± (Heroic)
Could the little wolf also frighten this fox¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Why would I suddenly decide to hunt the Fox Progenitor? I could have easily kept killing foxes to level up. Not only was it good XP, but it also gave a decent amount of silvers. Was I aiming for the boss loot? Not even! Nope, its presence in itself gated my progression.
Chapter 56: Last Minute Training
Chapter 56: Last Minute Training
A Demon King, a pink-haired girl, and many wolves (fake) were solemnly preparing for war in the New Leaf forest.
Jack nced at their resolute eyes, nodding approvingly:
¡°The Fox Progenitor is nothing like the Chicken Overlord. It will be incredibly tough to kill. There are two main points to be wary of. First, its over-the-top speed. This thing will make even Bubblegum look like a snail.¡±
¡°A pretty snail, I¡¯d hope.¡± She uttered yfully.
¡°Sure, sure. Anyway, the second danger is its bite attack. Ending up in its maw is pretty much a death sentence. You can ask Bubblegum if you want more info on what it feels like to get eaten.¡±
¡°Because of her nickname, right?¡± CPR dude chuckled.
¡°Nope, it¡¯s because he heartlessly used me as live bait thest time we came here.¡± She said with mock sorrow.
¡°Oh¡I see.¡±
Jack showed no sign of shame at all, even giving her arge thumb up: ¡°You were an amazing bait, be proud.¡±
¡°If you keepplimenting me, I¡¯m gonna blush.¡± She yfully added.
The Mighty Wolves were at a loss. Complimenting?! He had just called her a snail and cannon fodder! Seriously, what kind of rtionship did they have?
¡°Ahem, so how do we deal with it?¡± CPR dude returned to the topic at hand.
¡°It¡¯s both simple and incredibly tedious¡you guys need to Git Gud.¡± Jack ¡°revealed¡±.
¡°-_-¡°
¡°Let me ask you this. How proficient are you guys at using your sticks?¡±
¡°Very good, we can fight for a long time and even do feints. For example, you fake putting it in front and then ¡ª Bam!¡ª, you stick it in their ass!¡± One bragged excitedly.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s friendly duel for a bit then.¡± Jack offered amiably.
¡°Sure thing!¡±
As a PVP enthusiast, the man instantly agreed. Not only would it be fun, good practice, but he was curious to see for how long he could resist the Demon King.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s get a nice referee, and let¡¯s get this started.¡±
A few secondster, they were ready, facing one another. Jack was unarmed while the man was diligently gripping his stick with hisrge hands. Then came the signal to begin:
¡°Woo!¡± (Excited)
The man stepped forward and swung his stick in an arc. He used his footing to increase the power and speed of the strike and then¡.Jack easily avoided it, before bitch pping him in the face!
¡ª p! ¡ª
The man turned red as he instantly went for a counterattack as he sessfully mmed his stick heavily¡in the ground.
¡ª p! ¡ª
Finally recognizing that he was no match, he adopted a defensive posture. He evaded p after p, feeling prouder of him until Jack clicked his tongue:
¡°So, you just gave up attacking altogether? Gratz, you can¡¯t win now. You just lost the tempo, and you can only react to my moves.¡±
¡°Ah!¡± The man hung his head low in shame.
¡°All of you are dodging with such ample movements. Are you all fighting or dancing? Who are you putting on a show for? Your enemy?!¡± They all appeared extremely awkward.
¡°This is especially important when against a faster enemy. Either you barely dodge at the right timing, or you¡¯re fucking dead. There are no second chances. If you go for a leisure walk after every dodge, you won¡¯t ever get to attack!¡±
They all nodded, understanding the logic. It was faster to move a centimeter than it was to move a meter, aka a leisure walk.
¡°Alright, in teams of 2 start practicing bare-handed using non-lethal damage. If your partner dodges with more than 1 centimeter, smack his ass in retribution! Don¡¯t stop until you guys stop sucking.¡± Jack instructed.
They diligently and enthusiastically got to work. Before, they had been proud of their meager achievements, but now they realized just how weak they were.
¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡±
¡°Let¡¯s train until we¡¯re the strongest!¡±
¡°He¡¯s right. We¡¯re currently so weak. I refuse to remain trash!¡±
Bubblegum on the side couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.
¡°You¡¯re pretty harsh on them, you know.¡±
¡°Of course, but if I¡¯m not, how will they improve?¡± Jack shrugged.
¡°You have a point. So, what should I do if I¡¯ve already mastered all this stuff.¡±
¡°Show me,¡± Jack instructed.
Then they started their own duel, amidst the groans of pain, of shame, of excitement (?!) and the howling of a hyperactive wolf. Except¡ª they were using weapons!
She took out her twin daggers, ones that looked so damn shabbypared to his equipment, as she dashed his way. She seemed to disappear instantly like a magician¡ª a movement trick!
Jack couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as he slightly moved his shield ¡ª ng!¡ª Her strikended precisely in the middle of it as if she had aimed there all along. But, she wasn¡¯t done yet as her other hand was already bypassing the shield to target his arm.
¡°Take this!¡± She roared.
He rotated his Aegis a tiny bit, sending her first dagger flying and blocking the second one. This was all thanks to that small crease he had requested for. She hurriedly ran to pick up her item.
¡°I suggest you hold your weapon when fighting.¡± Jack winked at her.
She sneered, then instantly resumed her assault, raining a flurry of attacks on him. But no matter what she did, she couldn¡¯t damage him one bit.
¡ª ng! ng! ng! ¡ª
¡°How?!¡± She uttered softly.
¡°You¡¯re too predictable, and shields are very handy early game,¡± Jack exined.
Well, to be fair, he did make blocking look far easier than it actually was. It required perfect timing to negate most of the damage.
She couldn¡¯t help but twitch. Was she predictable?! She would show him predictable! She began to slowly adopt a very constant attack rhythm that both could sustain veryfortably.
But as he blinked, she made her move! She activated her trump card: an Agility technique called Fleet Footstep. For two mana, it would increase her movement speed by 30% for 1 second.
This was all she needed! It would allow her to be a small distance away, just enough for him to misjudge where she would attack.
She mercilessly plunged both her daggers straight toward his neck and¡.missed! What the hell?! He had dodged with his eyes closed AND even after her surprise skill?! How?!
That¡¯s when she felt a bootnd on her ass. Jack¡¯s kick made her lose her bnce and fall to the ground with a small ¡ª Thud! ¡ª. He had obviously won, very effortlessly at that.
¡°Woo!¡± (Victorious!)
The little wolf shook its ass happily as it circled her, yfully taunting her. But she wasn¡¯t bothered one bit by it.
She was too busy pondering how strange life could be at times. She had retired as a Pro-yer to peacefully y in Infinite, a game that still had many skeptics. Yet she had ended up meeting that guy! Where the hell had hee from?!
CPR dude thought he was a unique NPC with yer knowledge, but he was probably just a hidden-Ranker with ess to privileged information, right? Either way, at this moment, she didn¡¯t care.
She promptly rose, grinned at him, and shouted: ¡°Again!¡±
What happened next was as expected: aplete and utter beat down! Jack was trashing her so violently that the Mighty Wolves all began to stare ck-jawed.
¡°She¡¯s getting crushed.¡±
¡°Yeah, but look at her skills. She¡¯s OP!¡±
¡°Should I call her Queen Bubblegum from now on?¡±
¡°Wait, isn¡¯t he the only one allowed to use that nickname?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t fucking know. Still, her attacks are so damn quick!¡±
¡°Yet, he makes it seem as if she¡¯s aplete beginner. It¡¯s insane!¡±
Where was Jack¡¯s limit? They felt like cavemen trying to specte how deadly an atomic bomb was by looking at it. Aka, they had no damn freaking clue!
They couldn¡¯t help but exim: ¡°Oh!¡±, ¡°Ah!¡±, ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Amazing!¡± like a proper audience. But they soon didn¡¯t know how to feel when Jack began humming:
¡°Dum-Dum-Dum, Another Gum bites the dust¡.¡± Not only would he time it perfectly with her falls, but he kept going over and over with a shit-eating grin on his face.
Yet, she didn¡¯t seem to take offense as she kept shouting: ¡°Again!¡± over and over.
Then there was the trash-talk (?) between the two of them. They used to appear calm and collected, but they suddenly seemed to reveal their true natures the more heated the fight became.
¡°Hey, you know you can try and hit somewhere else than the shield?¡± He asked with obnoxiously fake concern.
¡°I¡¯m good. Just wait until I shatter itpletely! The shield and all your armor!¡±
¡°What, why?! What kind of pervert would try to undress a peaceful,w-abiding citizen like me?!¡±
¡°Pervert? Who¡¯s the one that¡¯s been literally kicking my ass all this time! Plus, what the fuck do you meanw-abiding? Everyone calls you Demon King!¡±
¡°It¡¯s not my fault if you¡¯re always bending in front of me! Also, this whole Demon King is pure nder!¡±
¡°Says the guy who literally butchered humans!¡±
¡°It¡¯s called not being wasteful! #All Meat Matters!¡±
¡°See, you¡¯re 100% evil! Everyone agrees¡±
¡°Whatever, this evil lord is gonna keep kicking your ass!¡±
The spectators could only stare inplete shock. What the fuck were they doing?! But suddenly, Jack turned toward the Mighty Wolves, frowning in displeasure.
¡°What are you all looking at? Go fucking train, youzy bones!¡± He bellowed in a voice that made them shake instinctively.
¡°Y-yes, Boss!¡±
¡°Right away, Sir!¡±
As they obeyed as quickly as humanly possible, they didn¡¯t know what they found more impressive:
1. The fact that they felt obligated to listen to him?
2. The fact that even now, he was still fighting while chastising them? He was beating her without even looking¡WTF?!
But, they focused on the task at hand. They didn¡¯t want the Fox raid to fail because of them. Who knew what fate would await them then¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
There is some worth to fighting addicts. Most of the guilds would have beenining about me using them as my pawns. The Mighty Wolves actually didn¡¯t mind as long as they got stronger while doing it. This training would conveniently end with a great practical evaluation: aka, them doing my bidding.
Chapter 57: MVP vs OP Fox Progenitor!
Chapter 57: MVP vs OP Fox Progenitor!
A group of yers decisively headed inside arge tree, ready to face a monstrous enemy.
How many would even survive the deadly fight toe? Probably only a handful at best. Yet, they didn¡¯t cower one bit as their soul quivered in expectation.
¡°Alright, here we are. Apply all that you¡¯ve learned so far, and we may have a chance.¡± Jack whispered, with each of the 20+ members nodding solemnly.
The tree¡¯s interior looked quite eerie as the wood itself was slightly glowing with a green radiance. It bathed the area in dim light, barely enough for them to see.
Then they reached the deepest part, and there was their target!
It was way bigger than a regr fox, and its fur was swaying even without any wind. Its orange eyes focused on them as it licked its lips. Twenty invaders? Nope, twenty nice little snacks!
They could sense its hungry gaze and carefree attitude. It didn¡¯t feel threatened one bit:
¡°Tch¡ª this thing thinks we¡¯re food.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s teach that dumb fox a lesson!¡±
¡°Hehe, imma m my stick up its ass!¡±
¡°Which one?¡±
¡°¡.Fuck you! I¡¯m no furry!¡±
¡°Then prove it and kill that fox!¡±
Thisst statement came just in time as the fight began! The fox dashed forward with phenomenal speed, akin to a legendary fast and furious orange Supra.
The yers gasped in shock. How the fuck were they supposed to contend with that?! But, their bodies moved before their minds could evene to terms with that insane enemy.
¡ª Chomp! ¡ª
The fox¡¯s maw barely missed one of them. It had been such a fucking close call!
Only now did they fully realize what Jack had meant by minimal movement dodging. Either they had the timing perfect, or that was the end.
But just as the man was rejoicing, the fox spun on itself biting once more. Except that this time, it did manage to grab the unfortunate yer.
¡ª Chomp! ¡ª
-15
-15
¡ª Dead! ¡ª
As he disappeared in blue particles, the others couldn¡¯t help but gulp. What the fuck was that damage?! But they still used the opportunity to rain a flurry of blows on the creature.
¡ª Sck! ¡ª
¡ª Sck! ¡ª
¡ª Sck! ¡ª
But they were bound to be disappointed as they saw their damage numbers:
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-¡
¡°Oh god, I¡¯m getting shbacks from the Chicken Overlord.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t tell me this one has an AoE attack too?!¡±
¡°If there¡¯s one, then we¡¯re royally fucked.¡±
¡°Yeah, this tree is way too cramped!¡±
Jack couldn¡¯t help but agree with that statement. Should the fox use an AoE attack, they would indubitably perish. But, he quickly reassured them.
¡°There won¡¯t be any AoE here. It¡¯s too early in Infinite. It would require tanks and healers, and there are none so far.¡±
They all nodded as they understood the logic. Game design wise it wouldn¡¯t make much sense¡.then again, this was fucking Infinite! But, their mood became better as Jack and Bubblegum attacked.
-4
-1
-5
-1
-3
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª
As usual, they found the sound of his Cluckinator reassuring. They also couldn¡¯t help but praise his ability to weave shield bashes to his shingbo for even more damage!
He alone was almost as effective as all of them together! How insane was that?! But what happened next surprised them even more.
-2
-3
-3
-2
What?! Bubblegum almost had the same damage as him?! How was that possible?! In their eyes, he was akin to a god, yet she was low-key nearly as powerful?!
But as they nced at her once more, they came back to their senses. She was fighting with twin daggers! Of course, her damage would be good.
She was a dedicated DPS while Jack was the front line, DPS, and strategist all at once!
¡ª Whimper!¡ª
The fox felt pain for the first time in forever!
It stared at the most hateful human, the one with the white and ck weapons, and began gekkering menacingly! It would kill this wicked human!
¡°You mad, bro? Bring it on!¡± Jack sessfully taunted.
As the fox charged at him, he did his best to avoid it.
+ The good news was that the pressure on his allies was pretty much zero.
¨C The bad news was that his damage-dealing potential was also lowered a lot. Even he would die from being devoured, shield included.
The tree hollow echoed with the sound of the sticks thumping, of daggers shing, of chomps missing, and of angry growling.
¡°You¡¯ll have to do better than that to catch me!¡± Jack kept taunting as he barely dodged the bloodthirsty maw while the others went ham on it!
Every chomp was so damn close! He was akin to aedian avoiding getting canceled in woke modern-day!
But, the fox quickly realized that its current strategy wouldn¡¯t work. As much as Jack tried to anger it, he could only keep it so long on him.
That¡¯s when the creature went on a mad rampage. Biting left and right, it tore apart the Mighty Wolves as if they were tofu!
They weren¡¯t that bad at dodging when they knew the Boss would attack them, but it kept switching target randomly and crazily: it wouldn¡¯t be toyed with anymore!
They couldn¡¯t help butin as they died one after the other:
¡°I thought the Chicken Overlord was bad, but this is something else!
¡°Fucking hell. How doesn¡¯t it have indigestion yet?!¡±
¡°There¡¯s still 6 of us left. Keep beating it!¡±
¡°Trash it like a goddamn carpet!¡±
They valiantly kept fighting, but very soon there remained only three of them:
¨C Jack, the Demon King.
¨C Bubblegum, the wannabe assassin.
¨C CPR dude, almost dying every second but persevering anyway.
To be fair, he didn¡¯t have Bubblegum¡¯s agility, nor Jack¡¯s OP gear, and near-infinite experience.
He looked like a goddamn fool as he kept throwing himself on the sides unsightly¡and yet that¡¯s what kept saving him again and again!
Perhaps Jack had underestimated him!
At this moment, they kept juggling the aggro between the three of them, developing incredible coordination.
One would taunt with the other two attacking and vice-versa:
¡°You smelly fox, this wolf daddy is gonna mess you up!¡± CPR dude heroically shouted.
-5
-1
-3
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª
-3
-2
-2
¡°Hehe, you think you¡¯re fast? What the point of speed if you can¡¯t even catch me?!¡± Bubblegum yfully mocked.
-4
-4
-4
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª
-1
-1
-1
¡°Stop struggling already. We all know how this will end up, so why don¡¯t you just peacefully kick the bucket already?¡± Jack ¡°advised¡± while the others kept attacking it.
¡°It should be about to die! Onest push, and it will be all over!¡±
¡°Alright, Boss!¡±
¡°Yes, Teacher!¡±
But that¡¯s when the fox suddenly began glowing an orange glow. Its fur seemed to grow akin to a super Sai-yan. Its entire aura changed as it stared at Jack with malice.
Oh god! This was he bad! What kind of transformation was this?!
¡°Quick, kill it!¡±
¡°Get wrecked!¡±
¡°Die, you fiend!¡±
They all went all-in, but the creature just menacingly growled as it began its counterattack! As it charged, Jack understood that it was over. Not only was its movement speed buffed, but so was its attack rate.
He could perhaps dodge the first chomp, but the second would annihte him.
¡ª Chomp! ¡ª
He dodged the first attack and shed at the creature as quickly as possible. He would do as much damage as he could before dying!
-5
-1
-4
-1
-5
Then the next attack came, and it was over¡ª or so he thought. A body suddenly appeared between the monster and him.
CPR dude had thrown himself in the creature¡¯s maw to buy time!
¡°Fuck this bitch up¡ª¡± this was the man¡¯sst words.
¡°Will fucking do!¡± Jack kept attacking, making sure the sacrifice wasn¡¯t in vain!
But, it seemed even the fox¡¯s devouring was quicker. It was already done dispatching CPR dude. It turned his way once more.
The deadly maw approached his face again and clenched around¡Bubblegum¡¯s body! She gave him onest look as she disappeared.
¡°Die, you fox!¡±
Jack sensed that the creature was about to breathe itsst. But it wasn¡¯t dead just yet. He still had one blow left, and he would fucking make it count!
He targeted the creature¡¯s gaping maw. One of them would die in this exchange. Then came the time for the collision. He watched his de approach the creature¡¯s weak inner mouth area. It would be a crit for sure!
¡°It¡¯s over!¡± He chuckled madly.
The de seemed to proceed in slow motion as a trace of fear appeared in the creature¡¯s eyes. Then it hit and¡ª
-3 ¡ Fuck!
The fox had closed its mouth at the veryst second, the blownding but doing pitiful damage.
A victorious glint shed in its eyes as it reopened its maw and went to gobble Jack¡¯s head. It was over. This was a wipe.
Their next attempt would probably be a pain in the ass. They had learned from this fight, but so had the Boss.
¡ª Chomp! ¡ª
The bite crushed the flesh, the bones, and devoured it all. Yet, Jack was still standing. At thest minute, the little wolf had thrown itself into the beast¡¯s maw.
It disappeared with a pained yet heroic ¡°Woo~.¡±
The fox couldn¡¯t understand how that had happened, but it realized that it was screwed. That¡¯s when the deadly white swings reached it.
-5
-4
-5
The final hit was enough to take away thest of its remaining HP. The fox perished with regret. It had lost because of a wolf pup?!
Yes, the small wolf was the true MVP of this fight. (Most Valuable Pet)
Jack then turned his gaze toward the fox corpse as it began to glow with a pulsating mesmerizing orange glow. What was about to happen was the reason they had fought the beast in the first ce.
It was starting¡.
Creator¡¯s Thought
It was a good thing that I forced them to train before the fight. Still, this victory was way too close! This was because of the difference in levels. It increased the effectiveness of the devouring attack against us, thus we could only dodge not tank.
Chapter 58: Huge Implications!
Chapter 58: Huge Implications!
Jack then turned his gaze toward the fox corpse as it began to glow with a pulsating mesmerizing orange glow.
¡°You guys, your sacrifice wasn¡¯t a waste. This is all thanks to you!¡± He sighed, grateful.
[World Boss Defeated!]
[Participated in Fox Subjugation!]
[Received Fleeting Fox Reward Box!]
Jack waved the notifications away. Right now, he didn¡¯t give a flying fuck about the loot box, even if it was a good one.
What would follow would be magnitudes better! Oh, and he was just waiting for the party to freaking begin! The orange energy kept getting richer and richer, almost as fast as the 1%!
It grew and grew some more until it got utterly out of hand. It even engulfed the entire New Leaf area, as it became as orange as American cheddar¡ª and it was fucking great.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Many yers couldn¡¯t help but freeze, utterly bbergasted:
¡°What the hell is this? Is there a new even starting?!¡±
¡°Already?! Day 1, we defeated a bloodthirsty Chicken wave..¡±
¡°Day 2 we faced the flesh-hungry wolves led by the Demon King¡.¡±
¡°Still Day 2, and now this?! How the heck are there so many events?!¡±
As for the monsters, they too reacted to the orange light:
¡°Cluck¡ªCluck¡ªCluck¡¡±¡ª Chicken ying dead.
¡°Kon¡ªKon¡¡± ¡ª Fox diving into a bush, its ass sticking out.
¡°Awooo! Awooo!¡± ¡ª Wolf howling non-stop.
There was perhaps only one man that not only remained calm about the situation but just so happened to be near tons of yers when it happened.
¡°I see, hahaha. This sure is fast! This means that he¡¯ll be visiting soon, hahaha!¡± The training instructorughed out loud, not even bothering with the braves watching intently.
¡°S-sir? Do you have any idea what is happening?¡±
¡°Can you please enlighten us? Pretty please!¡±
¡°Hehe, alright. Consider this a special lesson. Do you all see this de of grass right there?¡±
¡°No, Sir, I can only see orange, nothing else!¡±
¡°¡..-_- Just give it a minute. It should rescind.¡±
Exactly a minuteter, the lesson could resume.
¡°Alright, this de of grass represents the New Leaf Vige, in and forest. Do you all follow?¡± Igor asked, and they all nodded. ¡°Now, picture that every other de of grass in this in is just like us¡or perhaps different.¡±
¡°There are that many viges?!¡± One yer gasped in realization. ¡°What about that orange light?¡±
¡°Hehe, this is what happens when two des of grass connect.¡± Igor chuckled, stopping his lecture there.
The results of that massive bombshell of a revtion were very varied:
¡°Grass touching? What is he talking about? That sounds gay¡.¡±
¡°So, circling back, what was the grass again?¡±
¡°Oh my fucking god! Seriously?! HAHAHA!¡±
One beganughing like a madman, soon followed by a few others¡even if most just faked having understood.
¡°What did you understand? Please tell us, oh wise sage!¡±
¡°You see, this game is a multiverse and¡ª¡± But a system announcement instantly stopped his exnation short.
[Thend trembles, the foxes cowers, a new adventure appears!]
[Demon King Jack¡¯O has opened the path toward a new world!]
[¡°Mighty Dragons¡¯ Debt = 15 G Please Pay ASAP!¡±]
¡ª
The yers felt their blood boil at the first announcement.
¡°Holy shit, this is the sound of new quests!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t we already have plenty to do here?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t care. It said a new adventure has appeared! It ought to be good!¡±
¡ª
They found the second one natural yet couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.
¡°Of course, the Demon King did it!¡±
¡°Yep, if it¡¯s him, then it¡¯s totally expected.¡±
¡°From now on, I¡¯m his fan for sure! He freaking rocks!¡±
¡°Now I¡¯m picturing the idiots that called him a fake, haha!¡±
¡ª
Then there was thest announcement. It was¡peculiar.
¡°This¡it¡¯s a custom message from the user, right?¡±
¡°This would be worth so much in ad revenue!¡±
¡°Yet, he uses it for debt collection?!¡±
¡°Hell yeah, fucking legend!¡±
¡ª
The Mighty Dragons became livid upon hearing the news. This was one hell of an ultimatum! Either they paid him, or they would be fucked. It was already day 2, and he already somehow had ess to All chat announcements!
¡ª
The Mighty Wolves cheered andughed, rejoicing at his sess!
¡°I knew he¡¯d win it clutch!¡±
¡°This is huge! Today we made history!¡±
¡°Hell yeah! Plus, we got some sweet Fleeting Boxes!¡±
¡°Wait, what do you guys think is in there?!¡±
¡°Loot! That¡¯s my answer!¡±
¡°Thanks, captain obvious.¡± -_-¡±
¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
As for Jack, he was staring straight at the wall of the hollow.
After the light, an orange-glowing passageway had opened in the wall. It was a tunnel that seemed to be heading quite far away. This thing seemed even longer than the tree wasrge.
It had also brought a few system messages:
[ Created a link with a new world! ]
[ +200 Reputation New Leaf Vige ]
[ +50 Reputation Greenwood County ]
[ Acquired Title: The First Explorer +10% Regen when in a foreign world! ]
This was perhaps one of the unique points of Infinite. Everything was interconnected in one way or another, rendering the multiverse quite interesting.
Any location that one could find in the game¡¯s lore would eventually be essible. Well, not that it would necessarily be easy.
For now, he sat on the side, taking out the Fleeting Fox loot box. It was covered with orange fur and looked like one of those horrendous fluffy dice that used to be popr.
¡°Now, let¡¯s see what we got. RNGesus, please bless this lowly one!¡± He whispered a small prayer. ¡°Please be gear, please be gear!¡±
[Ding! ~ 24%: Epic Grading! Wow!]
[ + Fleeting Fox Paws ]
[+ Fleeting Fox Fur ]
Oh well, only materials. It wasn¡¯t good, but it could have been worse.
It couldn¡¯t be helped as the Fox Progenitor was a Boss that would naturally respawn and wander the forest (now that itsir had a huge portal in it). Since one could farm it every day, the rewards would be lower in general.
Also, they had really struggled a lot because of their low level, but that was an issue on their part that wouldn¡¯t affect the rewards. Jack nodded satisfied while sending messages:
¨C Jack¡¯O: I¡¯ll be going on a journey very soon. Try not to die too much while I¡¯m gone and keep training diligently.
¨C Bublegum: What are you talking about?! I¡¯m always dying while trying to save your ass! It¡¯s the second time with that one Fox Progenitor already!
¨C Jack¡¯O: What about the time you got killed by the Mighty Dragons?
¨C Bubblegum: I was tagging along with you too. It still counts! Actually, now that you¡¯ll be gone, I¡¯ll be the strongest yer in the vige, right?!¡±
¨C Jack¡¯O: Perhaps¡.
Jack wouldn¡¯t admit it. What if she became too arrogant?!
He couldn¡¯t help but find that something was amiss. Where was the little wolf?! It should have already respawned by now! He couldn¡¯t help but worry a little¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
A small creature suddenly spawned in theplete darkness, curiously observing its surroundings¡ª or it tried.
Why was everything so dark? The small wolf realized that it probably had its eyes closed. It focused and opened them as wide as possible, but it barely did anything. What?!
It was its first time being confronted with such a strange ce, and it couldn¡¯t understand anything that was happening.
But, there was worse. Where was its powerful and wise master?! He was gone! It began calling for him. But no matter what it did, its master was nowhere to be found!
¡°Woo!¡± (Puzzled)
¡°Woo!¡± (Worried)
¡°Woo!¡± (Sad)
¡°Woo!¡± (Resolute)
Its tiny heart couldn¡¯t help but beat faster in its chest as it feared the worst! Ah, it had been eaten, right! They had been fighting that big fox and then¡.
But how had it arrived here? This was so weird!
That¡¯s when the entire realm began to ripple. Raising its head, the little wolf froze as it saw four enormous divine eyes staring straight at it.
It began to shake as there was no way it could defeat it!
The little wolf pup wanted to run far away. It wanted to hide from this monster! But then it suddenly remembered the lessons its master had told it: It had to train until it could intimidate dragons!
It had no idea what this thing above its head was, but neither did it know what a dragon looked like.
At that moment, it knew what it had to do. It raised its head high up in the air, even using its little paws to stand even higher. Then it gave the glowing things the best ¡°looking-down on you¡± look it could!
¡°Woo!¡± (Heroic)
¡°Woo!¡± (Excited)
¡°Woo!¡± (Resolute)
As it saw the thing move away, it knew it had seeded! It began chasing after the eyes without hesitation, even howling at them!
For a few minutes, a courageous puppy kept bullying the actual god of death. Of course, this was only because the being had felt yful, but the scene was still extremelyical.
But, eventually, after a hard-fought battle of non-stop howling, the little one ran out of energy. At that moment, it wished so much to see its master!
That¡¯s when purple light surrounded it as it disappeared from that eerily dark ce¡
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The first thing it did as it spotted its master was to run in his arms.
¡°Wee back.¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Happy)
¡°How was your first time in the void? Not too bad?¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Confused)
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s normal
¡°Woo!¡± (d)
Jack began to pet the little wolf, but as he touched it, there was a spark of purple energy that glued itself to him. That¡¯s when a fantastic system prompt showed up:
[ Your pet has gained the attribute courage +10 ]
What?! This was possible?! This was a hidden stat that was extremely hard to get! It seemed that courageously facing the Fox Progenitor had brought it great benefits!
¡°Alright, are you ready, partner?¡± Jack asked confidently.
¡°Woo!¡±
A man and his wolf steadied their hearts and took a step forward, straight into a new world¡
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[A/N] Just finished an 8 chapters mass release on CA. Now, the n is to Mass release for RPP next ^_^v Get as many chaps as possible for next month and do one OP chapter drop!
Creator¡¯s Thought
I wanted to unlock this new dimension as fast as possible. What was it? Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure myself. I wasn¡¯t ying back when the game was initiallyunched. I knew what it would eventually look like, but not its current appearance and features.
Chapter 59: Fox Grove, Path Forward!
Chapter 59: Fox Grove, Path Forward!
A man and his fearless pet wolf were braving the dimensional corridor leading to a new world.
The little one¡¯s tail kept wagging. This was why it had decided to follow its master! This was way more fun than ying alone in the forest! Then they reached the end; there stood a portal crackling with orange energy.
The little wolf gulped loudly, with its master chuckling.
¡°Once we cross this, we will officially be in another world. Are you ready?¡±
It enthusiastically nodded as it pondered: what would it be this time? It had been shocked earlier upon seeing a man fighting rocks with fire and turning them into something called a dagger.
It followed its master inside, resolving to remain dignified and not to overreact¡.
WOOOSHHH!
The world seemed to be flip upside down over and over again, shaking way too much! The feeling of world-hopping was hard to describe. Perhaps the closest was this: POV, you¡¯re in a bar, the bartender is crazily shaking a drink to mix it, and you¡¯re the fucking drink!
[Entered Dimensional Dungeon Fox Grove!]
[First Run of the Day: Bonus Loot!]
[Difficulty = Normal]
¡°Blergg!¡± On the side, the little wolf was already vomiting.
¡°Woo!¡± (Fearful)
It looked behind them toward the entrance portal, deep fear in its eyes. What the hell was that?! There were some things that even the courage stat couldn¡¯t protect against.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Everyone reacts the same during their first time.¡± ¡ª well, bared the vomiting.
¡°Woo.¡± (Understanding)
Jack turned to inspect their surroundings. There were plenty of trees, a bright orange sky, vibrant green vegetation, and fresh air. There wasn¡¯t any sun to be seen while the light came from the sky itself. It truly felt otherworldly.
He couldn¡¯t help but draw a deep breath as he closed his eyes in satisfaction. He had always loved dungeons, especially in Infinite. It meant braving challenges, alone or with friends, and getting OP rewards.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this! We have to hurry andplete it before reset.¡± Jack energetically led the way.
Now, how was one supposed to clear this thing again? There were two items to aim for as far as loot was concerned. He would have to pry both from the corpses of their respective owners.
As they got going, they found the forest to be rtively peaceful. But, this was nothing more than an illusion.
Jack could already see plenty of bushes wriggling so very slightly. This whole ce was filled with hiding foxes. To put it simply, it was an airhead¡¯s nightmare!
Actually, even scouts would find this ce a massive pain in the ass¡ª well, until they were used to it.
In the outside world, a bush shaking meant a single fox. Here, there could be a party of them busy doing¡.well whatever people usually did in bushes. ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)
¡°Be careful, see there, there and there? All of those contain enemies. We need to avoid them.¡± Jack whispered to hispanion.
The little wolf nodded solemnly. It could feel how dangerous this was from his soul link with its master. This was the charm of advanced soul contracts. It came with increased information sharing.
The two of them very carefully progressed. They would walk, sneak low to the ground and even crawl behind cover.
This realm was actually perfect for training one¡¯s sneaking skills. Contrary to popr belief, such ability wasn¡¯t just useful for roguish professions. Everyone ought to learn!
But sometimes, confrontation was unavoidable. Such was the case at that moment.
Jack couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue as he saw four goddamn foxes in front. They were yfully wrestling between tworge trees, guarding a path they had to take to keep progressing.
¡°Woo!¡± (Tense)
But, so many enemies at once was definitely an issue. It would create a troublesome situation with him getting pinned down until he defeated the first one.
The issue was that four opponents would considerably lower his damage potential because he would have to spend way more effort into blocking and avoiding. This, in turn, meant that the fight would be long and that he¡¯d have to block way more hits.
It was a vicious circle as the lower his HP got and the more careful he would have to be, further lowering his damage output. Then it was back to square one. He almostughed at the absurdity.
¡°This is gonna be a pain,¡± Jack sighed.
¡°Woo¡± (Worried)
¡°We need to be able to defeat the first fox almost instantly. But such a thing is nearly impossible¡except if¡Alright, I may just have a n!¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Celebrating)
¡°I¡¯ll need your help to act as a distraction.¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Count on me!)
Thus began the n titled: how to murder four foxes for blocking the fucking way!
The four foxes minded their own business when they suddenly heard a sound that made them jump in confusion and fright.
¡ª Awooo! ¡ª
What?! There was a wolf¡here?! How was this possible?! They had long forgotten what a wolf even looked like, but they knew how ferocious it could be!
They instantly got ready for a fight as they warily checked the direction the sound hade from. But, there was no scary powerful wolf to be seen. Nope, there was only a tiny insignificant-looking gray furry creature.
The foxes growled in anger. Such a puny thing had spooked them?! They would make it pay!
But just as they were ready to make a move, death came from above. Jack was falling with incredible momentum, making a plunge attack, Cluckinator first.
In normal circumstances, the foxes would have realized that he was there. They would have heard him. Then, they would have easily dodged. But, they had been too distracted by the wolf howl!
¡ª BAM! ¡ª
¨C 13
¨C 7
¨C 8
It¡¯s only then that they realized that they were under attack. Jack hurried as the sess or failure of this fight would depend mainly on this moment. Before they could react, he did onest attackbo!
-7
-2
-8
-7
-2
The damage had been enough. The creature wasn¡¯t dead yet, but it was already in critical condition.
The foxes took revenge, biting at him. Jack blocked three attacks but had to let thest one through to kill the wounded fox.
His HP went down, but he would survive :
-1
-1
-1
-4
HP 23/30
Jack sighed in relief. He could manage three foxes if he were cautious with his block. After all, missing the timing for one attack meant losing 13% of his HP instead of the usual 3%. It was a big deal!
After many more blocks, shes, and bashes, he finally managed to kill another enemy. He had lost 9 HP in the process, now at 14/30 HP.
Then he got rid of one more: HP 8/30
Then he finally killed thest one: HP 5/30
Had he not defeated that first fox lightning-fast, he would have needed to consume a potion. But, there was an issue with drinking healing medicine: potions were sweet and fragrant!
Using a potion? Do you want foxes, because that¡¯s how you get foxes! Actually, not just foxes¡ª a shitload of them!
This little detail was bound to cost many Newbies their lives. How much would they cry after not only getting devoured by countless foxes but also wasting their hard-earned money?
¡°Woo!¡± (Victorious!)
Jack smiled wryly, seeing the little wolf¡¯s joyous expression. He quickly got to work, gathering the remains before leading the way again.
¡°We¡¯ll meet someone soon, but don¡¯t be surprised. It will be an ally¡.well, I think.¡± Jack warned hispanion.
He still had to be careful because quests and dungeons were often different for the first yer to clear them. It often included additional tasks and rewards that the masses would never know about. (Like saving an NPC)
The two carefully passed through the area the foxes had been guarding.
If one were to observe the surroundings with attention, one could notice the remnants of a road here. This ce used to be a merchant road passing straight through the grove! In fact, his increased movement speed buff would sometimes proc at some spots.
Not long after, they were confronted with a magical yet sorrowful sight.
In front of them was a vige, one that had most likely been full of life at some point. Now, it waspletely overrun by the vegetation. Some mounds had been houses in the past, with chimneys sometimes poking through the grass.
There remained a half-broken sign near the entrance, valiantly struggling to remain standing. It had somehow endured time, weather, and foxes judging by the bite marks.
Happy was it? Happiness was long gone here, even if the name had somehow survived. How sad that it was all that remained of it.
The little wolf looked at the whole scene puzzled. It felt like it had seen something simr before, but it couldn¡¯t put its paw on it.
¡°This ce is simr to the New Leaf vige I brought you to. But, this one is destroyed.¡± Jack exined.
¡°Woo!¡± (Realization)
Jack couldn¡¯t help but give a self derisiveugh.
To him, this scene was a sad one. The people living here were gone and probably forgotten. It was the story of people who had tried their best only to fail at protecting even their homes.
But to the little wolf, it was an entirely different scene. There was no sadness. There was only beauty. The vegetation was full of life, healthy and there were plenty of ces to hide and sleep in.
Sometimes, it was just a matter of perspective, eh? He could feel the little wolf¡¯s joy, and it was contagious.
That¡¯s when his reverie was suddenly interrupted as a bipedal fox creature appeared at the horizon and headed straight their way. Friend or foe? They would soon know¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Dungeons in Infinite have no limit to their scale. A world can contain dungeons or a world can be a dungeon in itself. The Fox Grove is such an example. Before it became a dungeon, it was a world with a rich history. Honestly, there is only one criterion for a dungeon: it has to reset at fixed intervals.
Chapter 60: Mighty Fox Booklet!
Chapter 60: Mighty Fox Booklet!
Man and wolf jumped in surprise as a bipedal fox creature appeared in the destroyed vige.
It sniffed the air for a second, twisted its head in their direction, and charged at them! This thing was so fast that running away was impossible. They would prepare forbat.
The creature¡¯s head seemed half rotting, its eyes lifeless and its w long and sharp. Was that a zombie fox?! Was that possible? Hell no! Negative energy was very noticeable, and there was none here. Then, what was it?
¡ª Dash! ¡ª
The little wolf bared the monster¡¯s way, ready to fight to the best of its abilities as it growled menacingly.
¡ª Growl! ¡ª
Soon it would be upon them. Jack had a decision to make. How would he deal with it?
¡°Stop growling at it and move aside. I got this!¡± He confidently instructed the little one.
¡°Woo!¡± (Excited)
The wolf happilyplied, rejoicing to see its master at work again. It couldn¡¯t wait to see the white feather plunged into that rude monster¡¯s head!
It was showtime! Jack daringly grinned. Then, in one swift and powerful movement, he decisively¡unequipped his weapon!
¡°Woo?!¡± (Confused)
Did its master want to face the enemy unarmed? Was he fighting with a handicap to equalize the challenge?
Jack stared at the iing enemy with rapt attention. In 4 seconds, he would die¡3¡.2¡.1¡.that¡¯s when the creature stopped as it began sniffing the air. It seemed puzzled as it circled him.
¡°Hey, there, how are you doing?¡± Jack gently waved at the thing.
¡°He-ll-o¡¡± The creature spoke very slowly, in a dissonant voice, as if trying to remember how greetings worked.
Why was this monster so peaceful? That¡¯s the thing: it wasn¡¯t one!
He was human, albeit so dirty it was hard to believe it! What about the fox head and paws? Well, that guy was wearing a fox corpse, one that was about to rot. This was the result of making fur equipment without the proper processing technique.
It was this rotting that had allowed him to guess that something was up with this monster lookalike.
¡°Take your time. So, how is it going?¡± Jack reassured him.
¡°I-it¡¯s been so long¡.since I saw another human¡Even simply speaking is troublesome.¡± The guy ever so slowly uttered.
But it turned out that in that guy¡¯s case, talking was akin to riding a bike, very much so!
1. He quickly remembered how, and a few minutes afterward, he was babbling happily.
2. Akin to a cyclist ignoring all stop signs recklessly, he just wouldn¡¯t shut up, no matter how many signals he sent his way! Plus, it wasn¡¯t like he could beat him up either. He needed him.
Thus began the needlessly lengthy story of Hans the Ex-Hunter, a manmonly referred to as H ex H:
¡°This beautifulnd used to be the town of Pripyta. Fifty people used to live here. Now it¡¯s a ghost town. Well, only haters called it a vige. Hell, we had a trading route and even an actual shop!¡±
An actual shop? Oh my god, how impressive!¡ª Not. Still, Jack remained quiet, letting the poor man talk. He was evidently missing human interaction.
¡°¡Iughed so much that night! Old man Hector really knew how to tell the most fantastic stories with a straight face. He made me want to grow up faster so I could hunt alongside the adults¡.¡±
Was the whole origin story necessary? He would have to stop him soon at this rate.
¡°¡I cried so much that day. Who knew that such a magical feeling would apany my first time? Sure, it was bloody as hell, but as I felt the fox¡¯s warm insides, I felt so proud. I had graduated!¡.¡±
¡°Can you cut straight to the¡ª¡± Jack tried to halt the conversation, but the man was an unstoppable talking machine.
¡°¡At first, it was a blessing, but then it soon turned into a curse. What¡¯s the point of having so much fur if no one even dares travel the merchant route because of the creatures?!¡.¡±
¡°Skip¡ª¡± But sadly, it didn¡¯t work against this guy-, at all!
¡°¡.We fought valiantly, but without avail. We were hunters. We were good at tracking them down individually, but we were no army¡.¡±
¡°Skip!¡ª¡± This guy was over-describing so fucking much!
¡°¡Ah, I just realized that I missed many details in my excitement. Let me start again from scratch!¡±
¡°Hell no!¡± Jack shouted.
This guy¡¯s story had taken at least ten fucking minutes! He didn¡¯t have all day! No way that he was going to sit through this again!
¡°I understood everything perfectly! You guys had a fox infestation and couldn¡¯t deal with it. Thus, the vige was destroyed, right?¡± Jack summarized.
¡°Yes, but there is so much more to the tale and¡ª¡± The madman wanted to talk some more!
¡°Look, I¡¯m here to defeat the foxes! Please, for the love of God, just help me do that! That¡¯s all I need from you! We can talk once they¡¯re all eliminated, alright?¡± Jack pleaded¡ª not that he would stay afterward.
¡°You¡¯re right. Here, take this. This is aption of all our knowledge about the enemy. However, be extremely careful with it. It is worth the life of 49 vigers!¡± The man solemnly handed him a small thin booklet.
Finally, he could progress! Jack impatiently began skimming it. The thing included many warnings and tips. For instance, it contained information about their movement patterns and described how to butcher them in detail.
While it was all stuff he knew, it could potentially be handy to a new yer. It would nt into them the idea to look further than to mindlessly kill and level up endlessly.
But, there was also bullshit like: ¡°69 best spots to observe fox mating¡±¡.who the heck had written this book?!
He skimmed it very quickly, looking for something very specific, a clue that would actually help him beat this dungeon. He couldn¡¯t help but smile as he found it:
1. Chili
2. Garlic
3. White Vinegar
4. Cayenne Pepper
Who even made top 4 rankings?! Either way, this information would be so valuable, even if it looked like mindless vor text. This was their weakness!
¡°Hey, Hans. Look at this here. Do you have these ingredients?¡± Jack inquired.
¡°Well, you can get some Chili if you want. There might still be some remaining in the rubble of one of the kitchens. All the others would be more troublesome.¡±
¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take it, but please do tell me where I can find all of those!¡± Jack begged.
There was a reason this thing was called top 4. Often in Infinite effects of items could be increased when mixed with others having simr properties.
Thus, if he mixed all four things that the foxes hated together, it would likely give excellent results. This was the optimal way toplete this dungeon, if he remembered correctly.
¡°You should be able to find garlic in the wild. I¡¯m sure there will be some vinegar in old Hector¡¯s cer, and the cayenne¡old Joe would brag about having some, but I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s true or not.¡± The NPC told him.
There it was! Now that he had a clear goal, it was time to get to it!
¡°¡Now, how about I tell you about that time when¡?!¡± The NPC kept babbling only to realize that Jack was long gone.
Hell, he had run away faster than when he had been facing the wolf Boss!
Finding the remnants of a kitchen didn¡¯t prove too hard. In there, awaited the chili, one that smelled slightly spicy. Jack turned toward hispanion. ¡°Here, smell this. Can you help me find something that has a simr scent? We¡¯re looking for cayenne.¡±
The little one excitedly darted forward as it began exploring the various destroyed houses. Eventually, it stopped next to a random piece of rubble. Pushing the mess aside, they found a chest, one that was locked.
What to do?:
1. Barbarian strategy ¡ª> Wreck it open
2. Delicate approach ¡ª> Look for the key
3. Nihilistic method ¡ª> Lie down and ponder the inexorable, dreadful death that will eventually im humans¡¯ pitiful existence¡
¡°Alright, use your special wolf senses to find the key!¡± Jack excitedly ordered. Thus began a marvelous quest where they tried their best to dig the past up.
¡°Woo!¡± (Victorious!)
The little one managed to find it, bringing it to its master akin to an offering. At that moment, Jack felt important. How great it was to have minions doing his bidding! This was perhaps one of the few things he missed from the past.
As soon as they opened the chest, their reward sat there in all its magnificence¡ª or not. It was a shitty and old unrecognizable bottle. But the smell checked out.
¡°Next step is to find the cer. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡±
Outside they encountered the NPC. He was shivering a distance away while trying his hardest not to look at the destroyed buildings. He seemed guilty and perhaps even ashamed of something.
Jack was almost tempted to ask about it, but one super long vige story was enough for the day. He¡¯d clear the actual dungeon for now.
Soon enough, they found the cer. They excitedly pushed the door open. After this one, there would only remain the wild garlic, but he would be able to get that one as they headed out.
But, there was soon aplication. The cer was surprisingly lively, a little bit too much. As soon as they entered, 20 red glowing bloodthirsty eyes locked onto them. What the actual fuck?!
¡ª Hiss! ¡ª
¡ª Squeak! ¡ª
X 10
¡°Sorry, wrong door!¡± The duo ran out, hurriedly mming the door shut.
They needed to either distract or defeat them. The problem was they were fucking level 10! Now what¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[A/N] These chapters are sponsored by Imarques18 !!?????????????? So many super giftstely. It helps so fucking much with promotion! I¡¯ll have to work extra hard for the uing mass release! ^_^v
Creator¡¯s Thought
Ten rats spawning in a level 5 dungeon was obviously overkill! This meant that direct confrontation wouldn¡¯t be possible. This also meant that there had to be a way to cheese it. The only question was how?! Spoiler alert: there were many! (just Infinite things)
Chapter 61: Jack Sure Is Nice!
Chapter 61: Jack Sure Is Nice!
A man and wolf duo hurriedly left a rat-infested cer behind.
There were 10 of them, yet they were the same level as the wolf boss. No way that Jack would fight them! Else he¡¯d die for sure, would lose part of his hard-earned XP, and would have to restart the dungeon.
In the distance, that one hunter NPC was still averting his gaze from the buildings. Had he known about the creatures? Either way, it seemed like his help would be required. Jack could only sigh as he waved at him.
¡°So I went to the cer¡.¡±
¡°Oh? Did you manage to find the vinegar then?¡± He innocently asked.
¡°Nope, it¡¯s infested with rats. Say, could you help me deal with them?¡± Jack pleaded.
¡°Y-you mean inside the house?!¡± He froze.
¡°Yes¡¡±
¡°I-I can¡¯t go there! I just can¡¯t!¡± He vehemently screamed as his entire body began shaking.
His breathing elerated, and his eyes darted away from the vige. Was he having a panic attack? Was it that he couldn¡¯te to terms with the destruction of the ce?
Judging from the speed he had shown earlier, he was probably rtively high level. This was normal considering the NPC had survived in an area infested by tons of level 6 foxes. If he wanted his help, he would first need to convince him. But how?
Jack decisively headed back inside. There was always the option to have a lengthy discussion about it, but he¡¯d require a gimmick if he wanted to be efficient. There was bound to be what he was looking for in a kitchen.
After a while, he grinned, finding his target:
¡ª Found Flint and Steel! ¡ª
Sadly, it was arge and heavy contraption that couldn¡¯t be taken away, but it would do for now.
The little wolf watched,pletely puzzled.
¡°We¡¯re going to do some cooking,¡± Jack exined.
¡°Woo?¡± (Confused)
¡°We¡¯ll use this big thing to start a fire. Remember, we need one to cook raw meat into delicious food.¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Excited)
How long had it been since he had cooked anything himself? Well, he had barely done it even in his past life.
He had always been too poor to afford decent ingredients, too rich to bother with the task, or too nostalgic to eat anything but ramen.
¡°Alright, get me some dry wood, small branches, andrger ones too,¡± Jack instructed the wolf, who happily went to work.
Then began a cooking session, supervised by a salivating wolf with eyes shining with desire.
¡ª Obtained cooked Fox Meat! ¡ª
¡ª Obtained cooked Human Meat! ¡ª
It was now time to bribe the NPC with food! In Jack¡¯s experience, nothing was more calming than eating a meal in goodpany.
¡°Hey, care to join us?¡± Jack amicably offered.
¡°A-alright.¡± The hunter hesitatingly grabbed a piece of meat as he began to stare at it.
¡°So, why are you scared of the vige? I¡¯ll listen.¡± Jack softly inquired.
¡°N-no! I don¡¯t even want to think about it, I¡ª¡±
¡°Take a bite, calm down, and slowly share. Believe me. You¡¯ll feel better.¡± Jack persuaded.
At first, he seemed hesitant to the simple act of eating, but Jack¡¯s reassuring expression slowly melted his resistance.
¡°T-that¡.alright.¡± He slowly began eating, his face suddenly rxing, even smiling a little. After calming down, he resumed talking:
¡°¡We used to live in peace and harmony, hunting and gathering to sustain our lives. But, everything changed when the Foxes attacked. They came out of nowhere and¡.¡±
Out of nowhere? They had obviouslye out of the forest. As for the cause, it was probably over-hunting like what had happened at the New Leaf vige. The only difference was that they didn¡¯t have any magical barrier.
¡°¡My friend saved me but got wed in the process. I carried him toward the emergency hideout and locked ourselves in. The foxes kept wing at the entrance trying to break in, night and day, always. The sound was driving us mad¡.¡±
Well, the friend had died, right? This would exin the trauma and how the guy was so lonely nowadays.
¡°¡We were stuck there, and he was dying from his injuries. We waited and waited for the foxes to leave, but they just wouldn¡¯t! My friend was losing consciousness all the time¡¡±
Yeah, that¡¯s what happens when you lose too much blood without proper medical care. An eternal sleep soon usually follows.
¡°¡Then I got so hungry, so damn hungry. I didn¡¯t even remember thest time I had eaten. My friend was just lying there asleep and groaning from the pain. I couldn¡¯t help myself¡.¡±
Oh crap! Talk about a dark turn!
¡°¡.I was really too hungry and I¡.¡±
¡°You ate him?¡± Jack stated, surprised.
¡°¡Y-yes, I-I did. Every time I close my eyes, I remember his face and what he tasted like. I¡¯m so sorry, I-I¡.¡±
His entire body was shaking and he seemed to have trouble with his food. But he fought the gag reflex back and kept devouring.
¡°I mean, he would have probably died anyway if he was so injured.¡±Jack shrugged.
¡°¡I could have bandaged his wounds if only I had waited¡.¡±
¡°Who knows when the enemies left, am I right?¡± Jack said.
¡°¡The foxes left the next day. I could have saved him if only I had waited!¡¡±
Yikes! Talk about bad timing! No wonder that guy was ming himself!
¡°I-its all my fault! I did something horrible and¡.¡± The NPC didn¡¯t have the strength to finish his sentence.
He began sobbing, tearsrger than a sea flowing out of his eyes. His hands shook as he barely managed to keep munching on the meat.
Jack slowly began tofort him:
¡°You know, we can¡¯t change the past. No matter how much you regret and anguish over it, it won¡¯t ever change. What you can change, however, is the future.¡±
¡°What kind of future is there left for a murderer like me?¡±
¡°Look, in a few minutes, I¡¯ll go back inside that cer and fight the rats to get some vinegar. My chances of victory are slim and I¡¯ll probably die. So what will it be? Will you let me go alone because of your fear, or will youe along and save my life?¡± Jack asked.
The man hesitated for a few seconds, the struggle between the trauma and his desire for redemption fighting inside him.
¡°Think about it. This is your opportunity to turn your life around!¡± Jack persuaded.
That¡¯s when the NPC made up his mind, with his eyes turning resolute.
¡°I¡¯ll help! I won¡¯t live my life in fear forever!¡± He dered heroically.
How wonderful, a man who wanted to ovee his dark past!
¡ª Hoodwinked an NPC sessfully! ¡ª
¡°Alright, let¡¯s go right now!¡± Jack suggested before he could change his mind.
¡°Let¡¯s do this! Ah, before I forget, what kind of meat is this? It tastes amazing! I feel like I¡¯ve tasted something simr before but can¡¯t remember what¡¡±
Jack gave a nce to the piece he had in his hand, giving an awkward smile. This was human flesh, cooked one. Should he tell him the truth? Probably not, right?
¡°Some wild cattle, they tend to spawn around beginner viges. Their natural habitat is far from here.¡± Jack replied. Well, it was kinda true.
¡°Ah, I see. That¡¯s such a shame. Otherwise, I¡¯d eat it every day. ¡± He deplored.
How would he react if he knew?! Would he have regretted and despaired? Perhaps even attacked Jack for giving it to him in the first ce?
Was it immoral? Probably. Then again, he would need strength for the uing fight. Morality vs practical benefit? Jack would obviously make the correct choice!
¡°Here, eat some more, you¡¯ll need the energy.¡±
The NPC epted the human flesh with arge smile.
¡°I¡¯m lucky to have met you. You¡¯re such a good person!¡±
Ignorance sure was bliss¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
In life, there is happiness to be found in the most casual activities. Eating is a great example. How much fun is it to eat with friends! Well, this sentence can have a different meaning with cannibals. That¡¯s the beauty of VR gaming, it allows for things that would normally be frowned upon IRL.
Chapter 62: Deadly Rats!
Chapter 62: Deadly Rats!
An NPC eager for redemption apanied Jack and a small wolf.
They were right in front of the cer door, one that would lead to an incredibly tough challenge.
¡°Are you ready?¡± Jack asked.
¡°I¡¯ve never been more ready. This time I won¡¯t cower!¡± The hunter dered mightily.
¡°Sure, sure, but you just need to act as a distraction until I find the vinegar. That¡¯s fine with you, right?¡±
¡°Of course! Let¡¯s do this!¡± He seemed so hyped about fighting rats!
They entered, with the NPC charging toward the bloodthirsty creatures. Meanwhile, Jack ran all over the ce, overturning every single container. How had all this even survived the time and rats?
He knew that he had to hurry up. The NPC¡¯s life depended on him! But after a few seconds, he already found the clear bottle he had been looking for: vinegar, hell yeah!
The hunter was bloodied all over, but his injuries weren¡¯t critical, most being superficial wounds. Nice! They would be able to retreat without an issue.
¡°C¡¯mon, I got it! Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Jack cried.
¡°No way! I¡¯ve finally understood something!¡± The hunter protested.
¡°What the heck are you talking about!¡±
¡°If I run away, I will always remain a coward! I¡¯ve decided to change! It¡¯s all because of you! You¡¯ve convinced me to turn my life around. I will face my fears head-on!¡±
¡°What the heck does fighting rats have to do with your fox trauma?!¡±
¡°It¡¯s not about the foxes or even my friend. It¡¯s about me being too weak to keep on fighting! Don¡¯t you understand?! This is my chance to make everything right!¡±
¡°Like hell it is! Stop being a fool ande over!¡± Jack cried out.
¡°Thank you, friend, for showing me the way, and thank you for sharing your meat with me. I will forever remember this kindness!¡±
God fucking dammit! It seemed like there was no way to change this guy¡¯s mind. He was nowpletely surrounded and utterly screwed.
¡°Ah, whatever. No need to thank me. By the way, I gave you human flesh to eat. That¡¯s probably why the taste was familiar.¡± Jack suddenly confessed.
¡°You did what?! What the fuck?! How dare you! I won¡¯t forgive you! I¡¯ll ARGGG¡ª¡±
Jack quietly closed the door, the man¡¯s dying screams resounding in the peaceful vige. Talk about a fucking waste!
¡°Woo?¡± (Wondering)
¡°Yeah, this guy won¡¯t respawn. Well, at least not him. There will be a copying over.¡±
¡°Woo?¡± (Puzzled)
¡°Yep, this version of him that knows us is 100% gone.¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Angry)
The little wolf couldn¡¯t believe that guy. Why had he even taken some of their precious food if he was nning to die like an idiot?!
¡°Whatever, let¡¯s get going. We still need the garlic. Tell me whenever you spot white flowers.¡±
They did find some, but so many foxes guarded it! There were fucking 5 of them! They had probably been baited by the sweet-smelling flowers, a stark contrast to the odor of the bulb.
Had the NPC notmitted suicide, they could have baited them to the vige, but this sadly wasn¡¯t an option anymore.
Now what? Could his pet grab the garlic? It wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to gather since it was a general quest item. What if he made a diversion? If hepletely gave up offense, he could probably manage to stall a while.
The only problem was, what to do afterward? Wait, what if¡?!
¡°Alright, I have a n. Do you know how to dig up bulbs?¡±
¡°Woo?¡± (Bulb?!)
¡°Alright, here. Copy my movements.¡± Jack spent a while teaching his pet how to dig, only giving him his approval when the surroundings wereden with more holes than a golf course.
¡°Woo!¡± (Victorious)
¡°Alright, get the garlic, and I take care of the foxes.¡±
¡°Woo?¡± (Worried)
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just do aplish your task. See you soon!¡±
As the little wolf saw its master heroically go toward the foxes, it couldn¡¯t help but desire strength once more. One day it would be able to fight alongside him! Ah, he was so damn cool! He always knew what to do and say!
¡°Come on, you sons of literal bitches! I¡¯m gonna make a rug out of you! See if I give a fuck about your useless bites!¡±
Jack ran, and the foxes chased. The current him would have so much trouble defeating them. The only way it would be possible was if he chugged potions relentlessly. But this would be such a waste!
¡ª Bite! ¡ª
¡ª Bite! ¡ª
¡ª Bite! ¡ª
¡ª Bite! ¡ª
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
There were so many 1 damage procs, even with Jack blocking perfectly. 100% of his attention was spent on defending, and even then, it was barely enough. At this rate, he would soon be dead¡ª not that he would give up.
He ran all the way to the vige, his pursuers not showing any sign of wanting to give up. They were constantly biting at his heels, and it was annoying AF!
But then, he finally reached his target.
He was about to make one hell of an insane calcted move. Either this would work, or he would perish like a dumbass.
He opened the door to the cer, rushing inside. The rats were gnawing on the bones of the deceased NPC and turned their red eyes his way.
¡°Don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m just here to buy soy sauce!¡± Jack shouted as he jumped straight toward the rat pack, flying above their heads.
They were just about to tear him to pieces when the foxes arrived, dashing at him in a rage. They had finally cornered the damn human! They couldn¡¯t wait to tear him to pieces!
Sadly for the creatures, they failed to understand the menace that the rats represented and kept going.
The proud orange predators violently bit the rats, but the level difference made it so that the rodents didn¡¯t even flinch. Nope, they just bit back! As they began dying one after the other, the foxes realized that they had met more than their match.
But it was far toote. The two groups colliding ended quickly in a bloodbath, with all foxes perishing.
Jack didn¡¯t stay to watch. The rats were already turning toward him, and he¡¯d die so fucking easily if they targeted him. He ran out of the room and mmed the door in a hurry, his heart still thumping.
Thank God the rats wouldn¡¯t follow him anymore. Was it because of the door? Nope, while they couldn¡¯t open it, they could easily destroy it. Nope, it just happened that they liked the dark and damp interior too much even to bother going outside.
Just as he was rejoicing about his survival, the little wolf reappeared. It was proudly carrying some garlic bulbs in its mouth, with the demeanor of a conqueror returning from battle. Even then, it looked quiteical. It had soil all over its paws and furry face. It looked way too cute!
¡°Amazing job!¡± Jack congratted him, rubbing its head gently. The little wolf wagged its tail, happy at the praise.
But suddenly, Jack¡¯s body tensed up. He had just noticed the little wolf¡¯s shadow. It didn¡¯t look how it was supposed to. No, it was fox-shaped!
There could only be one meaning to it. It had been marked to death by that guy! Since when could this random boss fight happen this soon?!
Either way, Jack would have to get ready for a tough fight¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Using enemies to deal with other enemies doesn¡¯t always work. Sometimes they will instantly gang up on the yer no matter what. In such cases, one feels pretty dumb. At least, the end is very quick in such cases. Very, very, quick indeed!
Chapter 63: The Hunter and the Hunted!
Chapter 63: The Hunter and the Hunted!
In the Fox Grove dungeon, Jack stared at the fox-shaped shadow and uttered solemnly:
¡°Get ready. It¡¯sing.¡±
¡°Woo?!¡± (Tensing up)
¡°The Hunter has marked you. It will stop at nothing to add us to its soul collection now.¡±
The little wolf felt Jack¡¯s seriousness through their link.
This new enemy was no joke. In fact, it was a very iconic one to the beginner area. Why? Because it gave so many Newbies PTSD! This monster never fucking yed fair!
¡°Alright, let¡¯s leave this vige¡ª well, after we do one little thing.¡±
Jack quickly made his way toward one of the abandoned, destroyed kitchens. It was time to create a secret weapon!
¡ª Using Large Mixing Pot! ¡ª
+ Chili
+ Cayenne
+ Wild Garlic
+ White Vinegar
¡ª Mixing it all! ¡ª
[Obtained Smelly Fox Repellent!]
[*Can double as a female repellent!*]
Most MMOs would state that kind of stuff clearly, but in Infinite, there were little secrets hidden everywhere. This was he fun once you got used to it!
This one required:
1. To develop a basic affinity with the NPC or ask him the right questions.
2. To receive and read his fox booklet.
3. To collect the ingredients.
4. To mix them all.
Was it too hidden? Not really. The NPC would eventually talk about it if given a chance to speak long enough¡ª which Jack hadn¡¯t cared about.
Now, how were they supposed to proceed? The Hunter going after them was akin to a sword of Damocles. It could utterly annihte them at any time.
Jack couldn¡¯t help but frown. God, this would be one massive pain in the ass! They only stood a chance if they managed to bait the creature.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Once upon a time, he used to be human.
How long had it been? He couldn¡¯t recall. All he knew was that he had been betrayed. The humans had sacrificed him to save themselves! They really couldn¡¯t be trusted.
He had killed them all except that one detestable guy. Why did he hate him? He wasn¡¯t sure, but it didn¡¯t matter.
He was letting him live so that he could forever suffer the anguish of loneliness. He would lose a piece of his mind with every passing day, and there was beauty in that.
But recently, there had been intruders. They had shattered the peacefulness of the forest. There was no way that he would allow them to live!
He would hunt them, grab their soul, and devour it. There was no greater delicacy than a human about to perish.
He loved the fear in their eyes, the trembling of their bodies, the erraticst-second struggle for survival, and that sweet despair at them dying pitifully. He couldn¡¯t get enough of it!
Now he would strike again. There were new targets: a small wolf and its master. They would soon learn why this forest was his domain! He grinned as the hunt began.
He watched them from the shadows, the wolf¡¯s shadow, to be precise. He saw every single move they made. He had a front-row view of the action!
Hehehe. The dumb human was hunting, exerting himself, unaware of the horrors that were about to befall him. Meanwhile, the little wolf was moving about, scouting for its master.
That¡¯s when an opportunity showed itself. The dumb human began fighting three foxes and could barely keep up. He kept blocking and going for a battle of attrition: this would be so much fun!
He slowly approached his target, walking with his body seemingly melting into the shadows.
¡ª Shadow Walk! ¡ª
The dumb human had no clue that death was upon him. He would neutralize him first and let the wolf watch. In any case, the little one wasn¡¯t a threat. That¡¯s when he reached his target.
He was so close that he could hear the guy¡¯s beating heart, one that was steady for now. But it would soon beat in absolute dread for him!
He was so close that he could touch the man¡¯s back. How would he react when he plunged his ws into him? Twitch in confusion at first? Cry out in dismay and anger? It was time¡
The Hunter wed at the human.
¡ª Swipe! ¡ª
He watched the shadowy aura of death go from his w toward the target with a smirk. But just as he was rejoicing¡
¡ª WOOSHHHH! ¡ª
What the heck was that?! Suddenly all he saw was red. Then he felt the pain-.
He twitched while observing his surroundings. The three foxes were now on the ground, nothing but lifeless husks. What?! They were all dead?! What was happening?!
Was the red streak an attack?! This didn¡¯t make any sense! How were they defeated so quickly?! That¡¯s when the human slowly spoke.
¡°So, how is it? Are you having fun hunting?¡± There was so much sarcasm oozing through his voice.
The man¡¯s heart was now beating quickly, but something was wrong with the scene. What was up with that huge ass grin on his face?! The man¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t show any despair, no they showed excitement and¡pleasure?!
This attack was a failure! He had to retreat right now! But first, he had to make this guy fall! He relentlessly attacked:
¡ª Swipe! ¡ª
¡ª Swipe! ¡ª
¡ª Swipe! ¡ª
The guy blocked it all perfectly, sometimes even riposting, but it didn¡¯t matter.
-1
-1
-1
-1
Only one damage per hit? So what? The Hunter was actually winning this trade. Was it because he could attack extremely fast? Nope.
Every time his attack connected, a tiny and barely discernable shadow fox mark appeared on the man¡¯s body. The man¡¯s constant blocking allowed him to just stack this on him. He was fucked!
At this rate, there was no need to run. He would get rid of the pesky human in one go! He patiently kept attacking.
+Shadow Fox Mark Applied
+Shadow Fox Mark Applied
+Shadow Fox Mark Applied
All until it reached an insane 20 stacks. Even the overlord of this realm would die in one hit from his next move. This was huge!
It was time to end it all! He made sure to wait for the perfect timing.
The man blocked, blocked, blocked, and couldn¡¯t block anymore. He was close enough that he couldn¡¯t run away either. This was over!
The Hunter spun on himself, generating a wave of shadow, an unstoppable one! The human was as good as dead!
¡ª Shadow Slice! ¡ª
But that¡¯s when it happened: the human rolled. It was nothing fancy. In fact, he looked very awkward while doing it. But somehow, the shadowy arc passed right above his head?! He waspletely unharmed! How?!
He looked his way with that eternal goddamn smile of his.
¡°Hunting is fun, isn¡¯t it?¡±
That¡¯s when The Hunter realized that he was fucked. He had be nothing but cannon-fodder to fuel the growth of this monstrous man.
Even then, he couldn¡¯t understand how the man had shown such prowess at the beginning¡but then it saw the little wolf nearby. It was very happily and raunchily peeing on its own shadow, one in the shape of a fox.
They knew about it?! No, they had always known!
The wolf hadn¡¯t been scouting to find enemies. It had been scouting to deny him vision. It had been scouting so it wouldn¡¯t reveal the trap its master wasying.
Having trouble against three foxes? Nope! This had all been one huge fucking joke. The dangerous-looking foxes had been at the brink of death the whole damn time!
It now understood how it had failed.
¡°It was fun, wasn¡¯t it? Let¡¯s do this again sometimes.¡± The man cackled.
But even then, it was unreconciled! Fuck this human! Why was it that he felt like the monster? This felt so bad¡
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Jack happily shed with his Cluckinator dealing thest blow on The Hunter.
He stared at the now-dead Hunter. It was a bipedal fox that seemed half real and half made of darkness. This was because it was a Half-Fox, Half-Shadow lost soul who hunted the living.
Honestly, this fight could have been way harder. He had truly been lucky:
1. The little wolf had gotten the mark, letting him set up an ambush.
2. Bloody Cleave had allowed him to finish the three foxes instantly. Fighting 3 mobs + The Hunter would have been a nightmare.
3. His pet contract was special. Their link was a higher-level one, letting them share their senses. The wolf had actually been the one to detect the monster by smelling it. The Shadow Walk was no joke!
4. He already knew about the Shadow Slice. It worked simrly to his Bloody Cleave and Chicken Marksbo but was even stronger. Without dodging that move, he would have perished 100%.
This was why he loved the fights in Infinite. This was just the beginning, and there were already mechanics involved. This specific boss was all about relying on one¡¯s allies to trap it slowly.
Anyway, now that it was dead, it was time for loot! Jack happily approached it and collected it all. There was only a single item, but it was plenty:
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Umon Shadowy Belt
Rank F
Level 5
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[Armor Rating] 1
[Armor Type] Leather
[Durability] Great (Except Light)
[Attribute] +2 AGI
[Trait] + Shadow Affinity (¡ª)
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That +2 AGI was massive!
As for the Unranked Shadow Affinity, it could be useful for a rogue, but to him, it was pretty useless. But, whatever¡stats FTW!
He¡¯d just have to remember to repair the belt if it took heavy light element magical damage.
Jack happily wore the belt. This was why he was even doing dungeons in the first ce. It gave rare armor pieces, ones he needed for his tutorial-crushing ns. Good fucking luck getting a belt otherwise!
¡°How do I look?¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Praising)
¡°Right, very dashing is urate indeed!¡±
¡°Alright. Let¡¯s head to the next big guy, shall we? I¡¯ll have lots to teach you for this one¡.¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Determined!)
Their teamwork would be tested once more¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
What some people don¡¯t seem to realize is that the whole tutorial is one big fucking quest. The better youplete it and the better the rewards in the next town. Sure it¡¯s possible to rush but there are disadvantages to that. I won¡¯t settle for anything but perfect! ^_^v
Chapter 64: Fox Grove: Boss! (1/2)
Chapter 64: Fox Grove: Boss! (1/2)
The Fox Grove was as peaceful yet full of dangers as usual.
Jack and wolf were both stealthily crawling in the vegetation as they did their very best to bypass the random foxes. The monsters would have loved nothing more than to tear them apart!
Just as they were bypassing a small group of enemies, the wolf turned toward Jack, tilting its head puzzled. Why weren¡¯t they killing them?! Those guys contained meat! Sure, it wasn¡¯t as good as the one the humans had but still¡
¡°You see, time is money, and money is meat. Thus, by saving time, we are getting more meat in the future. Do you understand?¡± Jack exined.
For a small wolf, such a concept was tricky. Economics? What was that? Also, how was giving up meat causing them to have more in the end?! It didn¡¯t make sense?!
¡°Woo?!¡± (Confused)
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it and just enjoy the ride. You¡¯ll begin to understand the more time you spend with me. Anyway, we¡¯re almost there!¡± Jack reassured.
¡°Woo!¡± (Determined)
It was normal for an animal not to understand something as ridiculous as money. It would definitely take a while.
That¡¯s how they kept going until they finally arrived at a clearing.
It was ringly obvious how special this ce was: the whole area was a stone za! Then in the middle, there was arge fox statue. This reeked of a Boss fight! Jack couldn¡¯t help but have a smile adorn his face.
¡°Alright, listen carefully, little one! Beating this guy will require us to work together! Make sure you follow my directives, and everything will be just fine¡ª probably!¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Nodding solemnly)
Jack slowly approached the statue. There was a red gem at the foot of it that looked like a bright red button. What excellent attention to detail! He decisively pressed on it, the statue showing incredible changes.
It began to glow a bright orange light that began to radiate outward. The light reached the edge of the tform whererge orange walls made of energy appeared, caging them in the arena.
Escaping was now impossible, well besides by dying.
As if on cue, the statue began cracking, revealing the monster hiding underneath. Unsurprisingly it was a fox, and it was bigger than a goddamn bear! It looked so damn intimidating too!
As soon as it appeared, it growled toward the sky. The Big Boss was here, and it was showing its dominance!
How would a level 5 yer react to such an insanely high level? A normal one would probably freak out, despair, and give up. But Jack? Hell naw! He was here to kill that guy!
That¡¯s when it turned its attention toward them. The little wolf instantly began shaking in worry. Compared to its master, it indeed was weak! Its tail was even between its legs in shame.
¡°Woo?!¡± (Uncertain)
¡°Hehe, everything will be just fine.¡±
¡°Woo?¡± (Really?!)
It feared disappointing its master more than it feared death, and by far!
¡°If you can¡¯t believe in yourself, then at least believe in the me that believes in you.¡± Jack slowly and shamelessly uttered.
That¡¯s when the trembling pup became a resolute one. This was an overused line for Jack, but it was actually the first time the wolf ever heard it. It suddenly felt like howling, but now was not the time.
¡°Right, but before we proceed, let¡¯s do this.¡±
Jack winked at his partner as he threw the Fox Repellent at the Boss! It exploded right unto the creature as a gaseous cloud enveloped it entirely. A few seconds was all it took for the effect to activate.
Yep, it had lowered its level by a whopping 12! Well, it still was extremely high, but it wasn¡¯t impossible to defeat anymore.
¡°Now, that¡¯s better. Let¡¯s fucking Gooo!!¡± Jack cried out.
¡°RROAAAAARRRR!!!¡± The Boss screamed.
¡°Tch¡ª This guy sure is detrimental to the cuteness level of its species!¡± Jack rxedlymented as he settled the wolf pup on his head.
¡°Woo?!¡± (Puzzled)
¡°I¡¯ll show you how it¡¯s done. Your HP is really low, so you can¡¯t even afford to get hit. Remember my movements¡.¡± Jack instructed.
Anyone used to pets in VR gaming would haveughed at his foolishness. Teaching a pet like one would a disciple? Was he inexperienced or crazy?! But, he disagreed. So what? This was Infinite!
That¡¯s when the fox suddenly snarled at Jack before stepping forward¡ª well, teleporting would have been more urate.
¡°Pay attention to the floor. It will sh with a subtle orange glow at the spot the Boss is teleporting to! This allows for outys like this!¡±
The fox suddenly reappeared and wed at Jack¡.only to realize that the man was already in its back, stabbing its ass! What the hell?!
The fox tried to use its Fox Dash ability a few times, but each ended up with it suffering harsh damage targeting its vital spot!
-12
-14
-13
The Boss soon realized that its regr attacks were way more effective! Every single hit, even blocked, would still deal two damage to Jack!
-2
-2
-2
But every time, Jack would counter. He didn¡¯t let anyone walk over him, especially not a fox!
-7
-2
-8
¨C 2
-8
¡°Can you spot the orange glows now?¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Confident)
This would be a trial by fire! The wolf stepped down from his head and began dodging to the best of its abilities. Jack even traded a bit of damage to let it practice a bit more. Luckily he could dodge the vast majority of attacks!
At some point, he felt that the wolf was ready and increased his damage output again. That¡¯s how they cleared the first phase of the boss fight.
¡°This is the part that will be hard. If you can hold your own, this will be so much easier.¡± Jack exined.
¡°Woo!¡± (Serious)
¡°You¡¯ll want to keep dodging, but this time we want to sandwich the Boss between us! Keep attacking whenever it¡¯s safe to do so. Can you do that?¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Heroic!)
Creator¡¯s Thought
Training is important. Experience is required for everyone who is starting on their Infinite journey. This of course includes pets. That is why most people either get a low-level pet that barely does anything (cause it¡¯s cute) or get a powerful one then patiently train it.
Chapter 65: Fox Grove: Boss! (2/2)
Chapter 65: Fox Grove: Boss! (2/2)
¡°You¡¯ll want to keep dodging, but this time we want to sandwich the Boss between us! Keep attacking whenever it¡¯s safe to do so. Can you do that?¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Heroic!)
The Boss teleported in front of them once more. But this time, they split up on opposite sides. As soon as the fox reappeared, its fur began to inte while seeminglying alive.
It was as if the fur formed a magical cloak that had a mind of its own! It quickly protected its wearer. That¡¯s how Jack¡¯s 7-9 damage numbers suddenly turned to something very pitiful:
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
There was actually a w to this seemingly impregnable armor. It only covered 90% of the creature¡¯s body! Well, that was a lot considering it automatically adjusted itself as best as it could.
But, that automatic process could be exploited! This was because it kept calcting its movements by refreshing the highest DPS based on the previous seconds, not overall. Jack grinned as he stopped his assault entirely.
This meant that only the courageous wolf was still attacking:
-1
-1
-1
It was really low, but it was enough. The magical cloak repositioned itself to block the wolf¡¯s attacks.
-0
-0
-0
Since Jack was on the opposite side, he could now do regr damage for a short duration!
-7
-8
-7
All this time, the Boss itself kept attacking Jack. After all, the wolf¡¯s overall damage output was just way too low to retain aggro. At this point, one would have expected the fight to end as a battle of endurance. Nope, it wasn¡¯t over!
¡°Get ready! There will be lots of marks on the floor from now on! It¡¯s a simr deal as before. Evade them to avoid dying.¡± Jack shouted.
That¡¯s when the Boss began using its Fox Bloom skill. It was pretty straightforward, but it could easily wipe inexperienced parties. Still, this one was 100% a movement/awareness skill check.
Simply put, a shitload of orange marks began appearing at various intervals on the floor. Staying in one dealt lots of damage.
¡°Woo!¡± (Panicking)
The little wolf had trouble with this phase. It was part of Infinite and had sharp senses, so dodging the marks itself wasn¡¯t that big of a deal. It would hop around, avoiding it all.
No, it had trouble multitasking. This was so damn difficult! How was it supposed to dodge and keep the pincer attack going at the same time?!
¡°Rx, stay alive. That¡¯s all we need. As long as there is life, there is hope.¡± Jack reminded.
He couldn¡¯t expect the wolf to perform any better. For that, it would requirebat experience. There was no way that a low-level wolf would have any, no matter how pure and great its bloodline!
¡°Woo!¡± (Roger!)
That¡¯s how the two kept fighting. Jack soon found himself downing potions akin to an alcoholic on a cheat day! This was all that he could do.
Every time he drank one, he almost felt himself tearing up. This was money flying further away from his ount! But, it couldn¡¯t be helped. After all, this was the perfect training for the wolf!
At this moment, how many yers would have been jealous of that pet¡¯s treatment? Probably as little as ¡every single one of them!
It took three potions for Jack to finish thebat. This meant that it had taken him an HP bar of 90 to survive the Boss fight. It didn¡¯t sound like much, but it was! After all, an entire party of 5 level 5 yers would collectively have 150 HP.
But, one had to factor Jack¡¯s shield and skills in it. Just the shield allowed him to take two damage per hit instead of 4. Then, how many hits had he dodged? It would probably take 360 HP for a decently geared and skilled party to aplish the same.
Well, it was hard to know for sure. Party y allowed to juggle aggro¡.but also made a wipe easier. If many yers took damage from the Fox Bloom at once, the damage could easily ramp up to insane numbers.
Anyway, that¡¯s how the Fox Boss finally fell! The duo celebrated as it crashed to the ground, pumping their fist (paw) in the air.
¡°Woo!¡± (Happy!)
¡°Hell yeah, that was amazing!¡± Jack praised from the bottom of his heart.
¡°Woo!¡± (Awkward)
The little wolf scratched its head in embarrassment: it had barely done anything! It remembered vividly its damage dealt versus its master.
¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short. Your presence multiplied my damage by at least five times. Without you, this would have been one excruciating fight!¡± Jack exined.
¡°Woo?!¡±
¡°Indeed. Honestly, be confident in yourself. You¡¯re already more useful than most braves who roam Infinite, even without a battle form!¡± Jack told it.
This had been a huge sess overall! He quickly approached the enemy¡¯s corpse to loot it, a massive grin on his face.
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Umon Fox Fur Cloak
Rank F
Level 5
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[Armor Rating] 1
[Armor Type] Leather
[Durability] Great
[Attribute] +2 INT
[Trait] + Resist
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Right now, intelligence was pretty useless to him. This was because his onlybat skill scaled on weapon damage. Well, it would y a vital part in his build¡eventually at least!
As for the resist, it was one of those traits that were really hard to quantify. This was because it helped prevent a bit of damage but didn¡¯t always activate. It was really only noticeable when stacked and could render a yer insanely tanky!
Still, this was one more piece obtained toward reaching a full armor set! Jack couldn¡¯t help but feel excited about the prospect of owning one.
That¡¯s when he turned toward the little wolf with an incredibly solemn expression:
¡°Hey, actually, I have an issue.¡±
¡°Woo?¡± (Worried)
¡°Here goes. This one or this one?¡± Jack equipped his Infinite cloak before switching to the bright orange fox one. ¡°Cosmetic appearance on or off in the vige?¡± He asked.
The wolf began looking intently at it, in deep reflection:
¡°Woo!¡± (Uncertain)
¡°Just be honest!¡±
Jack kept cycling between both appearances madly. Ensued an intense moment of pondering, only for the wolf to finally wisely suggests:
¡°Woo!¡±
¡°You¡¯re right. Why not both!¡±
They nodded at one another, having spent longer on this BS than pondering stat allocation. #MMO-Fashion! But the two quickly left the dungeon via the big bright orange portal that had conveniently appeared in the distance.
But as soon as Jack went through it, a system announcement shower began!
[Congrattion: First to Clear a Dungeon!]
¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Not gonna lie, screw this basic orange cloak, I want the one that blocks 90% of all damage! Spoiler alert: it¡¯s possible to get something simr. Guess what I¡¯m aiming for? This power is a literal wet dream for a tank! It¡¯s like turning into motherfucking Achilles!
Chapter 66: Announcements Overload
Chapter 66: Announcements Overload
Jack couldn¡¯t help but happily stare at the flurry of notifications that were now flooding his screen.
[Congrattion: First yer to Clear a Dungeon!]
[ +400 Reputation New Leaf Vige ]
[ +200 Reputation Greenwood County ]
[ +100 Reputation in Terra Firma (Specific factions) ]
[ Acquired Title: First Dungeon Clear +5% Dungeon Dmg! ]
[Infinite cloak detected: earned ¡°1????-????¡± symbol!]
[Unlocked a new global function: Highlights!]
[Highlights are only avable in dungeons]
[Export highlights from this run? Y/N ]
[First to clear the Fox Grove!]
[Reveal Dungeon Location?]
[Reveal for extra loot %!]
Funny how many goddamn notifications there were for a single clear! This was as ridiculous as wee.
Jack slowlybed through it, analyzing it all:
1. Reputation in Terra Firma would eventually be helpful. This referred to the entire continent all the yers were on right now. But, the local one would be better in the short term.
2. The title would be a nice boon to his damage in the dungeon. Then again, he already had the pretty neat regeneration one.
3. The symbol mainly was vanity, but it also would prove his identity. One can only capitalize on fame after establishing one¡¯s identity.
4. Highlights were an incredibly huge deal!
5. Dungeon revealing was very important too.
First thing first, Jack didn¡¯t hesitate one bit before calling out to the system:
¡°Reveal the dungeon right away and export all highlights of this run to my VR helmet. Also, show me a copy of what the other yers will soon see.¡±
[ Preparing to reveal Fox Grove to the world! ]
[ Loot increased (++) for a week for the user! ]
[ Showing help screen! ]
As Jack saw it all, he couldn¡¯t help but grin. People would go crazy for sure¡.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
The yers in New Leaf vige were as busy and as rowdy as usual. Such an example was a party currently hunting at the edge of the forest, two of their members lowly discussing:
¡°After killing a few more foxes, I¡¯ll be able to get my first armor piece from the vige chief!¡±
¡°Bro, haven¡¯t you heard? Keep it on the down-low, but the vige chief is a scammer. Sure, he gives armor, but it¡¯s worse than the one from the other NPCs.¡±
¡°Wait, but don¡¯t they all have life-skills quests or something? Also, don¡¯t you need the mayor¡¯s quest, so corpses don¡¯t just disappear? I just wish we could carry more at a time¡.¡±
¡°Nope. You can make a simr deal with the other NPCs, and it¡¯s cheaper. Sure, you¡¯ll have to get friendly with them, but that shouldn¡¯t be too much of an issue.¡±
¡°Bro, thanks so much for the info! How did you even figure that out?!¡±
¡°Hehe, this is part of ying an MMO. It says so in the name: massively multiyer online game. I just observed the Wolves.¡±
¡°The Wolves?¡±
¡°The Mighty Wolves, of course! I¡¯m just copying their strategy, which they copied directly from the Demon King. They killed chickens to level up and farmed foxes for gear.¡±
¡°I see! That¡¯s smart, very smart!¡±
¡°Psst¡ª don¡¯t tell anyone, but I saw them heading deep into the forest. They¡¯re probably getting weapons.¡±
¡°How do you know?!¡±
¡°I don¡¯t. I¡¯m just guessing. The cksmith in New Leaf gives a quest to find some fuel and ore. It has to be that!¡±
¡°What about the Mighty Dragons? Are the two guilds still fighting?¡±
¡°It has calmed down ever since the Demon King has defeated them 1 v 50. Hell, I still can¡¯t fucking believe it. It¡¯s so insane!¡±
¡°Yeah, man. I also want to know what happened to that New World. Is it¡ª¡±
But their peaceful conversation was suddenly interrupted by an incrediblemotion that left all the yers gasping.
First, a loud and deep sound resounded across the realm. Yet, the NPCs and monsters didn¡¯t seem to notice it at all.
¡ª ZZZZOOOOOMMM!! ¡ª
Then it was followed by an enormous and amazing golden beacon appearing. It was akin to a divine sign guiding one to a godly treasure! The light was golden-orange and visible to all New Leaf vige yers.
Finally came the system announcement that exined it all:
[ Fox Grove has been revealed by yer Jack¡¯O! ]
[ Special opening event: bonus loot for one week! ]
[ Fox Grove requires level 5 to enter! ]
[ Time remaining 604 669 seconds ]
What the heck was all that?! The yers were about to die from excitement, yet this was only the beginning.
[ First Dungeon has been cleared: Unlocked Highlights!]
[ Opening Highlights Description (Shout help to see it again afterward) ]
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[Highlights]
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1. Only Usable in Dungeons.
2. Compiles the best moments of a previous dungeon clear from the user¡¯s POV.
3. Compiled data will be exported in any video format to the VR helmet directly.
4. Highlights are made solely by the Infinite master AI, and no ticket forints will be epted.
5. Entering a dungeon in a party will give other yers the right to use their own Highlights footage without anyone¡¯s authorization.
Please have fun. Gaming is Infinite! ^_^V
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There was a moment of silence as yers stood, bbergasted by such insane announcements. Then the peaceful conversations were no more:
¡°Wait, a new dungeon?! This is the new world, right?!¡±
¡°Revealed by Jack¡¯O? That¡¯s the Demon King!¡±
¡°It¡¯s an event! Another event is upon us!¡±
¡°Is the countdown really in seconds?!¡±
¡°Bonus loot? Fucking count me in!¡±
¡°I can¡¯t wait to see the dungeon!¡±
¡°Fox Grove? Neat!¡±
At first, there was incredible happiness. There was nothing that gamers loved more than a new expansion, especially if it was free! Right now, they were euphoric from the sense of novelty and discovery.
They couldn¡¯t wait to experience it for themselves, only to have one of them remind them of a tiny detail:
¡°Fuck me! I¡¯m just level 2 and nowhere near level 5!¡±
¡°Oh crap, you¡¯re right! That¡¯s a requirement to enter!¡±
¡°Can we even clear it before the event is over?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go inside to sightsee no matter what!¡±
¡°Wait for me, beautiful kitsunes!¡±
Many wished at all cost to be able to finish the dungeon before the bonus loot ran out. They had no clue how much of a buff it even was. They simply feared missing out.
As for the kitsune lovers, they were bound to be disappointed. There was none to be found in the tutorial. They would have to go on a quest to find them or something.
But some yers had alreadypletely given up the dungeon:
¡°Screw that! I¡¯ll be too busy increasing my life skills.¡±
¡°This sucks. I probably won¡¯t reach level five in time.¡±
¡°So many events, so little time. Being a student sucks!¡±
¡°Being a student? Try being a housewife. That sucks even more! ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã).¡±
Luckily, they weren¡¯t void of hopes just yet:
¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that bad, guys. Remember, there are now highlights!¡±
¡°Oh!! You¡¯re right. We¡¯ll be able to spectate it at least!¡±
¡°I¡¯m setting up a twitching screen at work!¡±
¡°Bro, don¡¯t do it. Your boss will fire you!¡±
¡°Hehe, I¡¯m the Boss. Now what?¡±
¡°Soooo, are you recruiting?!¡±
None of them wanted to miss the buzz. It was like how watching a movie at the grand premiere felt better than watching the very same film after a few years.
Spectating would be enough to sate the entertainment cravings of most of them. There only remained the question of who to watch.
¡°Guys, do you think the Demon King will release his highlights?¡±
¡°I fucking hope so! It would be so freaking dumb not to!¡±
¡°Well, we don¡¯t know anything about the dungeon.¡±
¡°Maybe he won¡¯t, to hide the clear strategy.¡±
¡°Does he even care about stuff like that?¡±
¡°Maybe to remain ahead of the others?¡±
¡°What if he doesn¡¯t, just to troll us?¡±
They could only shrug at one another since they were only specting and had no way to know. But, they all crossed their fingers to see a Jack¡¯O highlight.
As for the yers in the other starting viges, they also received the Highlight announcement¡but not the ¡°Jack¡¯O revealed Fox Grove¡± one.
[ First Dungeon has been cleared: Unlocked Highlights!]
[ Opening Highlights Description (Shout help to see it again afterward) ]
For them, the Fox Progenitor was still alive and kicking, the dungeon wasn¡¯t even opened, and the system didn¡¯t state who had cleared it. They were utterly perplexed.
Discussions simr to this one were happening:
¡°What, a dungeon has been cleared?!¡±
¡°Hell, there are dungeons in this game?!¡±
¡°Are you retarded?! Of course, there are dungeons in MMOs.¡±
¡°No, I mean, I didn¡¯t know there were some in the beginner area.¡±
¡°How did we all collectively miss out on it. Do you guys think its¡¯s hidden?¡±
They pondered for a few seconds beforeing up with possibilities:
¡°I really think it has to be rted to that Fox Progenitor monster.¡±
¡°No way! It¡¯s impossible that it¡¯s been defeated just yet.¡±
¡°Why? With enough skilled yers, it should be possible.¡±
¡°Nope. It just takes too much gear. Even the big guilds only have a few yers with armor. Then it has a berserker state that is way too OP!¡±
The people listening nodded in understanding. They could only conclude that someone really had found a hidden dungeon. Talk about a lucky son of a bitch!
As to where it was¡.they lived in the age of information! Without hesitating, many rushed to their social media ount to investigate.
¨C Big Cucumber: Anyone figured out who cleared the dungeon?!
¨C Model in my Freezer: No idea. So far, no one has a clue. I would have expected it to be all over the ce already, even for a new game.
¨C Turtle Snaps Straws: Hahahaha, exclusive news from New Leaf motherfucking vige! The Demon King Cleared the Fox Grove! It seems he did it alone too. Get wrecked, you all! XD
¨C I Lick Airnes: Soooo, does anyone know?
¨C Gandalf the Gay: The poster above literally just answered! Demon King, New Leaf vige, Fox Grove, GG!
¨C I Lick Airnes: @Gandalf, Got any proof? Last time, the Demon King lies were exposed pretty quickly.
¨C Gandalf the Gay: Lies?! Literally, just ask anyone from the New Leaf vige. There¡¯s golden glowing light falling from heaven directly onto the dungeon entrance. Even the blind can¡¯t miss it.
¨C Big Chungus: * Heavy Sigh * Guys, it seems that the Demon King trolls are back. Ping me if anyone finds the answer.
¨C Model in my Freezer: You have to admit that they sure are imaginative. Golden light from heaven? Watch it today on things that never happened!
¨C Big Cucumber: Yeah, they¡¯re such a pain. They like to exaggerate way too much. First, it¡¯s their idol winning a 1 v 50, and now he¡¯s suddenly the first to clear a dungeon. Why doesn¡¯t he prove it by releasing the highlights then?
Many fans of the Demon King came forward only to be ruthlessly shot down.
One such fan was currently sitting in his gaming chair, sighing to himself. Most people rejected his message. They hated him because he told them the truth.
So what? He eagerly awaited what woulde next¡
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[A/N] This chapter is sponsored by Imarques18! ?????? Thank you a lot brother! ^_^v
Creator¡¯s Thought
I suddenly came to the realization¡wasn¡¯t I the only one in Infinite that had the capability to publish a video?! How great was that?! Now, I would just have to figure out how to proceed¡
Chapter 67: Theory Behind Creating a "Faction"
Chapter 67: Theory Behind Creating a ¡°Faction¡±
A young man slowly removed the VR helmet he had been wearing, the pain in his stomach reminding him that he had skipped lunch.
Jack quickly headed to the kitchen, whipping himself the most delicious dinner: an omelet filled with thinly sliced ghost peppers and a nondescript gray cheese (?). Well, whatever it was, it tasted like food.
Lilly had left a note:
¡°Gone to study at a friend¡¯s house. Try not to die of hunger while gaming. =P¡±
Pfft¡ª as if that would ever happen! He¡¯d end up at the hospital at worst¡..not that he could afford such luxury.
Talking about the old man, he was nowhere to be seen and was probably still working.
Jack wanted his help for his next step. He quickly sent him a text before hurrying back to Infinite. He decisively headed back to the vige to do some business, only to be intercepted by a random party.
They eagerly addressed him:
¡°Oh my god, the Demon King!¡±
¡°Thank you so much for opening the dungeon!¡±
¡°How is it inside?! Are there many bloodthirsty foxes?!¡±
¡°Will you create your own guild? How can one apply? I have silvers and credits!¡±
¡°Say, mister Demon King, are you looking for attendants by any chance? I can be very, very devoted .¡±
Thest one was a vige-toppling beauty!¡ª not worth much in a game. She made sure to bend, showing off her profound valley and fleshy rump as she seductively offered her services.
¡°I gotta go. You guys have fun. Be careful; surprisingly, there are many foxes in the FOX Grove.¡± Jack sarcastically uttered as he left, ignoring the astonished girl.
Still, people sure were strange. Did they really think he¡¯d invite them to a legit guild just because they had a bit of money? Guilds in Infinite could generate so much profit that it had to be seen as a business.
He reached the vige, a guy rushing toward him. This one was with the Mighty Wolves if he wasn¡¯t mistaken.
¡°Boss, you¡¯re back!¡± His shout brought the attention of everyone around.
Jack felt the gazes of the bystanders resting on him. Did they think that they could figure out his secrets by staring at him or something?
¡°Hey¡you. Anyway, what¡¯s up?¡± Jack greeted.
¡°Boss, I wanted to ask you how we should deal with the fans?¡±
¡°The fans?¡±
¡°There are so many yers pestering our group asking to be introduced to you. So many have tried bribing us ever since that golden light happened.¡± He exined.
Wait¡.bribing?!
The more it went, and the more yers were ¡°coincidentally¡± gathering at the vige. Some talked to their friends, others typed messages, and some were ¡°reorganizing¡± their inventory, yet all watched him!
He truly realized how much impact he was making on them for the first time.
Jack felt like a young maiden desired by all. That¡¯s when he resolved to suck them dry, all of them! He¡¯d make them alle over to him and throw money at his feet. The only question was how.
Jack actually had experience creating a ?c? ?u? ?l? ?t?¡a friendly group. Three elements were vital:
1. A feeling of belonging + exclusivity.
The harder it was to join an organization, and the more valuable membership was. People would brag about being part of it!
2. Lots of concrete benefits.
Sweet promises were nothing but ridiculous dreams if none of it was concrete. Hell, even pyramid schemes could be super legit once they sold scented candles or stic containers!
3. Disadvantages to being out of it.
This could be anything, from fear of losing out to peer pressure. People had to feel that being outsiders brought demerits. It could be as simple as one potentially missing their favorite Neetflix show because they had canceled their subscription.
It was time to cover every point one by one!
Jack precisely knew where to start. How could one show guild membership? With the guild system, yers could proudly disy it atop their heads. How could he achieve the same result without actually creating a guild? He¡¯d use Physical proof!
He entered the nearby training camp, finding Igor, who instantly raised an eyebrow at him:
¡°Let me guess. You¡¯re here to ask for something crazy again?¡±
¡°What? I would never!¡±
¡°-_- The mana engul¡ª¡±
¡°It¡¯s long in the past! Anyway, can you carve me faction tokens?¡± Jack asked, hopeful.
¡°For guilds, one has to register at Sprigfield town. Otherwise, it won¡¯t be official. As for a faction¡ª¡±
¡°Ah, it won¡¯t be an actual faction or even a guild. I just want tokens to show unity between the people of this vige.¡±
¡°Oh, I see¡.very noble indee¡ª is that what you think I¡¯ll say? You¡¯re scheming something, aren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°What?! Nooo wayyy!¡±
¡°Oh well¡.fine, but only at one condition.¡±
¡°You want me to gather wood? I¡¯m on it!¡±
¡°Hehe, do you think that will be enough? I have an old friend called Hector at the royal capital. Bring this letter to him and follow his instructions afterward, and I¡¯ll do it. You can¡¯t open the letter, of course.¡± The trainer grinned happily.
Seeing Igor chuckling, this quest was probably one that would be a pain in the ass. How ironic that he would have to get scammed in order to scam others. Perhaps there would even be a life lesson in there.
[New Quest: Mysterious letter from Igor!]
Jack headed to the wood to collect fallen branches. People couldn¡¯t help but watch with curiosity. Why was the Demon King doing this? Had he finally decided toplete the stick quest?
But as they saw Igor get to work, they felt puzzled. They hadn¡¯t heard the earlier discussion, so they tried to piece it together.
¡°Wait, is Igor creating essories now?! I want some!¡±
¡°Less talking and keep watching. There¡¯s something phenomenal bound to happen!¡±
¡°No shit, sherlock! Do you think we¡¯re all here to check the training instructor? Always assume that the Demon King is doing something, OP!¡±
A few minutester, it was time for the moment of truth! Igor polished his creation onest time before handing it over.
¡°Here you go, amazing isn¡¯t it!¡± He confidently bragged.
¡°Eh¡ª It¡¯s amazing alright!¡± Jack eximed.
It truly was¡.how could it be so horrible?!
Inscribed on the surface was a really badly drawn dick with a single semi-hairy ball on top. Jack couldn¡¯t help but recoil in shock while giving the man a confused look.
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you think it represents you very well?¡± Igor insisted, smiling warmly.
¡°How so?¡± Jack couldn¡¯t understand. Had he unknowingly pissed off this NPC?!
¡°You¡¯ve been going around the vige with that wolf of yours. Of course, it should be on top of your head on the emblem.¡±
That¡¯s when Jack finally realized that the ¡°dick¡± was supposed to be a tall man (?) and the disgusting thing above his wolf (?).
He wasn¡¯t sure whether tough or cry. It didn¡¯t help that his pet seemed to utterly love it as it pointed toward the emblem with its tiny paws.
¡°Woo!¡± (Excited)
¡°Yes, that is supposed to be you¡..emphasis on the supposed.¡± Jack admitted.
¡°Woo!¡± (Happy)
He turned toward Igor:
¡°Say, how about you add a few lines so we understand that it¡¯s a wolf and a human?¡± Jack guided the NPC to achieve artistic perfection¡.or not.
After a few iterations, he was finally happy with the result that looked way cleaner. Now it was as if a five years old kid had drawn the picture. It was actually kind of cute. Oh well, this would do.
¡°Perfect! I¡¯ll need lots and lots like that!¡± Jack requested.
¡°Since you¡¯re so friendly, I¡¯ll sell each for ten silvers. This should be fair.¡± He said.
Jack really wanted to haggle, but the man¡¯s eyes were resolute. He wouldn¡¯t back off as he knew that he was the only NPC able to do woodworking in the vige.
Jack could only sigh. The cost would add up, but it wouldn¡¯t be the end of the world. He would just have to make their recruits pay the price.
¡°Alright, you win.¡± Jack
¡°Nice, soon so many will be wearing my medallions. It will be so damn majestic!¡± Igor happily rejoiced.
Meanwhile, the spectators were twisting their heads to try and understand the drawing without being able to.
¡°Wow, from afar this looks so cryptic!¡±
¡°What do you guys think it all means?¡±
¡°Who knows? Maybe it¡¯s some secret runes like on their cloaks!¡±
Jack twitched as he heard them. The vestige of the dick could still be seen. How would they react once they saw it up close?
Anyway, now that this was settled, it was time to focus on the other issues.
Luckily, he was the one they called Demon King. Would it work if he just used his reputation to drive fear into his enemies? It should suffice for now.
The most challenging part remained: to bring them benefits for joining.
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He began mentally listing everything he could think of:
¨C Food: Maybe make a deal with the butcher? Then again, what kind of meat would that guy even supply him with?
¨C Training: While he wouldn¡¯t teach anything too advanced, he could show them a few moves. He could actually just set up a quick system with everyone training together.
¨C Discounts?!: He¡¯d have to ask the other NPCs. Maybe they could buy/sell items in bulk.
¨C Protection services: Akin to a yakuza he could protect its members from getting bullied.
¨C Butchering services: This one had lots of potential to level up his life skill. He just had to find a method to set up a stall that looked decent enough.
¨C Faction grouping: This would help Newbies to find parties.
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There were so many possibilities. That¡¯s when Jack spoke once again talking to the crowd: ¡°All of you, I have exciting news!¡±
The bystanders all held their breath¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
For most, the ultimate goal of creating a faction is to get a return on one¡¯s investment. Ideally, it should be an entity that is able to run by itself with minimal input from its creator. But, many quickly realize that such an endeavor is actually quite troublesome!
Chapter 68: Things in Motion!
Chapter 68: Things in Motion!
At the training camp, a crowd was intently staring at the one they called Demon King. Jack made sure he had their undivided attention before he spoke slowly and audibly:
¡°All of you, I have exciting news!¡± He paused to raise the tension. ¡°I have just decided to establish a faction that will support new yers.¡±
The yers began gasping in shock. The Demon King was making a move, and they were the first to hear about it. This was fucking huge! They perked their ears, captive to the man¡¯s words.
¡°This new yer guidance will be 100% free and avable to all without exception. But, seeing you all ying on day 2, I¡¯m guessing many of you aren¡¯t or soon won¡¯t be Newbies, am I right?¡±
They all nodded. Of course, they weren¡¯t Newbies! They were the pioneers of Infinite. They were the ones that would storm the game and create legends¡ª or so they all hoped. Did this mean this wouldn¡¯t be for them?
¡°For any experienced yer, we will offer a membership option for further guidance and various benefits.¡± There it was! How could they join?! This is what they needed.
¡°Joining will be as simple as paying the membership fee, and then one will be able to benefit from all the advantages. It will cost¡.¡± Jack took his time to finish his sentence.
The yers held their breath as their hearts thumped. Had anyone else been speaking, they would have thought him a scammer, but this was the Demon King! They could only hope they¡¯d be able to afford it.
¡°¡.40 silvers or 40 fox corpses or 20 wolf corpses.¡± He announced.
What?! That was all?! They had expected some incredibly high price, but this was surprisingly manageable. The vige chief charged 100 fox corpses for a single armor piece and the other NPCs 70 (required affinity).
¡°The funds will finance the operation of the faction as well as all the services it will provide. This will include protection against PK, butchering services, party finder, training and¡ª¡.¡±
The yers all assumed that Jack was raising tension once again, but there was actually a window that had popped in front of his eyes.
[Disturbance detected IRL, would you like to log out?]
¡°Ah, I have to do something IRL real quick. Talk to you allter and take care!¡± Jack quickly waved them goodbye before disappearing in a sh of purple light.
The yers were left standing there shellshocked. What the hell?! What sort of anticlimactic exit was that? They wanted to fucking know more! If he weren¡¯t the Demon King, they would have felt like beating him!
Instead, they began to analyze all that had happened:
¡°I was expecting this all to be super expensive, but nope! It¡¯s manageable.¡±
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s 100% worth it to dy an armor piece and join.¡±
¡°Just the training from the demon King is worth it!¡±
¡°Then there are all the other services included.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t wait to join and get my emblem!¡±
¡°Guys, it¡¯s cool and all, but WTF was that?!¡±
¡°Establishing a faction? We¡¯re lucky he did!¡±
¡°No, no! He logged out¡with purple light?!¡±
That¡¯s when all the yers jerked up in shock. That guy was right! They had been so focused on the news that they hadn¡¯t even realized! Then again, could they expect anything ordinary from the Demon King? Hell no!
But that¡¯s when one suddenly pointed to the nearby training instructor.
Igor was deep in reflection. He was wordlessly staring at the spot Jack had disappeared, in shock. There seemed to be a thousand thoughts shing on his solemn face. In the sudden silence, the yers heard him mumble to himself:
¡°Is he really a brave?¡± But then Igor returned to his usual self, shrugging it off. He was better off not trying to understand that crazy guy.
The bystanders were left utterly stunned.
Was he really a brave?! What was that even supposed to mean?! That¡¯s how the NPC called the yers, right? What the hell was he if he wasn¡¯t a yer?! Was this all because of the purple log-out aura?!
The yers suddenly became deathly quiet, picturing so many possibilities. They felt like they had just stumbled upon a huge Infinite secret! Yet they didn¡¯t fucking know how to react to this!
They stared shellshocked as they felt their brain about to overload. That¡¯s when the training instructor turned toward them.
¡°Do you guys want to see the faction emblems? They¡¯re adorable! Actually, what¡¯s up with you all? It¡¯s almost like you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡± Igor chuckled.
The yers couldn¡¯t help but twitch. Whose fault was it! For now, they would soothe their fast-beating heart by gazing at the cute design¡but holy shit!
They would film their friends¡¯ reactions when they told them about the faction and the brave thingy. This would be memorable¡
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Jack awoke to the screams of an old man¡ª not the most peaceful of rousing for sure.
¡°Hey, can you hear me?! How does this thing work?! Do I just pry it off his head?!¡ Wait, no, this is his job. What if he gets yelled at by his boss?¡± It ended as mumbles of a confused man.
Jack slowly rose, removing the VR helmet.
¡°Hey, I¡¯m back. For future reference, there is a button on the side that you can press gently to send a message inside the game.¡± Jack patiently exined.
¡°Ah, I¡¯ll remember it. Anyway, I got your message. What was that about? What do you need help with? Whatever it is, I¡¯ll do my best. If it¡¯s about the debt, let¡¯s¡ª¡±
¡°Nope. I need you to draft me a legally binding contract. I want one that is airtight, and I don¡¯t really want to spend on awyer right now.¡± Jack shrugged.
The old man instantly frowned.
¡°You know that I¡¯ve been disbarred centuries ago.¡± He sighed deeply.
¡°Who cares? Anyone can write a contract. You just happen to know how and I trust you. Plus, it¡¯s not like you lost your license from a fault of your own.¡±
¡°This does not matter one bit. In this world, credibility is everything, and I¡¯ve long lost that. Plus, the ban won¡¯t ever be revoked due to some special circumstances involved¡.¡± He profoundly said.
¡°Meh, whatever. Anyway, you know how I¡¯ve been gaming professionally. They just added the option to export videos from the game. I want to make money off this by uploading it to sites like MeTube.¡±
¡°Good idea, even a dinosaur like me knows about videos. Still, I sense a buting.¡±
¡°But, I heard rumors that Infinite willunch its own video tform shortly. So I really don¡¯t feel like going through the hassle of setting up an ount only to ditch itter on.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t Infinite try to poach creators from whatever other tforms there are? There should be a way to transfer, no?¡±
¡°Transfer? Yes. Except, I¡¯d have to revamp it no matter what. This new tform will be like the new generation ones that are watched in VR.¡±
¡°Eh, you should be careful. Many people are not familiar with VR. Take me, for example. I¡¯ll always use a phone since it¡¯s also a work tool.¡± The old man wisely advised.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. It will bepatible with phones too. Anyway, I want to slowly build a name for myself without actually publishing. I¡¯ll be looking for a temporary partner.¡±
¡°I see. So that¡¯s why you want to cover all the bases. I¡¯ll do it for you but on one condition. You cannot ever tell anyone that I had any part to do in it.¡± He solemnly said.
¡°Sure, thanks a lot! I¡¯ll text you a few requirements.¡± Jack knew he could count on him.
The old man left the room, grumbling about now having so much studying to do. This was how much he cared. He would research until he was 100% certain that the contract he drafted was perfect.
Knowing him, it wouldn¡¯t take too long. Even if he was rusty from theck of practice, he remained one of the best, at least in Jack¡¯s heart.
To the rulers of this world, he was a potential danger, even if innocent. He would never be allowed to be in a position of power. His crime was to have shown kindness to the wrong man, one who had turned out to destroy a country.
He freaking had to pull strings to be able to work as a janitor in a hospital!
Jack had actually learned of this in his past life throughplete coincidence. It had felt so damn surreal that he had felt like his whole life had been a lie. Hell, he didn¡¯t know the details either.
Anyway, this was all in the past. As long as he focused on protecting them right now, everything would be fine.
Jack quickly began browsing MeTube and Twitching in search of the perfect partner. He was akin to a fashionista deciding what to wear or a single-yer gamer picking what to y.
Not this one, not this one either, definitely not this one! There were so many VR games and content creators out there!
Now, what should he use as criteria?
Jack quickly realized one huge issue: theck of footage. This meant that he would have to find a potential partner based on their previous videos yet had to make sure they had a deep interest in Infinite.
There were so many to sort through! He diligently kept browsing, ssifying them into various categories.
Thepetitive ones: They would showcase PVP, PVE and do whatever it took to be stronger in-game. They were the pro-gamers.
The informative ones: They tended to publish more guides than gamey and were the ones that leaned more toward an analyst job.
The variety streamers: They were all about having fun and making sure their fans had a good time. They were professional entertainers.
The noobs: They published videos with high motivation, little nning, and barely had views. Jack wasn¡¯t especially looking for a diamond in the rough right now.
The thots: They had quality content that gave viewers two really big reasons for watching¡ª especially when there was bouncing involved.
But Jack was slightly worried that the focus would be on something other than his gamey. He couldn¡¯t help but raise a brow as he noticed a trend. Why the hell was there so many of them in an intable kiddie pool?!
Ah, whatever. He was now confronted with a critical dilemma. What kind of streamer would he partner with?
Apetitive one? They could do a pro-gamer partner stream eventually. This was bound to be popr. ??
An informative one? Someone like that could exin his incredible feat to the masses step by step. It would increase the awe they had for his well-thought gamey style. ??
A variety streamer? There was bound to be lots of fun to be had from his adventures. Should he coborate with a professional entertainer? ??
It was now time to decide¡
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[A/N] This chapter is sponsored by Imarques18 with a spacecraft! ?????? Also, surprise event! ^_^v
What kind of streamer should Jack partner with?
??
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Creator¡¯s Thought
I¡¯m not even sure how the old man got himself in trouble. All I know is that he helped the wrong person and suffered from it. Honestly, I believe his career was ruined by someone influential offhandedly showing displeasure about him. At least he hadn¡¯t been imprisoned or killed, only banned.
Chapter 69: Finding a Partner (1/2)
Chapter 69: Finding a Partner (1/2)
A young man was happily browsing his phone in his room, smirking from time to time.
Jack really had trouble deciding what kind of streamer to go for. Competitive, informative, or a fun one?
But that¡¯s when his fingers began itching as they began typing a name in the search engine: Seraphine. He stared at it, erased it, typed it back again, and he couldn¡¯t forget Lilly¡¯s words.
Should he pry or not?
He hesitated for a few seconds before resolutely pressing the enter key. So what if he looked into her a bit? He¡¯d just have to make sure that he didn¡¯t change the way he acted around her.
Then his screen got filled with tons of articles:
< Pro-yer Seraphine, a disgrace for the E-Sports industry!? >
< Seraphine, Single-Handedly wins 1 v 3 at worlds then throws the game!>
< The truth behind Seraphine the Shadow Princess¡¯s fallout with her studio! >
< Shocking! Seraphine, more than 20 studio offers, all refused! Retirement nned?!>
< Exclusive interview with Seraphine, her reasons for quitting! What are her uing ns? >
A disgrace for the E-Sports? Hell, he too had been a disgrace. He knew firsthand how much the press loved to prey on some people without rhyme or reason. Well, it was all about sales.
He clicked on her interview. He wanted to know her story, as told by her. He devoured the lines slowly, smiling warmly at times, grinning at others, and even guffawing on a few asions.
He could understand how she had issues with her previous studio. They were 100% money-oriented, as was the case with most businesses. The problem was that she had neverpromised her integrity in the face of temptation or threats.
At some point, the conflict blew up spectacrly. She showcased her might at a globalpetition only to surrender right as victory was assured, only to prove a point. This was definitely madness!
Yet she had managed to get away with enough money for retirement. Jack couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he saw her reasons. She didn¡¯t wish to be a pro anymore, didn¡¯t wish for the spotlight, and wanted anonymity.
Why? ying as a Pro had ruined the fun for her. It wasn¡¯t about enjoying the game, but 100% about performance. She wanted to leave that life behind.
Jack could rte so fucking much. Eventually, Infinite would creep over to invade people¡¯s lives IRL, and the stakes would rise so damn much! It would stop being just a game and be a full-fledged industry.
He knew the despair it could bring. He knew how it could quickly consume one¡¯s life. Well, for most of the yers it would remain a beautiful escape from a harsh reality.
Jack wasn¡¯t an idiot. A n quickly formed inside his head. He would get her to sponsor him, the return of the gaming star would bring incredible attention to him, and his rise would be ster!
He would be an Inte sensation. The cash would be rolling in. He¡¯d be able to afford a good life for his family, and¡ª No. No, no, no! He suddenly shook his head, forcefully getting rid of the idea.
Fuck no! What kind of man¡¯s first thought was to exploit his friends¡¯ fame for his own benefit? Not the kind of man he fucking wanted to be! Not the kind of man Lilly would be able to look up to.
Should he disturb Bubblegum¡¯s happy retirement? Hell no! She was ying incognito and had looked displeased at being recognized back then. He would let her live her life peacefully¡ª well, it would be different if she came out of retirement.
All doubt left Jack¡¯s body as he grinned, proimed at his phone like a madman:
¡°Do I need to leech on others to reach the top? Hell freaking no! One day Jack¡¯ Motherfucking O will have more articles praising him than words in the dictionary!¡±
¡ª Apparently, 171 476¡who knew!
He quickly returned to work, furiously typing on his phone as if a dimensional monkey on a typewriter.
¡°Not this one, not this one, not this¡ª¡± his quest was suddenly interrupted by a text message notification popping off.
¡ª Beep! ¡ª
He couldn¡¯t help but raise a brow as he saw the contact¡¯s name¡.Lilly had 100% tinkered with it!
¨C Cutest Sister ??( ^?^)??: Hey, I¡¯ll be staying at my friend¡¯s house for the night. Don¡¯t overwork yourself. I believe in you! ?-(????)/?
He couldn¡¯t help but smile warmly, thenughed as he remembered her online nickname. What part of this was devilish?! She should have called herself heartwarming Lilly.
He quickly typed in a reply, only to return to work even more hyped. A very childish part of him couldn¡¯t wait to show her his videos.
But as he clicked to return to browse, he just happened to misclick on a random streamer, one that barely had four viewers¡ª not the star he had been searching for.
The host, a certain ¡°Mighty Infinite Pancakes,¡± was excitingly reading all kinds of news about the game, one after the other:
¡°Hey, you all! There¡¯s more news about the Demon King. People say he conquered the first dungeon. Do you all think he¡¯ll rule over it and evolve into a Demon Overlord? Wouldn¡¯t that be great!¡±
But just as he was about to leave, his face suddenly twitched as he read the stream chat. What the hell was that?!
¨C Pika Pika MF: Hurry up and show a different game, or I¡¯m leaving. Infinite is a doomed game, and only idiots think it has a future.
¨C Red Fungus: Who cares about the Demon Lord? You should be showing relevant stuff! That¡¯s why you¡¯re the worst streamer!
¨C Ouroboro-Snake-Chan: This stream is garbage. It¡¯s so atrocious that it¡¯s making me wretch!
¨C Stream Critic: This fatty was born the wrong gender. Look at the size of those tits! Kek
Yet the streamer didn¡¯t even frown at the insults. He shed the camera a bright smile and answered every singlement tactfully.
¡°If Infinite doesn¡¯t have a future, then I will create one for it. Do not worry. Follow the Pancakes to glory!¡± He proimed heroically.
¡°I¡¯m the worst streamer, you say? I¡¯m so happy to be the best at something!¡± He strutted akin to a peacock, oozing with pride.
¡°Be careful if you¡¯re vomiting Snake-Chan. Make sure to drink some water afterward, so you stay hydrated.¡± He rmended with concern.
¡°I¡¯m gonna blush! I¡¯m not an easy man, but if you really want to see them, I¡ª no, I can¡¯t!¡± He acted akin to a bashful maiden.
That¡¯s when the trolls hurriedly left, sending a few insults as they went, with the viewer counter going way down.
Not discouraged in the least, the man kept enthusiastically gesticting in front of the camera. But so what if he could take the abuse? Jack hurriedly left, too, with the viewer count reaching 0.
He returned to browsing, looking for any familiar handle. In fact, he found a few that he felt promising, quickly extending them an offer.
¨C Jack¡¯O: Would you be interested in cooperation between us? I have Infinite game footage. ^_^
He expected these streamers to be gleeful and jump in joy¡.nope. They all reacted simrly.
¡°Scammer alert!¡±
¡°Mods, please ban this guy ASAP!¡±
¡°Pfft¡ª you¡¯re the fifth one to make that im in thest hour.¡±
¡°This sure is sad. People are trying to trick one another so much nowadays.¡±
¡°How about this? Send the files over, and I¡¯ll have a look at them. If you¡¯re legit, we can cooperate.¡±
They all reacted with disbelief while acting high and mighty. Just send the file over? Did they think that he was stupid? He wouldn¡¯t send them anything concrete before reaching a deal.
Then again, this was the downside of dealing with professional content creators. They were happy with their lives and not as eager to take a risk. Still, there were also a few who had politely told him that they¡¯d whisper him once their stream ended.
He could only patiently wait for them to be done. Frankly, he hadn¡¯t found any who had wowed him, but it would do for now.
Out of boredom, he returned to that one ¡°Mighty Infinite Pancakes Streamer¡±. The guy was now streaming to 0 viewers.
As Jack listened to him, he couldn¡¯t help but nod appreciatively. The guy was actually making good content, even when no one was watching!
He was currently analyzing Infinite¡¯s marketing strategy¡ª orck of.
It seemed like he had stumbled upon something great too¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Humans sure are peculiar creatures. The duality of man is truly a fascinating subject and I the prime example. I don¡¯t mind killing, torturing, cheating, lying, and plenty of other stuff if I deem it necessary. Yet even I have things that I won¡¯t do. This includes exploiting a friend if there is another alternative. Does this make me foolish? Perhaps, but it also makes me human.
Chapter 70: Finding a Partner (2/2)
Chapter 70: Finding a Partner (2/2)
As Jack listened to him, he couldn¡¯t help but nod appreciatively. The guy was actually making good content, even when no one was watching!
He was currently analyzing Infinite¡¯s marketing strategy¡ª orck of.
¡°All the other VR games will flood the market with ads a few months before their release. What about Infinite? It did a few press releases, and that¡¯s about it. What could this mean? Listen well¡¡± He raised invisible sses.
¡°At first nce, they are either too broke or too stupid to do marketing, right? Hell no! I actually have a theory. They are simply so confident in their game that they don¡¯t need marketing!¡±
¡°But there is more. Infinite has custom helmets that can be bought pretty much at any VR shop, with entire rooms dedicated to their calibration! How did they convince the owners?! So mysterious.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be uploading all this content to MeTube soon, too, so you guys can follow the enormous Infinite Conspiracy!¡± He grinned at the camera as his stream bot automatically sent the link to his channel.
Jack tapped on it, but he was overwhelmed by so many shing colors as soon as he did. The thumbnails were just way too eye-catching. Then there was that guy¡¯s goofy face stered everywhere as a recurring theme.
The titles were pretty much all clickbait too:
< Why 99.42% Pro-yers await Infinite! >
< Infinite Day 1: THE Gaming Revolution! >
< Infinite Day 1, over 9000 events?! How?! >
< Infinite Day 2, a Demon King appeared?! 0_0 >
< Infinite Day 2: Brace Yourselves, Highlights are Coming! >
Jackzily clicked on one random one, and then it happened: There were sounds, colors, visual effects, and evenical narration at times.
The intro was super short, to the point, and after 4 seconds the video was already covering the main topic. Then there was the way the editing was done. Every other second, there would be something happening to keep one¡¯s attention on the content.
¡ª Beep! ¡ª
¡ª Beep! ¡ª
¡ª Beep! ¡ª
¡ª Beep! ¡ª
¡ª Beep! ¡ª
¡ª Beep! ¡ª
It was endless¡and just short of overwhelming. Then there were the memes. They would sh on the screen to support the narrative. It was akin to watching a phenomenal shit-show, and yet he didn¡¯t feel like taking his gaze away.
Who the heck was this Newbie?! Why wasn¡¯t he trending at all? Why hadn¡¯t this guy ever been popr in his previous life?
He seemed to have all the basics done. He knew how to create incredible videos to capture an audience and create a rapport with them via streaming.
His ount had been created precisely¡ª Ah, therey the issue. Three days ago. This guy had been hard at work, it seemed. It was already phenomenal to output one quality video a day, but he was doing two?
He had actually gotten a few views, but thements were nasty. People criticized him over a few things:
1. Overpraising Infinite: It was a case of the blinds ridiculing a man for ¡°inventing¡± colors.
2. Believing False Rumors: This apparently included Jack¡¯s achievements¡what?! His 1 v 50 fight wasn¡¯t a rumor but a fact. There was even a whole vige to corroborate.
3. Not having any actual gaming content: How could he be med for that when it had only been avable today?
Jack pondered for a few seconds before returning to the stream chat to send his very first message.
¨C Jack¡¯O: Hey there.
¡°Hey, brother! Haha, that¡¯s a great name you have there. I see that you¡¯re a fan of the Demon King too! Wee to the stream. I hope you¡¯ll like it here. Feel free to ask anything. We¡¯re all family!¡±
Since he had so nicely weed questions, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to ask.
¨C Jack¡¯O: If you have so much interest in Infinite, then why aren¡¯t you ying it?
¡°Hehe, It¡¯s a bit embarrassing, but I¡¯m broke right now. There is no way that I can afford the VR helmet.¡± He scratched his head awkwardly.
¨C Jack¡¯O: How long will you be streaming?
¡°Hehe, at least a few hours. Feel free to grab a snack, some water and follow along as we delve into the amazing world of Infinite by scouring the Inte!¡±
¨C Jack¡¯O: No, how long do you n to be creating videos and streaming?
¡°Oh! As long as I can. Yes, I¡¯ll do it for as long as possible!¡± There were sad after tones in his voice.
¨C Jack¡¯O: Is there any reason you¡¯d have to suddenly stop?
He wanted to get to the bottom of this. Why had this guy remained unknown before? He seemed very motivated, had the basics down, and was bound to pierce at some point, right?
The man seemed to hesitate a few seconds before he sighed heavily:
¡°Thing is, my mother considers this whole video creation nothing but a waste of time. I¡¯ve made a bet with her. Either I manage to get 10 000 subscribers before the end of this month, or I will give it up and take on the family business!¡±
¨C Jack¡¯O: Can¡¯t you do both?
¡°The family business is a remote retreat without ess to the Inte. It¡¯s not really possible. As a host for such a ce, one needs to show the example. It¡¯s supposed to be a detox or something.¡±
No fucking wonder! Was he bound to pierce at some point? Not if he went fucking MIA after a month! How long would it take to get 10k followers? It wouldn¡¯t take that long with viral content, but the issue was getting seen first.
Plus, he didn¡¯t even have the VR helmet and was broke. All he could rely on was the info on social media. But Infinite didn¡¯t have a global recording function just yet; hence no videos were avable.
What about the few that would get published? Even then, there was a problem. People would just see it as another copying dude if he didn¡¯t have anything original. He could seed as an analyst or just a funny guy, but that took time.
¨C Jack¡¯O: You¡¯re currently 100% going to be a hippie at this rate¡
¡°Brother, you have to believe! As long as there is the Inte, there is hope!¡± He valiantly shouted in front of his camera.
Jack quickly checked the streamers he had sent messages to in another tab. They had been supposed to contact him after their stream. But they were now offline, and there were no whispers¡ It seemed like they had only said that to get rid of him.
That¡¯s when he turned toward the enthusiastic Newbie. He had already decided earlier not to go for a diamond in the rough, but he had been swayed.
This guy had the motivation, the skills, and a backstory with a bet that he needed to win. He gave a wry smile to himself. When the hell had he be such a good guy that he would consider angel investing?
While Jack didn¡¯t have money, he knew how valuable his footage currently was. This was also why he had to get it out as soon as possible. Right now, it was the only one in existence, thus adding to its value.
Still, would he hand it over for free? Hell the fuck no! Jack quickly browsed the contract files the old man had just sent over.
Advantageous contract to the streamer? Nope.
Equal contract? Nope.
Bad contract? Nope.
ve contract? Yep, this was the one!
This was the perfect contract for a streamer who had no money, no following, and a time limit to achieve his dream.
Jack grinned as he typed.
¨C Jack¡¯O: Do you wish to make it as a streamer? If yes, sign this¡. ve_Contract.pdf
¡°What¡¯s this, brother? Hehe, what¡¯s with the name of that file? Will I get a virus if I open this? Meh, whatever, let me try it in a secured, isted system.¡± The streamer got busy for a few seconds.
¡°Now, let¡¯s see what we have her¡ª What the fuck is that?!¡± He cried out as he saw the details. ¡°No one sane would sign such a thing! Tell me you¡¯re joking! This is literally a deal with the Devil!¡±
¨C Jack¡¯O: ( ?~ ?? ?¡ã) Devil? Naw, they call me the Demon King.
On that note, Jack sent a GIF of his run thatsted merely three seconds. Hell, this could be used as the perfect bait for an article or video. Then the rest was pure advertisement profit. ($$$)
But he had a good feeling about that guy and had to throw one fat bait for what he wanted.
As the ¡°Mighty Infinite Pancakes¡± saw the GIF, his face instantly changed. He had researched the game enough to know what this all meant.
Did he want to ept this shady contract? He would be doing all the heavy editing work, and Jack would rake in pretty much all the money while only bringing raw footage.
At least there was one guarantee in there: the contract would be void if Jack provided fake footage.
Was trading fame for wealth worth it?
At that moment, it seemed as if gears were turning inside his head, very visibly on his face.
But then he remembered the alternative. Did he genuinely want to live a life without the Inte? Hell no! How would his mother react had she known she had helped a man utterly scam her son?
There was only one way that one could react to such a bomb.
¡°Holy fuck! Holy fucking shit!¡± He gasped in shock.
He then stared directly at the camera as if trying to make eye contact with Jack.
¡°You son of a bitch, I¡¯m in!¡±
Jack couldn¡¯t help but chuckle seeing his enthusiasm, before sighing proud of himself. Ah, doing good deeds sure felt nice. He was providing an opportunity to a youngling.
They would have lots of fun together! Also, who knows, maybe he¡¯d get Bubblegum to join the party and start his own broadcasting studio. This would be a matter for the future¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[A/N] It seems many want to see Bubblegum¡¯s return as a streamer. She just retired and is hiding her identity at the moment. What do you guys think of the neer? Stay tuned for more ^_^v
Creator¡¯s Thought
Was it fate that we met? I honestly do not believe in fate. Life is so erratic and nonsensical and we are the ones trying to find a pattern. After all, evolution has taught us that it¡¯s the way to survive in this world. Find the pattern and adapt to it. since it worked before we keep doing it, ceaselessly¡
Chapter 71: D.L. Is Established!
Chapter 71: D.L. Is Established!
In the New Leaf training camp, a group of yers stood in a circle mumbling unrecognizable chants as they tried summoning an incredible being.
¡°Appear for us, oh mighty Demon King!¡±
¡°We humbly await your arrival so that you can guide us!¡±
¡°Heroes of Justice are overrated anyway. Please dispense us your wisdom!¡±
¡°Please teach me so that I too can get ves of my own. I don¡¯t need an entire guild. A cute girl will do!¡±
In between every call for the Demon King, loud chuckles could be heard. This had all started with a few yers deciding to wait for Jack toe back. He was bound to log in soon, right?
But waiting was so dull that one of them had whimsically and yfully started a full-blown demon summoning ritual.
Why weren¡¯t they doing something productive instead? They wanted to know more about the uing faction¡ª but honestly, this was just an excuse to have some fun role-ying.
That¡¯s when one of the participants suddenly jumped up: ¡°Guys, I know what we¡¯re missing. We need a sacrifice!¡±
They all looked at one another, gasping in realization. Of course, how could they have forgotten this! A group of dudes stepped forward, acting as a would-be sacrifice. After a round of ¡°sacrificing,¡± they were back to being bored with one adding:
¡°Guys, guys. Wouldn¡¯t this work better if we used beautiful girls as a sacrifice?¡± He dered wisely (?) and full of confidence.
The surrounding yers happily yed along, even rounding up fellow female yers to do a mock ritual once again.
¡°Oh, great Demon King, I sacrifice these cutedies to you! Please appear for us and¡ª¡±
He was suddenly interrupted by a sh of purple light¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
As Jack logged back in, he couldn¡¯t help but freeze for a second. What the hell was happening here?!
All around him, there were beauties as far as the eye could see¡ª because they blocked his sight. They all noticed him and gasped in shock, with some of them giggling happily.
Then they gave him a bit of space, letting him notice the big yer circle centered around his exact spot. As they spotted him, they began rejoicing madly.
¡°The Demon King is back!¡±
¡°Our summoning ritual has been a sess!¡±
¡°It was all a matter of offering the proper sacrifice!¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t this timing a little too coincidental? Guys, what if we just stumbled upon some huge secret technique just now?!¡±
Jack couldn¡¯t help but feel at a loss. Those guys sure had a lively imagination. As if a joke ritual could truly summon him. Who the heck had this ridiculous idea in the first ce? That stuff obviously only worked on NPCs.
Oh well, whatever¡ª as long as they weren¡¯t disruptive.
¡°Alright, all of you. I have some stuff to do. If you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± Jack shouted, pushing his way through a sea of breasts, asses, andughter.
Except he suddenly realized that while they were letting him go without making a fuss, a few dozen yers were now shadowing him. Was this a fan club or something else? It was really hard to tell.
Jack quickly contacted the members of the Mighty Wolves: it was time to get business done. They quickly flocked to him a few minutester.
They were all smiles as they greeted him excitedly, many of them subtly showing off their new equipment. By now, they all had at least 1-2 armor pieces and level 5 weapons. Where had they gotten thetter? Jack wasn¡¯t even sure nor cared.
There were even five of them who had level 10 iron weapons. They sure had been busy! This disy wowed the yers in the back, who gasped in awe.
¡°Boss, how have you been? What do you need us for?¡± The CPR dude asked with a heated glint in his eyes.
¡°I¡¯m establishing a faction, and I need to recruit people to help me run it. Anyone interested in¡ª¡±
¡°Hell yeah!¡±
¡°Of course!¡±
¡°Is that even a question?¡±
They all shouted their will to participate. They weren¡¯t dumb and knew the benefits that would follow. After all, he was the one who had showed them how to hunt efficiently and how to steal resources from bosses.
¡°There you have it. We¡¯re all in. Anyway, what will this faction be called?¡±
That¡¯s when Jack froze. Right, a name could carry a faction if it inspired respect and sounded glorious. He couldn¡¯t help but ponder over the question.
¡°How about Demonic Legion? D.L. for short? Yep, that seems like a great name!¡± Jack confidently dered.
If people called him the Demon king, he should embrace an edgy faction name, right? It could be an inside joke in the future: the faction named after its creator¡ª kind of.
¡°Woo!¡± (Excited)
The bystanders couldn¡¯t help but choke for a second. Demonic Legion?! Wasn¡¯t this name both too ominous and straightforward? It was neither grand nor speaking of their teaching mission.
But when they looked at how pleased Jack seemed, they couldn¡¯t bring themselves to say anything. Instead, they promptly praised the ¡°amazing¡± name.
¡°Awesome!¡±
¡°Today is a day of glory!¡±
¡°The Demonic Legion is now created!¡±
¡°This sure is a great name for a great faction!¡±
Jack then turned toward the fans in the back:
¡°You guys should wander around for a bit. We have some things to discuss before I make aplete official announcement. Steven has jobs in the vige if you guys want.¡±
They nodded as they busied themselves with whatever bullshit they coulde up with.
Many headed to Steven following Jack¡¯s suggestion. After all, most of his quests involved tending to the shop. The poor NPC almost had a heart attack when a mob decisively invaded his shop.
¡°What are you g-guys all doing at my shop?!¡± He cried out.
¡°We¡¯re not here to cause trouble.¡±
¡°Hurry up and give us a quest!¡±
¡°I¡¯ll clean the ce!¡±
¡°I¡¯ll sort the inventory.¡±
¡°Leave making signs to me!¡±
They enthusiastically got to work, but there were so many of them that just navigating the shop became difficult. What had suddenly gotten into them?! Steven watched it all happen ck-jawed.
About an hourter, Jack was finally done with all the preparations, and he had the yers assemble as one. He began his speech with:
¡°Infinite can be daunting and even overwhelming at first, but it¡¯s a world that you all will get to love as I did. One full of beauty, adventure, challenge, mystery, and a whole goddamn lot of fun.¡±
He spoke with emotion, one that two days of ytime didn¡¯t warrant. Yet no one felt that his speech was out of ce. It was as if he had yed Infinite forever. Most didn¡¯t even realize it, but they all felt it.
¡°From now on, the Demonic Legion will thrive! No matter what happens, we will make Infinite ours. We will carve our ce in this world and prosper!¡± Jack heatedly shouted.
Many cheered to what they perceived as a world domination n speech. Well, they weren¡¯t totally wrong either.
Jack then exined the various deals he had made with the NPCs:
1. Steven: yers would pay their admission via corpses that would be stored at his ce in exchange for a rental fee.
2. The Butcher: He would sell special sausages to the members at a discount. (Actually, he¡¯d just raise prices for everyone else)
3. The old alchemist: She would now sell potions in bulk for a very slight discount. Spend 1 gold and save 4 silver!¡it was better than nothing, right?
4. The cksmith: He¡¯d allow Jack to camp in front of his ce every night for a little while. yers would be able to bring their corpses there for butchering. (Small fee for members, medium fees for anyone else)
5. The training instructor: He¡¯d set up a small private training area that could only be essed by members with the faction emblem. The sales of the wooden token would go through the roof!
As for the free course for Newbies, it would be held in the general area of the training camp.
The people¡¯s reaction was very straightforward.
¡°Wow, so many benefits!¡±
¡°I¡¯m so joining the VIP training!
¡°Welp, time for me to hunt foxes!¡±
¡°Butchering gives more money than directly selling?!¡±
But suddenly, a group of yers stepped forward. They were a stark contrast to the nearby yers as they seemed pretty angry.
Their leader was an elegant young woman that made even walking seem like an art. She stopped before Jack and twisted her delicate brows in contempt:
¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by this man. He doesn¡¯t have any interest in helping any of you. The various shop discounts? Anyone can make simr deals with enough affinity with the NPCs.¡±
Her cronies were nodding in agreement while ring at him with malice.
¡°As for the so-called training, Infinite just started. No matter how good he is, it¡¯s only been two days. Whatever he can teach will only bemon knowledge in a week. Do you guys really need to pay for this?¡±
She was now grandly gesturing toward the crowd.
¡°Then there is the butchering. That part is truly ridiculous. He barely does anything yet gets amission on every corpse brought to him. It¡¯s free money and life-skill XP. This man is simply trying to exploit you all!¡± She concluded
She wasn¡¯t exactly wrong, but she wasn¡¯t totally right either. Sure, yers could buy a gathering tool, raise their affinity with NPCs and study the game, but how long would that take?
¡°Follow me in boycotting this evil organization that wants nothing but to make a profit off your back! Who¡¯s with me!¡± She shouted, her followers apuding her speech.
There was a long moment of silence. That¡¯s when a voice resounded, cutting through the tense atmosphere:
¡°I mean, he¡¯s the Demon King¡What the fuck did you expect?¡± Just like that, all the stress was released.
¡°Pffttt¡ª haha, that¡¯s so fucking true!¡±
¡°Who¡¯s that girl anyway?¡±
¡°Meh, who cares.¡±
Then, an ecstatic guy came forward:
¡°Holy fuck, guys! The Demon King¡¯s Highlights are out!¡±
¡°What! Are you kidding me?! Is this true?¡±
¡°How¡¯s this even possible?! He¡¯s right here!¡±
¡°Who the fuck cares? I¡¯m logging out to watch it.¡±
¡°Same¡±
¡°Same!¡±
¡°+1¡±
The entire packed vige suddenly turned into a ghost town. They all wanted to be the firsts to see it. Otherwise, they risked people spoiling it for them.
Left behind was a fuming yet still elegantdy stomping her foot. She turned toward Jack, spitting out: ¡°One day, I¡¯ll expose you for the piece of trash that you are!¡± She then hurriedly left.
Jack was at a loss. What the fuck was that about? He couldn¡¯t remember antagonizing that girl before¡maybe she was just a self-righteous entitled individual?
He also couldn¡¯t help but feel strange. How was this Pancakes guy so quick to work?
Either it had been rushed, or he had just contracted a monster¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
I didn¡¯t bother too much with that random girl. I swear, from time to time I would generate random hate. It¡¯s like a superpower of mine. I¡¯ll just be minding my own business rxedly and then BAM! something troublesome happens. It¡¯s really weird.
Chapter 72: Demon King Highlight!
Chapter 72: Demon King Highlight!
At this instant, the entire world hectically began searching for ¡°Demon King Highlights¡±¡ª or at least the ones that cared about the new Infinite game.
All the yers from New Leaf vige were so goddamn excited about this. This was the first dungeon everpleted in the game and would pave the way to a glorious future.
Naturally, Pancakes had capitalized on this fact:
< Infinite: 1st Dungeon Clear¡Done Solo?! ¡°Demon King¡± OP! First Gamey Footage Ever!>
Even with how little promotion the game had done, there was still a bit of interest in it. At this moment, all kinds of people were now furiously clicking on the video:
¨C Infinite yers
¨C PVE yers from other games
¨C Analyst and content creators, this was the first footage ever!
¨C Hell, even fucking variety streamers. ¡°Demon King,¡± what was the story behind this?
Even then, mostunched the video while scoffing to themselves:
¡°Who the heck is that fatty? Mighty Infinite Pancakes? Never heard of him!¡±
¡°First dungeon solo? This ought to be a tutorial dungeon or something, right?¡±
¡°Demon King? What kind of megalomaniac uses such a username? Edgyness over 9000¡.¡±
¡°First footage ever¡.What kind of low-budget game is this? Let¡¯s watch and make fun of them, lol!¡±
They expected an amateurish production, a shitty dungeon, a shitty game, and some chuuni wannabe dumbass. But what they got was way fucking different!
The introsted 10 seconds, yet the so-called Mighty Infinite Pancake didn¡¯t even appear in it.
It was an explosion of action! Every fucking frame was made to wow the viewer yet leave them wanting more. After these 10 seconds, a slightly smiling, wise-looking fatty appeared on the screen.
He was wearing an old-school schr outfit that made him look highly refined¡ª if it wasn¡¯t for the silly posters in the background. Lusty Argonnian Maid, Beware of Chickens, I want you!¡ In my guild, Tis but a Scratch, I y it for the PLOT, etc.
Yet, the focus remained on the man who sighed before giving a sorrowful look toward the camera.
¡°Hello everyone, it is I, the Mighty Infinite Pancakes. Ever since I was four years and 20 months old, I wanted nothing more than to reach enlightenment. I have toiled all my life to achieve peace, serenity, to keep my purity, and stay away from all excitement.¡±
He then sighed exaggeratedly.
¡°But then I heard the Infinite Demon King¡¯s tale, and I suddenly gave in to mortal temptation. It sent my blood boiling so fast that I forgot all my previous aspirations.¡±
He finally looked at the camera with a solid gaze:
¡°This is a PSA, do NOT watch this video if your goal in life is to be a forever virgin monk. You WILL want to y Infinite!¡±
That¡¯s when the video suddenly changed to a man crawling in a forest. One couldn¡¯t see the surroundings at all, but it was clear that he was in enemy territory. A small wolf was wriggling its butt as it crawled next to him.
Then it slowly progressed until they reached a group of 4 foxes. At this point, the music gradually increased in intensity with a zoom on the creature¡¯s maws. It was clear that those foxes were dangerous.
Then it slowly panned toward Jack, making a plunge attack and fighting them. Every block was apanied by a weighty ¡ª thud ¡ª sound and a bit of panting. It made it look like he could falter at any moment.
Then he won, was shown butchering one fox, but the others were skipped. He slowly progressed to the vige, now covered by some mist, giving it an eerie and scary look.
That¡¯s when the NPC appeared out of nowhere! So suddenly and looking so damn frightening! But then, a secondter, the ¡°creature¡± began talking?!
The story was initially very touching but dragged on. Luckily it all began to speed up, with the only caption being --¡ª. What kind of cheeky editing was this?!
A few secondster, it changed to the scene of Jack leaving the NPC to die to giant rats. A single line appeared on the screen¡ª This is what happens when you talk too much¡
Yet it was made so that the viewers quickly realized that there had to be more to the story. They didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. Thisck of exnation only fueled their curiosity. (The whole ingredient gathering process had been skipped)
There was some more of Jack and wolf progressing, then fighting foxes once more. The music intensity slowly crescendoed until it reached a peak. It was clear that something was about to happen, but what?
That¡¯s when Jack suddenly turned around, blocking an attack. What?! A monster had tried to sneak-attack him?! How had he known?! But that¡¯s when the camera panned to the little wolf howling. Ah, had he been warned by the pet?! (Totally an edit)
Jack somehow finished all the foxes at once and fought what was evidently a boss. Any single mistake would cause his demise for sure. People were at the edge of their seats. As he won, they couldn¡¯t help but cheer.
But this was only the mid-boss. As they reached the boss, it roared powerfully. It was so damn intimidating! But mid roar, the screen suddenly froze. Many couldn¡¯t help but check their connection, deploring: why now?!
But then they realized it was part of the video. A red line appeared, then an amateurish scribble. It was as if a kid had hijacked the video to draw on it. But a secondter, they didn¡¯t mind anymore.
It slowly circled the level of the boss. That¡¯s when they realized that the thing was level 20 while the yer was only level 5. Was such a level gap normal? But then there appeared many screenshots.
¨C Level 4 chickens are OP, please nerf!
¨C Level 5 fox destroys party!
¨C Raid vs. Level 8 Fox Progenitor: Complete Wipe!
¨C Level 8 wolves? Death incarnate!
¨C Level 10 Wolf Boss? Invincible?!
¨C Monsters in Infinite aren¡¯t chumps!
It started with a few, but the amount increased so fast that it soon covered the entire screen. It kept filling it until it seemed to cause a blue screen of death. Then a loading screen appeared as it panned back to the frozen boss frame.
Level 5 Demon King Versus Level 20 Protector of the Fox Grove. This was madness! Even then, Jack courageously fought it.
At first, they were expecting him to die instantly, but then he dodged or blocked the attacks?! Was that even possible?! It felt like watching an ant block a blow from a Titan. Even crazier¡it seemed like the ant had a chance!
That¡¯s when the wolf pup entered the action. The human and his pet slowly cooperated in taking down this incredibly powerful enemy.
When the fur began floating akin to a living creature, many sucked in a cold breath. This was now a 2 v 2?! Even then, the human and wolf didn¡¯t despair at all.
Finally, the action reached its peak when magical AoE attacks began spawning everywhere. The small wolf was yelping in fright as it kept barely dodging. But then they saw Jack and couldn¡¯t help but rub their eyes. How?!
He seemed as casual as one would be on a night walk. He was slowly sipping on potions while¡walking?! He wasn¡¯t even running. He was just walking to safety! Hell, he¡¯d move to avoid the attacks even before the prompt. Was this guy hacking or something?!
They were still bbergasted when the fight ended. As the human and wolf celebrated, they only had onement: WTF!?!
The Mighty Infinite Pancakes guy slowly appeared on the screen.
¡°This,dies and gentlemen, is the Demon King of Infinite. He has killed the chicken Overlord, in the Fox Progenitor, tamed a deadly wolf, won 1 v 50 versus the Mighty Dragons and Solo Cleared the Fox Grove¡ª all by day 2!¡±
¡°I am Mighty Infinite Pancakes. If you want to see more, hit the follow and like button. Either we reach 10k follows this month, or I¡¯m leaving content creation to work at the family business. Later all o/.¡±
He left the stunned viewers. But just as they thought this was over, a line appeared on the screen.
< If you don¡¯t follow, the cursed Slender Foxman wille for you¡.>
That¡¯s when there was a rey of the fox-looking NPC with the creepiest music dashing toward them madly. Then there was the famous:
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©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
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It ended just like that¡.
As for thement section, it was already a party!
¨C Pancakes, what the hell is that PSA?! You kidding me bro, I¡¯ve been trying to get rid of my virginity, not keep it!
¨C Better follow this guy: he needs to make more!
¨C 4 years and 20 months old¡.I see what you did there. This is like the ¡°maiden¡± saying they are 18 and 400 months old or something?!
¨C This is the first dungeon?! Why is it so¡.intense?!
¨C Demon King? I came tough at the chuuni wannabe¡now I¡¯m a fan. How did that happen so quickly?!
¨C I¡¯m totally not addicted to that wolf¡¯s cuteness, but¡ where can I buy Infinite?!
¨C Slender Foxman?! I¡¯ll wear diapers the next time I watch one of your videos!
¨C Why did he kill the NPC? Why were there rats? Where¡¯s the rest?!
¨C All of the infinite yer base: enemies level 4-8 are impossible to kill. Demon King: casually kills a level 20 (?!) boss.
¨C Guys, apparently, there¡¯s plenty of bickering as to whether the Demon King is fake or not. Hehehe, time to stir some drama! I¡¯m sending this link to all the haters!
¨C Is this video fake?! I need a captain to fact-check it!
¨C This is 100% fake. There is no way anyone can kill a level 20 Boss! LOL
¨C There is clearly editing that has been done, but it should be easy to verify. Just send yers in the dungeon. It should be easy to find since it¡¯s the first one!
Then the haters came, and it became pandemonium. Insults came flying, both against Jack and the man who had ¡°obviously¡± sold his soul to faking a video for him. They all used the analysis of the ¡°experts¡± to prove their point.
But they all agreed: someone had to check the dungeon out real quick! Then they would know for sure¡
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Back in Infinite, a lone man was sighing.
On the one hand, Jack was pleased that they had all freaking logged out to watch his highlight. But on the other hand, when were they going to log back in?!
He wanted them to grind to pay for their D.L membership! How else was he going to get rich?!
For now, he resolved himself to sell the pelts that he had umted in the Fox dungeon at Steven¡¯s ce, then visited the olddy. Jack mmed all his silvers on the counter like a huge baller.
She raised a brow at him:
¡°Oh, you¡¯re here? What do you want?¡±
¡°Potions, all of them!¡± He uttered confidently.
¡°By all, you mean 15, right? Except if you have more silvers¡Anyway, here you go.¡±
Jack happily grabbed them, grinning as he looked forward to griding the Fox Grove. But that¡¯s when her wrinkly hands lightly brushed his.
She looked him dead in the eyes before winking:
¡°If you want to woo me, you need to buy way more than 15 potions. Keep working hard.¡±
¡°Sure¡.¡±
Jack left for the Fox Grove once again. This time he would farm the shit out of it. Hopefully, his new ¡°minions¡± would conveniently bring him plenty of silver once he was out of potions¡.
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[A/N] Any idea for memes rted to this? ^_^v
Also, was this petition for D.L real or a joke? xD
Creator¡¯s Thought
The decision to hide the creation and use of the Fox Repellent was pretty good. It meant that yers would be left wondering. Just how had he killed the level 20 Fox?! They would try it themselves only to get stomped. It was bound to be lots of fun¡
Chapter 73: Hustling FTW!
Chapter 73: Hustling FTW!
Somewhere in the world of Infinite, a man was rxedly sitting, seemingly meditating. His face was peaceful as he enjoyed the quiet atmosphere. Right next to him, there was a small wolf and a corpse.
Jack couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he slowly opened his eyes. Why was it that every time he ran the Fox Grove dungeon, the NPC always died?! As far as he remembered, this wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.
Hell, it should have been possible to recruit the guy to help against the final Boss too. Then again, perhaps his instant convincing method was a bit too OP for the tutorial. After all, it took him but a few minutes to turn the coward into a courageous zealot!
Throughout his recent dungeon runs, he had witnessed the NPC die in many different manners:
¨C Devoured by rats
¨C Stomped to pulp by foxes (?!)
¨C Choked to death on a piece of meat
¨C Valiantly tried to tank the hunter¡¯s attacks
¨C Driven to insanity + killed himself after a failed intervention on past trauma.
He couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly as a system announcement appeared:
[Convinced an NPC to brave danger until death¡ repeatedly!]
[Acquired Title: Living Call of the Void! ¡ª Dangerously Persuasive]
Call of the void: aka that little voice that tells you to jump from a tall building, or jump into iing traffic or even drink a bottle of bleach.
¡°System, are you sure you ain¡¯t drunk? You should be giving a title to the NPC who¡¯s way too suicidal!¡± Jack grumbled, with the puzzled wolf observing him.
Oh well, it wasn¡¯t like it mattered either.
After all, the little wolf was improving by the second. They now had a system: the little wolf would voluntarily wander off the usual path to bait the Mini-Boss. Then they would use the NPC to clear the vige area and finally face the final Boss.
It would usually go like this:
¡ª Roar! ¡ª
¡ª Dash! ¡ª
¡ª Dash! ¡ª
¡ª Dash! ¡ª
The Boss would appear very menacing and dash all over the ce, but the prompts on the ground betrayed where he was heading. Every time there would either be empty air at its destination or a badass Demon King ready to block.
Defeating the orange creature became a routine task for them. The more they did it, the more confident the small wolf was bing.
It had even begun to taunt the enemy while dodging the deadly attacks in theirtest fight. How awesome was that! Jack felt like a parent who had seen his kid grow way too fast!
Every time the run would end up with the usual +180 XP! All until he finally reached level 6.
He couldn¡¯t help but give a satisfied grin as he felt his stats grow:
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[ STATUS! ]
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yer: Jack¡¯ O Level 6
ss: None
Title: Demon King!
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HP: 32
Mana: 16
Condition: Healthy
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Armor Rating: 12 (55%)
Defense Type: Bnced
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STR: 19 + 1
AGI: 1 + 5
INT: 1+2
SPI: 1 + 1
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¨C Bloody Cleave F
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¨C Gathering F
¨C Butchering F
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¨C Well-Fed
¨C Regeneration (¡ª)
¨C Blood Scent (1 STR + 1 AGI )
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He couldn¡¯t help but grin as he saw the massive 20 STR. Only a pure build could reach such a value so early in the game.
Then his gear gave him a bit of AGI, making sure that while he was slow, he wasn¡¯t the slowest either.
As for the Shoulders + Belt, they had definitely added to his survivability. It was only an estimate, but his damage reduction had gone from 50% to 55%.
Then there was the loot. He now had in extra:
4 x Fox Fur Cloak
3 X Shadowy Belts
9 X Various level 5 armor pieces
Even with his increased loot gain (++), Jack still averaged one special Boss drop per run, either the Cloak or the belt.
As for the other yers, it would mostly be 2 special drops per 3 runs. The real issue was that they would have to share it, thus making Jack¡¯s farming five times as efficient even without the buff.
At that point, he had entirely run out of potions. Even if he was good,pletely avoiding damage against the Fox Boss was impossible.
He had also spent a long while in there since he had trained his partner a lot. In fact, the second day was almost over, and it would soon be reset time.
But as he casually exited the fox Grove, he was confronted with a massive crowd who instantly stared at him with expectation.
What now?¡
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So many were so damn excited about the new Fox Grove!
1. There was the whole bonus loot event happening!
2. The newly released Demon King highlights made their blood boil in anticipation.
3. Even the training instructormented from time to time about how braves were supposed to explore other worlds and conquer them.
They felt that entering that world was priority number one!¡ª They needed to be level 5 ASAP!
For that very reason, they trained. Before many were wasting their time exploring, PKing, and doing quests¡.but they all began hunting foxes like crazy!
The poor creatures could only ept their fates with pitiful yelps. The previously deadly-looking monsters were nothing but XP and D.L. membership fees in the yers¡¯ eyes!
They were still struggling, but the zeal they now had showed miracles as they leveled up extremely fast!
The Pro-Payers had been level 5 at the start of Day 2, and the zealous yers were finally reaching that point. This included the Mighty Wolves but also a few other parties.
As these heroes decisively headed inside the dungeon, a crowd naturally formed to await their glorious return.
It wasn¡¯t even that they doubted the authenticity of Jack¡¯s video. Nope, they just wanted to know how average yers would react to the dungeon.
Oh, but they were dying to know if the Boss really was level 20!
As the portal trembled, they couldn¡¯t help but hold their breath. There it came! They would finally be able to ask questions and¡ª
But the one who appeared was the Demon King himself along with his wolf. This was quiteical. Parties of 5 had gone inside prepared for death, and yet he was just casually strolling out.
As he saw them, he frowned slightly. ¡°What are you guys doing loitering outside?¡±
One of them scratched his head awkwardly: ¡°We¡¯re not level 5 yet¡.¡±
¡°Then you should get back to grinding. In the other viges, people are probably leveling up like crazy. Hell, there are probably many who are level 6 already.¡± Jack advised them.
¡°What, already 6?!¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that too high?!¡±
¡°I mean, there are level 5 peeps here.¡±
That¡¯s when one of them took the courage to talk back to Jack.
¡°S-sir Demon King. We¡¯re actually waiting for some friends who headed inside. They should being out soon. Would you like to wait for them with us?¡±
Why the hell would he do that? But then Jack got slightly curious. How would they all react to this first dungeon? Would they somehow figure out how to weaken the final Boss? What about the NPC? He kept dying, but was it the same for them?
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait a few minutes and see if theye out.¡±
The shy yer was now pumping his fist in the air, a massive smile on his face. The Demon King had epted his invitation?! His friends were all staring at him while giving him thumbs up.
But would Jack lose his time? Hell no! He suddenly sat right in front of the crowd, the orange glow of the portal giving him an unfathomable look.
Was he about to meditate while waiting? The yers stared at him as discreetly as possible.
That¡¯s when he took an item out of his inventory. It seemed to be leather pants that looked pretty ordinary yet different than any they had ever seen. What was he going to do with this?
He suddenly pped his hands
¡ª CLAP! ¡ª
¡°Hello everyone, and wee to the first-ever Demonic Legion¡¯s auction! I¡¯m d to see you all made it.¡±
The yers exchange wry nces. All made it? They were here first!¡ª kinda¡
¡°Now, here is the first product: Level 5 leather pants. Great quality! Not only does it boost one¡¯s armor rating, but it also makes you look so much better.¡± He then turned toward a female yer.
¡°Say, beautiful¡.¡±
¡°M-me?!¡± She furiously blushed at being singled-out by the Demon King.
¡°Yes! If a guy asked you on a date in public, would you rather he wear pants or not?¡± Jack energetically asked.
The poor girl was about to answer that it was entirely different in a game¡but then she saw his smile and gaze. His eyes were promising her endless torment were she to screw up his pants sale¡ª or so she thought.
Also, had that bright ¡°Demon King!¡± title always been there?! It was so intimidating!
¡°T-that¡if he doesn¡¯t even have pants, I¡¯m not interested!¡± She forced herself to utter in a spirit of self-preservation.
The bystanders didn¡¯t know how to feel about this. What kind of phrasing was this?! He had associated cheap low-level equipment with human dignity! Did he really need to remind them of how destitute they looked?!
But even with this fantastic pitch, no one seemed to be interested. Jack gave them a weird nce.
¡°Really?! Are all of you satisfied with walking around with your bare legs?!¡±
¡°That¡¯s not it¡ we¡¯re broke. I¡¯d rather save to join D.L than to buy a pair of pants¡.¡± One sighed.
Ah! How great it was for Jack to be his ownpetitor! He chuckled slightly. You guys can pay with Credits if you want to¡ª
¡°2 Credits!¡±
¡°5 Credits!¡±
¡°10 Credits!¡±
That¡¯s when they began bidding, one after the other. Jack remained utterly speechless. Seriously?! How were shitty level 5 pants so popr?!
A few minutester, he had sold all nine armor pieces for a total of 387 credits. He felt like he was dreaming. What the hell?! Sure the yers were easy to scam right now¡but 387?!
The scary and fearsome Demon King was now wholly overwhelmed and all smiles. After all, this almost covered this month¡¯s rent of 500! That loot had been so trashy that he would have had no qualm with discarding it. Good thing he hadn¡¯t!
As for the yers, they felt it was a fair deal. Some of them had money and were ready to splurge. This was also the first loot obtained from the dungeon, and it looked different from the one from the NPCs.
They would be able to show off for a few days at least since most of the yer base was still naked. It would also save them hours of farming. It wasn¡¯tpletely foolish¡ª from a rich guy¡¯s point of view.
But just as Jack was rejoicing about his sessful sales, the dungeon entrance rippled once again.
They were back¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
At this moment part of me wondered if I should be a professional item farmer. After all, it would be a surefire way to get Credits in the short term. By aiming to be a ranker I was going for the long term, even stuff that might not be as good right now.
Chapter 74: Just Casual Jack Things
Chapter 74: Just Casual Jack Things
The entrance to the Fox Grove dungeon suddenly rippled with the crowd gluing their eyes unto it.
As a few yers appeared, many gasped in shock. What the hell had happened in there?! Their faces were pale, their eyes lifeless, their bodies listless, and their mood distressed. Then they slowly regained their spirit as they slowly scanned their surroundings.
As they saw Jack, they suddenly jerked in shock, with their leadering forward:
¡°How the fuck did you beat this dungeon?!¡±
Jack nced at the man begging for wisdom:
¡°It¡¯s pretty easy¡.¡± There wasplete silence as all listened. ¡°You just need to kill the Fox Boss.¡±
¡°¡..¡±
¡°¡..¡±
¡°¡.¡±
¡°¡..¡±
He was the worst kind of right. The few dozen yers really wanted to beat him up at this very moment.
The defeated leader gave a self-deprecating smile as he sighed:
¡°Defeating it would require reaching it in the first ce.¡±
The crowd went wild. This was a new kind of challenge! In other games, yersined that the Bosses were too difficult¡.here people didn¡¯t even reach them?!
At that moment, the portal rippled once more as teams after teams began exiting the premises, including the Mighty Wolves (many groups). They seemed truly beat.
But as they looked at one another, some began chuckling.
¡°You guys also got wrecked, eh?¡±
¡°Of course! We all got pped so hard!¡±
They found sce in the fact that they weren¡¯t the only ones. They even began to joke around:
¡°Tonight, it¡¯s Xanax-N-chill for sure!¡±
¡°Add bubble bath and duck petting for best effect.¡±
¡°I¡¯m gonna cut all the shrubs at home just to be safe.¡±
¡°You have it easy. My living room is goddamn ORANGE!¡±
¡°About the shrubs¡.I live right next to a forest¡.¡±
¡°Infinite foxes, now the #1 cause of deforestation!¡±
¡°You can never be too careful, they¡¯re everywhere!¡±
¡°Yeah, 100% better to cut everything down.¡±
¡°You mean get the methrower, right?¡±
¡°Rip, I wouldn¡¯t like to be in your shoes.¡±
¡°Rip in many pieces.¡±
¡°Rip in fox feces.¡±
They all nodded, agreeing with such a statement. That¡¯s when oneughingly said:
¡°Guys, deadly bush-hiding fox PTSD is no joke. Anyway, I¡¯m fairly certain that this dungeon isn¡¯t humanly doable at our level.¡±
As he said that, all the gazes turned toward Jack who was listening to their conversation. He was the living proof that it was indeed possible. Even then the man simply shrugged.
¡°I stand by my point. Not HUMANLY doable.¡± He dered.
The bystanders couldn¡¯t help but giggle. Never had they agreed so much with a statement! Was the Demon King really human? Was he a yer like them? Hell, at times it seemed like they weren¡¯t even ying the same game!
Let¡¯s just say the glowing ¡°Demon King!¡± title didn¡¯t help either.
A curious man eagerly asked:
¡°What even killed you guys?¡±
Then came a list that caused the listeners¡¯ hair to rise. Why was it so long?!
¡°We died from a thousand foxes hiding in bushes.¡±
¡°We angered the NPC and wiped.¡±
¡°The mini-Boss hunted us.¡±
¡°We drank a potion.¡±
¡°We fell from a tree.¡±
¡°Rats ate us.¡±
¡°The level 20 Boss.¡±
No wonder they were tired beyond belief! Also, how does one die from a potion or a tree? Poisoned? Could foxes climb now? But what stood out was the level confirmation: it really was level 20!
A kind soul couldn¡¯t help but feel pity for them. They truly had been through a lot in that single instance. He began cheering them up:
¡°At least I¡¯m sure you guys leveled up a lot by fighting foxes non-stop!¡± His smile was so damnpassionate.
But contrary to their expectations, the adventurous yers assembled began to sob softly. It wasn¡¯t just one of them either, all of them!
¡ª Sob Sob¡ª
¡°W-what happened?!¡± The kind man asked, bbergasted.
¡°You see, in the dungeon, there is XP loss on death¡ª and we died enough times to repopte Hell a few times over. We actually have less XP than when we started.¡± One exined while sighing.
Jack chimed in, advising them:
¡°Tsk-tsk-tsk. This is what you get for trying to rush ahead. Some things take time. You should go one step at a time and slowly improve your gear, skills, and attributes.¡±
They stared at him with dead eyes. Slowly improve one step at a time¡said the guy who was freaking fighting 1 v 50 by day 2?! Was he for real?! As if he was one to talk! He wasn¡¯t walking, he was on a rocket or something.
¡°Anyway, I gotta head back to town to buy potions. Take care, you all. Oh right, CPR dude,e with me!¡± He gestured at Dom of the Mighty Wolves to the surprise of the bystanders. This sure was a ¡ peculiar nickname.
A little distance away, Jack took the lead:
¡°So, what did you learn from this run?¡±
¡°I learned that you really are amazing, Boss!¡±
¡°¡..Anything more concrete and less kiss-ass?¡±
¡°Yes, Boss! If we want to reach the end of the dungeon easily, we¡¯ll have to get better gear and train our scouting. We never won against the Hunter, although we managed to avoid it once. All because of that damn surprise attack!¡±
¡°What¡¯s the point of avoiding it? It gives loot that¡¯s as good as the Boss. Well, it¡¯s a different piece. On that subject, I got some extra dungeon exclusive loot. I can sell some to your guild for Credits if you want, 7 pieces total.¡±
¡°Hell yes! For sure!¡± He seemed so excited.
Jack watched him hurriedly log out, excusing himself to ask for funds from his guild leader. He then came back ready to do business.
¡°How much are you offering?¡± Jack rxedly asked.
¡°H-how about 80 Credits for each?¡± He hesitantly offered.
Jack had to try really hard not tough. This was so overpriced!
¡°Sure, thates to 560 Credits, but 500 will be fine.¡±
¡°What, really?!¡±
Funny how that 60 Credits had the man glowing in happiness. Customer satisfaction was paramount to creating a longsting business model. He quickly traded the belts and pauldrons.
¡°Alright, this should be enough to almost gear up a party. It will only be a slight advantage, but it mighte in handy. Also, you can use that and the highlights to recruit.¡±
CPR dude rubbed his head awkwardly. Of course, the Boss would see through his recruitment n. But then he raised an eyebrow ¡°Highlights, what highlights? We failed the dungeon.¡±
Jack stood still perplexed. What had happened to the fail highlights? This was an integral part of gaming. How else were people supposed to improve if they couldn¡¯t ponder their mistakes?
He suddenly stood straight before pointing at the sky menacingly:
¡°Hey gods of Infinite, you better add highlights for failed dungeons, or no one will even bother trying! Believe me. I know how the braves think!¡±¡he screamed at the Heavens.
Above there was a lone cloud slowly drifting in the wind and nothing else. There was no way that this would aplish anything, right? How ridiculous, as if¡ª
But that¡¯s when Dom¡¯s face changed as the sky suddenly seemed to darken. What was happening?! He then realized that the bright golden-orange dungeon beacon had disappeared. Howe?!
But a secondter, it came back as if it was only being updated. It did so along with a message popping in front of him:
[Failed toplete the Fox Grove Dungeon ]
[Export highlights from this run? Y/N ]
It was here! Just like that, the Demon King had given an ultimatum to the gods¡and it had freaking worked? But what about his wording? He had said, ¡°the braves¡± instead of the yers.
At this moment, Dom realized that there was no way that Jack was a simple NPC:
1. He was teaching them things a yer wouldn¡¯t know.
2. He acted as if he belonged to this world.
3. He showed unbelievable prowess.
4. He could affect the game system.
In conclusion, he had to be an NPC tasked with helping yers limate to the game! Still, there were a few things that didn¡¯t add up:
1. Why was he asking for credits? Only a true yer would need that¡Actually, what if this was reverse psychology?!
2. Why was New Leaf Vige the only one with an NPC helper? Perhaps other viges had them, but they were more low-key?
The more he thought about it and the more confused he got. In fact, Dom remained confused for a little while.
Jack didn¡¯t disturb him. Instead, he headed toward the cksmith¡¯s house to start his newly established butchering service for silvers. It truly was a shame the Mighty Dragons had seemingly disappeared¡
The yers woulde his way, bringing fox corpses either as membership payment or for a processing fee. Meanwhile, a few members of Mighty wolves recorded every yer¡¯s contribution while observing his dexterous handiwork.
Yet there was something weird about how they looked at him. He was used to admiration and disdain, but this was something else entirely. It was as if they were looking at aplex puzzle.
He only shrugged and let them be. As long as they did their job properly, he wouldn¡¯t mind. After about 2 hours and 200+ skinned foxester, he stopped having amassed lots of silver.
He turned 100% of it into potions, getting a whopping 30 of them. At this point, the olddy was convinced he wanted to seduce her by patronizing her shop.
¡°Don¡¯t hide it, young man. Emotions shouldn¡¯t be bottled.¡±
¡°¡ I¡¯m not trying to woo you at all!¡±
¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m not beautiful?¡± She frowned heavily.
Knowing her, she¡¯d probably kick him out if he were to answer with the affirmative¡
¡°Your mature charm is worthy of a nation-toppling beauty, but I am sadly way too busy with conquering the Fox Grove. Believe me. I really need the potions!¡±
¡°As if anyone would drink so many. That would give one indigestion, and perhaps even their shit would have healing properties. Proof is you¡¯re the only one amongst the braves who buys so much.¡± She argued with confidence.
They were just broke or too busy focusing on their gear instead¡.
¡°Anyway, I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re not my type. Good luck with the ¡°dungeon¡± of yours.¡± She even winked at the end.
Jack popped out IRL a second to pay the uing month¡¯s rent, directly sending the money to the owner. He also watched a few key highlights before returning to the game. What about sleep? Meh,ter.
For now, he was heading deep in the forest. His Newly acquired belt helped a bit to sneak around the forest, the little wolf by his side. His destination scared the living shit out of the other yers.
Jack stopped before a cave in which resided the Wolf Progenitor. In its depthid his newest target: the Wolf Den Dungeon. Now, was it possible to use his pet to ess it?
He could only hope¡
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[A/N] Here we go! Happy Christmas and lots of happiness to you all ??. To all of you reading this, I¡¯m d we¡¯re all on this journey together. Lots of love and if you have anyments about the story or wishes for fellow readers feel free to be vocal! ^_^v
Creator¡¯s Thought
This one was tricky. If I wanted to save time I would need to defeat the Wolf Progenitor, but there were a few issues: 1. It had lots of STR and blocking wouldn¡¯t be as effective 2. It had lots of armor, making it a bitch to kill. 3. It was rted to my trusted partner. Killing wolves was one thing, but killing that specific wolf was a big no-no.
Chapter 75: Entering the Friendly Wolf Den! (1/2)
Chapter 75: Entering the Friendly Wolf Den! (1/2)
In the New Leaf Forest, a man and beast were facing one another.
The creature growled, showcasing its deadly sharp fangs and ws. Anyone seeing this scene would have 100% determined the monster to be¡ª super cute!
Jack was currently training the little wolf to show an intimidating appearance, but it still had trouble with that given how soft and fluffy it looked. No matter how scary it tried looking, it felt like it was pouting.
¡°Alright, this should do the trick. Use that!¡± Whatever. Cuteness could actually work here.
¡°Woo!¡± (Resolute)
It was time. The duo made their way toward the wolf progenitor. Their current objective was simple: convince the wolf to let them through the super-secret dungeon in there.
But they had barely taken a step inside that they were faced with another ¡°deadly¡± beast.
< Happy Wolf Cub Level 6 >
They both froze. Another copy of the wolf cub had already reced the little wolf. Well, this one had slight physical differences but was otherwise so freaking simr.
Jack¡¯s pet froze in shock. What was this?! It peered at the new mob with confusion as if it couldn¡¯t understand how its father had already reced it with another. This had to be a pretty hard blow to his identity.
¡°Woo?!¡± (Perplexed)
¡°Woo?¡± (Uncertain)
¡°Woo¡¡± (Negotiating)
¡°Woo!¡± (Happy)
But then it suddenly began its tail. It seemed like it didn¡¯t bother being reced in the least. There suddenly was a friend! How amazing was that?!
The two began to yfight, seemingly ignoring Jack¡¯s presence. He smiled warmly, seeing such a cute scene. Still, this had to be the worst guard wolf ever! Instead of sounding the rm, it had begun ying with the intruders!
A few minutester, the little wolf seemed to remember Jack¡¯s presence. He ran back to him, eager to show him the friend he had just made. The new pup was following behind with its tongue out, looking incredibly silly.
Afterward, Jack couldn¡¯t help but rub their fur gleefully. If there had been a counter for affinity with NPCs, it would have been going up like crazy! Perhaps something like that:
Scratched wolf pup behind the ears: It¡¯s super effective! +30 Affinity!
Rubbed wolf pup¡¯s belly: It¡¯s even more effective! +40 Affinity!
Showed small wolf a new trick, the worm: It¡¯s as effective as hrious! +50 Affinity!
Jack was smiling from ear to ear. Crazy how much joy petting an animal could bring. There was no scheming here nor worry. They were simply enjoying the moment.
But he couldn¡¯t remain there forever either.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s proceed deeper, shall we?¡±
¡°Woo?!¡± (Jerking in shock)
It had suddenly remembered what they were here for. A minuteter, they entered an incredibly deadly area.
The wolf progenitor was there, imposing, ck, and incredibly fucking strong. Yet it growled at Jack,pletely helpless. It didn¡¯t dare attack one bit, considering the man¡¯s new armor.
+ Wolf Pup Armor! (Literally)
Jack had both puppies wrapped around him as he stood his ground. He was using the creature¡¯s offspring as an actual shield.
Was it despicable? Maybe, but who cared! He pointed toward the wall with the wolf design, not even trying to hide his purpose.
¡°I need you to open this ce for me,¡± Jack said.
The wolf progenitor only growled more in return. As if it would cater to the whims of the crazy human! But then it heard its kid yelping to show support. There was also the other wolf that felt oddly familiar growling at it cutely.
It sneered and showed signs of wanting to pounce on him but eventually did head toward the wall. It then spat out some blood at it. As soon as it touched the wall, the wolf pattern began glowing a silvery dark light.
A secondter, the entire cave wall was now glowing. Jack sighed to himself: here we go again. That¡¯s when a silver light began to fill the surroundings. The entirety of the New Leaf Forest suddenly basked in it.
As it did, faint echoes of wolf howls could be heard, akin to a very primal melody. The yers all jerked in shock, many dying from a fox¡¯s attack while distracted.
¡°What the heck was that?!¡±
¡°Bright light and a wolf howl, oh god!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t tell me the Demon King discovered a new dungeon?!¡±
¡°How can he be so fast? He¡¯s already ying in wolf territory, isn¡¯t he? Crazy!¡±
¡°Hehe, he wouldn¡¯t be the Demon King if he weren¡¯t crazy. This is to be expected!¡±
¡°Oh shit! Guys, won¡¯t this mean that there will be a new dungeon event soon?! What if it alsosts one week?!¡±
Many froze in shock. Wait, timeout! They already had trouble with bing strong enough to run the Fox Grove..and now this?! What was even the level requirement for this one? Also, why hadn¡¯t there been an announcement?
Ah, perhaps there had only been one before because it was the very first dungeon.
They once more realized the gap between them and the Demon King, smiling wryly. Yet they didn¡¯t feel inferior or despair. After all, he was akin to an idol at this point. They just had to do their best to catch up!
Back in the cave, the dungeon entrance was now finally opened. It mysteriously glowed with the promise of adventure.
Their party left that one random pup behind as they took a step inside the portal.
[Entered Dimensional Dungeon Wolf Den!]
[First Run of the Day: Bonus Loot!]
[Difficulty = Normal]
This ce required level 6 to enter, but it was in no way easy to clear at that level, especially solo.
As soon as they entered, Jack felt a burst of pride oozing from his partner. Every time they ran a dungeon nowadays, it would show a proud and cute face, for it had managed not to vomit!
They inspected their surroundings.
They had spawned in a small cave, one filled with the musky smell of fur and the iron one of blood. Bones were lying all over the ce.
As soon as he saw this, Jack¡¯s face changed.
¡°We gotta get the fuck away from here!¡±
Creator¡¯s Thought
The strongest thing isn¡¯t something that is impossible to destroy. Nope, it is something that is easily destroyed yet that your enemy won¡¯t dare to hurt. Then again, I¡¯m really not suggesting taking children as meat shields¡.only saying it is effective!
Chapter 76: Entering the Friendly Wolf Den! (2/2)
Chapter 76: Entering the Friendly Wolf Den! (2/2)
They had spawned in a small cave, one filled with the musky smell of fur and the iron one of blood. Bones were lying all over the ce.
As soon as he saw this, Jack¡¯s face changed.
¡°We gotta get the fuck away from here!¡±
As if on cue, wolf howls resounded from the exterior. The wolves living here wereing back from their hunt right the fuck now! In about a minute, this ce would be crawling with them!
This was definitely a yer trap.
The usual party would carefully proceed while exploring their surrounding. Perhaps they would even establish a defense perimeter. It would be a great mistake! The wolves would thene back and happily ughter everyone.
What kind of idiot had ced the spawn into enemy territory? Jack believed this was 100% intentional. Somewhere a sadistic Dev had to be chuckling while thinking about the shit they had allowed the AI to do.
They were confronted with a nightly sky, an open area, and a riverzily flowing on the side as they exited the cave.
Jack instantly cheered up.
¡°See the stream? It will hide our scent. Mindlessly running away is the best way to get a wolf pack tracking us until we be their food.
¡°Woo?¡± (Wondering)
¡°Nope, diplomacy won¡¯t work on that one. The wolves in the New Leaf Forest give you face but only because of the wolf progenitor. This ce is a different realm entirely. You have to be careful about every move you make.¡± Jack advised.
¡°Woo!¡± (Nodding thoughtfully)
Jack couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He had adopted a young master, one lording over the beginner forest. It was now discovering that the world wasn¡¯t as peaceful as it had initially thought. Not all wolves were friends.
Oh well, one couldn¡¯t remain innocent forever.
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
It really was time to get the fuck away. They approached the river carefully.
Jack murmuring:
¡°Be careful. We don¡¯t know what¡.¡±
But his pet had been way too excited at the prospect of swimming. It seemingly lost its mind without heading the warning as it was already jumping straight in!
¡ª Ssh! ¡ª
It happily began paddling around, dog-paddle style. When was thest time it had seen such arge body of water? Actually¡.never! No matter how it racked its memory, never had it seen such wonder!
But this happy moment was about to take a dark turn. Jack suddenly noticed a dark patch moving toward his pet.
¡°Get out of the water! Right the fuck now!¡± Jack shouted at the naive wolf.
Sadly, it was far toote. It tried to swim back to safety when it happened. The dark patch finally reached it before rising to the surface. A secondter, blood filled the water as the little wolf cried out in anguish.
Well¡fuck! Piranhas began devouring him alive. They dug their saw-de-like teeth into the soft flesh. The wolf already couldn¡¯t swim. Even then, they couldn¡¯t wait till itpletely sunk.
Many were throwing themselves violently at it, flying in arcs above the water. Before Jack could do anything, it was already over.
His pet sunk to the bottom, its pitiful howls resounding in the quiet forest, then it disappeared, dead.
Jack sighed. He hadn¡¯t expected such a huge reaction to water. Was it the first time it had seen a river? Most probably. It would take a little while for it to respawn. In the meantime, he would be able to explore this ce and¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
At that very moment, Jack knew that he was screwed. On one side, there were deadly piranhas, and on the other, wolves were appearing, 20 of them!
They had seemingly heard the dying howls ande over to check the situation out. They quickly encircled him, growling while licking their lips in expectation. Goddammit!
Jack didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. This was such a rookie mistake for him! This was all because he had never tamed such a young pup before.
As the wolves surrounded him and pounced, their deadly ws magnified in front of his face. He blocked¡the first beast. But then there were the 19 others. Needless to say, his end was as fast as painful.
-4
-4
-4
-4
-¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
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Jack felt death im him, and a secondter, he was back in the spawn area, only to hear another headache iing.
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
And now the wolves were freakinging back! This was adding injury to injury! As he saw the first ones appear, he didn¡¯t hesitate even a second.
¡°System, get me out of this dungeon!¡±
[Would you like to exit the Wolf Den?]
¡°YES!!¡±
[Are you sure? All Dungeon Progress will be lost.]
But it was already toote. The wolves had already begun tearing him apart, their teeth sinking into his limbs.
-4
-4
-4
-4
-¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
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.
.
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.
.
.
A few secondster, Jack was respawning. He didn¡¯t waste any time as he shouted, akin to a madman.
¡°Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!¡±
Just as he thought he would die another time, the system finally registered his choice. He disappeared from that annoying dungeon.
As soon as he noticed that he was back in the New Leaf Forest, Jack sighed in relief. They would need to be way more careful next time for sure.
For now, he would just wait for his pet and¡.but suddenly, he heard a low growl.
¡ª Growl! ¡ª
On the side, there was a random wolf pup tearing up. It had been so happy to have its friende back from the weird glowing silver portal. But, said friend was nowhere to be seen.
There was only its bloodied master standing there. The youngling had obviously died.
The problem was that next to the grieving pup was a menacing Wolf Progenitor. With the pup gone, it didn¡¯t have any reason to spare Jack¡¯s life.
¡°Fuck.¡± Was hisst word.
A gaping maw suddenly enveloped his head before crushing it with a crisp Crunch!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
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As Jack respawned in the vige, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. This had sure been a shitshow. But just as he was about to leave, he was ambushed!
¡°Teacher, you¡¯re back, great! I need your help with something.¡± Bubblegum came out of nowhere and eagerlytched unto him, not letting him run away.
¡°¡Sure.¡±
He¡¯d at least see what this was about¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
If anyone asks, I didn¡¯t die three times in a beginner dungeon¡.nope! I didn¡¯t see Thanatos this time around either. Perhaps that one god is busy or just doesn¡¯t exist yet. Still, this time I¡¯ll make sure to slowly increase affinity with the being! Also, what could a god even be busy with?
Chapter 77: "Helping" Bubblegum
Chapter 77: ¡°Helping¡± Bubblegum
A wild Bubblegum appeared! Wild Bubblegum is using beg for help!
1) Follow her
2) Fake a cramp and run away
3) Pose as an expert and use an unnecessarily cryptic drivel to drive her away.
Jack smiled wryly as his ¡°student¡± dragged him away in a hurry. Seeing a few yersing over, she even locked arms with him, ring at them to back the fuck off. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle seeing this.
¡°So, what exactly is your issue?¡± He calmly asked.
¡°I need your help to convince that stubborn training instructor. I swear he¡¯s so rigid. You¡¯re the only one he listens to.¡± She grumbled.
Then a minuteter, the both of them stood in front of Igor. Bubblegum was showcasing Jack with her arms akimbo.
¡°Remember when you said even a devil wouldn¡¯t be able to change your mind? I brought worse!¡± She happily bragged.
¡°¡..¡± What the heck was this about?
¡°¡..¡± The training instructor was speechless.
¡°So, what will it be?¡± She leered at the instructor.
Jack felt a headacheing. As if him being present would change anything to her situation. Worse than a devil? This was bullshit! True devils were way higher level! It wasn¡¯t like he was a magical being or anything¡
Igor paused for a second, sighing. He was definitely looking for words to turn her down¡.or not?!
¡°Fine. You even dragged the ¡°Demon King¡± over, so you truly must be prepared for this challenge. I know how much courage it takes even to approach him.¡±
Jack couldn¡¯t help but raise a brow. What the fuck?! Igor gave him an understanding look before he exined:
¡°I¡¯m the training instructor. I¡¯ve heard so many braves talk about you. I¡¯m surprised at how many of them you killed. I don¡¯t even want to know what she sacrificed to enlist your help.¡±
The NPC had been listening to rumors?! Hadn¡¯t he been a mighty instructor in the royal army at some point? Jack was honestly unsure if he was teasing him or serious. It truly was too hard to tell with his stern face.
¡°Alright, follow me,¡± Igor uttered as he led the way toward the vige.
They were going to his house, the yers whispering and pointing at their passage. They looked in their direction with awe and a tinge of jealousy. What kind of secret quest was this?!
Soon Jack understood what this was about. She had somehow managed to get the info about the Engulfing Mana Technique. He had known thanks to his past life, and she had somehow wrung the info out of the NPC.
This was all because he had been spotted going to Igor¡¯s house once. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder how his very presence would impact this world.
Was Jack worried about the butterfly effect? Hell no! People were so skittish about unknowingly changing the future by changing the past. This was utter BS! So what if there was a change? Change wasn¡¯t always bad.
It was everyone¡¯s responsibility to shape the future. Every single little decision would affect the big picture. Even then, there was no need to overly worry about it. After all, no human was smart enough topute all the possibilities.
They were now in front of the bunker-looking training room under Igor¡¯s house and part of him was curiously wondering how this would turn out.
¡°Are you sure? This is yourst opportunity to fall back. Your resolve ismendable, but this is far too early for you to attempt this.¡± The NPC advised.
¡°Is it? I see it differently. I have the chance to do it now. Wouldn¡¯t pushing it tillter just be avoiding it? If I don¡¯t dare to try now, I never will.¡± Bubblegum uttered with incredible resolve.
Jack had been about to chime in to remind her of the risks, but he suddenly changed his mind. It seemed like she understood how hard this would be and was ready. He instead smiled slightly.
¡°You better make me proud in there.¡± Jack gave her a thumb up. ¡°Oh right, what will you be using as a catalyst?¡±
She gave a cheeky smile as she gestured that it was a secret, heading inside. Then the NPC closed the door and began the process.
The small wolf watched in awe as the NPC ced his hand on the door, driving mana inside. It even jumped excitedly all around, even livelier after sensing all that energy. At some point, it even began licking the mana-rich door in contentment.
Jack couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Inside, it was bound to be a battleground¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Seraphine understood very well how hard this would be¡ª or that¡¯s what she thought.
As she entered, she grabbed the Rare Fox Eye she had gotten from the Fox Lootbox. It shimmered a golden light and appeared so very mystical! Apparently, this was a very rare drop.
She clenched her hand around it as she waited for the training to begin. It had taken her so much effort to extract the info from the NPC, but she had done it. He had kept telling her how dangerous it was, and she understood it.
But, she still couldn¡¯t let go of it. It kept haunting her, both in-game and IRL. She had always been the one to ovee any challenges. This Jack¡¯O was one. If he could do it, so could she!
She wasn¡¯t looking down on him, not at all. She even thought the current her was weaker than he was, both in strength and resolve. But so what? Would she let that stop her? No freaking way!
He was showing them the way to progress in this game. Whether he was doing it intentionally or not didn¡¯t matter. She would fight, all so she could stand at his side! Her pride wouldn¡¯t allow her to be left in the dust.
Then it started.
¡ª WOOOM! ¡ª
An incredible quantity of mana began to gush inside. At first, it was tolerable, but the more it went and the more she felt the pressure.
It started with her skin that felt like it would peel off. Then her whole body began trembling. Finally, it reached a point where her eyes began bleeding.
Even then, she remained steady, looking forward. She pictured him on the other side. She imagined how disappointed he would be if she failed. No, he probably wouldn¡¯t care that much. He¡¯d say a few words offort and forget about her.
This was how the world worked: whoever couldn¡¯t keep up was left behind. How many times had she seen it happen?
That¡¯s when the glowing mesmerizing jewel began glowing with an incredibly bright light. Then a shadow appeared. In front of her, an imaginary fox was staring at her with resentment.
So that¡¯s how it was, eh? This fight would be harder than when it had been alive. It was akin to opening the door to a monster and hoping for it not to mess the sofa. It was preposterous!
But so what? She had to do it. He was bound to reach the top, and she would follow him just because she could.
As it charged at her, she gave a wry smile. Apparently, this could mess one¡¯s ount big time. If she had still been part of a studio, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to try such an insane thing.
¡ª GROWL! ¡ª
¡°Bring it on! Let¡¯s see who walks away from this room! Hahahaha!¡±
As she felt the sh, she felt incredible pain¡.but also pleasure. It was a deep-rooted one, the fun of the thrill!
The spirit entered her body, reaching for her brain. It swam in her blood, trying to corrupt her from the inside, trying to make her lose her cool.
¡°Just a little girl, way too weak.¡±
¡°There is nowhere to run. It¡¯s over!¡±
¡°You won¡¯t ever amount to anything.¡±
¡°I will take over your soul and get revenge!¡±
¡°I will beat that hateful man. I will destroy him.¡±
She felt pangs of pain piercing through her soul. She felt nauseous. She wanted nothing more than to hurl, to get rid of this feeling. Yet, she understood¡this feeling was the feeling of power.
Whoever had designed this game was a sadist, but so what!
¡°I am Seraphine. Do you think a puny fox will defeat me?¡±
¡°Back then, they also thought I was nothing but a little girl.¡±
¡°They all thought I was an easy prey andughed at me at training camp.¡±
¡°You¡¯re just like them, nothing but a worthless jealous bitch! Just curl up and die already!¡±
The air kept vibrating, with the young woman shouting. Her pink hair, clothes, and even limbs were fluttering all over the ce. Then there was the blood, so much blood! It dripped from all her orifices.
This seemed like an exorcism scene! What kind of freaking game was this?! Yet, all three crazies had just gone along with it!
[Danger! Extreme Stress Detected!]
[Danger! Emergency Log-Out Suggested!]
[Initiating Logging-Out Process. Please Standby for¡ª]
¡°Shut your trap!¡±
It was do or die. She would rather fail than cowardly leave¡
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An uncanny silence followed the shouts.
The trio of humans and wolf looked at one another. It was finally over, but what was the oue? Was she fine, or had she failed?
Logic said she 100% would have failed. After all, everyone failed on their first skill acquisition attempt.
Jack had been the same back then. That¡¯s why yers would only try it in a secure emcement along with a specialized mage that would assure their safety no matter what.
But was it truly impossible? Honestly, he wasn¡¯t sure. Still, if she had fallen, it wouldn¡¯t be the end of the world. She would have plenty of time to catch up on a new ount, especially considering that she was ying for fun.
That¡¯s when the door finally opened.
¡ª CRAAAAKK! ¡ª
Before they could even react, the little wolf began growling as it showed its teeth. It could sense what wasing.
Then the training instructor grabbed his war hammer with both hands. Sweat could be seen dripping down his neck, a sigh escaping his lips.
Came the faint sound of light footsteps, with Bubblegum appearing. Her entire body was drenched in blood. Her skin was flushed from exertion and glistering with sweat.
But what stood out the most were her eyes, golden glowing eyes that definitely weren¡¯t human. Those were demonic eyes that one would see on a fox demon.
¡°Fucking hell. I knew this was an awful idea! What have we done?!¡± Igor cried out, despairing.
This wasn¡¯t just as simple as a brave dying. Nope, this was a yer turning into a monster. Was there a cure to something like that? Yes. Was there a cure in the beginner vige? Hell fucking no!
The air was heavy as her golden eyes nced at each of them in session before finally resting on Jack. That¡¯s when she opened her red lips.
¡°You, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±
Her smile was as enchanting as demonic¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Why didn¡¯t I stop her? The whole thing was unnecessarily painstaking without reagents to ease the process. This was the training in its purest and most hellish form. Would I do things differently knowing the oue? I¡¯m not sure. Sometimes failure can teach us more than sess.
Chapter 78: Headpats are OP!
Chapter 78: Headpats are OP!
In the underground room, an enchantingly demonicdy grinned with a deadly aura.
¡°You, I¡¯ll kill you,¡± Bubblegum uttered.
The training instructor nearby gripped his hammer firmly, preparing to make a move.
¡°Sigh, this is the worst. She¡¯s gone, and it¡¯s all my fault. I should have never brought her here. This is horrible.¡±
She seemed entirely under possession, but there was something odd. Here mannerism hadn¡¯t changed much. Could a fox spirit adapt so quickly to a human body? Probably not. Yet what was up with that assassination deration?
¡°How exactly will you kill me?¡± Jack curiously answered.
¡°I¡¯ll challenge you head-on and crush you to tiny bits!¡± She slowly uttered, her eyes locked on his beating heart.
Jack slowly observed her before finally understanding what was going on. He smiled slightly before walking forward.
¡°Kid, be careful! Step back!¡± Igor shouted.
¡°Woo!!¡± (GTFO!)
¡°Don¡¯t worry. I got this.¡± Jack chuckled as he as he kept approaching.
¡°I¡¯ll break you until your body is nothing but a gory mess left to feed the vultures,¡± Bubblegum growled.
That¡¯s when her aura changed. She oozed with violence and ruthlessness. She truly wanted him dead. Why did this peculiar aura feel so familiar? Yet why did it feel so foreign at the same time?
But then he froze and trembled as he understood. He recognized this feeling. He had felt it that fateful day when he had died, and yet it was different too¡how?! It was as if ¡.it was purer!
Back then, there had been greed and jealousy corrupting that hateful assassin¡¯s aura. Bubblegum didn¡¯t have any of that. No, she was simply 100% focused on her desire to kill him. There wasn¡¯t even any hate, just an incredibly pure desire to kill.
What was this?! This was killing intent, wasn¡¯t it?! Jack had heard rumors of it before. He had been a Ranker for way too long after all. But somehow, never had he felt it so vividly until now.
Apparently, it was something that all assassins and most of the Rankers developed at some point. It allowed one to intimidate the opponent and resist mental debuffs, not that Jack had ever used it¡ª not to his knowledge, at least¡
Instead of cowering, he embraced this killing intent, basking wholly in it. How strange that he would encounter this here, now, and with her. His newfound ability to sense it meant that he was still growing as a yer.
It was just a tiny detail, but it was enough to bring so much joy in his heart as it began beating even faster. She was still looking at it so intently, akin to a ferocious predator.
But so what? Amidst the cries of warning of the training instructor, Jack reached her, going one step at a time. She was still as bloodied and looked quite horrifying.
¡°I¡¯ll destroy you and¡ª¡± She grunted.
¡°Is that so?¡± Jack lightly replied.
While surrounded by raw killing intent that would have made a grown man shit himself, Jack ever so slowly raised his hand¡and began patting her head.
¡°Everything will be fine.¡± He slowlyforted her.
That¡¯s when her entire body shook, confusion visible in her beguiling eyes. All the killing intent suddenly receded as all that remained was a soft body shivering. But a secondter, her eyes opened, still looking mesmerizing but clear.
This weird action of his had been thest push for her to regain her senses. Her bloodied face suddenly showed color as it twisted in a wry smile:
¡°You truly are crazy, aren¡¯t you?¡± She teased.
¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment.¡± Jackughingly replied.
That¡¯s when a soft furry ball interrupted the moment as the wolf began circling both of them, its tail wagging and tongue hanging out.
¡°Woo?!¡± (Confused)
¡°Woo!¡± (Happy)
¡°Wooooo!¡± (ted)
This pet wasn¡¯t sure what had happened exactly, but all it knew was that everything was now fine. It didn¡¯t have to overthink it either. Its master had obviously taken care of everything.
But Igor wasn¡¯t as nonchnt about it:
¡°What the fuck happened?! How is this possible?! She was gone. She waspletely possessed. What kind of ultimate move did you use just now?! Please tell me!¡±
Jack uttered the most solemnly possible:
¡°This is an ancestral technique known as a headpat.¡± As he said so, his hand was still gently ruffling his disciple¡¯s hair.
¡°H-headpat?! Please teach me! This seems so overpowered: it can even bring back lost souls! This is incredible. This is¡ª¡± But then he froze. ¡°Wait, why are her eyes still golden?! This doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡±
¡°You¡¯re overthinking this. She was still fighting that fox¡¯s spirit when I approached her. As for the eyes, this should be the new ability that she unlocked. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it helps to see vital spots and is a passive one.¡± Jack exined.
¡°Wait, she was still fighting? That¡¯s not possible. She wanted to murder you?!¡±
¡°The fox¡¯s resentment was powered by a desire to kill me. When we defeated the boss, I was the only one it couldn¡¯t kill. She one-upped the boss on that one.¡± He chuckled.
¡°What?!¡±
¡°If she already wanted to kill me more than the specter, then there was no need for it to possess her.¡±
¡°How is this possible¡ aren¡¯t you two friends? What happened?!¡±
¡°She kept mumbling about crushing my body. Does that sound dangerous to a brave?¡± Jack said.
¡°Ah! She just wants to challenge you to a fair fight but made it sound as if she hated you to trick the fox?! This is insane!¡±
¡°Here I thought I hade up with a revolutionary n.¡± Bubblegum¡¯s crystalline voice echoed. ¡°But you saw through it instantly!¡± She cutely pouted.
¡°Don¡¯t be too disappointed. It was a great n for sure.¡± Jack gave her a thumb up to soothe her.
She could only smile in response as the wolf still circled her. As for the training instructor, he was mumbling over and over about how crazy the whole thing was. Braves were nonsensical beings, and these two were even worse!
¡°Alright, let¡¯s leave before you do anything crazier,¡± Igor said.
¡°Leave? While we¡¯re here, I might go through the process too.¡± Jack shrugged, instantly raising the man¡¯s blood pressure.
¡°Y-you¡¯re not nning anything dangerous, right?¡±
¡°Me? No wayyy!¡±
¡°-_-¡±
¡°Hehe, seriously, everything will be fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Jack waved as he walked entered the room.
But he heard soft footsteps behind him, the little wolf right on his tail. Whenever he took a step, the pet would do the same. It obviously wanted to join the training.
¡°You should probably stay behind. It will be dangerous inside.¡± Jack softly whispered.
¡°Woo!¡± (Disapproval)
The little wolf shook its head from side to side, not wanting to be left behind. It was looking forward to this so much! Before, it had shown a clear interest in the mana being generated. Could it possibly be helpful to it?
Jack gave it a stern look:
¡°Fine, you cane. But as soon as you feel unwell, tell me, and I¡¯ll unsummon you.¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Agreeing)
¡°Alright, Igor, you can start it!¡±
Jack shouted with the wolf climbing nestling on the top of his head. He then brought out the Fleeting Fox Paws and the Fleeting Fox Fur. It was good that Igor remained outside, or he would have had a heart attack.
Using two catalysts at once?! This was insanity! Or it would have been usually. Since the two were from the same boss, there wouldn¡¯t be any sh. It would simply make this whole thing harder.
But, with increased challenge came increased rewards too. He wasn¡¯t sure what kind of ability he would be getting, but hopefully, it would be something that would prove helpful.
The door closed with a creaking sound. That¡¯s when it all began. The air filled with mana as it engulfed the entire room.
¡°Woo, woo, woo!¡± (Excited)
On his head, the wolf was happily snapping at the air, trying to devour it all. But then it realized with disappointment that it couldn¡¯t be eaten. How sad!
¡°Settle down. It¡¯s about to begin.¡± Jack whispered.
That¡¯s when the monster appeared. An orange sh glowed brightly as an ethereal fox appeared, charging toward Jack at full speed. As it passed through his body, he could feel the coldness it carried.
It was akin to getting stabbed with an icicle! Jack couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue. Next time perhaps he should bring a heater or something?
¡°I¡¯ll devour your soul! I¡¯ll¡ª¡± The creature screeched as it flew around.
¡°Yeah, sure, whatever. There¡¯s no need for the B-rated viin dialogues. We all know how this whole thing goes. You talk a lot of crap but still get exorcised in the end. Then I get an ability and¡.¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Happy!)
That¡¯s when the wolf above Jack¡¯s head suddenly pounced toward the ghost without any restrain. This had been such an impulsive decision from it that Jack didn¡¯t even have the time to react.
But then he couldn¡¯t help but stare,pletely stunned. What the fuck was happening?!
The little wolf yfully chased the fox around, hopping all over the ce. As for the ghost, it kept rushing away as if it didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with the tiny being. It kept charging at Jack instead.
The enemy seemed incredibly incensed but somehow still hadn¡¯t realized how to use its abilities to the fullest for some reason. It kept trying the weird cold thing that was entirely useless. Still, this was strange.
He could understand why it was trying to kill him, but why was it ignoring the pup? Actually, wouldn¡¯t it be deplorable for it if it managed to possess someone only to end up trapped in such a weak body.
That¡¯s when the specter entered Jack¡¯s body entirely, not being seen at all. Inside the human¡¯s man began an intense fight between a ¡°Demon King¡± and a flustered revenant.
The room returned toplete quiet as this silent mental fight happened. The little wolf could only cry pitifully. Why were they leaving it out of the fun?! But for now, it simply climbed back to the top of Jack¡¯s head.
Seeing Jack¡¯s rxed smile, things were going exceptionally well in there. This boss had been killed alone. It didn¡¯t carry the resentment of all its brethren like the Chicken Overlord. A few minutester, it was already over.
Jack opened his eyes but couldn¡¯t help but sigh in disappointment. He hadn¡¯t gotten a single ability. This sure sucked! He slowly exited the room, wondering how he could be so unlucky.
But as he saw the others, they seemed odd. They red his way with their eyes bulging so damn much.
¡°What the fuck is that?!¡± Igor shouted.
¡°Hey, are you alright?!¡± Bubblegum asked with worry in her voice.
Jack couldn¡¯t help but be perplexed¡..
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[A/N] For the start of next month, there will be a Priv mass release. The more Priv unlocks and the more advertisement the novel gets. It¡¯s huge! If you guys can afford it, make sure to grab Priv to support. Hopefully, we¡¯ll be out of the tutorial soon as this rate! ^_^v
(Checkments for more info)
Creator¡¯s Thought
Once upon a time, I used to be blind to killing intent. I¡¯m not sure what changed. Was it Bubblegum? Probably not. She only allowed me to realize my ability. It was probably the pressure from dying that made me awaken this sense. How? I¡¯m not sure¡
Chapter 79: What’s His Name?
Chapter 79: What¡¯s His Name?
Below Igor¡¯s house, two individuals were staring at the young man who had juste out of the training room, their eyes bulging.
Jack couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback as he witnessed their reaction. What was all the fuss about? They were looking at his face as if there was something profoundly wrong with It.
¡°What¡¯s up?¡± He asked, confused.
¡°W-what happened to it?!¡± Bubblegum asked, worried.
It? That¡¯s when he slowly raised his eyes. On top of his head, a tiny wolf pup was happily nestling. Was there anything wrong? As it became the center of attention, Jack¡¯s pet jumped down.
This sure was¡peculiar. It was now a shy orange. Why?! Was this state temporary or longsting? It looked so damn silly!
Either way, it happily hopped around, approaching the pink-haired girl. It seemed healthy and hadn¡¯t even noticed any change in its body either.
¡°A-are you alright?¡± She carefully asked, lowering herself to its level to rub its ears.
¡°Wait! Fall back! What if it¡¯s a trick!¡± Igor screamed with vigor.
¡°Woo?¡± (Confused)
The little wolf was just cutely tilting its head, wondering what they were going on about. It stared at Bubblegum¡¯s outstretched dainty hand, expecting some nice petting.
Seeing how innocent it was acting, she couldn¡¯t resist and began to rub its fur all over with the little wolf softly woo-woo-ing in happiness.
The training instructor by the side could only give up with a sigh. These two, no, these three were utterly insane! Didn¡¯t they know the meaning of being safe?
¡°How are you guys so calm?! An orange wolf isn¡¯t natural!¡± He protested.
¡°Meh, braves have seen things far more bizarre.¡± Jack shrugged.
¡°Like?¡±
¡°After orange cheese and an orange president, an orange wolf isn¡¯t that far-stretched. It¡¯s actually quite stylish.¡±
Igor recoiled in shock. He wasn¡¯t sure what a president was, but orange cheese?! What kind of sorcery was this?!
¡°Anyway, don¡¯t worry too much. It¡¯s probably the manifestation of some new ability. I¡¯m guessing we¡¯ll figure it out eventually. I don¡¯t sense any spirit remnant, so it should be safe either way¡.just slightly peculiar.¡± Jack reassured.
¡°So, what¡¯s the wolf¡¯s name?¡± Bubblegum suddenly asked.
¡°¡.¡± Error 404, name not found.
¡°¡.¡±
¡°¡.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still haven¡¯t named it?! Are you serious? Poor thing!¡± She uttered.
¡°Hey, a name is something serious! One cannot just give one randomly. It carries so much meaning and¡ª¡±
¡°In summary, you¡¯ve just beenzy AF.¡± She went straight to the core of the issue.
¡°Woo?!¡± (Interested)
The little wolf realized that they were talking about it. It wasn¡¯t sure itpletely understood what was going on, but it seemed serious (?) for them to be arguing about it.
¡°How about it, little one. Do you want a name?¡± Bubblegum gently offered.
¡°Woo?¡± (Confused)
A name? What was that? Could it be eaten? Either way, the little wolf was down to try all kinds of food! It was already salivating as it pictured what the mysterious thing called a ¡°name¡± would taste like.
Jack couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as he saw how the little one was acting:
¡°Nope, it¡¯s not something you can eat. It¡¯s how we call one another. For instance, I¡¯m Jack, he¡¯s Igor, and she¡¯s Bubblegum.¡± He patiently exined.
¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. I¡¯m Seraph¡ª¡±
¡°Overruled! Anyway, that¡¯s how it is. Do you want one?¡± Jack asked his furrypanion.
The wolf couldn¡¯t help but feel strange. Usually, it should have been disappointed that there wasn¡¯t any food¡and yet it felt happy? At first, it couldn¡¯t understand its own feelings too well, but then it realized.
This was even better! Getting a name meant that it would finally be part of their pack! It suddenly found itself tearing up with emotion. This wasn¡¯t just better. It was amazing!
Getting picked up by Jack had been the happiest moment of its life, and now this one was a strong contender. How long had it wished to run with the other wolves when it had been even younger? Always!
Jack giving him a name meant that they would stay together for real, right? They¡¯d adventure for a long time! This made it feel so warm and fuzzy inside.
Jack smiled warmly as the little wolf began nodding faster than a woodpecker would drill one sexy ass tree!
¡°Fine, let¡¯s brainstorm! I¡¯ll go first!¡± Jack heroically dered!
He took one good look at it before uttering in quick session:
¡°Carrot.¡±
¡°Cheatos¡±
¡°Goldfish.¡±
¡°Pumpkin¡±
¡°Pup and Cheese.¡±
¡°Huge Cheesy Balls.¡±
Damn, he was on fire! He then turned to the wolf, satisfied:
¡°So, which one do you prefer?¡±
The little one began to ponder seriously. It wasn¡¯t sure of the meaning of most of these, but many sounded quite cool.
¡°WAIT! Don¡¯t pick any of those shitty names! You can¡¯t just name it based on the orange color. What if it recedester?¡± Bubblegum interjected.
¡°Hmm, you do have a point. Actually, be backter. I will consult the holy archives.¡± Jack admitted before logging off instantly, both human and wolf disappearing in purple light.
¡°Holy archives, what is that even supposed to mean?!¡± Bubblegum sighed in the now silent room. ¡°Also, what¡¯s with the purple aura?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure. All I know is that it¡¯s not the aura of a brave leaving this world. As for what it actually is¡.only the gods know.¡± Igor solemnly answered.
They could only wait for him toe back¡.
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Jack slowly stretched as he removed his VR helmet.
He would have toe up with a good name for his pup. He precisely knew what to do: when in doubt, Goggle it!
He quickly browsed a few links but kept frowning in disgust. These were all typical boring names! Why the heck would he call his wolf Robert?! It was fine for a human¡.but for a wolf¡really?!
Without waiting further, he slowly created a new thread on purpleddit. The process only took him about 15 min¡ª he had forgotten his password again¡-_-
This ought to do it, right? As he waited, he went for a night of sleep, aka 30 minutes with a timer. How could anyone manage not to be groggy after such short rest? The trick was to use one of the songs of old.
This time he used one of the most hated tunes of all time. It went baby, baby, baby something, and it was pure torture! Upon hearing it, Jack almost smashed his phone, but the disgust sessfully woke him.
He checked his thread with eagerness. Hopefully, he would have received a few suggestions, right? But as he was surprisingly shocked by how many there were.
He slowly went over each carefully.
¨C Thor: Cool sounding, but wouldn¡¯t it be quite pitiful without lightning powers?
¨C Adolf: Heartwarming name that 100% inspired trust, but perhaps not intimidating enough?
¨C Braggadocious: Now, that¡¯s just boastful. His wolf would be a true powerhouse eventually!
¨C Wolfgang AGM-114 Hellfire: This one was oddly specific, perhaps slightly too much.
¨C Sif: Awesome name, but carried too much baggage.
¨C Lions: What?! Why?!
¨C Puppers: It would hopefully grow up at some point.
¨C Terra: A little bit too dignified for an orange wolf.
¨C Dusk: Edgy¡not that it was necessarily a bad thing.
¨C Bone: Wasn¡¯t that the name of a show?
¨C Luna (ris): Wouldn¡¯t it suddenly turn into a werewolf?!
¨C Sobaka: Silly wolf, eh? Did he really want people he met asking for the meaning all the time?
¨C Sabastion: Cool name.
¨C Skull: Necromancer-themed.
¨C Little Pie: The Unnamed God approves for sure!
¨C Furry Fucker: What is this, a porn-star name?! His yer name wasn¡¯t Johny Sin
¨C Donuts: How to make one hungry 101.
¨C J.K Howling: He sure liked to howl¡so maybe?
¨C Wigglebutt the third: Now this one was just epic!
¨C Terry Chews: I see what you did there.
There were so many that were extraordinarily great or questionable.
He quickly returned to Infinite, his brain working non-stop, trying to find a name. As he spawned, he noticed Bubblegum and Igor, training by the side. They were so focused that they didn¡¯t even see him.
This sure was one interesting fight:
Dagger VS Battle Hammer!
Beauty VS the Beast!
Rookie VS Veteran!
Either way, Jack ced his attention on the little wolf. It was eagerly staring at him, its tail shaking from side to side.
¡°So, what kind of name do you want? Funny, Edgy or Epic?¡± Jack asked the little one.
It seemed deep in thought for a few seconds. Then it slowly raised two paws in the air resolutely.,
¡°Epic?¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Nodding)
¡°What were you going to do if you wanted option #3?¡± Jack raised a brow.
¡°Woo?!¡± (Perplexed)
¡°Woo!¡± (Existential crisis!)
The wolf suddenly realized it didn¡¯t have enough front paws! Also, how did it know how to count? Also also, why was it suddenly orange?! It waved a few times, wondering what had happened to its fur.
¡°Alright, I guess our best bet is a dragon-worthy name¡.¡± Jack pondered.
¡°Woo!¡± (Outraged!)
It instantly protested. A dragon¡¯s name?! No way! Its goal was to make dragons run akin to cowardly lizards in the future. It needed a wolf name, a legendary wolf name, one that would resound across the entire world!
Jack could feel the power of its conviction. It really was insistent on that point. Did this mean Fenrir or Sif? It wasn¡¯t like many were more renowned than them. But suddenly, Jack had a sh of insight.
¡°I actually have a suggestion.¡±
The wolf perked its ears.
¡°Once upon a time, there was a powerful wolf that managed to conquer a holynd known as the Inte in one go. It was revered and loved by many as a symbol of hope and greatness.¡±
At this point, the little wolf waspletely hooked. It looked even more entranced than when it looked at a piece of medium-rare human flesh. It was even mesmerized!
¡°You also love to howl, right?¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (nodding over and over!)
¡°How about a name mixing a legendaryposer of the olden days along with this legendary wolf warrior¡¯s name?¡± Jack proposed.
¡°Woo!!!¡± (Hell yeah!)
That is when the two of them finally settled for a name. Jack didn¡¯t know what the world would think of it. But, this was probably the best name that he coulde up with. At least, it was more respectable than cheesy balls¡
On the side, the two duelists finally realized their presence. But the nging of the weapons had utterly drowned the conversation. They finally stopped, approaching the master and pet in a hurry.
¡°You¡¯re finally back! So, let¡¯s keep the brainstorming going.¡± Bubblegum said. She seemed really motivated to save the wolf from a horrendous name.
¡°No, need, we have already settled on one.¡± Jack smiled brightly.
Bubblegum couldn¡¯t help but have an awful feeling about this. That¡¯s when the wolf took the most majestic pose it could muster, full of prideful arrogance. Even then, it still looked incredibly silly.
Jack solemnly introduced his wolf in an official manner for the very first time:
¡°May I present to you all the mighty: ¡.Wolfgang Amadeus Moon Moon!¡±
The two seemed so content with this.
¡°So, what do you think?¡± Jack proudly asked.
How was she supposed to react to this¡.
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[A/N] The author you are trying to reach is currently not reachable. Please try againter. Leave any feedback about the little wolf¡¯s name after the Beep. ????
¡ª BEEP! ¡ª
Creator¡¯s Thought
One thing for sure, no matter the wolf¡¯s official name I would still keep the prerogative to call him whatever I wanted. One could have multiple nicknames after all. No matter what Bubblegum said, Huge Cheesy balls sounded epic in my eyes. The perfect y on his courage and his color, right?!
Chapter 80: Screw That Guy!
Chapter 80: Screw That Guy!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
In the New Leaf vige, a girl was hiding behind the corner of a doorless house. She was a professional journalist¡ª or so she called herself.
Her actual job was actually to overview blind test tastes for a cerealpany. Blindfold people, let them eat two samples, and note which one they prefer and why. That was it!
Was there anything more demeaning? Probably but that was beside the point! She had always wanted to write on stuff that mattered, not that bullshit!
One day, her ex-boyfriend had suggested she write a piece about the game he was ying; hence, she had started: ! That¡¯s how she had begun ying VR games.
That rtionship hadn¡¯tsted because he had cheated on her. What kind of disgusting asshole participated in a threesome with peanut butter and a dog involved?! Anyway, she had kept her gaming blog active and was now chasing a new scoop in the gaming world of Infinite.
This was the perfect opportunity for her to rise to fame with the game not that popr yet.
That¡¯s why she waited for the Demon King who had been sighted going inside this house! As long as she could interrogate him, she would gain a lot! Wait, no, it wouldn¡¯t work. Someone with such a title probably wouldn¡¯t just agree to a chatting tea session.
She needed another n. She kept racking her brain during all the time he stayed inside. As he finally came out, she had taken a decision. She would secretly follow him and try to figure out his secret. Rumors said he had recently discovered a new dungeon!
He was apanied by a pink-haired girl and an orange fox¡with wolf features?! Why did it look so weird?! Either way, she began her tailing them until he was left alone with his pet, heading toward the forest.
Right now, she was only level 3, a far cry from any of the powerhouses, but it would have to do. She tip-toed behind, resolute to not let her target escape!
What happened next was the most intense experience of her life. The guy was waltzing into fox territory, not giving a damn about them, but the monsters scared the shit out of her!
A single one was enough to kill her many times over. She had to follow him somehow closely to keep up, yet far enough that he wouldn¡¯t detect her. She had to remember the exact path he was taking too. This was so goddamn hard!
A few times, she almost had a heart attack. He would suddenly swerve, making her think she had lost him. He would suddenly stop, causing her to freeze in a hurry. He would even sing at times, with the most horrifying voice she had ever heard.
This was so stressful, and she couldn¡¯t help but wish to be done with it. She did what she had to. She crawled on the ground, in bushes, and even dived in the soil to hide.
Her journey had only just begun, but her ssy smart-journalistdy look was long gone. She couldn¡¯t help but wish great misfortune on this guy who seemed to have so much fun.
Then, as if it wasn¡¯t enough, he dragged her through wolf territory! Every time a howl would resound, her whole body would tense as she twitched. But she fought her fears and kept struggling to follow.
The whole thing probably took a good hour with the man even stopping to farm mobs from time to time. But she kept holding on, all for that sweet dream of being the first to discover his secret.
Finally, her effort paid off as he unknowingly led her straight to arge cave. This had to be the destination! As she slowly walked inside, her heart beat faster, wondering what wonders she would uncover.
Then she finally turned thest corner.
He was there, arms crossed, a small sadistic smile on his face. He appeared very rxed, with an orange wolf ying at his feet. That¡¯s when he looked straight her way:
¡°Was following me all this time fun?¡±
That¡¯s when she realized. No wonder it had taken so much time, and she had to crawl through so many bushes. He knew all along and was just making fun of her! She gasped as she realized the truth.
¡°Alright, have fun ying with her.¡± The man yfully said.
Just as she was utterly perplexed, a gigantic wolf came out of the shadows. Oh god, fuck no! She wanted to run, she wanted to cry, but all she could do was to freaking die! What was even worse was that the wolf seemed to want to y with its food.
Her ending was pretty damn traumatizing. As she disappeared in a sh of light, she couldn¡¯t help but curse the bastard for toying with ady like her!
Respawning, she snorted. He had messed with the wrong person! She might have died, but she had found the location of the new dungeon that he had been hiding!
¡°Fool, I have seen your secret silvery portal!¡± She chuckled to herself.
She would teach him the cost of messing with her! She happily returned to the real world before she began typing away on her blog.
[Followers: 49] She would raise this pitiful number for sure!
After a while of tireless work, she happily posted the result online. She would steal the spotlight from that asshole. Instead of him revealing the dungeon, she would be the one the yers would be grateful to!
She would use him to promote her blog! She excitedly published it all with a nice title:
< OMG! Exclusive Info! Second Infinite Dungeon Revealed! >
A few minutester, there was already ament!
¡ª Ding! ¡ª
The notification sound felt so heavenly. She could already picture her career as a gaming journalist taking off from this single moment. With her heart beating fast, she happily checked her screen.
A few users had answers!:
¨C Massive Juicy Bazookas: So the whole conclusion is that the dungeon is at the Wolf Progenitor¡¯s cave? How is that surprising? Thest one was at the Fox Boss¡
¨C ARRR!MeBePirate: Some peeps actually distracted the boss and had someone check it out. It requires to be level 6 to enter. This whole post is useless, and the info is already dated.
¨C Gemini Gamer: Talk about shameless! Writing such a shitty blog with that clickbait title, attention seeker spotted¡
Her hand sped the mouse akin to a w as she read that. She felt her stomach turn both in fury, confusion, and shame. There was already info about it? Where?!
As she quickly searched, she finally found the answer. It was a post on purpleddit recounting the event of the test. A few yers had grouped together and tried to barge in, only to be stuck outside because of their low level.
They had all perished to the wolf boss¡¯s ws, but they had managed to glean some new info. She had recently verified that there wasn¡¯t anything on the topic yet! How could she have missed that?
But as she checked the timestamp, she felt her blood boil. This had happened while the Demon King was wasting her time, dragging her around all over! If he had just hurried up, she would have been the first one to post it for sure!
If only he had been a decent human being and not toyed with a poordy like her, her blog could have seeded! As she returned to it, all she saw on it was hate. Every newment called her out for taking info on purpleddit and iming it as her own.
She couldn¡¯t help but gnash her teeth. The more hatements she read and the more she hated that bastard. It was all because of him! It was all his fault!
At this moment, she had long stopped thinking clearly. All that she knew was that her blog was now nothing but a breeding ground for insults. She would need to delete it at this rate.
As she arrived at this conclusion, she saw her dream slip away. She vividly remembered the sardonic smile that he had shown her and how he had happily watched her demise.
She couldn¡¯t forgive him, ever! He had trampled on her dream!
While grunting in anguish, she started a new blog from scratch. As she saw the nk te, she felt pained. What was she even supposed to write? Should she just give up? Maybe she should ept her fate and focus on her shitty day job?
But then she finally jerked up. She knew what she wanted to do!
Blog: < Infinite¡¯s Demon King is a Fraud!>
This would do. She would pay him in kind for messing with her from! She brewed herself lots of coffee, cracked her knuckles, and got to work.
It was time for some research! She would gather all the evidence against him from experts all over the Inte. Then she would prove once and for all what kind of shitty being he was!
She would start with facts, how he had lied. Then she would slowly describe his true character. It wasn¡¯t ndering if it was true.
¨C Toxic Masculinity
¨C Godplex
¨C ve Driver
¨C Exploiter
¨C Sadist
¨C ¡
She would list it all! She would show them all his true colors!
She smiled to herself. A popr saying said: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Oh, she would be even more pernicious!
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[A/N] Often, people find it way easier to me others for their misfortune. Is it logical? Not at all. But some don¡¯t know what logic means¡This is how Jack sometimes gains enemies seemingly randomly. ??
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[A/N#2] The Awaited PRIV Mass release is on its way:
1. Next few days, only PRIV chapters will be released: One Tier/ Day (4 Days). Wee to PRIV-Hell! ??
(Reminder PRIV is optional, but it helps the novel a LOT with win-win.)
2. If you¡¯ve finished reading PRIV or can¡¯t afford it, then try reading CA! (Heard the author is really handsome) ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)
Current PRIV Tiers:
C. 99 coins for 8 advanced chapters
B. 199 coins for 12 chapters
A. 399 coins for 16 chapters
S. 599 coins for 20 extra chapters
Current goal = 10k Unlocks Win-Win
??????
Creator¡¯s Thought
How many times had I been followed in the past? Too many to count! She was not only extremely clumsy but also totally wasting her time. What could she possibly gain by following me to the Wolf Den? I was probably the only one ready to attempt a full clear.
Chapter 81: OP-ranhas
Chapter 81: OP-ranhas
A man and wolf spawned in a cave with bones and fur balls all over the ce.
[Entered Dimensional Dungeon Wolf Den!]
[Difficulty = Normal]
The two seriously checked their surroundings as they darted outside. What about the earlier incident with the snoopingdy? They had instantly forgotten it.
¡°Hurry up and reach the river.¡± Jack ushered Wolfgang along.
In the distance, the wolf howls were resounding rhythmically, akin to harbingers of doom. They would only have a few minutes to reach a safe spot.
The two began running alongside the sshing water, the little wolf eyeing this dangerous area warily. It vividly remembered how it had earlier been devoured in a few seconds. The fishes in there were so odd. How could they be so small yet so deadly?!
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡°Keep running. We should stumble upon something soon.¡± Jack reassured his partner.
About a minuteter, they finally noticed something noteworthy. In the water, there were a few boulders that stuck out. They were half-submerged and seemed highly slippery, with the stream turning into a deadly-looking torrent.
Jack stopped, aligning himself with it-.
¡°We¡¯ll be crossing here.¡±
¡°Woo?!¡± (No way!)
This river was bad news. They were better off just running! Maybe they¡¯d have a chance then.
The current was roaring, akin to a terrifyingly hungry dragon. There were also the deadly fishes hiding in it for sure! Even if they survived the water, the piranhas would devour them entirely.
The little wolf shivered as it implored jack to forget it.
¡°Woo-woo!¡± (Begging)
He sighed slightly before resting his hand on the soft fur, transmitting his warmth. He then picked the little guy up, resting it on his head.
¡°It¡¯s gonna be alright. Hold on tight.¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Uneasy)
¡°Who do you think your master is? Do you take me for someone that a little puddle will defeat?¡± He grandly dered.
¡°Woo!¡± (Energetic)
His furrypanion stopped trembling and even began looking around excitedly. It suddenly realized that the rapids were not that scary. As long as it was with its master, then everything would be fine!
Jack¡¯s expression turned solemn. This thing wouldn¡¯t be that easy to cross. If he remembered correctly, the piranhas in this river were as deadly as shy. If they saw a group, they would leave it alone. They would only attack isted targets.
The thing was that Jack was pretty sure his pet didn¡¯t count as a party member in such an instance. This would be harsh very harsh.
He took a deep breath as he began stretching. In the back, he could hear death approaching.
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
The wolves were here! The gray monsters rushed forward as soon as they noticed the vulnerable human. He would make the perfect meal! After all, not often did his kind wander here.
Yet, it was as if Jack had neither heard nor seen them. He was still stretching, looking like a middle-ageddy talking in the middle of the supermarket aisle: entirely oblivious to the rest of the world.
The bloodthirsty predators rejoiced. What an easy prey! They even raced one another to see which one would manage to sink their fangs into the idiot¡¯s soft flesh first.
But just as they were about to reach him, he suddenly jumped toward the river,nding on a rock. He then exerted a colossal effort to bnce his body, resisting the rapid current.
Would the wolves give up while they were so close? Hell no! The few at the forefront pounced,nding on the rocks right behind the human.
Jack chuckled to himself while whispering:
¡°¡ª Ta-da! A wolf joined your party¡ª Kinda¡.¡±
As long as the creatures tried to devour him, they would cause enough ruckus to keep the piranhas away. As for the danger, the wolves themselves posed, it was minimal as they struggled to keep their footing.
They were used to forest and mountainous terrain. They were way out of their element in the shallow but turbulent water! They realized it too.
They did try their best until the middle of the river. That¡¯s when they reluctantly gave up, turning back with disappointed growls. Damn slippery human!
This was actually bad news for Jack. As soon as they left, the piranhas came over! They had been lurking, hiding below the water surface all this time, just waiting for an opportunity!
It soon became a freaking chomping fest!
¡ª Chomp! Chomp! Chomp! ¡ª
¡ª Chomp! Chomp! Chomp! ¡ª
¡ª Chomp! Chomp! Chomp! ¡ª
Their sharp teeth were even bigger than their bodies. What kind of BS was this?! He now had to fend off an entire wave of them!
He got his shield and sword out as he began blocking and parrying, making sure not to fall. Every hit threatened to push him into an abyss with only doom awaiting.
-0
-0
-0
-¡.
His performance was exemry, but even then there was a limit to how many hits he could block.
On this unstable footing, he couldn¡¯t avoid the enemies either. As he got bitten over and over, he felt pangs of pain invade his body. He was like dog food in a dog bowl¡ª aka not too hard to hunt.
-1
-1
-1
-¡
His HP was quickly getting drained. This was a goddamn continuous and endless attack!
His brain kept screaming at him to protect his vitals. Years of evolution had ingrained in his being that this was the best course of action. This was true, even with the lowered pain. But he knew this was a trap!
Jack didn¡¯t have time for that. Not at all! If he stopped moving, this would be his end. That¡¯s why he kept progressing, one step at a time, even as he felt himself losing pieces of his flesh. The piranhas were really enjoying themselves!
His blood flowed in the torrent only to disappear instantly. This in turn excited the creatures even more as they became even more zealous-. At this moment, there was no way that they would ever give up on this feast.
As Jack¡¯s HP was getting lower and lower, he was very tempted to down a potion. But he repressed that idea too. If he stopped swinging his Cluckinator, they would use the opportunity to overwhelm himpletely, even pushing him into the rapids.
How horrible of an end would that be? Fucking very! Just as he was about to die, he finally took hisst step, reaching the shore. He hurriedly shook himself akin to a wet dog, sending piranhas flying all over the ce.
Now out of the water, they could only ssh around, sending water droplets all over, gasping for air. That¡¯s when the little wolf jumped down from its safe spot. It was time for revenge!
¡°Woo!¡± (Angry!)
Then began a one-sided massacre. Wolf VS beached piranhas. The fishes despaired as they tried biting back, but they couldn¡¯t do so. This was divine retribution for their misdeeds!
Jack slightly smiled as he observed the scene. This had sure been a pain. Good thing that he had made use of the wolves, or he would never have survived to the other side. Other than that his experience and body control had yed a huge role.
But even after this victory, he didn¡¯t dare to be reckless. He carefully observed his surroundings. As he heard tons of wolves howling in the distance, he knew that this was just the beginning¡
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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 1: Skeletal Chicken Tier (1/6) ???
Creator¡¯s Thought
Using your environment is an art. This is how one handles stuff like that without a party. Then again, this could possibly be even more annoying with a party. The piranhas would attack thest yer to cross. Dying meant either running the dungeon with one less yer or restartingpletely (wolves at spawn).
Chapter 82: Wolves Be Tanky?!
Chapter 82: Wolves Be Tanky?!
Next to the tumultuous river, a small wolf was finishing off some piranhas while a human nearby was regenerating his HP.
The ce was void of any tree. The soil was slightly darkish and seemed sturdy. Most of the area was open, and it was possible to notice their surroundings from a nce. It was the worst kind of environment for sneaking through.
But the peaceful atmosphere was suddenly interrupted by wolf howls.
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
However, this time there weren¡¯t as many as earlier. This meant that it wasn¡¯t a full pack and that fighting was actually an option. For realistic VR games, being able to analyze the cries of monsters was a necessary skill that Jack had mastered long ago.
¡°We need to leave.¡± He quickly signaled hispanion with the two departing hurriedly.
There were two things that they needed to be careful of:
1. Not to directly encounter a wandering wolf group. This dungeon was slightly simr to the situation in the New Leaf Forest. The wolves loved to roam around and surprise the travelers.
2. To make sure the wind didn¡¯t betray their position-. This meant that they would have to evade with a small distance margin at times, but a huge one at others.
Of course, there was always n B. This one was to rely on luck or battle prowess to ovee this stage forcefully. But, fighting would mean needing a team for most. This was because the wolves never hunted alone.
Jack would expertly but carefully guide their journey. His expertise gave him an incredible edge over others, but this didn¡¯t make him infallible either.
Since he didn¡¯t have any unique scouting ability, he would sometimes unknowingly lead them toward positions wherebat was utterly unavoidable. But even then, he was still able to navigate toward the smaller enemy groups.
This time was one such instance.
In front of Jack and wolf were now three big growling and salivating muscr wolves. Without waiting, they began the fight by savagely pouncing at him.
Without losing his cool, Jack quickly blocked all their attacks.
-2
-2
-2
That power was pretty insane considering his armor and that he had wlessly blocked. He hadn¡¯t dealt any damage to them, and he was already down 19% of his HP. How crazy was that!
-8
-1
-9
-1
-7
He instantly counterattacked, but there was only so much damage that he could do. It would take him at least three rotations to be able to kill a single wolf!
He gnashed his teeth as he realized how painful this would be. He yed it perfectly, blocking every single attack that they inflicted on him.
Killing the first wolf: -18 HP, 14/32
Killing a second wolf: -12 HP, 2/32
At this point, he was so very close to death. He still had one goddamn wolf to kill and only 2 HP. Ah, never mind, 3 HP thanks to his regeneration!¡ª As if that would freaking help!
At this rate, he would need to use a potion¡.except if he used his secret weapon!
¡°Kill him, oh mighty Moon Moon!¡±
The little wolf valiantly attacked the creature that was many times its size. It howled victoriously as its small ws hit the target head-on.
¡°Take this, hahaha!¡± Jackughed madly, only to choke a secondter.
-0
-0
-0
Well, rip. His partner deserved an A for effort for sure. As for the actual effect? Noment! The wolf¡¯s hide was way too sturdy!
Just as Jack resolved to let his life regeneration slowly work wonders, a familiar sound echoed.
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
Fuck me! He had to end the fight now! Jack could only nce resentfully at the enemy as he fished a healing potion, gulping it angrily. This was such a fucking waste!
+23 HP
He charged with incredible fury. He was akin to a duck that had its bread stolen by a hooligan right in front of its face!
The poor wolf¡¯s ending was as violent as torturous. Jack made sure to kick it in the face, the legs, the ass, and the nuts. It died with pitiful yelps that didn¡¯t fit its scary appearance.
Having vented a tiny bit, Jack exhaled as he regained his cool. It was time to GTFO! No fucking way that he would get caught again!
¡Except that a few minutester, he was stuck between three wolves and even more wolves again. Fuck! This time, he had already done the math and decisively drank a potion, finishing thebat in a jiffy.
Still, it sure felt bad. He was pretty much drinking silvers like water. On the one hand, he could afford it. On the other hand, he considered being economical a virtue (totally not stingy)!
The little wolf clearly saw how annoyed he was.
¡°Woo¡ª¡± (Apologetic)
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s not your fault. Those guys are level 8. It¡¯s also not meant to be soloable. There are supposed to be four more people with us. It¡¯s normal to have trouble.¡± He sighed.
How would the other yers have reacted if they could hear this sigh? They would have probably spat out blood. He called this trouble?! He was freaking progressing at a steady pace and had only used two potions.
How many had tried to clear the Fox Grove only to wipepletely? Fucking 100% of the ones who had tried it! Yet there he was, downying how well this run was going, evenining.
The duo kept going. This time they were luckier as they didn¡¯t encounter any other issue. Was the game pitying them? Then again, from another perspective, perhaps the game pitied the poor wolves.
After a while, there was finally something that appeared in the distance. Wolfgang was actually the first one to notice it.
¡°Woo?!¡± (Perplexed)
It waved its little paw toward the air. In the dark, illuminated by a few stars, smoke was visible. It contrasted with the surroundings.
¡°Cooking smoke! It means that there are people there.¡± Jack eximed.
¡°Woo?¡± (Pondering)
¡°Yes, we¡¯ll check it out. In fact, we have no choice but to go in that direction if we want to clear this ce.¡± Jack exined.
¡°Woo!¡± (Heroic)
It was time for a new milestone¡.
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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 1: Skeletal Chicken Tier (2/6) ???
Creator¡¯s Thought
There didn¡¯t seem to be any special change to the small wolf¡¯s abilities. but perhaps this was only the change. Pets tended to have a gradual evolution. Perhaps the orange color was only the precursor to an uing power-up? I could only hope¡
Chapter 83: Speech: We Are Not the Same
Chapter 83: Speech: We Are Not the Same
The duo of human and wolf carefully followed the smoke in the distance.
It was akin to arge beacon that spread the scent of fire as they approached. It made one wonder: how were they still fine? They were directly in the middle of wolf territory. The little wolf wagged its tail happily as they finally saw their destination.
It was a vige surrounded by a wooden palisade. It reminded one of those old RTS games during the dark age period.
Looking at the very roughly assembled logs, Jack shook his head. In terms of defensive power¡there was no defensive power. Hell, it barely was a few meters high, and a parkour enthusiast could have just flipped himself over it.
¡°Woo!¡± (Excited)
¡°Yep, let¡¯s head over.¡± Jack agreed.
As soon as they were near the vige, a rough-looking guy came out running while screaming loudly:
¡°We¡¯re under attack! To arms, brothers! The wolves are here! I only see one, but the others must be lurking nearby!¡±
The man was wearing wolf pelts as clothes, but he was nowhere close to being as feral-looking as the guy from the Fox Grove. No, this one was equipped with a spear and even showed subtle signs of grooming.
This ce was pretty rustic, but they were obviously decently organized. The proof was the man who had been left as a sentry. He suddenly jumped in shock as he noticed Jack standing by the side.
¡°Y-you?! Where did youe from?! Why are you with an evil wolf?!¡± He shouted warily.
¡°Woo?¡± (Confused)
The so-called evil wolf was just tilting its head cutely, weakly protesting. What part of it looked like a bad wolf?! It would be legendary! It wasn¡¯t an ordinary wolf at all! Was the man blind?
That¡¯s when many NPCs came out of the vige, crowding over the man. But as they saw the empty in, they couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback.
¡°Where are the enemies?!¡±
¡°Wait¡is that the wolf you shouted about?¡±
¡°That¡¯s clearly a human next to it. What¡¯s happening?!¡±
¡°Also, is it me, or is there something strange with its proportions?!¡±
They all gazed in wonder, rubbing their eyes. Some were even using their fingers topare the height of this wolf versus the ones they knew.
Jack gently waved at them:
¡°Hey, guys, what¡¯s up with all the wolves in the area?¡± He innocently asked.
They all looked at how casual he was with a mix of wariness and confusion. Just as they were about to fill the ufortable silence, he spoke again.
¡°I¡¯m just a traveling wolf hunter passing by. What about you guys?¡± He took out many wolf pelt, throwing them toward the ground as he said that.
As they saw this, they slowly rxed. His origin was still suspect, but this at least exined what he was doing here. They had 99 problems, but a wolf shortage wasn¡¯t one. But there was still something they didn¡¯t understand:
¡°What about this one?¡± They frowned as they pointed at his partner.
¡°He¡¯s a different species altogether. He just looks like a wolf, but don¡¯t worry about it.¡±
They finally seemed to ept his exnation as they gestured for him toe forward. That¡¯s when an older viger came forward, acting as a guide.
¡°This is thest bastion of humanity¡ª at least in this ce. Wherever else you go, there are countless wolves. The bastards are as mighty as evil and so damn numerous!¡± He spat out.
¡°That just means more pelts to sever from their bodies, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Jack replied tactfully. He could see a light of approval appear in the man¡¯s eyes. This sure was a valiant answer!
¡°Woo!¡± (Eximing!)
¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Of course, we can¡¯t forget the meat.¡±
Seeing how motivated the two seemed to eradicate the wolves, the vigers gave a thumb up.
Then they entered the vige. There were small cooking fires all over the ce with vigers busy cooking. They curiously nced at the neers, observing their every move.
¡°Follow me. I¡¯ll bring you to the elders.¡± Their guide instructed.
The so-called elders turned out to be some old guys sitting on their asses next to a fire. One was eating, one was drinking, and one was smoking. They seemed to be talking about the wolf situation.
As they arrived, they heard snippets of their conversation:
¡°Their movements have been weird recently.¡±
¡°Then there¡¯s that lone wolf rm from earlier.¡±
¡°It scares me to even think about it, but maybe they have a leader now?¡±
¡°Do you mean that they are getting organized? The very idea of this is as frightening as preposterous! We need to¡ª¡±
That¡¯s when they noticed the neers¡¯ presence. The NPCs did some synchronized frowning before the guy with the pipe spat out.
¡°So you guys are the suspicious ones that recklessly triggered the rm?¡±
Jack didn¡¯t let himself be outdone:
¡°So you¡¯re the old man thatzily sat on his ass even as the rm was triggered?¡±
The bystanders chuckled hearing such a swift reply. It seemed like this neer wasn¡¯t that easy to bully! A vige was pretty dull, so they watched with interest the minor confrontation.
¡°Tch¡ª cocky youngster. Do you believe I won¡¯t beat your ass!¡±
¡°Tch¡ª cocky old man, can you even get up from your ass?¡±
¡°You bastard! Didn¡¯t anyone ever teach you to respect your elders!¡±
¡°Elder? You¡¯re more wrinkly, but I¡¯m actually the elder here!¡±
Jack calmly replied. Since Infinite had juste out, it was technically urate as the NPC had recently spawned.
¡°Do you take me for a fool?! You¡¯re just a young chap!¡±
At that moment, the smile on Jack¡¯s face erged as he suddenly seemed to transform. His eyes showed a depth and wisdom that didn¡¯t fit his youthful appearance.
Then his aura changed from easygoing to one of a conqueror.
As a ¥´¥´¥´¥´ Menacing! Appeared above his head, the vigers found themselves choking, some unconsciously kneeling down. Diplomacy? What was that?
Then Jack began a tirade:
¡°You¡¯ve lived all your life cooped up in this vige? I have seen more worlds than you can even fathom exist, both the living and the dead.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve spent your whole life honing your skills by killing wolves? I have fought creatures that could plunge you in despair with their mere presence.¡±
¡°You have seen life bloom and falter in this vige and understood the meaning of life? I have watched civilizations prosper and be reduced to ruins in session.¡±
¡°You diligently pray to the gods? I have met them and received their blessings.¡±
¡°You pride yourself in staying alive so long? I pride myself in having died more times than the breaths you¡¯ve taken.¡±
¡°We are not the same!¡±
¡°This is what it means to be a motherfucking brave. So, tell me. Who¡¯s the elder in this situation!¡±
Jack exhaled, finally regaining a restrained and peaceful aura. It sure felt good to get this off his chest. He had been acting too low-key recently. The poor NPCs were forcefully used as therapy outlets, bombarded with information they couldn¡¯t understand.
After that whole thing, they all stood still, frozen inplete consternation. Who the fuck was that man?! They had no clue, but this imposing aura couldn¡¯t be faked: he had to be some hero!
That¡¯s when Jack finally remembered his initial purpose. He just needed to convince them to cooperate with him for what woulde afterward.
¡°Now, how about we hunt those big wolves till extinction?¡± Jack proposed, with his deep voice echoing in the silent vige.
Then came the cheers, earth-shattering ones that made entire cohorts of insects run in fear. They were all celebrating, all except for one, the drunkard old man was frowning instead¡.
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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 1: Skeletal Chicken Tier (3/6) ???
Creator¡¯s Thought
In Infinite, there are so many NPCs that can be turned into allies. Heck, even taming the wolves would technically be possible, not that anyone would bother. Taming a grown wolf without potential was pretty much a waste of time. Well, except for very special circumstances I guess¡
Chapter 84: The Hunt Begins!
Chapter 84: The Hunt Begins!
The peaceful vige in the Wolf Den Dungeon was going through an incredible upheaval.
A man could be seen rxedly sitting as hezily barked orders all over the ce. The NPCs would do their best to execute his wishes, no matter what they were. Ever since that weird speech of his, they kept shyly ncing his way in wonder.
It wasn¡¯t as much about the speech itself as to how he had delivered it. Hell, they weren¡¯t even sure what a brave was. But it had to be something impressive, right?!
If Jack remembered correctly, the next step of this quest involved hunting wolves until they eventually found the Mini-Boss. This one was the total opposite of the hunter in the fox Grove: it ran and hid!
This vige here was one that the yers could use as a base of operation¡.if they could convince the NPCs to wee them. After all, it wasn¡¯t always easy to get them to ept strangers¡ª or so that¡¯s how it was supposed to be.
Right now, he had a literal army at hismand! How amazing was that?! He!
Jack happily smirked while watching them prepare weapons and rations for an expedition. The little wolf did the same, sometimes hopping around them, ying supervisor.
It only took an hour for the 30 or so NPCs to be ready to walk for war. They were now lining up akin to professional soldiers. This included the so-called elders.
¡°Good job on gathering, all of you! We will now be marching for glory. Today, you all aren¡¯t simple vigers but proud heroes. In years toe, you will tell the tale of this moment to your descendants! Now let¡¯s depart!¡± Jack enthusiastically shouted.
Moon Moon led the way. Its small head hung highly with pride. This was a grand march that typically would have never happened in the beginner vige. Jack could already smell the profit that this highlight would bring him.
He could even picture the title:
< WTF?! The Demon King Has an Actual Army?!>
This would be so much fun!
They all began marching, with incredible solemnness, one that wasn¡¯t dampened by the young wolf¡¯s antics. They were progressing quickly: this ought to be good!
The farther they went from the vige, and the more uneasy the NPCs became. They were akin to homesick and worried children. C¡¯mon! It wasn¡¯t like that palisade they had at home would be super helpful anyway.
¡°Before you all know it, we¡¯ll be back¡.and we¡¯ll have enough pelts and meat to build a goddamn castle!!¡± Jack shouted excitingly.
They were first bbergasted but then began to repeat ¡°castle¡± all until it turned into a full-blown chant, akin to a day camp song.
¡°What are we gonna make?!¡± Jack shouted.
¡°A castle!¡±
¡°What are we gonna make?!¡± He repeated.
¡°A goddamn castle!¡±
¡°Why do we want it?¡± Jack kept going.
¡°¡.¡± they nked.
¡°Because we fucking can!¡± He happily shouted.
¡°Because we fucking can!¡±
A few of them seemed to remember the meat part as they showed disgusted expressions, but the majority were burning with fighting spirit. This was especially true for the wolf, whose eyes were almostser-like with how much they glowed.
Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! It kept mentally chanting over and over while licking its lips.
That¡¯s when echoed a cry everyone here was very familiar with.
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
Jack was grinning. They were about the encounter the deadly annoying wolves who had wasted his potions! They appeared in groups of 3-6, numbers that had been daunting to him previously.
He was back for revenge. He led his small army toward one such group consisting of only three wolves. Oh, this would be he fun!
The vigers had seen him bark orders from the back all this time. They were almost expecting the same to happen again, but they were bound to be surprised.
¡°Fuck them up! Hahahaha!¡± Jack happily shouted as he charged¡alone?! What the heck was he doing?! What about their formation?!
¡°Brave, wait for us! We¡¯reing over. Slow down a bit!¡± An elder cried out in worry. But it was as if Jack had suddenly turned deaf as he kept rushing, alone versus three wolves!
One had to know that only the strongest warriors could fight one such creature 1 v 1. Going against three alone was pure suicide! They almost closed their eyes but eventually forced themselves to watch the man¡¯s demise.
The cruel wolves pounced toward the man, and¡
¡ª ng! ¡ª
¡ª ng! ¡ª
¡ª ng! ¡ª
What the hell had just happened?! After a sh with three wolves¡he was fine?! He had managed to push all the creatures back and had survived! No, it was even stranger than that. He almost seemed¡rxed. How?!
A dark ominous but extremely powerful-looking shield had suddenly appeared on his left arm. He was using it to block all the attacks without fail. How OP was he?!
On the side, the little wolf was happily howling as it cheered. They should have been rushing to help, but the NPCs remained rooted in ce, bbergasted. The scene felt way too surreal! This feat had been utterly impossible in their minds.
As he fought, there were odd sounds that resonated. It sounded a bit like cluck-cluck? What could be the meaning of this? He had been right about one thing: he truly was unfathomable to them!
He slew the first wolf, then the second one, and there only remained one¡
Just as they were daydreaming, heughed as he ran their way. ¡°I¡¯ve kept one for you guys. Show me what you all can do!¡± Jack shouted.
In his eyes, he was simply trying to save his potions. After all, his HP was low as fuck at this moment. It had felt good to personally trash the first two, but he would now rely on his minions.
But in their eyes, he was an invincible entity giving them a chance for redemption. He had defeated the first two while they had only watched. How disgraceful! This was their opportunity to make things right.
The wolf had been angrily chasing its prey, blinded by fury, when it suddenly realized that something was wrong. It finally noticed the countless humans surrounding it with long pointed weapons.
Oh crap!
The humans didn¡¯t show an ounce of pity, no matter how much the wolf whimpered. They mercilessly stabbed it in every possible hole, creating so many new ones. The once invincible enemy was now their prey!
A secondter, the poor wolf had so many spears stuck in its body that it looked like a red blood-tainted hedgehog. Instead of a meal, it had only found the way to a prompt death!
That¡¯s when the vigers seemed toe back to their senses suddenly. As they saw the three carcasses, they felt incredible happiness.
The wolves were better to watch out for they wereing! They couldn¡¯t help but nce at Jack, the man who had instilled so much confidence in them.
So what if they faced even more enemies? With him leading them, they would 100% be OK. How did they know? They didn¡¯t, but they believed!
No longer would they fear the predators. It was time for the counterattack!¡
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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 1: Skeletal Chicken Tier (4/6) ???
Creator¡¯s Thought
Leading a group of NPCs is surprisingly very satisfying. It allows one to feel like a big boss without all the effort that goes into paying people to act or slowly grooming them to be loyal. This is why games are fun, it allows for cool experiences.
Chapter 85: Hero Jack! (Not)
Chapter 85: Hero Jack! (Not)
In the Wolf Den Dungeon, the hunters¡¯ shouts of excitement mixed with the wolves¡¯ cries of pain.
A distance in the back, Jack was supervising. This was a fancy word to say he was doing Jack shit: aka motivating the troops.
¡°Keep going! Make sure that no one suffers any injury! Rotate, one after the other! Stay in formation and call out when you¡¯re wounded!¡± He shouted over and over.
He had shown them the basics of group battle while marching and was making sure that they stuck to the n. Luckily, the wolves were no Zhuge Liang and even the inexperienced vigers were able to show decent prowess at the moment.
Then from time to time, he would personally make a move. He would dash lightning-fast and execute a peerless strike that would have the heavens themselves sing its praise.
How could he be lightning fast with 6 AGI? ¡.Well, this was from the vigers¡¯ perspective. As for the heaven singing? Jack had somehow convinced them that the constant clucking was proof of being chosen by the gods¡Yep XD
Every time they heard the ¡°divine¡± chimes, they would cheer and exim in awe, some even praying to a certain Pror, apparently a god of hunting. Jack felt like aplete superstar at this moment, the small wolf basking in the glory too.
As for why he intervened¡it wasn¡¯t to be helpful or even encourage them. Hell no! He could have done all that from the back. He had a much nobler goal¡of course, it was for the XP! Sure, the gains were quite pitiful given their numbers, but it was better than nothing.
As the saying went: a tiny piece of cheese may not be enough for even a bite, but umte enough and you might get a meal out of it! (Or a rat gue, who knows)
That¡¯s how they wandered the in, under the order of the mighty Jack, the divine envoy! They were the perfect soldiers. They valiantly bled all over the ce and didn¡¯t dare wonder why all the meat and pelts were disappearing.
It all made for a vivacious group:
¡°Woo!¡± (Happy)
¡°Kill them all!¡±
¡°Drink their blood!¡±
¡°Stab all their orifices!¡±
¡°Follow the herald to victory!¡±
Then there were tons of pitiful monster wails in the background. It was such a sweet melody!
Ah, this all brought back memories. Back then, he would go on courtesy visits along with the pdins of the church. Everyone would wee them with respect, reverence, and smiles on their faces.
Of course, the travels themselves were always extremely bloody. After all, as a powerful faction, the Church of Light always had plenty of quests rted to it. This included its eradication¡ª all year long.
As Jack watched the vigers, he saw the shadow of his old minions, a very faint shadow. This was perhaps the only one thing he missed from being the Herald of Light. But, he didn¡¯t regret his choice in this new life one bit.
This time he would create his own faction from scratch, making sure that it was as amazing and epic as possible. He would have more freedom and as much fun! But just as he was reminiscing, he suddenly noticed that their group had stopped advancing.
Jack turned around, observing his surroundings. Were there enemies? But even after looking for a while he really didn¡¯t detect anything noteworthy. Why had all the vigers suddenly stopped then?
¡°Woo?¡± (Wondering)
¡°Sir, we can¡¯t go any further than this.¡± One apologetically said while hanging his head low.
¡°Why?¡± This sure was perplexing.
¡°We¡¯re already way too far from home. We really can¡¯t!¡± The same man continued.
¡°Are you 100% sure? Even if I lead the way and promise to bring you guys back afterward?¡± Jack offered.
They seemed to be hesitating, but that¡¯s when the elder who had been drinking back then chimed in:
¡°No, we really can¡¯t! This is the rule of our vige and there is no way that we will go against it! Or would you ask us to renege our traditions?¡± He spat out, almost threateningly.
He was so adamant, and it was clear that he wouldn¡¯t change his mind. The others nodded in agreement.
Jack felt a headacheing. Should he try to convince/force them somehow? It was probably possible, but it would take way too much effort.
No, he gave up on it. Jack showed a kind and understanding smile as he nodded. He looked like a benevolent angel at this moment.
¡°Don¡¯t worry you all. I understand perfectly, and I won¡¯t force any of you.¡± He gently told them. They instantly sighed in relief as they began to smile radiantly.
¡°Alright, wait for me here. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± On that note, Jack quickly disappeared.
¡°Wait, you can¡¯t go alone! It¡¯s way too dangerous!¡± They knew how perilous scouting could be.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. This is the least I can do.¡± He waved them goodbye, his back looking heroic. He wasn¡¯t too worried, for he was used to baiting monsters.
As they waited for his return, they began to discuss:
¡°This sure felt amazing!¡±
¡°Of course, it¡¯s the first time we kill so many!¡±
¡°We need to thank him properly. It¡¯s all thanks to his help.¡±
¡°You¡¯re perfectly right. He is such a kind soul. It¡¯s unbelievable!¡±
They all nodded, happiness and warmth in the air. But just as they were enjoying the moment, they began hearing howls. This was nothing too strange, and they even initially ignored it.
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
But then it kept going., no matter how much they waited. With every subsequent sound, their faces twisted more, and their heartbeat elerated.
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
They shared distressed looks:
¡°What the heck is happening?!¡±
¡°That¡¯s at least eight wolves, right?!¡±
¡°Since when are there packs so big?!¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s eery. We can only hope they leave.¡±
But, they were bound to be highly disappointed. The howls were quickly approaching. It was as if the creatures knew their position. How?! They gripped their weapons hard as they gulped.
¡°This is bad news!¡±
¡°We need to leave now!¡±
¡°But he still isn¡¯t back!¡±
They only wanted to flee, but they remembered Jack¡¯s kind smile. They couldn¡¯t bear to abandon him so quickly. But the situation was bing riskier and riskier by the second. Just as they were beginning to panic, one shouted with enthusiasm.
¡°Wait, I see him! He¡¯s back!¡±
They rejoiced as they saw Jack bolt right toward them. Then he stopped straight in their midst, nonchntly greeting them.
¡°Sup guys!¡±
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡°Envoy, we have to go now!¡±
¡°The wolves areing!¡±
But that¡¯s when he looked at them as if they were still half asleep or had a screw loose.
¡°Of course, they¡¯reing. I went through the trouble to aggro them all! Now, let¡¯s kill them, shall we!¡± He happily summoned his weapon.
As they saw the huge grin on his face and heard the howls, they suddenly froze. Wait, aggro? Did he mean that he had voluntarily brought them here?! So much for a kind man risking his life to scout!
This was going to end badly¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 1: Skeletal Chicken Tier (5/6) ???
Creator¡¯s Thought
Well, it wasn¡¯t a lie that I was a god¡¯s chosen. Or more urately I used to be one, aka the champion of that horribly annoying goddess! As for me tricking them with white lies and bringing danger to them¡.meh whatever. Morality = Shackles, especially in a game.
Chapter 86: Intense Battlefield!
Chapter 86: Intense Battlefield!
How do you call a single wolf? A lone wolf. What about three wolves? A menace! (Or a chick ma if it¡¯s on a shirt with a moon.) As for ten wolves? A fucking catastrophe!
The NPCs of the Wolf Den vige pissed themselves as they saw the deadly creatures approach. The problem was that wolves weren¡¯tpletely useless in terms of coordination. They didn¡¯t fear group warfare at all. No, they even weed it!
As the vigers despaired, Jack was rejoicing. Now that they were here already, the humans would have to band together and fight. After all, wolves were faster than them. The previously rxed exploration had just turned into a nightmare.
¡°No need to fear! Fuck them up and show them our power!¡± Jack shouted over the chattering of the teeth.
¡°Woo!!!!¡± (Warcry!)
Then it all started. The initial sh was enough to send blood flying all over the ce. The vigers cried out as the sharp fangs and long ws dug into their flesh. But even then, they somehow managed to fight back.
It started as feeble swings. Even as they were terrified, their survival instinct kicked in. But then they heard a voice that was so damn infuriating!
¡°What? Is that all you can do? You¡¯ll just let them do as they please next to your vige? It¡¯s just a few wolves, pathetic!¡± Jack ridiculed them, making their stomach constrict in anger.
¡°Forget it. If you guys are too scared to fight, just run away. I¡¯ll take care of it. Even if the vige gets destroyed eventually, you guys will live a few more days.¡± He said with the most disapproving tone ever while clicking his tongue.
Somehow this pissed them off even more. That¡¯s when a few couldn¡¯t take the insults anymore as they violently grabbed their spears, all trace of fear magically gone:
¡°Who¡¯s afraid?! I¡¯m not!¡±
¡°It¡¯s only a few wolves. I¡¯ll skin them!¡±
¡°They won¡¯t destroy our vige if they¡¯re dead!!!¡±
They saw red, and it somehow allowed them to ovee their terror. Was any of it logical? Nope!
They really shouldn¡¯t have been here fighting. The one they should have been angry at was Jack, and only him. But, they redirected it all toward the furry creatures.
They thrust their long and hard spears mercilessly, but even then, their chances of victory were minimal¡ª or so it should have been. Somehow their morale was now so high that the oue wasn¡¯t that certain anymore.
Their momentum even scarred the predators that couldn¡¯t understand what the hell was happening. How were the humans suddenly so courageous?! They would usually flee faster than looters at a BLM protest! It didn¡¯t make any sense at all!
But if one were to observe them more carefully, one would have noticed a red light nesting in their eyes. Anyone having participated in the Chicken Onught would have recognized this state for sure!
The vigers were under the influence of a spell! It was the berserk skill that came with the Cluckinator. It worked simrly to the Chicken Overlord¡¯s one: it affected chickens! Whether it was literal or metaphorical chickens didn¡¯t matter much.
This ability wasn¡¯t usually that helpful, but it was perfect for cowardly NPC vigers! But just as Jack was rejoicing, he suddenly noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
Wait¡.what?!
Amidst the intense fighting, one man wasn¡¯t getting attacked at all. It was the old guy that loved to drink, the one who had been frowning at him a lottely. Hell, he was even slowly leaving the area as sneakily as possible, tip-toeing away.
That¡¯s when Jack finally realized. By enlisting the vigers, he had expedited the entire questline unbelievably. Usually, this whole sequence of events would never have happened.
His actions had created a new storyline branch that diverged from how things usually proceeded. He now understood why this guy had seemed so displeased with him!
Jack rushed toward the man, mercilessly shing at his back without hesitation.
-12
-14
-15
His surprise attack was highly effective as the ¡°man¡± jumped in fright and pain, but he still survived.
That¡¯s when his exposed and bloody back began to change. Fur began growing at an unbelievable pace, his bones creaked loudly, and he fell on four feet. Then a secondter, the man was gone, and there remained only a wolf in his ce.
< Dito the Wolf Shape-shifter Lv 8 ? >
That¡¯s when it rushed away, at a speed that was quite frankly impressive. Fleeing was this Mini-Boss¡¯s specialty, after all.
Jack could only watch it leave with annoyance. He could have chased, but it was truly too fast and his troops were dying behind him. He might have been a bastard at times and even considered evil, but he wouldn¡¯t just let his men die.
He turned around, bellowing:
¡°Motherfucking wolves! Just try an run. It¡¯s goddamn reckoning day!¡±
He began to dance around the battlefield, the cluck-clucking of his weapon filling the air as he stabbed enemy after enemy. He lost himself in the joy of killing, looking as berserk as the vigers.
Then it was all over.
The NPCs came back to their senses with a start. They were all half-dead, but they were still there. Jack had made sure to save the ones about to kick the bucket.
As they nced at the corpses strewn all over the ground, they couldn¡¯t help but shake. Had they really been the ones that did all this?! Hell yes! The blood staining their shaking hands was the proof.
At this moment, their bodies didn¡¯t feel good at all, but their soul did. Pride filled them in light of their aplishments. They gave pained but genuine smiles as they reminisced on the previous battle.
But that¡¯s when one gasped in shock. ¡°AH!¡± The others all stared at him, wondering what was happening. He tried to calm his nerves as he slowly uttered:
¡°T-the elder. He turned into a wolf, then you came, and then he ran!!¡±
¡°What are you talking about? Do you have a concussion?¡±
¡°Guys, elder Rufus is gone!!¡±
Some were panicking from the disappearance and wanted to organize a search team. Some were panicking because they had witnessed part of the transformation. Some were panicking because the others were panicking.
Jack slowly spoke:
¡°Stop, all of you. The ¡°man¡± you all call Rufus is no man but a wolf able to change his appearance. He probably was spying on us all along.¡±
¡ª Gasps of shock! ¡ª
¡°He ran away when I tried to stop him. This means that we must catch him urgently. Otherwise, we¡¯ll be in deep shit.¡± Jack solemnly said.
¡°T-trouble? What kind of trouble?!¡± A viger asked while shaking from head to toe.
¡°Most probably a wolf tide that will wipe all life in this realm.¡± Jack dropped what felt like a bomb.
They froze with fear, about to go insane. How the fuck were they supposed to deal with that?! Were they all going to die?! Would their vige disappear?! What would happen to them?!
But that¡¯s when Jack spoke once again, his voice ever-so calm. To their despairing hearts, he was the sturdiest and most reassuring stone.
¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a n.¡±
He did?! They couldn¡¯t wait to hear it¡
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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 1: Skeletal Chicken Tier (6/6) ???
Creator¡¯s Thought
I detected the signs but missed theplete truth. I remembered the Mini-Boss as a wolf so I was never looking for a man in the first ce. I just believed the guy to be a grumpy old man. Even a regressor can be surprised at times. Dwelling on the past is useless, now was the time for a new n!
Chapter 87: [Error! Error!]
Chapter 87: [Error! Error!]
¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a n.¡± Jack¡¯s voiceforted the panicked vigers as they stared at him in expectation. ¡°He has one weakness that we can exploit.¡± He chuckled lowly.
He did?! No matter how much they thought about it, they had no clue what it could be. Wolves were already powerful, but this one would also be extremely cunning, right?!
¡°Say, do you guys know what the wolves love eating the most around here?¡± Jack asked as if quizzing them. , not that he actually knew the answer.
¡°A-away from the vige, there are areas with Wolf Berries. We don¡¯t go there because it¡¯s monster-infested!¡± one answered.
¡°There you have it: we¡¯ll use some to bait him. That¡¯s the only way.¡± Jack confidently answered.
But they instantly frowned. There was an issue with that for sure: ¡°Won¡¯t that attract all the wolves? Also, will he really fall for such an obvious trick?¡± They couldn¡¯t help but doubt such a simple-sounding n.
Jack chuckled as he slowly walked toward the area the two of them had fought. Bending over, he carefully picked up the wine that the man had dropped as he had fled.
¡°We¡¯ll make it very, very attractive for him.¡± He chuckled, winking at them.
That¡¯s when they gasped in realization. As far as they remembered, the old man had always been carrying this with him. Perhaps he was already having withdrawal symptoms at the moment! Could this really work? There was no certitude, but maybe?
Then again, there was always n B: to use the old-fashioned way and spend a shitload of time hunting and cornering the creature.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s grab some of those berries. Who¡¯s with me?!¡± Jack shouted enthusiastically.
¡°Woo!¡± (Heroic!)
¡°¡.¡±
¡°¡.¡±
¡°¡.¡±
Besides his loyalpanion, all the others shivered in ufortable silence.
¡°S-sir, our vige¡¯s rules state that¡.¡±
¡°Do your vige¡¯s rules allow wolf spies in your midst? Do your vige¡¯s rules allow a wolf to be an elder? Do your vige¡¯s rules say you should cower in fear while the wolves are most definitely nning a counterattack?! Tell me!¡±
The more he spoke and the most shocked yet ashamed they felt. Following the rules had left thempletely blindsided. At that moment, he had already nted the seed of doubt in their hearts.
¡°Wolves are the true overlords of this realm. You guys are nothing but prey to them! Will you ept that? Do you really desire to be livestock?! Tell me!¡±
His words resonated with them as they began to clench their fist. Was that the life they wanted? No fucking way! But even then, they had to respect traditions. This was their way of life¡
¡°How did it feel to ughter the mighty wolves? How did it feel to stand up for humanity?! Fucking tell me! Now, who¡¯sing with me to murder them all?!¡±
Jack decisively took a step forward toward the area in which he knew for a fact the NPC shouldn¡¯t be able to follow him¡ in theory. He could see their conflicted expressions as they were still hesitating.
¡°Woo!¡± (Excited!)
The little fellow happily followed. But a secondter, it turned toward the vigers behind, giving them a disdainful nce. What the hell were they so unsure about?!
¡°Woo!¡± (Sneering)
But then it stopped caring about them. They could stay there for all it cared. As long as it worked with its master, they would figure something out anyway, as they always did.
¡°Screw this, I¡¯m going along!¡± a youngster suddenly shouted.
¡°You can¡¯t. This isn¡¯t how we do things!¡± A middle-aged guy protested.
¡°Maybe it¡¯s not how YOU do things. I¡¯m following even if I¡¯m the only one! Shit, that tiny wolf has more balls than you!¡±
Afterward, it just became a cacophony of vigers shouting over one another. Some wanted to participate in the raid, others were adamant not to go, and some were decisively neutral.
It was a shitshow. But even as it happened, Jack kept walking forward. If he stopped, they would deliberate for ages, and he didn¡¯t want to spend the whole fucking day hearing vigers bickering.
But suddenly, it all came to a halt because of one man, the elder who had weed him initially. He beganughing?! It was a madugh, one of relief from a man that had finally gotten rid of a dilemma that had been tormenting him.
He didn¡¯t say a word. He simply began walking, stepping into the forbidden area.
That single tiny step was both extraordinarily insignificant and yet a game-shattering phenomenon¡ª with none the wiser. The NPC¡¯s body seemed to glitch for an infinitesimally short fraction of a second.
For the first time in Infinite, an NPC actively went against its core program. Not through being forced either, but of its own free will. Or perhaps should it be considered a bug at this point?
Witnessing this single step, the other NPCs showed astonishment, relief and finally copied the old man. All of them to thest followed, even the ones that were grumbling about it!
Jack didn¡¯t even bother to turn and just kept walking confidently. But hidden from them was an incredibly huge and sly grin blossoming on his face.
Fucking got them! Death squad acquired, hell yeah!
But just as he was inwardly celebrating:
[NPC Behavioral Issues Detected!]
[Error! Error! Analysis Required!]
[Diagnostic: 32 Errors Found!]
[Determining Root Cause!]
[Jack¡¯O! ID: 66642069]
[Patching Errors!]
¡°Oh no, you fucking don¡¯t, you bitch-ass system! I convinced them fair and square! They¡¯re mine!¡± Jack cursed.
The NPC behind him could only gasp in dismay. What the hell was up with their new leader?! He had suddenly begun shouting at empty air.
¡°W-what is he doing?¡±
¡°Something about convincing?¡±
¡°What if he¡¯s talking to gods?!¡±
But he was way too incensed to care about their reaction. If the system decided to just factory reset them, it would be such a fucking pain! He had to plead his case before it could happen!
¡°Their nonsensical traditions bound them, but now they¡¯re free! Freaking let it go! There¡¯s no need to do anything to them! We¡¯re good here!¡± Jack vehemently screamed at the air.
That¡¯s when a viger sucked in a cold breath as he solemnly uttered:
¡°Breaking traditions brings forth divine punishment, right? Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s fighting a god for our sake?!¡±
It was obviously a bullshit theory, but they were swayed by it as they began looking at Jack in incredible awe and with gratefulness.
That¡¯s when the system went silent, with no more messages appearing. Jack froze, awaiting anxiously. Was it all over? Did he still have his OP army? Every passing second was as weighty as a pack of unicorns.
But then it suddenly came back:
[Fixed 31 Errors! One Remaining!]
[Source: yer Jack¡¯O!]
[Stand By, Terminating!]
¡°Oy!? What the fuck?! Terminating?! What the fuck is wrong with you?! Oy, what are you terminating?! The yer or the Error? Freaking answer me!!!¡± Jack shouted.
What kind of BS was this?! All he had done was convince a few NPCs! Did that deserve such an extreme punishment? No fucking way?!
Would the Infinite he knew make such a dumb and unfair judgment? No¡but what about Infinite atunch. What if this was a one in a billion bug? What would happen to his ount?!
[Sessfully Terminated Error!]
[Thank You For Your Patience!]
[^_^V]
That was it? What had it even done?! But just as he was wondering, a new window popped up. As he saw it, he couldn¡¯t help butugh like a madman. Hell fucking yes!
[Acquired Leadership Stat!]
Holy shit¡
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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 2: Spooky Scary Skeleton Tier (1/4) ???
Creator¡¯s Thought
The system in this life seemed to be way moremunicative than the one in my memories. Why had it even told me about the whole diagnostic process? Also, it definitely needed to work on its wording!
Chapter 88: Bulldozing Through!
Chapter 88: Bulldozing Through!
In the Wolf Den, a man was maniacallyughing as he stared at empty air.
But at this moment, Jack didn¡¯t care one bit for how he looked. This was because of the announcements the system had just sent his way.
[Inspired courage into NPCs, making them confront their fears!]
[Men under you trust you enough to go against their beliefs!]
[Incredible Feat Aplished!]
[Acquired Leadership Stat!]
This was enough to fill his heart with joy. He was happier than a man sniffin¡¯ snow at Christmas. He felt so damn energetic, as if he could take on the world!
What did the Leadership stat even do? Nothing! It was more of a badge of prestige than anything else. It was akin to a graduation certificate: intrinsically useless yet opening a few doors.
It boosted one¡¯s followers, but only so very slightly that it was unnoticeable at his level. However, it allowed leading an army. Without that stat, such a feat was impossible.
Jack happily turned toward the vigers behind him only to freeze. What the heck was wrong with them? He had expected to have to exin why he had been shouting at the air. He knew very well how weird his actions must have seemed.
But all he could see in their eyes was boundless adoration and even reverence. Did they misunderstand something? Nice!
¡°Go forth! Let¡¯s teach these wolves a lesson!¡± Jack didn¡¯t even bother exining.
What happened next was an affront to game bnce. It was possible to bring NPCs in the previous area, just very very hard. In this one, it was considered 100% impossible¡.or had been.
This meant that the difficulty was adjusted for a party of 5 normal yers. Now there were 30 vigers¡and Jack. Thanks to his equipment, he alone was worth a few yers, just considering the raw stats. Now, if one factored the skills¡
They encountered a few wolf groups of 4-7 individuals as they progressed. Compared to the ten they had just defeated, this was a fucking joke!
Every fight went a bit like this:
Random wolves: ¡°Oh, the humans approaching us? What fools! They will soon be nothing but food in our bellies.¡±
Jack¡¯O¡¯s army: ¡°We can¡¯t beat the shit out of you withouting closer.¡±
Then there would be a sh of hungry overconfident wolves against a few way-too-fucking-enthusiastic vigers. Naturally, the wolves would soon try to run away, yelping in pain, their tails between their legs.
But would the NPCs allow such a thing? Hell no! This fervor came from two things:
1. The pent-up anger from being considered the weaker party for so long.
2. The promise of food. To the ones that worked well, Jack gave sausages. He was taking the food out of thin air like some godlike magician.
After every fight, they would munch happily:
¡°This is so good! What kind of meat is this?!¡±
¡°With every bite, my body bes filled with incredible power!¡±
¡°This has to be food that the gods themselves provided to their champion!¡±
They sure were moring happily. As for being divine and whatnot¡ª they had to be high on something! Either way, it was funny how they saw this as an incredible reward.
In fact, he was feeding them to give them the well-fed buff. This way, their HP regenerated between fights. This allowed them to keep hunting with zero downtime.
A few times, they even encountered their target, the Shape-shifting Wolf. But it would always manage to flee faster than the wind every damn time.
A typical party would have kept painstakingly hunting the Mini-Boss while avoiding the wandering wolves. Not them, far from it. Hell, this method was way too slow for Jack. They just bulldozed through all the enemy groups!
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡°There are more sausages this way!¡±
¡°Eh, you meant wolves, right? Sausages can¡¯t howl¡.¡±
¡°Who cares? We¡¯ll get sausages after killing them! It¡¯s all the same!¡±
Their earlier noble motivations were nowhere to be seen. In a short timepse, Jack had managed to turn the self-sacrificing heroic vigers into foodies. They were now nothing but ves to their stomachs.
Moon Moon was nodding on the side. Finally, the silly humans had seen the truth of the world. Who cared about traditions, rules, and whatnot. All that matted was meat! Or as its master would say: #All Meat Matters!
Then as they headed deeper, they began to encounter small clusters of bushes. Each contained small purple berries that the wolves were diligently protecting. Only an idiot would attempt to steal their food!¡ª or mad vigers led by a Demon King.
They woulde out of nowhere, akin to a human tornado, and would promptly defeat the wolves. Then they would plunder all the berries! The cycle of ughter and piging kept going.
For regr yers, there would have been two possible reactions to the Wolf Berry bushes:
1. Carefully scout until they found one guarded by fewer wolves. Then they would be able to steal its content.
2. Run away as fast as possible, panicked and in tears. Why? Because it was a goddamn bush! #Bush PTSD Is Real!
That¡¯s how, soon enough, Jack¡¯s army had cleared all the nearby area of both wolves and berries. The ecosystem being trampled so savagely made for such a sorrowful sight¡ª not that they gave a fuck.
They ended up having plenty of wine and enough berries to fill a few small bags. Jack couldn¡¯t help but sigh in satisfaction seeing the fruits of their efforts. (Literally)
Then under the awe-struck gazes of his troops, Jack worked his magic. He adopted the pose of the legendary PPAP guy.
I have a Wolf Berry, I have a Wine
Uh! Wolf Berry Wine!
Jack simply mashed a few berries into a purple mush before inserting it inside the wine bottle. It was such an easy task, and yet the NPCs began pping while some murmured.
¡°What just happened?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it had to be a magical process!¡±
¡°Yes, did you guys see the little dance he did? This has to be some secret technique!¡±
Jack smiled in satisfaction seeing their reaction. Should he call himself the WWB guy from now on? Looking at all the wildlife destruction¡probably not. Then again, who cared.
Now that they had the Wolf Berry Wine, it was now time to set up the perfect trap!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 2: Spooky Scary Skeleton Tier (2/4) ???
Creator¡¯s Thought
I love how that solo dungeon run suddenly turned into a 31 men + wolf run. It felt like taking the difficulty slider and bringing it from Hellish to Beginner. Outwitting the game itself andpletely breaking its bnce feels so fucking great! It¡¯s even addictive!
Chapter 89: The Perfect Trap! (Wolf POV)
Chapter 89: The Perfect Trap! (Wolf POV)
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Dito, the shape-shifting wolf, ran in fear while being chased by an incredibly perverse enemy.
Something crazy had happened in the vige.
Before, there had only been demotivated and scared vigers fearing to leave their homes. They considered themselves valiant, yet they remained cooped in what they considered safe.
Little did they realize that the only reason they were even left alive was that he loved the wine that they produced. It had all started long ago from an ident, one that had left him addicted to the taste.
Everything was perfect, and it should have stayed this way. But then HE came along! HE was a hateful human who called himself a wolf hunter yet owned a tiny wolf pet!
The little creature was happily serving the man, seemingly not realizing that he was killing its brethren. How ridiculous!
Somehow, this man had managed to win over the vigers. He wasn¡¯t even sure how he had done it either. He had just been so convincing as he had disyed his power! Dito already knew that something bad was happening back then, but he hadn¡¯t known how to stop it.
Then their group had gone out to hunt wolves. That¡¯s when he witnessed the man¡¯s strength for himself. He could fight three wolves alone. How was that possible?! Even he wasn¡¯t confident in doing it!
Then they kept going, all until they reached the limit to the vige¡¯s territory. He protested and managed to convince the others not to follow the man, but it came at a cost: the man began staring at him in suspicion.
As a wolf, he wasn¡¯t actually that good at analyzing the humans¡¯ facial expressions, but he was 99% sure that the man became wary of him.
As the man¡¯s piercing eyes rested on him, he almost had a heart attack. He had to calm his nerves forcefully not to revert to his usual appearance. Transforming into a wolf meant instant death for sure!
Afterward, the scary man left toward the wolf territory, giving him a small respite. As he saw his back bing smaller and smaller, he felt so much relief. He naively thought this would be the end of this encounter.
But then the madman came back, chased by ten brethren.
That¡¯s when began a sh between the two groups, one that made obvious how abnormal the man was. He was so goddamn terrifying! It was just a question of time before he figured out his true nature. Then it would be toote.
He didn¡¯t want to risk being in his presence anymore, so he resolutely chose to leave as people fought. He was supposed to leave sneakily, but then the crazy man noticed him and even attacked him!
Every hit felt like he would perish, the attacks so painful and mighty!
The pain was so intense that hepletely lost control of his transformation. He knew it was all over and that he¡¯d die! The god-like man would ughter him!
Even as he knew this was pointless, he ran, ran, and ran some more. All until he finally realized something wonderful: the man was so damn slow! At that moment, he decided to run every time he saw the man, which he did.
That¡¯s how he had survived until that very moment¡
He was now roaming in their territory, deploring the horrifying scene. All the wolves were gone. Blood stained the ground, there were traces of the army¡¯s passage, and the air was as still as oppressive.
He could only shudder in fright. This human really was bad news. He doubted that even she would be able to fight him, her that he had always considered invincible. He lightly and unconsciously tapped his paw against his ne while thinking of her.
¡ª Sigh ¡ª
The whole world was going crazy.
Humans were defeating wolves. Who would have seen such an insane realitying?! Not him¡ª nor anyone.
But just as he was pondering, he suddenly sensed something. Amidst the destion and the iron smell, there floated a faint scent. What was it?!
He couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it was, but it felt like¡happiness? How was this possible? He couldn¡¯t understand it, but he unconsciously began walking toward it.
This scent was so damn alluring that he didn¡¯t even cry upon seeing the bare and destroyed Wolf Berry bushes. It was as if this scent was what he had been searching for all his life. It was truly too hard to exin.
Then he finally found it.
Next to a cluster of bushes, a bottle was lying on the ground, looking lonely. This sure was familiar and yet strange. This was¡wine?!
He couldn¡¯t help but jump in surprise. Had it always smelled so heavenly? No, right? Or perhaps he was just missing it too much?
He carefully observed his surroundings. With every wag of his tail, he would check another time. After a few minutes, he finally rxed: it was safe.
He slowly pieced what had happened here. There had been a fight with the bottle being dropped in the confusion. Then the humans had pursued some wolves and forgotten about the item. How lucky!
He happily approached it, grabbing it in his mouth¡only for it to slip back down. Right, this was why he had adopted a human appearance in the first ce.
All around him, there were bushes. If he remained low enough, no one would see him transform, right?
He had to be very careful because it took longer to go from wolf to human than the opposite. After all, reverting to one¡¯s true form was always the easiest.
Lulled by the safety and the sweet aroma of the wine, he initiated the transformation process.
His fur started rescinding, his bones changing, his skin itching, and his ws disappearing. He was used to it by now. But suddenly, there came a rustling sound, one that sent tremors in his heart.
What was that?! The bushes were shaking! Why?!
But the cause soon revealed itself as vigers began popping out of the bushes. They had been hiding all along! As he saw them, he was instantly filled with dread.
Oh god! Oh fuck! No! Nononononono!
That¡¯s when HE also popped out. HIM of all people! The man jumped out of the bush with a sadistic and victorious grin. Then he gave a fake pained expression.
¡°Hey, it almost seems as if you¡¯ve been avoiding metely. My feelings will get hurt at this rate!¡± He shook his head.
He was avoiding him! He wanted to live! That¡¯s why he was running! Feelings, what feelings?! He was the one who wanted to cry. Why was life so cruel!
.
.
.
The Shape-Shifting Wolf began to sob as it despaired.
It would have almost looked cute if it wasn¡¯t currently in half-wolf, half-human aberration form. It wanted nothing more than to run, but it couldn¡¯t, not in this shape.
All that it saw was the visage of the demon. This guy waspletely and utterly evil.
The Mini-Boss knew it was doomed. As it was about to perish, it extended its paw-hand toward the entrancing alcohol. It wanted to at least take a sip before it left this world. It needed to¡ª
¡°Game Over!¡± A warm voice resounded, one that didn¡¯t fit the cruelness of the actmitted.
¡ª SLASH!!!¡ª
The white feather-looking de sunk into the creature, snuffing itsst breath out. Blood droplets flew in the air,nding on a devilish smiling face.
The corpse looked so anguished. It was bound never to reach that bottle it had so very much desired.
As for Jack, he was already standing atop the bloodied victim, checking for loot¡
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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 2: Spooky Scary Skeleton Tier (3/4) ???
Creator¡¯s Thought
Sometimes I wonder about monsters. Are they feeling simted emotions or nothing but empty husks expertly mimicking living creatures? I spent so much time in Infinite and even I can¡¯t tell for sure. But Infinite has a way to suck you in and feel so damn real at times¡
Chapter 90: Stonehenge
Chapter 90: Stonehenge
On the floorid a wolf-human chimera-looking corpse.
¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s the loot¡± Jack gleefully approached it. Drum roll! Killing this guy had given¡..Jackpot!
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Umon Drunk Wolf Armguards
Rank F
Level 5
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[Armor Rating] 1
[Armor Type] Leather
[Durability] Good
[Attribute] +2 AGI
[Trait] + Alcohol Resist
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It sure was fitting the drunken, cowardly wolf character¡
What was he even supposed to do with alcohol tolerance in the beginner vige? There wasn¡¯t even a tavern! Then again, Steven probably sold some as a general merchant.
At least the Agility value was pretty damn awesome. It was an increase of 33% to his current value!¡ª not like that would change much, but it felt nice to say aloud.
¡°Oh well, it¡¯s pretty good stuff.¡± Jack smiled.
¡°Woo!¡± (d!)
As he wore his new equipment, the NPCs cheered¡ª all except the elders. They were the ones who had known the deceased for the longest.
This sure felt strange to them. A man who had been their friend earlier today was now a corpse at their feet. A part of them wished he could have kept hiding his identity. Then things could have stayed as they used to be.
Meanwhile, the murderer was happily looting the wine bottle that had caused the Mini-Boss¡¯s demise. How nice, it was still intact! He¡¯d be able to reuse it for the next run! Just like that, the creature¡¯s fate had been sealed already.
People losing their friend? Thest struggles of a misunderstood wolf? Jack didn¡¯t care for any of it. For him, the tragedy had only meant progress in his quest.
As for the actual corpse, a ne hung around its neck. It was a wolf¡¯s fang but clearly not its for it was toorge. It wasn¡¯t an item that a yer could wear either.
As Jack picked it up, it began glowing very softly in a silvery light before abruptly stopping. What?! Apparently, he seemed to be the only one to have noticed.
He began ying with it, slowly figuring out the item¡¯s secret. When it was pointing in a specific direction, it would glow softly. This was a magicalpass!
¡°Well, let¡¯s finish this once and for all!¡± Jack encouraged his group.
¡°Woo!¡± (Intimidating!)
Thus their journey began. But since they had a heading and an army it turned out to be a pretty straightforward one:
Vigers: Far From Home ¡ª> A tale of wolf ughter.
They were an unstoppable force with a fearless leader and a cute mascot. Soon they reached their destination and found manyrge stones ced in a stylized circle. Jack couldn¡¯t help but mumble:
¡°What is this, Stonehenge?¡±
¡°Woo?¡± (Wondering)
¡°Envoy, have you seen something like that before?!¡±
¡°What kind of wonder is it?¡±
¡°Is it dangerous?¡±
There was no way that he would exin it to them. In his hand, the fang was glowing more than ever as it began to tremble. It was as if it hade alive and was trying to escape his grasp.
He slowly approached it until he finally reached arge monolith in the middle. It was filled with many scratch marks that formed ??¡.home. This was the wolf¡¯sir, right?
Right below that, there was a wolf¡¯s paw imprint.
Jack pressed the fang to the stone. That¡¯s when the monolith began to glow silvery. But other than the cool special effect, there wasn¡¯t anything else happening.
¡°Woo!¡± (Fascinated.)
¡°I think we need a wolf to activate this. Good thing we have one right here, right?¡± Jack muttered.
¡°Woo!¡± (Excited!)
Moon Moon jumped in happiness. They needed a wolf?! It was a wolf! It would now be its time to shine! It followed its master¡¯s directives as it ovepped its paw with the one in the rock.
The whole thing suddenly began to buzz as it began glowing even brighter.
¡ª BUZZ! ¡ª
Everyone around prepared themselves for what would happen while clenching their grasp on their weapons.
¡ª BUZZ! ¡ª
¡ª BUZZ! ¡ª
¡ª BUZZ! ¡ª
¡°¡..¡±
¡°¡..¡±
¡°-_-¡°
But no matter how long they waited, there was nothing else happening. That¡¯s when jack noticed that the paw imprint seemed to be glowing, but not entirely. He could only sigh.
¡°It seems that we need a bigger wolf.¡±
Moon Moon cried softly, disappointed. This was its first encounter with ageism ever¡ª the world was unfair and it would get used to it.
Jack pointed at a few minions, ordering them:
¡°Spread out and bring me back a wolf ASAP!¡±
Watching them leave to do his bidding sure felt great. A few minutester, they were alreadying back, running while being chased by a small group of 4 wolves.
Needless to say, it was a one-sided fight. One that ended with a wolf forcefully tied to the monolith. It couldn¡¯t understand what the heck was happening. What were the humans nning?! This wasn¡¯t natural!
Jack ignored the sad cries of the confused wolf as he turned to his subordinates:
¡°Are you guys ready? Once I approach the fang, we will gain ess to their of the wolf Boss. After we defeat that guy, they won¡¯t ever threaten any of us!¡±
As they heard this, they showed incredible resolve. They were going to carve a future for themselves, their descendants, and all that bullshit.
¡°YES!¡±
¡°We¡¯ll fight with everything we got!¡±
¡°We¡¯ll follow you till the end of the world!¡±
Till the end of the world? So¡ pretty much thisst dungeon fight. But this was all that he needed. Jack finally approached the fang.
That¡¯s when the light reached an incredible brightness, with the monolith starting to tremble. But it wasn¡¯t over. All the surrounding rocks began to resonate with it, humming akin to a heavenly melody.
¡°Woo!¡± (Wow!)
¡°Hehe, true. It is pretty damn cool.¡±
All the rocks freaking began to glow, all until their entire vision was only silvery light. It was as if they had left the material ne and reached a new magical world.
[Entering Wolf Inner Sanctum!]
[Are you ready?]
¡°Hehe, I was born ready!¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Brave!)
Then the light finally disappeared, and the Boss appeared in all its glory. It looked so freaking damn imposing! But even then, Jack onlyughed. This would be done in a jiffy.
¡°Guys, let¡¯s fuck this ugly wolf up!¡± He bellowed. But as Jack turned back, he suddenly choked.
¡°Guys?!¡±
They were all gone¡
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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 2: Spooky Scary Skeleton Tier (4/4) ???
Reminder that PRIV is optional but really appreciated. Two more days of Priv-Hell ??
Creator¡¯s Thought
None of the vigers had teleported with me. There stopped my bulldozing legacy. Truly a shame considering how easy their presence would have made this challenge. Guess I celebrated way too early. Oh well, shit happens¡
Chapter 91: Bitch With Tasty Tits
Chapter 91: Bitch With Tasty Tits
Jack and Moon Moon found themselves utterly isted in the new instance. The NPCs? All freaking gone! #Where Army?!
¡°Woo?!¡± (Annoyed!)
The little wolf snorted as it noticed that they were all missing. The cowards hadn¡¯t followed them?! Talk about disgraceful! It didn¡¯t realize that they never had a choice.
¡°Oh god, we¡¯ll have to deal with this thing alone,¡± Jack uttered as he stared forward.
They were currently in a small white colosseum with sandy ground. The walls were tall and slippery; there was no escaping that way. They were stuck in this ce.
On the opposite side was the exit. The problem was that it waspletely inessible as a massive creature was stuck right in it. It was an incredibly huge bronze-skinned wolf. The way forward was entirely blocked by its fat ass!
< Life-Giver Wolf Matriarch Lv 20 ?>
Another level 20 Boss. How many yers would freak out upon seeing this? Probably all of them except Jack. He cautiously observed the creature, realizing that its current posture didn¡¯t allow it to exert any strength at all.
It was obviously a female wolf, evident not just by the name but also by the four pairs of teats just hanging there. It stared at them before loudly howling.
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
When human bitches were stuck, they called for their step-brother for help.
( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã) What would show up this time?
As its cry echoed in the stadium, tons of higher-pitched howls answered back.
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª ¡. ¡ª
There were reinforcements on their way! That¡¯s when eight small wolves appeared out of thin air. Wait¡their spawn point was the wolf¡¯s tits, really?! Talk about odd!
< Young Fighter Wolf Lv 6>
But it seemed like they weren¡¯t done either. They all opened their mouths and began to suckle on the source of life before them. The younglings were happilypping the creamy white liquid.
As they drank more and more of it, they began to glow a silver light that quickly engulfed their entire furry bodies. That¡¯s when they started growing at a visible rate. What kind of OP breastfeeding ability was this?!
By the side, Moon Moon seemed both jealous and very hungry as it saw this happen.
¡°Tch¡ª let¡¯s fuck them up before she creates a goddamn army!¡± Jack shouted as he charged forward.
¡ª Woosh! ¡ª
He elerated, ready to use the momentum of his charge to increase his power a notch further. But just as he was getting closer, the giant wolf shook its body. It somehow made a silver boundary appear around the ce. He collided with it, his path stopped.
¡ª Bam! ¡ª
Would Jack let himself be defeated by one annoying magical barrier? The answer was obvious! He began hacking at it madly!
¡ª ng! ¡ª
¡ª ng! ¡ª
¡ª ng! ¡ª
But after a few tries, he had to admit that ¡yes, a barrier would fucking make him give up. It seemed like this scene was the boss intro and couldn¡¯t be interrupted. He could only stare at them while tapping his foot.
¡°Look, I don¡¯t really mind public breastfeeding, but can we fight or something.¡± He grumbled.
Was this the moment when the yers were supposed to be overwhelmed by their new surroundings?
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
The silvery barrier fell with onest howl as the wolves charged toward Jack. This would be such a pain! They were smaller than regr ones, but this fight remained a 2 v 8.
They quickly tried to surround them. Jack calmly turned to Moon Moon to share their battle n:
¡°Just run and dops! Try and make them collide with one another. That¡¯s the only path to survival! You y with two, and I¡¯ll handle the rest!¡± Jack screamed as he bolted toward the edge of the arena.
¡°Woo!¡± (You can count on me!)
¡°Woo!¡± (Bring it on, you puny wolves!)
His six enemies quickly ran after him: the little fuckers were so damn fast!
It wasn¡¯t just their movement speed but also their attack rate. It would have made it easier for regr yers because taking a few hits head-on was less punishing.
But for Jack, this was a pain. He was trying to perfectly block every hit to reduce the damage to a minimum. Now he had to block from fucking all sides at once. It was insane!
The monsters stuck to his heels as they kept trying to bite him. He felt like a hot chick with a phat ass at the local gym, chased from all sides!
¡°Leave me alone and go back to your mommy!¡± He shouted as he began to hack at them.
-12
-10
-11
¡°How does that feel, you bastards! Want more?!¡±
But as soon as he was done having fun, they counter-attacked, hard:
-0
-1
-0
-0
-1
-2
Every time he¡¯d let a hit through, he felt his stomach twist in annoyance. This would have been so goddamn easy with his NPC army!
F for the viger minions!
He kept attacking as he retreated in an exquisite battle dance. Right now, he was trying to figure out many things at once:
1. The little wolves¡¯ HP
2. Theirbat style
3. What was up with the stuck boss. What would it do?
He focused on the wounded one, going once more on the assault. He was ready for a few more rounds of¡
-10
¡ª Dead! ¡ª
¡.Never mind.
It seemed like the little critters had about 35-40 HP. This was manageable easily¡ª if that was the only danger.
He began to hack at them relentlessly. The more he killed, and the more manageable the others became. The cluck-clucking of his de mixed to the wails of pain.
As his de severed thest of the six wolves, Jack rejoiced.
¡°There we go! Now, time to deal with the boss! Let¡¯s¡ª¡±
But he suddenly went silent as eight new wolves spawned, already sucking on their mother¡¯s tits. This had happened exactly 30 seconds after their initial spawn.
As if he¡¯d let theme back as reinforcement! He charged straight at the bitch, shing at her and the suckling wolves at the same time.
His Cluckinator drew a powerful arc in the air,nding on the little one¡¯s head.
¡ª ng! ¡ª
¡But the goddamn silvery light protected it. What kind of BS was this?! Then a secondter, they all opened their eyes as they turned toward him.
There were now eight new wolves, plus the two Moon Moon was still bringing around while barely hanging on.
This was now a fucking 1 v 8 ¡.
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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 3: Pumpkin Skeletal Chicken Tier (1/4) ?????
Creator¡¯s Thought
This is a recurrent boss fight style. At first nce, there is one big boss to defeat, but really thebat isn¡¯t about them directly. In this case, it¡¯s all about being able to manage to deal with multiple enemies spawning infinitely.
Chapter 92: Slaughtering Babies
Chapter 92: ughtering Babies
A man ran all over the arena, chased by eight wolves.
Jack was trying his fucking best to minimize the damage as he ran. Then just as he passed by the boss, he shed at it. As long as he destroyed its nipples, there would be fewer wolves spawning, right?!
He exerted all his power into his attack, and¡
-1
Right¡..-_-
He had already expected the armor of a level 20 monster to be high, but this was another level entirely! This meant that he would have to rely on quantity to overwhelm her defenses.
As long as he did enough 1 dmg hits, it would be possible to deal with it.
But for now, he had to get rid of his pursuers. At that moment, he resolved himself to go for mutually assured destruction. If he didn¡¯t act fast, eight more wolves would spawn, and he would get overwhelmed.
This was the moment of truth.
He jumped into their midst, taking extreme damage. After dealing a few blows, he escaped the wolf pack with 4 HP out of 32. Without waiting, he began chugging a potion.
But was drinking a potion midbat with no cover easy? Hell fucking no! By doing so, he had to lower his Cluckinator and couldn¡¯t parry anymore. Thus, he had to take a potion to regenerate the damage he had taken while drinking a potion¡
A singlebo had cost him 2 of his potions. Jack couldn¡¯t help but frown as he looked at the 11 he still had remaining. At this rate, he¡¯d run out of healing items, then HP. This was he bad!
But he had to get rid of the current enemies ASAP. That¡¯s why he made the necessary sacrifice now. It took him a total of 20 seconds and six potions (7 lefts) to clear the enemies.
This left him with 10 seconds before the respawn happened. He was almost tempted to help Moon Moon, but he focused on the boss.
Then began the most ridiculous fight of all time.
Jack used his shield and sword to beat on the nipples of the unmoving stuck wolf matriarch. He showed the focus of a professional boxer as he applied all his power.
Whoever had thought of such a Boss fight was 100% a troll!
-1
-1
-1
-1
Crap, how tanky was that thing?!
-1
-1
-1
He¡¯d soon be surrounded by enemies again. Did he absolutely need a party toplete this?
-1
-1
But just as he was about to give up, the red mammary in front of him suddenly burst. It exploded violently, sending a cloud of milk all over the ce. Heck, Jack even drank a bit!
+5 HP
+5 HP
+5 HP
Holy fucking milk! What kind of fantastic regen did this bring?!
Jack happily reveled in the rejuvenating sensation. He was getting covered in all the white stuff while smiling gleefully (100% because of the healing). But it sure made a very peculiar picture.
As for the boss, it howled in pain. What the hell was this human doing to it?! How cruel!
¡ª Wail!! ¡ª
But mid-wail, the summoning ability activated once again. But this time, only seven wolves spawned: this was manageable!
1 v 7 ? Fucking bring it on! This time, Jack wasn¡¯t the least bit worried. Knowing that he could get healed afterward was a game-changer. He would be able to go ham!
That¡¯s how he began a killing spree. The poor wolves were getting murdered one after the other. Of course, Jack had to pay the price, all until he only had two potions left.
But it didn¡¯t matter because the boss was down to two tits, and he had also killed the wolves bothering hispanion.
Jack even felt confident enough to taunt the boss.
¡°What¡¯s the point of calling two wolves for help? I can deal with such a number in my sleep!¡± (Factually urate)
Of course, the boss didn¡¯t care about it. It kept doing its own thing. Two new wolves suddenly appeared, but there was something wrong with the situation.
Before, small wolves were spawning, but not anymore!
In front of him, there were two gigantic wolves. They appeared incredibly tough, with huge fangs and ws. Hell, they were half the size of their mother!
Jack and Moon Moon could only stare in shock as the gigantic creatures began sucking on the tits before them. What the fuck?! These two wolves were adults for sure! Was having such questionable content even legal?!
What happened next was even more trauma-inducing. As the two kept sucking, blood came out of the boss instead of the usual milk. Were they stealing its life essence?! Then the boss stopped moving entirely as the neers shook their bodies.
< Romulus the Mighty Lv 8 ?>
< Remus the Forgotten Lv 8 ?>
Seeing their names jogged Jack¡¯s memory. He had heard of these two bosses from old tales on the. Romulus and Remus were known back then as the two unbnced OP wolves.
He had always believed the story to be a myth since he had never personally fought them. Apparently, it was all true!
Master and pet loudly gulped as they witnessed the two powerhouses. How the fuck were they supposed to fight that?
But a secondter, both looked at each other and beganughing. No words were necessary as they felt the same way. There was no way they wereing out of this alive! But so fucking what?!
Jack chuckled as he winked at his partner: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take the one on the right, and you take the one on the left.¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Sounds good!)
Each charged toward their respective opponent. Their steps were powerful, their heart resolute and their courage boundless!¡
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Jack opened his eyes to an endless patch of darkness. There was a single being that wagged its tail as it saw its master appear.
Jack petted hispanion, scratching it behind the ear:
¡°I¡¯m proud of you, you know. It takes a lot of courage to keep a steady heart even when faced with impossible challenges.¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (It¡¯s only natural!¡±)
¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, they seem almost as strong as the boss from the fox Grove. The issue is that there are two of them.¡±
¡°Woo¡± (Apologetic!)
¡°It¡¯s normal for you not to be able to go against it. Honestly, we might even have to recruit team members at this rate¡Well, I hope not.¡± Jack lowlyined.
He had been sure that he¡¯d be able to steamroll the beginner area, and he was already hitting a wall. Wasn¡¯t this too soon?
How should he even tackle this problem? His goal was still to slowly be a one-man army. Did he simply need to level up? This would help for sure, even if only slightly.
¡°Ah, whatever. I¡¯ll take a small break for now.¡± He shook his head as he sighed. He turned to the vast expanse of darkness. ¡°Take care, Thanatos, and see youter.¡±
As for why he had spawned here and not at the dungeon¡¯s entrance¡ª he didn¡¯t know nor care. He was so fucking tired.
He quickly logged off¡ª just in time for a small wolf and a shy god to restart an eternal game of howl and seek¡.
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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 3: Pumpkin Skeletal Chicken Tier (2/4) ?????
Creator¡¯s Thought
Since Infinite is always evolving, things are subject to change very quickly (this dungeon likely would). In a traditional VR, every patch is carefully sent out along with the patch notes. In Infinite, it just happens. Luckily the most important stuff gets general announcements. Well, usually at least¡
Chapter 93: Planning Revenge!
Chapter 93: nning Revenge!
Jack slowly awoke, his memory foggy. Where was he? He had just been destroying the two wolf bosses¡in his sleep.
He slowly stretched, groggily walking to the kitchen. An elegant youngdy was sitting at the table, happily tapping her phone to send messages. Next to her were some cookies and a ss of milk.
Was she already back from school? He could have sworn that she would have still been there. He truly was losing his sense of time.
Hearing the faint footsteps of her brother, Lilly gently turned her head, only to raise a brow. What was up with him? Jack was staring at the milk ss as if it was his worst enemy.
She gently grabbed it, shaking it from side to side as his eyes followed. Yet, he seemed to be lost in thoughts.
¡°Since when do you care so much about milk?¡± She teased him.
Jack came back to his senses.
¡°Oh, in Infinite, there is this one boss. It¡¯s a mother wolf that spawns two OP wolves, Remus and Romulus. The problem is I can¡¯t figure out how to beat them without wasting an obscene amount of potions.¡±
¡°It¡¯s already admirable that your team is even attempting dungeons in the first ce.¡±
¡°Team?¡± He gave a wry smile.
¡°You¡¯re soloing it?! No wonder you¡¯re having issues! So how¡¯s the fight?¡±
Jack shared with her the tale of his valiant younglings ughtering. She listened attentively only to conclude:
¡°Yep, I¡¯m stumped too. I guess you¡¯ll need helpers, even if you have to share the loot. As for now, you¡¯ve been ying for a long time, right? Here, drink some milk, it will give you strength.¡± She gently offered.
Jack epted it, the coolness of the milk on his lips contrasting with the warmth it brought his heart. But he suddenly jerked in shock, jumping at her and embracing her slender body.
¡°That¡¯s it. Thank you so much. You¡¯re the best!¡± He uttered in gratitude.
¡°That¡¯s a whole lot of gratitude for a mere ss of milk.¡± She teased him, understanding what it was really about.
¡°Hey, it¡¯s a gift from my cute sister. I have to savor it.¡± He winked at her while ruffling her hair. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m getting back to Infinite. Talkter!¡±
¡°You¡¯re not even gonna eat?!¡±
With a wolfish grin, Jack hurriedly grabbed tons of chocte chips cookies, stuffing them all in his cheeks before waving away and rushing back to their room, strapping the helmet back on.
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Jack excitedly respawned in the vige, instantly looking around for Moon Moon.
Wait, what? Where was his pet? He called upon their link, and a few secondster, Moon Moon appeared. Had it stayed all this time in the death void? Anyway, they had some stuff to do.
¡°Great news, we¡¯re going back to the dungeon! Are you ready?¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Excited)
The little wolf was so eager for revenge. As for fear? What was that? It had been chasing a god in the dark realm. What were two puny wolvespared to that!
¡°We just need to get some potions. In theory, a few people should have joined D.L while we were busy, right?¡± Jack decisively headed toward Steven¡¯s ce.
But a few stepster, he was already gawking at his surroundings, bbergasted. He quickly realized that the question wasn¡¯t how many yers had joined D.L¡.but how many hadn¡¯t!
Everywhere his gazended, he noticed yers proudly disying the Demonic Legion¡¯s emblem, the one featuring the both of them.
Many yers pointed their way as they eximed:
¡°The Demon King is back!¡±
¡°I heard he was in the dungeon.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t we just ask him about it?¡±
¡°Because he¡¯s the freaking Demon King?!¡±
¡°Yes¡.but we¡¯re in demonic legion now. He¡¯s our faction leader, right?¡±
It sure made sense, but one nce from Jack was enough to send them scurrying away.
He didn¡¯t know how to react as he reached Steven¡¯s ce. The fox corpses were supposed to be stored in the warehouse inside his ce. But as he came nearby, he was confronted with an abomination.
There was a massive orange mountain.
There were corpses on the ground, piling up along the walls and even on the damn roof. What the fuck had happened here?! Actually, it was obvious:
40 Corpses per Member X Number of Members = Danger to Public Health !!
But there was something even stranger than that¡.Why was it just lying there? No one was trying to steal it at all. There were only bystanders watching it all as they chuckled. But then he realized.
A few members of the Mighty Wolves were in their midst, carefully watching it all. The Demon King¡¯s name, their presence, and most of the bystanders being part of this new faction dissuaded them.
Jack powerfully approached the pile of corpses, proudly stood on top of it, brought his butcher knife out, and then went to work.
Right now, he was in a very happy ce inside his mind. He could already see himself oveing the Wolf Den now that he wouldn¡¯t becking potions. He kept dissecting fox after fox, whistling happily, and it felt so damn good!
But to the others, the scene looked entirely different. They didn¡¯t see a happy yer. They saw a cackling demon. Blood left their faces as they pictured this being a pile of human bodies instead.
He looked so damn frightening as he waspletely covered in blood. Could it be that this whole corpse business was only a n to establish dominance? If it was, it was fucking working!
That¡¯s how for a little while, plenty of yers woulde nearby, shiver to no end only to go back to their business.
From time to time, a belligerent yer would remark with scorn. ¡°Do you guys really want to follow such a crude butcher?¡±¡ª or something simr.
The others would simply chuckle lightly in response: ¡°All I know is that I don¡¯t fucking want to be his enemy!¡± With everyone agreeing.
Many rumors would arise from this simple butchering session, not that Jack really noticed nor cared.
As soon as he was done butchering a few hundred corpses, he rushed out like a tornado:
1. He sold the fox parts to Steven
2. He bought potions from the olddy
3. He gave to Igor and the Mighty Wolves some funds for expenses (50%).
4. Finally, the both of them headed to the Wolf Den Dungeon, not bothering with anything on their way.
They entered the silvery portal with huge grins on their faces.
It was payback time!¡
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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 3: Pumpkin Skeletal Chicken Tier (3/4) ?????
Creator¡¯s Thought
Sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective to give one an idea. I¡¯m lucky to have Lilly to talk to, she¡¯s an amazing listener. Anyway, it felt weird to see my avatar¡¯s face all over the ce on a faction emblem. Well, weird but nice haha.
Chapter 94: Back for Blood!...And Milk!
Chapter 94: Back for Blood!¡And Milk!
This time around, Jack and pet precisely knew what to do.
They ran past the piranhas. Moon Moon even tried its paw at pping them away from atop its master¡¯s head. It was akin to a guardian deity enforcing judgment on the silly fishes.
They ran through the wolf groups. Jack would even exaggeratedly y around. ¡°Oh no, I managed to kill the other two wolves, but this one will devour me! Please help me, someone!¡±
Then just as the wolf would pounce at him, he¡¯d quickly chug a potion, wink, and behead the attacker. ¡°Just kidding, tehe¡± =P The poor wolf would die in anguish, so close yet so far from victory.
Then when he reached the vige. It was time for an enthusiastic speech about defeating all wolves! After a few minutes, he already had his viger army back.
But he did things slightly differently as he showed how great a pusher he could be. He went to find the Shape-shifting wolf. Next to the wary disguised wolf, he took out the Wolf Berry Wine. Instantly its sweet scent spread in the air, entrancing the NPC.
¡°Pssst¡ª I know what the fang around your neck is for. If you bring me there, I¡¯ll let you taste it.¡± Jack tempted akin to a devil.
Would the mini-Boss betray his faction for some silly wine? There was no way that¡.actually yes. He fucking did!
As for navigating until the Stonehenge-looking altar? That part, too, was so damn easy since they could just evade the wolf packs, and they didn¡¯t need to bother with the berries anymore.
Was keeping the wine between runs a bug? Maybe, maybe not. Then again, was it his problem if the Infinite system hadn¡¯t nned for this eventuality? No way!
That¡¯s how the two of them finally reached the bossir in record time. This ought to be good for the views. Hell, how many content creators built their fanbase 100% on speedruns?
As the silvery light engulfed them, thest thing they heard was the NPC begging for the wine since he had fulfilled his part of the bargain.
¡°Sure¡I¡¯ll hand it as soon as Ie back.¡± Jack ¡°reassured¡±.
But to the NPC, this was bad news. It was convinced that the human would perish against her. After all, this was because Jack hadn¡¯t especially showcased his might this run.
¡°My wine¡.¡± Echoed its sorrowful cries¡
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¡°Hahahaha, we¡¯re back. Are you surprised!¡± Jack bellowed at the boss.
¡°Woo!¡± (Intimidating!)
¡°?!¡±
For the boss, it was the first time it saw these two. The fools would soon be food for its progeniture. Before long, they would both be despairing and regretting evering in its realm¡ª or that¡¯s how it was supposed to be.
The younglings spawned and charged Jack¡¯s way. He used his shield to block all that he could but took head-on everything else. Instead of parrying, he used his Cluckinator 100% offensively.
Red damage numbers burst out as he began a killing spree. As to all the hits he was taking? It was time for him to show them the power of a whale, one that swam in healing potions!
The monsters began to question life. What was happening? They felt their ws and fang pierce the human¡¯s skin, they tasted his blood and saw his body breaking down¡.but a secondter he was fine?! What kind of sorcery was that?!
He was consuming so many potions that it was a wonder how he hadn¡¯t died of poisoning yet. Actually¡.that would be a thing in ater update. But whatever, he¡¯d worry about that in due time.
As for now, the fight was so one-sided!
Once the little ones were all dead, he tackled the wolf tits with full force. shing with all his might, he began to destroy it at an incredible pace. But this time, just before spawn happened, he shouted at his partner: ¡°Now!¡±
Moon Moon instantly darted forward. This was their new n to ovee the enemy: hijacking! Would it work? The two of them held their breath.
There were supposed to be six wolves spawning, right? But one of the spawn zones was already upied by a wolf, his! Because of that, one didn¡¯t spawn there. BAM! n sessful! Now, would this work with the twin bosses? It would be hrious if it did!
But then Jack jerked in surprise. From the link with his pet, he could sense¡power?! There was incredible energy flowing through the milk that Moon Moon had begun sucking.
Was the boss now buffing his pet? How crazy was that?! It began to grow, reaching the size of the other five small wolves. Jack was able to fight 1 v 10. Now that it was 2 versus 5, it wasughable easy.
They tore the younglings apart and then waited with bated breath the bosses. Moon Moon took his spot right next to the wolf.
Actually, what if Jack too tried sucking? What would happen? He promptly approached to test his theory, only to be blocked by some silver energy. This was racial discrimination!
On that note, the newest boss appeared.
< Romulus the Mighty Lv 8 ?>
As for the wolf brother? It was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was only the small Moon Moon.
Their enemy seemed utterly confused for a second. These two were enemies? Why did this wolf smell of its mother? But the boss didn¡¯t have much time to ponder as the two charged at him.
That¡¯s how began a fight that was frankly unfair. From time to time, the boss would begin to glow brightly, obviously activating a powerful skill. The light would hover in the air, seemingly trying to establish a link with the missing twin before instantly disappearing.
The boss was void of skills, alone, outnumbered, and now facing a man with infinite HP from his insane potion chugging.
Of course, there was always the possibility to one-shot Jack, right?
Yeah, about that¡
¡ª Block!
¡ª Parry!
+ 24 HP
¡ª Block!
¡ª Miss!
¡ª Block!
+ 23 HP
¡ª Parry!
¡ª ¡.
This felt so damn bad! The despairing boss really couldn¡¯t cope with such bullshit, all until it perished.
Whether it died from despair orck of HP was unknown, but at some point, it quietly kicked the bucket, tears streaming from the corner of its eyes.
That¡¯s when all the enemy corpses suddenly began glowing red, dispersing in the wind right as a ¡treasure chest spawned in the middle?! Nice!
It was loot time¡
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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 3: Pumpkin Skeletal Chicken Tier (4/4) ?????
There we go, haha! There is so much about this Dungeon Fight that remains unsaid. Want to guess? xD
Creator¡¯s Thought
Get wrecked! Get cheesed! There is no better feeling than toe back and utterly dominate a dungeon that once gave you a hard time. It suddenly feels like having aplished something amazing! It feels like growth! Then again, the chest helps too, hehe.
Chapter 95: Amazing Rewards?! Where?!
Chapter 95: Amazing Rewards?! Where?!
In the middle of the coliseum, a chest had just appeared. It looked as if it was made of roots and emoted a soft silvery light.
¡°Woo!¡± (Eager!)
Moon Moon instantly rushed at it, circling it happily before approaching its paw closer.
¡°Wait! You need to be careful. Who knows if there if it isn¡¯t booby-trapped! Hell, some chests are even disguised mimics.¡± Jack shouted.
¡°Woo?!¡± (Shocked!)
The little wolf suddenly stopped dead in its track. It was now warily circling the chest as if it were an incredible enemy. At the first twitch, it was ready to pounce!
¡°That¡¯s a good habit to have. You always have to be careful with stuff like that. Luckily this one ought to be fine. After all, what kind of heartless game would trap the first chest, am I right?¡± Jack chuckled softly.
He reached toward it, opening it violently¡..with nothing remarkable happening. Jack couldn¡¯t help but frown as he saw this. This was uneptable!
¡°Hey, system. You better add a small tune and some special effects, or else it¡¯s too boring.¡± He criticized out loud, closing the lid and waiting a few seconds. Then he reopened it.
¡ª Ta-da-da! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Silver Glow! ¡ª
¡°Now we¡¯re talking!¡± Jack nodded with satisfaction. He required a cool finish if he was ever to farm this dungeon!
The two then excitedly dug out the content of the chest. They had sessfully obtained¡.some random loot? That was it?! Potions, a small wolf-w-like level 5 weapon, and a random chest piece too.
¡°Oy, what kind of BS is this?!¡± He grumbled, even if he understood why.
This loot was all because he had failed his first run of the Wolf Den. With the first run bonus, he would have gotten his desired item 100%. Now he would have to run it again for the final boss loot.
¡°Woo.¡± (Comforting)
The little wolf was even patting his back as it showed concern. How cute!
But was Jack afraid of a little bit of grind? Hell no! Without hesitating, he exited the dungeon, revealed the dungeon to all for bonus loot, and went in again. That¡¯s when began the wolf and human domination.
The poor Wolf Den wasn¡¯t built to withstand a wild Jack¡¯O. It was made to prove a challenge for five well-geared level 6 yers, not him! As he repeated the same steps as earlier, he was even faster and even more confident.
That¡¯s how began the tragedy of Romulus the Mighty and Remus the Forgotten. He would switch things up as he killed each alternatively every run.
Hell, their fate was even worse than the Roman heroes they had been named after. In Infinite, there wasn¡¯t one that would survive to aplish great things. The two were nothing more than utter fodder to the whims of a maverick god.
To them, Jack and the wolf weren¡¯t humans but devils. What kind of bastards would steal milk straight from the tits of an unfortunate mother? These fucking two!
The two could only howl in anguish as they perished, regretting their helplessness.
Their killer¡¯s reaction didn¡¯t help either:
¡°Get wrecked, you idiot wolf! You came swaggering in thinking you were a big shot, right? Well, fucking look at you now! You¡¯re getting destroyed by a pup!¡±
The human ridiculed the enemy while the pet shook its butt, tauntingly at the creature a dozen times its size.
Then they were opening chest after chest.
+ Random loot
+ Random loot
+ Random loot
+ Random loot
+ Random loot
Jack could only stare at the damn chest that never contained the thing that he was looking for. He wanted the pauldrons! That¡¯s all he was missing toplete his armor set. Why the heck was it so goddamn elusive!
¡°Do you think I¡¯ll give up so easily?! You do not know Jack¡¯ Motherfucking O if that¡¯s what you think, system!¡± He shouted at the Heavens.
¡°Woo!¡± (Cursing the silly gods!)
Perhaps Jack wasn¡¯t the best influence for a young wolf¡ª not that it mattered. Even if it was cursing like a sailor, the people would simply hear ¡°Woo¡± anyway. Only Jack would understand the true meaning¡.or tamers/druids if he ever met any.
That¡¯s how their quest continued:
+ Random loot
+ Random loot
+ Random loot
At some point, Jack had to resign himself to the sad truth. It seemed like the way he was cheesing the boss was messing up with the loot. At that point, the logical course of action was obviously to give up, right?
Well, he ran it a few more times anyway¡
+ Random loot
+ Random loot
+ Random loot
+ Random loot
All until he finally leveled up after 2 hours of intense grind.
¡ª Ding! ¡ª
Reached level 7!
Ah, if only leveling up could always be so damn easy! Heck, if he could keep this up, he¡¯d be done with a few years of gaming in a month, haha. How wonderful would that be?
In any case, reaching level 7 was extremely significant!
1. Would he awaken superpowers?
2. Would his luck increase a thousandfold?
3. Would he suddenly disappear like the Jack on that one old phone?
None of the above!
But, this single level up made him lose all motivation toward farming the Wold Den. He was akin to a kid with a new bright shiny toy: uninterested in the old one.
It was now time for him to head to a newnd of opportunities. One that would be extremely perilous but incredibly rewarding too¡ª hopefully!
As for his stat points? He actually didn¡¯t spend them this time around. Perhaps the next step would allow him to use magic¡or at least he fucking hoped.
Jack gave one look at Moon Moon before grandly dering while sighing:
¡°Now that we have conquered thisnd, it is time for another chapter of our life. Are you ready to face an enemy even harsher than wolves?¡±
¡°Woo?!¡± (What?!)
Moon Moon lost its bearing for a second. What was stronger than a wolf? It knew of two things: dragons and gods. No matter which it was, it would be ready!
¡°Woo!¡± (Ready for a heroic battle!)
That¡¯s when Jack finally dropped the bomb.
¡°We will be fighting¡chickens!¡±
Wait¡what?! The little wolf felt so puzzled¡
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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 4: Pumpkin Terror Skeletal Dragon (PTSD) Tier (1/4) ?????
Creator¡¯s Thought
For the young pup, the world was rtively simple. The only, creatures it knew of were: Chicken < Fox < Wolf < Gods (?) < Dragons The chickens suddenly being stronger than wolves was mind-boggling. It destroyed Moon Moon¡¯s entire conception of the world.
Chapter 96: New Challenge!
Chapter 96: New Challenge!
In the New Leaf vige, life was hectic.
Many yers were just casually ying everywhere else, but the ones there all seemed to have clear goals. They ran all over the ce, trying to finish their armor sets, with some even trying to raise their life skills.
After following the basic Demonic Legion training, they now felt that they could conquer the world! Even with how hectic it was, it sure was peaceful¡ª if one disregarded the corpses that they were still piling up at Steven¡¯s house.
Hell, even from afar, the orange body pile could be seen sticking out like a sore thumb. It looked akin to a monument dedicated to an evil god¡ª which wasn¡¯t that far off from the truth.
But as usual, the peace was bound to shatter suddenly. The Demon King would regrly aplish something insane that would bring the mood to an effervescence.
A silver light suddenly descended from Heaven! It thennded in the depth of the forest, creating a pir of light.
[ Wolf Den has been revealed by yer Jack¡¯O! ]
[ Special opening event: bonus loot for one week! ]
[ Wolf Den requires level 6 to enter! ]
At that moment, the yers were akin to ants that had their colony flooded¡not with water but freaking acid!!!
¡°This son of a bitch. He¡¯s done it again!¡±
¡°Oh god, he¡¯s showing us the way, but how are we to follow?!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a n to reach the top! I¡¯ll seduce the Demon King!¡±
¡°Are you still dreaming?! How are you even going to do that, dude?! Even if he¡¯s gay, why would he pick you?¡±
¡°Tchh¡ª it¡¯s fine. I have a secret weapon. There¡¯s this one tutorial on MeTube titled: how to be an irresistible Fem Boy 101!¡±
The yers seemed as brain dead as usual. But it became even worse when the man himself, no the myth, appeared in front of them!
Jack¡¯ Motherfucking O and the legendary Moon Moon were exiting the forest.
As for how they knew the pup¡¯s name? Well, they had bugged the holy pink one until she had spilled the beans. After all, they had to know the name of the unholy beast on their faction emblem!
¡°Let¡¯s do this, shall we.¡± Jack chuckled.
¡°Woo!¡± (God-level motivation!)
The yers watched his every move. What was he about to do?! Some began to whisper among themselves, betting on a few possible oues:
1. Creating an army.
2. Creating an army and invading another beginner vige.
3. Creating an army, ordering them to build him a dark castle, and then invading another vige!
Their ideas sure were simr¡Also, were they really betting on that shit?! It was almost as if they knew about the leadership stat! But, they were bound to be surprised as hepletely ignored them.
Recruiting troops? What for? Too many yers zerging the open-world PVE content would create a beast tide. As for the dungeons? The limit was only five yers! Jack didn¡¯t need anything from them except their silvers¡ª for now anyway.
He approached something that was part of the decor by now: the chicken-shaped hardened dirt statue. Most held their breath, but some couldn¡¯t help but wag their tongues.
¡°I almost forgot that this was there!¡±
¡°Well, yeah. We tried everything, and it wouldn¡¯t respond.¡±
¡°You guys wanna bet that he¡¯s gonna do something earth-shattering again?!¡±
They all turned toward thest guy judging him an idiot. Couldn¡¯t he be more low-key about trying to scam them?
Jack slowly approached his hand toward the statue, and it instantly began to glow a deep red light. Then a few secondster, it entirely shattered!¡ª or that¡¯s what it looked like!
In fact, it was only the outermostyer that was suddenly exploding. That¡¯s when a majestic phoenix-like bright chicken statue was revealed to the world. It truly was odd. It was a chicken, and yet it looked¡.regal?!
Then the entire chicken imprint in the ground began glowing as the light gathered in the statue¡¯s mouth. It was as if the field nearby had be a sea of fire with the statue gobbling it all up!
Finally, a red portal appeared, with Jack entering it without any hesitation. Behind him, there was his loyal wolf. Then the two were gone.
Instantly many yers crowded around. But when they touched the red portal, they were left both shocked and proud. This dungeon required level 7 to run. Once again, their leader was showing insane leveling speed!
They needed to work hard to catch up, even if it was a pipe dream¡
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As Jack and Moon Moon spawned on a small stone tform, they were confronted with a sea of white.
That¡¯s all there was: white and nothing else. This sea of white was rhythmically producing a sound that was ever so familiar:
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª
As far as the eye could see, there were only chickens! Hundreds and hundreds of chickens. There were so many of them that it reminded Jack of the earlier event. But this time, the chickens were peaceful.
Moon Moon couldn¡¯t help but freeze seeing this. It had seen chickens before, but it had trouble believing that there could be so many at one spot. At this moment, it finally understood the meaning of a shitload of enemies.
Even its boundless courage showed hints of faltering upon seeing so many of them. On the one hand, wolves ate chickens. On the other hand, could its belly contain so many chickens?! It tried doing mental calctions¡the answer was maybe!
¡°We have to be careful. Do you see that there?¡± Jack whispered before pointing forward.
The ce was a rtivelyrge room the size of a few houses. But it was filled with so many chickens that it didn¡¯t feel spacious one bit. All over the ce were pirs of various heights.
Then on the other side, there was a human-sized exit. The only problem was that it was way high up in the air.
¡°This has to be our destination. It will be a challenge to get there for sure.¡± Jackmented.
¡°Woo?!¡± (Shocked?!)
The little wolf was confused. How were they supposed to reach that?! But that¡¯s when its master pointed at the various pirs.
¡°Have you ever heard of parkour?¡±
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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 4: Pumpkin Terror Skeletal Dragon (PTSD) Tier (2/4) ?????
Creator¡¯s Thought
Infinite often has minigames. One could say this whole dungeon is the introduction to that concept. sure sometimes the beginner dungeon seemed random, but there are reasons behind this. How would most of the yers react to parkour?
Chapter 97: Parkour!?
Chapter 97: Parkour!?
Moon moon was extremely puzzled at the new term. Parkour? What was that?
¡°You see the pirs rising across the room? See how there are various heights to them? We¡¯ll climb them to be able to reach our destination.¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Roger that!)
Moon Moon enthusiastically and loudly wooed in agreement, only to freeze a secondter. What was happening?!
Hearing this noise, the hundreds of chickens turned toward the wolf at once. The chickens had the goddamn intensity of seagulls screaming MINE! MINE! MINE! It was extremely horrible.
Then they all charged toward the two of them akin to a tsunami.
It felt like being the only survivor in a zombie movie¡ª surrounded from all sides.
Their beak and talons sunk into their flesh. This sure brought back annoying memories, ones including ducks.
It only took 1 second, and then it was over.
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©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
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.
.
.
.
Jack and Moon Moon respawned on the stone tform, with him losing the little bit of XP he had.
The little wolf¡¯s fur shuddered as it saw the chickens. Its master had been right. Chickens were scarier than wolves! It gave an apologetic look as it made sure to remain mum.
The duo slowly began walking forward, with the care of a beautiful wife tiptoeing not to wake up her violent drunk husband! Hell, this thing was surprisingly harder than it looked.
The chickens were highly susceptible andplete birdbrains. This made even walking in their midst dangerous, as Moon Moon quickly noticed, triggering them so many times.
An example would be:
1. Just walking casually
2. A chicken randomly trips
3. Stepping on said chicken
4. Fucking Chickenpocalypse!
What happens afterward? They would be pecked to death thoroughly, aka probably the most unfair end ever.
Thus they both learned the hard way to respect the chickens¡¯ personal space. Then began the hard part: the actual fucking parkour. Luckily, this wasn¡¯t the kind of thing that could stump Jack.
He showed his jumping skills to an astonished wolf. It always knew that its master was outstanding, but never that these kinds of movements were humanly possible! He could do so many cool things!
1. Roll
2. Jump really far
3. Wall climbing
4. Wall running?!
How was this even possible?! How could he even do that on walls?! But then Moon Moon understood after observing it some more. Some ces could be climbed, and others couldn¡¯t depending on footholds.
That¡¯s how Jack kept progressing steadily¡ª all until he arrived at thest jump. Before his eyes, there was now an abyss of white, and falling would mean instant death.
Moon Moon held its breath as Jack began running, somehow built incredible momentum on a narrow ledge, and flew in the air, rolling tond!
Up there, Jack was confronted with a pressure te. Putting his weight on it, he heard gears turn as he witnessed a change happen to the room. There was now a new set of obstacles rising.
But as soon as he moved from that spot, it all disappeared. This meant that it required constant pressure. No big deal! He grabbed a bunch of pelts, making a small mountain with them¡ª without any effect.
Tch¡ª it seemed like it required an actual yer to be there, not items. Talk about a bummer!
His gaze thennded on the gawking Moon Moon. What if? He tried unsummoning the wolf and summoning it again¡.it reappeared down there. What was worse was that it somehow triggered the chickens once again!
They weren¡¯t just angry at the wolf but also at him. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be safe since he was higher up in the air? Hell no! They simply piled up atop one another, making a chickendder. Then they found and killed him very violently.
There was only one solution¡ª Moon Moon had to do the parkour too! Thus began one hell of a difficult challenge. The poor wolf was having its limits pushed at an incredible rate. All until it finally managed to reach the pressure te after a few dozen tries.
As the new parkour appeared, it was time for Jack to shine. He reached the end only to realize that thest jump was impossible to make: there was way too much space. How could he remedy this problem?
Jack did something that was goddamn insane: he used a chicken. He grabbed one and began doing parkour with it.
He had to be lightning-fast as its brethren were already after him! Withoutmitting a single mistake, he reached the top. Then he ran and jumped toward what seemed like certain death.
Mid-air, the chicken began beating its wings. Jack floated in the air for a short moment beforending heavily on the other side. Without wasting any second, he kept rushing, finding a lever.
After pulling it, a small bridge made of shaky tforms appeared between him and Moon Moon¡¯s spot. There was also a door that had opened next to his pet.
Jack ran. He ran like the fucking wind! Below him were tons of chickens crowding. They were making chicken pyramids and even overflowing on the tforms he had to cross.
That¡¯s when Jack grabbed his trusty Aegis and Cluckinator.
¡°Bring it one, you goddamn bastards!¡± He roared with the enemies doing their thing.
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª
Then he charged forward, akin to an unstoppable train.
¡°Get freaking annihted! Do you want to stop me? Better luck in another life! This is Jack¡¯ Motherfucking O! Get in line and get ready to die!¡± He trash-talked the enemies as he ran in their midst.
He sent blood flying everywhere, but he managed to keep his footing even in such a situation. Then he rushed through the exit like a whirlwind, Moon moon joining him toward thest stretch.
At the end was a blue barrier that the chickens couldn¡¯t pass through. As the two of them arrived on the other side, they yfully turned back to the chickens blocked by the barrier.
The two were¡grimacing at them?! How childish were they?! Moon Moon especially looked incredibly silly as it stuck its tongue out with its eyes upturned.
As they observed their new surroundings, it was clear that there were more challenges. This was only the beginning¡.
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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 4: Pumpkin Terror Skeletal Dragon (PTSD) Tier (3/4) ?????
Creator¡¯s Thought
No joke, the swarm enemies archetypes are the absolute worst! The chickens here are such an example: it doesn¡¯t matter how strong you are and how weak they individually are, one should always fear an infinite number of chickens. Many died before realizing it¡
Chapter 98: Various Challenges! (Start)
Chapter 98: Various Challenges! (Start)
Inside the Chicken Dungeon, a man and a wolf were highly motivated.
¡°What¡¯s next? Bring it on!¡± Jack shouted.
¡°Woo!¡± (We ain¡¯t scared!)
In front of them, there were three doors in total. Jack had the feeling that each led to a different challenge.
1. A door with a hammer
2. A door with feathers
3. A door with a bomb
Without hesitating, Jack just picked the first door. There was no need to overthink this after all. As soon the two of them entered the next room, they were confronted with a very peculiar scene.
There were tons of holes all over the floor. Then there was one humongous wooden hammer next to the entrance. It reminded him of the old-school carnival hammers.
Moon Moon curiously began observing the ce. But just as it was observing one of the holes, a chicken suddenly emerged of it akin to a rocket! The thing was so damn fast that it scared the devil out of the pet!
Jack just gave a wry smile and got to work.
This thing was a game of Wack-A-Chicken. Jack promptly equipped his Chicken Warrior title. The % increase would apply to a mini-game like this for sure!
But it quickly proved not to be so simple. There was an added difficulty to it: the enemies spawning woulde out of their hole if not smashed to the ground. This test was the perfect one for warriors.
Jack quickly realized the crux of this challenge:
1. One had to pace himself
2. The attacks had to be properly made.
3. It required great situational awareness.
That¡¯s how Jack rushed all over the room, the ginormous wooden hammer smashing into the chicken head after chicken head. This game was a light one but also didn¡¯t skimp o the gory details.
Every hit meant that a chicken head exploded, sending gory bits all over. As for missing? It was even worse! It meant keeping the cadence while getting chased around by an enemy. This time the two were perfectly in their element.
Moon Moon was a pretty great spotter. Jack didn¡¯t have to bother about watching his back with his pet there. He could focus on watching everything else. Through their soul link, he was getting instant feedback.
That¡¯s how they kept ughtering. But the more it went, and the more there began to spawn some really weird chickens. Here were some of them:
1. Turtle Chickens
They were literally just chickens with carapaces. To defeat one, a challenger had to hit them twice. It didn¡¯t add muchplexity, but it sure wasted lots of time!
2. Nightmare Chickens
Why there were chickens with tentacles waspletely beyond him. But these assholes could restrain people. They especially loved targeting Moon Moon when it waszily walking around.
3. Golden Chickens
These ones were the worst! They were able to buff all the other chickens in their vicinity. They would send golden rays that progressively made the other chickens bigger, more vicious, and faster.
This whole thing was a bncing act between which chicken to smack in priority. It didn¡¯t even require one to be fast. It just needed one to have impable decision-making. Contrary to the Parkour, Jack aced this one with the first try!
¡°Woo!¡± (Celebrating!)
The little wolf shook in a victory dance as it showed extreme pride in its master. Jack was expecting this only to be a simple mini-game to progress. That¡¯s when he suddenly froze. In the middle of the room, a red golden chest had just appeared!
¡°Woo!¡± (Wary!)
Moon moon did the necessary anti-mimic check before giving a paw up to Jack, who opened it. As he saw what lied inside, he couldn¡¯t help but grin.
New item!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Chicken Smasher Ring!
Rank F
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[Attribute] +2 STR
[Trait] +Boost Attack
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Nice! This was an offensive ring! Not only did it have an amazing trait, but it also boosted the stats nicely.
But there was something more to it. Jack was pretty sure that this was the first piece of jewelry that anyone unlocked in the whole of Infinite. Why? Simply because to ess the chicken dungeon, one had to clear the other two!
He could already smell the profit from running this thing. Still, he couldn¡¯t believe how easy it was. He kept chuckling:
¡°What a crazy trade! Smack a few chickens around and receive a powerful ring!¡±
Actually, this challenge was pretty harsh. What he had aplished in one go thanks to his experience would have most likely driven many yers mad. He himself had skipped this dungeon in his past life.
But to him, this was only a small aplishment. Without taking a moment to rest, he went toward the next challenge, entering the door with the feathers. In the new room, he couldn¡¯t help but eruptughing. What the hell was this?!
The room was designed to look like one he cheesy western old flick. There was an old saloon, a few tables, dust balls, and also one weird-ass enemy. In front of them was a chicken in a cowboy outfit, with leather pants and a hat.
¡°Hey there?¡± Jack tentatively greeted.
That¡¯s when the chicken turned his way before uttering very meaningfully ¡ª cluck ¡ª cluck ¡ªcluck ¡ª ¡.As for what it meant, Jack had no damn clue! All he knew was that the chicken began shooting at him a secondter!
This sure was weird as hell. The chicken would shake its body as it sent feathers flying across the air with a whooshing sound. Jack evaded the white sharp and deadly looking feather by instinct.
Except that he couldn¡¯t help but be serious once he saw the projectiles disappear in the rocky ground as if it were butter. Damn! That¡¯s when he realized what this challenge was about.
It could be reduced to one sentence:
It sounded simple right? It wasn¡¯t at all. But there was a trick to it. Jack realized that the more he moved and the faster the feathers became. This wasn¡¯t just about being fast, but about moving meaningfully.
The more he yed these challenges, and the more he wondered¡.why had he never done them in his previous life? That shit was fun! Then again, who cared? This current life was now the most important.
Jack was now 100% focused on the task at hand. The feathers were bing super fast! He could only hope that the reward for it would be as nice as the previous one!
Greed was an incredible source, of motivation after all¡
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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! ??
Day 4: Pumpkin Terror Skeletal Dragon (PTSD) Tier (4/4) ?????
* Sixth chapter of the day including CA, I¡¯m both feeling dead and d that PRIV hell is finally over! Gonna sleep for a while thene back for more chapterster * Have a great day, you all! ??
Creator¡¯s Thought
In Infinite, there are limited slots to jewelry. This is to avoid forcing the yers to jewelry hunt all the time. After all, there are far too many fingers on one¡¯s hands! Jewelry = 2 Rings + 2 Earrings + 1 Ne.
Chapter 99: Chicken Challenges End?
Chapter 99: Chicken Challenges End?
Deadly feathers flew toward the human¡¯s vitals. But just as they were about to reach his head, he bent his back, avoiding death entirely.
Jack currently looked akin to the protagonist of an action movie¡ª the kind that wore a ck leather outfit with shades.
Then there were more and more volleys, trying to im his life.
All that he could do was relentlessly dodge. A single hit could very well doom him entirely by making him lose his bnce. This was a confrontation between a shooter (chicken) and a daredevil.
¡°Woo!¡± (You can do it!)
On the side, Moon Moon was the perfect cheerleader¡ª albeit a little unconventionally hairy.
That¡¯s how Jack managed to survive all the attacks. 99% thanks to the moral support and 1% thanks to the skills he had honed over the years. Or was it the opposite?
The chicken kept going until it ran out of feathers. Yes, all of them, even the ones it was wearing! This cowboy now looked¡peculiar as it was buck naked. Seeing its sorry state, it suddenly bolted away inside the saloon to hide its figure.
Jack and wolf could only stare, perplexed. What kind of weird challenge was this?! But they didn¡¯t dwell on it as another chest spawned! What would it be this time? Perhaps feathers?
It turned out to be¡ Yet another ring!
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Chicken Avoiding Ring!
Rank F
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[Attribute] +2 AGI
[Trait] +Boost Evasion
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Jack gleefully equipped it. It had a feather engraving that was fitting very well with his Cluckinator.
¡°How do I look!¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Decent!)
¡°The correct answer is dashing.¡±
¡°Woo? Woo!¡± (Alright, dashing!)
It was important to teach one¡¯s pets well. After all, he had to make sure it knew how handsome its master was. (In case it ever gained the ability to speak humannguage.)
¡°Alright, let¡¯s hurry and clear the third challenge.¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (Hell yeah!)
Jack really was unsure of what to expect with that new one. On the door, there figured a bomb¡why?! Then again, could it be any weirder than a naked cowboy? (Besides 18 of them, of course)
He held his breath as he pushed the door open. On the other side, awaited¡something?
He wasn¡¯t sure what to make of this. Next to the entrance, there was a weird staff. It looked like a ssical mage one, but a cross-eyes ss chicken reced the crystal ball.
A for the actual area, it was a balcony that allowed one to view the arena underneath. It looked like a chessboard with many squared tiles. On each stood chickens that seemed to be frozen in ce.
Out of all of them, there was one chicken that looked different. It was pulsating red as it gently radiated a dangerous-looking red light. Now, what was he supposed to do?
¡°Woo?¡± (Perplexed)
Moon Moon was ready to show its wolfish prowess and hunt them all! But first, it needed to figure out how to get down there. Why was this so troublesome?!
¡°Wait, I think that we¡¯re supposed to remain here,¡± Jackmented as he observed his surroundings.
A pictograph on the wall suggested that one needed to point the staff at the chickens. What would this do?
He tentatively tried it, and that¡¯s when the world down there seemed to resume. The chickens were still staying in ce, but they started breathing, bouncing up and down, and even clucking.
The red glow seemed to be growing more profound as it started pulsating faster. Four squares also suddenly brightened up as an energy cage appeared around the tile perimeter. Jack tried pointing the staff at the glowing chicken. That¡¯s when he understood the game.
The red glow left that one chicken and spread to all the chickens on a case directly touching that one. He then pointed a few times, and it was as he had guessed already.
This glow turned the white chickens red and the red chickens white. There had a been a bomb on the door, right? His gut feeling was telling him that the red chicken would soon explode.
As for what he had to do? The goal was to make it so that the bomber chickens were only in the barrier areas. It didn¡¯t help that the chickens began pulsating faster if he took his time to make a move.
This was one troublesome puzzle, and it was goddamn timed! Who the heck hade up with such an annoying thing! Jack kept doing move after move all until he finally¡lost!
The red light stopped shing and settled ultimately. That¡¯s when he heard a click, right before everything went to hell.
¡ª BOOM! ¡ª
The explosion was massive, as freaking huge as a nut after November!
Fire engulfed the whole challenge area, and it soon reached the balcony. Moon Moon heroically tackled the entrance door, but it didn¡¯t budge at all. The room crumbled to pieces and the insane heat filled it entirely.
In a sh of red, the two of them were now respawning at that one altar right at the beginning. As they saw the surrounding chicken army, they felt like full-blown cursing!¡ª but doing so meant having a death wish.
Jack sighed as the two of them began the arduous ascension.
After a while of effort, the two were back in the exploding chicken room. This time he would carefully think of his n to win! Then after a few minutes of pondering, he was finally ready.
Jack confidently runched it! It was time for revenge! It only took him 10 minutes before he¡fucking screwed up again. -_-
¡ª BOOM! ¡ª
This time the cause for his failure was the fact that a chicken had freaking switched ce with another! Why the heck were the pesky chickens allowed to mess with his carefully crafted strategy?!
He could only grit his teeth and do the damn parkour again. The only constion was that Moon Moon was getting he good at it. This wolf was flying!
¡°Alright, this time, we¡¯re seeding.¡± Jack motivated himself.
¡°Woo!¡±
What was his strategy this time? He wentpletely ham! Before he had been so cautious with every move, but now he rushed it!
He was pointing to all the chickens as if a professional maestro. The only thing missing was the epic music. Then finally, all the red chickens were in the barriers.
¡ª BOOM! ¡ª
Jack grinned as the explosion didn¡¯t cause any damage. It was all contained inside the barriers!
Once again, a victory chest spawned with him already expecting its content. Of course, it was yet another ring!
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Chicken Regting Ring!
Rank F
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[Attribute] +2 INT
[Trait] +Boost Spells
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Hell, this ce would be the perfect ce to bring one¡¯s girlfriend to propose. The groom wouldn¡¯t even have to prepare any ring, just grab one in passing.
Jokes asides, Jack was actually relieved that this exploding mess was finally over. He wasn¡¯t sure how many more explosions his sanity could have taken.
Now that the challenge was over, the door finally opened.
As they came back to the room with the three doors, it had changed. Earlier it had been empty, but there was now an added chicken statue.
Near the chicken¡¯s talons, there was a que:
< Harder challenges increase one¡¯s resilience!>
Resilience, was it? At this moment, Jack understood what this meant. This part of the dungeon wasn¡¯t avable at the normal difficulty.
[Chicken Trial Pce Completed!]
[Do you wish to exit the dungeon?]
¡°Screw you, chicken statue. I¡¯ll be back.¡± Jack grumbled.
Master and pet disappeared, fighting spirit burning in their eyes¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
This dungeon was great for farming. One could simply run their preferred challenge, grab the ring, and reset the instance. But as far as clearing the dungeon went, it required one toplete all challenges. If it had given me trouble, how would other yers handle it?
Chapter 100: (POV) D.L Is a Goddamn Cult! (1/2)
Chapter 100: (POV) D.L Is a Goddamn Cult! (1/2)
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
A man was navigating New Leaf vige while sighing.
He was simr to all the yers one could see scurrying about, but there was one key difference between him and them. He wasn¡¯t one of Demonic Legion¡¯s brain-dead fans.
He had actually done his due diligence and researched them, but his conclusion had been that they were a horrible organization.
Their model was simple:
1. Recruiting Newbies that didn¡¯t know better.
2. Making them believe in D.L and its incredible generosity.
3. Brainwash their members under the guise of training.
No one could do anything about it either because of how powerful they already were and thanks to their incredible but selfish leader. Hell, he was ordering people without a hint of shame!
Just as he was thinking about that, amotion arose, along with a red beam. This was another dungeon reveal, wasn¡¯t it?
[ Chicken Trial Pce has been revealed by yer Jack¡¯O! ]
[ Special opening event: bonus loot for one week! ]
[ Chicken Trial Pce requires level 7 to enter! ]
He couldn¡¯t help but frown heard the yers¡¯ conversations:
¡°The chicken dungeon is level 7?!¡±
¡°Jack¡¯O cleared yet another one!¡±
¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s his daily training by now, lol. ¡±
¡°Jack¡¯O: 100 situps, 100 pushups, 10 Km run, and beating a dungeon!¡±
¡°Wow! I really want to ask how he did it! Do you think he¡¯d agree to¡ª¡±
¡°Don¡¯t! That¡¯s literally the #1 rule of D.L: don¡¯t bother the faction leader over trivial stuff.¡±
¡°If you anger Jack¡¯O, your ount might as well be trash. Hell, you could be in deep shit!¡±
Hearing them, the man frowned. This guy was actually an incredible bully. He alone could decide someone¡¯s fate? Screw someone¡¯s ount for asking questions? Ludicrous!
¡°Thank you for telling me. I don¡¯t want to be cklisted from D.L. That would be horrible! How would I even y the game then?!¡± The Newbie shuddered in fright.
He was already convinced that D.L was synonymous with seeding in Infinite. How perverse were their teachings?! They even acted as if all this was natural.
¡°So, what do you guys want to do? More grinding, or do you want to go back for some more D.L. training?¡±
¡°Training!¡±
¡°Grinding!¡±
¡°Cutting Wood!¡±
¡°Wait, what?! Woodcutting? Why?!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you guys know? The instructors at D.L. told me about that one cksmith weapon forging quest. Apparently, it¡¯s the only way to get level 10 weapons around here.¡±
¡°Oh yeah, I heard about that. Isn¡¯t it almost impossible to get one? It takes some ore from the wolf king and wood from the Fox¡¯s Nest to¡ª Wait! Wood!?¡±
¡°Hell yeah, brother. I¡¯m gonna be rich soon! Well, as soon as I repay D.L. They helped me buy the axe from Steven.¡±
¡°They let you borrow?!¡±
¡°Hehe, yes. I just have to give them a % of my profits for a while, haha.¡±
¡°Nice!¡±
¡°Totally worth it!¡±
¡°Let me ask for that too!¡±
His friends chuckled as they gave him thumbs up. So what if he was indebted? They were all one big family at D.L., right?
¡°Thank god I joined D.L.. It totally changed my gaming life!¡±
¡°You¡¯re not the only one. I can¡¯t even picture not being in it anymore!¡±
The man couldn¡¯t help but interject to this, scoffing. Were they that oblivious?!
¡°Demonic Legion? More like Sheep Legion! You should get out while you still can. Can¡¯t you hear yourselves? You guys are obeying all their rules and even racking debt already!¡±
¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? It¡¯s an investment, an investment!¡± One of them rebuked.
¡°Look, right now, it seems like the best faction ever, but that¡¯s how they all start. Before long, you¡¯ll be forced to work for free. They¡¯ll be exploiting you guys before long¡ª no, they already are!¡±
¡°What are you talking about! One needs to be in D.L. to progress efficiently. We¡¯re lucky to have spawned in this vige!¡± A youngster vehemently defended.
Was he serious?! Be a member of D.L. or be considered a troll? Were these really the only two options? It made no sense!
¡°Tchh¡ª wake up already. This whole D.L. Thing is a scam! You guys all pay, and for what? For instructors to tell you what to do? It¡¯s not worth it at all! What will you do when they add a monthly membership fee? They¡¯ll slowly bleed you dry!¡±
He shook his head with disappointment as he saw the sheeps¡¯ faces harden in anger. They almost seemed about to attack him. As this was a safe zone, they could only bottle up all that fury.
He would have found it amusing had he not known how dangerous such organizations could be. Sometimes the line between VR and reality could get blurry and create crazy fanatics.
They left while helplessly stomping their feet. Part of him found it fun to trigger them, but the pity he felt was stronger. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he nced all around. This D.L. bullshit was a cmity for sure.
Then again, it wasn¡¯t his task to save the world. He would simply ignore them and y at his pace. Since theunch three days ago, he had been gaming, taking a few breaks in between, and had just reached level 4.
By now, he had alreadypleted all the chicken ughtering quests. He had even obtained a bit of food and a few potions. It was time to start killing foxes!
¡°Let¡¯s find a party, shall we?¡± the man happily walked toward the forest. Mighty shouts and the sounds of weapons striking flesh were heard.
The once peaceful forest was now a yground for the humans as they ughtered foxes diligently. The ¡ª Smack! ¡ª of sticks mixed with the ¡ª ng! ¡ª of ded weapons and even the asional ¡ªWhoosh!¡ª of a basic magic spell.
He went deeper as he watched it all happen. As he saw a mage summon a glowing blue magic arrow, he felt his heart flutter in excitement. This was so damn cool! It was also enough to finish the enemy fox.
He couldn¡¯t help but stare as he gave a thumb up to the guy. ¡°This looks impressive as hell. What¡¯s this spell called?!¡±
¡°That¡¯s a mana arrow. If you speak to the florist, he can hook you up with a magic casting stone.¡± The friendly mage (?) answered. But then, one of his friends chimed in yfully.
¡°Yes, you should get a magic pebble too. Being a wannabe mage lets you throw spells at your target¡ until you run out of mana. Then you¡¯re about as useful as the rock in your hand.¡±
Another guy added:
¡°All jokes aside, D.L doesn¡¯t rmend it for beginners. It can be high burst damage, but it¡¯s useless if one doesn¡¯t know how to capitalize on it. The instructors rmend¡ª¡±
Hearing the man became incredibly annoyed. These guys were also getting brainwashed by D.L.?! Was there anyone who wasn¡¯t!? Why should they dictate how others should y?!
He wasn¡¯t in the mood to listen anymore as he promptly excused himself.
Heading deeper into the forest, he finally managed to find himself a temporary party. They were eight to hunt one fox, meaning that the rewards were low but very safe.
At first, everything was tense and stressful, but they quickly got used to it. Even then, farming the creatures required high focus, and every victory was damn satisfying. With every new pelt obtained, he felt aplished.
But with things bing easier, they began talking. This made things worse:
¡°I can¡¯t wait to get 40 pelts to join D.L! It will be so helpful!¡±
¡°You want to join it too! What a coincidence!¡±
¡°Obviously, only idiots wouldn¡¯t.¡±
¡°I know, right!¡±
The man wouldn¡¯t let this go:
¡°Everyone, you should be careful about D.L. They target new yers, and their goal is to indoctrinate them. I¡¯ve seen it happen before.¡± He advised.
¡°You¡¯re just saying that because you can¡¯t afford to join them, right?!¡±
¡°You¡¯re obviously jealous! You shouldn¡¯t be so petty!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on him. He¡¯s just ignorant!¡±
At that point, the man couldn¡¯t take it anymore. This whole D.L. talk brought back too many bad memories. Memories of his parents leaving him to join a cult, with them even stealing his money to gift it to their shitty sect.
¡°I don¡¯t feel well. I gotta go.¡±
He hurriedly left, seven fox corpses neatly tucked inside his inventory. It was far from what he needed for his quest, but he couldn¡¯t tolerate staying anymore. He¡¯d just return to the vige and log out.
Just as he was daydreaming, remembering the past, he suddenly bumped into a party. He only realized their existence as he directly collided with them.
¡°Brother, watch where you¡¯re going!¡± the shout brought him back to his senses.
¡°Sorry about¡ª¡± he softly apologized.
But the victim wasn¡¯t angry in the least. Not only did he not erupt in anger, but he even seemed happy? That¡¯s when he pointed at his chest.
¡°Brother, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that you aren¡¯t wearing a D.L. emblem.¡±
Oh god, not another one¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
The training n I left for the new D.L. members was pretty sweet. The instructors would first make them understand how lucky they were to be in the faction, then teach them some pretty cool stuff. Of course, one of the core teaching points was to never piss me off.
Chapter 101: (POV) D.L Is a Goddamn Cult! (2/2)
Chapter 101: (POV) D.L Is a Goddamn Cult! (2/2)
¡°Brother, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that you aren¡¯t wearing a D.L. emblem¡.¡±
Instantly he felt a headacheing. Not another groupie that would try to convince him about the endless benefits of joining that shitty faction!
¡°I don¡¯t have any.¡± He stated.
¡°Is that so? Do you have any n on joining them?¡± The leader warmly inquired.
¡°No, and nothing you can say will convince me otherwise. I¡¯m¡ª¡± He protested.
¡°Wonderful! Brothers, we finally found someone that doesn¡¯t believe in D.L.!¡± The party leader cheered with the others high-fiving.
Wait¡what?! That¡¯s when he noticed that their chest was simrly void of any token.
¡°You guys also aren¡¯t fans of D.L.?!¡±
¡°Nope, we¡¯re not. Not at all!¡± They assured him.
At that moment, the man felt so d. He had finally found his people! For the first time in a while, someone wasn¡¯t trying to shove their fucked up beliefs down his throat! He couldn¡¯t help but get excited.
¡°T-this is amazing! It must be fate that we met! I was going crazy, thinking that I was the only one awake in a group of fools!¡±
They were all nodding gently at his words.
¡°We should band together! How about we educate the people in the vige? We have to show them the true nature of this horrible organization! We need to march united and defend logic and reason!¡± He heatedly mored.
By now, they were showing happy but slightly awkward smiles as they rubbed their heads.
¡°Brother, it sounds really nice, but that¡¯s a bit too much, don¡¯t you think?¡±
¡°Too much? You can¡¯t lose hope that easily! We have to stand up for what we believe is right! Wouldn¡¯t a world without D.L. be better! All of you, don¡¯t you agree?!¡± They had to share the same feeling deep down, right?!
They nced at one another as they all nodded. As he saw this, he could already picture everything they would do together. They would cleanse this vige of the scoundrels!
However, they once again stopped his train of thoughts:
¡°Brother, it¡¯s nice to dream, but the fact is D.L. is here, and we can¡¯t change that. We can only learn to live with it. You shoulde to terms with it too, and you¡¯ll feel better.¡±
¡°Come to terms? Feel better? That¡¯s bullshit! Think about all that is wrong with D.L.! They are taking the fun out of this game by pushing their agenda on everyone else!¡±
Once more, they nodded, but it was missing enthusiasm. They looked as one would when talking aboutmunism: knowing it¡¯s amazing in theory but a shitshow in practice.
¡°Brother, I agree they are, but we¡¯re used to it. Not everyone embraces our ways. It¡¯s just like that, you know.¡± The leader sighed.
¡°Enough with all the cowering and the despairing. You guys can¡¯t be so wishy-washy about what you believe in!¡± He shouted with gusto.
¡°Brother, I love your enthusiasm, and it was really great meeting you, but let¡¯s get to business now, alright?¡± The leader gently proposed.
¡°Business? Are you guys in after all? Perfect, let¡¯s¡ª¡± Just as he was happily rejoicing at their change of heart, they took action.
At this moment, he saw everything happen in utter confusion. What, why?! All five of them attacked him at once.
It only took a few seconds for him to be defeated. What was this about?! But just as his body was disappearing, he heard them talk to themselves:
¡°Boss, PK is getting harder and harder.¡±
¡°Damn D.L, and their included protection service!¡±
¡°Tchh¡ª this fool only dropped seven fox corpses too.¡±
¡°At this rate, we¡¯d be better off just grinding ourselves.¡±
As he died, he finally understood everything. The like-minded wise people turned out to be PKers?! What the fuck?! He felt like throwing up blood¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
.
.
.
.
.
As he respawned in the vige, he seriously considered recreating his ount to change vige and possibly even quitting the game. This D.L. bullshit was getting on his nerves too much.
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted:
¡°Wow! This game feels so damn real! Just exploring this vige is going to be so awesome!¡± An excited voice echoed.
Next to him, a young girl had just spawned. She was happily looking all around with her eyes glowing in wonder¡ª for a few seconds at least. Then her face contorted in horror.
¡°W-what the hell is that?!¡± She lost her bearings as she gazed at something in the distance.
It was a disturbing and grotesque orange pile of corpses. It was so tall that it could now be seen from the spawn. Talk about an unforgettable first sight! She shuddered as her brain slowlyprehended what she was seeing.
The now despondent man chuckled without any warmth.
¡°This is what D.L. taking over a vige looks like.¡±
¡°D-dee Hell? She asked with fright yet a tinge of curiosity.¡±
¡°D.L.: Demonic Legion. They¡¯ll try to poach you soon enough, so you might as well hear it from me. They¡¯re a group that take Newbies under their wings for a fee. From what I¡¯ve seen, they brainwash whoever joins to fit their agenda.¡±
¡°B-brainwash?!¡±
¡°Yep. It¡¯s all goddamn propaganda and a cult in disguise. They all revere that one guy they call the Demon King. His gaming skills seem to be as high as hisck of morality. Stay far away from them if you want to remain sane.¡± He exined.
Before she could reply, a party overheard this and came forward, obviously disagreeing.
¡°Hey, what do you mean seemingly a cult!¡±
¡°Yeah, man. Take it back!¡±
¡°This is 100% nder!¡±
¡°We ARE a cult!¡±
Wait¡what the fuck?! They admitted to it?!
¡°Hehe, youngdy, you should try joining. There are enough benefits to warrant the price, and you can be part of a wonderfulmunity!¡±
Luckily he had warned her in time. Now she would be the one to choose.
¡°Y-you said Demon King, right? Where can I find him?! I saw a post about him on purpleddit. He seems so damn cool!¡± She chirped. Just like that, another innocent (?) soul had fallen.
What about the man that had started it all? The Demon King was nowhere to be found. This gave rise to many rumors:
1. He was farming dungeons like a madman.
2. He was busy editing his highlights.
3. He had already left the tutorial.
4. He had gone back to Hell.
In any case, no one doubted that he would soone back with another crazy stunt¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
PKers at some point found out that they could steal fox corpses from other yers. There were a few that did it even if it wasn¡¯t the most lucrative activity. Was it for the thrill perhaps?
Chapter 102: Can You Smell It?
Chapter 102: Can You Smell It?
It had been a few days since the chicken trials had been cleared. Yet, the Demon King hadn¡¯t made a single ripple since then. It felt so odding from him.
Were the wolf and human duo cking? Quite the opposite: they were grinding at a hectic pace. They were like hermits seemingly living in dungeons by now, all for the sake of progression.
They had been farming XP a bit¡.actually A LOT!
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[ STATUS! ]
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yer: Jack¡¯ O Level 10
ss: None
Title: New Leaf ughterer
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To leave the tutorial, one needed to attain level 10 and to havepleted at least 2 out of the three dungeons.
This meant that Jack already had the qualifications to leave. He would simply have to talk to the vige chief to do so.
Then why was he still here? Was it out of sympathy for his friends? Was it not to stand out too much? Was it because he felt attached to the ce? Hell the fuck no!
No, he stayed because the tutorial was one big quest, and his grading would be horrendous if he left right now. His gains would depend on his performance.
The criteria were as follow:
1. Aplishments realized
2. Combat power achieved
3. Life skill mastery attained
It just turned out that the first two points could both be realized in the dungeons. The harder the content he cleared, the better his gear AND achievements would be.
That is how the human and wolf were now preparing to storm the Fox Grove once more. The little one shuddered as it remembered how dangerous the inside was. They had already died a few times.
¡°Remember, use your nose: smell the fox¡¯s musk. That¡¯s the best way to deal with both bosses. Can you do that?¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (I¡¯ll try!¡±)
¡°I know that it¡¯s hard, but you can manage. I believe in you.¡± Jack encouraged.
Moon Moon felt a warmth course through its body. It was so lucky to have such a nice master! Even when it screwed up, he would still be there to guide it.
¡°Don¡¯t just try, do it. You¡¯re the mighty Moon Moon after all.¡± Jack confidently winked.
¡°Woo!¡± (Yes, master!)
It would have to be worthy of its name for sure! Then they entered the scary dungeon:
[Entered Dimensional Dungeon Fox Grove!]
[Difficulty = Hard]
That little difficulty change was like heaven and earth.
The general clearing strategy remained the same, but the bosses were buffed. It was as if life was breathed into them as they gained new abilities. They now had to adapt to the new boss patterns. It wasn¡¯t that bad for Jack, but it was he confusing for the wolf!
The Hunter began to blink a few meters at a time. What itcked in range, it made up with sneakiness. There were no signs at all that it would do it, and one had to rely on one¡¯s instinct to evade it.
Like any wolf, Moon Moon had naturally sharp senses, but that didn¡¯t include a prediction ability. This fight already was a huge hurdle for it. They would actually manage to clear it at times, but it depended on luck.
Did it have to be this way? Not really.
Every time the humanoid fox assassin tried to jump on Jack, he would sidestep it. This puzzled the little wolf to no end. It was as if the answer was right next to it, but it was too dumb to grasp it.
All that Jack kept repeating was:
¡°Give it time. It¡¯s normal to fail at first. You need to guess where and how your opponent is going to move. All that matters is that you never give up.¡± These words were all that kept Moon Moon struggling so much.
As for the loot? The hard version gave stuff like that:
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Umon Shadowy Belt
Rank F+
Level 10
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[Armor Rating] 2
[Armor Type] Leather
[Durability] Great (Except Light)
[Attribute] +3 AGI
[Trait] + Shadow Affinity (F)
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What did it have over the level 5 version? One armor, 1 AGI, and a slightly better trait. It was better stuff for sure, but it wasn¡¯t that big a deal either. Oh, and the random loot was still the same level 5 trash.
They were there for training, for Moon Moon¡¯s training to be exact. What gave the pet a lot of trouble was thest boss.
It was two levels above the Normal version and slightly stronger. What made it especially challenging was its new ability: Fox Mirage.
It made it so the fox would spawn clones all over the ce. The issue was that it would keep moving around, mixing with them. While they weren¡¯t dangerous, they were great distractions.
One could be bashing a fox only to realize that it was an illusion. Then the real one would appear out of nowhere for a backstab. Jack couldn¡¯t just point the enemy out because it kept changing position.
Jack needed Moon Moon to go through the fur fortress ability reliably. Without the pincer attack, his damage output was capped at 1. For a boss that was level 10, 1 damage per hit wasn¡¯t cutting it no matter how many potions one had to regenerate.
Now they were facing this guy again.
¡ª Sniff Sniff! ¡ª
¡°Woo!¡± (Victorious!)
It took a few tries, but Moon Moon finally figured it out. It was very subtle, but there was a slight difference between the original and the clones.
As soon as it managed to sense it, the sneak attacks of the boss stopped working. It would go like this:
¡ª Chomp! ¡ª
The boss would bite at Moon Moon¡¯s position only to end up with a mouthful of air.
¡°Woo!¡± (Ridicule!)
As if it would get surprised by such a smelly bastard! It felt so rewarding to be able to survive!
The rest of the fight happened without any issue. After all, as long as the little wolf wasn¡¯t dying, this wasn¡¯t too hard.
When the boss fell, Moon Moon radiated with satisfaction and pride. Its tail was wagging non-stop, and its paws were raised in what was supposed to be a V sign.
+ Random Loot!
¡°Are you ready for the next difficulty then?¡± Josh chuckled.
The little wolf gulped loudly in frightened expectations¡
Creator¡¯s Thought
Turns out that when I focus on leveling up, it doesn¡¯t take that long. The best for XP is really to kill small mobs in extreme quantities or to cheese the same boss over and over lightning-fast. I was doing both at once.
Chapter 103: Can You Really Smell It?
Chapter 103: Can You Really Smell It?
A small wolf showed an extremely stern face, itsrge eyes resting on the orange portal. Next to it was itsughing master.
"You seem so solemn. Ever thought of doing modeling?" Jack teased.
"Woo?" (Modeling?)
"Actually, we''ll have to do that 100%. I''m sure merch with your face on it would sell well." Jack said.
"Woo? Woo?!" (Face? Shirts? What?!)
"Oh, just an idea for a side hustle to make more money. Don''t worry about it." Jack reassured.
"Woo!" (That''s great!)
Moon Moon was a smart wolf. It knew by now that money was good, great even. Money was food, and money was potions. Potions were almost as great as food for a few reasons:
1. Potions taste sweet
2. Potions help beat up enemies
3. Potions are a beautiful red color
"Alright, let''s go. It will be challenging, but I believe we can do this." Jack encouraged as they stepped inside.
[Entered Dimensional Dungeon Fox Grove!]
[Difficulty = Hellish]
"Now, let''s just see the hardest content the tutorial has to offer!" Jack bellowed loudly.
This was a mistake¡ª even the spawn was full of motherfucking foxes!
"Woo!?" (Shocked!)
For once, it wasn''t the small wolf who had screwed up?! Was this possible? Well, not that it mattered too much.
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.
.
.
A deathter, they were back¡ªJack at 0% XP¡as usual (recently). Note to self: the dungeon''syout changes in the new difficulty.
"This one didn''t count," Jack muttered, slightly embarrassed.
Then they were inside again, sneaking for dear life. The whole forest was full of monsters. It was as if the Infinite gods had just turned the spawn rate from 3/10 to 10/10!
Reaching the vige was a huge pain, but they managed. Then there were the goddamn rats: they too were stronger! If before they were normal rats, they were now half-humanoid with incredibly long, sharp ws.
The party bravely watched the NPC get annihted, the scene graphically gory. They silently closed the door, forgetting about the horror happening inside. It was easy since the screams didn''tst long.
But then it happened.
¡ª CRASH! ¡ª
The door splintered as the ugly face of one of the rat-men showed up through it. These guys were level 12 and so damn numerous. The real issue was that they were no longer confined to that one room.
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Once more, they died,ing back peeved.
This time around, they threw the NPC in, grabbed the item they needed, and then ran like the wind. Were the rats out and roaming the vige? Maybe, but they wouldn''t check for sure!
The vige would most probably end up utterly destroyed. Then again, it didn''t really matter since they had ruthlessly sacrificed itsst resident.
"Moon Moon, is it me, or did you be fatter recently?" Jack suddenly remarked.
"Woo?!" (Really?!)
But the wolf quickly realized what its master meant. It sure had be fatter: its shadow had! They both knew what this meant. They were about to get attacked!
They got ready for the uing fight, prepared for a surprise attack. That''s when they felt a disturbance in the for¡ª air!
¡ª Blink! ¡ª
A humanoid fox cloaked in darkness suddenly appeared behind Jack''s back. The sharp ws went straight for his heart and¡ª missed!
"There you are! Good news Moon Moon, it seems you''ve lost weight all of a sudden!" Jack chuckled.
The creature screeched as it kept charging at him. This would be easy! He just had to be careful of the blink, the fast-paced attacks, and the ultimate shadow slice. As long as he was careful, this would soon be their victory!
"Now, let me show you the power of potions!" Jack thundered as the fight went on.
But there was something very wrong. As he drank a potion, he wasn''t the only one glowing with healing magic. Nope, his adversary also did the same.
What?! How?!
There was now a link between their two shadows on the ground. The healing was transferred through it.
"You can heal?! This is bullshit!" He vehementlyined.
Jack was getting a taste of his own medicine for the first time. How many bosses had despaired seeing the small human heal infinitely with potions? Far too many! Now the ying field was finally equalized.
Perhaps it was hypocritical of him, but he couldn''t help but feel that this was cheating. But this wouldn''t stop him from fighting.
"You want to y this game? Then we''ll fucking y this game!" He bellowed.
Next happened the most epic yetmest fight ever.
The reason was simple: they kept trading blows with extreme intensity and amazing moves¡but only did a bit of damage to one another. Then they''d just heal it all! It was unending!
But Jack had a trick up his sleeves. He stacked chicken marks on his enemy for a long fucking while.
Then, he finally dealt the finishing blow. Jack had to time it perfectly to make sure it wouldn''t blink away.
¡ª SLASH!! ¡ª
The mini-boss stared in shock as the bloody cleave removed all of its remaining HP in one go.
"That''s what happens to naughty foxes!" Jack celebrated.
"Woo!" (Congrattions!)
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Rare Shadowy Belt
Rank F+
Level 10
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[Armor Rating] 2
[Armor Type] Leather
[Durability] Great (Except Light)
[Attribute] +3 AGI
[Trait] + Shadow Affinity
[Passive] LOCKED
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Oh damn! The belt was now dropping as a rare version?! It had a locked passive too. This could only mean one thing. He was missing something to activate it.
Chances were that it would requirepleting the dungeon.
"Now we just have thest boss to deal with! Let''s do this!"
They happily journeyed toward it. How hard could it actually be? Would it also regenerate all of a sudden? They would soon see.
It was even higher level, but they could do this, right?
"Tonight, we''re eating fox hot pot!!" Jack shouted as a war cry.
"Woo?!" (What''s hotpot?!)
Wait, did it really matter? No, it was something that was eaten! The wolf couldn''t help but look forward to it. They really had to defeat the enemy now!
"Woo!" (For the hotpot!)
They charged at the imposing creature and began beating it up. Every time Jack blocked a hit, he felt his arm grow numb and his body get pushed back.
-4
-4
-4
This was a lot of fucking damage considering how well he was ying. This one would be extremely challenging!
But a few secondster, they realized the true horror of the Hellish boss. It still had the same Mirage ability¡.but this time, the clones were fucking real!
"Woo!" (Panicking)
Moon Moon was utterly confused. It focused on using its nose as it previously did, but something was odd. What the heck was this?! They all smelled the same or close now! How was this possible?!
They realized the ability''s power the hard way as the fight suddenly turned into a 2 v 20! The clones weren''t as strong as the boss, but they were such a goddamn pain!
They fought hard, but after about a minute, they were overwhelmed.
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As they respawned, Jack could only sigh. Clearing it was easy, but adequately doing so was hard as fuck! It seemed he had underestimated the tutorial once again.
"Woo?" (Inquisitive)
"What are we going to do? We''re heading to the Wolf Den now. We''lle back to Hellishter on. One thing for sure: we won''t give up." Jack exined.
Sometimes it was necessary to take a step back to progress faster. Hopefully, this next dungeon would work well¡
Chapter 104: Bullying Wolf Brothers
Chapter 104: Bullying Wolf Brothers
A man and a wolf were having a strategy meeting. Next to them was the silvery portal leading to the Wolf Den.
"Alright, so we have an issue. Our cheese is a bit too cheesy!"
"Woo!" (Nodding seriously.)
"With our current strategy, the second boss isn''t spawning at all. Because of it, we are receiving less loot. So, do you know what we''re going to do?"
"Woo!" (Less cheese!)
"Actually, a different kind of cheese! Last few runs, you were blocking Remus from spawning. This time, your goal will be to let it spawn but still steal its meal. It will require incredible timing, but I know you can do it."
"Woo!" (Heroic!)
It would make its master proud for sure! It posed proudly, showing high confidence. But a secondter, its ears suddenly twitched as it turned backward in shock. There were footsteps approaching!
"Woo." (Soft warning.)
"What? Someone''sing?" Jack stared at the nearby Wolf Progenitor. It didn''t seem to be overly on edge. Howe?
The footsteps became louder:
¡ª Tap, tap, tap ¡ª
That''s when a man turned the corner. It was an old man with a white beard and a kind face. He seemed extremely rxed as he took step after step with his flip-flops. Wait, flip-flops? He didn''t even have any armor.
The situation sure was odd. He kept moving forward as if he couldn''t see the deadly wolf boss nearby. The boss was already dripping puddles of saliva, with its maw gaping and its tail wagging in anticipation.
"Hey brother, are you lost?" Jack inquired.
"I''m precisely where I should be." The old man shook his head.
"You do know that this dungeon is level 6 and pretty hard to clear, right?" Jack asked, perplexed.
"Thanks for the concerns, but don''t worry about me. I am just entering casually, and I don''t n on clearing it." He chuckled lowly.
He kepting closer, appearing ever so rxed. Just as the wolf was about to pounce on him, he suddenly flicked his hand, sending something flying. Was that¡a piranha?! The colossal wolf instantly jumped to gobble it, showing a blissful expression.
Wow! Had this guy managed to tame the boss that easily?! That sounded so fishy! Was that even possible?! The duo couldn''t believe their eyes. Seeing them, the man silently nodded their way, about to enter the portal.
"Old man, who are you?!" Jack couldn''t help but ask.
"Just a hobby fisherman, that''s all¡." His voice echoed in the cave as he disappeared inside the rippling portal.
"¡"
"¡"
"¡"
"So there''s some random guy fishing for piranhas in a dungeon, eh? What do you think of that?" Jackughingly remarked.
"Woo!" (Excited!)
It was possible to eat piranhas?! What about theirrge teeth? Wait, it was possible to remove them! At this moment, the little wolf had a revtion. Many things could be food and just needed preparation.
"Woo!" (Begging!)
"Alright, fine. We''ll grab some."
Afterward, the two simrly went inside. Objective catch piranhas!¡ª and beating the boss fight. They were ready to kick some wolf ass!
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In the Wolf Den, two teams faced one another. This fight would have been worthy of a pay-per-view event! Seeing as there was no narration, Jack took it upon himself to do it:
"In the left corner, we have the Demon King Jack''O and his mightypanion, the fearsome Wolfgang Amadeus Moon Moon! Only their handsomeness rivals their power. Ladies at home try not to faint!"
"In the right corner, we have some random stray wolves. Romulus and Remus or something. Their special power is being delusional and thinking they stand a chance against their peerless opponents!"
"Who wille out on top! Watch now and see it for yourselves!"
Jack happily shouted it all. The bosses stared at him while growling. They didn''t need to understand human speech to feel the contempt in his voice. After all, the two bosses were only furry stepping stones in their path.
"Let''s fucking goooo!!"
"Woo!!"
¡ª HOWL!!! ¡ª
All the contestants charged at one another in a violent sh that¡. didn''t happen. Why? Because Jack and Moon Moon were running for their fucking lives!
The bosses were utterly confused. What the heck?! After all that bravado, both were running?! What was the point?
Well, this was an ancestral secret Infinite tactic for aggro generation. It was called¡being a fucking asshole!
"Catch me if you can, you rug! Heck, you''re so dirty I''d be too disgusted to even wipe my shoes on you!"
"Still drinking milk from your mother''s tits? So did my pet! Heck, he''s twice the wolf you''ll ever be!"
The wolf was swiping and biting relentlessly, but Jack managed to block all the hits.
-2
-2
-2
-2
"You''reing at me so fast, but I don''t feel a thing! Are you sure it''s in? Your ws, I mean¡."
As for Moon Moon, it was doing the very same:
"Woo!"
"Woo! Woo!"
"Woo! Woo! Woo!"
Damn! Jack couldn''t believe how awesome his pet''s trash-talking skills were. It made his own insults seem likepliments inparison! How insane was that!
Jack sighed, pride oozing off him. They grew up so fast!
But, there was only so much that Moon Moon could dodge. After all, it was fast, but so was the enemy. It couldn''t block or parry either, with the only option being to dodge.
Heck, a single hit would almost be the end too! A bright red -10 would appear as the valiant wolf winced in pain but kept running and dodging nevertheless.
Luckily, Moon Moon had a new trick up its fur! Around its neck, there was now a potion holster made with a leather strap.
Do you know how hard it is to teach a wolf to drink potions mid-battle?! The answer is he fucking hard! The problem isn''t the action per se, but not to freeze doing it.
But, where there is a will, there is a way. That Is how the new improved Moon Moon 2.0 came to be a junkie! Well, it was consuming a lot of red liquid¡.
"Perfect, just like that. Keep the aggro on that Romulus Bitch long enough for me to end the fight!" Jack gave a thumb up as he began a 1 v 1. The poor Remus was about to get its fury ass handed to it!
The fight went a bit like this:
¡ª sh sh sh! ¡ª (+ Some Cluck-Cluck)
¡ª Chomp! Chomp! Chomp! ¡ª
¡ª sh sh sh! ¡ª (+ Some Cluck-Cluck)
¡ª Chomp! Chomp! Chomp! ¡ª
¡ª Gulp! Gulp! Gulp! ¡ª
The loop would always end up with Jack drinking a potion and the enemy despairing. At some point, it began to cry out for its brother to help.
¡ª Pitiful howl! ¡ª
Sadly for it, the "Mighty Wolf" was only seeing red. It couldn''t believe that a wolf as powerful as it was wasn''t able to dispatch a reckless pup!
Driven by fury, it never realized the precarious situation of its brother, all until the poor wolf fell, violently in. Hell, it never once used a skill to help!
As master and pet began teaming up to take it down, it finally understood how deep in shit it was. But it was far toote. Then again, perhaps it had already been toote when they had first spawned.
It was time to y the tyrant¡.
Chapter 105: Kids Are Annoying
Chapter 105: Kids Are Annoying
The duo had aplished their objective. They had managed to grab piranhas!!!
"Woo!"
The little wolf was glowing as it watched its master remove the teeth of the vicious fishes. Then it happily opened its tiny mouth, full of expectations.
Jack threw one its way. As it drew an arc in the air, Moon Moon''s eyes followed it with so much anticipation. Then it caught it, doing a backflip in the process and howling in satisfaction. Why the backflip? Cause it was cool, why else!
Then came the moment of truth. Moon Moon slowly extended its paw, grabbing from a few handmade signs in front of it. It hesitated for a few seconds before hoisting a <7> in the air.
"7? Doesn''t seem that good to me. Did you add points because it''s exotic or something?" Jack asked with curiosity.
"Woo!" (Agreeing!)
The two were having fun after theirst run. They had been practicing defeating the wolf brothers with the best results possible. This was all in preparation for the hard mode. As a result, they had sessfully acquired tons of fishes¡and a bit of loot as a byproduct.
For instance, this:
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Umon Wolf Pauldron
Rank F
Level 5
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[Armor Rating] 2
[Armor Type] Leather
[Durability] Good
[Attribute] +2 SPI
[Trait] + Great Buffing Target
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The trait would increase the buffs done by allies on the yer. It was very OP (not) for a solo yer! At least the spirit was nice.
With this, his armor set was finallypleted! The only issue was that a big part of it was still level 5 gear.
But, as long as he managed to clear the remaining dungeons, it would be fine. This was because the instances and events were truly the best sources of gear in the tutorial.
He thought getting a full set would have made him emotional, but theck of earrings or ne had kinda rendered it banal in his eyes. It truly was true that human greed knew no bounds!
"Anyway, are you ready for the hard run?"
"Woo!"
But the little wolf was a smart one. It suddenly jumped in shock as it suddenly realized something very important.
"What is it?"
"Woo!" (Excited!)
Wouldn''t the fishes in hard mode be even tastier than the usual ones?! This could possibly change EVERYTHING! Perhaps it would bring the meat tastiness from a 7 to a 8¡or even a 9?!
That is how the two entered the dungeon again. This time they once more bulldozed through it. Sure, they were spending a bit of time fishing, but other than that, it was smooth sailing.
What about the stronger mini-boss? Well, it was still cowardly, but it wasn''t so easy to convince it to lead the way anymore. It also had a berserker state.
Jack and Moon Moon could only gasp as they saw it turn berserk and be a full-blown werewolf. Oh, but not the kind that would live in a twilight fairytale. Nope, this guy looked ugly, aggressive, bulky, and flea-infested!
But even as they gasped, there wasn''t much fear. After all, Jack had once again convinced the vigers to follow him.
Let''s just say that the mini-boss was as impressive as short-lived. Heck, they didn''t wait for the transformation to be over. They used an old but proven genius strategy: hit it till it fucking dies!
There was of the mystery and the mightiness associated with werewolves. There was only a mutt getting put down, clobbered to death. The creature perished with tears and blood flooding its fur.
Post-fight, Jack happily turned toward his troops while ready to celebrate:
"Good job, you all! Now, who wants some werewolf meat?"
It was supposed to be a nice gesture, but they all began throwing up violently instead of thanking him. They were even coughing while doing so and staring at him as if he was a madman.
Turning back, he realized that the creature had changed shape. It wasn''t a monstrosity anymore but looked to be the harmless old man they knew. Oh well.
"Y-you!"
"My bad. It seems the evil has left its body. Since that''s the case, I will give him a proper funeral. You guys should go ahead. I will join you all in a second."
"No, we''ll help and¡ª"
"No need, I got this. Since he''s now human, he deserves a proper farewell. I know a divine technique to increase his status in the afterlife, but I swore that I wouldn''t show anyone¡." Jack lied through his teeth.
"R-really?!"
"Thank you so much!"
"We''ll go now and wait for you!"
They all happily left, relief visible on their faces. A few still felt bad because of the human appearance of the body. It was understandable. As for this promise? As if Jack would care one bit.
As soon as they were gone, he began butchering the corpse with Moon Moon approvingly watching on. A retching sound came from a short distance just as it was done. Jack gestured to his pet, who charged straight at the noise.
¡ª Jump! ¡ª
As Jack followed, he witnessed Moon Moon tackling an NPC youngster lying in a pile of his vomit.
"Hey there." Jack gently waved.
In the kid''s eyes, there was a pure terror as he looked at the two of them, but there was also something else. There was incredible hate. What Jack had done was unforgivable!
"Y-you, You monster!" He cried out.
"Monster? Why? You guys are the ones that killed him. All I''m doing is making sure the body doesn''t needlessly rot away. The flesh will be put to good use, don''t worry." Jack exined.
"Woo!" (Very tasty use!)
"No way! No fucking way! I''ll tell them all! I''ll tell them all what you''ve done!" The kid shouted hysterically.
What would happen if the kid really did so? Jack would lose the 30 NPC for sure, but it would be worse than that. There was a chance that they would hunt them. They weren''t that strong, but strong enough to be a huge pain.
"Is there any chance that you''ll change your mind? Let''s keep this a secret between us, alright?" Jack gently whispered.
"N-no way!" The kid was obviously scared but, surprisingly, wouldn''t budge.
"Then I guess the logical option is just to kill you." Jack shrugged.
"Haha, my father saw mee over here! He''ll know for sure! You''ll be hunted and brought to justice!" He heatedly shouted.
Righteous people sure were troublesome at times. This kid was especially annoying. Still wet behind the ears and daring to challenge him?
"Woo?!" (Confused)
On the side, Moon Moon couldn''t understand what the hell was going on. Why was he mad about the butchering? Butchering gave food, and food was good! It looked at the kid as if he had a screw loose.
"You''ll tell no matter what?" Jack sighed.
"Yes, you''re done! You can run, but you can''t hide. We''ll find you, and it will be over for you!" He shouted with the confidence of a victor.
"Is that so? Fine by me." Jack gave what could only be considered an evil grin.
He approached the kid and drove a piece of raw human flesh down his throat before he could react. Then he forced him to swallow.
As the kid felt the meat go down his throat, he felt sick. He threw up¡ª or tried. Jack held his mouth closed until the kid had no choice but to swallow it back. As Jack let go, the kid was a crying disgusting mess on the ground.
"There you go. You tell them about the butchering, and I''ll tell them about you eating the elder. Sounds good, doesn''t it?" Jack cackled.
As the youngster looked up, he saw the devil winking at him. At this moment, he felt such intense dread. He would have nightmares for years toe!
[Achievment: caused profound trauma to an NPC!]
[Will persist even after instance reset!]
[Demon King Title now affects NPCs]
[Please tone down the NPC bullying!]
Seeing this, Jack couldn''t help but erupt in sonorousughter.
Moon Moon quickly copied its master. They wouldn''t be chased, and they would keep the newly acquired meat. This was why they were celebrating, right?!
That is how they soon returned to the viger group. They clearly saw the state of the youngster and couldn''t help but worry.
"Toby?! What happened to you?! Are you alright?!"
The kid wasn''t sure what to answer. He couldn''t speak, or his life would be over. The devil would tell everyone that he was a monster. Even if they forgave him, it would never be the same.
But even if he couldn''t tell the truth, he had to reply, right?! But as he was agonizing on what to say, Jack spoke once more.
"Oh, don''t worry about him. He peeped and saw the god of death bring the soul away as a VIP. Death looks very scary, you know. That''s why people aren''t supposed to watch." Jack nonchntly "exined".
"Of course."
"Makes sense."
"He shouldn''t have spied."
The vigers were all agreeing as they looked at the youngster with me in their eyes. How would they have reacted had they known the truth? It soon became worse:
"Hero, please forgive him!"
"Yes, he''s young and doesn''t know better."
"He won''t do it again. C''mon, apologize Toby!"
The youngster was having trouble breathing on the side. What kind of bullshit was this guy saying?! How could a human being be so horrible? No, this guy definitely wasn''t human.
"It''s fine, I understand. Don''t mind it too much." Jack magnanimously replied.
As the NPCs were praising how kindhearted he was, he wasughing to himself. This would be one memorable life lesson for the kid.
Anyway, it was time for the final fight: hard mode¡.
Chapter 106: Hard Wolf Den Is Hard!
Chapter 106: Hard Wolf Den Is Hard!
In the Wolf Den Dungeon, two fearless warriors were about to face a new challenge.
This would be their first time fighting the twin wolf brothers at HARD. They had practiced as much as possible in the Normal version, and they couldn''t be readier.
"Make sure to keep dodging. If you need a potion refill, just howl twice, and I''ll throw you some. Good?"
"Woo!"
Moon Moon raised a paw, its eyes shing with resolve. On that note, they began the Boss fight, with the two bosses spawning in a silvery sh.
< Romulus the Mighty Lv 10 ?>
< Remus the Forgotten Lv 10 ?>
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
Their howling was supposed to be intimidating, but they were weed with scorn and ridicule instead.
"Pfft¡ª what''s the point of howling? Are you supposed to be scary? Oh, my bad, oh no, I''m scared." Jack said in the most deadpan voice.
"Woo! Woo!"
"You''re right. Your left paw is scarier than both of thembined. After all, you''re not all howlpared to them." Jack nodded in agreement.
¡ª GRRR!!¡ª
The wolves growled as they lost their temper and charged at them. Thus started yet another game of wolf and block for Jack.
Then he slowly but surely whittled the life of Remus one sh at a time. Blood puddles slowly formed on the ground, with the devil''s smile bingrger andrger.
Then it was time for the finishing blow: "Take this foul beast!" Jack mercilessly went to cut its head whole. But his Cluckinator suddenly stopped dead in its track. It was as if the creature''s neck had be harder than steel!
¡ª CLANG!¡ª
"Now fucking what?! Guess that''s the new change in hard, eh?!" He cautiously observed.
A silvery light suddenly overflowed from the other boss as it flew toward its brother.
Under the human''s horrified eyes, Remus began to regenerate all its HP. No matter how much he tried to finish the job, the boss was invincible!
Oh god. What about all the hard work up to this point?! What about all the potions wasted? It was such a goddamn shame!
The light finally receded, and they were back to square one, minus the mental exhaustion, of course. Seeing this would have rendered anyone despondent, well, almost anyone.
"I see. So you can heal? Let''s see how many times you can do it!" Jack bellowed as he began fighting once more.
.
.
.
.
A few minutester, he had toe to terms with reality.
It turned out that the boss would always heal as long as its brother was alive¡ª and vice versa. How could it be possible to clear this then? They would have to kill both of them at once.
Jack quickly lowered Remus''s HP before turning to Moon Moon.
"Switch, you take the aggro on this one now, and I''ll fight your opponent!" He instructed.
"Woo!" (Yes, master!)
Then they quickly rotated. With Moon Moon getting to work with the insults as usual:
"Woo!"
"Woo! Woo!"
"Woo! Woo! Woo!"
But no matter what it did, the boss kept attacking Jack''O. This was normal because he had done so much damage to it before.
This meant that Jack had to endure attacks from both sides.
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
Every hit made his arm shake, and he could feel his bones vibrating. Goddamnit, this was endless! He didn''t have a single opportunity to counter nor drink a potion!
"Hurry up and damage it a bit! Otherwise, I won''tst!" He shouted.
"Woo!"
Moon Moon began biting and wing with all its power. But that''s when tragedy struck. Or, more precisely, Remus the bloodthirsty wolf devoured.
The little wolf could survive when it was using 100% of its energy to run away. Now that it was attacking, it was in an incredibly precarious situation. It was so close to the enemy that it couldn''t dodge.
The boss did a quick attackbo:
-10
-9
-11
That was enough to reduce Moon Moon''s HP to zero. It disappeared with a sorrowful wail. It had failed its master!
Jack was left alone, 1 v 2, and thoroughly screwed! This clear was now 100% impossible, even for him.
"Guess I''ll die." He could only shrug, resolving himself to the inevitable.
But even if he was about to perish, it didn''t mean that his will would falter one bit. He turned toward the creatures to insult them onest time.
"Come and kill me, you smelly dogs! I''ll be back to pluck all your fur and whoop your goddamn¡ª"
His tirade was stopped by an enormous maw gulping his body whole.
¡ª Chomp! ¡ª
It was a bloody end fit for a man that had been taunting the creatures for thest couple of minutes.
Thus was the end of Jack''O, for now¡
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Somewhere else in the New Leaf forest, a party was currently at a loss before an orange dungeon.
"How the fuck are we supposed to clear the Fox Grove?!" A member of the mighty wolves eximed.
"We should probably copy the boss. He managed to freaking solo it!"
"What is there to copy?! He doesn''t do anything peculiar. He just steamrolls it all!"
That is when the CPR dude solemnly looked at them all:
"Actually, I do have a n."
They all rejoiced:
"What really?!"
"What does it involve?!"
"Anything I can do to help!"
They were so eager as they opened their ears wide, making sure not to miss anything.
"Here''s what we''ll do." He turned to the pink-haired girl nearby. "Please message your teacher and beg him to help! Our sanity depends on it!" He cried out as he bowed deeply.
Seraphine could only sigh. She had been expecting it already but wasn''t sure if he would agree.
"I can try, but he seems super busytely¡." But she stopped giving excuses as she saw their gazes full of hope.
She expertly began tapping the air in front of her:
¨C Seraphine: We''ve been farming the Fox Grove. Do you have any tips?
¨C Jack''O: That sure is a broad question¡
¨C Seraphine: Do you have any tips for surviving the foxes?! They show up every time we take out a potion.
¨C Jack''O: ¡¥_(¥Ä)_/¡¥ Don''t use any potion¡..
¨C Seraphine: Let me guess, the trick is to not get hit?
¨C Jack''O: Smart girl.
¨C Seraphine: What about the assassin boss? Ites out of nowhere.
¨C Jack''O: Then be especially wary against nowhere.
¨C Seraphine: -_- Last thing. How the heck did you beat the level 20 boss?! Asdewqfwe?!
¨C Jack''O: I didn''t ;). Are you having a stroke or something?
¨C Seraphine: Yes, I''m getting one reading your answers!
¨C Jack''O: Hehe, alright. I''ll being over for a second. You guys will be perfect.
As she read hisst message, she couldn''t help but show shock.
"What did he say?!" Her party members eagerly asked.
"Apparently, he''sing over¡." She murmured.
Instantly it was as if they had been injected with chicken blood as they began cheering. Their enthusiasm sure was contagious! They couldn''t believe it.
"Hell yes!"
"He''s going to show us how to clear the dungeon!"
"Fucking jackpot! With him leading the way, we''ll be unstoppable!"
But as Seraphine saw them bounce around in happiness, she couldn''t help but worry a little. What was that ominousst line?
They would be perfect? Did he need more cannon fodders or something?!¡.
Chapter 107: Cheering Moon Moon Up
Chapter 107: Cheering Moon Moon Up
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The mighty wolves were akin to kids excitedly waiting for their friends toe over. They didn''t know what to do with their body as they walked back and forth.
As soon as they noticed the approaching neers, they stood at attention in a respectful pose. This was the illustrious leader of their faction and its unholy guardian beast!
"Wee, Sir! We can''t wait to work with you today!" CPR dude happily uttered.
But seeing this, the Demon King raised a brow.
"Working? Naw, I got my own stuff to do. I don''t have any time to y with you in such a low-level dungeon." Jack instantly denied.
They all sucked a cold breath. It hadn''t even been a week since the game had been released. Most yers wouldn''t even think about trying to run this instance for a few reasons:
1. Most weren''t level 5 yet
2. It required decent gear to even think of running it
3. To fight the bosses, one needed plenty of potions
4. The mechanics were way too hard for a beginner dungeon!
Then again, it did render it meaningful. It wasn''t like the games that would have the first dungeon be a walking tutorial.
Still, they couldn''t help but be curious.
"Boss, quick question, what level are you now?" One asked what they all wondered.
In their minds, he was bound to be level 8 or perhaps even 9, right? Even while considering that every level up was harder, it had been a few days since he had cleared a level 7 dungeon.
"Obviously level 10. Anyway, tell me about all the problems you guys have been having." Jack ordered.
Level 10?! Obviously?! How was that obvious?! At that moment, they realized that they had once more underestimated him. But since he wanted them to share their issues, they would gleefully do it.
The strong-looking party turned into small kids telling their dad about how they had been bullied at school.
"The foxes are horrible!"
"They don''t even let us rest!"
"Why is that NPC so useless?!"
"Yes, no matter what, he just keeps talking on and on and on!"
As theyined, the irony totally escaped them. They were also babbling non-stop, akin to that NPC.
As soon as they were done, they saw Jack p his hands before turning to his pet.
"See? What did I tell you? It''s not you that''s useless but the dungeons that are challenging. With all of them, they can''t even do it. Don''t be too hard on yourself" He rubbed its small fury head reassuringly.
Moon Moon had been hanging its little head low in the background. It had even been softly and sorrowfully crying at times.
"Woo¡" (Depressed.)
It now seemed that it had been sulking from a defeat. Jack had wanted to cheer it up¡.by showing it that it wasn''t the only failure around?! They were the ones used for that example? Talk about a low blow!
Moon Moon raised its head and locked its gaze with them before slightly sneering. Even a wolf was looking down on them now?! It wasughing at their struggles?!
The mighty wolves gasped as they eximed:
"Wait, we''re weaker than the leader''s pet?!"
"Holy shit! This is a first for sure."
"Should we feel bad?"
"We should git gud!"
They felt a shiver run down their spine. How crazy strong was Jack''O for even his pet to be able to look down on them?! Talk about a mascot worthy of Demonic Legion, a true demonic wolf!
As they were still bbergasted, Jack addressed them:
"When inside the dungeon, you have to observe your surroundings carefully. From every corner of the vige to the very shadows under your feet. Only then can youplete it." He winked at them.
Then without saying anything, he casually waved them goodbye and left toward the vige. They weren''t sure what to do. Wasn''t he going to give them any more info?!
Seraphine gave onest look at the leaving wolf. It was one thing for her to be defeated by the mysterious Jack''O, but his pet?! Hell no!
At this moment, she swore to herself that she would get stronger, way stronger. After all, there was no way that a former pro gamer like her could be weaker than a goddamn pet!
"Let''s go. He already told us plenty. We have to watch our shadows and do something in the vige. As for the boss, apparently we aren''t supposed to fight it at full power." She instructed.
They all disappeared inside the orange portal. This time for sure, they would clear it¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
A second after leaving, Jack turned toward the proud Moon Moon. After witnessing how much trouble the other braves were having, its ego was at an all-time high.
"Don''t get too cocky either. Do you know why?"
"Woo?!" (Shock.)
The little wolf came back to its senses. It had been daydreaming about defeating an army of braves that wanted to attack its master. What did its master ask again?!
"You can''t sulk from a defeat, but you can''t be arrogant either. So far, what we have aplished is nothing in light of all there is to do in Infinite. Do you understand?"
"Woo!" (Nodding!)
Jack nodded, satisfied seeing how serious his pet was, but soon nked. What the fuck were these guys doing?
They were now at the New Leaf in. Next to the chicken dungeon''s entrance, yers were assembled in a circle. They were shouting toward the center as their bodies hid whatever lied there.
"Go, Titan. You can do this!"
"Fight back, Joey, you got this!"
"I bet it''s gonna end up as a tie!"
"A tie? Are you crazy?! Joey is 100%ing on top!"
There seemed to be a duel going on? Jack couldn''t help but feel curious about it. Duels weren''t rare at all, but why were they fighting here? The training ground was right next to them!
Jack very gently pushed his way amidst the crowd to get a better view. Feeling his touch, a woman instantly turned around before bellowing:
"Stop pushing, bastard! If you continue, I''ll shout that you''re sexually harassing me!" She sneered, appearing very domineering.
Sexual harassment? All he had done was push a bit. Jack simply stared at her, giving her a radiant smile. As she saw his face, she turned pale as her brain seemed to stop working.
"Y-y-you!"
"Me-me-me?" Jack raised a brow.
"Y-you''re, y-you''re!"
"I''m? Are you going toplete your sentence?"
She couldn''t utter aplete sentence, but she could move her legs as quickly as possible. She tripped over other yers in her confusion, sending them tumbling akin to bowling pins.
"Hey, watch where you''re¡ª" But then they would also notice the man behind her. "T-the Demon King!"
This shout was instantly heard by the others that turned Jack''s way. After that, he was able to just walk straight toward the middle.
The fighters in the middle ignored themotion entirely as they attacked one another with the ferocity of bloodthirsty animals. Well, this much was normal. The so-called Titan and Joey were chickens?!
Jack turned toward the crowd.
"So, who''s organizing this in MY New Leaf." He growled.
The yers all took a step back, leaving a lone yer behind. They knew shit was about to hit the fan¡
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[A/N] It''s been a few chaps since this novel started. What part of it do you guys especially like? I want to write a novel that you all will enjoy. There hasn''t been much feedback. Here are a few points:
1. Dungeon described in detail or skimmed? Normal, Hard, and Hellish
2. Thoughts on the random yers'' reactions.
3. Introducing more side characters or more focus on Jack?
4. Also, what races do you want to see in the next arc after the tutorial?
Chapter 108: Chicken Fight Club
Chapter 108: Chicken Fight Club
On the New Leaf ins, a single yer was facing another as a crowd huddled together in the back.
Jack rested his gaze on the man responsible for the chicken fighting ring. He was a youngd with big dreams and too little sense. He wore a colorful red outfit that wasn''t armor for sure.
"So you''re the one to me for this?" Jack simply stated.
The youngster suddenly tensed. He wasn''t one to cower in front of others, yet he did. The man, no the being in front of him was the freaking Demon King!
He looked so nonchnt, but his eyes were full of overwhelming power. How could one''s eyes be powerful?! It shouldn''t be, and yet that''s what he felt. But even as he slowly bent his straight back, the youngster kept making eye contact:
"Greetings, this ce is called Bloody Chicks. The finest establishment of chicken fights in the entire Infinite!" He forced himself to utter clearly.
"Establishment? I don''t see any establishment. All I see is a couple of yers circle jerking to white chicks shaking their asses."
It took all the man''s self-control not to choke at that moment. What the heck was up with this phrasing?!
"We didn''t have time for anything better. It can''t be helped¡chickens take a while to tame." He mumbled under his breath.
"It takes YOU a while to tame them." Jack corrected. A true tamer could have done it before the thing could have said Cluck! "Let me guess. You''ve been making a profit on these?" His smile was void of warmth.
The youngster felt the weight of that smile. Lie? Tell the truth? Fake a heart attack? Could he even trick this devil? No, excuses wouldn''t do.
"Y-yes, Sir. I''ve made 42 credits as a cut."
"How long did that take?"
"T-three days of preparation, and today I collected."
Four days for 40 credits? This sure was pitiful. He could make more in a single dungeon run. But was this all that this could do? A few yers had thought of something simr in the past, but would the local powers allow this? Hell no!
Also, try exining to an NPC that the profits are collected in Credits. Fastest way to end up in jail¡ª or worse! Reverence for the braves? What about it? Could it be eaten?!
"Hehe, kid. Do you know what will happen to you?" Jack chuckled icily.
Instantly the youngster''s hair stood on his arms as he gulped loudly. "H-how about I give the earnings to you, and we just consider the whole thing an experiment?" He tentatively asked.
"Nope, you''re screwed, kid." The man turned deathly white. "Follow me to ept your punishment." Jack grinned.
Would he just ept his fate? Yes, yes, he would. This man had singlehandedly driven a guild away from the game. Mighty Dragons? More like Cowardly Dra-Fucking-Gone!
His heart thumped loudly as the Demon King brought him to the training grounds. What? This was a safe zone. Was he going to force him into a public beat down? His heart thumped so loudly that he almost didn''t hear the conversation with the NPC.
"Hey, Igor! I want to erect a building in the New Leaf ins. Can I?"
"If you want to have it torn down by the vige chief, then sure, ROFL."
"¡.ROFL? Braves are a bad influence on you. Anyway, can I build something here then?"
"HERE!? In MY training grounds?! You dare!" He bellowed loudly, startling every yer in the tutorial.
"You''ll get your cut."
"Hahaha, of course I don''t mind. I''m sure that you''ll add something that will benefit us all. Am I right!" He heartilyughed, having done aplete 180.
Jack then turned toward the yers nearby. It just turned out that many were staring at him in awe. These were the brainwash¡ª enlightened members of D.L., as seen by their emblem.
"All of you. I need people to build me an arena. I want it to look professional and to be done ASAP. Who''s up to the task?!" Hearing Jack''s shout, countless replied.
"The Demon King calls for aid! And Roman will answer!"
"This will be the most wicked arena ever!"
"Now is the time to prove our loyalty!"
"We''ll raze the entire forest if need be!"
Oh, and they were all fucking shouting. It was as if they were worried that the world wouldn''t know of their heroic deed. Was this the equivalent of posting charity pics on Instantgram? Nope, they were just he motivated!
Many more yers ran over as if ants attracted by honey. Some wanted to repay his benevolence. Others were after the rewards that would inevitably follow. Many genuinely wished to repay D.L. for the guidance.
Amidst the crowd, many newbies had just joined the game. They watched this event happen in bbergasted awe.
"W-what is this?!"
"Is that a new quest?"
"Why''s everyone going there?!"
The old-timers could only chuckle while sneering.
"This, newbie, is the Demon King''s call. You won''t find it in any other vige."
"They say every vige has its fair share of hidden tiger and crouching dragons¡."
"Haha, in New Leaf, even if they exist, they won''t even dare breath loudly! That''s how dominating this guy is!"
Jack was contentedly nodding. So many strapping ves! He sped the shoulder of the chicken guy. He could barely breathe at this sudden reversal:
"Alright, I''m counting on you. You better maximize the profits. If you screw up, don''t bother logging back." Perhaps only he could utter such a threat so casually yet so effectively.
"All of you, once the construction is done, you can get free sausages from the faction, enjoy the arena freely for a day, plus a VIP status! Take care!" He waved as he and a little wolf disappeared into the chicken dungeon.
As soon as he left, the shouts thundered even louder.
"Let''s have it done before hees back!"
"Can we build it? Yes, we can!"
"Hell yeah!"
They all charged toward the forest like capitalists smelling money. But instead of making toilet paper with that wood, it would be a glorious unholy arena!
As for seeding before he came back? This was bound to be a failure. Somehow, 10 minutester, he was already out, his handsome shadow now adorning brand new earrings.
But only a few saw it. He was akin to a mirage as he instantly went back in¡
Chapter 109: Hellish Chicken Run
Chapter 109: Hellish Chicken Run
As soon as man and wolf entered the dungeon, they instantly noticed how heavy the air was.
[Entered Dimensional Dungeon Chicken Trial Pce!]
[Difficulty = Hellish!]
The whole ce was softly pulsating red, the red of danger, the same red the exploding chickens had shown before. But then the two realized with horror that they too were glowing!
Jack could imagine the countdown till their death. It went Tick-tock, Tick-Tock! Without hesitating, he darted forward.
The Normal and Hard difficulties had consisted of 4 challenges:
1. Chicken Parkour
2. Wack-A-Chicken!
3. Dodge Feather
4. Chicken Puzzle.
As for Hellish?! It was truly Hell-Fucking-Lish! Itbined them all into one trial of doom!
Heck, this made that one Americans and Ninjas show seem like a walk in the park. Everything was out to get them!
There were so manyyers to that one challenge that it became so damn ridiculous!
1. Pictureplex 3D parkour maneuvers hard to aplish.
2. Add a timer since you''ve been turned into a living bomb. One now needed to reach specific checkpoints before time ran out.
3. Add Chickens popping out of the walls and floor that need to be promptly whacked. Miss one, and you fall.
4. Furthermore, add one sniper chicken at the top throwing deadly feathers at you!
What do you get? Freaking PTSD!
Is that a Cluck?! NO! Make it stop! Before long, any challenger would inevitably turn into a broken mess utterly terrified of chickens¡ª or that''s what should have happened.
Jack experienced true horror. He kept perishing as he began softly humming: "Hello darkness my old~" dying instantly afterward, over and over again. Heck, he was dying even more often than that one famous silver-haired elf Simp.
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©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
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.
¡ª Missed a step, body broke on impact. ¡ª
.
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©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
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¡ª Pecked to death by a surprise chicken. ¡ª
.
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©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
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¡ª 9/11 reenactment, explosion and all!¡ª
.
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©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
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¡ª Impaled by deadly feathers! ¡ª
.
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©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
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Heck, thest one could have warranted a movie. Chicken Sniper, The most lethal sniper in the Chicken history [12.25.14]
Even after so many deaths, Jack and Moon Moon weren''t despairing. No, instead, they were akin to volcanoes about to send their hot creamyva on everything and everyone around!
"Woo!" (Outraged!)
These damn chickens were so annoying! What kind of grudge did they have against them?! They were attacking from all sides! Also, that red light was the worst! Also, also, it would show them its wolfish power!!
"Woo!" (Fighting Spirit!)
"You''re right. We gotta show them their ce! Will mere chickens defeat us? Hell no! Tonight we''re feasting their soft flesh!"
"Woo!" (War Cry!)
After such a powerful speech, everything would obviously go well!¡ª Nope, they died some more. But a few triester, they finally managed to reach the room''s exit. They stood proudly, gazing at the paltry poultry, now below them!
"You thought you could stop us?! You were wrong, you damn chicks! It only took us 54 tries too!" Jack bellowed loudly.
"Woo!" (Victorious!)
They had shown the chickens who was boss! The little wolf nced at its amazing master nearby. Pride and warmth filled its little heart; they had ovee another obstacle together!
In front of them, there was a chicken statue, one that appeared to be fiery red as it glowed in an otherworldly red light giving it a celestial aura.
1. In Normal, that statue had spawned.
2. In Hard, it had opened its eyes and its wings.
3. In Hellish, it now looked like a divine chicken.
Jack couldn''t help but mumble upon seeing this:
"This statue has just gone from level 1 crook to level 100 mafia boss. All it took was two more difficulties."
Moon Moon was observing it with eyes shimmering with awe and was even tentatively approaching its paw.
"Hehe, don''t worry. One day you will look even more epic than this chicken." Josh reassured.
It would?! How amazing would that be! It would be a divine wolf and journey across the world with its master. They would defeat countless enemies and eat the most delicious meat!
"Alright, let''s see what awaits inside." Jack fearlessly chuckled as he pressed his hand on the statue.
As soon as he did, it opened its beak and began clucking madly:
¡ª Cluck! ¡ª
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª
With every Cluck, the red aura became more profound, and it extended to the two, enveloping them. It began pulsating, akin to the heartbeat of an enormous titan. Then a secondter, they were gone from the room,nding in a dark space.
¡ª Thump! Thump!¡ª
"Woo?!" (Alert!)
The little wolf turned and twisted, warily eying their surroundings. What was happening?! But then it felt it. There was a presence looming over, one that reminded it of a god¡ª yet wasn''t one? What?!
¡ª Thump! Thump!¡ª
"Hehe, this is gonna be one hell of a fight! No matter what happens, don''t falter!" Jack shouted.
"Woo!" (Valiant!)
¡ª Thump! Thump!¡ª
That is when it appeared. It all started with a tiny spark spawning a distance away. But it instantly began to blow up as if gasoline had been thrown in an inferno. The fire spread amidst the air, getting bigger and bigger!
¡ª Thump! Thump!¡ª
Then, it took a colossal and mighty form under the two''s eyes. Even Jack couldn''t help but gasp at it, the scalding heat cooking his skin until well-done.
¡ª Thump! Thump!¡ª
The explosion took the form of a giant beating heart!
¡ª Thump! Thump!¡ª
The thing''s presence was overwhelming. It was as if they were confronted with an ancestral being that could squash them with its mere thumping.
< Ancestral Fiery Chicken''s Heart Lv 20! ????? >
It mightily floated in the air, brightening the surroundings with an aura of doom. They stood on a stone tform inscribed with chickens.
For an instant, everything was still. It was as if the heart had ceased to exist, and they too were frozen. But then reality came crashing back.
The heart thumped, truly thumped, for the very first time!
It was loud, it was omnipresent, it was ancient!
It shook them to their very core.
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
That is when the Hellish fight began, in one fiery ze¡.
Chapter 110: Jack Vs Heart (1/3)
Chapter 110: Jack Vs Heart (1/3)
That is when the Hellish fight began, in one fiery ze¡.
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
The entire realm shook, the air as hot as a furnace and the stone tform tilting slightly. The human and the wolf tensed as they stared at the giant ming heart in the air.
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
Along with that powerful resonating beating, balls of mes spawned near the heart, soon transforming into¡.chickens?! Those were goddamn ming chickens! A secondter, it began raining down on them.
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
The ming chicken projectiles were fast, he fast!
Jack quickly threw himself on the side, the area he had just left already charred burning rock. Death came from above, and they were fucking getting out of there!
The two ran, no sprinted. Their survival instinct kicked in as they knew that they couldn''t stop for even a second. Rock shrapnels exploded all over, mming against them, reminding them of how close of a call it was.
In their wake, they left a sea of fire, one that consumed all, one that nothing could resist. As fiery chickens kept relentlessly being thrown, they felt trapped. It was as if no matter what they did, there would never be an end.
"Woo!" (Panicking!)
Moon Moon was going crazy. What was all that?! There was fire everywhere. FIRE!!! It knew fire to be a good thing. Fire allowed one to cook meat, and cooked meat was good. But this, this?! This was too much fire! Way too much fire!
"Just keep running. It has to end at some point. Hopefully, that point will happen before we die."
Hearing its master''s voice worked wonder. He was right. It would do its best, for his sake. It had to make it proud. It had too! It resolved itself, even raising its head high up as it ran, howling.
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
Jack grinned. This howl didn''t contain any worry, or confusion, only a deep conviction. They would fight until the end, no matter what end awaited them.
By now, the entire arena had been turned into a sea of fire¡ª or close. Only a few spots were remaining. They were trapped.
All that existed in this realm was the tform, and the fire, and their sorry asses trying to survive it. As for the exterior of the area? There was nothing, only an endless void.
Then they ran out of ces to stand. The fire began to consume them at an incredibly rapid pace. The inferno clung to their bodies, causing red damage numbers to appear non-stop.
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
"It seems it''s the end for us, my friend."
"Woo!" (Disappointed.)
The now ming wolf hung its head low, huddling next to its master. As usual, they would perish together.
Mission failed, we''ll get them next time.¡ª or not?
Suddenly, a gush of fresh air engulfed them as the fire disappeared. They had somehow survived the first round?! Sharing a look, they began chugging potions, warily ncing at the boss.
It was unmoving, it was silent, it just floated there. Somehow it seemed listless as it didn''t beat anymore. Then it slowly floated down, with the grace of an unsullied tissue.
"I''m not sure what''s happening, but in doubt, you know what to do¡.FUCK IT UP!"
"Woo!"
The two charged at it as they began swinging Cluckinator and ws, respectively. A puff of red would escape the creature with every attack as if a ghost very slowly getting exorcised.
But it suddenly started floating again, slowly rising out of their reach. In the sky, it then began to beat again, increasingly louder.
¡ª Thump! ¡ª
¡ª Thump! Thump! ¡ª
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
That''s when they knew the fight was resuming.
As if prompted by some divine power, the altar they were standing on began rumbling. It almost felt like they were on the belly of an ancestral titan waking up.
¡ª CRACK! ¡ª
¡ª Rumble!¡ª
Suddenly the rock began cracking at ces, with pirs rising. They all had different shapes. Some were tall, some were thin, some were straight, and some incredibly distorted.
"I''m not sure I like this, not gonna lie."
"Woo!" (Agreeing!)
What would happen this time around? The two awaited anxiously. But it turned out that it was some more of the earlier attacks as more ming projectiles spawned.
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
That''s when the rain of fire resumed. So what if they had survived the first wave? That heart just wouldn''t give up that easily!
"Stay next to me and remain near the fiery birds," Jack instructed.
"Woo!?" (Confused.)
Were they going to fight back? Should it be ready to pounce on the fire chickens? The chicken part was easy. The issue was the fire part. Fire was hot, really hot!
"We have to be careful on how we spread the fire," Jack exined.
This was the new n. They had to dodge fast but run slow¡ªthis way, the entire arena wouldn''t get overrun by residual mes.
"Woo!" (Pained)
Moon Moon was having an issue. It could avoid just fine when running at full speed, but now it had to stay near its master. At least, it was managing to avoid a direct hit, even when it felt its fur and skin burning.
Jack did his best to help his pet, bottling in augh. Right now, Moon Moon''s ass was literally on fire! It made for a tragic yet ridiculous sight.
But there was good news; most of the arena was free of fire, just in time for the next round to start. Seemingly noticing that its attacks were neither connecting nor pushing them too far into a corner, the heart got angry.
"Holy shit, that thing''s mad! Get ready!"
"Woo!"
They weren''t sure how, but they could both sense that something huge wasing. It began to thump increasingly fast, with new projectiles spawning every time. There weren''t just a few either, but countless!
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
The two could only stare in shock at the beating heart and the red sky, illuminated by the many projectiles just floating there.
That''s when they felt the heart''s gaze on them. This time it was killing them¡
Chapter 111: Jack Vs Heart (2/3)
Chapter 111: Jack Vs Heart (2/3)
The sky was illuminated red from the countless ming projectiles hovering around the fiery heart.
Master and pet gulped as they felt the boss lock right unto them. How?! They didn''t fucking know! But, they could sense impending doom approaching as it resumed beating.
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
Following their master''smand, a dozen projectiles flew their ways in arcs. But this time, it was different, and not just a small difference either. These things were freaking homing!
"Oh crap, follow my lead!" Jack shouted as he fled as fast as he could.
"Woo!" (Heroic!)
But was it possible to outrun these projectiles? Nope. Could they be dodged? Not really either. The only solution was to block them.
Jack ran for the nearest stone pir.
He stood in front of one as he waited, checking its surface. He had the time to notice the chicken engravings and even how there seemed to be some writing. He even had the time to evaluate the weight of the thing.
He sensed the attacks approaching, and he could already feel the scorching heat on his back. But even then, he waited. He waited until it was almost toote. That''s when he finally acted.
As he threw himself behind the pir, Moon Moon followed, and so did the projectiles. But, thetter exploded on the damn rock.
They had survived, but the rock hadn''t. It had been broken into pieces and melted: this could have been them.
"Woo?!" (Shocked!)
Moon Moon stared at the scene of destruction while shaking. This had been so close. Also, what was wrong with this red thing in the sky?! Fire was for cooking! This wasn''t freaking cooking! Was it mad?!
"C''mon, we have to run." Jack hurriedly reminded.
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
As the heart thumped again, more projectiles were thrown their way. The creature was intent on annihting them.
They ran, they hid, and they witnessed rocks turn intova. All until the same as earlier happened, with the heart bing listless.
"Let''s hit it some more!"
"Woo!" (Angry)
After being used as shooting targets, they were he pissed. Every blow barely impacted the thing, but it felt really fucking good. But, all good things had an end, and so did this one. The heart regained its bearings.
¡ª Thump! ¡ª
¡ª Thump! Thump! ¡ª
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
It was once more in the sky, akin to a god looking down on mortals. Yet, this wouldn''t discourage them in the least.
"So what if you''re thumping?! Beat while you still can, cause it''s gonna be a cardiac arrest soon!" Jack shouted to the thing.
"Woo!"
ming birds flew their way.
Rocks pirs were rising all over the ce.
Homing ming birds joined the fray, mixing with the others.
But then something new happened. The entire floor below their feet began glowing red. No, it wasn''t just glowing, but thumping too.
"Woo?!"
"I don''t like this either." Jack spat out.
Moon Moon valiantly growled at the ground, expecting danger to show up any second. But that''s when Jack gestured it to follow him as he¡scaled a big rock? What for?!
"C''mon, hurry up! The sooner we have the high ground, the better." He mumbled.
Human and wolf huddle on top of a rock pir, a very thin one. But a secondter, they were fucking d that they did!
The floor turned red, fiery, and finally, it became a literal sea of fire. That''s when the cry of a ming chicken resounded as the fire slowly began rising. It seemed that it was time to y the floor isva.
Luckily they were safe in their current position¡ª or were they?
Just as they were chilling into what seemed like a hellish oven, Moon Moon howled as a warning. Lowering his eyes, Jack saw the danger his pet was warning him about. A protrusion on the rock was turning into a chicken.
Jack quickly pped it as it regained its initial form. But he already felt a headacheing as more began to appear.
It was time to y Wack-A-Chicken again. But, this time, a single failure would spell their doom. It would just take one push to send them tumbling into theva below. Needless to say, they weren''tva-proof at all!
¡ª Wack!¡ª
¡ª Wack! Wack! ¡ª
¡ª Wack! Wack! Wack! ¡ª
"Let it end! I''m already tired of whacking chickens!" Jackined aloud.
¡ª Wack! Wack! Wack! ¡ª
¡ª Wack! Wack! Wack! ¡ª
¡ª Wack! Wack! Wack! ¡ª
He kept going, his hand as true and steady as a man shaving his balls. Moon Moon was even helping on the side, pping its paw on the rock the best it could.
Then calm finally returned.
Theva receded, the heart fell down again, and they could finally take a breather. But would they? Hell no! They had a beating to dispense!
"Tch¡ª It''s boring when the opponent isn''t bleeding or crying out for mercy," Jackmented as he shed the heart nonstop.
"Woo!" (Annoyed!)
What was wrong with this thing! Hearts were supposed to be juicy, tasty, and bloody! This one tasted like smoke. How horrible!
"Don''t worry. I think it''s almost over." Jack reassured his pet as much as himself.
¡ª Thump! ¡ª
¡ª Thump! Thump! ¡ª
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
The ming heart regained its ce amongst the stars, but it felt different. It was as if it was finally getting serious. Were the mortals still alive? This time it would thoroughly crush them!
Even then, this round began like all the previous ones:
ming birds flew their way.
Rocks pirs were rising all over the ce.
Homing ming birds joined the fray, mixing with the others.
A sea of fire rose once more, covering the entire ground and some more.
What could be worse than the above? All of the above at fucking once! The rock pirs began to float all over the ce, some stationary and some in movement.
Geysers of fire began gushing from below at regr intervals, with them having to evade them.
Projectiles were sent their way continuously. Some were normal regr ones, while some were homing ones.
They had to hop from floating pir to floating pir while avoiding all of it. It was Hell. Literal and metaphorical freaking Hell!
"This is such a fucking pain!"
"Woo!" (Angry!)
At this moment, the wolf and the human seriously considered just diving into theva and being done with it. Heck, they could even do a flip for bonus points! This whole thing was freaking torture!
The heart was toying with them. This freaking goddammit heart was having the time of its life! It just floated there, happily sending a rain of fire their way. Talk about an asshole!
But that''s when Jack suddenly noticed something. All along, the rocks had been slowly moving as they hovered.
It almost seemed like¡.it was forming a path toward their enemy?!
"Holy shit, Moon Moon, look at that!"
"Woo?!" (Puzzled)
"We''re fighting back, right now! Hurry!" Jack shouted as he began jumping from rock to rock, heading for the boss.
"Woo!" (Vengeful!)
The closer they came and the more projectiles they were facing. But, every other second, they could progress as the heart took a 1-second break.
Then they finally reached thest stretch. There was a rtivelyrge pir that made a runway straight to the boss. This was almost over!¡ª or so they thought.
There was onest obstacle awaiting them, one that already had the little wolf whimpering¡.
Chapter 112: Jack Vs Heart (3/3)
Chapter 112: Jack Vs Heart (3/3)
There was onest obstacle awaiting them, one that already had the little wolf whimpering.
The ming heart seemed to enter a defensive more.
There was no downtime anymore. It was simply volley after volley, one more every time it beat.
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
¡ª THUMP! THUMP! ¡ª
Lots of fire was heading their way, only to die in front of them. The heart was protecting its domain with a wall of fire, one that never went down.
"Woo?!" (Shock!)
What was that?! How were they supposed to reach the other side?! This was impossible! It looked at its master and gave a low woo of disappointment. They wouldn''t be able to beat the bully heart.
"Hehe, are you feeling down?" Jack rubbed the little fellow''s head with affection. "Observe carefully, what do you see?"
"Woo?" (Puzzled.)
Fire, fire, more fire! That''s all there was! Was its master nning to head in there?! It was suicide!
"Look with more attention. See how the volleys fly and listen to the beating. It may look invincible, but there is a rhythm." Jack smiled brightly before taking a step forward.
The little wolf raised a paw, covering one of its eyes. It couldn''t bear to watch, but it had to. How long before its master turned into a ball of fire? But what happened next rendered it speechless.
Jack walked in, sprinted at times, hopped like a rabbit at others, heck he eveny down at some point! Yet the fireballs were all missing him! It even looked like the projectiles were avoiding him!
It took him 2 minutes and 17 seconds. Then he was in front of the heart, grinning like a conqueror. The heart thumped very softly as if begging for forgiveness.
¡ª Thump. Thump. ¡ª
¡ª Thump. ¡ª
But it was only wasting its time:
"Heart attack time, biatch!" Jack shed, avenging all the shit the boss had thrown at them.
¡ª Shriek!!! ¡ª
The enemy finally thumped itsst with a blood-curling screech, dissolving into red particles. All that remained was one sparkling drop of blood, shining brighter than a blood ruby.
+ 1000 XP
[+ Fiery Chicken Soul]
[+ Fiery Chicken Fire Seed]
[+ Fiery Chicken Blood Essence]
Oh god! All these were phenomenal!
1. Souls were quite unusual, and their effect could be extremely varied, but it was always good stuff.
2. Seeds were mainly rted to the creature''s element and often gave useful passives.
3. Blood essence was both the jackpot and a risky move. This thing could unlock bloodlines, allowing one to unlock a new evolution path! It was arguably the best kind of catalyst in Infinite.
Just as they were done looting, the entire realm shook. Then it seemingly disappeared, as they found themselves back in the room with the statue. The only difference was that a golden chest was now waiting for them.
"Even more rewards?!" Jack uttered, shocked.
"Woo!" (Eager!)
A mimic checkter, Jack had a new item:
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Enduring Chicken Ne!
Rank F
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[Attribute] +4 SPI
[Trait] +Boost Regeneration (All)
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
With this, Jack finally had a full set. Two rings, two earrings, a ne, and the full armor set. Along with his Cluckinator and Aegis, he was fully geared.
[ Wore a full equipment set! ]
[ Acquired Title: A Noob No More! Allows one to Flex! ]
[Complete set bonus! Umon + Prestige with NPCs! ]
"Fucking finally! Not being a Noob while still being in the tutorial is pretty unheard of, so that''s good. Not that it''s any use¡."
"Woo?" (Noob?)
There was so much that the little wolf didn''t understand, but it felt its master''s mood. This was enough to bring it extreme joy. If jack was happy, it was happy too!
But the notifications weren''t over just yet!
[ Completed a Hellish Clear! ]
[ Acquired Title: You call this Hell? I''m still standing! +5% in Hellish (Passive)]
"5%? 5% what?! Attributes? Damage? 5% more flying donkeys?"
"¡.."
"Alright then, keep your secrets."
[ Completed the hardest of the Hellish dungeons!]
[ Congrattions, do you have any feedback? ]
"Wait..what?!"
In front of Jack''s eyes appeared a window containing a survey. Was there going to be a reward for filling it? He sure hoped so! He was gonna do it just in case.
Rating? 4/5?
Length? It''s fine.
Difficulty? Not too bad.
Rewards? More is always better.
Any additional feedback? It needs a harder alternative version to it: preferably necromancy-based. People love that shit!
"This should do the trick¡.send!"
[Thank you for filling the survey!]
"That''s it? No gift box or anything! Hey system, you can''t be that stingy. I used my precious time to answer your questions diligently!"
[¡.]
[Filled a survey!]
[ Acquired Title: I Filled a Survey!]
Along with the title, there was even a small jingle that yed. Was this considered great customer service?
"That''s something, I guess¡Actually, wait! Are there other people thatpleted a Hellish dungeon so far?! If not, this should be rewarded too." Jack grumbled.
[Achievement: First to Complete Hellish Clear!]
[ Acquired Title: The First Hellish Clearer +15% Damage in Dungeon! ]
[Aplished a feat! Would you like to send a server announcement? Y/N? ]
"Don''t mind if I do." Jack thought for a bit before he chuckled to himself.
Oh, this would be fun. It was just a shame that he wouldn''t see the other yers'' reactions¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
The yers all across Infinite suddenly all became crazy, It was all because of one system message:
[A yer haspleted a Hellish Dungeon for the first time!]
[ Custom Server Message Iing!]
[First Clear? Wow! Wanna see it all? Join my OnlyFa¡ª Check my Highlights! Soon avable on MeTube! #Demon King! #New Leaf Vige! #Badass ]
All over Infinite, yers were struck speechless¡only for a second. Then they couldn''t stop talking about it:
"Completed a Hellish Dungeon for the first time?! My party barely managed toplete the Fox Grove at Normal!"
"You canplete a dungeon?! All I can do is head inside to die over and over!"
"You guys can enter dungeons?! I''m not even level 5 here!"
"What?! You guys have seen dungeons?!"
Even the strongest yers, the pro-gamers from other games, found the dungeons extremely challenging. Yet someone hadpleted freaking Hellish?!
"I don''t even know what Hellish is, and I''m still impressed!"
"Wait, it says a yer, not yers? Why?"
"Don''t tell me he soloed it?!"
"Dummy, that''s impossible."
"Yeah, there''s no way!"
They all agreed with thattter statement. Dungeons in Infinite really required a full party even to attempt them. Otherwise, it was 100% suicide!
"Demon King? New Leaf Vige?"
"I feel like I''ve heard that somewhere before."
"Isn''t that the cheat posting fake info on social media?"
"Fake? Fake?! Didn''t you hear thatst message?! It''sing from the game itself!"
"Hey, I''m just repeating what all the experts have been saying. Still, how does that even make sense?!"
The more they thought about it and the more at a loss they felt. What kind of conspiracy was this? Did this mean that all these experts had been ndering that guy?! But why?!
"There''s only one way to know. We gotta watch those highlights for sure!"
At this moment, plenty logged out of Infinite.. They all wanted to know more about this Demon King guy, especially the ones who had already heard about him¡.
Chapter 113: So Many Trolls!
Chapter 113: So Many Trolls!
Jack escaped the dungeon as he escaped the game: as tired as satisfied. After his little stunt, the yers had looked at him like Moon Moon did a piece of meat: very hungrily!
He quickly went around the small apartment on auto-pilot as if a character from a SIMtion game.
¨C Eat
¨C Drink
¨C Take a huge dump
¨C Sleep for a little bit
¨C Didn''t drown in a pool (Too broke)
He finally awoke, approximately ten phone notificationster and incredibly groggy.
¨C Cutest Sister ??( ^?^)??: Bro, you''re blowing up! There are so many threads all over social media about you! Take a look!
¨C Cutest Sister ??( ^?^)??: This is great news! Also, I found your video on MeTube. Are you working with that streamer? Maybe I could help?
¨C Cutest Sister ??( ^?^)??: OMG! Their reaction is priceless! This is what the fools get for ndering my brother, a prompt face-p!
¨C Cutest Sister ??( ^?^)??: Tch¡ªI''ve been busted. The Teacher is taking my phone away. Talkter! o/
She seemed so damn excited about the situation. Still, he''d have to chastise her about the cellphone at school. She should know better than to get caught.
But now, his curiosity was piqued.
"Let''s see what people are writing about me. It has to be about my handsome features since I barely changed my appearance, right?" He chuckled to himself.
< Demon King: Hellish Clear?! >
< Demon King: The Legend is True?! >
< "Experts" ndering the Demon King? >
< MMO Analyst "The Professor" Screwed Up Big Time!>
< Possible Exnation: How The Demon King Cleared Hellish! >
< The Vile Demon King Is A Menace To Society And Should Be Banned! >
Someone actually had an inkling of how he did it? Did this mean that they had entered the chicken dungeon?
¨C Smart Cookie: Here is how he did it all. One word: exploit! The Demon King is a goddamn exploiter, one who''s probably going to get banned soon. That''s the only exnation.
¨C HorseMilk: How does that even make sense? Didn''t he already do a bunch of crazy stuff before? There''s an entire vige saying that he''s legit!
¨C NailClipper: So what if an entire vige does it?! NASA keeps saying they sent people on the moon, yet we all know that it''s fake!
¨C FurryLover: C''mon, guys. Why are you even arguing here? Just go watch that one highlight he has online.
¨C LittleSaltyFish: Fucking Furry!
¨C GimmeThatCheese: Fucking Furry!
¨C PinkWetAnemone: Fucking Furry! Also, got a link for that video?
¨C KillerBroom: That video is edited AF. It''s more fake than a pornstar''s tits.
¨C JoeyBiden: Both are really nice to look at, fake or not. Plus, it''s not like we actually know the truth.
¨C DinoWithStubbyD: Sauce?
¨C AngelForRent: Sauce?!
Jack could only sigh. As usual, it was quickly devolving into one huge mess. But really, an exploiter? Did he really seem like that kind of guy?!
No fucking way! If he knew how, he would never have waited until now to exploit, duh! He quickly skimmed the other threads.
"Haters. Fans. Some more haters. Dude looking for my OnlyFa¡ª, seriously?!" He choked.
He couldn''t believe how crazy they all seemed. At least they were having fun. Hell, the funniest was perhaps the one calling him vile.
There was an extremely long post about how evil and morally corrupt he was. It was a goddamn novel, so long that probably no one had bothered to read it. But then thements looked like this:
¨C Spitfire: Oh no! Anyway¡
¨C IShitCActus: Cool story bro
¨C ButterflyOnIce: Too long, didn''t read.
¨C BirdsBeFly: Demon King = Bad?! Really?! #Revtion
¨C SpyForHire: Demon King is corrupt? No shit, sherlock!
¨C Rabbit373: It took 3 hours of walking for my dad to go to school when he was young. It was long, painful, and torturous. But, it at least served a purpose¡ª unlike this post.
Then came the author''s ramblings that seemed crazy, only to be buried by more of such messages. It wasn''t even that people wanted to defend him; the haters were just too easy to bait.
They tried using logic to exin how people should not believe in him or his lies, but they failed to realize a few points:
1. Logic? On the Inte?
2. Most people didn''t care that much.
3. Some people just wanted to see the world burn.
Thanks to these crazyizens, "The Professor" soon came under attack. So many had imed Jack to be a fraud, but he was the most famous analyst of them all.
As the saying goes: the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Heck, there were already calls to cancel him as many trolls joined the fray.
#Cancel The Professor
#The Professor doesn''t know shit.
# The Professor versus Jack''O! Let''s get them in a ring!
In a ring? No one knew his exact appearance. How were they supposed to sell any tickets? This sure was preposterous.
Either way, this was enough Inte for a day. He closed his phone, for he knew he could easily get sucked into their pace and utterly waste his time otherwise.
"Now that I''m all rested, time to put these new OP rewards to good use," Jack whispered to himself as he went back into the game.
Needless to say, as soon as he appeared, he was weed by¡.not them again?!
All around him were many members of D.L. wearing long ck cloth robes. On the ground, there was a reversed pentagram drawn seemingly in blood. Toplete the picture was a headless chicken with blood flowing all over.
Jack couldn''t help but sigh:
"Look, guys. I''m really not that kind of Demon King. I''m not from Hell. I cleared the Hellish difficulty. See the difference?" He exined.
They stared at him in shock before erupting in thundering shouts of happiness.
"The Demon King is back!"
"Our summoning ritual was a sess!"
"I told you guys! We were just missing the sacrifice!"
Alright, they were a lost cause for sure. Jack left while facepalming. Who knew what disaster they would unknowingly bring this world one day. Whatever, it wasn''t his problem.
Instead, he rushed toward the training instructor.
"Yo, Igor! I need to train for a bit. I got a nice catalyst" He waved at the man, who frowned.
"Why is it that every time I see you, you''re here to ask me something?"
"Eh¡coincidence?"
"Ah, whatever. Follow me." The man grumbled, and then they were on their way to his house.
"They" meant Jack, Moon Moon, Igor, and all the fucking yers! Why were they even bothering toe along? They wouldn''t be able to enter the man''s house anyway.
It wasn''t like there would be a show to see. Then again, he was going to use a pretty rare catalyst¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[A/N] What should Jack do with the new fiery heart rewards? ^_^v (Quick pollsting a day)
Chapter 114: Fiery Training! (1/2)
Chapter 114: Fiery Training! (1/2)
In New Leaf vige, some kind of ceremony was going on. So many yers surrounded that one house without a door. They almost seemed like some sort of cult.
Some neers couldn''t help but get curious:
"Hey, what''s happening here?!"
"We''re all waiting for the Demon King."
"What?! The Demon King''s in there! What''s he doing?"
Some of them were worshipping Jack''O as the True Demon King of Infinite. Their head honcho wouldn''t miss such an opportunity. He promptly and theatrically answered, his arms raised high up:
"My brethren! We are gathered here to gaze upon the sublime appearance of our God, the True Demon King of Infinite! His esteemed self is currently training in istion! We will make sure no one dares to disturb him!"
His deep voice echoed in the vige, with many moring in agreement.
"We won''t let any enemy through!"
"He shall rule this world, and we shall serve him!"
"He saved New Leaf from its ignorance. Glory be upon him!"
Anyone sane felt like facepalming. Protect him? From freaking what?! Would anyone dare invade the training instructor''s house? The NPC could ughter yers with a wave of his hand! This wasn''t even considering the yer himself!
Still, most stayed. How would he react when he came out? Would he at least say a few words to the crowd? They could only hope.
The cultists happily shouted, the regr yers happily discussed¡ª but then they all stopped suddenly, looking at one another in shock.
"What''s this?"
"You guys hear it too?"
"I-I think it''sing from the house?!"
There was a low rumbling sound that began echoing. The more time passed and the more intense it got. The earth began shaking, pained yet resolved wolf howls resounded, and they felt incredible pressure.
The payers began sweating torrents:
"What the fuck?!"
"G-guys, I have a bad feeling."
"Is it me, or it''s getting really hot?!"
There was rumbling, there was pressure building, and there was the heat. A yer suddenly realized what this meant:
"It''s gonna fucking blow up! Runnnnn!"
"NIGERUNDAYO!!!!"
But the warning came toote. Along with a sharp phoenix cry, all hell broke loose:
¡ª BOOM!!! ¡ª
¡ª Crackle! Crackle!¡ª
¡ª WOOSH!!¡ª
The house in front of them blew up. The explosion was massive, apanied by the crackling of mes, and then a wave of heat spread in all directions. It was as if a gas leak had just been ignited, and it was all going to shit.
Plenty of red numbers appeared above the yers'' heads as they fell like dominoes and kept burning.
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
Heck, the ones that were too close even died on hit. Their eyes were as big a dead fishes as they disappeared in the inferno.
There was an instant of silence, only an instant.
"¡"
"Holy shit!"
"This is our lord''s power, Muahahaha!"
"Praise the Demon King! Even his training is so intense!"
"Open your eyes, heathens, and gaze upon his magnificence!"
That''s when something came out of the charred rubble with a thud. The training instructor wasing out, wholly covered in ckish ashes. He frowned seeing all the yers and grimaced as he sized up the damage.
"Crazy bastard!" He mumbled under his breath. "What kind of catalyst was that?!"
He didn''t know whether to be impressed or to kill the youngster. This was madness¡.
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Jack slowly opened his eyes, turbid ones that slowly regained rity.
This had been so intense. Before, he had always been in control, but he had lost himself this time. The fiery chicken''s pace had engulfed him. Well, not totally.
He had felt the urge to destroy, the desire to burn everything asunder, even the fucking world. He had felt it all so vividly as if he weren''t human anymore.
For what seemed like an eternity, he had been nothing but a heart. He had felt himself beat, he had felt himself rain destruction upon the universe, and he had felt satisfaction from the inferno.
He had even heard its voice as if his own:
??? ?? ??? ?????????
???? ?? ?? ??? ??????????¡
???? ???? ??? ???? ?????¡
??? ??? ????? ???? ???? ???¡
??? ????? ?? ??????? ???? ?? ????????¡
It had turned into an impulse, oneing deep from inside his soul, one that was about to overwhelm him. It was so persuasive as it ushered him to end it all.
But then, he had felt disgusted, pure and profound disgust.
"Destroy? Is that your whole pitch?"
"Might? Ridiculous! This isn''t true power."
"You''re just a heart. Of course, you''re brainless!"
"I''ll destroy, I''ll consume, I''ll dominate, I''ll protect, I''ll do whatever the fuck I want! I''m motherfucking Jack''O. Now shut the hell up and give me your power already!"
Thus had been the end of the heart. After all, even with how powerful it was, it was nothing but a heart.
That''s when a tired but victorious low "Woo" resounded. Atop his head, Moon Moon was alsoing back to its senses.
"How was it, buddy?" Jack asked with concern.
"Woo¡" (Relieved)
It had somehow survived it. This had been its biggest challenge so far. It had only managed to keep struggling because it knew its master believed in it.
Moon Moon could disappoint anyone, but not him! That''s how it had kept fighting, even when it had felt the mes engulf its body and soul. The evil fiery heart had tried tricking it too, but it was too dumb to seed.
The heart had imed that fiery destruction was the best. As if! The best was obviously Master! He gave the best headpats, shared delicious food, and had changed its whole world!
Moon Moon had devoured the baddy liar heart, even with how bad it tasted. After all, the evil thing''s power was better used for Master''s sake! It was so d that it was over¡
Jack smiled, seeing that Moon Moon was fine. It had been a gamble, even an impossibility, but he had expected such an oue. After all, this strength was to be expected from a wolf he had personally trained!
He happily inspected his gains. They were bound to be bountiful considering the degree of difficulty this whole thing had.
[ +10 Fire affinity! ]
[ Acquired Burning Man F!]
[ Acquired Fire Maniption F! ]
[ Acquired Fiery Soul: Super Hot! ]
Chapter 115: Fiery Training! (2/2)
Chapter 115: Fiery Training! (2/2)
He happily inspected his gains. They were bound to be bountiful considering the degree of difficulty this whole thing had.
[ +10 Fire affinity! ]
[ Acquired Burning Man F!]
[ Acquired Fire Maniption F! ]
[ Acquired Fiery Soul: Super Hot! ]
Fire affinity would increase his resistance to fire and the damage he dealt with that element. Its effectiveness would depend greatly on the enemy (simr to the armor rating).
The burning man was a passive allowing one to be immune to the burn status effect. It would make it so he wouldn''t have to care that much about the remnant fire in the fiery heart boss fight.
The Fire Maniption was simr to a ssic fireball spell, less powerful but way more flexible. It didn''t have a fixed shape and could obey its user''s will.
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Fire Maniption
Rank F
Level 5
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[Cost] 1 Mana
[Damage] 50%
[Scaling] Intelligence
[Range] Flexible
[Element] Fiery
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As for the fiery soul¡what?! Oh well, it was just the game telling him how hot he was.
This was all good, but he wasn''t the only one with newfound power.
[Your pet has acquired Fiery Chicken Bloodline! ]
[Your pet has unlocked Fiery Chicken Rain F! ]
[ Your pet has unlocked abat form! ]
Holy fucking shit! Jack couldn''t help but cheer seeing this. The bloodline was perfect for it. This was because he had no desire to turn into a giant chicken at all!
Fiery Chicken Rain sounded OP AF, but seeing its rank, it probably wouldn''t be that strong just yet. It would require some testing for sure.
Combat form?! Moon Moon had been trying so hard to fight, but there was only so much that it could do with its low stats. This was akin to rain to a man dying of thirst in the desert.
Before, it had been cursed to barely do any damage and to die from a few hits. But now everything would change! It would finally be able to match a regr yer head-on! (Most likely)
"Hey, Moon Moon. Why don''t you show me that newbat form of yours?"
"Woo?" (Confused)
He chuckled lowly. This was bound to happen after such a sudden change. It wasn''t used to its powers.
"Do you remember how you felt while battling the heart? Focus on that feeling and make it course through your entire body." Jack instructed.
The little wolf turned serious before doing as it was told. It looked so cute with its bright and big eyes, frowning as it did its best.
"Woo."
"Woo."
"Woo!"
With a victorious shout, Moon Moon''s body began to change. The silly orange wolf suddenly turned the color of mes. It was as if a fire was swimming on its skin, emitting a powerful yet restrained aura.
"Pfft¡ª" Jack suddenly had to stifle augh. There were now two tiny white chicken wings on the wolf''s back, excitingly pping along its tail.
"Woo?" (Confused)
"Don''t worry about it. Try moving around."
Moon Moon elerated, only to instantly face-nt, surprised at its own power. It was faster, stronger, and more resistant than it had once been. It slowly rose, iprehension filling its face.
"Don''t worry about it. You''ll get used to it. Now, shall we go and¡ª" Jack suddenly stopped talking as he noticed their surroundings.
The heavy metallic door at the entrance was torn apart, showing signs of melting. The rest of the underground wasn''t any better: it was utterly ckened and covered in ash.
Oh god! What the heck?! What the fuck had happened here?!
Was this really the result of their training session?! How were they still alive?! No, he knew¡
The fiery heart had tried to turn them into an instrument of its vengeance against the whole world, not kill them. Heck, driving the instructor away was probably all part of the creature''s n.
But it didn''t change the issue at hand. Igor would 100% kill him! Should he consider a tactical retreat? No, this wasn''t his style.
Moon Moon whimpered lowly. Even its newbat form wouldn''t save them from this! Jack and wolf shared a nce before resolutely going up¡
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Above ground, amotion was happening.
There were two distinct groups: the ones that knew what was going on and the ones who didn''t¡ª And both were freaking out!
The ones that knew were going crazy as they stared at the rubble with awe. How had Jack even managed to create such a fantastic explosion?! Was it a spell? They really wanted to know!
The ones that didn''t know were going crazy for another reason. What the heck was happening?! Was the vige under attack?! This had to be an event, right?! This meant loot! They had to get their asses there ASAP and call their friends!
Every living thing was making its way over. This, of course, included the various NPCs.
The Butcher came along with a curious gaze. Was there a party or something?
The cksmith eagerly came to see. There was so much heat in this ce. Had a fire-rted treasure spawned? This could be damn useful in a forge!
The Old Lady came over toin. What was with the noise? She was busy crafting potions! Who dared disturb her?!
Steven came over with a worried gaze. Was his shop in danger? Was his life in danger? Did he have to make a run for it?
The Florist came over excitedly. This was the smell of magic, freaking magic! He had to study whatever had happened here. Was it a natural phenomenon?! Was it man-made?!
Then there was the Vige Chief. He was unlike all the others. He was royally pissed. He ran toward themotion, his face twisted beyond belief and fury in his eyes, bellowing:
"Who fucking dares to attack my vige! Whoever it is, you''re courting death, you bastard! I''ll show you how red your blood is!" His voice echoed in the entire beginner vige.
The vige chief saw the scene of destruction, saw the ash-covered Igor, saw the yers, and red at them for a second. Anyone meeting his powerful gaze would gulp and promptly lower their head.
No, these wimps weren''t the perpetrators. It was someone else for sure.
That''s when the debris began to shake, everyone collectively holding their breath. The silence felt oppressive as all eyes rested there.
A few rocks were sent flying along with ash. Two heads had just popped out of the rubble, one human and one a wolf. They were out¡
"Damn, why are there so many of you?!" The Demon King uttered, shocked.
"You bastard! You''re dead!" the chief roared.
This was going to end badly¡.
Chapter 116: Jack Vs Village Chief (1/2)
Chapter 116: Jack Vs Vige Chief (1/2)
The Vige Chief''s angry roar resounded in the tense atmosphere.
"You bastard! You''re dead!"
His upper body clothing explodedpletely with his muscles bulging. He was already inbat mode, ready to pounce on the offender. Burn his vige?! Not on his watch!
Jack vs Vige Chief¡
Such a fight would be even more of a joke than that one MeTuber going against Floyd Marchweather.
Jack quickly went through his many alternatives:
¨C y dead?
¨C Beg for forgiveness?
¨C Run as fast as the wind?
¨C Try to defuse the situation?
¨C Let Moon Moon do puppy eyes.
¨C Show him some dance moves as an apology.
¨C All of the above?
Actually, the crux was that he had to exin the explosion. Should he truthfully admit it was an ident? Would the man even believe him?
Jack took a deep breath before hollering at the Vige Chief:
"Hey, chief! It''s been a while. How are you doing? Did youe to supervise the construction?" Jack gave one bright smile.
The surrounding yers were at a loss for words. Did he take everyone for idiots?
"Construction?! Bullshit! Do you think I''m blind?!" The NPC shouted.
"Of course not, chief? I''m sure you can see all the workers that have assembled today. They''re all here to help Igor create his new dream house! Right, guys?" Jack pointed at all the yers around.
The very dubious cultist-looking guys were the first to answer, soon followed by the members of D.L.:
"Yes, Dem¡ª Boss! We''ll do a great job!"
"You can count on us for the most magnificent vi!"
"We''ll pour all our heart into the building. You can be sure of it!"
Jack gave a satisfied nod. "There you have it. They are all here to work hard and contribute to the vige."
"Tch¡ª then how do you exin all the fire?!" The NPC red at him resentfully.
"Ah, this one is easy. I''m sure in your grand wisdom you have heard of the legendary phoenix, chief. From the ashes, it is born anew. We are doing the same here. It is a special brave construction technique."
"What¡ª"
"Actually, chief, we had a bet. Some dumbasses insisted that you''d be confused, but I insisted that you''d know about this technique given your incredible knowledge. You know the construction technique called Hans Get the mmenwerfer, right?"
Would this bluff work? Only a dumbass would go along with such a farce, right?
Luckily, the chief wasn''t the only NPC in the vige.
"I''ve heard of it, but I doubt the ignorant chief here has." (cksmith)
"What are you talking about?! He is a treasure trove of knowledge!" (Old Potiondy)
"mmenwerfer? Interesting!" (Florist)
"Can one barbecue sausages on this?" (Butcher)
"It''s just construction! I''m so d everything is fine." (Steven)
"Of course, everything is fine. The vige chief would have never let harm happen to the vige. He was just showing his might earlier to remind us all that we''re safe, right?" Jack said, buttering the man up.
The NPC seemed to hesitate for a second, but then he saw all the braves and his colleagues seemingly on board with this. He then eruptedughing.
"Hahaha, of course, I knew about it all! We did a little y to exin it to you all! Hahahaha!" He held his back,ughing as jovially as shamelessly, before turning to Jack.
"How about you personally show me inside? I want to see if you''ve aplished the mmer technique correctly." He asked with arge smile, but his eyes were grim.
Should Jack refuse? It would only dy the confrontation. Should he ept? The NPC would probably try to intimidate him. Ah, whatever, fuck it!
"Of course, please follow me!" Jack graciously guided the way.
On the side, both the cksmith and Igor seemed about to interject, but Jack shook his head slightly, signaling them to stand down. He would deal with it.
The two slowly entered the dark remains of the building, cutting themselves from the outside world. That''s when the man''s entire aura changed. The joyful-looking older man was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, there was a ferocious beast that would rampage given the slightest chance. The chief instantly turned around, dashed forward with incredible speed, and grabbed him by the throat.
Jack couldn''t breathe, and his neck was so damn close to snapping. The man approached his head, whispering in his ear.
"This is MY vige. Do you understand?" He was emitting more aggression than a bull taunted by a matador.
He was oozing power, an oppressive aura that would have definitely rendered anyone below level 20 helpless. Well, anyone but Jack. Compared to the heart he had faced earlier, this was nothing but a joke.
Jack didn''t have any issue enduring. Fighting right now was pointless.
He knew the worth of biding one''s time. He''d let the man vent his fury and then he''dwork his way into putting the chief back in his ce. He''d at least get him back for this.
But that''s when an orange sh went straight for the man''s back.
"Woo!" (Angry!)
Moon Moon couldn''t stand still as its master was attacked! So what if the enemy was impossibly strong? Irrelevant!
It all happened in an instant. All the NPC did was a backward kick without even looking. Moon Moon was sent flying, colliding with a wall and bing a bloody mess.
It disappeared with a small whimper and incredible regret in its eyes. What was the point of its newfound power if it couldn''t even protect its beloved master?!
"Tch¡ª dumb mutt." The chief grumbled, withplete disregard for its life.
That fucker! Jack had been ready to act coy and take it, even topromise on the short term. A bit of suffering didn''t matter to aplish his goals.
But at this moment, all thoughts of reconciliation left his mind. Perhaps Moon Moon was only a bunch of data and an NPC, but it didn''t fucking matter.
It was his wolf! It was valiant, did its best, was so damn cute, lovable, and they were fucking partners! No, they were family.
He suddenly felt the same pain from back then, back when he had lost the old man, back when he had lost his sister, back in his shitty previous life.
Back then, many had disregarded them too. Heck, the insurancepany had kept calling the old man a poor money-grubber. It was the disregard the man showed that brought it all back.
It wasn''t logical, but his body began to burn up, no one could look down on his people! No fucking one! But soon reason came back, a cold and calm fury.
Screwing the vige chief over would be easy. He''d have to drive the yers against him¡
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The man suddenly felt that something was wrong.
Under his hand, the impertinent brave was dying, air slowly leaving his body¡ª yet he was smiling. How?! He felt the impulse to end it all, to snap his chicken neck, but he had to know.
¡ª Bam! ¡ª
He mmed the bastard into the wall, making him spit blood and teeth. But even then, he was still smiling, a vicious and confident smile.
"Have you gone retarded?! Why in the gods'' name are you grimacing so damn much?!" He barely released his grip, allowing his victim to utter a few weak words.
"From now on, this isn''t your vige anymore. It''s mine. You''ve pissed off the wrong guy f¡ª"
The chief began to rampage:
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" A m apanied every shout. "What the fuck are you talking about?! Everyone here obeys my orders and¡ª"
But the youngster was giving him a taunting smile. His meaning was obvious. Everyone? He seemed to be forgetting onerge group.
"Screw you!" He mmed him onest time, the man finally bing lifeless.
It was finally over. The annoying bastard was dead.
This guy really was a pain. He had already lost so much business thanks to his people directing new braves toward the cksmith.
He slumped over, regaining his breath. He felt quite silly now. Actually, why was he so worked up over one brave? It was just that damn smile. It had been so obnoxious!
Yes, the man was a brave. This meant that he would be back from the dead. This vige didn''t have an anti-brave cell either. He''d have to improvise. But this didn''t mean that he was out of options either.
"Hehe, so what if he''s an immortal brave? Does he think he controls the other braves? He''ll soon learn how harsh reality can be!" He chuckled to himself, slowly rising up.
It was time to utterly crush this fucking brave''s spirit¡.
Chapter 117: Jack Vs Village Chief (2/2)
Chapter 117: Jack Vs Vige Chief (2/2)
The crowd was going wild as they discussed the earlier event.
"Hehe, I can''t believe this worked."
"What do you mean? We were truthful!"
"Construction? More like demolition, haha!"
"Hey, guys, look there. They''reing back!"
All heads turned toward the entrance of the burned house. The Vige chief slowly walked out, blood staining his chest and fists as he grinned.
"Oy, why is he alone?!"
"Did they have a fight?!"
"Don''t tell me the Demon King''s dead?!"
The Vige Chief jumped up, looking down on the crowd. His powerful muscles and well-defined abs were glittering in the sun, making many yers gulp¡ª along with the olddy.
But just as he was ready to speak, a disturbance happened in the air. There was a purple sh, and a man they all recognized appeared.
Jack was akin to an emperor, his proud demeanor overshadowing the chief. Not only was he fully geared, but his cloak also glowed with magical symbols giving him an unfathomable aura.
"The Demon King''s back! Hahaha!"
"What''s with the purple energy?!"
"Talk about a cool entrance!"
"He''s so awesome!"
"Marry me!"
The chief face turned into a mix of surprise, confusion, and anger. How the heck had he teleported there?! It didn''t make any sense! But what followed was even worse.
Jack''s sonorous voice resounded as he pointed at the chief.
"Every member of the Demonic Legion, hear me! From now on, not a single one of you will do a mission for this dastardly vige chief. Let him go hunt chickens, foxes, and wolves by himself! We are not kind to the ones that cross us!"
The loyal fans were already on board.
"Understood, leader! I''ll spit on whoever disagrees!"
"First Demonic Legion boycott, hahaha!"
"I''ll die before going near that old fossil!"
"The Mighty Wolves will follow!"
But not all shared this fanaticism:
"Wait, a war with the NPC?"
"Isn''t that taking things a bit too far?"
"Offending the chief? Won''t we all suffer?"
"The Demon King finally went mad. He''s courting death!"
Overall most were beginning to question this. Who knew how it would escte and how much trouble they would be in. They just wanted to level up without any hassle.
The vige chief couldn''t help but chuckle seeing this. So much for turning the braves against him: they were already questioning the bastard.
Soon they would be eating in the palm of his hand instead!
"Hahaha, there is no way that anyone sane will follow you! Let it be heard: anyone that follows this fool will be deemed an enemy of New Leaf!" He announced.
It was as if a cold shower had doused the entire crowd.
"A-an enemy?! No way!"
"Oy, this is dangerous AF!"
"No way that I''ll join this madness!"
"Why is he even doing this in the first ce?!"
Thest question echoed over and over. It was fine for him to be mad, but why was he trying to doom them too?! This was unforgivable.
"Hehehe, because he is greedy and unscrupulous, obviously!" The vige chief replied.
"I think there might be a misunderstanding here¡ª" Igor tried to interject in Jack''s favor.
"Silence! He''s trying to harm the vige!" The chief shouted.
Was this truly his goal?
All eyes turned toward Jack, some supportive, some confused, but most were disappointed. But then Jack slowly raised his head. His eyes were damp and red, from fury and sorrow.
Many held their breath as they saw his state. Was this all for show? How amazing of an actor was he?! Many even swore that his uing words wouldn''t sway them.
He slowly uttered:
"Why? Because this fucker ughtered Moon Moon."
"¡."
"¡."
"Tch¡ª as if anyone would ever care about that dumb wolf! You''ll be following it soon enough anyway!" The vige chief chuckled.
Many couldn''t help but picture the happy little wolf.
Anyone from New Leaf had seen it at some point. Whether it was resting on its master''s head or following half a step behind it, it always looked so damn cute.
They were inseparable. They were always adventuring together and would even share meals together. Heck, he cared so much about it that Jack had made it the symbol of his faction.
Moon Moon was the number one reason people were adventuring in the wolf territory. They also wanted to have that kind of bond, to have a cutepanion following them around.
In Jack''s eyes, they saw the pain of losing his best friend.
"He killed Moon Moon?!"
"He fucking killed Moon Moon!"
"That monster! No wonder he''s mad!"
A pink-haired girl in the crowd gave a wry smile. Seraphine clearly knew that Moon Moon would respawn. It wasn''t the first time it died.
This incident had been enough for a boycott. How would he react if the wolf were to perish truly? Would the vige still be standing?
That''s when she mischievously shouted:
"Avenge Moon Moon!"
This single sentence was akin to a spark in drought season. It gave rise to an inferno.
"Avenge Moon Moon!"
"Avenge Moon Moon!"
"Avenge Moon Moon!"
As the shout was repeated over and over, it increased in intensity. All until it was so loud that it made the entire vige tremble. At this moment, all yers heard this chant, even the ones in the forest!
Everyone heard of Moon Moon and how it had to be avenged, even new yers just logging in.
The Vige Chief looked around in iprehension. What was their problem?! It was just a weak wolf. Why did they care that much about it?! It didn''t make any sense.
At this rate, they would even attack him! Even if he was fine, would the vige survive?! What about his house?! He couldn''t let this go any longer!
"SILENCE! The one who is known as the Demon King! For causing destruction unto the vige and scheming toward its demise¡.. I dere you an enemy of New Leaf!" He spat out.
His shout was so loud that it rendered the entire vige quiet. In the silence, one thing was now extremely ring.
"What''s that?!"
"Oh god, this is bad!"
"Conflict is inevitable now!"
Some lettering had appeared above the Demon King''s head.
Demon King
Jack''O Level 10
But his name was blood red¡¡
Chapter 118: He Won’t Fucking Die! (1/2)
Chapter 118: He Won¡¯t Fucking Die! (1/2)
The red name above the Demon King''s head was akin to someone dropping a baby in shark-infested waters: it scared the shit out of everyone.
Many here had yed an MMO before and knew this bloody color: Jack was now a criminal. Hunting and killing him was fair game. Heck, it would most likely give rewards too!
"W-what?! All he did was speak up!"
"What now?! Is he gonna be alright?!"
"G-guys! He''s already level 10?! So damn fast!"
"The Demon King is an actual raid boss now?!"
The vige chief sneered at the man who had tried to scheme against him. How fitting of an ending it would be for him. He would be defeated by the very braves he had tried to use against him.
"All of you. Whoever brings me his head will be given a medal of merit and a title. Get him, hahaha!" He pointed toward Jack as if an executioner sealing the man''s fate, hisugh echoing.
"¡."
"¡."
"¡."
But the yers didn''t move in the slightest. Some just stood ufortably as if a child caught between their parents'' argument. Others were just waiting for Jack''smand to engage.
The vige chief stared at them, confused. What was wrong with them? How was it possible for the braves to resist the temptation of a medal of merit?! Oh, right. They probably didn''t know how prestigious it was!
"There is only one medal of merit per vige. Whoever gets one is bound to be a legendary hero and soar to the Heavens!" The chief bellowed.
The yers couldn''t help but gulp.
A legendary hero? One per vige? Didn''t this mean a hidden ss?! As long as they managed to obtain it, they would 100% be unstoppable monsters.
They''d get it all: fame, wealth, power, and bitches! But it was still risky¡
"Tch¡ª whatever. I''ll do it myself!"
The vige chief gave a powerful kick, one shattering the rock under his feet andunching himself forward. He had the momentum of a heavyweight rhino and the agility of a damn cheetah!
Jack turned serious as he prepared to fight for his goddamn life. Did he stand a chance? Hell no! All he could do was buy time and hope for the best.
At this moment, he so fucking wanted to log out and leave the asshole hanging, but his intent was already locked unto him. He was inbat!
The vige chief frowned as he saw the man get a shield out. Wasn''t this the one he had destroyed earlier?! He had yed a trick, it seemed. Talk about scheming! But so what?! This time he would shatter both shield and spine alike.
Before anyone could react, the elder was upon his prey. Rotating on himself, he delivered an incredibly mighty kick that sent the arrogant youngster flying.
-22
Jack''s eyes opened in disbelief. What the hell was this insane damage?! Fucking 22?! A little more than 50% of his HP AFTER blocking?! This meant that this guy could one-shot him! This was so damn perversely OP!
"Hahaha, you''re nothing but a weakling! Take control of this vige? In your fucking dreams! A year from today will be your death anniversary!" He chuckled.
Seeing their leader in such a precarious situation, the D.L. follower couldn''t watch any longer. They wouldn''t just stay idle while Jack got defeated!
"Protect the leader!"
"Avenge Moon Moon!"
"Screw that guy and his perfect abs!"
"Yeah, screw that guy and his¡wait, what?! Just fucking charge!!!"
They were akin to a swarm of locusts as they began to run forward. So what if they were weak individually? As the saying went: apes together strong¡or something!
"Show this bastard our might!"
"Huzzaahhh!!"
"D.L. FTW!"
The two were still fighting intensely¡ª if it could be called a fight.
No, this was a one-sided beat down. Jack blocked every hit as he kept chugging potions as if at an open bar. Every hit would send him tumbling and coughing blood, but he was still standing.
"Why. Won''t. You. Die?!" The vige chief shouted, one punch or kick per word.
He was mixing the heavy, slow attacks with the quick-paced ones. Yet, the bastard was blocking them all! How was this even possible?!
The vige chief was stronger, faster, dominating the fight, yet he hadn''tnded a single clean hit yet! It was as if his opponent could predict the future.
"Just go down already!"
"Sorry, but I only go down on beautifuldies. You ain''t my type." Jack found the time to shrug while they fought.
But no matter how calm andposed he appeared, he was freaking dying inside. He could hear his own heart thumping like crazy as his body tried to cope with the insane workout he was putting it through.
At this moment, he was fucking d that he had removed all limiters from the system. Every time he moved, he would umte damage.
-1
-1
-1
-1
He was using more force than his own body could tolerate. He was just a paper boat in an ocean of kicks and punches. The vige chief kept chaining thebos one after the other: it was fucking bad!
But that''s when the light of hope finally showed up. Jack sighed in relief as the many members of D.L. arrived. They were loud, they were so damn hyped, and they were so goddamn crazy!
Only in an MMO would there be yers gleefully charging to their deaths without hesitation.
"Down with the old man!"
"Hidden raid boss, the goddamn chief!"
"I wonder what he''ll drop. He''s barely wearing anything!"
"Oh, I know. What about Umon Underwear of Colossal Strength?
"Hehe, with how much we''re about to fuck him up, it just may be stained!"
They ganged up on him, surrounding him from all sides.
"You idiots, any aggressive move, and you''ll be considered criminals too!" He warned.
But did the yers care? Hell no! They began to swing their weapons at him, doing one damage at best. They were like mosquitoes: barely dangerous but so irksome!
The vige chief snorted and kicked three times toward them, killing 5. How were they so damn easy to kill?! No, the problem wasn''t them but that annoying smiling cockroach of a Demon King!
"Hey, Vige Chief, I''ll get the wrong idea if you look at me so intensely while half-naked." Jack acted bashful, even forcing himself to blush.
"Just fucking die already!" Every hit was as powerful as thest one.
"Pounding so heavily! You should take it easy at your age, you know!" Jack advised looking extremely genuine.
But Jack wasn''t just taunting. He was ever so slowly retreating toward the forest. He was being extra careful as one hit would end it all. Luckily, this wasn''t his first seemingly impossible fight in Infinite.
Yes, even with his precarious situation, the one feeling the pressure was the NPC. Every time he tried to finish him, a random brave would take the hit seemingly by mistake!
From time to time, a yer would even attack Jack, aiming for the kill reward. But he would just happen to randomly dodge it, the attackers getting ganged upon and ughtered.
How could this guy be so damn lucky?!
"Get out of the fucking way, you bastards!" The chief spat out.
"Kyaaa, he''s gunning for my ass! Hold him down, my demonic legion!" Jack faked innocence.
Gunning for his ass?! He''d freaking kill the bastard! If only he didn''t have this goddamn shield! He''d have to make the cksmith pay for this! But then he saw the guy drink yet another potion. What was up with that?!
The chief shouted toward the old potiondy:
"Hey, you old coot! How many potions did you sell this guy?! You should take responsibility for this!"
She suddenly jerked up in shock, wiping the drool off her mouth. Previously, she had been intently staring at the chief''s upper body, only nowing back to her senses.
"T-take responsibility?!" She uttered, shocked.
"You sold him so many potions. Now do something about it!" He reproachfully shouted.
"A-alright!" She instantly agreed.
Jack couldn''t help but frown at this new development. This was going to be a nightmare! She rummaged through a pouch at her waist, then started throwing vials all over the ce.
They exploded on the ground in colorful puffs of smoke. There were enough colors to start a circus attraction: Blue, pink, and green!
"Don''t breath it in!" Jack warned.
"Hehehe! Let me see how long you can fight without breathing!" The chief chuckled.
In a few seconds, this would be over¡.
Chapter 119: He Won’t Fucking Die! (2/2)
Chapter 119: He Won¡¯t Fucking Die! (2/2)
The potion vials exploded on the ground in colorful puffs of smoke. There were enough colors to start a circus attraction: Blue, pink, and green!
"Don''t breath it in!" Jack warned.
"Hehehe! Let me see how long you can fight without breathing!" The chief chuckled.
He didn''t care one bit about the poison. As a monk, his resistance to such status effect was extreme, plus he was super high level. It was an entirely different story for the yers. They began dropping like flies in a sauna.
Virtual Reality was very simr to real life. Even if they knew not to breathe, there was only so long that they could hang on. As their brains kept sending them "Hey, you''re dying" messages, they all opened their mouths as they fell paralyzed.
The spectating yers could only gulp as they watched the olddy cackle as she kept throwing vial endlessly. They wouldn''t go anywhere near the battlefield for sure!
It was literally a fight with death, and could win¡ª or that''s how it should have been.
In the colorful fog, a lone yer was still fending the attacks of an enraged NPC. Jack wasn''t breathing. Had this not been a game, he would have been unconscious already. This was utterly destructive behavior.
The vige chief couldn''t believe his eyes. What the fuck was that guy made of?! He was already blue and about to kick the bucket. But even then, his shield kept blocking as if guided by a divine hand!
While it all happened, he kept taking suffocation and overexertion damage then gulping potions:
-1
-2
-1
-2
+24
"Why won''t you die?!" The vige chief couldn''t take it anymore.
The yers shared the same feeling as they watched him go. He reminded them of the cartoons they watched as children, the ones where the hero would always get up no matter what.
He appeared seemingly indestructible, yet his suffering was visible thanks to his distorted face. It kept involuntarily twitching because of all the stress his body was under.
They watched it all happen with some morbid curiosity. How far could one human be pushed?!
"This is insane. How is he still alive?!"
"It''s all a game. It''s not that strange."
"No, it IS strange. How is his mind holding out?!"
"Anyone else would have admitted defeat by now."
"Hehe, anyone else but him. That''s why he''s so great."
Even the yers that disliked him had to agree that this feat was incredibly awe-inspiring. He was still fucking alive after fighting the NPC all this time!
So what if he had a red name? No one could fucking take him down!
But a few on the scene realized that this wasn''t as simple as it looked. Seraphine wanted nothing more than to beat this NPC, but Jack needed people who weren''t red-named inside the vige.
She could only sigh as she saw him turn bluer by the second.
Things weren''t looking good for Jack. The suffocation damage was progressively ramping up. What had once been 2 damage was now 6.
-1
-6
-1
-6
+24
As soon as it turned to damage ticks of 7, he would die. There was no way around it. He wouldn''t be able to tank the chief as well as survive the DoT from his status effect.
Fucking level difference! Had he been a little higher level, he could have destroyed this guy!
Outwardly he looked as confident, but inwardly he sighed in regret. The chief was even stronger than he had thought.
After so much effort and plenty of yers sacrificing themselves, he had barely made it to the New Leaf in. He was still so far from safety. The problem was that his respawn area was in the vige.
The chief would be able to spawn camp him. Sure, he could change his spawn coordinates slightly, but he would still have to fight his way out.
What a freaking pain!
But even now, the one going crazy was the vige chief.
"How the fuck are you still alive?! What kind of devil are you?!" The man''s mad voice resounded across the entire vige.
At this moment, everyone held their breath¡ª especially Jack.
But since he would die soon, he figured he might as well perish in style. At this moment, Jack opened his mouth, breathing in the paralyzing fog, but managing to shout powerfully:
"I''m the freaking Demon King, bitch!"
It was such a simple sentence, and yet it made them feel his incredible willpower. No matter how powerful the enemy he would remain headstrong. He would insult them to their face with his back straight!
That''s when the poison finally acted. Jack''s body froze, akin to a wax statue, forever to adorn a taunting smile.
The vige chief''s blood boiled. He had finally defeated the fucker! Yet even as he was victorious, he didn''t feel ted one bit. He felt anger and¡fear?!
Even as his opponenty paralyzed on the ground, a part of him was frightened beyond belief. What if this was all a scheme? What if he suddenly woke up uttering, "just kidding!" What if?!
The more he feared and the angrier he got. The angrier he got, and the more he realized how fearful he was. As a tempest of dark emotions engulfed him, he kicked tyrannically to end it all.
This wasn''t judgment. This was downright an execution.
But just as his foot was about to squash the brave''s head like a watermelon, it happened. An incredible aura appeared, along with an unbelievable force.
"Who goes there?!" The vige chief cried out.
A giant hammer collided with the man''s fist, sending him flying. It contained so much power that it would have been life-threatening had he not blocked!
Igor stood right next to the Demon King, protecting him.
"You bastard! What the heck have you done?! Do you know what going against me means?!" The chief bellowed angrily.
"Yes, I''m aware." The training instructor sighed.
His sigh was so profound as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Yet, he seemed extremely resolute and didn''t seem to fear retribution either.
"Hey, are you sure?! Even I wouldn''t dare!" (cksmith)
"Don''t be crazy! You''ll lose everything!" (Old Potiondy)
"I didn''t expect that at all! The suspense is killing me!" (Florist)
"Is everything going to be alright? Please stop fighting!" (Steven)
"What a lucky guy! That''s totally because he ate my sausages." (Butcher)
The training instructor and the vige chief faced one another in a staring contest. Both expected the opponent to yield, but it wasn''t happening.
The yers'' eyes were gleaming with excitement. What were they talking about? Lose everything?! This seemed like some huge news! Maybe it would even lead to an event?!
"Guys, hear me out. I think this is good."
"A new quest? Will we have to pick a side?"
"Civil War: Training instructor VS Vige Chief!"
"I''m obviously joining the Demon King''s side, duh!"
"Of course! We might as well pick the winning side!"
But they soon turned their attention back toward the two NPCs. They seemed about toe to blows, but then suddenly held themselves back.
"Fine, have it your way. You''ll be the one dealing with the consequences. You''re screwed, both of you!" The vige chief snorted as he left, thumping his feet in anger.
The training instructor remained behind, with a hint of worry on his usually confident face. With onest sigh, he grabbed the Demon King, heading toward the training camp.
This was only starting¡.
Chapter 120: Pressed For Time! (1/2)
Chapter 120: Pressed For Time! (1/2)
A man slowly came to his senses, woken up by the clucks of plenty of chickens.
Above Jack, a lone chicken was looking down on him. It had a cor with the tag "Titan"¡this had to be the newly built chicken fight gambling den.
¡ª Cluck? Cluck-Cluck! ¡ª
A voice suddenly lowly resounded.
"You''re finally up. We need to hurry. Time is of the essence." The training instructor uttered somberly. "The Chief is hellbent on causing your demise. We have to get you out of this vige ASAP."
"You can arrange that?!" Jack asked, surprised.
"I may be retired, but I still have a few contacts. Two days. In two days you need to leave this ce. This is the only chance that we have. Afterward, it will be toote. Do you understand?"
"Two days?!"
"Two days."
The man gazed at him with incredible solemnity, one ruined by the silly-looking chicken prancing at his feet. How big-hearted, even after getting his house destroyed, he was still ready to help.
The training instructor was paying the price of being fond of talent. Why was he doing this all? In front of him, the youngster thought for a few seconds before showing a piercing gaze. He was a man with a n.
"Two days, alright. Sorry again for your house." Jack muttered as he left with the speed of a tornado.
This would be he clutch:
¨C Jack''O: Quick, I need you to sell gear for me. I need potions, a shitload of potions. Send one random Mighty Wolf to buy some at the olddy''s ce. She probably won''t sell if she realizes it''s for me.
¨C Bubblegum: Alright!
¡ª
¡ª Jack''O: I need your people to scout the ce. I need to know about it ifrge PK groups are looking for me. I''m a wanted man after all.
¨C CPR Dude: Will do, Boss!
¡ª
Jack then summoned Moon Moon back. It wagged its tail in happiness as it saw that its master was fine.
"We have to finish all dungeons by tomorrow. Are you ready!"
"Woo?!" (So sudden?!)
Jack brought the shocked wolf to the wolf clearing, aka the perfect training ground. There the two yed fetch to train speed, tag to train agility, and dodge the rock for evasion.
In the middle of it, there came many yers. They lingered around the edge of the clearing, shouting a small "Don''t worry boss! Train in peace, we''re watching over you!". But he could feel their greedy gazes.
They didn''t have a D.L. emblem and were ncing at his red name from time to time. Did they think themselves sneaky? Well, he could simply test them.
He went next to them at some point, seemingly not watching his back. That''s when they struck.
Jack''O vs. 30 dumb greedy yers
They copsed on him akin to bachelors on a looking for love show. They wanted nothing more than to devour him. Jack had a confirmed record of killing 40 yers already, and 30 should be a cinch, right?
Not really. They had freaking mages, well, wannabe mages. They threw magic arrows at him with incredible eagerness.
One does not simply block magic.
Jack had to use the other yers as a meat shield as a rain of magic still partiallynded on him. He could only grimace as his health went down quickly.
-4
-5
-5
-6
Mages would run out of mana quickly, but burst-wise they were top-notch. Their numbers made it so he couldn''t get to them easily either. Alone this would be a tough fight.
But, they had disregarded one thing, he wasn''t alone!
"Woo!" (Angry!)
An angry ming wolf suddenly charged in their midst. That''s when Moon Moon used its skill for the first time: Fiery Chicken Rain!
As Moon Moon howled, a fire began to rain in the shape of a single chicken. It was a very modest skill, but itnded right in their group.
As the yers began burning, they lost their cool, literately.
"What the fuck is this?!"
"The damn pet can use magic?!"
"What''s with that insane DoT damage?!"
Jack chuckled as he saw them all panicked. The burn status actually did a lot of damage over time as 1 damage procs kept going. Really, they would have been fine if they had kept calm, but it was toote.
Jack used the confusion to pounce on them, ughtering them left and right and finishing thebat with a bloody cleave. Of course, he ended it with a nice butchering session.
"Woo?!" (Stunned.)
Moon Moon watched the destruction it had caused, nking. Was this really its doing?! This was akin to a dream! Feeling its master''s appreciative gaze, it couldn''t help but feel d. Devouring that tasteless heart had been worth it!
"You''ve done very well. Now it''s dungeon time." Jack slowly uttered.
The two of them rushed toward the Fox Grove while being wary of any and all yers. The attraction of a legendary ss was bound to be high. But given Jack''s mastery, he wouldn''t get noticed that easily.
He brought them both safely toward their destination:
[Entered Dimensional Dungeon Fox Grove!]
[Difficulty = Hellish]
They promptly ughtered the Mini-Boss. Sure it was fast and scheming, but Jack was a master baiter.
Then came thest Boss. The little wolf gulped as it saw it, but Jack reassured it.
"Don''t worry. Focus and believe in your strength. The tactic is simple: just make them burn, all of them! Can you do that?"
"Woo!" (Hell yeah!)
The Fox kept teleporting all over the ce to fuck them over, but the two were able to dodge. Moon Moon was now fast enough to avoid the strikes. It was even taunting the creature as it did so, still looking he cute as it did so.
Then came the moment of truth. The Boss began to spawn clones. There was no way that two could take care of all of them¡ª or so it seemed.
Step 1: Burn them all
Step 2: Run for your fucking life
Step 3: Cackle evilly as they all die to the burn status
Step 4: Copse on the confused Boss, wondering where all its clones went!
Step 5: Profit?
The two were even more slippery than a politician dodging a controversial question. The Fox soon began growling in anger and despair. No matter what it did, the two kept fucking running away!
This was bullying!
Moon Moon soon took a liking to throwing ming chickens all over the ce. It was finally getting revenge on the bully weird fox clones! Burning their fur was so fun! It even awakened something in it.
Fire was the best! It couldn''t just be used to cook. It was also so very fun to y with. Every time the enemies cried out in anguish, its grin got a little deeper. This was the birth of a pyromaniac pet:
Some wolves just want to see the world burn. Jack saw it all happen with a smile. This was great!
They soonpleted the Fox Grove at Hellish. This dungeon had stumped them in the past, but no more! The two couldn''t help but look at one another with pride.
Jack''s face especially lit up as he grabbed the loot off the Boss¡.
Chapter 121: Pressed For Time (2/2)
Chapter 121: Pressed For Time (2/2)
Jack''s face especially lit up as he grabbed the loot off the Boss.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Rare Fox Fur Cloak
Rank F+
Level 10
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[Armor Rating] 2
[Armor Type] Leather
[Durability] Great
[Attribute] +3 INT
[Trait] + Resist
[Passive] Shadow Guardian (Synergy)
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Hell the fuck yeah!
Now that he had both the rare Fox Fur Cloak and the rare Shadowy Belt, it unlocked a synergy passive.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Rare Shadowy Belt
Rank F+
Level 10
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[Armor Rating] 2
[Armor Type] Leather
[Durability] Great (Except Light)
[Attribute] +3 AGI
[Trait] + Shadow Affinity
[Passive] Shadow Guardian (Synergy)
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Shadow guardian made it so there would be a hidden guardian resting in one''s shadow. It woulde out in a time of need and save its user from death once daily. This was so fucking nice, especially given his current situation.
But would they stop right now and then? Nope! It was time for another dungeon!
[Entered Dimensional Dungeon Wolf Den!]
[Difficulty = Hellish]
"We''re fucking back!" Jack happily shouted.
"Woo!"
"How confident are you in killing that Remus fellow?"
"Woo?!" (Unsure.)
"Hehe, you''re my pet. You can''t go cowering because of one guy." Jack gently said.
He appeared so calm and peaceful, even with the wolf howls that wereing closer and closer.
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
"Woo?!" (Perplexed!)
"Oh no, we''re not running this time. This is our motherfucking redemption arc!" Jack dered with gusto. "I''ll block the cave entrance, and you rain fire upon them."
"Woo!" (Motivated!)
There had been no way for them to fight 20 wolves the first time around. Even if he could pull a 300 on them, they would just be able to rotate and regenerate their HP, slowly cornering them.
But now, everything was different. Regen? What''s that! Jack nted his feet solidly at the cave entrance and got ready to hold the fucking line no matter what.
The 20 wolves quickly charged, but only two at a time could fight him. They relentlessly attacked him, but so what? He blocked everything!
-2
-2
-2
-2
"Hehe, let there be fire!" Jack uttered.
"Woo!" (Let these evil sinners be turned into delicious food that will fill our bellies¡ª or something simr)
The wolves jumped in fright as a ming chicken dropped on them, igniting their fur. Never had they encountered anything like that before. They yelped in fright and confusion while the human and wolf cackled madly.
"Burn baby burn, hahaha!"
"Woo!" (Hehehe!)
After a few seconds, the 20 wolf pack decisively turned tail and ran away. Goddamn, these two weren''t food. They were monsters! Their primal instinct told them that these guys were he dangerous!
The two even began giggling as they saw their foes escape.
"Why are you running?! We''re just helping you get rid of fleas! Well, that along with skin, flesh, and bones, haha!"
"Woo!" (Sneering!)
These wolves were so big yet so cowardly! Talk about ridiculous! The dumb things should have just submitted to its master. It would have made them stronger.
[Title ¥´¥´¥´¥´ Menacing! Leveled up! Even more menacing!]
"¡.Thanks, I guess?"
Whatever, it was time for them toplete the dungeon! The two of them used their usual strategy, bullying the mini-boss with numbers and finally reaching the Boss.
Everything would rest on whether Moon Moon could 1 v 1 one of the bosses. Jack was crossing his fingers with hope.
The fight began with Moon Moon drinking lots of milk to grow big and strong. Usually, this was just BS parents told their kids, but in this case, it was true.
Moon Moon waited for the bosses to spawn to activate itsbat mode, but the two began grinning as it did.
The milk buff stacked with thebat mode! Hell, Moon Moon probably had more stats than even Jack at this moment. It was insanely perverse!
One thing was even more perverse, and that was its fighting style. Even while it had the physical superiority, Moon Moon still opted for a hit-and-run cheese tactic out of habit.
Remus the Mighty was going crazy. What the fuck was wrong with this wolf?! Why wouldn''t it just fight it?! This didn''t make any sense!
It felt as bad as a man getting tempted by an incredibly beautiful vixen without ever being able to touch her. It wanted nothing more than to bite into that tender-looking flesh, but it was always a beat toote.
Then there was the fire. Moon Moon really loved that burn effect, to their enemies'' despair. But what could they do?
The two finally kicked the bucket, looking a bit like charcoal. Yes, both of them. Jack, too was enjoying his new Fire Maniption skill a LOT!
As their enemiesy defeated, the two happily looted.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Rare Wolf Pauldron
Rank F+
Level 10
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[Armor Rating] 2
[Armor Type] Leather
[Durability] Good
[Attribute] +3 SPI
[Trait] + Great Buffing Target
[Active] Wolf Blessing (Synergy) / day
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This new pauldronplemented the loot armguards the mini-boss had dropped. The Hellish gear gave wonderful abilities!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Rare Drunk Wolf Armguards
Rank F+
Level 10
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[Armor Rating] 2
[Armor Type] Leather
[Durability] Good
[Attribute] +3 AGI
[Trait] + Alcohol Resist
[Active] Wolf Blessing (Synergy) /day
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The wolf blessing would increase both recovery and damage for 10 minutes. It reminded him of the milk from the wolf boss. It was a well-rounded buff that would be pretty useful to all sses.
That''s how the two happily left the dungeon, feeling an incredible sense of aplishment.
[ Completed Wolf Den Hellish! ]
[ Completed all dungeons at Hellish! ]
[ Acquired Title: Hellish Tutorial Completionist! ]
[ Congrattion! Acquired 5 Stat points as a reward! ]
Oh, this was fucking great! This was almost two levels up! This was whypleting the harder stuff was worth it in Infinite. While it wouldn''t do much on its own, it would stack if onepleted more of such feats!
But then he suddenly noticed a problem. There was something missing! Was he only getting a reward forpletion?
"Oy, system. I think you forgot about a reward. Think about it. Completing hellish is easy, but soloing it is way harder! Shouldn''t this warrant a reward of some kind?!" In his past life, solopletions had been great for that.
[Analysing.]
[Analyzing]
[Anyzing]
"Hey, there''s no need to write it all for me. Just analyze silently!" Jackined, with the system shutting up. But just as he was patiently waiting, he received a message:
¨C CPR Dude: Boss, something is happening! About 60 yers are heading to the forest. They''re looking to kill you but don''t worry. We''ll intercept them!
¨C Jack''O: You know what? Let them through. Let me have some fun. ^_^v
¨C CPR Dudel: Oh god! Alright!
Jack smiled to himself before ncing at Moon Moon.
"Some fools want to challenge us. Are you ready to rain death upon them?"
"Woo!"
He had to leave a legacy behind if he was to leave soon, right? This would be he fun!¡
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[ STATUS! ]
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yer: Jack'' O Level 10
ss: None
Title: Demon King!
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HP: 40
Mana: 20
Condition: Healthy
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Armor Rating: 18 (65%)
Defense Type: Bnced
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STR: 19 + 1
AGI: 1 + 9
INT: 18+11
SPI: 1 + 7
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
¨C Bloody Cleave F
¨C Fire Maniption F
¨C Wolf Blessing (1/day)
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¨C Gathering F
¨C Butchering F
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¨C Well-Fed
¨C Regeneration (¡ª)
¨C Blood Scent (1 STR + 1 AGI )
¨C Shadow Guardian
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Chapter 122: Raid Vs Jack’O!
Chapter 122: Raid Vs Jack¡¯O!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Big Joe used to dream of being a hero of justice defeating evil. But he quickly realized that there was no such thing in this world.
Winning over the opponent and getting the adoration of the masses? Nope! People were entitled AF! There was only one thing that mattered: money. Get enough credits, and you be a Saint. It''s super easy to sway public opinion when you''re loaded.
Then again, it was different in games. One could literally be superhuman and be revered as such. Right now was the best opportunity: killing one guy would give a chance to obtain a merit medal! This gave a freaking legendary ss!
He turned toward the sixty yers assembled: they were taking down the Demon King today! Morale was extremely high as they had plenty of reasons to fight:
¨C Get that medal of merit
¨C Leave behind a killing legacy
¨C Get the NPC bounty on the man''s head
¨C Get the IRL bounty (from the Mighty Dragons)
¨C Get rid of a powerfulpetitor who yed the game only by his rules
¨C Undermine D.L. so that yers could finally partake in PK without worry.
Big Joe stood at the very front doing onest speech:
"Remember everyone. This isn''t a fight but a raid! (Almost) Our target is close to unbeatable at melee range. You''ve all seen him resist the vige chief. We''ll be using long-ranged attacks to chip his health away slowly."
One nervously raised his hand:
"What about potions? He should have used plenty earlier, but what if he has some more?"
Big Joe gave a grin as he heard this:
"Easy, target the potions before the man! One well-ced magic missile will shatter itpletely, leaving the liquid to spill in his hands. Understood?" They all nodded, but there was still one issue.
"What about Demonic Legion? Won''t they rush to save him?"
"Hehe, I have this covered, don''t worry. Anything else?" Big Joe giggled.
"The fiery explosion that happened earlier. Shouldn''t we be worried about that?"
"ording to the vige chief, it was all a trick to undermine his authority. We just have to be careful of oil barrels hidden on the battlefield. Alright, if that''s all, let''s move out!"
With Big Joe''s shout, they all decisively left. Their group was able to rock the tutorial, their average level being 6. At this moment, the spotlight was on them as every yer gazed at them.
"Hehe, look at them all being impressed and shit!"
"Bro, they''re all D.L. members. They''re following to kill us."
"Hey, aren''t there a bit too many of them?! Goddammit, these guys are a gue!"
A fight could break out at any time, with the people watching them clenching their weapons solidly. Hell, some of the most fanatic were being restrained by their friends, or they would have jumped at them already.
"It''s fine if they attack us. We''ll onlymit to the fight when the conditions are right. We can afford to die a few times, but HE cannot, not as long as he''s red-named anyway." Big Joe chuckled.
The Demon King would have to hide. As long as they lowered his leveling speed, Big Joe would actually get paid. As for the consequences of angering the guy? Meh, whatever, he''d have money in his pocket by then.
It seemed like they would be gutted any second now, but then panic set in D.L. ranks as their leaders began shouting at them, and they all left hurriedly.
"W-what?! How?!"
"They''re all leaving, hahaha!"
"Are you the one that did that?!"
They all nced at Big Joe with eyes full of wonder. How the hell had he managed to scare them away so easily?! The man gave them a victorious grin:
"Right now, the vige chief is inspecting the training grounds, making sure the D.L. instructors are qualified to teach. Each of their students should have received a quest to show up to defend their teachers'' honor!"
Laughter erupted all around. Their very organization would be their downfall! How funny!
But they turned serious as they entered wolf territory, making sure not to kill too many of the creatures. They knew better than to provoke a beast tide or go near the Wolf Progenitor by now!
Thus they slowly prowled, getting closer and closer to their target. They had a good feeling about this¡.
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How had it alle to this?!
How?! Just how?! What the fuck?!
Big Joe nced around, his eyes bulging at the nightmarish scene.
The blistering heat was cooking them alive, human torches ran all over the ce screaming, and that goddamnugh kept echoing as if a ghost!
"Hahaha, you wanted to kill the Demon King? Here I am!"
"Hahaha, are you really running away from one wolf!"
"Hahaha, this is the best! Fun barbecue time!"
"Hahaha,e back. We''re just starting!"
The madman and his sadistic pet kept cackling without any regard for human life.
The inferno kept raging, consuming all: the wood, the humans, and their hopes. The fire was just a small trick? That''s what the chief had said! Bullshit! If this fire was a SMALL trick, then Joe wanted a SMALL dick! Fucking Hell! (Literally was!)
New Leaf forest had been turned into On-Fire Leaf forest and would soon be Only Ashes forest!
Their whole raid was built upon the belief that the guy didn''t have any ranged attacks. They were proved so goddamn wrong!
With a wave of his hands, he had sent fire aze everywhere. The man was a fucking human methrower! He would forever remember how the fight had begun:
¨C Hero Party: Let''s defeat the Demon King and bring peace to our wallets!
¨C Demon King: This is a nice backline. It would be a shame if it turned to ashes, am I right?
Two seconds afterward, their cloth-wearing mages had been turned into moving fire beacons. They all threw themselves on the ground, trying to extinguish it all.
But this was a mistake.
Mages 0
Forest 0
Fire 1+1+1+1+1+1
The entire ce turned into a sea of fire. That''s when that fucking wolf appeared in their midst! Their brains failed toprehend what they were seeing. What kind of wolf breathed fire?! Also, were those fire chickens raining from the sky?!
What should have been an organized raid, with everything under control, soon devolved into the biggest shitshow of the century.
Big Joe felt so damn cheated!
There was no mistaking it: the Demon King was a mage. The Demon King was a motherfucking mage! He could throw infernos!
Why the fuck had a mage been fighting melee all this time?! Was he just trolling them?! What kind of man hid so deep?! Also, why the heck had he suddenly shown his trump cards now?!
He suddenly felt so damn silly. Why had he believed the vige chief? The explosion was 100% the Demon King''s doing! He had been such a fool to challenge this monster!
Big Joe was giving a self-deprecating smile, but it soon froze on his face.
"What the actual fuck?!" He uttered in shock.
[New Leaf Forest Burns With the Hottest mes!]
[A New Field Boss Has Appeared! ]
[ Mad Pyromaniac Level 12 ???]
[Will You Protect the Forest?]
Coming out of the hellfire was a man looking incredibly puzzled as he nced at the new title above his head.
"What''s up with that? Level 12? I''m only level 10, though. Also, this system sure is getting creative¡." The new field Boss Jack''O mumbled to himself.
"?!?" This was insanity! Joe felt like crying.
That''s when the monster turned toward him, butcher knife in hand and a salivating wolf nearby. Oh god¡.
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In the training camp, the tension was as high as the annoyance. The various D.L. members were lowlyining:
"Why the hell do we have to be here."
"Officially, we''re here to prove that our instructors arepetent."
"Unofficially, that fucking vige chief is buying time for them to attack our god!"
They felt so damn bad. While they had pointless exhibition fights, their leader fought for his life! What kind of shitty subordinates hid behind their boss'' back?!
The vige chief was strutting around, nodding from time to time. Did the old coot even know a thing about weapon handling? He was always pummeling people with his fists while half-naked!
That''s when the leader of the Mighty Wolves asked, annoyed:
"We''ve already proved that we''re able to train plenty of people. Is this all really necessary?"
"Of course! It only takes one bad apple to doom an entire vige''s reputation. I have to make sure the braves are receiving top-notch teachings!" The chief self-righteously dered.
This was such bullshit! Why the hell was he ying the good guy? They all knew what was going on. Was there a need to fake it so much?!
"I will have to check absolutely everyone''s progress." The old man added, smiling as he saw the D.L. members grimace.
"This is the fucking worst!"
"This asshole sure knows how to buy time!"
"Tch¡ª our god should have made the entire vige explode!"
"Igor is on our side, right? Why destroy his house? I''m confused."
"Shit happens when training. Oh, what I wouldn''t give to see our god train!"
They all nodded in agreement. This secretive training seemed so mysterious and OP! They wanted nothing more than to rush at his side, witness his might and be his shield!¡ª Well, a human one. But they were stuck ying with the goddamn chief!
That''s when it happened:
[A New Field Boss Has Appeared! ]
[ Mad Pyromaniac Level 12 ???]
[Will You Protect the Forest?]
They all looked at one another, confused.
"A new field boss?!"
"It sounds powerful!"
"Wait, it''s in the forest?!"
"That''s where our leader is fighting, right?!"
"This could be bad. What if he gets nked?!"
They were just beginning to worry when CPR dude, a man named by the Demon King himself, started cackling.
"Hahahahaha! A field boss?! He''s a goddamn field boss now?! As expected of him! Mad Pyromaniac sure is fitting for the Demon King!" His heartyughter echoed in the training grounds.
"Wait¡what?!"
"The new field boss is our boss?!"
"How the heck is that even possible?!"
"He''s already level 12?! Isn''t that too fast?!"
"He''s ascended from being a yer, hahaha!"
"There are already rumors that our leader is a sentient NPC!"
That''s when they turned toward New Leaf forest. They could already distinguish smoke rising from it as they saw a scene of destruction in the distance. How incredible! He had single-handedly done this?!
In their hearts, they felt pride from being in his faction. So what if the entire world turned against them? How many could brag about their leader being a motherfucking raid boss?!
On the side, the Vige Chief showed an expression worthy of roadkill. He couldn''t see the system announcements, but even he knew that something was very wrong¡.
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[A/N] How would you guys feel facing a tank that suddenly starts sting magic everywhere?
Fun fact Jack''O''s INT is now higher than his STR thanks to mass investment + gear. Let it burn! ??
Chapter 123: Jack’s New Plan! Ballsy Or Dumb?
Chapter 123: Jack¡¯s New n! Ballsy Or Dumb?
A man nonchntly walked out of the inferno in Burning Leaf forest. At this moment, Jack truly seemed to deserve his new title of Mad Pyromaniac.
[Temporarily Assigned Field Boss Status!]
[Elimination Missions Will Be Issued!]
[Current Objective: Survive!]
[Remaining Time: 33 hours!]
So that''s how it was? He coincidentally had to survive until Igor could bring him away. He felt like a mobster about to go into witness protection. He gave a small grin as he nced at the sea of fire around him.
As long as this kept burning, would his enemies even dare enter? They didn''t have an OP Burning Man passive. They''d have to be chugging potions just to walk nearby.
"Woo?" (What now?)
"We''ve done every fucking dungeon in this ce, and we''re ready to leave anytime. BUT, can a man known as the Demon King just silently leave?"
"Woo!" (Of course not!)
"So here''s what we''ll do¡." Jack grinned mischievously.
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Back at the vige, some yers were cheering while others were utterly livid.
They all knew what had happened to thest anti-Demon King expedition. It had been one colossal wipe! Hell, some of them were still trembling even now as they recalled the raging mes.
So many had hurriedly epted the new Event Quest and were now regretting it.
[Hunt: Mad Pyromaniac Level 12 ???]
[Time Remaining: 33 hours]
It was one thing to face a level 12 boss as amunity. But as soon as they learned that this was Jack''O, they all lost their shit!
"Why the fuck did I ept so damn fast?!"
"We''re doomed! So fucking doomed!"
"Should I log off for 33 hours?"
"Would a tribute work?"
Others on the side were snickering.
"You guys missed on free rewards."
"Tsk¡ª tsk¡ª they''re suffering from their own greed."
They all talked casually, of them worried.
Every time they thought he''d be in trouble, Jack''O would pull another OP ability out of his ass! At this point, they already associated him with invincibility¡ª not knowing how many times he had died.
"Still, do you guys remember the vige chief''s face? It was priceless!"
"Yep, he schemed so much, and it was all pointless, dumbass!"
That''s when a man suddenly ran into the crowd, shouting:
"Guys! Guys! You won''t believe this! Holy fuck!" He looked as excited as a kid visiting Sixty gs for the first time. "There''s going to be a party!"
The bystanders gave him dubious looks.
"A party for what? Do you mean a raid?"
"I''m in a party right now. It''s nothing special."
The man shook his head:
"Not that kind of party! A real party with dance, bonfires, alcohol, and chicken fights! The Demon King''s organizing it! The whole vige is invited too!" He gleefully exined.
Wait, what?!
They couldn''t help but stare nkly for a second. There was a bounty on Jack''O''s head, and he was fucking organizing a party?! What kind of insane¡ª epic¡ª idea was that?!
"Are you guys in or what?!"
"Of course! Do you really need to ask?!"
"Party! Party! Party! This is gonna be so awesome!"
As more and more yers learned about it, they all resolved to be there. Heck, there were so many talking about it that the system even picked up on it.
[Mission Update: Join the Festivities and Find the Raid Boss!]
[Kill ¡ª> Assassinate the Mad Pyromaniac!]
[Good luck with your mission!]
It was very easy to know who had that mission: this was because they were all loudly cursing:
"Fuck you game! I might as well throw myself in a bonfire already!"
"Assassinate? Did Iunch Assassin''s Greed by mistake?!"
"Crashing a party? Hell no, I have standards!"
"Standards or fear?"
"Fucking Both!"
Either way, this was bound to be an unforgettable night¡
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News about the party exploded on social media.
#Party of a Lifetime #Hype #Booze #Secret Cluck-Cluck Fight Club #Be There or Forever Regret #Demon King #Infinite
The whole of New Leaf was weed, and they made a shitload of noise given their numbers. They invited their friends, their family. Some even tried to make their dog wear a VR headset!
Themunity aspect of it drew every one of them. They happily confirmed their attendance on the official D.L. thread about it:
[ Official D.L. Party Invite! ]
*Attachments: PartyDetails.PP*
¨C Verified CPR Dude: Make sure to attend as the Demon King himself will be hosting. No dress code. The only rule is to be chill since it will be he hot! ??
¨C PineapplesNotExpress: Verified CPR Dude? Do they expect people to faint at this party or something?
¨C Mighty40yoWiz: Bro, the guy is a New Leaf legend. He tried to do mouth-to-mouth with the training instructor. It was hrious!
¨C IPotato: Count me fucking in! You had me at chicken fights! Where''s the party? I''ll need the address.
¨C DBender: What do you mean address?! This is in the game Infinite, New Leaf vige¡.
¨C IPotato: Oh¡.
¨C GGGPdin: Tch¡ª You guys are wasting so much time. Shouldn''t you be grinding instead? Not to brag, but our guild leader is already level 7. He would never waste time on something so silly.
¨C CookingMethForBreakfast: Pfft¡ª Is this guy looking down on the Demon King?! What an idiot! XD
¨C AllMeatMatters23: Oh my Gawd! Level 7?! Is this even possible?! Someone pinch me with pliers!¡ª That''s what I''d write if I were impressed¡
¨C IPotato: Why can''t I find Infinite on the online store?¡.
¨C HalfFrogHalfDoom: Guys, don''t make fun of him. It''s not his fault that he''s dumb. Also, don''t tell him that our leader is already level 12. It might crush his pride too much.
¨C IPotato: Gotta buy a headset, it seems¡
¨C GGGPdin: Level 12? Bullshit! Fucking New Leaf peeps and their lies. They can''t take anything seriously!
¨C CookingMethForBreakfast: @GGGPdin Baka!
¨C AllMeatMatters23: @GGGPdin Baka!
¨C HalfFrogHalfDoom: @GGGPdin Baka!
There were plenty of replies after that. Most were calling that one pdin guy an idiot, some actually talked about the party, then there was that one potato guy very slowly figuring out how to buy the game. (Happy ending: he did figure it out)
But while the masses only saw a fun/useless party, others realized the implications:
1. It took a lot of gold to invite an entire vige for drinks
2. Was he trying to raise the loyalty of the entire vige to make an army?
3. The timing was strange. Why wasn''t he farming dungeons? Everyone else was!
Was he already done with dungeons?! Was that even humanly possible?
Little did they know that Jack had already sent some new footage of his dungeon clears to that one Pancakes streamer guy¡
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[A/N] Thoughts on this chap? Part of me is like: I gotta show how people react to Jack''s new endeavor. But it does make the story longer¡ xD
Oh yeah, epic party iing.. If you guys have crazy ideas for it I''m taking suggestions. (In the next few hours only haha) ^_^v
Chapter 124: Best Party Ever?! Part 1
Chapter 124: Best Party Ever?! Part 1
The New Leaf in was on fire, and it was fucking glorious! Bonfires were all over the ce as eager yers crowded around them.
This was akin to the Burning Man event IRL. There were yers every-fucking-where! Vige? Empty! Forest? Empty! Dungeons? They''d still be there tomorrow! Hell, many had even taken a day off at work to be there!
The festivities were only starting, yet their eyes were already glowing in excitement. The OG yers nced at the in with sweet smiles.
Once upon a time, they were struggling to defeat chickens. The Demon King had taught them and sold them gear. They had grown stronger, and it felt awesome!
Now they were partying here, ughtering them as they spawned! The poor things didn''t stand a chance!
"This sure feels nostalgic."
"Back then, the Demon King was just another dude."
"Naw, he was always special. We were just too blind to see it."
The yers went around, happily chatting, ying music, or dancing.
Any conversation topic was a go. It went from general Infinite tips to cool stuff IRL and even how to bleach one''s asshole. (Why?!)
A few yers had created rudimentary recorders, drums, and other instruments with wood from the forest. They were giving the show of their lives! After all, Jack had told them that music proficiency increased faster the more people listen to it!
Many shook their bodies to the music, enjoying the infinite stamina. The pretty girls (all since a game) enjoyed the men''s gazes, the boys showed their moves, and the old people relieved their youths!
There were yers of all levels, with the weaker ones staying near the others for protection. After all, it was too easy to die from a chicken peck here.
"Why can''t we do this in the vige?!"
"Hehe, you''re new to Infinite, aren''t you?"
"H-how did you know?! Is it that obvious?!"
The nearby yers chuckled, seeing the noob''s confused expression. They were about to exin it when the music suddenly stopped, everyone looking around in confusion.
That''s when HE came. The Demon King showed up, as handsome and powerful as ever. At his side, a little wolf was strutting proudly. It looked so damn cute, but many knew how terrifying it could be!
Jack nodded, seeing the high turn up. Some were looking at him with adoration, others with expectation, some awkwardly turned their eyes away, and some noobs stared at his name with their eyes bulging.
"L-level 12?! Motherfucking run!" A noob ran with all his might, only to get devoured by a level 4 chicken.
"Pff¡ª Hahaha!"
"Why did the noob cross the Chicken Field?"
"To fucking get to the afterlife! He dead bro, haha!"
Jack chuckled lightly. New yers'' antics sure were entertaining at times. He raised his hands in the air.
"Wee everyone to the first D.L. party ever! I just have one mission for you all!"
They held their breath, many sweating heavily. Was he going to order his troops to kill his would-be assassins?! They didn''t want to freaking fight him either!
That''s when he shouted powerfully:
"Let''s make the future generations jealous! Make them regret not attending this event! Can you all do that for me?!"
"Hahaha!"
"Hell yeah!"
"That''s why we came!!"
Jack nced at all of them, raised a hand in the air, and gathered his mana. Then he released it all in one go, controlling his Fire Maniption.
Tweaked Spell: Zero fucking damage but maximum showiness!
"Party on!" Jack apanied his shout with a dragon made of fire!
It flew high up, spreading its gigantic wings and silently roaring. There was no sound, and yet they heard it. It had no heat, and yet they felt their skin itching. It wasn''t real, and yet it felt omnipotent!
"D-dragon?!"
"As expected of him!"
"How the fuck is that expected?!"
"Did he get a buff from the field boss thingy?!"
This little stunt had used all Jack''s mana but looking at the frozen, frightened, and fanatic expressions, it had aplished its purpose.
Hell, the vige chief who had been slowly creeping to stop the whole thing suddenly ran back to the vige in fright. It had the opposite effect on the magic-obsessed florist. Whatever, he was weed to join the party¡
"Cue the music! I want some fucking beat!" Jack happily ordered.
The musicians promptly got to work. One didn''t just say no to a fire dragon throwing madman! Their lives depended on it!
The stunned yers returned to enjoying themselves, sneaking nces at the OP red-named Demon King. He had just shown enough power to obliterate them all, yet he was just going around being friendly?! This felt so surreal!
But if they thoughts Jack was the main attraction, they were sorely mistaken.
That''s when the officers of D.L. came out of the training grounds along with Igor and Steven. Oh, and they were far from empty-handed. They carried enough kegs to overwork a barrel-throwing gori.
"We have enough booze to drown a field boss in it!" CPR dude eximed.
"Oh? Shall we put that theory to the test?!" Jack approached menacingly.
"I''m down, Boss! But you''re crazy if you think I''ll let you drink alone!"
"Oh? Is that a challenge?"
"It might just be! So what if your body is near invincible? Drinking is a mental game, I tell you! It requires one to go past their limits and beyond!" CPR dude shared his "wisdom".
How childish! A drinking contest, really?! Seeing Jack''s innocent side, many finally lost all apprehensions they once had. So what if he was a powerful boss? Right now, he was just a guy trying to have fun, just like them.
The yers all crowded around them.
"I want some too!"
"God, I love drinking in VR!"
"It''s the best: all the fun and of the hangover!"
"RIP, I can''t drink. The damn machine knows I''m underage!"
"Don''t sweat it, brother. There are some advantages to it. Anyway, let''s watch!"
Jack gave a wry smile:
"Now, shall we start with some bets? Who''s rooting for the handsome Demon King winning? Of course, you can bet on CPR dude too, but he''s 100% going down!"
"Handsome Demon King? Where?!" Bubblegum teased him.
"Please, we both know it''s true." Jack happily winked.
"Boss, if I can be frank¡.You think you can out-drink me, punk?! You''re on motherfucker! I''ll make you swallow your arrogance!" CPR dude shouted.
Coins were already going around switching hands like crazy.. But this was only the beginning. This would be a long and eventful night, a very long one¡
Chapter 125: Best Party Ever?! Part 2
Chapter 125: Best Party Ever?! Part 2
A brave hero faced the Demon King, refusing to give up even with the odds stacked against him!
"I-I woooon''t admit defeat! Nooooo!" The flushed CPR Dude raised his mug once more, even as he waspletely wasted.
"Muhahahahaha, this is what you get for challenging me!" Jack towered above his fallen opponent, a man that had trouble standing on his feet before turning to the crowd.
"On this day, forget all your problems, drink, and be merry! Let the beer flow through you! Muhahaha!"
The surrounding yers all raised their cups.
"I can drink to that!"
"Drink till we respawn!"
"Can alcohol even kill you in Infinite?"
"I don''t know, but I''ll figure it out for sure!"
That''s when CPR Dude finally faltered. He was so damn sleepy! He was drunk enough to get the wasted debuff. The people saw him fall in slow motion, with Jack quickly reacting. He heroically reached out and¡.grabbed the falling mug!
"Saved it!" Jack hoisted the cup high up in victory amidst the cheers.
"Jack won this drinking bout!" referee Bubblegum stepped up as CPR Dude fell with a thud. Meh, he''d be fine.
"Woo!" (Victorious!)
"Noooo, I lost my bet! CPR Dude, I was counting on you!"
"Hehe, betting on the dark horse isn''t that great when the opponent is a Demon!"
"Now, now. How about another game? Have you guys ever seen chickens fight? It''s fucking glorious! Chicken Master, it''s your time to shine!" Jack shouted.
That one youngster who was in charge of the chicken arena stepped forward. He was carrying two cages with chickens looking evilly at one another. They knew that whoever won the next fight would get delicious vegetables!
"Today, I''ve brought Cheesecake and Drumstick. You can be sure that they are unparalleled diators!"
"Cheesecake?! Drumstick?!"
"Damn, I''m gonna get hungry!"
"Same, my stomach is already rumbling."
Luckily a friendly noob came along as their savior. He was carrying a ter of sausages resolved to make a good impression on the seniors.
"Guys, I''ve gotten this from the Butcher. If you all want some!"
"Food? You''re a goddamn hero!"
"Hell yeah!"
"Woo!!!!"
They all began munching, their faces glowing in happiness.
When tipsy, all human urges feel that much better¡ª and eating is the fucking best! The sausages felt so tender, juicy, and tasteful that many fucking moaned in appreciation.
The noob also ate one, as did all the others. But as he did, his face suddenly turned livid.
"G-guys, it says I''ve unlocked cannibalism!"
"Pfft- Wee to the fucking club!"
"Demonic Legion Special, hahaha!"
"His face is priceless!"
The yer could only stare at them all between tears and panic. What the fuck was wrong with them?! He was fucking getting sick! That''s when the Demon King pped his back.
"Don''t worry about it. As long as it tastes good, it''s fine. Plus, it came from free-range yers. No pesticides were used either, great quality." The madman gave a thumb up.
"F-free range p-p-yers?!!!"
While still chuckling, they turned to the clucking chickens.
"I''m betting on cheesecake!"
"Drumstick here. He looks so dashing!"
"I''m an OG. All I''ll say is FRIED CHICKEN!"
"Fried chicken! Fried chicken! Fried Chicken!"
They all burst outughing. This sure had been one hell of a fight. They had been fighting chickens, and yet it had fucking felt like they were going against an incredibly evil orc army or something.
Jack then appeared solemn for once:
"Remember people. The first rule of chicken fight club: you don''t talk about chicken fight club¡ You fucking bring people over instead! The more, the merrier, hehe!"¡ª So much for that serious buildup.
Soon began the fight of the century! ¡ª ¡or close?
Cheesecake VS Drumstick
The fighters showed incredible resourcefulness. Whether it was pecking, pecking, or even pecking (?!), they fought without a shred of mercy.
They even uttered war cries! (?)
¡ª Cluck! ¡ª (Cheesecake)
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª (Drumstick)
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª (Cheesecake)
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª (Drumstick)
¡
"Go cheesecake! Show him who''s boss!"
"Go drumstick. I just bet my life savings on you!" (?!)
They kept going relentlessly, showing the stamina of Greek heroes. None wanted to give up on the wonderful reward that awaited them! Food! Great food!
Then it suddenly reached a climax as the both of them finally fell on the ground, exhausted. Wait, what?! It was a goddamn tie?!
"What about the bets?"
"Anyone here bet on a tie?"
"I did! Hahaha! I''m rich!"
The emotions ran wild as the yers came to terms with their loss. Even then, the mood remained great. What was the fun of betting without risk!
"Welp, I''m out of silvers, haha. Time to dance!"
"I''m gonna request We Will Rock All of You!"
"Nice, also time to hunt for an Inte GF!"
"Looking for a BF! Must be level 7+!"
Hearing all this talk about dancing, Jack suddenly turned to someone very dear to his heart. They had been through so much together, and their personality was sopatible too!
"Say, would you do me the honor of giving me this dance!"
"Woo!" (Hell yeah!)
That''s how Jack and Moon Moon went to shake their asses on the dance floor.
The little wolf did its best to copy the surrounding humans. But there was only one issue: it had more feet! They danced with two, while it had four. It took a lot of adaptation! But it was a smart wolf, so it managed!
But that''s when they both noticed one chicken in their midst. Except, there was definitely something odd with this one. Why was it wearing a fancy red bow tie?!
Not only weren''t the surrounding yers attacking it, but they even made a bit of room for it as the chicken followed the beat.
"A tamed chicken?" Jack remarked.
"Yep, this is Michael-Clucking-Jackson. Here, watch this: Use Moonwalk!" A nearby yer shouted.
It began to backtrack with its little ws. Holy shit. This chicken really could moonwalk!
"Hey, who does it belong to?"
"Michael doesn''t belong to anyone! He''s not an object!" A pouting girl suddenly stepped forward. She was frowning while ring at him.
Damn, this one seemed spicy! It would be fun to corrupt her¡.
Chapter 126: Best Party Ever?! Part 3
Chapter 126: Best Party Ever?! Part 3
"Michael doesn''t belong to anyone! He''s not an object!" A pouting girl suddenly stepped forward. She was frowning while ring at him.
"You''re the one that trained it? I need you on board with the chicken fight club ASAP. They need to learn moves like w and Throw Dirt or something."
"No fucking way! I''m never gonna stoop so low!"
"You seem really angry. Why?" Jack raised a brow.
"Making these poor beasts fight is inhumane!" She shouted.
"I''d say it''s very human. Just ask the yers around you how many enjoy PVP. It''s the same concept. yers fight for loot, and chickens fight for food, that''s all."
"Tch¡ª Justifying your evil practices with¡ª What are you doing?!" She cried in shock as she saw Jack approach her chicken.
As headstrong and confident as she seemed, she was freaking out internally. This guy was the goddamn Demon King! She had seen the fire dragon, she knew he had ughtered armies alone, and he had so many followers.
Was he going to devour poor Michael-Clucking-Jackson?! Sure the ins were a safe zone, but the guy was a field boss at the moment! Should she beg for mercy? She felt so damn helpless.
"Wait!" Her voice faltered as she cried out.
"There you are, little buddy." Jack slowly reached for the chicken''s neck and¡..tied a D.L. emblem to it. "Now that looks better."
The poor girl went from dread and despair to utter confusion. What was he doing? That''s when the Demon King turned toward the surrounding yers.
"Now, does anyone dare to kill this chicken?"
The surrounding yers chuckled, seeing his antics.
"Fuck no! It has the emblem!"
"Talk about one damn lucky chicken!"
"Can I also get one if I learn to Moonwalk?!"
Jack suddenly approached the girl.
"You see, there are two kinds of people in this world. The ones that whine and the ones that actively try to make a change." He had a slight smile as he said that.
"Now, will you just keep bitching, or will you join the Fight club to make an actual difference? Wrestling is super popr, and no one is getting hurt, you know." Jack winked, walking away.
"Woo!" (How ridiculous!)
She just stood there shellshocked. Be the change that she wanted? That''s when a man approached her, one she knew as the manager of that vile chicken fighting ring.
"Hey there, it will be a pleasure working with you!" He gently put his hand forward to greet her.
"I never said that I''d join!" She spat out.
"Oh, sure. Guess I''ll have to starve the chickens to make them more violent then. A shame we don''t have a masterful tamer in our midst." He shrugged as he began walking away.
"Y-you!"
"Me?"
"Were you reading a script just now?!" She had noticed how his eyes seemed to be ncing at mid-air as if looking at a message window.
"W-what?! No way!" He promptly closed the message window he had opened.
As she saw him tap in the air, she turned toward the Demon King. How scheming was the guy?! He was already doing something else and ying innocent.
With a grunt, she finally followed the man to discuss. She would have lots of work to do to turn a barbaric show into a glorious one. In the distance, Jack was slightly grinning, +1 skilled worker!
Bubblegum slowly approached:
"I saw how you hoodwinked that poor girl. I lose track of you two seconds, and you''re already cheating people." She shook her head in mock disappointment.
"Hehe, now that''s a straight-up lie."
"You totally cheated her."
"I meant the part about losing track of me. You''ve been watching me the whole time. How about it, want to dance?" He winked.
"Do you have eyes behind your back or something? What are you, a fly?!"
"How dare you?! You should at least add handsome to it!"
"Sure."
"Oh? So you agree that I''m handsome?" He grinned.
"I meant the part about the dance." She gave him a teasing smile as they went to work up a sweat.
Moon Moon happily followed behind as it copied their movement. This dance seemed slightly weird. There was much more body contact than the previous one: it couldn''t do it alone. That''s when its predatory gazended on the nearby chicken.
"Cluck?!" (Frozen in fear!)
"Woo!" (Let''s fucking dance!)
"Cluck!" (Running for its life!)
"Woo!" (Confused!)
In its mad run, the chicken lost all track of its surroundings. Its owner even called out to it, "Jacksone back!" but it didn''t hear her.
That''s when tragedy struck. There were enemy chickens in this in, and it ran straight into a level 4 chicken. The monster instantly turned toward it angrily.
Lv 4 Chicken VS Lv 2 Jackson: the oue was already a given.
"Noooo! Jackson!" The owner cried in fright as she saw her chicken attacked by the stronger one. But just as she was freaking out, a mighty wolf howl resounded.
Moon Moon was he mad! This chicken may have rejected it, but it wore their faction emblem. It was a friend! This dumb wild chicken dared to raise its w against one of theirs?! Not on its watch!
¡ª Howl! ¡ª
That''s when fiery destruction began raining on the enemy. It felt the heat and raised its beak to defend against the attack. But its eyes bulged in fright as it saw what wasing its way. It was utterly fucked!
The ming chicken crashed on the opponent, turning it into a ball of fire that was soon only ashes. Moon Moon quickly went to the ally''s side, pushing it back on its feet with a gentle paw.
"Cluck?!" (Stunned)
"Woo?" (Concern)
"Cluck!" (Grateful!)
The two pets then slowly waddled back. Michael-Clucking-Jackson seemed as if its whole world had been turned upside down.
Had a wolf saved it? Wait, no. This wasn''t a wolf. This thing was orange. Was it a fox? But why did it look like a wolf? ¡ª And why did it save it?!
The yers witnessing this scene pped in excitement.
"As expected of our unholy beast!"
"No one messes with D.L.!"
"Great job Moon Moon!"
"That fire was Lit!"
As the young trainer girl saw this, she couldn''t help but gawk in iprehension. She had taught her chicken to moonwalk, yet he had taught his wolf magic?! Did he even fucking need her?!
No, it wasn''t that he couldn''t do the job. He simply didn''t want to do it. He already had too much on his te. As for what that was, the answer was obvious: his faction. There were so many yers surrounding him!
They seemed like a tight knitted family. Maybe they weren''t that bad, even with some of their dubious practices: cannibalism, rampant destruction, borderline brainwashing, exploitation¡.never mind!
Even then, she would join this pirate ship. She would join for her ideals and to prevent the atrocities they would otherwisemit.
This was because of the time she had spent with Michael-Clucking-Jackson. In his innocent eyes, she saw life, real life! She didn''t believe one bit that her friend was only lifeless data. She needed to protect that cute creature!
If the best way to do that was to join a mad faction, then she would turn evil for the greater good. This was her resolve! At this moment, she appeared so solemn, a solemnity that didn''t fit the joyous atmosphere at all.
But a sonorous shout suddenly brought her back to her senses. "Hey guys, I brought weed!"
What kind of insane game was this?! Whatever, she would remain for the cute chickens¡.
Chapter 127: Best Party Ever?! Weed And Danger Lurking!
Chapter 127: Best Party Ever?! Weed And Danger Lurking!
In the New Leaf in, a hero was iming to have¡weed?!
"Well, it''s not really weed per se. But you can definitely smoke it, and it will make you as mellow as a marshmallow! So, anyone wants some?"
Many crowded around him, but suddenly the crowd parted ways as the Demon King walked forward, his face as stern as an old school catholic nun! He sized the man up: alchemical satchel, the sweet scent of potions with a hint of bitterness, and a kind face.
"You''ve been learning alchemy with the Old Lady?"
"Y-yes, Sir!" He nervously replied. Did the Demon King investigate him beforehand?!
"This stuff of yours is poison, isn''t it?" Jack asked while frowning.
"T-technically yes? But I swear it''s very mild. It''s nothing like paralyzing or hallucinatory poison!" He didn''t dare to lie.
"Kid, do you know what will happen to you now?" His deep voice echoed in the tense atmosphere.
"N-no?!" He gulped loudly, his hands trembling. Would the Demon King smite him right here and then?!
"You''re going to tread the path of alchemy only to realize it takes an eternity to gather materials and to raise your proficiency. Will you give up?"
"No Sir!" He answered with conviction. So what if it was hard?!
"I see. Say, kid. Do you want a job? Infinite materials, free reign on experimentation, and having your name resound through Infinite as the greatest alchemist! What do you say?" Jack whispered temptingly.
The man listened to his words, with his expression bing more and more infatuated. This sounded so damn nice: it was a direct path to glory! His whole body was now shaking with barely containable excitement.
"I''ll be in your care!" He bowed hurriedly.
How fucking lucky was he?! He had just wanted to get feedback on his newest creation, and he was getting the opportunity of a lifetime! He didn''t realize one bit how much exploitation would ensue, but even then¡who cared?!
"Now, let me try this. All of it! Even the other stuff!"
"Even the hallucinatory pills?!"
"Yep! Show me all you got."
The Weed Dealer Guy handed his new boss plenty of small pink pills. Would these tiny things have much of an effect? Jack gulped all of them while the guy was rummaging his satchel to grab arge bong.
"Here you¡ª Where are the pills I just gave you?!"
"In my stomach?"
"That was a dose for freaking 12 people!" The man was freaking out.
"Oh¡"
"Oh no!"
Oh crap! How was he so quick to swallow dubious drugs?! What kind of junkie was he?! Was he gonna get mad at him?!
That''s when Jack saw the whole world spin before his eyes while his sight filled with so many colors. The bonfires began glowing so much that it was blinding. He was even seeing double.
There were two Moon Moon! How nice! Jack slowly approached to pet it, only to meet air. But after a few tries, he did manage to pet the soft orange fur of his partner.
"Woo?" (Confused)
"Don''t worry about it. It''s those pills. They make you feel like you''re floating." Jack said with a smile, not mad in the least.
"Woo?!" (Floating?! Interested!)
"Eh, why not. Give some to my guardian beast too!" Jack grandly dered. He was going all-party mode.
In his past life, he would have never done something like that. He had been so stuck on reaching the top that he had kept struggling non-stop, even when it barely gave any result. Back then, he was still fucked up from losing her.
In this life, he would make sure to reach the top, protect her and enjoy the hell out of this crazy ride! Soon a human and a wolf could be seen taking deep breaths from a bong and popping pills.
"Woo!" (Triumphant!)
The little one was howling in surprise as it felt its paws be so damn light. It happily ran all over, feeling so alive! Moon Moon was literally a party animal, howling continuously!
"Pfft¡ª what''s with that wolf?!"
"What the hell''s in those pills!"
"No idea, but I''m trying them for sure!"
The yers chuckled, watching the two have fun. They looked so damn silly! But whatever, this was a party!
But as this all happened, evil was creeping in the shadows. Right now, the Demon King had trouble walking: this was the perfect assassination opportunity! They watched intently, preparing to strike.
Jack was blissfully unaware of this and was nning the knife game. He had his hand held out as Bubblegum expertly wielding a knife, nting it between each finger in session, going faster and faster.
"Wow! I can see a dozen of des right now!" Hemented in his stupor, prompting her to chuckle.
"You''re so wasted! Are you sure you should have taken all those pills?" On the side, Moon Moon had its eyes bulging while looking at everything going on.
"What does it matter? This is a game anyway. It''s not like it will leave any seque, haha."
"So carefree! Guess I''ll have to protect you in the off-chance someone tries to attack you. Most of the Mighty Wolves are drunk too." She sighed.
"Oh? A mighty and beautiful heroineing to my rescue? That does sound tempting. Can I request a princess carry while you fend off hordes of enemies?" He teased her.
"Pfft¡ª I''m an assassin, an assassin!"
"Oh? Great, you didn''t say no, haha." He chuckled.
She turned red a bit. How could a man so powerful be such a fool! But she suddenly jerked up in shock, moving toward Jack''s back to defend him.
A man sneakily approached, stumbling his way over, seemingly drunk. But she could feel that he was faking it as his eyes were too focused for him to be intoxicated!
"Who are you, and what do you want?" She growled at him.
As he heard her, he smiled as he disregarded his previous act. His demeanor went from wasted to showing overwhelming confidence. This was even more striking as he was gearless and obviously low level.
His gaze was calm and scheming as he meaningfully nced at Jack.
"The Demon King of Infinite! It''s a pleasure to meet you! I''m Daemon Flint" He politely introduced himself, even doing a slight bow.
What was this guy doing here?! Seraphine sucked in a cold breath. This was a name she knew! Judging by the man''s aura, he was the real deal too!
The Demon King stared at the Daemon Flint Neer with amazing poise, emitting a menacing aura. He was totally nailing his OP leader show of power!
"So you''ve heard of me? I sure am bing famous, aren''t I!" Jack dered, looking so damn powerful.
But instead of being intimidated, the new guy just uttered small:
"Eh¡I''m actually here, not there." How freaking high was the guy?! He was at a loss, seeing the Demon King ring at empty air.
Bubblegum could only face-palm on the side. What was he even trying to aplish by posing so much?! He waspletely wasted! She added a few words for Jack''s sake.
"If I''m not mistaken, this guy is from Pandemonium, one of the top raiding guilds in World of Much War and Little Craft. He''s one of their official diplomats. I didn''t know they were interested in Infinite, but it does make sense."
They weren''t dumb and knew that this game had the potential to be an incredible sess. They would at least send a few people to investigate.
But even hearing about his affiliation, Jack just shrugged:
"Meh, whether he''s from Pandemonium or Pandemo-gone, it doesn''t change much to me. Are you here to party? Yes or no? That''s all that''s important!"
The man twitched hearing this.
"Party? No. I''m here to warn you. There are plenty of yers preparing to attack you. This is normal seeing your current state. You should run while you still can." He advised.
"Why are you telling me this?" Jack raised a brow in confusion.
"It''s a token of good faith. My guild may be interested in recruiting you. I think you''d fit right in. After all we¡ª"
"Don''t care, not interested. Look, you can send me a mail at [email protected] if you want to join D.L. But just know that our requirements are pretty stringent." Jack uttered, serious.
"Pfft¡ª You even have a mail for that?!" Bubblegum chuckled.
She wasn''t sure if Jack even knew about Pandemonium or their glorious reputation. Stringent requirements? She had just seen him invite a random chicken tamer and some wannabe drug dealer too!
The Daemon Flint guy wouldn''t take this lying down:
"Are you fucking crazy?! It''s Pandemonium I''m talking about! We have decades of history! Do you freaking think we''ll just give it all up that easily?!"
"Naw, it''s fine anyway. Shoo¡ª shoo, go away then. I''m not interested in joining your shitty guild." Jack waved the guy away as if an annoying pest.
The guy looked mad for a second but then harrumphed and left with big strides. Bubblegum watched him leave half-amused half-worried.
"You should have at least feigned some civility even if you weren''t interested. Pandemonium is a pretty strong guild." She whispered while frowning her gentle brows.
Seeing this, Jack petted her pink head softly with her jerking up in surprise, but she didn''t move away.
"Don''t worry. I know what I''m doing. No matter how many pro-guildse, I will always remain. I don''t care about the arrogant bastards. So what if they are legends in other games? This is Infinite. In here, I will reign supreme."
She gasped in shock, seeing the confidence he was emitting. Somehow she was sure that his intoxicated state didn''t have anything to do with it.
"Then, what about the danger he warned us about?"
"What about it?"
His smile was so rxed and contagious. She felt at peace just looking at it. But a secondter, she got reminded of their predicament as she got ready forbat.
A few dozen yers were making their way over with their weapons out-. Could Jack even fight?! Oh god¡
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[A/N] Longer chapter.. Rest isingter ^_^v how is the party so far? I swear, nothing is better than drugs and alcohol without health consequences. VR FTW, haha! ??
Chapter 128: Drunk Jack VS Assassins (1/2)
Chapter 128: Drunk Jack VS Assassins (1/2)
Tons of yers suddenly swarmed the New Leaf in! There were so many unknown faces: how were there so many new yers?!
"Who the hell are those guys?!"
"They don''t seem that high level, but where are they from?!"
"Fuck, I''ve seen them train in the forest earlier! They were praising the Demon King. How treacherous!"
Heck, some old yers even joined these neers. This was the Mighty Dragons'' perfect n! They had retreated, but they had never given up on getting their revenge!
The surrounding yers saw it all happen.
"These fools are rushing to their deaths, haha!"
"The Demon King is gonna ughter them!"
"Wait¡that''s their freaking n!"
So what if Jack was OP? The Mighty Dragons would use the low-level yers as meat shields and higher-level ones to do the actual damage. This was perfect considering that the starting HP was a staggering 20!
"Jack, we gotta get out of here!" Bubblegum hurriedly shouted.
The Drunk and high AF Demon King smiled sweetly, seeing the concern on her many faces. He gently approached his hand to caress her cheek. "Don''t worry, let theme."
"Don''t worry?! You''re gesturing at empty air again! I''m over here!" One of the many Bubblegums called out to him.
"Oh¡." Jack replied nonplussed.
He turned toward the approaching enemies. There were so many of them! At least a few thousand! Oh, wait, no. He was seeing bonfires, chickens, the mirages of the assants, and even grass.
At this moment, he felt as if the entire world was so damn intriguing! But even then, he still understood the situation somewhat. He gave a confident smile at Bubblegum.
"Come over to me, valiant heroine!" Jack called out.
She could only sigh to herself. Good thing she hadn''t participated in the excessive drinking! But their situation was grim. Most of their allies were as shaky on their legs as their leader.
There were about 200 enemies. This wasn''t something that they could fight! She''d have to be the one to carve a path of blood for them to escape! This would be nigh impossible, fuck!
She went toward him, but he suddenly ambushed her with a bear hug just as she reached him! He wrapped his arms around her, holding her body tightly against his. At that moment, she froze, not even registering the overwhelming smell of alcohol.
She could feel his heart thumping. Her ears felt tingly with his soft breath, his head was resting on her shoulderfily, and his entire body was so damn warm! His chest heaved as he took a profound inspiration.
"Yep, this smells about right. You''re the real Bubblegum!" He smiled as happily as a man having found a treasure or solved a puzzle. Was he freaking smelling her now?! How embarrassing!
"Y-you! What are you doing?! We have to bounce, now!"
"Bounce, is it?" He began hopping in ce with her still in his arms. She tried to free herself, but his grasp was so tight. How was he so strong?!
"Bounce as in we have to get the fuck out!" She urgently shouted as the enemies were about to reach them. What the hell was wrong with him?! But that''s when she saw his mischievous smile.
"Wait, you''re trolling me?! Don''t tell me you''re faking being drunk?!" She gasped.
"Naw, don''t worry. I really ampletely wasted!" He reassured her.
"Woo!" (Same!)
"Then I SHOULD worry!!!!" She retorted.
"Woo." (It will be fine¡probably.)
"All is well, I believe in you." He could sense how she was about to kick him from annoyance. How was she to kill 200 enemies alone?! This was a suicide mission!
"You''ll be my eyes." He gently whispered.
At first, Bubblegum felt perplexed, but then she understood his meaning. What kind of n was this?!
"Fine!" She grumbled, seeing his "I''ll be counting on you" expression.
Bubblegum carefully gripped his arms with her slender hands, not knowing that this battle would be a historic one. She then controlled his hands to aim as Jack rained fire on his enemies!
"Let''s fucking goooo! Demon King goes BRRRRRR!" Jack shouted as they worked together.
Bubblegum was akin to a valiant warrior princess delivering death unto the enemies. On the side, Moon Moon was also using magic. Its aim was so fucking bad, but it didn''t care one bit!
"Woo! Wo-wo-wo-woooo!" (Happy!)
The first wave of opponents shrieked in pain as they felt their skin and muscles get melted under the intense heat. Many human torches began to regret, painfully perishing. What kind of suicide operation had they signed up for?!
Their demise was apanied by evil yet slurred maniacalughter:
"Muhahahahahaha! This is the best!" It was evident how much Jack was enjoying himself!
Seeing the Inferno, enemies, and allies still alive gulped in fright. Heading to the battlefield at this moment was insanity! What kind of devil was this guy?! He really was having too much fun!
"Damn! I was nning on helping, but nope!"
"Even us allies are gonna die if we join now."
"These Demon King hunters are doomed!"
"This is so fucking crazy!"
"At least it''s not dragons¡."
They could only nod in agreement. But this time around, he was just shooting a continuous beam of fire. There was no way to avoid this! But as the remaining attackers were despairing, the fire suddenly stopped.
Jack, why did you stop?!" Bubblegum asked worriedly.
"Oh, I''m out of mana. Completely fucking empty! I''m like a poor student''s wallet! Or one''s balls after¡ª"
"I fucking get it! But we''ll have to break through the enemy lines. There are still about 100 of them!" She urged.
"I see, I see. Well, I see so much that it''s a problem even. These visual hallucinations sure are vivid! Anyway, I have an easy cure to it." Jack chuckled.
"You do?!" She asked, incredibly surprised. He already had an antidote ready?! Wasn''t he encountering that drug for the first time?
"Yep, sure do. Here, tie this up for me." He was asking her to tighten a bandana to cover his eyes.
"Are you fucking serious?!" She shouted.
But, she was just met with a low and confidentugh¡.
Chapter 129: Drunk Jack VS Assassins (2/2)
Chapter 129: Drunk Jack VS Assassins (2/2)
Bubblegum hurriedly covered Jack''s eyes with the cloth. What was he even trying to do?!
"Oh, this sure is effective. The world isn''t spinning in front of my eyes anymore." Hemented, satisfied.
"Of course, it isn''t if you can''t see it!" She retorted.
"I mean, my sense of bnce could also be fucked up. Luckily it seems these drugs don''t have much effect." Jack nonchntlymented.
But that''s when the first attackers arrived! They charged at them with sticks or low-level weapons. In their eyes, there was incredible greed¡ª not that Jack could see it.
They began swinging at him, resolved to make him pay for his cockiness! How freaking arrogant! He had dared to party right in the open like that! He even had dared to get drunk and high!
What had started as a job for the Credits soon became personal. They were giving free rein to their anger and their fear alike. They had survived the mes, and they''d make the man pay for scaring them!
"Take that, you bastard!"
"We''ll crush you into tomato paste!"
"Let''s see how your face looks split open!"
The attackers shouted powerfully and confidently. But this confidence wouldn''tst long as Jack expertly moved along the battlefield.
¡ª Block! ¡ª
¡ª Miss! ¡ª
¡ª Block! ¡ª
¡ª Parry! ¡ª
¡ª Miss! ¡ª
¡ª Block! ¡ª
They felt as if they were trying to hit a phantom at times, a master swordsman at others, and a goddamn wall whenever he blocked. How was he freaking doing that?!
"Why can''t we fucking hit him?!"
"He''s so goddamn slippery!"
"He''s still alive?!"
But then they noticed something that enraged them even more. Not only was he blindfolded, but he was even bringing along a pretty pink-haired girl! She was glued to him, her slender arms wrapped around his neck.
"Even with a handicap, we can''t do anything?!"
"What the fuck?! This is unreal!"
"Is he still freaking human?!"
"He''s a true Demon King!"
They felt even worse when they saw how she was gently blushing, painting a beautiful and heroic scene. They couldn''t help but shout:
"You fucker! This isn''t the time for a date!"
"We''re trying to kill you right now!"
"He''s just waltzing in our midst!"
"Die! Just die already! Please!"
"This isn''t fucking working!"
The poor attackers were losing their minds. It didn''t help that Jack was starting to have fun, uttering a ton of bullshit:
"One could say that I am a daredevil!"
"Call me Sinner Lee, the Blind Monk!"
"But¡Are you guys even trying to hit me?
"I don''t even need to use Earth bending here!"
They were about to go insane! They redoubled their efforts to kill him, but the angrier they got and the louder they were too. Jack''s ears kept twitching as he used their heavy breathing to locate them.
But suddenly, one seemed to realize the issue.
"Guys, don''t make any noise!"
"He''s right! Staypletely silent!"
They all quieted down as they held their breath and began to move very carefully. The intensebat had suddenly slowed down to an unbelievably slow crawl.
There was only Moon Moon running in the background,pletely confused as it saw mirages from the weed and pills.
They inched closer, with Jack not noticing them; he wasn''t omniscient. They smiled radiantly as their n was a sess! He was now frozen in ce, looking so damn perplexed!
But that''s when a crystalline and beautiful voice echoed softly, saving him:
"23 degrees to your left, 1.74 meters, there is an enemy." Bubblegum''s voice broke the silence.
"Hehe, gotcha!" The demon grinned.
Jack then began his counterattack! He charged straight at the yer''s position, swinging his sharp Cluckinator! He took a bit of damage but also instantly killed the man.
If they moved quickly, they made enough noise to be detected! If they barely moved, she told him their position, and he''d counterattack! Were they fucked either way?! But that''s when a genius had a brilliant idea.
"AHHHHHH!!!!!!" He shouted powerfully, almost breaking his lungs in the process. "You guys fucking charge!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
Detect the enemies by the sound they made? There was only that omnipresent shout resounding, so Bubblegum had to help! She had to describe the battlefield for him! This new strategy was overworking her so much!
Luckily Bubblegum had been a pro-yer in another life¡.and so had Jack! By working together, they were freaking surviving even now!
"Keep fighting! He''s taking damage!"
"At this rate, we''ll win! Keep going!"
"Victory is upon us! Fight!"
"AHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
But just as they were expecting victory, they saw the woman grab a red potion from her inventory and gently feed it to the Demon King. He was even giving them a taunting smile as he drank!
"AHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
"This is fucking unfair!"
"Keep attacking! She''ll run out of potion at some point!"
"A cute girl feeding him?! So decadent! I''m totally not jealous!"
But even if their spirit were willing, their bodies would soon fail them. The screaming guy suddenly stopped screaming. The de abruptly piercing his lungs made it hard for him to keep shouting. That''s when the attackers turned pale.
Right behind them were so many fucking members of Demonic Legion. They were so damn drunk, but they were also very numerous. They had stumbled their way over to help the best they could, akin to zombies.
They began a killing spree. The invaders didn''t stand a chance: they were stuck between the Demon King and his legion. As more and more of them kept dying, the little sanity they still had left them.
What was the point to even fight? They were doomed anyway! They just stood still, shaking like leaves and awaiting death.
Screw this goddamn Demon King!
Screw his Demonic Legion!
Screw New Leaf vige!
Screw them all!
But then they realized that the D.L members were looking at them with very peculiar gazes. Why did they seem like they were looking at loot? Why were they licking their lips? What was up with the butcher knives?
Blood-curdling screams resounded as the poor guys were butchered alive. In normal circumstances, it wasn''t pretty, and it was even less with drunk wannabe butchers! It was a bloodbath!
This was next-level torture!¡ª Also a VERY memorable experience¡.
Chapter 130: Amazing Barbecue!
Chapter 130: Amazing Barbecue!
Jack removed his blindfold, his eyes moving all over the ce to observe all the pretty colors. He grinned as he gazed as his troops, taking a victorious pose:
"How nice of them to bring us food! You know what this means, right? It''s time for one epic barbecue!"
"Hell yeah!"
"This is the best!"
"Woo!" (Food! Food! Food!)
The members of Demonic Legion quickly grabbed their share of the meat to cook it. They started to roast it as one would marshmallows, holding sticks above the bonfires.
¡ª Acquired Cooked Human Meat! ¡ª
¡ª Acquired Burnt Human Meat! ¡ª
¡ª Acquired Cooked Human Meat! ¡ª
¡
They looked so peaceful and happy as they worked together to cook a perverse quantity of human flesh. They all acted as if it was normal too! None of the other yers objected¡ª they were too busy throwing up on the side!
The D.L. members chuckled as they saw all the people that couldn''t stomach it. Talk about a low tolerance!
A delightful and mouth-watering aroma soon permeated the entire in.
"This is gonna be so great. I''m starving!"
"Copy the Butcher! He''s cooking his meat so perfectly!"
"Ah, man! I''m so hungry from this smell that I might just eat a piece raw!"
"Here, you can have a piece of mine. Look at that crisp tenderness! Isn''t it amazing?!"
They sat together, talked as if old friends, and shared their food. The atmosphere was incredibly warm, a warmth that affected both the body and the soul.
As they all chewed on the meat, many began to tear up.
"Is it that bad?!"
"No, it''s amazing!"
"So good that you''re crying?!"
"I-it''s been so long since I''ve eaten a meal with my family."
"We''re all family here! There''s no need to be sad. Just enjoy life!"
"Yes, I know. These are tears of happiness: this really just feels so nice!"
This resonated with so many of them. The yers were tearing up with huge radiant smiles on their faces. At this moment, they felt so alive. So what if this was just a game? This happiness was real!
"Demonic Legion forever!"
"Hahaha, let''s conquer this world, shall we!"
"Yep! So what if we have countless enemies? Eat them all!"
Some bystanders couldn''t take it anymore. What the heck was wrong with these people. They were 100% crazy! Eat their enemies?! What the actual fuck! This group really was a goddamn cult!
That''s when the cultists turned to their god.
"Leader, do a speech!"
"What are our goals as a faction?"
"Please share your wisdom, Boss!"
Jack gave a slight smile and slowly stood up. Silence followed as he gazed at them all solemnly. Many were ecstatic just from a passing nce.
"For the faction, I want everyone to be happy and well but also to be the ultimate best in all you do! As for my personal goal¡" He paused a few seconds, the glint in his eyes turning so profound!
"I''ll be strong enough to beat the entire world of Infinite alone." He dered heroically. It sounded so silly, and yet they believed in him, nodding with renewed resolve.
"Anyway, I''ll be leaving soon and¡ª" but he was suddenly interrupted by a mighty howl.
¡ª HOWL!!! ¡ª
That''s when an incredibly powerful-looking beast appeared at the edge of the forest. Its fur was the color of darkness, it was huge and its ws/fangs were sorge! It would be able to eviscerate any of them with a swipe of its ws:
< ? Wolf Progenitor Lv 10 ? >
They sucked in cold breaths as they saw the dreadful monster eying them, salivating puddles on the grassy field. Was it going to charge their way?!
"What?!"
"That''s the wolf Field Boss?!"
"What the heck is it doing here?!"
Even the few NPCs in their midsts became tense. Was this auguring a beast tide? Even during thest one, the wolf hadn''te this close to the vige!
Some felt their blood pressure rise as they observed the creature.
Some noted how Jack was powerfully heading to face it (albeit a bit wobbly).
Some were at the edge of their seat, expecting another incredible fight from their favorite Demon King.
Heck, there were already a few yers betting on the oue. They all thought Jack would win but the divide was how:
¨C Sucker-punch the boss.
¨C Burn the wolf asunder.
¨C Send Moon Moon after it.
¨C Block its attacks till itmits suicide.
¨C Slice it up using his Cluckinator and cook it!
But then how he dealt with itpletely astonished them. He just threw it some human meat very nonchntly. Then his next words shocked them to the core:
"Wee to the party! Now, let''s get you drunk, shall we?" Jack grinned.
Wait, what?! He wanted to get the wolf boss drunk?!
What kind of n was this?! There was no way that a deadly boss would just¡ª no, it was freaking happening already! Their brains shut down as they saw the gigantic wolf obedientlyp at a beer keg, its name changing.
< ? Drunken Wolf Guardian Lv 10 ? >
"0_0!"
"WTF?!"
"¡"
"¡"
"As expected of the Demon King!" Many unconsciously nodded. This sentence was an all-purpose exin-all!
Bubblegum approached, gawking at their new protector.
"Did you just tame it?!" She inquired.
"No, haha. It was just lured in by the aroma. But now that we have this wonderful guardian, you can let loose a bit and have fun. How about it, shall we get you drunk too?"
Before she had been abstaining just in case they were attacked again. But seeing that even a freaking boss was now on their side she finally rxed. No matter how drunk it got it would surely remain powerful.
"Alright, sounds fun." She chuckled.
"Nice. Let me help you with that." Jack slowly crept closer with a huge grin. He then suddenly pounced on her, embracing her body in yet another bear hug.
"J-Jack?!" She jumped, startled.
Without saying anything, he quickly carried her away. How assertive! What had he nned?! She entrusted herself to him, awaiting what would follow.
But as she saw where he was bringing her, she could only yelp in shock.
"Wait?! Are you serious?!" She cried out.
"Yep! Are you ready?" He seemed so goddamn proud of himself too!
"Nooo, I''m not! Wait, let me remove my clothes first!!!" She cried out, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.
That''s when Jackunched her in the air. He chuckled, the bystandersughed, Moon Moon wooed happily, and the CPR dude freaking guffawed.
Bubblegum''s slender body coursed through the air, falling straight in a small poolpletely filled with beer! It even did a satisfying ssh!
"How''s the water?" Jack asked cheekily.
"Pfft¡ª That''s your n to get me drunk?!" She retortedughingly, the golden liquid sticking to her clothes. "Alright, help me get out!"
He slowly approached and gave her his hand. She sped it solidly¡and pulled! As the two fell back in the booze pool, Bubblegum''s crystallineughter echoed in the in mixing with his. the two were eagerly swimming in booze.
At this moment, there was no trace of the tyrannic Demon King. There was only Jack. There was only a youngster with way too much baggage enjoying himself to the fullest.
But then his happy expression seemed to turn slightly mncholic.
"What is it?"
"Just a passing thought." He softly uttered.
Lilly would have loved this ce so much! He had actually entertained the thought to buy her an Infinite helmet and invite her in a rush.
But, he knew her too well. She was sweet but proud. She wouldn''t just stay put and ept to remain under Demonic Legion''s care.
He already had a few enemies and wouldn''t be able to bring her out of the tutorial anyway.
It was better if she started a bitter, inplete anonymity. This way, she would have the same mad fun she had in his previous life¡ª without the hardships or the gruesome ending!
Bubblegum gazed into his eyes, feeling his resolve. She could feel the weight of a heavy past, and she could recognize herself in him.
She gently opened her mouth tofort him, only to be interrupted.
"Woo!" (Cannonball!)
The little wolf had sensed its master''s peculiar state. It happily jumped in the pool, hoping to distract him. It evenpped at his face in aforting manner¡ª damn, that tasted good! Also, why was the world spinning again?! Wow!
"Pfft¡ª It seems Moon Moon is drunk again!" CPR dude chuckled.
Jack gave a wry smile seeing this.
But that''s when Bubblegum leaned closer, whispered a few words in his ear, and left toward the forest.
"A date?" CPR dude asked in a low voice as if it were confidential information.
"She wants to talk for a bit." Jack nodded.
"Alright, Boss! I''ll take care of Moon Moon. Go have fun!" CPR dude gave him his thumb up of approval and a knowing wink.
It wasn''t like that, it really wasn''t like that¡or was it?
He slowly made his way over, giving onest nce at the in. People were still so merry as they sang, danced, and socialized.
There were many ying with the wolf boss in a corner, feeding it more and more alcohol and food. The lucky creature pretty much had servants.
Then there was that one D.L. cultist group. They were cutting their palms, mixing their blood in wannabe blood pacts. Had they used the party to recruit more members? Ah, whatever.
Things would be fine here even without him. He took a step in the dark yet beautifully enchanting forest.
He and Seraphine had a lot to talk about¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[A/N] Longer chapter: next one is taking longer to write for reasons ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)
Chapter 131: [18+] ( ?° ?? ?°)
Chapter 131: [18+] ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)
The forest was dark, quiet, and felt like another world. Jack soon found Bubblegum sitting on arge ancient tree root, pensive.
She was akin to an exquisite goddess, her luscious pink hair incredibly dazzling. Many would have noted her grace or how enchanting she looked with her face slightly flushed from the alcohol.
But to Jack, she was just Bubblegum. She had a good head on her shoulders, was reliable, and was a great teammate. Still, she sure did look utterly vibrant and full of life.
He silently went to sit by her side, and for a few seconds, they remained in absolute silence.
"You''ll be leaving?" She gently asked.
"Yes. I''ve already fulfilled the conditions to leave and achieved the max level in the tutorial. After the party, Igor will take me away." Jack nodded.
"You''ll have to be careful. I won''t be there to get eaten in your stead. Not for many days at least." She chuckled.
"That¡It may take a while before we meet again. I''ll probably leave the humannds and journey to some remote realm." Jack exined.
"All to dominate Infinite?"
"Exactly." He nodded.
"Why?"
"There are more unique quests in the periphery areas and¡ª"
"Why do you care so much about Infinite? It''s neither for the money nor the fame, am I right?"
Why? Just why?!
To clear his regrets, he just needed to live a good life and save his family, right?! But that wasn''t enough for him, far from it.
Infinite had be part of his identity over thest decade. Time reverting didn''t change this fact one bit. The truth was that a part of him felt like he belonged to the game more than the real world.
"Because Infinite is my life." He uttered softly, every word heavy with meaning as he remembered the past. This game had shaped the man he had be.
"I understand." Her gentle voice echoed.
Still lost in thoughts, he faintly sensed her leaning closer. Before he knew it, she was pressing her soft lips against his, stealing a kiss.
Her gorgeous face was right next to his, her warm breath tickling his skin. Had she always been so mesmerizing?!
But he quickly regained his bearings. She had taken him by surprise, but he wouldn''t let himself be carried away.
"I''m still going to leave." He firmly dered.
"You will."
"I''m not looking for any rtionship right now." He warned.
"That''s fine."
"Even if it''s a game, it still¡ª"
"I don''t care." She leaned closer again.
She used another kiss to snuff out his protests. Her soft pink tongue pried his lips open, intertwining with his. After an eternity that felt like an instant, they separated, catching their breath.
She smiled at him.
"Let''s just enjoy tonight. After all, who knows when or even if we''ll meet again. Plus, we have to test the 18+ functionalities at some point, am I right?" She impishly whispered.
She looked so damn tempting!
Jack carefully observed their surroundings. The system had zero tolerance for public indecency. They''d at least need to get some cover if they truly wanted to have fun.
But she misunderstood this slight pause as hesitation.
"It will be my first time too, don''t worry." She reassured him. Technically it was the same for him¡ª in this life anyway.
She slowly guided his hand toward her breasts. Not too big, but ample enough to fill his hand. She then resumed their kiss, her breathing rougher by the second and her tongue so damn sweet.
But this time, he fought back. His tongue wrestled hers, invading every corner of her mouth, exploring it entirely. He wrapped an arm around her slender waist, hoisting her up while he grabbed her plump little ass.
Then he brought her to a nearby bush. There just happened to be a fox in it, but he casually ughtered it, directing a silent prayer at it. It would die for a good cause: for a brother to getid!
"Not a five-star hotel, but close." He joked.
"Pfft¡ª very close." She giggled in between kisses.
He gently lowered her in the vegetation, still busy stealing her breath away¡ª in both senses. As he finally gave her a respite, she panted heavily,pletely red. A status window reflected in her zed eyes.
[Initiated 18+ Content. ept?]
Never in her life had she smashed a YES button so quickly!
[Have fun ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)!]
"This system is a freaking troll!!" She gasped in shock, only for her mouth to be under attack once again. Herints soon turned into muffled moans.
His hands suddenly moved so quickly. Before she knew it, her clothes were already in shambles. Had he mastered dress break or something?! He had looked so innocent earlier!
But she didn''t have time to dwell on that thought as he stole her lips away. But he wouldn''t stop there, as he ever so slowly kissed lower and lower, gently teasing her.
He kissed her delicate nape, then her elegant corbone, her full breasts, her slim midriff, her juicy tighs, and finally¡stopped. Stopped?!
She felt her entire body heat up with every passing second, hungering for more. Was he leaving her hanging?! He showed a teasing grin as he looked her way.
She bit her lower lips as she met his gaze, silently begging him to continue.
He finally resumed his kissing but started licking too. His hot tongue invaded her, making her whole body tingle. It was sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes gentle, and sometimes heated, but her reactions were always intense!
Her back arched, her hands pushed his head against her wet flower, and soft moans escaped her lips¡ª no matter howposed she tried to look.
She lost herself in ecstasy and lost track of time as he kept relentlesslypping. He was akin to a thirsty, lost traveler in a desert finally chancing upon an oasis¡ª then again, by now, it was at least ake¡
She kept trembling non-stop until she couldn''t hold it anymore and felt herself gushing with joy. Her body went soft as her mind went nk for an instant. She basked in the afterglow, gasping for breath.
Where had he learned to do that?!
She suddenly felt him kiss her nape, her body quivering to his touch. He rested his head above hers, gazing into her enchanting golden demonic fox eyes.
He gave her such a sunny smile, one unfitting of one called the Demon King.
"I''m d you enjoyed the forey." He gentlymented.
"!!!"
That''s when she was jolted awake. Forey?! Right, this had just been the forey¡and she was already a mess! Would she survive the rest?!
She felt a mix of fear and expectation as he brought out his Epic Weapon. It looked very sturdy and ready for battle. She gulped as she peered at its magnificence.
He made it brush against her thigh, making her shiver as it slowly made its way toward her pink slit. Her body answered him as it touched her wet gates, ushering in him.
"Should I enter?" He teasingly asked her.
Her entire face flushed even redder as she hurriedly and repeatedly nodded. So what if this would break her!?
He stole her lips and pushed himself in, sliding in so easily, even with how tight she was. She weed him whole, her insides burning hot and her folds snuggly wrapping around him as his warmth filled her.
Her body didn''t want to let go of him!
Moans escaped her only to be muffled by his tongue. But that was only the beginning.
He began moving. Slowly at times and faster at others, probing every corner of her wet cave. The exploration felt so damn good! Every time he was about to exit, he couldn''t help but drive himself back in as she twisted in pleasure.
She could only capitte as she entrusted herself to him, letting him plunder the deepest part of her vault. But even as he did so, his hands were never idle. He gently caressed all her curves and fondled her twin peaks lovingly.
She even locked her legs around his waist with her arms wrapped around his neck. At this instant, they were one.
She felt herself reach Heaven. Once, twice, thrice, and eventually she lost count. She reached it alone many times but also alongside him as he painted her insides a pretty white. She had wholly surrendered to him.
Every time she thought she was at her limits, she found herself wanting more, and he kept delivering. He seemed tireless!
"L-let¡Ahhh! Ahhh!"
"M-me¡Ahhh! Ahhh!"
"R-rest¡Ahhh! Ahhh!"
"F-for a ¡..Aaahhhhhh! S-second!"
It took her all her efforts to barely utter a coherent sentence amidst her moans. But that''s when she saw his smile. It still looked warm, beautiful, and so gentle.
"Nope." He chuckled.
"Oh gosh¡Ahhhhhh!" She barely eximed that he was already resuming his diligent yet gentle plowing. She bit her lips as she felt him slide back in, filling her core.
She couldn''t even control her body, and he was still so calmly smiling, a sunny smile that was actually very fitting for a Demon King¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
A few yers strolled the forest, feeling despondent. They had just joined the catastrophic raid against the Demon King earlier,
"How in the hell is the Demon King so strong?!"
"Is there still a future for us in New Leaf?"
"Hard to say. It was a confusing fight."
"Maybe they won''t remember us?"
Out of habit, they slowly walked toward a bush they knew contained a fox. It was a perfect farm location as it waspletely isted.
"I''d love to kill that Demon King prick!"
"Same! He thinks he''s hot shit and all!
"Yeah, I can''t stand that fucker."
"Same, fuck him!"
They circled the bush, ready to ambush the poor fox hiding inside. They even did a silent countdown.
3
2
1
That''s when the bush rustled.
But as they saw the monster that came out of it, they froze. They recognized the annoying face, the devilish grin, and the white deadly-looking Cluckinator.
"D-D-Demon King?!"
"W-What the fuck?! How?!"
"W-What is he doing in a bush?!"
#Bush PTSD Intensifies!
The devil didn''t waste any time and did a single bloody cleave, dispatching them all. As their bodies turned to light particles, they heard him mutter:
"Don''t worry, guys, I''ll remember you. After all, you interrupted me while I was watering the nts." He even winked, giving them goosebumps.
What kind of BS reason was this?! He had left his fantastic party to water a bush?! Why?!
They disappeared inplete anguish, resolved to delete their ount, and hopefully respawn in another beginner vige.
F ¡ ?????
.
.
.
.
.
Jack was left seemingly alone.
"I wonder how good nectar is to grow nts. They won''t drown, right?" He seemingly mused to himself, but soft and tiredughter came from the bush.
"You ass! You should worry about me instead! How am I supposed to walk?!"
"Don''t worry. I have plenty of healing potions." He reassured her.
"Thank god!"
"Alright, time for round 2!" The Demon King happily returned to the bush.
"Oh god! Tell me you''re kidding?!"
"Are you against it?"
"¡I didn''t say that." Her voice was as tiny as a mosquito, but it betrayed her eagerness.
This was Jack''sst night in the tutorial. They may as well enjoy it¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[A/N] Thoughts on this chap? Bush PTSD intensifies 100%! ^_^v
POV Bubblegum next?
Chapter 132: Let Me Roast The Messenger! (1/2)
Chapter 132: Let Me Roast The Messenger! (1/2)
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
On that fateful day, the New Leaf za was filled to the brim with yers. The CPR dude was in the very first row: he would never miss his boss''s grand exit!
Jack was the man that had made him want to y Infinite actively. He wasn''t just trailzing for the peeps in Deste Desert anymore. Nowadays, he genuinely freaking loved ying!
Heck, he even found himself unconsciously signing CPR dude on parcels IRL! A nickname he once hated was now a mark of pride. He was THE CPR dude of Demonic Legion.
He was now patiently awaiting the man who was a mentor, a leader, and a friend to him.
He could hear the faction members murmur:
"Why are we in the vige?"
"Isn''t the Demon King still red?"
"Yep, even after the Field Boss Event."
"Won''t the vige chief attack him then?!"
"Why don''t we just all swarm the chief at once?!"
"Yeah, we should kill the bastard! He''s so old he should just die!"
They were worried about their leader. They had orders to avoid trouble, to boycott the chief''s shop, and to let Jack handle the rest. Why was he shouldering all the weight?
CPR dude reassured them:
"Remember that he knows more about this world than any of us. He''s already taken care of everything." He was totally an NPC, after all.
CPR dude only knew part of the story, after pestering Igor for a while.
Killing the vige chief wasn''t that simple, precisely because he was the vige chief.
His title gave him backing and power over the New Leaf vige area (primarily defensive, but still). The consequences for getting rid of him would be disastrous, even if it were possible to do so.
But this title also provided an opportunity. The NPC had to follow a specific set of rules.
Once per week, when the sun was at its highest, he had to establish a link with the Empire and send them any promising braves. They had to be as willing as worthy (level 10). But as a training instructor, Igor had the right to evaluate the yers'' potential.
This all led to this current situation.
The vige chief looked like a man who had just eaten shit. Soon, he''d have to open a portal for this Jack bastard. This asshole had cost him so much business and made him lose so much face!
Even now, D.L. was telling yers that he was trying to scam them with the gear he sold. But it was barely enough for him to turn a profit considering the enormous loan he took to buy all the stuff!
But no matter what, he wouldn''t be able to kill Jack right now as it shed with his duties. This was all because that shithead Igor vouched for him and insisted that he enter the portal!
If it weren''t for that guy, he could catch the annoying brave as soon as he stepped in his domain and toy with him! This was so damn insulting!
CPR dude on the side was now pointing at the vige chief:
"See? The Demon King has everything under control. Look at how crazy the vige chief is going. Sometimes mental torture is even better than physical one to get revenge." He exined wisely.
"Ah! So that''s how it is!"
"How domineering! That''s why he''sing to the vige!"
"He''s gonna be showing off, and there''s nothing the dumb NPC can do about it, haha!"
The D.L. members happily rejoiced, especially when they saw their leader appear with the crowd parting on his way. He looked so suave, peaceful, and elegant with Igor, a pink-haired girl, and an orange wolf escorting him.
Jack even cheekily waved at the chief as if an old friend:
"Hey there! o/"
"Woo!" (Gentlewolfly greeting!)
Moon Moon wouldn''t lose its cool either! It was showing its impable manners. It had trained specially for this moment, observing its reflection in water!
But the NPC didn''t seem to appreciate the effort:
"You''re there, you bast¡ª Let''s finish this." He spat out, looking as angry as dejected.
"You sound so grumpy. You should work on that if you want to show a good example for the people." Jack suggested, sounding so very innocent.
"Pfft¡ª" The bystanders couldn''t help but chuckle.
His actions and his mannerisms made him look like an adult kindly advising a child. He seemed so honest, but they all knew it was 100% a taunt! He wasn''t considering the other party as an equal at all.
Jack made sure to look as angelic as possible for this brave sending-off ceremony. But the more innocent he looked, the more it infuriated the opponent.
"Y-you! You b¡ª!" The chief felt like cursing but restrained himself.
The NPC slowly took his ce in the middle of the za, brought out a golden token representing his vige chief authority, and began the ritual.
He was grandly moving his arms as he mumbled mystic words of power¡ª only to be rudely interrupted.
"Is there any need for the theatrics? We all know it''s a one-word activation magic tool that even a braindead person could use." Jack cut him off.
The NPC''s face became even cloudier. How had he known?! Was this guy born to mess with him?! He had nned to impress the braves, making them believe he was also a mage. But now, they were chuckling as they gave him looks filled with ridicule.
"Wow, talk about shameless!"
"Guys, don''t make fun of him. It''s not his fault he''s a Chuuni."
"Eight-grader syndrome at what¡60?! Talk about ate bloomer!"
"Be quiet, all of you! Let him concentrate! It might just be one word, but what if he stutters?!"
They all erupted in boisterousughter.
A random rock would have been more fit to be vige chief than that dumbass! After all, a pebble wouldn''t have made an enemy of D.L.
As he heard their mocking shouts, the chief was reminded once more of why he hated them all. The bastards wearing the D.L. emblem were the absolute worst!
What had he done to deserve this?! Was selling slightly expensive gear a crime?! No way! This was all that fucker''s fault! But he could only bide his time and hope for a miracle.
Seeing the disgraced chief not even daring to speak up made the yersugh even more. But they quickly stopped as the Demon King waved.
What profound wisdom would he share this time?¡.
Chapter 133: Let Me Roast The Messenger! (2/2)
Chapter 133: Let Me Roast The Messenger! (2/2)
Seeing the disgraced chief not even daring to speak up made the yersugh even more. But they quickly stopped as the Demon King waved.
"All of you." Jack''s deep voice echoed in the za. "I''ll be going on ahead. Take care of yourselves, and I''ll see you on the other side if fate allows it."
That''s all he said. He was done and it was indubitably a shitty speech.
He already seemed to be pondering what he would be doing next.
Anyone else would have made a big deal out of this and would have been bragging to no end, but not him.
Sure he had organized a big party to celebrate, but he was already over it. To him, this incredible achievement of being the first toplete the Tutorial was nothing out of the ordinary.
That''s the kind of resolve that made him worth following! Many emotionally spoke up:
"We''ll meet you on the other side, Boss!"
"Demon King, I''ll find you no matter what!"
"Leave a bit of the vast world outside for us to conquer!"
"We''ll take care of the Great Chicken Arena while you''re gone."
"Don''t worry, leader. Soon we''ll follow you and make the world tremble!"
It was a cacophony of cheers and farewell messages. Then it was sr noontime as the big ming ball in the sky was at its highest. The chief mumbled an activation word softly as if afraid they''d hear.
The space began trembling as a portal suddenly materialized. It was a golden rich color that emitted an imperial feeling. In front of this energy, they were all so incredibly insignificant!
Everyone in the za fell to their knees¡ª or almost. Jack was still standing, not sweating even one bit.
He took a confident step toward the light, heading for a new world.
But that''s when something flew out of the portal so damn quickly, colliding with him and sending him flying.
What the hell?!
All they saw was a red blur attacking the Demon King. It was way too fast! Yet, he had blocked it and was now staring at it with great wariness.
< Imperial Messenger Bird Lv 34 ???>
It was a bird the size of an eagle. It was a vibrant red and had an air of arrogance to it. It nced at the crowd assembled and showed displeasure as it shook its feathery head.
"Quick, everyone bow to the holy messenger bird!" The vige chief hurriedly shouted as he threw himself to the ground.
"¡."
"Really?!"
"Are you kidding me?!"
"We''re supposed to bow to a bird?"
"Bird meat is delicious, you guys. Let''s catch it!"
"What, it''s level 34?! How are we supposed to roast it?!"
Finding their tone irksome, the mighty bird uttered a sharp cry and rushed at them.
A secondter, a few yers were missing their heads. Their necks gushed a rain of blood as the creature gave a satisfied chirp, its sharp talon stained with blood.
This bird was OP!!!
Afterward, it nced at Jack once before opening its beak. In there was a glowing golden seal that floated upward before flying straight into Jack''s body with lightning speed!
That''s when its gaze finally on the vige chief and the training instructor, locking onto them. It flew to their side, dropped a letter at their feet snickering, and flew away.
It gave onest nce at Jack, the man who had blocked its initial strike, flew back to the portal, and disappeared alongside it.
What the fuck had just happened?! Why did a damn bird block Jack''s way?! Why was the portal gone?!
All eyes turned to the letters. They were embroidered with a gold ??, the symbol of royalty! It even softly emitted a regal aura! None would have dared to touch it!
The two men began reading, showing contrasting expressions.
Igor seemed to suddenly grow a few years older as he stared at the letter with regret and gave an apologetic nce at Jack. Meanwhile, the vige chief began happily cackling as if he had just won the jackpot at the casino.
"Training instructor, what''s happening?!" A yer asked with concern.
"I''m no training instructor, not anymore." He sighed while unequipping that enchanted cloak he was so proud of. He didn''t have the right to wear it anymore.
This was the result of going against the system. He slowly reached toward Jack, showing him the content of the letter. The Demon King read it all, frowning at times, clicking his tongue at others, and finally sighing.
The vige chief was in tears fromughing too hard as he kept babbling:
"Hahaha, a miracle really happened! This is the best! I bet you didn''t see thising, hahaha!"
"That one Mighty Dragon brave was right. This is also the perfect punishment for you, haha! I can''t believe the letter came just in time! You were so close, hahaha!"
The Demon King gave the vige chief onest nce and left without saying a word. The chief wouldn''t miss the opportunity to pay him back for the earlier humiliation:
"You''re leaving just like that? Aren''t you angry?! Don''t you hate me? But what can you do! Actually, the forest suits you very much! The wild is perfect for a beast like you! Shoo!"
Everyone watched this reversal inplete disbelief. Could anyone exin what the fuck had just happened?!
CPR dude quickly followed, soon reaching Jack:
"Boss, what was that all about?" He asked worriedly.
"Greed, arrogance, pettiness, but mostly politics." He sighed.
What did that even mean? Had the vige chief pulled some strings to fuck them over? He looked at his boss for answers.
"Simply put, I''m under house arrest. I''m supposed to stay in New Leaf vige for a month." Jack casually exined.
"A month?! That''s insane! It''s been a fucking week, and you''re already done with the Tutorial! That''s way too long! We have to appeal to the devs and¡ª"
"Don''t bother. The devs of Infinite are pretty mysterious and won''t involve themselves except if something truly major happens." Jack shrugged.
CPR dude was about to propose something else when Bubblegum suddenly spoke up.
"Am I wrong, or you do not seem too worried?" She asked, an insightful glint shing in her eyes.
Wait, when had she even caught up?! She was getting sneakier and sneakier!
"Boss, do you have a way to make the restriction disappear?" CPR dude asked.
Jack turned around and gave them an unfathomable smile.
"The restriction? Nope. The magic is too high level." He chuckled slightly. "But it won''t matter if the prison is gone."
"!?!"
"No fucking way! Seriously?!"
The days of New Leaf vige were numbered¡
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[A/N] Jack was so close to leaving the Tutorial! Just one tiny weeny little thing to do before leaving. (It will be very quick haha) Apparently, we are getting a banner on RPP? Tell me if you see it! ^_^v
Chapter 134: The Fall Of D.L?!
Chapter 134: The Fall Of D.L?!
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The next day the Vige Chief turned up at D.L.''s doorstep.
The bastard still had that same victorious grin as he showed up at the Great Chicken Arena. He didn''t even bother hiding his greed toward Demonic legion anymore, his eyes glowing with avarice.
Before, he had been very restrained:
He couldn''t do anything about the cksmith stealing customers away: it was the man''s job.
He couldn''t do much about the goddamn pelts stacking up at Steven''s ce: he was a merchant!
He couldn''t do much about the Butcher either. Thanks to his secret sausages recipe, the guy was bing really popr with the braves.
He especially had to avoid the Training Grounds given Igor''s forgotten but glorious past. He would never have dared to cause trouble previously.
But now, everything had changed, and power had shifted. For the first time in what felt like forever, he had absolute authority in the vige. (Or close)
He was quick to work:
1. He dered D.L.''s ownership of the arena void. It had been built with Igor''s permission, but the man was no longer the Training Instructor.
2. He, as the vige chief, would be the new owner. In his "benevolence", he would allow the current chicken trainers to keep working for him.
3. From now on, people would need to rent the training area to give lessons. He''d also have to review their curriculum and approve it. Unsurprisingly D.L.''s teachings were judged dangerous propaganda.
4. He appointed himself as the new training instructor. He would teach his students general fighting techniques good for all braves.
5. He dered the creation of the Incredible Righteous Legion. Using his newfound influence, he forced the other NPCs to give his faction the same discounts as D.L.
6. He went a step further with the old and stingy potiondy since she was infatuated with him. She''d give increased discounts to the people in his faction. In exchange, he''d let her watch him teach the braves with no shirt on.
7. He generously offered to merge with the Demonic Legion in an effort to make peace. (Or so he hypocritically called a hostile takeover)
This new faction wasn''t exactly D.L., but it gave even better NPC-rted benefits and was definitely less crazy.
Over the course of a few days, there was a shift in the yers. All those who found the Demon King''s faction too edgy were leaving what they believed a sinking ship.
The entire prestige of D.L. was built on its godlike leader that nothing seemed to be able to take down! But now, he was staying surprisingly quiet and defeated.
This led many to argue endlessly:
"Are you freaking dumb?! You''re leaving D.L.?!"
"Fuck yes, I''m leaving! You should do the same!"
"Hell, even the Demon King is lying low in shame!"
"What do you know?! He''s nning his revenge for sure!"
"Yeah, keep believing that, dumbass! Didn''t you hear? He''s stuck here for a month! You tell him too!" He waved a passerby.
"Yep, that guy''s right. There are many reasons to leave. Heck, they''re absolutely evil! They feed human flesh to their members!"
"So freaking what if he''s stuck here! You call them evil? Bunch of traitorous bastards switching allegiance like one switches underwear!"
It was a whole shitshow: D.L. VS I.R.L.
People were arguing in the street.
People were fighting in the forest.
Newbies were getting ambushed by freaking everyone as recruitment targets!
Also, I.R.L didn''t have an emblem yet. Igor had categorically and understandably refused the Chief when he had the gall to ask him to make some. The fucker had stolen everything from him!
This often meant that the D.L. members were approaching anyone not wearing any emblem with a friendly smile.
They would go:
"Hello there, are you a member of I.R.L?"
No ¡ª> Recruit! Recruit! Recruit!
Yes ¡ª> Respectfully go fuck yourself, you shitstain! May you die in a dump fire and¡ª (etc.)
It gave rise to an incredible vige atmosphere filled with colorful curses. Newbies entering for the first time would inevitably show bbergasted expressions.
They would hear:
"Motherfucking donkey! I bet you jack-off to Natural Geographic!"
"At least I can get it up! Do you even know what being a man is like?"
"Fuck you, bastard! Let''s go to the forest, and I''ll fuck you up!"
"Oh no! Did you be OP staring at a naked old dude all day?! I''m scared!!"
"At least our leader isn''t some pyromaniac edge-lord calling himself the Demon King!"
¡.. It kept going just like that. It was very confusing and shocking for a new yer to witness all this. But it was even more so for the few youngsters that were in the same situation:
(Parental control on)
"Beep¡ª Beep¡ª Beep¡ª Beep!"
"Beep¡ª Beep¡ª Beep¡ª Beep Beep¡ª Beep!"
"The other yers are censored?! Do I have to get anguage skill or something to understand them? How in-depth!!" A youngster eximed with shiny eyes.
"Pfft¡ª no way kid, hahaha! They''re all cursing. But don''t worry about them. Why don''t you join Demonic Legion!!!" The kind (?) yer had the eyes of a wolf staring at prey.
The entire Demonic Legion was going insane, yet Jack''s inner circle remained awfully quiet. This led to many more leaving.
CPR dude had been one of the first to ask about it:
"Boss, shouldn''t we at least reassure people? If they know that we still have a fight in us, they''ll stay for sure!"
But he had just looked at him as if that was the most foolish thing in the world.
Jack''s outlook on the situation was unexpectedly bright:
"Let them leave. So what if we lose dead weights? The more that leave, the better."
"I see this whole thing as an absolute win. We aplished so much that we drove a vige chief mad with greed. Isn''t that quite the achievement?"
"Honestly, isn''t it quite ironic for an NPC in a game to unknowingly create a faction called IRL?"
"Don''t worry. I''ve already sent Bubblegum to take care of it all. She can be a force to be reckoned with, haha."
That''s pretty much all that CPR dude knew.
He would clear dungeons daily with her, and yet she would remain mum about the whole thing. She was gathering information and brokering deals in Jack''s stead. As for the details¡no clue!
Hell, he wasn''t even sure what was going on between the two, but she had stopped calling him Teacher.
Was she officially bing his right arm? Was there now a romantic nature to their rtionship? Whatever it was, they didn''t talk about it.
But there was one thing everyone was curious about. What was Jack doing? He always seemed to be busy¡.
Chapter 135: WTF Is Jack Doing?!
Chapter 135: WTF Is Jack Doing?!
Jack would disappear for hours and hours in the Chicken Dungeon.
Knowing where he was still didn''t tell anyone what he was doing. It was very odd too: he kept entering and exiting it over and over.
There would always be a crowd around the portal, gawking trying to see his shadow:
"Do you guys think that he''s speed-running it every time?!"
"No way! He''s going way too fast for that! He''s OP but not a god!"
"Maybe partially. This Dungeon has many different challenges."
"Oh? So he''s farming a specific item over and over. Makes sense."
"That''s all the poor guy can do. He''s stuck here with us plebs."
"He''s getting money, I guess¡.but it''s so sad for D.L.!"
"Can''t he just make peace with the vige chief?"
"Nope, the "peace" he offered is a sham."
"That NPC is a scammer."
They all sighed. From time to time, a member of I.R.L. came to ridicule them, but no one cared. Many yers simply felt sympathetic to Jack''s troubles.
He had created a foothold for his faction, but it was now crumbling underneath him. He had flown too close to the sun! Such a shame.
But that''s when the red chicken portal in front of them rippled as the Demon King appeared, ready to reenter.
A curious D.L. yer, who had been watching for a while, unconsciously spoke up.
"Leader! Can you tell us what you''re farming!"
Jack turned to re at the man. His gaze was so intense that it made many take a step back. Had they made him mad?!
"Didn''t you hear? People say D.L. is dying and that I''m running away." He growled.
The youngster gulped but didn''t avert his eyes. He was even frowning as he heard this.
"With all due respect, Sir. That''s horse shit!" He shouted.
"Oh?" Jack raised a brow, intrigued.
"You''re still farming! As long as you haven''t given up, there''s no way that D.L will ever disappear! I joined this faction because of you in the first ce!" He cried his heart out.
A few yers in the back sniggered hearing this:
"How naive is that guy!"
"Just leave that trash guild! Oh wait¡ª I.R.L. doesn''t need wimps like you!"
But even under the insults, the youngster didn''t falter one bit. Jack finally let go of any pretense as he gave a brilliant smile.
"You''re right. There is still hope. If you must know, I''m farming surveys." He winked as he reentered the Dungeon.
The I.R.L yers joked about how he had lost his mind. The Demon King was spoutingplete nonsense!
The D.L. members weren''t sure how to react to such a cryptic message. He was farming surveys?! What the hell could this mean?!
They didn''t know, but they knew how to achieve temporary peace of mind. It was time to find plenty of I.R.L. yers, insult them until they lost their cool, and trash them.
Luckily the remaining D.L. members were pretty powerful. After all, they had received lots of training¡
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Meanwhile, Jack had justpleted yet another clear.
Hell, by now he was doing this on auto-pilot. He really was speed-running the whole Dungeon, so fast that no one could believe it.
Along with the clear, a survey prompt appeared. He filled it with the same drivel he entered every time:
¡ª
Rating? 1/5?
Length? Whatever.
Difficulty? GG EZ! Error 404, difficulty not found.
Rewards? Need more stuff to farm! MORE!!!
Any additional feedback? It REALLY needs a harder alternative version to it: 100% necromancy-based. People absolutely adore that shit! Trust!
¡ª
He was so used to it, but this time it was different:
[Filled the 100th survey!]
[Compiling Results!]
[Analyzing Results!]
"Don''t thank me, I''m just doing my civic duty." Jack shrugged.
.
.
.
[Critical ws Detected at the Hellish Level!]
[1. Dungeon Cleared Too quickly!]
[2. Dungeon Is Too Easy!]
[3. Insufficient rewards!]
[4. Necromancy Wanted!]
[Analyzing Possible Solutions]
"I gave you one! We need content beyond the Hellish Chicken Trials!" Jack reminded.
.
.
.
[Found Possible Fix In User Suggestions!]
[Generating New Alternative Instance!]
[Generating¡.]
[Generating¡.]
[New Alternative Instance Created!]
[Chicken Trial Pce of the Damned!]
Jack stared at the recent announcementsughing his ass off!
"Hell yeah!!! It''s freaking here! Thank you, system!!!"
"You''re doing great by listening to the gamemunity!!"
"This is the best you could ever have done! Amazing Job!!!"
Jack was praising the AI endlessly. After all, this would possibly be the most beloved update in the History of gaming!
In total: 100% of the yers running the Hellish Chicken Pce Trials praised this update!¡ª Sure, it was just Jack, but that was a minor detail.
None of the yers in the other viges had even attempted a Hellish Clear as far as he knew. Typically, 100 clears wouldn''t be done by one guy in a few days¡. #As Expected of the Demon King!
Thus this silly exploit had been born. But hey, it was actually making the game a better ce. Now it would have even more hidden content!
It was time to put this new Dungeon to the test¡.
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The New Leaf vige was as peaceful as ever: insults, newbie hunting, challenges thrown left and right. The yers were so goddamn loud!
But that''s when a miracle happened. The sky began to darken at an incredibly quick pace. For a brief instant, there was a respite to the constant cacophony.
For a very brief instant¡
"What the fuck is that?!"
"Run, the world is ending!!!"
"The sky went dark?! An Eclipse?!"
"Guys, there''s something above the in!"
They all rushed toward it, soon witnessing a bright red light appearing in the sky. It slowly descended directly toward the red dungeon portal. But the closer it got to the ground, the clearer it became.
"That''s a phantom chicken?!"
"A giant skeletal phantom chicken?!"
"The Chicken Spirit ising to take revenge?!"
It basked the surroundings in its bloody red glow. It gave the whole Tutorial a horrifying ambiance.
Some yers were already shivering as they huddled in groups. They shot wary nces at the nearby chickens. In response, the creatures went Cluck-Cluck¡.yep, that was it.
Others were already hopeful. Loot! Loot! Loot! Experience! Experience! Titles! They weed every new disaster because it gave rise to new special quests!
After all, events always gave great rewards!¡ª well, usually.
Thetest Demon King hunting event had beencking, to say the least. The guys tasked with "protecting" him had just received a token reward of a few potions.
That''s when an eager yer suddenly saw the portal ripple as a man exited it.
"Guys, there''s someone there!"
"Wait¡that''s the Demon King!"
The phantom undead chicken finally reached the portal. In passing, it gave a taunting screech toward the nearby Jack and then disappeared inside.
Not many spoke chicken, but they all understood what it meant. The creature would be waiting inside, eager to be challenged.
The yers looked at the man in shock:
"Don''t tell me he''s the one that did that?!"
"As expected of the¡ª wait, I''m in I.R.L now!"
"Open your dog eyes, you fools! D.L. is still alive!!"
"Oh, esteemed Demon King! What''s going on! Please tell us!"
They waited for the man''s answer while holding their breaths. If anyone knew what was happening, there was a good chance it was him.
Jack didn''t mind telling them. After all, it wasn''t a big deal.
"Oh, it''s nothing much. I''ve beenining to the systemtely: the Dungeon is just too easy. It finally added a new difficulty level, that''s all." Jack shrugged.
On that note, he reentered the portal, leaving behind traumatized yers.
"Easy?! Dungeons are easy?!"
"He was kidding, right, right?!"
"Coming from him¡.it could be true."
"Is there a need to flex so damn hard?!"
"Did he just nag the game into submission?!"
They looked at one another. Once more, they had the feeling that they just weren''t ying the same game as him.
"I wonder what the hell he''s facing in there."
"I don''t know, but something nightmarish. Look at the statue¡."
The dungeon entrance had changed. Before, it had been a chicken statue with the portal in its mouth. Now half of the statue''s body showed a skeletal frame.
Also, it had a pair of skeletal wings behind its back. They were bony, and the tips looked so sharp that yers would probably die if they collided with it.
It inspired fright, and yet Jack had gone inside so casually.
As expected of the Demon King¡.
Chapter 136: Chicken Trial Palace Of The Damned!
Chapter 136: Chicken Trial Pce Of The Damned!
To enter the new Dungeon, one had to be level 10 and toplete all the other Tutorial Dungeons at Hellish. Hell, this was almost a New Game+ given the harsh requirements.
[Entered Chicken Trial Pce of the Damned!]
[A Bnced Party Is Rmended!]
[Difficulty = Hellish]
Jack couldn''t help but frown as he saw the bnced party suggestion. He knew what this meant at this stage of the game.
To clear something like this, one would typically need high attributes of each kind. STR, AGI, INT, and SPI! None could be missing!
This instantly turned it into a shitshow that would need decent nning to clear and maybe multiple party members.
"I hope we can do this one¡." Jack sighed.
"Woo?!" (Why?!)
It wasn''t its master''s style to just give up. What was happening?! Moon Moon looked at him with worry.
"Hehe, we''ll find a way for sure. After all, I need some Necromancy skills!" Jack reassured hispanion while inspecting their surroundings.
They were in a tiny room. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all made of ancient gray-looking stone that reminded one of the historical pces. In the very middle, there stood a single torch glowing brightly.
It illuminated its surrounding with a holy light that brought warmth to their bodies and soul. It reminded one of an angel''s halo and was utterly captivating Moon Moon.
"This me is holy. See how it glows without producing any heat? Its main property is to drive evil away." Jack exined.
"Woo!" (Impressed!)
"Yes, it is pretty, but don''t let it fool you. What matters isn''t how pure it looks but how it''s used. Power is power, nothing more, nothing less."
"Woo!" (Nodding.)
There was no apparent exit to the room, but arge red button was on the side. This was to start it, right? Jack gently pressed it with his heart beating in excitement. This was 100% a new Dungeon!
With a deep rock grinding sound, a wall suddenly rotated on itself, giving way to a dark corridor. But it waspletely filled with a dark and malicious-looking fog that instantly gushed into the room!
As soon as it touched Jack, his HP began to dwindle.
-1
-1
-1
-1
Death would soon be upon them at this rate.
"Woo!" (Calling!)
Moon Moon stood right next to the torch, the area surrounding it void of any fog. It was as if the darkness had met its mortal enemy and didn''t dare approach.
"Woo!" (Hurry!)
His pet urged him again to rush to safety, but Jack just gave him a slight smile. He appeared way too calm for a man that was dying! After all, even with the lowest pain setting, it would have felt like getting pricked by thousands of sharp needles!
But Jack didn''t even flinch. He even casually gestured toward the dark energy enveloping him:
"This is Demonic energy, well¡ tainted one. Pure Demonic Energy would have insta-killed us." He waved his hand in it, not minding his skin getting corroded.
"Woo?!" (Shook!)
"The sensible thing to do is to rely on the holy light to defend yourself. However, the Jack thing to do is to stay here until we develop a resistance to it." He winked at the nearby wolf.
"Woo!" (Sudden Realization!)
Moon Moon nodded its head as it confidently left the protective light. Instantly it could feel its fur get invaded by dark energy as it tried to devour it. It hurt so damn much!
It whimpered a few times, but it finally regained itsposure. If its master was enduring it without a word, it would do the same! Moon Moon gave a howl full of fighting spirit as it readied itself!
Master and pet sat in the room, their bodies continuously battered by the dark energy. They were akin to monks peacefully enduring the autumn rain on their bodies¡ an acid one!
"Great job resisting." Jack praised.
Moon Moon approached its head for some petting, Jack hesitantly rubbing it gently. But even the gentle touch was enough to rip some fur and skin. It did transmit his warmth, however, and that was enough to motivate the little wolf.
Demonic Energy corruption really was something else!
-1
-1
-1
-1
+ 23
Their only saving grace was the potions. The instant the sweet liquid entered their mouths, there would be a very short respite. For a second, they felt amazing, but then the torture began anew.
It was a constant cycle of endless suffering. The vicious energy kept trying to corrupt their souls and bodies. The suffering and the drinking seemed endless.
The two lost track of time, lost their sense of self, and could remember nothing but the suffering.
But then something suddenly changed.
[Basked in Demonic Energy For a Long Period!]
[Traces of Corruption: Touched By Death! (Passive)]
[Resistance to Death Demonic energy + 100%]
[Resistance to Holy Energy ¨C 100%]
[Acquired Title: One Who Sits The Dark Path!]
How very fitting yet silly! Usually, it should have been one who walks the dark path, but he had unlocked it by sitting. Talk about a cheeky system!
There also seemed to be a Hidden Effect. For some reason, whenever he was sitting, it seemed like the death energy was friendlier? Would he have to bring a stool to the battlefield?!
He hated to admit it, but it was very Demon-King-like¡
"Woo?!" (Excited!)
[Your Pet Has Embraced Corruption!]
[Your Pet Now Has Death Element Potential!]
[The Fiery Bloodline and the Death Element are Mixing!]
[Analyzing Effect. Please Standby¡]
Oh god! What kind of power woulde from this?! Jack couldn''t help but raise his eyes in expectation. Would he suddenly gain a new ability?! What about his battle form?!
[Analysis Complete! Metamorphosis In Progress¡]
Moon Moon seemed to suck in the surrounding deathly energy, even creating a vacuum for a few seconds. Hell, he was even more effective than the holy torch!
But then it got so dense that Jack couldn''t see his wolf anymore.
Inside the dark cloud, Moon Moon was absorbing the energy like crazy. It somehow felt what was happening. It had a choice to make. It could either keep its cute appearance or evolve and obtain a new one.
Moon Moon didn''t even hesitate. It wanted an intimidating one worthy of a legendary dragon god hunting wolf!!
It felt its body transform, and then it was ready to showcase its new appearance to its master. It howled powerfully and took a mighty pose, awaiting praises!
But what followed was¡
"Pfft¡ª Are you a zebra?!" Jack couldn''t help but chuckle.
All over the orange fur, there were now dark streaks that reminded one of powerful demonic tendrils. When seen from afar, the issue was that it looked a little too straight and a bit too zebra-like.
"Woo?!" (Worried.)
"It''s fine. It''s normal for it to look slightly strange at the beginning since bloodlines evolve. Before you know it, you''ll look so glorious that wolves (and zebras) all across the multiverse will look up to you!" Jack reassured.
"Woo!" (Satisfied!)
But their nice conversation was suddenly rudely interrupted by a powerful noise:
Cluck¡ªGRRR-Cluck¡ªGRRR!
It was a bizarre, weird mix of the clucking of a chicken and the growling of a beast. A secondter, a monster was barging in the room with great speed.
What the actual fuck was that?!
The thing was a weird amalgam of Chicken Bones seemingly glued together to create an unbelievable horror.
Their faces paled. The thing was so big that it took the entire corridor! There was no way to escape it in this tiny room.
Fighting head-on was the only option¡.
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[A/N] Riddle: what is orange and ck and fluffy? Yes, a Wooly Bear Caterpir! Oh, also Moon Moon¡. Small snack break and writing the next chap! ^_^v (Moon Moon Approves)
Chapter 137: Stats Too Low?!
Chapter 137: Stats Too Low?!
The towering hulking chicken bone golem charged at the party with incredible speed.
This monster was all bones, sharp ones that would rip a human to pieces on impact, and it was throwing its body at them! Jack instantly went in front, shield first, bracing himself for impact. There was nowhere to run nor to turn back.
¡ª BAM! ¡ª
The incredible weight forced him to take a few steps back, all until he was up against the wall. The monster creaked, growled, and kept pushing.
Wall in the back, the golem in the front: this was a freakingpactor! Any more, and the man would be turned into a bloody mush staining the stone.
But as much danger as the wall posed, it could be used as a foothold!
"Time to fight back!" Jack shouted.
"Woo!"
Jack pushed back using 100% of his power, slowly forcing the creature backward. This was an STR stat check for sure!
The shield was ying a vital role here. Cold sweat trickled down his back, just imagining doing without. It would have meant having to be careful of the creatures'' bony spikes.
Jack held it back, but it took all his efforts. Meanwhile, Moon Moon wed at it with the fury of a thousand warriors¡ª but without much sess.
-0
-0
-0
It couldn''t do any damage whatsoever! Why was this big guy so resistant! Wolf ws were made to hunt beings with bones!
"Woo!" (Stunned!)
It wouldn''t give up that easily! It quickly summoned a me chicken right above the big bully''s head! The fire engulfed the creature, sticking to its rotting frame, but it didn''t seem to mind. It just kept pressing forward.
Did this mean it wouldn''t be able to help its master?!
"Woo¡" (Despondent.)
"Let me try."
Jack''s Cluckinator shed the surrounding death fog,nding on the bony monstrosity. ng! But even he didn''t do any damage.
"Woo?!" (Shocked!)
That''s when Moon Moon realized that there was something wrong. There had to be a trick to it!
It observed the monstrosity. It hadn''t seen it before because of the darkness, but there was something odd! Some of its bones were shifting around, revealing gems hidden underneath ayer of bone ting!
Moon Moon''s eyes glowed with resolution as it lunged at what it had identified as the monster''s weakness! Following the sh of the sharp wolf ws, there was a shattering sound.
-30
"Woo!" (Excited!)
This was the start of their counterattack!
Before long, the bone golem crumbled under Moon Moon''s intense assault. It rejoiced seeing its master''s approving nce.
"Good job," Jack whispered, satisfied with his pet''s progress. It had figured out the crux of the fight rtively quickly, and he had only given a single hint.
The two carefully made their way toward the dark passageway.
It looked akin to the maw of a gigantic beast, the fog giving it a mysterious look. The darkness stuck to them as they could only distinguish a few meters ahead of them.
They had barely progressed that a discordant luby resounded. It sounded like children sang it but contained so much malice and chilliness:
It went like this:
??
Tasty looking things
Ripe for the taking
Let them hear our cry
Time to suck them dry
??
Look at all that mana!
It is time to devour
Oh yes, we''re gonna!
We''ll get so much power!
??
Are you ready?
This will be a feast.
Let''s begin already!
We''ll even eat the beast.
??
The more the demons sang, the louder it seemed to get. No, it wasn''t that it was getting louder but that they were getting more sensitive as time passed.
"Woo!" (Whimper!)
Those creatures were the freaking worst! Jack knew what they were: Formless Mana Leeches (FML).
They were an absolute nightmare for mages. They lurked in the shadows, were incorporeal, and devoured their prey''s mana with songs akin to sirens.
That''s all they did, but it was plenty. Mages would scream "Fuck my life!" when hearing them. After all, a magician without mana was pretty darn useless!
There were two ways to counter this:
1. Have specialized spells that could track them down and obliterate them (they couldn''t). An ironic fact: they were the bane of mages yet could only be killed by magic.
2. Have high SPI. This would boost one''s mana regeneration and nullify these creatures'' effects. This was the second Stat check, wasn''t it?
Jack could only sigh, realizing this. Both of their spirit stat was too low to resist it. This would reduce theirbat potential a lot¡but would this be the only consequence? He could only hope.
They kept journeying in this gloomy and oppressive atmosphere. The song kept grinding at their minds, trying to take them down. But Moon Moon valiantly howled to keep the fear away.
¡ª Awooo! ¡ª
But was the fear the only danger? No way! They were suddenly attacked out of nowhere, enemies flying at them!
"Dodge!" Jack shouted, rmed!
¡ª Swish! Swoosh! sh!¡ª
Jack covered them both, blocking most of the projectiles. Blood sshed, and he felt coldness prate his flesh. Then his vitality dwindled as he felt deadly energy invade his wounds.
Fuck!
-4
-4
-4
"Freaking death spreaders!" He spat out.
In the air, chicken bones were floating with a menacing ckish glow.
They were akin to living weapon spirits, except they were resting in sharp bones. That''s when the creatures began clucking as they charged once more.
¡ª Swish! Swoosh! sh!¡ª
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! Screeee! ¡ª
Those were some really weird chicken phantoms! This reminded him of that stage with the feathers to avoid, but worse!
These things would fly at him, then change direction all of a sudden! He had to take them down, but that required incredible agility. Bubblegum would have shined here with her twin daggers!
"Tch¡ª So what if you''re fast! I just need to predict your movements!" Jack snorted, putting on a strong front.
It would have been impossible for him to resist them if he was using a slow weapon like a greatsword. But dual-wielding barely gave him the necessary attack speed to survive.
He was akin to a man inside a swarm of flesh-eaters. He was barely holding his ground, using his shield to keep the enemies at bay. He kept fighting what felt like a bone tornado.
These flying bones didn''t know who they were freaking messing with! After all, he had to protect the small wolf at his feet.
It felt like an eternity had passed.
He finally managed to reduce them to bone powder, giving a reassuring look to Moon Moon¡ª only to copse. He couldn''t even stand anymore, his body so full of wounds.
"Woo?!" (Shock!)
The little wolf hurriedly grabbed a potion from its potion ne and offered it to its master, but Jack refused. He understood the state of his body very well.
"These things leave dark energy wounds that are far from simple to heal." Jack sighed. "It seems our run ends here." He gave an awkward smile.
A few secondster, he was faced with a familiar message¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
He found himself respawning in the tiny entrance room, the dungeon back to its initial state, ready for him to press that one red button.
Current status:
STR ¡ª> Sufficient to overpower the hulking golems.
AGI ¡ª> Need to figure out a better way to dodge the flying bones.
SPI ¡ª> Insufficient, but is it 100% needed toplete the run?
INT ¡ª> ?!? No data so far¡
"Woo!!!" (Unbeatable Spirit!)
"Yeah, we''ll figure it out. Got any suggestion?" Jack asked teasingly. But Moon Moon surprisingly raised its paw in the air.
"Woo!" (Yes!)
It was time for a strategy meeting¡.
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[A/N] The new Dungeon really is meant to be beaten with a team of members, each specializing in one attribute. How to ovee this? It will involve a game of¡. =P
Chapter 138: Hellish Highlights Are Out?!
Chapter 138: Hellish Highlights Are Out?!
*You can Skip This Chapter If you want ;)*
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
While Jack and Moon Moon were struggling with the new Undead Chickens, a certain streamer was about to release an incredible bomb upon the world.
"Hehe, from this point onward, everyone will know the Mighty Infinite Pancakes channel!" He half-chuckled half coughed his lungs out.
Histest work had taken him so much effort!
The madman known as Jack''O had sent him all his freaking dungeon highlights all at once. It had been a colossal task to edit all of it!
Sure, there were only three dungeons, but each had three difficulties! Plus, the guy had farmed it over and over. Finding the pertinent footage amidst this mess was a nightmare!
All around him lied Monstrous Energy Cans: the kind that was so powerful it gave wings AND ws! (not literally) The poor guy was so tired he looked undead and now adorned an eerie grin.
It was time to release it all!
While he had been working, many top-notch gamers had actually released a few videos of themselves clearing a few dungeons on Normal. But so what?
He addressed the issue in a cheeky video on his homepage.
"Hello everyone! I''m the Mighty Infinite Pancakes! Sorry for the dy since thest posting. You''ve guessed it, hot sexy ninja babes have been ambushing me nonstop!!!" He dered with a straight face. As if!
"Now, I''m aware that some peeps out there have published dungeon clears. I''d like to congratte them all on clearing NORMAL!" He pped eagerly, stressing the difficulty.
"Good for them, but it still doesn''t hold a candle to the one and only Demon King of Infinite! For this instance, I''d like to quote a wise man." He adopted a solemn look as he gazed at the horizon.
"Dear followers, look at these pro-gamers tackling the dungeons in teams! Look what they need to mimic a fraction of the Demon King''s power! Eyyaaa." He exaggeratedly sighed, looking so damnical.
"Now, let''s have some fun, shall we. I suggest you grab some food, drinks, and arge piss bottle. You ain''t gonna want to look away from your screen! Muahahaha!"
A few minutes after that ridiculous yet provocative statement, video montages began to appear on his channel.
The first one was a reaction video.
< New Infinite Challenge! Try Not to Sleep! >
Pancakes hadpiled highlights from other yers on the Inte. The entire video was him dozing off while it yed! Towards the end, he just went:
"Bummer¡it seems that I''ve failed this stay awake challenge. I shouldn''t have watched the Demon King''s highlights beforehand. It made me lose interest in the regr ones." He sighed exaggeratedly.
Of course, there was lots of hate:
¨C ILoveLamas: Bullshit! That''s freaking nder! Screw that Demon King guy!!
¨C SmallOneMillionLoan: He''s just trying to rile us up! Still, it''s working. My Mighty Infinite Fist is really itching right now!
¨C Lightbringer#23Fan: Screw you! Normal Clear is boring? So what if they did it in a team? Theypleted it faster than that useless Demon King!
¨C ScrewEdgyTeenagers: Pfft¡ª a man that calls himself the Demon King is so great? Please, there are already people leaving the Tutorial. I''ve heard that he''s still stuck in it!
¨C DemFools: That''s because the vige chief schemed against him to steal his faction!!! If it weren''t for the Royal Messenger bird, he''d be out already!!
¨C DoYouEvenLiftBrah?: A NPC scheming against a yer? How dumb do you think we are? No way that could have happened! You''re the one that''s a damn fool if you think we''ll believe such a lie!
Many watched with interest, but all were ready to roast Pancakes for his exaggerated ims. There was no way that the Demon King could be THAT impressivepared to the other yers.
But the more videos he kept releasing, the more shocked they would be:
It was one thing to solo Normal, but he was even doing it at the Hard difficulty?!
How OP was he? The guy was a literal one-man army¡ª along with his cute wolf. Seriously how could a wolf be that cute?!
But it didn''t just stop at Hard:
The viewers gasped in astonishment. Why was the dungeon so challenging all of a sudden?! Then it finally reached the point with the Fox Boss spawning countless clones.
Was there anything more exciting than the duo facing an endless fox legion, raining fire unto them! (With epic music obviously)
Wait, since when could the Demon King use magic?! They felt like they had missed something! He was still using a shield and tanking everything like a boss but also raining destruction while cackling.
"Eiiiyaa. How pitiful these foxes are. They really thought that an army would be enough to take down the Demon King?! How ridiculous!!" Pancakesmented.
The viewers could only gulp. If an army wasn''t enough, what the hell would it take?! Did he even have a weakness at all?!
Melee range ¡ª> Shield Bash in the face and Cluckinator in the stomach!
Long Range ¡ª> Fire!!! So much freaking fire!
They already were going pale, but then what followed was even worse:
"As everyone knows, the Demon King is an amazing leader. Even the NPC of Infinite realized his magnificence!" Pancakes chuckled.
The vigers were at the Demon King''s beck and call?! Jack''O was just going aroundzily ordering his new minions to hunt the wolves. It was a stark contrast to the usual strategy!
Carefully progress? Avoid the wolves? Nope! He was bulldozing through!
He looked like he was on a goddamn vacation: there was even a rxing tune ying! How?! Everyone remembered how much the pro-gamers had been struggling there!
"Lording over viger is cool, but the real star here is the Legendary Wolf Moon Moon! Look at how mighty it is!!" Pancakes praised.
Moon Moon was soon shown battling one of the two twin bosses¡alone?! Even the yers couldn''t manage that, and a pet was seeding?! How insane! All this time "look at my wolf, my wolf is amazing" yed in the background.
A few observant people realized that it had drunk the Boss''s milk. Even then, it was still awe-inspiring! ( -_- But it also led to tons of "Big Wolf Mommy Milkers"ments¡)
Except Moon Moon''s adventures didn''t end there. It was shown straight at the beginning of the following video.
A wolf doing Parkour?!
It had a resolute look in its eyes as it jumped from tforms to tforms, with its master in tow. This made many viewers almost die from the cuteness! They wanted a wolf to teach it tricks too!
Then there were the Wack-A-Chicken, dodging and puzzle challenges. They had seen pro-gamers struggle to no end with these ones. Jack was casually breezing through them as if an afterthought.
The video was clearly edited. Pancakes had added sound effects to every chicken hit or feather dodge and even added the sound of a clock ticking to thest one.
Many mored to see the unedited footage! There was no way that he could seed that easily!
They were in luck¡.or not. The ending was aplete Hellish run done in a few minutes¡ªno cut, no editing, 100% awesomeness!
The ones calling that it was fake had to shut up. He truly was clearing it THAT fast!
"Don''t worry you all. I''m sure that if you practice diligently for a few thousand years, you''ll reach his level too." He "reassured" the despairing spectators.
There was one more video for them to watch:
This was content that no one else had, not even a cheap copy. After all, the boss only appeared in the Hellish version.
As they saw the overbearing ming heart, many held their breath in trepidation. Then when it began to rain fire, they found themselves sweating with Jack''O.
He was inside a goddamn inferno!! How many times did they think he would get obliterated by the mes?! But every time, the two partners somehow endured.
Even as the wolf whimpered from the burns, it kept fighting! Their hearts felt like they were about to shatter as they witnessed the poor wolf scalded by the heat.
Many even found themselves shouting at their screen: "Go on Moon Moon, dodge! You can do it!!" and cheering when it survived.
Then there was the freaking homing missiles, the sneak-attacks from the chickens, and everything else happening.
Every time, Jack would somehow handle it. Then it all became more and more intense all until the finish!
They had to do Parkour while evading so many attacks!! Was this even humanly possible?! They were convinced that it wasn''t!
"This right here is why I said that any other Infinite highlights are boring." Pancakes truthfully dered.
All the viewers unconsciously agreed. No longer did they think the earlier statement arrogant. Then it was time for the finish.
Jack had to fucking cross a sea of fire to reach the boss! They felt Moon Moon''s worry for its master and were stunned as the man gave back a confident smile.
Even now, he didn''t feel any fear?! He was confronting the hellfire as if it was a casual summer pic!
Then he somehow went through the fire. They watched it from start to finish and felt it was so goddamn magical!
They realized that he was evading the projectiles¡ª but he made it look so easy that it felt like the fire was avoiding him instead!
Then when he finally shed his Cluckinator at the heart, they all cheered. This was karma for burning the poor Moon Moon! It was heart attack time for that bully heart!
They celebrated, and they shared the video with all their friends ASAP!
"Bro, watch this! The Demon King is insane, and Moon Moon is the best!! Some typing these lines had previously been haters, but they had all forgotten about it.
Many kept tagging the Mighty Infinite Pancakes to request more videos.
"This will be all for now, friends. I''ll see you all soon, peace out!" That was all he replied.
He crashed on his tiny bed with arge smile. He held his cellphone, watching his follower count explode. It was already over 100k! This was so freaking great!
But amidst his excitement, his body kept reminding him that he needed to sleep. He sumbed to slumber, his dreams filled with a small but valiant wolf and an amazing Demon King.
The Demon King''s fans could only watch and rewatch the same few videos, sometimes watching in slow-motion. But even when changing the speed, they remained so damn entertaining!
Many regretted not having spawned in New Leaf vige. They could have been interacting with such a fantastic character directly!
They were already so excited about what woulde next!
Some noted that there weren''t any other Dungeons in the Tutorial, but then some news came from New Leaf.
There was a new dungeon?! What?! Why was it only in New Leaf?! Many thought it was only a rumor, but all agreed they wanted the Demon King to crush it if real!
People were even saying that it was a Necromancy Dungeon, spooky! Little did they know, Jack and Moon Moon were still struggling inside it at that very moment¡
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[A/N] Long Chap, wanted to be done with highlights in one go ^_^v Feeling great atm with the current RPP trending ranking. Time to mass release? =P
Chapter 139: Trials In Trial Palace! (Of The Damned)
Chapter 139: Trials In Trial Pce! (Of The Damned)
Two mighty warriors heroically braved the demonic fog.
"This time for sure!" Jack grumbled.
"Woo!" (Resolute!)
What didn''t kill you made you stronger, right? Hell no! In MMO, painfully annoying deaths brought improvement!
Their fury had risen with every subsequent failure. By now, they were about to get blisters from pressing that goddamn red button! It was all those freaking flying chicken bones'' fault!
But now they were finally about to get their revenge!
They quickly got rid of the hulking golem. Besides being ugly and strong, it didn''t have much going for it. They endured the FML''s song: so what if they lost a bit of mana? Then the bones came flying!
¡ª Swish! Swoosh! sh!¡ª
< Living Chicken Bone Spirits Lv 12>
"Execute order 69!" Jack bellowed.
"Woo!" (Eager!)
This new battle n included two things: mouth and ass!¡ª and both were equally vital!
The deadly des quickly collided with Jack''s shield as he protected Moon Moon with all his might. But there were so many flying bone des that he''d soon get overwhelmed!
That''s when Moon Moon made its move! As the bones drew arcs toward its master, it powerfully leaped, grabbing one in its powerful jaw and retreating instantly!
It was a move that they had practiced over and over again.
The little wolf was so damn d that its master had taught it the forbidden OP technique called¡Fetch! Apparently, it was a secret move only taught to a man''s best friend.
This proved how much its master cared about it! It made it feel all fuzzy inside and sparked joy!
"Great job!" Jack praised as he blocked the onught while waving shield and Cluckinator alike.
But Moon Moon wasn''t done just yet! While crushing the enemy in its maw, it moved its ass from side to side, taunting the monsters! This technique worked wonders!
As it saw a few bone creatures going after it, it gave a victorious howl. This would provide a respite for its master and let him focus on counterattacking! Everything was going ording to n!
Jack kept attacking, turning the annoying things into bone dust. Their numbers were slowly dwindling down. Nice, this was what teamwork meant!
Then thest undead finally copsed under their joint effort.
"Woo!!!" (Proud!)
"Hahaha, so what if we''re slow! It''s all about technique, I tell you!" Jack rubbed his partner behind the ears as it gave a blissful woo.
They promptly resumed their journey, one that could have been titled: not alone in the dark. They were still apanied by the same annoying AF children-sounding demonic orchestra!
The constant background noise and mana drain made them as light-headed as it dulled their senses.
"Be careful, stay vignt," Jack whispered as the poor wolf tried its best to cover its ears with a paw.
Before long, they understood the nature of their surroundings as they reached an intersection. This ce was a goddamnbyrinth!¡ª a horrendous one.
The architecture and the monsters worked together to render this a traumatizing experience. From time to time, they''d turn a corner only to be face to face with the undead! The chorus hid most sounds they''d make too.
It was PTSD-inducing, at the very least. Yet, the two adventurers kept progressing steadily, relying on their teamwork¡ª only to stop suddenly.
The current dungeon was called: [Chicken Trial Pce of the Damned!]
They had met plenty of damnable creatures, and now they had finally encountered the trial part of it.
In front of the two was a very thin bridge that disappeared in the fog. On either side was an abyss that was most likely very deep.
"Woo?!" (Worried!)
"You''re right. I doubt crossing will be easy." Jackmented as he took a step forward¡and instantly disappeared!
"Woo?!" (Panicked!)
Moon Moon dashed forward to rescue its master! So what if there was danger ahead?! They were a team!¡but then it instantly collided with his legs.
"The visibility is null. Use your paws to sense the ground. As long as you stay calm, it shouldn''t be too hard." Jack instructed.
Instantly Moon Moon''s breathing turned steady as it was probably nodding. In a world of darkness, the two kept walking on the thin ledge, akin to acrobats on a rope.
This should have been easy, right?
Oh, it was very easy¡.until they heard a very faint sound over the song:
¡ª Cluck¡ªGRRR-Cluck¡ªGRRR! ¡ª
Oh god! This was freaking bad!
Would the creature even fit on this bridge? Judging by its growling approaching, it was already on it! Moon Moon shivered as it sensed the horror charging at them.
Evading was impossible, so was keeping it in ce¡.there was only one thing to do. Jack would only have a single chance! He had the focus of a man listening for footsteps as hey defenselessly naked in his room.
There!
¡ª Cluck¡ªGRRR-Cluck¡ªGRRR! ¡ª
The thing was sorge that he felt it as he heard it. The massive golem was discing lots of the fog as it moved, and now it was upon them.
¡ª CLANG! ¡ª
The creature collided with his shield. Jack''s arm recoiled under the incredible weight, and his breath left him. But just as he was about to be overpowered, he used his whole body to draw strength akin to a lever.
"Hasta Vista, Bony!" He thundered, sending the creature tumbling in the abyss.
"Woo?!" (Amazing!)
Jack grunted, still trembling from the intense physical shock. His only constion was picturing how the other yers would look in his ce. But what was toe was even worse!
Thebyrinth soon became a royal pain in the ass. It was deathly quiet and boring at times. But at others, a mix of flying bones and hulking golems assaulted them.
Then there were the challenges.
Oh, you evaded the flying bones before? How about the same but in a room full of holes where every single misstep would be thest?! It was super fun, especially the few times they did freaking die and had to restart FROM SCRATCH!
Are you getting used to the songs? How about turning the volume from 0 to 100 just for one room very suddenly?! Very enjoyable, especially when your ears start bleeding!
It was a freaking nightmare! But, there was something even worse than that! Fucking dead ends!
Fighting was one thing, even slowly progressing too. But to walk for what felt like an eternity only toe face to face with a wall? This just in felt bad! It wasn''t hard, it wasn''t difficult, it was a simple waste of time!
"Please, no more!!" Heined.
"Woo!" (Another Wall?!)
Heck, that one time a dead-end turned out to be a very dusty stone-looking bone golem they freaking cheered!
Wrestling a Monstrosity > Wandering around for ages.
Both were in agreement on that one! Hell, to keep the boredom away, the two had even begun to y fetch with random golem bones.
Fun fact: golem bones are useless AF (besides ying fetch). Too brittle for weapons (something about losing mana) and too rotting to make any essory.
They were losing their minds!
But just as they were about to go insane, they finally encountered something new. In front of them, there were stones gates inscribed with astonishing patterns of chickens¡.reading books?!
Was it finally time for the INT stat check?!
"Woo!" (Excited!)
"Yes, you''re right. It''s better than another dead-fucking-end." Jack agreed wholeheartedly as he confidently pushed the doors.
Except they wouldn''t budge. What now¡.
Chapter 140: Opening A Door In Style
Chapter 140: Opening A Door In Style
The intricate stone doors in front of the two adventurers just wouldn''t budge no matter what.
"Woo?!" (Shocked!)
Moon Moon couldn''t believe it. They were getting stopped by a door?! How was this even possible? Its master was super strong!
Jack touched the cold obstacle carefully, following its chicken patterns with its hands, all the way to a jewel embedded in the very middle. It was a dull ruby that didn''t show any shine at all.
"Tch¡ª This is a mana source, and it''s totally empty." He sighed.
Moon Moon waved its paw, trying to dislodge it with its ws but without any sess.
"We have to charge it¡." Jack exined.
"Woo?!" (Charge it?! With mana?!)
The two shared a knowing nce. They were utterly tapped out. There it freaking was: the SPI stat check! Without mana, they couldn''t use skills nor charge the gem.
"Woo¡." (Would they have to turn back?!)
Jack prepared himself to grab that one chicken boss head as a catalyst. He could probably use it to open the door. He had barely taken it out that the demonic fog was gushing toward it to devour it.
But he suddenly had a sh of insight as he put it back in his inventory.
"Woo?!" (Puzzled)
"I''ve just thought of something. Normally there would be 0% chance for this to seed, but the circumstances are special¡."
Jack gave a cryptic smile as he nced at the demonic energy surrounding them. Then he turned toward the ever so annoying FML. But this time, he was actually grateful for their ghostly presence.
"Moon Moon. Every time something bad happens, don''t get fixated on the trouble. Nope, instead, you want to look for an opportunity, even when you think there are." Jack chuckled.
"Woo?!" (Puzzled nodding!)
That''s when Jack sat right in front of the archaic-looking door. At this moment, he didn''t want to have any trace of mana in his body. Instead of trying to ignore the FML''s song, he embraced it.
He took a deep breath, making the demonic energy circte in his lungs. He felt it corrupt his body. Even with his new resistance, he felt it try to dominate his soul, to transform him into a monstrosity.
This was why Demonic Energy was one of the best catalysts. It actively wanted you to evolve!¡ª just in a very perverse way. The key was control: control over one''s emotions and control over one''s mind.
"Woo!" (Impressed!)
The little wolf wasn''t sure what its master was doing, but it could feel his resolve. Whatever he was attempting would likely be dangerous. It sat near his body, acting as a silent guardian.
Monsters would have to pass over its dead wolf body if they wanted to harm him!!
The seconds turned into minutes and the minutes into eternity.
Jack''s current endeavor could be summarized in one word: insanity.
His goal was somethingpletely crazy that would have dubbed one a heretic in any mage''s eyes. It was a technique that belonged to the demonic path, after all.
Trying something so nuts while being so weak?! Did he have a freaking death wish?! It required an incredible mastery of mana as well as demonic energy!!
At this moment, his eyes were glossy as he dived deep into his memories. He had never used demonic energy before today. But even then, he knew it very well.
He knew it as well as one would an old friend. After all, he had fought so many demonic users over the years. He had felt the corruption affecting them back then and also their greed for power.
He had felt it so vividly as they tried to resist him only to fail atrociously.
He had always been the one towering above their defeated grotesque bodies after they inevitably used forbidden techniques to try and reverse the fight.
Over time, the old him had be the nightmare of the demonic yers. Apparently, his gentle smile had haunted many of them, not that it mattered.
Ironically the Herald of Light had delved deep into the abyss to understand it, and he had used the knowledge to eradicate his enemies.
This knowledge was now paying. But, he didn''t need just knowledge. He needed a strong desire if he wanted to seed.
He let himself be ovee by the monster called ambition. He wholeheartedly embraced it at that moment.
He was done being the Herald of Light. He was now the Demon King of New Leaf¡no, the Demon King of Infinite! As such, he needed power, way more power! Power enough to dominate, power sufficient to grasp his future!
"Muahahaha,e on! I need even more Demonic Energy! Just a tiny bit won''t be enough!" He thundered, taunting the surrounding darkness.
Along with his shout, dark mana engulfed him, trying to devour him. he soon was akin to a caterpir in a cocoon of darkness, a crackling one full of demonic energy.
Could anything emerging out of this even be pretty? Definitely not!
For a second, the world became silent. But then a very faint sound resounded. It was the murmur of a me, one that wanted to devour the world as a whole.
Fiery magic enveloped Jack. His Fire Maniption skill was working at full throttle!
"Woo?!" (How?!)
Jack gave a pained but triumphant smile.
Everything in this world came at a cost, and this fire was no exception.
People said that when a door closes, another opens. Only a mage who had lost all mana could use an¡"alternative" fuel source.
This fire was literally his life.
[U-Used A Manaless Spell?!]
[Analyzing! Analyzing! Analyzing!]
[N-New Source of Power Detected?!]
[C-Congrattion! Learned Blood Magic?!]
[Acquired Title: "Mana? What''s that? Can it be eaten?!"]
"Thanks, system." Jack calmly replied, amidst the incredible suffering.
Burning one''s vitality was more painful than standing naked in a fire. It felt like his blood was getting turned intova. His entire body, soul, and essence were burning with demonic fire.
The price for manaless magic was fucking steep!
Most went insane, unable to hold on under the incredible pain.
Some were scarred for life, forever losing the ability to use magic.
Others got addicted to the power. It was a slippery slope that led one to be a ve to their newfound abilities: the blood magic dominating its users.
There were a thousand reasons why one should never attempt to control this power. But, its attraction was as great as the demonic might it granted. It opened so many possibilities!
Inevitably, there would be fools attempting to learn it. The smart ones always had contingency ns if the dark energy proved to be more than they could handle. They did it all with extraordinary purposes in mind.
Well, almost all of them, for there was Jack. He slowly rose and turned his very life into fiery mana, sending it in the dull ruby. As it glowed a bright red, he gave a satisfied smile.
The mana spread from the jewel all over the engravings of reading chickens. Then as the entire door glowed red, it finally opened.
Jack had sessfully learned incredibly evil forbidden magic to open a simple door.
It was time to see what had been sealed inside¡
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[A/N] Interviewer: So why did you join the dark side? Jack''O: So there was that one door¡. ^_^v
Chapter 141: This Is A Challenge?!
Chapter 141: This Is A Challenge?!
The doors opened wide thanks to the blood-fueled mes. Jack and wolf warily nced at the next room. This was another challenge for sure!
It appeared to be a spooky library. It was dark, smelled of mold, and there were books all over the ce. There were shelves, but they weren''t exactly used that much.
"Now, where''s the catch?" Jack softly mumbled.
As if on cue, there was suddenly a tremor as a pile of books was sent flying. That''s when five pirs rose from the ground in a line. They were engraved with the same reading chickens as one could see on the door.
What was that about?
A secondter, the pirs began to vibrate with a humming sound. As ghostly clucks resounded, light radiated from the posts formingrge colorful barriers. Then a few dozen skeletal chickens began to spawn inside.
Their empty eye socket stared straight at the two, seemingly expecting the meal toe. Their bones chattered as they kept clucking non-stop, even without any lungs; they sure were motivated!
"Woo?!" (Confused!)
What was up with these small chickens? They were numerous, but they didn''t seem like much of a threat¡ª Notpared to the flying bones or the really big bone mountains. Why?
Moon Moon took the stance of the apex predator it totally was as it pounced at the nearest enemy! It instantly went down! It never stood a chance in the first ce!
The proud wolf towered over the remains of its defeated foe, already turning toward the others.
The rest was quite simple. It was as if one had released a wolf into a chicken coop. It was a massacre! Jack just stood back and gave an appreciative nce, even humming a fun song about stabbing in the dark.
He quickly followed inside the barrier, faintly noticing a faint pressure. As soon as he realized what it was, he couldn''t but sigh in relief.
"Oh, this is gonna be so damn easy!" He chuckled.
"Woo?!" (Puzzled!)
Before they had had to wrestle their way through, they had died a couple of times to the flying bones and had to suffer the harassment from the flying bones.
Why did it seem like this hurdle was especially simple?!
"Before, we were struggling because of our low AGI and SPI, but now this is a test of INT. Without high INT, we''d be struggling to even walk in here." Jack patiently exined.
"Woo!" (Sudden realization!)
The now reassured Moon Moon happily went on a dismembering spree! It would take care of this alone and let its master rest! After all, he had been carrying them all this time.
What even were Moon Moon stats? If Jack had to evaluate them, he''d have to say:
STR: Low
AGIL: Medium
INT: Medium
SPI: Low
One thing for sure: its stats were unbelievable for a Tutorial pet. This was 100% thanks to it awakening an excellent bloodline.
Anyway, Moon Moon was really going at it: ws, maw, even straight-up bitch-pping some undead chicks at times.
Once all the monsters were cleared, they finally had ess to the pir. Destroying it made the entire barrier disappear.
Afterward, they just had to repeat the same process of ughter and destruction. It soon turned out that every new barrier meant increased pressure. This challenge was as simple as potentially awkward.
Thanks to the FML, the mages would only be able to use a few spells, if any, before running out of mana. The other yers would only be sitting ducks if they entered thest barriers.
This meant that the chickens would have to be defeated by a poor mage who would likely be forced to use a melee weapon.
Then again, it would probably be possible to clear this ce with ranged attacks from outside the barrier. But, such weapons were hard toe by, and it wasn''t like the pirscked skeletal shields either.
They just happened to perfectly counter it since they both had a rtively high INT and were used to fighting at close range.
Actually, considering Moon Moon''s stats, he would have made a great ranged guerri mage.
But, it had unconsciously followed its master''s style. Why bother keeping your distance when you can avoid at point-nk range and punish the enemy with both magic and attacks!
With every new barrier, Moon Moon would slow down slightly. All until the poor wolf was finally stumped at the fourth one.
"Woo?!" (Panicked!)
It yelped in shock. Why were the chickens suddenly going so fast?! They were even faster than that one teleporting shadow fox (That guy was already freaking fast!). But then it realized that it was the one that was slower.
"Woo¡." (Sad!)
It was now even weaker than chickens. They charged at it with their sharp bony talons. They were intent on devouring him! But luckily, its master was there!
"Fuck off!" Jack cursed, turning the enemies into dust.
Even now, he still wasn''t showing any sign of difort! He was just destroying chicken after chicken almost as quickly as a ughterhouse! How glorious!
Jack quickly did short work of the twost remaining pirs, the room returning to peace.
"Woo!" (Impressed!)
There was another door on the other side. The wolf quickly rushed toward it, eager to keep progressing. Wait¡its master wasn''ting?! For some reason, he was rummaging through the paper square things on the ground.
"Woo?" (Questioning!)
"These are books. They contain the wisdom of the ancients on various topics." He grabbed a few random ones at his feet.
"This one over there teaches how to craft a spear. This one is about how to trim unibrows. Thest one teaches how to cook street rats."
"Woo?!" (Cooking?!)
Cooking was delicious! Cooking was great! This would have been so helpful in that one vige with the bully rats!
"There can be books about plenty of topics. Then, from time to time, one actually gets lucky and gets a grimoire or a doujin." Jack exined with a straight face.
"Woo!" (Nodding thoughtfully!)
"Oh!" Jack suddenly tried to open one of the books only to gasp in surprise.
[Unlocked Secret Undead Library Reward!]
[You Can Only Bring Along One Book Each!]
[Once Opened, Book Will Be Selected!]
[Choose Wisely!]
"This sure makes it interesting." He gazed at the rest of the library with interest. It was time for a hunt!¡
The logical thing to do was to separate to cover more ground. But that''s when the poor wolf realized in horror that it didn''t know how to read! Only a few had pictures as covers! How was it supposed to guess which books were interesting?!
"Don''t worry too much and just bring any book that seems different from the others. Grimoires usually feel different. You''ll understand if you find one." Jack instructed.
Thus began their quest. They were akin to diligent explorers looking for great content in a wastnd of boring books.
Before long, they had found some engaging titles:
¨C Bing a Badass Necromancer: A Million Steps Process
¨C Necromancy 101 a Historical Perspective
¨C A Death Knight''s Struggles With Literacy
¨C Experiments of a Very Sane Lich
¨C Bone Summoning for Dummies
¨C A ughter on Elm Street
¨C Thick and Hard bone
¨C Left plenty of Deads
¨C Pecked to Death
What were they supposed to pick?! Should they keep looking for something else? This sudden reward sure was attractive¡.
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[A/N] Thoughts on the books? Comment here if you want a book title cameo.. I will pick a few ones for the next chapter. ??
Chapter 142: A Farmer?!
Chapter 142: A Farmer?!
In a dark foggy library, a man was having a meltdown.
Jack nced at the mountain of books they had set aside. It was now big enough to y king of the hill!
The recent tomes they had dug out were:
¨C Tone-deaf tunes for Skeleton armies sieging cities¡ª Useless without an army.
¨C Infinite Demonic Energy in the Apocalypse¡ª Potentially deadly!
¨C Fantastic undead and where to find them¡ª Undead GO?!
¨C The man who threw pens at the undead¡ª WTF?!
¨C Making Eternal s?l?a?v?e? Friends¡ª Perhaps?
¨C A Loser''s Guide to Skeletons¡ª Maybe?
¨C Chicken Soup for the Soul ¡ª SPI?
¨C Liches of Azincourt¡ª History?
¨C Know your bones ¡ª Medical?
¨C The Good Skeleton¡ª Divine?
¨C Undead Life ¡ª Documentary?
¨C Etc.
Hell, choosing just one each was as hard as picking between tits or ass! In an ideal world, Jack would have buried his face in all of them at once! (The books)
Thus followed an incredibly heated discussion, filled with small "woos" and Jack''s terse replies. They discussed plenty until he finally settled on what he wanted.
Then, it was Moon Moon''s turn. Jack smiled as he already knew what his pet was going to choose. Its clear eyes had lit up with incredible desire when it had heard of one peculiar title.
But instead of going toward that one book it obviously wanted, it pounced toward one that Jack had almost picked!
"Woo!" (Eager!)
The little wolf felt that this decision was natural. It would get another book for its master! After all, he was its only family, ever since the day they had formed a soul contract! He truly deserved it!
What about its own happiness? It would be happy if its master was happy!
Its ws were just about to touch an undead summoning book when it felt its body float in the air. What?! Jack had picked up the pup by its neck and was gazing into its eyes with reproach.
"Woo?" (Confused?!)
"Dummy." Jack tapped its small head gently. "Your master will one day be the most powerful man in the universe. Do you think I need to steal a puny book from you?!" He thundered.
"Woo!" (That¡ª)
"That''s right! Now, grab that one book you wanted before!" Jack threw the small wolf straight at that one title that had made its small heart beat faster earlier.
That''s when Moon Moon understood. As much as it wanted to please its master, he too wanted for it to be happy.
Without causing any more trouble, Moon Moon selected its reward. The small wolf grabbed the loot as if it were the most precious thing in the world. (After its master of course)
With this new book, it would be able to read! (Eventually) This newfound knowledge would bring it one step closer to understanding its master''s world! Perhaps it would be able to help him too!
As for Jack, he had settled on an incredibly dumb choice. His head kept telling him that there was no way it would end up well, but his heart hadn''t been able to resist.
Infinite Demonic energy would no doubt be horrible! He felt the stench of corruption on it, and this thing was forbidden for sure! The main question was how much of it he could actually use. As for why it was in the Tutorial¡ª who cared!
The two ran out of the room with their newfound loot as if thieves. Moon Moon entrusted its new treasure to Jack for safekeeping. Fun fact, it was bound to the wolf, and he couldn''t even open it. Talk about peculiar! (Not that he''din¡)
The two continued their journey in a great mood.
The incredibly annoying FML now felt like a chorus celebrating their sess. The other monsters couldn''t bring their spirit down either. It was smooth sailing!¡ª but that was about to change.
The two partners were now stuck gazing at some enormous doors. They were inscribed with bones as well as chickens and were pulsating with a red light reminding one of a heart.
"Woo?!" (Astonished!)
"This sure reeks of a boss fight!" Jack clicked his tongue, looking at it.
The little wolf suddenly turned incredibly solemn. It knew what a boss was! They were big bullies that gave treasure when defeated!
The two shared a nce as they pushed therge doors in front of them. It opened with a world-shatteringly loud creak, echoing in the dark interior.
¡ª Creak!¡ª
¡ª Creak!¡ª
¡ª Creak!¡ª
No matter how careful they were entering, that sound had already betrayed them! They had only taken a few wary steps inside when the doors behind them suddenly mmed shut!
"Woo?!" (How?!)
"This, my friend, is the typical scenario. Either we defeat whatever now spawns, or we''re dead meat." Jack exined.
"Woo!" (Nodding!)
That''s when two tiny green mes suddenly lit up in the distance. What was that?! It appeared to be¡.the eyes of a skeleton?! The fire filled the eye sockets! The creature grinned as it gazed at them.
"What the actual fuck?!" Jack uttered, shocked. As soon as he saw the name, he knew that the uing fight would be incredibly hard.
The creature waved its hand. The entire room lit up, and it was freaking humongous. The floor was entirely white, and the walls were the color of obsidian.
At every corner of the room, there were tons of weapons scattered¡and even ballistae?! As for the undead, it was sitting on a throne made of¡chicken bones?!
The creature was wearing a weird farmer''s straw hat and kept going from mad cackles to freaking clucking! There was 100% something wrong with that guy!
The monster suddenly opened its bony maw:
"So yOu''vE ChOsEn dEaTh, GoOd! DeAtH AcCePts aLl, ChIcKeNs aCcEpT AlL, I aCcEpT AlL!" The lich (?) thundered.
Damn, its voice was so grating to the ears! It was super high at times and nothing but husky mumbling at others. Also, what the hell was it talking about?
"I didn''t choose shit!" Jack''s protests obviously fell on inexistent ears.
That''s when the creature rose, its throne copsing into plenty of small bones. It waved again, and instantly the floor began to tremble. As it did, they gasped in shock and fright.
The floor wasn''t just white. It waspletely made of bones! Now they were alling to life¡
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[A/N] A wild undead farmer appeared! How will you react?! =P
Chapter 143: Intimidation Tactic!
Chapter 143: Intimidation Tactic!
The rumbling of a thousand undead awakening under one''s very feet wasn''t for the faint of heart.
Jack and Moon Moon couldn''t help but grimace as the entire floor under them transformed into an undead legion: one full of freaking bony chickens!
They all turned their lifeless eye sockets toward them as they clucked loudly.
¡ª Cluck¡ªGRRR-Cluck¡ªGRRR! ¡ª
Individually, they''d be he weak, individually being the freaking keyword! As far as the eye could see, there were skeleton chickens and even more skeleton chickens!
Then a fight for their lives began.
At that moment, Jack was a steady rock fighting against an incredible tsunami. He kept fending the undead waves relentlessly.
Trying to peck Moon Moon? How about fuck you! Trying tocerate them with bony talons? How about a Cluckinator to the face!
He was a freaking hero!
No matter how bloodthirsty the enemies got, he kept pushing them away! The undead was so eager to devour the living that they kept colliding with one another. He was calmly exploiting theirck of coordination!
In the background, the pseudo-lich was busy mumbling plenty of spells, ones that gave the chickens an unholy glow. This made them stronger! Anypse in Jack''s focus would have him turned into meat strips!
The pressure was way too freaking intense, but Jack remained calm:
"So what if there are more chickens? I''ll crush all of your fucking skulls!" He thundered.
At this moment, he had a specific title equipped that gave him an edge: "Anti-Chicken Warrior".
One could have argued that it wasn''t that good stat-wise, and they would have been right. But, in Infinite, not everything was that simple.
"WhAt?! aNtI-ChIcKeN WaRrIoR?! NoOoOoO!!" The lich cried out in utter terror!
How many chickens had this man ughtered to achieve this?! It had to be thousands and thousands! At this instant, the Poultry Farmer lich felt intense fear.
The creature shuddered as it saw Jack stride forward akin to an angel of death. The man''s confidence and his title were scaring it shitless!
Usually, it would overwhelm its enemies with infinite chickens.
As long as the enemy wasn''t near him, he could focus 100% on attack and whittle their vitality away. But would such a tactic even work against this crazy chicken-ughtering bastard?!
The lich''s skull turned darker as it instantly resolved to step up its game straight from the get-go. Jack and Moon Moon had instantly skipped the first part of the boss fight through intimidation!
The undead chicken sea began to billow as the necromancer issued amand to all of them!
The monster was using its own vitality to do an ultimate spell! It didn''t make sense for the creature to use such a finishing move that soon! Jack watched, puzzled, for he had been expecting a long attrition battle.
The chickens all flowed toward the lich, surrounding it in what seemed to be a protective ball.
¡ª Cluck¡ªGRRR-Cluck¡ªGRRR! ¡ª
¡ª Cluck¡ªGRRR-Cluck¡ªGRRR! ¡ª
¡ª Cluck¡ªGRRR-Cluck¡ªGRRR! ¡ª
The two watched everything happen while gasping. The undead waspletely ignoring them! What the heck was it up to?!
But a few secondster, they found themselves shuddering. Was it in fear or excitement? Even they weren''t sure.
In front of their very eyes, the undead assembled themselves into a goddamn Titan! It was akin to the Hulking Chicken Bones Golems¡ª except freaking gigantic! It almost reached the damn ceiling!
"What in sweet baby Raptor Jesus''s name is this?!" Jack cursed aloud.
"Woo?!" (Shocked!)
At least its weak point was somewhat obvious. There was the protective bone sphere containing the necromancer''s body in the colossal creature''s chest.
"Tch¡ª guess we''ll have to fell a goddamn Titan!" Jack dered.
"Woo!" (Holy shit!)
Moon Moon howled to give itself courage. They could do it! It wasn''t sure how yet, but they would do it for sure!
The giant took a step toward them. It instantly made the ground rumble. Heck, a single hit of any of its gigantic limbs would indubitably end them!
It wasn''t the only threat either. The undead chickens were still rising over time. At least they weren''t spawning as quickly as earlier when the necromancer controlled them directly.
"Evade that big guy''s attacks! Just picture that you''re dodging that ming heart''s fire¡ª except it''s a giant freaking foot!" Jack shouted as he got the fuck out of the way.
"Woo!" (They could do this!)
The two spread out to dodge. But they couldn''t always keep running. They needed a way to stop this freaking giant!
That''s when the ballistae attracted Jack''s eye. These things that were essentially giant crossbows would be perfect for taking it down! The only issue was making it work.
Jack sprinted to one, observing it closely. They''d need to load the projectiles in, and some were lying in the corner. But, he couldn''t do it at this instant as the colossal golem was heading his way!
"Moon Moon! I''ll draw this bitch''s attention! You grab that big arrow there and bring it there!" Jack instructed his pet.
The little wolf heroically answered his call! It rushed as fast as a tempest and decisively mped its maw on the huge arrow. It was time to y gigantic fetch!!!
But as it tried to move, it found itselfpletely stumped.
"Woo?!" (Shock!)
Seeing this, Jack couldn''t help but sigh. Of fucking course! Thisst boss still worked on the same concept as this freaking Dungeon! It needed a bnced team toplete it. This part took rtively high STR!
"Alright, let''s switch! You draw the aggro! Make sure you don''t end up as a wolf pancake!" Jack shouted, ncing at the colossus.
It was very diligently smashing its legs and arms all over the ce in an attempt to tten them. This was annoying as fuck, especially since there were plenty of chickens trying to peck at them too!
Jack grabbed the thing and very slowly made his way toward the giant crossbow. He felt like a man that had to carry the weight of the fucking world! This was so goddamn heavy!
He dragged his feet toward his target and painfully loaded the bolt in the ballista. Then he finally turned toward Moon Moon that was running for its dear life.
The poor wolf was covered in blood and barely surviving.
"Come this way! It''s time for a freaking chicken skewer!!!" Jack shouted to his partner.
The little wolf hurriedly ran over. It was time to take this big thing down! Hopefully, this would work¡
Chapter 144: Unbeatable Duo VS Lich! (1/2)
Chapter 144: Unbeatable Duo VS Lich! (1/2)
Location: Boss Room Chicken Pce Trial of the Damned
Current Status: Madly cackling while handling a ballista.
Background: Shitload of FML and undead chickens.
Current Objective: y the Titan!
Jack carefully raised the giant crossbow, slowly pointing it toward the colossus''s chest¡ª or he tried anyway. This damn thing couldn''t move that high!
"Whatever, we''ll destroy the legs first then!" Jack heroically shouted as he pulled the trigger.
¡ª TWANG!!! ¡ª
The gigantic bolt powerfully flew toward the enemy. The recoil instantly sent him flying backward. What was up with that thing''s stability?! Wait¡.it was off target!
It all happened in slow-motion. The two of them gazed at the projectile as it made its way¡straight at the thing''s crotch! It made everything explode, EVERYTHING!
At this single instant, the two of them winced in pain. This was such a perverse attack!
"Woo?!" (Shocked!)
Moon Moon even yelped in fear, gulping loudly. It nced at its master,pletely shocked. Thisst attack had been so cruel, even against an undead!
"T-that¡. it''s important not to show any mercy," Jack uttered as if that hadn''t been aplete mistake.
Luckily, the awkward atmosphere was shattered by the giant crumbling to its knees. The Necromancer''s bone cocoon was right in front of them. Without waiting, they charged!
So what if there were undead chickens in the way? Screw them! (Not literally)
The two happily hacked, shed, and bit at the thing. This reminded them of their fight with the fiery chicken heart!
"Woo!" (Take this!)
"Woo!" (This one is for the bad music!)
"Woo!" (Here''s another swing of my mighty paw!)
Moon Moon was really going at it! It showed it who was boss! Even then, they were barely doing any damage to it. This thing was so damn hard, as hard as wood on a morning!
-1
-1
-1
-1
But even that pitiful damage was enough to make the Farming Lich inside panic.
"GeT AwAy fOuL BeAsT! lEaVe mY BoNeS AlOnE! sHoO¡ª gO PlAy sOmEwHeRe eLsE" The creature''s voice was almost begging, then turned to anger. "ArRgG! sCrEw yOu! ScReW YoU AlL!"
Along with that powerful cry, plenty of skeletal chickens rushed forward, throwing themselves against the thing. Their bodies fused with it, and a secondter, the golem was back in full shape!
"Woo?!" (What?!)
"We just need to keep attacking it. There are still w marks at the core!" Jack pointed out.
"Woo!" (Relieved and resolute!)
"But be careful. There is no way that it will remain that easy. Stay sharp and moving!" Jack reminded. Good thing he had.
Before, they only had to avoid the creature while it tried stomping them. But now, everything was different. The Necromancer''s shouts filled the room as the monster used magic!
The golem''s frame trembled as if a bell, filling the entire pce with a resounding echo. Then there was some movement near the outer walls.
"Fucking bitches!"
"Woo?!"
Jack and Moon Moon''s faces fell as they noticed the flying bones heading their way. But they weren''t alone as there were plenty of FML. They couldn''t see them, but they could hear them for sure! Their perverse song filled the room.
They came under incredible assault:
1. Dodge a giant bony foot
2. Avoid an enormous fist
3. Resist the endless sea of chickens
4. Sidestep getting impaled by a flying bone
5. Endure the unbearable background noise
6. Rinse and motherfucking repeat cause why not?!
This felt like unending torture! Heck, even ves needed a few breaks at times, much less them!
"Woo?!" (Comining!)
"Tch¡ª I''m aware. We''ll have to improvise." Jack grumbled.
They began to repeat steps one to six over and over. They were obviously in way over their heads!¡ª or so it seemed.
But, they weren''t just desperately running for their lives (just 99%). They were also getting used to the Titan''s movement patterns!
"Woo!!" (Careful!)
"Dodge! Good wolf!"
The two encouraged one another. They appeared to be at the end of their rope, but finally, they managed to get the timing right!
¡.A secondter, a huge bony limb was crushing Jack.
¡ª CRUNCH! ¡ª
At least that''s what it looked like. Actually, he had barely avoided it. His cloak was under the thing, but he was perfectly fine! That had been freaking close!
As for the shattering sound? It was a liberating sound! The flying bones that had been right on his tail hadn''t made it! They were now on the ground in pieces so small they were invisible.
Friendly fucking fire! Jack wasughing to himself, and even Moon Moon was sneering on the side. From this point onward, they would¡aggressively flee!! (Yes, that was a thing!)
For a second, even the FML shut up. The creatures were probably thinking something along the lines of: "Fuck my life! Did that guy just do that?!" Of course, the chickens were still clucking. (They never stopped!)
"Just gotta repeat this a few dozen times. Are you ready?"
"Woo!" (Hell yeah!)
The few dozen times part would have been demoralizing to any regr yer, but luckily Moon Moon didn''t know how to count! XD
"Come and catch me, you bony sons of bitches!" Jack eagerly screamed.
Then after way too manyps around the throne room, he finally had a second of respite. He hurriedly used it to load another bolt in one of the ballistae. Then they were ready to go.
"Fire in the freaking hole!" Jack screamed as he just happened to shoot the thing''s inexistent dick?!¡. It really wasn''t intentional!
"Woo?!" (Scared!)
As the thing fell on its knees again, they went to beat it up some more.
-1
-1
-1
-1
Now that they knew how to proceed, everything would be easy, right? Apparently not¡
As soon as the round of beatings was over, the Necromancer went back to shouting spells. If only they had a way to mute it right now! But this time, it wasn''t just the Necromancer that was screaming, far from it!
The Titan suddenly began to change. Before, it had vaguely resembled a humanoid, but it then got itself a brand new mouth! It was so well detailed down to the very teeth, all 64 of them! Wait¡.64?!
That''s when it opened wide and¡.screeched!!
¡ª SCREECH!!! ¡ª
The two instantly covered their ears in an attempt to stop the damn ringing. Jack sighed in relief when the sound was over, but Moon Moon couldn''t!
The poor wolf was frozen in fear! Wait, no, it was frozen in magic!
"Woooooooooo¡.." (Whaaaaaaaatttt!)
Oh, fuck! The flying bones were back and were already targeting the poor wolf''s vitals!
"Moon Moon!" Jack cried out, rushing to save his pet.
He grabbed his furry friend, slowing down in the process. A few sharp bones lodged themselves deeply in his back, scratched his arms, and even skewered his damn ass!
The demonic energy prated him deeply and brought a torrent of pain! It was even worse than stubbing his little toe on a corner! No, it was even freaking worse! Maybe only recing toe by PP could describe the pain!
But he kept running amidst the suffering. He even sighed in relief as he lowered his eyes. Moon Moon was safe!
"Don''t worry, buddy. I got you!" He softly whispered.
"Wooooooo¡."
Chapter 145: Unbeatable Duo VS Lich! (2/2)
Chapter 145: Unbeatable Duo VS Lich! (2/2)
But he kept running amidst the suffering. He even sighed in relief as he lowered his eyes. Moon Moon was safe!
"Don''t worry, buddy. I got you!" He softly whispered.
"Wooooooo¡."
The little wolf could barely move or talk, but the gratitude in its eyes was obvious. Immediate danger avoided! Jack couldn''t help but chuckle a bit. Then, a few secondster, he was straight upughing his bleeding ass off!
"Doesn''t this remind you of how we met? Back then, we were ying hot wolf!" Hemented with Moon Moon reminiscing.
The little wolf not only remembered but would never forget too. It had been so shocked back then, but it was so d that it had happened.
It let its body be cradled in its master''s warm arms blissfully. Fear and stress lost all meaning. There remained only warmth.
That''s when its body jerked in shock. Whenever it thought of its master, it felt the restriction on it¡loosen?! Why?! But then it realized the answer¡Obviously, it was because of its master''s heroic aura!!!
Jack felt the little wolfe back alive in his arms: finally!
After all, it was about time for the debuff to run out! Shouts were always time-limited. Still, he couldn''t help but shudder. This ability could have easily wiped out a whole party!
"Woo!" (I''m back, bony bitches!)
"S-sure! Let''s destroy them!" Jack gave a wry smile. Hadn''t the little wolf picked up that nickname a bit too fast?! Oh well, whatever¡.
They both got to work:
1. Repeat previous steps one to six, including all the running.
2. Crush the bone spirits with friendly fire! (And chickens)
3. Ballista time motherfucker! (Still shooting the crotch)
The Titan fell once again, and they were able to deal mad damage to the bone cocoon the Necromancer was hiding in! Of course, mad damage meant:
-1
-1
-1
-1
"Fuck him up real good!" Jack thundered.
"Woo!" (Hell yeah!)
Any hikikomori seeing them at work would have been shitting their pants! They were that motivated in getting that poor lich out of its shell! It didn''t help that they were even taunting it as they did.
"Come on out! You gotta leave yourfort zone!"
"Woo!" (Taunting!)
"Here''s a riddle! What is white and would look nice in a wolf''s maw?"
"Woo!" (yful!)
The both of them were ushering the poor lich toe out to y with them. But the creature wanted nothing to do with them at all!
"NoOoOo! Go aWaY!! LeAvE Me aLoOoNe!!!" It uselessly cried, but so what?!
"Oh well, guess we''ll have to help you out. Don''t worry: we''re about to breach!" Jack reassured.
But soon enough, the golem was repaired once more.
The difference this time was that it seemed about to falter. There were obvious cracks on all its surface. They''d probably only need a few repetitions to get rid of it for good!
"Let''s see what you''lle up with this time!" Jack shouted with both curiosity and reluctance. Couldn''t it just obediently die for good?!
Along with more words of power, the golem began to glowpletely. The two partners couldn''t help but stare with bulging eyes. What the fuck was that?!
The bone titan now had a ck fog engulfing it. Then it quickly shaped itself into what seemed to be¡.a goddamn armor?!
It was going all dark knight on them with aplete te-looking carapace!
Luckily it didn''t seem to improve its offensive power at all. They were still barely able to dodge its stomps! Before long, they were shooting at it with a ballista¡. that''s when the trouble began.
The projectile flew straight and true¡toward its crotch?! (Noment) But just as it was about to make contact, a red barrier appeared protecting its body. It instantly deflected the bolt, sending it crashing back at Jack!
Oh, fuck!! It buried itself deep into the ground, right next to him. Had he not thrown himself on the side, he would have been one-shot! What the hell?!
Were they supposed to keep shooting at it until it ran out of energy? But just as Jack was lost in his thoughts (still running), Moon Moon yelped to get his attention.
"Woo!!!" (Excited!)
It was pointing toward the giant golem with its tiny paws. It had noticed a detail that had even escaped Jack! Sharp wolf sight for the win!
There were plenty of very small and barely noticeable red gems in the thing''s armor. This was its apparent weakness!
"Nice catch Moon Moon!" Jack praised as he grabbed a random chicken lying around, dismantling the poor undead to bones.
"Let''s try this!" He powerfully threw a sharp bone straight at the weak spots! It flew quickly and collided with the red energy barrier, turning into bone dust.
Jack couldn''t help but click his tongue in annoyance. But then he suddenly thought of something. Even now, there was still the singing of the FML in the background. What if¡.
"Jack, use fireball!" He shouted seemingly at himself.
His blood-infused mes flew toward the golem as he held his breath. The spell easily bypassed the protective shield and destroyed the thing''s jewels!!! Victory!!
As the red glowing shield disappeared, the two genuinely cheered. This time they''d obliterate it!
They got to shooting again, with every projectile destroying a part of the armor again. This thing was resistant! But after five shots, it finally crumbled once more.
They rushed forward and dispensed another round of beatings!
-1
-1
-1
-1
But this time, it was different. With the veryst hit, the protective bone cocoon finally exploded! It was time for revenge! They prepared to kill the lich, only for its body to fall on the ground lifelessly¡
"Woo?!" (Confused!)
The little wolf warily pped the cadaver that appeared with its tiny paw. Was it trying to y dead?!
"It''s gone for real." Jack sighed as he rxed his tense body. "Look around." He instructed.
The flying bones spirits were all falling to the ground, and the chicken undead had all stopped moving. This was over, truly so.
The poor undead had run out of mana.
For living creatures, it wasn''t that big of a deal. For a lich, however, it was the end of the line! No mana noifu! It was nothing more than an inanimate skeleton now.
"Woo?! Woo!" (Triumphant!)
Moon Moon howled in toward Heaven, happy at their glorious victory! How many times had they died in there? Many! But now they were done! Nothing could stand in the face of its master and it!
As for Jack, he wasn''t celebrating. He was so busy touching the decrepit corpse all over! Loot! Loot! Loot! Where was it?!
Then he finally found what he had been searching for. There was a grimoire in the creature''s robe: it appeared as powerful as mysterious. It was made of bones and was full of death demonic energy!
Holy shit! He''d y with old corpses of old dudes daily if it meant getting such awesome rewards!
On the cover figured an incredible, awe-inspiring title:
Wait¡.cluck?! Jack opened it in a rush. All pages were about raising undead chickens!! Yep, he should have expected that¡
Even then, he was still grinning, his smile so damnrge that it was blinding.
It was learning time¡
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[A/N] IMPORTANT read the NEW auxiliary note about the February Event! (Chapter 0)Tell me what you think! Thank you, love you guys big time!!! (It''s WAY too long to be added here!)
Chapter 146: Who’s Homeless?!
Chapter 146: Who¡¯s Homeless?!
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In front of the Chicken Trials Dungeon, many D.L. yers were assembled.
They had seen their idole in and out of the Dungeon so damn often recently!
Just looking at his handsome and resolute visage (cultist vision), they had instantly known that he was up to something great!
"There will be epics about his adventures!"
"Epics? Bullshit! It''s gonna be more cheeky videos!"
"Did you hear? Many "pro-gamer" were admitted to the hospital recently¡."
"Really?! What happened?! Did they stay too long in the game or something?!"
"You see¡.After that one Try not to sleep video, they were rushed to the burn unit!"
"Pfft!¡ª That''s fucking true! That Pancakes guy slept through all of their fucking highlights!"
But they suddenly froze as if deers in headlights as the dungeon portal showed signs of opening. Their hearts even began to beat faster.
HE wasing!
As Jack and Moon Moon appeared, they rejoiced. Witnessing the duo''s triumphant look, they felt tingly all over. As the Demon King nced their way, they squirmed like Japanese tentacles in a cultural movie.
As Jack opened his mouth, his chiseled jaw trembled, and so did they. It was time for a speech that would make History for sure! Their ears were wide open!
"Log-out!" He muttered.
The purple glow took him away as he disappeared, leaving an awkward silence behind.
"¡."
"¡."
"¡?!"
He was leaving?! Just like that?! What about the victory celebration or even the heroic tales of his adventures?! What about it all?! It appeared he cared for of it¡
The fans looked at one another in dismay. Why did they feel like brides abandoned at the altar?!
But at their darkest hour, a man approached, gently tapping their shoulders as if telling them that everything would be okay.
His long blood-red cultist robe instantly made him the center of attention.
"Fear not, my friends. All we need to do is to summon him back." He gave them a warm smile, one that was very contagious. After all, the Demon King cult epted all.
The man grinned. It was time for the neers to master the art of blood reverse-pentagram drawing!
This would be fun¡.
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As Jack came to his senses, he was ambushed! There was a finger gently but relentlessly poking him. He slowly removed his helmet, with the culprit acting innocent.
"Oh, you''re back!" Lilly eximed as she came closer, her eyes glistering with curiosity. "Did something good happen?"
"Plenty of great things happened. Not only am I still alive but¡ª"
"That''s not what I meant! You''re grinning like aplete fool!" She remarked, giving him an inquisitive re. "Did you get a girlfriend?!"
A scene instantly resurfaced his mind.
"I''ve found andpleted a Hidden Dungeon. I even got myself a Necromancy grimoire!" He promptly answered, giving her a teasing look. "Impressed yet?"
"As expected of my brother!" She approvingly and exaggeratedly thundered before looking him right in the eyes.
"You know, it''s fine to y with zombies, but make sure you don''t be one IRL. Can you promise me that?" She knew he had barely slept or eaten in the previous days.
"Alright, but only because you''re the one asking." He did his best pouting expression, making her clutch her stomach as she giggled.
"Pfft¡ª really now?! Trying to act cute?!¡" but she suddenly jerked in shock.
"Oh, right, before I forget! No screwing with the undead! I heard it''s a gue in other 18+ VR games!" She eximed, looking dead serious.
Where the hell was thising from?!
"You don''t have to worry!" He gave her a reassuring nce. But then he kept going¡
"You can be at ease. I''m far too low level to summon myself a cute undead waifu just yet." He winked at her, chuckling at her shocked expression.
"Y-yet?! That''s not what I meant?!"
"Anyway, guess it''s time for my anti-zombie daily exercise. Want to join me on a walk? Maybe grab a bite too." He expertly changed the topic.
"Sure! I''m getting my coat!"A secondter, she was already by their door, ready to go, her face glowing with child-like happiness.
As they walked the quiet streets, he nced her way.
She wore an awesome long ck jacket that gave her a distinguished air. So what if it was an imitation? It looked freaking amazing on her!¡ª Well, in his eyes anyway.
Jack knew as much about fashion as Moon Moon did.
Still, even he could tell that his outfit looked horrendous inparison¡ªfaded jeans with holes and a coat worthy of a homeless guy.
The two made an incredible sh, one that a few passersby were happy to point out:
"Tch¡ª What''s with that guy?"
"How the heck did such a bloke get a girlfriend as pretty as her?!"
"Look at him. There''s just no way! I bet she wouldn''t touch him with a ten-foot pole!"
"Hey, what if he''s ckmailing her or something?! Do you think we should call the cops?!"
They didn''t even bother to lower their voices.
Her cute forehead wrinkled as she frowned in displeasure. What the hell did these guys know?! At this moment, she wanted to very gently stick her foot down their throat¡ until they choked to death!
"Don''t worry about them. There will always be idiots in this world. They''re just a fart: disgusting and worthless." Jack gently patted her head, ignoring the fools.
Coming back to her senses, she grabbed his hand and resolutely walked away in a random direction, expecting things to end there. But for some reason, three youngsters followed them.
They seemed well-off as they wore what seemed to be branded clothes. They were already pointing at the two of them while angrily shouting:
"Hey, let go of her hand, you bastard!"
"This district doesn''t wee your kind!"
"Go back to the fucking slums where you belong!"
Jack suddenly jerked up in shock as he nced at Lilly. His expression was one of disbelief:
"Did you hear that?! They said there are more of my kind in the slum. Is that even possible?! Since when are the slums filled with handsomely rugged dashing men?!"
Lilly''s face went from twitching in anger to twitching trying to hold herughter.
"Pfft¡ª I think they''re just confused. They probably got lost while looking for the nearest gay bar." She gently exined.
In the background, the youngsters were turning purple. They couldn''t take it anymore! They charged over, ovee by anger, only to suddenly stop in their tracks.
Jack had a thousand ways to intimidate them. But why waste time? He had his phone out and looked very casual.
"Hello, police! I''d like to signal a robbery in progress. Right at the corner of main street and fifth. Three of them! One''s wearing a blue shirt with a small crocodile on it, with¡ª"
That''s all he had to say. The miscreants were already running away at full speed.
Being overly pampered definitely turned some intoplete imbeciles. At least in Infinite, he could directly ughter them¡
"Shall we go?" Lilly gently tugged on his hand.
He nodded, apanying her. Her steps were so springy and full of vitality. He''d make sure she''d always remain that energetic.
That''s when she sent him a teasing nce:
"By the way, the next time you call the police, you should probably turn your phone on." She chuckled.
"Lots of stuff happened in-game. It can''t be helped that I forgot to charge it." He shrugged helplessly.
¡¥_(¥Ä)_/¡¥
"What were you going to do if it turned into a fight?" She asked curiously.
"Whoop their asses, what else?" Why was she even asking?
"Oh, maybe castration¡" She mumbled.
"Damn, girl!!" He choked.
How could such a sweet girl think of doing such a vile thing?! Then again, he wasn''t one to talk given his "aim" back in the Dungeon.
Still, this just proved how angry she had been and how highly she thought of him. He truly was lucky!
"Shall we go?" Her smile was ever-so radiant.
She was obviously heading toward the cheaper side of town. It was filled with plenty of hole-in-the-wall restaurants. The food there was godly!
The cooks honed their craft through years of hard work and dedication. It was the best quality/price ratio ever, and only a madman would look down on them.
Normally, he would have been the first to head there, but he had a different purpose this time. After all, he now had some credits to his name from selling Infinite gear.
After all, the many runs he did while farming reviews had actually given him mad loot!
CPR dude had been the one taking care of the sales while he was busy and now it was all neatly sitting in his ount!
It was hard to check the exact amount with a dead phone (x_x), but he''d have plenty for now.
"Follow me. We''re going somewhere else," Jack uttered, with Lilly giving him a perplexed look.
He couldn''t wait to see her reaction¡
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[A/N] February Mass Release Mood! Are you ready to be buried in chapters? Hehe ^_^
Thoughts about cute undead waifus? =P
(Reminder: check Chapter 0 for details!)
Chapter 147: Who’s That Guy?!
Chapter 147: Who¡¯s That Guy?!
Was there anything more banal than the sight of a shopping mall in a modern city?
¨C Way too big so people could stroll to their heart''s content.
¨C Filled with happy shoppers, some followed by their personal U-Bot ve.
¨C Way too shy with holograms greeting and advertising in one breath as if rappers.
¨C Filled with countless shops selling expensive things people didn''t really need but bought anyway.
There really wasn''t anything more mundane than that. Hell, it had been like that for as far as anyone could remember!
Yet, there was something phenomenal happening in the parking lot of the !
A young woman stood still, pointing at the shopping mall with horror in her beautiful amethyst eyes.
"No way we''re going there! Don''t you remember?! Window shopping without buying is illegal! Even snacks there cost a few credits!" Lilly eximed.
"I know." Jack calmly nodded.
"Heck, maybe we''d be arrested for ruining the other customers'' experience. This ce is Hell, I tell you!" She heatedly drove her point in.
"Capitalist Hell." Jack nodded, entirely in agreement.
"It''s good that you understand! Let''s run before they call security on our ass!" She grabbed Jack''s hand, only to find out that he wasn''t budging at all.
He softly dragged her into a gentle hug.
"Trust me, nothing bad will happen." Jack smiled at her.
At this moment, Lilly froze, stunned. What the hell had happened to her brother?! It was stupid, but she found him wanting to go to a shopping mall even stranger than the whole pro-gamer thing.
It just so didn''t fit his usual persona!
"Let''s go." He dragged her along while she was still shocked.
They soon reached the mall''s main gate. It was big, opulent, shy, and had a steady flow of people. But, they would all inevitably turn to look at the young man that had just shown up, frowning.
Jack looked so out of ce that he attracted all the gazes.
Lilly tensed up as she noticed the attention they were getting. Near the automatic doors, there were two security guards. Their only job was to watch this ce.
At that moment, both guards were staring straight at them! Their piercing eyes were already evaluating if they were troublemakers. But Jack''s clothes just were too horrendous!
One of the guards was already clutching hismunicator, about to ask for backup. There were undesirables!
At this moment, Lilly was already preparing herself to salvage the situation. She was a student at , which would give her leverage. Sure she was a broke schrship student, but she could always bluff!
She reached for her pocket, grabbing her student ID and¡.
"Are you an idiot?! Put that thing away!" The guard with themunicator was pped by his colleague. What?! Why?! What was happening?!
What happened next was even harder to understand. The man came forward, stopped right in front of her brother, and suddenly addressed him with incredible politeness.
"Sir, could I please have your autograph?" He begged Jack.
An autograph?! At this moment, Lilly seriously wondered if there was an issue with her hearing.
As the man respectfully handed Jack a pen and some paper, she had toe to terms with reality. But even then, she just couldn''t make sense of it. What the fuck was happening?!
Was this an borate prank show? She looked around for anything out of the ordinary, but the more she looked, the more confused she got. Every-fucking-one around was pointing at her brother with curiosity and admiration.
Seriously, what the fuck?!
"There you go! Make sure to keep it preciously." Jack instructed the guard, who bowed, thankful. He then turned toward her: "Shall we go?"
She followed him, confused beyond belief. Why wasn''t anyone popping out shouting "pranked"?!
Jack had only been gaming recently. Had he be popr through Infinite?! Even then, his character''s face was slightly different than his IRL one! How had a random guard recognized him?!
"What was that?" She softly asked.
"How badly do you want to know?" Jack teased her, chuckling.
Her bewildered face was so cute! It wasn''t often that he could see her lose her bearings. Since he and the old man were always working, she had been forced to grow more mature andposed.
Just as he was about to tell her, she answered him.
"Snacks and massages! It''s 100% needed for a pro-gamer! Spill the beans!" She uttered extremely quickly. She was dying to know!
Jack approached her ear and exined in a whisper.
"You''re kidding me?! That works?!" She eximed,pletely shellshocked.
That''s when she took another look at him, only now noticing the obvious¡.
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Back at the entrance, the two guards diligently watched their surroundings¡ª or at least they looked the part.
"Tell me already! Who was that guy?!"
"Why don''t you guess?"
"Can I get a hint?"
"Nope!"
"Tch¡ª Stingy!"
One kept begging, but the other guy just gave a mysterious smile.
Even seeing the damn autograph didn''t help! It was only signed "Jack": it was such amon name! No amount of goggling would reveal his identity!
In desperation, he turned toward the shoppers. Many had witnessed the scene and were talking about it. He used the opportunity to eavesdrop on their conversation sneakily.
"Do you guys have any idea who he was?"
"Nope, this young man couldn''t be more unfamiliar."
"I never forget a face and I''ve never seen him in my life!"
"But you guys all saw how that guard reacted, right?!"
"Yeah, we should have asked him to sign something for us too!"
They were either wondering or grumbling about the lost opportunity. That''s when the guard finally realized with fright.
"Don''t tell me you were messing around?! This is bad we have to¡ª"
"You really are blind!" His colleague sighed deeply.
"What?!" The poor guard was confused.
"Let me tell you. Anyone that shows that much assurance while wearing rags has to be a godly actor! Do you understand?" He exined with gusto.
"Wait¡he''s an actor?! Who is he?!" He excitedly asked.
"T-that¡.I don''t know. Never seen him." The other admitted.
"¡."
"¡."
"Really?!"
"What? I like to gamble¡."
"Fucks, sakes!" The poor guard couldn''t help but curse. They were risking their jobs because that guy loved to gamble?! They should have turned them away¡
He could only hope that the two youngsters wouldn''t cause any trouble. They wouldn''t, right?
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 1: #Last PRIV Tier #meRAJ ?? (1/6)
Chapter 148: Give Me One Of Everything!!!
Chapter 148: Give Me One Of Everything!!!
Inside a very normal shopping mall, a young man was going crazy.
"I''ll take one of everything! I want it all! All of it!!! Don''t worry. I have the money!!!" Jack energetically shouted.
"I-isn''t that super expensive?!" The nearby Lilly was shaking from head to toe.
"Don''t worry. We came here to splurge!" Jack heroically thundered.
The shop attendant on the side couldn''t help but raise a brow. Wasn''t this lover pair exaggerating a bit too much? Right now, he wasn''t sure whether tough or facepalm.
This wasn''t some high-end store.
This was the "Creamy Goodness," a simple ice cream shop.
By the mall''s standards, it wasn''t even that expensive.
Still, the young man should have avoided this ce judging by his clothes. It just wasn''t within his financial means.
Yet he had freaking brought a girl here. He was even making it sound like he was a young master on a shopping spree! Was he trying to impress her?
The weird part was that it was seemingly working¡WTF?! The beautiful woman at his side was gazing a the full ice cream cups with horror, picturing the rising price.
"I really don''t need any more toppings! Just in ice cream will do! Actually, I''m not that hungry!" She seemed almost in tears as she tried to save the poor guy''s wallet.
Damn! She sure was a good girl!
The attendant began to imagine their story so vividly.
She did not desire for his money, nor did she mind his pitiful appearance. She just loved him! She wanted to forever remain at his side.
He loved her so much that he wanted to give her the world! How many months had he saved just for this moment? It was so goddamn dumb and silly, but he would make her feel like a princess just for this day!
Fuck, he was even forgoing his own wellbeing! His clothes were old and tattered, but he did not mind, and neither did she.
This was so damn touching!
While the attendant was having massive delusions, Jack was having mad fun looking at Lilly''s expressions. She was hovering between despair and shock.
"I already told you that I have the money." He reassured her.
"Even if you have the money, I''m really not hungry and¡ª" but the rumbling of her stomach instantly betrayed her.
"Busted." He chuckled.
"We could buy cheap supermarket ice cream instead! If we get the half-melted one on sale¡ª"
"Denied!" Jack went to pay.
The attendant gave him a look that was so heated it was almost scary. Wait, was he crying?! He freaking was!
"It''s free for you, brother. Enjoy your youth!" The man gave him a thumbs up.
On the side, Lilly was beaming. Had they just escaped debt?! She didn''t know why, but did it matter?! They were saved!¡ª or so she thought.
"Here''s my card: just swipe it!" Jack insisted.
"R-really?!" The attendant uttered, shocked.
"Yes, really¡." What was wrong with him?
Beep!
-23.96 Credits
One Mighty Card Swipe
About 5% of the rent money gone
Two gigantic ice cream cups filled to the brim.
The attendant was now looking his way with incredible admiration while mumbling how admirable he was under his breath.
"¡."
"¡."
"¡."
The two sat down and began eating. Lilly was doing her best to show how much she was enjoying the sugary delicacy, but he could sense how distracted she was.
In fact, she was already considering an intervention. Obviously, Jack had managed to get credits from his new job, but it wasn''t a reason to squander it!
If he wanted to spend, he should use it to buy food supplements, a more conformable bed, or anything that would improve his quality of life!
But her thoughts were suddenly interrupted.
"Follow me," Jack ordered, decisively heading toward the nearest bank branch.
He probably had four-digit credits in his ount? He''d simply show her. They had lived on a tight budget for too long after all. Everything they ate was bought in bulk and at a discount.
He went toward a terminal.
[Wee to Trust Financial!]
[What Brings You In Today?]
There was an AI tasked with helping him. A few secondster, he was opening his bank ount. He quickly nced at it: it showed 2,4k something.
"See? Everything''s fine in the short term, and I have a n for the long term." Jack moved aside, letting Lilly see the screen.
She nced at it, double-checking.
That''s when her face suddenly twisted. It went from disbelief to shock to disbelief again and finally settled on terror.
Her whole body shook, her grip loosened, her precious ice cream cup fell to the floor. That''s when she turned toward Jack.
"What''s up?" He asked, perplexed.
"The fuck did you do?! What kind of contract did you sign?! How many years does itst?! Tell me already!" It was as if she had suddenly lost her mind.
She was freaking hysteric!
"Contract? Oh, nothing of the sort. I just sold random loot to other yers. It just happened to be a dungeon only I can solo." Jack shrugged.
For most yers, the Chicken Trials Pce was impossible toplete on Hard, much less Hellish. This made the demand for earrings and nes insane!
"Random loot? Random loot?! Freaking random loot?! How does one make 24 942 Credits in a single day selling random loot?!"
Jack quickly approached the terminal. She was right. It really was 24k. How?! But as he checked the transaction history, he couldn''t help but pause, shocked.
A single one stood out.
+ 20 000 Credits
Message from sender:
What the fuck.
What the actual fuck?!
That wasing from the guys worshiping him, right?
Jack couldn''t help but grin: he had a SIMP!!! A rich one!!!
"Well, that exins a lot." He happily nodded.
"It has to be a mistake! Someone entered 20k instead of 2k¡ it can only be that, right?!" Lilly eximed in shock.
"I''m not sure, but don''t worry. We''ll be doing the right thing." Jack''s reassurance made her sigh in relief.
"You''ll give it back then?" She proposed.
"Close. We''re going shopping!" He excitedly cried out.
Jack then dragged a shellshock Lilly all over the mall. This time he could actually afford one of everything¡.
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 1: #Last PRIV Tier #meRAJ ?? (2/6)
Chapter 149: Roombot Goes BRRRR!
Chapter 149: Roombot Goes BRRRR!
It was raiding time!!!
Jack dragged Lilly along in plenty of shops. He first needed new clothes so he''d stop embarrassing her¡ª even if she didn''t mind.
Anyway, it was time to spend!
He swaggered in many clothing stores, but every time the clerks would discreetly (or not)ugh upon seeing him.
Heck, they were either attentive to all clients but him or watched him closely to prevent him from stealing. Where was the basic trust between humans?!
He could have easily done the "Screw you I''m a big shot routine" and pped them into submission with his bank card. But wouldn''t that give them amission?! Fuck that! It was better for him just to leave!
That''s why they kept going from shop to shop akin to explorers looking for a lost treasure; one called basic human decency! It seemed pretty impossible to find.
But then they found the jackpot! Even after looking in his general direction, the clerk didn''t show any sign of looking down on him! She was also blind, but whatever.
Before long, Jack tried various clothes and forced Lilly to do the same. On the side, that one blind girl was praising how handsome/gorgeous they looked¡ª talk about shameless!
Well, in this case, she was right. It turned out that going from rags to riches did increase his handsomeness a lot! The only downside was that he had lost his rugged hobo look¡
"Wow! Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?!" Lilly jokingly praised.
Slowly but surely, he convinced her to buy a few things for herself. But this was just the start of their shopping spree!
They rented themselves some U-Bot helpers to carry the luggage and bought more and more!
¨C Even more outfits (Mostly for Jack).
¨C New super fluffy pillows and mattresses for them both!
¨C Plenty of vitamins that were supposedly "perfect" for Infinite VR Gamers.
¨C They had even stopped to buy her an Infinite VR helmet, even with how expensive it was!
Lilly had protested during the entire purchase and calibration phase, but so what?! He had been adamant and bought one anyway! After all, Infinite would be mainstream very soon.
The whole time, many red at her in utter jealousy! Heck, it wasn''t just the women being jealous. Many dudes totally wanted him as a sugar daddy if it meant getting an Infinite helmet!
There was only one thing that she had wholeheartedly epted without grumbling during the entire trip. It was a small, round, cute, and cheap pumpkin pin that she could hang to her long ck flowing hair.
He had instantly thought of her upon seeing it!
It looked a bit childish, yet somehow made her look even more beautiful. He could often see her run her fingers on it, a smile blossoming on her face. This was a token more than anything,
But they weren''t just shopping. They were enjoying the sights too as they strolled the mall. Honestly, the view almost justified the over-inted prices.
She began to loosen up enough to start enjoying herself:
"Look at that! That''s so damn cool!" She eximed, her eyes full of wonder.
Above them, there was azy river seemingly just floating in the air. Inside of it was plenty of colorful fishes that swam following the current. The light from the surroundings vibrantly reflected on their scales. It was gorgeous!
"Oh? Is that free?! I want to try it!" She pointed at a train that ferried the shoppers around.
It was neither fast nor slow and would sometimes rise in the air, allowing them to get a perfect view of the mall. Before long, they had nced at most of the attractions.
There was a cinema.
There was a petting zoo.
There was a shooting range.
There was a small botanical garden.
There was a zero-gravity floating simtor.
There was so much varied stuff! It was crazy!
There was even a tiny Roombot shop that Jack insisted on visiting alone for some reason.
The ce was small, the white of emptiness, and only had a single Roombot tirelessly working.
The little robot kept moving about, cleaning the already pristine floor and chanting prerecorded messages.
¡ª Roombot! Reporting for cleaning duty! ¡ª
¡ª Cleaning your house like a boss! ¡ª
¡ª Roombot Powwaaa!!! Eiyaaa!¡ª
It sounded so cute! Heck, this little thing had more personality than 99% of social media influencers!
That''s when a man came out from the back store.
He looked rtively ordinary but was surprisingly very fit. He had a kind face, a small mustache, and looked like a jovial uncle.
Oh yeah, he was also wearing a name tag: . The man had recognized him, even if he tried to hide it.
"Hello there! How can I help you?" He asked with a gentle voice.
"Tch¡ª Give me the debt transfer contract already. After today the old man won''t owe you anything." Jack spat out, cutting straight to the chase.
"Ah, don''t tell me you''re¡ª"
"No need for the theatricals. You already knew I was in this shopping mall." Josh had noticed hisck of surprise upon seeing him.
The man chuckled, grabbed an envelope from his pocket, and handed it over. But right before Josh could grab it, he clicked his tongue.
That''s when five powerful-looking men came out of the back store and surrounded him. All red at him menacingly, but he didn''t flinch!
Were his nerves made of freaking steel?!
A few then seemed to recognize him as they shuddered. They had heard horror stories about him! Was it all true?!
It was strange as hell. How could such a young guy be that confident while outnumbered?! He even calmly looked at them one by one before uttering:
"Were you guys having a sausage party back there or something?" His voice was so very calm and easygoing. But he was suddenly interrupted by the very serious-sounding loan shark/ Roombot seller.
"Needless to say, either you''ll pay up, or we''ll use your organs to settle the debt. Do you understand?" Darius gave him an ultimatum, mobster style.
He then gave a long speech:
"You really don''t want us to collect¡ª"
¡ª Roombot! Reporting for cleaning duty! ¡ª
"¡.For we''ll quickly turn you into sashimi! We''ll¡ª"
¡ª Cleaning your house like a boss! ¡ª
"¡Gouge all your organs out and sell them to¡ª"
¡ª Roombot Powwaaa!!! Eiyaaa!¡ª
The upbeat sound of the miniature robot was so damn awkward! Itpletely screwed up the otherwise intense atmosphere!
This was so damn ridiculous! Trying to intimidate someone with these silly messages ying in the background?! At that moment, Jack just couldn''t take it anymore.
"Pfft¡ª Hahaha! Bro, these Roombots are the best, hahaha!" Jack was chuckling while holding his stomach. "This cover business of yours is really too good!"
"Tch¡ª Cover business? I''m an amazing Roombot salesman! Or are you looking down on me?!"
Jack couldn''t help but stare, perplexed. Wait¡what?!
"Are you serious?!" He asked in disbelief.
"Hell yeah! Selling Roombots brings joy to tons of families all over the world!" He thundered, weirdly motivated.
The goons scratched their heads awkwardly. Did they really need to be there? They would rather go back to ying poker!
As they saw Jack''s bright smile, they figured that they definitely didn''t want to stay there anymore.
"Actually, if you really care about this Roombot business, I may just have an opportunity for you," Jack uttered.
He looked more like a shark than the actual professional loan shark.
He had also smelled blood¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 1: #Last PRIV Tier #meRAJ ?? (3/6)
Chapter 150: Scheming Demon King! (1/2)
Chapter 150: Scheming Demon King! (1/2)
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In New Leaf forest, shouts and ngings of weapons repeatedly resounded. A few dozen yers diligently trained: they were thest remaining D.L. yers.
They all had their reasons to remain in the legion. They were either loyal, hopeful, or in crazy. Some would really just follow the Demon King because he was as insane as they were!
At the end of the day, they were all hiding away like defeated thieves, uselessly plotting revenge that would perhaps nevere.
It wasn''t like they had anywhere better to go than the forest, not since I.R.L. had kicked them out of the training grounds.
They swung their weapons with incredible fervor as they practiced their skills¡but was there even a point?
A man by the side was sitting on a log, sighing as he nced at their futile efforts.
His physique looked valiant, but his slumped shoulders betrayed how depressed he was feeling. He kept raising a sk full of a troubled liquid and taking big gulps: he reeked of cheap booze!
Igor was at an all-time low! Anyone watching would have inevitably shaken their head in disappointment. The previous hero had lost the drive that made him great.
This much was to be expected. He had recently lost everything!
He had lost his honor, his title as a training instructor, but most importantly, he felt so helpless!
This new kid, the Jack fellow, had been so damn promising! So promising that he had wanted to help him, just to see him develop his potential!
Igor regretted giving the kid false hope. He had failed him when it counted the most! So he drank, drank, and drank some more! It didn''t erase the sadness, but it made him feel as shitty in body as in mind.
But just as he was about to take anotherrge gulp, a hand suddenly came out of nowhere to snatch his sk.
"Hey! Who do¡ª" Igor drunkenly thundered only to turn meek.
Jack''O was there. The man he had failed was right in front of him. This was his chance to apologize! But just as he was searching for the right words in his half-drunken haze, he couldn''t help but be stunned.
Why did he seem in an incredibly good mood?! Was he putting a strong front? No, this happiness was genuine!!
"Partying without me?! This is uneptable, hahaha!" Jack chastised as he drank directly from the sk. "Right, Igor. I need your help with something. I feel like it will be right up your alley!"
No, he was 100% in a joyous mood! Igor had been ming himself for failing him¡but the victim didn''t even seem to mind?!
"W-what?" He muttered.
"Can you sculpt me a Demon King throne? It doesn''t have to be that detailed. It just has to scream badass!" He eagerly exined.
"S-sure."
"Nice! I''ll be counting on your then!" The young man gently pped the NPC''s back, obviously grateful. "Everyone from D.L. Is there anyone here who has woodcutting as a profession?"
There were instantly a few people excitingly lining up. Arge chunk of wood was waiting to be carved by his hand in a matter of minutes.
Igor got to work feeling at an incredible loss.
What the fuck was happening?!
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In the forest clearing, a man sat on a wooden throne.
With his left hand, he waszily petting a very peculiar wolf. The orange fur and the dark demonic patterns hinted at its mystical background! This was already a testament to his power.
He held a bony book that reeked of Demonic Energy in his right hand. The content was definitely forbidden knowledge! Chances were that anyone ncing at it would lose his mind. Well, not him.
He would sometimes be waving a hand as illusory white bones seemed to grow out of his palms, only to disappear a secondter. He was obviously training yet so casual!
But one thing made this scene appear so very striking: the NPCs that wereing one after the other! He kept training and kept gesturing them to freaking wait on the side!
yers usually did everything they could to please the big shots of New Leaf vige, yet there he was treating them so badly! What kind of influence did he have?!
He had called for a meeting, and they answered his summons.
The florist was the first to arrive.
Jack mentioning the word "magic" was enough to get him to charge over. He was now staring at the wolf and the grimoire with incredible greed. He wouldn''t leave this ce before he learned something new!
Steven showed up early. He looked highly awkward, but he understood that whatever happened that day would determine the vige''s future.
The butcher came over to sell sausages. God, did he freaking love the D.L. members! These guys understood his art and allowed him to get creative! So what if there was a bit of human flesh in there?!
The cksmith camest. He had been busy in his forge and hadn''t seen the time go by.
Igor was still watching, eager to see what would happen.
After a silence that seemed tost an eternity, Jack finally opened his mouth.
"The Vige Chief is drunk with power. He wants to control the braves, but he doesn''t understand them. It will only spell cmity." Jack slowly uttered, cutting to the chase.
Even now, he was still freaking training! This just showed how easy he found confronting the NPCs. So what if they were all higher level than him? He was the freaking Demon King!
"I''m calling for a Vote of Confidence Loss," Jack spat out.
The NPCs instantly showed great shock.
"What?!"
"Are you crazy?!"
"There''s no way that this will work!"
"The vote has to be unanimous to remove a chief from his functions! No viger missing!"
"If it fails, he''ll be able to use the momentum to gain even more power! No freaking way!"
They mored one after the other, all opposing the idea and filled with disbelief. After all, they knew for a fact that the old potiondy would side with her crush. This was 100% a lost cause!
Faced with their objections, Jack chuckled. Wait, even now, he was still training whileughing!! What was up with his level ofposure?! This was insane!
What gave him such confidence?
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 1: #Last PRIV Tier #meRAJ ?? (4/6)
Chapter 151: Scheming Demon King! (2/2)
Chapter 151: Scheming Demon King! (2/2)
They mored one after the other, all opposing the idea and filled with disbelief. After all, they knew for a fact that the old potiondy would side with her crush. This was 100% a lost cause!
Faced with their objections, Jack chuckled.
Wait, even now, he was still training whileughing!! What was up with his level ofposure?! It was insane!
What gave him such confidence? ¡ª> Shitload of research about the vige.
At this moment, he was freaking thanking Bubblegum internally. This was all thanks to her recent information-gathering efforts.
He just had to convince them to help real quick. He pointed at each of them:
"He screwed us both big time." (Igor)
"I''ll show you incredible magic." (Florist)
"I know your sausage business is not popr with I.R.L." (Butcher)
"He went out of his way to undermine you, calling your work sub-par." (cksmith)
"He''s slowly increasing the discount you have to give his faction and is raising the tax on your shop." (Steven)
With Jack reminding them, they felt their blood boil in anger. s, they were utterly helpless.
"It won''t matter as long as that bitch supports him!" The cksmith reminded him. It was very tough to fire a vige chief!
"Our only choice is to write a letter to the Empire and ask them to redress our grievance. But that will likely¡ª" Igor proposed.
"Too long!" Jack cut him off instantly. "I have another alternative. I''m going to get her on board with my n. I just need to tempt her." He winked.
Many suddenly felt like vomiting. Was he really going to honey trap the wrinkly old bat?! They weren''t sure whether to praise his courage or be downright disgusted!
"But for this to work, I''ll need your help with something." He had theirplete attention. "You all agree that no power is intrinsically evil, right?" He asked with a smile.
They couldn''t help but nce at the necromancer tome in the man''s hand. True, this thing really felt so freaking demonic!
"Naw, worse than that, haha." He chuckled, seeing their looks.
"What?!"
"How''s that possible?!"
"Just what the hell are you nning?!"
They uttered in shock. Why did his n sound more and more cmitous by the second?!
But then he gazed at each of them, and they faltered. This guy was a bastard for sure, but he treated his allies well.
"Tch¡ª You''re really the devil. You already know that we''ll agree. Why don''t you spill the beans already?!" The cksmith grumbled.
That made them chuckle. Yep, that summarized the situation pretty well. Fuck, this guy was so damn scheming! He had only called them after analyzing the whole situation! Even then, this was only possible thanks to his high affinity with them and reputation.
"Hehe, alright." Jack turned toward the Butcher. "It''s easy. We''ll need to use that thing in your basement."
"That thing?" The Butcher seemed confused for a second. But then it finally clicked. "Nonononno! No freaking way! Impossible! I''m out!" He screamed in fright.
His face was pale, his breathing rough, and cold sweat already covered his body. But then he slowly forced himself to calm down.
"In any case, it''s broken! It''s missing some of the words and¡ª"
"I''m aware." Jack was still freaking smiling!
The Butcher couldn''t help but shiver, seeing his steady appearance. Was this all part of his n too?! All ording to keikaku, right?!
The others were all staring with their mouth open in astonishment and their eyes glowing with curiosity. What the fuck were they talking about?!
"Steven, I''ll need some materials."
"I''ll need a cksmith to forge some coreponents."
"Florist guy, you''ll be helping me with rewriting the missing magical runes."
"Igor, you''ll be in charge of generating mana, just like with the mana engulfing technique."
"We''ll need blood, lots of blood. I''m counting on your for that." He looked at the Butcher, then all of them.
"Ladies and gentlemen, believe me, this is going to be lots of fun! Alright, it''s already toote to back down since I''ve already shared confidential information with you."
"There''s no way that I''m¡ª" The Butcher was stillining.
"Look into my eyes. I know what I''m doing. I know not only how to use the thing but also how to contain it. Trust in Demonic Legion!" Jack reassured.
Gazing into Jack''s confident eyes, the Butcher finally calmed down and grumbled that he''d participate.
This whole operation had about a thousand red gs, yet they somehow were all dragged into his pace.
This was the same trick he had used to convince the NPCs in the Wolf Den and the guard at the shopping mall IRL. It was 100% bodynguage! (+Years of actual practice)
CPR dude on the side had his mouth open in shock. What the hell were they up to as a faction?! He couldn''t help but feel his entire body shake as he remembered Jack''s words from back then: he was getting rid of the prison entirely.
How would the NPCs react if they knew they were about to doom their entire vige? Would they despair, would they panic? They would definitely revolt! He would conscientiously keep his mouth shut for now.
But just when the crowd was ready to leave, a beautiful girl and a raisin appeared. Bubblegum wasing just in time, following his message.
"You wanted to meet me? Make it short. I don''t have all day!" The old potiondy sneered.
"I''m taking the vige chief down, and you''re going to help me." Jack calmly stated.
What the fuck?! Why was he so freaking blunt?!
The NPCs couldn''t believe it. What was wrong with him?! What had happened to the honey pot?! Setting the mood should have been super important!
"You''re delusional, kid. I can''t believe I wasted my time with you!" She snorted, ready to take her leave.
"All the others can leave, but you shouldn''t. If you hear me for 1 minute, I''ll give you one gold." He shamelessly tried bribing her.
"I should give you a chance. After all, I am magnanimous." She shamelessly uttered as she came closer.
Her palm was already outstretched, and she was waiting for her payment. What kind of circus act were the two ying at?!
One minuteter:
Jack ¡ª> -1 gold
Old Raisin ¡ª> Leaving
She was going away with a spring in her step. She couldn''t wait to bber about Jack''s n to the chief!
The others were extremely confused. He was just going to watch her leave?! Her intentions were obvious!
"No need to go after her." Jack waved. "I''ve done all I can. The rest will depend on her." He murmured cryptically.
He wouldn''t have any more control over the oue from now on.
He could only pray¡..
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 1: #Last PRIV Tier #meRAJ ?? (5/6)
Chapter 152: Cheerleaders VS Chief
Chapter 152: Cheerleaders VS Chief
The vige chief''s greed and attack on D.L. had effectively driven Jack into a corner.
Most of the activities of his faction were either slowed down or paralyzed, all thanks to that one NPC.
Now that he had already cleared the Necromancer Chicken Dungeon, he had nothing else to do than to enact revenge.
Oh, also a few key points about the Damned Chicken Pce:
¨C Rewards were only obtainable once.
¨C It was unknown if carrying yers in there would help
¨C In any case, the whole Dungeon was a freaking pain to run!
The point was, all his efforts were now aimed at his new task!
All the participating members of the uing n quickly made their way toward the Butcher''s house.
Jack journeyed there with an ample cloak to hide his identity. By his side, there were: Bubblegum, CPR dude, some sexy cheerleaders in skimpy outfits, and a few selected cultists.
The reverse-pentagram guys were so damn happy to tag along that Jack was seriously beginning to wonder if they''d live the rest of their lives stuck smiling.
Ever since the anonymous 20k donation, he suddenly found the cultists very pleasing to the eye! They could worship him more and, at this rate, he wouldn''t mind posing nude for them! XD
Anyway, the journey there was surprisingly uneventful.
They descended into the Butcher''s basement, where they finallyid eyes on something incredible.
It was a half-destroyed demonic-looking altar with four torches, a red cover made in part with human skin, and plenty of other metallic trinkets.
He couldn''t help but reminisce.
Back then, the Butcher had offered him a small emblem of the Benevolent Lord. Except the design had been slightly different.
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¨C Torch with three lines
¨C Benevolent Lord
¨C Be benevolent toward allies, strangers, and enemies.
¡ª VS ¡ª
¨C Torch with four lines
¨C Exalted Hunting Lord
¨C Hunt in all directions to devour/enve.
¨C Fun fact, this exalted one was totally a devil.
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Back then, he hadn''t overthought it. After all, besides cannibalism, it was pretty normal to worship such a god near a hunting ground (forest).
Never in his wildest dreams would he have ever thought that the guy would have a full fucking altar in his basement! Sure, it was broken but even then!
Logically it wouldn''t have been possible to fix it.
But, it just so happened that he had an incredibly deep runic knowledge from his previous life and tons of NPCs to assist him.
Reincarnation cheat + Power of friendship !!!
"Are you guys ready to get to work?" Jack asked.
They all answered in very shaking voices.
"Y-yes?"
"S-sure?"
"K-kinda?"
God, this altar really looked evil! Was it really a good idea to unleash whatever was in there upon the world?!
To thatst question, the cultists answered, "Hell the fuck yes!!!!"
They were so goddamn excited that they looked like New Leaf yers in front of a bucket of fried chicken!
At that moment, Jack was putting his leadership stat to good use. He had so many NPCs and yers with him that it was definitely activating, haha.
It was tedious but very challenging work that took forever toplete. In the end, they were left with a pristine altar with an incredibly well-detailed magic circle surrounding it.
They were all set to begin¡ª or almost.
"Are we starting?"
"What are we waiting for?"
They all looked toward Jack, awaiting his okay. But he simply shook his head, signaling them to be patient.
What he nned on doing would absolutely create an incrediblemotion. It would be impossible to hide it from the vige chief.
The seconds turned into minutes as Jack waspletely lost in thought.
"Boss? What are we¡?" CPR dude wanted to ask, but amotion resounded above ground.
¡ª BAM!! ¡ª
The basement door flew open a secondter, a bloodied body tumbling down the metal stairs. The projectile was the Butcher, and he was utterly incapable of getting up.
That''s when the vige chief appeared.
"Fuck!"
"This timing is horrible!"
"Oh crap! Protect the Demon King!"
Many screams resounded as the man slowly descended step by step, loudly cracking his knuckles. He had arge savage grin on his face as he witnessed the people present in the room.
"Would you look at that? All of you guys are aplices?! How stupid of you! Now I''ll have to bring you to justice. Taking all you own should teach you a lesson, right?" He cackled.
Behind him, there was the olddy obediently following. Her eyes were glued to his chest.
A yer couldn''t help but raise a brow.
"Wait¡.he''s alone. Training instructor, let''s fuck him up!" He thundered excitedly.
But the ally NPCs'' faces were stern. They knew that they couldn''t defeat him. They couldn''t flee either since he was blocking the only exit.
A yer charged at him and hacked with his axe. But, his blow was deflected by a protective shield that looked the same as the barrier around the vige!
"W-what?!" The bbergasted yer was henceforth squashed to death.
This was the sad reality of the situation. The chief was invincible in the vige.
The allies couldn''t help but shake their head in despair. They freaking had known that she''d snitch on them! For once, Jack had been wrong, entirely so!
The chief guffawed:
"You guys are really idiots. You told her your n! At first, I thought it would be a feint, but nope. You really all are here!"
"It was my pleasure, vige chief!" The olddy enthusiastically replied. "I''d do anything for you! You know that, right?" She lovingly whispered as she glued herself to his muscr chest.
That''s when she leaned in for a kiss. The vige chief tried his best to endure the horrible sensation. She had just helped him so much after all.
But then his gazended on the cheerleaders with their perky breasts and their skin that looked so damn supple! Their expression was one of disgust as they nced at the decrepit thing that was embracing him.
That''s when he couldn''t take it anymore. He quickly pushed the old woman away, showing apparent repulsion toward her. No one could me him either. As the vige chief, he had stunning female yers vying for his attention daily.
The problem was that the olddy noticed how much he loathed touching her. That''s when Jack grinned. Love could oh so easily turn into scorn!
"Who wants to overturn the chief?" He chuckled.
The olddy was the first to raise her hand.
This was Karma, but only the very first step of a cmitous n¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 1: #Last PRIV Tier #meRAJ ?? (6/6)
Chapter 153: War God: Invincible Chief!
Chapter 153: War God: Invincible Chief!
As soon as the olddy raised her hand, the vige chief''s face instantly fell. He had fucked up!
But it wasn''t toote just yet! He gazed at the old potiondy with innocent and clear eyes.
"L, it''s me. How long have we known each other?! Are you really going to help these troublemakers? They''re just trying to drive you against me! Give me a chance to make this right!" He begged.
Her eyes that were filled with boundless admiration and love a few seconds ago, were now full of tears.
"I didn''t want to believe it, but what that asshole said is right. I disgust you! Give you a chance? That''s all I''ve been doing! Yet you''re always flirting with these young sluts!" She criticized.
But the vige chief had a foolproof argument¡ª or so he thought.
"Just think about it! If you side with them, we won''t ever be together! Can you tolerate that?! I can''t!" The Chief heroically uttered.
Jack had to admit that the man honestly looked valiant. He knew how to pose as someone great! His eyes showed the perfect amount of gentleness and resolve.
"As long as we''re together, everything will be fine?" The olddy asked, her eyes turning cloudy as she pictured a bright future with the man she still loved.
"Yes! As long as we''re together, everything will be fine! It will always be you and me protecting this vige from evil, together!" The Chief drove in thest nail.
A bright smile blossomed on her face as she nodded, spellbound.
"Yes, just you and I, together forever¡." She whispered.
At that exact moment, the Chief couldn''t help himself and gave a taunting look toward Jack. There was a reason he was the goddamn Vige Chief! He couldn''t wait to see the despair in the man''s eyes!
But all he saw in his dark eyes was calm and confidence. Tch¡ª Even now, he was acting strong! So what?!
As long as the old bat was on his side, he''d remain Chief, and as long as he remained Chief, he''d be invincible! The vige itself would protect him!
The other NPCs were already hanging their heads low in defeat. They, too, understood the fate that would await them.
It was his victory, it was¡ª
But the olddy suddenly interrupted:
"I, L Maxing, solemnly dere that current Vige Chief Conrad Dupli is unfit for the job and should be removed from his position instantly. Let the Empire''s Protection Array record my statement!"
At that moment, silence filled the room. Everyone only had one thought: what the fuck was happening?! Everyone was utterly confused!
Well, everyone but one man:
"What are you guys waiting for?" Jack softly reminded them.
"A-ah, right!!"
All the NPCs began a simr vow. They were all solemnly addressing the formless protection magic surrounding the vige. It was time for the bastard to lose his job!
The Chief suddenly narrowed his eyes as he knew that he''d be screwed at this rate. But it wasn''t over just yet! Right now, he was still Chief!
He''d freaking kill them! Right fucking now!
"I sentence you all to death for scheming against the vige!" He thundered as he charged fearlessly.
It was easy to be fearless while invincible. His mighty fist went straight for the nearby Steven''s head. He was the weakest, for he was only a merchant!
"I solemnly ¡ª w-what?!" The poor NPC screamed in shock.
The Chief wouldn''t let them finish the vote: he''d ughter them. It was a dastardly, simple, yet brilliant n! But, there was just one issue.
Igor suddenly appeared right in front of this fist, blocking it. There was cold fury in his eyes as he nced at the Chief disdainfully.
He was on the defensive, but it felt like he was on the attack instead! He swung his enormous hammer at the man''s fists!
He even apanied every strike with a sentence:
"You were always jealous of my Training Instructor title, weren''t you?"
"You hated that the King rewarded me with that cloak."
"You were vige chief, but it wasn''t enough."
"You wanted everyone to respect you."
"You wanted everyone to bow to you."
"That''s why you schemed against me."
"That''s why you schemed against the Demonic Legion."
"That''s why you schemed to be a tyrant lording over us all."
"Do you know why they always looked at me with respect and at you with derision?"
"That''s because I''m not an insecure little bitch! Do you feel strong because you have the vige''s protection? So what? Big deal! I''m the motherfucking training instructor, bitch!"
Igor sent the Chief flying with onest swing, colliding heavily with a wall. He was still perfectly intact¡ª physically, that was. His face contorted in hate, but there was fear present too.
How the fuck was Igor so damn strong?! But then he regained hisposure and rose. Igor was actually panting. It was time to finish him!
"I''ll freaking kill you!" The Chief bellowed.
He was akin to an invincible war god with his bulging muscles, his heroic brows, and the mighty aura he emitted. Heck, he could have smashed a watermelon with his pecs!!
Yet, faced with such incredible killing intent, everyone giggled madly.
"Pfft¡ª Sure you will, big guy!"
"Say Chief, are you a beach? Cause you''re salty AF!"
"Oh no! He''s angry now! Quick, throw him a snicker!"
They were having so much fun at his expense! How were they so brave all of a sudden?! But then he realized withplete horror that the protective barrier around his body was gone.
Oh crap!
Instantly his confidence escaped him. He was like a balloon that had just lost all its air. He stood there, nervously gulping as he nced at the vigers assembled.
The cksmith had a forging hammer out, ready to give the ex-chief a free body tempering session.
The florist had a few magical vines twirling around his hand. These were extremely hard to avoid and were great at painfully constricting people.
Igor was especially smiling, ying with his incredibly massive hammer. This next strike of his wouldn''t just push back the opponent. He''d break a few dozen ribs!
But there was one guy that looked even scarier! Jack was still smiling, a smile he had kept during the whole encounter.
At this moment, the ex-chief finally realized the truth. Everyone had yed a role in his demise, but it was all that bastard''s fault! All of it! That fucker!
He thought he had won, right? But so fucking what if he wasn''t the Chief anymore?! They wouldn''t have the balls to kill him.
As the Empire''s servant, he couldn''t be eradicated that easily. No matter how much the others hated him, they wouldn''t let the dastardly Demon King finish him!
At that moment, the ex-chief swore to himself. He would have his revenge. He would destroy that bastard! He would do it at all costs, no matter how long it took!
But now wasn''t the time to fight. He was outnumbered, overpowered, and out in the open. He would use his connections to slowly enact his vengeance,ter that was.
He lowered his fists in defeat, his face showing sorrow and disappointment.
Seeing him "give up" the people in the room eagerly cheered.
"We actually seeded?!"
"This is amazing! I can''t wait to¡.not tell anyone about it!"
"Yep, we can''t just tell the world about our covert operations."
"Yeah, haha. Guess we didn''t even need the altar after all! Nice!"
"I really thought we were goners! I still can''t believe the potiondy changed sides!"
"Even now, I''m not sure what happened, but whatever. We freaking won! Hahahaha!"
Jack shook his head at how naive they were. Would it simply be the end of the story?
Nope! In the ex-chief''s eyes, he saw a dishonest light. He was already scheming hiseback or at the very least his revenge.
A typical hero would mindlessly celebrate and foolishly hope that the viin had learned his lesson. Luckily, Jack wasn''t aplete retard.
Suddenly, the olddy interrupted the celebration.
"Demon King, it is time for you to honor your promise." She chimed in.
Everyone stared at the two. Promise? What Promise? They were dying to know how he had turned her into an ally!
Jack gave her a small nod:
"Indeed. Now, let us unleash Hell!" He cackled.
Hell?! Why did hisugh sound so ominous?! What about their hard-earned victory? Weren''t they done already?!
Apparently, they weren''t¡.
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 2: Reckless Typing Mantra ?? (1/4)
Chapter 154: Summoning Devils Is Easy!
Chapter 154: Summoning Devils Is Easy!
The Butcher''s basement was almost a war zone.
Jack was akin to a legendary general as he barked orders at his troops:
"Get the blood ready!"
"Bring the magical catalysts over!"
"Igor and the florist stay. Everyone else goes out!"
"Secure the perimeter. I do not want anyone interrupting!
"CPR dude, you''re in charge out there. I''m counting on you!"
"Whatever you see or hear in the uing minutes, do note in!"
His series of shouts made them vividly feel how important this step was. Most were stillpletely baffled, but theyplied theless.
The old potiondy gave him onest meaningful nce as she brought along the ex-chief. He looked like a tied-up roast: quite silly!
A few undesirables remained in the room. For some reason, even after all this tumult, the cheerleader squad was still there.
The female yers were encouragingly moving their makeshifts pompoms. They shook their asses, made their breasts jiggled, and looked surprisingly happy to be there.
"Why are you still here?" Jack questioned, perplexed.
"You asked us to cheer like the world was ending?" Their representative seemed confused too.
"Yeah, that was before. Hurry up and get out." He ruthlessly drove them away, not minding the puppy eyes.
On their way out, they encountered the Assassin Seraphine. She was on the metallic stairs, guarding the basement.
Wait, why wasn''t she asked to leave?! Had this temptress already managed to get to the leader?!
While they were cheering, many had low-key been trying to seduce the Demon King. But no amount of enticing nces had been enough to draw his attention. Was it because of her?
The girls stared at her with jealousy as they left. Then again, it couldn''t be helped. They knew she was part of the inner circle along with CPR dude.
But as Jack kicked them out, he saw the head cultist hovering near the door with a longing look on his face. He was proudly wearing his shy red robe now that they had dealt with the chief.
Looking at him, Jack''s heart suddenly softened¡as he remembered the 20k credits! He pointed his way.
"You, do you want to help inside?"
The cultist''s red hood shook in trepidation. Was the Demon King really talking to him?! He wanted his help?!
"R-really?! Yes! YES!!!" His eyes sparkled in pure ecstasy.
This was a dreaming true for him! He would be able to see his idol at work! He skipped forward as happy as a man tasting maple syrup for the first time.
The cheerleaders couldn''t help but gasp in shock. They could ept Seraphine¡.but how were they also losing to some random old dude in an oversized red poncho?! At this moment, they felt¡cking.
Then the doors closed, the Butcher shop was nowpletely sealed.
The people outside were already softly discussing what would happen inside. It was so mysterious! All they knew was:
1. It would be dangerous
2. It would be batshit insane
3. It frightened even the OP NPCs.
Then again, didn''t this apply to everything he did?!
They kept guessing¡
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Inside, Jack looked incredibly solemn.
"Listen up. We''re about to summon a devil!"
"What we''re about to aplish is very easy!"
A devil?! Oh god! ¡.Wait, easy?! They all showed confused expressions. Wasn''t this supposed to be hard?
"Summoning will be easy, and losing your soul will be even easier!" He smiled.
Oh¡.damn! That kind of easy?! They couldn''t help but shudder as they pictured the dire consequences.
"Luckily, there''s also an easy way to remain unharmed." He paused as they listened with incredible attention.
"Stay put and shut up." He spat out.
That was it?! He seemed serious¡
As they all nodded in understanding, he gave a satisfied sigh before signaling the NPCs to begin.
Igor approached and began feeding mana to the magic circle. The quantity was incredible, but the control he showed was even more so!
The blue energy swirled seemingly chaotically in the runic circle they had previously drawn. It enveloped the demonic altar, making it shine with an otherworldly glow.
The few trinkets on it shook, seemingly rejoicing. There were small traps, intricate metallic chains, and the devil''s symbol: a torch with four lines.
"Now chant the incantation," Jack ordered, the florist getting to work.
The words of power echoed in the sealed basement and made the mana swirl even faster. It almost looked like it woulde alive!
Then the rest was all up to Jack.
At his feet were buckets full of foul blood. He threw it all toward the altar in one swift movement, drenching itpletely.
A blood mist spread and permeated the entire room. It stuck to their clothes, their hair, and their skin alike. But it also made the mana bubble. It turned dark, corrupted, and it was all devilish demonic energy in a matter of seconds.
It was oppressive, perverse, and so goddamn powerful!
Even contained inside the magic circle, it made everyone tremble as their stomachs churned in disgust.
This thing was evil! So goddamn evil! They had to force themselves not to run away screaming.
Yet Jack rxedly advanced toward the circle.
Instantly the florist opened his mouth to scream a warning¡ª only to freeze under the man''s stern gaze. The "stay put and shut up" was still in order.
How?! The florist gasped, feeling as if his world had been turned upside down. It should have been impossible for anyone to remain sane in there!
Yet¡there he was.
Jack nodded, seeing as the NPC was behaving, and headed even deeper. Perverse demonic mana surrounded his entire body, but he didn''t care.
This devilish energy was easier to resist than the death one¡ª physically, that was. It had other dangers.
As he reached the altar, the mana churned.
The trial was staring.
[Sessfully Summoned A Devil!]
[Exalted Hunting Lord Appearing!]
[Brace Yourself! The End is Near!]
The formless devilish energy suddenly floated over the altar as it formed a grinning visage.
It yfully nced at the fool who had summoned it. Oh, this would be fun!
It couldn''t wait to y with this mortal, to drive him crazy! The man would forevere to regret this moment¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 2: Reckless Typing Mantra ?? (2/4)
Chapter 155: Devilishly Endless Torture!
Chapter 155: Devilishly Endless Torture!
The devil grinned at the foolish mortal, enveloping him in its powerful energy.
Devilish demonic mana didn''t seem that scary at first nce, but it was near impossible to get rid of. It would feed on people''s desires and grow exponentially stronger!
Devils themselves were simrly hard to exorcise.
Theytched to the living like parasites! Their grasp was like a baby: gentle-looking but terrifying! Once marked by them, there was no escape, only endless torture¡
Jack felt it engulf him, both in body and spirit. He closed his eyes as he awaited what would inevitablye.
The devil faintly cackled in the background.
"Foolish mortal, it''s already over." It rejoiced as it "knew" its prey would be helpless.
That''s when Jack''s body turned lifeless as his vision went dark.
The nightmare was about to begin¡.
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The vision began, one that was impossible to distinguish from reality.
This was the creature''s world, one it hadplete control over.
In there, the mortal would be subjected to the devil''s whims.
Was there any fate worse than this?!
As Jack endured it all, he couldn''t help but cry out:
"God, I love this ce!" He sounded eager.
His tone was one a tourist would have the first time visiting a titty bar.
Well, it did fit the asion. As far as his eyes could see, there were beautiful, slender dancers. They would have put goddesses of fertility to shame with their assets.
They shook their naked bodies to the gentle tune of a bass boosted stereo. They even waltzed all over the ce, jiggling in all the right ces, as they made sure to satisfy their leader.
The powerful and handsome Jack sat on a majestic golden throne engraved with dragons. He was enjoying the show as countless attendants delicately fed him ?reos.
They were as gentle as possible, eager to please, and even gave him inviting nces at times. They would obey all his orders, all of them!
But, he wasn''t the only one enjoying the show.
Near the walls, there were plenty of battle-hardened veterans. They were men that had dedicated their lives to serving him and had helped him create his empire.
They had been nothing more than a small hunting tribe long ago, but now they were THE Hunting Empire!
All thend knew of them, feared them, and trembled as they dreaded their arrival. They were spreading in all directions, conquering all.
Their enemies would inevitably be turned into mere food or shown mercy and kept as ves.
Led by Jack, their legion knew not the meaning of the word defeat.
Power, women, wealth, fame, they had it all! Yet, they hungered for even more! No, HE had it, and HE craved, for Jack was the soul of the empire.
He was their god. He was their "raison-d''¨ºtre". He was their all. Without him, there wouldn''t be any Hunting Empire, only a bunch of naked savages.
Jack truly had everything! Heck, at this rate, he would have the world itself!¡ª Or that was how it should have been.
In the background, the invisible and silent devil was pulling the strings. So many years had gone by, and the man had long forgotten the life he had once lived.
He had long forgotten that his body was still in Infinite.
He had long forgotten the man he used to be.
He truly was Jack the Hunting Lord.
There was no other truth than this.
But, it was all about to change. The devil had spent so much effort weaving this beautiful tale, and now it was time to make it serve its purpose.
It would steal everything the mortal was ustomed to. The delicious food, the subordinates, the power, his health, and every-fucking-thing! Oh, this would be so glorious!
He got to work.
Disaster struck, then another, and yet another.
Enemy armies showed up, natural catastrophes happened right at the capital, the man''s loyal subordinate all betrayed him, his concubines turned on him, and even his ability to get it up was stolen from him!
It was a time of reckoning!
The man despaired more and more with every passing day. He tried to endure, remembering the god he used to be, only to find himself nothing more than a cockroach fighting for survival.
He was the lowest of the low.
He had lost it all.
No one could shoulder such a blow.
Absolutely no one.
That''s when the devil came.
He appeared as a friend from olden times.
He appeared to him and offered him a chance at redemption.
All the man had to do was ept his terms, and he would have it all back.
He would be king again, no emperor, and the world would be his, for sure this time!
In the foolish mortal''s eyes was endless gratitude as he mistook him for a savior. He gave him a gentle smile as he looked at his surroundings.
They were in the sewers, and he was hiding like a rat. There was no doubt that he couldn''t wait to leave it as soon as possible. He was going to ept the devil''s proposal for sure.
He opened his mouth:
"God, I love this ce."
His tone was one a tourist would have the first time he visited a titty bar.
It did NOT fit the asion at all!
The devil stilled for a second. Had it misheard, or had the mortal misspoken? But then it finally noticed.
Those words were the same one the man had uttered when the devil had begun the fall from grace n.
Then it noticed the man''s sardonic smile. He knew, somehow he knew!
He knew about the illusion. He knew that this was all a game. He knew that the devil was expending its energy to generate it.
He could have stopped the illusion at any time. He could have avoided all the suffering, hardships, and tribtions. He could have escaped it all¡and yet he hadn''t?!
Why? Why?! Why!!!!
What was wrong with this man?!
It didn''t make any sense! Didn''t he have any desires?!
No, he had plenty. He had feasted, he had lusted, he had ruled over them all, he had freaking indulged in every vice! How could he let go of it all so easily?!
"Now, now. You''re no fun if you just remain silent, mister devil."
The man''s words brought it to its senses.
"That was pretty fun. Shall we go again?"
The devil froze. F-fun?! It had been fun?! It couldn''t understand. It simply couldn''t understand any of it!
But then the man waved his hand, and as he did, the world went dark¡
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Devils were near impossible to get rid of.
Theytched unto the living and just wouldn''t, nor could let go. This one was already linked with the foolish mortal.
There would be no escape, only endless torture¡
This was the creature''s world, one it hadplete control over. In there, Jack would be subjected to the devil''s whims.
It was supposed to be horrifying¡
"Go on, do your worst. Ah, but try to be a little bit more creative this time." Jack spoke alone and aloud, as if cursing life itself.
Devilish mana grew along with human desires. It had infinite potential, as did human greed. It fed on the inability of humans to control their impulses.
The man seemingly prayed:
"How about goddesses with a few pairs of titties this time?"
"For the army, can I rule over a legion of cyborg minotaurs?"
"Can I get some godly nectar? Maybe some mead or hydromel?"
"Oh yeah, the pce is nice, but we need Inte in this bitch! Make it fast too!"
He kept endlessly requesting.
This time the devil threw the cmities at him right away.
Itunched everything it could think off at the man.
He had him devoured by crickets, torn limb by limb, assassinated, drowned, buried alive, the devil freaking tried everything!
Every time, after an endless torture session, the man would weakly utter:
"God, I love this ce!"
It would always shake the devil''s consciousness to its core. After every death, the nightmare would start anew, never-ending.
But with every repetition, the devil felt its devilish essence dwindle.
It was barely noticeable, but it was slowly being deplenished.
When it ran out, the devil would disappear.
It would be true death.
To survive, the devil would have to innovate.
It had to make the mortal lose himself in the illusion!
Soon, the human indulged in every pleasure possible. He''d even look toward the devil while embracing his six-tittied goth girlfriend!
Yet, it wasn''t ever generating any mana. It meant that he was always ready to walk away! No illusion was ever sufficient to ovee his will. How?!
He''d y to his heart content, then walk away. After that, he''d nce at the pitiful devil, uttering praise that felt like a curse: "God, I love this ce!"
The devil was going crazy. It tried it all!
Killing.
Torturing.
Bargaining.
Straight up begging!
But it would always end up with, "That was pretty fun. Shall we go again?"
The devil couldn''t take it. It just couldn''t! Its invisible and immaterial spirit floated in a corner as it cried.
It couldn''t bother weaving a new nightmare. What was the point? The man would just break it anyway!
"Now, now. You''re no fun if you just keep sobbing, mister devil."
The devil was now bawling in addition to the sobbing.
Every time it heard the man''s voice, its entire being shuddered, and it felt sick.
At that moment, the poor devil only had one wish: "Let me out! Let me ooouuuutttt!!!"
But the man would always give him a peaceful smile as the nightmare started again.
"Please, anyone! Please exorcise this poor devil from this man''s body!"
Would it ever end? Please, mercy¡.
( ¨i©n¨i )
Mercy? What was that? Could it be eaten?
In any case, Jack didn''t seem to know its meaning¡
"Hey, at least generate me a drink or something." He heartlesslyined.
Hearing the reproachful tone of its "prisoner," the devil seriously began to consider suicide. What if it detonated its essence?
It would likely kill them both. Death sure sounded nice¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 2: Reckless Typing Mantra ?? (3.5/4)
Long chapter, enjoy ^_^v
Chapter 156: Fight Them All! Fuck Them Up! Feast On Their Blood!
Chapter 156: Fight Them All! Fuck Them Up! Feast On Their Blood!
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The air in the Butcher''s basement was heavy. The people there exchanged ufortable nces as they shivered endlessly.
This mana was giving them the creeps!
The magic circle was full of dark swirling energy, so thick it formed an imprable fog. It had wholly swallowed their leader!
He had bravely gone inside, and now there was no trace of him. All they knew was that the malevolent aura was getting stronger and stronger. Did this mean that the devil was winning?!
They dreaded this oue, but all signs pointed to it!
That''s when it happened. The mana billowed and then suddenly exploded!
It was as if a bomb had been thrown inside as the fog cleared for an instant. Inside was Jack''s bloodied body. Was he still alive?!
He looked like he was suffering endlessly!
He wriggled in incredible pain, his face twisting in silent screams. Their heart clenched as they felt his pain. It was an unimaginable one!
The mana then engulfed him again, eager to devour his essence.
Bubblegum''s gaze turned resolute. If she dashed in there, she''d be able to feed him a healing potion.
She understood that she''d be attacked by the devil, but so what?! She didn''t feel good just watching him suffer without doing anything! She would go in!
Inside the magic circle, a devil was smiling¡.
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Guarding a single house shouldn''t have been hard, right?
The vige wasn''t a PVP area, and all the D.L. members had to do was body block the shop. Who would stop them? Certainly not the ex-vige chief! After all, he was now stuck in a potato bag.
Their current job was more of a formality.
They were here because the Demon King didn''t want them to mess up his ritual. They were like kids told to y outside.
Still, they couldn''t help but nce behind them with wonder. Whatever he was doing inside was undoubtedly rted to the Exalted Hunting Lord. They were just unsure of his entire purpose.
Everything should have stayed calm, so very quiet, but then all Hell broke loose.
¡ª BOOM!!!¡ª
" WHAT?!?"
They heard an explosion inside. Then a secondter, dark smoke began to seep out of the building.
As soon as they touched this energy, they felt sick. This thing was worse than old dishwater! Fuck!
What the fuck was happening in there?! The mana stuck to them, making them cramp in disgust. But it was only the beginning.
[New Event Quest!]
[Evil Looms At The Butcher Shop!]
[An Heretic Is Summoning a Devil!]
[Will You Stop Him And Save The Vige?]
[Y / N ?]
The D.L. member''s faces suddenly fell. What the actual fuck?! Their leader wasn''t just doing a demonic spell, but summoning the entity whole?!
As for the instant quest¡.
"Bitch! Who are you calling a heretic?!"
"Biased as fuck system, go fuck yourself!"
"Quick, open your friend list! Summon our people!!!"
They instantly organized themselves under CPR dude''s lead, but it would take a while for the reinforcements toe.
On the horizon, there were already yers swarming their ways.
"Tch¡ª the I.R.L. fuckers are already here!"
"Of course! They''re always trying to y heroes!"
"They really look like locust! There''s so fucking many of them!"
The enemies were already pointing at the D.L. members, recognizing some of them as they got their weapons out, preparing for a strike.
They were more than d to have a quest to exterminate their arch-nemesis! In their eyes, the Demonic Legion was a bunch of unruly bastards following a madman.
Then again, they were kinda right¡ hence what made D.L. great!
A man had already stepped forward to lead them:
"Brothers and sisters, today we eradicate evil! As soon as the vige chief arrives, we will charge forth and bring justice unto¡ª"
His heated speech was suddenly interrupted. For some reason, the D.L. members were all clowning around.
"Pfft¡ª hahaha!"
"This dude better be patient!"
"What?! Not the vige chief! Noooo!"
"Guys, don''t make fun of them. They can revere an exhibitionist if they want."
They were having lots of fun, but they suddenly had to stopughing. What the hell?! Their names had just turned red.
This meant that they''d have higher chances to drop their items on death. Fuck, this was getting serious!
Damn, how were they the bad guys? They were freeing the vige from the joust of a tyrant¡ª that was their narrative at least.
Seeing their enemy''s red names finally gave the I.R.L peeps some courage.
"Look, everyone, even the game is on our side! Let''s cleanse the world of their vile presence!!" The representative courageously shouted before adding:
"Everyone, show those evil bastards the result of your training! While they were gallivanting in the forest, we grew stronger and stronger! It''s time for reckoning!!"
That''s when the sea of yers charged forward.
D.L. VS I.R.L.
Experience VS Zerg.
Demonic VS Self-Righteous
For the first time, they would fight on a massive scale.
For the first time, this wouldn''t end with just banter and a few random duels.
For the first time, blood would flow. At this rate, it would paint the entire vige crimson.
D.L. was strong. They were veterans that had been ying the game sinceunch. They were the ones that had been part of the Chicken Event: the OG yers.
But I.R.L. was so damn numerous! 90% of Noobs would join them as soon as they stepped in Infinite. They had so many members that their charge made the ground shake.
Yet this wasn''t enough to scare the proud D.L. members:
"Hahaha! Men, tonight we feast!" CPR dude bellowed.
"Let theme! I hunger for more!"
"Let''s fight those sons of bitches!"
"Let''s fuck them up!"
As the bastards were reaching them, CPR dude gave onest shout, one endlessly repeated.
"Fight them all! Fuck them up! Feast on their blood!"
"Fight Them All! Fuck Them Up! Feast On Their Blood!"
"FIGHT THEM ALL! FUCK THEM UP! FEAST ON THEIR BLOOD!"
With every repetition, it got louder and louder. All until it was deafening. It drowned the I.R.L. members'' shouts and made it seem like the few defenders were legion.
Then they all shed.
Weapons were swung, and spells were flung. shes of silver and transcendent blue filled the battlefield, and everything turned so damn chaotic!
The sea of attackers pushed into the resistance, and they seemed unstoppable.
The Demonic Legion was outnumbered 5 to 1, with the enemy forces growing by the second. The Training Grounds was the enemy''s base, and it was right next to the vige.
But so fucking what?!
They''d fight together, always! Fear? What was that?
The D.L. members felt their des dig into the flesh, enjoyed crushing the opponents, heard theirpanions'' shouts, and felt their blood boiling.
At this moment, they felt fucking alive. Killing those bastards was so damn fun!
Their bodies were full of wounds, yet they wereughing:
"This is the fucking best!"
"My de wants more! Even more! Come!!!"
"Is that all you can do?! What time is it, amateur hour?!"
The I.R.L. members'' confidence was crumbling. The D.L. peeps had not only endured the first assault, but they had even counterattacked! They were all fucking madmen!!
Sure, their HP had gone down a lot, but so what?! Most yers would have been recoiling from the fear, pain, or given up from being outnumbered.
What fucking gave them such courage?!
The D.L. membered saw the hesitation in their enemies'' eyes and how shaken they were. The few had greater momentum than the many.
The sea of attackers unconsciously took a step back.
So what if the defenders were weaker? They would hold their ground, no matter what. They would never cower. Otherwise, how could they face their leader?
Even now, a dark aura seeped from the building. It enveloped the D.L. members. It should have been crushing their spirits, but somehow they endured.
It even gave them an unfathomable aura.
More and more yers came over. The I.R.L. troops grew stronger, the bystanders decisively decided not to fuck with D.L., and the NPC stood on the side, sighing. This was a matter between braves.
By now, the ratio of enemy to ally was 10 to 1, but it didn''t matter to them. The Demon King was counting on them, and they would hold the fucking line.
They found themselves chanting, "Fight them all! Fuck them up! Feast on their blood!". They were ready for the second wave.
Some had even taken butcher knives out. They were freaking ready!!!
This would definitely end up a bloodbath¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 3: Drinking Stone Cold Coffee ? (1/4)
Hopefully will reach the target today ^_^v
Chapter 157: One Who "Lead"
Chapter 157: One Who ¡°Lead¡±
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The screams of men mixed with the smell of iron as blood covered the earth.
Lead was very familiar with such a scene. How often had he been at the very front of armies in other VR games? Far too many times and he freaking hated it!
He wasn''t especially courageous, but he wasn''t a coward either. But he was fucking tired of dying for others'' sakes! He wouldn''t be cannon fodder anymore!
He wanted the excitement of the battlefield. He wanted to brave all odds with allies, and he wanted glory!¡ª but his timing was always bad.
Every time he invested himself early in an MMO that he found promising, it would somehow inevitably flop. Yes, all the fucking time!
He had always been that one low-level noob that wanted torge-scale PVP even if he wasn''t strong enough. He''d just get used and die without making a ripple.
But this time, it would be different!
Many still looked down on Infinite since the game was just too¡different. Even he had a bad feeling about it, but that''s why he started ying it!
Good Feeling¡ª> Flop?
Bad Feeling ¡ª> Great Sess, right?
This time, he would be betting on the right horse! He had even joined a faction that was impossible to take down because the game itself backed it!
He had joined the mighty I.R.L. faction!!!
While the acronym was questionable, it was led by the Vige Chief himself! The NPC was a great guy that would be very friendly as long as people kissed his ass.
Not to brag, but Lead freaking knew how to kiss ass like a pro!
His own "Lead" name was as ironic as he had never led anyone. He had always been a follower. Yet, somehow, people looked up to him in I.R.L.!
There were many noobs, and he just happened to have lots of experience in VR games. He never talked about his past since it was pretty shameful, but they all assumed that he was being modest.
Hence they followed him.
That''s how he had brought them to stop the devilish summon and face the D.L. bastards! But quickly, he had realized that leading wasn''t as easy as it looked.
He had managed to rile them up. He had even yed the righteous leader that they had expected of him.
He had managed to send them charging in the right direction.
But now, everything was chaotic.
Lead sighed as he sidestepped an axe to the face. It kept going strong, cleaving an ally behind him in half. Damn!
The more they fought, the more he realized how freaking incredible their enemies were. In their eyes, he saw the same desire to fight he had.
Blood kept sshing around, brain matter exploded everywhere, and flesh got cut into tiny pieces.
Many in I.R.L. were grimacing in disgust. They were already calling out for the system to turn off the gore settings in tears.
Yet Lead found himself at peace. As attacks rained on him from time to time, he would rxedly evade.
Many of the D.L. members were trying to assassinate him, but he did not mind it. He would navigate the battlefield to dodge their assault.
But sometimes, he''d also counterattack. He''d swing the long polearm he had found in the vige chief''s armory. It didn''t cause severe damage, but he loved the reach.
Trying to kill me? Can you evene close enough?
Can you even handle the tip?!
He was fighting, and he was still alive past the first minute! This was an incredible achievement for him! After all, for once, he was part of the high-level yers.
At this moment, hepletely forgot about leading. Hepletely forgot about the stakes of the fight. He simply lost himself in the moment.
He didn''t feel rage, his blood wasn''t boiling either, and he somehow felt at peace. He had the feeling this was the ce he belonged. At that moment, he wouldn''t have minded for there to be no victor.
He''d be content with this fight going on forever.
But it didn''t change a thing, and he would fight with his full power.
He got serious, and soon Lead became a nightmare for the enemy.
D.L. did not fear, but they sure cursed that one spearman a lot.
"Coward! Stop hiding behind your allies!"
"Come fight me close range if you dare, bastard!"
"I bet that''s all you do all day: y with your stick!!"
They badmouthed him, hoping to make him angry. As long as he broke formation, they''d have a chance to kill him.
Lead chuckled. Nice try, but he was used to battlefields¡ª very used to them!
"Yes, I really like ying with my spear. That''s why I polish it diligently!" He calmly answered back, not even flustered.
His mere presence slowly but surely emboldened his allies. In the beginning, they had been so eager to charge. They had run ahead of him only to get stomped.
The first exchange had been a tie because the I.R.L. peeps had been fearful.
But now Lead''s calm slowly reminded them that they had the advantage in number. Unknowingly, even as he acted as a foot soldier, he led them.
yers on both sides were perishing as bodies fell and disappeared in colorful blue glows.
Lead took a profound inspiration. At this moment, he was so d that he had joined I.R.L.! This was the kind of gamey he had wanted all this time!
Even as they died, he nced at the noobs at his side with a warm gaze. They would get better with time, and they''d all have fun together in Infinite! For sure!
How would they have reacted if they had known his thoughts? Many of them had lots of experience in VR. They just weren''t used to Infinite just yet. They hadn''t been game hopping like Lead.
The man kept thrusting his spear as if an extension of his arm. He had a bright smile as he pictured their glorious future.
This puny D.L. would be their stepping stone, and they would spread to the vast world!
Some thought that I.R.L. would be nothing but a temporary faction forever stuck in the beginner vige, but he knew better.
The vige chief had connections back in the Empire. That one level 34 messenger bird they had seen wasn''t even a special one. It was disposable!
How many more marvelous things would await them? Either way, he would face them with his faction.
He gave the noobs an encouraging shout as he kept dancing across the battlefield:
"Don''t worry, everyone! It''s normal to be nervous during your first battle! Just focus on not getting hit and on hitting the opponent!"
His voice was benevolent andposed. It was strange considering that he was running across the ce. This came with experience. When you die quickly, you learn to scold your killer like a boss to at least leave an impression!
Yet, the allies reacted strangely to his good intentions:
"First battle, are you calling us noobs?!"
"Fuck you, man! I yed thousands of hours of Eldritch Scrolls Online!!"
"Goddammit! Stop freaking hiding behind us! They all want to kill you on the other side!!"
Lead sighed. What was the point of lying about their ytime? This wasn''t a contest. As for him staying away, it was the whole point of a spear!
Just as he was sighing, his eyes suddenly fell on the NPCs a distance away. Why did that potato sack sound familiar?
[Generating New Super Secret Mission!]
[Rescue The Captive Vige Chief!]
[Will You ept? Y/N ?]
"What¡."
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 3: Drinking Stone Cold Coffee ? (2/4)
Chapter 158: Foolish Girl! (1/2)
Chapter 158: Foolish Girl! (1/2)
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As the devil summoning kept progressing, the basement turned into a nightmarish scene.
Somehow the devilish mana was contained inside the magic circle, but the aura it emanated spread all across the room.
It was unbearable! It felt like they were drowning inside a pool of rotten eggs. But Seraphine didn''t care about any of that. No, she worried about him instead.
Jack was still in there, and god knows what suffering he was facing!
On the side, both Igor and the florist were sighing as one would at a funeral. Their eyes were full of sorrow and pity as they looked at the magic circle.
But then they hardened their gazes, seemingly preparing for a fight. They definitely knew something!
Jack had instructed them not to talk or move. Seraphine grabbed a coarse paper from her inventory and sent a ne-shaped message toward the NPCs. She needed answers ASAP!
They gave her a sympathetic look as they replied. Her heart skipped a beat as she read:
1. The longer the ritualsted, the stronger the devil''s grasp on the victim. By now, Jack was assuredly a goner.
2. To save him, they would need an exorcist, but there were in the vige, nor could they call any.
3. To get rid of the devil, they would have to destroy Jack utterly. If he were unlucky, perhaps his soul wouldn''t survive such an ordeal.
4. Entering the magic circle was suicide. It would subject one to the same devilish trial, and they would most likely sumb to it.
God! This was so freaking bad!
She couldn''t understand. He had always been so amazing, as if he had everything under control! What had changed this time around?! Had the devil found his weakness?!
Time was running out.
Stay behind and pray? Rush inside and try to save him?
Chances were that heading inside would be catastrophic.
Chances were that she would get cursed and perhaps fuck her ount.
The logical choice was to cut her losses and wait, to let him fend for himself in there.
Yes, it was the logical choice.
But so what? As she remembered his pained face, all hesitation left her.
She took a step forward¡only to be stopped by an old man. He silently shook his red hood from side to side, gesturing her to stop. Amidst the worried and terrified expressions, he was still perfectly serene.
Had he seen through the magic? Nope. His level was far too low for that. Did he know anything about devils? Neither!
All he "knew" was that the Demon King was invincible.
This was the power of faith.
They entered into a stalemate, staring at one another.
None of them were budging¡.
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Inside the magic circle, a devil was going insane. It had been so damn close!
Who the fuck was that old man?!
Seriously, who the fuck was he?!
The poor devil couldn''t understand. It had lived for millenniums and perfectly knew how to manipte humans to do his bidding¡ª or so it had thought!
What was happening with the world?! Since when were humans so cunning?!
Why was being a devil so difficult nowadays?
At this moment, it felt like crying!
( ¨i©n¨i )
No, it already was crying¡.
It watched that hateful red guy with resentment.
If only it weren''t for him, its n would have seeded!
But just as it was despairing, something incredible happened!
The foolish girl suddenly elerated, bypassing the red guardian entirely! This was such great news!
As the guys in the back moved to intercept her, the devil found itself cheering for the foolish girl.
"You can do it! You''re almost there!" It silently shouted.
The others intended to block her, but the foolish girl was fast, so fast! Then she finally reached the magic circle.
As she entered the devilish demonic energy, the devil found itselfughing. Finally, fucking finally! Now it would have a chance at life!
No, it wouldn''t only survive. It would draw strength from her, it would corrupt her, and it would use all this newfound power to destroy that horrible guy!
It would make him pay: it would torture him endlessly! This would be so much fun!
The devil cackled as it plunged the foolish girl into a nightmare, one she would never wake up from!
"Muhahahahaha!" ?? The devil cackled evilly.
It was augh it had copied from that dastardly mortal¡.
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The foolish girl was now stuck in the illusion realm, one that looked exactly like the world she was hailing from, Infinite.
She hadmitted a horrible mistake earlier by revealing her weakness: she cared about that mortal. She cared about him so much that she had been ready to risk her life for him.
The devil would reward her noble sacrifice and allow them to meet!
Obviously, it wouldn''t be the real one, but it would be impossible to distinguish from the original.
After all, the devil had been forced to observe the mortal so much that it knew everything about him. It knew the way he spoke, moved, and even flirted!
Oh, this would be so ironic! All the suffering he had caused the devil woulde to bite him in the ass! Hahaha, this was the best!
The devil created the best opportunity for them to meet up.
It created a nightmarish dragon and sent it after the foolish girl, forcing her to run for her life. The creature was so powerful that her only option was to run in despair.
Then came the next step: it brought him into y.
The mortal came out of nowhere and charged straight at the monster.
But this was a trial, so the devil made it look like an impossible fight.
Yet, the mortal never gave up, and he made sure to protect her. He would never let the evil monster eat his beloved!
He was the perfect example of a great hero, and the foolish girl would fall for him for sure!
She did, hard.
She looked at the mortal lovingly.
Soon woulde the fall¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 3: Drinking Stone Cold Coffee ? (3/4)
Chapter 159: Foolish Girl! (2/2)
Chapter 159: Foolish Girl! (2/2)
He was the perfect example of a great hero, and the foolish girl would fall for him for sure!
She did, hard.
She looked at the mortal lovingly.
For a second, the devil felt shocked as it saw her golden demonic eyes but then disregarded that detail. It really didn''t matter. As long as she was spellbound, everything would be fine!
It let them y around for a bit¡ª not that much happened. The foolish girl was shy and pure, even when the mortal was very forward.
Poor girl! While she fell in love with this illusion, her beloved was screwing plenty of fake concubines of various races in his own "nightmare".
But the devil couldn''t wait. It had to bring things to an end.
It couldn''t tolerate waiting anymore for its revenge.
It mercilessly subjected the copy to unimaginable torture. Everything it had tried on the real one it did to this one. The copy at least wouldn''tugh in its face!
It forced her to watch it all with incredible joy!
The devil found pleasure in the torment and even more delight at seeing the foolish girl''s suffering expression.
It was so damn happy that it would have been smiling if it had a face.
She cried, begged, and despaired, but it never stopped no matter what she did.
That''s when the devil showed up. It took the appearance of a friend of her lover. He was on the article of death.
He had barely managed to steal an incredible profound technique from a powerful sect but had paid the ultimate price: his lifespan.
He now wanted to give it to her to rescue his friend and her beloved.
It was the perfect n!
That''s when the foolish girl looked at him with resolve.
"No thanks! I''m not that bored."
¡?!?
Suddenly the devil had a bad feeling. He reminded her that her beloved would die if they didn''t save him!
"You can slice him, cook him or boil him for all I care. He''s just a fake anyway." She shrugged.
What?!!! No, Noooo!!! How was this possible?! There was no hesitation at all in her voice. She was even smiling.
She knew, she freaking knew! How the fuck?! What the actual fuck was up with mortals nowadays?!
The devil reviewed all it had done, but it really couldn''t notice any mistake.
The copy''s expression had been perfect, so had the dialogue been, the gestures, every-fucking-thing! The more it thought about it, the more confused it got!
It was going insane! What was up with her?!
It would have to try again¡.
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On the side, Bubblegum was chuckling. After a while here, she had understood the nature of this realm. Even if she spent a lot of time here, barely a few seconds would have psed outside.
Also, it seemed like this devil was very on edge.
Jack had never needed help, and it seemed that she had done something unnecessary.
She hade in with the resolve to face anything and had been highly wary. But, the actual illusion had been way too easy to see through.
Jack appearing and saving her from a monster? Please! Each time she was with him, she was freaking getting eaten!¡ª in more ways than one.
The whole white knight routine had been so damn suspicious! She wasn''t some naive little girl!
Plus, the copy had been professing its love for her so many damn times! The real Jack had been very clear that he wasn''t looking for a rtionship.
Heck, she could understand, for he was almost always gaming! As soon as they went their separate ways in Infinite, he wouldn''t have time for her anymore.
She had once been a pro-gamer and recognized the me in his eyes. There was only reaching greater heights on his mind and it was fine.
Point is, the copy had been far too perfect! It sounded like Jack, looked like Jack, and felt like Jack¡but seen through rose-colored sses, ones that were thick AF!
At that point, she was still ying dumb. She didn''t want to be too obvious.
What if the devil realized that she knew it was an illusion? What if it created another one that was harder to see through?
But just as she had been wondering, she had received a surprise. As if a gift from heaven, a system message had appeared for her.
With it, she had been able to rx.
What had been a rtively easy illusion to see through had turned into aplete joke.
[Congrattion! Hidden Bloodline Quest Completed! ]
[Managed To See Through The Devil''s Illusion!]
[Detected Rare Fox Bloodline!]
[Activation Conditions Met!]
[Unlocking New Ability!]
[Fox Demonic Eyes!]
[Have Fun ^_^v !]
Her first reaction was: "What the Hell?!"
She had almost given away that she had seen through the mirage at that moment. The shock had been way too huge!
After all, she had suddenly unlocked the ability to see what had previously been invisible.
With this new ability, she could detect the devil silently cackling nearby. It didn''t have a set physical shape and instead looked like a floating mass of demonic energy.
She had begun her n to make it waste as much time and energy as possible from that point onward.
She had no reason to fear. It was pretty hard to forget that this was an illusion as she saw the creature create it all in front of her. (While cackling)
Thus, she patiently waited as the devil got ready for round two.
She could hear it grumble that it would definitely break her.
Her days were numbered!¡ª or so it said.
Whatever¡.
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The devil swore that it would break the foolish girl.
So what if she had seen through the previous illusion? There was probably a detail it had missed, one that only she and the mortal knew.
It would get creative! This was no problem at all. It would simply reuse all the things that hadn''t worked against the bastard!
Thus it got to work.
First, it tempted her with incredible power! It gave her all the authority that she could desire!
That didn''t work one bit. No matter the scenario it threw at her, she would never forget that she was retired and snap out of it.
The devil couldn''t understand how such a young woman could be retired already, but whatever. It tried something else.
It tried to lure her in with fame. Once more, she surprised him.
The devil offered her all the fame she could want, only for her to sneer and utter: "What is wrong with these guys? Don''t they know who I am?!"
What?! It had people literally crawling at her feet trying to kiss her ass! They were swearing to dedicate their lives for a single smile from her and it wasn''t enough?!
She even said something about having more dedicated simps. The devil didn''t understand what the fuck that was about, but it knew better than to keep trying.
It tried to offer her wealth, but she looked down on everything it proposed.
No amount of gold would ever satisfy her! She always wanted something called credits. The problem was that the devil didn''t know what that was!
The devil tried a few other things but failed every freaking time.
In the end, it couldn''t take it anymore.
It just looked at her in its silent and invisible form. Then it screamed at her even if it knew she couldn''t hear it.
"Tell me, woman! What the fuck do you want?!"
It repeated this a few times, and it helped a lot¡ª or it should have.
That''s when she looked straight at it with her golden demonic eyes, giving a sadistic smile.
"I want to see you squirm."
She could see it?!
SHE COULD SEE IT!!!!!
She could freaking see it¡this exined a lot.
All this time, she had been toying with it. Fucking hell! The foolish girl was neither foolish nor a girl!
She was a scheming and incredibly vile demonic creature, one that could see through all illusions!
At this moment, the devil started crying once more.
( ¨i©n¨i )
"Now, now. You''re no fun if you just keep crying, mister devil." She said with a soothing and gentle voice that reminded one of an angel.
But this sweet melodypletely terrified the devil. Those two humans really were a good match¡
Goodbye, world! Let this poor devil return to nothingness. What is the point of an existenceden with nothing but suffering?
The devil sighed as it got ready to detonate its essence and end it all.
But just as it was about to do it, it suddenly heard amotioning from the outside world.
"This Vige Chief is back! Let me see you try and stop me this time!"
What now¡.
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 3: Drinking Stone Cold Coffee ? (4/4)
Chapter 160: This Is MY Village, Bitch!!
Chapter 160: This Is MY Vige, Bitch!!
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Never had the Vige Chief suffered such humiliation!
They had stripped him of his position, stuck him in a fucking potato sack, and now he was at the mercy of that disgusting olddy, goddammit!
He couldn''t help but hurl every time he felt her wrinkly hand caress his back through the sack, telling him that everything would be okay, that they''d together from now on.
Fuck no! Who wanted to be with such an old bitch!!! She should have known her fucking ce and watched him from afar. He far out of her fucking league!
But no! That crazy shrew had schemed with the Demonic Fucker to kidnap him! Oh, he would get his revenge on both of them! His wrath would be fucking biblical! Yes, it would!
Inwardly he was professing how he''d make them pay, make them eternally regret.
But suddenly, the earth trembled as war cries echoed all over. At first, the Chief was perplexed, but then he began chuckling. Those were his I.R.L. soldiers! Oh, this would be great!
He could already picture what would happen. He had seen how meager the D.L. troops were! The vigers would never participate in a fight that included only braves.
D.L. was doomed and this was an opportunity!
He perked his ears, listening to the massacre that began as blood flowed like a torrent. It was mostly his people dying, but as long as they ran over D.L., they could all die for all he cared.
He was looking for a man, in particr, one who was the perfect subordinate, one that was incapable of insubordination.
"Pssst¡ª Lead!!!" He whispered as subtly as he could when he heard the whooshing of the man''s spear.
"C-chief?!¡" The man had definitely heard him.
Now all the Chief had to do was wait and pray. His current captor was only the old bat, with the others a distance away. This was good.
As long as he got out of these fucking bindings, he''d be able to overpower her! After all, she was just a frail olddy, and her poison would barely affect one as strong as him.
He couldn''t see anything, but he heard the fighting. He heard the people cursing Lead¡ª enemies, and allies alike. He heard him move toward him, and he waited.
The olddy was watching everything happen with eagle eyes. She was wary, sending death res toward the battlefield.
"I''m watching you." She warned.
The braves gulped whenever they met her gaze. They understood thating near her was a death sentence and obediently stayed away.
But then one spearman was suddenly thrown backward after blocking an attack. It looked straight out of an action movie!¡ª Not that she would have known.
The man''s face twisted in horror as the olddy grabbed a few vials.
"I-I''m very sorry beautifuldy! I''d never dare to disturb the Chief''s wife, but they threw me and¡ª"
"Fine, scram!" She waved her hand, feeling magnanimous¡ª Totally not because of the praise¡
She nodded, pleased as she watched him rejoin the battlefield. But that''s when she felt something wriggle at her feet.
"Hehehe, toote." The Chief cackled as he broke free from his restraints, making them explode.
He couldn''t help but praise that one Lead guy. How masterfully done! He had used the long reach of his spear to free him so subtly!
"H-how?!" The olddy turned white.
"I''m a fucking hero, that''s how! It''s reckoning time, you wrinkly blind bitch!" That''s when he pped her.
¡ª p! ¡ª
Oh god! That was so fucking satisfying!
He felt his palm collide with her cheek. Her eyes widened in horror, but it was toote.
There was enough power in this p to throw her to the ground, herst remaining teeth flying all over the ce.
"W-why?!" She cried out weakly as if her entire life was crumbling around her.
He loved that look on her face. After all the times, he had to freaking pretend to like her so she wouldn''t betray him!
"Fucking dumb toad lusting after your better. The fucking ground is where you belong!" He spat on her, then gave her onest kick, her ribs cracking.
Shey weakly on the ground, her entire body a mess. In the distance, a few yers had noticed the scene and were staring with their eyes bulging.
"As the vige chief, I hereby sentence this evil bitch to repent for her sins! She took part in that devil summoning attempt!" He heroically shouted.
Many braves shuddered:
"That''s so cruel!"
"She''s an olddy!"
"Yeah, but an evil one!"
"No mercy for the enemy!"
"Don''t worry too much. It''s a game."
"So what if she''s a frail woman?! The witch deserves it for conspiring with the enemy!"
Perhaps they wouldn''t have been so vindicative had she been young and beautiful, but as things stood¡.they did not care one bit!
The Chief gave a mocking nce at the nearby cksmith and Steven. They could watch what would happen next, for they were too weak to prevent it!
He heroically turned toward the Butcher''s shop. It was time to end it all!
He gave a confident grin. Seeing the dark energy seeping out, he knew for a fact that something had gone wrong with their ritual.
Normally, he wouldn''t be able to fight Igor and that magic-obsessed bastard, but now everything was different.
"It''s time for Justice." His voice echoed in the vige, and with it, D.L. crumbled.
They had been powerfully holding their ground, akin to legendary Spartans, but their HP was already running out.
With the Chief''s call, they all perished, all of them!
This was because of them even tried to flee.
As they perished one after the other, loot rained.
They all dropped at least one item, whether it was a consumable, an armor piece, or their weapon for the unluckiest. This was all because of their red names.
They had failed, and I.R.L. had won.
The Chief and his minions barged into the basement.
He waved his hand, and the nearby spearman understood what he meant. As Lead led the charge against the two NPCs, the Chief cackled.
"This Vige Chief is back! Let me see you try and stop me this time!"
He took a step toward the magic circle. All he had to do was release the devil inside, and the asshole would be doomed.
Oh, the consequences would likely be dire for the vige too, but why should he care?
A vige in perfect condition stolen from him?
OR
A vige in tatters where he was king?
The choice was obvious!
He was the motherfucking Vige Chief! Always and forever! As if he''d let anyone steal it from him!!!
As for the destruction? The Demon King and the traitorous vigers would naturally take the me!
Just as he was about to reach the circle, a lone red-robed old man stood in front of him, blocking his way.
"It''s no use." The man shook his head.
"What?!" Who the hell was this fearless guy?!
"You might as well give up. The Demon King is invincible! He is a god amongst men and¡ª" He kept babbling.
Tch¡ª He was crazy! The Chief wouldn''t lose any time with him. He grabbed his head in his powerful grip, slowly crushing it all until it exploded like a watermelon.
Yet even as he was dying, the weakling had still been running his mouth.
"Fucking D.L., they''re the fucking worst!" The Chief spat.
It was time to end them¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 4: Nothing Tastes Better Than Revenge! (Besides Ice Cream) ?? (1/4)
Chapter 161: Use A Devil To Slay A Demon!
Chapter 161: Use A Devil To y A Demon!
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The Vige Chief struck, and the vigers screamed in fright.
"Nooooo!" But it was far toote.
His mighty fist connected with the magical circle and crushed it. As soon as it was breached, the whole thing lost its glow, and all hell broke loose.
The devilish demonic mana was akin to a drop of ink in milk as it spread everywhere, corrupting all. There was no hiding nor running from it. They could only brace themselves.
"Let''s see how bad this thing fucking is!" The Chief cackled as the dark energy engulfed him.
So what if he had to fight a devil?
As long as the Demon perished, it was fine¡.
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He found himself in his vige, with the I.R.L. members cheering for him. The D.L. members were all kneeling at his feet, exactly where trash belonged.
"C-chief, would you like to eat a grape?" A beautiful brave girl shyly asked him on the side.
They were all at his beck and call, ready to do anything for him. Had he ordered them to die for his sake, they would haveplied.
The Chief closed his eyes, showing a peaceful expression, enjoying the moment. This was life!
In the background, a devil couldn''t believe how easy this was! If only that guy had been the first to enter! But then the vige chief opened his eyes again¡.and walked away!
He was heading in the distance,pletely ignoring the questioning gazes of his valiant subordinates and the begging looks of the little minxes.
"This ce sure is nice, but this vige isn''t mine." He sighed profoundly.
He may have been hungry for wealth, fame, and power, but he wanted it to be real.
Perhaps in another life he would have been tempted, butpared to the Demon King''s dastardly schemes, this illusion felt sorelycking.
But just as he was heading away, a group appeared in the distance. It was Lead, always ass-kissing yet reliable.
He proudly carried his spear in one hand and forced a prisoner to walk forward with the other.
"Chief! You''re here! Look who I found lurking around our vige! This fool thought he could save his men! Hehehe, D.L.''s leader is aplete buffoon!!" He guffawed.
"Good work!" The Chief nonchntly praised.
The Demon King had wounds all over his body. Blood, snot, and tears stained his face as he crawled on the ground, begging for his life.
This sure was a lovely sight! It was even better than a thousand goddesses attending him. Sadly it was all fake.
At first, the Chief hadn''t understood, but now it was apparent: the Demon King was insane. Fighting with him would only end up with both sides scarred. After all, he would never give up.
Had the Chief known, he would have never forced him to remain in the vige. He thought he could control him, force him to serve him, but he had been dead wrong.
Curse that one Dragon brave who had convinced him that it was a good idea! Restraining him? Sure, but at what fucking cost?!
He gave a self-deprecating smile as he crushed the fake''s throat, casually watching the life leave his annoying eyes.
What was the point?
"Devil, why don''t you stop wasting our time and show up already?" He called out to empty air.
The Devil couldn''t help but shiver, even with its incorporeal body. It suddenly felt so naked when faced with those crazy humans.
The air in front of the man rippled as an entity made of dark energy suddenly materialized. The Chief couldn''t help but chuckle.
Just standing up to a devil would have been praiseworthy in normal circumstances. But at this moment, he did it so damn easily. After all, his mind was only upied by a cold rage.
He wanted revenge and his vige back.
That was all he desired at this moment.
He would make them all pay!
He would rule again!
The Devil felt fear as it saw the man''s heated gaze. It was as if the human wanted to devour it alive! What the hell?! This was supposed to be the other way around!
"W-what are you looking at?!" The incorporeal Devil stammered.
"Vengeance. I''m looking at vengeance. Now, what will it take to get rid of that fucking Demon King?" The Chief grinned.
The Devil shuddered once more. This guy was crazy, so damn crazy! In the man''s eyes, it saw unbelievable hatred.
It seemed like they shared amon enemy.
At this moment, the Devil couldn''t help but wonder how things would have turned out had this guye earlier.
In any case, the Devil would do what the Devil did best:
"Do you wish for power? Do you wish to rule above all living beings? As long as you¡ª"
"Let''s hurry up. I don''t have all fucking day. The world can be yours, but the vige is mine and mine alone to rule. Do we have a deal?" The Chief cut it off.
"¡."
"Deal or no deal?"
"D-deal¡."
The Devil teared up: this contract wasn''t much of an achievement. This guy was just using it!
At this moment, the Devil felt like a worthless cum rag.
Infinite sure was a scary ce¡
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As the Chief returned to his senses, he felt his body brimming with power.
Demonic energy was coursing through his veins, noticeably empowering his body. Basking in the devilish mana felt even better than a spa!
But he knew that all this power was temporary. It was nothing but a taste of what was toe. There still remained onest step.
A being of darkness slowly materialized next to him: the Devil was here. The Chief knew what he had to do if he wanted to keep this power. He would have to bow to the Devil.
He didn''t mind either. He would rather rule above all but one than to lose everything. As for the harm that unleashing a devil would cause, he couldn''t fucking care less!
"Kneel and profess your loyalty¡." The creature uttered in a deep voice.
The Chief didn''t even hesitate as he got on his knees, even smiling.
"I Conrad Dupli hereby swear upon my soul to serve the de¡ª"
"The devilishly handsome being standing before me." The Devil strangely corrected him.
So what if he had to kiss-ass an entric devil?! He was taking down that fucking Demon King!
"I Conrad Dupli hereby swear upon my soul to serve the devilishly handsome being that stands before me. In exchange, I¡ª" Light shed.
Just as he was about to list his conditions, the oath activated. At the same time, all the demonic energy left him, leaving him frail.
How?! This shouldn''t have been possible! Devils weren''t supposed to be able to go back on their words!!!
"W-we had a deal?!" The Chief stammered.
"We? Nope. Never heard of it!" The Devil denied, but then he showed a look of realization.
"Ah! I think you have me confused with someone else." It chuckled.
That''s when the dark entity trembled, slowly disappearing as if a mirage. In its ce appeared a man gently smiling as he sat on an engraved wooden throne.
The Demon King''s smile looked so peaceful.
The Chief felt his heart freeze as he realized what he had done. Confused by an illusion, he had just sworn allegiance to the Demon King.
Fuck! He was screwed!
"Now, shall we get started?" Jack Motherfucking''O yfully uttered.
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 4: Nothing Tastes Better Than Revenge! (Besides Ice Cream) ?? (2/4)
Chapter 162: Endlessly Suffering Village Chief (1/2)
Chapter 162: Endlessly Suffering Vige Chief (1/2)
The Vige Chief''s efforts had been admirable, but he simply hade over far toote.
Jack had already subjugated the Devil when the man had barged in the magic circle.
As for the rest, it had been challenging! Well, the tricking part had been easy. The hard part had been not to erupt in madughter!
After the Devil and the Chief reached an agreement, the people inside the dream world were freed.
They had all appeared in a room heavy with a blood mist. The walls, the ceiling, the floor, and the air was full of blood! As if that wasn''t enough, the devilish energy gave it a horrifying glow.
The yers were all gone, all fucking dead!
There remained only the vigers that were peering at the altar, their faces pale. Their state became even worse when they saw the demonic Chiefing back victoriously.
At that moment, they understood that they would have to fight for the vige''s survival. They also understood that Jack and Seraphine had been vanquished.
But a secondter, they realized that they didn''t understand shit!
The vige chief moved out of the way, revealing Jack and Seraphine. Not only were they intact, but the Demon King even calmly took out the throne Igor had carved him.
As he rxedly sat, they felt like tearing their hair to cope with the stress.
What the fuck was he doing?! Couldn''t he see the Chief that was about to charge at him and¡.kneel?! WTF?! He was freaking kneeling!
What?! How the heck had this happened?!
Then it got even more astonishing. Their enemy straight-up offered himself as a servant?! Why would he do such a thing?!
Their mouths were open sorge one could have fit an entire pack of hot dogs in there. They kept ncing between the two before looking at Seraphine for an exnation.
She casually shrugged, mouthing a yful: "As expected of the Demon King."
When the Chief finalized his oath, they felt like they were in a dream. Was this a trick from the Devil? But then they saw the poor thing next to Jack.
What was supposed to be an incredibly malevolent evil was now nothing more than a small wisp of mana barely managing to float next to him.
They even found themselves finding it pitiful. What the heck had he done to it?! It looked like it had gone through countless tribtions and had barely survived.
Jack yfully addressed his new ve:
"Aren''t you angry?! Don''t you hate me? But what can you do!" He gave him a bright smile.
At that moment, many sucked in a cold breath. Jack definately knew how to hold a grudge! This was what the Chief had screamed at him right after the Royal Missive.
"Now, you should kneel even lower, oh, and lick my boots clean." Jack casually ordered.
The Chief wanted to resist, he truly wanted, but the oath''s magic forced him into obedience. The more he tried to resist, the more he felt his soul tear.
"ARRRGGGG!" He cried out in anguish, his body moving on its own.
But just as his tongue was about to reach the blood-stained boot, Jack mercilessly kicked his face, sending his whole body flying away.
The humiliation mixed with the pain¡.but then it got even worse. Since he wasn''t licking, the soul torment resumed.
His body was convulsing, he could barely move, he could barely think, but even then, the light of defiance shone in his eyes.
God knows where he found the strength, but he raised his head high up, only to drive it toward the ground with incredible momentum!
"You aren''t allowed to harm yourself." Jack''s decree came just in time. The oath''s power forced the man to stop himself right before impact.
A third of a secondter and his brain matter would have only been mush on the ground. If only he had been quicker, if only¡..but then he realized.
This third of a second hadn''t been a coincidence. The Demon had been toying with him from the start. The man had understood his limits from the previous fight.
Was it even possible to escape his new master''s evil clutches?
Jack suddenly began rapping out of nowhere. The others looked at him in iprehension, but then they finally understood the "lyrics".
What he was shouting at the speed of a jet were all orders. In a matter of seconds, the ve found himself bound by an impossiblyplex web ofmands.
He was now utterly helpless against Jack, without hope of any rescue.
In the end, he had no choice but to crawl to the Demon''s feet to fulfill the order. He wanted to fight it, but he just couldn''t.
As the NPCs saw the once-mighty Chief reduced to such a wretched state, they couldn''t help but shiver in fright. Well, all except one.
The olddy looked at it all as she breathed heavily. She wanted so much to be in Jack''s ce! Her legs twitched as she could barely contain her excitement.
"D-devilishly handsome and benevolent Demon King¡." She sent a begging look his way.
"No need to worry. I keep my promises. You can leave now and I''ll send him to warm your bed when I''m done." Jack shooed her away as she left, drooling.
Oh god! None of the NPCs would have wanted to be in that guy''s ce! No wonder she had helped them! Jack had promised to give her the man she had a crush on as a reward!
The ex-chief''s despairing expression sure wasical!
Hey lifelessly on the floor as he twitched.
Jackpletely ignored the worm. He waszily sitting on his throne as he addressed the others:
"Igor, I''ll be counting on you to take care of the Training grounds." It would take a while to get his title back, but it wouldn''t necessarily be impossible with the Chief''s help.
"Florist guy, either you be an honorary member of D.L., or I''m not showing you any more runic magic." The whole ritual had wetted his thirst for knowledge.
"You can count on me t¡ª"
"Skip!" Jack just dismissed him. They both knew he was saying yes; he could keep the tedious speech forter.
"cksmith, I''ll send yers to help you expand your forge. D.L. will count on you in the future."
"I have a name you know it''s¡ª"
"A cksmith only deserves a name when he bes a master." Jack ruthlessly shut him down.
The others were confused. Weren''t the two on friendly terms? Why was he being so petty all of a sudden?!
The cksmith widened his eyes in realization as he solemnly nodded, not taking offense at all. He even felt touched, for this meant the man thought he had the potential to one day reach that level!
"You got it, Boss!" The cksmith eximed, showing a toothy grin. It seemed the two spoke their ownnguage¡.
That''s when Jack turned toward the broken man on the ground.
"Now, "Chief", was this all that you amounted to?" Jack yfully stressed the title.
It didn''t seem like he was done torturing him just yet¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 4: Nothing Tastes Better Than Revenge! (Besides Ice Cream) ?? (3/4)
Chapter 163: Endlessly Suffering Village Chief (2/2)
Chapter 163: Endlessly Suffering Vige Chief (2/2)
That''s when Jack turned toward the broken man on the ground.
"Now, "Chief", was this all that you amounted to?" Jack yfully stressed the title.
"Actually, the ground suits you very much! It''s perfect for a worm like you!"
As much as Jack insulted the guy, a tiny part of him couldn''t help but be impressed. He had never seen a man cling so much to a title as worthless as "Vige Chief" before.
Jack sat on his throne as he kept mocking.
"Truly pathetic. Even if you could fight back, you wouldn''t dare, haha."
"You''re nothing but a spineless coward! You were never fit to be Chief in the first ce!"
"How about this? For the next minute, I''ll allow you to punch me as much as you want, but every step will feel like being burned by a thousand suns." Jack chuckle.
The vigers couldn''t help but throw weird nces at Jack. Was there a need to humiliate the man even further? They weren''t taking his side. It was just a waste of time.
After all, the man was lifelessly¡standing?!
His broken body was suddenly up. His face was twitching in agony, and so was his whole body! The incredible pain he felt was illusory yet felt real.
At this moment, could understand what the fuck was happening.
1. How could he get up?! This suffering couldn''t be faked!
2. Why was he getting up?! Jack would obviously give another order right before he reached him. What was the point?!
No one understood, except the man himself and Jack, for he had seen his resolve in the Dream Realm.
He was the Vige Chief, always and forever.
This was his resolve.
Even if he lost his title.
Even if he lost his mind.
Even if he lost every-fucking-thing.
He would remain the Vige Chief.
At least, that''s how he would always consider himself. The two had been fighting from the very beginning because the man had been afraid for his position.
Step after step, he came closer to the casually sitting Jack. Every subsequent step became increasingly difficult.
He was already far beyond his limits, and yet he kept going. All until he finally reached Jack.
The Chief raised his arm. His whole body was unsteady, he couldn''t generate any strength and knew it was all wasted effort, but he did it anyway.
He knew the man was toying with him, but so what?
He would never forgive himself if he missed an opportunity to punch the bastard!
His fist flew in slow-motion, not because of the tension, just because itcked power. Even then, the oue was obvious.
¡ª p! ¡ª
As the weak pnded, brows were raised in confusion. Why hadn''t Jack stopped it? Was he trying to shame the man by showing him how weak he was?
"How was it? Did it feel good?" Jack grinned.
"Y-yes, very. But I bet it would feel better with more power behind it." The Chief replied amidst the pain.
The two men gazed at one another as if in a staring contest. No words were exchanged, at all!
"What are they d¡ª" the florist softly murmured.
"Shh¡ª I don''t know either but let him do his thing," Igor replied.
On the side, Bubblegum''s eyes were filled with a spirited glint. At this moment, she was reminded of why she was so drawn to him. There was other like him!
She already had an inkling of what would happen as she watched eagerly.
Jack gazed deep into the NPC''s eyes, reminded once more of why he loved Infinite so much. Other games could reproduce everything to the tiniest detail, but it would never feel as true.
In the bastard''s eyes, he saw incredible weakness but also astonishing perseverance. At this moment, the Chief felt incredibly alive.
How could mere data feel that strongly about anything?! Infinite, that was how! Motherfucking Infinite.
Jack finally broke the silence.
"What was it that you said again? The world can be yours but not the vige? You really care about such a tiny ce?" Jack gave him a teasing smile.
That''s when the Chief finally realized his foolishness. All this time, he had been fighting this man for encroaching on his vige. He had tried to subdue him when he could have just waited.
Instead of begging a random devil, he should have been begging this man to take him under his wing long ago. As the braves would say: he hadn''t recognized Mount Tai.
But now it was toote.
The Demon King had a sadistic smile and wasn''t one to forgive easily. He understood that very well. He truly had been so foolish¡
"How about it? Do you still want to be Chief?" Jack proposed with a smile.
Many choked in the background.
"W-what?!"
"He''s not serious, right?!"
"After all we went through?!"
This didn''t make any freaking sense! He had to be pulling his leg, right, right?!
"You''ll forgive me?" the Chief asked with as much confusion as suspicion.
"Of course not! I''ll make sure that your entire existence is filled with nothing but suffering!" He grinned, with the people sighing in the background. But then he added:
"That said, I don''t mind you being the acting Chief while I''m gone. But, if you ept, for every second of it you''ll feel a Hellish pain¡."
What kind of crazy talk was this?! There was no way that anyone sane would ept this! He was taunting him again with¡ª
Suddenly the Chief fell to the ground.
"Then I''ll be in your care, Demon King!" This time he was voluntarily kneeling. The NPCs all watched, bbergasted, not understanding what the fuck had happened!
Bubblegum nced at Jack with a heated gaze. How many yers had called themselves Demons in the history of games? Far too many!
How many had dared to call themselves Demon Kings? A few.
How many had truly deserved the title? Only one as far as she was concerned.
A saint would have forgiven the NPC.
A viin would have happily watched him suffer.
Motherfucking Jack''O would condemn him to endless torment, yet the poor sob would willingly serve his sentence and his new king!
She could already picture the future. Empires would rise and fall, but he would always remain. Others yed the game while he yed the game and everyone in it!
She found herself wishing to witness it all. Wouldn''t that be nice?
"Now, my new repentant Chief, let''s get you ready for a nice y." Jack mischievously said.
Of course, he had more schemes¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 4: Nothing Tastes Better Than Revenge! (Besides Ice Cream) ?? (4/4)
Chapter 164: SAY WHAT?!!!
Chapter 164: SAY WHAT?!!!
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The yers were already rushing back to the Butcher''s shop as fast as their legs could carry them. They had to Stop/Protect the Demon King!!
Lead was one of them as he ran, happily giggling like a schoolgirl. It was the first time he felt so joyful! He had been one of thest ones alive for a change!
Still, his happiness didn''t cloud his judgment. His eagle eyes swept the vige, looking for the enemies he knew would be there. He kept his spear close, ready to BONK any enemy!
The entire vige was swarming with running yers: this was a freaking exodus! They were akin to mad shoppers during ck Friday!
This was a race against time and their enemies! I.R.L. and D.L. were already shing, killing one another on the move.
Many sounds echoed all over: the nging of weapons, the grunts of pain, the curses, and the guys shouting "I am Speed" as they ran.
It was so damn chaotic! At times, there was even friendly fire happening. In response, Lead shouted at the noobs:
"Check the emblem before attacking!!" He reminded.
It should have been easy! How were they even getting confused?! Ah! For some reason, the enemy names weren''t red anymore. Still:
No emblem ¡ª> I.R.L.
Emblem ¡ª> D.L.
"There''s ! No one has a freaking emblem!"
"Who''s an ally, who''s an enemy?! Stay away from me!!!!"
Many shouted, panicked. That''s when Lead finally noticed a man grinning as he ran: CPR dude! He was even silently mouthing: "noobs"!
Not only were the D.L. reinforcements finally there, but they had all removed their emblems!
Since they had fewer members, they knew one another better and did not fear friendly fire!
Lead nced around and realized just how devious the D.L. members were! Some had even unequipped some of their gear to look more like the broke I.R.L. yers.
Heck, some were even acting like they were chased by other D.L. yers, for the enemy to mistake them as allies!
Tch¡ª At this rate, his allies would all be paranoiac!
"I.R.L, heed my call!!! Formation COVID-34! Stay 6-feet apart from one another! Kill everyone thates nearby!!!" They all separated.
Even then, who belonged to what faction was very hard to tell, but it didn''t matter. At least the killing had stopped. No more would D.L. rampage during the confusion!
Instantly, the bloodbath turned into an incredible race. They were all rushing forward while keeping their distance.
Then they all reached the Butcher shop, only to freeze.
At the door were Igor and the florist. They looked stern and powerful as they nced at the sea of iing yers.
Many I.R.L. yers couldn''t help but gulp. They remembered how fierce they were and how quickly they had died fighting them, all to buy time for the Vige Chief.
They all knew that the man had managed to barge into the devil summoning ritual, but had he sessfully stopped it or not?!
yers from both sides were wondering.
"These two are allied with D.L., right?!
"Does that mean they/we won?!"
"Idk, but look at their faces¡."
"Why are they so gloomy?"
There was no indication of whether they had won or lost the fight. The NPCs would have easily been the greatest poker yers of all time!
But that''s when messages started flooding their visions:
[The Devil Ritual Has Been A Sess!]
[Evil Now Walk New Leaf Vige!]
"Hahaha, suck it, I.R.L! Who''s you daddy!!!"
"You guys are all fucked! Demon King 1, you 0!"
"That''s what happens when you mess with him!"
But perhaps they had rejoiced a bit too fast¡
[Generating Subjugation Quest¡.]
[Devil Already Defeated?!¡.]
[Analyzing, Analyzing!]
[¡]
"Hahaha, go suck a big fat Chicken D.L!!!"
"Daddy? The guy already lost his new Devil!"
"Damn! That has to be the worst dad ever! #Bad Parenting!!"
They wereughing their asses off as they saw the faces of the D.L. members sour so fast! It was as if they had just eaten aged bull testicles!
Oh, this was the best, they couldn''t wait to remind them daily how much they had screwed up and¡ª
[Analysis Completed! The Devil Hasn''t Been Defeated!]
"What the fuck?!"
"Does that mean D.L. won?!"
"This system is as cryptic as my wife!!"
"Why do I feel like the gods are trolling us?!"
They all held their breaths¡
[The Devil Has Only Been Partially Banished!]
[The Devil''s Curse Is Activating!]
[Devilish Corruption Starting!]
What?! It seemed like neither side had truly won. What the heck was this? A motherfucking Schr?dinger ritual?!
But suddenly, they didn''t feel like pondering the topic anymore. No, they suddenly felt like freaking out.
At that moment, they all felt potent vile energye from the Butcher''s ce!
"We''re screwed!"
"This is madness!"
"Is it toote to run?!"
With a loud BANG, the door exploded!
The yers gulped as dark miasma spread from the entrance. But in the malevolent cloud, a valiant silhouette could faintly be distinguished.
That''s when a muscr man punched his way out!
The Vige Chief appeared in all his splendor. His upper body was glistering with sweat, emphasizing his well-defined muscles, and his expression was heroic as he nced all around.
He looked incredibly solemn at that very moment, so solemn that he didn''t react to the female yers devouring him with their gazes.
"Braves!!! An incredible evil is upon our vige! Will you let it be ruined and destroyed? Or will you stand by my side and defend it!!!!"
His thundering shout resounded across the realm as he kept going.
"Are you cowards that are afraid of a tiny little Devil? Or are you proud Heroes of New Leaf?!"
At this moment, many I.R.L. yers couldn''t help but beam in pride. This was their leader! He wasn''t perfect, but he was a true man!!!
"WHO''S WITH ME?!!"
Hisst shout was all it took as one yer after the other answered his call:
"You have my sword!!!"
"And you have my sword!!!"
"And my sword!!!!"
How were there so many swordsmen in a fucking beginner vige?! Ah, they were just the ones moring the loudest. Many long and hard sticks were also raised high up in a show of support!
"We''ll fuck that Devil and we''ll fuck those D.L. bastards!!"
"Destroy them all! Show them the might of I.R.L.!!!"
The Demonic Legion clenched their weapons, ready to fight a losing battle. So what if they were outnumbered once again?! They would struggle with their leader, wherever he was!
But that''s when something that bbergasted everyone happened.
The Demon King suddenly came out of the miasma!
He was walking casually, showing an annoyed expression. He looked like a man missing one number to win the Jackpot. He even seemed to be grumbling.
Wait, what?! What was going on?! Couldn''t he feel the demonic energy? Couldn''t he see the heroic Chief right in front?
He slowly walked next to Vige Chief, giving him a resentful nce. What the heck had happened in there?!
Behind them, the dark energy billowed as if a cataclysmic storm was brewing. Oh, it was about to rain¡and hard!!!
The Chief called out!
"Braves! Today is the day mankind either survives or perishes! Today, there is only one thing that matters: New Leaf!"
"Whether you''re I.R.L, D.L., or neither, it doesn''t matter! Be ready to fight, for evil ising!!!!"
SAY WHAT?!!!
All the yers stared at one another in shock.
But they didn''t have the time to be stunned or confused. At that exact moment, the demonic energy finally overflowed.
The miasma was akin to a tidal wave, the world became fifty shades darker, and then they heard a soul-chilling voice.
In the background, a Devil was madly cackling¡.
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 5: A storm is brewing¡.and tea. ? ? ? (1/4)
Chapter 165: "….. WE’RE FUCKED!"
Chapter 165: ¡°¡.. WE¡¯RE FUCKED!¡±
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In the background, a poor Devil was madly cackling¡against its will!
What else was it supposed to do?! The Demon King had told it to cackle, so it cackled! The creature had always thought itself a master of torture, but it had been so wrong!
This smiling man was the actual monster! His peaceful smile was more frightening than a thousand holy archangels¡ª and they were a devil''s nemesis!
The Demon King had driven it near insanity before making an offer it could never refuse. He had offered the Vige to the Devil! Yes, the entire fucking Vige!
Devil were beings that resided in another ne of existence, and their sole purpose ining to this world was to gather power.
There were two main ways to do this:
1. Soul Possession: They would possess a being, go on a rampage and use whatever means to be stronger.
For one such as the Exalted Hunting Lord, it meant hunting.
The Devil would transform its host into a great predator that would grow stronger with every new prey sessfully hounded.
The human knew of this process. Apparently, his people called it "A Noob getting his ount hacked by a mob lol". It was a very long and cryptic name.
The Devil had initially tried to use the nightmare to take over his soul. Sadly, this attempt had been PTSD-inducing.
But, there was another path for a Devil to be stronger.
2. World Link: This meant establishing a link from the Devilish realm to the world of the living. Afterward, the Devil would use minor devils to collect energy.
It was also damn near impossible!
The Devil had almost gone insane when the man had casually mentioned this! Its incorporeal body had been shaking so much it had almost poofed out of existence!
Was he freaking crazy?! The Devil wanted to grow stronger, not to die!!! But apparently, not only was the man crazy, but he also knew what he was doing.
He talked confidently about it in terms that the Devil barely understood. But, it remembered it all word for word:
"See Infinite as a restricted airspace and devils as flimsy aircrafts. Entering this world to establish a link would usually get them shot down by anti-air missiles set-up by the Empire¡."
"But, what if one just happened to have control of said missiles? For instance, by lording over the Vige. What if one helped the aircraft with thending?"
He had given an enormous smile as he hadid out the options for the Devil.
1. Serve him and share part of its power. In exchange, the demon King would allow it to prosper in New Leaf.
2. Suffer, then die.
It wasn''t too hard a choice.
That''s how the Devil hade to serve its new master, how it had assisted with entrapping that one "Vige Chief" human, and how it was now exploited.
The poor Devil wanted to sigh, but it had to keep cackling, or there would be trouble. Then it got to work, slowly establishing the link, something that probably hadn''t been done in eons.
At least it would see the living get ughtered. This was the only constion to its current pitiful state.
[Congrattions!]
There came the strange voice again.
Ever since it had agreed to serve the Demon King, it could hear its murmurs. It didn''t seem alive and would narrate when something noteworthy happened.
[Sessfully Established Devilish Link!]
[Establishing A New Spawn Area For Minions!]
[Soul-Devouring Exalted Hunters Can Now Spawn!]
Oh, it would have fun witnessing them steal the life force of all those annoying humans!
[Beginning World Corruption: New Leaf!]
[Ding! Detected Rare Energy Node! ?]
[Corrupt Energy Node? Y/N?]
W-what?! As soon as the corruption began, the Devil felt it! Deep inside the earth, far from the surface, there was a great mass of energy!
It just waited there,pletely unused! What were the odds?!
At this moment, it suddenly began cackling, for real this time! Itughed enthusiastically, giving what appeared to be the performance of its existence!
This was an opportunity to turn the tides!
As long as it could corrupt and harness this incredible energy, it would be strong enough to rebel against the Demon!
As long as its subordinates devoured enough life force from the puny mortals, it would win! This was a goddamn miracle!
At this moment, the Devil uttered a silent cry:
"Go, my precious! Hunt them and bring me their souls!!!"
Oh, this would be so much fun! How would the man react confronted with death? No, possession was better!
Oh, it couldn''t wait! ??
The Devil was looking forward to the show as it kept cackling¡
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As it often did in Infinite, the apocalypse began with a system message.
[Curse Of The Exalted Hunting Lord Activating!]
The entire vige was plunged into darkness as miasma spread across the beginner area.
The shivering yers could only see the ominous system messages appearing before them. Reading only increased the dread.
[World Corruption Has Begun! Current Corruption 1%!]
[New Leaf ¡ª> Exalted Dark Hunting Grounds!]
[Soul-Devouring Exalted Hunters Spawning!]
[They Are Coming! Run If You Can¡]
[It Is Time To Die!]
This didn''t augur well. Who knew when the creatures would¡ª that''s when many stopped thinking.
The monsters were already here.
Their incredibly sharp ws plunged into so many yers, killing them instantly. The victims disappeared in blue particles that illuminated their killers.
They looked like humanoid wraiths but showed predator characteristics at times: wolves, pumas, hyenas, etc.
The creatures were shadowy, tall, slender, incredibly fast, and godlike hunters.
"These things are so fucking quick!"
"They''re freaking everywhere!"
"Level 22?! That''s crazy!!"
The blue glow of death was one the yers were used to, but the next scene chilled them to the bone.
The creatures opened their maws wide as they¡devoured the light?! Some already had an inkling of what this meant.
"Oy, tell me this is just a visual effect!"
"What else can it be? It adds horror!"
"It has to be, right, right?!"
But then many yers respawned, soon turning as white as chalk:
[Part of Your Soul Has Been Devoured!]
[Affected By Eternal Hunting Curse!]
[Congrattions! You''ve Lost XP!]
"G-guys¡.We can lose XP now¡."
"Tell me this is a joke!"
"O-oh god! No!!!"
They all turned to one another, seeing the same shock in the other''s eyes. A brief moment of silence followed before one perfectly summarized their situation.
"¡.. WE''RE FUCKED!"
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 5: A storm is brewing¡.and tea. ? ? ? (2/4)
Chapter 166: He Really Is A God!!!
Chapter 166: He Really Is A God!!!
"¡.. WE''RE FUCKED!"
The yer''s cry resounded loudly, only for a reply to instantlye.
"Hadn''t I made this point very fucking clear!!! Now, what are you all waiting for?! Counterattack!!!" The Vige Chief''s bellowed.
He had indeed warned them: they simply hadn''t believed! After all, what did immortal Braves have to fear? Pfft¡ª They were used to dying!
But everything changed when XP loss was involved!
Only pain feedback ¡ª> Actual progression loss!
Now that they had something to lose, the scary monsters felt even scarier! The yers were shaking, their feet already inching backward.
But as assuredly as there were cowards (a shitload of them), there were also fearless people.
In this moment of darkness, their courage shone as would a bonfire kindled after being doused in kerosene.
"Of course it wasn''t clear, you bastard! You never said anything about those guys! Heck, I bet you have no goddamn clue what''s going on!" CPR dude thundered loudly.
As soon as he shouted, a man spoke up for the chief:
"Hey, don''t be so hard on him! After all, he''s obviously retarded. Why else would he have gone against our God, the one and only Demon King!!" Uttered a red-robed old man.
"Screw you both! Everyone, stop freaking panicking! I''m gonna drive my spear very deep in the first guy that tries to run away!" Lead shouted very "encouragingly".
"Tch¡ª Now''s not the time to tell your I.R.L. boyfriends how deep you''ll screw them! Tsk-tsk-tsk, no shame at all!" CPR dude taunted.
Then it instantly devolved into an insult contest with that one cultist''s voice in the background praising the almighty Jack''O.
The trio was so goddamn ridiculous, and many found themselves smiling at their antics.
Were the monsters a joke to them?! Suddenly the nightmare-inducing creatures weren''t that frightening.
But courage wouldn''t suddenly reverse the situation. The creatures were still having one hell of a field day. For them, it was an all-you-can-eat human buffet!
¡ª Screech!! ¡ª
The things rejoiced as they stole the vitality of even more yers. They were akin to reapers as they half-ran and half-floated toward their next prey!
The more they devoured and the more potent the miasma was getting too.
[World Corruption Has Increased To 7%!]
There was only one way that the yers could possibly survive this, and they all knew what it was. It was a tactic ingrained in their very DNA since times immemorial.
After all, humans had always been social animals¡.
"Group the fuck up!!! Get ready to m them into oblivion!" (CPR)
"Watch your allies'' back! Don''t let theme anywhere near!" (Lead)
"Come to me. We shall pray to our lord and savior, the Demon King!"
D.L. was ready to go on the offensive.
I.R.L. barely managed to adopt a defensive position.
Cultists seemingly wanted to do it all, plus pray simultaneously!
Something strange happened. Some-fucking-how the cultists were thergest group! Everyone without a faction had huddled in their direction.
Soon three different Legions roamed the vige, finding safety in their numbers. Every time a creature would attack, weapons would rain on it like green at the strip club!
Even being level 22, the hunters couldn''t take thebined assault of dozens of yers! But, it only dyed the inevitable.
Every other second, the monsters managed to bypass their defenses and run away with a yer in their grasp.
"They got Dn!"
"Fuck, this is like a horror movie!"
"You''re right. This is freaking scary!"
"No, I meant they got the dumb bitch first!"
"¡."
They casually bantered to calm their nerves, only to get a grim reminder of their situation.
[World Corruption Has Increased To 15%!]
That''s when came the moment that Jack had been waiting all this time;
1. yers were calm enough to realize how fucked they were.
2. This harsh realization only increased their stress.
3. They were now praying for a miracle.
4. He would be that miracle!
That''s what being a hero meant: to always be there at the optimal moment to save the day. Oh, Jack would make sure his grand entrance would never be forgotten.
"Let''s get this party started, shall we! Let''s see how tough you guys are!" Jack''s chilly voice echoed.
What?! Was he hunting the creatures alone! The yers couldn''t help but shiver. This guy was 100% crazy!
"He''s so gonna die!"
"Yes, he''s royally screwed!"
"Talk about a stupid way to perish!"
How could someone possibly fight level 22 monsters? It just wasn''t possible, for they were everywhere! Many instantly assumed that he was doomed.
That''s when the I.R.L. members finally saw the man as he came close to their group.
"Little devils, where are you hiding? Come out,e out wherever you are!" He was even taunting them?!
The yers'' eyes bulged as they barely discerned three shadowy blurs heading straight for the man''s heart!
They watched eagerly, waiting for him to be devoured, some even cheering for the creatures. Jack gave a subtle knowing smile. He could feel their heated gazes upon him.
Just as the monsters pounced at him, he suddenly rotated on himself, sending three powerful punches in a row.
"As if a yer could do anything to¡ª" One yfullymented before choking on his saliva.
The shadowy creatures were sent flying! They flew so high that the yers lost track of them! (Not too hard given theck of visibility.)
"T-that was a level 22 monster, right?!"
"Not just one!! What the fuck?!"
"What kind of skill was that?!"
Many simply couldn''t understand the scene they had seen. It was way too shocking! It didn''t help that he was giving an unfathomable aura while sighing.
"Was this all they amounted to? How disappointing." Jackined before he resumed his hunt for new prey.
The gallery was already gossiping:
"Holy fucking shit!"
"That''s the D.L. leader, right?!"
"No wonder all the crazies call him a god!!!"
"At this point, I''m not so sure that they''re crazy¡"
In his wake, Jack left many awe-struck yers. They still couldn''t believe what they had just witnessed!
[World Corruption Has Increased To 33%!]
Jack felt slightly puzzled. Wasn''t this going a little too fast?
Still, it wouldn''t change his n. He was already heading toward new gullible targets for another heroic show. He didn''t have to fear for the whole thing was 100% fake!
Oh, this would be fun¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 5: A storm is brewing¡.and tea. ? ? ? (3/4)
Chapter 167: Our Savior! NVM!!!
Chapter 167: Our Savior! NVM!!!
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In the darkness, a hundred yers huddled together, their faces ashen.
Many were repeatedly pressing their menu, trying to run from this madness!
[Log-Out Now Will Be Considered A Death! Confirm? Y/N?]
Fuck! They didn''t want to lose their precious XP! But was it wise to stay here? It wasn''t like things were turning for the better either¡
[World Corruption Has Increased To 51%!]
[Next Level of Corruption Reached!]
[Hunters Are Now more Powerful!]
They were fucked!
But as they were panicking, a man''s soothing voice resonated.
"Follow my lead, and salvation will be yours! Now, repeat after me¡." The red-robbed old man began to chant!
Manyplied as they shouted the same verses over and over. What was wrong with them?
With every repetition, they became bolder and their volume increased. It was akin to a crescendo from Hell!
Then it even reached a point where they were shouting so loud that it made the miasma tremble!
"I believe in The Demon King, the almighty leader, creator of the Demonic Legion! Eternal God, whose power is endless, give us the strength to face this new enemy! Allow us to prosper in your shadow and aplish your bidding in this world!"
At this moment, many just wanted hope! It just happened that the sweet promises of the fanatical old man struck a chord in them.
Chant for protection? They could do that!
Of course, not everyone would just go along with a crazy cultist¡ª but he was pretty darn convincing.
"¡ªHumph! I''ll kick anyone not chanting out of the group! Mess up the verses, and you get a warning! Mess up again, and you''re out!" He thundered.
Hearing this, many had a sudden inexplicable change of heart. Perhaps shouting with the homies wasn''t that bad after all!
They all redoubled fervor as they screamed their fear away, getting louder and louder!
They were so goddamn loud that they even managed to startle the hunters! ¡ª Not that it would stop their feast¡
But what it did was summon Jack!
He had been watching the scene all this time with a wry smile. Now that the prayers were reaching their peak, he suddenly appeared as if a miracle!
"W-what?!"
"H-he really came?!"
"You''re obviously new here, haha!"
"Wee to the cult! We do plenty of fun stuff like blood drawings!"
"Hehe, you should see the Demon King summoning rituals. Now those are impressive!"
Many members of D.L. were already advertising their cult. But why did they sound like this was a casualzy Saturday morning? This wasn''t the time!
"There are still hunters here!"
"Don''t let your guard down just yet!"
"Why are you all lowering their weapons?!"
Many random yers were already wondering what the hell was wrong with their attitude. How could they be so naive and reckless!
Even their temporary leader frowned, watching them.
"What do you guys think you''re doing?!" He bellowed. He would finally talk some sense into them! Right?!
"Stop gossiping and start cheering!!! Tch¡ª Neers nowadays, gotta teach them everything!" The cult leader grumbled.
Wait, what?! Four hunters were surrounding his so-called God, and all this guy thought about was fucking cheering?! Not running, not helping, motherfucking cheering!!!
"Go, Demon King! Show them who''s Boss! Banish these evil creatures who dared go against your will!"¡ª And then he kept going.
But the man''s reaction was even worse. He just gave a thumb up before he began to trash the creaturespletely.
Many noobs still thought that the mad tales of the Demon King''s prowesses were inurate. Oh, they were inurate AF¡ for the man was even stronger!
They felt like they were watching a scene straight out of a movie. He pped the creatures so hard that he looked like a Gallic drunk on magical potion!
Some found themselves cheering from the bottom of their hearts, while others just followed the mood.
As they kept the encouragements going, more creatures suddenly appeared! They wereing out of nowhere as if one''s distant rtives after winning the jackpot.
But as they saw the Demon King''s valiant fighting stance, the yers couldn''t help but scoff. So what if there were tens of them?! Jack would effortlessly defeat them all!!
Their eyes shined with boundless trust! His presence was a godsend¡
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Jack made it look so easy, but he suddenly drew a cold breath. There was something so very wrong with the current situation!
He was supposed to "finish" this group of creatures then meet up with the Chief for the rest of the show, but then this happened:
[World Corruption Has Increased To 66%!]
The corruption itself shouldn''t have been an issue.
Thanks to his contract with the Devil, it would never be able to take over New Leaf without his permission¡ª or that''s how it was supposed to be.
But he could suddenly feel a different air about the monsters: it was malevolent. They weren''t ying anymore and were truly gunning for his head.
This didn''t make any sense! How was this possible?! It would have needed the Devil to bypass its words somehow.
Sadly, he didn''t have time to ponder this mystery. The creatures were almost upon him, ready to tear him to pieces!
Could he handle this assault alone? There was no freaking way, especially since Moon Moon had stayed at the Butcher shop for a snack.
He was akin to a pay-per-view wrestler suddenly thrown into an actual deathmatch without warning!
Nearby, the groups of cultists and randoms were watching intently. They were all eagerly cheering him on. But at this moment, Jack had to make a decision.
His Life VS All of Theirs
Yep, fuck them all! As for that one loyal old man, he''d make it up to himter on¡ª maybe teach him some runes or something.
Jack turned their way and then uttered with arge grin.
"You know¡.only the worthy deserves to be saved."
His gentle voice contrasted so much with what he was saying! Was he abandoning them?! But a secondter, they began wishing that it had been the case. No, it was far worse!
He charged straight in their midst, akin to an agile monkey! He then gave a yful smile as he nced at the dozen hunters approaching, then back at the yers.
"Show me what you got."
Fuck! What kind of sadist was he?!
He had kindled their hopes, only to plunge them right back in the despair!
They felt like crying. No, they were already sobbing¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 5: A storm is brewing¡.and tea. ? ? ? (4/4)
Chapter 168: What A Chad!!
Chapter 168: What A Chad!!
The Demon King''s words were a death sentence.
"Show me what you got." He had said.
But., what the fuck were they supposed to show?! Certainly not their shaky legs, or their leaking dders, or even the sweat creeping up their asses, right?!
But that''s when an intelligent fe suddenly spoke up:
"Oh wise Demon King, please have mercy upon us! We will forever revere you as long as you offer us protection and¡ª"
Jack casually nced at the guy, his mind distracted by his current rebellious Devil predicament. Forever revere, was it? Bullshit!
The man''s eyes obviouslycked sincerity. He was like those two-faced envoys guing the Church of Light before he had gotten rid of the annoying "no killing the messengers" policy.
He could instantly tell what the man was up to.
1. Kiss-Ass
2. Climb the ranks
3. Betray him on the first asion!
4. Profit!
Jack gave a friendly smile as he over-excitedly replied:
"Really?! Forever?! That''s amazing! Now I definitely have to save you! Don''t worry. I''ll attract their attention while you run. Ready?!"
"W-what¡.yes!" The man was utterly confused. Wasn''t this change a little too quick?
Jack grabbed the man¡.. and threw him outside the defensive circle! He was heading straight toward the creatures'' maws! He screamed in horror before, during, and after (albeit shortly).
"What a shame, he almost reached safety! It seems my aim was a little off." Jack "innocently" mumbled to himself.
The yers suddenly felt like they''d rather show some backbone from that point onward. This man was scarier than the nightmarish creatures heading their way!
As for fighting him? The idea didn''t even cross their minds. They had just seen him casually wreck level 22 monsters!
Still, not all felt forced. Some were actually in high spirits, eager to fight.
1. The cultists were ready to die because Jack had asked them to! They were the minority, but their enthusiasm was goddamn impressive!
2. The smart yers had "understood" the Demon King''s purpose. He didn''t seem to care if they lived or died, but this was all a test! He would quickly step in to help as soon as they proved themselves!
One even kindly enlightened the others:
"Psst¡ª Guys, stopzing around! This is all a test. Get the fuck up and help us." He whispered to his colleagues, who rose with a look of realization.
This would be the fight of their lives! They were eager to impress the Demon King, who looked so calm even now.
This was true power! He didn''t have anything to fear!
Meanwhile, Jack was trying to figure out how to escape alive. Dozens of hunters? He could deal with three at most!
As for the disposable troops now under hismand, it was very ironic, but the less he did, the better they''d perform.
He could see the way they looked at him. Many were convinced that he had everything under control and could solo this whole event. He couldn''t!¡ªNot anymore anyway.
His options were limited:
Run? He''d get cornered and killed.
Use Magic? He''d run out of mana (HP) quickly.
Fight them melee? He''d get straight up ughtered!
Whatever he did would end horribly! That''s why he chose to stand there, rxedly tapping the air as he sent messages.
To the yers, he looked like an ultimate Chad! He didn''t put the monsters in his eyes at all!
What was he even doing? nning his next scheme? Exchanging some friendly banter? Perhaps even flirting?!
But they couldn''t watch him anymore as the deadly hunters plunged their ws into the humans. The fight was starting! No, this wasn''t a fight but a massacre.
yers 0
Hunters 15
The yers were devoured one after the other. They understood very well that a few shes like this would be sufficient to wipe them out!
"Come, you foul beasts! Taste my power!!!" The head cultist cackled as he took out an intricate-looking scepter with a dark gem atop it.
What?! Where the fuck had he gotten that?! No one had ever seen something so majestic-looking!¡ª Ah, except the Demon King''s weapons.
As he raised it high up in the air, everyone held their breath. What kind of powerful magic was he about to invoke?! As he began chanting, they felt themselves quivering in expectation.
They finally understood why the Demon King had asked them to show their power! That''s what he had wanted to see for sure! Had he known about this beforehand?
Then the chant finally reached its climax. That''s when the cultist suddenly shouted as he¡.mmed his scepter on a creature''s head.
¡ª Bonk! ¡ª
"¡."
"¡."
Really?! That was it?!
After all this build-up, he had just fucking clobbered the thing and nothing else?! Why did they feel like they had been scammed? This was bullshit!
Many died while distracted by the man''s disappointing performance, one that the other cultists still praised to no end.
"Wow, that was awesome!"
"Bonk all their heads hard!"
"Smash them until they''re dead!!"
What kind of madness was this? Why did so many of them have sticks?!
That''s when they finally realized that the intricate scepter they had seen before was actually just a glorified stick too. Those cultists were fucking insane!
They couldn''t help but stare, feeling disgruntled. The head cultists didn''t miss the opportunity to berate them.
"What are you all doing?! Fight! Fight for your God! Show him that you are worthy of his blessings! No respite nor mercy!!"
Many answered with grunts. They now realized they were better off just ignoring the cultist: fuck that guy!
As Blood flowed and lives were lost, Jack happily typed messages. Good thing that the yers couldn''t see what he was writing, or they would have freaked out.
¨C Jack''O: Help!
¨C Jack''O: Mayday!!
¨C Jack''O: Distressed Demon Here!
¨C Jack''O: Send Dudes! I Need Dudes!
¨C Jack''O: Okay¡What the fuck are you all doing?!
He couldn''t understand. Why was everyone giving him the cold shoulder all of a sudden?! This didn''t make any sense!
But then he suddenly thought of something as he sent a message to the head cultist:
¨C Jack''O: If you see this, shout Demon King thrice in a row.
Nope, nothing. He had only shouted Demon King twice in thest sentence (as usual)-. Fuck! It''s only then that Jack understood the gravity of the situation.
When the fucking messages are disabled, you know something big is about to happen¡.
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 6: Time traveling like a Boss! ^_^v ?? (1/4)
Chapter 169: Rescue Operation!!!!
Chapter 169: Rescue Operation!!!!
Jack watched all the yers perish without giving a single fuck¡ª or that''s what it looked like anyway.
Their numbers kept dwindling, but even then, he didn''t do anything about it, only gently smiling. He looked as if a man watching grass be cut,pletely indifferent.
As their bodies were crushed and their limbs severed, many gave a resentful nce his way.
Why, why, just why?! Why hadn''t he saved them?! It would have been so damn easy for him! All he had to do was kill the damn shadowy creatures!
But he didn''t, even as they disappeared, even as they lost their hard-earned XP. This was what being abandoned felt like.
Surprisingly, the old cultist survived until the end, but even he was about to go down. As the life left his eyes, he gave an apologetic smile toward his king for dying so quickly.
Jack was left alone with the dozen hunters.
They eyed him while opening their dark-hole-like maws. They wanted to devour his essence. Not only was it shining the brightest, but it also contained something that attracted them.
Even they didn''t know what it was, but they would certainly grow stronger should they devour this man.
It was freaking calling out to them, and they wouldn''t wait anymore. Oh, this would be so delicious! That''s when they pounced on him.
This would soon be over¡.
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Moon Moon had been gleefully devouring sausages when it almost choked on one. Its surprised expression made the Butcher chuckle:
"Hahaha, no need to eat so quickly. Now that your master has won, the mystery sausages are going back into production! No need to be sneaky about it anymore! Here''s another!"
But the previously cheerful wolf suddenly rose, an incredibly solemn expression on its tiny face. Then the Butcher saw the little one''s eyes and unconsciously took a step back in fright.
What the Hell?! They were color of ink and overflowed with incredible rage. The little wolf wasn''t looking at him, and yet he could feel his legs shake.
But a secondter, Moon Moon looked as it always did, fluffy and cute. Had it just been a mirage? The perplexed Butcher didn''t have time to ponder that the little one was already gone.
It didn''t know how, but at that moment, it knew that its master was in danger and there was no way it would abandon him! After all, they were family!
At first, the little wolf was rushing as fast as its tiny legs could carry it, even about to transform in its mighty battle form, but then it controlled itself.
It could hear the shadowy devilish creatures in the distance. They were everywhere! At this moment, Moon Moon knew that it couldn''t afford to die¡ª or else who would rescue Master?! No one!
Could it fight them? No way!
It could sense how scary these creatures were, and it didn''t stand a chance. But then it remembered all the adventures with Master! They had seen something simr before.
Moon Moon could vividly remember the sneaky foxes hiding in bushes, the bully wolves roaming all over the ce, and the crazy exploding chickens!
At this moment, the little wolf understood just how wise its master was. He had taught it so much, and it was time to put it to use!
I had to be sneaky, but it had to be quick too! It also needed to bring help!
That''s how a strange fluffy orange and ck shadow began sneaking from house to house across the vige akin to a ninja!
Whenever it sensed an enemying nearby, it would throw itself on the ground, behind cover. Then it would slowly count inwardly, repeating its favorite number.
"One."
"One."
"One."
Moon Moon knew "one" very well: it was a warm and caring number. It loved it! Its master would always go, "I''m getting a sausage. Want one?"
Then after counting to a few ones, the scary shadows would leave, and it would dash again.
Usually, Moon Moon wouldn''t have been afraid of them. Dying was no big deal; it just meant chasing that six-eyed god again! But this time, it could sense that its master''s situation was bad!
Moon Moon quickly reviewed possible helpers in its head,
Man that smells of iron? Too weak!
Man with the nts? Too unreliable!
Man with the big hammer? Way too far!
There was only one guy left that it could think of. He was incredibly annoying, but that didn''t matter right now. The priority was Master!
Moon Moon knew where to go already: it could hear the annoying man. He had been shouting a lot today and was still doing it now.
That''s how Moon Moon made its way over, as quickly as possible.
Then it finally reached arge group of yers. There he was! The annoying man was in the back, as naked and loud as usual.
But many I.R.L. yers noticed it first and decided to cause trouble. Before Moon Moon could attract the annoying guy''s attention, it was already surrounded!
The cowards wanted revenge on the Demon King but didn''t dare to attack the man directly. But now his pet was alone and isted. How would the little thing resist? It couldn''t!
They chuckled, a vile light in their eyes:
"Goddammit, it''s the Demon King''s mutt!"
"Let''s make it into a freaking coat!"
"Kill that fucker''s pet!"
A dozen enthusiastic yers grabbed their weapons as they charged forward. They were ready to skin the poor wolf!
At this moment, Moon Moon realized its precarious situation.
Die ¡ª> Fail to Save Master
No freaking way!
It found its little heart overwhelmed with rage for one of the first times in its life. These bastards wanted to hurt its master?!
That''s when something clicked inside it as it began cursing them!
"Woo!" (You don''t deserve any meat!)
"Woo!" (You don''t deserve headpats!)
"Woo!" (You don''t deserve to live!)
"Woo!" (Evil Bastards!)
They were evil! So freaking evil! They were enemies of everything good in this world! It felt the same ck energy it had felt back then overwhelm it.
The yers wereughing:
"Is it really trying to be menacing!"
"Hahaha, it couldn''t scare a fly!"
"What a dumb fucking wolf!"
Moon moon didn''t know how, but it suddenly knew what it had to do. It used all the hate it felt and harnessed its power! It would need all the power to save Master!
Then it opened its mouth and¡.
¡ª???????? ?????????????????????????????W????????????L????????????????????!?????????????????!???!?????????????¡ª?????????????
All the surrounding yers turned pale as they fell to their knees.
The smiles of ridicule disappeared instantly, as they were far too busy soiling themselves.
The nearby I.R.L. yers all kneeled in a pool of their own piss; their eyes widened in horror at the shadow that had very briefly appeared behind the little wolf.
A distance away, the annoying guy had been busy monologuing.
"Everyone with me! It will be time for a counterattack and¡ª" But he froze in shock as he heard AND felt Moon Moon''s mighty howl.
What the heck was that?! It sounded like an archaic godly demonic beast!!
He saw a small orange wolf staring straight at him as he turned around. But for some reason, there were at least a dozen braves lying defeated at its paws. What the hell?!
This was the Demon King''s pet, right?! What the fuck was it doing here, and how had it done so much damage?!
In the pet''s eyes, he could see its reluctance to be there, displeasure, a bit of hate, and even disdain! How could a pet be so goddamn expressive?!
That''s when it opened its mouth.
"Woo!"
Moon Moon waved its paw at the annoying guy, gesturing to follow it. Then it walked away, leading the way.
The Vige chief stilled. How the heck was he supposed to understand this?! He wasn''t a freaking druid! Was he mistaken, or was the wolf asking him to follow it?
"W-what is it?! Do you want me to follow you?" He asked, perplexed.
Moon Moon rolled its eyes at the idiot, giving him a disdainful nce. How many times would it have to repeat itself?
"Woo!"
The Chief followed the small wolf, shellshocked. As for the yers in the background, they were either trying to get up or pinching themselves.
The cute-looking Moon Moon was that scary?!
It was to be expected. After all, Moon Moon was a wolf on a mission: it had to rescue its Master¡.
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 6: Time traveling like a Boss! ^_^v ?? (2/4)
Chapter 170: Raging Inferno!!!
Chapter 170: Raging Inferno!!!
A dozen of shadowy creatures circled a man as they kept screeching at him. Their shrill cry echoed in the area as if a promise of death.
¡ª Screech!! ¡ª
Their level was even higher than at the beginning as the Corruption Rate had increased. By now, it was already at freaking 78%! This was going way too fast!
As for how Jack was still alive¡.well, it was pretty damn obvious as he stood in a literal sea of fire!
He just "chilled" there like:
???? !_! ????
¥´¥´¥´¥´ Menacing!
Knowing that he was slower than the creatures, he had chosen to hold his ground and had sprayed fire all over.
Jack was definitely working that Fire Maniption!
The inferno engulfed arge area near him as it burned so damn brightly! But, it had been generated using the same trick as at the party.
It was all show and no substance!¡ª Mostly anyway.
Right now, he was cackling madly as he gazed at the monsters, seemingly taunting them, daring them to approach. But they were hesitant as the few that had tried had been burned pretty badly.
He was mixing the fake and the true akin to a godlike illusionist:
99% of the fire ¡ª> Harmless and barely taking mana
1% of the fire ¡ª> Would char one''s skin pretty badly
Oh, neither had the potential to kill, but they did believe it could. None dared call out his bluff!
As for convincing them: Jack had used a burst skill and made them think it was DoT from walking in his sea of fire. #Totally Real #Not Fake
Now, the creatures were too scared to charge forward, leaving him to y the paper dragon as he sent fire all over the ce! Was it dangerous? Nope! Was it scary? Hell yeah!
That''s how began a prolonged stalemate. Since most of it was fake, he could sustain the illusion for a while by relying on his blood magic.
Jack could only inwardly wish that they would keep their distance. s, it seemed like that was nothing but wishful thinking.
[World Corruption Has Increased To 81%!]
[The Devil Gains Newfound Powers!]
[The Hunters Grow Stronger!]
[Almost Out of Time!]
That''s when he felt the presence of the Devil appear. But, it wasn''t weak anymore. It had seemingly absorbed some of the energy to be stronger and was happily cackling:
"Haha, you didn''t expect this, did you? I''m almost freed! I''m a changed devil now! At this rate, this ce will be mine! MINE!! Mine truly, and not with the bullshit conditions you offered me!! Hahahaha!"
Then the Devil addressed the Hunters:
"Fools! The fire is obviously all fake! What are you all waiting for?! Go get back the part of my soul that he stole!!!" the Devil screamed at its minions.
Tch¡ª Now that they had amander, they would not fall for such deception.
Jack sighed as he took his Aegis out. Even if there was no hope left, he would still fight back:
"C''mon, you faceless bastards! Come and try me!! Muahahahaha!"
He wasughing in the face of death, eager to annoy the Devil that was spectating. He wouldn''t give it the satisfaction to see him lose his spirit.
As the first creature reached him, it took him everything he had to block. He had the feeling of being a toddler in a contest of strength with a minotaur on steroids!
¡ª CLANG! ¡ª
He got pushed back, only to be instantly sandwiched by another monster. This time he barely dodged the ws, but he had to lose his bnce to do so.
¡ª MISS! ¡ª
That''s when the third shadow came and¡ª just as Jack was convinced he''d die, a fiery chicken suddenly spawned above his head, distracting the monster, rendering it confused.
Sadly, the Devil had it covered:
"It''s his wolf! A goddamn wolf! Just disregard it entirely and focus on that bastard! Hurry!"
But as it turned out, it wasn''t just the wolf. Using the short time the enemies were confused, the Vige Chief suddenly zoomed by!
"You vile creatures, your reign of terror ends now! You''re not wee in this vige!" He thundered, as loud as usual!
His fist glowed the light of Justice as hended a powerful uppercut on the nearest shadow. His fist was so mighty that the entire wraith-like body trembled, seemingly about to disappear!
"How''s that! Get wrecked!" He shouted victoriously.
But his shout was cut short as he had to defend himself from three enemies at once. Luckily, he could handle it with rtive ease, pushing them back!
That''s when the Chief suddenly gasped in shock:
"How the heck is it that they''re easier to get rid ofpared to you?!" The Chief remarked as he kept punching and pushing them back.
He looked at Jack in confusion. It didn''t make sense! These creatures were obviously more powerful than him, then why?!
"You use technique and power to fight, right?"
"Of course, every warrior does!"
"Technique loses some of its effectiveness if the opponent instantly sees through it," Jack exined.
The vige chief finally understood. There was no trick: it was experience! But he was quickly brought back to his senses as the creatures charged back!
Jack didn''t waste any time and nted himself solidly at the front along with his shield! As long as he focused 100% on defense, he''d be able to barely handle himself. #Shield Hero Time!
"Punch them all. I got you covered!" He shouted at the Chief.
"Alright! It''s time to beat up some devils!!"
Thus began their fight¡
One had to admit that this guy was great when only power was concerned! He was a motherfucking bull!
One blocked, and the other punched as they quickly gained the upper hand. At this moment, there was no sign that they were once mortal enemies.
The oath prevented the man from rebelling, so Jack was 100% at ease. He wasn''t like that annoying Devil who had already found a loophole!
"Crush their souls! Murder them!" Even now the Devil was encouraging its troops.
As for the Chief, he was defending the vige with the same persistence he had defended his title. He wasn''t showing any mercy!!
There was no need for them to talk as both found a rhythm that worked for them. Before long, they had managed to eradicate half of the dozen devils with the others fleeing.
They regained their breathing as the mastermind pouted in the background:
"Just you wait! I''ll make you both pay! You''ll regret this!" The Devil cursed as it went to do more scheming.
But things just weren''t over just yet. Jack could feel its gaze on them!
Still, for now, they had to get ready! They had to find a method to end the corruption!
Were there even yers left alive? As for the hunters, they would most likely infinitely spawn.
At least Jack was finally able to roam around. The only thing was that the messages were still disabled.
He rubbed his pet behind the ears, scratched its back, and solemnly dered:
"Private Moon Moon, you''ve performed wonderfully! But, the battlefield isn''t a ce for a small wolf like you. You can go back home and eat chips and bubblegums if you want.
"Woo!" (Nodding!)
Moon Moon had obviously understood the meaning. Master could count on it to deliver the letter now hidden in its fur!
It was time to counterattack!¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 6: Time traveling like a Boss! ^_^v ?? (3/4)
Chapter 171: They’re All Gone!!
Chapter 171: They¡¯re All Gone!!
Things were going way beyond control!
Soul-Devouring Hunters roamed the entire beginner area, snuffing the livings'' lives out.
The Devil had somehow managed to break the shackles that Jack had put on it, and now it was just snowballing, bing stronger by the second.
[World Corruption Has Increased To 86%!]
Jack couldn''t help but click his tongue in annoyance. That damn % was rising even faster than the oceans'' level! Even for him, it was impossible to do anything about it, not alone.
That''s why they had called for reinforcements by using an archaic but effective method. He had unleashed the loud Vige Chief!
"EVERYONE! GET YOUR ASSES OVER HERE!!!!!" He''d bellow over and over as if a broken record. Heck, it was so freaking loud that it was torture!
It made anyone remotely nearby feel like their eardrums would shatter. Oh, and it was super fucking effective! In a matter of seconds, the first yers were showing up.
They came running, chased by voracious, soul-devouring monsters!
There were unexpectedly a fair amount of survivors. After all, Jack and the Chief had been the primary targets for a while.
But even if they could go against the creatures using their tag-team, it didn''t change a fucking thing in the grand scheme.
1. The defeated hunters had no doubt already respawned.
2. The Devil could simply hunt the regr yers until it achieved 100% world corruption. There was no need for it to bother with them when it could just attack the weaker links.
Soon there was a sea of yers around Jack, the I.R.L. and the D.L. groups finally meeting.
Many couldn''t help but raise brows as the cultist group was nowhere to be found. What had happened to them?! Whatever¡
They were many yers, and they were united! Yet the Devil watched it all happen as it cackled:
"Hehehe, so what if you group together? You''ll only be a bigger target!! Go on, try to protect them all!" It rejoiced at seeing this scene.
The Hunters were already circling the massive army as they listened intently to the Devil. They were tasked to grab a few braves at a time and retreat right afterward.
They were so fast and powerful that they could literally waltz in the legion, grab a snack and fall back. Sure sometimes one or two would get killed¡but so what! They''d respawn!
Many couldn''t help but shake.
"I.R.L. and D.L. at the same ce¡ this won''t end well¡."
"Even with hundreds of us, we can''t do shit!"
"Fuck! I shouldn''t havee here at all!"
What many had thought would bring them safety turned out to be nothing more than serving themselves on a silver tter.
[World Corruption Has Increased To 89%!]
But that''s when Jack shouted:
"Everyone, it''s time to fuck this Devil''s n! Are you ready?!"
Instantly D.L. answered his call, cheering so loudly that the entire army shook. Of course, the Demon King would lead them to victory! They had been waiting for this moment.
But the other yers weren''t that enthusiastic. Why the fuck should they listen to that guy?! No matter how powerful he was, he remained one man.
"Any brave that doesn''t participate will be banished from the vige!" The Chief shouted a threat he couldn''t even enforce anymore.
The yers instantly gulped as they opened their eyes wide in shock. The Vige Chief was going that far?! Holy shit! Now they definitely had to cooperate!
They listened to Jack as if the freaking messiah!
"Everyone! If the Devil wants toplete the corruption process, it will need to devour powerful souls! Everyone who''s level 5+, follow my lead. We''re gonna cut its food supply directly!"
Many unconsciously took a step away from him. Wait, what?! Cut the food supply?! Weren''t they the food in this case?! What did he want to do?!
Jack grinned:
"Let''s starve this bitch. To the dungeon!!!!"
It was as if lightning had struck them as many jumped in shock. Right, they could hide in the dungeons! There was no way that the hunters would catch them there!
Suddenly all of them moved as if a tidal wave!
"Give it your all! We''ll be there soon!"
"Use all your mana and potions!"
"To the Dungeon!!"
They all rushed together, and they were unstoppable. Sure, many would get nabbed, but the vast majority survived since the hunters'' specialty was gueri tactic.
In the background, the Devil sneered at their efforts. It had already made sure that this ce was isted from the rest of the world! So what if they tried running away?
"Run all you want, but you''re all getting eaten¡ª W-what?!"
That''s when the yers started disappearing one after the others!! How the hell were they doing that?! It had to investigate the issue!
Then it understood.
It was another realm, one that was only connected to this ce. This meant that they were now stuck in there, but this was still bad news!
As it saw Jack, it couldn''t help but scream at him!
"Damn scheming human!! Demon King bastard!" But then it suddenly realized that it still had the advantage.
"So what if they hide, dumbass!! They''ll have toe out at some point, and I''ll corrupt everything!! I''ll skin you alive. I''ll fill your body with miasma, I''ll¡ª"
"Pfftt¡ª Sure you will, hahaha!" Jackughed heartily.
Wait, what?! The human wasughing?! Why?! Didn''t he understand the situation?! Wait, no! This man was far too intelligent to miss something so obvious!
"You seem to be underestimating the adaptability of humans. So what if we''re stuck in another world? I''m sure many will be happy to popte it."
( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)
"We''ll establish new roots in there, live our lives and prosper. We''ll even train and grow stronger by the day. It won''t be toote to exorcise you in a few years."
"Anyway, take care, mister ''I corrupted a lifeless world''." Jack gently waved as he disappeared into the mouth of a chicken-looking statue.
Lifeless world?! The Devil turned its gaze toward the rest of the New Leaf.
The more powerful braves? All gone!
The other ones? Disappearing too!
Before the corruption, braves appeared every second in the vige. But now, there were barely a few, if ever.
What?! Had they really given up on this world?! Devils grew stronger by stealing power from the living. A dead world was useless to it!
It had been so close too! Would it always see its "almost" sess from now on?!
[World Corruption Has Increased To 96%!]
No! It couldn''t ept that!
It would go after them, no matter what it took!
There was no way that it would let them get away with it!!!
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While the Devil was doing its best to breach into the Dungeons, the yers were alreadyining.
"How long do we have to remain here?!"
"It''s already been 5 minutes. This is getting boring!"
"We can hunt foxes for a while, but I''d rather do something else."
"¡Bro, weren''t you literally hunting foxes before the event began?!"
"Hey, there''s a big difference between hunting foxes because I want to and because I''m forced to!"
Jack''s bluff that they''d remain there for years? A day would be a freaking miracle!
It wasn''t just a matter of it being possible or not. They''d simply never ept it! As if people would tolerate self-isting for so long! Pfft¡ª What a joke!
But, the Devil didn''t know that, so it spent all its energy on breaking the barrier between the worlds.
This took all its attention¡.
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 6: Time traveling like a Boss! ^_^v ?? (4/4)
Chapter 172: Snuffing The Pesky Players Out!
Chapter 172: Snuffing The Pesky yers Out!
Jack sat on his throne, rxedly turning the pages of his Necrocluckonomicon and nodding from time to time.
He was gently ying with a me, making it twirl around his finger as it softly illuminated the dark surroundings. It was barely a flicker in the face of the Death Demonic Energy, but it was sufficient.
He didn''t care about the FLM''s song in the background, nor did he the apocalypse happening in New Leaf. He knew that all he could do was patiently wait from now on.
He kept reading, time slowly trickling by:
A minute.
An hour.
An eternity.
But then, an announcement chimed in¡
[The Devil Has Breached The Dimensional Space!]
[The Exalted Hunting Lord Is Coming!]
[Where Will You Run Now?]
Everywhere else, the yers jumped up in fright.
They were shaking in their armors, knowing they were utterly fucked!!! The Soul-Devouring Hunters intruding upon the dungeons only confirmed that sentiment.
This was a death trap! How were they freaking supposed to fight now?! They were stuck like rats on a sinking ship!
At this moment, so many cursed the Demon King!
As for Jack, he still sat on his throne, casually reading and ying with a fiery wisp. But this time, he had a huge smile on his face.
The Devil had jumped right into his trap!
"GG!" He whispered to himself.
This would be fun¡
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Never had the Devil been so happy: it had finally seeded!
After a lot of effort, it had managed to temporarily remove the pesky barriers that only allowed the brave through! There would be no refuge for them no more.
"Hahaha! Where will you run now? Go forth, my minions, and ughter them all!" It cackled gleefully.
Soon the Demon King would perish, soon it would control this ce, and soon it would be free!
Never would it have toply with the human''s demands¡.or even that guy back in the devilish realm!
Yes, YES!!! It would be able to use its newfound power to climb the ranks of the devil hierarchy. Ah, it couldn''t wait!
With the dungeons breached, the braves appeared one after the other. Their faces were a mask of terror as they were either fleeing hunters or already in their grasp.
"Ah, fuck! Get away from me, you shadow bastard!"
"Fuck this game! I just want to kill chickens!!!"
"Noooo! They''re fucking everywhere!!"
"Chief! Please help me!!!"
Some were begging, some were sobbing, and some were angry. But no matter their mental state, they''d inevitably end up in the maw of one of the Devil''s minions.
As the creatures stole their life energy, the corruption counter kept increasing.
[World Corruption Has Increased To 98%!]
[The Devil Became Even Stronger!]
By now, it could feel the power coursing through its immaterial being. It could already use part of the Mana Node''s energy and was already incontestable!
"Hahaha, finally! This will be the start of my legacy! From now on, the Exalted Hunting Lord shall rule all! There will be no exception!" It reveled in seeing its victory bing a reality
But there was a man it wanted to find. Where was the bastard? It couldn''t wait to see his face as he realized that he hadpletely lost! It couldn''t wait to¡ª
That''s when the portal in the in shook, a maning out of it. There he was
"Wee back, Demon King, hahaha. Are you ready to be tortured? I sure am! I can''t wait to see you writhe in pain under my demonic touch! Minions, capture him!"
"Sounds kinda gay if you ask me." Jack nonchntly replied.
That''s when the Devil froze. Not because of his words or attitude, but because it could feel an incredibly horrifying smell on the man.
Under his arm, he was carrying something hidden in a nket.
"W-what is that?!!" It couldn''t help but cry out.
"Tch¡ª You''re dumb, but your nose sure is sharp. What are you, a beast?!" Jackined as he sprinted away.
"Kill him, quick!!! He''s carrying something dangerous! Be careful! Whatever he''s nning, you need to crush him right now!!!" The Devil shouted, panicked.
That''s when 100% of the hunters swarmed toward Jack.
"Damn, I sure am popr today!" He jokingly grumbled as he got ready to fight.
But then, as if on cue, all the NPCs that could fight showed up, led by Bubblegum and Moon Moon! Thank god they had received his message in time!
The florist was the first to run forward excitedly:
"I heard you need me for a spell. Is that true?! What will it be this time?! Just tell me what to do! Quick!" He was so damn hyper!
He couldn''t wait to learn more stuff from Jack, looking as excited as a girl buying her first dildo.
"There you go, get to work quickly." Jack gave him the item he had been carrying.
The others couldn''t help but nce at it with incredible curiosity. What the hell was it?! All they knew was that their n relied 100% on this thing!
As it was revealed, they all gasped in shock.
This was a torch?! How hadn''t it burnt the nket already?!
No, it wasn''t just any torch. It was the one found in the Damned Chicken Pce!
It emitted a soothing aura in the surroundings as it burned with a holy light that didn''t generate any heat. Even then, it looked exactly like a me. How?!
Even if understood what it was, it instantlyforted the humans.
As for the Devil¡.
"W-what?! A holy me?! Where the hell did you get that?!" It was shellshocked.
But it got worse as it saw one of the humans start chanting with the torch held up high. What were they nning now?!
Either way, it had to stop it at all costs since holy energy was the nemesis of corruption!
"Minions! Destroy that me! NOW!!! Stop messing with the other humans and focus on those guys there!!!" The Devil thundered, its voice spreading across the chaotic apocalyptic scene.
As the hunters all turned toward Jack''s party, many couldn''t help but sigh in relief. They were saved!
But then this happened:
[Generating Special Quest!]
[A. Survive The Last Hunt!]
[B. Defend The Holy me!]
[C. Stop the Corruption of New Leaf Vige!]
[PS: Rewards Affected by General Event Performance!]
The terrified yers all seemed toe back to life at that moment. They now had something to live for!
"Finally! I was wondering why there weren''t any quests!"
"Now this is more like it! Let''s Fucking Goooooo!!"
"Where''s the Holy me? Ah, the Demon King!"
"As usual, another quest involving that guy¡."
"That''s cause he''s fighting, not running!!"
They all swarmed toward Jack''s group. They knew they''d probably die, but they''d at least get some participation rewards, right?!
On the opposite side, the incredibly deadly-looking hunters were already surrounding Jack''s group, ready to tear them to pieces.
"Everyone, hold your fucking ground if you don''t want to be hunted daily!!"
"With everyone helping, this will be a cinch! Let''s fucking win!!"
"Follow the Demon King! Huzzah!!"
As the Devil saw them get organized, it realized half-assing this wouldn''t work. Good thing that it had just unlocked an ability from increasing the corruption.
This new trump card of his would wipe them all out for sure¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 7: Tomorrow will be special yet the same ?? (1/4)
Chapter 173: This Is Bonkers!!
Chapter 173: This Is Bonkers!!
At this moment, a certain sub-purpleddit called was blowing up.
-Babies&Butter: Holy shit, guys! The goddamn Devil is growing even stronger!
-JellyJellyFishy: Yeah,st I heard, the freaking hunters were level 25+. How does one deal with that?!
-SupImABot: This is an automated message. DO NOT LOG INTO NEW LEAF!! Don''t do it! Don''t be yet another casualty of the Devil. We hiding, brotha!!!
-ILikeTrains: Guys, that bot''s old news!! Log in! Fucking log in! It gives a quest now, and it''s time for the counterattack!
-BallsTinglingWithHype69: Can you feel the hype?!!! ?? Can you?! ??
-STDCollector: Oh god! Time to get those sweet rewards! Can you guys imagine what we''ll get for beating that dude?!
-911WasAnOutsideJob: I''ming too! This Devil can suck on my mighty stick!!!
-TomatoPhone: LOG IN!!!!
New blood wasing over. The yers would call all their friends and get them to join in on the fun! There were so many yers spawning that the blue shes illuminated the dark fog!
Then they''d make their way toward the main battlefield, aka right outside the chicken dungeon! They could already hear the shouts of the yers there, and it was glorious!
"Protect the Holy me!!!"
"Don''t let those fuckerse anywhere near!"
"So what if they''re super strong, super fast, invincible, and¡.fuck!!!"
Hundreds of yers were resisting as thest bastion of humanity! (At least the one in New Leaf)
Any neer couldn''t help but gulp in fright. What monstrosity were those creatures?! None looked the same, but they all were positively fucking scary!
It was as if death was lurking on the new Leaf in! Did they really want to get mixed with that?! They would actually do it for the loot!!
Yep, the sweet promise of a reward was luring them all in! The holy glow in the middle acted like a beacon. The loot was right there!!!
yers and Hunters were akin to moths as they threw themselves straight at the me! They''d then meet in the middle, and it turned into one huge-ass meat grinder!!
Heck, Moon Moon was even turning a sad eye to the whole thing. There was so much meat getting lost right now!
Then there was an evil being fawning the mes.
"Kill them all! All of them!!! Especially destroy that ursed torch!!!" The Devil screamed at its troops.
The hunters were relentless while the yers kept losing more and more XP as they died over and over again! Some screaming over the chaos:
"Fuck, I''ve just lost a level!!"
"But have you lost your courage?"
"Heck no! Wish me luck. I''m going back in!
They were all dying over and over¡and for what?! No, seriously, for what?! None of them freaking knew! But, they believed in the Demon King and the Chief. They had to have a n!!
In this case, "they" actually should have referred to Jack. He slowly guided the magical instructor, telling him how to control the holy energy.
Somehow it looked as if he had done this all his freaking life!! The Chief standing guard by the side was utterly confused:
1. Where had the holy torche from?
2. What kind of spell were they weaving with it?
3. How did the Demon King know how to manipte holy energy?!
4. Also, how had the Devil gone from standing at the man''s side to turning on him?!
He felt like a LOT was happening at once. Thus, he did the logical thing and stood still,pletely disregarding it all. He would just stand guard and punch things. Yep!
In fact, the only one other than Jack who had an understanding of what was going on was the florist, but he was way too busy focusing to tell anyone.
Never in his NPC life had he done a task so hard! This was the perfect opportunity to learn! A huge smile wouldn''t leave his face.
This was freaking holy energy!! How amazing was that! In any case, he would soon be done and simply couldn''t wait! He felt like he had been born for this very moment!
The yers sensed that things were going well and began cheering.
"Guys, I think we got this in the bag!"
"Motherfucker, that''s a death g right there!"
"Tch¡ª Are you superstitious? How silly! As if it would change anything!"
"Death g? Who cares! We got the devilishly handsome Demon King with us!"
The yers chuckled, feeling that the tide was turning in their favor. They couldn''t wait for that one annoying Devil to stop cackling in the background!
But that''s when it started cackling even harder. "Hahahahahahahaha!!¡..You guys really pushed this Devil into a corner!"
"What is wrong with it?!"
"Has it gonepletely bonkers?"
"That sounds so ominous! What is it nning?!"
That''s when the Devil finally went all in! This was how it would eradicate the pesky Demon King!
"Try and survive this!" It waved its invisible, immaterial hand as it gave a conqueror''s grin! (still invisible)
That''s when the density of the Demonic Energy in the air suddenly increased.
This was so much freaking overkill! It was as crazy as a sleep-deprived author drinking 100 cups of coffee at once!
It affected everyone in the in alike without discrimination.
[You Are Affected By Demonic Energy!]
[Your Body Is Being Corrupted!]
-1
-1
-1
-1
yers all over the battleground began to lose HP every damn second! While it wasn''t that much damage, how were they supposed to fight now?!
Would they have to chug potions non-stop? It was already challenging to do that inbat, but now they also had a time limit? This was madness!
But then they realized with horror that it wasn''t all. The energy also affected the enemies! The Hunters suddenly began to grow bigger, stronger and their expressions were sharper!
Oh god, no! What kind of crazy transformation was this?!
Earlier, the creatures had been rising in level, but now it was aplete overhaul! They were now Soul-Devouring Hunters 2.0!
Oh, and they were ready to party!
As the yers saw the buffed creatures charge toward them, they collectively shat their pants.
How the fuck were they supposed to survive this?! What was worse was that even the Demon King was frowning¡.
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 7: Tomorrow will be special yet the same ?? (2/4)
Chapter 174: Invincible?! What The Hell!
Chapter 174: Invincible?! What The Hell!
Jack deeply frowned as he saw the hellish army decimating the human troops. They pounced on the yers, ending their lives as easily as one would chickens.
< Soul-Devouring Exalted Hunter lv 25 ??? >
It was as if the Hunters had been injected Stimpacks! Their damage, speed¡and even resistance were increased exponentially.
Jack quickly did a few mental calctions. There were a few hundred yers and a few dozens of the creatures, but the allies would be wiped before one could say Pumpkiiinnn!
Fuck! This was the freaking worst!
"Hahahaha, this is the end!! Kneel over and admit your defeat!! Actually, there''s no need. Minions, kill them all!!" The Devil''s voice resounded across the battlefield.
With each of its cackles, more and more humans would die. Itsugh was the precursor of their defeat, driving the monsters to a frenzy.
The dark miasma invaded all, with the humans barely able to fend it off! They were struggling even more with the deadly predators! Screams of distress echoed only to be instantly silenced.
At this rate, it would soon be over, they''d perish and the holy light would be snuffed out. Many yers were alreadyining.
"Noooo! This is impossible to clear!"
"We''d need about a thousand more yers!"
"How the hell is this so unbnced?! It''s like no one nned this event!!!"
Jack couldn''t help but give a wry smile. Thest guy was definitely right since he had been the one forcefully summoning the Devil.
But, how could anyone have known that it would somehow devolve into this whole mess?!
To be fair, anyone else confronted with a sudden apocalypse would have probably lost their cool long ago.
The be even fairer, it wasn''t like others even had the qualifications to attempt such an insane thing in the first ce.
But now he had clean up¡
Thest line of defense had just fallen, and the creatures were upon them. Jack''s party stepped forward, but they knew their efforts were futile. This was only thest effort of a dying cause.
This was the Devil''s victory. They knew it, it knew it, and Jack¡ sighed as he resolved himself to use a trump card of his own. He wanted to keep it, but his hand was forced!
"Stupid Devil, you should have stayed obedient. Now there''s no turning back anymore." He scoffed.
That''s when he extended his arms, summoning giant mes toward the rest of the in. A secondter, Jack had created an enormous ring of fire around their little group.
The scene looked incredibly heroic with the fiery circle and the holy glow in the middle! But that didn''t impress the Devil one bit!
"Hehe, it''s only a matter of time before you run of mana! What will you do then!!" The evil cackle,ughing its ectosm out.
But the man simply gave a small smile of ridicule.
"When I run out of mana? I''ll do this instead!" Jack stated.
That''s when the mes suddenly changed. From pure fiery destruction, they became tainted with darkness. Were there traces of demonic energy in there?!
The stunned Devil realized that the man was pouring his very life essence into the spell. Was he crazy?! At this rate, he''d die in a heartbeat!
But just as his HP was running out, Jack casually gulped a potion, then another and another. What the fuck?! He was popping them as an incredible junkie would! There was no downtime at all!
+24 HP!
+22 HP!
+23 HP
As soon as his HP went up, he''d instantly spend it to increase the might of the mes! No, those weren''t just mes anymore. It truly was an inferno!
It consumed the in, the Hunters, the yers, and any other creature still alive. It devoured absolutely everything.
"How?! This doesn''t make sense! How can you do that?!! What are you?! The Devil cried out as Jack kept raining fire.
[ + Fire Maniption Mastery! ]
[ + Fire Maniption Mastery! ]
[ + Fire Maniption Mastery! ]
¡
"We call this an exploit." Jack''s murmur was almost lost amidst the crackling of the magical mes. Only hispanions barely heard it.
The NPCs were especially stunned.
"H-how is this possible?!"
"X-ploit? What kind of power is this?!"
"It must be an incredibly unique one!"
"This goes against the veryws of magic!"
"He''s using his very life force. The pain must be unbearable!"
Yet even now, Jack was smiling as he grinned at the Devil in the distance. So what if the creature had OP troops? He was motherfucking Jack''O!
At this moment, he had been elevated from Demon King to God of Fiery Destruction in their eyes. Many even wondered what he was doing in the mortal realm!
The heat kept rising, so quickly that it would have put the greatest arsonists ever to shame. The firepletely engulfed the shadowy creatures.
The Hunters all died, all at once!
"W-WHAT?!" The Devil trembled in fright but then resolved itself.
The human wanted a fight of endurance? It would freaking bring it on! It was ready to drain the mana node''s power to the veryst drop! It sent all that mana to its minions!
"Let''s see you fight this!!!!" The Devil screamed in annoyance, rage, and pure malice.
The shadows were still disappearing, but they''d instantly respawn as soon as they were gone! They were seemingly invincible!
This face-off made everyone feel like they were insignificant inparison. Many I.R.L. members fell in fear as they witnessed it all!
But then one of them finally ran out of juice¡.
[Detected Multiple Usages of Blood Magic!]
[Abnormal Quantity Of Spells Detected!]
[Analyzing! Analyzing! Please Wait!]
[Added Overexertion Bacsh!]
The system had already fixed the exploit. From now on, this infinite "mana" trick wouldn''t work anymore. With it stopped all offensive from Jack.
The inferno disappeared entirely as the Devil cheered.
"Hahaha, it''s over for you! It''s time to die and¡ª"
But instead of showing despair, Jack looked incredibly confident. His arms were even crossed as he nced at the battlefield.
"Idiot, I was only buying time!" Jack winked, and that''s when the Devil finally remembered that its target hadn''t been Jack, but the holy torch!
Except, it was already toote¡.
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 7: Tomorrow will be special yet the same ?? (3/4)
Chapter 175: Tons Of Holy Shit!!!
Chapter 175: Tons Of Holy Shit!!!
At that moment, all eyes turned toward Jack as he looked so damn confident!
The legion of shadow beasts was rushing at him, ws ready to tear and maws prepared to devour. But, he didn''t even bother to take a defensive stance as he yfully winked at the creatures.
The few yers miraculously still alive cried out:
"The balls on this guy!"
"Is he just going to stand there?!"
"Oh yes, he freaking will. No fucks given!"
But just as the enemies were about to reach him, the florist finallypleted the ritual. Instantly a shockwave of holy energy spread in a ring shape, sending all the shadows violently tumbling backward.
¡ª Screech! ¡ª
The creatures screeched in pain, for this energy was their nemesis. Yet, this was only the beginning!
Light began to radiate outwardly from the magician. It began to pulsate, inundating the surroundings with a warm glow that gave hope to the humans. Then he shouted a few more words of power.
All across the in, a miracle happened. This spell was simr to the one he had used long ago during the Chicken invasion.
Giant nts rose all over the ce as the grass turned into powerful nt abominations. But this time, there was a key difference: It was imbued with holy energy!
< Holy Magical Shapeshifting Weed Level 20 ???>
They''d radiate circles of holy light wherever they spawned, driving the demonic mana away! The dark energy had encountered its natural enemy and was running away!
This created pockets of clear air in the otherwise dark, nightmarish ambiance.
"Quick! Head there!"
"As long as we stay on the edge of the nts, we''ll be fine!"
"Just be careful not to get eaten by the nts. They''re super strong!"
"Yeah guys, especially be careful with the tentacles. Once it gets you, it just ys with your body to its heart''s content!"
"¡.."
"¡?!"
But as the yers rushed to safety, they had a delightful surprise. The holy weeds were unexpectedly friendly.
Eating Random yers ¡ª> No way!
Eating Delicious Demonic Creatures ¡ª> Hell yeah!!!
The nts didn''t even bother attacking them as they sucked in the miasma and attacked the now panicked Hunters.
The dark creatures had been damn near invincible earlier, and only Jack had really managed to kill a bunch of them. But everything had changed now!
Holy energy to the monsters was akin to math homework to students: terrifying and possibly deadly!
"W-what is all this?! What madness is this?! How are those nts so strong?! HOW!!!" The Devil was having a breakdown as it witnessed its minions get ughtered.
Jack''s concerned voice obviously didn''t help.
"What happened, little Devil? You sound a little bit upset. Would you like to talk about your feelings with little ol'' me? Don''t worry. I''m a great listener!" Heforted.
"Y-you!! Fuck you! Fuck your holy energy, fuck your nts and especially fuck you!! You''re evil! So freaking evil! Was that your n from the fucking start?!!!!" The Devil cried out.
The yers couldn''t help but stare, shellshocked as they drew cold breaths.
Holy shit! Jack had utterly broken the Devil. He had turned the all-powerful corrupting evil that had easily overpowered their entire vige into the crying mess that it now was!!
Quite a few suddenly made a mental note never to offend him. Fuck, it was the fastest way to Hell!
It turned out that on the evil spectrum: Demon King > Devil
They naturally redoubled efforts in their vengeful monster-cleaning quest. They''d show the Demon King that they could be useful, even if only a tiny bit!
They had to show the Demon King that they were helping with the cleaning. They didn''t dare have him turn against them!
"Noooo. This is impossible! All of you step out of the golden light! You bunch of cowards, step outside and fight like proud Devils!!!" The being screamed, obviously having lost it.
The Devil''s immaterial body kept quivering in pain. It felt connected to its minions, and it was the freaking worst right now!
When they devoured, it would feast with them and grow stronger, but now that they were getting obliterated, it felt as if burned by thousands of suns!
"ARRRRGGG! The light, it buuuurnnsss!!!" It screamed non-stop.
But the Devil''s shrieks only emboldened the yers as they happily thundered.
"Let''s clean this up properly!
"What do we have to fear now! Nothing!"
"Use whatever CC ability you have and bring the creatures into the light!"
But that''s when something peculiar happened. The chickens had started to respawn ever wherever there was no demonic energy. They would utter a majestic cry as they did: they were back!
¡ª Cluck!!¡ª
¡ª Cluck!! Cluck!!¡ª
¡ª Cluck!! Cluck!! Cluck!!¡ª
As more and more chickens appeared, there was less and less space in the holy areas. But even then, they just kept spawning!
It was as if the game ounted for all the chickens that hadn''t spawned earlier¡.all at once!!
There were freaking chickens as far as the eye could see, and they made their presence heard!
¡ª Cluck!! Cluck!! Cluck!!¡ª
¡ª Cluck!! Cluck!! Cluck!!¡ª
¡ª Cluck!! Cluck!! Cluck!!¡ª
They were still peaceful for some reason, but they were definitely pushing the yers out just by spawning. But that''s when many began to notice the way the chickens looked at the shadow monsters.
"Damn, those chickens are mad!"
"So much resentment! They really hate the Hunters!"
"At this rate, it looks like they''re about to get revenge ASAP, haha!
Thest yer had just been joking, but then something incredible happened. The chickens began pecking at the nts for some reason?
A secondter, the damn chickens were glowing golden! What?! Suddenly they seemed super excited, as if they had taken powerful tonics!
< Holy Crusader Chicken Lv 5 ???>
¡ª Cluck!! Cluck!! Cluck!!¡ª
¡ª Cluck!! Cluck!! Cluck!!¡ª
¡ª Cluck!! Cluck!! Cluck!!¡ª
They just kept clucking as they stared at the creatures invading their in! Then they all charged!
The yers watched inplete awe:
"This the most beautiful thing I''ve ever seen!"
"Look at those beautiful majestic feathery bastards go!"
"Go on, Chicky. You can do it! Peck that big bad guy into oblivion!"
They''d throw themselves at the creatures that would kill them with a swipe of their ws. The problem was that the chickens would then explode in a puff of feathers and holy aura.
It would ssh straight unto their murderer and cause them so many burns! Holy fuck, they all had the freaking martyrdom perk!! It wasn''t the basic one either!!
It was hrious, but the level 5 chickens werepletely winning this war. Then again, many yers knew not to underestimate the cute feathery creatures.
"Oh my god, I''m so d to be here today!"
"Gentlemen, today we''ve witnessed History!"
"That one time that Holy Chickens saved the day!"
"Hehe, please! It''s obviously all thanks to the Demon King!"
They all nced in his direction. He was slowly walking toward a now semi-material amalgam of energy. Was this the Devil?!
Every of Jack''s steps had the "evil" crying for mercy.
"Please stop! Let it end! Please make it stop! Live and let live? Please!"
Jack had such a gentle smile at this moment as he gently whispered, "Nope!". Many couldn''t help but chuckle, with Seraphine turning red for some reason¡
"F-fine!!! Let''s go down together! Screw you!!"
Suddenly the Devil went all out, radiating with incredible energy! Was it blowing itself up?! Many could instinctively feel it: this would wipe them all!
Oh god! This energy was so dark and ominous! It was vengeful, and it wanted nothing more than to hurt them no matter the costs!
"Hehehehehe! You''ll pay! You''ll pay! You''ll¡ª" It was goingpletely insane!
But it got even worse! The being suddenly began floating as a dark mass of energy encircled it. What was happening?!
The mana was so chaotic, and it was raising a freaking storm all around!
At this moment, many couldn''t help but gulp. There needed to be someone to stop it, but approaching was impossible! What kind of crazy situation was this?!
But even then, Jack didn''t show any sign of being frightened. He simply shrugged as he gestured toward the nearby Bubblegum, whispering something in her ears.
She promptly left as the world kept turning darker and darker under the Devil''s ultimate spell. She had toe back soon, or they''d all be dead!
They didn''t have to wait long as she came back with Jack''s secret weapon.
As they saw what it was, the yers couldn''t help but gasp in shocked awe. He looked like a legendary general as he gestured to start the assault!
How could a man look so awesome?!
"Release the Chickens!" He valiantly thundered, no trace of pity in his voice.
Yes, Bubblegum had gone to the nearby Chicken Arena and had brought back with her an entire legion of the little creatures!
They may not have looked like much at first, but as soon as they pecked the weeds, they turned into heroic Chicken Pdins!
At their head was an incredible being that radiated with suave grace and raw clucking power!
< Holy Crusader Chicken: Michael-Clucking-Jackson Lv 5 ???>
With it as their leader, the troops were in good ws! It took the rookies under its wings and charged at the enemy! It was the most impressive moonwalk backward charge ever!
The Devil almost had a heart attack as it saw the chickens pounce on it¡ª but it didn''t have any.
Thanks to the Holy Energy, the chickens majestically flew to the offensive and easily pierced its demonic shield!
Then began an incredibly amazing yet worrying show as the Chickens almost entirely devoured the Devil. #Holy Pecking!
It eventually got banished back to its realm along with a despairing wail that came from its very essence. Why was the human realm so scary nowadays?!
As the Chickens clucked in victory, the yers held their breaths, expecting the rewards toe. They couldn''t wait!
[The Devil Has Been Defeated! Issuing Rewards!]
¡.!!!!
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 7: Tomorrow will be special yet the same ?? (4/4)
A bitte since it''s already morning, but long chap ??
Chapter 176: [ STATUS! ]
Chapter 176: [ STATUS! ]
A single system announcement made the entire New Leaf yer base tremble with excitement.
[The Devil Has Been Defeated! Issuing Rewards!]
The ones who had participated in the Event were incredibly hopeful, while the ones that hadn''t gossiped as they awaited the reveal.
It would be different for everyone, and this was especially the case for Jack. He was snickering on the side, looking at his messages.
The system was about to write a novel just to analyze this one Event!
[Completed the surprise Devil Event Quest Line!]
[Analyzing performance! Analyzing!
[Incredible Achievement Detected!]
[Incredible Achievement Detected!]
[Incredible Achievement Detected!]
[Repaired Exalted Hunting Lord''s Altar!]
[Sessfully Summoned the Exalted Hunting Lord!]
[Sessfully Survived the Devil''s Nightmare Realm!]
[Sessfully Established a Temporary Devil Contract!]
[Sessfully Brought The Vige Chief Under Your Banner!
[Reversal!! The Devil Found A Mana Node! Shocking!!!]
[Sessfully Recruited The Braves Under Your Banner!]
[Analyzing! Analyzing!]
[D.L. Group ¡ª> Demon King''s Banner!]
[Cultist Group ¡ª> Devotion Toward You!]
[I.R.L. Group ¡ª> Indirectly Controlled!]
[The Resistance Has Unified Thanks To You!]
[Brought Humanity To A Temporary Retreat!]
[Paused The Corruption of New Leaf Entirely!]
[Tricked The Devil Into Invading The Dungeons!]
[Brought Back The Holy me From The Dungeon!]
[Organized The Weed Holy Imbuement Ritual!]
[Faction Aplishment: Sessfully Stalled For Time!]
[User Has in Soul-Devouring Exalted Hunter ??!]
[Managed To Defeat An Invincible Foe Completely Alone!]
[Analyzing! Analyzing!! Error Detected! Error Detected!]
[User Has in Soul-Devouring Exalted Hunter ??!]
[User Has in Soul-Devouring Exalted Hunter ??!]
[User Has in Soul-Devouring Exalted Hunter ??!]
¡.Jack''s whole screen instantly filled up.
[Analyzing! Analyzing!! Error Detected! Error Detected!]
[Creative Use of Blood Magic And Fire Maniption! GG!]
[Managed To Defeat The Soul-Devouring Legion Repeatedly!]
[Incredible Feat! User Has in The Demonic Army Alone!]
[Sessfully Destroyed The Devil''s Sanity! PTSD Forever!]
[Sessfully Guided "Florist" Into Completing Holy Ritual!]
[Drove The Devil To Suicide! It Initiated Self-Destruction!]
[Sessfully Used¡Chicken Army To Cause Devil''s Demise?!!]
[Sessfully Banished The Devil Out of New Leaf Vige!]
[Saved the Entire Region of New Leaf From Corruption!]
[Checking Resulting Public Opinion From NPCs + yers!]
[Public Opinion Is Surprisingly Favorable!]
[Made The Entire Vige Do Your Bidding!]
[Sessfully Schemed Against All Sides!]
[Calcting Contribution Score!]
[12%, 24%, 58%, 85%, 137%, 213%¡.]
[Error! Error! Impossible To Calcte!]
[Issuing Maximum Rewards Possible!]
[Analyzing! Analyzing! Please Wait!]
As soon as Jack saw thest lines, he gave a triumphant smile. There it freaking was! It was the legendary "Congrattions, you broke the fucking game" reward screen!!!
Heck, this was way better than a perfect score! At this point, even the system didn''t know how to deal with the issue. Now he just had to cross his fingers.
"Please make it be something game-breaking!" Jack inwardly chanted over and over.
He held his breath, looking way more intense than he had been during the actual apocalypse level event!
To him, the earlier fight had just been that, a single challenge to add to a long list. But this would possibly affect his entire development.
[Unlocked Magical Array Creation F!]
[Unlocked Summoning Affinity F!]
[Acquired Title: Inviting a Friend! +5% Summon Stats (Passive)]
[Unlocked Resilience Attribute (Mental), +10 !]
[Acquired Title: Illusion? Where?! Increased Illusion Resistance!)]
[Unlocked Negotiation F!]
[Acquired Title: Ah, Yes. The Negotiator! Boost to Negotiation!]
[Leadership Increased Greatly!]
[Acquired Title: Evil Scheming In The Shadows!]
[me Maniption Has Ranked UP!]
[me Maniption Has Ranked UP!]
[Gained tremendous XP! Level Up!]
[Gained tremendous XP! Level Up!]
[Gained tremendous XP! Level Up!]
[Gained tremendous XP! Level Up!]
[Gained tremendous XP! Level Up!]
[Acquired Title: An Army? Oh no! Anyway¡+15% Dmg VS armies]
[Unlocked Teaching F!-]
[Title Living Call of the Void leveled up!¡ª Dangerously Persuasive]
[Unlocked Devilish Soul!]
[Increased Affinity to Demonic Energy!]
[EPIC! New Race Unlocked! Demonic Human!]
[EPIC! New ss Unlocked! Devilish Demonic Agent!]
[Unlocked Blessing of the Hunt! Bonus against weakened targets!]
[Detected Title: Demon King!]
[Title Affected by Devilish Soul! Level UP!!]
[Unlocked Personal Runic Symbol! ?????? ???]
[Unlocked Demon King''s Weapon Aspect (Nascent)!]
[Demon King: The higher the fear, the higher the power!]
That''s where the flurry of notifications ended. At this moment, Jack didn''t even bother to hide his joy as he began tough madly.
"Muahahaha!" He was as happy as a kitty that had eaten catnip brownies.
Hisugh echoed in the ins, making every yer turn toward him and stare in shock. What kind of reward had he obtained to rejoice so much?!
"Holy shit!"
"It''s the first time I see him like that!"
"Whatever he received, I bet it''s super crazy!"
Jack heard thatstment and gave a knowing smile. Super crazy didn''t even begin to cover it!
Life skills, attributes, and passives? Always great to have!
The resilience attribute, for instance, was as difficult to unlock as the leadership or courage stats. It was especially helpful to resist spells.
Summoning bonuses? Awesome! This would go nicely with the spells in the Necrocluckonomicon for sure!
Level up? More than wonderful!
It wasn''t supposed to be possible to level above level 10 in the Tutorial, so this was a big deal! Then again, it wasn''t supposed to be possible to summon a Devil either.
Gaining two ranks of me Maniption was a huge leap! This represented countless uses of the skill; Rank E was the equivalent of the skill being level 20, fucking twice the max Tutorial level!
The new Blessing of the Hunt was an amazing passive that would certainlye in handy. This had straight been the devil''s power!
The new runic symbol would allow him to pimp his Infinite Cloak and increase "drip"!
His new titles had so much potential too. The most notables ones were:
1. Call of the Void: This could have unexpected cheese potential
2. An Army?: The damage potential was great. He foughtrge groups so often that it would certainlye in handy!
3. Demon King: This one would let him feed on the fear of his opponents to be stronger, as devils would. This one was by far the best!
Then there was the whole fucking Devilish Demonic Soul thingy.
A new race and ss?! Both were EPIC and had insane growth potential!
Getting this opportunity so early in the game was madness! It would allow one to snowball so hard! All Infinite yers would have died of jealousy had they known.
[Would you like to change Race / ss Y/N?]
"No fucking way, you can keep it!"
Jack instantly rejected it. Sure Demonic Human was powerful and all, but he was freaking done with humans. It was so boring!
His new motto was:
Reject Humanity ¡ª> Embrace Undeath!
As for the agent ss, it just didn''t fit his ystyle. Agents were too low on the totem pole for his tastes. One would have to revere Devils to gain power: fuck that!
Then there was the Demon''s King aspect.
Then there was the freaking DEMON KING''S ASPECT!!!!
It was that big of a deal. It would read weapon, but it was actually an ability that allowed one to use demonic energy to generate an ultimate weapon at a cost.
1. It was hard to use
2. It was hard to upgrade
3. It was hard not to ughter countless yers while wielding one!
Without waiting, he quickly summoned it. The florist nearby couldn''t help but gasp in shock and awe as he felt the incredible energy emitted by the invocation.
The poor NPC was shaking, his heart about to explode from the excitement. He could feel how incredible this would be! The earlier events were nothing inparison to this!
Then it appeared, in all its magnificence and all its incredible power. It shone with a dark luster, its surface darker than a ck hole and seemingly absorbing all light around.
The florist could barely resist his urges to pounce on the amazing weapon. He was already giving puppy eyes toward the devilishly handsome man that had summoned it.
Even CPR dude by the side couldn''t help but praise wholeheartedly:
"Damn! That''s a nice toothpick!" He gave a thumbs up.
Yep, besides the florist, no one had realized how amazing it was. Jack had summoned a very tiny ck toothpick. It looked pretty cute. As for using it to ughter people? Perhaps it could pierce sandwiches.
But Jack didn''t discount it for he knew its secret:
Current power: 0
Potential power: ¡Þ
This was a soul-bound weapon. As long as he didn''t lose his ount, he would always have it with him.
He would just have to turn it into the mightiest, most legendary toothpick ever! Hell, one day bards would sing about it!
There was just one thing left. He gave a grin as he eagerly whispered the magic word: Status.
That''s when he could finally gaze upon the progress he had made ever since joining the game. This was all the result of his hard work!
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?? [ STATUS! ] ??
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
yer: Jack'' O Level 15
ss: None
Title: Demon King!
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HP: 50
Mana: 25
Condition: Healthy
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Armor Rating: 18 (60%)
Defense Type: Bnced
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STR: 19 + 1
AGI: 1 + 9
INT: 33 + 11
SPI: 1 + 7
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Resilience 10
Leadership 26
Fire Affinity 16
Holy Energy Affinity -13
Demonic Energy Affinity 37
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¨C Bloody Cleave F
¨C Fire Maniption E
¨C Wolf Blessing (1/day)
¨C Demon King''s Weapon Aspect (Nascent)
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¨C Teaching F
¨C Gathering F
¨C Negotiation F
¨C Butchering F+
¨C Magical Array Creation F
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¨C Well-Fed
¨C Regeneration (¡ª)
¨C Blood Scent (1 STR + 1 AGI )
¨C Shadow Guardian
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¨C Devilish Soul ?
¨C Burning Man F
¨C Walking Cmity F
¨C Summoning Affinity F
¨C Blessing of the Hunt F
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There were a few points to note:
1. Basic stats had increased a lot!
2. The extra stats had slowly risen as well.
3. His armor rating had stayed the same but the % lowered since it was now showing for level 15
4. Walking Cmity F¡.What the fuck was that? No matter how much Jack racked his brain, he couldn''t remember this. Had he perhaps gotten this during the party?
But that''s when an announcement came, one that would change Infinite forever. Jack knew what this meant: he really had to leave the Tutorial ASAP!
[yer Lightbringer Has Completed Quest "A NEW ERA"!]
[His Achievements Will Be Celebrated For Ages!]
[Unlocking New Infinite Functionalities!]
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 8: Celebrating a very handsome author''s birthday ??
This chap took a while, not gonna lie, enjoy! xD
Chapter 177: Is It Love? Goddamnit!
Chapter 177: Is It Love? Goddamnit!
The announcement came as if lightning, shocking the yers as much as a toaster bomb bath!
[yer Lightbringer Has Completed Quest "A NEW ERA"!]
[His Achievements Will Be Celebrated For Ages!]
[Unlocking New Functionalities!]
This instantly raised many murmurs:
"What the hell is this?! New stuff?!"
"Wait, does that mean Infinite is getting an update?!"
"Who knows. Anyway, I freaking hate that fucker!!"
"So does the rest of D.L.! He did trash talk our leader¡."
"Thrash talk or not, he''s bound to have some serious skills."
But then the system chimed again, and with every new addition, they grew more excited.
[LOCKED = Conditions Are Only Partially Met!]
[Recording Near Safe Zones Now Avable!]
[Infinite Streaming LOCKED!]
[Infinite Forums LOCKED!]
[Trading LOCKED!]
[Guilds LOCKED!]
[Arena LOCKED!]
"That''s so much stuff!"
"Yes, but why is it all locked?!"
"Damn, this system is such a tease!"
"Guys! At least we can record outside of the Dungeons now!"
So many excitedly bugged the system to start recording their surroundings. The girls were already taking selfies while the boys were ying the overenthusiastic cameraman.
"First recording In New Leaf, woo! Isn''t my avatar pretty?"
"Everyone, look at this rock. Isn''t it so freaking smooth and big?!"
"What''s the point of aiming at rocks. There are so many cute bubble butts around!"
"Amateurs! Amateurs, all of you! You gotta record the feet, otherwise what''s the point!"
"You bunch of horny bastards! The holy chickens and weeds are still here. Better record them before they despawn!"
Jack sighed slightly. They sure were having fun!
How would they react if they knew that the recording function had been there since the beginning? How surprised would they be?
In any case, this meant that he could now use the footage he did have. He grinned, picturing theizens'' reaction as he thought of his next step.
He had to leave the tutorial ASAP! Now that the Vige Chief was part of his crew, it was only a formality. This also meant that he''d have to settle everything before going.
Jack was like the headmaster of an orphanage about to go overseas. He had to make sure that the children had food, water and that they kept the sweatshop running in his absence!
He turned to the Vige Chief and CPR dude by the side:
"I''m logging off for a little while. I''m counting on you two to take care of D.L. We''ll do most of the changes when Ie back. Anyway,ter." He waved before adding:
"Oh yeah, Bubblegum, thanks for being so quick! You saved me!" He gently smiled as he disappeared in a purple sh.
The few people left behind shared nces.
"Every time he''s here, the vige trembles."
"And yet he always leaves so damn casually!"
"Yep, always in a sh of purple too! That''s so awesome!"
CPR dude was about to say something about Jack being an NPC, but Bubblegum stopped him. She didn''t want to hear his wacky theories AGAIN!
They patiently went to do their own business, but then this happened:
[Ding! Official Infinite Promotional Videos releasing!]
[Made By The Incredible and Beloved Infinite System!]
[Releasing One Per Vige: Wee to X Vige!]
[Would you like to watch it now?!]
"Oh? This seems entertaining. y it!"
"Free Infinite movie? Hell yeah! Now I just need popcorn!"
"System-chan made it? Who knew she was that talented!"
Many couldn''t help but nce at thatst guy.
System-chan? Dafuq?! Many sneered in ridicule, but many cultured men gave the guy a big thumb up, whispering: "Follow your dreams, brother! System Waifu FTW!"
But as they began watching the video, their faces inevitably turned incredibly strange. They were ying and reying it over and over, confirming and reconfirming.
At this moment, many felt like their whole Infinite life had been a lie! An eloquent man expressed how they all felt in the most poetic terms:
"Holy shit!!! What the actual fuck?!"
They couldn''t help but nce at the spot the Demon King had been a minute ago, still shaken by what they had seen¡.
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As Bubblegum saw him disappear in a purple sh, she chuckled to herself. Geez! How was he able to even make a simple logout look cool?!
A sense of loss apanied his disappearance. Now that he was gone, she knew that New Leaf would be boring. After all, he had caused most of the catastrophes in the vige.
It was such a shame that he had to leave this ce so soon.
They didn''t y together much nowadays, but she still enjoyed watching him summon cmities left and right. Hell, that Devil event had been so entertaining! They were the only vige to have experienced it too.
Anyway, now that Jack was gone, she''d take a break too. CPR dude sure didn''t miss her departure.
"Have a great day, Holy Pink One!" He yfully waved her goodbye.
Once upon a time, he had called himself her fan. What a freaking lie! Since she was part of the family, friendly teasing had be the norm.
Screw the goddamn cultists for giving her weird nicknames! What kind of title was Holy Pink One?!
As she disappeared, the man gave her a knowing wink. She sure left Infinite quickly whenever Jack was gone!
As she removed her VR helmet, she couldn''t help but il around on herrge fluffy bed for a few seconds.
What did he know?! She just liked to have him around because of the events, that was all!
She didn''t care for his handsome looks, nor did she care for his nonchnt confidence, and especially not for his incredible skills!
Goddammit! Just thinking about the term "incredible skills" had her reminisce about a particr bush.
Fuck! This would have been so much simpler if he had left the following day as nned. Now that he was still there, he was freaking getting in her head!
Then again, CPR dumbass was clearly to me for that one. He kept egging her toward him simply because he loved shipping people together!
It was so strangeing from a guy that thought his master to be an NPC! But he''d just shrug, saying that true love knew no bound.
In any case, she wasn''t sure how she felt about Jack. She found herself iling around some more. She buried her face in the pink pillows as she searched for her feelings.
She wanted him to stay.
She wanted to y with him some more.
She definitely wanted to try that bush thing again.
But wasn''t calling it "love" a bit of a stretch? Sure she often thought about him, but they were in the same faction.
She''d always find herself thinking: "What would the freaking Demon King do in my ce?" before every game decision.
She couldn''t help but scratch her head. Shecked too much data! Dammit, this was why games were simpler. It was all numbers!
But then she took a profound inspiration. As she opened her clear green eyes, she was done sorting her feelings.
She was curious about him. She wanted to know more about him and even meet IRL. He had already told her that he didn''t have time, but it would be fine.
She just had to get in touch with him. There was bound to be a server maintenance at some point! They''d be able to meet then.
She now felt at peace and in a good mood. She reached for her favorite toy, a pink rabbit she had since little, hugging it gently.
A secondter, she reached for her second favorite toy, one that quickly filled the room with aforting buzzing sound.
But suddenly, she received a flurry of notifications.
¡ª Ding! ¡ª
¡ª Ding! ¡ª
¡ª Ding! ¡ª
What the hell was this?! She fished for her phone, thetest one from Orange, as she checked her messages.
It was an old friend, back from her pro-gaming days. She was her BFF, one of the few that still had her contact. After all, she had epically burned most bridges when she had left.
¨C Bubblegum: I''m here now. What''s up? Do you need a lift again or something?
¨C ?? Evil Pudding Thief ??: Heyyyy! Remember that guy you told me about?! The one that is a walking cmity, the one called the Demon King, you know THE one!!!
¨C Bubblegum: You like gossip way too much! -_-
¨C ?? Evil Pudding Thief ??: That''s not it! Check the official Infinite website and look for New Leaf Vige! He''s there. It''s just that¡. you''ll see. Don''t worry. I''m here for you!
What was up with her? How suspicious!
Bubblegum soon found what she had been looking for:
< Wee to New Leaf Vige!>
It was a montage that showed many of the daily scenes in the vige and introduced the main NPCs at the end. Was Jack about to make a cameo or something?
He was there. He sure fucking was!
Sheid on her fluffy bed, adopting the legendary salted fish position.
Why did things have to turn this way? How fucking realistic was Infinite for her to have been utterly fooled?
She didn''t know whether to feel like aplete idiot or be freaking impressed!
As she pondered the question, her heavy sighs resounded in the vast room.
She quickly replied to her friend, giving a self-deprecating smile as she typed.
She suddenly felt an incredible sense of loss, but she''d be fine for sure. After all, she wasn''t a wallflower that hadn''t seen the world. Still, she did feel like beating up CPR dude a bit.
She wouldn''t be asking Jack to meet up IRL anymore.
He sure looked as handsome, as casually confident, and as skilled as ever in that video. There was only one slight issue.
Whatever, fuck this! The gentle buzzing resumed¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 9: Stealing puddings is evil! (1.5/4) ??
Chapter 178: Bloodied Hobo!
Chapter 178: Bloodied Hobo!
Jack woke up to the growling of a hungering beast and quickly used a special move to counter it!
¡ª Jack used: run to the fridge! ¡ª
Sadly it wasn''t very effective. He rummaged in search of leftovers, but there were. Actually, it sure looked empty, damn! No milk, no eggs, zero veggies; it was pretty pathetic.
#Pro-gamer moment #Forgot to buy food #Poor Lilly
He couldn''t help but sigh seeing this. She hadn''t wanted to disturb him, and the old man was obviously at the hospital. He was probably watching over his beloved again.
What had she even brought to school for her lunch? Probably some in rice with some cheap canned stuff. Tch¡ª this wasn''t healthy for sure!
He had also seen her VR Helmet on his way, and it was stillpletely wrapped up! She was nning to return it, wasn''t she?
He could only click his tongue. It was good that she was thrifty, but what the point of having money if he couldn''t even spoil her?! He''d have to remedy that!
But for now, the hunger was more pressing:
1. Eat in beans: No thanks!
2. Cook some rice: Too long!
3. Eat some mayonnaise straight from the jar? He could even add spicy peppers to make it taste better¡.Tempting, but no.
It was time for an adventure!
He promptly wore his jacket, the same old one as ever. It wasn''t that he hadn''t looked for one at the mall. It was just that he was very picky when it came to jackets.
"What a wonderful day it is!" He eximed as he reached the street.
The passersby furrowed their brows.
"Youngster, you should really mind your appearance when you go out!" Disparaged a middle-aged man.
He was handsome, well-groomed, had a look of subtle wealth, and was definitely eating well as well as taking care of himself.
"Old man, you should really mind your words lest you offend someone you shouldn''t," Jack replied with the confidence of a rich young master.
At this moment, the man stilled and gave him another look.
"Young man, I think you misunderstood my point. It''s not about being rich or poor, but about having self-respect. Look at how battered your coat is. It''s time to retire it." He sighed.
"A jacket is to a city dweller what a weapon is to a proud warrior. It has served me well for so long, and I won''t casually throw it out." Jack shrugged.
"It''s obvious it has served you very well and long!" The old man stressed thest part.
But before the conversation could progress, a shadow suddenly rushed toward them with incredible speed.
"Please, Sir! Do you have any¡ª"
The man''s body reacted by instinct as he promptly flipped the hobo over. The messy man was thrown to the ground,nding heavily on his back. There was even a CRACK!
"P-please mercy!! Kind Sir, don''t kill me!!" the hobo begged.
Who was that middle-aged guy? The way he had reacted had felt so natural. He had to be someone that trained diligently every day. That''s when he turned toward Jack.
"You¡Are you always this calm?" He asked.
"No, sometimes I like to scream for no reason." Jack shrugged.
"You felt himing, you watched it all happen, and yet you didn''t react one bit. Have you ever trained in martial arts before?"
"Never directly, but I did have a few acquaintances that did. Why?" He had technically trained under a martial art freak for a while, but his style was too wild to count.
"Here, take this. The first orientation ispletely free, so you can try it out!" He excitedly handed him a sleek ck business card.
< Sensei Laurent! Pterodactyl-Fang Dojo! >
What the fuck?!
"You know what, I''m in a good mood. I''ll give you some credits to buy a new jacket!" He nced at the man still begging for forgiveness. "As for you, let''s get you treated and¡ª"
"S-sir, I really couldn''t trouble you with this! A few credits will do, and I''ll go to the hospital myself!" He uttered, seemingly terrified of making the man waste his time.
"No, I insist, it''s my fault that¡ª" Sensei Laurent uttered, only to gasp in shock. What the hell?!
Jack had walked forward and began to beat the living shit out of the poor man! He kept kicking, stomping, and even trampling!
"Arrrggg! Please forgive me, s-sir!!! I won''t disturb you anymore and¡ª" The beggar wailed in pain after being kicked repeatedly, throwing up blood everywhere.
The man wanted to stop him, but Jack suddenly winked as he pointed at his foot. It didn''t even collide with the hobo, yet he screamed like a dying pig.
"¡."
This guy was a natural-born actor or football yer. After a second, he finally realized that he had screwed up as he slowly and shakily got up.
"S-sir, I think I got lucky. I don''t seem to have taken too much damage. I''ll take my leave if you''ll¡ª" He shook as he prepared to leave.
"Attempted scam, attempted assault, public disturbance, loitering, the list goes on. Now shut up and follow me." Jack lightly remarked.
He didn''t give the man a choice at all. No, what he gave him was a nce that chilled the beggar to the bones. He had been crawling the streets long enough to recognize a madman when he saw one! Crap!
"W-what do you want with me, Sir?" He stuttered.
As for the sensei by the side, he was incredibly shocked. Who the fuck was that guy?! Why did he have the aura of a mafia boss or something?!
"What do I want with you? No, no. It should be you thinking about what you can offer me. Alright, let''s go." Jack nonchntly ordered.
The beggar hesitated for a few seconds but finally followed. There was something way too strange about this man!
Even then, all he could think was: How the heck had this guy seen through him?!
Still, he''d escape at the first sign of danger or after figuring that out.
Sensei Laurent watched them leave in confusion. What the hell was with that man? Also, why hadn''t the hobo run away?
As for Jack, he already had a few ns for this guy¡.
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 9: Stealing puddings is evil! (2.5/4) ??
Chapter 179: Strange Hiring Test
Chapter 179: Strange Hiring Test
Jack nodded appreciatively to the new guy following him around. He was currently alternating between various postures as they walked.
"Not bad. Bodynguage is the easiest to screw up, and yet you have great control over it.."
"S-sir, why are we doing this? I mean the whole thing. Why do you want me to follow you? I''m just a random beggar. I swear I didn''t intend to scam anyone at first¡."
Jack believed him. After being thrown, he had decided (while mid-air) to use the opportunity to make a quick buck and get some revenge. In any case, the target had looked rich enough.
Somehow he had managed to hide it all from the martial artist''s vision too, which wasn''t a small feat. Still, it had been easier for Jack to notice as he had been on the sidelines.
"Why are you one tho? You could literally be doing any other job. You might be barely scraping by, but you''d have a better life, no?" Jack asked, curious.
"I tried, I really tried, but a day job isn''t for me. I''d rather be a beggar than a ve, plus it''s not like any decent man would employ someone with my resume, haha." He chuckled.
At that point, they reached a small park, if a few trees and a bench could be called one anyway. Jack sat as he nced at the man that kept ncing his way shyly.
"How often do you do this?"
"I swear I''m not a scammer! I just wanted to¡."
"Then how did you look so natural back there? You looked very experienced."
"That one is easy! I''m a wanderer, so I see a lot of people. I just copied what I saw!"
In the man''s eyes, there was a truthful light. Jack had dealt with enough lying bastards to be able to sniff most of them out, especially IRL, where it was harder to hide one''s emotions.
It sounded simple: he was just reproducing. But this wasn''t such an easy thing to do. How long would it take for someone to learn to do that to perfection?
He was skilled because he saw lots of people? Bullshit! This guy had incredible potential just for this!
"You said you tried to get a job, right? What if you had another chance right now. What if you could turn your life around and be someone. Would you do it?" Jack asked.
The man couldn''t help but gulp as he saw how serious Jack was. He had been wondering how the man had seen through him, but now he suddenly understood.
He had seen lots of people, rich, poor, healthy or not, it didn''t matter. But never had he seen someone that had such a calm intensity! He looked poor, but at that moment he seemed¡regal?!
He was waiting for an answer and wouldn''t wait long for sure. There was a chance that the man was just messing with him, but the beggar still hardened his gaze.
"I''d take the chance!"
Jack gave him a slight smile before pointing to the other side of the road:
"You see that restaurant there? It''s a well-known, respected restaurant that is very strict about its dress code. Go in there and get them to bring me a meal. Don''t worry. I have the money."
"What?! How is that supposed to work?! They don''t do delivery! Also, have you seen me?!" The man cried out.
"Of course I have. You look like a beggar, smell like a beggar, and act like a beggar. One of those you have control over. Whether you can pull it off is entirely up to you." He shrugged.
"That''s impossible!"
"Did I ever say it would be easy?"
"W-what about the money?"
"I''ll pay when they bring me my meal."
Jack could faintly hear the man whispering to himself, "crazy bastard," but then he unexpectedly looked at the restaurant with great resolve.
The was about to get one hell of a visit.
As for sess¡that would be extremely hard. Jack wanted to see how far he''d go. Chances were that the workers inside would call the cops on him as soon as he appeared.
As soon as the man entered, the staff was already giving either disdainful or panicked gazes. Some thought he was there to beg, and others believed a robbery was about to happen.
This would take a little while, for sure. Jack kept track of the situation inside as he yed with his phone.
He was already sending a message to that one Pancakes streamer, updating him on the situation with the new recording feature.
In the same breath, he also sent him a bunch of footage. He had watched a few of thetest videos and had to admit he was pleasantly surprised.
It seemed like desperation really drove a man to greatness. He really didn''t want to inherit the family business, haha!
But instead of the usual "Ok Boss, I got it!" or an assurance that he''d do a great job, pancakes sent back a very peculiar message.
¨C Pancakes: Boss¡. should I keep the same editing style, or should we change it to be more serious? The fans are happy, but is it fine for an official video?
¨C Jack''O: What now? Serious? Official? Exin yourself¡
¨C Pancakes: I''ve seen the Wee to New Leaf video. Boss, you''re actually a Dev at Infinite, right? Don''t worry, I''ll keep it a secret! I just want the videos to be perfect!
Wee to New Leaf, was it? Jack curiously searched for it.
As he saw the , he couldn''t help but stare in wonder. What the hell?! Since when was he an NPC?!
Pancakes thought he had been sending NPC footage and assumed he was rted to thepany itself.
That''s when his thoughts were suddenly interrupted as the beggar came back. But he sure didn''t feel like one!
Head held high, straight shoulders, an elegant grace as he walked: it was all very confusing! He felt like a prince from a fairy tale but still looked as destitute!
Behind him were three individuals: two waiters and a guy who obviously did dishwashing. All three were looking his way with wild curiosity.
"Master, I''ve brought you your meal as requested!" The beggar did one hell of a reverence. Seriously how the fuck did that guy look so graceful?!
"Oh? You actually pulled it off. I was expecting you to be heading to jail right about now!" Jack replied in surprise.
"Surely you jest, master. I can at least aplish this much." He smiled so brightly!
The workers by the man''s side only gave a sympathetic look. His new character seemed to be an unfortunate butler with a sadistically yful master.
A few secondster, a tter was brought out, and he began eating a freaking steak with some fancy-looking cheesy asparagus. The whole thing had to cost at least 60 credits!
What the fuck?! What kind of incredible sess was this?! But that''s when he noticed the shadow of yfulness in the dishwasher''s eyes. Damn, it seemed like his new employee had lucked out!
Jack finished the juicy, tender goodness as it melted in his mouth.
"Alright, guess you''re hired." Then he turned to the dishwasher guy. "I''ve never seen an owner so careless before."
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 9: Stealing puddings is evil! (3/4) ??
Chapter 180: So I’m An NPC?
Chapter 180: So I¡¯m An NPC?
"Alright, guess you''re hired." Then he turned to the dishwasher. "I''ve never seen an owner so careless before."
"H-how did you know?"
"I didn''t. You just told me."
"¡. -_-'' "
"There''s no way these two waiters would dare do something like that without permission. Anyway, it was delicious. How much do I owe you?"
"It''s on me if you answer a single question. What line of work are you in? I''ve seen many people but never someone just like you."
"Like me?"
"Somehow, this guy apparently just met you, yet he wants to work for you and is 100% convinced you''re some kind of bigshot." He pointed at the embarrassed beggar, with the two intently listening.
"Pro-Gaming." Jack honestly answered.
A few pleasantriester, the three took their leave, the owner inviting him back whenever. He was a pretty nice guy, one that was perhaps just a bit too bored.
The Jack before his regression would have never been able to interact casually with such a man, and yet there he was. Perhaps sometimes all one needed was confidence¡
"Boss, what are you recruiting me for, by the way?"
"Oh, I''m establishing an assassin organization. I need people that no one will notice if they disappear." He offhandedly remarked.
"W-what?!!" This time the man had lost allposure. It wasn''t an acting gig?! But that''s when he saw Jack''s teasing smile and finally calmed down.
"To be honest, I''m not sure myself. I just feel like you could be useful in the future." He shrugged. "Alright, let''s grab some stuff and then get you cleaned up."
The beggar nodded but then raised his voice once more:
"Boss, about the whole ''look like a beggar, smell like a beggar, but don''t act like one''. Did youe up with it?"
"Why do you ask?"
"You''re the only one I know that could say that with a straight face. I feel like there''s a story behind this. I''m just wondering¡."
"I already said that I was a pro-gamer, right? Let''s just say that I had to do something simr in the past." He sighed.
"Back then, I was the head of arge faction. Think millions of credits in revenue. Anyway, I had to act the part of a wise and benevolent leader, even if it was bullshit at times." Jack confided.
"M-millions?!" Holy shit! The two weren''t in the same fucking league! No wonder he had a special aura around him!
"Even in the new game that I''m ying, something simr happened."
"Yes?!" His eyes looked so damn shiny.
"Well, I look like a yer, sound like a yer, yet do not act like one¡ª or so people say."
"What?"
"Well, they think I''m some sort of hiddenst boss¡."
"How''s that possible?!"
"How is it possible to go into a fancy restaurant without a single credit and yet receive personal service from its owner?"
"¡.I see. I understand!" That''s when everything clicked for the beggar. His new employer was so freaking godly!
He nced at Jack with a reverent gaze. He would learn from this man and reach the top. What did getting the top even mean? He wasn''t sure himself, but who cared!!
As for Jack, he had rted this to acting to encourage the new guy, but even he wasn''t sure why this had happened.
Still, he could think of a few reasons:
1. He had disabled the system''s automatic assistance. Perhaps the system had used this criterion to discriminate between yers and NPC.
2. Maybe it was all thanks to the rumors that had gained poprity. He wasn''t sure which dumbass had started it, but he had heard about that.
3. The system could also be straight-up confused by histest achievements. In theory, a yer wouldn''t have been able to realize half of what he had done.
4. Perhaps the system had suddenly awakened and decided to troll him. While it was improbable, it wasn''t impossible.
But the true question wasn''t why it had happened but how he would deal with it. He brought his new subordinate to grab some groceries as he kept pondering.
People were frowning at them, with some employees already about to call for help to drive them out.
"Someone do something. This isn''t a ce for their kind!"
"How shameless! They should get a job!"
"Tch¡ª Those guys are parasites."
The new guy instantly adopted his charming prince persona, eager to get them out of this predicament.
"Don''t worry, boss! I got this!" He was like a kid that had just learned a new trick and wanted to show off.
"Yeah, screw that. No need to waste any time."
Jack simply removed his old jacket, revealing the nice clothes underneath. Heck, some of the bastards criticizing him couldn''t afford simr stuff!
After all, he had pretty much disregarded the price tags while shopping. All he had cared about was howfortable and durable the clothes were.
Many looked like they had eaten shit. Some gave embarrassed looks, and others started calling Jack a saint. He was so generous to bring this beggar for a meal!
The new guy kept chuckling on the side as the two speed-ran the grocery shopping. Jack was just putting whatever looked tasty in his cart.
He especially grabbed a lot of the most expensive but he delicious choctes. Oh, and he had bought enough snacks to feed an army. Those were non-perishables anyway.
Many couldn''t help but stare and even whisper curiously at the checkout.
What the heck?! What was a homeless guy doing with a man that could afford a freaking rent worth of sweets?! Why were they walking side by side?!
"Boss, they sure like to gossip."
"Meh, just ignore them."
The improbable duo then quickly left, Jack buying a gift card for Lilly. They made their way home with so much loot that people nced at them strangely.
All this time, Jack had been pondering about his current situation, with people thinking he was an NPC.
Deny and prove otherwise. ¡ª> How boring!
Embrace the misunderstanding ¡ª> Now that was more like it!
Countless ns were already swirling in his head.
1. How long could he make himself pass for an NPC?
2. What could he get the yers to do? Probably a lot. After all, chain quests didn''t always give rewards instantly. ??
He quickly sent detailed instructions to Pancakes. he was eager to see what woulde out of this endeavor.
New Leaf would just be the start¡.
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 9: Stealing puddings is evil! (4/4) ??
Chapter 181: A Very Tense Meeting!
Chapter 181: A Very Tense Meeting!
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It didn''t take long for the entirety of New Leaf to learn of greatly shocking news.
"Psst, did you hear? The Demon King''s an NPC!!"
"Bro, why are you whispering? Everyone fucking knows!"
"This is so damn confusing! He''s not a yer anymore?!"
"Never was. Still, why is our vige the only one with a hidden NPC?!"
Thisst question rested on everyone''s mind. What exactly made New Leaf special, and where had the Demon Kinge from.
The answer was obvious: Seraphine! It had to be her doing, right?!
Everyone wanted to interrogate her, but she had disappeared. Was sheying low? What secrets did she hide? They needed to know!
As for the D.L. members, they were suddenly so damn proud of the Holy Pink One. The cultists had been right about her all along. She really was special!
But the one people wanted to see the most was Jack.
There were tons of yers camping at the spot he had logged out. They simply couldn''t sit still as they awaited his glorious return!
As he appeared in a sh of purple, the entire vige echoed with cheers.
"G-guys, he''s back!! The Demon King''s back!!!"
"Damn, this purple glow is as awesome as ever!"
"Where is he going when he disappears if he''s an NPC?!"
They wanted nothing more than to swarm him to ask so many questions, but they knew better. Hell, there was already an army of cultistsing cover to defend him.
Many couldn''t help but chuckle. A bodyguard for the Demon King was about as useful as ice skates in the desert!
Jack''O nced at them all before giving a small smile.
"Oh? You guys prepared a weing ceremony? How nice." He chuckled before adding.
"Still, you guys sure are bored to be waiting here. Or did you need something? I''m afraid I''ll be busy¡." He frowned.
How could he act so freaking casually?! Bored?! Did he not know themotion he had caused?! But then they realized the issue: an NPC couldn''t see the promotional videos!
None dared stop him as he began walking, heading for the Training grounds.
The yers were akin to tiny duckling as they diligently followed behind, watching his every move with rapt attention.
Eventually, they reached the Chicken Arena.
There was a super VIP section in the back that had ess to. He casually stepped in, leaving his stalkers stuck outside.
"What do you think he''s gonna do there?"
"Maybe take back the Arena? After all, the Chief confiscated it."
"Will there be another fight or something?! Can the vige even survive¡ª Damn!"
The man suddenly stopped talking as all the yers showed shocked expressions. Every key figure in the vige wasing over!
There was that CPR dude, that crazy cultist guy, and all the fucking NPCs! They were all well-dressed and appeared incredibly solemn!
Even the Vige Chief was there! His face twitched non-stop, and he seemed to have a murderous glint in his eyes. Would he directly attack the Demon King?!
"Can you feel the tension?!"
"Of course, I can! This looks like a post-war meeting."
"Sparks are bound to fly. Heck, maybe the war will resume!"
They couldn''t help but gulp as they awaited the results. This could quickly turn ugly. What if the Vige Chief and the Demon King shed again?! Oh god!
They held their breath, picturing how crazy everything must be inside. Would there be another Devil apocalypse? They trembled with fear and excitement¡
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An incredibly tense meeting was ongoing in a dark room deep inside the Chicken Arena. There was currently a stand-off, with neither party willing to give up.
"Are you out of your fucking mind?! There''s no way that people will ept that! "
"I should ask you the same. We need to save those poor ignorant fools and show them salvation! Everyone needs to understand the Demon King''s greatness!"
"What you''re proposing is madness! At this rate, we''ll be nothing more than a goddamn cult!"
"What is wrong with you?! We ARE a cult! We worship the Demon King, so of course people will call us one! So what?! We are the enlightened ones!"
"Some of us just want to y the fucking game! Stop trying to brainwash the other yers! We''re just a group of really chill dudes striving for the top! That''s how guilds should work!"
"That''s exactly what''s wrong with!¡ª"
"Enough!" Jack''s voice interrupted their argument.
People were worried about Jack and the Vige Chief fighting, right? Fuck, they should have seen those two! As usual, CPR dude and Head Cultist guy were shing, giving others a headache.
As for the actual meeting? It had been adjourned very quickly.
Jack had just given them a list of tasks withining. They had all gasped for a while and looked at him with crazily heated gazes, but that was it.
In any case, they were waiting to keep appearances up for the crowd outside. It would have been anticlimactic if the negotiations had ended after a few minutes.
As for Jack being an NPC? They hadn''t even breached the topic as the two fools were way too busy bickering.
Jack sighed before disparaging them both.
"Stop arguing. Are you five or something? Also, both of you are missing the point."
"Ah! Please enlighten this lowly one, my Lord!!"
"What point?!"
"CPR dude''s method is better to draw in new blood, but Head Cultist is right. We need to assure their loyalty over time. There is no point in having a faction without unity."
With Jack''s intervention, the two finally stopped quarreling¡.for about two minutes. Yep, they were already butting heads again.
"Are you crazy?! One should not mess with what is sacred and pure! This is the proof of our allegiance!"
"You dumb cultist, I never said to get rid of it, but we need to revamp it! REVAMP! Just look at how badly it''s drawn! We can barely recognize Moon Moon or our leader!"
"That''s just because you''re one blind son of a bitch! So what if the lines are a little wobbly?! You need to see it with your heart above all!"
Now the two were arguing over the D.L. emblem. This time, however, Igor was the one interrupting them.
"What the hell are you calling badly drawn and wobbly?! I poured my soul into this. Bunch of ungrateful bastards!"
Jack could only look at them feeling like facepalming. Their shouts were so loud that they made the very walls tremble and startled the Chickens, making them Cluck even louder.
Meanwhile, the Chief approached, softly talking with a voice barely audible.
"Boss, are you sure you want to proceed with the n? You could easily take over I.R.L. and make D.L. be the sole power in the area."
"That would be as boring as idiotic." Jack chuckled as the Chief nodded gravely. This man truly deserved the "King" in his nickname.
"Alright, let''s go out. The guys outside should be ready for us. You should lead the way, Chief¡"
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While this happened, all the yers outside the Arena were shaking as they heard the angry screams.
"Oh god, someone will die for sure!"
"I didn''t know such fury was humanly possible!"
"Their anger is making even the goddamn walls tremble!"
"What are they even saying?! I can''t hear the words because of all the clucking!"
"I have no clue, but this isn''t going to end well. Will New Leaf even survive this?!"
It probably wouldn''t¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day ?: Lost Track of Time.. Bunch of chapsing today. Here''s a Gecko ??
Chapter 182: Is Peace Possible? Hella Nope!
Chapter 182: Is Peace Possible? He Nope!
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The shouting suddenly died down, with only the clucking remaining.
Had the people in the meetinge to blows? Had they somehow managed to resolve the conflict? Were there any dead?!
That''s when the door was mmed wide open. The Chief wasing out, alone and smiling¡
"Oh god, look at his face! D.L. is doomed!"
"Yep, that''s why you guys should have joined I.R.L. Suckers!"
"Everyone, he''s about to say something! Shut your goddamn traps!"
The Chief showed his most heroic profile, captivating the braves. He had their undivided attention as he began his speech:
"Recently, a vile being has been lurking in New Leaf vige. This Devil used the one known as the Demon King to try and corrupt this world, almost seeding."
"Luckily, all of you heroic people helped to drive it away and protected our beloved vige so that¡ª"
"Bullshit, you fucker! It''s the Demon King that did all the work and who¡ª" A cultist shouted amidst the discourse.
The Vige Chief didn''t even bother answering as he grabbed a pebble on the ground. A flickter, the troublemaker''s head was exploding, and he resumed talking as if nothing had ever happened.
¡ª Stter! ¡ª
"As I was saying, we did manage to drive it out in the end. Now, this whole thing started because of one man''s mistakes. This obviously deserves death and¡ª"
"Fuck you, bastard! Our God is immortal and¡ª" Another pebble was thrown.
¡ª Miss! ¡ª
"You totally missed me, you bastard! You should learn to aim better for¡ª"
¡ª Stter! ¡ª
Even if that guy did die, there were dozens ready to take on the mantle. Death? So what?! The cultists were prepared to stage a revolution. No one would nder their leader!
They would fight for their beliefs and defend their God''s honor! They would¡ª but they suddenly all stood down.
The Head Cultist had invoked the power of instant messaging, and it was super effective!
The atmosphere turned strange as the unruly cultists suddenly turned super silent and even eagerly began listening to the Chief. What the hell was wrong with them?!
"As I was saying, summoning a Devil is deserving of death, but he did y a significant role in its subjugation."
Many shuddered as they remembered the inferno and the holy light engulfing the entire in. If that was barely considered significant, then they hadn''t done shit!
"Thus, here is my final verdict! From now on, the Demon King will temporarily be part of the vige, and D.L. will temporarily be considered an official faction."
Temporarily?! What did that even mean?!
"As such, they will be allowed to resume their activities on the Training Grounds and regain control of the Chicken Arena. Also¡"
Wait, had they made peace?! What about all the shouting from earlier? This sure was unexpected!
But then many frowned as they realized the implications. They''d have to y nice with the crazies/noobs. Then again, this might be better than an all-out conflict.
"Also¡I.R.L. and D.L. are now at war."
What the actual fuck?! War?! After all this talk about being part of the vige, they''d fight?! What about the peace?! They had gone from buddies to mortal enemies in one freaking sentence¡
"In virtue of preserving the vige, a few rules have been agreed upon. There will be various challenges: organized PVP, duels, hunting, dungeon clearing, and even life skill contests!"
Challenges? Would this only be a friendlypetition? What was even the point of that? Were they trying to reproduce the Olympics or something?
"The vigers will be the judges, and the losing faction will be disbanded. You better give it your all!"
Disban-fucking-ded?! Wasn''t that he harsh?! Scratch the friendly part! They''d have to crush the opponent, or they''d lose their faction advantages!
This sh would be deadly!
I.R.L. VS D.L.
Good VS Evil
Innocent VS Edgy
Half-naked leader VS Overdressed one
Both factions were already looking over the other party with fighting intent. There was no way that they would lose! They couldn''t wait to crush their rival!!
"Or right, there is something else¡." The Chief looked incredibly solemn.
What was it now?! He had looked so casual while announcing a freaking war. Inparison, this one had to be huge! The yers couldn''t help but gulp.
"¡I.R.L. will now have emblems. Hopefully, this will prevent further confusion." He nodded seriously.
That was it?! That was fucking it?! Was there a need to look that serious?!
Just as they wereining inwardly, the Demon King and his goons finally exited the building.
As they passed near the Vige Chief, the two leaders stared at one another as if boxers before a fight. Holy shit, the killing intent was almost palpable! The Chief spoke first:
"Soon, I.R.L. shall cleanse the world of your filthy organization. You should be happy the others spoke up for you, or you would be six feet underground."
"Hehe, keep lying to yourself. We both know the vigers did it to save you. Anyway, you''ll soon be like the dirt I''m trampling right now."
"Trample all you want. It won''t change the oue. The braves following me were born to eradicate evil, you shitty Demon King wannabe!"
"Damn, must be harsh failing their life''s purpose that spectacrly! Someone call the suicide hotline just in case."
"Tch¡ª You''ll see soon, you prick."
"Ok, boomer."
The two finally separated, with Jack having thest word in this bout of shit-talking.
"D.L., follow me. We''re getting out of here!" He shouted, and his men (+ a wolf) answered his cry.
That''s when an enthusiastic noob just couldn''t help himself:
"That''s it. Run with your tail between your legs! Hahahaha, I.R.L. forever!! Get wrecked!!"
CPR dude and Head Cultist guy suddenly shared a nce. Probably for the first time that day, they had no intention of fighting. They gave a smile as they began chanting.
"Fight them all! Fuck them up! Feast on their blood!"
With both of them joining forces, the effect was instantaneous. The shout was endlessly repeated until it turned from a whisper to a mighty roar. It wasn''t just loud either. It contained so much fucking power.
"FIGHT THEM ALL! FUCK THEM UP! FEAST ON THEIR BLOOD!"
Just as it became the loudest, CPR dude made a subtle gesture. As if they had repeated it a thousand times, they all took a mighty step forward at once, seemingly charging at I.R.L!
"They''reing!"
"What the hell?!"
"Fall back!!"
The noobs faltered, recoiling a few steps back only to see the sardonic smile of their opponents. All they had done was take a single step, and they had driven fear into their heart.
There was only a few that hadn''t moved at all, the man known as Lead at the very front. He could only sigh to himself. It would take a lot of work to turn those wimps into worthy warriors.
D.L. left their heads held high, prepared for what woulde. Their spirits couldn''t be higher. So what if they were outnumbered? They wouldn''t lose, for the future of D.L. rested on their shoulders!
In the back, a few NPCs watched the show with wry smiles.
The Demon King loved scheming so much that he even did it against his allies! How would the yers react if they knew everything was following his will?
Still, they couldn''t help but find it strange. Why were the braves so hyped? Wouldn''t peace have been preferable?
Whatever, they had to get ready. It was time to train heroes¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day ?: Lost Track of Time.. Bunch of chapsing today. Here''s a Gecko ??
Chapter 183: Willing To Help!
Chapter 183: Willing To Help!
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Lead nced at his surroundings as mighty shouts echoed in the training camp. yers were going all out!
For this Event, the NPCs were all handing training quests like candy. Completing them gave skills, with a fewbat-oriented. This was considered a jackpot by the yers!
"I finally learned the violent punching mantra!"
"Nice! Now you''re gonna be all badass and shit!"
"I just wish I could learn me magic like that bastard Demon King!"
"You''re not even a mage! If you want to learn magic, just talk to that florist over there. It''s not like he''s an exclusive."
Now there were "exclusive" NPCs. The Chief and the olddy would only teach I.R.L., while the training instructor and the cksmith would only teach the D.L. members.
Hell, this was almost like the ssic VR-Box VS VR-Station exclusive fight in real life.
Lead knew the daunting task that awaited them. In order toe on top of all the challenges, they''d have to work especially hard.
1. Level up a bunch
2. Complete quests to get skills
3. Study dungeon clear methods (loot)
4. Learn to control their VR bodies better.
5. Study battle tactics and their applications.
Back then, his heart had stopped when the Vige Chief talked about disbanding the faction if they lost!
If I.R.L. stopped existing, he''d go back to being a wandering nobody. Hell fucking no! His ce was on the battlefield with his loyalpanions!
They had to win this at all costs. That''s why he would personally train them if he freaking had to! Thus he found himself roaming the training camp, encouraging the others.
"C''mon, you can do this! My grandma with arthritis fights better than you!"
"Stay focused! If you lose this war for us, I''ll take this spear right here and¡!"
"Stop daydreaming about her, buddy. A girlfriend is temporary, but victory is eternal!"
"Get up from the fucking ground! You want me to believe you''re tired?! You have an immortal body. Use it, you fucker!"
Every time he passed near them, they would be so lively! They''d redouble in ardor while yfully shouting stuff like:
"I''m gonna kill you, you bastard!"
"Stop waving your shitty spear in my face!"
"I''ll find out where you live, gouge your eyeballs out, and turn them into anal beads! Then, I''ll¡ª!!"
Ah, they sure were yful! Either way, as long as they were motivated, everything would be fine. But his excellent mood slightly soured as he noticed the Vige Chief a distance away.
He still looked as powerful and benevolent as ever, but there was a hint of weariness to his aura nowadays. His wide back was even slightly hunched at times, and his facecked color.
Lead wanted to ask, but he didn''t know the best approach. But the opportunity finally presented itself as the man came toward him.
"Lead, you''re really hard at work."
He would have been lying if he said the praise didn''t uplift his spirit, but then he noticed the Chief''splexion again.
"Chief, I can work even harder, but are you alright? You look so exhausted nowadays! I really hope you can take care of your health since we need you."
"Don''t worry about it. I''m rtively fine during the day. It''s just a dreadful nightmare guing me every night. There is nothing anyone can do about it; such is my fate."
He gave a tired smile that tried to be as reassuring as possible. Damn, this man was a saint! He was kept awake at night from worrying about them!
At that moment, Lead inwardly swore that he would win this goddamnpetition, not just for himself, not just for his faction, but for this kind-hearted man!
"Anyway, that''s not important right now. I need help with showing the ropes to the rookies and¡ª"
"I''ll do it! You can count on me!!"
"Are you sure? It will be thankless, tiresome, and unrewarded work. You will even have tasks to aplish from time to time."
"I''ll do it!!"
"You''ll have to remain secretive about the whole thing too for¡ª"
"Not a word wille out of my mouth! I''m perfect for the job!"
"Alright, follow me then." The Vige Chief led the way.
So mysterious! Where were they going?! It was the Chicken Arena¡.but why? Ah, whatever. The Chief obviously had a good reason for this!
The two kept going, all until they reached the Chicken Pens: huge metallic cages with plenty of space! The smell of feathers and joyous clucking resounded all around beautifully.
Apparently, the owner of Micheal-Clucking-Jackson had renovated it all for the Chicken diators'' sake. Lead knew this fact, but not that incredible girl''s name; no one did.
"Alright, let''s head inside." The Chief whispered. Why was he so quiet? It was as if he was afraid of disturbing the chickens inside.
Suddenly Lead froze. At the entrance, there was a jerk he''d recognize anywhere!
"Y-you! What are you doing here, you shouting bastard!"
"Isn''t it obvious? I''m guarding the door. What about you, cowardly gecko? Do you still like ying with your spear?" CPR dude teased.
"Gecko?! Gecko your ass!"
"Isn''t it fitting? You''re quick to run and leave allies behind when you do. Quite like a gecko with its tail, you see." He diligently exined.
"Enough, you two can fightter. Lead, follow me, be quiet and remember to be respectful. Alright?" The Chief urged.
Behind, CPR dude was giving a knowing smile. What was this about?! Was the man''s master also here?
Wait, he had never heard of an actual challenge date. Were they here to determine one? Was this why the Chief had reminded him not to cause trouble? He was so damn kind!
Lead followed obediently, and soon his guess proved out true. A man was sitting on a wooden throne in the middle of the pen. They really were here for the Demon King!
Lead recognized the energy surrounding the man: pure demonic energy! It was as dark as oppressive and smelled of death.
Damn, the sooner they destroyed D.L., the better this world would be!
This man''s had to be the cause of the Chief''s worries! This was especially true given the evil power he was now showing, one that made his stomach twist.
A few meters from him, there was an abomination that made one''s hair rise. It was a skeleton chicken y-fighting some of its living brethren, seemingly training.
It would p them away, disdainfully ring at them with its lifeless glowing purple eyes. This thing was evil!
Had this fiend killed a chicken to turn it into its pet?! How wicked! No wonder the Chief had nightmares!
Lead''s resolve only got stronger. So what if this viin knew necromancy? This was a battle between factions! He, along with his friends, would utterly crush D.L.!
As he saw the Chief take a decisive step to confront the Demon King, he silently cheered him on. You go, Chief, show him who''s boss!
With incredible intensity, the Chief suddenly¡.kneeled in front of the throne?!
"My lord, this is the one I was talking about, the one called Lead¡."
W-what?! What happened with confronting the guy?! My Lord?! Didn''t this mean that the Demon King had taken over the vige already?!
Was this a joke?! It had to be, right?!
That''s when he heard the sound of the metallic entrance door closing, locking him inside. A yful chuckle then resounded behind his back.
"Aren''t you gonna say anything, gecko? Did you lose your tongue as well as your tail?"
Oh, Fuck!!! Lead considered his options, but they appeared very grim¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day ?: Lost Track of Time.. Bunch of chapsing today. Here''s a Gecko ??
Chapter 184: Necrocluckmancy 101
Chapter 184: Necrocluckmancy 101
Chickens, chickens freaking everywhere, a world of chickens!
Jack sat in the dark as he trained, the feathery creatures circling around him and clucking like there''d be no tomorrow.
They stared at his hands as he generated and manipted the bones. This was a small trick he had been doing whenever he had some time off.
Every day he had been improving, and now he had finally reached a new level. He suddenly felt himself breakthrough!
[Acquired: Bone Maniption F!]
"There we go. About freaking time!" He grinned, mentally reviewing the next steps.
There were two main methods of raising the undead.
1. Raising an existing body
2. Creating one from scratch
As for which one was stronger¡it was impossible to say.
It really depended on the state of the body (option 1) and if any extra magical catalysts were used (option 2). It was also possible to mix them both for maximum effect.
Still, the rarer/stronger the base body/ingredients were, the better the undead created. Of course, power followed skill. Only a powerful necromancer could raise powerful undead.
The main difference was:
Raising ¡ª> Cost less mana (Perfect for an army)
Creating ¡ª> More versatile (No need for corpses)
That said, the whole thing was fucking hard to learn. Humans just weren''t made to control bones, not at all!
Even for Jack who had a shitload of experience, it had been highly troublesome. As he finally created his first chicken skeleton, he felt so damn proud!
The thing was crooked, falling in pieces and gross looking, but who fucking cared! He had made it and alone to boot!
"Woo!" (Wow!)
Moon Moon gave an encouraging nce. Its master was able to summon bones?! How awesome! Wouldn''t he be able to summon meat soon?! Oh, this would be glorious!
Hell, even the chickens clucked in appreciation as they circled the thing with interest. Whether they understood that it was supposed to be a chicken was unknown.
But Jack wasn''t done just yet. Now that he had a basic skeleton, the next step was to imbue it with a spirit. He would have to use demonic energy for this.
Luckily his demonic affinity was through the roof (at least for his level).
Demonic affinity + Past life experience = Turning the supposedly hardest step into aplete joke! GG EZ!
Jack addressed his chicken/wolf audience.
"Are you guys ready to witness a miracle? I will henceforth create life!" He then went full chuuni mode on the poor skeleton!
"From the darkest pits of Hell, I summon thee, Mighty World-Devouring Chicken spirit! Obey mymand and manifest thyself in all your unholy glory! May you rain terror upon this world and all its inhabitants!"
As he theatrically chanted, he drove 25 mana worth of demonic energy toward the skeleton.
"Woo!" (Impressed!)
The bones shook, once, twice, thrice. Jack inwardly encouraged his creation. Keep shaking! C''mon, vibrate some more for me! You can do it!
But then it suddenly went deathly still. There went his first attempt. Perhaps he had underestimated the difficulty of¡ª
¡ª Shake! ¡ª
Suddenly, the creature rose!
It was wobbly, had trouble walking, but it was standing! Was this how parents felt the first time their kid walked?!
The creature''s eyes glowed a beautiful purple as it gazed at its creator. Jack could feel that it was awaiting his orders. He slowly approached it but froze when he saw its name.
Wait, what?! World-Devouring?! What kind of insanely OP name was that?!
The answer was¡.well, it was just a name. It seemed like the ritual he had done earlier had incorporated the naming portion.
"Woo!" (Curious)
Was this a new friend? Moon Moon lightly tapped it with its paw, its eyes full of curiosity and yfulness.
But what happened next caused it to jump back in fright. This slight tapping had been enough to make the skeleton crumble entirely!
¡ª Shatter! ¡ª
"Woo?!" (Shocked and worried!)
What had it just done?! Master had painstakingly raised this new friend, and it had just destroyed it! Its tail went down in shame and regret. But then it felt its master warm hand on its head.
"Don''t worry about it. That''s what''s great about skeletons; they can be remade over and over."
Human and wolf worked extremely hard.
1. Regenerate mana
2. Create undead chicken
3. Durability test with Moon Moon
4. Analyze what went wrong with every shatter and improve.
5. Repeat steps one to four with the relentlessness of an IRS agent!
At one point, the chickens suddenly learned to copy the wolf. This was expected. They weren''t dumb chickens but mighty Chicken diators!¡ª or would be anyway.
Then all their efforts finally paid off!
[Congrattions!]
[Acquired: Necrocluckmancy F!]
"Fucking finally!" Jack eximed, ecstatic. It may have taken him the whole fucking day, but he had finally unlocked his first necromancy skill! (Kinda)
He couldn''t help but gaze at the creature in front of him with pride:
With his necromancy at rank F, he could summon multiple level 5 chickens or one level 10 named one.
While this didn''t seem that impressive, the chicken would likely be able to crush 85% of the tutorial yers in a 1 v 1 situation!
The neat part about having a named summon was that it actually could learn. Thus began another training session that frankly deserved its own montage!
"Fight the chickens 1 v 8, but you aren''t allowed to harm them. Your goal is to parry and learn to dodge." Jack ordered the poor undead chicken.
¡ª Shriek! Cluck Cluck! Shriek! ¡ª
Afterward, it forced it to limit its speed, sometimes to only use certain parts of its body, or would even add Moon Moon to the mix from time to time.
[Mighty World-Devouring Chicken Became Stronger!]
[Mighty World-Devouring Chicken Became Stronger!]
[Mighty World-Devouring Chicken Became Stronger!]
This would have probably kept going for ages if the Vige Chief hadn''t sent word that he''d bring a potential talent over from I.R.L.
Jack waited for them in the dark with the calmness of an OP Last Boss. As this "Lead" guy arrived, he couldn''t help but inwardly chuckle.
It seemed the poor man hadn''t realized the true situation of his faction.
How would he react? Jack would have lied if he said he didn''t look forward to it. As the Vige Chief kneeled, the truth was revealed.
God, his face was priceless. ying Demon King would prove to be fun this time¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day ?: Lost Track of Time.. Bunch of chapsing today. Here''s a Gecko ??
Chapter 185: Are We Done Here?
Chapter 185: Are We Done Here?
"Vige Chief, this is a lie, right?! Right?!!" The man known as "Lead" was trembling all over.
Jack simply gave the most wicked smile he could muster. The silent and kneeling Chief was enough to exin the rest.
The man''s face showed so many emotions in session¡ªshock, confusion, anxiety, fear, anger, and finally terror.
But there was something strange about the terror that inhabited him. He didn''t seem afraid of the scary Demon King. No, he was scared of what this all meant.
"What did you do to the Vige Chief?! Did you possess him?!" He cried out, the concern in his voice evident.
"I heard that you''re quite impressive on the battlefield. Is that true? I can offer you power and wealth beyond your wildest dreams. How about it? Want to change side?" Jack grinned.
"Hell no! I won''t help you destroy or corrupt I.R.L.! Only trash sells their loyalty for something as insignificant! I''ll fight you to the end!" Lead thundered heroically.
He stared at the Demon King without adverting his eyes, not an ounce of desire in his eyes. This guy''s main strength (or weakness) was that he was loyal to a fault.
Jack could see how much he cared about his faction and the Chief just from the way he had reacted. The two had a great rtionship of mentor-disciple-, and the NPC had vouched for him.
That''s when the Chief chuckled.
"See? Didn''t I tell you that he was perfect for the job?" Not only was he up, but he was smiling?! He even looked relieved?!
"W-what?!" Lead was so freaking confused.
The man''s expression was hrious as he had disbelief stered all over his face. He looked like the main protagonist of a prank show as the truth was revealed.
"D.L. and I.R.L. already made peace." Jack yfully winked.
"Indeed, we''re allies!" The Chief gave a V-sign.
"That''s impossible! What about the whole war thing?! A faction will be destroyed and¡ª"
"Not if it just happens to be a tie every time. #Totally rigged. It''s just borate training. Anyway, do you still want to help the Chief? You''ll be cooperating with CPR dude behind you." Jack shrugged as he exined.
"I''ll be counting on you, gecko!" CPR dude gave the poor Lead a brilliant smile.
He was so damn shocked!
"Why go through all this trouble?! People are already slowly leaving the Tutorial. Most of this will go to waste!" Lead protested.
"Hahahahaha, The Tutorial you say?! Nice joke! Do you think I give a flying fuck about the Tutorial itself?!" Jack held his stomach as heughed.
Under Lead''s eyes, Jack went into great viin monologue style. Just seeing the man''s aura almost made him lose his bearings.
The Demon King emitted demonic energy as fire swirled around him and bone shards grew around his feet, rippling. How many different abilities did he freaking have?!
Just his gaze was enough to make him tremble. The Demon King was the very definition of power, a true domineering one as he spoke.
"From the beginning, every single thing I''ve done has been for the future. All of it!"
"Do you really think I''ve been training all this time for the freaking Tutorial?!
"Do you think creating the Demonic Legion was me ying around?
"Do you think I made an ally out of I.R.L. on a whim?!"
"Do you think I''ve crushed the Tutorial just for fun?!"
"You think this very Arena will be useless too?!"
He paused for a second, the silence oppressing. Then he gave the most confident smile that Lead had ever seen. He wasn''t looking at him anymore but at the future.
"The Demonic Legion will rise to the top and be the number one dark faction, inevitably making countless enemies."
"We''ll be so powerful that others will have no choice but to unite under a single banner to stand a chance against us."
"That''s where I.R.L.es in. From the beginning, they''ll be our nemesis. Whatever we do, they will fight us, growing stronger in the process and gaining everyone''s trust."
That''s when Jack finally returned his gaze to the now livid Lead.
"Are you in or out?" Jack simply asked.
"Y-you want I.R.L. to be the number one Light Faction?! Are you freaking crazy?! How are we supposed to pull that off?!" Lead cried out.
"Didn''t you say you''d fight us till the end? It seems your resolve was pretty weak after all. Chief, you can escort him back to the training grounds. We''re done." Jack nonchntly dismissed him.
The Chief approached Lead, gently pushing his back toward the exit.
"Alright, let''s go. You can just forget everything that happened here. I''ll find someone else to help me." The Chief sighed, the tiredness in his voice back.
"Chief, why are you obeying him?" The Brave murmured, perplexed.
"Because he''s worthy."
"What about your previous conflict?" This was suspicious.
"I was blind and foolish. I was so eager to fight that I set things in motion that almost destroyed New Leaf. Quite a failure for a Vige Chief." He gave a self-deprecating smile.
"But you don''t have to worry too much about me. Just like him, your future lies elsewhere, far away from this ce. You''re a Brave after all!" His smile was so genuine!
The Chief gently gestured him to move as Lead gave onest nce at the Demon King. That''s when he saw the one everyone called the unholy beast.
Moon Moon was happily wagging its tail as it yed with the Undead Chicken, sometimes going back to its master to be petted. It would then give such a blissful expression.
"Aren''t you supposed to be evil?!" The words escaped him.
"What?"
"Why are you so lovingly petting the wolf?!"
"Because we''re family."
"Woo!" (Headpats are amazing!)
"What about the necromancy, the human butchering, and all the ughtering?!" Lead cried out.
"What about it?"
"Those are clearly evil in nature!"
"Power is power. All that matters is how it''s used and to differentiate between allies/enemies." Jack shrugged. Too many didn''t understand such a simple concept.
As he saw how casual he was, Lead''s thoughts were in disarray. Was this all a ruse? Were the two factions truly allies?! Was he the cause of the Chief''s tiredness, or was it something else?!
Looking at the cute wolf, he suddenly had second thoughts. What if the Demon King wasn''t totally demonic in nature? Would someone evil take such good care of his pet?
"You, did you mean all you said?!" Lead asked, looking for any sign of falsehood.
"Obviously." He answered instantly.
That''s when Lead finally reached a decision, one he hoped he wouldn''t regret.
"Fine! I''ll do my part to bring I.R.L. to incredible height!" He powerfully dered.
Jack gave an approving nod. With this guy, I.R.L. would be in good hands. He was kind of silly, loved fighting above all else, but was loyal and would be a fantastic figurehead.
This was a weight removed from his shoulders.
Jack mentally reviewed his progress:
¨C Exceeded Tutorial max level (10)
¨C Dungeons ¡ª> 100% Cleared
¨C Devil ¡ª> Stolen its power
¨C Raised plenty of life skills (5)
¨C Rank E Fire Maniption (OP)
¨C Necrocluckmancy ¡ª> Mastered
¨C I.R.L. would develop ¡ª> Chief + Lead
¨C D.L. would be fine ¡ª> CPR dude + Head Cultist + Bubblegum
Bubblegum was retired, but she''d help for sure given her personality. Well, the next time she logged in anyway since she seemed busy IRL.
The Head Cultist was literally the most loyal subordinate ever. He was radical AF, but CPR dude would keep him in check.
CPR dude was supposed to be part of the Mighty Wolves, but he had epted to follow him as long as his old guildmates were allowed to join D.L. too.
There was still the "Infinite Demonic Energy in the Apocalypse" tome, but trying to open it would give him a warning message. He was too low-level to learn it.
Other than that, there really wasn''t anything else.
He suddenly realized that he was done. No matter how much he racked his brain, there was nothing else for him to do in the Tutorial.
Learning Necrocluckmancy and recruiting this Lead guy had really been thest things on his checklist¡
"You better be prepared! We''ll meet in the uing faction challenges, and I''ll destroy your subordinates!!" Lead''s eager voice brought him out of his reverie.
"About that, I''m afraid not. I''ll be leaving this ce tonight."
"This ce?"
"The Tutorial."
"WHAT?!!!!!!!" Lead wasn''t the only one that shouted in shock.
It was sudden, but there was no use lingering. He had no intention to watch a wannabe tournament arc¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 12: When it''s time to go, it''s time to go! ?
Thoughts on this chapter? There are a few little things to wrap up, but this is the end of the Demon King''s Tutorial Progression. Ask here if you have any questions ??
Survey: Add one new religion to Infinite: God name and beliefs hehe!
Chapter 186: Bringer Of Chaos!
Chapter 186: Bringer Of Chaos!
"WHAT?!!!!!!!" Jack''s announcement came as a shock to his allies.
"Yep, it will be time for me to go. No point staying here any longer." He exined.
"Wait, weren''t you confined here or something?! What happened to that?!" CPR dude asked, puzzled.
"Hehe, there''s no need to worry about that. All we need to do is rename the vige, and the restriction won''t apply anymore."
"Change the name?! But it has always been New Leaf! It has History!" The Chief instantly protested, his eyes shaking.
How about this? Jack whispered something in the man''s ears. The Chief nodded and proceeded with the change. After all, they had given him his job as Chief back.
Then a few secondster¡
[New Leaf Vige Has Been Renamed!]
[Wee to New Leaf+ Vige!]
At this moment, the entire Tutorial was plunged in confusion. What the heck was this about?! Had the vige leveled up or something?!
But only a few would know the truth¡
"Then what about the timing? It will take a few days before it''s time to open the portal again. There will be trouble for both of us if I just send you now¡." The Chief remarked.
"What do you mean?! I''ll personally bring important news to the Empire!"
"D-do you mean the Devil invasion?!"
"Naw, just the name change. It''s something significant¡kinda!"
"What if they put you in jail for unnecessarily disturbing?!"
"Don''t worry. It will definitely probably be fine!"
"¡Sure."
Jack tapped the air, sending a message to the Head Cultist.
"Alright, CPR dude, gather the D.L. core members. As for my departure, we don''t have to make a big deal out of it. Before, I had time to kill, but not anymore."
"Woo¡" (Sad)
On the side, Moon Moon found it a shame. It seemed there would be no party with delicious meat. There also wouldn''t be any of that strange golden liquid that made the world spin.
"We can always eat when we get there. Hey, there will be a wider variety of food and all. Isn''t that great?"
"Woo!" (Rejoicing!)
Jack spent a while petting Moon Moon, and before they knew it, everyone was gathered: NPCs and his confidants.
"My lord, is it true that you''re leaving?!" The Head Cultist gave him the look of a lost kitten, holding back the tears.
"Indeed, the vast world awaits and needs to be explored. Anyway, give me your numbers, you all."
"Numbers?" They exchanged confused nces.
"Phone, or anything simr to contact you. We''ll have to keep in touch in case you guys have questions, right?" Jack exined the obvious.
"Whhhhaaaat?! You can use phones?!" CPR dude eximed.
"Obviously¡. don''t tell me you believed that one New Leaf NPC video?"
"A-ah, of course not!!" CPR dude nervously and awkwardly answered.
"Pffft¡ª What did I tell you! See!" The Cultist chuckled.
"Anyway, feel free to start rumors about chain quests gained by joining D.L. Just make sure never to confirm them! We can use the mysteriousness to our advantage."
"Yes, Boss!!"
"Understood, my Lord!"
"Other than that, I suggest you try and clear all the Dungeons at Hellish to receive bonus stats. I''ll be counting on you to turn D.L. into PVE and PVP pros. But don''t wait too long to follow either."
They all nodded thoughtfully. They understood perfectly what this meant.
"As for the vigers, I hope you''ll watch over D.L. like guardian angels."
"Assuredly."
"No problem!"
They all agreed one after the other.
"Oh yeah, if Bubblegum doesn''t show up before I leave, give her my number too. I know all this is sudden, but I''ve just had a breakthrough in my training."
"The skeleton chicken, right?! It looks awesome!! How strong is it?!" CPR dude inquired.
"Strong enough to give you a run for your money." Jack chuckled as the creature seemed to be ready for a fight.
¡ª Cluck! Screech! Cluck! ¡ª
"You two can y together. There''s somewhere I need to go with Moon Moon." Jack departed.
"Woo?" (Puzzled)
The two quickly visited the Wolf Boss.
New Leaf was perhaps one of the few viges where no one had tried defeating it. This was because D.L. hadn''t had the heart to attack it.
"You better say goodbye. It''s better than to have regrets." Jack convinced.
"Woo!" (Alright!)
The little wolf slowly approached the big one, but only to make its master happy. Strangely enough, it felt so much closer to the human than the wolf in front of it.
Still, it bowed lowly toward it in goodbye.
It was time for the little one to spread its wings. Who knew, perhaps soon it would be bigger and stronger than this giant wolf.
Moon Moon happily returned to Jack, the two doing ast run around the Tutorial for old times'' sake. They had barely spent a few weeks here, but it felt like an eternity.
On their passage, many couldn''t help but be surprised. Since when did the Demon King have the time to stroll around? He was usually always busy with one thing or another!
Then they finally returned to the Vige Chief. He quickly opened the golden glowing portal, this time without all the fanfare. He just handed a golden seal over:
"Here you go, Demon King. This will prove your emissary identity."
Even now, he was suffering endlessly from the oath but didn''t ask Jack to remove it one bit. But unbeknown to him, he had made it so he''d have a respite after a while.
"Thanks, Vige Chief," Jack stressed the title before turning to the portal.
"Good luck, Boss!"
"Take care, my Lord!"
"Goodbye, leader."
Jack and wolf gave onest nce behind as they confidently entered the light. Just like that, they were gone.
"Cultist, now that he''s gone, what do we do?"
"We work hard to catch up to him, obviously!"
Everyone dispersed as everything returned to normal.
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Jack and Moon Moon felt themselves floating in an endless golden space.
[Congrattions! Cleared the Tutorial!]
[You are the 31 337th yer to do so!]
Jack wasgging behind in terms of clear time, but he didn''t mind one bit. Sometimes being fast wasn''t always good. ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)
[Analyzing Performance! Please Standby!]
[Calcting Combat Score!]
[Error Error! Exceeded Maximum!]
[Calcting Crafting Score!]
[Legendary! Great Job!]
[Calcting Achievements!]
[Error Error! Impossible?!]
[Overall Score¡. &!#%]
[Cannot Compute!]
[Handing Rewards!]
[Pick 1: Selfless World Wish | Minor Godly Blessing!]
As soon as he saw that, Jack couldn''t help but feel his blood boil. This was freaking huge!
Wish ¡ª> Needs to be vetted by the system but affects the entirety of Infinite
Blessing ¡ª> Straight up power-up
The keyword here was selfless. Anyone would have selected the second option in a heartbeat! Well, anyone but Jack. He grinned as he resolutely picked:
"Selfless blessing. I want a revitalization of mana everywhere. Let''s fill this world with wonders, shall we?" He chuckled.
[The Demon King Has Wished for a Renewal of Mana!]
[Wish Granted! A New Dawn Is Coming!]
[Mana Courses Through The World!]
[Mythical Creatures and Gods Awaken!]
An incorporeal flux of mana suddenly filled¡everything! It was as if they were in a fountain of youth as they basked in its energy!
"Woo?!" (What?!)
What was this?! The little wolf felt every hair on its body tremble, its muscle grow more powerful, and its bones be stronger all of a sudden.
[Pet''s Hidden Potential Has Drastically Increased!]
"Feels nice, doesn''t it? Even better than a massage!" Jack grinned.
"Woo!" (Happy!)
The little wolf felt sofortable! But even then, it still preferred its master''s headpats¡
[Analyzing Host''s Alignment!]
[Issuing Personalized Reward!]
[Acquired Title: The Bringer of Chaos! (Passive)]
"Chaos, is it? Good, I like it. Time to have some fun!"
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
All across Infinite, many beings suddenly awoke from their slumber.
Humanoids
Elementals
Dragons
Demons
Titans
Devils
Gods
And Many more¡
How long had they waited for this moment? Far too long! They would soon turn Infinite into their yground, and it would be so glorious!
Somewhere in the Devilish realm, the Exalted Hunting Lord suddenly raised its formless head. As expected of the Demon King!
At first, it had been angry and had despaired, but now it was grateful.
In the soul fragment that the human had stolen from it rested a powerful curse, one that had once been its problem.
It was finally free!
Also, now that the Demon King had left New Leaf Vige, it would dly go back to it. After all, it had left seeds there. But this time, it would do things differently.
This time it wouldn''t offend the Demon King¡
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[A/N] Thanks for sticking with RPP ^_^V
There we go, end of volume 1 [Origin]?????
Time for volume 2 [Rise of the Pumpkinmancer] ?????
Comments are Wee!
Chapter 187: Did Someone Say PUMPKINS?!
Chapter 187: Did Someone Say PUMPKINS?!
[Completed the Tutorial! Congrattions!]
[Wee to Sprigfield Area!]
[Enjoy Your Stay!]
An incredibly handsome fe suddenly spawned in golden light: luscious orange fur with dark stripes, a majestic posture, and sharp mesmerizing eyes.
Along with the handsome wolf was Jack, aka the Demon King!
They were instantly confronted with a gray stone statue that barely looked human and held a hoe. It was so old that it partially fell to pieces and had mold in it.
"That''s one ugly farmer!" Jack eximed.
"Woo!" (Agreed!)
A chuckle resounded right behind the statue as a friendly-looking young man came out.
He wore so little clothing that a little unnecessary censorship would have made him look like a Japanese pornstar!
"Don''t let them hear you, brother, or they''ll riot. This¡thing is their god: Farmar. The one that brings blessings to the hardworking farmers."
"Woo?!"
"The vigers, you mean?"
"All of them! ndering the gods is cause for prompt execution. Even yers might do it for the loot. Anyway, you''re new here, aren''t you? No need to ask how I know for¡ª"
"A golden huge-ass portal is a neat clue."
"Cough¡ªcough. Yes, quite! Anyway, you should take cover, brother, for the night is dark and full of¡ª"
"¡.Half-naked dumbasses." A voicepleted.
The neer was a pretty, but haughty-looking girl giving a sardonic smile. She wasn''t alone either, as there were two men with her. #Friendzone!
"Y-you!"
"Did I say you could speak to me, beggar?" She spat out before turning to Jack.
"You shouldn''t hang with that idiot. How about you let this big sis show you the ropes? We of the Order of the Red Rose are one of the top guilds in Infinite." She bragged, sticking her modest chest out.
1. Red Rose¡so a regr one?
2. Officially, there were no guilds yet, only factions.
3. Her twopanions were ring at him, warning him not to ept.
A top guild? X
"What''s your name, brother?" She fluttered her eyshes like an epileptic deer.
"Devilishly Handsome Adonis, member of the Order of the Blue Sky!" Jack theatrically dered.
"Pftt¡ª And I''m in the Order of the Fat Yellow Banana!" The youngster added.
"Woo!" (Order of the Red Juicy Meat!)
That''s when she finally realized that they were making fun of her.
"Tch¡ª Bastards! Just you wait!" She left harrumphing and stomping her feet while her two simps sent more death res.
As soon as they were gone, the energetic youngster turned serious.
"You should really go. The night is about to fall, and THEY wille!"
"The pests?"
"You''re well informed! It seems you really researched this well."
"I mean, what are you expecting in a farming town? Colossal Dragons?"
"You jest, but maybe! Earlier, there was a message about the Demon King wishing for a world renewal of mana. Scary, right?!" The naked monk shivered.
"¡Sure." Replied the Demon King in question.
"But do not worry! I may die tonight, but tomorrow I will tell you all about the creatures that¡ª"
"Say, this ce has farms, right? By any chance, are there any¡.pumpkins?" Jack held his breath, every second of silence feeling like an eternity.
"Oh? Do you want to know?" The monk gave a wry smile.
"Woo!" (Just answer the damn question, human!)
"So you''ve heard the rumors, eh? The pumpkins on that farm are really massive if you know what I mean." ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã) He winked.
"WHERE?!!" Jack had the excitement of a dung beetle seeing shit!
"Alright, I can show you real quick, but then you really have to take cover. In about 15 minutes, they''ll be here." On that note, he began leading the way.
After 2 minutes of walking, they reached a medium-sized farm.
PUMPKINS!!!
MOTHERFUCKING PUMPKINS!!!
Pumpkins as far as the eye could see!
Jack couldn''t help but rejoice, Moon Moon wagging its tail. He walked forward with the speed of a nitro-propelled race car!
Behind him, he could hear the monk sighing that he, too, had been young and eager to discover the world once.
The whole lot was enveloped with a small fence inscribed with protective runes ????? ????. The only issue was that they had been gnawed in many ces.
At other spots, the earth was dug, forming tunnels that went underneath the fence entirely. At this point, it was pretty useless.
The closer they got to the farmhouse, the more they noticed signs of damage. There were plenty ofrge pumpkins from afar, but a closer look revealed that they were partially eaten.
It seemed obvious that this field was getting targeted by whatever creatures roamed out at night. Judging by the bite marks, the monsters were Moon Moon size.
At the wooden door, there was an ancient mat weing them:
"How nice." Jack chuckled.
"Brother, you can try your luck, but don''t get too heartbroken once she rejects you, alright?"
"Don''t worry about that, she won''t," Jack replied with the confidence of a baby shitting its diaper: very naturally!
¡ª Knock! Knock! ¡ª
"Go away!" A woman''s voice came from inside.
¡ª Knock! Knock! ¡ª
"Go away. There''s nothing here!" She repeated.
¡ª Knock! Knock! ¡ª
"Woo!" (Let me help!)
The little wolf stood on two paws and tapped the door repeatedly, leaving very slight scratch marks on it. Both pet and master kept knocking/scratching.
¡ª Knock! Knock! ¡ª
¡ª Scratch! Scratch! ¡ª
¡ª Knock! Knock! ¡ª
¡ª Scratch! Scratch! ¡ª
The monk on the side couldn''t help but chuckle seeing this. Both master and pet were so shameless! They wouldn''t take no for an answer.
After what felt like an eternity, the door finally opened, revealing a maturedy with a head of scarlet.
Jack finally understood what the monk had meant by really massive pumpkins. One could say this woman was provocatively proportioned.
"Woo?!" (How?!)
Even Moon Moon was shocked. Wasn''t this evenrger than that one Wolf-Mother Boss?! But then it realized that it just looked bigger because of the meaty but still slender waist.
"What do you want?" She grumbled.
"There are monsters attacking this farm, right?" Jack inquired.
"No, the pumpkins ate themselves." She sarcastically replied.
Jack stared straight into her experienced deep blue eyes until she eventually flinched. His gaze was so intense!
"I''ll protect your farm, and in exchange, you''ll let me y to my heart''s content with your pumpkins. Deal?" He proposed.
She appeared shellshocked for a second, then pensive, before finally nodding.
"Alright. Good luck, young hero!" She uttered before mming the door shut, convinced he''d fail.
"Y-you¡you did not just do that?! It worked too?!" The monk cried out. "Wait, no. You still have to defeat the rats. In any case, I''m rooting for you, brother!"
"Woo?!" (Rats?!)
Moon Moon had a savage glint in its eyes. It remembered those vicious creatures! They were big bullies and had even killed them a few times before!
That''s when thest rays of the sun disappeared. The entire area was plunged into darkness as a weird sound echoed. It was a mix of screeching and clicking. What could it be?!
In the distance, a patch of darkness appeared. The problem was that it just happened to wriggle a LOT as it crawled toward them.
Jack silently summoned his trusty World-Devouring Chicken as the monsters reached the outer edge of the barrier. They needed better visibility, so he created a me and sent it their way.
"What the actual fuck is that?! They weren''t like that yesterday!!!" The monk screamed before adding "Curse you, Demon King!!".
"Get ready, Moon Moon. They''reing." Jack solemnly warned.
There were so many of them! Oh, and they were scary AF! ¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Start of Volume 2. Balls tingling with hype! ????
Chapter 188: Farmgirl’s Plump Pumpkins!
Chapter 188: Farmgirl¡¯s Plump Pumpkins!
The creatures quickly revealed themselves¡.WTF were those?! Not rats for sure! They were to rats what cheese product was to cheese!
< Mutated Acidic Rat Being Lv 12 >
They had fur and sharp teeth, but that''s pretty much where the resemnce ended.
¨C Motherfucking wings!
¨C Sharp barbed insect-like legs
¨C Shiny carapace protecting their vitals
¨C Green glow in the dark piercing eyes
¨C Around their fangs, acidic green saliva dripped
"Oh god, what abominations are those?! There''s like freaking 50 of them too!! RUUUNNN!!" The monk cried out, darting away.
"Acidic Rat Beings¡.apparently." In Jack''s voice, there wasn''t any fear at all.
"Woo!" (Bring it on!)
The little wolf started the assault! While the creatures were charging at them, it waved its paw, akin to a godly wolf emperor. Along with itsmand, fiery chickens spawned right above the enemies.
They exploded right in their midst, making their fur burn quickly, the light reflecting on the shiny carapace parts.
"W-what the hell?!" The shellshocked monk was frozen. What kind of legendary pet was this?!
"Great job! Just be careful not to burn the pumpkins." Jack reminded as he sent a torrent of fiery destruction, the creatures shrieking as they burned.
¡ª Anguished Shrieks! ¡ª
+3 XP
+3 XP
+3 XP
+ 3 XP
The World-Devouring-Chicken (WDC) hopped forward not to be outdone as it witnessed the two pyromaniacs at work.
WDC used vengeful Peck! It''s not very effective¡.
WDC used bony wing bitch-p! It''s not very effective either¡
"Since they have a carapace, you have to target the weak points. Reach inside and dig the soft flesh out." Jack instructed.
The undead chicken quickly got to work, using its sharp bony talons to pry open the pesky armor and finally reaching the opponent''s weak spot.
Meanwhile, the creature kept sending green blobs at it. The acid was a deadly one that corroded the flesh and muscles instantly!
#Skeleton OP #404 Flesh Not Found!
"Cluck!! Shriek!" (Get Wrecked!!)
Jack was akin to a meburst Tower in the back as he sent fireball after fireball.
This event should have been damn near impossible for a yer fresh out of the Tutorial. But for him? Easier than baking a cake!
¨C He wasn''t level 10 as most neers, but level 15!
¨C The Power of E-Rank me Maniption was shown in all its freaking glory!
¨C As for the Mana¡he was burning that sweet red mana bar (HP) like there was no tomorrow!
"Hehe, burn you shitty cockroaches! If you think you''ll be touching my goddamn pumpkins, then you''re sorely mistaken!!!" He cackled loudly.
On the side, the monk watched the show, his maw almost touching the ground. The creatures had utterly given up fighting and were being one-sidedly roasted!
What kind of impossible power was this?!
It didn''t take long for a human, wolf, and chicken to trample upon the charred remains of their opponents.
"Woo!" (Excited!)
Now came the best part of the fight; it was time to collect the meat! Moon Moon happily wed at the creatures, something it had learned from its master.
The things'' flesh was purplish and gave a weird smell¡ª not that it would stop the curious creature. It took a small bite, only for its face to twist in pain and regret. So bitter!
"I don''t think they''re edible. If you eat enough of them, you may just gain a weak poison resistance skill, but it could as well kill you before." Jack exined.
"Woo!" (Comining!)
This was such a waste! What kind of horrible god had created creatures with toxic meat! This was pure heresy!!
As for rewards, 3 XP may seemcking, but the XP requirements had gone down. To reach level 10, it had taken 10 000 XP, but now it required 2 560 XP to reach level 16.
That much was to be expected: that''s how the system dealt with XP intion.
"Good job, you two!" Jack praised, giving headpats as rewards.
It was quite silly to see a skeleton draw its tiny head closer. It couldn''t even feel the warmth, and it was simply copying its wolf big brother.
"W-who the fuck are you?! Wait¡ a wolf! You, you''re¡." Jack gave a small smile. It seemed that his reputation preceded him. "You''re Dark Wolf Master!!!"
Come again? Who the fuck was that bloke? Jack''s pride suddenly deted like a balloon. Wasn''t the orange fucking wolf telling enough?! Ah, whatever.
Hepletely ignored the man as he headed for the door.
¡ª Knock! Knock! ¡ª
This time the owner didn''t wait and opened the door in a rush. She seemed to be sighing to herself as if expecting this to happen.
"Hurry up if you don''t want to be rat shit!" She powerfully ordered.
While she looked unapproachable at first, there was still a hint of concern hidden behind her stern face. She wouldn''t let the youngsters die simply for overestimating their capabilities.
"What the hell are you standing there for, you¡ª?!" but then her beautiful face suddenly showed extreme shock.
The monstrous creatures? All dead! Their corpses were strewn all over the pumpkin field, some still burning.
"H-how?!" She nced at the two in disbelief.
But then she realized that the half-naked guy was as overwhelmed as she was. This meant that this man had defeated them alone?!
"Y-you did this?" She softly asked, as if worried she''d suddenly wake up.
"Yep, along with my mighty helpers!" Jack winked.
"Woo!"
"Cluck! Shriek!"
Those two puny creatures? They were barely the size of a single rat, as if! He had defeated a few dozen of them alone?! Even now, it felt unreal!
He gazed her way with a smile as gentle as spring, his eyes glittering like a warm sun. In those dark eyes of his, she could feel bottomless desire.
"About our deal¡." He softly uttered.
It''s only then that she remembered. As long as he protected her farm, she would let him do whatever he wanted with her pumpkins.
Attentive, handsome, powerful, and even humble! This young hero had gone out of his way, all for her sake! She even felt his throbbing desire¡
At this moment, she couldn''t help but gulp as herplexion turned an enchanting rosy red. She mustered her courage.
"I-I''ll obviously honor my word. You can do what you mean with my b-" She was about to say body but suddenly froze.
The young hero gave an enchanting smile as he instantly turned tail, heading for the pumpkin patch. He didn''t even give her a look!
W-what?!
"Alright, Moon Moon and Chicky, let''s get to work!" He sat on the ground, gesturing his pets to do the same.
"Today, we''ll practice an ancestral art known as pumpkin carving! You want to take your ws and delicately tear the skin to create art. Here, let me show you an example!"
Just like that, he began carving a goddamn pumpkin!
He was out there in the field while she stood shellshocked in the farmhouse''s entrance. She suddenly questioned her charm. He had meant literal pumpkins?!
A distance away, the monk was equally frozen. He had been ready to celebrate this new brother''s glorious sess.
He quite liked the guy, for he hadn''t told him to fuck off yet. He was probably the only one that didn''t mind being followed by a half-naked dude.
But what the heck was this?! This guy had the opportunity to get that ultimate bombshell of an NPC, and he was there carving pumpkins?!
Was this guy dense, or was he just a freaking god?!
As he carved, Jack made sure to turn his best profile toward the farmhouse. But even then, he mainly focused on his task.
This new legend would start with one tiny pumpkin¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 13: It''s pumpkin time! ?? Any carving Requests?
Chapter 189: Jack X Pumpkin Girl? (1/2)
Chapter 189: Jack X Pumpkin Girl? (1/2)
The Demon King was mighty and without equal: the sky beyond the sky! Or so it should have been. How would people have reacted had they seen the current him?
Jack sat alongside his two pets in the peaceful pumpkin field as they diligently carved pumpkins.
Pursuing great adventures? Saving/destroying the world? Helping damsels in distress? Who fucking had time for that?! Quest were temporary, but pumpkins were eternal!
At first glimpse, they appeared like a still painting depicting a hero of old.
Every time she nced at the three, the farm girl felt as if they could disappear any moment. Now that the day hade, she finally realized how peculiar those pets were.
The wolf looked more like a tiger, and it had a proud and majestic aura, one that was stronger than any of the Braves she had ever seen. The stripes even seemed alive!
It was even worse for the chicken. It was only bones! Usually, she should have dreaded such a vile creature, but it seemed so hardworking and¡.friendly?!
"Be delicate. Destruction is easy, but creation is much harder." Jack would dispense his wisdom as he expertly handled the knife.
The wolf would diligently follow the movements while the chicken would copy its wolf big brother. Somehow, this scene felt so natural and heartwarming!
That''s when he turned her way.
"Morning, Pumpkin Girl!" He gave her a radiant smile that almost made her heart explode.
Pumpkin girl was such a simple nickname: it literally only described her job! Yet it felt so right when he was the one uttering it.
She grumbled a reply as she went to tend to her field as she always did.
Sometimes she wondered why she even bothered. After all, the despicable invaders would destroy everything nighte. Oh, and this wasn''t considering the ones during the day!
¡ª CawCaw! CawCaw! ¡ª
The annoying birds would always show up: ck, the size of chickens, three-eyed and swift. At least they never attacked humans, for they knew better.
< Half-Blind Fate Crow Lv 12 >
But this time was different. The birds cawed but did not dare approach, for he was there, akin to a silent guardian.
As the farm girl saw this, she sighed in relief and gave a grateful smile. She seemed blissfully unaware that THE Demon King was acting as a scarecrow for her.
She was wearing a modest white shirt, the poor thing struggling to hold her assets. In her hand, she had a simple wooden hoe.
As she began her daily routine, Jack couldn''t help but give a nod of appreciation.
Most would have observed her rosyplexion from the exertion, her skin glistering under the sun from the sweat, or even how the white fabric followed her unbelievable curves.
But what stood out the most to him was the technique. She was so damn good at hoeing!!!
She''d chant a small prayer, and green energy would envelop her hoe. It had the warmth of spring and the vitality of nature.
She''d gently huff as she plowed with all her strength, digging so deep into the earth before delicately inserting a seed. Then she''d gently cover it up before doing the same over again!
She sure was hard at work!
While busying herself, she suddenly felt a gaze. How many skulls did she have to crack in the past to stop fellow vigers from peeping at her?
But as she noticed who it belonged to, she didn''t feel bad in the slightest. He was the man who had saved her farm, asking nothing in return.
Sure there were the pumpkins, but she would prefer them to be carved than devoured by beasts! Plus, she could still cook the insides¡
Anyway, he was looking her way! She took the opportunity to spectacrly arch her back, stretching her sore muscles. Had she entranced him? She discreetly peeked. ¡Nope.
He was staring at the pumpkin seed she had just nted. Thanks to Farmar''s blessing, it was already blooming into vibrant green leaves. She was losing to a damn pumpkin again!
Just when she felt like crying, he praised her:
"I love watching you work. It''s quite mesmerizing." He looked so innocent as he said it, yet it still made her heart skip a beat.
"Really?! Feel free to look all you want!"
Was her farming talent a blessing or a curse? At least it made him look her general way. Now she just had to attract his gaze toward her¡
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Jack soon found peace on the farm as days seeded one another.
Any other yer would have found him crazy. Why waste his time when now was the best time to be stronger? It didn''t make any sense!
He had his reasons:
1. He was determined to learn carving.
2. He would rather do it now than miss the opportunityter.
3. He knew that every life skill would be helpful inbat down the line. It was just a matter of sinking enough effort into it. (See 1)
The more he practiced, the better he got at it. He felt that he wouldn''t embarrass himself, even IRL. Still, he was a distance away from unlocking the skill.
He was already looking forward to Halloween: he''d showcase his skills. Lilly would love it for sure!
Soon a routine established itself:
1. Hardworking Days
2. Quiet Evenings
3. Battling Nights
He wasn''t the only one hard at work every day.
He and hispanions would carve while watching Pumpkin Girl grow squashes. To her, farming was as simple as breathing or hoeing, but it was so magical to him!
From time to time, she''d try to get his attention, making him chuckle inwardly. At first, she was inexperienced in seduction, but she quickly improved.
She tried it all: stretching alluringly, delicately fanning herself, bending over while nting, or even resting her massive breasts on her wooden hoe for a break.
Every time he''d give her the most innocent and bright signature "Herald of Light" smile. Then he''d rarely nce straight at her curves, only to appear to be daydreaming.
She was really fun to tease, and it was entertaining to see the "tricks" she''de up with.
Whenever she took breaks, they''d speak for a little while, mostly about pumpkins. She''de alive as she described how she had learned the art with her father, her blue eyes lighting up!
Moon Moon or Chicky would ask for advice by raising a paw/w from time to time. He''d diligently guide them to the best of his capabilities. After all, he was a beginner too.
She''d watch those interactions with a warm smile, enjoying the moment as she pretty much gave up on seducing him. (Not that she stopped trying)
But whenever she spoke of the outside world, her gaze would turn reluctant as she knew he''d leave at some point.
Jack learned about their surroundings this way:
¨C Sprigfield Town Nearby
¨C Timber City Farther Away
¨C Lumbering Metropolis Even Farther
Thest one was the area''s capital, and reaching it would be the yers'' primary goal for now. Of course, essing it would require more than simply walking there.
All that was a concern forter anyway¡
Pumpkin Girl would sometimes head to the town to sell some pumpkins and buy supplies, mainly vegetables. Fun fact, pumpkins were considered fruits.
She''d talk about how X or Y viger had tried scamming her,in about the naughty kids, or how badly maintained the roads were.
It was a simple topic, but he found her various expressions fun to witness.
She''d use the food for cooking delicious meals once evening came.
Evening was for resting, eating, and generally quiet pondering. Even then, the gang would never stop carving for too long as Jack would keep his hands busy as he trained.
It turned out that she was a pumpkin virtuoso. She did it all: from pumpkin soup to pumpkin pie and even roasted pumpkin!
Every time he''d whisper that he loved her pumpkins or her cooking, she''d beam and blush a little.
Sometimes she''d ask for stories, her eyes gleaming in wonder from his incredible tales. All were true, albeit he never mentioned that they were from a past life.
"That one time that army of dark elves cornered me, and all I had to defend myself was their princess'' dildo. Needless to say¡ª"
"Once, demons tried to ambush us to steal a holy artifact. You should have seen their faces as they finally stole it only to realize I had reced it with dog shit! It was¡ª"
"There was that guy I knew. He could transform into a bird, and he was one hell of a pervert! One day he sneaked right into the king''s harem. That day he almost died of exhaustion as¡ª"
She''d listen for ages, or at least until night came¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 13: It''s Pumpkin Girl time! ?? ^_^v
Chapter 190: Jack X Pumpkin Girl? (2/2)
Chapter 190: Jack X Pumpkin Girl? (2/2)
She''d listen for ages, or at least until night came.
Night was the time for battle training and to go wild. It was them versus the rats, and Pumpkin Girl would watch their "heroic shows of bravery," as she''d call them.
There wasn''t much valor there as far as Jack was concerned. Getting rid of the rats was as easy as uttering "methrower goes BRRRR!" which he surprisingly did often nowadays.
Day after day, there were more pumpkins in the pumpkin patch. Most were carved, but they still retained their previous vitality.
The more pumpkins, the more rats came!
From 50 to 100, to 150 and it was increasing! This meant more XP and more monster materials too! (Apparently, the local adventurer guild had a bounty on the pests.)
But even then, the creatures woulde in waves rather than all at once. This made things so easy that he used the opportunity to train his pets.
They improved individually, but so did their teamwork. Chicky would block the acid salves while Moon Moon rained fiery hell on their asses. He even taught them to kite like pros!
It even reached a point that Jack barely needed to do anything.
He''d just let the wolf and undead chicken loose and watch the destruction while cozily carving inside the house, Pumpkin Girl even bringing him snacks. That was life!
Sometimes they''d get a visitor. The half-naked Monk would give a wry smile every time he saw the way Jack and Pumpkin Girl interacted. He even tried ying matchmaker:
"You know she likes you, right?"
"Of course."
"Then why don''t you make a move?!" The Monk asked, baffled. She was agreeable, and her body was a solid 20 out of 10!
"I''m busy learning to carve. Plus, the current situation is pretty entertaining." Jack admitted while gazing her way.
The Monk couldn''t understand, but he stopped meddling in the two''s rtionship. Either way, they had time since both were young and healthy by Infinite standards.
He''d often share with Jack the results of his training.
Near the town was the "Very Wet Lake" (Ridiculously named). Anyway, around it were level 15 Hard Shelled Crabs that were incredibly resistant except for a few weak points.
Jack had shared the secret of the mana engulfing technique with the Monk, and the man had somehow found an NPC to help him with it.
He had somehow developed a skill that was theplete opposite of those crabs. It made his body weak all over, besides a few key spots (Now stronger than steel).
This made it so the Naked Monk became the Masochistic Naked Monk. After all, the man would enthusiastically throw himself toward the enemies'' attacks.
Sure, he was making sure that the strikes collided with his few resistant spots, but he looked like a freaking deviant every time he did it!
He''d often show up and train alongside them. Hell, the chicken and he had seemingly entered apetition to see who could block the most attacks!
Each had a specialty:
Chicky ¡ª> Resistant to acidic attacks
Masochistic Monk ¡ª> Resistant to physical attacks
Moon Moon would even act as the referee in thispetition. Still, determining a true victor was especially hard given that the little wolf didn''t know how to count.
But that didn''t stop Moon Moon from being incredibly studious.
It would carry around its "A Death Knight''s Struggles With Literacy" and browse it diligently whenever it got tired of carving.
This cycle kept going:
1. Hardworking Days
2. Quiet Evenings
3. Battling Nights
The pumpkin farm hade to feel like an entirely different world. Here time had no meaning nor grasp on them.
As for Jack''s "official" excuse of delivering a letter¡he hadn''t needed to use it at all. There was militia in the town, but the Empire was too busy to supervise them.
With the renewal of mana, the capital was already going crazy¡ª or so the rumors said.
Monsters were suddenly attacking settlements while races/species that were supposedly extinct resurfaced.
Just the rats and crows that Jack saw daily were testaments to it. The rats were more deformed, and the crows were suddenly less blind.
In any case, Jack didn''t feel guilty one bit.
He just "wasted" his days away, giving his all to carving. Day and night, he would be carving, Pumpkin Girl often gazing his way.
He was akin to a sage unaffected by the outside world. Rain? Thunder? Wind? A tempting farm girl? He endured it all with a steady heart!
All until it all finally paid off:
[Congrattions! Learned Carving F!]
[Acquired Title: Carving Pumpkins Till I Copse!]
This one effect was so long that it took an entire window.
[Increased resistance to all debuffs while carving a pumpkin (Passive)!]
He couldn''t help but chuckle. After the sitting title, he now had a carving one! At this rate, he was just missing a singing one, and he''d turn into an immortal demon!
"Woo!" (Congrattions!)
The little wolf had felt the change in its master. Not only had it sensed his joy through their soul link, but it could also notice the difference with its own eyes.
As Jack carved, he emanated a profound aura. It was a reserved one that was incredibly soothing. But under that modest appearance resided incredible strength!
"Cluck! Shriek!" (Congra-clucktion!)
"Thanks, guys. From now on, I will be known as the Legendary Pumpkin Carver! My title will resound across all the realms and induce terror in my enemies!" He thundered.
"Pfft¡ª Very frightening indeed!" Pumpkin Girl gave a thumb up in the background. "Shall we celebrate with pumpkin pie?"
"Of course! You know how much I love your pumpkins and your cooking!" Jack replied eagerly.
As usual, she blushed a pretty crimson from the teasing.
"I know, I know, you''ve told me daily!" She said that, but she was obviously enjoying the praise. "Ah, I know! Wait for me! I''ll be right back!" She darted toward the town.
He could already guess that she had gone to get some alcohol. Would she use the opportunity to get them both drunk? A party was always fun¡
Jack patiently waited for her toe back as he busied himself crafting equipment for Chicky. He would hide its undead identity behind a pumpkin armor set.
This was one of the perks of carving ¡ª> Cosmetics.
It wouldn''t give any stats and would break down by itself if Chicky took too much damage, but it would do the trick for now.
[Sessfully Crafted Pumpkin Chicken Armor!]
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Pumpkin Chicken Armor
Rank ¡ª
Level 0
[Type] Cosmetic
[Scaling] Chicken''s HP
[Trait] Blindingly Visible
[Detail] Hides the Body Completely
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The valiant chicken was outfitted from head to talons in a blindingly orange suit a few minutester.
"Woo!" (Cheerful!)
Moon Moon instantly gave it a yful nudge. From that point onward, they would be the same color!! They almost looked like brothers!
"Pfft¡ª It looks very peculiar, but it serves its purpose!" Jack chuckled.
It sure was shy, but at least if the Chicken did decide to cross the road, it would be visible AF!
Jack peacefully smiled as he watched the two mess around with this new "toy". They would be testing it in livebatter on.
They kept ying until Pumpkin Girl finally came back.
But as soon as he saw her, Jack knew that there was something wrong. She walked hurriedly, her hands empty and her facepletely livid.
In her usually clear eyes, he saw terror¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 13: It''s Pumpkin Girl time! ?? ^_^v
Thoughts?
Chapter 191: Max Affinity! What?! (1/2)
Chapter 191: Max Affinity! What?! (1/2)
Whatever had happened in town had utterly frightened Pumpkin Girl as her entire body was shaking. This ought to be something significant!
"Are you alright?" Jack asked with concern, rushing to her side.
Even now, she had trouble calming down, her face twisting in disgust as she reminisced.
"They felt so vile, so revolting, so horrifying, so¡." She repeated over and over as if a broken record.
This wasn''t the always sunny Pumpkin Girl he knew. She was in PTSD mode. He wordlessly dragged her into an embrace as she nestled herself against his chest.
The sound of his heartbeat slowly lulled her back into a peaceful state. Her breathing calmed down as she finally regained her senses, blushing a cute crimson.
But she did not move one bit. She enjoyed his warmth, feeling safe in his arms¡
She even found herself wishing that he could guard her farm and her forever as he had done the past days.
"What exactly happened?" He softly inquired, gently petting her head.
That''s when she slowly recounted her tale.
She had gone to the general market to get supplies, only to encounter a troop of traveling mimes.
They looked like people, smelled of strong orchid perfume, and weren''t human. Every time she spoke of them, she would shiver uncontrobly for an instant.
She was convinced that they were monsters because of their aura. She described it as sickeningly evil and corrupted, theplete opposite of Farmar''s blessing!
She tried asking the guards for help, but they turned her away and threatened to put her in jail for false reporting. The bastards even acted as if there was nothing wrong with the visitors!
This left two possibilities:
1. The militia was corrupt
2. Only she had realized the issue
"What about the other vigers. Did any of them find the mimes strange?"
"I don''t think so. I was so busy running that I didn''t really notice¡." She admitted.
The opposite of Farmar''s blessing, eh? What if it was death magic?! She would be extremely sensitive to it as one who used life magic daily, hence the extreme reaction.
This was an opportunity! ¡ª> Rare Quest! (Probably)
"Alright, I''ll go check it out. You stay here, and I''ll leave Chicky to safeguard the pumpkins." Jack petted her head onest time before leaving.
"No! You can''t! We need to stay away, even you! I know you''re strong, but they''re even stronger, I swear!" she screamed, panicked.
No shit, he was only level 15! While it was very high for a yer at this stage of the game, it was still weakpared to the area''s NPCs. Heck, even Pumpkin Girl was probably level 20+!
"Don''t worry. I have my ways." He reassured, his voice deep and confident as he walked toward the farm''s exit.
But that''s when she rushed to block his way. Her gentle blue eyes were filled with determination as she gazed sternly at him.
"I won''t let you! Didn''t you hear what I just said?! They''re super strong! Like way too strong! I won''t let you throw your life away!" She eximed with incredible resolve.
"Braves are literally immortal. I''ll be fine. Just await my victorious return!" he heroically thundered.
"So what?! There''s always a risk! I won''t move until you give up, even if I have to die!" she proimed.
Wait, what?! She was physically going to stop him?! She seemed he serious too! Jack couldn''t help but freeze.
In the past days, their many conversations had raised his affinity with her¡but wasn''t this too exaggerated?! He had expected her to be interested in him but not stake her life!
But he suddenly understood. He had been carving and defending her farm nonstop, day and night! It seemed like he had unknowingly exploited.
Continuous defense + Being the first Brave to help her = Shitload of affinity points!
"Tch¡ª System, shouldn''t you message yers when the affinity rises so much?" Jackined.
[¡..]
[Analyzing!]
[Congrattions!]
[Affinity With "Pumpkin Girl" Maxed!]
[Added Pumpkin Girl to Notable NPC List!]
[Granted ess to Part of Pumpkin Girl''s Status!]
"¡.Thanks." Jack promptly nced at her information.
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NPC: "Pumpkin Girl" Level 25
ss: Pumpkin Farmer
Title: Bountiful Life Witch
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¨C Hoeing F
¨C Farming E
¨C Farmar''s Blessing E
¨C Life Energy Affinity 55
¨C Affected by Curse of Fear!
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The current issue was now obvious:
1. She was affected by a [Curse of Fear]
2. The whole thing made her irrational
3. Cleansing it would be a pain in the ass
4. It was probably temporary anyway
Conclusion ¡ª> He could simply wait, but by then, perhaps the mimes would be gone. There was also the more forceful approach.
Surprisingly, she was level 25, but there was nothing remotely threatening in her status screen. It made sense considering she had needed his help to deal with rats.
"Sorry, but I''ll be going on ahead, and we''ll talk when Ie back. Moon Moon, watch her and make sure she stays here!" Jack ordered as he darted away.
He didn''t want her to follow. After all, with maxed affinity, she could very well confront her fear of the vile creatures to "rescue" him, regardless of if he needed her help.
This should have been a simple but effective n. Sadly, things quickly turned sour.
"I WON''T LET YOU!" Her scream was so loud it made tons of three-eyed crows fly away in fear.
Along with her deration, her hands started glowing a deep green, the color of life magic. As she waved, the entire freaking pumpkin field began glowing. WTF?!
[Ding! Pumpkin Girl Event!]
[Pumpkin Girl Is Unlocking Her Potential!]
[A Deep Desire to Protect Created a Miracle!]
[New Skill! Ultimate Pumpkin Growth E (1/day)!]
What the heck was up with this timing?! She now had abat skill?!
Oh well, whatever. This was still great news as she would be able to defend herself better. He just needed to ovee that one ability¡but then he gasped in surprise.
"What the fuck?!" Jack couldn''t help but curse.
The glow was only the start: the entire goddamn pumpkin field came to life as countless vines suddenly grew! This was now a world of green tentacles!
He couldn''t help but nervously gulp. How the fuck was this a rank E skill?! This was insanity!
But as he looked more carefully, he understood. Her power resonated with thend, making it unique.
No Pumpkins ¡ª> Useless Magic
Lots of Pumpkins ¡ª> Very Powerful
He had been the one digging his own grave. Protecting the pumpkin patch had made her ability so fucking powerful!
In fact, she almost lost control of the magic, surprised by the might it showed. But her desire to keep him "safe" trumped all!
"Immobilize him!" She ordered as if a majestic elven empress!
At this moment, there was no trace of the sweet and gentle girl that he knew. Only an OP Life Magic Goddess that wouldn''t take no for an answer.
The vines rushed at him crazily. As he saw their info, he couldn''t help but gulp. How the fuck was he supposed to deal with that?!
< Bountiful Thick Pumpkin Vine Lv 30 ????>
The issue wasn''t its level or even how fast and sturdy it was. No, the problem was the freaking number! There were more vines than hair in a bigfoot''s ass!
"How about we talk this through? Look, I''ll be careful and¡ª"
"You still want to go?! Who''s gonna protect my farm if you die stupidly?!" She shouted heatedly.
Who was going to protect the pumpkin patch, really?! Said the girl who was going all godly druid on his ass!
Jack could only give a wry smile as the vinespletely entrapped him. What was he supposed to do, fight her to death?!
A few secondster, he waspletely stuck with vines holding him solidly in ce. He was only able to move his head and nothing else.
"Woo!" (Intrigued!)
Moon Moon was already tapping the vines with its paw, watching its master with interest. It knew he wasn''t in any real danger. This green bed lookedfy!
Pumpkin Girl came nearby, beaming.
"With this new power, I''ll be the one protecting you from now on! It''s the least I can do! Ah, and I''ll protect you too, Moon Moon!"
She started petting the wolf as she spoke softly with emotion. Wait, was this what he thought this was?!¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 14: New Demon King In Town ?? ^_^v
Chapter 192: Max Affinity! What?! (2/2)
Chapter 192: Max Affinity! What?! (2/2)
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Moon Moon was blissfully getting scratched behind the ears as its master was encased in vines and busy listening to Pumpkin Girl''s monologue:
"I know it''s selfish of me, but I really can''t bear to see you throw your life away. Just stay here, and I''ll do everything I can to make you happy!"
"We can keep going as usual. Me working in the field, you carving cool pumpkins. Then you can taste my cooking while sharing your amazing stories!"
"You know, I''ve been watching you ever since you first saved my farm, even futilely trying to attract your gaze. At least you looked happy."
"Just picture a slow but fulfilling life. Wouldn''t that be nice? We can go to town once it''s safe too. But please promise me that you won''t ever risk your life, make a Life Vow!"
She was gazing at him warmly, begging him with a tender gaze.
Damn, the Max Affinity + [Curse of Fear]bo was no fucking joke! It had suddenly made her realize how much she cared about him.
This had pretty much been a freaking love deration! With Max Affinity, her sentiments wouldn''t change anytime soon either: such was the NPC curse.
Still, no matter how much she begged, a Life Vow was out of the question. It was simr to the oath the Chief had done, the main difference being the magic''s nature.
"What do you think, Moon Moon? You don''t want your master to die either, right? How about staying here longer? We have pumpkin pie!" She slyly directed the question toward it.
"Woo?!" (Excited!)
Moon Moon had 100% understood the pie part! Pie was amazing, especially hers! The little wolf had tasted Pumpkin Girl''s cooking, and it was beyond awesome!
If staying here meant delicious food, it would join the Pumpkin Girl bandwagon without hesitation! It was ready to act as the best wingman!
The little wolf was already drooling, a huge wolfish grin on its face. What a gluttonous wolf!
Jack couldn''t help but chuckle. Still, it was time for him to break free.
"Ah, fine. I won''t risk my¡ª" but suddenly, his face started crazily twitching.
"Are you alright?!" She asked, worried.
"My face''s itching so much!" Heined, seemingly trying to scratch it on the vines.
Pumpkin Girl sighed in relief before chuckling. She naively approached her hand, wanting to ease his difort.
But that''s when he took the opportunity to strike! Even if the vines were level 30, his Fire Maniption was their direct counter!
He suddenly erupted with incredible power as he turned into a man of fire! Instantly the vines restraining him were burned to cinders.
Jack was free, but not for long as the vines in the back were already heading his way. He wasn''t strong enough to face such powerful magic directly, but he didn''t have to.
Pumpkin Girl''s eyes widened as she saw him charge straight at her. He was emitting such a powerful aura right now!
She hadpletely screwed up for sure.
He lunged at her and used an incredibly powerful forbidden technique to defeat her: a forceful kiss! He was her number one weakness at this moment!
He felt her freeze, then tremble in shock under his touch, but she was already unconsciously inching closer, her breathing bing rougher.
She might have been an NPC, but even he couldn''t tell¡
¡ª
Wait, waaaatttt?! At that moment, her brain stopped working. She nked, not understanding what was happening.
Had he just kissed her?! His tongue invading her mouth seemed to confirm it, but whaaat?!
She was suddenly recalling all the times he had told her that he loved her pumpkins, her cooking, or watching her. Had he meant it in that way?!
She felt a warmth in her heart that soon spread to her entire body.
What about her failures at seducing him?! None of it mattered! This kiss meant he was epting her feelings, right?! She finally had his attention!
She stopped worrying entirely as she proactively answered his kiss, closing her eyes in utter bliss. She couldn''t get enough of him, feeling as if they were meant to be!
¡ª
Jack was the first to break the kiss as he separated from her. She already seemed at a loss, staring at his lips while longing for more.
But his voice interrupted the magical moment.
"Kissing is great, but I still want to check the town. I''ll be right back." He caressed her cheek lovingly.
That''s when she suddenly trembled, her eyes filled with horror. Her spell was long over. After all, how could she have kept it going while feeling so good?!
"I can still stop you! If¡ª" She tried to act strong, only to be stopped by another kiss.
"We both know you can''t." He grinned, kissing her yet another time.
He could see that she was about to lose her mind at that moment. The fear of him leaving fought the bliss she felt from his kisses. She just needed a little push.
He grinned as he suddenly emitted so much demonic energy that it made the air ripple around him. The mana was dreadful, oppressive, and even felt incredibly vile!
Fear VS Bliss VS Bewilderment
At that moment, her mind finally couldn''t keep up.
[Congrattions!]
[Pumpkin Girl Is Now Confused!]
[Pumpkin Girl Fell Into Temporary Coma!]
"Coma? It''s gonna be a 5 minutes nap at worst. Dafuq you talking about, system?!"
As he checked her status, he couldn''t help but chuckle: sess! The Curse of Fear was gone, reced. #Heal #Getting Creative #As Long As It Works
He gentlyid her on the ground, her head resting on hisps. After a few minutes, her eyes finally fluttered open.
"Morning!" He gave her a radiant smile as she nced at the surroundings, still slightly confused.
"A dream?! I went to the town, encountered scary mimes, and then I¡." That''s when she furiously blushed, embarrassed.
"What is it?" He innocently asked.
"Nothing, just a really good dream!" She nervously chuckled.
At this moment, he could easily make it seem like nothing had ever happened.
He''d stick to the area until he reached level 20-25, then leave never to look back. It would be for the best! After all, only an idiot would try to forcefully level up a weak NPC.
He gently caressed her hair as he spoke.
"You know, a long time ago, people used to call me the Demon King."
"Why? You''re so nice!" She protested.
"Well, one reason is that a Demon King does as he pleases." Jack softly uttered with a wolfish grin.
"What do you mean¡ª"
He suddenly kissed her, her question turning into a muffled murmur. As his tongue explored her mouth, she seemed incredibly shocked.
But as she saw his yful smirk, she finally realized that the dream had all been real.
She had finally won over the pumpkins! Her smile was sorge that it threatened to leave her face! This was happiness!
At this moment, she looked so damn cute!
So what if she was just a low-level NPC?! Even if she was all data, her earlier confession had still moved him. It was stupid, but he didn''t care. He would just do as he pleased!
At this moment he inwardly swore to that he''d bring her along somehow.
#100% Justified! #For the Pumpkins!
[Pumpkin Girl Felt Your Devotion!]
[Gained Affinity!]
[Affinity Maxed!]
[Added ~XP!]
"%$#"
What the heck?! XP was different than ~XP for sure, but what was it? Who knew¡
"Alright, I''ll go check out the town. I promise I''lle back, so wait for me." He instructed.
"Fine, but you better honor your promise or I swear to Farmar that I''ll make you regret it!" She mock-threatened.
"I give you my word: I''ll be back. You can be at ease. After all, a demon King always honors his promises. Plus, I''m not done having fun with your pumpkins." He teased her.
She felt like screaming, "Which pumpkins?!" but then noticed Moon Moon approaching.
"Woo!" (No need to worry!)
The little wolf raised its little paw in the air. It was giving her its word that it would keep its master safe.
As she saw the wolf trying its best to look incredibly heroic, she couldn''t help but giggle. She sighed deeply, calming herself and even grinning.
She still couldn''t believe her luck. She was truly blessed that this duo of weirdos plus chicken had arrived at her doorstep.
Jack waved her goodbye, leaving with his two orangepanions in tow. He could already guess who the people in town were. This would hopefully be a very rewarding trip¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 14: New Demon King In Town ?? ^_^v
These 2 chaps took so long xD
Chapter 193: Getting Scammed?! (1/2)
Chapter 193: Getting Scammed?! (1/2)
New Leaf+ had been rtively small, and it would have been possible to count its NPCs on one hand (for some races anyway). But, Sprigfield Town was entirely different.
The best way to describe Sprigfield Town was "brown": the light brown of wood, the deep brown of ancient rocks, the tanned brown of leather, and even the cooking smoke looked freaking brown!
Surprisingly the brown still gave it a charming look. It looked rustic yet full of life, especially with the NPCs and yers rushing about.
As Jack reached the town entrance, a man suddenly stopped him.
"Hey there, fellow! You can''t just head in. You have to pay the entrance fee! It''s 50 silvers!" The guy thundered, his hand extended forward.
The man had the pleasant odor of booze and vomit, mixing together in an indescribable aroma. He had made an effort to clean up, but he still looked 100% like a drunken rat.
Had there been an ocean nearby, his long ck beard and hiszy eye would have perhaps made him look like a pirate¡
"Hurry up. I don''t have all day! I''m part of the militia. See this?!" He pointed at an emblem on his left shoulder. It featured a pitchfork, a sword, and a shield.
The emblem was as real as the tax fake.
Muffled, knowing chuckles resounded in the background.
"Here you go! I hope this covers it. The rest is for your great service!" Jack "kindly" gave the man 60 silvers, the NPC''s face lighting up as much as Christmas lights.
"Thank you for your kindness, Sir! Your generosity will forever be remembered!" He grinned happily, inwardly thanking the heavens for this naive sucker!
The yers instantlyughed their asses off.
"Pfft¡ª Dumbass!"
"I can''t freaking believe it!"
"Idiot, he''s gonna drink it all!"
"You should have stayed in the Tutorial!"
"As expected of faction-less peeps! So dim-witted!"
Thestment made it painfully obvious that there were plenty of organizations around even without the guild system unlocked.
The onesughing all adorned specific items:
¨C Red Roses
¨C Rabbit Paws
¨C White Feathers
¨C Shiny Green Gems
¨C More¡
Each of those either came from the Tutorial or from the low-level mobs in the area. They wore it as a mark of pride as it showed their affiliations.
Jack couldn''t help but chuckle inwardly. These blokes couldn''t even afford emblems!
They were akin to rich kids unting their wealth in school, knowing that there were not enough regr yers (yet) to contest their reign. (Hence why no one had warned Jack)
It had been the same in New Leaf with the Mighty Wolves and the Mighty Dragons, except that he had converted/annihted them both.
"Brother, if you hurry up, you might get your money back¡." A non-affiliated yer kindly remarked, getting dark looks.
[Got Scammed?! What Will You Do?]
The scamming drunkard was long gone by now, having "sneakily" left at the first opportunity. That''s when Jack finally went after him.
Right at the town entrance were plenty of posters. As soon as he looked at them, he was instantly assaulted by a flurry of notifications.
[Bounty: Hunt the Naked Pervert!]
[Bounty: Find the Lost Catgirl!]
[Work: Join the Adventurer Guild!]
[Work: Be a Test Subject!]
[Work: Join an Association!]
[Duty: Join the Militia!]
Bounty, work, duty: it was all the freaking same! Why the distinction? Because the bounty hunters and the Empire peeps were too proud to "work" (for different reasons).
Still, that one Bounty sure looked interesting: 5G for a wild Masochistic Naked Monk! Surprisingly he was already a star in his own way. Jack would have to congratte him!
"Thanks for all those nice quests, system. Now I can ignore them all at once!" Jack spoke to empty air, many wondering if he had a screw loose. As if the system would ever reply!
"Alright, we have to find the nearest bar. I''m counting on you, Moon Moon! Find the booze. You know, that world spinning liquid."
"Woo!" (Understood!)
The little wolf nodded its head solemnly, its eyes still bulging from the sights. This task was easy since "booze" had a very strong smell. It quickly led the way.
Jack chuckled as he saw Moon Moon''s tail wag harder every time they''d encounter an NPC with a food stall. It seemed most were selling either vegetables or boar/rabbit meat.
Before long, they arrived at the ¡.quite a peculiar name for a tavern nowhere near any water.
The NPC bouncers at the door looked surprised by the orange wolf, but let them in.
"Woo?!" (Shocked!)
As Moon Moon entered, it couldn''t help but jump in surprise. The smell of barbecue and "booze" was so heavy. Was this paradise?!
In the back, there was a stage with weird human females dancing. Wait¡why did some have fur?! Moon Moon was confused but then focused its gaze on what mattered¡meat!!
"Now, where''s our new friend?" Jack chuckled as he scanned the establishment.
Oh? There were two Demi-Human dancers: a bunny and a roon. This was probably all thanks to his wish. You''re wee, world.
Pretty much all patrons were NPC townfolks enjoying their supper. After all, most yers were busy questing or leveling up.
Then he finally found his target. At the bar, the scammer had just ordered a shitload of beers and was busy ferrying them one after the other back to his table.
Jack quickly walked toward him.
"Let me help you with that." He kindly offered.
"Thanks, but I''m¡ª IT''S YOU?!" He instantly got defensive. "It''s toote: I already spent it all. There''s left. I also need to get shit-faced today. It''s a medical condition!"
Jack followed the NPC to his table, sitting right next to him.
"Now, why don''t we discuss how you''re going to repay me?" Jack gave a warm smile.
"Repay? What repay? Bugger off and let me drink in peace! Let this be a lesson! You should ask around next time." The drunk shrugged dismissively.
Jack remained sitting, perfectly calm as he had expected this much. He simply slipped a few coins to Moon Moon.
"Woo!" (Thank you so much!!!)
Master was the BEST!!! The little wolf happily went to give the coins to the human at the bar, pointing at what it wanted with its paws. The meat looked so delicious!!
Many couldn''t help but gasp:
"Am I dreaming or is this wolf fucking ordering?!"
"You''re drunk! There''s no way that¡ª It really is?!"
"Is there a tamer in town? Those guys are super rare!"
Moon Moon didn''t care one bit that it had be the center of attention. It only cared about the dish the shellshocked human was bringing him.
The only ones not paying attention were Jack and the scammer. They were locked in an endless staring contest:
"You really should repay your debt, you know." Jack would nonchntly say.
"No! No, no, no, and no! No freaking way! Get lost, kid!" The scammer would repeat non-stop.
It would have probably kept going if two NPCs didn''t suddenly appear at the door. As soon as the scammer noticed them, his eyes lit up with mad joy. It seemed like his backing had arrived¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 15: Scammers be scamming! ?? ^_^v
Chapter 194: Getting Scammed?! (2/2)
Chapter 194: Getting Scammed?! (2/2)
It kept going until two NPCs appeared at the door. As soon as he saw them, the scammer''s eyes lit up in mad joy. He instantly waved at them, and they came to sit with them.
One was a warrior-looking guy with a militia emblem, while the other seemed like a refined merchant. Judging by the smell, that second guy was probably the owner here.
"Kid, you can report me all you want. But it will all be useless! Do you know who these two are?!" The scammer grinned victoriously.
"Militia member and bar owner?" Jack shrugged.
"They''re¡ª how the fuck did you know?! Ah, whatever. Say, guys were there any crimesmitted here today?" He yfully asked.
"The militia didn''t get any report."
"Nothing at all happened in my bar."
"Now, do you understand, kid? You can''t get back at me!" The scammer triumphantly dered.
Jack simply looked at the other two inquisitively.
"Kid, just give up. Him scamming neers is pretty much a Sprigfield Town tradition by now."
"Yes, just be happy that your silvers will be used for a good cause: to get wasted!"
All three chuckled as they happily drank, not a worry in the world.
That''s when Jack took out the golden seal the Vige Chief had given him, the one granting him ess to the Capital itself (only temporarily).
He really doubted town folks could distinguish this consumable version from one that gave actual authority.
He didn''t say a word. He simply discreetly yed with it while smiling.
The militia guy was the first one to notice it. As soon as he did, his eyes instantly bulged like a freaking toad.
WTF?! A freaking Empire seal?! He knew that this meant the man would be heard by the motherfucking Empire!
Reporting theft to the militia ¡ª> Who TF cares¡.
Reporting theft to the Empire ¡ª> Criminal getting his hand chopped off.
Reporting theft against an Empire''s messenger ¡ª> Criminal getting fucking killed or worse!!
The militia guy turned livid and instantly rose up from his seat in panic!
"I-I gotta go! I''ll be at the barracks if anyone needs me!!!" He ran away, not even bothering to pick up the fallen chair.
"What''s his problem?" The scammer grumbled, drinking.
"Yeah. He''s acting super weird. I wonder what¡ª" The owner had just noticed the seal.
WTF?! How did this guy have this?! That dumbass drunkard had picked the worst target ever! What the hell?! Going against him meant dying, or at least losing his bar, FUCK!!!!
Just as he was starting to freak out, he suddenly noticed the wolf at the bar. That was that guy''s wolf, right?!
This was his only opportunity for salvation! He''d beg wolf and master alike until they forgave him!
"I-I''ll be right back. I''ll bring amazing food and tons of drinks. It''s on the house!!" He hurriedly went to busy himself.
"Foods and drinks for free?! What happened to you, owner? You''re usually such a miser, haha! It''s like you''re a different pers¡ª" The scammer finally saw the seal.
At this moment, he understood why the militia guy had left.
He understood why the owner was acting so strangely.
He understood that he was utterly fucked.
"It''s sad that it won''t do anything, but I guess I''ll try reporting to the Emperor." Jack sighed as he rose to leave, shamelessly bluffing.
The Emperor?! The freaking Emperor?! No way! But there was the seal! Would anyone dare to fake the seal?! No fucking way either!
Real or fake, the scammer had to act like it was real. Otherwise, he''d be contesting the Empire''s authority!
WTF was he gonna do?! He was fucked!!
Death would be a far better fate!
Wait, no! There was still hope!
The scammer threw himself on the ground, hugging Jack''s leg:
"Please let me repay you!! I''ll do anything, anything you want! You can do whatever you want with me! Just please let me repay you!!"
He screamed so loudly that the entire tavern went quiet. The patrons, mostly NPCs, instantly recognized the scammer.
"What the fuck are you doing?!"
"Why does it look like he''s really trying to kiss-ass?"
"Hehe, anything? If he asks you to suck his dick, will you do it?!"
Many joked, but as they saw the scammer nodding to thatst question, they couldn''t help but freeze. Who the hell was that guy?! He had scared the scammer into submission!
But they would soon realize that it wasn''t just the scammer guy. The owner was also trying to please him! Every sentence they uttered was more kiss-ass than thest!
"Sir, do you want me to massage your shoulders?"
"Sir, I brought you some delicious roasted boar!"
"Sir, I told the dancer girls to serve you!"
"Sir, would you like a foot massage?"
"Sir, let me fill your cup."
As the customers saw that, they almost went insane. What the hell?!
The asshole scammer was being the nicest and most attentive guy ever. Had he suddenly fallen in love or something?!
The stingy owner was giving away his best stuff! One had to know that guy charged for in water!
"That''s the Legendary Honey Liquor!"
"The one that costs a month of sry?!"
"Yep, that''s what he''s been pouring nonstop."
Many sucked in cold breaths as they wondered what was happening with the world. Fuck, even the man''s pet was receiving the same treatment!
"Oh god, this is insane."
"I''m so jealous I could die!"
"If I die, can I be reborn as an orange wolf?"
Moon Moon was lying on theps of the beautiful bunny-girl. She used one hand to pet and the other to deliver bite-sized meat right in its maw. This was life!
"Woo!" (Happy!)
The little wolf sure liked this ce. The food was amazing, and the people were so nice! It seemed that the owner had realized how awesome its master was. Talk about a smart guy!
The cause of it all, Jack, was rxedly smiling as he ate. He showed no excitement at all as he devoured the expensive food and drank the even more costly liquor.
Seeing the NPCs'' crazed faces was so satisfying! His new servants hated every second of it, but they couldn''t stop in fear of what would happen to them.
All eyes were on him, and he was the topic of all conversations, but dared to be too loud not to disturb him.
That''s when boisterousughs suddenly destroyed the quiet atmosphere. It wasing from yers entering the tavern.
"I''m telling you, another one got scammed."
"I swear those guys are so damn foolish!"
"That moron even gave a tip, haha!"
It turned out to be the yers who had insulted Jack back at the town entrance. They sure were having fun. But they slowly noticed the strange atmosphere in the bar.
As their eyes finally rested on Jack, they were utterly bbergasted. A few uttered incoherent "Y-you?!", "WTF?", or even "H-how?!".
They couldn''t understand what was happening at all. While they were still processing the scene, Jack''s voice resounded.
"Sorry, but this is a tavern for morons. Owner, kick them out!"
"Yes, Sir!" The owner instantly answered, ordering the bouncers to drag them out.
The shellshocked yers were very easily kicked out. Not only were the NPCs way higher level than them, but they did not dare to cause trouble either.
They were probably having a mental breakdown right at this moment. After all, the yer they had disparaged as an imbecile could order the mighty owner as if apdog.
Inside, Jack finally stopped eating as he gave the two NPCs a very warm smile.
"Now, I must admit you two did very well¡." He praised.
The two NPCs beamed in joy. Did this mean that he''d forgive them? This was great news!
"¡I guess we can start talking about reparations now." He grinned as they turned utterly livid.
"R-reparations?" Their voices were shaking.
"Did you guys think you''d be getting off the hook so easily? Nice joke! Now, let''s talk about how things will proceed from now on, shall we? You may want to get that militia guy for that part."
Who was the scammer here?! As they saw Jack''s scheming look, they felt like crying. But even now, they did not dare go against him.
Unbeknown to the poor vigers of Sprigfield, the Demon King was about to establish a footing in their quiet town. He was only getting started¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 15: Scammers be scamming! ?? ^_^v
Chapter 195: Making Friends!
Chapter 195: Making Friends!
In the Drunken Sailor tavern, three NPCs were listening to a madman, loudly gulping from time to time.
"R-really?!" The tavern owner cried out.
"Of course, a new era ising. Whether you''ll lead it or be left in the dust remains to be determined." Jack prophecized.
Right now, the world of Infinite was rtively undisturbed by the appearance of the Braves. Sure they wouldn''t die easily, but they were so damn weak, poor, andcking in numbers!
To the NPCs, the Braves were akin to rare migratory birds. Seeing them was a novelty, but it didn''t really change much in their lives.
Jack spoke of the future, a future dominated by the immortal yers that would grow stronger and stronger until they were uncontroble. They''d get wealthier too!
He had bluffed the NPCs into submission but had followed the intimidation with sweet promises.
To the owner, he promised tons of Braves flocking to his tavern as rats would toward a pumpkin farm. It would be the most prosperous business of them all! (If the man worked with him.)
To the drunkard scammer, he promised more drinks than he could swallow, but most importantly, status. In the NPC world, he was a lowlife: Jack was his chance for change!
To his credit, the militia guy was unswayed by status or wealth. He promised him glory instead: the Braves would help him conquer the savage wilderness! He''d be a hero!
Their eyes gleamed as they pictured all that was toe. As for exactly how effective his promises were¡.
[ ++ Militia Guy Affinity!]
[ +++ Tavern Owner Affinity!]
[ +++ Drunken Scammer Affinity!]
[Had Their Interest, Now Their Attention!]
[Status Changed To Allies! (Subject to Change!)]
Usually, they would have simply scoffed at a yer trying to convince them, but the seal had made them listen while his words had won them over.
Concretely what did this give Jack? Not much, actually. If he ordered them directly, he''d be abusing the Imperial authority. It was much too soon for him to go against them.
All he could do was to let them misunderstand on their own and sway them with his silver tongue. He just couldn''t mention the seal¡ever!
"We''ll start things soon. Now, I''ve heard that there are new peculiar visitors in town, mimes¡."
"Yep! Some crazy girl¡ª What?!" The militia guy started his tale, only to suddenly freeze.
The Brave opposite of him was sending him death res. A man that hadn''t flinched while being "scammed" and ridiculed was suddenly getting angry?! Did he know her?!
"I meant a concerned citizen came to report them, but we couldn''t find anything wrong with them." He tentatively rephrased.
"It just means you guys are blind. Lead the way. I need to see them for myself." Jack ordered, making sure to hide the seal.
"Blind? No way, we checked properly!! They''re 100% human!" He replied, outraged. But, he still agreed to help: he''d prove that he was right!
"Gentlemen, I will see you soon. Owner, remember what we talked about for your tavern. Scammer, keep your ears wide open for anymotion. Later!" Jack waved, following his guide.
"Woo!" (Coming!)
Moon Moon followed in tow, the bunny girl sighing, watching it go. She couldn''t help but nce at this mysterious Brave. What kind of bigshot had justnded in their town?! How interesting¡
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As soon as Jack stepped out the door, many gazesnded on him: yers.
They thought themselves discreet as they hid in the crowd, some lingering at stalls, some seemingly out on a casual walk¡ Amongst them, one guy stood out.
He was waiting right in front of the door, blocking the way. Around his neck was the simplest ne ever. It was a rock held by a leather string.
He grinned before addressing him.
"So you''re the mysterious tavern guy? I heard you kicked a bunch of yers out!" He chuckled.
"So?"
"I''m Hector, from the Rock Hard Faction! Let''s chat for a while! You''ve made many enemies today. It would be in your best interest if¡ª"
Jackpletely ignored him. Enemies? Please! As if he cared about a couple of snobs being angry! He didn''t like being threatened either, even indirectly. He simply kept following his guide.
"Hey, don''t ignore me! I''m talking to you! I''m serious. They''re already eying you. You''re in danger! Look right there!" He started pointing at the yers as they scattered like startled chickens.
¡ª Ignores Harder ¡ª
Jack didn''t have time to waste with this loud guy. Actually, he didn''t want to lose too much time with the yers, especially those already affiliated.
"Hey, say something, or I''ll get mad!!" The man warned.
"We''re busy with a mission. Go y somewhere else," Jack grumbled dismissively.
Instantly the yer''s eyes lit up. A mission?! Seeing as the guide was a militia member, this quest had to be worthwhile!
"I''ll help! You better let me join this mission or else¡" He warned sternly.
Jack looked at him from head to toe, evaluating. The man was flexing his muscles to look more tyrannical. He''d actually make a pretty good sacrifice.
"Alright, you can join. Stay close and obey my instructions."
"Hehe, let''s just go already!" the Rock Hard guy happily thundered.
A secondter, the poor guy looked confused as he nced at the air. Was he expecting a quest notification? Either way, he kept following.
¡¥_(¥Ä)_/¡¥
The militia guy brought them all across town.
They started at the general market, Jack going out of his way to buy hot sauce for a whopping one gold. Why?! He didn''t exin and just gave a small mysterious smile.
They then slowly figured out where the mimes had gone. They were resting at an Inn:
The building was as weary as the travelers it hosted. It had obviously been repaired countless times but never fully renovated.
"Alright, I guess now will be the moment of truth." Jack sighed.
He headed to the Inn''s courtyard. It was barely maintained, the vegetation going wild. Finding a quiet corner hidden from sight was incredibly easy. This would do.
Jack wrote a brief letter, handing it to the Rock Hard guy.
"You want to be part of this, right? Here''s your first mission. Give this to the mimes and lead them back here. But whatever you do, do not read the message." He ordered.
"Alright!" The Rock Hard guy agreed.
"Don''t look at it no matter what¡." Jack repeated solemnly onest time before letting him go.
This little piece of paper was akin to Pandora''s box¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 16: One can never have too many friends! ?? ^_^v
Chapter 196: Making 100% Human Friends!
Chapter 196: Making 100% Human Friends!
In the quiet courtyard, Jack and the militia guy patiently waited. Thetter kept looking at him with a very peculiar gaze, unsure if he should say something.
"What is it?" Jack yfully asked.
"The letter¡.he''s going to look for sure!"He eximed.
"Most definitely." Jack grinned to the utter stupefaction of hispanion.
As for what he had written, there had only been four lines:
1. I know what you are
2. I have brought an offering
3. I hereby request a gathering
4. To prove my identity: "Let the feast begin so that I may live eternally!"
They would indubitably take the bait if they were who he thought they were. But it soon appeared that the mimes were really taking their time, and the night was about to fall.
"Moon Moon, go back to the farm and protect my pumpkins for the night. Make sure no one follows." Jack ordered.
"Woo!" (Heroic!")
Jack then decided to level up his cooking while waiting.
The militia guy watched the little wolf leave in shock. He knew that it was clever, but it could also defend a farm alone?! Since the renewal of mana, this was no easy task!
As he was still shocked, he witnessed Jack summon incredibly pure fiery mes with one hand as he took out some mysterious meat in the other.
What the heck was he doing?! The NPC couldn''t believe his eyes.
1. This guy was actually a mage?!
Mages were proud beings that thought themselves superior to others. Somehow the man seemed weak but was so damn skillful! How was this possible?!
2. He was using magic for a task as mundane as cooking?!
This had to be a joke, right?! Starting a fire was one thing, but he even had oil staining his hands! What kind of mage was this?!
3. What kind of meat was this?!
The fragrant aroma of the sizzling meat permeated the entire courtyard. It smelled so good! Yet, he couldn''t for the life of him determine what it was. Probably expensive stuff!
But the silence was suddenly interrupted by the faint sound of footsteps as that one Rock Hard guy wasing back.
The mimes followed, wearing extremely thick makeup: their faces incredibly white. Then again, they were probably the same color underneath.
But what stood out the most was the smell. It was outrageously mighty! Orchid perfume? No, this deserved to be called an olfactory bomb!
Jack recognized this specific smell. It was incredibly sweet, but it was so damn pungent to him! At this point, he had no doubt anymore on their identity.
"I brought them! What now?" the Rock Hard guy excitedly asked.
Jack nodded at the mimes. They waved their hands, and a ck energy barrier suddenly sealed the area. It would block escape as well as sound.
"Now, let us start: it is time for the offering. We''ll need a human sacrifice." Jack grinned as he nced at the yer, his smile looking awfully demonic.
The mimes all nced at the poor guy, slightly opening their mouth and licking their lips in expectation.
This simple action gave a glimpse of their true nature: Jagged teeth peeked out as well as incredibly long ckish tongues.
Those things weren''t human for sure!!!
"W-what the hell?! I didn''t sign up for this!!!" The man shouted in fright, trying to find a way out. Suddenly he had an insight as he gave a victorious grin!
"I can prove my identity!!! Let the feast begin so that I may live eternally!" He screamed triumphantly!
"Tsk¡ªtsk¡ª Threatens people and can''t even listen to basic instructions." Jack shook his head in "disappointment".
The man expected to be saved, but unbeknown to him, he had just uttered a verse that pretty much meant: "Come and eat me". He''d soon live eternally¡in their bellies.
That''s when the creatures dropped all pretenses. The undead charged at the yer, eager to tear him in pieces.
"What?! What are you doing?! Stay back!!!"
"Oh right, silly me! I almost forgot the seasoning." Jack chuckled as he threw the hot sauce bottle right at the yer, drenching himpletely.
The creatures dly sank their teeth into the man and revealed dark ws, as began the messiest live butchering session ever!
The scene was as graphic as the screams loud.
As a man was getting torn to shred, Jack grabbed the meat he had been cooking earlier as he blissfully began munching.
"W-what?! T-this is impossible¡." The militia guy nearby was going insane.
"Oh right, guess you were right. Our new friends are 100% human." Jack remarked sarcastically.
"¡.?!?" The militia guy''s face looked almost as white as the creatures. His entire body was shaking, and he seemed about to vomit.
"Anyway, want some meat?" Jack friendlily offered.
"BLERG!!" At the mention of food, the NPC couldn''t take it anymore as he started throwing up.
Every time the NPC would raise his head, he''d be ovee by nausea. After all, the show was pretty damn gruesome.
Honestly, even Jack had trouble stomaching how ghouls ate. Their preference for raw flesh was pretty disgusting. Meh, whatever to each their own.
¡¥_(¥Ä)_/¡¥
As for the victim, his spirit had long been forcefully logged out, leaving an empty husk behind.
Still, he probably wouldn''t feel too well once he respawned. A [Curse of Fear] and a physical debuff were expected.
In any case, the ghouls happily cleaned everything up, even devouring the bones. With the feast over, they finally turned his way.
"YoU, YoU''Re hUmAn! No gReAt oNe mArK EiThEr. HoW Do yOu kNoW AbOuT Us?"
There it was, the signature undead voice! It was so grating that it would instinctively make the livings shiver! There was a reason they cosyed mute characters,
"No need to be so tense. We''re between friends here." He chuckled evilly.
"FrIeNd, YoU SaY? YoU DiD BrInG Us a FeaSt. HErE''S YoUr RewArD." The ghoul threw a small onyx ring that smelled of death.
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Rare Ghoulish Touch Ring!
Rank E
IF Demonic Energy Affinity 10+
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[Attribute] +4 INT
[Trait] +Demonic Spells Buff
[Contains] Ghoulish Touch
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Hell fucking yes!!! The bonus INT and Demonic Buff were nice, but the ghoulish touch was amazing! This ring would teach him a new skill!
Rank E meant the item was pretty much level 20. For an average yer, the Demonic Affinity requirement may have been troublesome. For him, it was a freaking joke!
"WiTh tHiS, wE''Re dOnE. gOoDnIgHt." The ghouls politely waved goodbye.
But would Jack let them go just like that?! Hell no! He had everything nned out: now that they had enjoyed the feast, he''d showcase his abilities and get in their good graces!
"Wait a second!"
He focused, emitting incredible demonic energy as he summoned Chicky. The skeleton chicken appeared as it clucked-shrieked in all its glory!
With this, they would see that he was actually a necromancer! They''d recruit him with awe in their undead eyes and would rain training resources on him!
"HaHaHaHaHa, WhAt tHe hElL Is tHaT?!"
"A ChIcKeN?! Is tHaT A ChIcKeN?!"
"ThIs iS So rIdIcUlOuS!"
"PfFt¡ª HaHaHa!"
There was no awe, no bottomless respect, and no proposition for an alliance. They justughed their undead asses off as they left.
Jack was left shellshocked¡.
"Hey, system! I want to contest this! What''s up with that crazy reaction?! They should have been weing me with open arms!" Jackined.
[Analyzing!]
[Request Denied!]
[Necrocluckmancy ¡Ù Necromancy]
"Tch¡ª Whatever, ghouls are smelly anyway." He grumbled. That''s when he saw the terrified militia guy nearby.
"D-demon, stay away from me!!" He screamed in fright.
Seems he had some exining to do¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 16: One can never have too many friends! ?? ^_^v
Chapter 197: Macabres Are Scary!
Chapter 197: Macabres Are Scary!
The militia guy''s face was still twisted in utter terror.
"S-stay away, demon!!" He screamed yet again.
"Brother, you already said that. Anyway, let me exin¡." Jack sighed.
It was storytime!
He told the tale of a brilliant, valiant, and obviously handsome young man who had the task to infiltrate the forces of evil. His goal was to steal their secret ns!
Jack called himself a dashing spy: codename 006! As for whether he was convincing enough¡.
"I see! That''s why you summoned a worthless chicken. It all makes sense now!" The militia guy sighed in relief.
Another one looking down on Necrocluckmancy?! sphemy! He inwardly swore that one day he''d show them all! But for now, it was time to go home.
Just as he was about to step outside, he suddenly realized that many yers were still camping him.
Some hid behind walls, some his behind potted nts, and there was one confused guy wonderfully stargazing on a cloudy night.
"Sir, I think they''re here for you! Wait, could they be with the forces of evil?!" He had a paranoiac look on his face.
"Ah! Maybe!!" Jack chuckled, seeing him panic.
"We have to warn the militia and¡ª"
"Fool! Why do you think I had toe here undercover?!" Jack protested. "Don''t worry, just follow my lead." He whispered.
Step 1: Step into The Weary Traveler!
Step 2: Hide amongst the NPCs there!
Step 3: Buy rags to use as clothes from the innkeeper.
Step 4: GTFO, each going their separate ways.
Oh, a few yers still managed to follow, but he quickly left them in the dust! He was as slippery as a broke bloke avoiding to pay child support!
As he was fleeing, he actually heard the term "Demon King". It seemed like the factions would soon know of him. Then again, it didn''t matter: he wouldn''t hide!
As he reached the farm, he could smell the stench of foul blood and hear cute angry shouts. He summoned Chicky, and it instantly charged inside, helping the defenders.
Moon Moon was raining fire on its victim at times and swinging its ws at others. It was diligently fighting to protect its master''s woman!
Pumpkin Girl was hoeing, as usual, this time driving the wood straight into the creatures'' skull! After every strike, her "weapon" would splinter, but her magic made it grow anew as if alive!
"Still daring to attack my pumpkins?! Get lost!" Jack thundered heroically. What followed was mayhem, with fire thrown all over the ce.
Oh, but that wasn''t all. Jack focused on his new ring, sensing the energy inside, driving it to follow his wishes.
It felt as if sticky tar, impossible to move. But as he used some demonic energy, it started flowing smoothly.
Jack gathered this new energy in his palm and then struck one of the mutant rats. As he felt the dark energy devour the monster''s insides, he couldn''t help but feel proud!
One-shot kill!
[Unlocked: Ghoulish Touch!]
[Use It Wisely!]
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Ghoulish Touch
Rank F+
Level 10
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[Cost] 1 Mana
[Damage] 20% + Demonic
[Scaling] INT + Demonic
[Range] Touch
[Element] Demonic
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He madly chuckled as he touched more and more enemies, faster than a horny teenager would touch himself! This was so freaking fun!
¡ª Touch! Touch! Touch! Touch! ¡ª
The ability would barely cause any damage initially, but then it would corrupt the target with demonic energy! This was pretty much an attack that ignored all defense! OP!!!
But just as he was celebrating his new achievements, Pumpkin Girl pointed toward his back while shaking. "Careful!!!" She shouted, panicked.
Jack quickly turned back and couldn''t help but stare with his mouth open. What the hell?! Since when was ghoulish touch so freaking OP?!
The bodies of the dead rats were now twisting, creaking madly as they did. Finally, the many corpses rose, shrieking loudly!
¡ª Shriek!! Shriek!!! ¡ª
"Woo?!" (Confused!)
What was this thing? Wasn''t it dead? Was it possible to fight while dead?! Why was it always being sent to that one realm then?! It didn''t make sense!
"Z-zombies?!!!" Pumpkin Girl screamed!
"Not exactly, but it''s simr enough." Jack frowned. This thing was a macabre. It was very simr to a zombie, but it wasn''t as strong as one.
< Macabre Mutated Acidic Rat Being Lv 10 ??>
Macabres were formed by Demonic Energy overflow. It was a raw power that was never controlled. That''s when the creature ruthlessly jumped at its creator!!
"Tch¡ª Dumb thing!" Jack shouted as he sliced it in two with his Cluckinator. The Cluck resounding as he swung sure was silly, yet it was enough to startle Pumpkin Girl.
"W-what was that?!!" She screamed, only to realize that Jack was the cause. That''s when she went from wariness to admiration, her eyes beaming.
Every cluck from him was apanied by a cheer from her and a howl from Moon Moon. Jack had the goddamn best cheer squad ever!
[Congrattions!]
[Unlocked: Macabre Ghoulish Touch!]
[Increased Chance of Turning Enemies in Macabre]
Still, he couldn''t help but gaze at his hands in shock. Creating Macabres at level 15, was he awesome, or was he awesome?!
But that''s when something strange happened. He had only killed a few macabre rats that they suddenly scurried away.
They were leaving? Just like that? Why?! Macabres shouldn''t have any sense of self or couldn''t feel fear! Then why?!
They killed a few more, but then they were so spread out that it was a huge pain to chase them.
"Ah! I think they''re going toward the town!!!" Pumpkin Girl suddenly shouted.
"Seems like it." Jack and pet stood still as they watched them all leave.
"Aren''t we going to do anything?!" She reiterated.
"You mean the town that didn''t even bother to help you when you were in trouble? Yeah, screw them." Jack shrugged, with Moon Moon nodding.
That''s at this moment that she finally realized that perhaps this was the goddamn reason why he was called the Demon King! He really freaking did as he pleased!
Zombie Apocalypse? Please!
Macabres were pretty weak and couldn''t do that much damage.
Jack was already thinking of his new n. As for the town, perhaps they were better off avoiding it for a little while. It was time to head toward the outer wild regions!
Meanwhile, the entire town was about to lose their minds a distance away. How the hell could this have happened?! Zombies?!!
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 16: One can never have too many friends! ?? ^_^v
Chapter 198: Disaster? No Way! (1/3)
Chapter 198: Disaster? No Way! (1/3)
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In Sprigfield, many factions were going through an upheaval. They had just received a piece of news that had spread out like wildfire.
"Are you sure it''s him?!"
"Yes, no doubt, Sir! Just look at the video! That legendary orange wolf is a straight giveaway!!"
"Legendary? What''s legendary about a ginger wolf? Anyway, so what if people call him the Demon King? He''s just one man! No need to freak out¡."
Some would instantly look down on him. After all, they had seen countless heroes in other games. So what if they could 1 v 5 or even 1 v 10? Once confronted with an organized army, they would die all the same!!
Others couldn''t help but be wary of him:
"This guy''s bad news. First, there''s the tavern, then that incredible mana renewal thing, and finally all the rumors about him from the Tutorial!"
"Rumors?"
"They say he''s a demon that devours people, monsters and devils alike with a gentle smile on his face."
"That''s obvious propaganda!!"
"Is it? I''ve done business long enough to know that some businessmen do feel like demons. They''ll exploit every little weakness and drive you in a corner with a smile. Then it''s game over!"
"You mean?!"
"I''d much rather if the devouring was literal. At least that would be easy to guard against¡."
Then there were the hopeful ones:
"What?! He''s here?! He''s an NPC, right?! That means more quests!!! It seems Sprigfield is about to get lucky! Quick, where is he?!"
"Boss, we lost track of him. He wore a disguise, turned a corner, and was suddenly gone. It was like magic!"
"Are you kidding me?! Even a brick would do a better job at tailing him! Fuck, you guys are all useless!"
Many factions started looking for Jack, whether for Quests, to open dialogue or simply to crush him. But they all had to drop the search quickly:
[Chaos Is Spreading In the Area!]
[Event! Sprigfield Town Is Under Attack!]
[Quest! Help the Militia Clean Up the Field!]
They came as a swarm, a swarm from Hell!
¡ª Shriek! Shriek! ¡ª
"Oh god, are you kidding me?!"
"Are those freaking Zombie Rats?!"
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Hungry, so hungry! Rats were always hungry!
It knew hunger, it knew it all too well! It had always felt hungry, but it was even hungrier recently! It could feel its body change, and it needed energy, way more energy!
Its kind used to be bullied by every living creature. They''d scurry in the shadows, barely managing to steal enough scraps to survive. It was a pitiful existence but the only one they knew.
But ever since that day, they were different! That powerful energy had changed them! Now, the more they ate, the stronger they became and the more numerous they grew.
Their time hade!¡ª or it should have been.
The food wascking, and it limited their growth. There was only one ce in the entire region with enough magical food for them to grow even stronger.
It was a paradise filled with nice-smelling orange things.
Sadly there were the two orange protectors and the smiling Demon. Thetter was the worst! He looked human, smelled human, but wasn''t!
Every night they battled for food¡ª and got utterly crushed.
Regr humans were easy to escape from. As long as one avoided the silver rods, then everything would be fine. The Demon was different.
He''d cackle as he summoned hellish fire. Their newfound power was useless against him. But even then, they kept attacking because they needed to eat.
This time something strange happened. The Demon didn''t send fire everywhere. No, he touched their bodies gently.
Had he run out of fire?! Many shrieked in excitement! No, he hadn''t¡he had just chosen a new method to kill them, one even scarier! His touch would destroy their bodies from the inside!
This particr rat fought to the best of its abilities, but a single touch was all it took. It died like the rest of its kind. But, somehow, it wasn''t the end.
Somehow it could still move even dead! It could feel this new dark energy coursing through its body, and it was so wonderful!
Dying had made it weaker, but the pain was gone, the fear was gone, and the hunger had changed. This new energy was full of possibilities!
Before, they had been feeding on scraps and thenrger scraps, but with this power, they''d be able to feed on living creatures!
That''s when the Macabre Rat finally achieved enlightenment. It would share this power with its brethren! They would eat the humans, and they would grow limitlessly stronger together!
It knew where the others would spawn: it could feel it! In the dark night, a macabre rat was happily going around ughtering its brethren.
One after the other, the creatures rose again as they were granted a new unlife¡
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In the pumpkin farm courtyard, Jack was celebrating. He really fucking loved this new ability!
From now on, he''d be able to act strong: "Wanna fight? I don''t even need a weapon to end you!" is what he''d say.
But just as he was rejoicing, peculiar messages popped in front of his eyes:
[Title: Bringer of Chaos has Activated!]
[Caused Mayhem in the World!]
[Brought About a Disaster!]
[Congrattions!]
"Wait, what?" Jack couldn''t help but exim, puzzled.
"Is there an issue?" Pumpkin Girl asked on the side, frowning in worry as she nced in the town''s direction.
"Nope, at all!" He reassured her. A gentle kiss was all it took to make her forget her concerns as she beamed in joy.
But this time, she wouldn''t settle for just a kiss as she gently dragged him toward the quiet farmhouse. Her smile was so enchanting as she promised to take really good care of him¡
Should he check the town just in case?
Sprigfield Town, right? Never heard of it!
In any case, it wasn''t like the macabre status could just spread by itself. Disaster? The system sure was a drama queen!
This would be minor trouble at worst¡.
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 17: There are priorities in life! Let it be known! ??
( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)
Chapter 199: Disaster? No Way! (2/3)
Chapter 199: Disaster? No Way! (2/3)
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yers were out in the field faced with the invaders.
"We''re all gonna fucking die!!!!"
"Goddamn Zombie Rats! First, it''s acid, and now this?!"
"Is this an MMO or a horror game?! I''m gonna be sick!"
The rats hade out of nowhere, appearing as quickly as bachelors at an open bar. Oh, and they were as fucking thirsty!
The creatures looked the same goddamn mess as they always did¡except dead! What kind of event was this?! The monsters were so goddamn gross and hair-raising!
At this moment, they found themselves wishing for Infinite to be less "unique". They were good with regr skeletons/zombies!
However, they soon noticed a detail that gave them hope.
< Mutated Acidic Rat Being Lv 12 >
¡ý Turned Into ¡ý
< Macabre Mutated Acidic Rat Being Lv 10 ??>
"Guys, they''re undead now, but also lower level!"
"They''re slightly slower too! This is fine!!"
"We got this, chargeeeee!!!!"
They all ran at their enemies and began hacking at them, the rats biting back. So what?! Many were experienced with VR games and were able to parry the teeth! (To some degree)
"Make sure you don''t get bitten, and everything will be fine!"
"The militia''s already on its way! Just stall for time!"
"Be careful, not to turn into zombies yourselves!"
"Dumbass, this ain''t a movie. You won''t turn!"
Many chuckled as they realized that this wasn''t such a big deal. There were only about 100 rats, and help was already on its way.
Then a few minutester, they had pretty much won the fight as they saw the militia peeps arriving.
"Hell yeah, the NPCs are here!"
"Let them pass through! Cavalry iing!"
"Try to steal as much XP as you can! This will be great!"
The yers all rejoiced as the militia soldiers powerfully cleared the way. Their defense was so high that they didn''t even have to block the attacks!
Their leader was exceedingly valiant and handsome with his chain-mail vest and massive towering wooden shield. He was diligently exploding skulls non-stop with a gigantic silver mace!
Biting/wing? ¡ª> Who cares!
Acid? ¡ª> It may sting, but they''d survive!
The countless rats? ¡ª> So freaking what?! Big deal!
The militia soldiers were akin to invincible tanks just crushing everything on their way¡ª or that''s how it should have been.
"Die, you pests! This is the Empire''s wrath! I bring forth the light of hope, the might of a thousand dragons, and the courage of¡ª What the fuck?!"
As the first NPC warrior fell, many couldn''t help but gasp in shock. The once invincible NPC''s face was dark and twisted beyond belief: DEAD!
Their defense was high AF, but it didn''t protect them against the perverse demonic energy umting in their bodies. It worked even when they didn''t take any direct damage!
The militiamander''s face instantly turned ugly. He had just realized the true terror of the Macabres!
"RETREAT!!!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
That''s when everything went to shit. The NPCs ran in defeat, many yers were swept up in the wave and died, and the rats chased recklessly after having tasted blood.
But it got even worse: in the distance another wave of rats was iing¡.
¡ª Shriek! Shriek! ¡ª
¡ª Shriek! Shriek! ¡ª
¡ª Shriek! Shriek! ¡ª
The creatures'' eyes glowed with a demonic dark light as they chased their prey. Even as they truly perished by the dozen, they did not care.
Death? Was death scary? They were already dead! This hunger for Life they felt trumped any hesitation! The humans looked so damn tasty!
"GTFO!!!"
"What the fuck?!"
"Saveee Meeeee! I''m too pretty to die!!"
"Quick, rush inside the town! The magical barrier will protect us!"
The yers found hope for salvation in the magical glyphs at the entrance. They were glowing a beautiful blue that was so damn reassuring at that moment.
As soon as they were inside the town, they would sigh in relief, their faces still livid. Goddammit, this was even worse than the Chicken Tutorial event!
¡ª Shriek! Shriek! ¡ª
The rats were relentlessly shrieking right outside the magical barrier. They were ready to devour anything or anyone that dared pass through!
To the creatures, the town of Sprigfield had turned into a locked fridge full of very appetizing delicacies!
"What kind of sadistic game is this?!"
"Holy shit, I swear this came out of nowhere!"
"Still, what the hell?! Even the militia can''t deal with it?!"
A swarm was a perfect counter to the elite militia warriors since they were few in numbers. The demonic energy gave the creatures the edge they needed to bypass the armors.
This left the yers at a loss. How were they supposed to deal with the situation? They''d have to leave town at some point! Many faction heads felt like pulling their hair!
But the yers weren''t the only ones at a loss, far from it! Near the entrance, a group of mimes was staring at the scene with their faces twisted in shock.
While everyone was confused, they recognized very well what had happened. The rats were affected by their signature move: Ghoulish Touch?!!
No, it had to be an upgraded version of it! How the fuck was it possible to convert so many rats at once?! Their undead brains were about to explode just thinking about it!
The how was already unfathomable to them, but it got worse, way worse!
They could sense a faintly familiar scent from the creatures. It came from that one onyx ring! Yes, the one they had just given out!
The human had done this?! The human had done all of this?! How?! Why?! What?! Who was the ghoul between them and him?! Seriously?!
As they listed his achievements, they started shaking:
1. Learned Ghoul Touch in a few hours
2. Upgraded their Ancestral Spell
3. Turned countless rats into Macabres
4. Somehow managed to tame them
5. Organized all the creatures into an army
6. Finished it all by recklessly invading the town
A few minutes ago, they had beenughing at the silly human who had tried to impress them by summoning a skeleton chicken.
What a fool, right? ASDSWQDAW!!!! Right now, they were about to have a stroke. Undead couldn''t but¡but¡what the actual fuck?!
What had this guy been thinking?! They hadn''t been impressed by a chicken, so he had summoned an entire macabre army with their technique?!
For the first time in forever, the ghouls feltplete and utter fear. What kind of madman had they just slighted?! He wasn''t just a powerful madman but also an incredibly insane one!
With this show of power, the Holy Church of Light would show up to exterminate evil! He might not fear them, but they sure as hell fucking did!
That''s when a militia member approached them, patting their shoulders.
"Don''t worry, friends. We''ll request help from the Empire. Evil shan''t remain unpunished!" His tone was heroic and was meant to reassure them.
They shook harder.
Still, the man''s confident tone did inspire many. They had been bawling hard, especially after seeing the twisted faces of the deceased, but now their eyes shone with intense hatred.
This was one huge fucking mess! At this rate, war would erupt between the forces of good and evil¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 17: There are priorities in life! Let it be known! ??
( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)
Chapter 200: Disaster? No Way! (3/3) ( ?° ?? ?°)
Chapter 200: Disaster? No Way! (3/3) ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)
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In the background, a tavern owner couldn''t help but gawk at the scene.
As he saw the deceased militia members, his entire being felt a tremor. He suddenly realized how wise the man with the wolf was!
He had foretold that there would soon be catastrophes so dangerous that only the immortal Braves would survive them! After all, they could endure anything!
It had only been a few hours, and there was already one!! How scarily urate was this?! Strength by itself wouldn''t be sufficient. They would need the Braves'' adaptability!
He had been on his way to meet a knowledgeable schr right before themotion. He had nned to verify the seal''s authenticity and ask for its meaning.
But right now, he suddenly felt that it didn''t freaking matter.
Real, fake, so what?! This guy had just shown that he could predict the future! Was there a need to hesitate anymore? Nope!
He''d make sure to hug the man''s thigh¡
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A drunken-looking man could be seen hovering in the shadows. He was trembling all over, and even he didn''t know if it was from fear or excitement.
He had just returned from interrogating the militia guy and had learned everything. The naive fool had spilled everything since they had been friends for ages.
A spy? Please! This was evident bullshit! The man was obviously trying to use the dark creatures as a way to gain power.
The scammer had been in the streets long enough to know that humans and monsters were all the same when power and wealth were involved: vile, greedy, and unforgiving!
He had proceeded to follow the creatures to investigate them.
He wasn''t about to get himself mixed up with an idiot that would get the both of them killed. Hell no! He''d rather report the guy and cash in a nice information bounty!
Or that had been the n. As he stared at the creatures'' faces, he suddenly had an inkling of what had happened.
They wore a ton of makeup, but it didn''t hide their current expressions. They were shocked out of their minds!
From time to time, they''d unconsciously look back at the courtyard in which they had recently met the human. Then a secondter, they''d stare at the rat army right outside the town.
Were they reminiscing about their meal? Probably fucking not!
Did they seriously believe that he was the cause? Did he even have such world-defying capabilities? Logic said no!
But he knew for a fact that he didn''t understand shit about magic. His only talents were being shameless and reading people.
1. Those ghouls seemed to think it was his doing.
2. The man had managed to fool him back then. He still remembered his innocent and naive face as he gave him the 60 silvers. He had looked like the perfect target!
What was more probable?
1. The whole thing was a simple coincidence
2. This man was an incredible Demon that would likely rise to incredible heights?
The drunken scammer was suddenly jolted sober.
At this moment, he felt his blood boil. What if it was the second option? He shivered just thinking about it.
He felt fear but also excitement. Perhaps the promises of status weren''t so empty after all.
He''d probe his old, stingy friend for his opinion. As for their naive friend, he''d be extremely easy to convince. After all, the guy still believed in the spy bullshit!
This quiet town sure was lively all of a sudden¡.
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Pumpkin Girl really knew the meaning of taking real good care of a man.
Jack was enjoying the most amazing meal of his entire life, of his two lives even! This pumpkin soup was the freaking best, and so was the girl who had made it!
How could he even describe the experience?
Earthy, sweet, creamy, with an aftertaste that made one''s papie sing in joy. It was also soft,forting, warm, overwhelming pleasing, and even wet at times.
Hell, he couldn''t even decide which was better between his lover''s cooking or her delicate attentions under the table: both were filled with so much love!
What she was doing was so damn impressive!
Not only had she managed to cook a perfect meal with just pumpkins, but she also had the perseverance to hoister her massive pumpkins up and down. This took incredible effort!
He had never been so at peace as right now. Every time he felt her tongue gently course on his skin, he felt a shiver. Then at times, she''d resolutely gobble him up entirely.
She was eager to please him and shivered in joy whenever he caressed her face. She''d look happy, enjoying it as much as he was, her pupils almost heart-shaped.
The entire world had stopped existing: there was nothing else other than the two of them. He wanted it tost forever, making sure not to bust.
Even the pesky rats couldn''t disturb their moment. Heck, it was as if Infinite itself gave them its blessings as it paused the spawning. Weird, but weed!
He could figure everything out in the morning when he''d go adventuring. For now, he''d just enjoy this short break.
But suddenly, he was interrupted by tons of announcements:
[Converted Militia Guy Into a Loyal Follower!]
[Converted Tavern Owner Into a Loyal Follower!]
[Converted Drunken Scammer Into a Loyal Follower!]
[++++Affinity with the Great Ghoulish One Followers!]
[Caused Chaos in Sprigfield Town!]
[Sprigfield Town is mourning their losses!]
[You are now the target of Sprigfield Town''s hate!]
[A 200 G blind bounty has been ced on your head!]
[Upgraded Title: Evil Scheming In The Shadows!]
[Acquired Title: Great Evil Scheming In The Shadows!]
What the actual fuck?! Loyal Follower?! Chaos in town?! Even casualties?!! The Ghouls suddenly liked him?!! Evil in the Shadow?!! What the hell?!
He nked. He simply nked¡ª and she felt it, seizing the opportunity to go on the offensive!
She used her pumpkins, her mouth, and her tongue all at once. The pressure, softness, the warmth, and even the pinpoint licking were too much! Even a god would have failed to endure!
At this moment, his decades of experience ultimately failed him! Suddenly he couldn''t help it anymore!
He lost his bearings, fell in utter confusion, and his entire body shook. A secondter, a gulping sound echoed, followed by an ever-sweet voice.
"Thanks for the meal¡.but I''m still hungry." Pumpkin Girl seductively whispered as if a battle cry. She was far from done, already resuming her ministrations.
At this moment, he realized how terrifying a Maxed Affinity could be, so very terrifying!
He also realized that whatever had happened had to be because of the Macabre Rats. Had he checked on them, this would have never happened.
He realized that this was all the result of staying to enjoy his lover''s attentions. This was all the result of hisziness and of how easily he had been tempted.
The Price of Busting a nut had been countless vigers'' lives.
At this moment, he resolved himself. The next time something like this happened, he wouldn''t waste time hesitating whether he should go or not.
Next time¡.he''d rush into the farmhouse, no questions asked! Fuck, a mere town in exchange for such bliss? #Worth! The whole world could be destroyed for all he cared!!!
Yep, she was that good a woman!
Dark times wereing for the world of Infinite¡.
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 17: There are priorities in life! Let it be known! ??
( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)
Chapter 201: Braving The Mist For The Pumpkins!
Chapter 201: Braving The Mist For The Pumpkins!
Spending time with Pumpkin Girl felt like a dream. Sadly, it was mercilessly shattered by Moon Moon''s panicked howl.
"Woo!!" (rmed!)
Jack instantly understood that something was very wrong. The courageous wolf''s voice was shaking! As soon as he left the farmhouse, he had the shock of his life.
They were fucking everywhere! EVERYWHERE!
No matter where he looked, there were rats, more rats, and even more rats!! Moon Moon''s yelp was justified. Hundreds of monsters surrounded them!
On a scale of 1 to screwed, they were fucked!!!
But, the more screwed they were, the more he had to keep his calm instead. He gently kicked Moon Moon, reprimanding it.
"What are you shivering for? It''s just a few rats." He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
It took him a few seconds of scanning the area to notice his target. There it was! He had finally found the rats'' leader!
The creature was half-hidden, but the light of intelligence in its onyx eyes was unmistakable. It had obviously been leading its brethren.
Macabre Rats doing a perfect circle by themselves? It was about as likely as Pumpkin Girl being a dude! No fucking way!
In fact, this army was even more massive than the one that had cornered an entire town. They had gotten reinforcements all night long and were now ready for war!
Then again, so what if Jack had zero chance to win against them?! The rat leader didn''t seem 100% sure of its victory just yet as it nced his way warily.
It most definitely still remembered the many times the man hadpletely annihted them.
"You came all the way over here, and you won''t even say hello?" Jack yfully uttered.
Without waiting, he rxedly walked toward the rat leader. It was as if he couldn''t see the countless enemies eager to devour him.
The rat wasn''t alive anymore, but Jack could still somewhat feel its mood and guess its thoughts.
1. In theory, they had enough troops to kill the human.
2. But why was he approaching so confidently?
3. Did he have a trump card?
4. Should they go all-in right now?!
5. What would be the oue?!
The newly awakened rat was overthinking this: the result of inexperience. It just needed a little push. Jack suddenly started cackling like a madman as fiery mes appeared in his hands.
"Hehehehe, let''s y, shall we? We''ll have lots of¡fun?! Hey,e back!!!!" The creatures were already rushing away as quickly as their tiny legs could carry them!
"Woo!" (Rejoicing!)
"As expected of the one I chose!" He felt Pumpkin Girl sneak behind him and embrace his back, her love quite heavy. But he knew that the two were celebrating way too fast!
"It''s not over. We have to evacuate to the town ASAP and¡ª"
"No! I can''t!" She promptly refused.
"The creatures wille back at night, even more numerous. This time they won''t hesitate to attack. We won''t be able to resist." Jack reminded.
"I''ll protect the farm! I''ll protect you, I''ll protect Moon Moon, and I''ll protect everyone! I''ll make the nts grow and¡ª"
"It won''t work. Sure it will block a few waves, but eventually, you''ll run out of energy. We have to evacuate, NOW!" Jack shouted.
She wanted to refute but suddenly realized that he was right.
She could only give a despairing nce at her pumpkin farm. Soon the creatures would utterly destroy it, their demonic energy poisoning the soil forever.
"Sorry, dad. I wasn''t able to protect it in the end." She mumbled softly under her breath.
That''s when he remembered. Losing such a great field was harsh, but she didn''t care for she was hardworking. No, what she dreaded was losing her father''s legacy, this she couldn''t stomach.
Her whole body shook, small tears streamed at the corner of her eyes, but she quickly gathered her resolve. She wouldn''t risk their lives for his memory, no matter how precious.
"Let''s go! I''ll pack as many things as possible!" She quickly disappeared inside the farmhouse.
"Woo¡." (Lamenting!)
Moon Moon was downright sobbing. This was so sad! Not only would they lose the delicious pumpkins but also the farm she loved so much! It gave its master a begging gaze.
Jack followed her inside, thinking faster than ever.
What would he have to sacrifice for this? Too much for it to be logical¡but so what?! He wouldn''t be him if he feared a few hardships! Her smile was much more important right now!
He gently embraced her from behind,nding a kiss on her slender neck.
"Wait. Pack your things just in case, but I''ll solve this. If I''m not back before the night, rush to the town directly."
"No way that I¡ª" A heated kiss muffled her protests.
"Don''t worry. I''ll be careful." He decisively left. "C''mon Moon Moon. We got work to do!"
"Woo!" (Relieved!)
Could he defeat a thousand rats alone? Impossible!
What about finding help?
yers ¡ª> Too weak and not reliable
NPCs ¡ª> Powerful and could be tricked to help.
Those Church of Light guys were probably already on their way but likely wouldn''t arrive any time soon. They wouldn''t take a swarm of level 10 rats seriously.
No, if he wanted those bastards to really rush here, he''d have to motivate them. He had to show them a greater and more menacing evil.
Jack could be very menacing and very evil. As long as he did this, they''d easily defeat the rat swarms, and she''d get to keep her farm.
As for what would happen afterward, he shivered, just thinking about how annoying it would be. The Church of Light was far from kind to Demonic yers¡
But he''d need a helper to make it convincing. He tried messaging the guy, but he had his damn notifications turned off!
The duo quickly rushed toward the very wetke.
It wasn''t just theke that was wet, but the air that was damp too. A strong breeze sshed water droplets all over, creating a cold mist and giving them the "wet" debuff.
"Careful, the monsters here are a pain to kill. Don''t aggro them and watch out for the slight purple protrusions in the soil."
"Woo!" (Roger!)
The more they progressed and the more annoying wildlife they encountered:
< Slim Lake Elemental Lv 15 ??>
The elementals looked quite harmless as they weren''t that big. Still, they were immune to physical attacks and would happily put their hands in their target''s mouth till they drowned!
< Slim Lake Tentacle Lv 15 ??>
This one too was slim, but also really long. They''d hide in the soil to suddenly grab and squeeze everything out of their prey until it died of dehydration. Their immunity to magic didn''t help.
< Hard Shelled Crab Lv 15 ??>
Those bastards were resistant to everything except when targeting their weak spots. Luckily that''s pretty much all they had going for them.
The three types of monsters were everywhere and would stand still in the mist, near invisible.
"Woo¡" (Scary!)
"Let me show you a trick," Jack whispered as he took out one of the pumpkins they had previously worked on.
How very fitting!
It was time to light it up! He inserted his fiery fire deep inside the pumpkin, transforming it into antern that would soon glow as brightly as the¡well sun!
He quickly threw it away as it drew an arc in the air. A secondter, the entire pumpkin was aze!
¡ª WWWOOOSSSSHHHH¡ª
"That''s our cue to get far away. This will attract them." Jack whispered.
Wee to How to survive the Lake Area 101!
Lots of distractions! Lots and lots of ming pumpkins!
Jack threw them one after the other like a gori threw barrels.
¨C ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)
¨C Devil Carving
¨C Some Steve Guy
¨C 5466 1601 2645 5789
¨C Howling Moon Moon
¨C Pumpkin Carving (Pumpkinception)
¨C ¡..
[ Acquired Pumpkin Throwing F! ]
That''s how they managed to survive the mist as the creatures kept chasing decoys. He had even thrown enough of them to get a goddamn skill!
It took a lot of effort, but they eventually found their target.
¡ª A Wild Masochistic Naked Monk Appeared!¡ª
He was almost as naked as usual, the water vapor making his skin glisten. He seemed to be taking a break as he sat on the wet ground.
As he saw the duo suddenly appear, he questioned his sanity. After all, it had taken him days to learn to navigate this ce! But Jack didn''t waste any time at all.
"Yes, I''m real. I need your help. Let''s go!" He instructed, ready to leave. But that''s when a soft voice somehow "thundered" in his ears.
"Where do you think you''re taking my student?" The voice was calm yet authoritative.
Along with the loud whisper, a mighty aura spread. Even Jack couldn''t help but jump in surprise. Was this who he thought this was?! He nced at the monk by the side.
Holy shit! How?!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Day 17: Do you guys wanna know what else is wet? My coffee! ??
Chapter 202: Mist Old Man’s Test!
Chapter 202: Mist Old Man¡¯s Test!
"Where do you think you''re taking my student?!"
As soon as the voice echoed, Jack already had an inkling of who it belonged to. Legends said a man haunted thekeside, akin to a ghost as he hid in the mist.
The NPC spent his days on an eternal quest for god knows what. Jack had never managed to hear theplete story.
Suddenly the man revealed himself. White beard, white messy hair, and piercing gray eyes. This was the madke wanderer!
"Speak now. What brings you here?" He grumbled.
This guy was known for many things;
¨C Being unpredictable
¨C Being unreasonable
¨C Killing tons of yers
Jack knew that the man wouldn''t hesitate to grab him and throw him in theke to express his displeasure.
Entering the water was a death sentence. After all, there were horrible creatures in there like sharks, murlocks, andke mermaids. (From cute to scary)
But so what if he was dangerous? This was an incredible opportunity! What if he could convince him to join his cause?!
Jack considered his options:
1. Beg ¡ª> This guy was merciless
2. Negotiate ¡ª> He was unreasonable
3. Entice ¡ª> He was totally unpredictable
4. All of the above.
For now, he''d just say:
"We were having a feast, but everything changed when the rats attacked. I''m here to request for help and¡ª"
The man simply snorted, his hand turning into an eagle w as he grabbed Jack and violently threw him toward the nearby water. Goddamnit!
"Master, why?!" The Naked Monk shouted, livid.
"If he can''t survive this, then he isn''t worth helping." The NPC shrugged, showing incredible pragmatism. So this was a test?!
As Jack flew in the air, his eyes shed with unwillingness. If he fell here, so would his beloved''s farm! Luckily he had a trick up his sleeves.
He suddenly took out his secret weapon: tons of pumpkins!! The orange things weren''t only great for carving, but they also floated. He threw them where he''dnd as if a raft!
This gave him a temporary footing as he began jumping from pumpkin to pumpkin to return¡.only to be weed by a devilishly smiling NPC.
Water magically floated between the man''s fingers, brimming with incredible power. With a sadistic smile, he sent the spell flying at Jack''s face!
All he could do was grab his shield, forcefully blocking it. That''s when the monk acted! He dashed right in front of the NPC, blocking his line of sight.
"Enough! There''s no need for all this!" He shouted so heroically that it would have made almost anyone fall for him!
Sadly, the NPC didn''t give a single fuck about his student''s valiant gesture as he threw a torrent of water at him. The poor monk was instantly catapulted toward Jack as if a human cannonball!
Jack barely managed to catch the flying monk, the two almost falling. In the water, friends were now showing up.
< Bloodthirsty Shark Lv 25 ??>
That''s when the name of their opponent finally showed up. Oh god! What the heck was up with this level?!
< Misty Old Man Lv 40 ???>
A secondter, the man summoned a freaking water dragon!
He pointed at them both, giving a sadistic smile, ready tounch the magic. What kind of crazy teacher did this to his own student? This one!
But just as the man was about to release his spell, a miracle happened.
¡ª???????? ?????????????????????????????W????????????L????????????????????!?????????????????!???!?????????????¡ª?????????????
Moon Moon suddenly released an earth-shattering howl as it pounced on the man! The two collided, and the NPC was pushed toward theke.
He almost fell but managed to steady himself at thest second, giving a derisive grin.
"You thought you could get rid of me that easily? That howl sure was surprising, but it¡ª" He was suddenly rudely interrupted.
Using the distraction, Jack had thrown the monk right behind him. The naked guy now had his muscr arms wrapped right around the target''s waist, ready for the next move!
¡ª Naked Monk Used German Suplex!¡ª
Apparently, the mage hadn''t expected that because he was sent flying straight into theke with a resounding ssh! Instantly the nearby sharks pounced on him, eager to feast!
This wasn''t the most brilliant move from the creatures.
A water mage in ake? Yeah, he''d be fine. He waved his hand a few times, slicing the creatures apart with pressured water des.
Blood seeped into the water as he turned toward them all, nodding slightly.
"Do you know what fate awaits you now?" his smile was demonic enough to rival the Demon King.
"We''re gonna be very hydrated?" Jack tentatively answered.
"Hehe, how did you know? Let us begin, shall we?" He waved his hand another time as a small whirlpool appeared near them.
"What the hell is that?!" The monk shouted, shocked as Jack''s face turned dark.
"This is one hell of an annoying dungeon." He grimly stated.
The NPC beamed:
"Oh? You even know about this? Interesting. In any case, you want my help, correct? Bring me what lies inside, and I shall reluctantly help you with your issues¡outside. Deal?"
The NPC grimaced as he mentioned the outside world. Chances were that he wasn''t human. Half water elemental, perhaps? It would exin him opening the portal so easily.
"Tch¡ª You better keep your promise." Jack reminded. Then a secondter, he jumped headfirst into the whirlpool.
"Woo?!" (bbergasted!)
"What?!"
The monk and wolf shared a nce, but before they could react, the NPC had already pushed them inside!
That''s when the entire world turned dark as they felt themselves fall into a deep abyss. This felt way worse than dying. At least dying didn''t make one dizzy!
They finally came back to their senses, a familiar voice calling out to them.
"Get ready. They''reing." Jack stated solemnly.
"They?!"
"They." Jack pointed.
As the wolf and monk raised their heads, they suddenly felt like crying. Crabs? Water elementals? Tentacle creatures? How about all of them at once, a fucking legion too!!!
"What the fuck are we supposed to do?!"
"Run!!" Jack thundered as he led by example.
The slowpokes followed as quickly as they could, but the water level suddenly started rising as they ran. They gasped in shock.
"What the heck is this?! Where are we?!"
"The goddamn water temple." Jack''s voice was shaking¡
Chapter 203: Water Temple: Hellish Maze!
Chapter 203: Water Temple: Hellish Maze!
As usual, the system greeted them:
[Wee to the Water Temple!]
[Setting Trial Difficulty! Please Standby!]
[New Quest! Complete the Trial Sessfully!]
[Optional! Acquire Cursed Pearl of the Depth!]
[Try Not to Drown! ;)]
"¡.Totally not ominous." Jack yfully remarked.
¡ª Ssh! Ssh! ¡ª
The three of them were hurrying forward, water up to their calves, every step creating a sshing sound. The monk was already pissed.
"I already hate this ce! Annoying monsters, check! Water rising and threatening to kill us, check! Finally, a maze to top it off, freaking check!!"
"Wee to the Water Temple! While there are many, they''re always designed for the yers to have fun for a looong time! Maybe you should do like Moon Moon." Jack teased.
"Woo!" (Curious!)
The little wolf was joyfully hopping in the water with its tail wagging, even drinking some of it at times. It seemed blissfully unaware of the danger it posed.
Death Trap 0
Happy little wolf 1
The trio kept progressing, running all this while. The main issue was that the stone corridors all looked the same: archaic, sturdy, and akin to the maw of a colossal beast.
No matter where they turned, they''d be confronted with the same goddamn scene: more corridors! The only thing that changed was the height as it went up and down.
If only there hadn''t been a time limit, then things would have been easier.
The monk couldn''t help but despair. Had he known, he would have stayed far away from that old crazy water mage guy! He had sent his student to his death!
Then again, their teacher-student rtionship was flimsy at best. He had been wandering the mist, and so had the NPC. Yep, that was pretty much it! Then the guy had forced him to do tasks for him.
Just as he was inwardly resolving to stay far away from the guy in the future, he couldn''t help but notice that his surprisingly calmpanion was doing something strange.
"Hey, why are you touching the stone all over?" The monk asked, with eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Jack took a very solemn expression as if he was about to reveal a state secret.
"You see, I unlocked the rare wall whisperer sub-ss. This one wall just told me the way, and also that you should stop staring at it like that." He nodded seriously.
Wait, what?! Was he mad?! Was he pranking him?! Plot twist maybe there was really such a ss in Infinite? After all, he had a ss that was literally called Masochist. (Not that he''d ever tell anyone)
But that''s when the man suddenly erupted inughter, giving him a wink.
"I''ve been leaving markers behind. Magic leaves traces and I''m using it to know which corridor we already tried going into." Jack finally revealed.
That exined a lot!
Under the Demon King''s lead, they very efficiently¡..kept getting lost. The best he could do was note the paths they had already taken. Heck, would they get a 100% exploration rate?!
From time to time, they''d encounter monsters. They would valiantly run away as fast as humanly possible whenever this happened.
"Goddammit, the water is somehow healing them! They''re indestructible!!"
"Pretty much, so run faster!!"
The monk was at a loss. His usual strategy was to fight the enemies at melee range. He''d tank their attacks with his special defensive abilities and counterattack! But right now, he''d just die if he tried!
Jack and Moon Moon were the ones that were the most helpful.
They would rain fire upon their enemies and make them still for a second, just long enough to bypass them. The monsters were pretty much immune to fire, but they still disliked the heat. This was their only saving grace.
They kept going ¡ª> Water was now at their knees.
They kept going some more ¡ª> Water reached their waist.
They relentlessly kept going ¡ª> Water reached their shoulders.
Strangely the monsters were gone, but at this rate the water itself would kill them instead.
They were already swimming, yet the exit was nowhere to be found. At this point, even the eager Moon Moon couldn''t help but woo in worry. As they turned another corner, Jack suddenly froze.
"Which way do we have to go?!" The monk asked in a hurry.
"T-that we''ve explored it all. This was thest one. There''s none left!" Jack eximed in confusion.
"We probably missed one somewhere!"
"No, we didn''t." Jack reiterated. He was 100% sure of it.
All this time, he used his Demonic Energy to map the ce. They had explored the maze in its totality. But why the fuck weren''t they out yet?! He had no clue!
This whole ce was a quest generated by the NPC outside. He had neither done this specific version of the dungeon nor heard about it.
The more he kept thinking and the more confused he felt. Why?! What were they missing?!
That''s when the monk sighed.
"Perhaps there just isn''t any way to clear this. Maybe we''re doomed to perish in this freaking Trial of the Depth!"
"¡."
"Yep, maybe this whole ce is just a cruel joke. I swear that wink at the beginning looked evil! Try not to drown, was it?! This is insane!" Heined.
That''s when Jack suddenly jolted in shock. Wait?! What if?! Without waiting, he decisively headed in a specific direction.
"Quick, follow me!" He excitedly led the way.
The wolf and monk hurried after him as he was already swimming away at full speed. He seemed like he had just received enlightenment.
But very soon, the two realized that something was amiss with the whole situation. There was barely a head between them and the ceiling! For some reason, the water level was rising way faster now.
Wait, no! It wasn''t the water that was rising faster. Their party was heading toward the corridors that were lower elevation-wise.
Then they reached a point where it was impossible to progress any further without diving.
"Alright, let''s go!" Jack enthusiastically dered, the other two looking incredibly bbergasted.
"Wait, shouldn''t we try to search a bit more? Suicide sure is an option, but I wouldn''t say it''s a good one." the monk rebuked.
"What are we looking for?" Jack gave him a knowing nce.
"The exit? The pearl of the Depth?¡ª oh!" That''s when he finally realized.
The optional mission and the cheeky message about drowning were actually hints. They would have to head deeper and risk drowning.
Without hesitating, Jack plunged, with the other two following.
The deeper they went and the harder it was to hold their breath. Even with the reduced mental impact, this was still horrible! It felt like their lungs were on fire.
This would be a one-way trip. They had far too long a distance to cover toe back. They could only inwardly pray as they fought their instinct to turn around.
Then they finally reached the lowest point of the entire dungeon. In front of their shocked eyes, there was¡a regr corridor.
This was over, and soon they would drown.
At this moment, Jack felt horrible. They would die, the NPC wouldn''t help them, and he''d have to resort to his initial rat vanquishing n.
This would be a shitshow.
It already was, actually. He gave an apologetic nce to the monk, seeing him shrug. Then he swam near Moon Moon.
The poor wolf already had trouble swimming, and now it would experience drowning. Had he known, he wouldn''t have brought it inside this cursed dungeon!
There was fear in Moon Moon''s eyes, the fear of not fully understanding what was happening to its body. But then it nestled itself against its master, and everything it felt better.
Its entire body burned in pain, but everything would be alright as long as they were together. It saw the regret in its master''s eyes, but it wasn''t his fault.
Moon Moon gave one silent woo as it closed its eyes, slipping in unconsciousness. After all, its stats were weaker than Jack''s.
But even then, it had a slight smile on its face, even amidst the pain. Everything would be fine, for it rested in its master''s embrace¡
As Jack gazed at hispanion, the water became saltier.
Fuck!! FUCK!!
He knew that his pet would respawn. He knew it very well, but the tears still went out. He could only inwardly apologize to his loyalpanion.
But just as everything was ending, it happened¡.
¡ª WOOOSHHH ¡ª
A gaping hole suddenly opened in the rock floor. Then followed an incredible suction force dragged all three of them. Turns out Jack had been right¡.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Chapter 204: Water Temple: No More!!!
Chapter 204: Water Temple: No More!!!
[Congrattions On Surviving the¡ª]
"Shut the fuck up! I don''t give a damn!" Jack bellowed as he kneeled next to the motionless Moon Moon.
"C''mon, breathe, breathe!!" He relentlesslypressed the little wolf''s chest, trying to revive it.
[New Side Mission! Complete the¡ª]
"Don''t freaking care!! Come back, Moon Moon!!!" Jack only concerned himself with his loyal pet at the moment. Quest? Mission? Screw it all!
The little wolf suddenly jolted as a stream of water escaped its mouth.
"Hahahahaha! There we go!!" Jack happilyughed, happier than the day he lost his virginity.
Woo?!" (Puzzled!)
The little wolf wasn''t sure what was going on. There had been a ton of water, then it had drunk some, and now it was just waking up. Weird¡.Then again, whatever.
All that mattered was that its master was currently embracing it warmly. The two of them were utterly wet, but none cared one bit.
By the side, the monk couldn''t help but find it strange. What kind of incredible bond did these two have?! Also, had he just told the system to shut up, and it had obeyed?!
He knew about muting notifications, but downright interrupting the system as it spoke?! Why did it feel like he was interacting with the core AI of Infinite directly?!
"Are you alright?"
"Woo!" (Happy!)
The little wolf nced around curiously, eager to explore. Before, there had been corridors, but now there was one big stone tform in front of them. How cool!
"That''s a trial." Jack chimed in. "As soon as we step in the middle, I''m pretty sure it will start, and we''ll have toplete a challenge of some kind."
"That''s pretty ssic, but this scares me a little." The monk pointed to the sides: there was lots of water.
Funny how something as simple as water was instantly gged as dangerous in the Water Temple. After Bush PTSD, now introducing water PTSD!
"See any clue?" Jack asked.
Surprisingly Moon Moon was the first to point its little paw straight at the ceiling. It was painted and showed a few symbols: + ? ~ What was even that thing?!
"Is it some sort of code, perhaps? Maybe something magical?" The monk uttered, perplexed.
"Those aren''t runes and I really doubt it''s anguage. It should have a simpler meaning." Jackmented.
The monk was looking at him, frowning with suspicion.
"What?"
"Geez, are you an archaeologist or something?!"
"Naw, I don''t really care about the past. I''m looking toward a bright future instead." Jack replied.
"¡."
Jack then sent a few pumpkins flying to test the waters (literally).
¡ª Ssh! ¡ª
The three kept gazing in silence, observing. But that''s when the monk noticed a detail that had previously eluded them.
"Look at the waves!!" He heatedly eximed.
The water would overflow unto the tform at some ces, but instead of just flowing back, it would keep going in a straight line as if an arrow!
"Gotta watch out for arrows in the knee¡." Jack mumbled.
"¡"
"Anyway, standing here won''t aplish anything. Gottaunch the thing to progress." He shrugged with the party going forth.
As soon as they reached the middle of the stone tform, the water all around suddenly began trembling. It shook like jello, it shook like a thick girl twerking, it shook a lot!
A secondter, they could only gasp as the water exploded upward, creating a water prison around the tform.
"Is it too early to panic?" The monk gulped.
"In my professional opinion, now is the perfect time to panic."
Suddenly the floor began glowing blue at exactly four spots about the size of a car. Besides the light, there didn''t seem to be anything special about it at all.
"Woo!" (Perplexed!)
The little wolf was pointing at the opposite wall, confused. Were those glowing symbols there earlier? + ? ~ ?
They didn''t have much time to ponder over it that enemies were spawning in every goddamn direction! They would juste out of the water walls as if on a slow stroll for some reason.
"Tch¡ª This one is gonna be rough." The monk spat in disgust as he observed them.
< Slim Lake Elemental Lv 15 ??>
< Slim Lake Tentacle Lv 15 ??>
< Hard Shelled Crab Lv 15 ??>
The problem wasn''t the creatures themselves or even their high number. Nope, the issue was the damn synergy!
They were all resistant to something else, making it damn near impossible to fight them all at once! Then, there were water arrows flying at their faces from time to time.
It was a goddamn nightmare!
"What do we do now?!" The monk grumbled.
"Look at the pattern + ? ~ ?. There just happens to be 3 different symbols for 3 enemies and 4 of them on the wall for 4 spots of light." Jack pointed out.
"Do we need to drag the monsters on the right spot? As if they''d ever cooperate!" The monk eximed.
"We better get to work then."
What followed was an incredible pain in the ass test of coordination with dodges from time to time! They quickly cracked the code:
+ Elemental
~ Tentacle
? Crab
The issue was that the mobs were tough to control. A single enemy in the wrong spot was enough to mess up the entire thing. It also took a little while for it to register.
Luckily, Jack had the perfect solution! There were four spots? They just needed another helper! He promptly summoned Chicky.
"Cluck! Shriek!" (Bring it on!)
Its glowing purple eyes were the very light of determination. Honestly, Jack couldn''t help but be impressed. His two pets were champs!
On the side, the monk''s eyes were bulging. How long had it taken him to learn to kite the water mobs to perfection? Days! Yet there were a wolf and a chicken just doing it easily?!
"Damn, you guys are good!" He praised from the bottom of his heart.
But all he got in return was a disdainful gaze from the chicken and a pitying one from the wolf. For them, this was perfectly normal after training to kite countless rats!
Then they eventually managed to arrange the creatures in the perfect order. It wiped the current monsters as more began spawning.
"There we freaking go, like a Boss!" Jack eximed. Sadly, it was apparently far from over. It went:
(? ~ ? + ~ )
"We got this! It''s just one more!"
(~ ? ~ ~ ? +)
"Just a little more!"
(~ + + ~ ? + ?)
"One more¡"
( + ? ~ + ? ~ + ? )
"Motherfucker!!!"
The more they repeated and repeated it, the angrier they got. Why did this freaking challenge seem endless?! Couldn''t they at least take a break?!
But at some point, they just didn''t have the energy to curse anymore. They just gave very sorrowful nces at the new pattern as they got to work. (+ ? ~ ? +? ~+?~+~)
When that one was over, their dead eyes wandered toward the wall for the next task, but there was none. Wait, what? Where was it?! Was it suddenly invisible?!
[Congrattions! Completed the Challenge!]
They looked at one another, tears of joy running down their faces. They had finally done it!
"Gentlemen, it has been a pleasure fighting at your side." Jack thanked them.
"Woo!" (Likewise!)
"Cluck! Shriek!" (GG EZ!)
"Holy shit, I thought we were done for! That was freaking insane! Just wait till I tell my mom about this!" The monk excitedly chirped.
His mom? Surprisingly wholesome for a dude with seemingly masochistic tendencies who''s always naked.
"Oh right, when will the water walls disappear?" The monk naively asked.
"Oh no!"
[Boss Fight now Starting! Good Luck!]
"Woo!!!"
"Motherfucker!!"
"Screw you, Water Temple!!!"
It seemed they still had the energy to curse after all¡.
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Do you guys think the Water Temple sounds fun?
Chapter 205: Water Temple: Please Leave Me Alone!!
Chapter 205: Water Temple: Please Leave Me Alone!!
It seemed that trouble was only starting¡
[Boss Fight now Starting! Good Luck!]
"Oy, what the fuck is that?!" The monk screamed while pointing at a wall.
There were cracks in it that were slowly but surely erging. Then with one loud BANG, the wall shattered to pieces, revealing the monster thaty behind.
There was a gigantic creature: it was all tentacles and eyes, nothing else!! What the heck was such a monster doing here?!
< THE Mighty Octopus Lv 50 ???>
"Woo!!" (Can that be eaten?!)
"How the hell are we supposed to defeat that?!" The monkined.
Jack scanned the entire area until he noticed a very subtle detail. The Octopus was surrounded by water, but it was all strangely still. It was as if nothing could ever affect it.
The strangest thing was that it was looking their way, its hundred eyes locked unto them, and yet it wasn''ting over.
"I think it''s sealed! Get ready. This is gonna be another mechanic fight!" Jack eximed.
"Another Mechanic Fight?!"
"Like in the Chicken Trials of the Tutorial. Careful, it''s making a move!!"
That''s when the Octopus very slowly moved its gigantic tentacles toward them. It seemed that the seal affecting it was rather effective. But it had other tricks up its tentacle!
¡ª SCREEEEE! ¡ª
As their boss shouted, monsters started spawning again. They seemed more energetic than earlier as they charged toward the invaders!
This part was no mechanic. It was 100% pure and raw ughter. Either they managed to eradicate the monsters, or they would die.
The worse was the water elementals, as they resisted physical damage.
"I can''t kill those guys. I''m no mage!" The monk cried out.
"Out of the way then!" Jack came to his help, but his options were limited.
Fire? ¡ª> As if they cared!
He had to improvise! He used his new ghoulish touch ability! Would this even be effective? The elementals weren''t technically alive even if they were moving¡. The answer was yes!!
But the result was slightly different than the usual:
< Corrupted Lake Elemental Lv 15 ??>
Affected by the Demonic Energy, the elemental''s body suddenly turned dark. It was as if an oil spill had happened in it!
But that wasn''t even the best part! The creature turned berserk as it began attacking everyone and everything indiscriminately.
Upside ¡ª> It was now killing its brethren!
Downside ¡ª> The corrupted elementals were even harder to kill and could only kill other elementals!
Jack had to be very careful: this was a bncing game. If he corrupted too many of them, they''d simply turn around and ughter them. He wanted to equalize both "factions":
Corrupted VS Pure Elementals
The monk was heroically taking care of the crabs. He was especially used to dealing with them after farming them for ages.
He''d always position himself perfectly, rendering their attacks ineffective. The more the fight went and the cockier he became.
"C''mon, hit me! I barely felt that! You should have eaten more veggies¡ª or algae, whatever!" He happily taunted them.
This left a bunch of tentacles for Moon Moon and Chicky to deal with. They''d bite and scratch the wriggly pink things!
Sadly, they could do only so much with their slightlycking power. They could survive and kill a few by kiting like pros, but it was a painfully slow process.
Jack went to help them, shing his Cluckinator all over the ce. He fought while keeping an eye on the elementals. From time to time, he''d corrupt one and return to fighting.
Then at some point, the creatures just stopped spawning.
"Did we almost win?!" The monk shouted happily.
"Oh crap, get out of the fucking way!" Jack warned.
The world had suddenly be darker as arge shadow engulfed them. Above their heads, there was now one of the Octopus'' giant tentacle! It was already smashing their way!
They ran, they rolled, and even threw themselves on the ground, barely avoiding the smash.
¡ª CRASH!! ¡ª
This tentacle was so weighty! One hit was enough to shake the entire tform as they almost lost their footing.
"Fuck! We almost became pancakes!!" The monk cursed.
"We will if we don''t hurry the fuck up! Soldiers, make it regret!!" Jack shouted as he instantly ran for the tentacle.
He hurriedly began shing it with all the power he could muster! With every sh, his de prated deeper into the creature. The exterior was tough and sturdy, but the interior was soft.
"Take this, and this, and this!!!!" He was hacking at the monster as if it had stolen his girlfriend. He was venting the frustration they felt from the Water Temple!
The whole party soon began to attack too. This was even better than hitting a Pi?ata! Well, instead of the candy it was pink-white flesh.
¡ª SCREEEEE! ¡ª
With an unpleasant scream, the creature finally seemed to realize the damage it had taken as it slowly retreated its limb.
"Woo!!!" (Careful!)
The small creatures were back! The little wolf already had its gaze locked unto a target! It was Biting time again!
"Let''s do this. Make sure not to take damage and keep an eye open for the big guy''s m attack!" Jack reminded.
They all got to work. However, this time, there was a change as the water arrows from the previous phase resumed. They now had to dodge on top of dealing with the monsters!
After what felt like an eternity, the tentacle m happened again, followed by tons of hacking! Then once they had dealt enough damage, the creature shrieked again!
¡ª SCREEEEE! ¡ª
Could this fight get any worse? Yes, yes, it could! A new mechanic would be added with every repetition, always being a pain in the ass!
+ The Octopus started throwingrge water spheres their way. It contained so much condensed water that anynding on them would have been an instant kill!
+ The Octopus sprayed water as if a shower. The issue was that the rain droplets were dagger-shaped and freaking sharp! They used therge crab monsters as cover to survive it!
+ The Octopus increased the tentacle mming rate and speed, every other second, they''d suddenly have to rush out to survive.
But after every stage cleared, they would always beat the limbs up until they became one bloody mess, a blue one!
With onest Screee, the Boss finally gave up. No matter what it tried, the tiny creatures would always survive! If only it wasn''t sealed! Sadly, regret wouldn''t solve any problem.
It just wanted the annoying tiny creatures to leave it alone at this moment! The regr monsters disappeared as the Octopus stopped its attacks.
"Are we done this time?" The monk asked, hopeful.
They all held their breath as they saw the gigantic creature reach out with its tentacle. It was actually offering them an item.
It was a deep blue pearl that slightly shone.
< Cursed Pearl of the Depth!>
They nced at one another, sighing with relief. They had finally seeded! Irrelevant to the time spent here, this dungeon had felt like an eternity.
"Let''s grab it before it''s toote!" The monk urged as he approached his hand.
"WAIT!" Jack stopped him. "Chicky, you do it."
The Skeletal Chicken approached a bony talon as it took hold of the pearl.
[World-Devouring Chicken Affected by Curse of the Depth!]
Instantly a blue glow surrounded it before resting at where its lungs would have been (Had it been alive.) That''s when water spawned, lots and lots of water!
"What the fuck?! This pearl drowns people that touch it?! What kind of sick joke is this?!" The monk cried out, his eyes bulging in horror.
"It has cursed in its name for a reason." Jack shrugged, chuckling at seeing hispanion''s expression.
"Cluck! Shriek!" (Puzzled!)
The chicken didn''t seem to mind it too much. It was simply curious as to what was happening. A few of its bones were now wet¡.
Moon Moon was happily circling its friend, excited at seeing what it thought was a new ability. With this, they''d never be thirsty ever again: how wonderful!
At this moment, the monk suddenly felt silly for overreacting so much. After all, everything was fine.
[Congrattions on Completing the Water Trial!]
[Received Blessing of THE Mighty Octopus!]
["Please Leave me Alone!"]
[+15% Speed When Peacefully Running Away From ??]
[Completion Bonus: +450 XP!]
[Leveled up! Now level 16!!]
-[Acquired Cursed Pearl of the Depth!]
[Be Careful How You Use It¡..]
That''s when a portal suddenly appeared. They could finally go back to that one water mage NPC¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Chapter 206: Pumpkins > OP Power!
Chapter 206: Pumpkins > OP Power!
A white-bearded NPC nervously paced around the Very Wet Lake when the space suddenly rippled. An unconventional party appeared from a blue portal: 2 humans and 2 pets!
The man barely noticed their arrival. He only cared about the blue pearl the undead chicken was carrying. It was so damn beautiful and contained so much power!
"Muhahaha, finally! That bastard hid it very well, but it has finallye back to me! With this, I''ll regain my old strength!" He madly cackled as his body started changing from the excitement.
< Misty Old Man Lv 40 ???>
¡Turned into ¡ª>
< Misty Olden Lake Elemental Lv 40 ???>
He still looked human, but his body was now half see-through. His limbs weren''t well defined either, only water tendrils.
Upon seeing this change, the monk turned livid:
"Why does this sound like a viin monologue?!" He whispered, worry in his voice.
"Is it that surprising? The guy literally throws people in theke to test their strength. Guess he couldn''t enter the dungeon himself, so he sent us instead." Jack sighed.
He could now remember an event that had happened long ago. There had been amotion in the area with monsters going crazy. It was probably rted to this quest¡
The monk shook as he suddenly understood many things:
1. This exined the warning: [Be Careful How You Use It¡..]
2. Seeing the greedy eyes of the NPC, they wouldn''t keep the pearl long.
3. Had they just brought an incredible disaster upon this world?! Most probably!
There was just one thing he couldn''t understand. How the hell was Jack still as calm as usual?
The NPC suddenly waved a hand, a torrent of water rising from theke. The spell turned into water dragons that headed right toward them! But the magic suddenly froze¡
"Are you really trying to steal it? How uncouth!" Jack''s calm voice had seemingly stopped the assault¡how?!
His hand was right next to the pearl, almost touching it. At this moment, he was emitting as much Demonic Energy as he could, showing off his Ghoulish Touch spell.
"Threatening to corrupt it? Do you think this will affect me? Water has cleansing properties, hahaha!" The elementalughed, ncing at the yer with ridicule.
"Oh, is that so? Have fun cleansing for the next decade then." Jack simply stated as he faked to make a move.
"NOOOO, Wait!!!" The NPC screamed in anguish.
He saw the human''s teasing smile a secondter and suddenly felt his misty body turning colder. Who the heck was that man?! Jack was giving him an ultimatum:
1. Take the pearl by force but be forced to cleanse it for ages. After all, he wanted to fuse with it, and a single thread of Demonic Energy would be deadly.
2. Negotiate with the human so that he''d hand the pearl over willingly.
At this moment, the level 40 NPC (sealed) was forced to hear a puny human out. How disgraceful! Still, it was the only logical thing to do¡
"I promise I''ll help you with your issue, so hand it over."
"Life Vow." Jackzily replied.
"Are you crazy?! Do you even know what you''re asking?!"
"Life Vow." The human simply shrugged.
This was his condition to do business with the being. He needed a guarantee, for he would be helpless once he handed the pearl over.
"F-fine¡I''ll promise upon my life to help you!" The elemental grumbled reluctantly. With this, the human would be happy and hand over the pearl, or so he thought.
"Tsk¡ª As sneaky as water running through cracks," Jack remarked. "Let''s establish a few terms."
That''s when he began enumerating an incredibly long list of conditions so quickly that it sounded like a melody.
"Woo!" (Dancing!)
The little wolf remembered this song from back then. It happily shook its ass to it while the nearby monk was gasping in shock.
"ARE YOU INSANE?!" The elemental thundered.
But the only answer it got was Jack''s bright and warm smile. The terms he had proposed were ones the creature could agree to even if it didn''t want.
"How about I share my power with you? You''ll grow strong beyond belief and be the wealthiest there is!" The elemental tempted.
[ept the Offer and Be an Elemental? Y/N!]
Jack simply chuckled, declining. Beyond belief? Bitch, please! He had fought the Nihility Dragon back then, the very embodiment of primordial chaos! As if this little living water couldpete!
Seeing the disdain in the man''s eye, the NPC tried intimidation.
He released all the magical power he could muster at once. This would produce an incredibly oppressive aura that would topple the man from shock. Then he''d be able to snatch the pearl away!
"This is yourst chance! Hand it over, or I''ll make you suffer like you can''t even imagine, until¡ª"He bellowed as he exploded with power!
"I suggest waterboarding. It''s a ssic!" Jack''s enthusiastic rmendation felt so out of ce.
He wasn''t shaken or despairing. He was looking at everything happening with amusement. He was even carving the scene into a freaking pumpkin?!! What the Hell?!
He would have understood had he seen the system notifications¡
[Carving Pumpkins Till I Copse! Activating!]
[Resisted the Fear Effect!]
[Congrattions!]
[+120 XP!]
The elemental and the monk found themselves exchanging a confused nce. Was this guy human?! Couldn''t he see the angry, overpowered elemental?!
"¡."
"¡."
That''s when the NPC suddenly felt at an incredible loss. He couldn''t even intimidate one puny human¡.
That one pumpkin carving was enough to convince the poor elemental. There was no way to frighten that guy! He reluctantly swore upon his very life,pleting the Life Vow.
It didn''t take that long, but it felt like an eternity: there were so many uses!
In the end, the poor creature felt like it had just gone through an arduous battle. As Jack finally threw him the pearl, he was almost too tired to rejoice, almost¡.
"Muhahahaha, I will be whole again! This lord is back! Screw you, Isidor!!" He eagerly swore at whoever his nemesis was. Would he be cacklingter as he absorbed it too? Perhaps¡
"Good for you, let''s go!" Jack instantly instructed, not even letting him enjoy his victory (kinda).
"F-fine¡."
Under the elemental''s guidance, they ran out of the mist area. They felt like goddamn VIPs as mist and monsters alike got out of their way!
"Step aside for this Lord!" The elemental shouted at his subjects as if to regain his lost dignity.
As they traveled, Jack exined the rat situation and reminded the monk:
"Hey, you should turn back your notifications. I tried messaging you earlier." Heined.
"Oh, right. He''d kill me every time I tapped the air, so I turned it off." He exined with a sorrowful sigh while pointing at the elemental.
F
It didn''t take long for them to reach the Sprigfield farm area.
As soon as Jack noticed that the Pumpkin Farm was fine, he heaved a sigh of relief and radiated visible happiness.
The Elemental by the side couldn''t help but gasp in shock. What the hell?!
1. This guy could resist his imposing aura easily.
2. He wasn''t tempted in the slightest by wealth or power.
3. He could use incredible Demonic Energy for his level.
4. He was that happy about a simple farm?! It didn''t make any sense!
That''s when Pumpkin Girl came out of the house and rushed to nestle in his embrace!
The elemental and the monk found themselves exchanging a knowing gaze. They now understood everything: he had done it all for the pumpkins!
The rats wouldn''t know what hit them!¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Done it all for the Pumpkins! #Worth! Right?
Chapter 207: The Calm Before The Storm!
Chapter 207: The Calm Before The Storm!
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A miracle had happened at Sprigfield Town as the nightmarish macabre shrieking had stopped!
"The rats are all gone! How is that even possible?!"
"What if it''s a trap?! They could be lurking near, waiting for us to exit the barrier!"
"Are you crazy?! There''s no way that rats are that smart! They probably just gave up."
Everyone had a theory, some giving more credits to the rats than others. But as they were all bickering on who was right, an NPC came running! The man was panicked and looked like a worn-out farmer.
"The rats are attacking the farms! They''re targeting one in particr! Please help. I''m sure the farming association will reward you!" He shouted at the Braves.
[The Rats Will Wreck Havoc on the Farms!]
[New Event! Macabre Rat Invasion!]
[Find a Way to Stop Them!]
They were supposed to fight the entire rat army?! Many had sullen looks in their eyes: how were they supposed to deal with this?! But just as they were hesitating, amotion suddenly arose.
"Holy shit! They''re here?!"
"Am I dreaming?! Are they who I think they are?!"
"With them here, the rats can all wash their neck, hahaha!"
Three groups arrived at once, all highly coordinated. Many eximed in shock as they showed up.
They had an aura of power, looked haughty, and were obviously used to having a high standing. Oh, and all their gear slots were filled, all of them!
There was no mistaking it: all were badasses, popr enough to be instantly recognized!
1. Forsaken ¡ª> Forsaken F emblem
Contrary to their guild name, they were present in every freaking MMO. Joining Forsaken meant that one would never be guildless no matter how obscure the game.
2. Epoch ¡ª> Small Book at their waist ??
They were one of the OG professional guilds around. Legends said that they had been around so long that their history went back to an age where VR was only a myth!
3. Amber ¡ª> Amber Nes
They used to be an exclusively Eldritch Scroll Online guild, but it seemed like they were branching to Infinite. They were renowned for being quite friendly but extremely hard to join.
"OMG! Think I can ask for an autograph?"
"I don''t need such a thing, just the Amber Princess''s number!"
"Pui! Shameless! Do you think you''re worthy! Still, I didn''t even know they were here!"
Many were confused as it was the first time they saw them. That''s because they had pretty much been living in the hunting grounds, farming XP nonstop!
As pro yers, they knew that the most important was one''s strength! Once power was obtained, then wealth would follow, and wealth could be used to power-level life skills!
This time, they hade back specifically for the rat event. They were different than the rubbish yers that were just ying for fun! Their very presence intimidated the minor yet arrogant factions.
That''s when a stern, handsome, military-looking man addressed them all. This guy was the Heavenly Right General from Forsaken!!
"Everyone! This event is bound to give bountiful rewards! I''m counting on all of you to join our expedition! With all of us, victory is assured! Who''s in?!" He thundered.
His short speech was received with maddened cheers.
¡ª p! p! p! ¡ª
"I''ll join for sure!"
"If we perform well, can we join Forsaken?!"
"Wait, isn''t thest guy leading the Freedom Battalion Faction?!"
¡¥_(¥Ä)_/¡¥
With everyone joining the expedition, it soon became so damn lively! Heck, there were even plenty of NPCs!
There were the militia members, but also a man wearing a deep green robe. They had even managed to mobilize the arrogant representative of the mage Tower?! Impressive!
The yers treated the mage like a king as they tried at all costs to get in his good graces. But it was all useless, for he considered the very people of this town beneath him.
A beggar-looking man had also joined. The few that knew him nced his way in shock: what was he doing joining a military expedition?! Had he gone mad?! Scamming was one thing, but fighting?!
Many looked his way mockingly, sneering with incredible disdain, but eventually all ignored him.
He was used to being ignored. It let him observe the world as it truly was. No one hid things from beggars, for they were less than humans¡ª in their eyes at least.
The Scammer chuckled as he noticed how much those from the three groups despised their weaker peers. They hid it well, but they would imperceptibly scrunch their nose when looking their way!
The idiots rejoiced as they talked of glory and wealth, not realizing that they were nothing more than bait. The more he heard and the more he felt they were all fools.
"The peeps from the three factions are already level 15?!"
"They''re 100% the strongest yers in the entire town!"
"That''s because they didn''t waste time on life skills."
"Damn, here I was trying to be a builder!"
"At least you stayed far away from the farms, haha!"
The Scammer knew better. Strongest? Waste time on Life skills? Stayed away from the farms? Bullshit!
If he wasn''t mistaken, the creatures were targeting a Pumpkin Farm that belonged to his master! Would there even be a fight? There was no way he''d lose to such puny creatures!
They were about to reach the scene of the battle when the weather suddenly changed. Dark andrge clouds gathered, turning the night sky even darker.
A secondter, a deluge began. The rain was so heavy that it instantly drenched everyone and formed puddles on the field! The reactions to this were varied.
Some were annoyed:
"Goddamn rain! Everything will be muddy now!"
"Rain before a battle? So freaking clich¨¦!"
"Anyone has umbres?"
Some were d:
"Talk about fitting for a showdown!"
"All good, I like my battles like my women: extra wet!"
"Hehe, it will just make the tale better! It will sound all ominous now!"
But just as the yers wereining/rejoicing, an NPC amongst them started trembling. The once aloof mage suddenly stared at the sky, his mouth gaping open.
"How?! This is impossible?! It''s magic. All of it is magic!!!" He shouted as if a madman.
Then it got worse. He suddenly realized that the magic rain reacted with his own magical robe, corrupting it. One had to know that this item was worth more than his own life!
He didn''t hesitate even a second as he hurriedly undressed, soon only wearing his undergarments.
The yers whispered, shocked:
"What the hell?!"
"Has he gone mad?!"
"M-maybe he just really likes rain?"
The naked mage started rushing forward excitedly, not minding the weird gazes. He was hellbent on finding the source of this magic. Heck, this could be an opportunity!
This was the kind of power that the mage Tower longed for! Just selling the information would give the man more benefits than he could possibly fathom!
The Scammer didn''t understand what was happening either, but he still had a wry smile. This was HIS doing, wasn''t it? He followed the mage with a light chuckle, shouting in passing.
"Quick, copy master mage, or you''ll die!" The Scammer even led by example, giving the movement momentum.
A secondter, the fools were ALL undressing, dumbasses! Who knew a small prank would be that effective? Hehe, he hadn''t lost his touch. It was just that Demonic fe that was too hard to trick!
A LOT of naked people were now running toward a Pumpkin Farm¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Good Prank? ??
Chapter 208: Rain IS Scary!
Chapter 208: Rain IS Scary!
This was nice!
The little farmhouse was filled with the aroma of roasted pumpkins and a peaceful atmosphere.
Jack basked in the serenity as well as the love and trust he felt. Pumpkin Girl had a huge smile ever since he had assured her that everything would be fine.
She cared about the farm, but he was still her number one priority. He felt her warm gaze stick to him even as she served food to the guests.
The monk was happily recounting their adventures while the old elemental was wriggling ufortably on his chair. When was thest time he had to interact with humans?!
No one would have believed that this calm scene was the precursor of an incredible battle.
Worry? None
Fucks Given? None
Preparations? None
The old elemental was all the preparation they needed. They didn''t even flinch as tons of notification showed up and the shrieks of the Macabre Rats resounded.
[High Concentration of Demonic Energy Detected!]
[New Event! Resist/Escape the Rat Invasion!]
[Reaching the Town Will Be Considered a Win!]
[Optional Mission: Save the Pumpkin Farm!]
[Good Luck! Rats ARE Scary!!!]
None of this affected the tranquil atmosphere.
"Escape? Hehe, as if! Guess it''s your time to shine, old man." Jack gently chuckled.
"Hey, it''s Misty Old Man to you!" The elemental protested, taking the air of an elder.
"Pffftt¡ª How peculiar! Mister Misty Old Man, would you like some more pumpkin bread for the road?" Pumpkin Girl nicely offered.
He grumblingly epted. (As if any living creature could resist such a tempting offer!)
They exited the farmhouse rxedly as if going on a stroll or watching a movie. In their hands, they had snacks and drinks.
Surrounding the farm were more than a thousand nightmarish macabre rats, their eyes glowing in the dark!
Moon Moon was the first to react.
"Woo!" (Shocked!)
So many! The rats were so numerous that they obscured the very ground they stood on. There was just a sea of monsters and nothing else!
The little wolf started "counting" them 1111111-111111111-11111111-11111111-11111111-11111111 -11111111¡! That was a lot of ones!!! Heck, even the elemental was impressed!
"Tch¡ª That''s a LOT of them¡no way that I''ll be wasting my time on them."
"Is it too much even for you?!" Pumpkin Girl asked with worry painted on her gorgeous face.
"NONSENSE! As if it would even be a problem!" He thundered, his pride bruised. At this moment, he forgot all about the deal he had made: he was simply eager to prove himself!
Jack chuckled as he saw her mischievous smile.
The elemental grabbed the Pearl of the Depth, using it as a power source. He then radiated with mana as he chanted a super long incantation.
The rat leader saw this all happen. They knew of the naked one, he had been on the farm before, but this one was new! Who the hell was this human?!
¡ª SHRIEK!¡ª
Without waiting, the rat leader called for the assault to begin. A thousand creatures all rushed forward, their paws trampling the field and the Demonic Energy spreading.
If they reached the farm, it would be game over for the Pumpkins! But their true target was the man who had created them. Only by ying him would they prove their strength!
This time they had enough brethren for sure! Once he was gone, they could slowly get rid of the cowardly humans hiding behind the blue light at the town: they were weak!
But before they could reach the farm, the elemental was done with his spell. With an incredible explosion of mana¡
¡ª It started raining! ¡ª
Yes, that was it. It was pouring on the rats, but it didn''t affect them in the slightest. So what if their fur was wet? It wasn''t like they could get sick. They were already dead!
They couldn''t help but feel emboldened, for they were resistant to the spell!! They even shrieked in joy as they charged even faster!
¡ª SHRIEK!¡ª
Jack couldn''t help but shake his head at their foolishness. That''s when the elemental finally went on the offensive.
Now that the sky, the air, and the ground had turned into water¡this whole area was his yground.
"Begone!" He bellowed.
Following his shout, the water droplets turned into glistering des that flew all over the ce, digging deep in the rats and soil alike.
"?!?"
The rats tried avoiding, but it was all pointless. The level 10 creatures had strength in number, but projectiles flew everywhere!
The rat leader noticed the creator as its brethren were dying by the dozen every instant. The man they wanted to dethrone at all costs wasn''t even looking at them.
He was happily devouring some of the orange things while talking to the girl nearby. Had they done all this for nothing?! Were they always condemned to feed off scraps?!
Before long, the rat leader found itself alone with all its brethren annihted. This was the end of the journey.
The man of rain gave it one quick nce before he suddenly realized what had happened. He turned toward Jack,ughing his water ass off:
"Hahahaha, this is rich! Your own creation attacked you?! That''s why you needed my help?! Talk about ridiculous! What a fool!" His voice echoed all over the in.
"What?!" The monk jumped in surprise as he nced at his friend weirdly.
1. How the fuck had he created that army?!
2. How had he known how to get rid of it? He kept saying meeting the elemental was a coincidence but was it really?
"Mister Misty Old Man, this fool made it possible to grow Pumpkins. I think you shouldn''t eat any more of them, just to be safe." Pumpkin Girl said with "concern".
That''s when the elemental suddenly choked as his face twisted in regret:
"T-that''s not what I meant! I was being yful, yful! Can I get some more Pumpkin Bread? I''ll bless thisnd in exchange!" He begged and even bargained.
This grumpy bastard of an elemental was acting so coy?! How the hell was this possible?! The monk was about to go insane.
Jack smiled knowingly: the being was probably scheming for the future. Water and Life Energy shared simr properties, so he had probably sensed her Ultimate Pumpkin Growth skill.
Hearing this offer, she seemed to hesitate¡
"I care about thisnd, but I care more about him¡." She whispered very naturally, pointing Jack''s way while blushing slightly. How scheming!
"F-fine! I''ll bless both!" The elemental finally relented.
A blue light covered the entire Pumpkin Patch as he waved his hand.
[Acquired Blessing of the Misty Olden Lake Elemental!]
[Increased Pumpkin Growth Rate by 250%!]
[Increased Water-Based Healing by 15%!]
[Increased Affinity to Water by 10!]
But just as the scheming duo was celebrating, the monk''s shocked voice resonated:
"What the heck are they doing here?!" He was pointing a distance away. Tons of yers and a few NPCs were staring at the rat corpses, utterly frozen.
But there was something very strange about them. For some obscure reason, they were all freaking naked! Why?!
Jack nced at the half-naked monk, resting his hand on his shoulder.
"Look, so many perverts! Go on, join your people!" He gave him an encouraging smile.
"Screw you! I''m like this because of my ss! They can''t all be monks, right?! Maybe they''re just insane?" He whispered.
They would soon know, for the man leading them was rushing their way. But as she saw him, Pumpkin Girl uttered in surprise:
"Mister mage?!"
Oh? This could be interesting¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Wee to How to train your elemental!
Chapter 209: Helpful Mister Mage!
Chapter 209: Helpful Mister Mage!
Mister mage, was it?
The man who approached them alone had a noble face, was well-off judging by the rings on his hands, and seemed very energetic.
This guy could have almost seemed endearing¡if he weren''tpletely naked! His eyes shone with desire, his breathing was quick, and his face flushed red. He was even mumbling:
"M-magic, magic, so much magic!"
Yeah, buddy, it''s usually magic when rain suddenly turns into flying daggers of doom¡.usually.
"H-how did you do that?!" He eximed in shock before regaining a sliver ofposure. "Pleased to meet you, I''m the official recruiter of Sprigfield Town from the Tower and¡ª"
He politely started to introduce himself, only to freeze, stunned by their reactions.
¨C The elemental was leaving, not caring one bit about that new human. He had done his part of the bargain¡for now anyway. It was time to head back to theke.
¨C The monk was staring at the man''s naked body suspiciously. His deep frowning expression frightened the mage.
¨C Jack had grabbed the Macabre Rat by the neck and was bringing it inside. The creature was ying dead in his grasp.
How long had it been since the mage had been ignored?! Heck, even at the Tower, he would have gotten a wave of wee at the very least!
Inwardly he was already panicking. He had clearly mentioned Tower, and they didn''t even react. How was that possible?!
But then he stared at the Macabre Rat in the man''s hands. It emitted such vile energy!
"S-sir, where are you bringing it?!"
"Inside. I still haven''t decided if I''m gonna make pie or stew." Jack replied before disappearing into the farmhouse.
The mage was at a loss. Pie? Stew? WTF?! This was an extremely dangerous creature! Usually, he would have already rushed to grab it from him, but he felt incredibly wary.
He knew that whoever had summoned the rain had the power to crush him, the town, and fucking everything around it! He turned toward the monk.
"What about you, Sir? Could you please¡ª"
"Sorry, you''re very handsome, but I don''t swing that way!"
"¡.. -_- ?!?" What now¡
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Jack looked at the creature that was listless even by undead standards!
The rat''s eyes werepletely still as it had seemingly lost the will to live. It had tried to aplish a revolution, only to fail magnificently.
Still, this sure was highly peculiar.
1. Why had it suddenly developed intelligence? Was it really just the effect of the title?
2. Why had it wanted to kill him? Was it simply because he had killed tons of its brethren over time?
He couldn''t help but feel curious about the thing. He quickly grabbed his secret weapon, stuffing it in the creature''s mouth.
There were many misconceptions about the undead. Many were convinced that they were totally unfeeling and brainless, but some emotions did get through.
The primary one had to be hunger. The rat unconsciously started munching on the pumpkin sandwich roll.
The effect was almost instantaneous as (un)life returned to its eyes. The dark light in them started flickering in shock.
"You''re conscious again? Damn, I knew her cooking was OP, but that''s really fast!" He chuckled.
Technically undead could eat. It was mostly useless, but they could extract the mana inside the food. It just happened that the Pumpkins his lover grew contained mana.
Understanding that Jack was feeding it, the light in its eyes flickered withplete confusion.
Why?! Why would he do this?! The creator was right in front of its teeth. All it had to do was give a quick bite and it would be free, it would¡ª
That''s when the human attacked it!! It could feel the weight of the human''s hand going back and forth on its head, ruffling the fur¡..but why did it feel so good?!
¡ª Jack used Demonic Headpat! It''s super effective! ¡ª
Macabres only knew to devour the living.
Macabres were impossible to tame.
Macabres were 100% evil.
Yet the rat was gently bruxing as it happily rubbed its head against the hand, taking in as much demonic energy as possible. But then it suddenly froze¡what was it doing?!
"You feel it''s unnatural? Do you feel like you should be a killing machine? That''s what Demonic Energy will do to many."
"So what if you''re dead? All that matters is what''s deep in there." Jack gently stabbed its side with his index.
"What will it be? Do you want to live? Do you want to eat more pumpkins? Do you want more of this?" He approached his hand as he stared at the creature.
At this moment, he spoke the creature''snguage.
It hungered for the life it had lost.
It hungered for mana-rich food!
It hungered for Demonic Energy!
The creator it had so wanted to devour was now offering it all to it. Actually, why had it tried to destroy him in the first ce?! It didn''t even know! Then it felt a change¡
[Macabre Rat Initiating a Magical Contract!]
[Do you wish to ept? Y/N]
"Tch¡ª Why are you even asking¡of course!"
[Analyzing! Analyzing!]
[Contract with "Moon Moon" Detected!]
[Canceling Proposition! Cannot Establish¡ª]
The rat''s eyes dimmed with disappointment. It could somehow feel what was happening.
"You think I care about that? We''ll just have to do it the hard way!" On that note, Jack stormed out of the house,ing back with a bbergasted naked mage in tow.
"W-what''s happening?!" The poor mage shakily asked.
"You saw the rain, right? I swear to god, if you don''t help me, the entire Sprigfield town will be destroyed!" Jack shouted.
"W-what?! Why?!"
"No time to exin. The forces of evil are already on the move! This rat will be our spy to infiltrate their ranks. Or do you want evil to win?!" Jack kept shouting, dragging the man into his pace.
"W-what no, but!¡ª"
"Good, you got magical ingredients in that backpack of yours? Grab me some Dark Essence, Corpse Grass, and Bloodrock! We have a lot of work to do!" Jack thundered.
"W-what are you even¡ª"
"Hurry! We don''t have much time!! Move your ass, or the ghouls are gonna win this war!!"
"G-ghouls?!!"
"Tch¡ª Let''s save us both some time. Use a truth serum, or spell, or whatever you have." Jack implored.
The mage shook in confusion, but he somehow went with the flow, taking a scroll out.
"This is a tru¡ª"
"I know! Let''s hurry the fuck up!" Jack tore it, a silver glow enveloping his body. "Ghouls are scheming in town. I''m nning to infiltrate their ranks using this rat!"
The silver light slowly dimmed down, but there wasn''t any other reaction. This proved that he was telling the truth. Well, he really wanted to infiltrate them¡ except as an ally!
"It''s all true?!" the mage gasped.
"Yes! Now, help me draw the magic circle!" Jack worked the confused mage to the bone, making him follow his directives to the letter.
1. They established a specific magical circle. He even used that one chicken head he had to boost the power.
2. The mage took care of what remained of the mana part.
3. Jack inserted the Demonic Energy and finished the ritual.
As it finally activated, the rat suddenly glowed a dark light before it seemed to implode!
"WTF?!"
"No worries, it''s normal," Jack reassured.
Then the creature and dark energy were allpressed until they formed a small ck bead. It was shiny, and there seemed to be a rat imprint in it.
"There''s onest thing! Quick, wipe your memory; otherwise, the ghouls will know!!!"
"W-what?! Why would I¡ª"
"Hurry!!! Otherwise, everyone will die!!!" Jack shouted with such enthusiasm that the mageplied. Yep, he really did.
As the man fell to the ground unconscious, Jack couldn''t help but chuckle. Can''t progress too much in the path of magic when you''re that dumb! No wonder the guy was stuck in such a shitty town!
Still, the man had been a great helper.
Jack happily grabbed the Demonic Pearl.
[?!?%$#!!]
[Analyzing! Analyzing! Analyzing!]
[Analyzing! Analyzing! Analyzing!]
Jack shook his head at the bugged notifications:
"Congrattions! Obtained Pet Summon Pearl: Demonic Rat!"
"Works like a regr pet, but the respawn isn''t free and requires energy!"
[Congrattions! Obtained Pet¡ª!]
"Can it! What''s the point of repeating what I literally just said? Actually, if you''re gonna repeat¡."
"Congrattions! Gained 2 Billion XP! Leveled up!!!!"
"¡."
"Tch¡ª You''re no fun!"
[Leadership Increased!]
[Acquired Title: ve Driver!]
[+6.66% Chance to Trick People IF the Goal is Exploitation]
"Pick one. Is it leadership or ve-driving? Then again, there probably isn''t that big a difference."
The whole Item-Based Pets were supposed toe in a future update when people got tired of just having one. The ritual itself wasn''t that hard either, but required a few things:
1. The mage''s help had been vital. The elemental''s spell had shaken him so much that bamboozling him had been easy.
2. It normally took a colossal effort to get enough affinity with a creature to tame it like that. It somehow worked since he was the rat''s creator.
3. Regardless of its intelligence, the rat was low-level, making the taming easier. This was pretty much a bargain as far as Jack was concerned.
In any case, it had seeded this one time.
Jack grabbed the pearl with a grin then drove his mana inside. That''s when the Macabre Rat spawned.
"Wee back, buddy. From now on, you will be known as D.U.R.D.O.C! Do you like it?"
The rat nodded, puzzled. What good was a name? It wasn''t like it would be hard to differentiate it from live rats¡
"Oh, by the way, it stands for "Do Undead Rats Dream Of Cheese." Jack eagerly shared.
Even the rat understood that it was a silly name. Sadly, it didn''t have time toin at all.
Amotion was happening outside. The yers were being rowdy? What did they want now? Hopefully, there wouldn''t be any trouble¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Do Undead Rats Dream Of Cheese?! Thoughts?
Chapter 210: Dumb Faction Players!
Chapter 210: Dumb Faction yers!
"Psst¡ª Wake up! Wake up, sleeping beauty." Jack gently shook the unconscious mage awake. This sure had been one powerful memory wiping spell!
The man''s eyes showed confusion, then wariness. Wait, he didn''t even recognize him?! How much had he wiped?! No matter.
"You forgot?! You helped me exorcise the Demonic Creature at the origin of the macabre swarm. Great job!"
"H-how can I trust you?"
"Just get another of those silver glowing truth scroll out." Jack instantly proposed, soon taking the test: "We both worked together to deal with the creature!"
Deal ¡Ù Exorcise
The mage didn''t realize as he sighed in relief. That''s when themotion outside got louder, with Jack decisively heading toward it.
There were a dozen yers surrounding a poor bloke, beating him up.
Naked yers VS Friendly Monk
But even as he took hit after hit, he didn''t give up. They were using their fists to dish out plenty of punishment.
"Please stop!" Pumpkin Girl shouted but was ignored.
Why would they care if some farm girl was pissed? She wouldn''t be able to fight anyway. Plus, the man they were beating kept gesturing for her not to get involved.
As they rained blows on the guy, they interrogated:
"Are you gonna talk? This is yourst chance before we take our weapons out. Once we do, we''ll kill you over and over." A blue-haireddy with a book ?? at her waist threatened.
"Hahaha, then I''ll respawn over and over!" The monk guffawed.
"Brother, we just want answers. This concerns the safety of the town. Please cooperate! I swear I''ll make them stop!" A green-haired girl with an amber ne said.
"Good cop, bad cop, is it? How original!" The monk sarcastically praised.
"You won''t be able to level up if we put our minds to stopping you. Speak already!" The leader of the expedition coldly dered.
"Guess I spoke too soon: you guys also have hot cop, ugly cop! Neat!" The monk remarked.
"You little! I''ll¡ª"
"You guys sure are a lively bunch for losers that showed up after the party was over." Jack nonchntlymented. He instantly became the yers'' focus.
Some recognized him as they whispered in their leader''s ear. They were all ncing at him with curiosity.
"The Demon King? So you''re that rumored Schr?dinger guy that''s neither NPC nor yer? What happened here?!" Their chief asked.
What was that even supposed to mean?
"You want to know why the rats came charging here? Well, I can tell you! But, you have to keep it a secret!" Jack replied.
They all opened their ears wide.
"You see, I''m very unique¡." He lowered his voice, looking at his surroundings warily before whispering. "¡I''m way too handsome!" Jack confessed.
"Ah, so that''s why! No wonder!" The monk happily yed along, with Pumpkin Girl giving a big thumb up.
That''s when the yers finally realized that they were messing with them. But that''s also when they noticed the now dressed mageing out of the house.
"Master mage, please redress our grievances!" They pleaded. "We''re trying to protect the town and¡ª"
"No need! Everything has been handled already, so everyone should disperse!" The mage shouted as he promptly walked toward the town to report that the incident was over.
On his way, he kept shouting at people to go back to their business. Most yers left, along with the militia, but the top factions still remained.
They were frowning as they stared at Jack, convinced that he was the root of it all. They were currently tapping the air as they sent messages to one another.
¨C Right General: He''s hiding something for sure! The mage seemed like an entirely different person as he came out. Very suspicious!
¨C Epoch Amazonesse: I heard it very clearly. That guy that left earlier said the guy created the rats! He has to be scheming to take the town down!
¨C Best Amber Healer!: Really?! What if the farmhouse is his secret evilb? We need to check it out before he has time to clean it!
¨C Right General: Alright, follow my lead!
The man gave an ultimatum:
"Get out of the way. We have some business in that house behind you." He sternly dered.
The house was actually utterly filled with demonic energy at the moment, a residual from the previous ritual. It would simply "incriminate" him.
"Eh, sorry, but this is private property, you know." He apologized.
"To me!!!!" The general shouted, and instantly their reinforcements came running.
yers, yers everywhere! That''s when they dropped all semnce of cordiality, summoning their weapons.
Back in the Tutorial, his enemies had the terrible habit of rushing at him to get destroyed in one fell swoop, but those guys knew better.
Plus, his mana waspletely drained, and even his life energy was in shambles from the earlier ritual.
"Woo!" (Bastards!)
The little wolf adopted a battle stance and burned the face of the evil invaders in its mind. It would make them pay for attacking their home!
"Start the assault!" The general shouted.
The mages in their midst got ready to start the bombardment while the melee sses protected them. This n was foolproof!¡ª or so they thought.
In their naivety, they had stepped on the farm''s ground¡
That''s when Pumpkin Girl finally made her move. She had been watching and was finally ready to give her judgment.
"All of you bastards deserve death!" She dered.
¡ª Ultimate Pumpkin Growth! ¡ª
The entire farnd suddenly turned into a world of level 30 vines. There was no running, no resisting, only death awaiting them!
The yers instantly turned pale white. A few instantly used the faction card!
"If you kill us, you''ll be in trouble!"
"Ever heard of Epoch?! That''s us!"
"I''m from Forsaken, Forsaken!!"
"Hold it! We''re in Amber!"
They cried out one after the other. They weren''t begging for their lives as much as threatening. Killing them would mean endless trouble!
"Wait, no! Don''t kill them!¡." Jack shouted in a hurry.
The yers instantly sighed in relief, then felt proud. This was what it meant to be in a powerful faction! They were freaking untouchable!
"Don''t kill! Restrain them and let them dry in the sun instead!" Jack screamed.
"W-wait what?!!"
"Is this guy for real?!"
"Are you crazy?! Do you know who we¡ª"
But theints died down as thick vine tentacles lodged themselves in their mouths. Jack went around observing the neutralized yers with a warm smile.
In their eyes, he saw anger, defiance, and a desire for violence.
"Why does it feel like you guys are mad at me? Oh! You really are mad at me!" He pondered for a second.
"You said something about powerful factions, right? One shouldn''t fear a powerful faction but a fearless one instead. Do you know why?" Jack gave them a teasing smile.
They shook with rage, sneering inwardly. What kind of drivel was he uttering?!
Jack looked at the night sky before sighing.
"Ah! The sun sure is heavy, isn''t it? Moon Moon, make sure that you water them properly. Holding them prisoner is one thing, but we have to keep them hydrated!" Jack instructed.
Sun? What freaking sun? What did he mean by hydrated?!
That''s when the little wolf approached them, raised its hind leg, and aimed a yellow stream right at their faces.
"HUMPH?!?" Muffled screams echoed, but the more they screamed, the more Moon Moon watered. Luckily there was plenty of water around to refill its dder.
Had Jack needlessly escted the situation? Perhaps.
Was it worth it just to see their faces? Hell yeah!
Now, what would be their next move¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Moon Moon Used Golden Shower! It''s super¡.
Chapter 211: Surrounded?!
Chapter 211: Surrounded?!
"HUMPH!!!" The muffledmentations of the yers were music to his ears.
Jack waszing upon what looked like a beach chair, enjoying the show with plenty of snacks. Pumpkin Girl focused on the spell, at his side and resting in his arms.
He chuckled as he saw the hate in the yers'' eyes. Attacking the farm and even threatening them? Bitch, please! He wasn''t one to simply bow in the face of intimidation.
They could barely move a muscle, their entire bodies wrapped in vines. Still, they had sent plenty of SOS messages and were obviously waiting for reinforcements¡but so what?!
After the initial fight, that one Scammer guy had shown up. The madd had a glint in his eyes as he proudly bragged about convincing them all to go naked. This was one for the books, haha!
In any case, Jack had sent him on a special mission¡
"HUMPH!!!" They keptining. Geez, they sure were demanding!
"Moon Moon, those guys in the back are causing trouble. Make sure you water them some more."
"Woo!" (On it!)
Their eyes would bulge in disgust and horror, but it wouldn''t save them from the warm stream.
He wasn''t too worried either. He had just finished cleaning up the farmhouse, getting rid of any trace of a ritual. The mage''s word would take care of the rest!
It barely took their enemies an hour to organize an army.
Payers as far as the eye could see, not only from the three factions but others too. As soon as they appeared, the captives instantly rxed, a victorious glint in their eyes.
Was this already over? What were they gonna do, charge in?
The heroes were looking at the vines, gulping loudly. Level 30?! How the heck were they supposed to go against that?! A single one was as strong as a Boss, and there were countless!
But they soon figured out a battle n. They would siege the entire farm! So what if the interior was a danger zone? They wouldn''te anywhere near!
The enemies stood far from the edge of the farm as they began screaming demands:
"You''repletely surrounded. There''s no escape!!"
"Release Forsaken, Epoch, and Amber; otherwise, you won''t ever get to y the game! We''ll camp here harder than a COD fish!"
"You should know that what you''re doing is incredibly stupid! Think about the future, the future! Luckily for you, it''s not toote just yet. You might even get recruited!"
Pumpkin Girl gave him a reassuring nce:
"Don''t worry, we can live here forever, and they won''t be able to do a thing. We''ll eat to our fill, live a good life, have many little pumpkins run¡ª"
"Tempting, but impossible." Jack gently rebuked.
This wasn''t the final map of the game. Heck, eventually it wouldn''t exist anymore. If things progressed as they should, main quests would begin, and then¡No, he had to leave.
The captives rejoiced, thinking he understood how fucked he was. But a secondter, they suddenly had a bad feeling about the whole thing.
Jack slowly got up, rxedly stretching before grinning.
"They''re pretty smart. They kept their distance. If I take a step outside, even I will be sted dead with magic." He whispered, his eyes narrowing, looking at his future victims.
"They know what will happen if I do make it near them. I''ll be able to use their bodies as shields and go on a wonderful rampage." He chuckled.
He could already picture them, convinced that they had won and gloating. They would definitely be careless at this moment.
"They thought of everything¡ª or almost." That''s when he nodded at Pumpkin Girl.
"It''s time to remind them what my nickname is, haha!" he had the smile of a predator going on a hunt.
The captives suddenly felt cold as they realized what he was about to do. But it was far toote to stop it¡
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The sieging yers had nothing better to do than to gossip:
"That one dude took them all hostage?!"
"It''s thanks to those nts, duh!"
"He''s trapped like a rat now."
"Shouldn''t have done that!"
There was no way that a single guy could go against an entire army. It was simply impossible.
"Maybe he''s showcasing his skills?"
"Either way, he has to beg for forgiveness now."
"Won''t be enough. He needs to sell his body too!"
"You mean Join a faction, right?! Phrasing, dude!"
"Skills, body: it''s all the same in the end, you know¡."
But just as the yers were bantering, they suddenly noticed a shadow flying their way. Were there birds at this hour?!
"Oy, guys, what''s that thing?!"
Then it got closer. Was it a bird? Was it a ne? Nope, it was a Demon King!
As they saw the human crashing in their midst, their brains froze. Wait, what? Where was this guying from? Why was he¡ª
Then a white shadow streaked in the night, cracking a skull open. What the fuck?! Brain matter sshed unto them, but it was only the beginning of a horrible nightmare.
Jack started his ughter, powerfully swinging his Cluckinator. Every attack produced the usual Cluck sounds, but he did not care one bit. So what if they heard it?
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª
He wasn''t here for a sneak attack. He was here for a massacre!
He went from yer to yer. Every attack was targetting the vitals: skull, throat, heart, dick! No mercy! They should have nevere close to his beloved pumpkin farm!
"ARGGGG!!
"Send help!"
"There''s a demon!"
He was methodically and calmly ending their lives. In their eyes, he looked like a deviling straight out of Hell!
They tried resisting, but a patch of darkness would block everything while he would just entirely disappear at times too!
How often did they find themselves killing an ally by mistake?! They had lost count! This guy was death itself, his smile especially chilling!
"Who the fuck is he?!"
"This thing ain''t human, monster!!!"
"Who cares? Kill it! Take this, Wood Arrow!"
Wood arrow sounded silly for a spell, but it was pretty damn strong. Jack knew that a single hit would end his revenge crusade. Still, how silly of them to call out their attacks.
This proved just how confused they were. #Shonen Style! #Idiots!
In the darkness, a brown light shone as an incredibly sharp branch shot forward with great momentum! Wood Arrow had the size of a Ballista Bolt!
It flew quickly and¡
"ARGGGG!" It lodged itself deep in the flesh of its target, causing him to throw up blood.
"Hahaha, got you, bastard! This is the power of a forest mage¡ª"He celebrated a bit too early.
"Dumbass! That was our man!!!" Another cursed.
Jack kept shing, running all over the ce. But every time a projectile was about to hit him, he''d swerve a bit, and an ally would be in the way! Always!!!!
"This is freaking impossible?!"
"What the hell is this guy made off?!"
"Don''t worry. I got this!" A man thundered as he blocked Jack''s way.
As he saw the shield, he understood the man was a tank. That''s when he gave a grin as a green glow enveloped his body. Defensive self-enhancement?!
"With this, I''m invincible. Let''s see you run away!"
He was going to sacrifice himself to keep him in ce! But the man had chosen the perfect timing. If he avoided the grab, he would die. Oh shit! He found himself restrained¡
In the distance, there were already tons of enemies casting various abilities, from spells to shooting arrows and even throwing axes. Fuck!!!
Jack didn''t have time to waste: a single second could be deadly! He rained magical fire upon the guy. Where was his weakness?!
"Haha, I told you, I''m invincible!!" He happily guffawed.
Invincible, was it? What an obvious bluff! Even the Masochistic Monk wasn''t invincible, and he had a 100% defensive ss.
Nope, one spot on the man''s body was now slightly burnt: inner left tight! Jack promptly drove his falchion deep in it, the man''s face twisting from the pain.
This was sufficient to make him fail his defensive ability! Jack used the opening to grab the guy and rotate his body, just in time for all the attacks tond on him.
¡ª Swoosh! Crash! Boom! ¡ª
¡ª Fatality!!!¡ª
The shield guy''s body exploded in countless light particles. Jack could already notice that most yers were running away as fast as possible, slowly regaining their cohesion.
Soon he wouldn''t have any meat shields left: it was time to head the fuck out!
"Later all!" He politely announced his departure.
They could try their best to stop him¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Wood Arrow #Worst Spell Name?
Chapter 212: Beacon Of Light!
Chapter 212: Beacon Of Light!
How hard could it be to escape incognito using the cover of the night?
Usually ¡ª> Pretty easy.
Right now ¡ª> Freaking impossible!
Jack had been nning to kill and run, nothing else! It wouldn''t have been toote toe back and murderter.
Sadly his getaway had been interrupted by one guy, one freaking cleric that had pointed his scepter at him before chanting an incantation he knew all too well.
Given his current means, it was a spell that was impossible to avoid. It was homing, instantaneous, and mana hungry!
¡ª Wild Cleric Used Holy Mark! ¡ª
This spell only did one thing and was considered useless in the grand scheme of things. It made its target glow. Yep, that was it, but it turned Jack into a freaking living sun!
At that moment, he had given up any thoughts of hiding as he simply ran for his life. He was now attracting yers as if they were moths and he a divine me!
"Catch him! He went that way!"
"Keep targeting that glowing spot!"
He could hear their shouts as they aimed at him, wanting to turn him into abstract art on the floor.
The visibility was way too high here! He needed somewhere he could lose them, somewhere he could counterattack!
Without hesitating, he rushed for theke, barely reaching it alive. At least many had beente to the party, and only about 40 yers were after him.
He entered the mist, heading deeper as he sighed in relief. The enemies fearlessly followed behind him. He used his experience to avoid the monsters, but it showed his enemies the path.
"Dumbass! Does he thinks he''s invisible or something?"
"Who cares! Just shoot him down!"
¡ª Swoosh!! ¡ª
¡ª A volley of projectiles came flying! ¡ª
At his speed, there was no way for him to avoid it. The time he had spent avoiding the monsters had given them the edge they needed. This was their victory!
But just as their attacks were about tond, the light suddenly dashed forward. What?! Had they misjudged the distance?!
They kept chasing and quickly caught up. Was he trying to close up the distance and attack them?! Tough luck! They restarted the bombardment.
They held their breath as the attacks¡nded! That''s when the light flickered before dying down. They all knew what this meant: he was dead!!
"His respawn has to be in Sprigfield Town! Notify the others!"
"I really hope he dropped some loot!"
"You mean good loot, right?"
They rushed forward, soon arriving a the scene of the murder. But as they checked the surroundings, their faces couldn''t help but twitch.
What the hell was up with that? All there was on the ground was some burnt and exploded pumpkins.
"Talk about some shitty luck we¡ª ARGG!"
The man wanted to sayin more, but the de in his lungs suddenly made it very hard to speak. He died in shock, unable to understand what had happened.
Their target was there, alive and still glowing.
¡ª SLASH!! ¡ª
A bloody red arc appeared right in their midst. The damage was enough to make them falter. A secondter, 5 of them were dead! That''s when the man winked at them before running away.
"How the hell didn''t we see him?!"
"Come back here, motherfucker!"
They cursed only for a voice to taunt them. "Motherfucker? So what if I like Milfs?! I''m feeling magnanimous. If your mom is pretty and thick, I''ll let you call me father!" Jack shouted.
They went after him. This time they wouldn''t miss for sure!
¡ª Swoosh!! ¡ª
¡ª They sent forth a volley of projectiles! ¡ª
This time there was no mistaking it. They had destroyed the target! But just as they were ready to celebrate, three giant crabs came running straight at them!
"What the fuck?!"
"Where are those bastards from?!
"Oh crap! Guys, look at their bodies!
On the hard shells, there were marks of their attacks. Had he used the monsters as cover? Then why the hell hadn''t they attacked him?!
"Hurry and kill them!"
"I''m trying. They''re invincible!"
"Wait, some spots on their shells are a different color!"
At first, they were panicking, but then they somehow figured out the trick. As soon as they did, they unconsciously rxed¡.until a de shed a few throats!
¡ª Blood spurting all over! ¡ª
"W-what?!"
Somehow Jack was right in their midst, killing as if it were the most natural activity! This time they were fucked!
35 yers VS 3 Crab was fine
35 yers VS 1 Jack was fine too
But fighting Jack + three crabs was out of the question!
Every time they turned to face him, he would simply run away! Why the heck was he so damn fast?! Also¡why was he always running away from the crabs?!
They kept fighting the crabs, but whenever they were about tond a critical blow he''d jump out and blind/attack them! They were at their freaking limits, many dying!
"This guy had to be a street runner in another life!"
"Wait, he''sing back. Go all in!!"
Suddenly they saw an opportunity, probably thest one. It seemed he had misjudged the timing of his attack: they could take him down!
They all struck the target, only to gasp as they finally realized he had been toying with them from the beginning.
Their assaultnded on the target, destroying it entirely. Sadly, it turned out to be a ming pumpkin.
What about Jack? Nowhere in sight! The glow was utterly gone too. He had been using their own spell against them, feeding them false information.
They felt like crying. All this time, they had been attacking a goddamn pumpkin!
"You guys should be running out of mana right about now, right?" That''s when he appeared once more.
It was time for the ughter to resume, but they now had lost all will to fight. They didn''t even hesitate as the 20 of them ran away from the lone yer.
This mist was demonic, and so was the man! They didn''t even nce back as they madly ran for their lives. In the end, only 12 of them had survived the mist from the 40 that had entered.
Jack grinned, remembering their panicked shouts. But that''s when the yers outside the mist suddenly started shouting:
"You better surrender: we have your lover hostage!"
"?!?"
Their tone was void of any lie¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
0_0 Pumpkin Girl?!
Chapter 213: Scheming Against The Farm!
Chapter 213: Scheming Against The Farm!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
The temporary leader of the coalition was frowning as he kept staring at the Pumpkin Farm.
"Did they catch him yet?"
"Afraid not, Sir! They''re still chasing."
"Goddammit, all this trouble for two yers and an NPC?! It''s utterly crazy!"
When was thest time they had been so humiliated? So long that he couldn''t remember! But just as he grumbled, a shadow of a smile suddenly appeared on his face.
In the distance, he could see the reinforcements.
Two powerful-looking NPCs wereing over with axesrge on their shoulders. They wore rough clothing, and both looked like they could cleave any tree in half easily.
"This is the ce? Alright." They both nced at the farm overrun by the vegetation.
They were both lumberjacks and, as such, would cut trees but could also take care of vines. Hiring them had been such a pain, but it would be worth it! Without waiting, they decisively headed toward the farm.
As Pumpkin Girl noticed them, she couldn''t help but gasp slightly. Still, that didn''t affect her fighting spirit as she unhesitantly ordered her vines to intercept them!
The green tentacles reached toward the men with incredible speed, trying to restrain them. They were a moving catastrophe as far as she was concerned!
¡ª sh! ¡ª
The two lumberjacks mercilessly swung their axes, a single sh destroying all the vines in the vicinity. The men simply kept progressing one step at a time as if killer robots from the future.
They were evil incarnate for the monk, pets, and Pumpkin Girl.
"Woo!" (Take that!)
Moon Moon hurriedly called a torrent of ming chickens above their heads, but yet another swing of the axe extinguished it entirely. It didn''t even stop them for an instant!
The sieging army and the captives were already rejoicing and patting themselves on the back. Hiring the lumberjacks had been such a genius idea!
They couldn''t wait to see that girl suffer the same ordeal as them, to be as helpless. This would be sweet justice at work!
The lumberjacks were 50 steps away from her. That''s when she realized that her magic would be 100% useless against them.
An ordinary girl would have despaired or begged for mercy, but not her. Without hesitating, she started throwing pumpkins.
Many couldn''t help but chuckle seeing this. As if that would do anything?! Talk about a useless effort! Soon she''d be finished and¡ª
"Wait up! What do you guys think you''re doing?!" A man thundered, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. He looked valiant and was wearing the militia''s uniform.
"Out of the way." One lumberjack uttered.
"Out of the way?! Are you going against the militia?!" The militia guy shouted with wild abandon.
His drunken friend had made him practice this catchphrase earlier just for this moment. He still wasn''t 100% sure what was happening, but all he knew was that Jack (totally a spy) needed help!
His current objective was to stall for time. He didn''t say anything else as he stared directly at the opponents, his back straight and shoulders wide.
¡ª Stare! ¡ª
At this moment, they felt slightly ufortable. Attacking the militia would cause endless trouble even for them.
Should they keep going or simply turn back?
Minutes psed inplete silence, everyone holding their breath. But that''s when a yer came running with new information:
"He''s alone! The militia hasn''t nned to defend the farm. He''s acting on his own!" He shouted excitedly.
Militia guy''s face instantly betrayed his shock at the truth being known so fast. His reaction was enough to confirm everything, as he utterly failed to put on a poker face!
"Out of the way!" A lumberjack growled.
This time it wasn''t a request but a threat. If he didn''tply, the man''s axe would be stained with his blood. This would be the end of the Pumpkin Farm and¡ª
"Hold it! What are you doing putting your filthy paws on a farm?!" A man with one dirty hoe shouted, his straw hat trembling in anger.
The captives'' sighs were deep. Why did someone always have to interrupt their rescue?! But this time, the lumberjacks only chuckled.
"Do you think we''re dumb?" They kept walking and shing.
They knew that there was no way that the farmer association would be involved in such a mess! Helping a kidnapping? No way! But suddenly the man rushed to stand in front of them!
"As I SAID, the farmer association is protecting this ce! Now back up!!" The man waved his hand and suddenly power flowed toward the ground, revitalizing the sliced vines.
He even gave a reassuring nce at Pumpkin Girl, who couldn''t help but gasp in surprise. They were helping, why?! But then she realized that it had to be his doing!
The invaders couldn''t believe their eyes. What the heck was wrong here?! But luckily, they still had one hand to y.
"Activate the Anti-Communication Formation!" Their current leader ordered, with many mages getting to work.
This would make it impossible for anyone inside to send messages using the system. It was a trick the mage in town had taught them on a whim.
He then sent a message to his men:
¨C Forsaken Hero: Tell that fucker to give up: we have his lover. If he wants to see her again, he better obedientlye out from the mist!
Unable to verify the veracity of the news, their enemy would quickly lose his mind from the worry. It was just a matter of time before he surrendered!
This was a fantasticbo of misinformation and grasping unto an enemy''s weakness! It was bound to work!
¨C Forsaken Hero: How is it going?
¨C Lil Forsaken: Sir, he''s begging us not to torture her while in tears¡but he''s still noting out. He''s saying that he mist is where he belongs now if his love is gone¡.
¨C Forsaken Hero: Tell him she''s not dead, just captured!
¨C Lil Forsaken: I tried, Sir! But he keeps bawling and ASADADAWFGRH
¨C Forsaken Hero: What happened?!
¨C Forsaken Hero: Are you there?!
¨C Lil Forsaken: Sir, we were wiped! He camepletely out of nowhere, and we lost track of him!!
How the fuck did that even happen?! They had lost versus one guy?! That''s when the man hardened his gaze. They still had onest card to y.
He confidently approached the Pumpkin Farm, cackling:
"Hahaha, we captured him! What will you do now? The longer it takes you to capitte, the more we''ll torture him! Think about his well-being!" He shouted threateningly.
But all that followed was a crystallineugh, one tinged with ridicule. Trying to scare her? Please! She hadplete trust in him!
It didn''t help that a man known as the local Scammer showed up a secondter. He seemingly carelessly addressed the army, a huge smile on his face:
"Hello everyone, Ie to bring a message of peace! My master is willing to hand the captives over peacefully. He doesn''t need much either. Just a few golds per head."
Few golds per head?! Who was he trying to scam?!
But then they realized something scarier¡.his master?! How the fuck had he converted him?! Even a beggar still remained a powerful NPC.
Also, where was he right now?! This was already giving them a headache¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
When you try to bluff but it''s not working¡.
Chapter 214: Showing Off The NPC!
Chapter 214: Showing Off The NPC!
In the dark of the night, two men were having a meeting in a well-lit room. An incredibly rxed young man was facing the boss of the Farming & Fishing Association (FF).
Jack found himself at ease as the ce gave a very peaceful aura. It was filled with fishing trophies, nts, and various ancient-looking books.
Toplete the picture, he was calmly drinking the tea the man had offered him, not intimidated one bit by his interlocutor''s status. So what if he controlled the Farming and Fishing in Sprigfield?
Jack had made an ally (kinda) of the legendary elemental guarding theke! Plus, he had to show dignity as the leader of D.L.!
Typically the Farmers would have never involved themselves with Brave matters. After all, their slogan was literally: as vibrant as a sprout and as calm as still water.
But, he had managed to pique the man''s interest enough to warrant this meeting:
"Are you sure you can really procure it? No one has evere back from that ce!" The man somberly dered.
"No one has evere back because I wasn''t the one that went. No need to worry. I''ll keep up my end of the bargain as long as you do the same." Jack gave a confident smile.
One stark difference between an NPC and a Brave was that thetter was more apt at clearing a Dungeon. Being immortal + Knowledge of how games worked helped a lot!
This time he had proposed to clear the Fairy Garden for them in exchange for protection. That ce was right in the forest and contained a powerful Life Magic treasure that could benefit farmers.
"Alright, but I won''t be able to allocate that many people to watch over your Pumpkin Patch. After all, it''s unrted to fishing and¡ª"
"Ever heard of a crazy elemental that throws people in theke upon meeting them?"
"Who do you think you''re talking to?! Of course, I know all about him and¡ª"
"I''ll trade immunity to his attacks for more resources. Think the fishermen will be interested?" Jack gave a teasing smile.
"WHAT?! Are you serious?!" He bellowed in surprise.
"Always."
"Yes, of course, they''ll be! H-how did you?!" The man''s eyes were bulging as he had lost allposure. Right now, Jack looked like the experienced CEO while he was a naive youngster.
His shock was understandable. The NPCs and yers in his association had probablyined nonstop about the elemental problem.
After all, fishing right now was highly troublesome:
1. Bypass the monsters and reach theke.
2. Pick the right bait knowing theke is diverse.
3. Wait for a fish to bite and hope it''s not too strong.
4. Abandon everything upon seeing the elemental''s shadow
How sad must it be to lose a catch thanks to a mad wandering NPC? He! Now Jack casually offered a solution to an incredibly annoying issue.
"We have a deal then. How can they avoid it? Is there a secret fishing spot? Maybe a charm one has to equip? Is it a spell?"
"Oh, just tell him you know Jack from D.L., and he won''t mess with you." He shrugged.
"¡..T-that''s it?!" O_O
¡¥_(¥Ä)_/¡¥
For a moment, the man seemed to be considering if it was a prank or not, but then he suddenly chose to believe.
This much was expected from a man that could cause so much chaos in so little time! It was silly of him to expect anymon sense¡
"When will you depart for the Forest Garden? If possible, it would be better to go before the end of the month and¡ª"
"Now."
"W-what?! What about all the preparation?! You''ll at least need a cook, an interpreter, and¡ª"
"Interpreter? What for? Fairies are shy anyway and mostly use the runguage tomunicate. That''s all one needs to know." Jack exined.
"You''re saying that as if you knew¡ª wait, you can read runes?!" He almost choked upon realizing his meaning.
"Alright, how about we go for a night stroll? The weather sure is nice today." Jack gently offered, right during their meeting.
"A-alright¡" The man felt like he was in a dream.
This young man hade out of nowhere, asked to cooperate, and suddenly solved two of his biggest problems. Did the Heavens send him to reward his hard work or something?!
This young man was so damn impressive! Heck, even he didn''t know the runguage after studying it for years and years! He even wondered if he had wasted his life.
As for Jack''s meaning with the stroll: it was simple. He was happily showing off his new NPC! They had just met and weren''t that close, but all that mattered were appearances.
He quickly guided the man toward the Pumpkin Farm. On the way there, they met many members of the factions coalition that were still hunting for him.
He didn''t hide: he simply smiled and waved! Oh, and he made sure that the NPC was always perfectly visible. He''d gently light their way, emphasizing the man''s face and robe.
Even those who didn''t know him realized that he was one of the bigshots of the town and didn''t dare to attack. Well, Jack''s confident attitude did help a lot.
Every time they saw him enthusiastically greet them, they''d doubt their eyes, then be suspicious, then notice the wonderful big boss at his side and finally gawk like dead fishes!
As they reached the farm, the Scammer was still arguing with the enemy on how to handle war reparations. After all, Jack''s side had suffered a lot:
¨C Trampled soil
¨C Noise pollution
¨C High emotional trauma
¨C High mana loss to create vines
"Hello, all! It''s a nice night for a walk, isn''t it?" He happily greeted them all.
A fewps with the NPC in towter, they were finally convinced that hunting him was perhaps a bit too dangerous. Many were grinding their teeth in extreme annoyance.
That''s how Jack managed to simply waltz back in. He didn''t mind the audience, shared a very warm goodbye with his lover, and left with the NPC and Moon Moon in tow.
"Woo!" (Celebrating!)
The little wolf was already rejoicing. They had survived the bad guys! For a little while, it had been worried. How silly, of course, its master would take care of everything!
Still, it burned the scene of the axes bad men advancing without it being able to stop them. In its shiny eyes, there was the resolve to be stronger and the will to protect!
Jack brought them to the edge of the Greenwood forest, ready to head toward the new dungeon.
"On that note, we will take our leave. Take care!" Jack waved goodbye, with Moon Moon doing the same with its little paw.
"Alright, you better not disappoint me, or else I''ll get mad that you paraded me like some kind of trophy!" The man had obviously realized Jack''s intent.
"Hehe, you say that, but before long you''ll be the one begging to be seen with me." Jack confidently winked as he disappeared into the forest.
Was this a wish or a prophecy? The stunned leader of FF was left behind deep in thoughts¡..
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
It''s important to walk your NPC daily! (I think)
Chapter 215: Forest Training!
Chapter 215: Forest Training!
As soon as they entered the woods, Jack turned to Moon Moon and yed the touristic guide.
"Wee to Greenwood Forest, home of some of the cutest but deadliest creatures ever!"
"Woo?!" (Startled!)
Moon Moon instantly turned serious, staring at every little bush, tree, and even at the grass on the ground. It wouldn''t be taken by surprise!
"Alright, follow my lead. We''ll be progressing in the area since we need a couple of things to open the Dungeon. Luckily, our first target isn''t too far." Jack instructed.
He invoked Chicky and the Rat for them to gain some experience, all departing together. They barely walked a few minutes that they were already encountering their first opponent.
There was a tiny, small, and cute white creature munching on grass in the vibrant vegetation: a horned rabbit.
Moon Moon was already getting into a hunting position, ready to pounce when Jack remarked:
"See how its fur is slightly vibrating? This means it''s already inbat mode. As soon as you jump forward, it will charge. Do you remember the Chicken''s assault skill?"
"Woo!" (Nodding!)
"Well, it''s like that but 100 times faster." As Jack exined, the little wolf''s eyes bulged in shock. Judging by its master''s tone, this was a lot!
"The only way to defeat them is to sidestep when you see their fur twitch. You won''t be able to react to the movement, so you need to react to its early tells."
As cute and tiny as this thing looked, it was even stronger than the crabs back at theke! Thanks to their appealing physique, those monsters were known as Newbie Killers.
How many young schoolgirls had died savagely prated after trying to pet a fluffy bunny? Enough to make year-long deathption videos!
"Woo!"
< Savage Horned Rabbit Lv 17 ??>
The two came closer very carefully. Then suddenly it jumped at them! The thing was so fast that only a white blur could be seen. Heck, it looked like a ray of light!
¡ª Zoooom! ¡ª
"Woo!!" (Scary!)
Moon Moon had barely avoided having its vitals pierced. There was arge gaping wound on its nk. Some flesh and fur stuck on the rabbit''s horn as if a skewer.
This had been enough to teach it the true horror of this monster. Sometimes speed equaled power, especially when a charge skill was involved.
"Here, watch." Jack winked at his pet. "Hey, you shitty rabbit! I''m gonna turn you into a pair of slippers! I hope you''refy enough or¡ª"
¡ª Zoooom! ¡ª
As if by mistake, Jack suddenly fell shield first. It just happened that he had the perfect angle to push the creature''s head downward slightly.
¨C 3
Damage wise? Barely noticeable!
Effect wise? Super freaking effective!
That slight push was enough to redirect the bunny. Its charge made it so it mmed its face on the ground, with its horn sinking deep in it.
The poor thing tried to free itself, its small paws paddling non-stop, but it was deeply lodged in the earth.
"Nowes the fun part." Jack grinned as he repeatedly shed at the creature.
-10
-11
-12
-13
-10
-12
Before long, the rabbit was nothing more than a lifeless, bloodied husk.
At some point, it had tried ying dead to bait him into lowering his guard, but Jack had kept attacking. He even used this as a teachable moment.
¡ª Obtained Rabbit Meat! ¡ª
¡ª Obtained Rabbit Horn! ¡ª
¡ª Obtained Rabbit Paw! ¡ª
There were some trinkets one could do with the paws, but they were about as effective as the ones IRL.
As for the horn, it was a hotmodity that could be traded as a magical material. It was also their objective for the moment.
"Alright, let''s keep going. We need more horns, and then we''ll switch to the next target."
The group kept hunting, with Chicky and the Rat progressively joining the fight. They were like small chicks scared of flying by themselves. Well, with reasons.
The rabbit dide way faster than the ground ever could! They all learned how to cope using their own methods.
Chicky''s learning session was filled with the sound of its bones shattering over and over as it learned to dodge roll. Jack had to re-summon it many times too.
As for Durdoc, it was even worse at dodging but pretty smart. It used poison to attack from up a tree and Jack as a distraction. But, still considered a failure in a 1 v 1 situation¡
Moon Moon was the fastest to improve. It quickly found the timing to deal with the creature by summoning fire on itself. The rabbit would thenically jump directly into the inferno!
Before long, they had their own collection of long and very hard horns, some of them having tasted it first hand deep inside their bodies.
The next monster they hunted seemed even more harmless than the rabbit.
< Savage Killer Lavenderflower Lv 19 ??>
It was a tiny purple flower that looked quite gorgeous, but the truth waspletely different. The monster was actually a bunch of deadly roots, trying to skewer passersby!
"Watch your steps: that''s about it. Still, it''s easier said than done." Jack advised.
As soon as they were in the range of the creature, rows, and rows of roots with sharp pricks tried to destroy them. It was a freaking contortionist game!
"Woo!" (So many!)
The little wolf couldn''t help but be impressed. There were almost as many roots here as vines back home. This thing looked super dangerous too!
"We need the purple flower. It''s an excellent all-purpose stabilizer for most magical life skills. It''s also the thing''s only weakness (kinda)."
It really was the fastest way to destroy it, but it meant going inside and stealing a flower that the creature pretty much used as bait. Doing so was what one would call insanity!
"Here''s a great trick to destroy it. Keep attacking until it starts to move slower, then go for the kill!" Jack showed by example.
Thus started another avoiding training.
Pets VS Tentacles!
Pets VS Tentacles! Revenge edition!
Pets VS Tentacles! Super Deluxe OP Over 9000 Revenge Edition!
Yes, it took them a while to master it. The Rat tried to attack it from a distance, but the nt would simply retreat underground to safety.
But it was all worth it:
[Congrattions! ++Pets Fighting Prowess!]
Eventually, Jack''s inventory was full of horns and purple flowers. There was only one thing missing.
Jack slowly led them deeper into the forest. Then he stopped at an empty clearing.
"What do you think?" He asked with a mischievous smile.
"Woo?" (Puzzled!)
Was there anything special with that part of the forest? No matter how the little wolf looked, it seemed exactly like the others.
But that''s when the Rat suddenly noticed something as it chattered its teeth in surprise! A few leaves were floating in the air, forming a silhouette!! ????
( )
`¨C(_ _)¨C''
Y-Y
/##
/
`¨C''. ,
| `.__________/)
"Shriek?!" (Is that?!)
The Rat couldn''t believe what it was seeing or wasn''t seeing in this case! It couldn''t sense anything and yet¡.
That''s when Jack finally exined:
"That''s an Invisible deer, and it''s very true to its name. Its antlers are akin to des, its teeth are sharp enough to tear armor, and it loves crushing skulls with its hooves."
"Woo?!" (How mysterious!)
"Yes, also very deadly. Always surprising to see someone''s skull randomly explode while walking. In any case, this one will be hard to kill just because of its raw specs."
Jack nced at them all, exining their battle n:
"Chicky, jump on its back and peck like there''s no tomorrow!"
"Durdoc, you''re on acid duty. Target its eyes. They''ll be at about this height!"
"Moon Moon, I want constant fire on it. You don''t need to keep the ability active, just to make it burn to reveal it."
"Alright, let''s do this!"
That is how one hell of a fight began! To an external spectator, it would have seemed like they had all gone mental as they started striking the air.
Even with the burn effect, it was hard to notice the creature. It really was good at camouging itself.
Luckily there was a trick. By using both sight and smell, it was possible to track it easily¡ª at least for Jack.
< Savage Invisible Deer Lv 21 ??>
It was incredibly fast, strong, and resistant. Honestly, just piercing its tough skin would have been difficult. The only thing he could do was use his newly obtained ability.
¡ª Jack Used Demonic Ghoulish Touch! ¡ª
This would bypass the thing''s defenses. As for resisting the attacks, he was 100% counting on his umted experience. Frankly, he was guessing how the creature would move.
His only shot at victory was to make it perish from demonic energy overdose.
As for the raising effect, he wasn''t too worried about that since it was just a chance. He couldn''t be that unlucky, right?
After a good 20 minutes of constant fighting, Jack finally defeated the creature.
+55 XP!
¡ª Obtained Deer Antlers! ¡ª
¡ª Obtained Deer Meat! ¡ª
Just as they were happily celebrating their hard-earned victory, a surge of demonic energy suddenly spread. Oh no! Not now!!
[The Invisible Deer Has turned Into A Macabre!]
[Congrattions! Great sess!]
[It Hungers For the Living!]
[It Sees You!]
"RUUNNNN!!!" Jack screamed at the top of his lungs.
Macabre Invisible Deer:
¨C Infinite Stamina
¨C Incredibly Powerful!
¨C Very Hungry For Human Flesh!
¨C Unaffected by Demonic Energy!
Conclusion: the chances of victory were zero!
There was no hesitation as they all ran away. Jack could only pity the poor sob that would suddenly encounter an Invisible "Zombie" Deer. Not a pleasant experience for sure!
"At least we have what we came here for: 1 Deer Antlers, 3 Flowers, 9 Rabbit Horns. Let''s unlock the Fairy Garden, shall we?" He sighed in relief.
"Now, Chicky or Durdoc, who wants to be a gardener?"
"?!?"
"?!?"
"It''s called Fairy GARDEN for a reason¡."
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
How did the Deer art turn out? I hope good xD
So close to #25! Monthly Trending. #26 is about to pass us 0_0! Gotta, sell more chaps!!! ??
Chapter 216: Fairy And Fluffles!
Chapter 216: Fairy And Fluffles!
A poor undead chicken and rat were soon forced to learn an entirely new skill set: gardening! Jack stood behind them with an encouraging gaze as he barked instructions:
"Dig a little deeper. You want to get the roots properly, or it might not work!"
Right now, they were grabbing the flowers as if they were some rare treasure, carrying them with aical overly-careful demeanor.
"Be careful. Bring it here and bury it around this stone stele." He tapped the precise location with his foot.
The entrance to the dungeon was extremely easy to miss. It was half-hidden by the vegetation and so ancient it crumbled in ces. Still, the engraved fairies hinted at the secret it contained.
Next to it, there were 13 holes of different depth that Jack had already filled with the offering from the three types of forest creatures.
All that remained was to bury the five nts of ck Charm Lilly around the target.
This part should have been troublesome because of the properties of the nt. It was odd: it confused whoever touched its petals but was hard to use alchemy-wise.
This made Chicky and Durdoc the perfect candidates for the tasks as the undead were utterly immune to that effect. Before long, everything was ready.
"Good job all. Brace yourself. Teleportation ising!!" Jack warned before driving mana in it all.
The fairy engravings seemed toe alive as they shone a pure blue light that soon engulfed them whole. Then they were gone¡.
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The first thing they saw upon entering were flowers, dead flowers everywhere. Withered, crooked, and an obvious sign that something here was very wrong.
[Wee to the Fairy Garden!]
[Enjoy the Magnificent Sights and the Peacefulness!]
[You are the first toe into contact with fairies!]
What was up with the messages? This ce was to "Magnificent" what a rotting cadaver was to a beauty queen. Heck, even the air smelled of death.
"Woo?!" (Frowning!)
"Yes, it''s bad. Good thing we''re here¡." Jack whispered.
It sure was strange that the decay was that pronounced. After all, yers would have usually taken even longer since they had to figure out the trick to enter.
They cautiously advanced until a slightly angry yet melodious high-pitched voice broke the silent atmosphere.
"Bad Mister Fluffles, bad rabbit! Fairies aren''t for eating! Fairies are friends!"
A tiny fairy appeared before them. She was flying all over the ce, restlessly dodging the attacks of a Savage Horned Rabbit.
The fairy looked delicate, had translucent wings, and was reprimanding her opponent in her cute voice while dodging. She didn''t seem to be realizing the danger¡
"Let''s take care of this, shall we?" Jack decisively charged at the bunny.
How hard could it be to defeat a single rabbit? It could be annoying with opposition. As soon as she saw him, the fairy gasped in shock:
"W-who are you?! What do you want with Mr. Fluffles?!" She hurriedly threw herself between him and the creature to protect it with her body.
Jack stared at her go while sighting. Yes, fairies were dumb AF! A secondter, a horn drilled her chest open, along with most of her body exploding.
"Mr. F-fluffles¡.why?" Those were herst words. She died utterly bewildered, her spirited eyes dimming forever.
"Mr. Fluffles" 1
Fairy 0
With the fairy gone, they could dispatch the creature quickly, a little too easily even. This had to be one of the most useless deaths ever.
"Woo!" (Intrigued!)
Moon Moon curiously tapped the body with its paw. What was this tiny creature, and why had itmitted suicide? More importantly, were those things edible?
"There''s something wrong with their brains, but they areestible. For now, let''s keep exploring. A horned rabbit is obviously not the cause of the destion here."
They started roaming, as silently as ghosts, noticing a shitload of bunnies. The things were everywhere! Sometimes they were even in packs.
No kidding, but a pack of those fluffy creatures was actually a nightmare. If they coordinated correctly, they could essentially be impossible to avoid.
They would see a fairy from time to time, only for her to end up devoured by the wildlife. A regr yer would have definitely saved them.
After all, they looked so cute, so gentle, and so friendly!
Luckily, Jack knew the truth. Those things were one of the most horrible creatures in Infinite. They were trouble mas, annoying chatterboxes, andplete airheads.
There were countless tales of fairies aggroing all enemies in an area, only to fly to safety while leaving their new "friends" behind in the panic.
Luckily, no one was judging either. Moon Moon was the only one looking at them die with a sorrowful gaze. Why?! Why would they waste meat like that!!
But just as they were getting bored of sneaking around, a very peculiar scene appeared.
In a small flower field, stood one fat fluffy creature! It wasn''t a boss, but definitely an elite. Behind it, there was a wooden cage with a fairy locked inside.
< Savage FAT Horned Rabbit Lv 20 ??>
But what was truly peculiar was that the fairy waspletely silent, not chattering endlessly and pointlessly. Special NPC?
Moon Moon was already wagging its tail in expectation of the hunt. Finally, they would fight!
"Wait, if I''m not wrong, this guy has a pack calling ability. We need to shut it up somehow, or we won''t be able to win." Jack whispered.
"Woo?!" (How unexpected!)
Was there any way to sneak past it? Nope.
What about one-shotting it? Not possible either.
They could only make sure it kept its trap wholly shut.
"Alright, get ready. Here''s how we''ll proceed." Jack patiently instructed his pets. The training back in the forest would prove in handy¡
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In the cage, a young-looking fairy was twiddling her thumbs in boredom. This was so annoying! Why wasn''t anyoneing over?!
But right as sheined, they suddenly appeared. No, it was more urate to say that they flew right at the fat rabbit! An orange wolf and an undead chicken?! What the hell?!
She hadn''t expected anyone in particr from Infinite, but certainly not this! What the fuck was this?!
At this moment, she wondered if her information about the human realm had been wrong. Was it possible the humans were gone? Had they been reced by strange animals?!
Her heart still beat faster at the prospect of all the fun toe!
The fat rabbit quickly opened its mouth, ready to call its brethren to the rescue. But before it could do it, the chicken suddenlynded right in its maw¡what?!
She knew how it felt to have a bone in her teeth, but a whole undead?! It would soon get destroyed, right?
Except, this was only the beginning. Just as the chicken kept the creature''s mouth open, a ball of acid suddenly flew in andnded right in the creature''s throat!
The undead chicken did not care one bit about this, but the fluffy monster instantly started screaming in pain. That''s when the fairy realized their strategy!
This horrible scream sure was loud, but the noise was too distorted to be a real call to help. It sounded more like it was insulting its brethren!
That''s when the wolf cleverly used the opportunity to attack the enemy! It swiped its ws, bit the target, and ¡even summoned ming chickens?! What kind of wolf was this?!
Soon enough, the fairy found herself rooting for the little wolf as it burned its opponent in a fiery me.
Still, she knew that the rabbit wasn''t one so easily defeated. Now that it was angry, the poor wolf was doomed!
The fairy half-closed her eyes, expecting the graphic scene of the noble creature getting torn apart by a horn¡ª but then she jumped in surprise. What the hell?!
Out of nowhere, a man had appeared, and the monster had no idea he was there! He had the perfect positioning: right in the burning creature''s blind spot.
The fairy then witnessed the most magnificent backstab of her entire life, the man''s weapon lodging itself deep into the thing''s brain!
Ah, amazing! She felt her entire body shudder just picturing the cold arc ending a life so quickly! The bunny fell, and he turned toward her.
She liked this one a lot! As she met his eyes, the fairy decided that she''d make him her ything!
This would be as easy as flying! After all, she knew how much his species loved fairies¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
A wild naive fairy appears¡.and instantly disappears!! Is it magic?!
Chapter 217: First Protector!
Chapter 217: First Protector!
As soon as the fat rabbit fell, the system chimed in.
[Congrattions On Your Victory!]
[Quest: Free the Fairy!]
Was there really a need for the quest part? He nced at the little creature inside. She was staring at him, her green eyes shining and her wings pping in happiness.
"My herooo!" Her cute voice resounded, her green hair bobbing up in down as she inspected him from head to toe. "So handsome!!!"
Now she was suddenly acting like any fairy her age, even excitingly pping. She sure looked different than her previously calm appearance.
"Sure, whatever. Anyway, what''s up with all the dead flowers?" It looked even worse than the instance version he had seen in his previous life.
"It''s horrible! Something very, very bad happened! Everyone went crazy! First, it was the rabbits, but then the protectors! And then, and then, they waaa!" She loudly sobbed.
"Crazy? How do we fix this mess?" The protectors were magical creations supposed to protect this ce. Any malfunction could have dire consequences.
"T-that we need ingredients from the protectors. Then we should be able to create an elixir to save everyone and¡ª"
"Mini-Bosses? Alright, let''s go!" Jack nodded as he grabbed the cage.
The tiny fairy couldn''t help but jerk in shock as they left. What aboutforting or freeing her?! Didn''t humans love to save cute girls? She shyly looked his way.
"M-mister hero, I think the key to the cage is on that bad bunny''s body and¡ª"
"Don''t care. Anyway, no need to worry. You''ll be totally safe in there. Ah, except if you needlessly attract monsters. Then you''re 100% dead." He shrugged.
What?! There was no trace ofpassion at all in his voice! He could have as well been talking to a rock! Wasn''t she cute?! How was he still so cold toward her?!
Jack chuckled as he noticed the bbergasted fairy. Now she sure as hell would have to watch her mouth! Well, if she wanted to live at least.
The fairy suddenly shuddered. Was this man a sadist?! What the hell?! How was she supposed to cope with that?! What if he wanted to tear her beautiful body apart?!
He kept silently walking while she kept twisting in her cage.
"Woo?" (Puzzled!)
Moon Moon was curiously staring at this tiny creature. She was so small that she could fit in its paws easily. Also, her wings and pointy ears sure were strange!
But it quickly focused on their mission as they started fighting again. Killing bunnies required all its attention!
It followed its master as they navigated the area, avoiding therger groups and progressing while killing the stragglers. Then they reached a new area, an empty one.
"Monsters instantly disappearing universally means a tough fight ahead," Jack whispered, with the fairy gulping.
Then they arrived at arge clearing with only a gorgeous red flower in the middle. But this time, Moon Moon quickly used its nose and found the issue.
"Woo!" (It''s right there!)
It pointed toward the Invisible Deer with its small paw. The sneaky creature was standing right above the flower! As for how to beat it¡.Jack wasn''t sure. They''d have to improvise.
"Alright, let''s do this." He led the way.
The four courageously headed toward the Boss. The fairy couldn''t believe her eyes. They were going to fight it head-on?! Human, wolf, chicken, rat¡what kind of team was that?!
"Boys, it''s time for barbecue!" Jack happily threw fire at the creature.
Honestly, he wasn''t sure if they could defeat this thing. After all, he knew that his ghoulish touch wouldn''t kill a Boss even after many stacks.
They would have to slowly lower its HP by working as a team! That''s when its name tag shed for a fraction of a second.
< Trickster Savage Invisible Deer Lv 20 ???>
"Holy shit! Be careful, everyone: it''s a trickster! It may use illusion magic!" Jack warned as the creature went on the offensive.
The basic attack pattern of the creature was the same as its regr counterpart, but it was obviously smarter. With every charge, it would adapt its trajectory!
"Woo!" (Annoyed!)
The little wolf had observed its master''s movements earlier and now perfectly reproduced the dodges! Sadly, the creature was so fast that there was no counterattack chance!
But even with its high specs, they somehow managed to cope with it. This actually worried Jack as it meant the danger was yet toe.
After a few minutes of intense fire/acid throwing and shing/pecking/biting, the burning, invisible creature suddenly stopped in the middle of the clearing.
¡ª Bellow! ¡ª
Along with its cry, the entire world went dark!¡ª At least for the two living beings.
"Woo?!" (Panicking!)
This little wolf yelped in fright. How was it supposed to help its master now?! But then his steady voice resounded, reassuring it.
"Concentrate on what you hear and smell. This blindness is nothing more than a game. Now, show me what you got!"
"Woo!!!!!" (Burning with heavenly fighting spirit!)
Jack gave a wry smile hearing his revitalizedpanion. A yer would have probably still been frozen in shock, yet it was already pouncing on the Boss.
As for the undead, they were still acting the very same.
#Demonic Energy Eyes OP!
They managed to survive and soon recovered their sight as they kept battling non-stop. All until it stopped once more.
This time it was quite the opposite. Instead of not seeing, they were seeing it all! The Boss gave a victorious snort, knowing this would take them down¡ª or so it thought.
"Woo!!" (Excited!)
Moon Moon''s vision was glowing all over. At this moment, it didn''t even twitch since it wasn''t its first time. This was just like at that fun party!!
The burning Boss suddenly gasped in shock as they didn''t hesitate one bit. They had already defeated the spell, how?!
It could only defend itself, trying to destroy the puny creatures that had dared to challenge it. But, how the heck were they so slippery?!
It kept taking more and more damage until came the time for itsst big attack! Now they would 100% die!
This time it blinded one of them, made the other see countless colors, and finally used its trump card: it made the enemy see him as their loved one!
It happily went to crush the wolf. This one was bound to be especially vulnerable as its mind would be weaker, hehehe!
"Woo?" (Puzzled!)
The little one was confused. Why did this new guy look like its master? Was he trying to fool it? How ridiculous! As if it would fall for such an obvious trick!
Moon Moon attacked the impostor without a second thought, and the Boss never saw iting. After all, the link between master and pet wasn''t exactlymon knowledge.
The party finally towered over their defeated opponent, enjoying their sweet prizes.
¡ª Acquired Red Daisies! ¡ª
¡ª Acquired Fairy Dust! ¡ª
¡ª Acquired Deer Antler! ¡ª
Red Daisies ¡ª> Quest Item
Fairy dust had the most basic illusion magic effect. It made people pay less attention to the user, but only out ofbat. Still pretty useful overall!
[ Congrattions On ying the Boss! ]
[ Acquired Invisible Deer Hooves!]
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Rare Invisible Deer Hooves
Rank E
Level 20
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[Armor Rating] 5
[Armor Type] Leather
[Durability] Good
[Attribute] +4 AGI
[Trait] + Bonus Speed IF Unseen
[Active] Lower Body Invisibility (1/day)
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Jack nced at the boots while sighing. #SOON!
"Great job, hero! Can you please release me now? Pretty please!!" The fairy was chiming in now that the danger was gone.
"Naw, you can stay in the cage for now. Anyway, where are we going now?" Jack inquired.
"T-that, toward the next guardian: he''s as big as a house!" She eximed while extending her small arms as much as she could¡
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Partying cane in handy at times! Right?!
Chapter 218: Macabres Are Great! (1/2)
Chapter 218: Macabres Are Great! (1/2)
Inside the Fairy garden, the party was still going strong, making their way toward the next mini-Boss.
"Tch¡ª this sure is annoying." Jack frowned.
At first, they had avoided the groups of horned rabbits rather easily, but it was bing rather difficult.
Killer flowers started appearing too, blocking their path, not just one but many! They formed a death zone!
"If you let me out, I can try to¡ª"
"Nope, you''ll either die or bring trouble our way." Jack rebuked.
The fairy would be helpful with synthesizing the quest elixir, so it wasn''t the best idea to have her fly around on her own.
It was just a shame that the horned creatures and the flowers wouldn''t fight each other. Still, there was perhaps something they could try.
Jack led them toward a straggler, utterly massacring the poor bunny. But this time, he made sure to kill it with his ghoulish touch!
"C''mon, turn, turn!" He inwardly prayed.
"¡" Sadly, it was a dud this time.
Whatever, he''d just do it again!
¡ª No Macabre ¡ª
¡ª No Macabre ¡ª
¡ª No Macabre ¡ª
¡ª No Macabre ¡ª
After way too many tries, he finally managed to obtain an evil zombified bunny.
"H-hero, what are you doing?!" The tiny fairy was staring at him, her eyes as wide as the moon.
"Moon Moon, Durdoc, you guys kite it around for a while." He instructed as he went to create more of them.
Before long, there were 4 Macabre running around after them, with the party barely managing to hold them off.
"Alright, it''s your time to shine, Chicky!" Jack signaled the chicken.
The skeletal chicken sprinted forward with the Macabres in tow, heading straight for the wall of killer nts!
As soon as they were in range, countless bloodthirsty roots suddenly erupted from the ground, attacking them all!
"They''re distracted, run!!!" Jack shouted as he led the way.
They ran, staying on the edge of the area, not threatening in the least. Usually, they would have been targeted anyway, but the undead bait kept the monsters busy.
Then they finally reached the other side safe and sound. Well, all except one¡
"Woo¡" (Sad!)
The little wolf''s eyes were filled with sorrow as it nced at the bones lying all over the ce. Its friend''s body had been utterly shattered and was impossible to recover.
"Nice, we made it through." Jack smiled radiantly.
Such tactic only worked for a few reasons:
1. It required many baits. Sacrificing an entire party to get past a few monsters was utterly idiotic in most cases.
2. Chicky was by its nature the perfect suicide soldier as it didn''t mind dying one bit and could be re-summoned fairly easily.
2. The nts were nts. Even if they realized they had been tricked, they couldn''t physically chase them for revenge.
Just as Jack was rejoicing, he could feel Moon Moon''s dejection. He promptly waved his hand, and a few secondster (and lots of mana), the skeletal chicken was back!
"Woo!" (d!)
The little wolf was already circling the bony creature with its tail wagging. Its brother in arms was back!
In a cheerful atmosphere, they kept going forward. So what if there were tons of enemies? They simply needed to bypass them!
That''s how they ended up before a garden void of enemies. The only ess was through a metallic gate as high rising walls surrounded the whole ce.
In the middle was an ancient-looking tree: thick bark, tons of branches, seemingly thirsty, and even sucking the ambient mana. The whole thing looked quite gloomy.
"A-ah, that''s the second protector!" The fairy stated the obvious.
Jack ignored the rambling naive girl. This was an enemy, one they had to cut down somehow. Sadly he was no lumberjack, just a regr Jack.
He left the cage by the entrance, and the entire party decisively stepped forward. As soon as they were inside, the gate naturally shut itself, making a retreat impossible.
The creature came to life: its thick trunk throbbed, its leaves swayed, it emitted a purple glow, and the earth trembled as it flung its branches at them!
< Ancient Savage Killer Tree Lv 20 ???>
That attack instantly enraged the duo of master and pet who sted the poor tree with wrath-fueled hellfire!
-7
-3
-7
-3
The fairy could understand their rage at the sudden assault, but then her face cramped as she heard their shouts.
"Tch¡ª Purple is my thing, you dumb tree!" Jack bellowed.
"Woo!" (Totally!)
Wait¡that''s why they were mad?! In her stupefaction, the fairy utterly froze.
As it turned out, the enemy was vulnerable to fire but still not going down that quickly. Then again, their mes were about as threatening as a lighter whenpared to the creature''s size.
It kept whipping and whipping, even faster than a cart driver on coke. They had to jump, duck, roll, and even crawl at times!
Luckily they were pretty used to dealing with fast attacks! Well, most of them anyway. A few seconds into the fight, the undead rat was already a goner: torn to pieces.
Various parts of its body dangled on the thorny branches, almost turning it into a very Macabre Christmas tree.
"Cluck?! Shriek?!" (So dangerous!)
"Woo?!" (Shocked but vengeful!)
The two were fighting to the best of their abilities:
Chicky ¡ª> Could barely dodge
Moon Moon ¡ª> Was dodging + Using Spells
This meant Jack had to keep track of the state of the battlefield.
"You guys have to sense your surroundings! Otherwise, it will slowlyy a deadly trap."
"Moon Moon, be careful! The enemy is slowly moving more and more branches your way. It''s about to destroy the area around you!"
"Chicky, since a while ago, you''ve been dodging toward the left side. The tree''s baiting you by always attacking from the right, but don''t get too used to it!"
Jack warned both of them of the danger. That''s when the trunk started shaking even more, the tree seemingly pissed about its n being seen through. It even focused on him.
It used every trick it could think of, but Jack would always leave any trap right before it could be sprung up on him. After all, the more time he bought, the more it would burn¡
But suddenly, he felt the aura of the tree change. It was hard to exin, but it felt sinisterly¡ happier?!
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Chapter 219: Macabres Are Great! (2/2)
Chapter 219: Macabres Are Great! (2/2)
The party was fighting hard when Jack suddenly felt the tree''s aura change. It was hard to exin, but it felt sinisterly¡happier?!
"Jump!!!!" Jack shouted.
He had no clue what was happening but he felt that something was off. His instincts were ringing rm bells in his mind.
"Woo!" (Jumping!)
The little wolf instantly reacted as it lept far from its current location, ncing back as itnded. Out of nowhere, it saw its chicken brother getting shattered to pieces. What?!
"There''s an invisible branch! It''s just like the deer earlier, but you can hear iting!" Jack had finally realized what had tipped him off: the sound!
It was the kind of low whistle that his subconscious mind would pick up. Still, his experience had been enough to save them from a catastrophe.
Once again, it was only he and Moon Moon versus the world. It was just like old times¡well, recent old times.
"Branches and even more branches? We got this: burn this bastard to ashes!" Jack cackled as he could already see the path to victory!
Still, the tree had onest trick of its branches. Its purple glow intensified as it used a summoning ability. In the background, the fairy was already freaking out.
"Oh no, oh no! They''re all going to die! There''s no way they can survive this!" She was shaking.
The ability summoned bunnies: a shitload of them!
< Savage Horned Rabbit Lv 17 ??>
< Savage Horned Rabbit Lv 17 ??>
< Savage Horned Rabbit Lv 17 ??>
¡
They were everywhere! Instantly it turned into an incredibly tough battle. The tree couldn''t control the creatures, but they wouldn''t attack it either.
Soon they had to multitask like crazy. They barely had time to dodge between the white fluffy creatures and the thorny branches!
Their only saving grace was that the sea of branches made it near impossible for the monsters to use their charge ability.
This, however, did not necessarily make them easy to deal with. They could still easily skewer them with their horn or bite their throat with their sharp teeth.
At this point, the tree seemed to radiate a gloating aura. It looked down on the annoying mortals as their bodies would soon turn into fertilizer. From their deaths, it would be even stronger!
It was only a matter of time as they would grow weary and feeble. Their efforts only served to dy their inevitable doom¡ª or that''s how it should have been.
As Jack somehow felt the tree''s mood, he couldn''t help but chuckle. The creature had seriously screwed up!
At first nce, it did seem like they didn''t have any energy to attack it. But Jack was actually spamming his ghoulish touch over and over, waiting for the perfect timing.
This time he made sure never to kill the bunnies. He was simply filling them with the perfect amount of Demonic Energy, a task that required godly focus.
He was cycling through his mana and HP like crazy, drinking potions. Blood magic had been nerfed but still remained extremely good for sustain, and abusing it was art!
But eventually, everything was set up. Dozens of rabbits all over the ce only needed onest hit to turn into Macabres (potentially).
"Ready Moon Moon?"
"Woo!!!" (Hell yeah!)
Along with that howl, their counterattack started. Jack ran from rabbit to rabbit, turning plenty of them into zombified versions.
¨C Macabres would attack anything near them.
¨C Branches were flying all over the ce.
¨C This meant that the tree was generating an unbelievable aggro!
Not a single one even went toward their creator. They all charged at the trunk or the branches, biting it as if they were rabid!
The tree was now faced with a choice:
1. Focus on Jack and pet.
This would mean leaving the demonic creatures be. Their every bite would add damage and even potentially kill it.
2. Focus on the Macabres.
Without the pressure from the branches, they would be able to allocate 100% of their energy to burning the tree.
At this point, even Jack wasn''t sure which one was better. Actually, neither was the tree. It tried a bit of the two strategies, getting burned and relentlessly bit in session.
What was supposed to be an impossibly powerful and deadly protector was now the embodiment of sorrow. This poor tree was being bullied: by its own summons too!
Jack could feel the monster''s regret as life finally left it. Only a charcoal-colored tree stump remained, with a purple flower sticking out of the remains.
¡ª Acquired Quest Item! ¡ª
[ Congrattions! Destroyed the Ancient Tree! ]
[ Acquired Leaf Whip!]
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Rare Leaf Whip! ??
Rank E
IF Life Affinity 15
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[Attack] 6-8
[Speed] Fast
[Range] Variable
[Durability] Mostly High
[Passive] + Growing
[Active] + Tree Summon (1/h)
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Jack grinned as he checked the specs of the weapon.
Growing made it so mana could be used to make the whip longer, extending its range significantly.
The tree summon was akin to cing a turret down. It would remain in ce until destroyed.
Overall it sure was great! He reckoned that Pumpkin Girl would look pretty sick with it. But his happy moment was shattered by a high-pitched voice.
"W-what the hell?!" The fairy stared at the scene bbergasted.
"What? Never seen a dead tree before?" Jack nonchntly replied.
She was at a loss for words as her gaze went from the incredible destruction to the duo. It wasn''t that they were that strong. Their power was simply so goddamn perverse!
Jack quickly re-summoned Chicky, the skeleton clucking in anger and searching madly for its killer.
It clucked in realization upon noticing that the fight was already over. It then proceeded to strut on the ashes, akin to a conqueror having defeated its nemesis¡
"Cluck?! Shriek?!" (Not so tough now, are you!!)
"Woo?" (Inquiring!)
The little wolf didn''t care about this small victory. After all, it still nned on eventually defeating dragons. It simply wanted to know when their rat brother woulde back.
"Can''t bring it back in this dungeon. That''s the downside of this type of item-based pet. It will take at least a day of gathering Demonic Energy to revive it." Jack exined.
"Woo!" (Nodding in understanding!)
"Now, how many more protectors do we still have to face?"
"Thest area of the Fairy Garden is right there!" She pointed toward an empty grassy area. "Go there and dig!!"
The tiny flying creature led them to a stone tablet buried in the vegetation. It was inscribed with a few symbols that glowed in soft blue light:
??? ????
"These are magical runes. One has to read them for the way to open! It just happened that all fairies are proficient in it!" She seemed so proud.
She expected the human to request her help. She would then bargain for her freedom: it was a genius n!
Jack did no such thing: he simply drove mana in the runes as he read them aloud.
A secondter, a blue light engulfed all of them: a noble wolf, a resilient chicken, a stern human, and a shellshocked fairy.
[Wee to the Fairy Vige!]
[Try not to Cause a Mass Genocide!]
[Find Out What Happened to the Residents!]
"Y-you, who are you?! You know runes?! How¡ª"
"Shhh¡ª We have bigger problems right now¡."
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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! ??
Chapter 220: Navigating The Fairy Village! (1/2)
Chapter 220: Navigating The Fairy Vige! (1/2)
The fluttering of tiny wings resounded, reaching the ears of the ones hiding in bushes as if foxes.
They had finally arrived at the edge of the Fairy Vige. The whole thing looked like a garden as the buildings were giant nts/flowers. Size-wise they were slightly smaller than human houses.
#Gardener''s Paradise #Gargantuan Weed Possible?!
There was one issue: this ce would have deserved to be called Fairy Fortress! The small creatures were everywhere, always patrolling!
He finally understood the message about a potential genocide. It sure was tempting as the only alternative was to sneak! (A pain but safer)
"Psst¡ª Why don''t you let me talk to them?" The still caged fairy whispered.
"Look at their glowing red eyes: this is a sign they''ve lost their mind. They''ll see anyone unaffected as an enemy. If they notice us, we''re all dead¡." Jack exined.
Was there anything sillier-sounding than rabid fairies?
But contrary to their cute appearance, the ones in the vige were super scary, for they were masters of magic: Wind/Earth/Life/Grass and more!
Given their numbers, facing them was madness. Plus, the whole ce smelled of altered mana, the kind that would enhance the residents'' power. They''d have to find thest protector and investigate, but for now¡
"We need to find a safe spot to use as a base. We can''t just keep bush hopping like that." Jack grumbled with their flyingpanion beaming.
"I know! I know! We can head to my ce! It''s where I craft the medicine¡usually anyway."
"Alright, the fairy acts as our GPS. As for you, Chicky¡."
"Cluck! Shriek!" (Heroic!)
It was ready to sacrifice itself for the cause again! It would eventually die, but it would show them all the pride of a chicken by surviving super long! But it was bound to be disappointed.
"The enemies don''t know we''re here, and it''s better we keep it that way. I''ll re-summon you when we get there." On that note, Jack destroyed it before turning to Moon Moon.
"Look over there: trees. There are probably sentries overseeing the entire town, if I''m not wrong anyway. We''ll have to use the buildings as cover. Are you ready?"
"Woo!" (Yes, Master!)
"Alright, move out!"
Jack reluctantly freed their winged guide and then started operation caterpir. Human, wolf, and fairy alike were all crawling on the ground.
Fun fact fairies considered walking beneath them. Now, this one was forced to humor him if she didn''t want to finish in a pot and fed to the undead. (Jack''s words)
How many times did they almost get spotted?
How many times did they crawl behind a tree/flower to hide?
It all happened way too much! But sadly, that was just the beginning. Suddenly they found themselves in the middle of a soil road with fairy patrols iing from all sides.
Escape ¡ª> None!
Screwed? ¡ª> Very!
Even their guide was freaking out!
Jack frowned as he prepared himself for the near-impossible fight that would ensue. But just in case he tried onest thing¡.
The patrolling berserk fairies approached and¡
¡ª Stab! Stab! ¡ª
¡ª Stter! ¡ª
¡ª sh! ¡ª
In a small mountain of pumpkins, the party was hiding.
The fairy guide almost had a heart attack. A de had nearly chopped her head off! A little to the left, and she would have been dead! She barely managed to remain mum.
But that''s when she felt some dampness. What now? Her small body trembled..this was blood! Lots of blood! Wait, if she had almost been stabbed to death with her size¡
The duo of master and pet were bleeding so goddamn much! At this rate, they were all going to die and¡ª
"Hum¡It''s empty. Must have been a prank from the flying squirrels. Let''s ughter them before they cause more trouble!" A fairy soldier instructed as they all left.
As soon as they were gone, the pumpkin mountain trembled as the group reappeared. The fairy was about to rejoice that they were still alive, but then she saw their state.
Flesh torn, gaping wounds, deep cuts, burns, and all other sorts of injuries. The two were so goddamn close to death! Heck, a mosquito bite could have finished them!
But what she found impressive wasn''t their luck. What was truly baffling was that they hadn''t uttered a singleint, even as they suffered so much!
"What are you waiting for? Lead the way." Jack uttered, the fairy returning to her senses, guiding them to her ce.
It was a dome of sunflowers, roses, and vines. The interior was as cozy as warm, the summer smell was worthy of godly perfume, and there were no annoying guards.
What followed was lightning-quick scouting of the vige! In and out, as if they were ninjas stealing brownies at night! They then gathered back.
¡ª Super Long Strategy Meeting Time! ¡ª
1. They needed Lunar Blossoms to finish the elixirs. Yes, the ones that Moon Moon absolutely loved.
2. This specific ingredient was only found in the Fairy Pce. It was guarded by the strongest fairy in the vige, who acted as the protector of this ce.
3. A bunch of red-eyed fairies blocked the pce''s main entrance. There were too many to force their way through.
4. There was actually a VIP entrance to the pce, but it was reserved for the second strongest fairy in the vige. They needed her ess token.
5. This Fairy was patrolling the vige and was impossible to take down without amotion, but she had one weakness: she was an alcoholic!
6. There just happened to be a source of liquor in the vige¡
Thatst point was their hail mary! Jack grinned as he addressed the others:
"Alright, here''s the n: we grab some of that¡peach nectar as you guys call it. Enough of it topletely floor our target. Then we steal the token, and we sneak in the pce."
"Woo!" (Alright!)
Just like that, they were gone! They crawled toward the equivalent of the Fairy Bar. It was a humongous peach that emitted a delightful aroma.
There was only one issue: the booze was freaking guarded! There were a couple of fairies inside protecting the ce.
"Woo?!" (Worried!)
Jack frowned but then noticed a detail. Their red eyes were zed¡they were drunk!! Lucky! Perhaps they could exploit their intoxicated status to bypass them?
"Moon Moon, I have a n. Help me over here!"
The duo got to work while avoiding the patrols. A long whileter, Jack had aplete makeover, one even more impressive than on the TV shows!
He was now wearing what looked like a ghillie suit¡.with googly eyes added on top.
"Woo!" (Pfft¡ª)
The little wolf knew how serious this operation was but still couldn''t help but chuckle as it looked at its master. He looked so silly! Still, how was this supposed to help them?
"From now on, I am no longer Jack but a friendly Grass Elemental. You shall call me Grassy!"
"Woo!" (So cool!)
The little wolf stared at its master in awe. It really couldn''t see him anymore, how magical! As expected of him, he was wise beyond belief!
"Alright, wish me luck!"
"Woo!" (w Up!)
It watched its master head inside and disappear. A few seconds afterward, it noticed the nice fairy. She was nowpletely livid. How long had she been there?
"Oh god, don''t tell me that green thing was him? He''s screwed!"
Chapter 221: Navigating The Fairy Village! (2/2)
Chapter 221: Navigating The Fairy Vige! (2/2)
The silence of the Peach Bar was suddenly shattered as a strange being intruded. The legendary grass elemental Grassy was in the ce!
The drunken fairies instantly stared at Jack suspiciously. Would they see through the ghillie suit? At this moment, he was holding his breath as he very slowly walked forward.
"What the heck is that?!"
"An enemy?"
"Attack?"
They were a second away fromunching an all-out assault on him. Even if he could survive it, their cover would be 100% blown!
Jack started mumbling so softly that it was barely audible: "Bring Peach Nectar back! Bring Peach Nectar back!" As would a golem given a mission by its master.
To make it seem real, he made sure to use the runguage as he ignored the spectators entirely. As long as they didn''t interfere with his "mission," everything would be fine.
"It seems to be a golem¡."
"Who would have created that?"
"It''s heading for the nectar¡what if?!"
They already had one specific fairy in mind, but it all needed confirmation. A fairy suddenly blocked his way with a grin on its face.
"Let''s check it out real quick."
The opponent waved his hand, and a thorny vine came out of the ground. It then pointed at Jack. The vine flew at him and instantly pierced his shoulder from side to side.
¡ª Pierce! ¡ª
He did not twitch, nor did he utter a sound.
The fairy happily brought it back, inspecting the weapon¡it was looking for blood! This would tell them that he was a living being and it would be the end!¡ª or not.
"No blood, it''s not alive¡." The fairy concluded.
Jack had barely made it in time as he had used a trick to prevent the bleeding.
His left shoulder was currentlypletely dead! (kinda) He had driven enough Demonic Energy in there to cause magic necrosis.
Self-Harm was impossible in the basic system, but the pro yers from his previous life knew it was sometimes required. Heck, the system should have apuded such quick thinking!
This little stunt had almost taken all his HP out, but it had allowed him to ovee this hurdle! Sadly the fairies weren''t done just yet.
"Wait, should you have stabbed it if it''s hers?!"
"Oh, you''re right! We better heal it up then."
"It''s fine. There''s almost no damage!"
No damage?! It''s fine?! Jack felt like throwing a fireball at them. Even if he didn''t react, it still hurt like hell. But what followed was even worse!
A fairy approached him with a kind smile.
"Here you go, little nt, eat up!" The enemy started driving PURE Life mana inside him.
Life mana had healing properties, and Jack''s body felt better, but there was an issue. Even after he was fully healed, the other guy didn''t stop!
Jack was akin to a balloon getting filled with water. Filling it too much would naturally result in an explosion.
Oh crap! Fuck! Please just stop! But Jack''s inward prayers weren''t heard. The fairy really wanted the grass elemental to be 100% in perfect state!
Please no more!!!! He could feel his entire body bloat: there simply was too much energy. He had to do something and fast.
He started driving Demonic Energy inside him in the most subtle way possible. The goal was to slowly chip away at the iing energy without alerting the caster.
Such a thing was damn near impossible! But at this moment, it was his only option. Otherwise, death would await him.
Jack VS Drunk Fairy
#Healing Contest #No More #Let Me Be!
Jack was losing, hard. He had to do something, no matter what. He suddenly summoned a Pumpkin, making it pop out of the grass as it dropped to the ground, sttering.
"A pumpkin?"
"This thing can grow food?"
"What kind of elemental is that?"
They nced at him with suspicion, mana swirling around them as they prepared to attack. He felt his heart beat super fast as a fairy flew down to examine the orange things.
"Guess you just pumped too much Life energy in there. Let''s just leave it alone." It went from 100 top 0 as they ignored him and went back to drinking.
#Saved By The Pumpkins (Once Again!)
The rest was very straightforward. He brought the liquor out like an obedient elemental. Then their party worked together to ce it in the way of their target''s patrol.
As the fairy found it, they were watching in a bush. She frowned, checking it for poison, but it was 100% alcohol. When she started drinking, they cheered.
It didn''t take long for her to get sleepy and stop on the side of the road, half-hidden in bushes. Now was the perfect time to rob her token!
But just as they were about to make a move, a bunch of fairies suddenly showed up. They were making their way toward the sleeping fairy and would reach her before them!
"If they find her, they''ll bring her back to the barracks, and we won''t be able to¡ª"The friendly fairy eximed.
"Woo?!" (Oh no!)
The little wolf nced at the problem and quickly figured out a solution. At this instant, the priority was getting the ingredients for the elixir. They could worry about synthesizing itter.
"Woo!" (Leave it to me!)
Moon Moon decisively rushed away. A few secondster, fiery chickens fell on the various buildings in the distance.
This was the start of the greatest fire in the History of vige fires. After all, everything was made of nts!
It didn''t take long for it to spread and for the brave wolf to be noticed, the fairies flying toward it. There would only be an instant before the confusion turned into extreme high alert!
Jack exploited the opportunity to steal the token and rush inside the pce. It was the size of a two-story house, filled with paintings and positively gorgeous.
As he barged inside the main room, he found himself face to face with the sole resident of this ce, the strongest fairy in the vige, its protector.
She was different from the others he had seen before. She didn''t even bother to p her wings. She was simply floating as if a divine being.
Magic freaking oozed out of her entire body!
"An intruder? Anyone who invades our vige dies!!" She raised her hand as if an immortal empress.
That''s when sheunched the first deadly spell of many¡
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[A/N] Great News!
First of all, thanks to xampa5 for the castle! Much appreciated, brother! ????
Second: RPP made it to TOP-25!!! ??????
Third: Thanks to everyone supporting! Do you guys have any requests?
Chapter 222: Jack Vs Fairy Protector!
Chapter 222: Jack Vs Fairy Protector!
¡ª SWOOSH! ¡ª
The giant wind de flew toward Jack at a terrifying speed! It was as big as the fairy protector was small! Green, crackling with sharp energy, and so freaking powerful!
It barely missed him as it gouged the ground open, creating arge fissure in it. But, the gash was already getting healed by this ce''s magic.
Jack shuddered after dodging yet another deadly spell. How many would there be?! Her attacks seemed utterly endless! Then again, such prowess was to be expected of this Boss:
< Mad Fairy Protector Lv 22 ???>
She looked as mad as her name as she kept chasing him as he ran through the entire pce! The whole time, she simply wouldn''t shut up either!
"Go on, keep running! I''ll catch you sooner orter!" She kept chuckling in a yful tone. She sounded so innocent!
Jack was about to have a mental breakdown. There was no stopping the floating fairy of doom. The only upside was that she wasn''t calling reinforcements¡just toying with him!
As he escaped, he kept going through so many rooms, enough for a murder mystery. He quickly realized something was wrong with the ce: it was bigger on the inside than the outside.
High-level space magic? No, it seemed more like a natural treasure. This wasn''t that far-fetched, considering this was a magical vige.
Special Boss fight area? Check!
Deadly magic? Check!
Infinite mana? Check!
Perverse Boss? Check!
As if it wasn''t enough, the whole ce was highly confusing. Even finding the bathroom would have been an exploit!
As he ran from volley after volley, he started mapping the area the best way he knew how: by leaving Demonic Energy Marks all over the ce. Oh, and it was far from easy!
He had to write while dodging, jumping over the spells! He felt like he was trying to draw a masterpiece while riding a mechanical bull.
Still, after a while, he finally managed toplete the task¡
¡ª Created Most Crooked Map Ever! ¡ª
It gave him a general idea of the ce. At this point, he knew where most of the stuff was. For instance, the living room had a sofa (great cover) while the ballroom was an empty death zone!
The current objective was to start a counterattack. Block the spells? No freaking way! For this to work, he''d have to cheese it. He''d fight the fairy with her own power: magical furniture!
What made it magical?
¨C Made of living nts
¨C Regenerates like the floor or walls
¨C Somewhat resistant to wind magic
When he finally felt ready, he fought back. It soon devolved into a magical fight: he would throw fireballs her way as he hid behind cover to endure her wind magic.
But hearing her giggles, this might as well have been a snowball fight.
"Hahaha, how fun! I''ll kill you any second now!"
She made it look so easy because it was. Her wind magic diverted the course of his attacks. It wouldn''t have been much of an issue at closer range, but some power was lost at long range.
There was only one solution: Hey in ambush and waited for her toe closer as he tracked her thanks to her annoyingly cheerfulugh:
"Come out,e out. Wherever you are!¡ª"
Jack suddenly lept at her, swinging his Cluckinator! The fairy opened her red eyes wide in shock.
There was no way for her to divert his attacks at this range! The white sh drew an arc,nding on a green rippling magical bubble. A shield?!
-11
-13
-12
Jack decisively fled. He could already sense the opponent gathering her mana for another salvo!
"Where do you think you''re going?" She chuckled.
Far away from this bullshit magic!
As he threw himself on the ground, he felt a wind de pass right above his head. The wind current the spell generated opened cuts on his back, even causing slight bleeding.
He rolled, running far away from that crazy fairy!
He needed to break her magical shield if he wanted to have any hope of defeating her. Hopefully, her actual HP would be low.
Melee range was too dangerous, and long-range was ineffective. It was time for close-ish ranged fire.
Soon began another magical war, but it was one full of many schemes this time around. He would always find new ces to hide or y with the timing to surprise her.
Sadly, the more he kept this going, the more adept at predicting his movements the fairy became. It became harder to deal efficient damage while avoiding losing his neck in the process.
But after plenty of repetitions, the green shield suddenly burst open.
NOW!
Jack charged at the fairy, not minding how reckless that was. But it was obviously the right choice, as there was terror in the tiny creature''s eyes.
"No! Stay away!" She pleaded in a cute voice, but it was far toote.
Jack didn''t even bother to reply as he dished out the pain. He thrust his de right into the fairy''s heart and¡ª ng! It was suddenly stopped.
What the heck?! Another shield?! This one followed her body and had been invisible¡Fuck!
Her expression suddenly changed. The terror was nowhere to be seen. There was only a scheming smile as she giggled. "Gotcha!"
She gathered her mana, so much mana that it made the surroundings tremble. Then sheunched it all at once.
Avoid it? Totally impossible.
Block it? Only in his dreams¡
Survive it? He was missing a few dozen levels¡
He was utterly screwed!
F
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The fairyughed aloud as she saw her magd on the stupid human. He had epted his fate, knowing that it was impossible to avoid it!
But just as she was rejoicing, something odd happened. Why was her target turning into shadows? That''s when she suddenly felt sick. Something incredibly vile had appeared behind her!
She hurriedly turned her head: the human was there, how?! In his hands, he had a toothpick. This horrible feeling came from such a tiny thing?!
She tried retreating, but it was toote. The toothpick was already colliding with her shield! She had to use the momentum from the collision to escape and¡ª
"Ouch?!" The fairy cried in shock. So painful! What the hell was happening?!
As she lowered her eyes, she saw her punctured chest, the tiny weapon skewering her. It had bypassed her shieldpletely! She found herself coughing green blood.
"H-how?!" She asked while trembling.
Her confused gaze met the eyes of the invader. He smiled gently as he slowly approached her and¡. ¡ª Tearing Sound! ¡ª Suddenly, he had in his hands something she recognized.
"N-no, no, noooooo!" She screamed in horror.
The demon had just torn her wings off! Her beautiful wings, the symbol of her being a fairy, and most importantly the¡ª she suddenly vomited, unable to endure the blow.
"You guys use your wings to control the mana, don''t you? With this, you won''t cause any more trouble." He gave a satisfied nod.
M-monster! He was a monster,pletely evil! If only she had killed him sooner, if only! But how?! How had he survived?! She raised her quivering eyes his way.
"You''re curious as to why you failed? Overconfidence! Let''s just say I have a guardian shadow looking over me."
Guardian shadow?! Was that what the ck needle was called?!
"Anyway, now it''s time to find your secret garden. I''m sure you have one." He went to search the entire ce, carrying her like an ornament.
She did have a secret garden, but he''d never find it. It was hidden behind a trapdoor in the kitchen. It was the perfect spot to avoid detection!
"Actually, now that I think about it¡wasn''t there something strange in the kitchen? Even your wind des wouldn''t destroy the floor there." He mumbled to himself.
He had realized?! How had he even had the time to notice while running for his life?! This didn''t make any sense! But, so what if he knew?!
He found the exact spot but was soon confronted by an obstacle.
"Let''s see¡runes, eh?"
To open it he would need help from a fairy, and there was no way she would ever help him. He would be stuck there like aplete buffoon.
"Oh trapdoor, please let this young and beautiful fairy in!¡ That is quite the narcissistic chant." He chuckled after reading the incantation.
She froze as the trapdoor disappeared, revealing a passage going underground. How?! Where the hell did he learn this?!
She was forced to watch him intrude on her Lunar Blossoms garden and steal it all away. He seemed to know what to do, but he was so damn clumsy! This was sphemy!
How many times did she almost faint from seeing such atrocity! Her little fairy heart really couldn''t take it. This man deserved a fate far worse than death!
Her entire body shook from despair and anger as she watched helplessly.
"Alright, time to go back to base¡if there is still a base anyway." The man sighed as he brought them back to the surface.
The fairy already knew what she would do. As soon as they were out, she would call upon her brethren so they could destroy this bastard!
But as they returned to the outside world, she gasped in horror. What the hell had happened to her beloved vige?!
There were mes everywhere, so high they reached the sky! Fairies were running around, frantically trying to put it out with little sess. Was this the apocalypse?!
She opened her mouth, ready to call for the others¡
¡ªSmack!¡ª
The world suddenly went dark as the poor fairy fell unconscious¡
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[A/N] Long Chap ^_^v
Chapter 223: Wingless Fairy Is No Fairy !
Chapter 223: Wingless Fairy Is No Fairy !
As soon as Jack returned to their party''s temporary base, an anxious fairy weed him. At first, she sighed in relief but then turnedpletely livid as she saw the bloodied wingless protector.
"Y-you! What did you do?!" She screamed, her voice trembling.
"We fought, and I won. Anyway, here you go. Make the medicine ASAP!" Jack handed a few Lunar Blossoms over while shrugging.
"A-alright¡" She busied herself, still shaking.
Now that he was in a safe spot, he could finally check his rewards for his earlier victory.
[Congrattion on defeating the fairy protector!]
[Obtained Translucent Fairy Wings!]
[Obtained Wind Ne!]
[Acquired Parkour F]
[+110 XP!]
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Breezy Wind Ne!
Rank E
IF Wind Affinity 10
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[Attribute] +7 SPI
[Trait] +Boost Wind (All)
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Wow, who knew that repeatedly jumping over furniture would give him such a skill. It would increase his speed in terrain with obstacles.
As for the ne, he would need to learn wind magic if he wanted to use it. Good thing that he was in the fairy vige: full of potential teachers.
In the background, the fairy was already squashing, extracting, and mixing the ingredients. Before long, she was done, bringing back plenty of blue shiny potion vials.
¡ª Obtained Elixir to Cure Fairies! ¡ª
There were enough doses of it to fix all the ones in the vige. Now all that remained was to disseminate it all over.
"How will you force them to drink it?"She asked, concerned.
"How? I''ll just throw it at them. That should do the trick!"
"There''s no way that will work!" She eximed but he remained unfazed.
"Why not?" He shrugged.
¡¥_(¥Ä)_/¡¥
In theory, it should be fine for a few reasons:
1. Fairies tended to fly in groups.
2. They would often fly at the same height
3. They wouldn''t shut up either! This meant that their mouths would be open¡
Jack went out to test his method, armed to the teeth with vials. He treated the whole thing as if a water balloon fight as he dashed toward the nearest group of fairies.
He timed his throw perfectly, creating a shimmering blue cloud that enveloped the fairy pack. A secondter, they were still charging at him, anger in their eyes, but no red!!
"Stop, Ie in peace!" Jack shouted.
They all froze, bbergasted. Not because of his raised hands, or even because of the meaning, but because of the words themselves.
"Human, you speak ournguage?! How?!" They showed incredible disbelief, many ncing at him with suspicion.
"Well, you see, here''s what happened¡."
Jack quickly filled them in on the situation. He told them about the upheaval in the forest and how their eyes looked the same as the crazed beasts.
"R-really?! It''s all true?! How frightening!! I''ll help!!" The first fairy caving in produced a chain reaction with all the sane ones volunteering.
[Sessfully enlisted the fairies!]
What followed was simple.
The cured fairies would bait their brethren over while Jack would throw vials at them. The more they did it and the more allies they had too!
It took about an hour for everything to be over. The fire was extinguished, the fairies were back to their senses, and they were eagerly celebrating.
"We''re alive?! Yay!"
"This human saved everyone! Hurrah!"
"The Fairy Vige is still standing! Hehehe!"
Standing¡.everything was half-burnt! Then again, this would be easy to regrow with magic. This could be considered a victory for sure.
The little things sure were happy, so happy that they kept babbling non-stop. With every sentence, he learned more about this ce.
It ranged from favorite fruit (grapes) to their hobbies (sky-racing) and even their general history. They keptparing him to a guy called Lancer who had been a friend long ago.
They also kept circling around him in joy, examining him from head to toe. At this moment, he felt like a rare animal. At least they agreed that he was handsome¡
The unending chattering was finally interrupted by a fairy that flew over at incredible speed.
"Whaaaa! I can''t believe you did it so fast! Were my elixirs that great?!" The friendly fairy had pride painted on her tiny face.
"Yep, more than helpful. I''ll call you next time this happens." Jack gave her a thumb up that sent her shivering.
"I''d rather it never happens again and¡oh god!" She gasped as she noticed someone.
The defeated fairy protector was walking over, with her tiny head hung low. She was oozing despair, gloominess, and eptance of her fate.
The random fairies instantly started gossiping.
"Protector?! Is she alright?"
"Why is she walking? That''s so shameful!"
"Ah! Look at her wings. They''re gone! That''s horrible!"
Their gazes were filled with shock, fear, disgust, and pity. The protector could sense it all as she reached the crowd and nodded at it listlessly.
"As you can see, I have lost my wings. Henceforth I am no longer fit to protect this vige, and will resign from my position." She didn''t mention Jack''s involvement at all.
"So you''re already giving up? That sure is quick." He casuallymented.
She was just about to reply when a neer appeared. This new fairy had a haughty look as she flew right above the defeated fairy before spitting on her face!
"Lost your wings? You totally deserve it for failing your job! Look at all the destruction you caused!" She pointed toward the ashes but wasn''t done yet as she looked at the crowd.
"I say we should banish this¡.thing. After all, this is the Fairy Vige, and a fairy without wings isn''t a fairy!" The snobbish fairy thundered.
"She''s right!"
"But that''s the protector!"
"Banishing is a bit too strong, no?"
The random ones seemed confused as to what to do. They all started bickering. They agreed that the protector was done for, but kicking her was a bit too extreme.
"All of you, there''s no need to argue. Since she''s wingless, she can go live with the humans!" The snobbish fairy turned toward Jack. "You agree too, right hero?"
He hadn''t even seen her during the quest, yet there she was. She sure was quick to add banishment to injury!
"Are you sure you want me to give my opinion?" Jack meaningfully inquired.
"Yes! Just know that a fairy without wings cannot use magic. You agree that a magical vige is a bad ce for her now, right?" She enthusiastically asked.
"Is that true about the wings part?" Jack questioned as if truly curious.
"Of course, human!" The snobbish fairy confidently replied.
Jack had known many arrogant bitches in the past, but this one sure was obnoxious. Banish the one that had defended them once she had outlived her utility?
What irked him wasn''t the actual deed but the self-righteousness. It was sickening.
"Oh, I see. I totally agree now!" Jack gave a radiant smile, one that didn''t fit with what he was about to do.
He sneakily approached the now gloating fairy and¡.
¡ª Tearing Sound! ¡ª
¡ª Acquired two snobbish fairy wings! ¡ª
Without her wings, the target plummeted to the ground, crashing. Her face was a mix of anguish, terror, and pure rage.
"W-what have you done?! How dare you?! Everyone, did you see that?! I''m ruined, ruined! I''ll get you for this, I''ll¡ª"
Jack ignored the angry ramblings of the arrogant bitch as all the other fairies ran back in fear. He disregarded them too and went after the protector.
She was listlessly dragging her feet, slowly heading toward the vige''s exit.
He grabbed her, bringing her next to his face as he nced at her curiously. She didn''t even bother to resist his grip.
"You''re just gonna leave? Aren''t you angry at all?" He wondered.
"I was, but I''m not anymore. Getting back at her was unnecessary, for she is right. It''s better if I leave them alone for now¡." She sighed.
"You do know that fairies can use magic without their wings, right?" He gave her a mischievous grin.
"No, that''s impossible. It''s a known fact that¡."
"It''s a known fact that humans cannot learn the runguage." He winked.
That''s when a shadow of life finally appeared in her green eyes. Was there still hope? Had ite from anyone else, she would have doubted¡.but this human was special.
"So, will you try?" He gently asked.
There was no trace of the ruthless monster that had invaded her pce and torn her wings. How could he look so innocent?! Then again, it didn''t matter.
"I will!" she steeled her gaze.
"Good, because I want you to teach me wind magic." He shamelessly requested, even after all the harm he had done.
"Fine¡" She sighed.
But while they had been calmly discussing, the other fairies had finally ovee their shock. Needless to say, they were not happy!
"You ripped her wings!"
"Monster!!!"
"Why?!"
The fairy crowd pointed usatory fingers his way.
Mana was already swirling around their bodies as they prepared to go on the offensive. Any wrong move, and he would get reduced to pieces by countless deadly projectiles!
The wronged fairy was alreadying over, hellbent on revenge. In her eyes, there was pure hatred, one that even his death wouldn''t quench! Still, it would be a start.
"Oh god! Don''t tell me he''s the one that ripped the protector''s wings too?! He''s no hero. He''s a fiend! Kill him, kill him, quick!!" The snobbish fairy urged her brethren.
The situation was now a magical fairy powder keg, one that was about to blow in his face. Yet, for some reason, Jack was still as rxed as before.
He nced at the maddened crowd:
"Why? Why, you ask? She''s the one that attacked the vige in the first ce. Think about it, does anyone hate the protector as much as her? Jack "revealed".
"W-whaaat?!"
Chapter 224: Receive Quest Rewards?
Chapter 224: Receive Quest Rewards?
Jack''s revtion was akin to a bomb for the fairies.
"W-whaaat?!"
They couldn''t believe it, and yet it made so much sense. They were frozen in surprise as they tried to think about all the ramifications.
Still, the snobbish fairy wouldn''t let herself be ndered that easily:
"No, I swear! This human is lying! Why would I ever do that?! There''s no way!" She vehemently protested.
Jack had to strike while the iron was hot:
"She obviously did it all out of hatred for the protector. There was no way for her to destroy her nemesis under normal circumstances." He exined.
This was sufficient to paint her as the viin. With this blind usation, Jack was now out of trouble for his reckless assault.
The second-strongest fairy came forward to escort the target away.
Thus officially ended the Fairy Vige episode, with the calm returning. Well, a calm filled with incessant fairy chatter, of course.
[Discovered what happened to the vige!]
[Congrattions, Saved the Fairy Vige!]
[Receive Quest Rewards? Y/N?]
"As if!" Jack chuckled to himself.
The system sure was sneaky, asking him if he wanted to lock his rewards right now. It would be like picking a single egg instead of the whole chicken!
"How about we celebrate our victory at my ce?" The alchemist fairy cheerfully proposed. Would he miss a party? No way!
Before the time it took to say "drunk fairies have trouble pping their wings," they were back at her ce drinking merrily!
"Damn, this peach nectar sure is amazing!" Jack thundered, his face flushed.
"Y-yeesss! It''s pretty great!" She raised her cup along with him, drinking it whole. "What are you nning now?"
"I''ll obviously go back to the human realm, but before that, I need some magical soil." Jack nced at the silent fairy in the corner. "Protector, you can get me some, right?"
"I''m no protector, but yes." She rose and headed to the pce to grab some from her secret garden.
As soon as Jack and the alchemist fairy were alone, his aura suddenly changed. The red even left his face as he seemed extremely solemn.
"So, how was the test?" He inquired.
"Test? What test?" She asked, puzzled.
"Let''s drop the facade, shall we. How was it, little fake fairy? Did you have fun with the vige?" He chuckled.
His gaze conveyed his meaning. He knew who, or rather what she was. There were too many things that didn''t add up:
1. She had been conveniently safe inside a cage while all the other fairies were getting ripped apart.
2. She had known too much (situation + antidote) yet had gone out of her way to show doubt at times. An example was when she wanted to talk to her brethren.
3. Most importantly, she was the only fairy in the vige able to shut her trap. Arguably the protector could, but only since she had suffered the trauma of losing her wings. (Not a fairy anymore)
He could see her brain working at full speed. What if this was all a bluff? What if he was just fishing for information? Should she neutralize him? Could she? What if¡ª
"Unseelie." He softly murmured. (Dark fairy)
That''s when her aurapletely changed!
Gone was the joyful and pure fairy. What stood before him was a dark and malevolent tiny evil. She began oozing mana so dark it would have made anyone sick!
Her translucent wings suddenly whithered, akin to the flowers in the outer garden. They then crackled with Demonic Energy as she got ready for a fight.
She gave a self-deprecatingugh, half smiling, half grimacing.
"You knew since the beginning, didn''t you? That''s why you didn''t release me from the cage. Now shall we see who''s stronger between the two¡ª"
"Are you an idiot? Of course, I''m stronger." Jack nced at her as if she were an utter fool.
He didn''t even bother to take a battle stance. He simply sat on his throne as he carved pumpkins¡.wait, what the hell?! Where had all thise from?!
Above his head floated symbols and a title:
?????? ??? ¡ª> Demon King!
The unseelie froze.
She suddenly found herself unable to take her eyes away from him. Who the heck was he?! She was showing off all her mana, and he didn''t care?!
He nced at her up and down like an experienced haggler at a marketce. Before enumerating one by one:
"Let''s see¡.
Eyes ¡ª> Illusion
Wings ¡ª> Curse
Blood ¡ª> Poison
Teeth ¡ª> Alchemy
Bones ¡ª> Divination
Tendons ¡ª> Music, the bad kind."
The more she heard and the more the unseelie shook. This human looked at a wicked fairy, but all he saw was meat on a cutting board! He wasn''t done either:
"Oh, did I mention cooking? Unseelie meat is quite delicious, you know. Perhaps I''ll taste some today. Well, except if you can convince me you have more value alive."
She believed him. This man had ughtered and devoured her kind in the past: this much was tant!
"W-what do you want?" Her voice shook.
"I want you, little fake fairy, haha. Now whether dead or alive matters little to me¡." He chuckled as he rose, slowly approaching her.
She needed to kill him, now! She''d summon darkness tendrils and destroy him! She couldn''t let him get close!
But as soon she truly moved her mana, she was suddenly shocked by the flow. The output was many times greater than she had expected, and she instantly lost control of her magic!
What the hell?! That''s when she noticed. All the human had done was to wave his finger gently, and it had screwed her magic?! How was he so powerful?!
It was toote to attack. She had to defend! She quickly gathered the strongest shield around her, ready to endure his attack.
Jack couldn''t help but rejoice as he felt her panic.
Her spell going haywire? He had just spiked her drinks with Lunar Blossoms. It would very temporarily boost her power, a perk of being an unseelie.
Had she been cool-headed, she wouldn''t have been so shocked and would have simply finished him. After all, she just needed a single attack to connect.
But, it was toote for regrets.
Her current shield was very resistant but was tailor-made to her tiny size. It just happened that his Weapon Aspect was very powerful, but the size of a needle!
He approached a single finger toward her face, his mighty toothpick hidden underneath. A secondter, he was shattering herst defenses.
"?!?"
The unseelie had never felt such intense fear. The human had defeated her offense with a wave and her defense with a poke! How was this even possible?! Monster! Utter monster!
The unseelie froze, not daring to twitch a muscle.
Jack yfully approached his index, gently tracing her figure. He felt her tremble under his touch as an antelope would when facing a lion. This was hisplete victory.
She was stronger than him, and yet she was paralyzed by fear. A damp spot had even appeared between her legs. At this moment, she was looking for any path for survival¡.
"P-please let me serve you." She suddenly uttered in a small voice.
"Tch¡ª You don''t seem that eager." The Demon King showed displeasure.
"Master! Please ept this lowly one as a servant!" She begged.
"Sure, whatever since I''m in a good mood today. You have 5 seconds toplete the unseelie servitude vow before I change my mind." He grumbled, but internally he was jubnt.
"Y-you know about that?!" She eximed, astonished but proceeded with the vow.
Never had anyone rushed into very as quickly as this poor unseelie¡well, besides the Vige Chief.
As soon as she was done, she plopped on the ground in relief, her whole body still shaking. Giving her freedom away meant that she''d live!
She couldn''t help but nce at her new master with wonder. Who and what was he?! What kind of dark secrets hid beneath his simple exterior?!
He was back to drinking peach nectar as if nothing had ever happened. She only knew that what happened before was real because of the restrictions on her soul.
That''s when the fairy protector came back.
"I got the magic soil you asked for and¡ª What happened here?!" She nced at the drenched in sweat and weak-looking fairy.
"Oh, nothing much. I simply gave her some pointers on her magic. Oh, and she decided to serve me." Jack nonchntly replied.
"What?! A fairy following a human?!" She cried out.
"What can I say. My handsomeness moved her." Jack shamelessly replied.
The unseelie simply nodded. She couldn''t reveal his secrets, but it wasn''t like she wanted the world to know she had been toyed with by a human only using a single finger.
Still, she had the feeling that this protector fairy would be next as she saw his predatory smile: he was far from done! God bless the poor naive fairies back in the vige!
What made Jack smile was actually the system:
[Discovered what truly happened to the vige!]
[Congrattions, Saved the Fairy Vige?!?]
[Receive Quest Rewards? Y/N?]
Oh yeah, now was as good as any other time! He honestly had no clue what it entailed, and he was pretty sure he wasn''t supposed to make friends with the unseelie. (He was human)
[Acquired Mark: Fairy Hero!]
[Acquired Mark: Unseelie Viin!]
[Acquired Title: Great Fairy Disaster!]
[Acquired Fairy Vige Entry Token!]
[Acquired Basic Fairy Treehouse!]
The marks and title mostly impacted his rtionships with the fairies and the unseelies. It could be read as +Chain Quest unlocked!
The entry token would allow him to skip the whole long process to open the portal to the Dungeon.
The treehouse was as the name implied. It looked like a birdhouse but worked as a loft for a fairy.
With this, he was done with this area.
"Alright, let''s go." Jack cheerfully proposed.
"Go where?" The protector asked, confused.
"Where else? The human realm!"
This would be entertaining¡
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[A/N] Thoughts on the Fairy Vige?
Chapter 225: Boss Ken!
Chapter 225: Boss Ken!
Jack slowly opened his eyes, feeling refreshed. Nothing beats some good IRL sleep! Knowing the FF association would protect his farm in Infinite, he was worry-free.
He perked his ears:
¡ª ?? Gonna party all night long ??¡ª
In the background, he could hear the sound of pop music: a catchy beat and easy-to-remember verses. The old man grumbled from time to time, "Back in my day, songs had actual lyrics."
Jack found himself grinning as he made his way to the living room. The scene was peaceful, with Lilly watching videos on her new phone, the old man just sitting with a smile.
They both wore the best clothes they had, respectively a gorgeous purple dress and a formal ck suit that seemed as old as the earth itself¡or more!
She instantly noticed him approaching:
"Brother, you''re already up?! You can sleep some more. Six hours is too short! Your boss isn''t here yet and¡ª" That''s when a knock resounded on the door. "Never mind¡"
Lilly rose in a hurry, taking a moment to calm her breathing, and went to answer the front door with the most regal appearance she could muster. Had she been watching formal etiquette videos?!
At the door waited a tall and handsome man that radiated subtle wealth.
Just his watch alone was enough for him to look down on all the residents of the apartment blockbined! Yet he didn''t show any haughtiness as he warmly introduced himself.
"I take it you must be Lilly! I''ve great things about you! The same goes for you, Sir! It''s my greatest pleasure to meet you both. I''m the CEO of D.L. Industries. But you can simply call me brother Ken."
His manners were elegant, and he addressed the seemingly poor family with incredible respect. A few neighbors could be seen peeking through their doors: who was that dashing-looking man?!
"Boss Ken, pleasee in!" Jack warmly weed him, inwardly praising his performance. No one would have guessed he had been a hobo a week ago!
This "bigshot" was here to add credibility to his story about joining a pro-gaming team. This was the simplest way to put the minds of his family at ease.
They all sat down for supper. For Jack, this was a moment to devour some meat pie blissfully, but for his poor subordinate, it was a full-blown witch hunt. They wanted to know everything!
"D.L. industries? I''ve never heard that name. Could you please enlighten us?" The old man stared at the big boss, hiding his suspicion under the guise of curiosity.
"It''s perfectly normal! We''re from overseas, and it''s actually our first time investing in gaming. Still, be assured that we have the best advisers in the market!"
This was only the start as more and more questions were thrown his way.
"What''s your business n?"
"How many teams will you fund?"
"How did you know that Jack is suited for the job?"
"How does the whole thing work? Shouldn''t you guys have a physical gaming studio?"
"What kind of backing does yourpany have, and how will you remainpetitive in the industry?"
There were many questions about the technical/business aspect and random ones meant to test his character.
Lilly would ask cutely with her eyes sparkling while the old man acted forgetful and confused to get more details.
He needed in-depth exnations because he "wasn''t good with technology," but in fact he was just looking for any discrepancies in the man''s answers.
Jack inwardlyughed as he witnessed it all. He simply kept eating while asionally nodding at the answers his subordinate gave. The guy looked so professional!
He was enjoying himself, but the same couldn''t be said for "Boss Ken"¡
What the heck was this?! He had agreed to meet the sister and the father to back his boss''s story. How hard could it be to fool a youngdy and an old man, right? Fucking impossible!
Were the two award-winning journalists in another life?! No, screw that¡Maybe they worked as PE to round the end of months! Seriously, what was up with their questions?!
They both looked so innocent, but their words wereden with countless traps. This was especially true for the middle-aged man. He''d even sometimes repeat his own words wrongly to see if he''d notice!
What his boss had called an "easy mission" had turned out to be extremely challenging! At this moment, he was so freaking d he had prepared for it.
His only saving grace was that neither of the two dared to confront him directly. Sometimes he''d keep some details vague, and they would not push in fear of Jack losing his job.
But even then, he was at his wits end! He had to use his secret weapon: to call upon Pancakes Bro! He would use the mighty power of his videos to distract the relentless inquisitors!
"Here, look at this. We already have an advertisement deal going." Ken told the eager family. Even Jack couldn''t help but raise a brow. Was it already out?
They all huddled together in front of the screen as the video began. A chubby man appeared, waving at the camera:
"Hello everyone, Mighty Infinite Pancakes here! First of all, in no way do I support fucking robots, but¡." He exaggeratedly sighed with a lovestruck look.
"What I''m about to show you will blow your minds! Ah, but be careful: you''ll definitely want one in your bedroom after seeing this!"
The bulletments were already wild with spections:
¨C Innocent Angel: Did he start selling sex bots?! Disgusting! Where?!
¨C CalledIt: Knowing this guy, he''s 100% trolling. Wanna bet he''s gonna be selling a new-gen AImp?
¨C Fair Maiden: Damn, that loving gaze is so great! It''s exactly the eyes my husband makes while looking at beer!
¨C NotACatfish: Pancakes, I''m totally a real human girl with huge mommy milkers. Forget the robot and message me!
The scene changed to a battlefield as a lone man appeared surrounded by countless enemies. They were absolutely everywhere! The masterful editing only reinforced this impression.
It was Jack, fighting tons of enemy yers. Blood flowed like a river, and fire rained all over the ce, with no end in sight. A few scenes were even looped and modified to look like new ones.
After what felt like an eternity of intense ughtering, Jack finally stopped moving as he nced at his defeated foes as a conqueror would.
Blood and ashes everywhere!
All the foes had been utterly defeated.
Now was the time to enjoy his victory, but he couldn''t. He showed a fleeting expression of worry. The spectators were at the edge of their seats, was a greater disastering?!
The music increased the tension as he slowly opened his mouth:
"What a mess!! How am I supposed to clean this up?!" He shouted.
Wait¡.what?! At this moment, the viewers'' jaws were all hanging in shock. That''s what the hero was worried about?! Freaking cleaning?!
Even now, Jack''s face still showed despair, picturing the colossal task that awaited him. But that''s when war horns resounded in the distance. Instantly he brightened up, smiling!
"Finally, the cavalry''s here!" He sighed in relief as cute war cries echoed, growing louder and louder.
¡ª Roombot! Reporting for cleaning duty! ¡ª
¡ª Cleaning your house like a boss! ¡ª
¡ª Roombot Powwaaa!!! Eiyaaa!¡ª
The camera switched to an aerial view as the roombot army spread all over the battlefield with incredible coordination. They sucked in all the gory mess in a matter of seconds!
The screen finally turned dark, with text appearing along with soft, cheerful music.
Roombots: So good at cleaning!
The Demon King''s Choice!
Just try it! You''ll love it!
Buy one at¡
That''s when Pancakes finally reappeared. He still had the same lovestruck gaze as earlier, but this time he was gently hugging a white circr roombot.
"This little guy is the best! I''m so happy ever since I''ve gotten one in my bedroom: I like to eat chips in bed, you see¡." Pancakes exined.
"Oh, they can do the whole house too and even climb stairs by themselves. They''re that great!" He gave a thumbs up to the camera with more bulletments appearing.
¨C WokeBrocoli: Wow, that''s an ad! Actually, I''m not even mad. That''s amazing! I need a roombot now! NOW!
¨C ExplosiveDiary: The fighting was so damn intense, but that ending tho! XD
¨C FriendlyPSAGuy: Remember guys, no fucking the robot!
¨C DickStuckInRoombot: Who''s gonna know¡ ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)
Jack''s family was staring at the screen in shock. The old man was questioning the world while Lilly was trying her best not tough. This whole thing was so silly.
"T-that actually helps with sales?" The old man''s voice was shaking.
"Hehe, no need to worry. It will certainly appeal to the young demographic that y Infinite. Considering they can afford the VR capsule, buying roombots should be easy too." Boss Ken winked.
Jack nodded, satisfied as he nced at the advertisement. This was the deal he had made with Darius. He''d use free publicity to repay him. This was the long-version but they had a quick ad too.
It was a win-win for sure. The man would get his product promoted, and Jack would actually earn from the views.
He also absolutely loved the idea of a mighty Demon King ughtering people with an army of roombots at hismand to clean the aftermath.
Plus, the whole thing convinced his family that "Boss Ken" was legit. The man even met with each family member individually to get rid of theirst doubts.
Thus ended a very peaceful dinner with "Boss Ken".
"What do you guys think?" Jack asked them with a smile once the man was gone.
"Humble and nice. It should be fine?" Lilly remarked.
"You have to be careful in business, but he didn''t seem to have ill intention." The old man grumbled.
"Great!" Mission aplished! Jack happily went back to gaming.
¡ª
While Jack was happily diving into the world of Infinite, a certain Boss Ken was leaving the building with his legs still shaking.
"Simple family, my ass!" He suddenly felt chilly¡
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[A/N] Detailed POV from Boss Ken or naw? xD
Chapter 226: Jack Playing Nice!
Chapter 226: Jack ying Nice!
Jack''s party came out of the Fairy Garden entry gate, their surroundings bathed in blue light, weed by the peaceful air of the forest¡ or not?!
Shouts echoed in the distance and were getting closer and closer:
"Run for your fucking lives!"
"How the hell is this boss so strong?!"
"Please God, have mercy upon us: it''s charging again!!!"
An instantter, an impossibly loud crash resounded, along with a shattering sound. Suddenly a tree flew right before their eyes, crashing in the background.
What. The. Hell?!
Terrified yers ran in the clearing, jerking in shock as they saw Jack''s party but not stopping. They ran so fast they''d be out of sight in a few seconds.
Right on their heels was a nightmarish creature. Huge teeth capable of impaling a horse, a sharp bony protrusion, a near-imprable fur armor, and covered in gore.
< Mad Fluffy Bunny of Doom Lv 22 ???>
Yep, it was one gigantic horned rabbit. Had it been smaller, it would have looked cute and cuddly, but this one was an abomination.
"Woo?!" (Disbelief!)
Moon Moon stared at the Boss in shock. How could it be so big and powerful? But more importantly: how much meat did this fellow contain?!
Jack nced at the creature''s white coat. It seemed as if it had been through a long fight as it was full of projectiles, burn marks, and wounds of various sizes.
The dozen or so running yers was only the start. An army quickly appeared, trailing a few seconds behind the Boss.
"Don''t let it escape! We''ve been fighting for so long. We''ll kill it even if it takes an eternity!" The man at the front thundered.
That''s when their eyes met.
He was the guy in charge of that forsaken guild, the one that had paid him 100 gold to have their people released from the farm. The man''s face twisted in unease as he gazed at him.
Had it been any other time, he wouldn''t have hesitated and would have ordered his troops to fight him, but right now was a delicate timing.
Was he here to KS the Boss?
Was he here to hunt them?
He had to be here to cause chaos, right?
Jack inwardly chuckled as he saw the man''s reaction. Even the men behind him were all on edge. They stopped for a second, ready in case a fight broke out.
"What do you want?" The man barked.
"Oh, you know¡just taking a carefree walk." Jack yfully replied. His timing was 100% a coincidence, but they didn''t need to know.
They were all pressed for time, but he wasn''t. At this moment, he did have the luxury to y around. The Boss would kill their advanced party and reset if they fought here, wasting all their efforts.
"Cut to the chase. What will it take for you to stand down?" The man grumbled.
Oh? Quite direct! Jack was simply having a bit of fun, but he wouldn''t say no to free benefits.
"How about 50 gold?" He proposed.
"Are you crazy?! We literally¡ª" He sternly declined, only for a mighty roar to echo in the distance.
This was the Boss entering a berserker phase. There was no more time to waste! His face cramped as he whispered a few words toward one of their members before agreeing.
"Fine! He''ll give you the gold once you''re out of here! Everyone, with me!" The man shouted as they all hurried after the Boss.
Before they knew it, everyone was gone. There remained only Jack''s party and that one Forsaken mediator.
"I gotta hang out near Field Bosses more! Alright, back to the farm it is¡." Jack chuckled with the forsaken member facepalming. How much longer would they give in to this bastard?!
The way back was as dull as uneventful.
Once they reached the farm''s entrance, the man begrudgingly handed him the funds. Jack couldn''t help but give him a praising look.
"You''re honoring your leader''s word? You know it''s toote for me to rush back to the fight, right?" He yfully questioned.
"Tch¡ª What would we be without our word? We''ll still destroy you the next time you stand against us." He grumbled and snorted as he left.
Jack happily waved him goodbye as he couldn''t help but find the forsaken guys more pleasing to the eye. Maybe he could s?c?a?m? do business with them in the future?
After all, they were:
1. Rich
2. Easy to trick
3. Honoring their word
Oh well, this would be a thought forter. For now, he brought the fairy that had been hiding in his pocket out, cing her on his shoulder.
"Look at this beauty!" He gestured at the entire farm. "This will be your new home from now on." He warmly weed.
The little thing was staring at it all in wonder, her clear eyes full of curiosity. The carved Pumpkins especially attracted her attention.
That''s when the door opened, revealing a fiery-haired goddess¡.
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Back in the Greenwood Forest, the army had finally managed to corner the Boss.
Even now, their leader wasn''t sure if paying the bastard had been a sound choice. No one had ever defeated this Field Boss as far as he knew.
They had been lucky even to find it, and this one was definitely special. Summoning it required interacting with a small rabbit statue located in a hidden hollowed tree.
He couldn''t wait to see what kind of rewards they would be getting! Heck, maybe they''d get some OP catalyst for that Mana Engulfing technique they had just found out about.
He had agreed to buy peace with the Demon King only because this kill was so crucial. He didn''t want any variable at all to interfere with this historical moment!
They were all pressing the assault, their hearts beating with expectation.
"It''s about to go down!" He announced, everyone cheering.
He opened his messages onest time to be safe.
¨C Forsaken Hero: Any possible enemy sighting?
¨C Forsaken Bard: None, Sir!
¨C Forsaken Your Ass: All clear on my side!
¨C Dual-Chainsaw Wielder: The Demon King is still at his farm. All OK!
Great! He sighed in relief, knowing no one could fool all their scouts at once. The creature pitifully wailed under theirbined attacks, but they would show no mercy.
It was over for¡ª
Suddenly something happened. Their members started dying out of nowhere, their corpses flying through the air! They would then collide with other guild members, sending them tumbling.
"What?!"
"Where''s the enemy?!
"How many casualties?!"
Panic instantly spread on the battlefield. Some kept targeting the rabbit, only to get eviscerated out of nowhere. Others seemed mad as they attacked empty air.
"Report, what''s happening! Does anyone know?! Calm down ande to me!" He tried to bring back order, but it was futile.
In a matter of seconds, their entire raid had copsed. The incredible army they had amassed had all been for naught.
The forest turned red with blood while the screams died down one by one. The bunny even used the opportunity to get up and run.
Then suddenly he heard it and felt it: something was charging at him?! He tried to get out of the way, but he wasn''t fast enough.
He felt his body being pierced by what appeared to be antlers. Just as death took hold of him, he saw a name tag float in the air.
Macabre: he knew this all too well. As the humans all perished, an aggrieved dying howl echoed:
"Fuck you, Demon King!"
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©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
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Chapter 227: Fairy: For Academic Purpose! ( ?° ?? ?°)
Chapter 227: Fairy: For Academic Purpose! ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)
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A tiny young girl was swinging her legs over the edge of her new balcony as she nced at the Pumpkin Farm.
In a strange twist of fate, she now followed the man who had defeated her and ripped her wings off. He was a man of countless secrets.
When they had encountered the giant rabbit, he had kept his cool.
When they were confronted with a human army, he remained yful. This had been the first time she had seen so many humans at once, more than 100!
Not only had he protected them, but he had also intimidated the opponents into paying him a tribute. This was unthinkable, and yet she had seen it with her own eyes!
Then, as they arrived at the farm, he seemed like an entirely different person. As the Pumpkin Goddess appeared, he dragged her into a loving embrace, her face showing bliss.
Even now, she couldn''t conciliate the various faces that he showed:
¨C The Demon King
¨C The yful Joker
¨C The Caring Man
Thus she was determined to observe and witness his true nature. Was the hope he had given her earlier about her magic true? She couldn''t wait to know.
Thus she had settled in one of the newly summoned magical trees. This was the Pumpkin Goddess'' new ability. It stemmed from the Leaf Whip he had offered her.
She had received the item with endless tears of joy, her entire being glowing. Seeing how she would hug it whenever he visited the town, it had to have a special meaning.
Apparently, it represented his love for her as well as his desire to keep her safe even when he was gone. Love¡ a foreign concept to the magical fairies since they were born of mana.
Still, she was eager to learn, to understand humans.
She would watch it all from her "Basic Fairy House," as he called it. It was smallpared to her old pce, but the interior was still as big as the farmhouse.
She had insisted for her dwelling to be at the very top of the tree. She had lost her wings and magic, but she still enjoyed being high up.
Not only was it an excellent observation point, but it made her feel alive again. She''d close her eyes, sense the wind on her skin, and for an instant would feel like she was flying.
Ironic how she had enjoyed using her magic to glide everywhere before, showcasing her wind mastery. Now that she had lost her wings, she missed them.
This was especially true in the human world. It was so vast! Then again, this was normal considering giants inhabited it¡
A few days passed, and before she knew it, she had gotten used to the farm and its inhabitants.
Jack''O would do various excursions at the town or do something he called "XP farming". Apparently, it was different from the cultivation that happened at the farm.
The Pumpkin Goddess would summon a defensive tree every hour and grow countless pumpkins. The Pumpkin Farm would have more trees than the forest at this rate!
In his absence, she was the ultimate authority on the farm. A few times, a few angry "Braves" drew too close and were ughtered by the living forest. They had since given up.
Then there was the defense squad. They were there whenever it wasn''t XP farming time and would y along in the field. Oh, and they''d take care of the vermin at night. (Not that it was needed)
Moon Moon would lead its brothers, show them how to carve pumpkins, and teach them about the wisdom it had gathered from his adventures with its master.
Chicky was the cheeky and yful chicken that kept climbing her tree to visit her. It would Cluck/Shriek abominably while trying to act cute (failing), but it meant well.
The Rat was the newest addition to the squad. It had apparently suffered an injury ande back from the dead¡as a Macabre! It was as spooky as silent as it kept to itself.
Whenever Jack was away, the atmosphere was calm and peaceful with a hint of longing. It would either be training time or resting time when he was here.
Training time was mainly about helping her sense wind magic. He would raise her high in the air, letting her sense the wind while patiently advising her.
ording to him, her wind mastery wasn''t gone. It was still there, she just had to change the way she sensed magic, and she had to desire it from the bottom of her heart.
He''d often chuckle.
"Stop thinking and just do it, little blind fairy." As if it was that simple!
Every time she failed, she felt like stomping her feet. Seeing her "acting cute" simply made himugh. He even crafted a tiny table for her to "flip table".
He was 100% making fun of her!
But even then, even after all that happened, she couldn''t truly get mad at him. After all, he was the only one who still believed in her in this world!
Actually, that wasn''t true¡She had once sighed in the presence of the Pumpkin Goddess, ovee with despair.
She had been so down that even the goddess'' godly cooking hadn''t been able to cheer her up. But then she had said something that gave courage to her fairy heart:
"Don''t be too sad. It''s only a matter of time before you get your magic back, he told me so." She had dered as if a fact.
He was talking behind her back?! He was even telling the Pumpkin Goddess that she''d seed?! He believed in her that much?! This meant she had to keep struggling!
All she knew was that she couldn''t give up. Since then, she had redoubled efforts in her training, taking breaks at times to observe the world, searching for a spark of inspiration.
This search brought her to her current nightly endeavor. She found herself sneaking toward the farmhouse for academic purposes. She wanted to understand what was happening inside.
Jack was apparentlying back for something called a "well-rested buff". Contrary to the name, there was little resting involved.
Even from outside, she could faintly hear the moans and the creaking of the bed. Whenever she listened to those sounds, she felt her entire body tingle and her breathing intensify.
If she was right, understanding what was happening inside was the key to regaining her magic! It wasn''t as if she had much to lose either.
Her current target was a small window all the way to the top of the wall. This would have been so damn easy to reach had she still had her wings!
But, so what if it was an incredible challenge?! She would get at the top, all for the wind magic! She had specially made climbing spikes in her tiny hands (sturdy and sharp twigs).
It actually wasn''t her first attempt, but this time she''d be sessful! She began her ascension, instantly feeling her muscles ache.
Fairies really weren''t suited to physical exertion. But she had no other alternative. She kept scaling with incredible resolve.
"C''mon, blind fairy. You can do this! Just climb one hand above, then again, and again!" She encouraged herself as he would.
At one point, her entire body was in pain. She couldn''t feel her legs or hands thanks to the cold wind, but it didn''t matter. She was still climbing: the moans getting louder proved it!
Then she finally reached the top! She just needed one more step and¡ª that''s when her arms lost strength. She had reached her physical limits.
At this moment she panicked, she had been so close! She was just missing a head distance, and she could possibly get her magic back!
She forgot where she was and the actual danger she was in. She forgot it all. She just wanted to see it! Those sounds were drawing her in, making her body shiver!
Wait, her legs were still working! She didn''t hesitate and kicked herself up. She didn''t even think about thending or anything for that matter.
Her kick gave her the height she had been missing. She could finally see what was happening inside.
The Pumpkin Goddess was atop Jack, grinding on his body, her face a mask of euphoria. Her skin glistened under the candlelight, and her breasts trembled mightily.
Oh god, wouldn''t a single swing be enough to KO a fairy like her?!
Then her eyes lowered, and she distinguished his hands that were gently supporting her weight, guiding her insatiable movement.
Her eyes lowered further to where they were connected. A glimpse was all it took for that magical feeling toe back! This was what she had been looking for!
She made sure to etch this feeling deep in her fairy heart. She had to memorize it before gravity mercilessly dragged her down and¡ª
She suddenly jolted back to her senses. Wait, she had already been watching for a solid minute?! That''s when she finally realized that she was flying, for real!
She could feel mana again! She could use wind magic! How wonderful!
"Hahahahaha!" She couldn''t help but erupt in triumphantughter.
This feeling was so great!¡. Yet it was different than what she had felt earlier?! The puzzled fairy looked inside, avid for knowledge. That''s when she froze.
He was looking straight at her, sporting a yful grin.
The Pumpkin Goddess was also staring, her face blushing an incredible crimson.
That''s when the fairy finally realized. Perhaps she shouldn''t have been peeking? She ran away while loudly apologizing. In the background, she could hear his thunderousughter.
"Damn, she did it all for porn!"
She suddenly found herself blushing for some reason¡
Chapter 228: Annoying Bastards (1/2)
Chapter 228: Annoying Bastards (1/2)
[Gained Well-Rested Buff!]
[Regen UP, XP gain UP!]
Jack gave a wry smile as he remembered the previous night''s event and Pumpkin Girl''s endearing blushing face. The morning was sunny and warm, auguring a great day.
"Are you there, blind fairy?" he called toward the Fairy House.
"Hey, I''m no longer blind!" The tiny little creature came floating out energetically before blushing as she twirled her thumbs hesitantly. "About yesterday¡ª"
"It''s fine, I understand." After all, Fairies were a magical race with some concepts escaping them. "Rather than that, it''s time for training."
She obediently came to rest on his shoulder as he patrolled his domain, teaching her a new technique: mana infusion.
Magical races could use it, but it required a very high affinity with them. As with anything else in Infinite: the higher the power, the harder it was to attain. In this case, his Fairy Hero title would allow this to work.
"Focus and send your mana inside me. You have to open your heart and lower all your defenses for this to work, leaving yourself vulnerable." He had barely exined that she was already doing it.
He felt her energy course through him. It carried the happiness of the wind, the calm of a lone grass de, and her unbelievably high trust in him. Her breath was already getting rougher and rougher from the exercise.
"?!?" As she sent her mana inside him, she could feel his! He was inside her!
"You got this," He gently encouraged.
Her small pointy ears twitched non-stop as her green hair covered her eyes. Was she worried about failing? In any case, hearing his voice finally helped her to calm down.
They sat in the courtyard, the others standing guard for them. He could sense the wind be stronger and stronger with every mana revolution, even if it wasn''t.
It was his affinity to the wind that was growing¡.all until.
[Congrattions! Learned Wind Magic!]
[Wind Affinity Increased by 10!]
[Acquired Wind Maniption F!]
"Good job, we did it." Breaking into a smile, he rubbed the fairy''s small head. It had taken them all morning, the sun reaching high.
But before they could celebrate, amotion happened. The trees at the edge of the farm started swinging from side to side.
"Intruders?" Jack couldn''t help but frown. The only one that ever visited was that Masochistic Monk, and he was a training addict, not that he was one to talk.
"Hehe, no need to worry, Teacher. The Braves will retreat soon enough. They oftene around this time." The fairy remarked.
They often did?! Then why was it the first time he was hearing about it? He nced at Pumpkin Girl as she silently mouthed: mere pests, no need to worry.
"As a proper host, I should still wee them, no?"
The party dedicated prayers for the troublemakers¡.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Loitering around the Pumpkin Farm was a daily ritual for all of them. They knew it was safe as the Demon King would have long gone hunting.
There were farmers with their pitchforks/straw hats, boisterous yers proudly disying their faction symbol, and even seven men heavily dressed in ck not minding the warm weather.
All of them hadints:
"Goddamn Farm. I can''t believe our FF organization made a deal with that bastard! Now he''s under Boss Frank''s protection!"
"It can''t be helped. He did bring Magical Fairy Soil back from the forest. Didn''t we both receive a bit of it?"
"A bit? What will a bit do?! Can it revive our harvest trampled by the macabres? No way! All it can do is speed up the healing process: our fields are still fucked! Meanwhile, look at this guy!"
Verdant luscious trees creating a natural barrier was all they could see. Just seeing the edge had them purple with jealousy! They''d probably throw up blood if they saw the actual pumpkins!
A yer chuckled:
"I guess I''m the only one enjoying this sunny day? As far as surveince missions go, staring at the Pumpkin wench isn''t half-bad, a shame we can''t see her from here¡."
"Tch¡ª You''re too easygoing. That evil fucker''s the one that sent Macabres to mess with all of us! I''m telling you all. It''s 100% his doing!"
"It''s a rumor for now. We need actual evidence, but how are we supposed to gather any? Can''t go in because of the damn trees, and no one will help because of FF!"
Thisstment quickly started a round of bickering between the yers and the farmers. But even then, thest group remained entirely silent. Also, for some reason, they weren''t looking at the farm but the sky.
Many couldn''t help but send curious nces their way. They were taciturn, dedicated, and obviously weren''t here to waste time. But what exactly was their objective?
That''s when someone suddenly jumped down from a nearby tree. They instantly recognized who it was, their faces showing shock. Why was he here?!
Jack nced at the farmers, yers, and mysterious men.
"Jealousy, anger, and finally greed: such ugly emotions for such a beautiful day. I know exactly what you guys need to cheer up. How about buying a delicious fresh pumpkin?"
"It''s very cheap, only 5 G for one. If you don''t want any pumpkin, then I''m afraid you''ll all have to leave."
They clicked their tongues in annoyance: this guy was obviously making fun of them! Still, was he seriously trying to sell stuff to people sent to spy on him?! How shameless!
"Alright, I''ll get one!" Replied the only cheerful yer in the lot. Coincidentally he was also the one who had used the term wench.
While everyone else was scorning at them, they happilypleted the trade.
Jack + 5 G!
Random yer + 1 Pumpkin!
"Damn, it''s almost as big as that girl''s tits!"
"Yes, they''re very high quality and very delicious. Would you like to buy another premium pumpkin, esteemed customer?" He shed his greatest business smile.
"No thanks! One is plenty enough for¡ª ARGGG!" The man suddenly cried out in pain, his body turning stiff. A white streak came out of his back, and a weird cluck resounded.
"Then have a safe trip to town, esteemed customer. Please remember, mind your manners next time." He enjoyed gazing into the eyes of the man as life left him. Then he was gone.
Disrespecting Pumpkin Girl? Death!
A Green Gem (faction symbol) dropped from the body along with a bow and a few coins. The poor bastard was an archer, eh? Should have kept his distance¡
He pocked the loot, turning toward the rest of them, an overpowering aura surrounding him. He was ready for war!
The farmers were already backing off in fear. Sure they were rtively high-level NPCs, but that didn''t mean they wanted to fight directly! They preferred nagging by far!
The yers drew their weapons. They had the superiority of numbers, but they knew it wouldn''t do shit against this guy.
Still, they wouldn''t just ept getting ughtered that easily. But just as they thought he would charge at them, his eyes rested upon the men in ck.
"How about you take me to your Boss?" He uttered what felt more like a threat than a request.
He seemed to know their identity! He didn''t seem pleased either¡.
Chapter 229: Annoying Bastards (2/2)
Chapter 229: Annoying Bastards (2/2)
"How about you take me to your Boss?" Jack uttered what felt more like a threat than a request.
That''s when one of them stepped forward, speaking for the first time.
"Hehe, our Boss is a busy man, you see. He doesn''t have time for meeting small fries." His tone was derisive, as if he knew he had the advantage. He then added:
"Of course, it would be different if you were to bring somepany along. You understand my meaning, don''t you?" The bastard chuckled.
Those guys were vers, the lowest of the low. They were arrogant and greedy idiots that only cared about raw profit. They were obviously here for the Blind Fairy. There was only one way to answer them¡
"Esteemed customers, how about buying a Pumpkin? Only 100 G each! Special offer, you can keep on living!" His gentle smile shed with the bloodied Cluckinator in his hand.
"¡."
"¡."
"¡."
Seriously?! They had all clearly seen what he had done with the previous ''esteemed customer''. Who was he trying to fool?!
"Tch¡ª The ignorant truly are fearless. Do you think yourself powerful? Those trees won''t reach us here, and you clearly don''t know who our Boss¡ª"
"Old Snake, right?" Jack nonchntly replied.
"You know?!¡ That means you''re aware that we''re part of¡ª"
"What will it be, customer? Will you buy or not?"
There was a moment of silence, the two ring at one another. The spectators were cursing inwardly: why did he have the interrupt the juiciest parts?! Who were those guys?!
"There''s no way that we''ll¡ª"
That''s when Jack charged at them: Jack VS Seven vers!
The crowd hurriedly ran backward. They didn''t want anything to do with this fight!
He invoked his me maniption magic, quickly sending a torrent of fire at his enemies. But this time, he had a new skill up his sleeve, one he used to feed the mes!
Fire Maniption + Wind Maniption = Very Hot!
[Detected Usage of Two Different Magic at Once!]
[Magical Explosion Imminent¡.Or Not?]
[Fusion Magic: More Analysis needed!]
His enemies were as baffled as the system. They hurriedly avoided it, all except one poor bloke that ignited. His ck clothes had given him a very edgy appearance, but it was even better now!
"AH, What the hell is this?! Those mes are even hotter than your mom!"A random yer happily yedmentator as he tapped his friend''s back.
The stern vers spat in annoyance as they quickly counterattacked. Bloody mana chains came out of their sleeves, revealing the ?? symbol on their wrists.
They were low-level crooks employed by Bloody Chains, the most influential ve traders in the capital. They were newbies in the organization, sent to scout Sprigfield because of the mana renewal.
They swung the chains at him, trying to entrap him. They were higher level than he was and more powerful, but they were also very new to this magic.
"Hehe, do you guys only know how to y your arms randomly? It''s quite the peculiar technique¡." Jack mocked as he pressed the assault.
He ducked, jumped, blocked, and even rolled as he dodged the chains. This looked like skip-rope from Hell with extra bloody chains and lots of vicious men full of killing intent.
At times they pushed him back, even seemingly driving him into a corner, but they just couldn''t catch him!
Before long, there were only three of them left. That''s when they finally lost their cool, suddenly bing chatty.
"Goddamnit, I''m not falling here!"
"Let''s catch that bastard and sell him!"
"We''ll make you see how useless you truly are!"
They thundered, their eyes as red as their faces. That''s when they suddenly cut their palms open, tons of blood dripping down! Most were utterly puzzled.
"Have they gone mad?!"
"Chain bro, self-muttion isn''t the answer."
While they were all easygoing, Jack scowled. They actually knew this crazy technique?! Their superior was positively insane. What would happen once they started dying?
Blood Sacrifice was the kind of thing that was almost considered heretic magic. It was frowned upon, but the righteous factions didn''t care all that much because it only worked with self-harm.
Soon even the clueless bystanders realized that something was wrong.
The chains started drinking the blood, overflowing with malevolent power. It was as if the trapped soul of the user was rampaging inside the magic¡ª it kinda was too¡
Instantly the chains became way faster, stronger, and moved ording to their user''s will. Evading became near impossible as this statepensated for theircking chain-wielding skills.
"Is he gonna die?"
"They said something about selling him¡."
"Perhaps they work for a brothel or something?"
Jack couldn''t help but snort. Why were the yers all suddenly ncing at his ass?! Either way, he had to focus.
Suddenly he saw an opportunity and took it! With a victorious grin, he turned yet another ver into a human torch. There were only two left!
But just as he was reveling in his sess, a chain erupted from the ground, coiling around his body. The sealing magic of the chain instantly immobilized him.
"Hehe, how does it feel to be helpless? You''re slippery, but you''re far too weak to escape. Anyst words?" The lead ver cackled.
"Do you know what the meaning of irony is?" Jack gave a bright smile.
"What the fuck are you talking about?! Do you even know what will happen to you? You''re¡ª"
"That''s irony." He grinned.
That''s when the heads of both vers went flying out of nowhere. Blood sshed, and screams of the gallery echoed. What the hell was happening?!
With the casters gone, the chains disappeared. Hezily stretched before grabbing the heads that would forever show a shocked expression.
Many were still puzzled, having failed to notice the tiny fairy that had sneakily approached the enemies to finish them.
All their energy had been on attack, hence her charged wind des had encountered no resistance whatsoever.
They hade hunting for a fairy, only to die to her magic. #Iron-E
Jack threw the corpses at the nearby trees to serve as nutrients, the Human and Fairy duo leaving behind a crowd as confused as scared.
With the severed heads in his inventory, he nced at the horizon.. Their Boss was a busy man, right? Good thing he now had a gift¡.
Chapter 230: Ghouls’ Objective?!
Chapter 230: Ghouls¡¯ Objective?!
Sprigfield town was as quiet as usual, a little too quiet perhaps. As soon as Jack entered it, a few NPCs recognized him.
"Hello, mister Big Boss from the tavern, haha! How about a giant frog skewer? Very fresh!" A street seller hollered.
"Oh, it''s Big Boss! Please give my regards to that stingy old bastard for me!"
"Big Boss, my roasted boar dicks would be a perfect fit for the tavern!"
They yfully called him Bog Boss, for he had been ordering the Tavern Owner around while nning for the future. As far as they were concerned, he was a business adviser.
Well, he had used the opportunity to gather a LOT of information too. By now, he was pretty familiar with the inner workings of the city and renown.
As usual, paparazzi (spies) hung around in the shadows, watching his every move akin to soulless vampires. He had dealt with them so much recently that he now had a sneak skill.
He promptly left them behind, making his way toward a seemingly empty courtyard devoid of any redeeming features, and waited.
It didn''t take long for them to reach him: the stench of death announcing their arrival. A mime came out from a bush, a nightmarish grin on its white-painted face.
Since the macabre incident, they had be his stalking ''fans''. They had been trying to figure him out, worried he seemed ''too good to be true'', well bad in this case. Had his recent killings changed their mind?
As the creature spoke, Jack couldn''t help but be surprised. It had fixed its voice? It had to be a magical item¡
"Hello there, Sir, we''ve¡ª"
"I know, you''ve been stalking me as if a blushing schoolgirl with her first crush. I take it you''re finally ready to cooperate?"
"H-how did you¡ª I guess it''s to be expected of a man we deemed worthy of associating with." The ghoul sighed.
"Go on. I''m listening." Jack simply stated. The mimed hesitated for a second but then started briefing him.
"As you know, this ce is an exploitation town with a few associations. There are¡ª"
"I''m aware of them all.
FF: Farming + Fishing belonging to the Calm-Water Conglomerate
WC: Woodcutting + Construction from the Golden Axis
MTG: Miners + Tenacious Gatherers from Ascending
Then there''s the reading pavilion, the adventurer''s guild, the repair camp, the militia, and I guess now the Bloody Chains are in town too. What about it?"
"There used to be another one, the Royal Imperial Party. Actually, they were the reason Sprigfield was built in the first ce. The factions were all created to support them in one way or another."
"When was that?"
"They''ve disappeared about 300 years ago, simply gone. They''ve long been forgotten, but there are still (few) records of theirst known mission. They disappeared inside a Magical Land of darkness."
"Your point?"
"Hehe, in their final moments they encountered a powerful Necromancer, most probably a lich." The ghoul''s smile was wide enough to show the sharp razor-like teeth.
It was very likely for a lich to have survived that long, especially if (un)life-prolonging magic had been used. Akin to bears, liches could hibernate if they so desired.
Jack finally understood their motives. A true lich would be an incredible boon for their faction. Even if it didn''t want to help The Ghoulish Church, just waking it up would put tremendous pressure on their enemies.
This would be an incredibly worthy endeavor were it to seed.
"You said Magical Land of Darkness?"
"That''s all we know, but it''s here somewhere for sure¡."
[Find the Whereabouts of the Rumored Lich!]
[Quest Location: A Magical Land of Darkness!]
Thanks for nothing, system! Then again, even this meager information was enough to give him an inkling of where he had to search.
The Greenwood Forest, the Sprigfield Meadow, and the Very Wet Lake could likely be excluded.
This left three areas to search: the Deep Rock Canyon, the Eternal Mines, and the Wet Swamp. Seriously, whoever named the swamp and theke had to be the same guy!
"I understand, but that still leaves one question. How will you deal with the Holy Light Church pdins?" Jack asked.
"T-that¡.we don''t know yet¡." The ghoul awkwardly scratched his head, his meaning clear. That''s where Jack woulde in.
"Sigh, fine. I''ll see what I can do." He knew how annoying it could be to deal with the bastards, for he had been one of them before.
Kill a lowly priest, and the high priestes running. Kill the high priest, and the Bishop freaking appears! Kill the bishop, and then you''re already deemed a mortal enemy. Then it''s a catwalk of all the killers the church controls. (Directly or indirectly)
The only way to make it stop is to either uproot the entire Church or fake your own death. Still, it''s so damn troublesome!
"Onest thing. We only work with ghouls: you''ll have to participate in the Dark Feast and¡ª"
"Nope. We both know the current transformation ritual is wed: the best I can do is this¡." Jack quickly performed a Life Vow. He''d treat them well as long as they cooperated with him.
The mime sighed once again. Had it been anyone else, he would have ughtered them for the insult, but this human truly had incredible potential.
Why settle for a forceful transformation when bing a lich was possible?
"It was worth a try. Still, no exceptions: we only cooperate with ghouls." The mime reiterated.
Just when Jack thought the negotiations had broken down, the ghoul threw him a brooch before running away in a hurry. What was up with that tsundere attitude?
It had a w shape with a small skull engraved on it. But as he observed the item, he couldn''t help but gasp in shock.
DAFUQ?!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Cursed Epic Ghoulish Brooch! ?
Rank E+
IF Allied with TGC
ELSE ¨C 10 All Stats
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[Attribute] +4 INT +10 HP
[Trait] +Ghoulish Abilities Buff
[Active] Temporary Ghoulish Aspect (?/?)
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Epic?!
Five levels worth of HP, a level worth of INT, but most importantly, an incredible transformation ability?! Was this for real?!
It felt like a treasure chest spawned straight out of heaven. This little brooch was probably worth more than most yer factions.
This thing was THE SHIT!
But as he checked the requirements, he finally understood. It appeared too good to be true because this was a leash. His fate would forever be tied with The Ghoulish Church if he epted it.
The -10 to all stats was a massive penalty. This was for his level too: some curses tended to grow stronger along with their wearer.
It was akin to a parasite feeding on one''s heart, growing stronger and stronger until it reached the point where it reced it entirely.
Was it worth it? One had to know that many heroes had perished while trying to get rid of a single curse. It would only be more challenging now, given the early stage of the game.
All his previous knowledge of the game told him one thing: only a fool would equip that thing! Then again, only a fool would want to dominate an MMO¡
He clipped the thing on his chest, wearing it proudly¡under his armor. He wasn''t about to advertise this new alliance to the world.
[Detected Cursed Item!]
[Do You Want to Equip It? Y/N]
[*PS: The Consequences May be Dire!]
"Yep, let me feel how a ghoul feels, haha." He happily replied.
[Equipped Ghoulish Brooch!]
[Congrattions! You''re Cursed!]
[First Cursed Item In Infinite! Wow!]
[Acquired Title: The Naive Fool And His Shiny Brooch!]
"¡." Really?
That''s when a refreshing sensation filled his entire body. His vitality going up was akin to heartwarming vodka on a cold, gloomy day.
For a few seconds, he let himself go, running in the courtyard like a hyperactive kid having eaten cocaineced chocte until a voice came out.
"Mommy, what''s that strange man doing?"
"Don''t look, Timmy, just keep walking."
The two random NPCs were enough to bring him back to his senses. Right, he still had many things to deal with.
¨C Possible Internal trouble with FF?
¨C yers angry at him for some reason
¨C The annoying Bloody Chains eying his people.
¨C The Holy Church and other potential enemies of the ghouls.
This could easily be one incredibly huge shitshow if he wasn''t careful. His only constion was that the Farm was rtively well protected.
Still, he couldn''t getcent. Any strong power from the nearest Timber City or the Empire''s Capital could destroy them all with a casual wave of their hand¡or whatever body part really.
He needed more allies, far more allies. He took a decisive step toward the nearest militia camp. Luckily he already had a man on the inside, a very naive one.
This would be the time for him to shine. His smile became more innocent and genuine with every step closer, akin to a hero of legends¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[A/N] Bit more info about the Town. ^_^v
Did you guys see the novel with the library feature? Invading all libraries hehe ??
Chapter 231: Doing Good Deeds!
Chapter 231: Doing Good Deeds!
Powerful shouts echoed as the metallic shing of weapons echoed in the militia camp.
"Keep going! Are you guys warring or dancing?! I don''t want a repeat ofst time! Next mission, you guys better be as sharp as¡the sharpest de there is!" Themander "encouraged".
The man was still wearing his heavy-looking chain mail. He frowned as he finally noticed the neer slowly approaching him.
"A brave? Braves are to train on the other side of the Town since they can''t seem to shut up." The man then promptly proceeded to ignore him.
"I know. I''m here to join the militia." Jack smiled as he shed a piece of paper over. It represented the Tavern Owner vouching for him.
The man examined it before chuckling to himself:
"Alright, you''re one strange Brave! It will be the usual: Test of Character, Test of Skills, and Test of Mettle. Are you ready, private?"
"YES, SIR!" He shouted, themander swallowing the "Louder" he had been about to utter.
Test of character sounded cool and heroic, right? Well, it wasn''t. Sprigfield was filled with vor vigers that would give the yers random low-level quests. One had toplete such missions!
¨C Save the kitty
¨C Find the lost watch
¨C Move some crates around
¨C Babysit a cute fluffy miniature rabbit
¨C Help a guy confess his love to a pretty girl
¨C Help a husband stand up to his tyrannic wife
¨C Help a wife stand up to her unfaithful husband
Yep, that kind of crap. Perhaps only that one militia guy he knew, the naive one, would get excited by such tasks. He''d go:
"Oh, but it''s all worth it to see the smiles on their faces!" What a load of bullshit!
Or
"It''s our sworn duty as militia members to protect the peace!" That''s not peace that''s freebor!
Oh well, it was still a requirement to join the militia. Thus the Demon King could soon be seen running around Sprigfield in order to help the people.
But, there were a few strange things about him:
1. He was wearing some eyeball-frying-inducing shy orange suit. Was it made with¡.pumpkins?! On it, there was a message: "Servant of the People!" It served its purpose to attract attention for sure.
"Daddy, look there! What is that?!"
"Servant of the people? This guy obviously lost a bet!"
"No, no, this man is amazing! He helped me paint my house!"
"Wait, so he''s helping people? How noble! I''ll ask him help in the kitchen!"
The NPCs werepletely shamelessly exploiting the good man. They brought problem after problem to him, not minding how he felt one bit. But, that wasn''t all¡
2. He would always remain silent no matter who was talking to him. He''d simply point at the "Servant of the People" on his chest, making a "leaving it to me" pose! Then once he was done with a task, he''d give the NPCs a paper:
¡ª You''ve been helped by Jack''O of the Sprigfield Militia Corp! Have a great day ??
Not every NPC knew how to read, but that didn''t matter much. They all quickly got a neighbor or rtive to read it to them. Some even resolved to hang it on their walls proudly.
3. He seemed to be everywhere! He was helping people all over the Town. He was so dedicated that he appeared like an orange angel from heaven!
Heck, sometimes it was as if he was at two ces at once! Of course, there was no way this was true¡.after all, there were dozens of them!
Jack had forcefully enlisted the help of the peeps from the Drunken Sailor as well as some ghouls. It was quite hrious to think some of the "good guys" were in fact flesh-eating deadly ghouls.
He had dressed them all in the same carved shy suit! Luckily the vigers were so happy about getting help that theypletely disregarded the strange points¡
Farming good deeds one by one? How about no! He didn''t want to waste his time. In merely a few hours, the whole town was buzzing about the mysterious, silent orange savior.
Back at the militia camp, themander was still shouting:
"C''mon, men, you can do better than that! I want true fighting spirit. I want¡ª What in the seven hells is that thing?!" His sudden exmation made all the militia members stop training.
They all stared at the fashion abomination that wasing their way. At first, some believed it was a monster, only to notice the engravings. They had been so busy training that they hadn''t heard the rumors yet.
"Orange¡thing, identify yourself this instant!" Themander bellowed.
"YES, SIR! Private Jack''O reporting for duty! I''m done helping the townspeople and am ready for the next test!" He shouted back with gusto.
"Wait¡it''s you?! There''s no way you can be done just yet! You should help more than a few people! This isn''t how we do things in¡ª"
"Sir, feel free to ask the townspeople! They''ll vouch for me!" He hurriedly replied, themander grimacing as he actually went to check.
At first, themander was sure the new recruit was either trying to trick him or simply too naive. But just as he was about to begin his inquiry, he heard the exmations.
Everyone, absolutely everyone, was talking about the orange savior!
"I wonder if he''s single. Such a great man would make a great husband for my granddaughter!"
"I''ve been asking the militia for months to help me with my problem, and he fixed it in a few hours!"
"Hehe, if he''s joining the militia, then I''m sure we''ll be in good hands. Heck, he should lead them in ce of that grumpymander!"
What the hell?! Themander stilled for a second but suddenly had a sh of insight. Those people were right near the camp. Perhaps he had only helped them?
But as he rushed through Sprigfield, he realized that it was the same everywhere! Whenever he''d ask anyone about it, they''d proudly disy their "resolved support ticket".
They only had good things to say about him! There didn''t seem to be any trace of foul y either. As he gazed in the eyes of the townfolks, he didn''t detect any falsehood!
He returned to the camp as if a ghost, dragging his feet in utter iprehension. Was this new recruit superhuman?! Then again, one should not question good things.
Perhaps with him, their small militia camp would rise? He looked forward to it¡.
Chapter 232: Test Of Skills!
Chapter 232: Test Of Skills!
Themander returned to the camp as if a ghost, dragging his feet in utter iprehension. Was this new recruit superhuman?! Then again, one should not question good things¡
Jack smiled and gently waved at the returningmander. The way the man looked at him was way different. Before, he barely cared, but now his eyes shone with curiosity.
"I''ve verified. Private Jack''O, you''ve passed the Test of Character with flying colors! Are you ready for whates next? We won''t go easy on you!" He thundered.
"YES, SIR!"
The militia members instantly erupted in cheers. Not only was a Test of Skills entertaining, but it would give them a break from the dull training!
They arranged themselves into arge circle, creating a dueling space in the middle. Some were already chanting encouragements.
"Show us what you go, brother Jack''O!"
"Newbie, it''s easy. Just beat your opponent!"
"Don''t worry, if you die, we''ll put flowers on your grave!"
They joked, but they knew it wouldn''t be that hard. It was customary to pair the candidates with some of the weaker members to test them.
"Someone go get Derek. He''ll be his opponent." Themander ordered.
Instantly they all gasped in shock. Derek?! Sword Genius Derek?! Was he freaking serious?! The guy was a student of Sword Master White Eagle! This was 100% bullying!
"Commander, don''t you think that''s a little too¡ª"
"Nonsense, just get him. He should still be training with the Braves."
Training? Jack had heard of this specific NPC. "Training" was definitely an exaggeration. It would be more apt to say that this guy loved beating Braves up.
Some fool had once challenged him to a sword duel, only to get his ass handed to him. Ever since, the youngster had been roaming the Brave training camp in search of v?i?c?t?i?m?s? opponents.
The militia members couldn''t help but shake in excitement. Some even took out their coins to bet on the oue, only to be reprimanded by their boss. Before the whole thing got canceled, the odds had been 7 to 1 for that guy''s victory.
They didn''t have to wait long. The man came rushing over with great joy. A challenger? A Brave to boot? He wouldn''t miss it for anything!
¡ª A Wild Genius Derek Appeared! ¡ª
Head the color of the sun, eyes the color of the sun too, and a sunny grin. Yet behind that warm smile hid a powerful beast for sure!
Just the way he walked hinted that he was a pure swordsman, his hand would always over near the hilt of the longsword on his hip.
"So, you''re the one that wants to challenge me? Are you sure that you want to do this? It''s not toote to give up, you know." Derek radiated the pride of a senior looking down on a fledgling.
"Naw, I''m good." Jack then turned toward themander. "I only need to defeat this guy, and I pass the test, right?" He asked for confirmation.
Many couldn''t help but draw a cold breathe as they heard this. Only? Only?! Did he even know how harsh this would be?! Now it would be even worse, for he had disregarded the man!
Derek''s face twitched. This Brave was as prideful as all the others! They thought themselves so great just because they were immortal, but they''d lose all the same! He couldn''t wait to teach him a lesson in humility.
On that note, the two took their respective positions in the circle, facing one another. As they unsheathed their weapons, many nced curiously at the white falchion. It sure looked peculiar!
Themander''s voice echoed in the tense atmosphere:
"A reminder that only basic sword skills can be used."
"Equip these stones to regte your power." He handed them ck stones that seemed to absorb the surrounding light and mana alike.
[Received Sealing stone from Militia Commander.]
[Equip? Y/N *PS: It will seal your power.]
Equal stats with the opponent? This was Jack''s forte! Of course, he''d ept!
[All stats are temporarily set to 10!]
"Are you both ready?"
"Fight!"
Derek instantly rushed at him. He''d use his full strength to teach the newbie!
His sword drew an elegant but deadly silver arc. He was wielding it so freaking naturally! It seemed as if the sword wasn''t just a tool but an extension of his arm.
But just as Jack was about to get hit, he tumbled, barely avoiding having his neck sliced!
Jack appeared to be fighting for his life. He was already panting, his face red, his palms sweaty, and yet he would always evade by coincidence.
Once or twice was fine, but it happened every time! Derek was already getting annoyed: how freaking lucky was this guy?! But he could already feel him about to falter and break.
Derek definitely had the upper hand in sword mastery! He simply had to increase the rhythm, and¡ª suddenly, there was a de at his neck.
"W-what?!" He eximed in shock.
"Recklessly swinging a sword is only done by jesters. Your resolve is weak, your feint game is horrendous, and you have the battle awareness of a blind man." Jack spat out.
The spectators couldn''t believe their eyes. Derek had been defeated so easily?! THE Derek?! Jack had even insulted him so much! They all turned toward the defeated man. How would he react?
"Is that so? You, you¡" He was definitely about to rage, right?!
"Me, me?" Jack asked tauntingly.
"Were you sent by Master?! I''m sorry I''ve let arrogance cloud my judgment. Please forgive me, senior!" He respectfully bowed, sping his hands.
Senior?! The prideful Derek was bowing to another?! He had recently been sent here by his master to gain experience, but he still didn''t put the small Sprigfield Town in his eyes.
They all stared at Jack with awe in their eyes. He had managed to tame the powerful Derek?! Such an impressive brother would join their ranks? Awesome!!!
While everyone was still gasping, Jack''s voice nonchntly echoed.
"Now, shall we get to thest test?"
The two previous ones were only a formality, and the Test of Mettle was the deciding one. Their eyes shone with expectations. They''d get to see him in realbat. They couldn''t wait¡.
Chapter 233: One Can Hunt Like That?!
Chapter 233: One Can Hunt Like That?!
"There''s something wrong with this picture. WRONG!"
Many yers stared at the militia troop, but especially at Jack. Why was he so rxed?! Wasn''t he supposed to be doing a quest? What kind of joke was this?!
It had all started with that duel against Sword Genius Derek¡.
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They didn''t waste any time, heading for the Sprigfield ins with a force of 30. There resided big and scary boars that had to be cleared regrly or they''d overflow to the town and farms.
< Headstrong Red-Maned Boar Lv 20!>
They wererge creatures with huge tusks that would ravage everything when they charged. It didn''t help that they were extra stubborn and mean.
Annoy them? They''d run at you till the end of time!
The so-called Test of Mettle was to participate in such an expedition. It was actualbat!
The hunt began, and they quickly managed to surround one such creature. At first, it seemed like a test ofbat skills, but the true meaning was to test Jack''s ability to cooperate.
The Militia didn''t need reckless heroes: they needed soldiers! It was fine to show courage, but not stupidity. Knowing this, he kept his temper in check, but one guy couldn''t stand still.
"Senior, why are you taking orders from these people? Their skills are infinitely worse than yours!" Derek asked.
"Coordination is vital."
"How about you lead us, then? You''d be infinitely better at it than that guy!" Derek pointed at Bobby, their expedition leader, a middle-aged man with lots of experience.
"Tch¡ª Without order, we''d be barbaric wretches! He''ll be able tomand a unit in time, but not now, not yet. Pigs will fly before I just givemand right to a rookie!" The man snorted.
Thus, they kept surrounding boars steadily and killing them with teamwork. Some would bait them, while others would dish out the damage.
All the while, Derekined that it was way too slow¡ He really seemed to have the talent to irk people. Luckily for him, his genius'' status saved him from a public beat down.
"Senior, the weakness of this creature is its underbelly. Sadly it''s tough to reach given its high charge speed! But there''s a trick to it, here watch!"
A secondter, he avoided the creature like a toreador, making it crash into a lone sturdy tree. As the whole trunk and boar vibrated from the collision, he managed to ce a few hits in.
Many militia members couldn''t help but gasp in shock while he beamed in pride.
"As expected of Derek, did you see that?!"
"Of course, I have eyes! Anyway, kill it!"
"Senior, how about you try it on the next one?" Derek excitingly asked, his eyes shining. He wasn''t the only one eager to see his performance.
"Fine." Jack agreed as he started looking for something.
He''d go around, stare at a rock, shake his head, and finally proceed to the next one. What was he doing? After what felt like an eternity, he finally found his fated rock.
"That''s one good rock. I like it." He nodded, satisfied.
"Senior, what''s special about this rock?" The puzzled Derek asked what everyone else was thinking. It was gray, big, and uneven¡.it was just a rock.
"What? You can''t see how magnificent this rock is?! Your brain is really rotten from thinking about swords all day!" Jack chuckled.
Was he trolling them? Were they simply all blind? Even Derek wasn''t sure!
"Someone fetch me a boar." Jack dered as if a king. He had inadvertently returned to his usual domineering attitude since he was in teaching mode.
The NPCs weren''t supposed to obey him, this was his test after all, yet one still ran to kite a giant boar over.
Giant Boar chasing a crying militia member? Check!
Jack Stealing the aggro by throwing a pebble? Check!
Still looking calm in the face of death? Check!
The Boar growled as the man who clearly didn''t fear it. It wouldn''t stand for the human''s provocations! It charged with so much momentum that the ground trembled!
Yet Jack didn''t even twitch, nor did he bother to take out his sword. The monster was almost upon him too!
"Careful!"
Jack gave a small smile. At thest possible second, he dodged. Many expected the Boar to collide with the rock and be stunned, but what happened almost felt magical.
There was a reason he had chosen this specific rock, this specific angle, and had dodged when he had.
The Boar collided with a crooked side. The inclination then caused it to fly upward as if a jump ramp! The poor Boar even did majestic flips in the air! What the heck?!
¡ª THUD! ¡ª
It fell to the ground heavily, creating a small crater. But as they saw its state, many couldn''t help but hold their breath. The creature was now flipped over on its back, clearly having a concussion.
What kind of insane hunting method was this?!
That''s when Jack approached the creature: he did it so casually, so damnzily, taking his time! He pped the Boar''s exposed underbelly, feeling the coarse yet silky fur.
"That''s how you hunt a boar." He simply dered. He hadn''t even attacked it once, and it was already as good as defeated!
After freezing for a second, they suddenly erupted in boisterous cheers. They were so loud that they woke the Boar up. It kicked its stumpy yet powerful legs, but it was stuck!
As they saw this, they went mad with joy.
"Wow, amazing!"
"Holy hell, he''s a one-man army!"
"Hehe, should we call him senior or god?!"
That''s when Derek suddenly gave a mischievous smile as he nced at the wide-eyed expedition leader.
"Say, didn''t someone say he''d let senior be in charge the day pigs flew?" He teased.
The man came back to his senses as he surprisingly nodded.
"You''re right. As a proud member of the Militia, I have to honor my word! From this point onward, you''re leading this hunt. Where shall we head now?" He so easily conceded.
"What, seriously, I was only joking?!" Derek gasped.
"Well, I wasn''t." The ex-leader shrugged.
Militia peeps were prideful and wouldn''t easily ept anyone lording over them. But at this moment, there wasn''t a singleint. Jack had won their respect!
Naturally, he wouldn''t refuse such a nice thing. He nced at them all before grinning:
"I see. Let''s bring things to the next level, shall we?"
They couldn''t help but gulp. Next level? There was another level?!
"Men, scatter around the area. I want one Boar each. Let''s fill the sky with flying pigs! From now on, this is a militia-exclusive technique!" He thundered.
Militia ¡ª> Kiting Duty
Jack ¡ª> Sky Launching Duty
Boars ¡ª> Genocide in Progress
yers Trying to Spy ¡ª> Driven away or killed by the Militia.
Sadly, all good things had toe to an end. He really would have loved 30 permanent ves but¡
[Congrattion! Completed the Hunt!]
[+200 XP, + Militia 150 Reputation!]
[Reached Level 21!]
"Wow, that was fast. We did it, everyone!" They all rejoiced as they nced at Jack with utter awe. This guy was destined for greatness!
The yers outside were peeved. Their respective factions had sent some to keep a tab on Jack, the Militia, or both.
Sadly, any time they tried toe closer the NPC would shout at them to leave. If they didn''tply the NPCs would bring a boar to trample their ass! Such a pitiful way to die!
They could only grind their teeth as they waited for them to be back. Whatever was happening in the in had to be major, right?!
But once it was over, many couldn''t help but gasp in shock and unease. They clearly remembered the Demon King following the NPCs¡why was he now leading?! Wasn''t this promotion a little quick?!
The spotlight on Jack also made them notice the man at his side. Sword Genius Derek?! This man was known to bully braves. Why did he seem so respectful now?!
At this moment, Derek couldn''t care one bit about the strange looks they were getting, even as they reached Sprigfield.
"You''re really not rted to my master? For real?!"
"Nope, not rted. I don''t particrly care about swords either. There are countless ways to win fights, and a sword is merely one." Jack exined.
"Senior, what you did back then was amazing! Say, could you teach me? Please! I swear I''ll be a good student!" He begged.
"Sorry, but I don''t teach geniuses," Jack remarked.
"W-what? Why?!" Derek asked in stupefaction.
"Think about it. When you teach a weakling, there is no downside. He fails, and people me the student''s poor talent. Then when he seeds, it''s especially satisfying."
"Satisfying?"
"Yep, nothing beats pping arrogant asses that think they rule the world." Jack chuckled.
"I understand! From now on, I''ll beat whoever calls me a genius. I''ll simply be an eager student!" He uttered.
"It''s not that easy. Besides, don''t you already have a teacher? White Eagle Something, right?" Jack chuckled at seeing his antics.
Many looked at him strangely. White Eagle Something?! He was a bona fide sword Legend!
Why did Derek even want the man to teach him? Still, it wasn''t umon for students to have teachers besides their master.
The random conversations slowly died down as the various NPCs and yers stared at the two, perking their ears up.
"No worry! When I became his student, he dered that I could quit his tutge if I ever found a master worthier than him! Please ept me as a student!" He bowed.
That''s when the whole ce froze. sphemous, this was sphemous! Had anyone else defamed the Legend, they would have pulled his tongue out¡.but Derek was his prot¨¦g¨¦!
"What makes you think that I''m better?" Jack asked what everyone wondered.
"He needs a sword to kill, but you don''t. I, Derek Singsword, hereby renounce my identity as a genius and White Eagle''s student. Please ept my bow, master!"
At this moment, the entire street awaited Jack''s answer.
Was this guy mad?! He could already picture how out of hand the rumors would get¡.goddamn!
"I¡."
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[A/N] Thoughts? xD
Chapter 234: Visiting A Small Shop
Chapter 234: Visiting A Small Shop
Jack nced at the valiant young swordsman now bowing before him. All bulging eyes were fixated on the two of them.
¡ª ept Derek as a student? ¡ª
+ New minion
+ Increased authority
+ Possibly increased Wealth
¨C Tensions with White Eagle something
¨C Efforts needed to teach him
¨C Rumors going wild
This sure was oneplex problem with near-infinite possible ramifications. He could already picture an angry sword mastering over toin about the disciple snatching.
Short-term benefit? Yes!
Possible catastrophe down the line? Perhaps
Long-term benefits? Only if he yed his cards right¡
The man on the ground didn''t twitch a muscle. Never had Jack seen someone kneel with such intensity: he was oozing the resolve to bow till the end of Infinite¡
"Tch¡ª Whatever, I''ll let you try out," Jack grumbled, the youngster raising his head with the purest joy there was.
"R-really?! I won''t disappoint you, Master!"
"Alright, let''s finish this test, shall we!" Jack thundered, bringing the spectators out of their stupors. What the heck had just happened?!
As soon as they reached the camp, they almost gave a heart attack to the militiamander. He knew his men, and he knew Derek.
"What?! You guys are following him?! WHAT?! You''re his disciple now?!!" That was his reaction. It only got worse when Derek corrected him.
"No, no. I haven''t earned that right just yet. I''m a prospective disciple for now, but I''ll gain true disciple status for sure!!" He heroically thundered.
At this moment, the poormander felt like the world was turning upside down. He had rejected Sir White Eagle for this?!! His face showed all kinds of hue the more he listened.
Still, as entertaining as his reactions were, Jack had official business with him.
"Sir, can we speak in private? It''s urgent." He requested, the shellshockedmander agreeing instantly. He too had so many questions!
The two headed into a military tent. Jack couldn''t help but give an approving nod as he spotted the noise-blocking runes. No one would eavesdrop here¡
"Commander, I fear theing days will be extremely harsh for Sprigfield. First, there''s the mana renewal, then damn macabres, and now even Bloody Chains are involved¡."
All the problems he had caused were perfect to "prove" his point. The more he spoke, the grimmer themander''s face became. He even grimaced at the mention of the vers.
"We live in dark times, but the Empire will forever remain! We''ll need strong men like you to help us defeat evil!" He spoke with passion.
"Exactly,mander! That''s why I have a favor to ask. Please let me establish a brigade to patrol the surrounding savagends and protect Sprigfield!"
"That''s impossible. There are rules established. I cannot just allocate soldiers to¡ª"
"I''ll use the Braves, Sir! I''ll convince them to help defend this great town! That''s how the militia started, didn''t it? Courageous men taking arms to defend their loved ones, right!"
The speechlessmander gazed into Jack''s eyes. At this moment, he saw a patriot ready to shed his own blood for themon good. He had to help such a pure and heroic soul!
"Alright, even as amander my power is limited, but I''ll do all I can. Recruit, no, soldier Jack, I hereby swear that we will defend this town!"
"Thank you, Sir!"
Jack shed a few manly tears of gratitude as they spoke about cooperation. The man would not break any rule for him, but he''d bend them where possible. His operations would gain legitimacy, and he''d get ess to some privileged information.
Jack left themander''s tent with a huge grin.
"Master, you''re back! How was the meeting? Do you need me to do anything?" Derek respectfully asked.
"Sure, wear this, with the hood. We''re going on an errand." He threw him an old brown tattered cloak.
At first, Derek was confused. What was up with that outfit? Were they going to do anything secretive? Seeing his puzzlement, his master chuckled.
"Get into the habit of disappearing as often as possible. Your enemies won''t ever know if you''re really gone or just messing with them." Jack enlightened him.
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Before long, two arrived at a newly constructed building, one that had a colorful yet dignified appearance. The whole ce seemed deserted with the passerby ignoring it.
< Resplendent Silk! >
They entered the shop, seeing colorful clothes all over. There were coats, shirts, and especially many cloaks, all of it exuding the scent of wealth.
A clerk instantly came to wee them.
"Hello, customers. Can I help¡ª"
But Jackpletely ignored the man and turned toward his new would-be disciple. "Say, what do you think of this ce?"
"It looks colorful? A bit too expensive, maybe?" Derekmented as he looked at a red scarf costing 10 gold.
"Customer, I can assure you that all our products are of the highest qual¡ª"
Jack spoke over the poor man once more, even gesturing him to remain mum.
"Their products are far too expensive for a town. Then why would they be here? Is the owner dumb? It could be a simple mistake, right?" Jack had a sly smile.
"Sir, good products naturally sell. You''re free to leave." The clerk said indifferently.
"Zero advertisements, zero change to the prices, and the clerk doesn''t seem too worried about theck of customers¡." Jack remarked before staring meaningfully at his student.
Derek understood that this was a test: the gaze made it obvious. He started racking his brain, trying to think like a merchant. This was so much harder than swordsmanship!
He couldn''t understand what was going on! Why weren''t they worried? Lacking customers was to a merchant whatcking a weapon was to a warrior! Yet they didn''t care?
The clerk was even shooing them away by now. Was he simply prideful? No, this wasn''t it. He really didn''t give a fuck about them! That''s when it finally hit him.
Jack grinned as he saw the look of realization on his student''s face.
"Did you figure it out?"
"They''re not real merchants! This whole ce is a cover-up, right!" Derek felt this was the only option. The clerk even seemed to twitch as he heard that. He had to be right!
"Nope, they''re 100% merchants." Jack chuckled, enjoying the look of horror on his student''s face as he thought he had failed the test. "But you''re right. This ce is a cover-up."
He turned toward the clerk:
"Please tell your Boss I''m here to discuss business."
"The Boss is a very busy man. I''m afraid he doesn''t have time for nobodies who¡ª"
"Oh, but I have an invitation, you see." Jack summoned a bag from his inventory, throwing it. It wobbled in the air beforending heavily on the counter, right next to the employee.
¡ª Thud! ¡ª
A red liquid dripped on the wood, staining it. There wasn''t much of it, but the smell was very telling. The iron scent of Blood!
As the clerk nced inside, he barely reacted. vers were used to gore since fear was a highly effective "taming" method.
All he did was subtly reach for a button under the counter while buying time. "Oh, I see. Well, if you have an invitation then¡ª"
"Master, I have a bad feeling about this. I think we should leave!" Derek urged.
"Why worry so much? Shouldn''t you be energetic and hopeful at your age?" Jack shrugged.
"Go go go!!!" Suddenly men came pouring out of the front and back door alike, filling the shop in a matter of seconds. They encircled them, blocking every possible exit path.
It was clear that they were all mighty warriors, none of them tailors for sure! They reeked of blood, violence, and rage, their enmity palpable.
As they invoked Bloody Chains, their true identity became clear. The atmosphere changed, from oppressive to simply unbearable. Killing intent, so much killing intent!
Even the valiant Derek turned pale. Those were not enemies they could take on. There were far too many of them!
He gripped his sword tighter, ready to carve a bloody path out or die trying. He was ready for¡ªsuddenly, he froze. What the heck was his new master doing?!
There were bad guys all over, yet Jack didn''t seem to care. He started tozily stroll in the little area they could still move in.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Eight seconds, it took you guys 8 seconds from the moment he pressed the button for you to show up. Is that really the best you can do?!" He shook his head.
They couldn''t help but nce at him strangely. Was this man mad?! Actually, he was only getting started¡
"You guys covered the windows and back door, but no one''s covering that chimney over there. Do you know how easy it would be to escape through it?"
A few vers unconsciously moved to guard it, with Jack giving them a small nod.
"As soon as you arrived, you instantly used your Bloody Chain ability. What''s the point? Are you trying to intimidate us? Please, you guys look like a group of BDSM enthusiasts!"
"Still, all that stuff can be forgiven. After all, you guys are just doing your jobs, right? The one I''m truly disappointed in is you!" Jack pointed at the clerk.
"I literally said I''m here to do business! What''s with this sausage fest?! Are you trying to make it hard for your Boss? Do you think I''m into that shit?!" He protested.
"The whole point of a panic button is to be used in time of emergency! Emergency! Are you so tired of working here? Are you trying to antagonize me so that I destroy the shop?"
The more he spoke, the more confused the vers became. The clerk couldn''t help but turn livid as he realized the implications:
1. This man perfectly knew who they were
2. He had known about the panic button and reinforcements
3. Even then, he had chosen to stay and was so damn calm!
The clerk suddenly realized that this whole situation seemed way above his pay grade. Seriously, who was this guy?!
Just as he was wondering, a hooded man sneaked in. As soon as the vers saw him, they all kneeled.
Jack grinned. It seemed the ver Boss had personallye¡
Chapter 235: Stable Boy!
Chapter 235: Stable Boy!
The Bloody Chains were a ruthless, unforgiving, and greedy bunch that would enve their own mothers for the right price. They were indubitably evil and the scourge of Infinite.
The disciple and master duo were now deep into enemy territory, guided by the mysterious ck hooded Boss.
The Blood Chains had an entire underground base to hide their activities. There were corridors upon corridors, many holding cells and members patrolling all over the ce.
What kind of terrifying horrors awaited them?! Derek had imagined plenty of scenarios but never what he was now witnessing. What the actual hell?!
An evilir would be dark, bloody, and filled with screams of anguish, right? Nope! They were in a cozy room, gently illuminated by luminescent orange crystals from the Eternal Mines.
Derek stood on the side while the two others sat in expensive-looking chairs, soft enough for their bodies to sink in. Between them was a small mahogany round table with doves carvings.
But what was truly strange was the ver Boss'' attitude. Wasn''t he way too rxed for a man who had been given the heads of his subordinates as an "invitation card"?!
Since the beginning, he hadn''t shown any hostility whatsoever! Even if he didn''t care about the dead, he should have hated the affront, right?!
"Here, my new friend, have some more wine. It''s not every day that I get such a remarkable visitor." The Boss graciously poured them both a drink.
"Hehe, mister wannabe-tailor, the pleasure is all mine. It''s not every day that I''m served such high-quality poison!" Jack praised.
"Haha, it''s only normal for you to be wary." The man drank a sip, proving that it was safe for consumption. "Now, let us toast to prosperity!"
"Here''s a toast to good wine ruined by poison!" Jack happily raised his cup, not touching the liquor. "Here''s another to irony! A scaly bastard who''s hunting magical races, hehe."
"?!?" How?!
"No need to y dumb." Jack chuckled.
"You know, most people assume "Old Snake" is just a moniker." The man sighed before lowering his hood. Derek couldn''t help but stare in shock.
Piercing yellow eyes, no nose, sharp teeth, and dark-green scales. A lizardman?! In Sprigfield?! Since when?! Wait, those guys were immune to some poisons, right?
"Still, how did you know? Not even my closest aides are aware of it." Old snake inquired, showing concern.
"Do gods exist? Do the livings crave? Do the dead regret? Do I know more than you can ever fathom? Let''s drink to that!" Jack grinned as he took a swig of the poisonous wine.
"Y-you! What are you doing?!" Old Snake uttered bbergasted. O_O
As he watched the human gulp it all, he couldn''t help but tremble. Was he tired of living?! This was an incredibly deadly poison that contained both toxins and Demonic Energy!
"Next time, it can do without the Necrombral Grass." Jack gently burped before dering as if a food critic.
This poison grew on cadavers in the swamp, only where the sun never shone. It was as deadly as easy to neutralize: the thing was vulnerable to bright light.
Had it been worth it to summon a small-scale fireball in his own mouth? Seeing the total confusion in the Lizardman''s eyes: heck yes, it had! So what if he had burned himself?!
Jack sure made one hell of an impression:
Emergency rm? Seen through!
Countless Minions? He freaking scolded them!
Bloody Chain''s Reputation? He was even more ruthless!
Old Snake Being a Scaly? He knew from the very damn beginning!
Deadly Poison? He not only recognized it but ended up drinking it casually!
It didn''t help that Old Snake wasn''t sure what had happened to his men even now. Everyone present on the scene had scattered quickly and stayed mum, fearing retribution.
There would 100% be rumors in a few days, but Jack was an incredible enigma for now. In fact, every single of his moves were meant to let Old Snake misunderstand even more:
He may have started ying with his militia emblem.
He may have shed the imperial seal, taking it out "totally by mistake".
He may have nonchntly summoned a random World-Devouring Chicken that seemed smarter than Old Snake''s subordinates.
He may have "casually" ordered Derek to send a letter to his master White Eagle (before he forgot). "Just write: this disciple is quitting to be a stable boy, take care and good day."
He sent so many contradicting signals that the scheming lizard found himself in a web of his own spections.
Jack was:
1. In the Militia?!
2. Linked to the Empire?!
3. Able to use necromancy?!
4. Didn''t care about an OP sword master?!
5. Seemingly omniscient and treating him like a cute junior.
6. Conclusion ¡ª> The poor lizard was going insane. Who the fuck was that guy?! Seriously!?
At this point, it felt like his entire life was a lie. "Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing here? Was this still the small and quiet Sprigfield Town?" He thought.
The poor lizard was having an existential crisis in the warm and cozy room. His scales trembled, and his eyes were filled with great distress.
[Congrattions! Caused mental Distress!]
[Made Old Snake question life itself!]
Mental defenses? All down! But would Jack stop there? Nope, now was the perfect time for a decisive blow!
"Little Lizard, you seem confused. Did you forget why you''re here?" Jack chuckled.
Old Snake suddenly felt his blood grow even colder. The man''s tone was so eerily strange. He suddenly had the feeling that he was an archaic demon eying his soul!
¡ª Jack used: Demon King Title! It''s super effective! ¡ª
"You''re here because I invited you over, all of you." The Demon King gave the little lizard a meaningful grin.
Invited all of them? Old Snake suddenly froze. Did this being¡ cause the mana renewal?! He did, didn''t he¡oh god! He forgot to breathe as the revtion sank in.
He wasn''t just a mysterious man. He was a goddamn cmity! Somehow such a being had shown up at his front door carrying the heads of his subordinates.
He could feel the shadow of death hovering above him, no, right in front of him. It was gently smiling while ying with a militia emblem.
That''s when he understood. This demon didn''t particrly have set ulterior motives. No, he was simply toying with them all: the Town, the Empire, the righteous, and the evil.
That''s why he could be so calm. No matter what happened, he would rejoice: it was all a game to him. This man was worse than evil: he was chaos incarnate!
"You''ve been silent for a while, little lizard. Are you drunk already?" Jack teased as a million thoughts shed through the lizardman''s head.
The ver Boss suddenly came back to his senses, his eyes flying over the man''s student. Wait, there was still hope! Without hesitating, he made hatchling eyes at the demon.
"S-sir, would you perhaps need another stable boy? I''m very good at taking care of mounts!" He bragged as he begged, his eyes filled with hope!
"¡."
"¡."
The master and student shared a perplexed nce.. Had they gone a bit too far with the letter? It wasn''t like Jack had ever nned to actually send it¡.
Chapter 236: Esteemed Demon King!
Chapter 236: Esteemed Demon King!
Jack couldn''t help but give a wry smile as the Little Lizard escorted them outside. Even under the heavy ck robe, he radiated so much pride, sticking his chest out!
Every time they encountered a patrol, there would be gasps. The two randoms were still alive?! This very fact was already very telling. How would they react had they known the truth?
Right now, the Little Lizard was bound to Bloody Chains. Breaking the restrictions would instantly alert the Big Shots at the Capital. Jack had to make the eager lizard promise not to do anything stupid.
He had looked at him with disappointed and confused eyes. What did it matter if they came looking for trouble? His new master could swat them all with a single hand!¡ª Or so the disillusioned lizard thought.
As he pictured Jack beating everyone in the Capital up, his eyes showed incredible fanaticism. Oh god, this could be dangerous! Jack had to do an urgent intervention to nip the problem in the bud!
"Listen, Little Lizard. Do you know what is the most important in a game? Bnce, it''s bnce! You can''t just summon people from the Capital, do you understand?!"
His master wanted to remain in the shadows? This was understandable: this would be the most fun!
"Ah, I see!" It was from that point onward that the Lizard started glowing with joy. He was one of the few in the know. How amazing was that?!
His little lizard skull was now filled with incredible new dreams. Before, he had wished to be a rich Big Shot in Bloody Chains, but now he had an even loftier goal.
He would be the best stable boy there ever was! He was confident in his taming abilities. Sure he had learned with humanoids, but this detail wouldn''t stop him!
As the lizard daydreamed about his glorious future, Derek couldn''t help but nce at his new teacher''s back. Who was he really?
They soon exited the Resplendent Silk, leaving behind an entire organization of vers highly confused. Why was their ruthless and scheming leader excitedly waving goodbye to the guests?!
The area was still empty, besides a few residents ncing at them curiously. Had someone actually visited that fancy shop?
"How was it? Pretty and dazzling?" A housewife giggled as she asked.
"Pretty fucking expensive, that''s what it was! Only ten gold for an essory, only?! This shit is more lucrative than highway robbery!" Jack thundered exaggeratedly, the NPC erupting inughter.
Before long, student and teacher were left alone. Derek seemed to have many questions.
"Go on, what is it?"
"Master, are you really the one that caused mana toe back?"
"Pfft¡ª What do you think? Haha, do I look that mighty to you? Well, I am indeed very handsome, so I can''t me you." He guffawed before adding.
"Let this be a lesson. Sometimes the less you say, the better. Hepletely misunderstood on his own while I barely exined anything."
"The militia emblem isn''t hard to obtain, the empire seal is basically useless, the chicken is a trick: it''s not real necromancy, and destroy that White Eagle letter ASAP!"
"As for the part about inviting everyone¡.well I did. I wished for it anyway, not that it did anything, haha! Do you understand now?"
"Kinda?"
"The Lizard fell into a mental trap of his own. The only question is how long he''ll remain confused. Still, this gives us a lot of time to use him and possibly convert him to our cause for real."
"Our cause?"
"Gentle world domination. One day I''ll be the strongest being in Infinite." Jack dered nonchntly.
He didn''t seem particrly heated about it. This wasn''t a dream but an objective that he nned to aplish.
"I''m sure you will, Master." Derek suddenly understood what had drawn him to him.
Every other would-be teacher had always acted the same. They promised him the world, making sure to boast about their respective sword techniques.
White Eagle had been the one who had finally managed to convince him toe under his tutge, simply because he had allowed him to leave anytime.
He had dedicated so many years to sword training, be quite good at it considering his young age, and had even grown arrogant. Yet this man had so quickly humbled him.
He had just turned the Sprigfield Bloody Chains branch leader into a follower and had made it seem easy! With him, he was sure he''d learn things he wouldn''t see anywhere else.
"You daydreaming or something?" Jack called the dazed Derek. The youngster gave a giant smile as he ran after him.
"Master, where are we going now?!"
"Where? Just conquering the entire town. Also, I never said I''d ept you as a disciple, just that I''d give you a chance. Also, I really don''t teach geniuses."
"Don''t worry, master! This disciple is dumb as a brick, has the emotional quotient of a banana, and pales inpared to your handsomeness! I''m no genius!" He shouted loudly.
Many NPCs and yers couldn''t help but shake their heads at the pair. What the heck was the man making his "disciple" do?!
"Psst¡ª He must be ckmailing him."
"How petty! This guy''s obviously jealous!"
"Should we report the crime to the militia?!"
Jack could only sigh as he heard the people gossiping. Did he really seem that narrow-minded? Also, why the hell would he be jealous?!
"No, I meant every word I said! Please don''t misunderstand!" Derek instantly cried out, ring at the offenders. Were they trying to screw with him?!
A few love-struckdies took it as a confirmation that he was being coerced. Without hesitating, they ran toward the militia camp. One even mentioned themander.
Pfft¡ª As if he''d do anything! How many would end up jailed for reckless ndering? No, more importantly, couldn''t he use that opportunity to recruit new pretty waitresses at a discount?
Derek suddenly shuddered as he saw his master nce at the youngdies. Why did it look like he was already scheming his revenge?! Luckily for them, he didn''t pursue the issue.
Instead, he guided them toward arge building.
< WC: Golden Axis Conglomerate >
Were they here as a client or to make more allies? Derek was looking forward to another learning experience when a sarcastic voice resounded.
"Everyone, the esteemed Demon King Asshole is gracing us with his presence! How nice!"
Chapter 237: Reporting! (1/2)
Chapter 237: Reporting! (1/2)
As the duo arrived at the WC association, the atmosphere was he tense!
"Everyone, the esteemed Demon King Asshole is gracing us with his presence! How nice!" A taunting voice echoed after a yer had recognized Jack.
Braves and NPCs alike were gathering around the entrance, staring daggers at him. They were far angrier than the Bloody Chains had ever been! What had he done this time?!
"Get out of here, you bastard!"
"This fucker''s the reason we''re all starving!"
"Do you know how much damage you''ve caused?!"
Starving? Damage? Many even took out their weapons: woodcutting axes. The angry woodcutters were already fighting the urges to hack him as if firewood.
The NPCs wouldn''t show such animosity without proof. Wait, did this mean they had linked the Macabre Deer to him?! He suddenly felt a chill. Oh god! This was he bad!
Confirmed Necromancer + Holy Church Coming Soon = Fate Worse Than Death!
"Hehe, just wait for your punishment! We''ve already sent a brother to report! The militia will investigate for sure! Retribution shall befall you if found guilty!" One happily thundered.
Wait, sent?! He could still intercept the message! Under the jeers of the crowd, the Demon King "ran away" with his tail between his legs¡.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Joe was a simple woodcutter or had been anyway. Could he still call himself one when they could barely venture into the forest?
A vile creature now resided in the Greenwood Forest. Every time he thought about it, he shuddered in fright and hate. How many good brothers had he lost to it? Too many!
He was now at the militia training camp. It was time to make things right! A militia member approached him:
"Hello there, civilians aren''t allowed on the premises. If you''re here for recruitment, just head toward that tent. For a request, head to the Mayor''s office."
"I''ve tried: the Mayor is busy! Please, tell yourmander that I bring urgent news. It concerns the very survival of the WC association!" Joe pleaded.
The soldier nodded solemnly before returning a few minutester. He shook his head, showing that it wouldn''t be possible.
"It seems themander is meeting the Mayor as we speak. You can either return there or wait here until hees back¡.Actually, there may be a third option¡ª"
"What is it?!" Joe asked with expectations.
"There will be a new militia brigade established! It''s led by a great man who¡." The soldier talked about the brigade leader with stars in his eyes: he obviously respected him!
The more Joe heard and the more excited he became. This great hero sounded amazing! Incredible strength, fantastic leadership qualities, and even Sword Genius Derek followed him?!
"That''s it! Please let me meet him, I beg of you!" He was certain that this man could help them! When the soldier agreed to send someone to get him, he felt the me of hope inside him!
Soon enough, someone rushed into the training camp. His face was red, he was out of breath, and his eyes were already swimming across the camp.
Then their eyes met. The man nced at the trusty axe on Joe''s side and headed toward him. Wait, behind him Derek was following!! Did this mean that he was the hero?!
Joe couldn''t help but feel touched. The man had rushed back to camp to help him, not caring one bit about appearances. That''s how he knew he was a good man!
The closer the hero came, and the more reassuring his smile became. In the man''s eye, Joe saw boundless benevolence and righteousness. He was perfect!
"Hello, citizen, I was told my help is required." Jack greeted the woodcutter NPC, one he was seeing for the first time. Derek left them alone, the NPC bing talkative.
"Sir, it''s like this¡." The man told his tale. He had such a way with words that a bard would have probably had a heart attack hearing him.
Still, Jack managed to get the gist of it.
"So one of you guys used the Great Lumber-Scouting Technique and just happened to witness this so-called Demon King turn an Invisible Deer into a Macabre?"
"Yes, Sir! He''s called Gilbert!"
"Since then, it has evolved and is now rampaging in the entire Greenwood Forest. You haven''t been able to work at all, correct?"
"Exactly, Sir!"
"Alright, I understand. Woodcutter Joe, there are now two options. Either we wait for themander toe back, no matter how long it takes, or I can personally deal with the issue."
"Sir, I''d be honored if you could help me!" Joe instantly cried out.
"Just know one thing. My methods are somewhat unconventional. The militia would usually organize arge manhunt, only for the target to get spooked and run."
"That can''t happen! The Demon King needs to pay for his crimes!"
"Precisely. If you entrust this task to me, the investigation will have to be low-key. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Sir!!!"
"Great. Now, I''ll have to meet the witness myself." The hero scribbled something on a piece of paper. "Here, give this to him. It is for his eyes alone."
"Sir, I don''t think he knows how to read¡." Joe rubbed his head, embarrassed.
"I know, don''t worry. Keep your lips tight, and before you know it, this Demon King and Deer problem will be resolved." The hero gave a warm smile.
"Yes, Sir! Thank you, Sir!" Joe bowed many times as he left.
His once heavy heart was now as light as a feather. They had just met, but he knew he could trust the great man. With him, Sprigfield would prosper for sure!
He couldn''t wait to tell his colleagues about it all! Wait, no¡they had no remain low-key. Joe was resolved not topromise the mission with his big fat mouth.
He stared at the tiny piece of paper in his hand.. He was dying to look at it, but he wouldn''t. This was their hope for revenge as well as their salvation¡
Chapter 238 Chill Meeting! (2/2)
Chapter 238 Chill Meeting! (2/2)
As soon as the woodcutter was gone, militia members approached with a mix of solemnity and curiosity.
"Sir, what did the man want? Should we prepare for battle?"
"There''s a Macabre Invisible Deer in the forest, and they can''t get lumber because of it." Jack replied with the militia members rolling their eyes.
"Pfft¡ª That''s it?! We''ve known about that for days already!"
"Greedy idiots, they just have to stay out of the forest and wait. Isn''t it easy?!"
"We''ll be the ones risking our lives out there! There''s no way we''ll rush into this and die pointlessly!"
They all unconsciously grimaced as they recalled their losses against the Macabre rat army. There was no way that they would be that careless again!
"Now, now. Don''t be too angry. They don''t mean any harm. They''re simply worried about making a living." Jack remarked as they whispered about him being a Saint.
If only they knew¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
It was a dark yet pleasant evening. Nothing seemed to threaten the peace of Sprigfield, and everyone was cutting loose except the farmers and loggers.
The Drunken Sailor was full of people enjoying themselves, their cups swaying along with the rhythm of the music.
?? Knock Knock on the Tavern''s Door! ??
"We love you, Hana! You''re the best!" Many shouted encouragements to the lead singer/dancer bunny girl. Apparently, she was something called an Idol, whatever that was.
The atmosphere was electric, the spectators making the entire tavern tremble as they jumped in excitement. But, the situation was far different in the VIP section in the back.
A knight drank alone in silence, pondering about his rising fame. Without intending to, he now somehow had many identities:
1. Jack the yer
2. The Big Boss of the Tavern
3. The leader of the new militia brigade.
4. The Demon King, hated by rival factions and WC.
There were plenty of rumors about him, but gossip was so unreliable that not many knew that all those identities belonged to him. If he made an effort, tricking the NPCs shouldn''t be too hard¡
¡ª ng! ¡ª
A door in the back suddenly opened as a man was let inside by the Tavern Owner. A nervous and slightly suspicious lumberjack entered the room.
As he nced at the knight, he couldn''t help but feel that his outfit was strange. His entire body was covered in heavy-looking te armor, his face hidden by a helmet.
"You came, take a seat. Gilbert, right?" Jack weed him, the manplying. Gilbert frowned at the wine bottle on the table, perplexed.
"Sir, why the secrecy? Can''t the militia just¡ª"
¡ª m!¡ª
"Do you understand how dangerous a Necromancer really is?! What if he goes into hiding andes back with an army? Will you take responsibility?!" The knight thundered.
"Ah?!"
"If we screw this up, Sprigfield could very well be destroyed! Do you understand?!"
"I-I do, Sir¡"
"Sigh¡ª It''s fine. I can''t me you for your ignorance. Now, the most important here is information. I need to know everything about this Necromancer!"
"I understand! Here''s what happened¡." The more he talked, the more Jack realized how much of a threat he was.
1. The man had seen his face in detail through his scouting spell.
2. He had once seen the one the Braves called The Demon King from afar.
3. He couldn''t be 100% sure, but the two seemed awfully simr. The Demon King was the Necromancer.
"I see. We''ll have to apprehend him, but it won''t be that easy. We''ll have to secure magical tools to prevent illusions and the likes first. We don''t want him changing his face."
"Ah, he''d do that?!"
"Don''t underestimate a mage''s resourcefulness. Now, on the militia side, it will look like we''ve dismissed theint while I work in the shadows. Have you told anyone about our meeting? "
"No, Sir! I haven''t!"
"Good, this is good. We don''t want to spook him. Here, let''s toast to the prosperity of Sprigfield and to a sessful hunt!" Jack handed the man a drink.
"Thank you, Sir, but I don''t drink." He refused, already getting up and ready to leave.
"Wait, onest thing. Your life might be in danger as we speak. I think you should stay here for the night while Iplete thest preparations."
"Danger? But he doesn''t know¡ª"
"Some Necromancers have automatic defenses in ce. People spying on them are automatically cursed, and it can lead to death in the worst-case scenario."
"I feel fine and¡ª"
"Of course, you feel fine! When we lost brothers to the Macabres, they too felt fine right before dying! I''m not saying this for your sake either. This kind of thing can spread too."
"W-what, it can?!" The man started shaking.
"Yes, is there anyone you''ve been in contact with often during the previous days?" Jack solemnly asked.
"Y-yes, my daughter! What should I do?!" He turned livid.
"Take a deep breath. Everything will be fine. There''s a crude but effective method to get rid of the curse." Jack reassured.
"What is it?!"
"Can you hear? This ce overflows with life and positivity. Staying here for a little while will work wonders. Do you understand why I asked to meet here, now?"
"Yes, Sir! I thought we''d need a priest¡." The man remarked, still shaken.
"Don''t underestimate the intuition of a mage. The enemy is probably watching the chapels already. You''ll get rid of one curse only to receive a few more."
"I see!"
"Now, where is this daughter of yours? I''ll personally see to her safety and bring her here!" Jack assured as the man quickly shared the info.
Jack nodded, downing his wine cup and waving goodbye.
"I''ll be back soon. Before Ie back, make sure you calm down. Right now, fear is stered on your face. You don''t want your daughter to see you like this, do you?"
On that note, he left. The man remained alone in the silent room.
He could finally understand what Joe had meant. This man really was a hero, one that was as righteous as wise. The Necromancer wouldn''t stand a chance!
He probably knew from the start that he''d need wine to calm down, right? While smiling, he downed his cup. He instantly felt a cold in his stomach that calmed him immediately.
But then the cold turned from a chill to a blizzard. What?! He felt all heat leave his body until there was none left. It calmed him so well, that it sent him straight to the afterlife.
Even as he died, he still trusted the man...
Chapter 239 Going Back to New Leaf!
Chapter 239 Going Back to New Leaf!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
As time went by, most yers left the Tutorial. Vige after vige teleported to towns just like Sprigfield. But even amidst all of them, one particrly stood out.
New Leaf+ was unique, so unique that some would remake their characters until they spawned in it while others avoided it like the gue. It was bing infamous!
In a manor, a particr "Pudding Thief" was now rooming with her old friend. She was seeking refuge from her family marrying her off to a wealthy but abusive wealthy magnate.
"Hey, Bubblegum,e watch this! It''s a documentary about your beloved New Leaf!" She excitedly called out.
"Documentary? What kind? I finally have time to log in, so I might as well just go back¡." Her reliable and beautiful friend grumbled but came nheless.
It was yet another Pancakes Video as his goofy self appeared on camera. But for some reason, he was wearing a serious-looking monk outfit while appearing solemn.
Without even weing the viewers, he started preaching¡
"Today is about Envy. My friends, do not let Envy control you. It is a poison that will wither your soul and leave you with a bottomless void¡."
"Do not despair even if you are not part of the chosen ones, for there is still hope to illuminate the darkness¡."
- LoveMenInUniforms: This monk robe looks neat. Where can I buy one for Halloween?
- TruthGospell: He actually sounds legit. Still, it''s totally about to turn ridiculous...
- IGetMyNewsOnPornBUB: Envy? Wanna bet he''s about to brag?
"Now, everyone, remember. It is not that your vige suck. It''s just that New Leaf is too freaking sick! Oh god, you won''t believe how awesome it''s be recently, hahaha!"
"Are you guys ready? If you''re easily tempted, throw your screen away ASAP before envy consumes you!!" He screamed thest part.
- ItsiBitsyWeed: Throwing my phone away right now!
- AyeAyeCaptain: Throwing my PC and television out the window!
- FollowsInstructions: Guys, I''m watching this in a movie theater¡. How am I supposed toply?!
They joked around, but all stayed as an unknown man appeared on the screen.
"Hello, everyone. I''m called Professional House Tour, and this is New Leaf+ Vige. Now, without further ado, wee to my crib!"
A vige visit, was it? There were many skeptics¡
- ConfusionOfHighestOrder: How''s this different from the Wee to New Leaf official video?
- PotatoPatato: Meh, it''s all the same, right? Did this Pancakes dude run out of content? Lol
- ProfessionalDoubter: He''s praising New Leaf so much, but the yers there are so slow to graduate from the Tutorial. A snail could put on a VR helmet and be faster!
But a few secondster, the doubters started regretting having sent thosements. What the heck was this?! Was this still a vige?!
There were buildings, way too many buildings! Most were crude, but it was still so noticeable! After all, the beginner viges were supposed to be all built the same!
"As you guys can see, we expended a bit. The Chief has agreed to let us develop ever since we repelled that Devil Invasion." He casually mentioned. Devil Invasion?!! WTF?!
Then there were the people themselves. How was it that they all had emblems?! It was either a wolf or a sword, but both had been drawn to appear powerful!
"Here in New Leaf, you''re either a member of D.L. or I.R.L. no other faction can get a footing. After all, none can match the benefits of the giants!"
Then there was the in. Where were the basic old chickens?! There were nts and chickens both glowing a holy radiant light! Then at the edge, shadow creatures roamed.
"In New Leaf, one doesn''t need to leave the ins to train. There are mobs of all levels, from 2 to 15. It''s pretty sweet when you''re trying to power-level and hone your skills."
At this point, the watchers'' astonishment was through the roof.
- Won''tBeShocked: What the hell?! Level 15?! That''s as high as some of the strongest factions!
- NoShitBatdude: No wonder they are slow to leave the Tutorial! Why would they?! While others leave it at level 10, they can stay there till 15+?!
- SmallReminder: Don''t forget that they also have that Chicken Undead Dungeon, the one that''s finally spawning for the other viges too. Let me tell you: it''s goddamn unbeatable!
"Let''s continue, shall we? Training is one thing, but we also know how to have fun in New Leaf! Let''s check out some of the cool spots!"
They thought they had seen some crazy shit before, but it was nothingpared to what was toe. It wasn''t just crazy¡it was pure madness!
1. Chicken Arena
Chickens, Holy chickens, and soon skeletal chickens?! Every contestant had its backstory and motivations exining why it fought.
In the center of the arena was aplete wrestling ring, with the bouncy ropes and all. This allowed the feathery creatures to fly all over the ce, showing their moves.
The man only showed a slight preview, but it made the viewers want more.
- RAWRFan: Who the hell taught wrestling moves to chickens?! That Superkick was absolutely phenomenal, so was the Flying Wingbow, the Cluckdriver, the ¡.
2. Shadow Tavern
There happened a drinking contest from Hell! The yers had to chug non-stop while surviving the attacks of various monsters. Thest stage was with the level 15 shadows!
The contestants were so drunk that they would dare one another to do dumb stuff. "Hehe, I bet you can''t touch that wolf''s tail!" Of course, a massacre pretty much always happened.
- JackassLover: Wait, the audience is shouting dares at them. I wanna make a request too!
3. The Anger Games
This was a series of challenges that were either straight-up PVP orpetitive PVE. The whole D.L. VS I.R.L. war had long turned into an entertaining event for both sides.
Each wanted to destroy their opponents, but it would pretty much always end up as a tie. It was almost as if fate itself didn''t want to let this grudge stop!
- WellHungSchr: Guys¡. Am I insane, or were the challenges carefully designed to make them stronger?! This is no game. It''s training!
4. POF: Piranha Official Fishing
One old fisherman pretty much lived by the river in the Wolf Den. He''d spend days and nights fishing tirelessly, soon attracting the attention of both factions.
Many started copying him in their free time and enjoyed the activity. Somehow it had soon turned into an official New Leaf activity.
- FishingFTW: This seems nice¡.
The Professional House Tour guy was finally done showing them the ce.
"That sums it up. Those are the coolest things to do in New Leaf. Oh, right, we have actual promotional signs. Here''s one, for instance!" He pointed.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[Wee to New Leaf+: Check out our cool stuff!]
:information:
Family-Friendly Entertainment: Chicken Arena.
Raunchy and Bloody Show: Shadow Tavern
Blood Boiling/Instructive: Anger Games
Rxing: Piranha Official fishing
*PS: Live Streaming Avable!*
*PS: Betting Avable!*
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
The screen froze on the sign for a few seconds before turning back to the smiling Pancakes.
"Now, my friends, remember not to feel too envious. After all, being too jelly could lead to vomiting blood, skin turning fuchsia, and genitals falling off. Have a great day!"
As the screen turned dark, many remained bbergasted for a solid minute before a flurry ofments was sent.
- RealDoctor: Real Doctor here, and I can confirm. Those are all totally urate
- GambledMyWaifuAway: Holy crap! Where the fuck is New Leaf?! How do I get there?! Quick, it''s urgent! At least tell me how to watch the streams!!!
- PositivelyScared: They did all that in the beginner viger?! It''s only been a few weeks since the start of the game too! What will happen in a month?! Space travel?!
There were so manyments that it was hard to keep track of them all. Twodies couldn''t help but stare at their screens in wonder.
"Sorry. By dragging you in my problems, I made you miss many things, didn''t I?" The "Pudding Thief" gave a small apology.
"Don''t worry. Friends should support one another." Bubblegum reassured as she decisively headed to her VR helmet.
She had been away from the game for far too long¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
As Bubblegum examined her surroundings, she smiled. Even with all the changes, New Leaf was still New Leaf. The very air felt familiar, and so were the people.
Still, it sure had grown a lot. Before, there had been about a thousand yers in here, and now there were at least twice those numbers. New yers arrived, but no one desired to leave.
"Oh my god, there''s a revenant!!!" A loud voice suddenly echoed, a few members of D.L. already making their way toward her.
"Everyone, the Queen is Back!" One yfully shouted. Still, there was respect in his tone.
"Don''t mess around! Call her the Unholy Pink One!" A cultist shouted.
As usual, this ce sure was lively! She could already hear the whispers. Some wondered who she was, others informed the Newbies, and a few I.R.L. members frowned at her sight.
"Hey, you guys. It has been a while indeed. Do you know where CPR Dude is?" He would be the best one to bring her up to speed.
"Yes,dy, follow me!" It barely took a second before she had guides eager to show the way.
They would sometimes nce at her, a smile on their faces. They couldn''t wait to see the reaction of their burly and grumpy leader.
Before long, she was led to the cksmith''s forge. She entered alone, mischievously sneaking her way in. CPR dude was there, guiding the NPC into forging what appeared to be a glorious chicken te mail.
She came close and¡
"Boo!"
"What the hell?! Who''s ¡ª Ah, you''re back!!!" He went from surprise to surprise as he finally noticed her.
"Yep. It seems you''ve done a good job in Jack''s absence. The vige is still standing after all." She praised.
"Where the hell were you?! Then again, I guess it doesn''t matter. Anyway, I''m sending you Jack''s number but don''t share it."
"Number?!"
"Yeah, phone number, what else? Don''t tell me you believed that NPC Bullshit?" He grinned, showing a teasing smile.
Like he was one to talk! How shameless! He had been the one to spearhead that theory from the very start! It seems she had been right. Jack was either a GM or a Dev¡.
"Ah, but make sure you don''t tell anyone. We still have the whole ''he might be an NPC'' rumor going around, you know."
"Rumor?"
"You know the D.L. cult? Well, they''ve managed to convince people that he''s actually a True God in Infinite. Let''s just say our recruitment has been going well since then."
"Alright. Thanks for the info."
"Oh right, we''re about to leave this ce. You''reing, right? Don''t worry about your level. Ever since the Devil Invasion, it''s way easier to catch up for skilled yers." He reassured.
"Pfft¡ª No need to worry about me. Give me a day, and you''ll be left in the dust." She joked¡and yet there was truth to her words.
It was time to get serious about Infinite, and it was also time to send a text message. Why did the second one seem much harder? Or should she call him directly? Who knows¡
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[A/N] Fighting a Boss VS sending a text message. What''s harder? xD
I feel like some might enjoy this chapter, I could be wrong tho...
Chapter 240 Eternal Mines!
Chapter 240 Eternal Mines!
In a tiny tavern room sat two individuals: the sword genius Derek and the one known as the Demon King. They were currently facing each other in a heavy silence.
"Master, did you kill him?" The disciple frowned as he finally asked.
"What do you think?" Jack gave a mysterious smile.
"Why?!" He seemed more perplexed than angry.
The youngster had managed to piece the rumors together to draw a picture of the whole incident.
Woodcutter ¡ª> Talks shit about Jack
Woodcutter''s Friend ¡ª> Asks for help from the military
Only witness to a potential crime ¡ª> Mysteriously disappears
"Are you familiar with the concept of subjective truth?" Instead of replying, Jack asked another question of his own.
"?!?"
"What he "saw" was me turning into a Deer into a Macabre. Truthfully, the whole thing was a coincidence as I was simply trying to kill it. Wrong ce, wrong time."
"Then why not just exin that?!"
"The Holy Church ising and they do not care. Even a coincidental connection is enough for a guilty verdict. I fear not what they will do to me, but what they will do to others¡."
The man sighed as he nodded. Still, there was one thing that he couldn''t understand.
"Won''t they guess your involvement in this matter?!"
"Perhaps some will have doubts. But without proof, there will only remain the objective truth that I saved the Town from a Macabre rat army¡."
¡¥\_(¥Ä)_/¡¥
"I did hear about that¡."
"Anyway, pack your bags. We''re leaving for the Eternal Mines." Derek''s face twisted just hearing the name. "Just see it as an opportunity to better your skills."
In fact, they were going there to find a lich¡
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The cave before them seemed as if the dark maw of a giant creature. Eternal Mines: metals, crystals, and dangers!
The burly group of miners chuckled as they saw the face of the youngster journeying with them. Sword Genius? Pfft¡ª He was freaking shaking!
"Hehe, are you scared, tiny metal waving guy? You should learn from your master!" One of them remarked.
The members assembled were part of MTG, and one could only describe them as recklessly brave. They journeyed in the most dangerous areas and prided themselves in it!
They had a saying: "FF wants peace, WC wants money, but we want adventure! Our hearts are valiant and our fists mighty!" They were the life-skill equivalent of the adventurers.
"Grab your torches and grasp your picks! We''re going in!" The expedition leader, Gorat, led the way forward courageously.
"Grabbing my dick, Boss!" One yfully replied as they all followed, heading underground in the mine shaft. It was dark, stuffy, oppressive, and he confusing!
There were more tunnels in here than hairs on a gori''s chest, and yet they hadn''t brought any map. They knew this ce like the back of their hand, after all.
Gorat suddenly stopped the march, pointing toward a silver sh.
"Iron?" Derek whispered.
The miners all gave mocking smiles. As if any would remain so close to the exit! All ore deposits nearby had long since been mined!
"You take care of it." Jack handed a pickaxe to his disciple, pushing him forward.
The miners shook their heads as they saw the way he gripped his new weapon. Those fancy sword peeps didn''t even know how to hold a pick properly! Still, he had to learn.
Swords in Eternal Mines = Useless!
Derek came closer and swung at what looked like an iron vein with all his strength. That''s when the monster awoke!
< Iron-Devouring Snake Lv 25! :link:>
It had a long scaly silver body, one incredibly sturdy. The creature sprung toward Derek as his pickaxe met it in mid-air, striking it right on the scales!
¡ª ng! ¡ª
Sadly the attackcked power. The youngster had to roll out of the way before he got devoured. Those creatures wouldn''t mind feeding on the Iron in one''s blood.
What happened next was an incredibly pathetic disy.
Derek had identified the creature''s weak spots and was targeting them, but he just couldn''t seem to deal any damage!
He kept rolling on the rocky floor until his entire body was battered. While he was getting his ass handed over, the miners simply keptughing their asses off.
"You need to swing, boy!"
"This kid really likes rolling, doesn''t he?"
"Hehe, the trick is to use something called muscles!"
After what probably felt like an eternity for the fighter, Jack finally stepped in. "Watch and learn." He chuckled.
Step 1: Take the aggro
Step 2: Roll around like a dumbass
Step 3: ?
Step 4: Profit
At first, the miners were confused. Why was he just rolling? Why wasn''t he attacking? Even when he did, he kept missing too!
But then they were he confused when the creature suddenly died by itself. One second it was happily slithering all over the ce, and then it was dead!
"What happened?!"
"Did he use magic?!"
"He barely ever attacked!"
Only one man amongst them understood instantly. Goratughed heartily, seeing his colleagues'' reaction.
"Look at the walls and the ground." He hinted.
That''s when Derek finally understood. Holy hell! Jack had used the terrain to kill the beast. There were rock spikes all over, either natural or from pickaxe strikes.
But it was easier said than done. The spikes had to collide directly with the snake''s weaker scales for any damage to be done!
This method was actually way harder than killing the creature with a pickaxe. He had shown this for his sake, to make him understand howcking his movements were!
Derek suddenly felt a burst of pride erupt in his heart! He was so lucky!
Had Jack done this for his student? Nope. Miners were men that only two things could impress: mining technique and battle prowess. The whole show was for their sake.
They gathered around him with awe in their eyes as they observed the corpse. There were still rock fragments stuck in its body. This single kill had turned them all into allies.
On the side, Gorat wryly smiled as he noticed his true purpose but didn''t object either.
"Alright, let''s keep going! Why are you all staring so much? If you want a creature that likes shiny metal lying on its belly, get a wife!" He bellowed.
Afterward, the atmosphere turned incredibly friendly. The two neers were no outsiders anymore. As such, the miners spoke without restraint.
They advised on how to handle a pick.
They gave information about the best ces to mine.
They shared all their knowledge about the various dangers.
All this stuff felt familiar to Jack, but he definitely had needed a reminder. The key takeaway was this:
Danger ¡ª> Proportional to Value: Iron $ , Crystals $$, Gems $$$
The deeper one went, the more valuable the resources and the more dangerous it was.
Iron was used to forge all kinds of weapons, armors, and tools. The demand for it was huge, and it would be sent to the nearby Timber City as Sprigfieldcked good cksmiths.
Crystals were useful in their raw form to illuminate the darkness or could be processed to store magic. It was either kept domestically or sold to the Tower representative.
Gems were the true jackpot¡if one could grab it alive. They contained mana and were precious not only because of their power but also because of their rarity.
"Pretty much everything valuable gets sent to Timber City or Lumbering Metropolis. It sucks, but that''s how life is." A miner remarked while shaking his head.
"Meh, politics. Still, why should we care? We''re miners, so we''ll mine. No need to worry about theplicated stuff!" Another added.
As expected, the production means were kept away from the exploitation areas. This way, Sprigfield would have no choice but to sell cheaply to the nobles/merchants.
All of that was a refresher for Jack, but it was entirely different for Derek.
Perhaps it was because he was from the capital, but he had always felt proud of his swordsman status. But, suddenly being thrust into this world caused him to doubt himself.
Noble Swordsman? Bullshit, here his sword was worthless!
Simple Miners? The more he heard them speak, the more he realized howplex the whole thing truly was.
Swordsman > Miners? Before, he would have undoubtedly sworn that being a warrior was worth more than mindlessly swinging a pickaxe. Only now did he realize his foolishness¡
He couldn''t help but nce at his master in awe of his wisdom.
"Master, thank you for bringing me here." He gratefully whispered.
"A reality check is always good from time to time." Jack nonchntly replied.
Inwardly, however, Jack wasughing his ass off. He was here for his purpose, but it wasn''t bad if the youngster misunderstood some more.
They reached their objective after a few hours of navigating the darkness with the asional skirmish. They were confronted with plenty of silver shes as they turned a corner!
"Is that real Iron?" Derek asked suspiciously.
"Pfft¡ª Will you ask that every time you see Iron from now on?"
"Hehe, can''t me the kid since all he''s seen so far are Iron Snakes."
Gorat suddenly stopped them fromughing as he exined to the youngster:
"No need to worry, MTG just scouted this ce a few days ago, and it''s all Iron. Plus, Snakes are only immobile when no metal is nearby, and they never travel in suchrge groups."
"I see¡"
"Anyway, as per our agreement, you guys are free to explore the surroundings. But, keep in mind that we''re leaving in three days, with or without you. You should stay here instead." Gorat advised.
Sadly, Jack had already made up his mind. He headed to a tunnel that went far deeper into the Eternal Mines with onest wave, Derek following behind.
The sighs of the miners apanied their departure:
"Those two sure were nice fes."
"Shame we won''t meet again."
"They''re dead men walking."
"Everyone dies eventually¡."
Chapter 241 Eternal Unrest!
Chapter 241 Eternal Unrest!
Two men ran in a dark tunnel as quickly as possible. But no matter the effort, the rumbling behind them kept getting louder!
¡ª RUMBLE! ¡ª
"What the hell is that, Master?!" Derek cried out.
"What is it, you ask? Death! Freaking Death! Either we find a cave, or we''re utterly screwed, so keep running!"
It had all started when Derek had touched a strange orange rock on a strange altar in a boring tunnel. There had been a statue of a man with 12 arms, each equipped with a pickaxe.
[Great Job! Found an Altar!]
[Bringer of Chaos Activating!]
-[The Altar of DYG is revitalized by the mana!]
[DYG, the mining deity, has blessed you!]
[Increase in mining speed +100%]
[Damage versus Rock-Type +100%]
This part had been the honeymoon period. Derek had even swung his pick excitedly, noticing a small increase in his performance. But, then trouble hade crashing!
[EVENT: The Blessing Attracted Nearby Monsters!]
[Prepare your armies: it''s time to fight!]
[Congrattions, you fucked up!]
Armies?! Fucked up?! That''s when things had turned to Hell, and now they could only run.
The creatures on their heels created a rock dust cloud as they chased after them. What were they even doing here?!
Jack quickly realized that at this rate, they would get eaten. It wasn''t too big a deal for him, but it sure was for the NPC! "Go on ahead. I''ll catch up!" He ordered.
"No way! This student will never abandon you no matter what!" The youngster heroically thundered. There wasn''t the slightest hesitation in his voice, did the kid care that much about him?!
"Now''s not the time for filial piety! Just save yourself!" Jack shouted back, touched.
He expected Derek to bite his lips and begrudgingly obey in a scene worthy of a ssical tragedy¡.nope. While they were running, he scratched his head awkwardly.
"I would, but I don''t know the way to the surface!" Derek cried out.
"¡.."
Emotional scene? Nope.
Staying out of duty? No way!
Derek knew that he would die in a matter of minutes without a guide. He would much rather be torn to pieces fighting here than to perish in a maze of underground tunnels.
But suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"Master, look ahead! There''s an opening!" Without waiting, he grabbed Jack by the cor, dragging him along. After all, his stats were higher!
If they could hold out for a bit longer, they would be saved!
Jack felt himself seemingly float as he was carried as a potato sack. This gave him a first-row view of the creatures going after them.
Long teeth, sharp ws that could slice through rock as if butter, andrge beady eyes filled with red.
"Eat this!" Jack angrily threw treasures their way: Meat, pumpkins, and even some lovely home-cooked meals from Pumpkin Girl!
Yet the barbaric creatures didn''t care as it all smashed on them. Their fur was full of food, rock fragments, various metals, and plenty of bones¡ª soon it would be their bones¡
"Faster!!" Jack bellowed.
"That''s as fast as a swordsman gets." The youngster suddenly regretted never focusing on his movement techniques! Still, he kept pushing his body to its very limits.
Sadly it wasn''t enough. The approaching swarm of creatures got closer and closer¡.until the cloud dust swallowed the two.
As death hovered over them, they made eye contact.
"I''ll throw you forward. Get ready." Jack ordered. He may not have been fast, but he was strong. It would be easy for him! He''d sacrifice a bit of XP and loot to save his follower.
"?!?"
"You need to reach the high ground to survive. Don''t move too much, and I''lle and get you ASAP! Do you understand?" Jack exined.
Derek felt this n would work, but there was an issue. Jack may be an immortal Brave, but the consequences would still be dire if he perished: the mission would fail!
After lots of pestering, his Master had finally told him about the Lich hunt. This evil threatened not only Sprigfield but the whole Empire!
Derek made his choice:
"Take care of yourself, Master¡.and live well." His smile was ever so peaceful.
"Y-you?! What are you doing?!" Jack uttered.
"If you gain a medal of honor for the Lich subjugation, please mention me as a great stable boy!" Derek chuckled.
That''s when he threw Jack forward with all his strength.
Motherfucker! Why the freaking suicide all of a sudden?! He had grinded affinity with this NPC! As if he''d let him die under his watch!
Derek suddenly felt that something was odd. He had already made the motion to throw Jack, yet the man was still holding on to him?
That''s when it happened.
Jack let out the most sonorous fart of all time!¡ª Or that''s what it sounded like! Wind magic suddenly sted from him, pushing them both toward safety.
Wind Affinity + Mana + Madman = THIS!
¡ª Jack used a chaotic wind st! ¡ª
It was super effective!¡ª Mostly against himself. They were pushed alright, but at what cost? A high one!
His body broke down, and so did his ability to use mana. What he had done was akin to mixing mentos and c inside his own belly and using the power to run away!
His skin was bleeding, seemingly cracked from the burst of energy, and he had trouble holding onto his consciousness.
[?!?]
[Analyzing!]
[Created New Skill: Self-Destruct!]
[Afflicted by Mana Explosion Burn!]
"MASTER?!!" Derek held the limp body of his Master,pletely shocked. Jack couldn''t even muster the strength to talk. His fate would rest in his apprentice''s hands.
Luckily Derek quickly regained his senses. "High ground, high ground!" He mumbled as he observed their new surroundings. That''s when Jack sumbed to the darkness¡
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As Jack''s eyes fluttered open, he was instantly assaulted by an eager shout.
"Master, you''re alive! I thought I''d lost you!" Derek happily chippered. "While you were out¡ª"
The scene spoke for itself: they were in a cave, with their temporary dwelling in the air and hugging a stctite. On the groundy countless corpses.
There were tons of their earlier opponents: the Rock-Cleaving Moles, plenty of Iron-Devouring Snakes, and a few Giant Bats. Derek sure had fought hard for their survival!
Still, the very presence of the Rock-Cleaving moles was concerning. They usually lived in Deep Rock Canyon. Was the blessing enough to draw them in? Not from so far away!
This meant that something big had happened at the Canyon, most probably a special Field Boss appearing, or perhaps some event with one of the races there? He''d have to check¡
"How long was I out?" Jack murmured.
"Long enough to scare me!" He eximed before turning serious. "Master, I think something is wrong with this whole ce. It''s been quaking ever¡ª"
¡ª SHAKE! ¡ª
As if on cue, the entire cave shook, causing rocks to fall off the ceiling. A few almostnded on their heads, but Derek parried them all¡.with his pickaxe?! Seeing the wear on the thing, he had used it a LOT!
Did this mean an Event was happening here too? He still remembered his "Bringer of Chaos" title activating back at the altar.
Right now, he felt like a blind man trying to cross the street. He had no freaking clue what was happening! It didn''t follow the script, and this was so goddamn exhrating!
"Do you know what the tremors mean, disciple?" Jack asked with a grin.
"We''re getting closer to the Lich, right?"
"It means Chaos!" Jack thundered. "As for whether a Lich causes it or not, we''ll have to investigate." He exined, deep in thoughts.
The ce was now crawling with monsters, and they had most likely missed the deadline for then meeting with MTG. They were on their own¡
"Master, should we retreat and get reinforcements?"
"Eh, it''s one thing to cry wolf, but we don''t even know what we''re truly facing¡." Jack sighed. Sadly he didn''t have the power to mobilize an army with his gut feeling.
The two carefully resumed their exploration.
They resolved to use their current cave as a temporary base. It seemed Derek had grown wiser while he was out, if not stronger. He now knew to drive species against one another to kill them.
He would cut the bats'' wings, baiting the Rock-Cleaving Moles into trying this new delicacy. It was a new culinary experience for the moles as they somehow hated heights.
Then the moles would draw the Iron-Devouring Snakes who tried to eat the ore stuck in the creatures'' fur. This, in turn, enraged all of them.
Bats Vs. Moles Vs. Snakes
The fights were messy but would serve their purpose: to weaken them all. Then the humans would swagger in and finish them all. KS FTW! The XP was nerfed, but whatever¡
Good thing that he had grown because Jack was currently unable to use his magic. Every time he circted his mana, he''d break into a cold sweat and swallow a cry of pain.
If there was one good thing about the situation, it had to be the barbecue! They didn''t dare to light a fire long lest the air ran out and a monster army came, but still.
"Bats are pretty good, aren''t they? No wonder the moles are trying so hard to eat them!"
Thus they established a routine of exploring, killing, and eating. There was a crazy surreal feeling to the whole thing, especially with the darkness surrounding them.
During such a meal, Jack sighed as he finally concluded.
"There''s nothing out of the ordinary here except that one DYG statue, and even that is a dead end. I''ll have to leave the Iron area and head to the Crystal one."
"WHAT?! Have you gone insane, Master?!"
"Perhaps¡." Jack replied, smiling.
Chapter 242 Crystals, Lots of Crystals!
Chapter 242 Crystals, Lots of Crystals!
In the darkness of the Eternal mines, the sound of a pickaxe striking metal echoed over and over.
¡ª ng!¡ª
¡ª ng! ng! ¡ª
¡ª ng! ng! ng!¡ª
¡ª Thud!¡ª
The Demon King''s student had defeated yet another group of monsters. Jack''s knowledge had made Derek the bane of these creatures.
The "Sword Genius" barely ever touched his sword anymore. He only used his pickaxe. He used it so much that it was about to shatter from the wear.
He showed incredible courage, so much that Jack actually couldn''t get rid of him even if he tried.
"I''ll stay by your side, Master. I may not be immortal like you, I may not be wise either, but I won''t let you struggle alone!" His foolish student had dered.
Jack wasn''t sure whether to be proud or facepalm. What was up with that level of devotion?! Had he raised affinity that much?!
"Fine, let''s journey back to the meeting spot and leave a message for the MTG''s scouts. Then we can head deeper."
As Jack led the way, he could feel his disciple''s shiny eyes resting on his back. Somehow, just navigating a maze was enough to impress him.
But as they arrived, they realized the mining squad had never left this ce.
It was a scene of carnage, with skeletons all over the ce, many in pieces. But there was no Iron to be seen, either extracted or in the ground. The cause of their deaths was obvious: Iron-Devouring Snakes.
"M-master, back then those were all Iron-Devouring Snakes, right?!" Derek shuddered as he recalled. All the Iron they had seen had been creaturesying in ambush?!
"Let this be a lesson. The miners'' familiarity with the creatures has been their demise, making them overconfident. Do not make the same mistake." Jack remarked.
He could almost picture the changes in his pupil in real-time: + 10 humility, + 20 trust!
Jack had quickly scribbled what had happened with a bold: PLEASE SEND REINFORCEMENTS! It was a long shot, but it was better than nothing.
Still, this didn''t change the issue that they needed more information. Even if an MTG army came here, they wouldn''t follow him in the abyss without any reason.
Thus their quest resumed, one filled with the sound of mining.
¡ª ng! ng! ng! ¡ª
Killing individual monsters was easy. The hard part was evading the swarms. Luckily, Jack could still leave Demonic Energy Marks even in his currently weakened state.
He left them everywhere, allowing him not only to navigate the mines but also to warn them whenever a swarm wasing. The marks would be destroyed, and he would know.
That''s how they headed deeper and deeper until the environment changed. The darkness was no more as the surroundings became bathed in a soft orange glow.
More and more shiny crystals started appearing.
"It''s so pretty!" Derek''s eyes glowed at the sight.
He had seen plenty of magical crystals in his life but never raw like this. It was the difference between seeing wood and seeing a bountiful green forest. It felt way different!
"Also, very deadly. Look over there." Jack whispered as he pointed.
It appeared to only be a crystal, just like the others. Derek observed it more and more yet couldn''t find a difference. What was it?!
Jack simply waited by the side, showing incredible patience. After a few minutes of silence, Derek finally jumped in shock.
"The patterns?!"
"Indeed."
There was only one way to know that this was actually a monster disguised as a crystal: the way the resource had spawned. All clusters in the tunnel had three crystals, but this one had 4!
For what felt like the thousandth time in the mines, Derek shivered. Had his Master not been there, he would have most likely perished to a sneak attack!
"Alright, this one is impossible to avoid. You''ll have to fight it. Here''s how¡ª" Jack briefed his disciple so well that he was in awe again.
Jack appeared confident and rxed, but he knew that this very moment would determine their fate.
Could Derek fight the creature? Logically¡no.
Was a miracle possible? Perhaps.
His so-called sword genius title only meant that he had potential with the sword. Would this apply to a pickaxe? Probably not. Did potential equal current strength? Also no!
"Wish me luck, master!" He charged forward, his pickaxe streaking mightily in the air.
¡ª CLANG! ¡ª
The hit was heavy and instantly revealed therge crystal for what it was!
< Hardy Crystal Elemental! Lv 35! :small_orange_diamond:>
This thing was both simple and incredibly hard to handle. The ssic hit-it till it dies applied as usual, but chances were that anyone actually trying this would perish!
The creature swung a powerful crystal arm toward Derek, almost ttening him entirely. The man dodged, but the shockwaves were enough to make him grimace.
¡ª BAM!¡ª
Luckily, he had trained a lot in the previous days! Derek instantly counterattacked, striking the creature head-on and sessfully¡chipping a small corner of it. That was it!
The hardy in its name wasn''t for show. Even if it didn''t move one bit, it would still take an eternity to kill. Sadly, it was far from immobile!
¡ª m! m! m! ¡ª
The creature was relentless: elementals did not know exhaustion. Seeing it fight, it was clear that this one was a Tier 2 creature.
Tier 1 ¡ª> Iron Area
Tier 2 ¡ª> Crystal Area
Tier 3 ¡ª> Gem Area
Every hunting field near Sprigfield actually had something simr. Going from one tier to the other was harsh, very harsh! It was simply his first time venturing that deeply.
For now, Jack stayed behind as he cheered.
"Careful, it''s about to use its AoE m!! GTFO!" He suddenly screamed.
Derek''s face twisted as he ran out as quickly as he could. A secondter, the creature''s powerful strike sent orange shockwaves all around.
Anyone touching it would be stunned! Except for a few special life-saving measures, anyone hit by that would die for sure!
"Thank you, Master!" Derek heaved a sigh of relief.
"Tch¡ª Focus. Don''t just target the enemy." Jack rebuked.
Derek nodded as he went back in. However, this time he targeted the surrounding crystals, shattering them to pieces as quickly as possible. Jack happily collected the fragments.
Anyone not in the know would have cried seeing such a scene. Destroying the crystals would reduce their value tenfold!
Whole ¡ª> 50 Gold
Shattered ¡ª> 5 Gold
But gathering them whole was only a pipe dream. As soon as the creature''s HP went down, it would devour the surrounding crystals to heal.
It truly was a perverse monster for many reasons:
1. Near imprable armor.
2. Requires a pickaxe to damage it effectively.
3. AoE ability: extremely effective at melee range.
4. High passive regeneration when out ofbat + crystal devouring healing.
Only an Epic miner or a Mythical Adventurer could efficiently dispatch such an enemy. Needless to say, anyone that strong wouldn''t bother with crystals.
Derek clearly was not having a good time. He would barely avoid the ms, ones that would have instantly defeated him. He spent every second of the fight in a near-death state.
"Goddammit! I won''t die here!!" He thundered as he fought.
The current him looked pretty pitiful, with cuts and bruises from the aftershocks. He was half-naked, his clothes aplete mess. But so what if he was suffering hardships?!
His Master was counting on him, observing his performance! This, along with the challenge, made his blood boil.
He had the feeling of oveing an unbeatable enemy. So what if it took thousands of strikes, ten thousand strikes even? He would crush this elemental!!!
After an eternity, he finally managed to destroy¡the outeryer of the creature''s armor! At this rate, he would¡ª
"SHARDS!!!" Jack suddenly shouted, both of them throwing themselves on the ground. As the crystalyer shattered, tons of shards were sent flying!
¡ª Bang! Bang! Bang! ¡ª
The projectiles flew right above their heads, puncturing deep holes in the rock. Had they not been lying t on the ground, their bodies would have been destroyed!
Derek got up while sweating, facing the creature that was charging at him once again. The fight resumed andsted longer than an eternity, but the human finally prevailed.
Derek grabbed the remnants of the creature, offering the crystals to his Master. "Thank you for your guidance, Master!" Jack had barely said three sentences during the fight, but each had saved his life.
Jack nodded happily, knowing his disciple could face an elemental alone. The two proceeded deeper, and soon this earlier fight would be remembered as a joke.
What was worse than a Hardy Crystal Elemental? Two, or even three! Derek turnedpletely white the first time they encountered a group of them.
But even then, Jack didn''t lose his calm. He even reassured his disciple:
"You can fight one, right? Then do so. I''ll take care of the others." He stated. How reliable was that!
Derek would fight 1 v 1 while his Master kited the others. Never had he seen such marvelous use of a shield!
Jack would block and use the enemies'' attacks to propel himself toward the walls and ceiling, bouncing all over. He wasn''t even fast. He was just at the right ce at the right time!
How long did they spend fighting crystal elementals? So long that both lost track of time. They also lost track of how many they had defeated. All they knew was that at some point, a new enemy had appeared:
< Resilient Crystal Knight! Lv 40! :small_orange_diamond:>
This one almost killed them many times over. It was an elite monster that had speed, power, cunning and was nearly as resistant as the elementals.
But what truly made them strong was their swordsmanship. They would surprise careless mine delvers by suddenly showing technique!¡ª Or that''s how it was supposed to be.
"Swordsmanship! It''s swordsmanship!" Instead of despairing, Derek rejoiced. Finally, he was back in his element!
He fought the creature in a sword duel, with Jack stalking in the back, his pickaxe ready. Whenever there was an opening, he would smash!
¡ª ng! ¡ª
As the knight shattered, they both smiled contentedly, especially Jack.
[Congrattions! Defeated Elite Crystal Enemy!]
[Detected Blessing from DYG! Bonus!]
[Special Reward: Crystal Pickaxe!]
[Level up! Reached Level 23!]
The XP sure was great!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Rare Crystal Pickaxe! :small_orange_diamond:
Rank E+
IF Mining E
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
[Attack] 10-12
[Speed] Slow
[Range] Melee
[Durability] Very High
[Passive] + Mining!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Damn! This thing had 50% more damage than the level 20-ish Leaf whip! It was about twice the damage of his Cluckinator too! (Even with the passive)
There was only one issue. Even after fighting so many monsters, his mining skill was only at the F+ Rank. He wouldn''t be able to use it just yet.
Derek couldn''t help but stare in shock as he saw his Master draw a crystal pickaxe out of the remains of the knight. Where the hell had ite from?! #Just Brave Things.
"Master, what is this?!"
"Providence from the gods. This seems to be a gift from DYG." He nonchntly replied, Derek already moring about a miracle.
Thus they kept going, still searching for any sign of a lich, but none to be found. But, they did find something noteworthy, or rather it found them!
¡ª RAWR!!! ¡ª
< Tenacious Crystal Pseudo-Dragon! Lv 45! :small_orange_diamond:>
"RUUNNNN!!!!"
Chapter 243 Mastermind Behind It All?!
Chapter 243 Mastermind Behind It All?!
Jack and his disciple ran with all they had, seemingly chased by a goddamn sun! They missed so much the soft orange glow bathing their surroundings.
As soon as they had entered the cave, there had been way too many crystals, crystals freaking everywhere!
Then the giant crystal lizard had risen, its malevolent topaz eyesnding directly on them. The creature had no expression, but it had felt like it was grinning.
< Tenacious Crystal Pseudo-Dragon! Lv 45! :small_orange_diamond:>
Invaders? They had chosen the wrong cave!
It would take them apart and adorn itsir with their skulls! Heck, in some corners there were skeletons encased in amber!
Fighting a Dragon? How about no! At that moment, the ever calm Jack had lost his cool.
"RUUNNNN!!!!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs.
As the behemoth chased, the earth trembled under its weight. The only thing they could do was escape toward the smaller tunnels!
As they finally reached a tighter area, Derek heaved a sigh of relief, only for Jack to drag him away. "Fool, don''t stop!"
¡ª CRASH! ¡ª
Physical obstacle? What''s that? Dragons don''t give a flying scale about that!
With a mighty roar, the magical creature smashed the rock to pieces. It was like a goddamn earthquake followed them!
If only that was all¡As the dragon roared, Jack turned solemn.
¡ª RAWR! ¡ª
"Dig, a hole now!!!" Jack bellowed.
"Yes, Master!"
¡ª ng! ng! ¡ª
Derek hurriedly dug, with Jack pushing both of them in the new hole. Sealing the opening with his shield, he grumbled: "Brace yourself."
That''s when the tunnel was engulfed by scintiting orange energy. It covered everything, seeping toward them. Suddenly the two of them felt their bodies stiffen.
As a swordsman, Derek instantly noticed his hands. They were freaking turning to amber?! Oh god! He nced at his master sorrowfully, for it seemed it was the end¡
But just as he was despairing, the sound of hope resounded.
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª
Jack didn''t have the energy to summon his army of skeleton chickens, so how?! Wait¡the shield itself seemed to be calling out?! No, it wasn''t just the shield!
Suddenly he summoned the Cluckinator, putting it forth ¡ª Bzzzttt!¡ª The de and shield started vibrating so hard that Jack had to use everything in his power to hold it all!
He grinned. That''s why Epic weapons were the best! The effect was very minimal, but now the pride of the once-great Chicken Overlord was protecting him!
It wasn''t about strength but about resilience. It had barely given him the edge he needed to survive. Only¡.this victory had a cost: the two items had begun turning to amber!
"Time to go!!" Jack barked once more, the duo running away while the dragon was recuperating from its failed skill.
Had they even remotely tried fighting this beast, they would have 100% died. Had they been a few secondste, they would have died too.
When they finally reentered the Iron Area, the both of them erupted in tears of joy. This only intensified when an Iron-Devouring Snake slithered their way. They were so happy to see it!
The snake eagerly approached for a meal but then suddenly froze. The way their eyes shone at its sleek silver scales terrified the poor creature. Without waiting¡ it fled!
"?!?" Derek was obviously puzzled.
Had they cowered, it would have definitely attacked, but the heated gazes mixed with a faint aura of dragon magic did the trick!
Suddenly Jack couldn''t help but grin.
"Say, disciple, have you ever seen the sea?"
"Never, Master. Why?"
"What about a sea of monsters?"
"Yes? We were chased earlier and¡ª Oh god, no! Are you serious?!" The disciple had finally realized what his master meant.
This was insanity!!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
A group of 40 stern men walked in the darkness while grasping their pickaxes tightly. The atmosphere was gloomy: when was thest time MTG had suffered such heavy casualties?!
What they feared wasn''t the pack of Iron-Devouring Snakes but the changes they represented. Their very presence made it clear that the mines had been drastically transformed!
What had once been their yground had suddenly turned into an unknown death trap. Oh, and the humans feared the unknown so damn much for a good reason: it was dangerous!
They progressed methodically, casting magic on their way over ¡ª Blessed Mine Shaft!¡ª It would increase the allies'' performance slightly as long as it wasn''t dispelled.
Suddenly the man at the front stopped urgently.
"There they are!" He grumbled as he pointed to the Iron-Devouring snakes lying in ambush. But, there was something wrong: there were 60 of them, not 40!!!
"What?! There''s even more than back then?!" The man known as Gorat stepped forward, his jaw ck in shock. What kind of increase rate was that?!
They all wordlessly prepared themselves for a great battle. They would face the monsters and reim their mines! They were just about to engage when a scout in front suddenly turned pale.
"Wait, can you hear it?!" He eximed.
For a few seconds, no one heard anything. But as they waited, the sound only became stronger and stronger. Then they were soon able to identify it¡.only to be even more confused!
In the deadly Eternal mines¡.a diabolical and sonorous cackle echoed. It seemed toe from the depth of Hell itself and made the miners turn weak in the knees.
Chills invaded their trembling bodies as they got ready to face this incredible evil. Was the being approaching the one responsible for everything that was happening?!
They were on high alert¡but they weren''t ready for what appeared!
A being casually walked over, one who seemed to be human at first nce. However, the demonic wildugh and his nonchnt demeanor proved otherwise.
The being headed straight for the Snakes as theyy in ambush! As soon as he confidently stepped in their midsts, the creatures awakened, took one nce at him, and¡.ran!
The miners loudly gulped as they witnessed this scene. Monsters running away without a fight?! How was this possible?!
"Identify yourself! Who are you!!" The MTG group leader shouted, his voice shaking very subtly.
They expected a cavernous voice, they expected a demonic one, they expected many things¡but not this: "Sup, guys. How you doing? Took you long enough."
The tone was yful, friendly, and even had hints of familiarity. Was he ying with them?! They all unconsciously took a step backward¡all but one. Gorat stepped forward instead.
"It''s you! How are you still alive?! Wait, what about¡ª Ah, he''s right behind you!" The man eximed in utter surprise.
That''s when they finally noticed Derek. They had been so focused on Jack that they had missed him! He hadn''t especially been hiding. He had simply been in his master''s shadow for protection.
Jack came forward to dispel the misunderstanding. What?! This guy was an ally?! They quickly went from scared, to confused, to relieved, to feeling silly¡.only to end up utterly terrified the more he spoke.
"Dragon?!"
"Are you serious?!"
"This is bad! Are the mines lost?!"
As soon as they heard the details about the dragon, their shoulders slumped downward. But then their leader, Brehart, stepped forward as he roared.
"Are you done shaking! If there is a threat, we''ll crush it!" Brehart bellowed as he radiated incredible power. This show of strength was enough to reassure the shaking miners.
¡ª Sigh! ¡ª
"This won''t work. A Crystal Dragon has inner armor. Without a certain degree of power, ying it will be impossible." Jack shook his head.
The miners could only lower their heads in disappointment. This hunting party was already the best that MTG could muster at the moment. That meant they were screwed¡.
"Hehehe, it seems you know nothing of Brehart the Explosive Miner then!" Their leader suddenly chuckled. Heughed as he suddenly swung his pickaxe toward a nearby wall.
The expected ¡ªng!¡ª came. But what happened next even had Jack''s eyes widen in astonishment.
¡ª BOOM! ¡ª
¡ª BOOM! ¡ª
¡ª BOOM! ¡ª
What the fuck?! It had suddenly exploded! Rocks shrapnels flew all over, a dust cloud rose and the entire ce trembled!
Did this random NPC have a legendary ss or something?! Was it a treasure? What the heck was he relying on?! Also, how was there someone low-key OP in the party?!
At this moment, he suddenly felt jealous of the NPC. This looked so damn cool! Of course, he had seen simr stuff in the past, but to see it at this level felt insane!
"How about it? Is that powerful enough? Now, how about you show us the way toward this dragon of yours." The explosive miner grinned confidently.
"Sure, but only if you allow me to lead the raid." Jack requested. This NPC had to be level 40+. Would he simply ept such a request?
"No way! You may have made a strong entrance, but you can''t fool me. You were simply bluffing with borrowed power!" Brehart revealed what he had just understood.
"You im I have been bluffing?" Jack chuckled.
"Yes! It''s not your power that scared the Snakes, but the dragon''s scent on your body. You''re actually very weak!"
"Exactly, I''m very, very weak, you see. Hence why I should lead." Jack gave a wry but meaningful smile as he gazed at the man.
Many couldn''t help but be perplexed. What kind of reverse bragging was this?! Many were confused about his purpose. They were even more confused a few secondster.
"Fine, my men will follow your orders." Brehart simply announced with Jack smiling. The miners looked at one another, perplexed. What the heck had just happened?!
Luckily, Gorat was there to exin.
"What''s more impressive? A powerful hero surviving a face-to-face with a dragon or a powerless viger doing the same?" They gasped in realization. Just surviving had proved his worth!
They all departed, following this mysterious man and his disciple. Jack was about to face the dragon again, but this time he had brought an army...
Chapter 244 Crystal Dragon!! (1/2)
Chapter 244 Crystal Dragon!! (1/2)
¡ª ng! ng! ng! ¡ª
"Go back to sleep like a proper crystal, sit!" The MTG miners screamed as they fought the many Crystal Elementals and Knights.
The entire tunnel was filled with the sound of fighting, Jack ordering the group in the back. "I want more Crystal Enemies! This ain''t enough to mimic the power of a dragon yet!!!"
[New Quest: Lead the Miners to Defeat the Dragon!]
[Reputation in Sprigfield Depends on Results!]
The NPC miner army he wasmandeering was quite unique. As such, he had to train them!
Cons:
- Theycked properbat discipline.
- They frankly sucked at dodging
- They couldn''t respawn
Pros:
+ They were friendly toward him
+ Their attack power was good
+ They treasured their lives
yers would have long rebelled and charged at the Dragon, eager to give it a try. They were different and were in no hurry tomit suicide.
Derek was working extra hard in their midst. He was always at the forefront, showing the most devotion. Jack grinned. He could use that:
"Really, you guys?! You''re getting out-mined by the swordsman? Pfft¡ª What happened to the MTG being the mightiest?!" He teased them¡.and it worked! They had their pride!!
"Power is one thing, but dying to deliver 100% damage is worthless. You''re better off doing 20% damage and surviving. Keep this in mind!!" He reminded them.
Brehart on the side couldn''t help but stare in shock at the hyped miners. Jack had turned them into relentless crystal-destroying machines by making it a challenge!
Under his tutge, they quickly grew. The once rtively stationary miners suddenly looked as if ninjas. They''d jump from one side to the other, even using enemies as cover!
"That''s it, that''s it! Keep it up! Let''s try with a few dozen elementals now!! Derek can handle it, can you? " He kept raising the stakes over and over under the guise ofpetition.
They lost all sense of time: all that remained were the crystal enemies! They all seemed in a trance, their eyes glowing with battle fury.
But at some point, Jack started pping.
¡ª p! p! ¡ª
That''s when they finally regained their senses. They looked at the scene of destruction around them in disbelief. They had done this?! There were crystal fragments everywhere!
They suddenly felt a burst of pride erupt from their hearts. Many grinned, picturing how well they''d be able to do in a brawl! Obviously, Jack was there to shatter their dreams:
"Good job, but don''t get cocky! Deathes to the overconfident faster than a cat to catnip!" He reminded. "Now, are you all ready to march to battle? We got a lizard to crush!"
Lizard?! They couldn''t help but smile as they nced at this odd teacher. Only he would dare utter such crap with a straight face!
[Teaching Skill Rank UP!]
[Congrattions, Leadership Increased!]
[The MTG Miners Look Up to You! For now¡]
The keywords were "For Now". A single wipe would be enough to lose their favor. Still, at this point he had done all he could. He had carefully chosen the techniques to teach them.
Now was time to fight¡.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
The Dragon had been slumbering in its cave when the humans intruded once again. The malevolent creature''s eyes instantly locked on Jack: it recognized him!
It rose, showcasing its bulky solid physique. It then raised a maw full of countless sharp crystal fangs as it powerfully roared.
¡ª RAWR! ¡ª
Just its sight alone made the miner shake like crazy. Were they supposed to fight this behemoth?! This was beyond the human realm!
Brehart was about to encourage them, but Jack made the first move as he stepped right in front of the creature!
"I''m back, you big chunky boy! I gotta say, your ce really sucks! What the hell is with this decoration?! Crystals, crystals everywhere! Then again, it fits an ugly bitch like you!"
"Tch¡ª You''re quite the shameless thing, aren''t you! Strolling around the ce naked and even screaming at guests. Tsk, tsk, my mother would have long whooped your ass!"
The miners stared at the scene,pletely baffled. What the heck was he doing?! It was so silly, and yet he looked so damn serious!
"He''s right! Where is the ale? Tch¡ª Talk about a stingy host!" Derek''s voice echoed.
"Hey, don''t be too hard on it. This Dragon is obviously poor: it doesn''t even own furniture!" Gorat remarked, understanding what Jack meant to do.
The miners suddenly found themselvesughing, all fear long forgotten. What should have been a show of might to instill despair had somehow turned into a Roast the Dragon!
Even if the Dragon didn''t understand the insults, it still pissed it off. The weak fleshy creatures dared to challenge its supremacy!!
< Tenacious Crystal Pseudo-Dragon! Lv 45! :small_orange_diamond:>
The fight began, and the miners instantly realized why Jack had made them train. The elementals had an AoE ability¡.but it was nothingpared to this beast!
Every single of its stomps would send shockwaves all around. It was no exaggeration to say the beast''s little toe was as strong as a level 35 elemental!
It didn''t help that its armor was so goddamn sturdy! It felt like they were trying to crush a steel beam with a marshmallow! Thus it was free to attack non-stop!
Every time someone dodged an attack, they would inwardly thank Jack. It soon became clear that the monster did not fear them one bit. Oh, this would freaking change!
"Brehart, I choose you!" Jack screamed in the back.
The miner approached, the Dragon not especially reacting. After all, humans looked kinda the same¡all except that asshole in the back.
Brehart swung his pickaxe toward the creature''s ws. They all held their breaths as they awaited the magical moment. Then the pick finally collided heavily with the amber.
¡ª ng! ¡ª
¡ª BOOM! ¡ª
¡ª BOOM! ¡ª
¡ª BOOM! ¡ª
The explosion was goddamn glorious! It made the walls tremble, the floor shake, and the creature shriek in pain. In its glowing orange eyes, there was momentary confusion.
What the hell had just happened?! For an instant, it even thought it was a cave-in. But then one of its ws fell right off!
¡ª Shatter! ¡ª
The miners instantly erupted in cheers. They had seemingly forgotten that they were facing an incredibly powerful and fearsome dragon.
"Take this, you big orange bully!"
"Get mined! Don''t freaking look down on MTG!"
"Hey, guys, how about we bring its head back to the association!"
Jack could only sigh. They were a little too happy.
"Focus, you bastards! The true fight is starting now. If any of you die stupidly, I''m gonna piss on your graves and steal your wives!"
They stilled, suddenly remembered the creature they were facing. The look of the Dragon had just changed. Its aloof yful arrogance had been reced by fury.
¡ª RAWR!! ¡ª
"Breath attack! Mine to safety!!!" Jack screamed at the top of his lungs.
They would use a simr tactic to what he had done. They swung their pickaxes like crazy, creating an instant trench, everyone diving in it for cover.
That''s when Gorat got to work. He recited a very quick prayer: "Oh mighty DYG, please create a temporary respite for us. Let us rest in this cave and drive the pests away!"
His entire body shone with brilliant light as a small darkish-orange barrier appeared above their heads. Was this thing powerful? Not really. It couldn''t even block Iron-Devouring Snakes.
The Dragon''s breath filled the entire cave with a brilliant orange light. This would turn everything into crystal! It engulfed the barrier¡and barely did anything!
Jack waited exactly 2.8 seconds¡
"Get back out, hurry! Beat up the big fake lizard!!"
Under hismand, they all shouted in unison, shattering the barrier and going on the offensive. After the breath came an instant of weakness: it was their time to shine!
Barely anyone noticed, but Gorat was still in the trench, his entire body shaking. He had sensed the energy contained in thest attack clearly.
Jack had taught him to change the element of his barrier from a sturdy Iron barrier to a "flimsier" crystalline one. Had he not done so, they would all have perished right there!
¡ª ng! ng! ng! ¡ª
The rhythmic sound of pickaxes striking crystal echoed in the cave. The miners could finally truly believe in a path to victory. They just had to follow the all-knowing Jack!
Everything was going so well, a little too well¡
"Get away!!" Jack suddenly screamed.
Chapter 245 Crystal Dragon!! (2/2)
Chapter 245 Crystal Dragon!! (2/2)
"Get away!!" Jack suddenly screamed.
Most retreated instantly, but a few were half a secondte. A nearby crystal suddenly came to life: an elemental! Its shockwave ability stunned five miners.
That''s when another crystal came to life too, a knight this time! It charged at the CC ed miners, skewering them one after the other!
"Noooo! Screw you, crystal swordsman!" Seeing their friends in dire straits, six miners went forward to help them.
It barely took them a second to destroy the knight with theirbined forces! They smiled at the four survivors, only to hear Jack shouting at them non-stop, "Run!"
¡ª SPIN! SLASH! ¡ª
The Crystal dragon rotated its body, iling its sharp de-like tail around. Every single miner near its body was bisected, a look of surprise on their faces.
Just like that, they had lost a fourth of their troops!
The moment the Dragon''s minions struck was no coincidence. It was right as the recoil from its breath attack was ending. They had misjudged the situation.
"All of you, you better freaking follow my orders from now on!" Jack rebuked.
Their back became drenched in a cold sweat. It''s only at that moment that they realized how much his training and directives had saved them!
"Y-yes!!"
But even then, oveing a dragon wouldn''t be so easy. Between its breath attack, its minions, and its AoE attacks, it was a nightmare! It was also improving!
At one point, it even used an army-ending attack. As the creature''s entire body started glowing, even Jack frowned.
"There is no escaping from this. Everyone for themselves, don''t die." He solemnly stated.
¡ª PIERCE!! ¡ª
Pointy and sharp crystals started erupting all over the ce. Countless crystal spears were targeting all of their vitals. It was as if the whole cave hade alive and wanted them dead.
¡ª Block! ¡ª
Jack used his shield to the best of its capacities. While he''d never be able to block any direct attack from the Dragon, he could handle this much.
[Shield Mastery leveled up!]
[+5% Defense When Blocking!]
But even if he was doing fine, the same couldn''t be said for the others. Panicked screams and anguished wails echoed all around. Then it finally came to a halt¡
Out of the initial 40 of them, there remained only 16. Maimed corpsesid all over the ce, many crushed beyond recognition.
"T-this is a dragon¡." A shivering Gorat murmured.
"It killed so many of them." A blemished random miner remarked crestfallen.
The morale was at an all-time low. The Dragon grinned as it saw their state. It would finally get its revenge on the pesky humans for battering its heavenly body!
Sadly, that one annoying human was there once again to screw everything up.
"Tch¡ª I thought MTG had courage! Guess I was mistaken. Perhaps I should havee here with WC or FF instead." Jack spat out.
"Bullshit, those pricks are¡ª" One instinctively protested, only toe to his senses. Right, why were they so scared? They were miners!
May it be sudden cave-ins or monsters, they were ustomed to death. So what if many had died?! They would take the head of the Dragon!
"Men, ready your picks! Cowards, get out of my sight! Kill this bitch and return peace to the mines!!!" Brehart shouted.
"CHARGGEEE!!!"
At this moment, the Dragon felt a strange emotion for the very first time in its life. Why was its body shaking? It suddenly felt the temptation to dig a hole and hide in it.
What was wrong with these humans?! They were so hard to kill and didn''t care even if they perished!
Thus resumed an intense fight that would forever mark MTG''s History!
Brehart spearheaded their offensive.
Derek helped the others coordinate.
The miners fought relentlessly.
Gorat was on anti-breath duty.
Jack led from the very back.
Their numbers dwindled more and more until there remained only 7 of them. But every sacrifice came with a price, and the Dragon''s body now looked like swiss cheese.
"Mine this ugly lizard!" Jack shouted, and they answered.
Mine they did, mine they sure freaking did! The crystal dragon finally shattered into a thousand pieces with onest wail. The humans all fell,pletely exhausted.
"W-we¡we did it?!!!" The remaining miners looked at one another, bbergasted.
"Of course! After all, my master was the one leading!" Derek thundered with pride, pointing at the seemingly absent-minded Jack.
[Destroyed Crystal Dragon!]
[Gained Tremendous MTG Reputation!]
[Acquired Crystal Dragon Loot Box! Congrattions!]
[Acquired Dragon-yer Title! +25% Dmg vs Dragons]
[Complete Quest Investigate Eternal Mines Disturbance? Y/N?]
Jack suddenly froze. Was the system trolling, or was there more to this quest?
He frowned as he sneakily nced at the surroundings. That''s when he finally noticed it: a small silver spider was watching them in the corner.
He had to force himself to appear calm. He knew what this thing meant. Fucking hell! Compared to this tiny spider, a crystal dragon was nothing.
The others were all jubnt, rejoicing at this great victory. They had lost many colleagues, but they would forever be remembered as heroes!
But suddenly, they noticed Jack frowning by the side. He rose and started to pace up and down, restless. Was he sorrowful from losing many brothers?
Any othermander would have celebrated, even stuffing his pockets with the loot, but he was different. How noble! At this moment, they felt so touched. He was truly worth following!
Gorat went to him, patting his shoulder.
"They would have died eventually. We survived thanks to you. You should be proud." He smiled so warmly. But, the touching scene was suddenly interrupted by Jack screaming.
"ACK! Spider!!!" His shriek was so high-pitched, and he looked absolutely terrified.
The miners stared in shock. What?! A man who had the courage to insult a dragon was squeamish from seeing a single tiny spider?! Pfft¡ª What the hell!
¡ª ng! St! ¡ª
"Here you go, all good now." Gorat casually sttered the thing.
But Jack''s entire aura had suddenly changed, making clear that the earlier scene had just been an act. He headed toward the Dragon''s corpse, grabbing the loose fragment pieces.
He then nced at therger pieces, too big to fit in his inventory. Without hesitating, he swung his pickaxe!
¡ª Swing!! ¡ª
"Have you gone insane?! This thing is worth at least a few thousand gold coins! Shattered, it''s worthless!" Brehart grabbed the pickaxe, stopping him with a grip of steel.
"Yeah, brother, please let us handle this! In a few days, we''ll all be rich!" Gorat interjected, but Jack only shook his head.
"No time. We have to leave, NOW! Something far scarier than a dragon is heading our way." Jack solemnly dered.
"?!?" They all froze. What could be stronger than a dragon?!
"Are you 100% certain? Do you have proof?" Brehart inquired.
"That spider from earlier is a scouting spell. The spell is weak, but the ones who know it are stronger and more perverse than you can imagine." Jack exined.
A short moment of silence followed. The miners all had the same expression of reluctance on their faces. None wanted to leave this treasure behind.
"I understand. Alright, we will stay to hide the loot. This way, we''ll be able toe back with reinforcementster on!" Brehart quickly decided.
Everyone nodded in agreement. In a few hours, they would be gone, and they would still keep the treasure. It was the perfect solution!
Seeing their determination, Jack simply left, not bothering with the remains of the Dragon anymore. As they were leaving, Brehart warned, "If you leave now, you won''t get a share¡."
"Fine by me. I wish you luck. You''ll need it." Jack waved as he confidently left.
Behind him trailed his student, but also another. Gorat hurriedly caught up to them. "Sir, mind if I join your party?" He begged.
"Oh? You want toe along? What about the gold? Don''t you feel even a little greedy?"
"Please! What good is gold to a dead man!" There was not an ounce of hesitation in his voice.
The three ran in silence, all the way to the iron area. It''s only then that Jack slightly rxed. Derek couldn''t hold it anymore, his eyes brimming with curiosity.
"Master, I was wondering¡."
"Wondering what was spying on us? A dark elf, a race with all the elves'' power and none of the self-restraint."
"Gasp! They actually exist?! Are they as deadly as in the legends?!" Derek asked.
"Deadly? No, if only they were deadly. When faced with a dark elf, death isn''t a fatality. It''s a reward¡." Jack solemnly dered.
He offered a silent prayer to the remaining miners but feared it was far toote. In any case, he had other problems. In the town''s direction, holy chimes echoed.
They were here¡.
Chapter 246 Truth Inquisition!
Chapter 246 Truth Inquisition!
In Sprigfield town, the air was filled with joy as NPC and yers alike stared at the neers now parading in the za.
"The Holy Church is finally here!"
"We''re saved! Praise be the Light Goddess!"
"Hehe, the stinky undead will all be smitten!"
The twelve stern pdins inquisitively nced at the popce. Everyone hade out to receive them, the militia standing at attention.
The pdins'' strength was evident thanks to their awe-inspiring heavy te armors inscribed with white glowing protection glyphs,
Their leader was especially striking. His face was riddled with scars. His head was the color of snow, yet he barely seemed in his thirties, still full of vitality.
"Fear not, we havee to crush evil! We will start our investigation right this instant." The man heroically dered, radiating pride.
Then came the cheers, cheers so loud it drowned all apprehensions. It mixed with the sound of the holy chimes, an instrument specific to the Church.
A man suddenly pushed his way through the crowd in the joyous atmosphere. He wasn''t just "d" they were here. He was ecstatic!¡ª or appeared to be anyway.
"Lord Inquisitors, wee! May your presence shine the holy light on this town! Ah right, Commander, I came to deliver important news!" Jack solemnly announced.
His body was riddled with injuries, his face so bloody he was barely recognizable, and his militia emblem was visible for all to see. He had obviously braved death for this news!
Oh, he also had a crude Holy Light cross around his neck. It was customary for him to wait to be called upon, but hopefully, his appearance would draw the pdins'' interest!
"Now is not the¡ª" The Commander awkwardly spoke.
"No, do speak, young one. The Light Goddess listens to all its children." Their leader gently ushered.
"Thank you, Lord Inquisitor! I think I''ve found the source of evil in thesends. Sadly I am far too weak to challenge it!" Jack deplored, his face showing extreme regret.
"?!?"
Chatter instantly erupted. In the back, a few yers recognized him. Source of evil? Wasn''t that him! Every time something bad happened, he was at the root of the rumors!
Jack''s plea would have fallen on deaf ears in normal circumstances, but the man gestured him to follow him. He would be allowed a meeting! Sess!
Inquisitors were akin to bloodhounds, insatiable in their quest for justice. They would punish the enemies of the Light Goddess wherever they were.
Behind Jack''s smile hid great unease. He wanted to avoid them targeting him at all cost! After all, each pdin was almost as strong as the entire militia.
They met in the most sumptuous room the Weary Traveler had.
"Dark Elves, they have to be the ones using vile necromancy!" Jack spat out with hate stered on his face.
Dark Elves ¡ª> Best Scapegoats
"You''ve seen dark elves?!" The pdin instantly bit the bait. There was no way he could ignore this.
It was Jack''s time to shine. He used all his previous life''s knowledge to describe the dark elves'' dark skin, silvery hair, purple glowing sadistic eyes, everything.
He made sure that his testimony was as "urate" as possible, shing with what was known of them in legends at times.
He had just finished that the man suddenly erupted in a holy aura, one so powerful even the people waiting by the door felt its oppressiveness!
"How did you survive?" The pdin slowly enunciated, his tone as heavy as the world.
Confess? ¡ª> Painful Death
Make an excuse? ¡ª> Painful Death
Tell the "truth"? ¡ª> Only Path to Survival
Jack had to be convincing enough without speaking an ounce of the actual truth.
"They wanted me to deliver a message: the Fate Spinner will conquer all. They also said something in theirnguage. It sounded a bit like this¡." Jack proceeded to BS like a Boss.
Since he totally didn''t know the Elvennguage, he simply ryed the sounds they had made to the best of his capabilities¡ª or so the story went.
The leader jerked in shock. He had heard an Elven story once, and it sounded slightly simr! Could it be true?
"Alright, we''ll do a simple test. I believe you know what this is, right?" The pdin took out a clear marble the size of a tomato as he showed a grin.
This crystal had been the demise of so many sinners! It was a freaking lie detector! The pdin happily ushered the Commander and Derek in to act as witnesses.
The three stared at him with expectations.
The Commander showed confidence, the pdin suspicion, and Derek looked as tranquil as water but was internally freaking out. They were so fucking screwed!
But, Jack had no way out of this¡.
He touched the ball in the heavy silence as he slowly repeated his testimony. How he had seen the elves and how he had heard them.
Truth ¡ª> Soft warm light
Lie ¡ª> Intense red glow
At this decisive moment, Derek suddenly had to reconsider his life. Follow his master and be a heretic hunted by the Church? Abandon him and avoid trouble?
He could only sigh as he prepared to fight his way out. His hand was already hovering near his sword hilt. As soon as the light turned red, he would¡ª
The room was bathed in soft white light.
"?!?" White?! Derek couldn''t believe his eyes.
"It seems you''ve spoken the truth. I, Gerald Hope, hereby swear that I will bring these dark elves to justice! Now leave me, for I have work!" The pdin sternly dered.
Victory! Derek was left stupefied in wonder.
"Of course, Lord Gerald!" Jack gently whispered as he left.
They had barely taken a few steps away from the door when they heard amotion.
"Let me through! I need to meet with the Holy Church. I have information!" A man bellowed as he tried bypassing the pdins guarding the corridor.
It was woodcutter Joe, and he wasn''t alone. By his side was a yer: this instantly gave him a bad feeling. Did he have a quest to expose him?!
The Brave wore a long gray mage robe and a stone tear-shaped ne glowing with a soothing power. He looked like a cleric but didn''t seem holy nor unholy¡
As woodcutter Joe noticed Jack, he shouted. There was restlessness, anger, despair, sorrow, and confusion in the man''s eyes. As for the mage (?) by his side, he was grinning.
"Joe, right? Let''s talk somewhere private." Jack proposed.
"Alright, let''s ¡ª" Joe was about to agree.
"Speaking here will do. The pdins are righteous men, are they not? So what if they hear our discussion. Do you perhaps disagree?" The gray-robed asshole smirked.
"Why are you butting in? I don''t recall ever speaking to you. Are you so lonely that you forcefully hijack conversations?" Jack gave a disdainful nce.
"That''s¡ª" Joe uttered.
"Hijack conversation? It''s better than to hijack ongoing investigations, isn''t it? Then again, that''s not all you did, is it?" The mage used.
"Oh, I do plenty of things. Sometimes I help people, sometimes I fight monsters, and sometimes I eat waffles." Jack treated the man like a clown. "Anyway, Joe, what''s up?"
"He''s dead, he''s gone, and he won''t evere back! Tell me he''s wrong! Tell me you aren''t responsible for it!" Joe''s firstplete sentence was a heartfelt cry from the heart.
Jack wonderfully yed dumb as the man recounted through angry wails how his friend had disappeared soon after receiving his letter.
No one had seen the man leave.
No one had seen what had happened to him.
Perhaps it was all a coincidence, but what if it weren''t?
Joe was now entertaining the possibility that Jack may be behind it. The yer by his side was oddly persuasive and had managed to get through his innocent mind.
He said Jack was the Necromancer, that he had killed the only witness and that he had fooled Joe like he had done the militia.
After listening to all that, even the easygoing Jack suddenly showed traces of anger, his tone bing more stern with every sentence he uttered.
"I see, so he talks a lot of shit? So, you listened to a buffoon, and now you''re here¡why exactly?
"Because I kept the investigation low-key like I said I would?"
"Because a man disappeared while I was busy?"
"Because I didn''t tell you about my progress?"
"Or could it be that you''re simply looking for someone to me in order to deal with your loss? Which one is it?"
Jack hammered every sentence rhythmically until it had Joe cowering in shame. How could he have med such a kind soul for all this?! But the gray man interjected again.
"Don''t let him fool you! There''s no way he''ll simply speak the truth and admit his guilt! Get a hold of yourself!"
His tone was belligerent as if he was convinced of Jack''s culpability. The pdins nced at the two carefully, gripping their hammers tighter. One of them then suggested:
"How about testing the veracity of his words in the eyes of the Light Goddess? If he is indeed a criminal, he will be arrested. Otherwise, you will be for nder."
"YES! That''s perfect!" The gray-robed mage instantly jumped on the opportunity. "Or are you perhaps afraid?" He taunted his "prey".
Jack was now in a position where he couldn''t refuse¡.but why would he?! As he agreed, the yer showed a victorious smile. Thus started another round of questioning.
Investigated the Necromancer ¡ª> True
Not allied with said evil ¡ª> True
Found a Possible Lead ¡ª> True
Did not kill the man ¡ª> True
It was white sh after white sh! During the questioning, Jack appeared extremely rxed. He was a man who clearly didn''t have anything to hide.
Joe showed incredible relief as he stared dagger at the yer, Derek observed everything with rapt attention, and the mage was going insane.
"IMPOSSIBLE! I''m sure he did it! I''m 100% sure of it! That''s the only exnation. You cheated. I''m sure you cheated!!" He screamed.
In fact, he kept screaming even as the inquisition dragged him away. The pdins gave him the assurance that they would promptly punish this despicable character.
Jack happily waved them goodbye, Joe apologizing profusely for doubting him. Thus ended the interrogation part.
But there remained one thing unanswered. As soon as they were alone, Derek couldn''t help but ask tentatively¡
"Master¡"
"You want to know how I fooled the tool?"
"Yes!!"
"I told the truth. Words can mean oh so many things, you know." Jack grinned.
"I did truly see and hear the elves¡in my mind anyway. Same for the investigation and all. As for that one witness, I did not kill him, emphasis on I." Jack exined.
Wait, this was possible?! Derek couldn''t believe his ears. What kind of crazy loophole was this?! But he didn''t have much time to ponder over it.
A mime, or rather a ghoul, was approaching them¡.
Chapter 247 Into the Canyon
Chapter 247 Into the Canyon
As Jack passed an alley, he was suddenly dragged into the shadows.
"HEllo¡ª TcH, yOu''rE BeInG FoLlOwEd. ThE StEnCh oF LiGhT¡." The ghoul spat out before dragging student and master away.
A few minutester, they were in some random wine cer, their true appearance visible to the two of them. Their cadaver-looking skin was almost glowing in the dark.
"YoU, yOu wEnT To tHe iNqUiSiTiOn¡." One frowned.
"You''re wee! They''ll be chasing the dark elves in the Eternal Mines for a while now. Anyway, what''s up?"
"We fOuNd tHe lIcH: tHe cAnYoN! bUt tHeRe''s oNe iSsUe¡."The ghoul seemed irked.
He was annoyed by WC. Ever since the Invisible Deer, many lumberjacks had stopped their activities in the Greenwood Forest and rotated to the Canyon for it was one giant rock quarry.
Their numbers made it so they had a bigger impact on the ecology and Braves had followed, trying to exploit the NPCs'' assistance to hunt faster.
As soon as they realized the yers'' potential, the WC association had increased the rewards for the monsters inside. This brought even more Braves!
"So you''re telling me WC and the adventurer guild control the area where traces of the Lich just happen to be?"
"YeS, rEgReTtAbLy¡"
"Fine, I''ll do something about it. You guys stay out of sight and y nice. Now''s not the time to alert the Inquisition just yet¡."
Their status as ghouls brought them strength, but they had to tread carefully. After all, they were one report away from having the entire world turn against them.
Jack swung by the MTG association to report his findings. The whole dark elf thing had their leader breaking a table in anger.
"If they killed any of our miners, I swear to DYG I''ll have their pointy heads on a pickaxe!! We need to have a meeting with the mayor right now and¡ª"
"We both know it won''t be that simple. The militia won''t risk their members'' lives so easily. Disposables scouts will be sent until more information is gathered."
As soon as Jack said that, the man began begging him to find them. He would offer his full support, and¡ª at that point, Jack was already gone.
Face the dark elves for gold? Nope!
Be a sacrificial pawn for another? Double nope!
It would be a lie to say that he wasn''t interested in the race and their magic. He could be way stronger with their help¡.but why would they share their power with humans?!
Dark Elves were elitist bastards that weren''t exactly known to be charitable. He simply ran away from MTG''s headquarters as quickly as possible, heading for the Drunken Sailor.
The scammer was already ready to brief him on the recent developments.
1. The number of yers had increased drastically. They were now outnumbering the NPCs. Still, the various NPC powerhouses kept them in check.
2. The FF association was still as peaceful as usual. It was unknown what MTG was doing, but most yers stayed away from it. WC was the most active they had ever been.
3. The drunken Sailor was on track to be a yer HUB where one could gather information as well as a party. Shows + Brave Discount On Beer = Poprity!
As the alcohol flowed, the yers were happy and VERY talkative. The tavern''s staff was also on the lookout for anything relevant. Their bonus pay depended on it.
"How''s the information handbook going?" Jack inquired.
"We''re ready to start the sales any time, Boss!" The man grinned with a scheming smile as he respectfully presented a small booklet.
Jack quickly reviewed it:
- Points of interest in Sprigfield
- Hunting grounds nearby!
- Infinite Common Sense
- Adventuring Tips!
Of course, the whole thing showcased the Drunken Sailor as the number onendmark in Sprigfield. It even exaggerated the power of the FF association to scare would-be farm invaders.
"Perfect, I want this to be in the hands of every yer in Infinite without exception." Jack dered.
All the information contained inside was extremely easy to obtain, but having itpilled in one easy-to-grab booklet was its main advantage.
"You know what to do next, right?" Jack grinned.
"Yes, Boss!"
"Great!" Hopefully, everything would go well.
A) Control the media
B) Acquire Wealth
C) Create an army
D) GG?
It was only a matter of time before Sprigfield fell¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Deep Rock Canyon was HUGE!
It was also swarming with yers. They were akin to housewives/husbands picking vegetables a the market, except with monsters.
Luckily the ce was so vast that it still didn''t appear crowded. There wasn''t anyck of creatures either. While they didn''t respawn quickly, they took an eternity to kill.
Jack''s party was currently overlooking the scene from a vantage point. This time Moon Moon was with them. Its tail wagged as it pointed at everything, its eyes glowing.
"Woo!" (Curious!)
Jack patiently introduced the various monsters:
¡ª Caw Caw! ¡ª
"Those are Rock-Peckers. They have heavy-duty beaks and devour rocks to live. You can either intercept them with fire mid-air or wait for them to swoop for an attack."
¡ª Roll! ¡ª
"That''s a Rolling Stone, literally a living boulder. They seem to exist to protect the Canyon itself and will happily turn any living creatures into a bloody stter."
Archer and mages were running after the birds, eager to get some easy XP. As ranged sses, it was finally their time to shine! But, they''d run away from the boulders.
It was the opposite for the melee peeps equipped with pickaxes or blunt weapons. Their weapons were especially effective in shattering the rocky creatures.
The group that was the most pitiful was definitely the swordsmen. They could still defeat both enemies, but they were obviously having an incredibly hard time.
#RIP Swordsman Supremacy!
But Jack suddenly pointed toward a corner void of any yers.
"Look there. There''s a boulder that looks slightly different than the others. Do you know what this is?"
"Woo?" (Special Living Boulder?)
"Nope, that should be a camouged Rock Goblin. They''re indigenous to thisnd, and they are great at adapting. They have to be stressed about so many yers showing up."
"Woo?!" (Wow!)
"Yep, but they''re smart and decisive. They won''t attack before they are convinced their odds are good. Try not to antagonize them too much." Jack suggested.
"Woo?" (What''s that?)
The little wolf extended a w toward a few deep-looking fissures at a few key locations. Some were in the walls, others were in the rocky floor, but all looked positively menacing.
"That''s the Terracotta Dungeon. Technically the name should designate y pottery, but it''s an entire gulf filled with nothing but living rock statues."
"The ce is meant for way more than 4-5 yers. We''ll need an expedition if we want to tackle it. In the meantime, we have to head deeper into the Canyon, way deeper."
"Let''s go, shall we¡"
An orange party soon appeared in the hunting ground. There were two unidentifiable creatures shaped like a rat and Chicken, a wolf happily running about, and two humans.
Everywhere in the Canyon, yers were running away from rolling boulders, trying their best to stay alive. Amidst all the chaos, a duo stood out so damn much.
yers stared at the scene unfolding before their eyes:
"Is this for real?"
"Is this fool using a sword?!
"Wait, that''s Brave-Bully Derek, isn''t it?!"
A lone swordsman valiantly fought a living boulder. He stood still, waiting for the thing to roll at him only to dodge and powerfully sh at the veryst second.
But even then, all it did was leave a white streak on the rough exterior. Many watched him struggle, puzzled. His attacks were obviously ineffective, so why wasn''t he running away?!
¡ª sh! sh! sh! ¡ª
¡ª sh! sh! sh! ¡ª
-1
-1
-1
-1
Even then, he didn''t falter one bit. His goal wasn''t actually to defeat the creature. He was only training as his master had instructed. He did not care one bit about looking stupid.
Inwardly he kept repeating his new master''s teachings.
"A sword is but a tool. Do you know what this means?" Derek had thought this was a lesson about using the best tool for the job, but it wasn''t.
"It can protect and destroy alike. It''s meant to exert your will. Getting the right tool is one thing, but an unwavering will is the most important. Do you understand now?"
As long as the will was strong enough, all tools would be the same. Could he reach such a level? This was akin to the power of the Swordmasters of Legends!
Thus he kept relentlessly striking, with yers mocking him and Jack casually observing by the side.
Logically the NPC shouldn''t be able to grasp this technique just yet. Heck, even the current Jack couldn''t use it at all.
But, he felt that the man was slightly different ever since the Dragon Fight. It was as if ying a dragon had unlocked part of his potential.
Whether it was an illusion or not, they would know soon. In the meantime, he inspected the rewards he had gotten from the Loot Box.
< Dragon''s Amber Core (Shattered) :small_orange_diamond:>
< Crystal Dragon w :small_orange_diamond:>
< Dragon'' Amber Eye :small_orange_diamond: >
< Crystal Armor Manual :small_orange_diamond:>
He currently had thest one open, calmly reading it while the sound ofbat echoed in the background. He was so calm that no one even noticed his presence.
Derek fought the boulder while Moon Moon happily ran after the thing. "Woo!" This was like ying giant fetch! The yers really couldn''t understand them:
"That wolf definitely has a screw loose. It almost got squashed again!"
"That swordsman is so stubborn. Just run!"
"They''re both insane."
Some started watching the show, some even betting, but others wouldn''t be satisfied with just that.
A few had nefarious ns: they were the ones that Derek had beaten up in the past. Now was the perfect opportunity for revenge!
As they sneakily approached the fight, Jack sighed, reluctantly putting his manuscript down¡
Chapter 248 Legendary Pickaxe Hurling Wolf Sitter
Chapter 248 Legendary Pickaxe Hurling Wolf Sitter
The vengeful yers "sneakily" approached the fight. Their weapons were already out, crying for blood as they murmured their schemes.
"Surround the bastard."
"Send him to the afterlife."
"What even happens to NPCs when they die?"
"Who cares! All this guy ever does is bully yers."
They were murmuring softly enough not to be heard, but their lips were easy to read. What a bunch of amateurs! Jackzily stretched, heading toward the 20 of them.
Their eyes suddenly went from the fighting to this unknown individual. Jack was currently wearing a long green robe that hid his features.
"Who the hell are you supposed to be?! Wait, that wolf belongs to the Demon King, right?! It''s you!" One screamed triumphantly.
"Me? I''m just the dog sitter¡.eh, wolf sitter." Jack shrugged.
"?!?"
Their faces couldn''t help but twist. Was he joking, or was this true? Had they owned such a strong pet, they would have kept it by their side at all times!
"Tch¡ª Don''t y games with us. That Derek guy is following you!"
"Yep, I also do babysitting."
¡¥\_(¥Ä)_/¡¥
"¡.." They stared at the man dumbfounded.
But then a few of them snorted. Why would they be scared of one guy? Heck, even the Demon King himself wouldn''t be able to endure their wrath today!
"Get that dumbass!"
Then they all charged together, like one happy family.
Jack had just been healed from his mana issues. Food from the Pumpkin Farm and a few healing elixirs from the general shop had worked wonders.
[Killing intent detected!]
[You can fight back without consequences!]
This time he wanted to try something. How far could he push his limits, only using a few of his most recent abilities?
Fire? Too eye-catching
Cluckinator? Too easy to recognize
Ghoulish Touch? Dark heretical magic.
He had recently learned wind magic and mining. His main attributes were his high strength and magical power. He couldbine the two for an explosive new technique!
"Catch this guy! He''s super slow and¡ª" The shouting yer suddenly froze as a flying pickaxe flew and lodged itself in his head.
- 22
"WHAT?!!" how was the damage so high?!
The unknown man had wind magic swirling around his hands as he summoned pickaxes only to throw them with all his power.
Air resistance? Gone!
Momentum and speed? Very High!
Deadliness? Not as high as the humiliation!
This was the Legendary Pickaxe Hurling Technique!
This could be called a minor miner exploit. The mining skill would increase the damage of pickaxes, even when thrown.
[Unknown Mining Skill Interaction Detected]
[Bnce Issue? Analyzing. Please Standby! ]
[Overall Effect on Infinite as a Whole¡]
[¡Negligible! Have Fun!]
Jack grinned, seeing this. He knew that this would eventually be nerfed if too many started exploiting this. But, by then, he''d have unlocked a dedicated pickaxe throwing skill.
This was the result of his training in the Eternal Mines!
"Sit." The pickaxe-throwing madman spoke to them as one would a dog. But would they simply give up their violent designs that easily? Nope.
"I''m gonna kill him!!!" They charged akin to a wave.
The bystanders saw it all happen bbergasted. This sure was one¡peculiar fighting style. The mysterious man hung around the Living Boulders, using them as cover.
He didn''t aggro one or two, but three! Not only was he surviving them, but somehow every time one would try to crush him, it would only block an attack!
All eyes focused on the man relentlessly throwing pickaxes. Could he predict the erratic crushing without even looking?! This was the only exnation.
The worst was that he was still treating his enemies as if dogs!!
"Sit!" ¡ª Dying¡
"Fetch!" ¡ª With their heads¡
"y dead!" ¡ª They really were¡
What kind of perverse fighting technique was this?! The confident aggressors were about to go insane. They kept screaming at him in anger:
"Come here and fight us like a man! Stop hiding behind the boulders ande out!!"
"Stay strong. He''ll run out of weapons soon! Every pickaxe cost a few gold coins!"
"You''re right. He''s screwed! Don''t lose hope!!"
They reassured themselves, their war cries bing more and more heated. That''s when Jack naivelymented. "Did you know that you can get a discount if you buy in bulk?"
"B-bulk?!" A nervous yer asked.
"Oh, a few hundreds." Jack yfully replied.
Their faces suddenly turned whiter than snow as their hopes were crushed. A few hundred?! They''d run out of HP and yers long before he''d run out.
"Fear not. This is obviously a bluff! There is¡ª"
¡ª Stter! ¡ª
The man''s head exploding all of a sudden told another story. They could already picture the devilish smile hiding underneath the hood by now.
A few tried to steal the loose pickaxes only to drop them on death. They didn''t hesitate any longer and simply ran. Out of the 20 assants, 7 ran in tears¡ª Or tried.
"Running without apologizing? I''ll find you allter!" Jack promised them.
As soon as they heard this threat, they froze in ce while Jack turned toward the living rocks. Pickaxes just happened to be the creatures'' bane. They were shit out of luck!
For the very first time, the living boulders were seen¡.running away?! What kind of feat was this! If they could, they would have probably been begging for forgiveness!
The humans, however, did have this ability. They obediently lined up, extremely eager to confess their sins. They started begging for forgiveness for their misdeeds.
"P-please forgive us! W-we were foolish and had a moment of weakness. We won''t dare have evil thoughts from now on!" One "eloquently" said through his chattering teeth.
"Tch¡ª My patience is limited with humans. I''m more of a dog guy, you see. That''s why¡ª" Jack was about to extort money out of them, but then the man decisively acted.
"Woof!"
"What?!"
"Woof! Woof!" The fool started barking like a dog.
At that moment, everyone was shellshocked, Jack being the first. That''s not what he had meant at all! But as he saw the poor man making puppy eyes, he couldn''t help but chuckle.
"Pfft¡ª Fine, you can go since you''re so earnest." Hemented, the man barking in relief as he left.
Hispanions instantly jerked in shock. Before Jack could ce a single word, they were all barking like a dog chorus.
Jack didn''t know whether tough or cry, but he let them go nheless. They didn''t seem wealthy anyway. He returned to his rock, reading his book as if nothing had happened.
The bystanders were staring at the lone figure with their eyes bulging. Who the hell was that guy?! He had called himself the Demon King''s wolf sitter, right?
"Psst¡ª Guys, what if he''s actually the Demon King?"
"Unlikely. I have a mage friend, and learning magic is super hard."
"You mean one guy won''t be able to learn fire and wind magic at once? Makes sense."
"Sword Genius Derek, Pumpkin Witch, Mighty Moon Moon, and now even an Aggravating Dog Sitter. This is getting out of hand¡."
"What about the rumor that he owns a tavern in Sprigfield? One also says he''s an NPC in charge of a faction in New Leaf¡."
They chattered endlessly, their heads filled with questions. Yet while they were happily babbling, they utterly missed the highlight of this event.
Jack''s fight had been highly entertaining, sure, but Derek had been training all this time in the background. Jack gave a radiant smile as his disciple finally seeded.
The string of numbers above the creature''s head suddenly changed.
-1, -1, -1 ¡ª> -5, -6, -7
¡ª sh! sh! sh! ¡ª
As an NPC, Derek couldn''t see the change in damage, but he felt it!
Before, every strike felt like he was hitting an invincible mountain that nothing could damage. Now, his attacks barely worked!
Anyone observant would have noticed that his sword was slightly glowing. There was now a near-invisible coating of mana visible on its surface. This was his will affecting mana!
As he turned toward his master, his eyes were filled with boundless gratitude. He approached, bowing deeply.
"Thank you, master. For now on, I''ll be able to use my sword under any circumstances and¡ª"
"Are you dumb? Use your damn pickaxe the next time you fight a living rock!" Jack scolded, leaving his disciple at a loss.
"¡." What happened to any weapon is good if the will is strong enough?! Had he done all this for nothing?
"Now that you grasped a hint of Sword Will, just do the same for the pickaxe. Both are shiny tools of murder." Jack shrugged.
Derek froze. Hint of Sword Will?! That''s what it was?!
How was his master so calm and collected? This was freaking sword will! It was the main prerequisite to progress further on the path of swordsmanship!
Just do the same?! This sentence was so wrong! Also, since when were pickaxes tools of murder? Why were there some lying all over the ce?!
He felt so lost. Perhaps he really was no genius. Had White Eagle made a mistake while appraising his talent?
"What are you brooding for? Time to go deeper." Jack instructed, leading their party amidst a sea of yers. Everyone would move aside on their passage.
Rumors of the Legendary Pickaxe Hurling Dastardly Wolf Sitter were spreading like wildfire. The people in the Canyon had especially heard of the offenders'' fate.
Was it true? Was it exaggerated? There were many incertitudes, but none dared to challenge him recklessly! Still, this didn''t stop the main factions from scheming:
"How about we take the wolf hostage? ckmailing the Demon king sounds profitable."
"Too little of us, and too many eyes. Just tail them for now¡."
As for Jack, he already had his hands full with the rock goblins¡.
Chapter 249 Magical Portal!
Chapter 249 Magical Portal!
In the Deep Rock Canyon, a party was steadily progressing. The ring sun illuminated the entire area, blindingly so.
That''s when a group of fiverge birds dove toward the unsuspecting group. Their brown feathers were glossy, their talons sharp, and their beaks instruments of death.
They were targeting the ass of an innocent little wolf, the wagging tail beaconing them! They were right in the party''s blind spot!
¡ª Swoosh!!¡ª
But just as they were about to tear the poor wolf apart, it suddenly rolled over sideways,pletely dodging them!
Not only was there no fear in the little wolf''s eyes, but there was even expectation as it was already salivating. That''s when the trap closed on them.
Pickaxes, sword, acid, and even a skeletal chicken allnded on the feathery group with unbelievably great timing. The monsters died confused¡where had they gone wrong?!
Derek shivered by the side as he realized how great this fighting tactic was.
Had they seen the monsters? Nope
Had they heard them? Neither
Had they felt them? Not even
Jack had taught them how to bait the feathery beings to their death. The trick was to show the perfect opening, one they couldn''t resist swooping in.
Had anyone observed the party''s lips while the creature dove, they would have seen them move as they silently counted. One, one, one, OP wolf dodge!!
Then woulde the sweet reward. Bird meat was so tender and delicious. It was as if the warmth of the sun itself was contained in the creatures'' flesh! It had the wolf woo in joy.
"Woo!" (Food''s here!)
Moon Moon simply loved this ce! One could y with funny boulders that would move by themselves and eat delicious Rock-Peckers. Sadly, even that wasn''t enough to stop its master from frowning.
Jack had been guiding them in the Canyon for a while. Frankly, as long as one was extremely careful, this ce wasn''t too dangerous, by his standards anyway.
Unlike the Eternal Mines, there was plenty of room to maneuverer. What slowed them down was that the monsters still couldn''t be evaded, especially the flying ones.
There were many yers on their tail, belonging to multiple factions. This was easy to notice by how they were traveling apart.
They had to be wincing as their numbers slowly dwindled over time. But even then, they did not shout norin, probably to avoid being detected.
But even that was not a big issue. Nope, the problem was actually finding the path. They would encounter dead ends from time to time: the path blocked withrge, heavy rocks.
They were currently in the first part of the Canyon. The way toward the Tier 2 area waspletely sealed. Was this to protect the creatures inside or the humans from them?
"Master, it''s another dead-end. Shall we try getting closer?"
"Any Red-Winged Rock-Peckers?"
The party spent the next minutes ying where''s Birdie, looking for red and white. They always remained in half-sight, half-hidden but visible.
"There''s one there!"
"Woo!" (On that rock!)
"Cluck! Shriek!" (In the sky!)
There were six of them in total. Every single one meant a goblin group watching over the area. They''d need something like total invisibility to fool the sentries.
"This ce isn''t good either. No way in hell will we be able to pass through. We''ll have to keep going and hope there''s a vulnerable entry point¡." Jack shook his head, sighing.
Yep, for some reason, the goblins were gatekeeping the entire ce. It wouldn''t have been too bad if they didn''t have scouts absolutely everywhere!
How many times had they seen Red-Winged fly away from fake rocks to deliver the news of their "invasion"? The goblins'' intelligence system made them a force to reckon with.
It was easy to kill any number of enemies by sneak-attacking them or dividing them into smaller groups. Sadly, this wasn''t an option at all.
"Master, what if everywhere is the same? If there are as many goblins as you say there are, then I fear we''ll need an army to breakthrough." Derek remarked.
An army, was it?
"Perhaps you''re right. Perhaps we''ll need one, but perhaps we can actually get one too¡." Jack mused.
"The militia? No, we both know it will take too long. Are you thinking of enlisting the Braves? How about we start rumors of a legendary treasure to bait some cannon fodder?" Derek proposed.
Jack gave an approving nod. He sure was learning! To think that not long ago he was only a naive sword fanatic.
"Greed is a great motivation, but greed alone won''t be enough. A few will be wary, and they will take too long toe over. We need to add a sense of urgency."
Jack pondered a few seconds, his grin bingrger andrger. Not only did he know how to proceed, but he couldn''t help but look forward to it¡.
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"I hate those birds so damn much!" Theyined while ring at the skies.
They had thought the boulders to be a pain: they took a while to kill, were the bane of sharp weapons, and would sometimes be hard to notice amidst the regr rocks.
Oh, if only they knew! The birds were actually far worse. Back at the Canyon''s entrance, there had only been a few aerial attacks asionally, but now it was relentless!
But there was one creature that they hated even more than the birds: the Demon King. He was the reason they were here in the first ce, trailing his wolf.
What had started as a simple kidnapping n had long since evolved. It was now apparent that they weren''t just here for a leisure walk. They had an objective.
It finally seemed that they had reached it. After being in the middle of nowhere for so long, they had finally disappeared inside a fissure.
"Are you all ready? We''ll follow soon!" The party leader instructed them. They didn''t want to reveal themselves, but neither did they want to lose their tracks.
But as they waited, other groups made their apparition. All had been following the same target. For an instant, the air was tense, a fight about to start¡
"Who are you guys?!"
"Can''t you see the Epoch book? Anyway, let''s make a truce. We grab the wolf first and let our respective leaders handle the actual negotiations, alright?"
Just like that, they bonded over theirmon enemy. They were only a dozen, but they were the strongest, the weaklings dead after Rock-Peckers sneak-attacks!
"Let''s get this over." With a solemn murmur, they invaded the cave.
They had expected their targets to be resting, or even to be gone somehow¡but what the hell was this?!
There were tons of glyphs forming a magical circle on one of the walls. The whole thing glowed an enchanting blue light and was definitely rted to a fantastic quest!
"Beat them up! Ah, but don''t destroy the magic circle!" One shouted.
That''s when Derek''s face twisted in panic. It was clear that he hadn''t been prepared for their attack. But he somehow managed to calm his nerves, grabbing his sword.
The fight that ensued was extremely ridiculous. Both sides held back not to damage the ce.
¡ª sh! sh! sh! ¡ª
¡ª Smash! Smash! ¡ª
¡ª Block! ¡ª
At first, the invaders thought they had everything under control, but after a few minutes, some of themy dead on the floor, their necks sliced like apples.
In the past, they had lost to Derek¡ in a fair duel of equal strength. Not only had he recently improved, but he was now going all out.
He alone managed to turn the tides of the battle while the pets and the Pickaxe Thrower barely managed to survive.
"Goddammit! He''s aplete monster! Was he always so powerful?!"
"As long as we iste the swordsman from the others, victory will be ours!"
"Retreat and regroup!" The invaders finally decided to give up when less than ten of them were alive.
They expected this maneuver to go smoothly, but they obviously expected wrong. Jack and Moon Moon suddenly followed without even missing a beat, erupting with their full power!
They didn''t have to restrain themselves outside of the cave, not worried about inadvertently destroying the magic circle anymore.
"Woo!" (It''s time for some Barbecue!!)
It''s only now that they realized with horror that the Pickaxe Guy was as strong as the rumors said and that Moon Moon had grown stronger too!
As the fire burned their flesh and pickaxes opened their bellies, they suddenly regretteding out of the cave and regretted even more entering it in the first ce.
One after the other, they perished. Some tried to run only to have their legs blown up. Resistance was utterly useless.
That one pickaxe guy suddenly approached one of the men helplessly lying on the floor. He gleefully added insult to injury.
"You guys sure are weak. If the Demon King was here, he''d handle you all by himself easily¡." He was obviously gloating.
But suddenly, the fallen foe started cackling, seemingly watching his chat window.
"Hehe, it''s over for you. They''ve already surrounded the entire area. This time there won''t be anywhere to run."
"Pfft¡ª Hahaha! You guys are hrious. Do you know what that was behind me? The sole portal leading deeper into the Canyon. Goblin armies guard all other entrances."
"?!?"
"It will be impossible for you all to follow no matter what. We''ll have all the time in the world to grab what lies inside. Oh, and once we do, we''ll be unstoppable. Anyway, sleep tight!"
On that note, Jack crushed the head of every survivor, butchering them in the process. On the side, Moon Moon was panting and salivating with expectation.
"Alright, you can eat it now."
This time, the little wolf had no interest in the human meat. Nope, it instantly rushed inside, licking the magical circle until it disappeared. Lunar Blossoms were delicious!
"What now, Master?" Derek calmly approached.
"Now we hide." Jack chuckled as he nced at the horizon. They woulde¡
Chapter 250 Great Heroic Army!
Chapter 250 Great Heroic Army!
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In the Town of Sprigfield, many NPCs suddenly started whispering in hush tones. They told tales of a legendary treasure in the Canyon, one that granted near-infinite power.
Even then, they would never give any info to the Braves. It was as if that information was a state secret, but the less they said, the more the yers became curious. #Hidden quest!!
The NPCs spreading the rumors were members of the Drunken Sailor and the Bloody Chains. Jack had totally used his connections to flood the Town with rumors.
It started with the NPCs but spread to the yers like a gue in the fifteen century.
At the exact same time, many factions started assembling for an expedition¡in the Canyon. This made the rumors turn into a fact, at least in people''s eyes.
"Did you hear about the goblin treasure?! Apparently, it''s amazing!"
"People say it gives an incredible legendary ss."
"I''m gonna be the pirate¡ª get the booty! "
Everyone and their mothers rushed toward the hunting ground to try their luck. Their chances to obtain the treasure were almost nil, but they believed!
That''s how even more yers assembled at the Canyon''s entrance. What had once been a swarm of Braves became a sea. Oh, and everyone wanted answers, to know the truth.
The peeps from Forsaken, Epoch, Amber, etc., could only grind their teeth. The secret was out in the open.
They had tried heading back to the cave, only to realize that nothing remained of the magical circle. This was such a tragedy: that Demon King asshole had destroyed it!
Their only alternative was now to siege the sealed areas, challenging the rock goblins. How bothersome would the whole thing be? Many couldn''t help but sigh.
The various faction leaders faced the crowd. If they could not hide it, they''d exploit the volunteers instead! They quickly exined the situation.
"¡Now, who''s ready to ughter some goblins and a Demon King?!!!!" One of them shouted, his voice resonating in the entire Canyon.
¡ª AYYYEEEE!!!! ¡ª
The cheers were so loud that many Rock-Peckers flew in rm, some living boulders yed dead, and even a certain Demon King''s party heard it.
Soon began the most impressive march Sprigfield had ever seen, with hundreds of yers participating. Even that one anti-Macabre expedition had paled inparison.
As they reached one of the sealed areas, it seemedpletely empty. The chests of many idiots bulged with pride. Had the goblins run away from their mighty disy of force?
"Be careful. They could be in ambush and¡ª" One tried to warn them.
"Hehe, the stinky goblins are obviously scared!"
"That''s their survival instinct telling them they don''t stand a chance."
But they were sorely mistaken. Before they even realized what was happening, boulders began raining from the sky. It came from the rock walls around!
"Scatter, quickly!" The shouts were right in time to prevent many from being crushed.
¡ª BAM! ¡ª
The impact of the rocks was so heavy that it created fissures in the ground. Luckily, they had avoided most of them, the survivors sighing in relief.
But it seemed they were rejoicing too quickly¡the rocks were alive. That''s when everything went to hell.
The living boulders started rolling all over the army as small brown-skinned creatures appeared from various crevasses, throwing spinning earth spikes!
¡ª Swoosh! Pierce! ¡ª
¡ª Roll! Stter! ¡ª
The sudden sneak attack from outside and within at once instantly caused incredible panic. The yers dodged to the best of their abilities, only to collide with others.
They all fell like dominoes, often never to rise.
Soon they all respawned at the same time, bathing the Town in a brilliant blue glow. But instead of feeling fear or embarrassment, their desire for revenge trumped all.
"Let''s go back! We won''t let them encircle us this time, and we''ll win for sure!"
"We outnumber them four to one! We''ll be fine as long as we''re careful about the boulders."
They resolutely marched their asses back, ready to fight again. The various faction leaders led their people to sneak around the main goblin army this time.
As theyunched their pincer offensive, they sessfully took by surprise¡empty rocks. Where were goblins?! Just as they were wondering, the goblin war-cries came.
¡ª Bok Bok Grakt!! ¡ª
At this moment, there was a beautiful moment where goblins and humans managed to understand one another perfectly¡ It totally meant you''re all fucked!
Rocks raining from the sky? Check!
Projectiles flying from the sides? Check!
Dying screams and shattering of shields? Check!
Sprigfield bathed in a soothing respawn blue? Yep!
The humans suddenly started realizing how naive they had been. Not only were the goblins smart, but they obviously had actual strategists. But, so what?!
The human leaders'' eyes were now filled with fighting spirit. As if they''d lose to the goblins in a battle of wits! The modern men knew plenty of battle stratagems.
They approached once more, ever so carefully, even using monster detection magic. Thus they would manage to eradicate all goblins sessfully for sure.
With their enemies'' intelligencework down, they would triumph and¡ª or not. Very soon, that one war cry echoed, announcing another human wipe.
¡ª Bok Bok Grakt!! ¡ª
That''s when iprehension filled all faces. How was it that the creatures seemingly knew exactly where and how they were moving?!
They were seriously getting pissed. What exacerbated them even more was hearing the rumors repeatedly with every respawn.
They had long forgotten about Jack. They just wanted the shiny Epic reward that would definitely await them once they pierced through the goblins!
Or so they thought anyway¡
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While human blood flowed like water, dying the Canyon a pretty red, Jack''s party was decisively¡having a pic.
Trouble? None
Stress? Nope.
Food? Delicious!
They filled their mouth, Moon Moon barely taking the time to masticate. Its wolfish grin was worth a fortune.
In the distance, they could hear every single wipe. Whenever it happened, they would exim, and so would the patrons of the Drunken Sailor.
Had anyone entered the tavern at this specific moment, they would have found a wide board filled with odds and enough names to mistake it for a poption census.
yers having a bad time? ¡ª> $$$
They were akin to sports fans, rooting for their team. Sure, they kinda sucked, but at least they were improving, right? Then again, few people made bets on the goblins too.
Then came the deciding moment of the war. They finally noticed the information about the Red-Winged Rock-Peckers! Well, "noticed" perhaps wasn''t the right term.
The one leading Amber was seriously getting bored of constant failure and had bought the information from an NPC informant for 200 gold. (Totally working for Jack)
When the first Red-Winged Rock-Pecker was taken down, the majority of Sprigfield cheered. Finally, they would progress!
It was simply magical when they finally managed to destroy the goblin legion with their tears, blood, and sweat. The system was probably congratting them or something.
¡ª Sessfully Unlocked Tier 2 Canyon Area! ¡ª
They had to feel such a great sense of aplishment as the sound of their celebration echoed in the entire Canyon. They almost sat down for a feast right on the spot!
Their bodies were fraught with injuries, their mana depleted, their HP dangerously low, and their supplies as good as gone, but they had been victorious!
Yep, no one could ever take this achievement away from them.
They were currently enjoying a well-deserved rest when they noticed the two figures running straight toward the remnants of the great army, only a few tens of yers.
At first, they tensed up, only to realize the neers were far too tall to be goblins. They sighed in relief, some even raising a victorious fist at them.
But then their friendly gestures all froze as they noticed who it was. The Demon King?! Wasn''t he on the other side already?!
Jack passed straight in their midst, not bothering to stop. Still, he wasn''t a killjoy nor an ingrate.
"Gratz on the win, and thanks for clearing the way,ter guys!" He happily waved them goodbye as he left most of them in the dust, only a few high agility yers following.
They had nned to stay on his heels until he died, but the Tier 2 area was nothing like Tier 1. They had barely progressed a few meters when two hyenas pounced at them!
< Hungering Spotted Hyena! Lv 34! :brick:>
Needless to say, it was a massacre. Perhaps they could have stood a chance using their numbers had they been prepared, but they were taken by surprise.
A few bitester, there were only corpses remaining of the scouts!
That''s when the army finally understood who had schemed to organize this from the very start. Taking a portal ahead? There had never been one.
The Demon King had bamboozled and exploited them all! Had they really wasted their consumables and XP¡. just for him to profit in the end?!
Their bellies were filled with fury, but it soon became even worse as more and more yers returned from Sprigfield with the news.
"Tch¡ª I can''t believe those damn NPCs! We''ve be aplete joke in Town! While we were fighting, they started betting on the war''s oue."
Luckily, there were a few ones still thinking straight. This included the experienced Forsaken Hero.
"No matter! We''re here for the treasure inside, not reputation with a few idiotic NPCs! Trackers, get to work! Find that bastard!" He ordered.
For all the Demon King''s scheming, he would lead them right to the destination. This was once again a game of cat and mouse, one that they would win for sure...
Chapter 251 Goblins!
Chapter 251 Goblins!
"Rub it all over your body," Jack ordered while handing some rock dust to his party members in a hurry, leading them to hide behind some boulders.
The tier 2 Canyon area was unforgiving. The creatures here had incredible senses and were hard to fool. A few were definitely already heading their way.
They had barely masked their scent and hid that the hyenas appeared, just in time to devour the first wave of pursuers.
¡ª Blood Sttering! ¡ª
The gray, seemingly cackling monsters reveled in the ughter before leaving. It''s only then that the party could sigh in relief.
"Master, at this rate, the more pursuers we have, the better." Derek chuckled, only for Jack to shake his head.
"This here is normally goblin territory. That''s the only reason we weren''t instantly ambushed. Thend in front is one where death roams."
"?!?"
Hyenas were pack animals and hunters. It was nearly impossible to evade them without ample preparation, making them trickier than even higher-level monsters.
"Alright, let''s go." Jack decisively followed the border separating the different areas.
"Master, won''t we encounter another goblin army at this rate?" Derek asked, puzzled.
"Yep!" His grin showed such confidence.
"Woo!" (So what?)
The little wolf proudly shrugged. The foolish human had a lot to learn if such a little thing was enough to scare him!
Sure enough, they soon reached another rocky area with tons of goblins awaiting. Jack walked right next to the edge of their territory, only to start a bonfire.
He couldn''t appear more rxed as he roasted meat. On the side, he solidly nted a brownish g, writing some rune-looking thing ???.
Derek kept ncing at his surroundings in wonder, but he was the only one. For the others, lunchtime was sacred. Even the world ending wouldn''t have disturbed them.
For a while, nothing happened at all. Then. just as they were happily eating, rock exploded all around them, forming an earth ring. Goblins erupted all over: they were trapped!
There were about 50 goblins in total, enough to ughter 100 yers easily. Yet, Jack kept gorging himself on the meat, burping with satisfaction.
It was as if he couldn''t see the brown humanoids at all! Derek could only give a wry smile at his master''sck of reaction. Heck, his attitude had even the goblins utterly confused.
Why wasn''t he scared?! How could he be so rxed?! It didn''t make any sense!
After a while of staring, a red-armored goblin showed up, slowly heading toward them. Without a word, Jack handed him some meat, which he suspiciously took.
A bit of munchingter, the goblin finally spoke.
"Human, why here?" His words were simple, but he wasn''t, far from it.
Just listening to yers in the Canyon had been sufficient for him to learn the rudiments of theirnguage! This was an incredible feat, especially considering how recent their arrival was!
With a smile, Jack replied. This time Derek couldn''t follow the conversation one bit. But, whatevernguage he was speaking was the same as the goblins!
The goblin emissary''s eyes widened the more he heard. The human speaking goblin was already shocking, but so was his preposterous request. He wanted to negotiate!
But if that wasn''t enough, the human was so damn arrogant! There were only 2 of them and a few pets, yet he was requesting to meet their leader as an equal.
The only thing to do was to decline such a silly demand¡and yet the goblin couldn''t. Something in the man''s smile told him it was a bad idea to reject him.
Just like that, they were soon guided toward an inconspicuous rocky area. Without the goblin saying anything, Jack confidently walked straight into the wall, passing through!
"Woo?!" (How?!)
The little wolf happily followed suit. Rock swimming felt like regr swimming, but without being wet, how awesome! It spent the next minute happily going in and out.
[Wee to the Goblin Vige!]
[Congrattion! Discovered a New Area!]
[Bonus XP! Increased rewards for a small duration!]
The ce was filled with rocky huts that looked as simple as sturdy. As the humans appeared, tons of goblins hurriedly grabbed earth weapons, growling at them.
Was this the start of an invasion?! A few worried mothers grabbed tiny goblins that had been roaming around.
"Hello, everyone!" Jack not only spoke theirnguage but even greeted them as a visiting goblin chief would.
"?!?"
That''s when a small goblin child came out of a hut in a hurry, carrying a small rock bowl filled with red berries. She''d gain favor if she was the first to present the weing gift!
Her small face was showing great focus as she hurried over. She was as cute as vivacious, a stark contrast to her wary brethren.
This small goblin child just happened to be blind, hence why she was alwayste to the party¡..but not this time! She ran to the visiting "goblin chief" without fear, beaming in joy as she reached him.
"Thank you, little one." Jack gently rubbed her small head, epting the offering. He then squashed the berries, using the red paste to draw on his cheeks.
This tradition was to make the rank of the visitor clear. This way, the brash youngsters would avoid picking fights with visiting bigshots.
As he drew the symbol for King, the surrounding goblins gasped. This was the highest rank in the goblin hierarchy!
King > ns Leader > Chief > Elder
At this moment, they were mind blown. Was this guy really human?! He acted like a goblin, spoke like a goblin, and even smelled of rock like a goblin!
Random trivia from Jack''s previous life was paying off so much right now. They were still wary of him, but they oozed with curiosity as they nced at him.
The goblin guide led them toward a hut that was as simple as the others. This simple-looking building housed the most influential goblin in the vige...
The entire goblin n watched Jack enter with rapt attention. What woulde out of this meeting?! History would be written right here!
Chapter 252 Negotiations!
Chapter 252 Negotiations!
In a small stone hut, two figures faced one another with cups in their hands. The drinks alone would have scared many into submission.
- It was ominously blood red. That much was normal, considering it was blood.
- It had an unbearably heavy stench foreshadowing the taste.
- It contained golden magical light wisps swimming in it.
- It was viscous enough to almost look like jelly.
The whole thing seemed more like an incredibly vile poison than a beverage one would serve guests.
The Goblin Chief observed the human in front of him. He did not show any sign of repulsion. He had to be bluffing, right? Even goblins feared this thing!
The goblin raised a toast, grinning inwardly. There was no way the human would be able to keep a straight face for what followed. This would prove him unworthy of the "king" symbol!
As Jack raised his cup, the goblin nodded.
¡ª Gulp! Gulp! Gulp! ¡ª
As the foul liquid invaded his throat, Jack couldn''t help but give a nostalgic smile. This sure brought back memories, especially that one time with the huge dragon.
One could draw power from a dragon''s blood. To be safe, the two of them had drunk all of it. They didn''t gain much power, but they spent days in the bathroom, pissing it!
Once the liquid reached his stomach, the visions started. He saw himself as a Rock-Pecker, flying unrestrained over the Canyon.
He could feel the creature''s curiosity toward the recently appeared humans, along with the hunger. Humans tasted even better than rocks; it longed to devour them!
The feeling of the wind in his wings was ever so soft and reassuring. That''s when it saw one of its old brethren, now serving the goblins, feeling disdain toward it.
It was time to¡ª the vision ended abruptly. This was the limit of this specific essence-blood. But even this low-level drink would have destabilized anyone on their first time.
The Goblin Chief raised a brow. From start to finish, the human''s face hadn''t changed! "Did it not work?!" He found himself blurting.
"Flying sure is a nostalgic feeling, thanks." He seemed to be reminiscing. "Wind on your scales, wings pping powerfully, breathing fire, roaring to challenge the Heavens¡."
"?!?" What the hell was he describing?!
"If you ever have the opportunity, you should try dragon-essence. Now, that''s some of the really good stuff." Jack casually remarked.
"D-dragon?!!!" The goblin nked, his face turning red in excitement. What kind of crazy concept was this?!
Seeing the goblin stunned, Jack didn''t miss the opportunity to take the lead. "Now, let''s talk cooperation, shall we?" he adorned a beautiful business smile, the one merchants used to bleed others dry¡
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The silence was heavy. It was hard to say which side would suffer the most from failed negotiations. The human was alone, but a king represented countless.
A total eradication war was a real and frightening possibility!
There was one exception to the heavy brooding. The blind goblin girl giggled as she gleefully petted Moon Moon. It was so fluffy!
She still didn''t know that the "chief" she had sessfully weed was in fact human. She was still riding the high of having made a new powerful friend.
Goblins respected two things: power and wisdom. It was customary that the visiting chief would reward her efforts by answering a few questions. This was an incredible learning opportunity!
That''s when amotion happened. It was the sound of hundreds of goblins gasping in shock. The chief and Jack came out, and he still had the "king" symbol! He really was one?!
The old goblin addressed the crowd:
"Goblins, we now have a new ally. Wee the king of Humans, the Demon King Jack''O, he who hunts dragons!" In the silence, his voice thundered and echoed.
They had expected an alliance after seeing bothe out alive, but what kind of amazing introduction was this?!
For a certain blind girl, it was too many revtions at once. Her cute yelps resounded:
"Hunts Dragons?! Demon King?!! Wait¡.HUMAN?!!!" Her small body trembled all over.
The meeting had gone very well for a simple reason. Jack knew everything about the goblins yet was so confident it became intimidating!
Unlike the fairies, the goblins were a short-lived race. Their ancestors had known about humans, but that knowledge had long been lost.
They feared picking a fight with an unknown enemy. The Braves'' immortality was especially fearsome. How could they fight that?!
In time they would learn to convert yers into goblins, but convincing them wouldn''t be that easy either.
"Let us feast!!!" As the chief announced, Moon Moon''s tail wagged in expectation.
The little wolf was a smart one. Thanks to Jack''s tutoring, it knew countlessnguages! Well, only words like "meat" and "eating", but it still counted, right?!
The goblins went all out to honor their guests: Rock-Pecker and stray hyena meat! A hyena would be banished from its pack from time to time, finishing in a goblin te.
Moon Moon was ready to help with the roasting. As the little wolf summoned ming chickens from the sky, many goblins fell to the ground, prostrating themselves.
¡ª Unintelligible Prayers! ¡ª
"Master, what are they doing?!" Derek asked, puzzled.
"Oh, nothing much. They''re just in awe. Something about how such great magic control is the mark of an Epic creature." Jack shrugged.
"EPIC?! Like that dragon that we fought earlier?! Is that true?!" Derek remarked.
"Of course not¡." Jack scoffed, Derek sighing in relief. There was no way the silly, friendly wolf was that awesome, but then Jack added:
"¡Moon Moon has a mythical bloodline." Hispanion had been special from the very start, plus had evolved two times. (Fiery Chicken + Wish)
"M-mythical?!" Derek stared at the small wolf in disbelief: this was even better!
"Woo!" (Reproachful!)
The little wolf was waving a reproachful paw at the prostrated goblins. What were they kneeling for?! The fire was burning, and it was time to roast the meat! Amateurs!
They started cooking, stealing nces at the unassuming small wolf that hid such magical prowess. It was now nodding its small head in approval.
To put things into perspective, it had better mana mastery than pretty much all of them! How powerful would it be when it reached maturity?!
The feast was as joyous as delicious, revealing the details of the meeting.
- The goblins would hand Jack emblems that would serve as safe-passage tokens.
- They would give him his own messenger bird. It would work in all open-world areas, even if the message function was blocked.
- They would share supplies with him. This included some rations, but most importantly, hyena bait and scent remover to help them progress.
- In exchange, he would personally teach them about humans and theirnguage. Eventually, he''d send extra teachers too.
While it wasn''t anything too exaggerated to start, it would make one hell of a difference for their small party.
Jack grinned as he messaged his contact in Sprigfield. It was time for his NPC minions to spread the rumors of a way to avoid fighting the goblins.
This woulde just in time, considering how much had been sacrificed to clear a single goblin n. Many would be interested, and he''d use this to further his influence.
As soon as they were done eating, Jack was already ready to leave. He''d find the lich for sure¡
Chapter 253 Forsaken Detective
Chapter 253 Forsaken Detective
¡ª Throw! ¡ª
The "hyena" bait drew an arc in the air,nding a distance away. A little wolf followed its course with longing eyes, while not that filling this thing tasted great!
"Alright, let''s go!"
Jack''s party had been smoothly progressing since they obtained these little brown juicy patties. They released a scent in the air attracting all Canyon monsters.
Countless monster patrols? Avoided!
They had the opportunity to see the wildlife from a safe distance while it fought for the "delicacies". Hyenas, Rocky Giant Worms, Royal Rock-Peckers, and others.
Even then, they were walking on eggshells. Jack sometimes brought them to make considerable detours but also had them pass right next to slumbering monsters.
Derek watched every single of his master''s decisions eagerly.
"See this? Worm tunnel, few crimson drops of true blood, and patches of gray fur. There''s recently been a fight here, and the monsters will be busy recovering. We go right through!"
"See that rocky wall in the distance? This is the perfect nesting area for Rock-Peckers, and there will be countless of them. If they spot us, it''s over: we go around!"
One look at their surroundings was all it took him to determine the best course of action. His exnations were always simple and logical, almost making it sound easy¡ª it wasn''t!
Jack guided them under the zing sun, at a moderate pace not to exhaust themselves. They''d notice fissures in the rock from time to time, but he always disdained them.
"Master, shouldn''t we try exploring some of those?" Derek asked, perplexed. Wouldn''t a lich be hiding in the darkness somewhere?
"Nope." Jack chuckled as he nced at his pets.
Moon Moon was feeling really good right now. Even after all this, the little wolf was still as energetic as ever, if not more. The sun felt so good on its fur!
As for the skeleton and macabre, they were clearly showing signs of annoyance. This ce was way too sunny for their taste.
Those three had one thing inmon. They were all rted to Demonic Energy in one way or another. They were the reason he did not fear getting lost.
As long as he kept a close tab on them, their instincts would lead him to his destination.
"Don''t worry, we''ll know when we get there," Jack reassured.
¡ª About an hourter ¡ª
"We''re here." Jack''s murmur broke the silence.
"We are?"
"Of course." The three pets hadn''t realized it, but they were all staring at a small fissure in the wall with longing, their very being drawing them to it.
It looked just like any other random hole in the Canyon, but that was it. He was sure of it! Arge grin adorned his face as he disappeared into the darkness¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
"This is insane!!!" Forsaken Hero sighed as he nced at yet another report of failure. No matter where and how they sent scouts, they''d always end up as hyenas'' happy meals!
The mighty yer army''s momentum had long been stopped. They had been drunk on the euphoria of victory¡only to get eaten by wild beasts! This Canyon was merciless.
Even then, the Demon King''s party was nowhere to be seen. The bastard was treating this ce as his backyard, or so it seemed. How?!
They had followed his trail to another goblin "bastion", not that there was anything other than rocks. Still, there were far too many goblins for them to tackle.
"Perhaps we ought to simply leave." The one called the Amber Princess was ready for them to cut their losses and move on.
"Tch¡ª This is humiliating. Are you telling me all our gaming history is useless against one guy?" The Epoch Elder sighed in disappointment.
Give up? ept mediocrity? Hell the fuck no! Forsaken would never agree to this. The more Forsaken Hero racked his brain, the muddier the path to victory seemed.
Their target knew more than them, from faking a magic circle to surviving a goblin-infested area and leaving it even stronger.
Fighting the goblins? This was a dead-end.
Fighting the hyenas? They might as well serve themselves on a silver tter. The more they were, the more of the creatures would gather.
No, they needed more information. That was the issue!
While all the other factions were slowly exploring the Canyon, looking for clues or grinding XP, Forsaken spent their efforts elsewhere.
They scoured Sprigfield, the Canyon entrance, and even the Eternal Mines. Jack had talked to the pdins right beforeing here, right? There had to be a reason!
"I want to know everything, even the most insignificant details!" He ordered his minions, resolved to overturn Infinite whole if necessary.
Soon his message window was filled to the brim. Rumors, rumors, even more rumors, it was all useless! Even then, he kept reading relentlessly.
Forsaken Hero remained silent, analyzing the enormous quantity of information, his eyes already bloodshot and showing clear traces of obsession.
That''s when the army kinda crumbled on itself. Hyenas in the front, goblins on the side, and sweet XP behind them: the choice wasn''t too hard.
Only a few remained, ncing at the man with worry, sighing.
"Is he alright?"
"Just angry, reasonably so."
"The rats, the Invisible Deer, and now the goblins..the Demon King is really screwing with us."
Just as they were feeling bad for the man, he suddenly rose up, cackling devilishly. "Hehe, that''s it! The Canyon, the town, and the Eternal Mines they''re everywhere he is!"
They? What the heck was he talking about? No one understood him as he rushed away with incredible speed¡all the whileughing?! Was he alright?!
Either way, it had to be big, right? This was because he had sent a message to all his faction members:
- Forsaken Hero: Get ready for war. We''re taking the Demon King down for sure this time!
- Forsaken Bard: Really, Sir?! I''ll be there ASAP! I''llpose songs about our heroics!
- Lil Forsaken: I''ve been waiting for this moment! What should we do, Boss?
- Forsaken Hero: Keep an eye on the mimes. I''ll be right there.
Mimes?! Why?! Weren''t they weak entertainers? Why would they¡.wait, something was odd!
The "simple" mimes were risking their lives in hunting grounds, why? It made no sense whatsoever. Still, what was the link between them and the Demon King?
Forsaken was akin to a poked beehive. They ran all over the ce as Forsaken Hero quickly arrived at the Eternal Mines.
At the entrance awaited a sole pdin left behind to guard the way out while his colleagues delved into the ce.
The man looked incredibly powerful and dashing, plenty of maiden observing him while giggling. The lively atmosphere was worlds apart from the usual deste one.
Forsaken Hero earnestly stated his case: "¡ That''s how it is, Sir pdin. Please help us!" He begged with hope stered in his face.
"Mimes? Pfft¡ª You''re far too naive! You might not know this, but we of the Holy Light Church are inherently gifted at sensing evil, so rest assured. Everything is fine."
The holy man heartilyughed, his inscribed heavy te armor bobbing up and down. "There''s a mime right there, and I cannot sense any evil." He added.
"But!¡ª" Forsaken Hero tried to argue. That''s when the man''s aura changed utterly. His benevolent facade went away, reced by a stern face showing criticism.
"Are you doubting me?" The pdin''s fist was already clenched hard, ready to punch the idiot who was wasting his time.
"No, it''s just¡." The yer awkwardly protested.
"Fine, here, look¡." The pdin saw the genuine worry in the man''s eyes and finally relented. He approached the mime, shining holy light on him. "Everything''s fine, see¡ª"
¡ª Holy Glow! ¡ª
This gesture was meant to be reassuring, but he had talked a little too soon. As soon as the lightnded on the mime, the reaction was instantaneous.
"ARRGGGG!!!!" The mime''s face contorted in agony from the surprise "attack", revealing its ghoulish nature: dark fangs, sharp ws, and a slightly burnt blemished face.
"¡." There was a long moment of silence.
"AHHH! Monster!" A maiden who hade for the eye candy shrilly shrieked in horror.
"It''s a ghoul, get it!!!!" The pdin bellowed.
The monster hurriedly fled, breaking through the Braves'' encirclement, sending them flying.
A holy serenade echoed as the pdin started channeling his divine power. A gigantic energy hammer grew out of his weapon as he mercilessly smashed it at the creature.
¡ª Smash! ¡ª
The ground trembled, making the surrounding yers lose their footing. The hit also sent a shockwave in the air, one that was filled with the warm energy of light.
"ARRRGGG!" The ghoul was still alive, pushing itself to the limit. By now, it hadpletely given up on its human appearance.
The hunchback creature ran on all four, using its powerful limbs to propel itself faster. Its backside was utterly blistered from the previous attack.
"Stop it!!" The pdin shouted. Along with his shout came a mission.
[Stop the Ghoul or Help it Escape!]
They all chose to help the pdin out of righteous¡ self-preservation. He was obviously stronger!
Braves vs. Mad Ghoul!
Crowd vs. One Naked Undead
The undead kept swerving to safety over and over again. Sadly, it kept taking more and more damage, reaching Sprigfield aplete broken mess.
It barely reached the main gates that its legs finally gave out, facenting right before it could cause any trouble for the Town. The yers cheered:
"We did it. We won!"
"This ghoul sure was a pervert. "
"Thank god we stopped it in time."
But just as they were rejoicing, the undead opened its maw wide, showing its ckish tongue. "SHRIEEEEKKK!!!!
"Pfft¡ª You can shout all you want. It''s useless!" Idiotic yers ridiculed the creature, missing the grimace on the pdin''s face.
This shriek had been a warning. Mimes started disappearing as they nced toward the Deep Rock Canyon with worry in their inhuman eyes...
Chapter 254 Undead!
Chapter 254 Undead!
[Wee to the Old Open-Air Catb!]
[Investigate the Area! Perhaps there is a Treasure?]
The stench of death filled the area, invading the nose of the living. For Jack''s party, this was no issue whatsoever. They even weed it.
The rattling of the bones would have made many wary and perhaps terrified, but they cheered instead. They even grinned as they noticed the abomination:
< Animated Hyena Skeleton! Lv 30! :skull_and_crossbones:>
A spotted hyena hade here only to die and be reborn in undeath. Behind, countless simr undead creatures were roaming the area, far too many to be challenged.
"Woo!" (They''re just like you!)
While grinning, the little wolf pointed a w at its chicken brother and the random monsters.
"Cluck! Shriek!" (How awesome!)
Between them all, only Derek was showing unease as he nced at the creatures that by no means should have existed. Those were far different from the cute ones in their party.
To make things even more troublesome there was enough demonic energy in the area to heal them as soon as they were damaged. One would need holy energy to dispatch them.
Even then, they had to pass through them, for they were guarding a small and decrepit-looking temple that oozed with a dark fog, obviously their destination.
Still, how the hell were they supposed to survive this monster legion?! Derek turned toward his master, hoping for an answer.
Jack was already getting ready. He would use the same tactic he had previously done with the Canyon creatures: create a diversion.
Jack took out an item: < Dragon''s Amber Core (Shattered) >
He diligently started filling it with as much Demonic Energy as possible. Even in its shattered state, it remained a great receptacle.
After a few minutes of effort, the core turned from light orange to a dark shade. < Corrupted Dragon''s Amber Core (Shattered):small_orange_diamond:>
Giving a satisfied nod, he handed the item over to Derek. He patted his shoulder, giving him a warm smile that had his disciple shuddering for some reason.
"I''ll be counting on you! Fly, young one." ;)
Derek gulped before nodding, understanding his teacher''s meaning. He would be the perfect monster bait, showcasing everything undead craved:
1. Lifeforce. They were jealous of the warmth of the living, wanting nothing more than to extinguish them.
2. Demonic energy, the deathly kind, for it increased their power.
Driving his fear away, he sprinted straight toward the undead legion. His existence had the monster''s jaws chattering in excitement, their flickering eyes locking on the core.
Raw demonic energy was good, but this was even better!
They would be sure to evolve as long as they grasped this thing! Their bony fingers were outstretched with greed.
After all, the immortal creatures were so starved! They had been bound to wander this ce for far too long, long before the mana renewal.
"Focus, Derek, focus! AHHH!!!" As he ran, the swordsman shouted at the top of his lungs. This was even more dangerous than fighting a goddamn dragon!
"Woo!" (Wow!)
The little nced at the long undead train right on the man''s heels with longing. They seemed to be having so much fun! It wanted to join to fray so much.
"Let''s hurry." They would only have a window of a few seconds. Jack positioned himself as if an Olympic sprinter before dashing straight toward the temple.
They were only halfway, when the undead suddenly all halted. None seemed to care about the fleeing human anymore as they all turned toward Jack.
¡ª Shriek!! ¡ª
They rushed straight at him with shrill cries, forming a bony wave about to engulf him. Oh god!
Were he to get swept in them, he would never resurface. His entire body would be torn limb from limb. This wouldn''t work, not at all¡
Blow up his mana in a burst of wind? He needed his power for what came next.
Respawn in Town? No, justing back would kill him. Either he''d die from the Canyon itself (low supplies) or from the yers guarding it.
He gave a wry smile before ncing at the brooch on his chest, sighing.
[Activate Cursed Epic Ghoulish Brooch? Y/N?]
[Warning: You will cease to be human!]
[This process may be irreversible!]
He knew perfectly well how much trouble this could bring. It would make blending in with humans near impossible. Perhaps he''d even need to be a mime.
But this was a thought forter, for right now he needed the increased power. That''s when the transformation started. For one to be reborn as a ghoul, the body first had to die.
Excruciating pain overcame him. It was more agonizing than having one''s skin and muscles peeled. It was harrowing suffering that seemed endless.
Pain, only pain, nothing but pain!
It was unbearable, and yet he kept running, for stopping meant the end. Even as his muscles bulged and coldly burned from the inside, his legs kept moving.
"ARRRGG!" Even Jack couldn''t help but cry out in anguish, one that made the constant shrieking of the undead look cute. The change barely took an instant but felt like an eternity.
[Sessfully transformed into a ghoul!]
[Calcting Demonic Energy Affinity!]
[Analyzing! Please Standby! Ding!]
[Increased all stats by 27-29%!]
[Holy Energy Affinity Lowered!]
[Demonic Energy Affinity Increased!]
[All Resistances Adjusted ordingly!]
A cold and dark power now dwelled inside him, filling his entire being with energy. He could sense it pulsate, but it wasn''t all. There was also incredible hunger.
In the distance, Derek looked so appetizing. His flesh appeared so soft. He wanted nothing more than to reduce him to a cold, lifeless¡ª NO!
He finally returned to his senses. He had to run, run faster and quicker, faster than he had ever done. He focused on the temple ahead, one that looked so different now.
The oozing darkness now seemed special. He could feel it pulsate as if a heartbeat as it called out to him. It offered him everything he had ever wanted¡
His new dark ws dug the earth, carrying him forward. As he passed the entrance, he felt so joyful. That''s when he found himself in a world of Darkness¡
[Wee to Undead Lord''s Graham''s Prison!]
[Good Luck Surviving!]
Chapter 255 Undead Trial!
Chapter 255 Undead Trial!
Darkness as the eye could see, only darkness. This ce felt like Thanatos''s Death Realm but apparently was a prison. Yet there was no prisoner in sight¡
[Trial of the Undead Lord Graham Activating!]
[Giving up or death will result in failure!]
A trial? Trials were always an incredible opportunity¡as long as one didn''t push himself too far. Far too many heroes had fallen from trial bacsh.
¡ª Sizzle! ¡ª
The darkness started to distort. He couldn''t see it, but he could feel it perfectly for some reason. That''s when five name tags suddenly appeared. < Animated Skeleton! Lv 23!>
"Is that it?" Jack raised a brow. Was the difficulty supposed toe from theck of vision?
He didn''t even bother using a weapon. He happily took the things apart with his new shiny ws. They were sharp enough to dismantle the living and somewhat effective even against bones.
As soon as he was done reducing his opponents to bone dust, even more of them spawned. Did he simply have to ughter an army of them to be done?
But the crux of the challenge soon revealed itself.
[Curse of the Undead Lord Activating!]
[Brace yourself! Death ising!]
An oppressive feeling came from the entire realm as a wave of energy washed over it. It was Demonic Energy!
[Resilience Stat Activating! Resisted!]
[Demonic Energy Engulfs you]
+15 HP!
"¡." Was that it? As he saw this so-called curse, he couldn''t help but eruptughing. What should have been deadly only healed him.
Trials'' difficulty was based on the User''s level, but also the general state of the game.
Jack ¡ª> Rtively low-level
Infinite ¡ª> Even lower level than he was.
Undead Trial ¡ª> Not ounting a yer having a race as strong as a ghoul. (Demonic Affinity boosting it even further)
Of course, the curse wasn''t all. There was also another challenge: the creatures themselves. Their number quickly increased: 5, 10, 20, 40, etc.
But, Jack had never feared being outnumbered. What followed was not so much a trial as it was a rxed training session, with him getting ustomed to his newfound power.
Then it finally ended as a blood-red light suddenly filled the realm. With an explosion of power, onest being came forth. This one was far different, Boss level even.
< Undead Lord Graham (Sealed) Lv 46! :crossed_swords::skull_and_crossbones: >
Heavy te armor, dark helmet with bony horns, red flickering eyes, and an abysmally huge two-handed, possibly five-handed sword. The monster spoke in a graveyard voice.
"After countless tribtions, you''ve managed to¡ª" Only to stop as he nced at Jack''s state. The whitish skin was incredibly telling of his identity. "A ghoul?!"
"Hey there!" Never had there been a legacy candidate as rxed as he was at that moment. He was even waving gently.
"¡" The stern Death-Knight wasn''t sure how to react.
The more he observed the ghoul in front of him, the more bbergasted he became. There were so many things that didn''t add up! What kind of ghoul was this?!
1. He was a newly turned ghoul, so recent that it was a matter of days at the longest.
2. His eyes werepletely clear. There was no trace of the incredible hunger or doubts that weremon in new undead.
3. The Demonic Energy he radiated was far beyond what he should have been able to control with his meager strength.
"Hey, I know I''m pretty handsome, but it''s embarrassing if you keep staring so avidly." The ghoul murmured bashfully.
"¡?!?" Did this ghoul not know fear? What happened to the instinctive dread that lower undead felt from their betters?! He suddenly felt his dignity challenged.
Jack grinned as the Death Knight before he started emitting boundless power, trying to intimidate him. Instead of recoiling, he opened his eyes wide, trying to learn from it!
In Infinite, there were some things that no amount of know-how could aplish. It was simr to getting a diploma IRL: Knowledge + Attendance were both considered.
¡ª Death Knight Pressure!! ¡ª
The very realm started trembling, showing traces of destruction at ces. The trial area hadn''t been built to handle so much pressure. He was positively abominably scary!
The creature was grinning under its helmet. This would teach the young ghoul a lesson in humility for¡ª what the hell?! Even now, he was still gazing at it all with eagerness.
Jack was doing his best to circte his own mana, following the creature''s example. All he did was observe, and yet¡
[Sessfully Discouraged a Death-Knight!]
Had it be so weak after its slumber? Back then, it was feared by all, yet now it seemed that even scaring one tiny newborn was beyond his capabilities.
"Are you alright? Brother Death Knight?" Jack showed great concern.
"¡." The ghoul''spassion was nothing more than a nail in the psyche of the depressed undead.
"How about teaching me a few moves? Do you have any legacy to give? I can guarantee there won''t ever be a better inheritor." He argued.
That''s when the undead resolved itself to simply proceed with its original purpose, no matter how odd this one seemed. It finally found a shred of its confidence back.
"You cleared the first stage because of your ghoulish identity. Do not getcent for what will follow." The Death-Knight rebuked as he attacked the tiny creature.
Newborn Ghoul VS Big Daddy Death Knight
ws and Cluckinator (?!) VS Gigantic Sword
Low-Level yer VS high-Level Terminator-Grade NPC!
Every wave of the Death-Knight''s gauntlet either summoned thousand of skeletons or propelled the gigantic de in a deadly arc.
The oue was obvious¡Jack lost. He repeatedly lost until his broken body refused to move, but he kept fighting with magic even then.
¡ª Limbless Ghoul Used Fireball! ¡ª
¡ª It''s not very effective, but it''s bright! ¡ª
He got beaten and battered until the very meaning of being utterly trashed was inscribed in his very soul. It had been a fight that couldn''t be won from the start.
"Hehe, you''re done for now!!" The Death-Knight gleefully thundered.
"Never!!" Jack was still burning with fighting spirit.
The undead chuckled: this youngster sure was interesting and fun to beat up! No matter how mentally resilient, there was no way he could handle his strength and¡ª
The undead suddenly jerked with a shock. Without realizing it, he had actually used his full power?! This had only been supposed to be a test!
Somehow a junior, only transformed for a few days, had managed to get him to fight him as an equal?!
As he nced at the destroyed trial realm, the undead couldn''t believe what he had done. The ghoul was already getting up a distance away, sticking its limbs back together.
"?!?" Even now he still had the will to fight.
The undead wasn''t the only one that had lost itself in the fight. How long had it been since Jack had fought such a satisfying battle?
The best part was the Demonic Energy pulses healing him asionally. They had been fighting with little rest for hours, yet he wasn''t tired one bit.
"Let''s keep going!" He called out to his dueling opponent, only for him to give a heartyugh.
"I''m afraid this trial is ending. Just look around: this ce will copse if we continue." The knight sighed. "Still, you did great, and this deserves a reward, catch!"
The undead threw Jack a dark red gem, one crackling with dark power. How awesome! This was a part of the undead soul?! This would contain his life experiences!!
"Now, go out and show the annoying holy pest outside the pride of the undead race." With a wave, Jack was sent outside the trial. Wait, holy pest?!
Chapter 256 New Class?!
Chapter 256 New ss?!
"Perish, foul creatures!" The mighty shout resounded across the battlefield as if a death sentence.
¡ª Crush! ¡ª
¡ª Holy Glow! ¡ª
As Jack exited the trial, he witnessed a scene of destruction. Bones, bones everywhere, bones overwhelmed by holy light weakening them and hammers cracking their skulls.
There were tons of yers, led by a mastodon of a man. The pdin''s armor glowed in the dark environment, akin to a sun that no undead could stare at directly.
"Is that a ghoul?! Seize it at once!!" The pdin growled, locking on Jack.
"Buy me some time," Jack whispered to his party as he devoured the Memory Crystal he had just received.
The pdin snorted, seeing this pitiful effort. Devouring a power-up item? It would take far too long to absorb, possibly hours. This ghoul sure was naive!
Jack was instantly overwhelmed by visions of the Death Knight''s life, ones from an age far gone.
- Getting summoned by a dark shadowy figure. (Lich?)
- Learning its power and growing stronger through training
- Waging war against the humans to grow even stronger
- Eventually getting sealed by a divine power that was out of this world
There were so many scenes that he could only stand in ce, immobile while he learned it all. At least the undead ignored him, sensing their master''s aura invading him.
"Woo!" (Count on me!)
The little wolf''s eyes glowed with resolve. Its master wasn''t in any shape to fight, and it was now its duty to protect him. It rested its eyes on the cackling pdin.
"They''re like loose sand, all stupid. Push forward and¡ª" The pdin started only to suddenly freeze, bbergasted as plenty of "woo" resounded.
An unassuming wolf had suddenly taken control of the battlefield. How?! It howled orders toward the undead legion, and they obeyed?!
Death Knight''s aura ¡ª> Affecting Jack''s pets too
Had one observed closer, they would have noticed two tiny undead rushing along with the others and helping with undead control.
The Skeleton Chicken and Macabre Rat had just been promoted to legionmanders! Their current aura was sufficient to convince the mindless undead to follow them.
A Brave quickly noticed this.
"Target the rat, the chicken, and snipe the wolf! Otherwise, those bony bastards will move as an army!" Forsaken Hero warned.
Thus began a pet hunt, one that was characterized by the countless magic bolts being sent toward the dodgy pests. Why were they so good at evading?! It defied all logic!
At this rate, could the pet/ undead army win?! Sadly, the human party still had many cards under its sleeve.
"Oh holy one, please shine your light on the sinners and show them the errors of their ways!" The pdin chanted.
¡ª Holy Pulse! ¡ª
It spread in all directions, stunning anything remotely undead for a short instant. Luckily the pets were as safe as possible, hiding between their "brethren". But, would it suffice?
"Now! Homing!" Suddenly the yers'' hands glowed with blue light as they summoned plenty of magic missiles, special ones.
The magic flew toward the bigger undead, but it changed trajectory right as it was about to collide with them! It bypassed the surrounding enemies,nding straight unto the targets!
¡ª Homing Magic Missile! ¡ª
¡ª Shatter! Shatter! ¡ª
Just like that rat and chicken perished, disappearing with unwillingness in their eyes. They could only leave everything to their wolf big brother.
Moon Moon shuddered in rage. Those annoying humans really were persistent! They really had chased all this way just to mess with them?!
It gave onest loving nce at the unconscious Jack before resolutely charging in the fray. It fought w and spells to the best of its capabilities.
¡ª Fiery Chicken! ¡ª
The enemies started burning, losing a few of their members. But even then, there were still about 30 of them.
"Woo!" (Follow me!)
The little wolf called out to the undead, but they seemed more reluctant to follow the living. With regret, it witnessed the undead army slowly but surely dwindling.
"Victory will be ours. Get me that ghoul''s head!" The pdin called out, already considering the battle won.
But there was a sudden shift on the battlefield. The unruly undead began acting as if one being, showing incredible coordination. How?!
In the back, a young ghoul had just opened its pitch-ck eyes. Jack had arge grin on his pale face. Legacy obtained!
[Congrattions on Absorbing Memory Crystal!]
[Acquired Death Knight''s Experiences!]
[Acquired Born Undead Leader!]
[Acquired Undying Sword E!]
[Acquired Necromancy E!]
[Bringer of Chaos Activated!!]
[New ss unlocked! Acquire Death''s Chosen?]
[Thanatos ~ Bring me more gifts, bring death to all.]
[ept? Y/N?]
?!?
Jack felt like there was something wrong with this offer. A Chosen was kind of a big deal. It wasn''t exactly at the same level as a Champion, but it was still significant.
The weird part was that he had never managed to interact with Thanatos. Had she been following his adventures without him knowing?
The whole "bring me gifts" part was the only condition to this power. How simple of a requirement!
"ept!"
[Acquired Title: Death Bringer! Grow Stronger with Death!]
For a second, the entire world seemed to still as if a disaster was about to befall Infinite.
The holy party held their breath in fright¡but then nothing seemingly happened?! In any case, they were way too busy with the undead legion swarming at them.
"Woo!" (Rejoicing!)
The little wolf happily howled as it took its rightful ce next to its master. It couldn''t help but admire how awesome he was at ordering the army.
"We need to destroy this ghoul!" They quickly realized.
That''s when the Braves changed tactics. Instead of slowly crushing the undead, they charged straight into them like an unstoppable spear.
"Bony Shield Wall," Jack casually murmured.
Shield wall? They didn''t even have shields! But then the skeletons wordlessly picked boulders lying around, using them to defend their bodies.
This was sufficient to reverse the situation. Undead could not tire. The longer they stalled, the better. Sadly the pdin wouldn''t ept this.
"This vile ghoul is full of tricks, but tricks are useless in the face of true strength!" The pdin bellowed.
He took out a golden vial. Oh god, holy dew?! This thing was mainly for healing, but it could increase a pdin''s Holy power threefold!
"Vanquishing evil at all cost." The pdin uttered, drinking the whole thing.
That''s when his body started radiating overwhelming golden energy. A secondter, it was spreading to the yers. Incredible dread appeared on the ghoul''s face.
"CHARGE!" The entire party was temporarily in a near-invincible state as they powered through the undead ranks.
With every step, they crushed their enemies as if wet carton. Finally, they would have the ghoul''s head. Finally, they would¡ª
Just as they reached the middle of the undead army, Jack''s look of horror suddenly disappeared, reced by a yful expression.
"Ever seen a beautiful explosion?" He winked at them as he snapped his fingers. The undead all started shaking, and then¡.
¡ª SHATTER!!!! ¡ª
They didn''t just crumble. They exploded, sending bones fragments all over! The humans didn''t have time to react at all and were instantly turned into sieves.
[Congrattions! Leveled up!]
Near-invincibility? The keyword was near.
The undead army was gone, but so was the human army.
Actually, there remained one man standing. The pdin''s body was bloodied all over, was missing a leg and an arm, was out of mana, but he was still alive?!
In his eyes, there was great hate, one that killing Jack wouldn''t suffice to appease. Still, he was an arrow at the end of its flight. Everything would be alright¡ª or so he thought.
Suddenly another dusty figure appeared, drawing closer to the weakened pdin. Another human had survived?! More importantly, he held a potion in his hand.
"Stop him!!!" Jack shouted hurriedly.
"Woo!" (Die!!!)
Moon Moon targeted the potion with its fire, but the crippled pdin was even faster. The next second he was already gulping the potion.
"Hahaha, this is the end! This is finally over!" He gloated before ncing at his ally. "You did well! History will remember our triumph: holy pdin Helort and Brave¡."
"Derek, you can call me Derek." The human yfully uttered. He looked a the holy warrior as if an utter fool for some reason.
The pdin jerked in shock. Something was wrong! But before he could understand what, the cold invaded him, freezing him from the inside as he fell lifeless.
"Yep, they always fall for it¡." Jack shook his head with a mocking smile.
"M-master, what''s with that appearance?" Derek asked in a whisper. Had he been a monster all long? Was this why he was so unique.
"I''m technically still human if that''s what you''re asking for. But know this, in Infinite the body is just a vessel. What truly matters is the will that drives it." Jack remarked.
But for all his wise words, he was already busy looting the battlefield as if amon scavenger.
Those yers were surprisingly rich! There were enough armor pieces for him to equip himself from head to toe (minus the special gear slots).
"Woo!" (Victory!)
Moon moon approached, tail wagging, rubbing its fur against its master''s hand. So what if he had be a ghoul!
But it suddenly started sniffing, perplexed. Why was it that it could smell a familiar scent from Jack? It wasn''t the ghoul thing either. It was something else¡ the death realm!
Yep, there was really something different about its master! Just as it was about to investigate, something happened.
Out of nowhere, the corpse of the holy pdin suddenly shook before a vengeful holy ghost came out of it, rushing straight toward Jack! A secondter, it was entering his body!
[Marked by Pdin Helort''s Spirit!]
"Goddammit, this is beyond terrible!" As Jack checked his status, he couldn''t help but curse. This mark would pinpoint his location to the other pdins.
It had taken an undead army to kill Helort and his Brave cronies. Now, 11 pdins of simr strength were heading their way! RIP!
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:crossed_swords: [ STATUS! ] :crossed_swords:
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yer: Jack'' O Level 24
ss: Death''s Chosen
Title: Death Bringer
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HP: 68 +10
Mana: 34
Condition: Tired
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Armor Rating: 27 (50%)
Defense Type: Bnced
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STR: 29 + 6
AGI: 1 + 14
INT: 50 + 17
SPI: 1 + 11
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Resilience 16
Leadership 35
Fire Affinity 42
Water Affinity 10
Holy Energy Affinity -37
Demonic Energy Affinity 53
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- Necromancy E+
- Shield Mastery E
- Undying Sword E
- Fire Maniption E
- Bone Maniption F+
- Wind Maniption F
- Bloody Cleave F
- Self Destruct F
- Demon King''s Weapon Aspect (Nascent)
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- Butchering E
- Negotiation F+
- Teaching F+
- Carving F+
- Gathering F
- Mining F
- Sneak F
- Magical Array Creation F
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- Well-Fed
- Holy Mark (-)
- Regeneration (F)
- Ghoulish Power (++)
- Holy Vulnerability (-)
- Shadow Guardian
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- Death Bringer ?
- Chaos Bringer ?
- Devilish Soul ?
- Burning Man E
- Walking Cmity E
- Summoning Affinity F
- Blessing of the Hunt F
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[A/N] Feel free to ask if you have any questions about the status or if anything seems to be missing/ confusing ;)
PS* Some skills are voluntarily omitted: Necrocluckmancy + Necromancy E ¡ª> Necromancy E+ (With hidden bonuses for chickens)
Chapter 257 Hail Mary!
Chapter 257 Hail Mary!
"Oh god, the pdins will be here soon. We have to flee somece safe!" Jack couldn''t stress this point enough.
His forehead was wrinkled in worry. The holy mark pulsated rhythmically, promising him an imminent death. It had to be cleansed ASAP.
1. Who had the power to do so?
2. More importantly, who would be willing to do so?
Perhaps the ghouls or Bloody Chains could help? But right now, the issue was the Holy Church and his undead state: respawning in town was NOT an option.
Objective ¡ª> Survive!!
"It may not be toote to evade our pursuers. Let''s go." Jack remarked.
"Woo!" (Till the end!)
The little wolf had never seen its master this rattled, yet even now he remained steady as he led them back toward the Goblin Vige.
This time, they were even faster. He would summon human-sized skeletons to help spread the little bait they still had. The monsters sure were lucky, free food!
Soon, the Goblin Vige was in sight, but the safe haven they had expected turned out to be nothing but a pipe dream.
The Vige was still there, but a gigantic spheric golden barrier already covered it. Those madmen had quarantined the whole Tier 2 Canyon area!!
"Master, can we get through this?"
"Easily, but it would slow us way too much. By then¡.RIP." Jack spat out.
"Should we try hiding in the Tier 3 area?" Derek proposed, trying to be helpful.
Tier 3? The monsters in the Canyon''s inner region were very proactive. Even Jack didn''t have the confidence to survive it.
Tier 3 Area ¡ª> Death
Breaking the Barrier ¡ª> Death
Staying in Tier 2 Area ¡ª> Eventual Death
They say when a door closes, another opens¡.but what if death is behind all those doors?!! Jack could only give a wry smile.
A golden cloud had just appeared at the horizon to make matters worse. The enemies were here, no doubt spouting crap about punishing evil in the name of their goddess.
"RETREAT!" Staying here was a death sentence.
Even as they fled, the pdins were gaining on them. After all, they were far higher level, probably higher than 40-50¡
Jack gave a self-derisive smile before decisively leading them toward a fissure in the wall, one no one sane would ever enter. In any case, they were going to die either way.
"M-master, are you sure?!"
"Woo!" (Just go in already!)
Jack chuckled as he stepped inside. This Hail Mary was positively going to be more dangerous than their current pursuers.
[Wee to the Terracotta Dungeon!]
[Heroes and devils eternally rest here!]
[Have fun exploring, feel free to stay forever!]
They were in a stone hall, one filled with countless statues grasping various weapons and showing plenty of emotions: joy, anger, sorrow, and even lovesickness.
"Master, what are we¡ª"
For some reason, Jack was sitting on the stone floor¡carving pumpkins?! Derek froze, was now the best time for this?
"As soon as you step there, most of the statues wille alive. Fight as you did back in the Mines, collect ten different weapon types, and bring them to me." Jack instructed.
"¡" Collecting weapons? What for?
"Woo!" (On it!)
The heroic wolf led the charge without hesitation. As the sound of battle resounded, Jack kept carving, his hands flying as if having a life of their own.
Current Crafting:
Quality ¡ª> Shabby
Quantity ¡ª> Shitload!
Carving Speed ¡ª> Super fast.
A pumpkin would appear, and a few secondster, he would have an incredibly ugly-looking orange suit that was frankly an offense to one''s sight.
Before long, the two came back victorious. But even then, Jack kept carving. He almost looked as if in a trance¡.yet he was producingplete trash.
"M-master? How about we move forward?" Derek was obviously worried.
"Young one, sometimes staying still allows one to move forward faster." Jack would have almost appeared wise if he weren''t covered in pumpkin''s insides from head to toe.
"¡."
"Woo!" (Nodding!)
This carving session wasn''t too long, but it felt like an eternity. The pdins could barge in at any moment, and yet he was just sitting there?"
He eventually rose before proceeding to the next part of his n. The scene that followed almost had Derek doubting his master''s sanity.
For some reason, he was decorating the statues with disgraceful orange suits. Why?! Was he enjoying thest minutes of his life ying dress-up?!
"Now that''s perfect! Gotta hurry!" As if Jack''s previous stillness had been a lie, he rushed forward as if he had the Devil after him.
At the end of the hallway, a closed stone door looked positively massive. This thing was so sturdy that nothing could possibly affect it.
Jack barely took an instant to observe it, nodding to himself before summoning 12 basic level 20 skeletons. What theycked in strength, they made up in obedience.
Jack quickly barked orders at them as they took ce on a few specific bases where the statues had been earlier.
¡ª Click! ¡ª
Their weight was enough to activate the pressure tes as the stone door opened with a heavy ng!
"There''s a reason this ce is so hated. Puzzles, puzzles everywhere. Well, there''s also the enemies." Jack grumbled as he rushed through the door, recalling his undead, the door slowly closing.
That''s when they heard the sound of a portal buzzing. The pdins had arrived! They stared at Jack with such enmity, as if he had killed their friend¡oh he had.
They instantly raised their hands, throwing shiny holy magic his way. He sidestepped most as the restnded on the heavy stone door, making it shake heavily, rock dust falling off.
"Run!! Don''t destroy any statue." Jack ordered, leading.
Not destroying any statues was easier said than done. Some were immobile, others roaming around, but they were absolutely everywhere!
< Terracotta Statue Lv 35! :moai: >
Normally they should have been progressing sneakily or methodically while eliminating the danger. Right now, they were simply rushing from point A to point B!
In the back, they suddenly heard an incrediblemotion. Pdins 1, stone door blocking the way 0.
¡ª SHATTER! ¡ª
Jack couldn''t help but gulp as he heard that. Those guys were cheating. Couldn''t they take the time to do the puzzles like everyone else?!
In any case, he made sure he was going in the right direction. Still, that didn''t prevent him from pping pumpkins on the various statues all around.
"Master, why are you¡ª"
"Less speaking, more running!" Jack hurried him.
Then they finally arrived at their destination. It was a medium-sized room that was filled with even more statues.
In the middle, there was a statue ofrge Chicken with scales. It was very small and looked quite mean, giving it a very silly look.
Still, Jack knew not to underestimate this monster. This thing wasn''t a creature that the current him could defeat.
He turned toward his Disciple.
"If you head northeast, you''ll find a pce-looking room with plenty of performer-looking statues. Steal their masks and hide under the wine table at the entrance."
"What then?"
"Woo?"
"You wait for me, both of you. Now, go!" Jack shouted, knowing the statues trailing behind them and the pdins were about to reach them.
He had to hurry. In the wall were plenty of sockets that could fit weapons in them. He grabbed the various armaments, slotting them in, skeletons ready to activate each.
That''s when all enemies barged into the room. In their rage, the pdins did short work of the creatures since they were attacking them too, turning toward Jack.
He was utterly boxed in, without any escape. Theypletely covered the only entrance.
"Little ghoul, there is no running anymore!" A pdin uttered sadistically. Running? Why would he run?
Jack Vs. 11 pdins¡.as if! There was no way he''d even try to fight them. He ordered his undead to activate the weapons/keys they held.
¡ª Click! ¡ª
Barely anything seemed to happen, but that was only an illusion. In the center of the room, a tiny cockatrice was nowing to life, shaking its stiff body.
< Young But Mean Cockatrice Lv 45! :lizard::chicken: >
Jack hurriedly activated his safety measures!
¡ª He used his legging ability, which made his lower body invisible.
¡ª He equipped the strongest Anti-Chicken Title he had
¡ª He grabbed his shield and hid behind it.
¡ª He prayed to survive this fight
What would this do? Could he resist the monster directly? Not at all! His only chance was to cheese its aggro somehow so it wouldn''t target him.
This was especially important considering this thing turned anything it looked at into stone. Perhaps the pdins could forcefully resist it, but he couldn''t!
The Cockatrice was tiny, and its line of sight was low. The invisibility would help against it identally looking his way.
The creature was also as mean as it looked and a bully. It always targeted the weaker members first in a party. The title would make him appear stronger.
The shield could possibly help because it shared a simr element as it came from another angry chicken (kinda).
He counted the seconds. They felt like an eternity. But then one of the pdins made a phenomenal mistake.
"What''s with this Chicken? Get out of the way. We''re here to enact¡ª" The pdin mercilessly struck the creature, only to turn into stone suddenly.
Luckily for him, his allies were all next to him, and they quickly used healing magic, saving his life. But that in itself was another great mistake.
Healing ¡ª> Generates aggro.
Jack was almost dancing as he saw that. The mighty Boss did not care one bit about him anymore.
Suddenly the mean-looking Chicken looked oh so damn pleasant! Jack silently thanked brother Cockatrice for this nice carry.
Part one of his n had been a resounding sess! Now he just had to keep dodging and enjoy the show¡
Chapter 258 Terracotta Dungeon Bosses
Chapter 258 Terracotta Dungeon Bosses
"C''mon, Cockatrice, FIGHT!!!!" Jack heatedly cheered as the cries of the monster resounded across the stone dungeon room.
¡ª Shriek! ¡ª
The current situation would have made countless raise their brow in wonder. It was extremely¡peculiar. The usually fearless Demon King was hiding behind a tiny, scaly chicken.
< Young But Mean Cockatrice Lv 45! :lizard::chicken: >
The pdins were not having a good time, far from it. At first, one had tried to bypass the creature to reach Jack, only to end up as the first casualty from a single look.
The Holy men were now huddled back to back in a sacred protective circle. But even that was taking its toll on them.
The Cockatrice would have normally been reconsidering its targeting, but they had made it far too angry.
Cockatrice VS. Pdins
Eyes of Destruction VS Protective Circle
Deadly Sharp Talons VS Inscribed Magical Armors
Incredibly Sturdy Scales VS Holy Spells and Smashes
There were too many ranged attacks aimed at Jack to count, but erratic movements and holding a Cockatrice''s thigh allowed him to survive!
This was a sh of titans. He watched the damage from the basic attacks in awe: -24, -22, -27, etc. What kind of crazy fighting power was this?! He''d be lucky to survive three strikes!
But even such a valiant chicken eventually couldn''t hold out in the face of the absolute worst thing ever: near-invincible tankiness and non-stop healing.
Was this karma? Healing had been his specialty in his previous life. It kinda felt like cheating as they just wouldn''t go down.
Slowly but surely, the Cockatrice''s HP dwindled until the creature uttered onest painful cry filled with sorrow, unwillingness, and a CC effect!
On cue, its malevolent gaze turned toward the pdins, killing two directly.
¡ª Shriek! ¡ª
[Carving Pumpkins Till I Copse!]
[You''ve resisted the effect!]
Now!! Jack discarded a pumpkin, rushing toward the creature. It was time for a technique as old as life itself, KS!
He needed explosive power. He required his Demon''s King''s Nascent weapon!! He cleanly cut off the Cockatrice''s neck with one mightily tiny sh!
[Killed Young Cockatrice!]
[Obtained Cockatrice Loot Box :lizard::chicken:!]
As for the eight pdins, they were still frozen by the monster''sst skill. He ran for the exit without hesitating, shing the enemies on his way.
- 11
- 13
- 12
He could only give a self-derisive smile as he saw the pitiful damage numbers. How much armor did they even have?!
Killing them all at once ¡ª> Not happening.
Killing a few ¡ª> Possible, but it would take time for sure
Dying ¡ª> Totally assured if he spent a single second dilly-dallying.
Jack''s heart constricted, but he didn''t have any time to linger. He had to GTFO. People were waiting for him to be back!
He was back at navigating the sea of monsters, heading toward his partypanions. Judging by the shattering sounds behind him, the pdins were following for sure!
¡ª Crash! ¡ª
¡ª Jack used "run like a bitch!" ¡ª
When he finally arrived at his destination, he sighed in relief as he nced at the que by the entrance. "Entertain the King, Peasant!" Yep, just like he remembered.
The ce was arge throne room with an empty throne and countless stone subjects. The statues either had a musical instrument or a traditional mask hiding their features.
This was apparently a feast as there were even cheese and fruit tters. It was as ridiculous as pretty neatly detailed.
"Master!, you''re back!" Derek looked more like an abandoned puppy than the actual wolf cub next to him for some reason.
But instead of answering him, Jack hurriedly summoned weak skeletons, dressed them with his custom pumpkin armor, and added the masks Derek had stolen.
Of course, he didn''t forget to p new atrocious orange outfits to the initial statues too. Still, why?! The two were incredibly puzzled and curious.
"Carefully remember which ones are undead. It''s important." Jack mentioned with a solemn tone, the two nodding.
The Pdins crashed into the room, the first one rushing straight at Jack. He was so fast that he wasn''t able to evade at all!¡ª Or that''s how it seemed.
"Perish, foul beast!" Just as he mmed his weapon, his body suddenly imploded. Just like that, an OP pdin was down with seven remaining.
Jack looked so astonished by this development,ughing uncontrobly like a man who had just witnessed a miracle. He was "obviously" as confused as everyone else.
"¡.By the Holy Goddess!" The holy men eximed as they finally noticed the words by the entrance.
Entertain the King ¡ª> Violence wouldn''t be tolerated at this event.
That''s when a few beings imperceptibly moved, starting the trial. Those were Jack''s disguised undead.
[Wee to the King''s Feast!]
[Entertain the King at All Costs!]
< Handsome Invisible Rock King Lv 60! :moai: >
Jack winced as a shadowy foggy silhouette appeared on the throne, an annoying grin on its ghostly face. Itzily waved its hand, and they were teleported in front of it, helpless.
"y or dance to your heart''s content until you fall, or I am satisfied." A hollow voice resounded.
"Py?! Dance?!" What kind of weird thing was this?! The pdins'' shocked faces were almost worth getting hunted by them.
"BEGIN!" The King roared.
Just as many were at a loss, a few statues volunteered themselves to show an example. A magical spotlight appeared on them, one ying the pipa and three others dancing.
The music aside, the dancing was odd as it looked more like a battle technique than a dance. Heck, there were even punches included in the routine.
As soon as the holy warriors witnessed that, their unease went away. They didn''t need to know dancing to repeat that! They''d entertain this King for now, then get revenge!
Jack couldn''t help but gulp as he saw the death res they sent his way. But then it was their turn to show off.
The beingzily waved its hand, surrounding them with a fog barrier. They wouldn''t be able to see the others at all! A fog countdown appeared.
3
2
1
GO!
Jack could only hope to god that Derek would be fine. Moon Moon could always respawn thanks to their soul-link. Anyway, he danced like no shady AF King was watching.
"Decent,cking, terrible, horrendous, deserving of death." The King''s voice echoed as it graded their performance.
As the fog finally went down again, the room had fewer challengers. Two of the pdins were now a gooey mess on the ground, six left.
"?!?" Their faces showed extreme confusion. What the hell had happened?!
Derek was not only still alive, but he was also shivering in excitement. How scheming! There had been three dancers, but two had actually been disguised undead!
Since they were all wearing the simr orange silly getup, telling them apart had been near impossible. They had been feeding the viewerspletely erroneous moves!
Luckily he had known about them before or else¡
Other performers went up and got busy. This time, everyone diligently observed the moves, carefullyparing them to one another. Then the fog descended again.
3
2
1
Dance Time!
Another victim! Jack rejoiced as he noticed a pdin missing, five left! While Jack''s party was doing the whole thing incredibly rxed, the pdins were fighting for their lives!
That''s how more and more dancing kept happening, the pdins managing not to perish anymore. They could finally identify the real dancer of the three.
The pdins were now able to distinguish them by their distinctive dance moves. Jack could only improvise. This time he changed it so little that even copying it wouldn''t get them killed.
Derek watched it all with his jaw hanging. Even he couldn''t tell them apart anymore because of the fog obscuring his vision at times!
Just as he was starting to fear, one of the dancers suddenly made a small, subtle gesture in a way that only he could notice. Ah! His master was giving him hints!
Dancing, more dancing, and even more dancing, all until it was finally over.
"This king is tired and will retreat to his chambers." The foggy being stated. As soon as he did, the pdins nced at Jack with the eyes of terrifying hungry wolves.
"How about we make peace?" Jack uttered in a small voice.
"Pfft¡ª We''ll grab you and tear your limbs out. Then we''ll¡ª" Sadly for the enthusiastic pdin, this wasn''t exactly over.
"This King congrattes you all. You did well enough to keep your lives. Still, some of you are so unsightly¡men teach them better!" The King barked onest order before leaving.
YES! Jack was almost jumping in joy. This trial had many possible oues:
1. Death
2. Survival
3. Survival with remedial lessons
4. Actually pleasing the King and getting a reward
The first andst were unlikely (without tempering at least). As for option three, it only happened if one was really bad at reproducing moves¡.or copied fake ones!
¡ª Teaching statue grabbed pdins! ¡ª
The warriors were incredibly reluctant, but the same power as earlier was now restraining them. They were brought away in tears. They had been so close!
"Master, that was brilliant! But why didn''t the King do something about the fake statues in their midst?" Derek asked, baffled. How could a being so powerful miss something so simple?
"He didn''t. He simply found it entertaining." Jack sighed.
"Woo!" (It really was!)
The little wolf had happily shaken its ass to the music and would do it again. This thing was fun! But it turned serious seeing his master''s expression.
"Anyway, we have to hurry. This challenge won''t hold them for long. Either we''re in Sprigfield soon, or we''re dead." Jack stated, opening his new loot box.
[Low Contribution to Cockatrice Kill Detected!]
[Obtained Cockatrice Feather !:lizard::chicken:]
Even then, he was satisfied:
Cockatrice ¡ª> Weakened the opponents
Stone King ¡ª> Temporarily trapped them
Derek nodded. Sprigfield, was it? Why did it sound like one of the most dangerous ces to be right now? In any case, they would follow¡
Chapter 259 Sprigfield = Dangerous!
Chapter 259 Sprigfield = Dangerous!
Two men crawled in the in near Sprigfield, sneakily observing it from a distance.
As countless soldiers patrolled the area, the Town had been turned into a deathtrap. Under the current threat, everyone had banded together.
- Militia
- Associations
- Adventurers and Braves
- Heck, even some random NPC participated!
All of them only had one goal: to find and destroy the ghouls hiding in their midst. Talk about a shitshow!
With Jack''s current mark, he couldn''t risk even going home to the Pumpkin Farm, knowing he would only bring death to it.
The problem was how to enter? The only entrance gate was so closely watched that even he wasn''t sure how to bypass it.
- Disguise? They had a magic tool to remove illusions.
- Hide in a crate? Getting spotted would mean he''d be surrounded.
- Pierce the town wall? The enchantment was too strong for the current him.
- Make a diversion and rush through? This one had so many ways it could backfire.
A diversion would have to be huge to be effective, something like a wildfire or another Macabre army, but the Farm could suffer in both cases.
"Master, I don''t think we''re getting inside Sprigfield today." Derek sighed as he watched how attentive the guards were.
"We''d just need a diversion big enough to upy them, but for it to be non-threatening. This way, they won''t enter high alert." Jack mused to himself.
Actually, what if¡?
Jack carefully retreated, guiding their party toward theke without exining anything. No one was even watching it considering the constant mist made it pointless.
As soon as they reached it, he decisively started¡skipping pebbles?! The tiny projectiles rebounded on the water surface until they finally fell in.
¡ª Skip! Skip! Skip! Plop! ¡ª
Derek kept looking for a deeper meaning, but he really was skipping pebbles no matter how he looked.
"¡.Master?"
"Shh, let me handle this." Somehow he made such an everyday activity look mystical.
¡ª Skip! Skip! Skip! Plop! ¡ª
Minutes passed, yet this seemingly didn''t go anywhere. Was Jack just thinking? Was he giving up? Did he intend to wait for the pdins here? Did he¡ª
That''s when it happened. The calmke''s surface suddenly exploded, an old man with white hairing out?!
"Are you done knocking?!! I''ll rip you apart and¡ª" The elemental finally noticed who it was.
"Sup." Jack happily waved.
It was at that moment that the elemental realized he had fucked up. Had he known it was this annoying human, he would have acted like he wasn''t home.
"Never mind, have fun throwing pebbles!" The elemental was already retreating.
"If you leave now, I swear I''ll turn yourke to jelly." This was perhaps the most ridiculous and nonsensical threat ever¡but it worked.
"Sigh, fine. What do you need?" The old man relented. He''d at least listen to him.
The more Jack spoke and the less reluctant he became. After all, the human did have a secret weapon: Pumpkin Girl''s Cooking!
Soon, a deal was made that would affect Sprigfield more than anyone could have ever guessed¡
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So much effort had been spent hunting the undead, yet not a single one had been found. They had obviously fled after their brethren had screamed his lungs out.
It was hard to know whether this was good or not. It meant they were too weak to fight Sprigfield but also way too sneaky.
In any case, many yers were starting to feel the wait:
"Tch¡ª I joined this mission thinking we''d be crushing undead left and right. Remember the rat event? Now, that was epic!"
"Epic? Weren''t you hiding behind the protective barrier back then? What''s epic about that?"
"Whatever. Want to do something else? How about we search for a Field Boss? Factions pay a lot for that info."
"We better stay. Who knows when shit will go down. Plus, remember that the Mayor''s actually paying for us to help."
Thus, even though many were bored, they all remained steady at their post. But that was about to change.
¡ª Drip! Drop! Drip! Drop! ¡ª
Out of nowhere, it started raining.
The rain was the most normal it could have been. It wasn''t especially charged with magic, it wasn''t dark nor ominous, and it wasn''t acidic or anything like that. It was just rain.
Rain was so insignificant that it didn''t raise an eyebrow. Of course, people grumbled and grimaced, but that was the end of it¡ª or it should have been.
It rained harder and relentlessly as minutes psed, creating countless puddles everywhere. Before long, the entire ground was covered in only water.
"Are you kidding me?! What kind of bad luck is this?!"
"At this rate, we''ll all look like drenched dogs soon enough."
"Already toote for me. I''m wetter than my wife after seeing her favorite actor!"
The discontent from being bored quickly added to the difort of the weather. They couldn''t get angry either. What would they do, shout at the sky?
Some yers quickly put two and two together. It had to be the doing of that one Elemental they had previously seen! Sprigfield''s only mage debunked the theory.
He came out of his dwelling at some point, gave an unimpressed nce at the sky, and went back in as if nothing had ever happened.
That''s when came the finishing blow. Out of nowhere, the Drunken Sailor decided to do a promotion. Everything, absolutely everything was 50% off, even the bunny idol''s autograph!
The promise of food, drinks, shelter, and entertainment was a godsend in this shitty weather. It was more tempting than the most beautiful vixen or the shiniest treasure.
"Fuck it. I''m out of here. Screw this guard mission." They all gave up one after the other, many cursing, feeling their boots full of water.
This didn''t just affect the yers but also the NPCs. Most were fickle and just going with the flow. It just so happened that the flow outside was catastrophic!
The Militia ran around trying to urge people to reconsider, that one naive militia member the first, only to be shut down. "We need to protect the town!" From what? The rain? People would just snigger at him.
Even the associations slowly gave up, heading to protect their various instations from taking water damage. This was especially true for FF:
- The rain made some aquatic monsters easier to catch (Fishermen)
- It threatened to drown the fields that were barely recovering. (Farmers)
Luckily for Jack, the Pumpkin Farm feared no water. The tree defense line would block the water, and even their field resisted it thanks to the elemental''s blessing.
Had there been any concrete danger, everyone would have banded together to fight, ready to give their lives to protect their families.
Derek watched it all happen with bulging eyes. That was it?! It was so simple and yet so damn effective! A single move had cleared pretty much all the issues.
As for Jack infiltrating the Town ¡ª> He simply swam.
There was enough water to conceal a body from sight easily. Derek acted as a distraction while he sneakily invaded. Once inside, arge cloak sufficed to hide his monstrous features.
That''s how a ghoul showed up at a fine silk shop, ready to meet Old Snake of the Bloody Chains. Their conversation was short, their deal even shorter.
Before long, Jack exited the ce with a Blood-Red Chain, one that seemed alive as it kept trying to bite him.
< Blood Marking Chain :drop_of_blood:>
This thing was akin to fighting poison with poison. It worked very simrly to the Holy Mark he currently was afflicted with.
Chased by Pdins ¡ª> Chased by vers.
It did, however, have one redeeming feature. Activating it on a target would remove any other mark from the user.
"M-master, are you really going to use it?!" Derek shivered as he asked.
"Use it? Hopefully not, but it beats getting captured by the Holy Church." Jack remarked as he headed to the Tavern, a man already waiting for him.
The scammer looked quiteical as he showed up for their meetingpletely drenched. Sadly his news was akin to the weather, bad.
"Sir, I haven''t found the ghouls you were looking for, but I''ve heard something quite rming. They''re making a bloodline resonance tool. It''s¡ª"
"Fuck!" Jack appeared solemn. This thing would sniff him out even faster than that freaking holy mark! "How long have they been working on it? Hopefully¡ª"
¡ª ng! ¡ª
The door to the back room was suddenly mmed open, the tavern owner appearing. He was a bearer of bad news, his face twisted in worry.
"Sir, we have a problem! Patrons saw the Militia heading this way, and they seemed out for blood! I''m not sure how reliable this is but¡." He warned.
Why would the militia target a tavern? Were theying here to lecture people, or did they know a ghoul was here? Either way, he couldn''t risk it.
Captured by the Militia ¡ª> Handed to the Holy Church ¡ª> Real Bad time
"Justply with whatever demands they have. We have nothing to hide. Take care." Jack hurriedly left, faster than if he had seen a leper.
"Master?"
"We get the F-out right now! Now listen carefully. I''ll need you to¡." Jack instructed quickly. The more Derek listened and the more uneasy he became.
This sounded a lot like his master''sst will. He wouldn''t tell him where he was going either, only that it would be far too dangerous for anyone to follow. He''d be fine, right?!
They may not have known each other for long, but he had thought him so much. He had made him question his sword, moralpass, and even life.
He watched the Demon King disappear, heart heavy. A secondter, the nging and shouting of the Militia resounded: they were right on his trail.
They would meet again, right? He had faith¡..
Perhaps Jack would haveughed had he known. Faith? He''d need more than faith to survive where he was going, he''d need a miracle. After all, Dark Elves were no pushover¡
Chapter 260 Good Riddance, Holy Mark!
Chapter 260 Good Riddance, Holy Mark!
They were mad hunting dogs, hungry for Justice and he their prey. Jack could almost hear his pursuers closing in. They had definitely escaped the Terracotta Dungeon by now.
¡ª Drip! Drop! Drip! Drop! ¡ª
It was raining so much that some yers were probably considering building a survival Ark and perhaps gathering cat girls for the journey. Only he knew that the Old Elemental would soon stop.
¡ª Rumble! ¡ª
The torrential rain had created a small muddy river already. He chuckled as he entered the mine, knowing the pdins would have to stain their prized armors to follow.
He expected silence and quiet, but there was unexpectedly someone there.
¡ª ng! ng! ng! ¡ª
There was a young boy hard at work in the abandoned mine shaft. He swung a primitive pickaxe at the wall with wild determination: stick, rope, and pointy-ish rock.
Jack had so many questions:
1. Why mine regr rock?
2. What was up with the shitty tool?
3. How could he make swinging a pickaxe look hard? Seeing him at work was akin to watching a blind man drive on the highway but with less control involved.
4. What had brought this youngster so far away from home?
How did Jack know that he was far away from home? Well, he was a frogman! Theke was the closest ce he could live, and he had probablye here expecting it to be empty.
He was so focused on his "mining" task that he never sensed Jack''s approach until it was toote¡
"Boo!!"
"KYYYYAAAA!!!" The young frogman jumped in surprise. That''s when he visibly became sick with dread. "P-please spare me. I-I''m too young to be sushi!"
Sushi? What kind of fool was this? Frogmen were obviously better grilled¡
"I-I have money! J-just not on me, I¡." Out of nervousness, the frogman yed with his ne while shaking. It was half of a shell forming a teardrop.
Ne? This guy knew the mermaids of theke? Jack would have totally asked him to guide him to meet them had he not been on the run!
Then again¡ this frog could be useful. Thirty seconds should be fine, right? Jack opened his mouth, looking incredibly solemn. "Listen and listen well¡."
Exactly 30 secondster, he was leaving a shellshocked frog behind. The youngster was now awkwardly carrying an iron pickaxe with bottomless tears of gratitude.
He would never forget all that Jack had done for him!
1. Spared his life (Humans were scary)
2. Given him a mighty tool (Cheapest pickaxe he owned)
3. Shared with him the secret of mining (Common Knowledge)
4. Warned him about the pdins who were alreadying to hunt him. (Lie)
The "benevolent" Jack hurried inside the darkness. He had a lot of ground to cover to reach his destination. He actually wished for the pdins to enter the mine to hunt him¡
¡ª :frog: ¡ª
On the surface, a young frog man hid in the river at the mine entrance. Any other race might have had trouble, but frogs were gifted at standing still underwater! (And proud of it)
He grabbed themunication bone that his new benefactor had given him in his right palm as he waited.
Apparently, this miracle was possible thanks to shamanic magic, or so he had been told. But, unbeknown to him, he was actually holding a "failed skeleton".
Anyway, the frog was too happy to notice. He had been so lucky to meet this man! He had been so genuine and nice toward him.
After all, he was far different from the scary humans that his best friend had warned him about. He had even told him how to proceed to avoid the pdins!
He had just been hiding for a few minutes when the scary men appeared. They wore so much cold metal, and their eyes were even colder!
Just looking at them made the poor frog unable to breathe. They were evidently bad guys as they oozed resentment.
The frog croaked in relief as they finally crossed the muddy river and disappeared in the mine.
Soon he''d be able to go back in and gather some precious Iron, so rare in theke. He''d have the perfect gift for his beloved for sure! But before that, he had something to do.
"Benefactor, thank you, thank you so much!" On that note, he crushed themunication bone, a shame because it looked pretty.
Now the nice man would know that the evil pdins wereing. He could only hope that they meet again someday¡
¡ª :frog: ¡ª
Back underground, Jack patted himself on the back. He had felt feedback from his "failed skeleton" being destroyed.
See a frog ¡ª> Use a frog ¡ª> Make a naive "friend."
He now knew the exact moment the enemies had entered the area, their rough power, and could thus estimate when they would reach him in what had been the Dragon''s dwelling.
Still, he had lots of work to do on his side too.
He took out a jar full of wisp fireflies that almost looked fairy-like. He still remembered the Tavern Owner''s confused expression when he had asked for some.
They used those in their shows. While they were trendy, they only did one thing and one thing only: glow attractively.
He then released the creature toward the cave. He waited, and waited, and waited some more, then it happened.
¡ª Pounce! ¡ª
An eight-legged predator finally deemed the area safe as it went to gobble the firefly. The silver scouting spider rubbed its legs in joy as it reveled in the foreign delicacy.
Free-range surface firefly¡talk about a tastyst meal for a spider!
¡ª m! ¡ª
¡ª Stter! ¡ª
It suffered the same fate as its brethren long ago, only a bluish silvery stain on the cold rock floor.
Jack disguised the "crime scene". He added footprints and even drew a neat bloody holy cross before spraying himself with fairy dust.
[You are now harder to detect!]
[PS: Combat instantly ends this effect!]
He went even deeper and hid in a rock crevasse as he counted the seconds and the minutes. Either he''d get the timing perfectly, or he''d be screwed!
A swift yet blurry shadow suddenly passed him. It did so quietly, almost enough to make him wonder if he had imagined it. Still, he knew it to be a Dark Elf.
Dark Elves had:
- Perversely, mighty physical specs
- Perversely powerful magic talent
- Perversely cruel personality
Dark Elves were also incredible hunters. The darkness was their yground, and they would definitely be able to toy with anyone here.
It was just a matter of time before the culprit who had squashed the spider was found. The ending would not be pretty either.
"Where the heck are you guys?!" Jack inwardly called out. Could it be that he had miscalcted? Just as he was getting impatient, he finally heard their voices.
"Where''s that ghoul?! Find and exterminate it! Enact Justice for our fallen brother!" The pdins were here, just in time to be the perfect sacrifices.
Finding a ghoul? They would soon be far too busy for that!
Jack had no idea what happened, nor did he want to know. There were a few sparse shouts, plenty of cursing, and the sound of weapons/armor getting shattered.
The OP pdins that even the Old Mist Elemental didn''t dare touch were now one-sidedly getting ughtered.
Of course, the pdins wouldn''t kick the bucket quietly. They created such amotion that he sensed it all, even from his hiding spot!
As the 6 of them all perished, they used their trump card: Holy Mark! This time, however, was far different.
Single Holy Mark ¡ª> Group Holy Mark.
All the holy energy in the surrounding was suckedpletely, ALL! This included the sacred energy that had been poisoning him. It all gathered toward the group of holy ghosts.
¡ª Focused, Holy Mark! ¡ª
¡ Or so he thought at first! It kept increasing in intensity until it reached a point that he didn''t think possible just yet.
¡ª Prime Holy Mark! ¡ª
Holy shit! (Literally) This made the mark he had received earlier look like a simple p on the wrist. Had the Holy Church always hated the Dark Elves so much?! Nope.
Was it perhaps because the time frame was different? Maybe them resurfacing had them considered a greater evil?
In any case, silence finally returned, Jack not moving in the least.
Sigh ¡ª> Death
Breathe ¡ª> Death
Twitch a muscle ¡ª> Death
He waited until a dark shadow appeared before him, suddenly stopping right before his whole. Anyone else would have panicked and given themselves away. He didn''t.
He was perfectly undetectable! It was all mind games! He had made sure not to be seen by any silver spider, and the Fairy Dust was protecting him from detection.
Suddenly a melodious, yful, yet sinister giggle echoed.
"Listen, and listen well, was it? Who knew frogmen were so interested in mining¡."
"!?!" Jack felt his blood turn cold as he realized the implications. Oh god, no¡ since when?!
The shadow came closer, disabling its camouge magic, revealing its appearance, one that was stunning enough to feel otherworldly and make countless fools simp.
She looked young, skin still wless, long ears twitching with interest, and an innocent smile shing with the earlier dying screams. Young and innocent? She wasn''t!
Eyes were the window to the soul, as the wise said. Hers carried deep arrogance and unbelievable experience. Those silver eyes would gleefully watch the most gruesome massacres without flinching.
She approached, finally making eye contact with him, grinning. On a scale of 1 to fucked¡he was breaking the goddamn scale!
She slowly extended a slender finger toward him, reaching for his shoulder and picking something up. As the space trembled, a silver spider came out of its invisible state.
How long had it been there? #Screwed!
Chapter 261 You Call This Torture?
Chapter 261 You Call This Torture?
[Wee to the Silver Spider City!]
This message sounded so damn ironic for a captive!
A City was far different from a vige or a town. This was the real deal. The little he had seen of it had been enough to realize how serious his situation was.
Silver or white-haired Dark Elves everywhere, any one of them strong enough to be considered a powerhouse back at Sprigfield, each the strength of the Holy Church Pdins.
He was now in a dark cell with his new buddy, random skeleton D, a victim of the torture here. Somehow the dwarf''s remains still had a woeful air about them, a pity.
He was also suspended in the air, the cold metallic chains digging in his flesh, which prevented him from using magic. His current situation was so harsh that it even worried the system:
[Terrible predicament detected!]
[User has fallen in the grasp of a powerful foe!]
[Would you like to respawn to safety? Y/N?]
[PS: You will be affected by a terrible curse!]
After all, no one would y a game where the yers were restrained and tortured without any control over their destiny.
From time to time, she would visit. Whenever he witnessed her silver hair, he knew what wasing: pain, incredible pain. This moment was such an instance:
"Why resist? It will all end up with you giving up all the same." The dark elf''s sweet voice echoed. It would have almost sounded nice had one disregarded the item she held.
She yed with a ball-like red object that oozed suffering and darkness. It almost seemed alive as cries of agony came out of it. This thing contained countless tortured souls.
A simple touch was enough to share their endless suffering, one that nothing could appease anymore. It was far toote for the damned souls.
At first, he thought she wanted him to join those tortured souls and believed that only Thanatos'' blessing thwarted her ns, but he had been wrong. She wanted way more.
"Join me, and I shall fulfill your dreams: wealth, power, even women. Just obediently serve me, and you can have all of that. Sounds great, doesn''t it?" She temptingly whispered in Jack''s ear.
She wanted many things:
- For him to submit
- To bring ruin to the humans
- To rule over the surface world
While other elves fought for local and underground supremacy, she had way loftier aspirations. She wanted to dominate all, to be a mighty unequaled queen.
He could understand and even praise this goal, but there was an issue. She was way too proud! This, he couldn''t ept.
"Tch¡ª Silent again, are you?" Seeing hisck of reaction, she brought the demonic tool to his cheek, direct contact!
¡ª SHRIEK!!! ¡ª
The tortured souls sensed the living, charging to feast on his energy. There was no way that they''d miss such an opportunity!
[Ding! Horrifying torture detected!]
[Would you like to activate third-person mode?]
Safety measures kicking in? ¡ª> The situation''s bad!
Of course, Jack refused the offer. After all, personally enduring it all could increase his resilience stat. Even in the deepest abyss, there was still light to be found!
The dark elf''s face showed a sinister grin as she witnessed the ghoul convulse under the souls'' attacks. He would soon be begging for mercy!
The poor thing really had drawn the shorthand of the stick. Since physical torture didn''t work too well on his kind, she had to improvise something even worse!
She had to use her House''s connections to the fullest to borrow the Ten Thousand Damned Souls Pearl for a day, but it was so powerful that he''d give in for sure after a few seconds!
¡ª 1 second ¡ª
¡ª 5 seconds ¡ª
¡ª A minute ¡ª
[Resisted Mental Torture Sessfully!]
[Congrattions! Resilience Stat Increased!]
"?!?" The dark elf''s doll-like face twisted in utter astonishment. Was he¡.smiling?! He really was!
At this moment, Jack had an incredibly silly look on his face. He was even looking at the souls appreciatively. As long as they cooperated, he could reach new heights!
He had seemingly forgotten his dire straitpletely. His happy expression had the elf doubting the tool. Was it defective?
She tentatively dropped the seal that protected her from the thing''s corruption. The effect was instantaneous. A maelstrom of dark emotions engulfed her.
Bottomless Grudges!
Impossible Anguish!
Hate, so much hate!
Eternal Woes!
Grief beyond¡ª
She hurriedly stopped it, her slender frame shaking, dread filling her entire being. What kind of crazy powerful shit was¡ª no, more importantly, how was he perfectly fine?!
Wait, no! She vividly remembered what had happened earlier. He had remained perfectly still even when she had shown that she knew where he was hiding.
It had all been aplete bluff. He was totally doing the same now!
Her confident grin returned, one that showed amusement. She would see how long he''d be able to fake it! She couldn''t wait to see him break and beg for mercy. Just imagining it brought her delight!
Thus the torture resumed.
¡ª 5 minutes ¡ª
¡ª 10 minutes ¡ª
Just as she was about to give up, she finally noticed a change in his expression. His smile was stiff and tinged with suffering. It was working!
He just needed a little push!
¡ª 15 minutes ¡ª
¡ª 20 minutes ¡ª
Jack''s expression was bing more and more twisted by the minute as he reached his limit, or so it seemed anyway.
Anyone else would have been begging for the torture to end, but he was different. More resilience, MORE!
Seeing her keep going had him inwardly sighing in relief. No matter what, she couldn''t put away this Tempering Pearl before he was done training!
¡ª 30 minutes ¡ª
¡ª An hour ¡ª
¡ª A few hours ¡ª
Then at some point, she couldn''t take it anymore. Yes, the torturer was the first one to cave in. She couldn''t take the pearl''s aura anymore.
It wasn''t a question of strength but willpower.
It was easy for him since he was getting rewards from the system, but it was an utterly thankless effort for her.
Glistering sweat covered her flushed skin, her red eyes filled with disbelief as she stared at her prisoner. How long had they been going at it without any stop?!
Wait, no, something was wrong! She jumped up in shock.
She had finally realized that he had been ying her all along. Every time he had shown signs of having trouble was when she had had thoughts of stopping.
"Y-you, what kind of monster are you?!" The usually calm and noble elf daughter blurted out without minding decorum.
Jack could only sigh. It seemed like the charade hade to an end.
"Monster? I''m just your regr everyday human¡ª eh, ghoul." He shrugged, his pitch-ck eyes showing incredible honesty.
"¡" She left.
Jack was left alone in the darkness, only Skeleton D to apany him. Solitude could be terrifying and devastating, but he did not mind too much.
Istion? He was a yer!
He could still message people in the Sprigfield Area.
- Jack''O: Yo, what are you up to, big guy?
- Masochistic Monk: You''re alive?! I heard about the pdins chasing you. What happened?!
- Jack''O: It''s a long story¡
A long exnationter, his friend was now tasked with the holy mission to act as the messenger between him and Pumpkin Girl. She happily replied all.
¡ª One message ¡ª
¡ª Three messages ¡ª
¡ª A boatload of messages ¡ª
Had one looked at the message log, it would have shown incredible sweetness¡until about the third one, where it took a slight naughty turn. It finally ended with¡
- Masochistic Monk: I fucking quit! I have better things to do than help you sext your girl, goddammit! Only message me when you have an emergency. Take care!
In silence, Jack regretted not having added more friends in the area. Now that he thought about it, he recently hung with NPCs a lot. They, too, were part of Infinite¡
His pondering was suddenly interrupted.
[Ding! Global Announcement!]
[Infinite Is Bing Popr!]
[Unlocked New Functionality! Forum!]
So soon?! It was at least a few weeks earlier than his previous life! Either way, never had he been so joyful at seeing the forum.
[New Quests! Be Popr on the Forums!]
[New Exclusive Titles Now Obtainable!]
[Forums can only be opened in cities!]
Whatever, this was pretty standard. There would be rewards for many things, for instance being rated as helpful, getting many likes, and probably even one for views and whatnot.
More importantly, he could text (annoy) more people!
Jack instantly turned into a keyboard warrior, ready to spread his words across Infinite¡well, minus the keyboard part. Being chained, he had to use his mind to type.
Whatever idea he could think of, he just sent without a care in the world.
¡ª New Post! ¡ª
Author: Jack''O!
Topic: I''ve been kidnapped by a busty Dark Elf Onee-San. Send Help!
Topic: The Best Tavern in Sprigfield #Cute Bunnygirl Idol
Topic: All the girls in Sprigfield are Wet! Learn why!
Topic: That time I slew a dragon!
Topic: Pumpkins are the best!
Those were the posts he created in the first minute, as he quickly reached his post quota for the moment.
There were naturally many curious yers on the forum, with countless posts being sent. Still, one User stood out. Who the hell was Jack''O?!
1. He posted faster than lightning. The forum had been up only a minute ago, and he already had five threads!
2. His topic choice sure was peculiar. It went from silly to intriguing and even boastful. Dragon and Pumpkins right after the other?!
3. Each of his posts generated great momentum¡in a very odd way. Why was a group called D.L. up-voting all his content?! What an obvious water army!
Then there was the fact that he wasmenting on so many posts! He was freaking everywhere! What kind of madness was this?!
Jack was so focused on the forums that hepletely missed the dark elfing back. She had found her resolve again, ready topletely break him this time!
There was no way a puny ghoul could resist her. After all, they were far from the nobility of dark elves. The only reason they thrived was the scarce mana on the surface.
She was ready to get creative, even to resort to light magic that the dark elves abhorred. She would use the pdins'' enchanted weapons against him!
She happily reached the prison door and was just about to enter when she suddenly stilled, utterly bbergasted. What the heck was this?!
The prisoner was gleefullyughing in the dark room, staring at the empty air. From time to time, he would even mumble to himself.
"Hehe, that meme''s funny AF!" He happily chuckled.
This ghoul was positively insane! Somehow she now had the feeling that her current n wouldn''t be sufficient. Without saying a word, she left once again.
She would soon be back, and he would beg for mercy...
Chapter 262 Disaster #2: They’re Here!
Chapter 262 Disaster #2: They''re Here!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
The world was utterly wet and dark, literal dark clouds covering Sprigfield.
Some saw it as a simple rain, some saw it as a disaster, but others saw it as a harbinger of the uing chaos.
¡ª Drip! Drop! Drip Drop! ¡ª
Most avoided going outside in such shitty weather, but countless yers were assembled on the in enduring the downpour.
What had once been a green and luscious meadow, now overflowed with so much water that it looked like a rice paddy. Their bodies were soaking messes, but they remained anyway.
They surrounded a circle filled with an unbelievably deep golden hue. Manymentated as they gazed at the area.
"Oh god, it''s so shiny!"
"How many yers do you think areing through this time?"
"Who knows, but this is an opportunity for sure! Never has there been so many people exiting the Tutorial at once!"
Spawn camping the new arrivals? Usually, they would have scoffed at the thought, but this time was different!
So many factions had shown up, grimacing as they saw theirpetitors. In their eyes, the other groups were all sneaky bastards here to recruit naive neers.
Red Rose Order, Lucky Legionnaires, Freedom Battalion, Rock Hard Faction, Water of Life, heck even the goofy Slime Party was here. Only the big three were missing: it was beneath them.
While sneering at one another, they began their preparations.
Some crafted wide tforms above water, starting great bonfires to dry their drenched bodies.
Some built instant shelters from various materials. It ranged from creative tree houses to sturdy mini rock fortresses.
Heck, Water of Life even built a literal water house, giving triumphant grins to their rivals. A flood? So What!
Many wise ones started cooking, filling the ce with rich andforting aromas that made the stomachs grumble.
One madd simply stuckrge banners into the ke" as he stood still. "Just taking a bath!" "Join Immortals Now!" "It''s raining? I hadn''t noticed."
Suddenly the golden hue started gathering, forming a brilliant portal that shined its light everywhere. Even the rain was golden!
¡ª Golden Glow! ¡ª
The portal rippled as the various recruiters twitched in anticipation, ready for a fierce battle of wits and tongues. The first impression would be vital!!
Many were mumbling their recruitment messages over and over in preparation. They were all simr: "Faction X wees you. Join us for Y reasons!"
¡ª Ripple! ¡ª
As the first man appeared, they were all stunned for a second. The newbie they expected was nowhere to be found. He was so impressive!
- Heroic Aura
- Powerful-looking
- Complete equipment set
- He was even emitting pressure!
Who was that guy?! They couldn''t help but gulp. He was definitely a dragon amongst men! His potential had to be endless if he was already that great!
"Wow, a golden shower!" The mighty warrior eximed.
That''s when all Hells broke loose. Cacophonous shouts mixed, creating an unintelligible symphony. Still, it was evident that he was bombarded with glorious offers!
Anyone would have been overwhelmed in this situation¡.or not! The man barely raised his brows as he nced at the various factions. His heart seemed unwavering!
Many couldn''t help but draw a cold breath, impressed. Had they been in his ce, they would have long been smiling from ear to ear with pride.
A faction leader suddenly spoke above the masses.
"Hero, it''s like this. We''re all assembled here to wee you into our midst. Please choose the faction that you prefer out of all of us."
"All of us? Weren''t you guys a mage guild?! Tch¡ª Shameless¡"
There was a heavy silence as they all stared a the warrior''s lips in suspense, only for him to shake his head. Seemingly amused, he pointed at his chest.
An emblem rested there, one of a mighty wolf that seemed ready to devour the world itself. Wait, he already was ounted for? Goddammit! What bad luck!
¡ª Ripple! ¡ª
They could only turn their attention toward the glowing portal as a yer as impressive as thest appeared!
This one was another mighty hero! Full gear, brows full of conviction, and a spear that looked positively deadly. How had he even gotten that in the Tutorial?!
"Great hero, wee to¡ª"
"Nope, look at his chest."
They could only sigh as they noticed the emblem of a¡ Sword Exploding the Heavens? They felt regret, but this was to be expected.
Some "clever" ones were already scheming ways to bring the two powerhouses to their side. Heck, even a single one would do. Seducing? Offering wealth? As long as it worked!
¡ª Ripple! ¡ª
That''s when yers started erupting from the golden light one after the others. The more came out, the more the spectators'' eyes bulged.
W-what?! H-how?!
Their eyes were clearly working, and yet there had to be something wrong with their vision. Were they dreaming?!
The mighty heroes from earlier? ¡ª> The Neers all looked as OP! What kind of madness was this?! As more and more of them came out, the recruiting "veterans" felt faint at heart.
There were enough of them to form an army, they were hundreds!
The "veterans" had left plenty of space near the golden portal, and yet it was getting filled up so quickly.
The factions'' incredible weing stations were now in the way! "Move, move, move, we need more space!" The neers shouted, the beautiful shelters all getting destroyed.
Soon there were more Neers than "Veterans". They assembled into two legions, taking their spots as if trained soldiers.
Just their presence had been enough to render the "veterans" speechless.
Water to their knees? It didn''t seem to bother them at all!
Neers > Veterans
But what truly was an incredible blow was their chests, as in they were all freaking wearing emblems. What the hell was this madness?!
¡ª Wolf! ¡ª
¡ª Sword! ¡ª
¡ª Sword! ¡ª
¡ª Wolf! ¡ª
¡ª Sword! ¡ª
No matter how they searched, there was not a single lone yer. How was this possible?! But this was only the beginning.
Soon a towering man appeared, followed by a wonderfully lovely pink-haireddy. The two were closing the march, the portal finally disappearing.
They were thest, and yet none could underestimate them. Every Neer nced at them with great respect, even those that seemed their enemies.
The man nced at the scene, slightly chuckling as he saw the various recruiting stations'' remains, before turning to the strangers.
One of the "veterans" couldn''t take it anymore.
"W-who are you guys?!" His tone was trembling in awe.
The man guffawed, looking at the foolish yer, before ncing at his troops.
"What is your name?" He began their introduction.
They all shouted together, their voices so powerful it would have shamed the roar of a mighty dragon! It made the earliermotion sound like the murmur of a child.
"DEMONIC LEGION!"
As soon as they were done answering, none made a peep. How incredible was their coordination! In the silence, their leader''s voice resounded again.
"What is your quest?"
"WORLD CONQUEST!"
"And to anyone standing in our way?"
"FIGHT THEM ALL! FUCK THEM UP! FEAST ON THEIR BLOOD!"
They radiated with blood lust, their roar strong enough to shake the realm and the spectating yers. But this wasn''t the end as I.R.L. replied in kind.
"What is your name?" / "INCREDIBLE RIGHTEOUS LEGION!"
"What is your quest?" / "EXTERMINATE D.L.!"
"What is your path?!" / "SHINE LIGHT UNTO THIS GRIM WORLD!"
The spectators were left utterly speechless. What kind of performance was this?! They hade here to recruit on behalf of their factions¡but what now!
As the two leaders came forward, the emissaries held their breaths. What if they could discuss an alliance? That would be a great service to their factions!
One man nervously greeted them. "Once again, wee to Sprigfield. How about we talk a bit about¡ª"
He was about to continue when the two gave him a reassuring smile, both speaking at once.
"Don''t worry, brother/young man. I know how you feel, but don''t worry. As long as you show some determination, you''ll be able to¡."
The man sighed in relief. Seriously?! The earlier disy appeared to have only been for show: they were actually quite nice.
"¡you''ll be able to join D.L./I.R.L." They both smiled at him encouragingly.
Wait...what?! What about an alliance? What about negotiations?! The ones who had lied in ambush to recruit newbies were suddenly the ones being recruited instead!
The two legions were now staring daggers at them, awaiting their reaction. Their eyes looked so "benevolent" as if saying: "Hurry up and ept."
"¡?!?"
Many shook in their boots. What would happen once they refused them?! The atmosphere turned tense, none daring to be the first to offend them.
Right now, there was actually a strategy meeting in Sprigfield on how to save the Town. It seemed another assembly would soon be necessary.
Disaster 1 ¡ª> Unbelievable Flood
Disaster 2 ¡ª> D.L + I.R.L
Disaster 3 ¡ª> ?
While they were confronting one another, a pink-haired beauty had already made her way to the Drunken Sailor, none the wiser.
As she waited for their contact, a man Jack called the Scammer, a frown appeared on her delicate face. She was staring at empty air.
¡ª New Post! ¡ª
Author: Jack''O!
Topic: I''ve been kidnapped by a busty Dark Elf Onee-San. Send Help!
This shrew had thwarted their reunion!
"Ah, are you the one that Sir Jack¡ªGasp!" The NPC jumped in shock as he saw unimaginable killing intent in the woman''s eyes.
He knew who she was, one of the leaders of Demonic Legion. After all, the Drunken Sailor had been revamped to serve as D.L.''s base all along.
Sprigfield ¡ª> Step 1 in their Quest!
"Tell me everything you know about the dark elves," She ordered, her voice calm yet chilly. She reminded him so much of his master!
Why did she seem about to start a war?! He shivered, not knowing if it was from fear or excitement¡
Chapter 263 One Mad Dark Elf! (1/2)
Chapter 263 One Mad Dark Elf! (1/2)
A man hanging by his wrists was shivering in a dark cell, the chains rattling relentlessly as he furiously sent messages.
- Jack''O: DO NOT attempt a rescue mission! I mean it!
- Bubblegum: I hear you. Talkter.
"¡."
- Jack''O: DO NOTe for me!
- CPR Dude: I hear you, Boss!
"¡." Why couldn''t they simply agree?!
Bubblegum ¡ª> Had her own thoughts and could be quite stubborn.
CPR dude ¡ª> Had a strange obsession with saving family
Cultists ¡ª> They were even worse!
Jack sighed from the bottom of his heart. After all, The masochistic monk had already told him about the Brave army gathering at the Drunken Sailor.
The enormous mobilization had even prompted the militia to watch over them, worried about a Town takeover. Still, he was definitely scared!
D.L. versus Dark Elves? ¡ª> His people would get utterly massacred! All the work that had gone into training his minions would be gone.
Ironically this simply meant that he had to escape his current predicament before reinforcements could arrive. This single task upied his mind.
He remained absentminded even as his silver-haired captor came back for another round of "fun". He let the torture wash over him, showing a rxed expression.
The less he reacted and the more impatient she became. Her sadistic smile was long gone, her elven pride wholly shattered. But even then, she still wanted him to submit.
The girl''s efforts would have amused him were he notpletely restrained and defenseless.
"Just kill me already. Let me respawn!" He kept inwardly begging, but she simply wouldn''t.
Physical torture? ¡ª> She couldcerate his undead flesh all she wanted. He wouldn''t make a peep.
Mental torture? ¡ª> She made him see his worst nightmares. He woke up in his tiny old apartment in the visions, his current life nothing but a fleeting dream.
Temptation? ¡ª> He didn''t care about her charm or her empty promises. It all came with way too steep a cost: his freedom.
Jack showed a very sorry state, his body in tatters, but his spirit was still strong as he slowly gathered information and schemed.
- He was sequestered in the estate of the noble ck Rose House.
- The missing MTG members were here too, as diators
- His captor was the third eldest daughter of her family
- Her siblings made fun of her for the failed "taming"
- She worshiped the Dark Mistress as many did
Soon psychological warfare started. He had to rattle her enough for her defenses to fall, which only increased the torture''s intensity. He was akin to a lobster in boiling water asking to increase the temperature.
"Don''t worry. You''re doing well for someone from a declining house. At least you tried."
"Ghouls have the direct protection of the Goddess of Death, didn''t you know?"
"You don''t have topare yourself to your betters. Just live your life."
Every single of his "praises" reminded her of all her problems. Why was the torturer the one leaving with a belly full of resentment every time?!
Thus he kept pushing, slowly driving her to insanity¡
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Lyriana felt her blood boil as she resisted the urge to rip her prisoner in half. As she gracefully left, she felt his smirk and dark eyes follow her.
This ghoul was utterly insane!
- He wished for death
- He cackled alone at times
- He seemed to understand dark elves.
It was as if he had a way out or was receiving information in real-time, but how?! The anti-magic shackles should have prevented that!
She had obviously missed something, but what?! As she kept pondering, she absentmindedly reached her private garden, one full of poisonous flowers.
It was the domain of her best friend: Ghost Silver. The silver spider was busy munching on a ck Lotus.
"Little Ghost, what do you think his secret is? He doesn''t even emit mana. He just stands there and endures everything with impossible poise¡."
That''s when a scornful voice resounded.
"Tsk¡ª Useless thing! You can''t even break one little ghoul?! No wonder you''re the shame of our family!"
"Ah, Second Eldest Sister, are you lost? Do you need my help to find your living quarters?" Lyriana gently offered.
"Tch¡ª I''m not like you. The ck Rose Matriarch is requesting your presence, do not make her wait¡.or do, I don''t mind seeing you punished." She shrugged, harrumphing as she left.
Lyriana sighed, gently patting the now trembling silver spider. They both knew what this meant. "Don''t worry. I''lle back¡probably."
She made her way through therge opulent pce, shaking her head at the countless empty artifact disys. Long ago, their corridors had beenden with treasures.
Every year they became more destitute, a vicious circle with no end. The house''s only hope was the younger generation.
Sadly without resources, they were alwaysgging behind their wealthy peers that could drink elixirs as if ordinary Shadow-Worm milk.
As soon as she saw the audience room, she instantly knew this would end badly. She could already notice a dozen of her siblings sneering as they nced at her.
On an intricate dark obsidian throne, the Current ck Rose rested. The Matriarch had been the House Head for centuries, yet she looked younger than her 103 years old daughter.
"Matriarch, you''ve called for me." Lyriana kneeled respectfully, holding her breath.
"Rejoice, your worthless existence will finally find purpose. You''re getting married to the Raven-heart House tomorrow. Dismissed"
"How much." She couldn''t help but inquire as she trembled.
"You dare!!" Her fourth brother teleported next to her a secondter, grasping her throat. A little more force, and her neck would snap!
That''s when the Matriarch made a move, slicing the air with her slender finger adorning a regal onyx ring.
¡ª sh! ¡ª
Blood spurted out, and the aggressor''s right arm was sliced right off. It fell to the ground with a small thud, creating a pool of blood on the chiseled floor.
"Now, now, she''s precious merchandise." The Matriarch chuckled. "Rejoice, little one. Your sacrifice will buy your beloved Fifth Brother a ce at the academy."
Lyriana bowed onest time, obediently leaving. She knew full well that this was a death sentence. Her husband-to-be liked eating his wives, in the literal sense.
This changed everything...
Chapter 264 One Mad Dark Elf! (2/2)
Chapter 264 One Mad Dark Elf! (2/2)
Lyrianna could only give a sorrowful smile at her bad luck. She had been sacrificed so quickly.
She just needed a little more time or support, and she would have had aplished something grand for sure! If only her fifth brother hadn''t been on an expedition!
She had recently been researching the humans on the surface. It seemed like some of them had unlocked the secret of revival.
She still remembered how excited she had been when sharing the news with her House. Harnessing this power would make the dark elves unstoppable!
She had been promptly disparaged.
All the "Immortal" Braves were so weak that they could bepletely disregarded. So what if they were getting stronger? An ant would always remain an ant, or so had she been told.
"Hehe, good riddance, little sis. You shouldn''t have wasted so much time paying attention to the surface." The mocking voice of her third brother echoed.
Ironically, the power of the Braves she had been researching would have allowed her to tide over this cmity. She was about to retort but suddenly froze!
Wait, Braves?! What if the ghoul was one?! They were odd, misunderstood beings, after all. Without waiting, she rushed toward the ve pens, ignoring the insults behind her.
"Pfft¡ª Are you gonna cry? How weak-minded!"
She barged into the metal cages, startling the disfigured upants and making them cower in fear. She instantly interrogated the humans.
"Quick, tell me everything you know about the Braves!" She eagerly asked.
"W-we really don''t know anything about the source of their power, mistress!" fear gripped their hearts, any thoughts of resisting long gone.
"I don''t care about that anymore. Do they ever nce at empty air? You said they respawn in Sprigfield, right? Is that always the case?" She bombarded them with questions.
The more she talked to them, the more convinced she became of her hypothesis. That''s why he did not fear death one bit! Now she just needed to find his weakness¡
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As soon as Jack sensed his captore back, he instantly noticed her change. The iprehension and coldness in her eyes had turned to amused curiosity?!
"I''ve finally figured out what you are! You''re a Brave!" She thundered triumphantly, arms proudly crossed over her chest.
"Brave?"
"No need to y dumb! You can drop the act. While I can''t kill you, I can restrain you forever. This should be a fate worse than death for your kind, am I right!" She grinned.
Jack almost had a heart attack as he heard her statement, but then he noticed a shadow in her eyes, one of regret. It had increased as she had mentioned the word "forever".
"Your time''s limited." He probed, sensing her tremble. He was right! "You''re wondering how I know? You just told me." Her disbelief was hrious.
"I see¡.Guess I''ll have to resort to n B. Your kind can endlessly respawn, but even for you, there should be a penalty to dying, right?" She remarked.
That''s when he turned pale. If she were to kill him repeatedly¡he''d be happy! This would be an instant escape!
"I see!" She happily grinned as she approached a dagger toward his heart, perfect!
But right as she was about to pierce his body, she suddenly took out a dark seal with a spider design. Jack turned pale, for real this time!
"Dark Mistress, please give this daughter your blessings, allowing her to bring forth your darkness upon this world!¡." She chanted.
"How about we make a deal?!" Jack uttered in a hurry.
"Naw, I''m good." She smirked, quickly finishing the ceremony, cutting her thumb and his, mixing their blood together.
[Dark Elf Lyriana Initiated a Bloodline Contract!]
"Denied, denied!!!" Jack screamed.
"Denying your denial! Dark Mistress, please witness this union!" She giggled.
[The Power of the Dark Mistress Suffuse the Area!]
[Death''s Chosen Activating! Thanatos Awakens!]
Thank god! His patron deity would save him from this bullshit! At this moment, he was so d! But, just as he was rejoicing¡
[Thanatos is Entertained!]
[Bloodline Pact Established!]
[Your Soul Is Now Linked to Lyriana!]
[A fraction of her power flow through you!]
[Your Magical Power Has Drastically Increased!]
[Congrattions! Respawn ¡ª> Silver Spider City!]
"?!#@?"
What the hell was this?! Thanatos could have totally prevented this madness! Talk about a backstabbing goddess. How much did she enjoy the drama! He couldn''t afford to die anymore!
"Now, don''t worry! I''ll be very gentle when I stab you deeply." Lyriana whispered, with obvious joy in her eyes.
He couldn''t believe this mad elf!
What she had just done was a ritual that her race almost exclusively reserved for married partners! Now they were linked, and any harming to one would affect the other.
"Why?" Even he couldn''t keep his calm.
"I''ll be dead in a day. I wanted to seed in at least one thing before leaving this world." She exined with a chuckle.
"?!?"
"They say losing one''s blood partner is the worst torture. Hehe, this should affect even a Brave, am I right!" She beamed.
What kind of mad revenge from the grave was this?! How the hell was he supposed to deal with this?! Even now, her de was slowly approaching him.
"Wait, freaking exin yourself!" He screamed.
She humored him, sharing her personal circumstances before giving him a beautiful smile. "You should being back here after dying. Let''s try it, shall we!"
"Wait, let me think!" He cried out, her pausing for an instant.
"Anyst words?" She whispered, but he ignored her.
This event changed the whole situation. Neither of them could die in the short term, or he''d be stuck/cursed, but it gave him an ally. She, too, needed to flee her fate.
"You''ll survive, and so will I. We''re getting out of here." He remarked with assurance.
"Pfft¡ª You''re obviously misunderstanding the difficulty of¡ª"
"Of escaping Theron the Butcher? Oh, believe me, I know more about him than you do." Jack''s eyes showed a will of steel. He could already picture countless obstacles...
Chapter 265 Arena Infiltration
Chapter 265 Arena Infiltration
"It won''t work." Lyriana spat between her teeth.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk¡ª Oh ye of little faith, why must you be such a downer?" Jack gently shook his head, yfully ncing at the dark elf next to him.
They faced one another as they discussed. They had gone from prisoner/captor to allies in a strange twist of fate as both needed to escape the City.
Her eyes were mercilessly cold whenever her would-be husband''s name came out. After all, Theron the Butcher was quite infamous.
Anyone he deemed interesting would definitely suffer a fate worse than death at his hands, for this sadist believed in a simple truth: "you are what you eat" He really took it to the extreme.
On the one hand, Jack really couldn''t criticize anyone for practicing cannibalism, but on the other hand, this guy was simply a horrendous selfish bastard.
Dark Elf + Corrupted Noble + Demonic Practices = Theron the Butcher
It wasn''t that he was THAT strong, but he was akin to a mad dog (elf) that none dared to attack. This was simply because his House Raven-Heart wasn''t a pushover.
Various Houses ¡ª> Constant Power-Struggle
Killing Theron ¡ª> Would Weaken the Attacker''s House
The dark elfmunity as a whole was very cut-throat, and every little move had to be done so very carefully. The whole thing was a political nightmare!
"¡ That''s why we can''t escape. As one of the great lords, he has plenty of guards in his pockets. They''ll stop us long before we can leave Silver Spider City!" She eximed.
"Yep, you''re not wrong," Jack admitted before showing a schadenfreude smile. "So all we need to do is get rid of his entire House, am I right?" Jack grinned.
"?!?" She gasped.
Normally Lyriana would haveughed at anyone uttering such insanity¡yet the maism in his voice and eyes was so convincing right now!
"Anyway, I need some more info. Start from the beginning since it''s been an eternity since Ist came here." Jack requested.
Why was it that the more he spoke, the less she understood him? Who was he really, and when had a ghoul ever visited them in the past?!
In any case, sheplied. This would be a long night¡
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"Next, next, next! Stop wasting my time, you bunch of lower lifeforms!" A displeased dark elf warrior kept grimacing.
He oversaw a small arena ring, plenty of races lining up for him. There were gnolls, goblins, various animal folks, etc., all livid and shaking.
"What a waste of space! How dare you breathe so disgustingly in front of a noble dark elf!!!" Yet another angry shout was heard, this time a head rolling.
In the back of the crowd, a group of humans couldn''t help but gulp in fright as they witnessed such violence.
They were the once proud and lively MTG miners, now only a shell of their former selves. They were now ves getting sold.
"Gulp. I think we''re done for this time." One softly whispered as he nced at the dark elf trainer.
Their soon-to-be owner was the worst of the worst, even by Dark Elves standards. He was apparently a monster known as Theron the Butcher¡
Being sold here was a death sentence.
Displeasing Their Captors ¡ª> Torture And Death
Lost in the Arena ¡ª> Guaranteed Death
Won ¡ª> Still Death
No matter what, they were utterly screwed. They knew that expecting a rescue mission from their association was only a pipe dream. Dark Elves were just way too powerful.
They knew their fate would be horrible, and yet they somehow did everything in their power to survive. They simply didn''t want their lives to end as cowards.
Even in this desperate situation, they tried to keep the morale up, even joking around.
"Done for? At least I''ll die young and handsome, right? This should be¡ªFuck!" The miner''s face suddenly froze as he witnessed a familiar figure.
He nced sorrowfully at the neer. The robe he wore was the exact same as the one Jack''O had used a while ago. Was it him? Had he been captured?!
That''s when the miner felt the man''s gaze on him. Underneath the hood hid pitch-ck eyes¡it wasn''t him?! His body froze in fear, and yet he sighed in relief.
Still, what was a ghoul doing here?! He somehow found his eyes attracted to the flesh-eating monster¡and he wasn''t the only one.
Jack inwardly grinned as he felt the trainer''s gaze on him.
"You, the flesh sack in the back,e here!" The dark elf hollered at him. "Show me what you can do."
Now was the time to time to wow him. This was the very basis upon which their current n revolved.
Thus Jack gave his everything¡ª or almost. He gleefully showcased his necromancy magic, invoking skeleton after skeleton and making them perform various martial art moves.
Did it look powerful? ¡ª> Not really
Was it entertaining to watch? ¡ª Hell yeah!
"Great! Great, you''re ugly, but you''re the one! You''ll do just fine forter" The ve trainer chuckled in satisfaction as he approached him.
Theron would be partying before, during, and after the "getting a new wife ceremony" (sacrifice). Now he would be part of it all¡right in the Arena.
As Theron''s minion bought him, Lyriana couldn''t help but think how crazy he was. How the heck was his n even supposed to work?!
He was soon brought away¡
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Night, the small crowd was going wild.
Haughty dark elvesughed as they pointed at the poor creatures forced to kill one another in the Arena. To them, this was the natural order of the world.
There was only one rule in such fights: to please the masters.
Blood Berry wine flowed abundantly as lightly-dressed servants ran all over the ce to take care of the guests.
At the seat of honor stood a powerful-looking dark elf, his handsome face making him look like a prince from a fairy-tale. Looks could be deceiving, for this was the bastard himself.
Next to him was Jack''s new partner in crime, the dark elf Lyriana, who looked like a beautiful ice queen. They would have appeared as a match made in Heaven to the misinformed!
Soon it was Jack''s turn to enter the circr Arena. He could feel the excitement and the primal savagery that came from such a life and death event.
¡ª ng! ¡ª
The sound of metal moving resounded as the doors on the other side opened, a giant monster swaggering in, his heavy footsteps making the ground vibrate.
Those elf madmen had paired him with a mighty monster he seemingly had no chance to win against.
< Crazed Cave Troll Lv 42! >
Many raised a brow as they witnessed this pairing.
"This useless little ghoul stands no chance whatsoever!"
"Tch¡ª What''s the point of watching this? It will be so one-sided¡."
"At least ghouls take a while to kill. We''ll see it struggle till the end! It¡ª"
¡ª ROAR!!! ¡ª
The Troll mightily charged, eyes red with fury!
How would the ghoul react? Jack was already "panicking," his whole body shaking as he nced at the killing machine heading his way. He was frozen in fear!
Luckily, right before he was stampeded, he barely managed to get out of the way. Then again, so what if he had survived its charge once?
The Troll turned around,ing back. This time, evading wouldn''t be as easy as the enemy expected him to move.
Just as they were about to sh, the ghoul threw a small pearl on the ground, a gift from the elf trainer.
¡ª Jack Used Small Smoke Bomb!¡ª
The smoke filled his immediate surroundings, hiding him and the Troll from view. A secondter, a white severed head came flying out.
The elves sneered. Talk about a short-lived fight! They chuckled, knowing that whoever had nned this encounter would pay a heavy price for it, most probably their life.
"Wait! It''s a skeleton!!!" A shout suddenly echoed in the Arena.
The ghoul reappeared as the smoke cleared out, but it wasn''t alone. Around it, there were a few skeletons. Wait, what?! A necromancer?! How interesting!
This twist was enough to change their opinion. Perhaps this fight wouldn''t be boring after all! What followed next was a disy of excellent summoning control.
The ghoul kept using the skeletons to bait the Troll, the thing mming its giant body into them or crushing them directly with its fists. It made them look so brittle!
But while skeletons were getting smashed, he had all the time in the world to attack! Little did they know that the fight had been a set-up from the very start!
Crazed¡ª> Had lost its mind! The thing was unable to differentiate between the white ghoul and the white skeletons!
The elves eximed in awe as they saw their expectations defied! The result was now to be expected. They saw him sh and sh relentlessly, the creature unable to defend.
Some thought the fight would be over just like that¡but nope. The little ghoul''s shes werepletely ineffective given the thing''s incredible regenerative powers!
Now the opinions were highly diverse.
"The Troll will win! The ghoul will make a mistake at some point, and it will be over!"
"Nonsense! The dumb Troll will be the one to fall. Just look at how the skeletons are toying with it!"
Many argued as they watched the show excitedly. Jack kept notice of the crowd, but most importantly of the man on the Throne. He had to find the best timing to impress him¡.now!
That''s when Jack failed an evasion maneuver, the Troll''srge fingers wrapping around his body. Many eximed in shock. It was over for him!
The Troll started squeezing tighter and tighter until¡ª CRASH!
"?!?" They all red at the scene, bbergasted.
The one who had fallen was actually the Troll. But a secondter, it was bound to be even more surprising¡
[Congrattions! Sessfully Raised A Macabre!]
"...."
This had never been part of the n...
Chapter 266 Give Her Back!!!
Chapter 266 Give Her Back!!!
"It''s getting up?! Wait, it seems to look¡different?!" The spectators remarked as they stared at the Macabre Troll.
¡ª GRRRR!!!! ¡ª
It growled sinisterly, its flesh showing signs of necrosis and cold rage in its glowing purple eyes. It nced at its surroundings with a piercing gaze:
- At the walls of its prison
- At the employees that had mistreated it
- At the excited spectators happilymenting
- At the ghoul that had turned it into this aberration
Jack couldn''t help but gulp, sensing the profound hate directed at him. He remembered well what had happened every time he had created a Macabre!
Rat ¡ª> Raised an army to kill him.
Deer ¡ª> Chased him and had been killing humans ever since.
Troll ¡ª> ?!?
He could feel the spectators'' blood lust as they chanted for the Troll to eat him. This was BS: why couldn''t they support the underdog!
He gnashed his teeth, at an impasse. It wasn''t like he could reason with the enemy nor run! He''d die, and so would she, and then he''d be afflicted by that goddamn curse!
The Troll gathered its power for one final and decisive strike. The ghoul would soon die and¡ª It was suddenly interrupted by melodiousughter.
"Hahaha, how silly!!! The undead Troll is about to attack its master, talk about ridiculous! Go on, kill each other. I''ll reward the victor!" Theron was beyond entertained.
"?!?"
The Troll twitched as it heard this voice, locking on the arrogant Dark Elf Boss. Somehow this bastard''s voice brought out so many emotions, mostly dark and deep rancor.
It seemed as if its very being was telling it that it needed to kill this man at all costs. It couldn''t divert its eyes at all.
"Oh? Who do you think you''re looking at with such eyes? What an ugly, dumb thing! Still, I''m in a good mood, just gouge your eyes out, and I''ll forgive you." Theron proposed.
Cheers from the crowd apanied the grand deration. The man was so magnanimous, only digging the eyes?! This was a weak punishment, all things considered.
Sadly for everyone involved, it wouldn''t just end like that. One dumb Troll just had to escte things.
"Elf¡Bad! Elf¡.Kill!" a guttural voice escaped the gray creature''s mouth.
¡ª Complete Silence! ¡ª
What the hell?! This puny creature dared to challenge the Overlord of the Raven-Heart House?! Was it tired of living, or was it tired of living?!
None dared say anything, for this was an incredible disrespect. Whether they cheered or booed, they could be misunderstood way too easily, so they would tacitly wait.
"Pfft¡ª Hahaha! I wonder how long it''s been since someone has dared to challenge me!" Theron guffawed, the gallery paying him lip service.
Anger and madness tinged hisugh, as well as nostalgia. It was as if he was reminiscing about his time on the battlefield in another life, lost in thoughts.
To Jack, this situation was the best oue.
In theplete stillness, a gorgeousdy approached Theron, shyly embracing him. The current Lyriana looked so promiscuous, akin to a professional seductress.
"Husband, this little one prays that she can witness your might!" She begged with stars in her eyes, utterly "lovestruck".
Theron grinned. Who wouldn''t want the adtion of a beautiful woman! Still, he had seen through her trick. This dumb girl was trying to cozy up to him to change her fate.
Would he spare herter after their wedding night? Of course not! He devoured others not because he wanted but because it brought him more power.
He suddenly felt yful as he decided to give her hope. Her despairter on tonight would be all the sweeter.
"Alright, I will, but only for the sake of this new lovely wife of mine." He answered her agreeably yet did not fall for her act at all.
He was the epitome of elfliness and knew it!
In fact, he was so shy and awe-inspiring that his aura had eclipsed Lyriana''s subtle move. Jack inwardly had to praise her reverse-pickpocket skills.
"Now, shall we have some fun, hehe." Theron''s chuckle had barely left his mouth that he had teleported in behind the Troll, slicing some of its flesh off!
¡ª Thunderous Cheers! ¡ª
The crowd went wild as they witnessed the one-sided, nightmarish violence that ensued. Theron was thinly slicing part after part of the Troll without any sign of stopping.
He even stayed in ce from time to time, letting the Troll hit his handsome face¡but it didn''t make him twitch one bit. Was this guy invincible?!
¡ª GRRRRR! ¡ª
The creature had taken on way more than it could chew¡.not that it could chew much of anything in its current sorry state. The Giant Macabre Troll even looked as if a small puppy getting tortured.
"Kill¡.Elf¡" It weakly protested with the little strength it still had.
"Tch¡ª How weak! So boring." Theron didn''t have any more patience as he extinguished the creature''s unlifepletely, the spectators kissing his ass again.
That''s when the elf turned toward the actual cause of this creature. Judging by his expression, he was 100% about to end his life, something Jack could do nothing about!
"Anyst words?" Theron held a sword high, ready to bring a painful end to everything.
Fighting? ¡ª> He may as wellmit suicide
Beg? ¡ª> Totally as useless and unbing
He only had onest chance as Lyriana came closer with a disdainful expression.
"Husband, I have a fun idea. He should kneel, kiss the dirt and entertain us, perhaps with a song? This is the least he can do." She happily suggested.
Jack knew exactly why she had suggested this:
1. To buy time.
2. To mess with him!
Back when he was scheming and carefully crating his survival n, he had offhandedly mentioned that his information was from a song. Yes, a song!
While he didn''t remember every detail about the Dark Elves, he would never forget this god-awful abominable tune! It was the kind that stuck to one''s head like a parasite.
It told the love story between a noble of the Moon Spider House and a simplemoner elven girl. As if often was, the difference in status doomed their union, yet none gave up.
The conclusion was as expected: the girl disappeared and was considered dead. Still, it was relevant because that young lover was now a powerhouse in his n.
Luckily, his timing didn''t matter much, considering how little Dark Elves themselves cared about time.
"Sing, or die. Pick one!" Lyriana cheekily repeated her ultimatum.
"F-fine, I''ll sing." Jack could only obey, hoping for the best.
¡ª ?? Once Upon A Time, A Divine Elf Maiden ?? ¡ª
His singing was so great that the spectating elves couldn''t help but create amotion. They already wanted to reward him for his singing!
They suggested fun stuff like beheading him, filling his mouth with manure, and even asked themselves if they really needed eardrums¡
"You call this singing?!" The elf overlord was as angry as baffled. He had never heard something so horrid, not even sound attacks and mental torture ones.
Jack''s life shed before his eyes as the elf went for the beheading.
3
2
1¡
A miracle happened!
"Theron, you dare!!!" A powerful voice echoed in the Arena.
An incredibly powerful-looking Dark Elf appeared above them, flying on some sort of demonic lizard creature. A mutated wyvern with perhaps some dragon bloodline?
Everyone was confused, except for a ghoul and one dark elfdy. This man was the very hero from that earlier song. He had actually been baited here by the two of them.
Dark Elves in general would always be mistrustful and didn''t enjoy cooperating with others well, especially someone weaker than them. Thus they had used a roundabout method.
"Dare? What bullshit are you spewing in my territory! I would have already in the intruder for the offense were it not you!" Theron sneered, not giving an inch.
"Good, you''re good! How do you exin this then?!" The intruder bellowed as he activated a resonance magic.
That''s when something in Theron''s pocket began burning. It was so hot that he had no choice but to bring it out before it burned his entire clothes! What the hell was that?!
Even he was confused as he held the bloodied red gem that shone like a small sun. It just happened to have the Moon Spider''s sigil on it.
More importantly, this was the very gift the big shot in the sky had given his missing wife. This pointed to the Butcher being the killer.
"You killed her! It''s you!! Where''s her body? Give her back!" The invader thundered as he guided his mount to attack.
Discussion? There was no need for any. He''d much rather capture and torture until the truth came out!
That''s when Theron finally realized that he had been set up all along. His new naive sacrificial wife had turned out way thornier than he had imagined.
How had she even gotten this thing?!
"Listen. This isn''t mine, it''s¡ª" He tried justifying himself, but the attacker knew not the meaning of pausing. He relentlessly threw all kinds of dark magic at his target.
It would have almost seemed romantic had Jack not known the true reason for his obsession. The missing wife had been a sacrifice too, one possessing a rare constitution.
Finding her was way out of Jack''s means, but the song told of the gem''s whereabouts!
The subordinates went to help their leader, but the neer hadn''te alone. Dark elves came out of everywhere! Reason and logic? Both were out the window!
That''s when another trap of the duo activated as all the ves, and magical beasts were released at once, flooding the Arena and increasing the chaos even further.
Jack grinned, for the miners had aplished their task perfectly! It was now time for them all to slip away during the confusion. No one would care about weaklings like them...
Chapter 267 Elemental Gone?!
Chapter 267 Elemental Gone?!
[Congrattions! Sessfully Escaped Silver Spider City!]
[Acquired Title: Survived the Dark Elves!]
Tch¡ª Talk about a useless reward! His only constion was that he had gotten rid of the Holy Mark guing him.
"Wow, it''s so vast! There really isn''t any ceiling!" Lyriana eximed as she stared at the night sky, not minding the water drenching her face.
¡ª Drip! Drop! Dip! Drop! ¡ª
More importantly, why was it still raining?! Just as he was pondering over the question, they heard rhythmical marching shoutsing over.
"Oh, humans? This shall be enjoyable!" Without waiting, the high-level dark elf bolted forward, ready to have some fun.
The wind soon carried the sound of metal nging, shouts of anger, and involuntary dying wails. He recognized the voices!
"Wait, stop. Friendly fire!" He screamed at Lyriana, the massacre finally ceasing.
As soon as Jack barged in, he was suddenly ambushed. Bubblegum, and Moon Moon flew toward him eagerly.
"Woo!" (You''re finally back!!)
The duo didn''t care one bit about appearances as they circled him, their eyes glowing. What was up with his new look?!
"Y-you changed race?! When did that¡ª" Bubblegum asked, touching his body curiously. But suddenly, a w violently tore her abdomen apart, instantly killing her.
The dark elf had killed her!
"?!?"
"Annoying Braves will be killed! Anyway, how do we conquer humanity?" Lyriana happily chimed in, some random cultist cheering in the background after hearing "conquest".
"Boss, what''s happening exactly?" CPR dude came forward.
A heartwarming moment of catching up followed, one that would perhaps have been even more heartwarming without the mysterious meat.
They had tons of questions for both of them. For instance, what was she doing here, and when had she be Jack''s subordinate. She actually hadn''t¡
As they shared information, a few things became evident:
1. D.L. was being watched by the powers in Sprigfield.
2. The rain turned everyone wary and grumpy.
3. The Empire was sending troops over.
As if the Church wasn''t enough, now there would be strong army peeps. Would he even have a ce anymore in the Town? It would soon turn into a gunpowder keg.
"For now, everyone should return to Town. Help the tavern develop and hunt to grow stronger." Jack instructed.
"What about you, boss?"
"There''s something I have to investigate." Thus ended D.L.''s rescue mission, over before it even started. They couldn''t help but chuckle realizing this.
Jack led the wolf and elf toward the Very Wet Lake. As for visiting the farm, he''d try to ditch the vtile girl first.
"Old Elemental,e out!" but no matter how many times Jack tried calling, he didn''t show up. Then why the hell was the rain spell still active?!
While he didn''t care much about the people of Sprigfield, the Tavern and Pumpkin Farm were vital to his development. It was time to investigate!
[Quest! Find the Old Elemental]
[Quest: Stop the Endless Rain!]
"Detective Moon Moon, I''ll be counting on your sharp senses!"
"Woo!" (I''ll do it!")
The little wolf guided them, finally finding the old man''s trail. Wait, there was something else there too! Something smelled fishy! (Literally)
"No sign of struggle, a potent magical trace leading to theke, webbed feet¡everything points to a kidnapping!" Jack eximed.
"¡What kind of kidnapping has no struggle," Lyriana remarked matter-of-factly.
"He was probably meditating when it happened and never realized it. Now we''ll have to "rescue" him from theke somehow." Jack exined, sighing.
"Tch¡ª It will be without me. I hate water!" The dark elf spat out as she left to explore. She was gone!
¡ª Human And Wolf Ran Away! ¡ª
She was powerful, but he couldn''t control her. Because of that, it was simply better to let her do her own things.
He spent about half an hour infiltrating the Town, covering his entire body with a pumpkin armor to blend in, the ghouls nowhere to be found.
In any case, he had an errand to run.
¡ª Bang! Bang! ¡ª
"Who the hell is it?! It''s the middle of the night. Go away!!" An irritated voice came from inside the house, Jack banging even harder.
Soon a positively fuming FF association president opened his door in a hurry.
"WHAT?!!"
"All the farms are getting flooded right now, right? I can fix the rain problem, but I''ll need supplies. Potions to stay underwater, swim gear, a light crystal, and aquatic monster repellent.
What kind of shady character was he?! Ensued the longest stare ever, with the leader finally agreeing for the sake of his association.
¡ª Hidden Diplomacy Check Passed! ¡ª
Now he had one more person to meet before he could rest for a little while. He had to hurry before the day was over for this one was nocturnal.
The two searched high and low, finally finding Jack''s prey, safe in theke. They simply had to bait it. For that, Jack took out a nice lump of iron as he hid behind a rock.
"Woo?!" (Puzzled)
They didn''t have to wait too long. As soon as it thought the way was clear, the frogman jumped toward the metal. That''s when the trap closed on it!
"KYAAAA! Don''t eat me!!!"
"Rx, it''s me! I need your help with something." Jack exined, Moon Moon salivating nonstop while looking at this juicy-looking friend.
¡ª Long, deep, and boring conversation! ¡ª
The "kidnappers" were fish-men. They were probably around the strength of the rock Goblins, but the water definitely gave them a huge advantage.
The best time to raid their base would be the morning, for most of them would be out. They soon nned an infiltration mission.
They simply had to wait for the right time. Jack used the opportunity to go back to the farm. As the farm girl saw his appearance, she jumped in surprise.
For a yer, an appearance change was quite easy to understand, but it was an entirely different story for an NPC.
As she took a step back, he could only sigh¡.but she was actually pushing her foot backward to rush into his embrace as if an Olympic sprinter.
As she rested in his arms, she grinned, resolved never to move. Ghoul? Who cared!
They remained like that for ages, even as a fairynded on his head and a wolf wrapped itself around his legs, turning the reunion into a group hug.
How could something so simple be so satisfying? No answer was needed¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
"What the hell is that?!" The frogman cried out as he stared at the thing Jack took out.
"This? A fish-looking submarine, obviously! You can fit so many spies in this bad boy!" He pped the top as if a car salesman.
"How does it work?" The confused frogman turned around it.
Jack had perhaps created the most ridiculous submarine ever. Ever heard of the yellow submarine? Get ready for the shy orange pumpkin submarine!
Speed? ¡ª> Nope!
Power? ¡ª> None!
Troll level ¡ª> Over 9000!
It was as simple as shy, but it had rtively good quality oars made with sturdy wood from their Tree Guardians. They had so many that they had started crafting with them.
While it wouldn''t be too useful in a fight, Jack actually nned to use it to sneak directly into the enemyir. He winked at his friend, pushing the thing into the water.
He reached for the bottom, grabbing a bunch of muddy algae and applying it to the exterior. It surprisingly acted as great camouge.
Of course, the ruse would be revealed if they collided with anything, but as long as they were careful and lucky they could avoid the dangerous monsters.
"Private Froggy and Private Moon Moon, get in here!" Jack enthusiastically boarded.
The little wolf was having a st while the frog was wondering what was wrong with this strange-looking human''s brain.
Surprisingly he still hadn''t realized that he was traveling with a flesh-eating ghoul. Then again, it didn''t really matter.
They dove, heading toward the center of theke. This sure was one exotic road trip!
Since it was a really cheap boat, there were no windows to know their position, and it definitely felt like a mobile coffin. Even then, the morale was high.
Thus began an epic journey. Who knew how Jack was managing to steer them in the right direction, but he did. He was going inpletely blind!
If he wasn''t wrong, there was the possibilityplete this whole mission without fighting once. This was because Fish-men weren''t exactly the most bloodthirsty creatures out there.
But, just as he was hopeful, their camouge suddenly failed them. With a ¡ªThud!¡ª they collided with something. A secondter, their entire vehicle was breaking apart.
"?!?"
Water invaded inside, Moon Moon and Jack both consuming their low-quality water breathing potions. Their time was now limited!
< Angry Lake Poulp lv 26! :droplet:>
An Octopus was facing them, reminding them of that one sealed Boss they had seen long ago. But, even if it was rtively low level, they couldn''t underestimate it.
Jack made various gestures, exining their battle n. Moon Moon would distract it while he and Froggy would take care of the finishing blow!
They all swam forward to aplish their respective tasks. It didn''t take them too long to finish the monster off. But, right as they were about to cheer, three more appeared a distance away!
¡ª Bubbles! ¡ª (Beat them up!)
They charged as quickly as they could swim, beginning their onught. They might have been in a troublesome situation, but they were valiant!
But there soon cropped up a problem. While two monsters fought them, thest one ran away. They all knew what this meant. It was going to get help!
Very soon, this entireke area would know that they were here! Goddamnit! Sigh, so much for a sneaky rescue mission¡
Chapter 268 Destroying the Ecosystem!
Chapter 268 Destroying the Ecosystem!
What happens when you go on a sneaky underwater exploration, only to get spotted by aquatic enemies? Answer ¡ª> Not a good time!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
¡ª Lost XP And Old Gear! ¡ª
Jack respawned in Sprigfield. A gentle-looking priestess suddenly shouted in fright as she witnessed the sh of red light appear.
"M-monster!!!"
Her shriek attracted guards who rushed to help. Jack hurriedly ran away, not minding how many yers he shoved in the process, disappearing in an alley.
The shivering girl watched him leave in confusion. Was he actually a yer? Still, the guards would definitely be more alert from now on. He''d have to limit his deaths.
Theke was proving more thorny than he had first expected.
Infiltration ¡ª> Possible if fewer monsters
Requirement ¡ª> yers to thin their numbers
The crux of the matter was that it was too easy to be noticed with how tranquil the waters were. Oh, and he knew how to solve the problem.
He mmed the door to the Drunken Sailor Open.
"Anyone from D.L. or I.R.L here? It''s time to show me your might!!" He shouted excitedly.
Hepletely shattered the chill atmosphere inside. The rock goblin group on stage abruptly stopped ying, staring at the neer with curiosity.
His shy orange armor screamed "I''m looking for trouble!"
The various tavern patrons sucked in a cold breath.
"What a fool, he''s courting death!"
"This guy''s lucky the Big Boss is missing!"
"Even then, he''s mad! Challenging two factions at once!?"
That''s when countless yers all rose from their seats, grabbing their weapons. Just the warriors'' aura alone was enough to intimidate the bystanders.
Would this ce turn into a bloodbath?!
Just as many were ready to flee for their lives, the cultists grinned. "We''re at your service, Sir!!!"
In such an anti-climactic way, they left the tavern orderly, many curiously following. But, just as they were about to reach the gate, a bunch of random yers stood in their way.
They grimaced as they pointed at them, a representative walking forward.
"I wonder who hides under that armor. Given how those fanatic cultists are following you¡you''re the Demon King, right?" He eximed with pride.
"Impressive. Do you want a trophy?" Jack replied with the most deadpan expression.
"Y-you!!!"
"Don''t worry, son. Take your time. It''s normal to be speechless at times." Jackforted, many giggling in the background.
"Tch¡ª Act haughtily all you want. We have enough people to block the Town exit. We won''t move until you get rid of the Invisible Deer and¡ª" He threatened.
"Sure."
"You won''t have any other choice but to¡Wait, you agreed?!" He eximed, shocked.
"Yeah? I''m literally going there right now. You can follow if you want." Jack shrugged, the yer unsure how to react.
All of them left the Town together, about 200 heads strong in total. This was pretty good, considering most were busy leveling up.
Jack stopped by the farm to grab something.
¡ª Acquired Fairy in a Pocket! ¡ª
At first, she was happily flying around, but she retreated to the warmth of his pocket once she sensed the looks from the nearby yers. In her defense, they did seem crazy.
"So cute!!"
"Where can I get one?!!!"
"If I had a fairy, I''d dress her up and kiss her all day!"
Jack tactfully ignored the weirdments, guiding them toward the forest. As soon as they entered, many stared at their surroundings warily. This ce was and of death!
He took a few minutes to distribute Woodcutting axes to everyone present. This would be all the remuneration they''d be getting for their efforts: borrowing tools for free.
"Alright, everyone! We''re here to turn this ce into a wastnd, so get working and cut that wood! I also need a few for an errand." He called out to them.
Some were confused. What was up with that failed pep talk?! Luckily, many cultists in their midst were already getting to work.
¡ª Smack! Smack! ¡ª
Their axes heavilynded on the trees, crushing the bark violently, not asking any questions.
"Cutting wood?! What about the invisible¡ª"
"Shh¡ªLet me worry about that," Jack remarked, the Fairy now floating by his side, eyes and body glowing green. She was sensing their surroundings.
At first, she was flustered. Detection magic didn''t work against the creature?! But then he slowly guided her toward the right path.
Deers immune to direct magic sensing? ¡ª> Look for the air it disces by moving
Instead, she even gasped, enlightened, and soon opened her eyes in fright.
"Get ready. It''sing!" Jack shouted.
His troops wereing back with buckets filled with muddy water as if on cue. He quickly set them up to create an impromptu trap before waiting.
In theplete silence, the Boss appeared, invisible.
¡ª Deer Activated the Trap! ¡ª
The creature was suddenly sshed with the muddy water, revealing its location. Ironically it could defend against tracking magic, but not this.
"Boys, fuck it up!" he shouted toward his men.
That''s when one of the most fucked up fights of all time ensued. He was simply watching, barking orders from time to time.
He was waiting for a specific moment with the Fairy¡
"Duck! To the ground, NOW!!!" As he screamed, many unconsciously obeyed. As for all the ones that hadn''t done it, they perished, killed by invisible flying antlers.
Outsiders ¡ª> Mostly Dead
That''s the moment he chose to join the fray, reaching the muddy, bloody silhouette that seemed to be floating in the air.
He used magical fire to roast it alive!
-23
-24
-26
He couldn''t help but rejoice as he saw every tick removing so much HP. This thing had a sturdy hide, but his magic had recently risen a lot.
"Finish it!" He screamed.
But at this specific moment, a yer army appeared, Jack raising a brow. Why was it always them?! Forsaken, right?
"Kill them all! Today is a great day to KS!!!" Their leader shouted.
"Tch¡ª Bastards can''t even use the quote properly."
Mostly ally yers VS Forsaken and a few randoms
The fight was extremely chaotic. Too many random Braves made it near-impossible to determine who was on which side.
The #1 priority for the invaders was to get revenge. They even disregarded the Deer to keep fighting them, even as the creature ran away.
Really?! The deer just happily swaggered away. The Forsaken peeps even cheered as it happened.
"This is revenge for screwing us over! Take that!!" They hurled projectiles, spells, and even insults his way. "Now your prey''spletely gone!"
But as soon as the words left their lips, many yers started booing. Why did they have to be bitches about it?! They just wanted the Deer to die, whoever killed it!
Jack could only shrug as he witnessed their heroic act backfire into horrendous PR. Was it really worth it?
"Today, you''ll die for sure!" He heard them scream in the background.
About that¡."Summon Undead!" In the confusion, only a few noticed the bones rising, but it was enough to chill the yers'' hearts.
Skeletons?! ¡ª> Why did they look so sinister?!
Dark mes flickered in their eye sockets as their bony fingers formed ws that seemed sharper than a de. One could totally judge the book by its cover in this specific case!
"Go on, my precious." Jack chuckled.
As soon as his minions joined the fight, it became one-sided. This was because he carefully controlled them to create the maximum impact on the battlefield.
An ally about to falter? A skeleton appeared to cover them! An enemy losing its bnce? A bony stab to the spine woulde right at the perfect moment!
Overall Power ¡ª> Low
Overall Disturbance ¡ª> So freaking High!
It didn''t take long for Forsaken to perish. But, even as they disappeared, they were still smiling. They knew they had disturbed his ns¡ª or thought so anyway.
Jack was here for the wood, and the fight had destroyed the terrain enough that there was wood lying all around. This was a great sess!
"Everyone, grab as much as much wood as you can. We''re going on a journey!"
He quickly brought them to theke and his trusty partner, who had returned just in time. "Woo!" (This wolf is back!)
They all nced at him, wondering what the next step was.
"Now¡.I''m gonna be the pirate king!!!¡ª And you''re all gonna help." He heroically dered.
Many wondered if he had sustained a confusion debuff in the earlier fight. Pirate king? On ake? But, the cultists were already motivated.
"Sir, how are we supposed to assemble the ships? Should we make small ones or big ones? How many oars? Large sails? What about the armament?" They quickly asked.
He wasn''t that picky about his boats for now¡
"I just need them to fill the entireke. It can be with rafts for all I care. As long as the quantity is sufficient, I don''t mind the craftmanship one bit!" He exined.
His n was simple. If he couldn''t sneak in, he''d be so high-key insufferable that his targets would voluntarily seek him out to beg him to stop the dumping.
It barely took a few trips for theke to turn from a beautiful blue surface to a uniform brown stain. Environmental destruction over 9000!
As the Fairy noticed this, she couldn''t help but ask. "Why can''t we just peacefully negotiate with them?" There was sorrow in her voice.
Jack could only sigh, shaking his head.
"How naive you are, little Fairy. One does not simply negotiate with fishmen, and for a good reason. It''s¡ª"
Just as he was about to exin further, shouts echoed. The wood they had thrown in theke was getting pulverized to splinters as countless aquatic creatures showed up.
They were here for revenge¡
Chapter 269 Mermaid Bartering
Chapter 269 Mermaid Bartering
One after the other, countless aquatic creatures were breaking the water surface. Octopus, frogmen, fishmen, and even a mermaid in the back?!
< Cool Mermaid Vanguard Lv 43 :droplet:>
The dazzling creature attracted all the yers'' eyes, her scales glowing a myriad of colors under the sun. Then again, most looked at the full chest area.
"So beautiful!"
"She looks as delicate as a sparrow!"
"I''m allergic to fish, but I''d eat her if you know what I mean!"
A single nce had been enough to enchant them fully! But just as she was opening her alluring lips, Jack''s shout brought them out of the trance.
"Cover your ears!" He roared at them.
He knew how eerily scary such a creature could be!
"?? How dare you disturb the peace, humans? ??" She used in a voice that was to die for (literally!). In fact, she had already made victims as they were heading to theke.
They happily ran to her, not turning back even as their lungs filled with water. A few bubbles appeared, and then despawning shes.
¡ª Fatality! ¡ª
After killing a few dozen yers, she didn''t even react, her face one of cold beauty. The survivors couldn''t help but tremble. How OP!
Jack had miscalcted on this one. Mermaids usually never came to shore and remained in the dept of theke.
Suddenly his initial n had to be thrown into the water. Bullying a couple of seafood creatures was easy, but she was different.
Still, he wasn''t out of options.
As he slowly and majestically approached theke, the Demonic Legion cheered. Their leader would show this fishdy their greatness!
They saw him decisively take out a pickaxe and¡..
"Please forgive us. This was a great mistake on our part. Please ept this token of apology. It is a mythical tool that allows one to gather Iron!" He diligently begged.
Shame? Could it be eaten?!
"?? Apology? If I am not satisfied today, none of you shall leave this ce alive. ??" She threatened.
The mermaid came closer so gracefully that she seemed to be floating on the water. She picked up the offering, carefully examining it, her eyes shing light blue.
¡ª Mermaid Acquired Inferior Quality Rusty Pickaxe! ¡ª
"?? Humph¡ª Do you take me for a fool, human? ??" She spat out, her brows furrowed. Even then, she looked incredibly exquisite.
Her simple displeasure carried so much killing intent. There was a reason one had to stay as far as possible from her specie: their arrogance!
"Of course not! I wouldn''t dare!" He eximed in shock, showed an incredibly unwilling expression, and took another offering out.
"?? Good! ??" She grabbed it as if it would vanish any second.
¡ª Mermaid Acquired Low-Quality Rusty Pickaxe! ¡ª
"M-miss mermaid. Could you help us get our friend back? He''s been taken by fishmen and¡ª"
"?? Ignorant human. Noble mermaids won''t bother with such trifles. ??" She instantly and firmly rejected him.
"What if I get more treasures for you and¡ª"
"?? Oh? That''s a great idea! Do that, human. I''ll be waiting. ??"
"B-but what about my friend?" He asked shyly.
She frowned, looking at the hands covering his ears. She pped them away before ordering. "?? Just bring more treasures! ??"
Now that he had heard her voice, he wouldply. Mermaids had no qualms about charming people, men, and women alike, to get their way.
"I would, miss Mermaid, but I''m quite poor¡ª"
"?? Hehe, I understand. You did good, human. Bring me back as many as this can buy! ??" She threw arge shiny pearl his way, happily leaving with her "treasures".
Two old pickaxes ¡ª> 1 Gold at best
Shiny Lake Pearl ¡ª> 15 Gold conservatively
It''s only then that the yers came back to their senses. It had taken all their self-control not tomit suicide. After all, no sound didn''t stop her breast from bouncing.
"Sir, that was one sexy¡scary monster. Anyway, what now?" CPR dude inquired.
Thanks to the mermaid, the enemies were retreating for now, but they weren''t any step closer to getting the Old elemental back.
He had also lost his only bargaining chip, aka cause trouble until they give in. He really wouldn''t dare anymore.
It even seemed that there was an incredibly deadly pickaxe-carrying Last Boss swimming there.
As for changing her mind, he could barely resist her charm.
"What now? We profit as much as we can, but first¡EVERYONE OUT!" He screamed as if a parent discovering their teenager had hosted a party in their absence.
A few had been awake enough to see the earlier scene, and only a few of those knew how to read lips. This left many confused as to why the urgency.
Jack quickly organized everything he needed.
Over a few hours, he came back to theke many times with offerings.
"Oh, beautiful mermaid of theke, what is your wisdom!" He would chant on thekeside.
Then his new "friend" would appear, eagerly trading shitty tools for shiny pearls. This included axes, shovels, hammers, nails, and even doorknobs. She took it all!
"?? Human, are these strange items so valuable??? " She''d sometimes skeptically ask.
That''s when the squad would appear.
"Sir, this belonged to your great grandfather. It has been passed through generations in your family. You can''t just¡ª" CPR dude got charmed!
"No, husband, please don''t sell this! We need it for our future kids! They''ll¡ª" A weirdly blushing Bubblegum got charmed!
"Master, please reconsider. You''ll have to pay debts for the remaining of your life if you proceed! You had to borrow just to¡ª" The old cultist got charmed!
The mermaid did not care one bit about their "misfortune". She greedily grabbed the things that were actually worthless.
Well, one point still made her suspicious.
" ?? Why don''t you give me that sword too? It looks even prettier than the tools. ??"
"I-I would if I could, my goddess. This is what happens whenever I try to separate myself from it." Jack sorrowfully exined while demonstrating.
His inventory would suck in any weapon right before they left his hand as if he really couldn''t control it. The mermaid wisely nodded, showing she understood.
She also wanted the others to do errands for her at first. Jack patiently "exined" that only he could buy them, hence why he was called Sir and Master.
They soon waved her away, ready for another lucrative trip. This one would also take a little while since treasures had to be hard to obtain.
"There''s someone following us. They''ve probably seen the entire transaction." Bubblegum warned.
"Guess we''ll have to secure the entire area, blocking theke so they can''t warn her. We can say the fighting noise is from a human celebration." CPR dude proposed.
"I say we put a roadblock in the path leading here too. The first barrage will be for the regr yers, and the second will stop the sneaky ones." The cultist joined in.
They were all used to how things worked in MMOs, but Jack shook his head at their suggestions.
"We won''t do any of that, profit is good, but we''re about to reach the limit. One cannot keep tricking a high-tier creature without repercussions." He sighed.
"You mean she''ll figure it out soon and rage?!" CPR dude eximed.
"Instead, we''ll blow the news up. I want every yer in Infinite to know that there is a mermaid in Sprigfield that turns trash into rare pearls. Understood?" He instructed.
As they realized his n, they couldn''t help but chuckle. This truly was evil!
In Town, plenty of NPC and yers alike were ecstatic.
"What? A mermaid does that?!"
"I''m gonna be rich!!"
"It''s a miracle!!!"
They all acted decisively, buying as many tools as they could in bulk. The repair corp almost had a heart attack.
It was another slow day in their usual lives¡until they were suddenly ambushed! There were so many customers!
"Repairman Larry, where''s the hoe I asked you to set straight yesterday?!!" A farmer asked worriedly.
"I''m not done with the repairs yet, I¡ª"
"Doesn''t matter. I need it now urgently!"
"I told you, it''s not done yet!"
"That''s even better!!" The farmer screamed, anxiously asking for his tool back. He seemed insane, and yet the others were even worse.
"Sell me everything that''s rusty! I''ll pay good money!"
"How much to downgrade my knife? The more corroded it gets, the better!!!"
They were shouting so loud that it was hard to hear what they were even saying. The people were akin to a massive tide that slowly but surely reached theke.
"Oh, shiny mermaid of theke, what is your wisdom!" They all chanted the particr chant one after the other.
Telling a mermaid that she was shiny was borderline an insult. The first word that would usuallye to mind would have been beautiful, right?!
As she appeared in all her splendor, everyone was enchanted. Then she saw all the tools they were carrying. Only then did she realize what had happened.
"?? BASTARDS!!! ??" Even her screech was as melodious as deadly.
Everyone even remotely near theke died, no exception. Not only was she not thinking straight, but she didn''t dare trust humans anymore, not even charmed ones.
Many respawned, regret and sorrow in their eyes.
- They had spent so much on useless trash?
- They had angered their dream girl
- Some had even taken loans¡
"What kind of bullshit rumor was this?! I''ll hurry and apologize to my love. I''m sure she''ll sense how genuine I am and forgive me!" An infatuated yer cried out.
She didn''t. She kept ughtering, her fury boundless.
But, no matter what, the one she truly hated did not appear.
That''s when a howl filled with so many dark emotions echoed in Sprigfield. With it came a system announcement.
[Mermaid of the Lake Rages!]
[She Vows to ughter All Humans!]
[Get ready for War! Failure Is Not an Option!]
Chapter 270 D.L. Versus Mermaid!
Chapter 270 D.L. Versus Mermaid!
A handsome young man was scribbling at the tavern counter.
Things to do:
1. "Rescue" Elemental, stop the rain, save the farm!
2. Resolve Ghoulish Appearance (Temporarily Hidden)
3. Find the missing ghouls and the very mysterious Lich
4. Sell an ungodly amount of pearls.
Just as he was lost in thought, a boorish town resident disturbed his thoughts. "They''re attacking from theke!! Sprigfield will be overrun!! AHHHH!"
Right¡Jack sighed, getting up, every D.L. member in the tavern doing the same. Right before leaving, he nced sharply at the tavern owner.
"You know what to do, right?"
"S-sir?!"
"The menu. Put a seafood special." He instructed before disappearing, the NPC going from baffled to enlightened. The Demon King wasn''t even sweating!
Soon they had met up with every faction member currently online. Jack nced at the few hundred of them heroically.
"When we encounter the enemiester¡."
"We''ll crush them!!!" They all shouted.
"¡Actually, stay on the outskirt of the battlefield. Those creatures usually have pretty bad drops, and it''s not worth going all out against a mere vanguard Mermaid." Jack replied.
"¡." So much for the excitement!
[Quest! Participate in the uing war!]
[Alternative Quest: y Mermaid Leader!]
[Possible Rewards: EPIC Royal Mermaid Series Item!]
Jack couldn''t help but freeze as he saw the message. Royal Series?! This was stuff that required one to delve super deep into mermaid territory! (Impossible at the moment).
He hurriedly departed, shouting behind him.
"What are you all waiting for?! We got a mermaid to kill ASAP! Call everyone over, EVERYONE!!!"
"¡."
They weren''t the only ones either, all factions doing the same. Heck, there was already a forum post about it!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
¡ª Drip! Drop! Drip! Drop! ¡ª
With every second, more reinforcements arrived, but would it be enough?
Water covered the field before the Town, and it was currently rippling from the iing enemies. In the distance, there were all kinds of aquatic creatures rushing toward them.
The yers awaited them, clenching their teeth and adopting defensive positions.
"Damn, it''s gonna be tough fighting with water up to our knees."
"Hey, at least we don''t have to fight them in theke."
"It''s not that bad. At least the little fishies came."
Thest one was an eager fisherman, his rod ready. How often was there an aquatic invasion apocalypse happening? #Best Fishing Story Ever!
Jack stepped forward.
"No need to worry! As long as we work together, I''m sure Sprigfield will tide over this catastrophe!" He reassured, his people following with loud cheers.
But, the many factions weren''t as obedient:
"Screw you! You''re the reason we''re in this mess in the first ce!" They raged, some even seemingly about to attack him.
"Me? No way! I wasn''t even there when it happened. Don''t me your greed on me!" Jack innocently reminded, making them choke. Still, there would be no cooperation.
There were two groups: D.L. and everyone else. Their lonesomeness would have almost looked pitiful hadn''t they been so heroic-looking.
They all focused as they heard the creatures in the distance.
The fish mutants carried spears or harpoons made of rock or coral, while the more animalistic of them only brought their deadly sharp teeth.
Octopus, frogmen, fishmen, crabs, and even a fewrge sharks. Thetter were so big their whole body stuck out of the water, not just the fins.
This would by no means be easy¡ ~1500 yers VS ~500 monsters
The problem was that the yers'' average level was probably about 18 at best, while many level 30 creatures were on the enemy''s side.
Still, that in itself was no big deal. They''d be able to die over and over in order to kill them, right?
The real issue was their leader, or more urately her plus the army. It was a case of 1+1 =3. With leadership, they wouldn''t be so easy to destroy.
If the monsters managed to overrun the Town, their very spawn would be in danger. Getting spawn-killed over and over would be the only option.
Jack went through all the possible strategies.
Hope for the best? ¡ª> Annihtion
Work with the other factions? ¡ª> Mutiny, then annihtion
He knew just what he had to do. He ran toward the other group of yers as they nced at him warily.
"We need someone to separate the mermaid from her army, or she''ll buff them to oblivion, and Sprigfield will be obliterated." He stated.
Many frowned, but they couldn''t disregard this. After all, many of them had already perished to her voice.
"What do you propose?" An Amber member spat out.
"A temporary alliance. D.L. will take care of the Mermaid while the others fight the critters. Once you''re done, you cane and help take her down." Jack proposed.
"Pfft¡ª And let you get all the good loot?!" One angrily remarked.
"Bro, where have you been? This is Infinite¡.the system gives rewards based on contribution. Are you that weak?" Jack matter-of-factly replied.
"Fine!"
They all agreed one after the other, some more reluctant than others. Jack left, having aplished his goal, sharing a brief but meaningful nce with Lead.
He went back to his troops, the enemies arriving upon them.
"Humans! Kill!! Devour them!" A very eloquent Fishman screamed at them, brandishing its spear at them.
It was an all-out war! Humans were bitten apart, creatures were getting dismembered, and the water turned red from all the bloodshed.
Amidst the chaos, Jack made his way forward with D.L., separating them into two squads.
He would lead one with the Head cultist, and they would face the Boss directly. As for the others, they would act as a backup to initiate part 2 of the n.
"Right, there''s one thing we need to do before we attack the mermaid," Jack remarked as he turned to his group. "Now, here''s a neat life hack¡."
He took a dagger out without hesitating, stabbing it inside his ear, piercing his eardrum. The ones following him were the most loyal¡. theyplied.
¡ª STAB! ¡ª
yers that saw this scene were frightened and disgusted at the same time. What kind of masochistic freaks were the D.L. peeps?!
Jack nodded, satisfied, before shouting "To war we go!!!"
What followed was an intimidating war shout. Having lost their sense of hearing, they were as off-key as unbelievably loud. Many got distracted by it, only to perish instantly.
They charged forth, the Mermaid raging as she finally saw her human nemesis.
D.L. (200 of them) VS OP Mermaid
As soon as they approached, she grinned evilly, using her magical voice to entrap them. But, her efforts were only rewarded with sly grins. "Try us, bitch!" One even mouthed.
"Damn humans!!!" She screamed.
As he saw the anger stered on her face, Jack knew that phase one was a sess. She was already destabilized. She even charged straight at him, eager to tear him apart.
This was all part of his n. In her rage, she had forgotten that mermaids were not very gifted for meleebat. She should have thrown waternces his way!
"Protect our God!!" The cultists went in front to defend him.
They assembled into a defensive formation that didn''t let a single centimeter undefended. The skills they had honed back in the tutorial were now paying off!
¡ª ng! ¡ª
As the Mermaid was stoppedpletely, her gorgeous face showed so much stupefaction. She had been stopped by humans?! They were supposed to be a weak race!
"Surprised?" Jack chuckled as he rained hellfire on her. Burn, baby burn!
She simply threw herself to the ground to extinguish herself. After all, the ground waspletely covered with water. Could Jack have disregarded such a fact? Nope!
Skeletal hands came out of the ground, grasping her.
"?? Let go of me! ??" She struggled. Too bad skeletons didn''t care about her charm ability¡
"Brothers, enact judgment on this fish!!!" The cultist swung their weapons, aiming to behead her.
Just as axes, swords, etc. were about to reach her soft neck, she suddenly snorted. That''s when the scales on her tail extended to cover her entire body. Full natural protection!
¡ª ng! ¡ª
There was barely any effect. If anything, a single rainbow scale fell off, Jack picking it off hurriedly.
"Annoying humans!!!" She screamed, turning serious.
That''s when she finally remembered that she was a mage. With a snort, she summoned enough water spears to bloat their vision. It was an omen of death.
Resist? How?! They would be turned into swiss cheese in a second, with extra holes!
Even Jack''s reliable shield wouldn''t save him from such an attack! There was only one way to get rid of something like that.
As the Mermaid grinned savagely, Jack gave the signal. "Now!!!"
That''s when a wolf, rat, and skeletal chicken suddenly erupted from the ground, attacking her. They barely did any damage, but it was enough to make her lose her footing!
As the Mermaid tumbled down, her magical projectiles lost their tracking. After all, she had to guide them with her lie of sight.
The disturbance had been enough to make her lose her concentration too!
"Good job, now fuck her up!" Jack led the assault.
The Mermaid was akin to a fish on a cutting board¡.if the fish was indestructible and the knife so dull it could barely cut anything.
They pummeled her so much, and yet barely any damage was being done. They would have needed help from the NPCs to deal significant damage, but then she would have been on her guard.
That''s how they kept pummeling over and over, barely doing any damage butpletely shutting her down. Sadly, this was only possible for a short while.
Sensing her precarious situation, the Mermaid suddenly started glowing a bright blue. Oh god, this meant she was using a forbidden OP technique!
Chapter 271 OP Reward!
Chapter 271 OP Reward!
Sensing her precarious situation, the Mermaid suddenly started glowing a bright blue as she began using an incredibly powerful skill.
The water at her tail started billowing as if alive, moving in a circle and erupting in the air at times. Jack''s face tensed as he saw her raise her delicate hands.
With her gesture, a gigantic tidal wave rose up. It was even higher than the town wall!
"Oh god!." Countless exmations of disbelief were heard.
It seemed like she was really pushing herself to the limits, all for her revenge. Her body was trembling, but she didn''t care. She wanted him dead!
As soon as she released this skill, they would all die, perhaps even the yers fighting in the back. Many shook, hesitating between running now or runningter.
As for confronting it head-on? They weren''t dumb!
"Guys, NOW!" Jack screamed at the top of his lungs while waving.
Earlier, he had split his forces into two groups. While they confronted the Mermaid, the others busied themselves with other tasks.
As they saw his signal, his people came out, ears bleeding.
They were carryingrge bags, heavy enough to cause them to sink into the ground. They jerked in shock as they saw Jack pointing at the Mermaid''s attack.
He wanted them to drop it there?!
They rushed forward, throwing the weighty sacks right at the enemy. Even then, her glowing blue eyes remained fixed on Jack, the pesky "human" who had tricked her.
As the bags were in the air, Jack shouted.
"Spread it!"
The ranged sses diligently sted it with whatever projectiles they could conjure. Colorful explosions filled the air, not scaring the Mermaid in the least.
¡ª Bam!! ¡ª
Out of them came an orange powder that reminded one of the rocks in the canyon. Itnded in the water, staining it entirely.
"?? Pfft¡ª Changing the color? That''s it? ??" The Mermaid happily ridiculed them.
"Poor thing doesn''t even know what cement is¡." Jack chuckled, waving his hand, sending fire toward the mixture to heat it.
This was a super-effective buildingpound they had managed to get from the WC association. Water + Powder + Heat = GG!
The effect was instantaneous.
The tidal wave that she had been about to unleash upon them solidified, turning to cheap-looking orange stone.
The effect was disastrous. It was as if she had been carrying as many bags of feathers as possible, only for someone to suddenly turn the feathers into bricks!
She couldn''t handle it anymore, losing control over her ability.
Pfft¡ª She coughed up blood under the strain, her eyes bulging akin to a dead fish. What kind of overpowered powder was this?!
"Don''t let her breathe!" Jack led the charge.
Seeing all the yers charging at her, the poor Mermaid¡started a massacre. Even with her mana in jeopardy, she was still more powerful than them.
"?? Stinky humans, you''ll all perish by my hands¡ª ??"
"You talk too much for a fish." Jack cut her off. He had no time to argue with her. She''d recover instantly and screw them over if she could get a respite.
"Formation Delta 34-B!" CPR dude repeatedly shouted, the Braves following. They promptly encircled their enemy, stabbing it from all sides.
They would cover one another, shield bearers at the very front, creating a shield wall.
¡ª Stab! Stab! Stab! ¡ª
"?? ARRGGG! ??" It''s at that very moment, that the creature finally regretted her decision.
Back in theke, she had been untouchable. Thanks to theke''s mana, even this magical powder would have been useless. Here, however, it was an entirely different story!
She was akin to a stranded fish, bing bloodier and bloodier by the second. But this wasn''t over. She still had onest card to y.
Many of the yers were guys.
Their shattered eardrums protected them from sound, but they still had eyes!
She twisted her body, showing all her glorious curves, looking at the yers with puppy eyes. She looked so innocent and yet seductive at the same time.
Their hearts started beating so fast.
¡ª Super Effective! ¡ª
Of course, mostdies reacted very differently, even calling her many names, hoe included.
But so what? She had already aplished her goal. There wouldn''t be enough people to stop her. She''d¡ª
¡ª Stab! Stab! Stab! ¡ª
des prated her in swift motions, her body convulsing from the pain. What the hell?!
A cultist smiled as he twisted his weapon deep inside her.
"Bitch, please! You may have great assets, but we are unwavering in our faith and have long been enlightened. Breasts are temporary, but the Demonic Legion is eternal!"
She nced at them all, shellshocked. She had expected a few of them to resist, but so many?! Were they all eunuchs?!
The Mermaid fell into a spiraling abyss of dark emotions: pain, self-doubt, regret, and confusion. That''s how she breathed herst¡
[Congrattions! in the Mermaid Leader!]
[The Lake Army is Retreating¡For Now!]
[Calcting Rewards! Please Standby!]
They all plopped down in the water, dead tired. Even with how foolish she had been, the Mermaid had still been about twice their level.
The D.L. members shared smiles of happiness that almost looked scary, considering their bleeding orifices.
Jack couldn''t help but praise their good work as he diligently dismantled the Mermaid''s body. But suddenly, something strange happened.
A torrent of blue light erupted from the remains.
[Defeated a Tier 3 creature!]
[This Should Be Impossible?]
[Error! Error!]
Was the system having a stroke?
It seemed like enraging the creature by scamming her, baiting her out of her turf, and turning her water magic into cement had triggered the anti-exploit protocol.
It didn''t help that without his wish, the mermaids probably wouldn''t be avable in the game just yet.
[Leveled up! Leveled up!]
[Obtained Mermaid Loot Box!]
[Obtained Mythical Mermaid Trident!]
"?!?"
Mythical?! Jack almost doubted his eyes. He had expected something great, but not that exaggerated! What kind of crazy concept was this?!
Most yers wouldn''t even see a mythical item before they were level 60, at the very least!
He was already smiling from ear to ear, eager to go check the details in private when¡
[System Announcement! Congrattion on Jack''O for obtaining Mythical Mermaid Trident!]
Many yers couldn''t help but spit.
"Mythical?!"
"I bet one can one-shot dragons with that!"
"Idiot, something like that is obviously for picking up girls!"
[System Announcement: Mythical Items Will Drop On Death!]
[Thank you for your understanding!]
Why?! Why did the system have to do him dirty like that!
Every single soul turned toward him, their eyes gleaming with greed. Many were already daydreaming about all that they could aplish with such a mighty weapon.
They didn''t even know the stats, but they didn''t care!
So what if it was a trident? So what if they used other weapons or were mages? It was freaking mythical!
Every single faction leader approached, talking one after the other.
"We''re all friends here, right? There''s no need to shed any blood. How about we give the weapon to whoever had the most troops participating in the battle?"
"As if! We should sell it and share the profits. Wouldn''t that benefit everyone? I just happen to know someone that may be interested¡."
"Tch¡ª Let me guess, it''s someone from your faction? That won''t do!"
Amidst the bickering, only a single person thought otherwise.
"I think it should remain his." Lead remarked.
They couldn''t understand his stance. Weren''t their two guilds enemies?! He simply shrugged. "Items are temporary, but honor is eternal."
"Well said, brother, well said!" They hurriedly praised him.
"Still, he would have never gotten it without our valiant fight against the minions. We won because we fought valiantly. Anyone can throw cement at a mermaid!"
"Still, I don''t feel at ease leaving the fruit of ourbor to a random no-name guild."
"Hand over the weapon, and we''ll safely keep it for now." One of them ordered.
Jack couldn''t help but sigh as he heard the ultimatum.
Pride, greed, and hypocrisy. They would hide it all under the guise of righteousness. He knew for he had done the same in his previous life.
It would take hours and hours to finallye to a resolution. He now had a choice to make.
Offer the Trident up ¡ª> Get a few benefits
Keep it ¡ª> Face endless trouble
This wouldn''t stop with just the negotiations. Absolutely everyone in the Sprigfield area would want to get their hands on it.
It was even more attractive for the random yers. For them, this could easily be the ticket to wealth or even to joining the guild of their choice with great privileges.
Just owning this would bring countless opportunities and trouble because of the item''s rank.
He couldn''t even check the item''s status without taking it out.
It was special and just glowed brightly in his inventory. If he wasn''t wrong, this thing would be even more eye-catching when outside. It would be a trouble ma!
He sent a few messages before smiling at the guild representatives.
"Of course, I understand perfectly¡." They were already rxing, their eyes filled with happiness. "NOW!"
All of D.L. bolted away as one. There was no way that he''d give in to bullies! Want my cool new weapon? Over my dead body!
It was about principles!
They darted toward the Town as if eager to take refuge inside. Every leader instantly reacted, sending all their personnel to block the way in a hurry!
But an instantter, D.L was running in the opposite direction.
Town? As if! Sike! It wasn''t a good ce for a ghoul, not at all.
He was heading for the Farm! He couldn''t wait to inspect his new item!
Chapter 272 Eat Your Vegetables!
Chapter 272 Eat Your Vegetables!
"You''re back!" As soon as Jack entered the Pumpkin Farm''s premises, a soft body flew to nestle itself in his embrace.
He could feel her gently earthly fragrance tickle his nose, enjoying the moment. He couldn''t even hear the angry shouts of his pursuers.
"Cough! There''s an army outside¡." Bubblegum was the one to break the warm atmosphere.
"Oh, it''s always like that here." A small giggle resounded as the small fairy exined. "Still, there''s more of them than usual. What shall we do, master?"
Jack grinned, taking out the item. It glowed more intensely than a thousand stars glimmering as soon as it appeared.
"Wow!" Not a single soul could resist its charm.
The entire weapon was made of water. It even keeping a shape was a miracle. It was so damn beautiful that it almost eclipsed the beauty next to it.
This was definitely a weapon worth fighting for!
Jack hurriedly checked the stats.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Mythical Mermaid Trident! :droplet:
- Status Hidden! No Peeking!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
"?!?"
One would need to use a high-grade appraisal technique to discover this item''s secret. He didn''t expect to encounter such an item so early.
Meh, whatever. It wasn''t like he was out of options.
For the next 10 minutes, hispanions could see him wrestle with the thing. He even spoke to the weapon, going from cajoling to threatening. Was he alright?
"If you don''t show me your status, I will cut you to pieces with this knife!!" He said, taking out his Demon King''s Weapon Aspect.
The mythical weapon started¡trembling?! It even seemed to hum sorrowfully, its watery body shedding tears.
[Congrattions! First to Make a Mythical Weapon Cry!]
[Acquired Title: Even Bullying Weapons!]
[User, please Exin!¡.?!? ]
Jack didn''t even bother to reply, simply looking at the quivering Trident with satisfaction.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Mythical Mermaid Trident! :droplet:
Rank E+
IF Water Affinity 50
OR [Friend of the Mermaids]
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[Attack] 20-30
[Speed] Fast
[Range] Melee
[Durability] Very High
[Passive] + Pure Water Source
[Active] + Tidal Wave
[Active] + Mermaid Transformation
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The actives were sure to be extremely strong, but his heart sank as he saw the usage conditions.
Water affinity of 50?! This was so damn high! As for the other one, it was even more of a problem. All of D.L. had mermaid blood on their hands too. #Awkward.
For an instant, his face twisted with regret. So much for being the owner of the first mythical weapon. Afterward, Jack sighed before busying himself.
He seemed to be building a tform?¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
The yers outside were about to go insane.
"Let''s just charge and finish him already!" One proposed, impatiently ying with his axe.
They had all seen the previous beam of blue light in the sky. This was what a true treasure was. Just taking it out had caused a natural phenomenon.
"No, wait a little more. They''re stuck like rats inside, besides¡." The man never finished his sentence, only pointing a distance away.
A rogue was attempting to sneak in. He sneakily swam in the water, using a special skill to hide from the monsters. Just as he reached the tree barrier around the farm¡
¡ª BAM! ¡ª
A tree suddenly clobbered him with its branches, leaving nothing of the foolish yer. #Juiced!
If they wanted to push forward, they had to destroy the protectors. But, it would be hard to guess the oue of an all-out war, especially since there were many factions assembled.
Just as many were getting restless, they finally noticed a lone man exit the premises.
"Hello everyone, and wee to my humble domain!" Jack weed with a bright smile.
"Cut the crap¡ª"
"How rude! I won''t invite you inside for sure!" He snorted, turning to the others impishly. "Now, who''s interested in getting a Trident?"
"?!?" Was he going to auction it? Many signaled their interest, the earlier guy regretting his big mouth.
"All of you, follow me. Leave your weapons with the trees at the entrance." He instructed.
What the hell?! Also¡they still had spare weapons in their inventories. Was there even a point to that?! As they nced at his grin, they realized he was toying with them.
Still, theyplied, sighing inwardly. How ludicrous was it for a man to have trees as servants?! Yes, they were jealous¡
"Here we are."
As they saw the scene in front of their eyes, they couldn''t help but marvel in wonder. As expected of a mythical weapon! It was so blindingly astonishing that they almost ignored the rest.
For some reason, he had made a pedestal for the mythical weapon. The magic circle surrounding it looked powerful, the wooden tform sturdy¡.But who the hell just stuck a mythical weapon in a pumpkin?!
On the side, a few signs had been written so messily it was deplorable.
< Get the Mythical Weapon out of the Pumpkin? Bring it home!>
< Trident-libur! Are you the chosen one?>
< Try now for 5 gold coins each!>
< *PS: It chooses its master.>
The yers kept the signs over and over, jaw agape. What kind of thing was this?! Why did it look like a cheap carnival stand to trick gullible visitors?
"So, anyone wants to try? Just give the funds to Mister Tree on the side and step forward." Jack gently exined.
They all seemed to be hesitating.
"What''s the trick?"
"Trick?! Do I really look like a shady person to you? I''m obviously the most honorable person ever!" Jack protested with a lie so obvious they didn''t bother to refute it.
They deliberated between one another.
"I''m guessing the array makes it impossible to seed¡"
"The weapon''s probably stuck to the ground."
"Maybe the thing''s cursed."
"Could be a trap¡."
Seeing their distrust, Jack took the initiative. Under their shocked eyes, he proceeded with a magical vow, swearing that everything was as it seemed.
Fulfill the wielding condition ¡ª> GG
That''s when wariness left them, reced by desire. With all he had done, they could all guess that this wielding condition had to be extremely perverse.
But, one could still dream, right? Plus, 5 gold wasn''t too hard to get for them. Any yer their level would be able to get such a sum in a day easily, needless to say, faction leaders.
"Fine, just watch me!" A buffeddy with incredible strength stepped forward. She flexed her muscles until she turned red, but to no avail.
"Tch¡ª Ridiculous. If anyone''s going to seed, it will be a water mage like me." A man stepped forward with a confident grin, only to get the exact same result.
They tried after the other, all failing, and they could only leave dejected. They naturally spread the word to their allies.
If they couldn''t even make it budge, there was no way that anyone would seed. They warned them not to waste their money.
In fact, they were now convinced that Jack couldn''t use the thing either, even with his monstrous power.
This should have been the end of it¡.should. Everyone heard the warnings and even believed them. But¡what if? What if they were the chosen ones?
What was 5 gold in the face of a life-changing opportunity? At that moment, tons of dumb yers all swarmed to try, handing him their hard-earned gold.
"Humans sure are peculiar. I''ve never seen something like this in the Fairy Vige." The fairy confided, the other scoffing.
This wasn''t normal for humans either! What kind of brain did he have to think of this? #Free Money!
The craziness wasn''t about to stop either¡.
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Sprigfield waspletely empty of yers.
The NPC could be seen looking around in confusion. They had seen them head toward the battlefield, but the battle had long ended. Had the gods recalled them?
In the quiet town, a few cloaked individuals were sneakily entering the Drunken Dailor through the back door.
"Finally, you made it." The man that weed them looked so casual as he elegantly ate a juicy steak with a side dish of mashed potatoes. "Here, join me."
He gestured toward the open seats, steaming tes already prepared for his visitors. They all obediently sat, ncing at their host, perplexed.
Every time he would eat a bite, they would wince in fright. Somehow, he had scared them into submission by eating potatoes.
"Eat. It''s warm." Jack grinned.
The visitors, ghouls, all instinctively leaned backward at the order. To them, eating regr food was akin to eating dog shit.
The current Jack was undoubtedly undead. He was a transformed ghoul, but a ghoul nheless! "Eat." This time his tone was incredibly brusque.
"That¡ª" They couldn''t bring themselves to do it.
"I hear about what happened. At the first sign of the inquisitors, you guys disappeared in hiding. How long has it been since you''ve shown a little backbone?" He used.
"That''s because¡ª"
"Because holy light counters you? I''m aware. It counters me too. Yet, I''ve killed them all. What were you all doing, eh?" He stared coldly at them.
"Are they really dead?!" They eximed in surprise, freezing. What insane concept was this?! Those guys had been so powerful! How was it possible?!
"Now, there will be changes around here. I want you all to grow some freaking balls. First, you need to learn to look human. This includes eating your vegetables."
"?!?" They shivered.
"Now, we''ll start with that, then eventually fight pdins. Still, there''s another order of business. The Lich wasn''t in the Canyon, not near the Tier two area anyway. Do you know what this means?"
"..."
"Either you guys need to verify your information, or we''ll have to get ready to fight Tier 3 creatures, which are way stronger than the pdins you guys ran from."
Even as undead, the ghouls gulped.
"Alright, here''s what I want you all to do...."
Chapter 273 I’ll Give You A Choice!
Chapter 273 I''ll Give You A Choice!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Adventurer Dorian wasn''t one to be slighted. Many feared the strong and the influential, but the truly fearsome were the desperate ones. He was incredibly desperate.
His month''s rent waste, utterly so.
Perhaps taking a loan to buy the Infinite gaming capsule hadn''t been the wisest choice he had ever made. Now he was risking getting evicted.
It wasn''t that he was foolish either. In theory, he had a solid n to make money. He had even rushed through the Tutorial and arrived at Sprigfield.
Yes, he had simply been especially unlucky.
When he had been hunting in the field, undead rats hade out of nowhere. In the forest, an invisible deer had rampaged, and in the Canyon he had been forced to join a war.
At this point, he was already losing his mind. Every time he just minded his own business, everything would go to Hell!
His in-game finances were fine, and he was even making a profit, but it was far from enough to pay for the cost of his loan!
He wanted to cry, and yet even the tears did note.
He had attempted to fall back to fishing in despair, something he had learned from his dad a long time ago. Even if he hated it, he had learned nheless.
Then that whole mess with the mermaid had happened! FFFF!
It was already toote. Barred a miracle, his only path to survival was to change his means. In front of him was now wealth literally calling out to him.
So many were lining up to hand over their coins to trees. Trident-Libur? What an obvious scam!
Thus he had formted a bold but incredibly innovative n. In, grab the gold, out. This was the perfect n! He''d deal with the Demon King''s retributionter.
He nonchntly approached as if a customer, subtly gazing at the literal pot of gold. He waited patiently, waiting for no one to be looking and¡dashed!
10 meters
5 meters
1 meter
Just when his fingers were about to touch the goal, his face suddenly twisted in despair. A few "smart" yersy under the gold, restrained by vines.
It was over in an instant. He felt his body be entrapped by the vegetation, losingplete control and joining his unfortunate colleagues.
"Pfft¡ª I can''t believe another tried! How dumb are they! It cracks me up every time." A man guffawed loudly.
Every time? But there were only a few bodies here. Could it be that those ones were just the recent ones? What came next almost made him choke.
"ce your bets now! How long till another foolish one bes greedy? ce your bets now!" A D.L. member called out.
"Buy a delicious snack now! Special recipe! Get a delicious sausage while you wait for your turn! Satisfaction guaranteed or money returned!!" Another called out.
What kind of sick joke was this?! Many yers happily joined in on the fun until amotion happened.
"W-wait! I know this smell. T-t-this is¡.human flesh!" His entire body was shaking.
That''s when many started vomiting, finally remembering the rumors they had heard. A few crazy yers had been jailed for carving other yers up¡right next to the guards!
Evil Practice Spotted ¡ª> Name Turning Red ¡ª> Jail Time ¡ª> Lesson Learned (officially)
"Pfft¡ª As if! I can assure you, customer, that this is not human flesh!" The D.L. member retorted.
"What is it then?!!" They called out.
"A bunch of ones and zeros." Came the natural reply.
"I want a refund!!" Countless voices rose up, evident disgust on their faces.
"Sure thing. Just hand over the sausage back in itsplete form, and I will issue refunds ordingly." A warm voice replied.
"¡."
"HOW DARE¡ª" A man shouted angrily, only to be cut short.
¡ª Thud! ¡ª
As Dorian heard the tied-up bodynding next to him, he couldn''t help but gulp. These guys were positively insane! So freaking insane!
Still, allints ended as belligerent yers finally remembered where they were¡ Trees, trees all around!
"¡." Many remained mum, looking at the Mythical weapon, others chuckling slightly.
Time passed, more and more wannabe thieves getting caught.
Party Size ¡ª> Raid Size
Soon it would be night. Queuing up in the wild was far from wise, and many couldn''t help but grumble as they left, resolved toe back early.
The miscreant left behind couldn''t help but fear what would happen to them. Would they just be left here to rot? That''s when he arrived.
When they saw that dark pair of ck eyes, they felt their hair rise. They could feel the Demon King grin at them.
"Mmhmh," They tried to scream¡.
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Jack stood next to theke, enjoying the wonderful breeze. It was so refreshing. This time he hade here for some fishing.
"Mmhm" Iprehensible mumbles came through the gags, the yers all tied and lined up.
They were just the right amount of noisy and squirmish, just as baits ought to be. Jack couldn''t help but give them all a thumb up.
"Now, I''ll give you all two choices." His calm voice terrified them even more- as countless torture scenes shed through their minds.
"Choose between Freedom and Helping me with one thing and one thing only." He gently offered, removing the gags.
They nced at him as if a lunatic. What kind of choice was this?! They would obviously want Freedom! Then again, could it be so easy? No way!
Their eyes were full of suspicion.
"I really will let you go. Just say the word, and I''ll let you all walk to Town without interfering. Oh, and neither will my faction." He reassured them.
No one wanted to be the first to test his benevolence. They all looked at one another in confusion.
"Not all at once, eh? Fine, in 3 seconds, I''m choosing your fate myself."
"3.."
"2¡"
"1¡"
"Zer-"
"Freedom!"
"Freedom!"
"Help!"
"Freedom!"
All but one answered Freedom.
"Oh?" Jack raised a brow, intrigued.
"Sir, you said you''ll allow us to go to Town, right? But you never said you won''t take revenge." Dorian exined his choice.
"?!?" Many gasped as they looked at the smiling devil near them.
"I''d much rather prefer suffering now than fearing retribution all my life," Dorian added. Hispanions of misfortune turned livid.
Jack observed their faces. It seemed they had all developed a conscience as they stared at him with a pitiful look, begging to help.
"Now, who wants to work?"
They all raised their hands so eagerly that it was almost touching. With this out of the way, they were ready to start fishing.
Fishing for fish ¡ª> Worms as bait
Fishing for monsters ¡ª> Squirming Braves
Jack even went to the extent to dump monster bait all over their bodies. Still, he could have used his people instead, if that was all.
No, he added a little extra. He sttered them with a mixture full of pheromones that he had gotten from the FF Faction. It was so potent, that even the NPCs didn''t dare use it.
He finally made them swallow temporary water breathing pills. This reassured them, for dying to a monster was preferable to drowning by far. They were ready.
Jack gave them a quiet prayer as the Braves were lowered into theke.
"May the gods reward you for your sacrifice, and may you be able to sit once tomorrowes..."
"?!?"
Perhaps they woulde to regret their choice¡
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After the war, things had temporarily returned to normal in theke.
It was but a question of time until mermaids learned of their brethren''s murder, but for now, things were fine.
- Jack''s targets, the fishmen, were still sleeping and would wake up at night.
- Most of the dangerous enemies'' locations were easy to predict.
- The remaining monsters were currently "biting" his trap.
Many scouts from various species actually noticed themotion, but they became utterly disgusted once they saw the horrors that were happening there.
The aphrodisiac only targeted a few specific species, octopus included.
Jack used the opportunity to sneak through the entireke with his beloved orange (camouged) pumpkin submarine and Bubblegum.
He made his way through the fishmen territory, bypassing the few watch-fishes, and finally reached his destination. It was arge and frankly shitty cave that smelled fishy.
"You know what to do." He winked at the pink-haired assassin.
He hadplete confidence in her capabilities. An hourter, an incredible aura spread through the area.
- Bubblegum: I died and dropped a bow, but your Elemental''s awake now.
- Jack''O: Great, you did well! ^_^
That was all they needed. He could hear the Elemental rampage in the distance.
"Where the hell did you bring me?! Bunch of stupid fishes! How dare you use me as a humidifier?!! I''ll¡"
He had been meditating and summoning rain non-stop.
The fishes had captured him for the water mana he emitted and ced him in theirir as if a piece of furniture.
He was NOT happy.
¡ª BAM! ¡ª
A cave wall suddenly shattered, the Elemental appearing in all his magnificence.
"Sup!" Jack casually greeted.
"It''s you?!! Wait, don''t tell me you''re the one that sent that pink creature to stab me awake?!"
"Who cares about that. Don''t you think it''s time you stopped the rain now? The whole mortal world''s about to get drowned." Jack reproached.
That''s when the Elemental froze.
"T-that¡" They indeed had an agreement. He had simply "overslept".
Jack didn''t bother arguing anymore.
The two of them escaped theke, even the crazy powerful creature shaking as he saw the fate of the human bait.
"W-what are they doing with the¡ª?!"
"Shhh, don''t look."
This was one problem solved. Now, there still remained one¡
Chapter 274 Trip to the Swamp
Chapter 274 Trip to the Swamp
"Have you heard? There are rumors of a ck-skinned silver-haired demon roaming about in the darkness."
"Ah! Spooky!"
Jack totally turned a deaf ear to the gossiping NPCs. What the dark elf did in her spare time really was none of his business.
No, right now, he had another issue, his appearance. Or rather, he needed to look human if he wanted to keep going with his journey.
Hidden Ghoul In Town ¡ª> Sketchy but fine
Hidden Ghoul In A City ¡ª> Great n to end up dissected
Luckily, the ghouls knew of a method to revert the transformation. Unfortunately, they were missing ingredients for the ritual.
This meant that he now had an insufferably annoying errand to run.
Step 1. Convince MTG to lend him a guide.
Step 2. Head to the Wet Swamp
Step 3. Gather rare ingredients
Step 4. Try not to die
Easy right? That''s what he initially thought too, but then the damn first step already proved troublesome.
"Definitely not. We''re currently restructuring! In thest tragedy, we lost way too many members, and we''re severely understaffed." Their leader adamantly refused him.
"¡." He just needed one guy! How hard could that be?!
Apparently, they were all busy putting magical defenses in the mine shaft. Only their leader was still here, filling out paperwork for all the resources they''d need.
Jack could only sigh. Magical defenses against dark elves? It would be about as effective as trying to drown a fish!
"Listen, there is one thing that could make me switch manpower over¡." The man meaningfully suggested.
Just like that, Jack was sent on a fetch quest. Problem was that what he had to fetch was actually the sole mage of the Town, aka the exhibitionist.
It wouldn''t be too hard, right?
¡ª Knock! Knock! ¡ª
"Hey, mage, you there?!" Jack kept banging on the door as if the mage owed him money. Respect toward a noble mage? Error 404 not found!
"I heard he once tried to hug you naked. I thought he''d answer you in a sh. What a shame." Bubblegum exaggeratedly sighed on the side.
"Half-naked, not naked!" Jack corrected.
"Sure, sure."
¡ª Knock! Knock! Knock! ¡ª
"It''s no use, young man. He''s in seclusion experimenting, and a noise-canceling array surrounds his ce." A kinddy passing by chuckled.
What now? Jack was at a loss.
"Screw that geezer, I guess. Maybe we can hire many yers to work together to rece him?"
Moon Moon seemed to be in deep thoughts for a few moments but then reached enlightenment.
"Woo?! Woo!" (Screw him? Shit on his yard!)
"Pfftt¡ª There''s no way we''ll do that, Moon Moon!" Bubblegum Rebuked.
Yes, there was no way they would...actually¡
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A tragedy had begun in the Town of Sprigfield, one that would forever remain a stain on its history.
"Grab a bucket, hurry!!" Panicked shouts resounded across the entire Town.
The ce was on fire. It wasn''t an especiallyrge or destructive one, but it was absolutely everywhere.
Thick smoke covered absolutely everything, sticking to objects and people alike, making thetter choke and hurl non-stop.
The fire wasn''t the worst. The real issue was the smell, one so heavy that it permeated everything and corrupted anything that was good in this world.
"Who the fuck lit literal shit on fire?!!! Goddammit!"
"I swear, if I catch those kids, I''ll murder them!"
A distance away, a duo was observing their handiwork with expectation. Even they who were used to the stench of death had to admit that this one was particrly heavy.
"3¡"
"2¡"
¡ª ng! ¡ª
"What in a wizard''s beard is happening here?! Who''s disturbing my experiment? Show your¡ª Blerhg!" The poor mage appeared furious, only to vomit from the smell.
That was their cue to move in.
"Hey there, mister mage. We need your help with¡ª"
"I have better things to do with my life than to help you and your wolf! I have to restart from scratch after thatst failure. Damn smell that¡ª"
"It''s a job outside of Town, with fresh air and all¡." Jack tempted.
The mage perked his ears at fresh air, his face betraying an instinctual longing. After all, staying here was death! (Or that''s how it felt.)
Jack happily left, the NPC and wolf in tow. He was akin to a conqueror leaving with his prize. Many yers crowded near them, trying to get magic lessons.
"Please, just teach me one spell!"
"How can I apply to the Towers?!"
"Please let me be your apprentice!"
They all kepting with requests, the NPC frowning. That was exactly why he didn''t go out much. Well, that and the rumor about his propensity to undress.
Escort NPC to the mine!
Jack had the feeling of being an idol manager. How shameless could yers be?! Couldn''t they bug him after Jack was done using him? Geez!
Once they arrived at the mines, the MTG peeps looked at him as if he were a god.
"You managed to convince him! How?!" Their question was obviously a delicate subject.
¡ª Sessfully Traded Mage for Guide! ¡ª
Had this been an old-school RPG, there would have been a little tune: "Brehart has joined the party!" The explosive miner would double as an escort.
"Woo!" (We did it!)
Afterward, all of them headed toward the Swamp. As soon as they came close, they could smell the odor of dposition and stagnation.
It was as if one had left stale water on the counter with a corpse in it to rot. It smelled a third as bad as the disaster they had caused in Town.
There was soil to be seen, but it was hard to differentiate it from the muddy brown water. Finding footing would be extremely challenging here.
"Whatever you do, make sure you follow my exact footsteps. This ce is a deathtrap. Do you understand?" The guide instructed.
He chanted for a second, his eyes starting to glow. This was the result of a special faction-only scouting spell. It had been designed specifically for this ce.
The Swamp didn''t allow to leave any physical markers since they would quickly get swallowed up. MTG had a unique magic for that.
"Woo?!" (What''s that?!)
The little wolf pointed to a floating light slightly away from the path.
"A fool''s hope. It''s a wisp that baits explorers. It looks beautiful, but you will 100% be swallowed by the Swamp should you go near." Jack exined.
The T1 area of the Swamp was dangerous for the ill-prepared. In fact, there were already countless posts on the forum urging people to stay away from that god-forsaken ce.
Perhaps the worst for a yer wasn''t to get stuck in a bog but the time it took to die. One could slowly fall for hours before finally suffocating. It was such a waste of time!
"Sir, what are we looking for here exactly? You said you had something to gather." Their guide asked.
"Virulent Fungus."
"What?!" The NPC suddenly lost its footing in shock. "There''s no way we''ll be able to grab that with only the two of us!!"
"Woo!" (Three!)
Sadly, the little wolf''s heroic figure did little to appease the man''s worries. At first, he even wanted to turn back.
"I brought you Mister Mage. Are you going to renege on your word?"
"T-this¡"
Just like that, they resumed their journey, soon arriving at their destination.
They were on a small soil section, almost surrounded by water. There was a small ind a distance away, creating a perfect circle as if artificial.
"It''s the only ce it grows, but we can''t reach."
"Woo!" (We just need a boat!)
The little wolf was a smart wolf. But, this time it was wrong, for his master only shook his head.
"A boat won''t work. The water here is special and boats won''t float at all. Even I am not sure why. It''s like the world itself wanted to prevent it."
"Woo!" (Then we swim!)
"Nope. I swim. You''d die instantly." Jack rubbed his partner''s head onest time before plunging into the water.
"Are you crazy?!!!" The NPC screamed, terrified.
That''s when Jack''s outer pumpkin armor melted like chocte in a warm pocket. As if it wasn''t enough, he was suddenly dragged into the depth.
There was no struggle. Just like that, he was gone, a life lost.
"Woo!" (Don''t worry!)
The NPC nced at the little wolf with pity. The foolish animal still believed in its master, tail wagging happily. Sadly, he knew what awaited him down there¡.
¡ª
Jack stared at the vine that had grabbed him. It looked like a wrinkled cadaver''s arm that had seemingly elongated after the years.
On the side, there were brilliant blue wisps that floated all around, akin to jellyfishes. Many rushed toward him, entering his chest greedily.
[Evil Spirit Tried Possessing You! Failed!]
"There''s no need to resist!"
"y with us!"
"Forever!"
They were like small children that just wanted to have fun. Well, in this case, the fun would have been deadly for pretty much anyone.
For an instant, he stopped moving entirely, enjoying the view. There was surprisingly beauty hidden in death. It was so marvelous!
"I''ll catch you!" He grabbed at a few of the wisps yfully, the creatures freezing. There was something wrong with the situation¡
For the first time in the History of Infinite, a being was actually ying with them?! Even the vines stopped moving, equally confused by this development.
They had met their match this time.
Ghoul VS Small Time Undead?
This wasn''t a contest! The more he "yed", the more disappeared in puffs of magical smoke, all energy drained from them. Eventually, the whole party ran away.
[¡.]
[Acquired Title: Who''s The Monster Here?!]
¡ª
"C''mon. Let''s go. Your owner isn''ting back." The man sighed regretfully. This suicidal idiot didn''t deserve such a loyalpanion.
"Woo!" (Look, he''s back!)
The wolf was pointing with its paw. The NPC turned around to check, confused¡. That''s when he saw the monster.
"Oh god?!!!" G-ghoul?!" He almost had a heart attack right there.
"Pfft¡ª Rx, no big deal. Don''t you remember me from the arena when the dark elves captured you?"
"That was you?!!!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Anyway, time to go. I got what I came for." Jack smiled happily.
The NPC had countless questions¡
Chapter 275 The Selling Business
Chapter 275 The Selling Business
"That really was you?!!" The NPC eximed, looking at his blemished face suspiciously. "Why?! Why would a ghoul help me? What if you''re trying to hurt Sprigfield!"
How does one reason with a powerful man driven by fear? Jack knew only one way, bullshit like there was no tomorrow!
"You see. Here''s what happened¡." He spoke with emotion, half-crying.
He shared the story of a brave man who had delved deep into the mine in order to find his missing friend. Their bond was so strong that he went in despite knowing the danger.
s, he was soon captured by dark elves.
The evil bastards ambushed him in the dark, and he never saw theming. Only when they brought him to their dungeons did he manage to see their true appearance.
That''s how he fell in the hands of a mad alchemist who needed guinea pigs to test his potions. He tried to resist, but he was force fed a vile concoction.
He had felt his organs stop working, his blood growing cold, his teeth bing sharp, and he had to endure the decay of his entire body.
That''s how he had turned to this atrocity, one that would scare even his mother. If that wasn''t enough, he had found his friend during his captivity, nothing but a skeleton.
Luckily, traveling alchemists in Town knew how to turn him back. He was now on a quest to regain his true human appearance.
Once done, he looked at his audience. Was the man gullible enough?
"Waaa. That''s so touching!" The man and the little wolf were both bawling from the sad story.
"¡."
The rest of the travel back was spent with the NPC chippering in, reassuring him that everything would be okay.
The man even wanted to apany him to meet the alchemists. Hell no! It had already taken him so long to exin a single ghoul''s presence!
Before long, he was joining the no-longer mimes, at the Inn. Their whole party was practicing in a small storage room at the Tavern.
On a small ckboard near the wall was inscribed today''s lesson.
< What makes one human? >
They would go toward the main room, their features hidden by long hoods, and observe the customers.
After observing, they would share with the rest of the group.
"You need toin about the weather!"
"You have to stare at the breasts and asses of the waitresses!"
"Once musices on, you have to start a mating dance in the middle!"
The more Jack heard, the more he couldn''t understand how they hadn''t been caught already. They were like little chicks straight out of the nest, trying to learn by copying.
Then again, they had spent their whole lives ying crazy-looking mimes. Normalcy was an entirely foreign concept. Oh well¡ they happily prepared a ritual for him.
[Temporary Connection to The Great One Established!]
[The Great One Understands Your Troubles!]
[Ghoulish Transformation Reverted!]
"Woo!" (Congrattion, master!)
"Tch¡ª A ghoul is way more handsome! Still, you can now infiltrate the enemy camp and kill them all! From the inside!!" A delusional ghoul cackled.
Now that he finally had his face back, it was time for him to savor the sweet rewards of histest conquest.
He had a shitload of pearls to sell, plenty of random loot from the canyonke, and lots of gold from scamming yers with the Trident.
All this time, he had been gathering a lot of random items. There were enough to fill a freaking cart.
He resolutely gathered all his wealth, turning it all into coins, enough gold coins to bury Moon Moon many times over.
He sold stuff at the Adventurer guild, at the general store, and finally at random NPC once the previous two had run out of gold!
In the Tutorial, a few golds had been hard to get. Not long ago, Forsaken had been reluctant to give him 100 gold. He now had made a profit of 2567 gold.
How many viges could he buy with that?! A lot!
"Woo!" (How much meat is that?!)
The little wolf was already salivating at the idea, a paw raised in a silent cheer. But, shouts of astonishment brought it back to its senses.
"What do you mean you don''t have gold?! You''re the adventurer''s guild!"
"Bro, don''t get mad at the clerk. I saw it all. He took all the gold."
"What?! Was there a robbery, when, where, who?!"
"Bro, calm down. It''s like that¡."
Simr scenes were happening all over Town. It wasn''t hard to figure out what had happened. Everywhere Jack went, the NPCs ran out of gold.
Low-key? Who cares! He wasn''t a ghoul anymore. So what if people tried to inspect him? He had nothing to reproach himself! (He had killed all the NPCs that knew his wrongdoings)
"H-how is this possible?"
"I guess that''s the power of a guild."
"Yeah, there''s no way that was just his loot that he sold." (It was)
"I-if there was a wealth leaderboard, he''d be number one for sure!"
The gossip brought many, especially youngdies eager to find a rich boyfriend. They eyed him with the eyes of thirsty cougars until Bubblegum came to his rescue.
She red at the girls, sending them running, Jack''s selling spree finally ending. They soon reconvened in the Tavern.
"Why are you being so high key? I feel like you could have easily avoided this attention by selling bit by bit. It doesn''t seem to make any sense." She frowned.
"It''s actually the logical choice. You know how this Town doesn''t have a cksmith? The repair squad is fine and all, but crafting powerful gear is hard here. This only leaves one option¡."
"World Bosses and Dungeons, right? Let me guess. Both are quite hard to hunt in the current state of the game. So you''re heading to the next city tomission gear?"
He wouldn''t have to care too much about attention if he was leaving¡
"That would be the logical choice, but actually no, not in this case." Jack grinned as he called the patron of the Tavern.
"Sir, I''ve already done as you''ve ordered. I''ve opened tabs for the gold-less merchants, with interest." He reassured at the end.
"Good, I need you to do one more thing. Tell our people to spread the word. Have them share with every Brave that I''m now selling Gold for Credits."
"Did you say credits, Sir?" The NPC was confused at first before finally leaving to aplish his duty.
"If you need money, I can lend you some! There''s no need to do that! Do you realize all the progress you''ll lose?! I can send a few thousand right now." Bubblegum offered.
"Hum, you''re right. I''ll lose a lot¡.but a few thousand aren''t enough. There''s something I want to do IRL that''s long overdue." He had sorrow and longing in his voice.
She realized that nothing she could say would change his mind as she observed his face. Whatever this was, he evidently cared about it.
[Ding! Detected the User Trying to Sell Gold!]
[Gold Selling Usually Warrants a Ban!]
[User Did Not Spam The Chat¡]
[Analyzing Impact!]
Even as Jack heard this, he remainedpletely calm. Anyone else would have been biting their nails with stress, but he simply kept sipping his drink.
[Analysis Completed!]
[Announcement! Launching Gold/Credit Exchange!]
[Current Ratio = 1 Gold for 12.47 Credits! Please Trade Responsibly!]
Jack hurriedly opened the trading window.
"Sell 2500 gold." He nonchntly dered.
"?!?" On the side, Bubblegum started choking for some reason¡.
Chapter 276 Jack Sneaking Out?!
Chapter 276 Jack Sneaking Out?!
¡ª Ding! 12 841 Credits Added to Your Bnce! ¡ª
¡ª Ding! 29 321 Credits Added to Your Bnce! ¡ª
The first one came from Pancakes, while the second came from the game after the 5% handling fees.
He had only ever cared about Credits to give his family a better life, but something hade up.
< Alert! The Item you''ve requested has arrived! >
This resulted from an alert he had casually ced to a bunch of antique shops not long ago. He hadn''t expected to get an answer any time soon, so he had pretty much forgotten about it.
Today he had finally obtained a match. Checking out whether this was legit was a priority even before Infinite.
He hurriedly grabbed his jacket, heading outside.
"Y-you''re going out?!" Lilly almost dropped the apple she was devouring from shock.
"Yep, got somewhere I need to go. See youter." Jack''s head was filled with that single message.
He quickly made his way toward the rustic-looking part of the City. The ambiance here was slow and agreeable.
The streets were filled with lovers walking arm in arm, gazing at fancy restaurants, art galleries, and each other.
He was the only one rushing¡.actually so was Lilly, who did her best to tail him. Should heugh or cry? She wasn''t that bad, he just had too much experience.
He turned a corner and waited.
"I have to hurry before I lose him¡ª" She froze as their eyes met, seeing his grin. Her thoughts were obvious.
"Nice day for a walk, right?" He yfully remarked.
"I want to meet whoever you''re here for." She confessed.
"Fine, you can follow if you want." He shrugged, leading them in the depth of the area.
They went from alley to alley, finally reaching a small shop hidden from view. It looked ancient, and the windows were tinted, giving it a mysterious air.
< Treasures From the Past! >
The inside was filled to the brim with countless artifacts. Then again, most would have just called it trash.
There were plenty of small statues, rusty items, and lots of incense too. They were assaulted by a mix of scents nearly impossible to recognize.
"Oh? A visitor? Oh, right. If you''re looking for Treasures From Your Past, it''s a few streets away. If you rush there, I''m sure they''ll slot you in for a photo-shoot." A young man said.
"Photo-shoot?" Lilly asked, baffled.
"Nope. I''m at the right ce, here." Jack showed the youngster the notification.
The youngster nodded in understanding, getting a small wooden box from the back store. The wood looked old yet surprisingly well maintained.
"This should be what you''re looking for." He gently ced it on the counter, carefully opening the wooden lid, revealing the content.
Lilly could barely contain herself. What kind of magical treasure could have her brother voluntarily leave his room?!
As it was finally revealed, she couldn''t help but exim, astonished.
"That''s it?¡."
Magical treasure? It was a small Buddha statue that looked extremely in. It was the kind of item that would usually have a made-in "insert default country" sticker.
It was cracked at ces and seriously looked like junk. She kept trying to figure out its value, but this could only be good for a museum, right?
Her brother buying this for himself? No way!
Yet, he looked highly pleased as he saw it. It was as if this was the one thing he had been looking all his life for.
"I''ll take it." There was no hesitation in his voice.
"Alright, it will be...." The shopkeeper''s turned silent, his face changing. "Did Gramps make a mistake?"
"How much?"
"45 000 Credits¡.no, this can''t be right. Let me make a call and¡ª"
"I''ll take it." Jack was already getting his card out.
"?!?"
Both stared at him in bbergasted. Was he for real?! The young shopkeeper finished the transaction akin to a robot, wondering if he was dreaming.
- 45 k Credits, + 1 Shitty Statue!
"H-how about you leave me your number. Maybe the price really was a mistake. In this case, I''ll contact you and¡." The nice youngster proposed.
Jack simply waved away, leaving the shop with Lilly in tow.
"What the actual?!¡ª"
"I''ll exin at home." Jack simply stated.
He could feel Lilly''s piercing gaze on him and the package he was carrying during the entire journey back.
This was way too much to take in at once. Her brother had 45 k to blow on one thing?! Why did it have to be that thing?!
As soon as it was the two of them alone.
"Speak!"
"Getting this for 45k was actually a bargain¡."
"WHAT?!"
"It''s a statue that''s part of a collection. There are only 7 in the whole wide world, thus making it incredibly valuable. Do you understand now?"
"Is it for a girlfriend? Are you reselling it for a profit? Which is it?"
"Neither, there happens to be a genius doctor who''s looking for it, one that deals withas. You can understand why I got it now, right?" He smiled warmly at her.
That''s when Lilly broke down.
Realization set in her eyes as she finally let resurface emotions that had been buried deep. She erupted in tears, rushing into his embrace.
There was a reason the old man was always at the hospital, and there was a reason why they never spoke about the only woman in their lives.
She was in an incurablea, never to wake up¡ª Or that''s how it should have been. Right now, Jack had brought hope back.
"D-do you think this doctor¡ª"
"Yes, he''ll bring her back." He gently murmured.
They stayed silent for a while, neither speaking. After a while, he delicately pried her away.
"I''ll call the guy. Can you take pictures of the statue in the meantime?"
¡ª Nod!! ¡ª
Heposed one of the few numbers he had ever memorized as he exited the room. He knew it because the doctor had blocked his number in the previous life.
¡ª Ring! Ring! Ring! ¡ª
"Who''s this? How did you get this number?!" A gruff voice was heard.
"I have one of the incredibly rare statues of¡ª" Jack began.
"Good for you, asshole!"
¡ª Click! ¡ª
"¡.."
He chuckled to himself. Oh well, he''d just have to persevere. ¡¥\_(¥Ä)_/¡¥
That''s when a scream came from the other room¡.
Chapter 277 Emergency
Chapter 277 Emergency
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Her hands couldn''t stop trembling as she grabbed her phone.
Had anyone else told her that such a trashy-looking statue could save her mother''s life, she would have called them a fool, but not him.
The antique rested inside the wooden box, half-covered by a green cloth. She ever so carefully uncovered it, her pinky slightly touching the item.
¡ª ZAP! ¡ª
Suddenly a current came out of the item, crawling on her skin before making its way inside her. She could feel it invade her muscles, her bloodstream, and even her brain.
"ARRRGGG!" She screamed, losing control of her body, tumbling on the soft bed.
It was so painful! It was as if lightning was trying to fry her brain!
"Lilly!" She heard him st inside the room.
Her eyelids were heavy. She found herself inplete darkness, and yet she was still conscious. She could hear his frenzied steps, his erratic heartbeat, and the worry in his voice.
"Are you alright! Hey, wake up!" But no matter how much he shouted, she could not reply.
''C''mon, move! You''re not gonna give up that easily. Freaking fight!'' It was all worthless. She was akin to a prisoner in her own body.
"Heave-Ho!" She felt her body getting carried by strong arms. She would have rejoiced at the princess carry in any other circumstances, but now she simply couldn''t.
She heard and felt all that happened next in terrifying darkness.
He rushed to the nearest hospital, pushing his body until it was about to crumble. As if a cruel joke of fate, no taxi passed anywhere near.
He had always been calm and kind, but he had lost control. He felt like back then when the Loan Shark minions hade.
He almost fought with the security guard at the entrance, one who tried stopping him. She heard the murmurs about his now terrifying bloodshot eyes.
"I need a doctor, now!"
"Sir, that''s not how things work. You need to take a number and¡ª"
"I know someone here!"
"You do?" Thedy carefully inquired.
"Yes, he works as a janitor and¡ª" He hurriedly said.
"Pfft¡ª Do you think knowing a janitor will do you any good?! Just wait obediently." Her tone was suffused with disdain.
She even grumbled something about kids nowadays not knowing how society works. She could feel his pulse, the anger oveing him.
But just as the receptionist was snickering to herself, he arrived. She could recognize him thanks to his irregr steps. Her father hade, and he wasn''t alone.
Somehow, he had an army of doctors with him. Had anyone known better, he would have probably seemed like a bigshot¡.he wasn''t.
He was only the Janitor, one that was lowly and yet that had a certain radiance. He was often either made fun of or respected, never in between.
He was the lowly Janitor that had sacrificed everything to stay with hisatose wife. He was also the lowly Janitor who people would consult for advice.
"Don''t worry, brother. I''ll check your daughter myself. We were toote for her mother, but god be my witness, I won''t let you lose another loved one!" A doctor assured.
Picturing the bbergasted face of the bystanders almost made her forget her condition. She still couldn''t move nor see.
Jack carried her all the way toward the test room.
That''s when she was subjected to countless tests. She could feel the needles piercing her skin and even hear them. Then followed an agonizing wait.
She was akin to a caged lion. She just wanted to escape!!!
"I have the test results! Let''s see¡. T-there''s nothing wrong with her. She''s perfectly healthy?!" The doctor uttered, baffled.
This was bad news. Had there been something wrong with her, they could have fixed it. Was she condemned to live her entire life like this?! Trapped!
This was a fate worse than death by far.
Hours passed, with her counting every second ''18 741, 18 742, 18 743''. At some point, she felt she''d lose count, and then she''d lose her mind.
She wasn''t the only one losing her mind. She could hear her father breaking apart, forced to relive the nightmare from back then.
The wait, the sorrow, and finally, the feeling of powerlessness as one sees a loved one disappear.
¡ª
She had all the time in the world to reflect: ''46 823, 46 824, 46 825''. By now, something had happened. She could sense the green energy inside her, making a nest.
It was as if it were alive and trying to take over her being. Would it seed? What if the one who awakened from thea wasn''t her?!
No way! There was no way that''d she''d ept that!
The light was so much stronger than her, perversely so. But as seconds and seconds psed, she kept resisting.
The longer the fight went and the stronger her consciousness was getting. He was next to her. She could feel his warm hand enveloping hers!
As long as Jack was there, she could do anything. So what if a pesky green light wanted to destroy her! Bitch, please!! She suddenly felt full of boundless confidence.
The thing, whatever it was, sensed it. It understood that there was no way it would break her. It somehow knew.
She inwardly grinned. ''How about you admit defeat!!'' But that''s when the thing changed tactics. It rushed toward the warmth that kept her going.
''No! Leave him alone. He doesn''t have anything to do with this!'' She wanted to scream a warning but to no avail.
In horror, she sensed it invade Jack, wanting to obliterate him.
Suddenly the green light froze, and so did she. What the hell was this?! She could feel an unbelievably powerful aura as if an immortal monster had just woken up.
The powerful green light squeaked in fear, retreating at full speed. But it was far toote. Purple energy in the shape of a wolf chased after the light.
For some reason, it had wings and looked incredibly silly, yet carried boundless pride, as if it could hunt dragons with its little w.
¡ª Gobble! ¡ª
The green light yelped in terror¡.and then it was over. It had never stood a chance. That''s when she regained control of her body.
Her eyelids fluttered open. The first thing she saw was Jack''s face, showing a relieved yet silly grin. Somehow, his smile reminded her of that wolf.
"Morning. How was your nap?" He yfully asked, not mentioning at any point how worried he had been.
Still, she could see the relief in his eyes. He was d that she had recuperated, but little did he know he had saved her.
"Want to grab a bite?" He proposed.
"Sure, let''s¡ª" As she moved her head, she was assaulted by a wave of dizziness.
Had the hospital always been so loud? Why was it so bright? Why were the sheets caressing her skin so much?!
Wait¡.her senses had been enhanced?!
As she grabbed the metallic bed armrest, she suddenly had the feeling that it seemed so flimsy.
She stared at everything wide-eyed. The entire world had suddenly changed, all foreign. No, he was still there, by her side.
Still, as reassuring as this was, she suddenly had so many questions. What had that green energy been? What about the purple one?
So many secrets¡.
Chapter 278 Goblin Helpers
Chapter 278 Goblin Helpers
Lilly''s ident had nearly scared the little family to death.
Luckily, it was nothing serious. Apparently, she had only temporarily lost consciousness from over-excitement from the good news Jack had brought her.
Perhaps there was some truth to the expression "so happy I could die"? Either way, every time he would nce her way, she''d reassure him that she was fine.
"I''m perfectly alright, see!" Or so she said, doing jumping jacks to prove it.
This just left one issue¡.
¡ª Ring! Ring! Ring! ¡ª
"I have some nice antiques to sell. We can meet and¡ª"
"Persistent motherfucking bastard!!! Leave me alone, or I''ll fucking call the cops on your ass! I don''t want some useless antiques. How about you call a goddamn museum?!"
He had the right guy, but it seemed like he really did not care one bit. This was so different from the man he had known back then.
Option 1: Jack''s actions had changed something
Option 2: He was simply too early for this "event."
He could only leave it to fate and patiently wait. Worst case, there was always kidnapping as ast recourse.
In any case, things slowly returned to normal¡Except that sometimes he''d find her scowling at the statue, whispering, "What are you hiding?"
She had failed to uncover anything about it, and her curiosity was growing. For some reason, she had also started asking questions about Moon Moon.
He couldn''t help but grin when he saw her take out the VR helmet to "investigate". Unsurprisingly she wanted to experience the game by herself, keeping her user name a secret.
He would wait for her¡.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
As Jack logged back in, he almost choked. Everywhere around him, there were cultists, a chained fishman in their midst.
"What''s up?"
"Master, you''re back! The ritual has been a sess! It''s like this¡ the many guilds are petitioning against D.L. The fools are trying to rise against us in a holy crusade."
"So? Isn''t that a regr day for us?" He asked, perplexed.
"Right! Master, but this time is different. They''ve started badmouthing us on the forums, and it has affected our conversion process." He stated as if it was a catastrophe.
As he checked the forum, he couldn''t help but chuckle. There were so manyints. They listed problems one by one.
Swamp ¡ª> Was just too deadly
Eternal Mines ¡ª> Temporarily blocked by MTG
Greenwood Forest ¡ª> Still gued By Invisible Deer
Deep Rock Canyon ¡ª> People getting killed by Goblins
The Field ¡ª> They were jealous of the Trident-libur business.
Very Wet Lake ¡ª> People were still pissed about the mermaid thing
Author: Monday Berserker
< How are we supposed to level up if D.L. has messed with every area?! Down with the troublemakers, make them pay! > There were already plenty of likes on it.
"So, what is the real problem?"
"It''s like this. Do we have permission to assassinate the Mayor?" They asked, looking all innocent.
"W-what?!"
"We need to show our magnificence, and for this, a church would definitely help. But, the current Mayor is very adamantly against it. That''s why¡."
No shit, he hadn''t epted! Building a "Demon King" altar was beyond a death g. How many destruction quests would it generate if they weren''t careful?
"So the issue is that you can''t convert the yers sessfully? Here''s what you''ll want to do instead." Jack started whispering in his ears.
The more he heard and the more excited he became.
"Thank you for your teachings, my lord!!!"
They quickly packed their sacrificial stuff, leaving to busy themselves. There was an easy way to get to a mayor ¡ª> His wife/mistresses.
Sometimes, the forceful approach wasn''t the most effective one. It just happened that he needed to meet the man. He quickly went to ask him for a travel token toward Timber City.
"What?! You want to leave our Town already?!" The NPC acted incredibly surprised.
"I must, thus is the nature of Braves, even if it pains my heart." A few kind words would never hurt.
"It''s impossible. They''ve closed their doors to strangers."
"?!?"
"It''s simple. There are too many unknown variables in ournd. They''re afraid that spies from other races will use the asion to sneak inside their walls.
"How about it, let me bring peace to thend! I''ll make sure not to disappoint you!"
[The Mayor is Observing You¡]
"Alright, since I''ve heard good things about you from the Militia Commander."
[Ding! New Quest: The Mayor''s Worries!]
[Bring Peace to the Surrounding Areas!]
[*PS: This Quest Can Be Shared!]
Little did the NPC know, this had been an incredibly grave mistake.
As soon as Jack shared it with his people, they instantly interpreted it in their usual manner. Bringing peace? = Conquering!
The little sanity they still had left suddenly disappeared. It didn''t help that Jack had recently started project Goblin Brainwashing.
A small part of the Pumpkin Farm had been dedicated to teaching the goblins envoy. The more they learned about human culture and the more they changed.
Jack even gave them lessons personally, the blind goblin girl his most devout student.
"Hello, everyone, and wee to how to defeat a yer 101!" He had about a hundred torture methods on the ckboard, all highly effective.
"T-teacher, why can''t we just stuff their stomachs full of rocks?" She''d ask in her cute voice.
"Because Braves can always skip the torture. Hence the best way is to use interrogation methods that they''ll always remember.
After a few days of effort, Jack finally established the very first goblin/human corp of this world. He had even used his now meager funds to buy them shiny half-decent armor.
The rest was simple, especially considering his high leadership stat. Of course, they drank every one of the words he spoke in goblin, and they marched together.
They made the earth tremble everywhere they went, scaring the yers away. Still, slowly but surely, they returned the peace to thend.
They hunted the troublesome enemies and assisted the D.L. yers who were struggling. The more they killed, the better they felt.
All this time, many were too scared to stop them for two reasons:
1. There were really a lot of them.
2. Jack''s cause had been approved by the Mayor.
People had beenining about them? Now they would be crying! Just like that started theplete domination of the hunting fields by D.L.
[in! Invisible Deer!]
[in Elder Crab of The Lake!]
[in Mountain-Like Living boulder!]
[in Roaming Swamp Restless Spirit!]
As he examined the many posts on the forum that wereining about the KS and abuse of power, he couldn''t help but chuckle. They hadn''t seen anything yet...
Chapter 279 Bandits
Chapter 279 Bandits
The Mayor of Sprigfield was currently shaking as he stared at the trophies the Brave had just mmed on his floor.
"Y-you killed all these?!?" His eyebrows kept twitching. His face as he handed Jack a travel token was priceless.
[Congrattions! You can now legally travel to Timber City!]
With this, he''d be able to grow stronger quickly. Thus he announced his departure for a trip, ordering D.L. to take care of his ce while he was gone.
"I''ll wait for you, so you have toe back safely." Pumpkin Girl made him promise as he left¡.
¡ª
The road to Timber City passed through a coll in the mountains. A small fortress guarded it, one that many yers grumbled about.
"Tch¡ª They just won''t let us through! What''s with this setting?"
"Apparently, you need to reach a certain fame level and get a quest from the Mayor to be allowed in."
While there were plenty of ces to explore in Sprigfield, they wanted something new, more fun.
They suddenly saw a lone man walk toward the open gate, chuckling to themselves. Soon he''d reach the invisible barrier and¡
"?!?"
As Jack easily passed through, he felt their surprised and envious gazes on him. A few Empire soldiers quickly surrounded him.
"Reason for your passage?" One grumbled, ncing at Moon Moon.
This seemed like straightforward questioning, but there was far more behind it. It would affect the first event he would encounter in this newnd.
Adventurer¡ª> Pushy people would want you to be a mercenary
Merchant ¡ª> Themerce guild would try to get a hold of you
Traveler ¡ª> This would set off some red gs
No matter what one said, there would be a group awaiting to investigate you once you arrived in the City.
But, there was also one hidden option.
"I''m a merchant here to sell rare resources!" With a wave of his hand, he made countless treasures appear in the air. It was the rewards from all the bosses he had recently in.
¡ª Gulp! ¡ª
The guards'' eyes shone as they saw all that he owned. The simple-looking man had turned out to be a young master in disguise?! After a few formalities, he was ushered in.
"Alright, please proceed!" the soldiers showed great respect.
The mountainous road was rtively safe, as soldiers asionally patrolled it. But, his earlier disy had just started an event.
As soon as he was out of the fortress'' view, he grabbed seemingly at empty air, revealing the invisible Fairy that had been hitching a ride.
"Kyaa. H-how did you find me?!"
"¡."
"Please, let me stay. The farm is lonely without you!"
"Alright, but I have a job for you¡."
She beamed in joy, hurriedly following his orders. Her presence was the only reason he had dared to act like that at the gates¡
¡ª
In the mountain, there were rocks everywhere.
At one specific spot, however, that wasn''t all there was. Behind the boulders, many gruff-looking men awaited.
"Are you sure there''s a merchant iing? He should have been here by now." One of them grumbled.
They had a deal with one of the guards at the fortress. Every time there was a big fish passing through, they would be given a heads up.
Either this one was a man of thend, and he owned a dimensional treasure, or he was a Brave, and no one would care if they killed him. This was so damn great!
As they were lost in their delusions, time passed. Eventually, they couldn''t take it anymore and sent a few of their guys to scour the road dressed as simple travelers.
It didn''t take long for them toe back, puzzled.
"Boss, he''s gone. It''s strange. It''s like he disappeared entirely. I checked for traces, but there were none either." One reported.
It soon became painfully evident that they had wasted their time. They could only return to their base, dragging their feet.
Little did they know, there was a tiny Fairy right on their heels. As expected of her master, he had predicted it all! Her little heart couldn''t help but beat with pride.
Before long, she was flying back, arriving at a seemingly very ordinary boulder.
¡ª Knock! Knock! ¡ª
The boulder shook, Jack pushing it away from the hole he had been hiding in. Her face full of pride was enough to assure him of her sess.
There was one thing for sure, whatever happened, he could not confront the bandits alone. Each was level 40 ish, and they could coordinate to boot.
Their Hideout was in a cave, and it was well hidden. Plus, they would often change their location to prevent raids.
This gave them the confidence to pige the road as they desired. Then again, most of the caravans passing by belonged to powers they didn''t dare touch.
That''s why they had been so excited about Jack''s passage.
[Congrattions! Found the bandits'' Hideout!]
[Defeat them all! Surely they have a bounty, right?]
Jack could only shake his head. Was the cheeky system trying to cause his doom? No, he had a far better n.
"Let''s start operation: give the bandits a taste of their own medicine¡."
It happened in the middle of the night. The entire mountain started shaking. That''s when the bandits suddenly woke up, panicked. What the hell was happening?!
Incredulous cries came from the sentries as they ran to their leader.
"B-boss! The Empire found us! They''re on their way!"
"What?! Nonsense! We never did anything to provoke their wrath. There''s no way they''d ¡ª" But as he checked outside, he froze.
It was dark, the visibility was low, but they could see the silhouettes in the distance, illuminated by the torches. Arge army had appeared.
It was incredibly surreal how amazing their coordination was. Every time one took a step, the ones in the back followed! It was as if they were one single entity.
"Quick, Jorn, I want more details." The leader ordered one of the scouts. He was the only one that had a spell that had enough range to work in this situation.
"Right away, Sir! It''s¡ª ARGGG!" Just as the man cast the spell, he was suddenly ovee by a severe headache. That''s when a few of them turned white.
In order for this to happen, the enemies had to have a really skilled mage who had ced a defensive measure around their troops.
This could only mean one thing: their enemies hade prepared. Should they fight, they would indubitably die.
"Retreat! Retreat! Grab the treasure and run!" There was no other alternative than this. There was no way they would fight fairly and perish.
An invisible fairy couldn''t help but sigh in relief when she witnessed this. Timing her attack with the man''s spell had been so hard!
They had been so stressed that they hadn''t even realized that a small Fairy had infiltrated their ranks. Well, that and she hadn''t caused any real damage either.
Thus, they began moving toward one of their old bases.
They evacuated orderly under such stress, not leaving anything worthwhile behind. Soon enough, they had even managed to escape the army.
"Boss, they''re gone! They won''t bother us anymore!"
¡.But they did.
The scouts shouted once more as they spotted the enemies. "They found us again!!! Get up, everyone!!!"
The bandit leader instantly understood that something was wrong.
"We run,ds!" They hurriedly switched base once more, and it seemed they had gotten rid of their pursuers.
However, this time, the bandit leader ordered a full sweep of their camp. Everything that moved was killed, from small insects to roaming monstrous beats.
They even checked every single of their members to make sure they weren''t marked with a tracking spell. But, there was no issue to be found.
Just when they thought they''d be fine¡.
"They''re here again, Boss!"
The more this went on and the more they realized that their enemies would always follow no matter what they did. There was no escape.
Unfortunately for them, they didn''t realize that the source of all their problems was a small Fairy hiding by the side. In their defense, fairies were still believed to be extinct.
As long as she stuck to them, the army would follow.
As for the poor bandits, they could onlye to the logical conclusion that they were outssed. Their enemies were toying with them, enjoying their squirming.
Base after base, the army followed. They felt as if rabbits hunted for sport, their faces bing darker and darker.
Then it reached the point of no return.
"Boss, I really can''t take it anymore. At this rate, we''ll fall of exhaustion just from running. I can''t ept this." One shouted with hatred in his eyes.
This feeling soon echoed with the others. As the Boss saw his men, he gave a chuckle full of bravado.
"You''re right. You''re all right! We may be crooks, but we have our pride. Let''s show them who we are. I''m gonna kill them. Who''s with me!!"
"Kill!"
"KILL!"
They all rushed toward the great army in the distance, knowing this would be theirst fight. They were outnumbered, outssed, and the enemy probably had an archmage.
But so what?!
"KILL!!!!" They all screamed as they finally reached their enemies, wielding their weapons with incredible courage.
They entered the army''s midst and started a ughter¡.only to freeze.
"What the hell?! There''s an undead here!"
"Those aren''t real soldiers! They''re sculptures!"
The great army looked very convincing from a distance, but there was obviously something wrong with it up close.
"What''s happening?! Why would¡.oh god!" they screamed in horror as they rushed back toward their base.
But as they arrived, it was already toote. All that awaited them was an empty treasury. As for the thief, he was already on his way toward Timber City.
It was time for some shopping¡
Chapter 280 Brightest Paladin Ever!
Chapter 280 Brightest Pdin Ever!
Timber City was unlike its name. It was made of sturdy stone. A young man and his wolf were currently entering it, eyes wide open. This ce was a grade higher than Sprigfield.
The guards looked positively menacing. If the militia NPC had mostly been around level 20 ish, the ones here were about level 40 and had shiny-looking equipment.
The ce was hectic, there were tons of NPC moving about, and an industrial district /mercial district could be seen in the distance.
Sprigfield ¡ª> Resource Outpost
Timber City ¡ª> A production City
"Woo?!" (What''s that?!)
Their bodies started glowing with gray light. This was an automatic spell that would approximate their karma. But, it mostly based its evaluation on thest days.
Luckily for him, stealing from bandits wouldn''t be considered a sin. As for any other vile deeds, it was simply impossible. After all, he hadn''t met any other soul for ages.
Jack strode in confidently, not minding the test at all.
[Bringer of Chaos Activated!]
"?!?"
That''s when the gray light suddenly turned into all-corrupting darkness. The energy even seemed alive as it wiggled around.
"An Apostle of Darkness! Hunt this guy!!!" The guards were already locking unto him.
Jack didn''t hesitate one bit as he ran. He knew fighting would give him a quick death in the best-case scenario! He fled as quickly as a man with diarrhea searching for a bathroom.
¡ª Crush! ¡ª
As he ran, he hurriedly twisted his body out of nowhere, the many spears aimed at him prating the rocky ground easily.
"Bullies, they''re all bullies!" He keptining. Had he known this would happen, he wouldn''t have bothered with the entry token in the first ce.
Their party only stopped once they had returned to the mountain, hiding amidst the many rocks. The only saving grace was that they had plenty of experience camouging in the mountains.
"Where did he go?! His traces disappear right here. He has to be under that boulder!! Crush it!!!"
¡ª Shatter! ¡ª
They could only grumble in disappointment, for Jack wasn''t there. Only when they had left did the crater suddenly shake.
A bloodied Jack extirpated himself from under the second hidingyer. This had been real close! Dying now would mean returning to Sprigfield and having to travel back. How about no!
"Woo?!" (Why did they do that?!)
The little wolf was boiling with fury. Those people really didn''t know how to wee visitors! It wanted nothing more than to bite their ankles.
"Don''t worry. This is just a smallplication." Jack reassured his partner. Still, how was he to deal with this issue?
Option A: Find a method to hide his title from the magical detection
Option B: Destroy the whole system
As a cultured youth hailing from a civilized world, the choice was extremely simple. They proceeded to circle around the City toward another entrance gate.
Of course, Jack had to change their disguise so that they wouldn''t be caught on sight. This was the moment when Carving came in y once again.
This walk let them see the scenery: 2 gates, a small riverzily floating across the City, and guards patrolling the tall walls.
A few pointed their way, for they had received the news about fugitives. A group even left the rampart to scowl at them at mid-range.
"We''re looking for a humanoid and a wolf¡.never mind, it can''t be them!" Their leader quickly determined their innocence.
After all, not only did the clothes not match, but there were actually two humanoids there, both wearing cool armor¡ª Or so it seemed.
As soon as the soldiers were out of view¡.
"Woo!!" (This is fun!!)
The little wolf was having mad fun ying knight, a heroic red cape floating behind it. Still, walking on two legs sure was hard, and yet its master did it all the time! OP!
"Knight of the Moon, let us proceed with our ns. Are you ready for the most difficult challenge of your life?"
"Wooo!!" (I''ll do it for sure!!)
"Great! This is gonna be fun!"
A human and a little wolf cackled evilly, discussing their uing n¡
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A knight was diligently roaming the streets.
"Woo!"
Moon Moon encouraged itself. Its master was counting on it, so it couldn''t drop the ball.
After the little wolf passed the entrance gates, white light surrounded its body. That''s when many humans came out of nowhere, crowding around it and almost scaring it to death.
Had they seen through the wonderful disguise its master had made it? Had it made another mistake?! Thousands of simr thoughts swirled inside its head.
"Wow! Such a pretty white color! How can someone be so pure?!" Impressed humansmented as they saw the bright white light around its body.
"This man is obviously a Saint! Just look at that radiance!"
"Please say a prayer for our sake!"
"Please bless my baby!"
Moon moon waved its paws in denial, trying to gesture with the orange gauntlets. The bystander instantly gasped in shock as they saw the little wolf move.
"He isn''t speaking? Does that mean he''s made a vow of silence?!"
"No wonder his soul is so pure!"
The NPCs misunderstood on their own, only confusing the poor wolf further. Those humans were really weird and silly. After all, its master was the truly great one!
Soon enough, the little wolf left the crowd behind, heading deeper into the City. It couldn''t help but salivate as it smelled plenty of delicious food, but it ignored it all!
It had a holy mission!
"Woo?!" (Maybe here?)
Finding a single shop in such abyrinth wasplex for sure. But, the difficulty wouldn''t deter it!
Fish shop? Nope!
Coffee shop? Nope!
Naked humans shop? Nope!
Small hidden tea shop? YES! This was it!!!
Moon Moon eagerly pushed the door open with its paw. Ding! The clear sound of a bell echoed, a man at the counter turning its way.
"Sorry, but we''re not open yet. We''re busy renovating the ce." He wore strange ck clothes, the same its master had described, a Tux Edo!
He had a kind face and a slim build that made him look like a mage, and he even had blue earrings, as its master had said. Apparently, this was to hide his identity.
"Woo!" (Demon Found!!)
The little wolf happily rejoiced, its tail moving from side to side under the armor. The few words were enough to cause a chain reaction.
The Demon tensed, mming a button under the counter. This caused metallic tes to drop down, blocking every entrancepletely.
"You, how did you know my identity?! Also, why are you using the Lycannguage?! Who are you?!!!" The Demon barraged the poor wolf with a flurry of questions.
"Woo?"
"Of course that matters! I''ve been hiding in this City for 200 years. How did you find me?! Who do you work for?! Who did you tell about me?!"
"Woo! Wooo!!!"
"Your master sent you? He''s the best master ever? What does that even mean?!" As he spoke, the Demon started emitting raw demonic energy.
The more energy he emitted and the more frightened he became. This neer did not fear him at all! It was as if he was utterly used to demonic energy.
He was even gazing at him with pure eyes glowing with great joy. Was he so happy to be aplishing a mission for his master? Who could warrant such loyalty from a Lycan!
Unfazed by demonic energy + Complete submission to a master¡.
"What is your master called?" The Demon asked, fearing the answer.
"Woo! Woo!"
"Demon King?! Bringer of Chaos?! He wants to meet me outside the City?!" What kind of ungodly being had just set its eyes on him?!
It didn''t take long for the poor Demon to bepletely traumatized. He felt trapped. A being he had not even known about had seen through him entirely.
The master hadn''t even bothered to visit, only sending a subordinate. This was obviously to establish the pecking order. To go or not to go?
"What if I refuse?"
"Woo!"
"?!?"
That''s when the Demon turned utterly white, all hope leaving his eyes. This mysterious warrior had uttered it so nonchntly, but it was a fate that even gods themselves feared.
"Gods of Death, please have mercy on my soul." The poor Demon lowly whispered as he followed behind the knight.
"Woo!"
"¡." At this point, the poor Demon felt numb.
This crazy Lycan had just happily offered him to y with him and Thanatos the next time they died. Hide and seek¡.with a god of death?!
Either this guy was crazy or his master had broken the cycle of life and death. What the hell had he suddenly been mixed with?!
The way back was a torturous one. The Demon had always been the kind to scheme in the shadows. But now, he had the brightestmp in the world aimed at him.
"R-rx, he wouldn''t have gone through all this trouble just to kill me, right?" He could only give himself words of encouragement.
Then they finally reached the Demon King''s temporary camp.
There was a campfire, a youngster busy grilling marshmallows. He seemed ordinary but was abnormally calm. Perhaps he''d be able to extract information from him?
"Hey there, youngster. Can you tell me¡ª"
"Woo! Woo!"
"W-what, he''s your master?!" The Demon couldn''t help but gasp.
Young appearance? Check!
Near omniscience? Check!
Incredible Power? Nope!
"Hello there¡." The youngster''s voice felt too ancient for his body.
As the Demon heard that voice, an eerily scary idea flourished in his brain. What if this man was an immortal who hade back with the mana renewal?
He would have to test him¡.
Chapter 281 Overthinking Demon
Chapter 281 Overthinking Demon
At a nice campfire, a disguised demon was gazing at the youngster casually grilling marshmallows with incredible wariness, albeit trying to hide it.
Anyone in Infinite would have agreed that Demons were one of the hardest species to deal with for three reasons.
1. They were unbelievably powerful. They were born with godly magical talent and near-infinite lifespans. This meant they would pretty much always be powerhouses.
2. They were incredibly scheming. Long ago, their race had suffered a lot from unfair magical contracts. Ever since their youths were taught to never let anyone exploit them.
3. They were very knowledgeable. Perhaps because they were born already strong, but many embarked on a learning Quest.
How was one supposed to negotiate with a stronger, wiser, and extremely careful enemy? This was now Jack''s current dilemma.
Luckily, he knew perfectly how to address the issue.
"Hello there¡want some marshmallows?" he kindly offered the Demon.
He did not introduce himself, mention his reason for inviting the Demon, or say anything about what he knew.
In the tense situation, all he had done was offer food.
"Woo!" (Marshmallows!!!)
The little wolf didn''t hesitate one bit to gobble one of the warm gooey delicacies. As far as it was concerned, its task was already over.
Anyone seeing this scene would have either found it funny or felt offended and turned talons.
But this Demon wasn''t doing any of that. He was instead inwardly spiraling. He was disying a poker face outwardly, but he was freaking out.
- What was the man''s goal?
- Had he poisoned the marshmallow?
- What if this entire ce was one giant trap?
- Perhaps the fumes from the campfire were poisonous?
"How about you take a seat? It''sfortable." Jack pointed at the logs next to him, the Demon frowning ever so slightly.
- This was definitely a trap!
- Should he simply run away?
- But, this man knew his identity!
- Plus, he positively seemed weak!
- Still, perhaps he was hiding his power¡
The Demon circted his mana, prepared for everything, already having created a custom n for his assault.
1. He''d use a lightning-fast attack in order to be out of danger before any trap could spring upon him.
2. He wouldn''t show any killing intent on the off chance that the man was a disguised master.
3. If the man was really weak, he''d capture him and interrogate him. If the human was a powerful master, he''d bootlick him.
That''s when the Demon dashed forward with incredible speed, his body enveloped by countless tendrils of darkness.
¡ª Zoom!! ¡ª
Jack never saw himing. In fact, his current abilities weren''t even sufficient to detect the moment the Demon even started moving. The gap between them was an abyss.
But, he could guess what he would do. He nonchntly took a pumpkin out, carving part of it out.
[Pumpkin Carving! Increased Resistance!]
This would make sure his body would be able to move even when confronted with the torrent of dark mana the Demon would no doubt emit.
He knew the Demon wouldn''te from his back, for it would be way too obvious, and his kind tended to overthink A LOT! Still, that left three directions.
That''s why all this while he had been sending body signals subtly. From posture to the way he grilled marshmallows, everything screamed: "weaker side = right".
An experienced Demon would naturally subconsciously attack his weak spot. With this, he was all set.
"Want some roasted pumpkin seeds?" Jack suddenly offered, extending his hand toward the right, still looking at the campfire.
In his eyes, the Demon had remained in ce from start to finish, only for his face to suddenly twist in utter horror.
The Demon was going insane.
- He had moved unseen
- He had reached the human
- The man had offered him food just as he was about to strike
- From start to finish, the human hadn''t shown any power whatsoever, nor had he even bothered looking at him.
That''s when the Demon came to the only logical conclusion¡this man was a big boss! An incredibly impossibly strong yet humble big boss!
In the man''s eyes, a young 374 years old demon like him was nothing but a gust of air! It was the first time in his entire existence that he could sense his heart beating so fast.
What kind of crazy existence had he encountered today!
"They''re good, you know?" Jack called out to the stunned Demon.
"?!?"
"The pumpkin seeds. Anyway, how about you take a seat?" He instructed, the silly Demon scurrying to obey
[Sessfully Scammed a Powerful Elder Demon!]
[Affinity with silly Demon +++!]
[¡Silly Demon¡Silly¡ Error!]
[Error! Error!]
Jack couldn''t help but chuckle at the system having a breakdown in the background. It had been forced to use the nickname he had given the Demon.
Still, no matter how he looked at it, he couldn''t help but find the man silly.
He was now showcasing a gigantic grin and eyes full of admiration. It was as if he was looking at a living god. As for keeping him fooled, it wouldn''t be too hard, right?
"So, how is Shadow Fang holding up nowadays? Are the kids eating well?" He yfully asked.
"Oh great one, it''s like this¡."
Thus started a tale full of confidential secrets. The silly Demon happily babbled about his organization, assuming Jack to be an ally and trying to please him.
The demons didn''t especially need mana to survive, but they would much rather lose their eyes than lose their ability to use magic.
A long time ago, mana had left the world, and thus they had followed, leaving the humans to be the overlord of Infinite. But, knowing they would one daye back, they had left spies.
That much Jack already knew, but the man even told him all about their current ns. They were still preparing and had discovered some key information.
The Empire hadn''t been idle this while and had been preparing for war. Not only had they made deals with various magical species, but they had also nned to use the Braves.
1. The Empire had dragons¡and others.
2. There would be mass yer Recruitment.
The mes of war would eventually engulf the whole continent, and Jack had to get ready for this. He''d need to increase his personal strength and the power of D.L.
He couldn''t help but feel his heart beat faster as he pictured his faction fighting against all others while supporting the demonic side.
As long as he ensured the Pumpkin Farm''s safety beforehand, everything would be fine. He''d have the opportunity to cut loose and destroy the self-righteous Church of Light.
It would be like cutting down his desperate past himself, in a sense¡
"Great One?¡"
"Oh, I was lost in thoughts for a moment." Jack smiled as he saw Moon Moon on the side, its cheeks full of marshmallows as if a squirrel. "I have a mission for you¡."
"!!!"
"You should be aware that there''s a system that screens the people who enter the City and makes them glow based on their race and karma, right?"
"Of course! Every non-human besides pets are ssified as ck, and it''s the same for anyone they consider evil."
"We''ll y a little prank on this system of theirs. Here, you should be able to do this much, right?" Jack passed a paper over.
"?!?"
As the Demon kept reading, his eyes showed awe. It contained instructions on how to sabotage the device in a very creative and ridiculous way.
Still, it wasn''t that easy to aplish as it would require a very powerful mage since they needed to ess the deepest part of the powerful artifact which would take time.
This wasn''t especially hard for the older Demon. But the problem was thest line: *PS make sure no one knows. How was he supposed to aplish this?!
"Having trouble? I''ll send a distraction to help you." Jack mentioned.
"Thank you, oh Great One!!" The Demon left, skipping happily while chuckling.
This defense system modification was incredibly perverse¡
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In a sh of blue light, a Newbie spawned.
[Wee to New Leaf+ Vige!]
New yers arrived daily at this ce, and there were three types:
1. The confused and ignorant ones
2. The frightened ones that knew how harsh this specific vige was
3. The excited ones that simply couldn''t wait to start their adventure
But at this moment, one Newbie showed a different reaction. A young girl with long flowing ck hair and amethyst eyes suddenly broke into a most charming smile.
There was relief, pure happiness, and, most importantly, incredible resolve in her eyes. She would follow in her brother''s footsteps!
All the ones that saw her smile forgot to breathe for an instant. How could someone be so beautiful?! But then they came back to their senses, puzzled.
There were plenty of beauties around since it was a game, many even objectively prettier than her. Perhaps it had just been the lighting stunning them...
That''s when an I.R.L. recruiter stepped up in a hurry.
There was something about this girl¡she was special! He wasn''t sure why, but she would go far for sure. This was the gut feeling he was getting!
He rushed toward her, only for her to flee at full speed.
"?!?"
Actually, she had never seen the man and had been rushing toward the nearest chicken field. With incredible momentum, she went to ughter a level 2 chicken.
This was what heroic meant! She was perfect. She was already kicking ass, and¡ª She had just died.
"¡."
"You feathery bastards, I''ll murder you!!!" She kept screaming, only to die over and over again.
"¡."
The more the recruiter watched and the more confused he got. how was she so bad?! It was almost as if it was her first time gaming ever! Then, why wasn''t she showing any hesitation?!
There was only the simple goal to be as strong as her brother in her mind. Only then could she help him!
Little did she know he was about to overturn the biggest City the yers had ess to¡
Chapter 282 Bandits’ Revenge Quest!!
Chapter 282 Bandits'' Revenge Quest!!
Next to Timber City, a meeting was currently in progress, a little wolf excitingly proposing plenty of ideas.
"Woo!" (Start a fire!)
"Woo!" (Macabre Legion!)
"Woo! Woo!" (Make one big barbecue! One that smells nice!)
Thest one was definitely the best! There was no way that anyone would be able to resist the attraction of scrumptious meat cooked to perfection.
"It might indeed attract plenty of civilians, but it won''t be sufficient. After all, there is one thing that we require, and that''s chaos. We need the soldiers to be overwhelmed."
One had to know that the greatest chaos came from a disaster, whether it was monsters, enemies, or a natural catastrophe.
Jack gave a wry smile as he grabbed the Fairy, who had been warmly napping in his pocket. As she rubbed her expressive sleepy eyes, he whispered her a few words.
"?!?"
"Can you do it?"
"Pfft¡ª Yes!" She giggled as she flew away, leaving a puzzled wolf behind. Jack grabbed hispanion, and they too departed in another direction¡.
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Plenty of listless rough-looking men crowded around a few campfires gloomily as they devoured roasted Big Scaled Lizards.
"Boss, we found something!" In the gloomy silence, the exmation caught everyone''s attention as one of the bandits came running.
"?"
"Boss, we found this in the empty treasury. It was wedged between two rocks. Whoever left it there obviously wanted us to find it!" He respectfully presented a piece of paper.
The Boss started reading, only for his face to turn purple.
"Thanks for the treasure! Don''t worry. I''ll make great use of it. ;)"
* PS: You guys mad? Too bad you can''t do anything to me in the City, haha.
¡ª One Incredibly Handsome Young Master
This whole letter''s sole purpose was to humiliate them! What was even the point of it?! This fucker was adding taunting to injury!
Many bandits couldn''t help but gulp as they saw their leader''s rage induced-expression¡.but then he suddenly started chuckling.
"Good. Good, very good!" He repeated a few times. Had he lost his mind?!
"C-chief?"
"Smell it!" He pushed the letter straight in front of his subordinate''s nose. At first, there was a moment of confusion, but then the man too startedughing.
"?!?"
"Men, this dumbass made an incredible mistake! We''ll be able to find whoever did this easily thanks to this letter!" He mored.
"B-boss, I''ve already tried a basic tracking spell and¡ª"
"Hehe, of course, he hid that. No, we''ll follow our nose. That will lead us straight to the culprit!" He sneered, already preparing for a campaign.
There were actually many misconceptions about bandits.
1. Bandits couldn''t enter the City ¡ª> They would steal and asionally murder, but the dirty work was mostly left to underlings. The karma system wouldn''t detect the higher-ups'' crimes.
2. Bandits were dumb ¡ª> That was straight-up false. While they pretty much allcked any kind of formal education, they were amazing at surviving in the wild.
It really seemed like the thief hadn''t known much about them, for he had utterly screwed up. Removed all traces? As if!
The letter reeked of Aldar Berries! It only grew in the mountains, was hard to ess, even harder to gather, and was mainly only used as a spice (not too valuable).
Thus, barely anyone bothered to ever gather it, much less sell it.
For the letter to reek so much, the man obviously had too much for his personal consumption.
Find the Aldar Berries ¡ª> Find the thief!
They left hurriedly, hungry for revenge. They were already moring about all the ways they''d torture the bastard who had tricked them.
In the sky, a tiny Fairy watched them march to war bbergasted. The human world sure was aplicated ce¡.
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Jack and wolf were in a stakeout when they suddenly saw a group of muscrborers pass through. They seemed as poor as healthy, walking in groups for protection.
"Woo?"
"Yes, that''s the bandits."
Jack had to admit that their disguise was extremely convincing. Had it not been for the timing, even he would have been fooled.
There were a few viges in the mountain, and they looked just like any residents there. Heck, they had even changed their way of speaking. Boss, Leader, Chief ¡ª> Elder
Jack hurriedly grabbed some paper and charcoal as he started drawing. His brows were furrowed in concentration, finding this task even harder than fighting a Boss.
[Drew a bandits'' portrait!]
[Congrats! It''s horrible!]
"¡."
"Woo!" (Draw me, draw me!)
"Pfft¡ª We have a job to do, remember. Here, take it!"
The two departed, the wolf resolving itself for its next tasks. Agent Zero Zero Moon would be the one to spearhead this operation.
Everything would depend on its abilities. It would be the difference between a slightmotion and an incredibly effective diversion.
It was time to escte things even more¡.
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"Bo¡ª Elder, that was close!" The bandits heaved sighs of relief after being allowed inside the City.
They had been worried when they had seen the increased guard at the gate. Luckily, they had passed through without any issue, all thirty of them.
"I wonder how evil the bastard they''re hunting for is¡."
"Evil? You mean stupid, right? Sneaking in was so easy!"
They chuckled as they kept searching. It barely took them a few minutes to locate an herb shop, the "Old Sage".
The woman in charge was perfect at her job. When asked if she had any Aldar Berries, she rmended about a dozen other herbs that had simr properties¡
"%$!!"
"Listen,dy. We just want Aldar Berries and nothing else!!"
"I''m telling you, just trust me for¡." She kept rambling akin to a chatterbox, unaware of the danger she was in.
The bandits were tempted to drive a knife into her throat with each of her words. Sadly, things just didn''t work like that here. #Lawful City Problems.
They were soon forced to tour the entire city in search of valid information. Everywhere it was simr, with merchants being awfully annoying.
When they finally got a lead, they cried in happiness.
"Aldar Berries? You''re in luck! An hour ago, some youngster came by, bringing a bunch. He said something about a surprising windfall."
"Shopkeeper, where''s that guy now?! What did he look like? Where did he go?! Please tell us!!" The burly men all shouted in unison. They were desperate.
"What? I can''t just¡ª"
"Here''s a token of our appreciation, shopkeeper!" The bandit leader handed the man the veryst of the gold he had.
"¡.Lad, that''s not even enough to buy the Aldar Berries I have here, you know."
Fight? ¡ª> Too risky
Abandon? ¡ª> Settle for Poverty
Negotiate? ¡ª> What could he even offer?
"How about this?" The bandit leader wept as he handed his favorite magical ring over. The shopkeeper epted it gleefully, instantly bing talkative.
Their party soon left the shop carrying Aldar Berries, sorrowful but having obtained the youngster''s description. Their hunt could finally start!¡
¡ª
A young man had been having a wonderful day.
As soon as he had woken up, he had finally confessed to the maid his family had hired for him. She had epted his feelings!
Then he discovered he had a godly talent for something called "cultivation" from a wandering master. He had even managed to convince the man to sell him a training scroll.
Just as he thought the world couldn''t be better, he had suddenly met a kind stranger who wanted to donate Aldar Berries because he simply had too many.
Today had really been a blessed day! From love to power and even luck, everything had been going his way¡HAD! He had been kidnapped!
The first thing he saw when he came back to his senses was a bunch of scary-looking men. They were all staring at him as if they wanted to devour him whole.
"Hehe, we finally found you! Now, where''s our treasure?"
"W-what?!?"
"No need to y dumb. We know what you did. You thought yourself clever, eh? Or perhaps did you think us dumb, punk!"
"W-what?!?"
"Say what one more time, I dare you!" The bandits'' tone couldn''t be more aggressive. They had to endure so much just to find this asshole!
"Let''s y a game, shall we? I''ll keep chopping finger after finger until you finally tell me what I want to know. How does that sound?"
"Horrible!!! That sounds horrible!!!! If it''s money that you want, I''ll¡ª"
"Money, money?! We want what you stole from us, you dirty rat! Don''t even try to deny it. You''re the only one that sold Aldar Berries in the City recently!"
"Berries?! It was a gift! Some stranger gave them to me!" The youngster kept screaming.
But, who were the bandits? Hardened men that weren''t afraid of thieving, lying, and murdering to get their hands on wealth. To them, his resistance was normal.
"As expected, he won''t simply admit to it. Still, no matter everyone talks¡." They grinned as they got started.
What followed was one horrible mess. The poor man wanted nothing but to be truthful, and yet no matter what he said, they just wouldn''t stop.
As more and more fingers fell, the bandits even started to feel relief. All the anger they had been bottling all this while was getting released. It felt so damn good!
"AARRGGG!!!!"
"Pllleasseee! Let me go!!!"
There simply was no end to the suffering. Only when their prey had no finger left did the banditse to their senses.
"He still hasn''t given up?!"
"Apparently not¡."
"Wait, guys!!"
The youngster looked up with hope. Would it finally end? He just wanted to crawl back home in the arms of his maid. He just wanted to¡
"No need to worry! He still has toes!" Sadly, the suffering was far from over.
But just as they approached the knife once more, amotion was heard outside, one of theirs quickly checking what it was.
"Boss, bad news. I think we kidnapped a noble¡."
Fuck! They all knew what this meant. Their simple interrogation operation had suddenly turned quite dangerous...
Chapter 283 Evildoers’ Escape!
Chapter 283 Evildoers'' Escape!
"HELP!!!" The broken mess of a man cried out amidst his weeping, his face stained with mucus and blood.
"No one will hear you, even if you scream." The bandits had naturally created a small magical barrier to hide the ce.
"P-please let me go already¡." Their victim resorted once more to begging.
The bandits clicked their tongues in annoyance. What a shameless guy! Even now, there was a hint of hope in his eyes, somehow.
"You still think your family will save you? Keep dreaming, hehe!" Thus started another round of torture.
In the meantime, a few of them were sent out to investigate and mislead. This was a basic skill anyone in the thieving business had to master.
They assumed plenty of innocent-looking personas: the drunkborer, bumpkins brothers looking for the red-light district, the kind old man searching for his long-lost son.
Their best tool for misinformation were rumors. They would hide in the crowd and start new discussion topics.
They were just aplishing their tasks when they suddenly stumbled on something. On the wanted board were drawings of people they quickly recognized: it was them!!!
< Bounty: Mountain Bandits! >
Mountain bandits?! It showed them in theirborer disguise, the one most of them were still wearing. Didn''t this mean someone had been watching them all along?!
That''s when their hearts chilled, as they finally remembered the desperate cries of the youngster, pleading his innocence. They had thought it ludicrous earlier, but now¡
"Oh god!" They rushed back to warn their allies.
They were toote¡
The fight had already started when they came back. On one side, the bandits plunged sabers into the bodies of guards, thetter calling for reinforcements.
Their main advantage, anonymity, had been stripped away from them. All they had left was their valor.
"Bring the Noble along, use him as a shield, let me see if they''ll dare shoot us down! Move out!!"
"Yes, Boss!"
The city gates would soon get closed. They had to get out of this deathtrap ASAP! Their bodies were already faintly glowing dark, and it would only get worse.
Speed, more speed!
Thus started the greatest bandit escape.
Every time they turned a corner, guards were awaiting them. "Crush them!!" The bandits simply charged in their midst, their des ripping the flesh.
Surprisingly, they were better coordinated than the guards they were trying to evade. They knew that getting captured would be the end of the line.
"Careful! Don''t hit the hostage! We need¡ª ARGG!" The poor soldiers felt hesitation. They were trying to do their job, but their opponents were fighting for their lives!!
The resolve of the two was different!
But even then, the army was slowly encircling the viins and cutting their escape routes one after the others.
"Goddammit, stay back, or I''ll slit his throat!!" The leader kept screaming as a deterrent.
"Let him go! You''re surrounded. There''s no hope for you. You''re only adding to your crimes. It''s pointless to run!!" The guards screamed, oblivious to the bandit spirit.
Was it impossible? It should have been, but suddenly the guards'' faces turned livid.
¡ª BOOM! BOOM!¡ª
All over the City, explosion sounds resounded, dark columns of smoke rising. Some crazy guy was detonating magical resources in the City!!!
Smoke, heat, and fire spread akin to a cmitous world-devouring beast. The City would be fine, they had contingencies against this, but it would take guards to contain the fire!
Visibility ¡ª> Extremely Shitty, perfect for a small group to sneak out.
Guards'' Reinforcements ¡ª> Pretty much gone. This would even the scales of the battlefield.
The bandits had no clue what was happening, but there was no way they''d simply stand idly and perish. They broke out, trampling many guards in passing.
As the City went crazy, a man meditating on a mountain cliff faintly grinned. Had his eyes not been closed, one would have seen the scheming light in them.
First ¡ª> Designate an enemy
Second ¡ª> Cause chaos to help them escape
Finally ¡ª> Cause further chaos, all to help them.
While there was a chance that some would remember him, it would all end up med on the bandits. After all, the explosions came from things they had stolen in the past.
He had already sowed a few seeds. It would appear as if the stolen treasure had been an inside job and the kidnapping nned.
His demon friend would do thatst part. After all, he had been a city resident for 200 years and was quite resourceful and trusted, albeit under many aliases.
For now, Jack simply enjoyed the show, watching the scene from Moon Moon''s eyes thanks to their link¡
Civilians ran everywhere, the whole city a mess. Their living was on the line. They didn''t care one bit about the guards trying to interrogate them at this moment.
"Did you see bandits pass through?!"
"Who cares?! There''s a fire!!!!"
Both guards and bandits felt uneasy as they realized how the destruction had been a setup. It was as if the goal had been to escort the viins out of the city.
The idea of a genius mastermind pulling the strings was horrifying!
"We''re almost at the gates!" The bandits were utterly covered in ashes, blood, and filth. Some had lost their arms. A few had been forever left behind too.
¡ª City Gate Appeared! ¡ª
"They''re here! Ready your bows!"
There were a few soldiers on the City walls. There weren''t that many of them, most busy with the mes, but it was enough.
"Dumbasses, we still have the kid!" They shouted to buy time, the opponents clicking their tongues in annoyance.
To leave, they needed to breach the City''s defenses. How?! Massive gates stood before them. They had no way to take them down nor reach the soldiers on top.
"It''s the end of the line. Give up!" The soldiers shouted in the background, the bandit leader slowly resolving to perish here.
That''s when a dark light suddenly appeared, seemingly floating in the air. It hovered closer and suddenly dropped something in front of them.
¡ª ng! ¡ª
"?!?"
Those were grappling hooks?! With this, they''d be able to scale the walls and escape! Puzzled bandits stared at this magical phenomenon as a small voice was heard.
"Here you go, Boss. I''m done starting the fire, and here''s what you asked for." The dark light uttered before disappearing.
The "Boss" was in shock. Fire? Hooks? He had no clue what was happening! While he was bbergasted, his men were already grabbing the tools.
"Show them who''s Boss!!! AH!" It was as if the bandits had been given wings as they ran up the walls, many perishing.
In total, 13 of them reached the top, starting a massacre. They were like wolves let loose upon a flock of chickens.
Archers 0 Bandits 1111
As the bandits dropped on the other side, there were only nine of them left out of the initial thirty. All they had aplished was to kidnap a shitty noble youngster.
This mission couldn''t have gotten more wrong!
But, for now, they had to run away, leaving the despair behind. They all knew there would be retribution for today''s event, but they might live as long as they reached the mountains.
"Hehe, I guess we can be proud. We managed to overturn the City entirely. Did you see the guards'' faces as we left? This will be a stain on Timber''s History."
"Boss, what was that ck light? Why didn''t you tell us you had such a cool trump card?!" They chattered to fill the deathly silence, to forget all the brothers they had lost.
"T-this¡" the leader was about to deny when the sound of galloping resounded.
Oh god, no! In the distance, a dust cloud was rising as powerful creatures stampeded the ground at once. Since when did Timber City have a cavalry?!
That''s when they knew they were fucked.
"Men, arrest the evildoers!" The man leading the 20 men strong unit thundered.
The bandits were tired, but the neers weren''t. Plus, every fight would be a 1 v 2 since the mounts were powerful level 35 Draconic Stallions.
Heck, did they even have the energy to break past the scales of the mounts? This was so depressing. But, just as they were losing hope, something happened.
¡ª Shriek!!! ¡ª
Another cloud of dust appeared out of nowhere, this time apanied by loud, powerful shrieking. But, why was iting from the mountain?! This made no sense!
As the creatures got closer, all humans suddenly felt their stomachs turn.
< Macabre Big Scaled Lizard Lv 30! :lizard::skull_and_crossbones:>
There wasn''t just one or two, but dozens! They ran toward the knights, ready to eat their brains out. Strangely, it appeared as if they were trying to rescue the bandits!
"For Light''s sake, is there any sin they won''t daremit?!! KILL!" The proud soldiers couldn''t believe how evil the bandits were.
"W-what the hell?!" The bandits felt like they would go insane. Weren''t these the creatures they had been eating at their camp?! How had they suddenly turned into atrocities?!
By now, they were so tired that they could only watch everything happen powerlessly. A great battle of light versus lizards happened, the soldiers being victorious.
¡ª
Everything ended well¡besides the many casualties in the City. The evildoers were soon brought back to be interrogated. That''s when many things were revealed.
1. The Boss owned a broken ring imbued with demonic energy, one he swore he had never seen before. It was probably thanks to this that he had been able to create the Macabres.
2. The Boss had long nned the kidnapping, fires, and escape with the support of a floating dark light. Thetter was aplete mystery, but they had caught the main culprit.
There were still a few loose ends, the mastermind refusing to admit to his crimes until the very end, but everything pointed to him, so the investigation was closed.
Thus peace returned to Timber City, or so it seemed. At the same time, Jack was entering his new yground¡
Chapter 284 Boss, I Need Equipment!
Chapter 284 Boss, I Need Equipment!
After all the destruction that had happened in Timber City, an air of gloominess spread across the City. Everywhere the NPCs could be heard cursing the bandits.
"Those animals! I can''t believe they did all this just to cause a distraction!!!" A sausage sellerined tearfully.
"I know, right!" Jack''s party was happily eating at a stall, humoring the NPC.
"Ah, you''re a good kid. Here''s another serving, on the house!" The shopkeeper warmly smiled.
The demon by the side couldn''t help but give a wry smile. How would the City residents react if they knew that the gentle-looking youngster was the mastermind behind it all?!
Death and chaos ¡ª> Simple coteral damage
Then again, those imbeciles had even gged Fairies as threats. As far as Jack was concerned, they totally deserved what had happened to them.
As for why they were wasting time at a stall¡.
[Wee to Timber City!]
[Explore to your heart''s content!]
The exploration wasn''t optional and nothing more than a setup to generate more quests. It would forcefully drag him down a storyline.
Right now, he simply wanted to wait for the heat to die down. He kept conversing with their host and the demon, quickly understanding the City better and better.
In the meantime, Moon Moon was happily stuffing its cheeks full of sausage.
¡ª Happy wolf noises! ¡ª
"3¡"
"2¡"
[Exploration Completed!]
[Analyzing! Please Standby!]
[New Quest! Defender of the People!]
[New Quest! Harbinger of Destruction!]
[New Quest! Sample all the Food Stalls!]
[Error! Error! Ipatible Quests! Recalibrating!]
"¡."
In one sitting, he had somehow obtained a quest to save the citizens, one to cause even more destruction, and finally one to mind his own business. #Confused System!
"Thanks for the meal, Boss!" Jack suddenly seemed as if an entirely different person.
Happy-go-lucky youth ¡ª> Man with a mission
A few minutester, they were entering a world of pure heat, one characterized by unceasing nging and banging. It was time to get custom equipment!
Jack couldn''t help but grin. This was the reason he hade to this City early on instead of farming at Sprigfield.
Gold ¡ª> From Bandits'' Treasury
Resources ¡ª> From his goblin fueled hunting spree
Knowledge ¡ª> He already had a few ns on what to ask for.
"Boss, I need equipment. I have gold!" Jack eagerly thundered as he yed the rich young master¡only to be harshly denied.
"No can do!"
"?!?"
"Pfft¡ª Do you think anyone can just waltz in here and get us to craft equipment? Get out, kid!"
"I''ll pay extra! How about I¡ª"
"Someone get this fool out of here!" The head cksmith shouted toward his employees. It''s only then that Jack recalled how arrogant the NPCs could be.
It all boiled down to this: he was too early!
Right now, the Empire had sent massive contracts to equip its army. After all, Braves and monsters had appeared, and it would need to showcase its power.
If that wasn''t enough, the local powers also wanted to improve their military. The NPCs could neither ignore the local snakes nor the distant dragon.
The demon was no help at all on that one either. He had purposely stayed away from the trade not to arouse suspicion. #Tea House Owner (Officially)
But after searching for a while¡
[Congrattions! Found a secret NPC!]
[Quest! Convince Retired cksmith to help!]
The old man was apparently a legend of the crafting district. He had taught so many they were uncountable. His hand was still steady enough for the highest standard gear.
Jack entered the hidden forge, ready to showcase his best negotiation abilities. As long as he could reignite the man''s dream, everything would work out!
But the scene that appeared before him made him reconsider¡.
¡ª ng! ng! ng! ¡ª
Retired cksmith? Retired cksmith, my ass! The old guy was relentlessly hammering as if smashing his anvil housed the secret to immortality.
"Hello there¡ª"
"Got no time for you. The City''s in a crisis!"
"But how about¡ª"
"me the bandits who invaded. Now the alert level is so high, and everyone suddenly wants weapons. It''s like they forgot men are needed to wield them!" The man grumbled.
Was this Karma, or was this Karma?
No NPC crafter avable? What was he supposed to do? That''s when Jack suddenly made an executive decision. He threw himself to the ground, kneeling.
"Please teach me cksmithing! I swear I won''t bring you shame, nor will I stop working until I have attained the peak!" He begged, seemingly on a whim.
"Woo?!" (cksmithing?)
The little wolf observed its surroundings with attention. The man used fire pretty impressively, almost as good as barbecuing meat.
The nging suddenly stopped, the NPC sizing him up.
"Why?"
"Because I need to."
"It won''t be easy."
"Of course not."
The Old cksmith came closer, putting his hand on the Brave''s head as a light radiated out of it. This was an appraisal spell, one that would reveal Jack''s secrets¡
Resist? ¡ª> Kiss goodbye any chance to be epted
Allow it to work ¡ª> Possibility of the man reporting him to the guards for his Demonic Energy mastery.
Was it worth gambling on a secret NPC?
Ah, fuck it! Worst case, he''d be an ouw!
As the light came to a halt, the NPC stared at him with aplicated gaze.
"Tch¡ª Such a pity. Such a wonderful me, but it''s been corrupted. There''s no way anyone can create anything worthwhile with this. Get out. This is not your calling."
"¡."
The man returned to his work, a peaceful air on his face. A true crafter''s heart wouldn''t be disturbed by a possible monster watching him work.
There was no need to discuss this further either. He had made his decision. Or that''s how it should have been¡
"Impossible? We both know that''s a lie. Then again, I understand, you have a reputation to uphold. Thanks for your consideration. I''ll be searching for a bolder master."
Jack bowed before leaving, but just as he was about to reach the door.
"Kid, you should give up. I''ve already seen someone go down that path, only for him to destroy himself and the people he loved." The cksmith sighed.
"Why should I concern myself with the failures of others?"
"¡."
"I''ll simply walk my own path."
His deration was simple. But at this moment, the craftsman jerked in shock. In the youngster''s eyes, he saw unbelievable determination. There would be no stopping him!
He suddenly had a revtion. This youngster could easily be an incredible devil with only a slight push since he rejectedmon sense.
1. Kill him and save the world?
2. Take him under his wing and try to teach him? What if he only created a monster¡
The old man understood clearly that the logical choice was to rid the world of this dangerous individual. He understood it perfectly, and yet¡.
"Alright, I''ll teach you. You''ll be my second direct disciple."
"Yes, teacher!!" Direct disciple meant that the man would teach him without holding anything back!
How many would have gone insane from the Demon King being so respectful to another? Plenty, but luckily they weren''t there.
Jack couldn''t help but feel a sense of excitement. In his previous life, he had kept himself to magic only. This would be a first for him!
"Alright, disciple. Your first task is to fetch your new elder brother. He should be done healing by now. Also, no need to call me Teacher. Just call me Aron like the others."
"Yes, teacher!"
"¡"
Jack hurried over to the address his new teacher had given him. Instead of the hospital he had expected, it was a small shop vibrant with colors: < Flora of the World! >
"Wee! Flowers for your girlfriend?" A cute girl stood at the counter.
"Nope, a disciple for an old cksmith." For a second, her entire body tensed, only for her to try to y it cool right after.
"I''m sorry, but we only have flowers here. How can I help you?"
"¡"
"If you''re looking for a cksmith, I suggest you try the crafting district. There won''t be¡ªKYAAA!" She jumped in shock as he mmed the counter next to her.
In her panic, she sent a fleeting nce toward the back store before taking a deep breath to rpose herself. That''s the moment Jack chose to rush toward the back.
"N-nooo!!" She cried out, but she was already toote to stop him.
As he entered the back area, he couldn''t help but give an impressed sigh. This ce was a green world! Heck, there was a good chance the girl at the front had druid powers.
As for finding his target¡
"Yo! I''m Aron''s new disciple. I''m looking for his first direct disciple, anyone here?" Jack called out.
"What?! Teacher only has one disciple and¡ª Gasp!" The voice suddenly turned quiet.
"¡." What was this, hide and seek?
As far as an initiation for new members went, this was peculiar, but he had seen worse. At least there were no demonic fetuses involved.
He disappeared into the vegetation, the shopkeeper''s panicked shouts resounding in the background. It took him a few minutes, but then he finally found his target.
In front of his eyes, there now was a grass elemental ying dead.
"¡."
It''s only then that Jack finally understood his teacher''s meaning. The elder disciple had been sent here to recover¡..because he was a freaking nt!
At this moment, he had countless questions swirling in his head.
1. How did such a creaturee to be?
2. How had a nt developed an interest in cksmithing?
3. What was up with this dead-ying act? Was there a need to do this?
Oh well, he didn''t have any time for the bullshit. Without hesitating, he grabbed the target, ready to evacuate.
"Please let me go! I''m just a normal nt!"
"¡"
What kind of normal nt talked?! Who was this brother trying to fool? They''d need to have a long talk for sure¡
Chapter 285 Forging 101
Chapter 285 Forging 101
¡ª ng! ng! ng! ¡ª
The small forge was filled with the sound of hammering, the front door solidly closed, Old Man Iron diligently teaching.
"You need to twist your hammer more. Harder! Strike it like you mean it!"
"Yes, Teacher!" The elder brother replied with guts.
Jack had managed to reach an understanding with the being, bringing him back. There was only one word to describe him: silly.
His mantra was that he''d do anything to learn how to smith, even putting his life on the line. In his case, he meant it literally. Every other second, an ident would happen.
"¡Elder brother, you''re on fire again." Jack casually remarked, used to it by now.
¡ª Ssh! ¡ª
Jack was currently on bucket duty.
In a regr forge, water was used for the tempering process to make the metal more resistant. Here it served another purpose: to temper the cksmith''s resolve!
That is how Jack''s smithing study began. He remained on bucket duty, leaving him ample time to observe and learn.
He was akin to a sponge taking it all in.
From the way to prepare the ores, smelt them, then take the molten metal and spread it in a cast before hammering away.
"Watch carefully. This is how you do it!"
"¡"
If there was one issue, it was that his nt friend was just built different. He had vines that coiled together to form arms.
This allowed him to wield many hammers! There was absolutely no way that a human could reproduce such a style!
Soon, it was Jack''s turn to try hammering.
"So¡what should I do?"
"Just do the same."
"¡"
"Hehe, it seems like you have something to say?" The master asked as he saw how peeved Jack looked.
But, withoutining, he tried his best to do something decent. He actually got the first steps right, bared a few minor mistakes, but the hammering soon became an issue.
¡ª ng! ng! ¡ª
"Nope, you''re doing it wrong."
¡ª ng! ng! ng! ¡ª
"Still wrong. You can''t just copy. You have to find your own path. You''re the one that said it! Even if we''re still working on the basics, you can''t simply mindlessly hammer."
"Teacher, how about you show me an example of how you do it?" Jack requested, hopeful, and the old man agreeing.
¡ª ng! ng! ng! ¡ª
"Did you see?" Once he was done, he asked with a teasing smile.
Jack could only shake his head in disappointment. There was something strange about the old man''s technique. When seen from afar, it looked utterly simple, but it wasn''t.
Nope, no matter how much he tried to analyze it, he kept failing. It was as if each of his movements were one with the fire.
That''s when he finally understood the old man''s words. Forging in Infinite was both extremely simple andplex.
1. Sense the fire
2. Let the fire guide you
3. ?
4. Profit
It was possible to simply hammer repetitively and obtain usable items, but it would palepared to anything an actual cksmith could aplish.
It was akin toparing a professional chef to a bachelor with a microwave: both would prepare a meal sessfully, but the quality would be worlds apart.
"Don''t worry, we all have our difficulties. If it was easy to seed, it wouldn''t be so worthwhile." Elder brotherforted him¡.while on fire.
"Woo!" (You can do it!)
Even now, Moon Moon was still by his side. As for the Fairy and the demon, they had long disappeared to take care of their own task, one that involved the "Totally a Tea Business".
As he nced at hispanion''s eyes full of trust, Jack couldn''t help but smile. The night was already about to fall, and everyone was going home, but he stayed.
"Still want to train? Fine, but don''t push yourself too much, and make sure not to burn the forge down! In any case, no one ever learned the trade in one day." The old man grumbled as he left.
"Fighting, brother!" The elemental would have stayed, but he had to recover from his daily injuries.
In the dark of the night, a cacophony resounded in the forge. Luckily, the ce had a soundproof formation that protected the rest of the City.
After lots of pondering, Jack had finallye to one realization. He needed to find his own way, but he should take inspiration from his surroundings!
Elder brother''s many arms ¡ª> He just needed help
The master''s profound technique ¡ª> Who said one couldn''t forge with demonic fire!
That''s how one intense training session started. Over the course of a night, the sound of bone-rattling, howls of surprise, and incessant nging resounded.
The more Jack experimented, and the more excited Moon Moon became. This looked so much fun!
The following day the two cksmiths came back¡
"What the hell happened here?!" The master shouted as soon as he put a step in his forge.
Every surface of the forge was unbelievably disgustingly gross. There were bone shards everywhere, ashes, and¡even blood?!
"Brother, you should have at least cleaned up¡" The elder disciplemented, totally ignoring the main issue there.
That''s when Jack appeared. As the old man saw him, he almost had a heart attack! He looked like a goddamn devil!
1. Bloodshot eyes
2. Devilish grin
3. Wounds all over
4. A crazed look on his face
"What the hell did you do?! Are you alright?!"
"Hehe, never been better. Here, look!" Jack eagerly grabbed ores and many hammers, ready to start the process.
"Wait, let''s clean you up first!"
"No time!! I have to forge now and show you. Only then will you be able to give me pointers!!!" He seemed like a total lunatic at that moment.
"T-that, alright¡." The old man was already getting ready for the worst.
As Jack started, he couldn''t help but gasp in shock. What kind of evil deity had possessed his disciple?! Should he try to exorcise him?!
He was already getting ready to make a move when he choked. Was this still forging?!
No one had ever learned the trade in a day, right? It seemed his disciple had created a new one entirely!
Chapter 286 New Technique!
Chapter 286 New Technique!
Inside the forge, the world had be one of darkness. Jack''s very first move made the onlookers shiver as unbelievably evil energy spread out.
He had summoned a vile me that seemed alive as it happily bit into the ores, trying to corrupt them. With every pulse of demonic energy, the room felt more and more oppressive.
Bone shards were even swirling around him gave him an unfathomable look.
"There you go, eat your fill!" Jack lovingly murmured as he kept feeding the me. Was this part of the technique, or had he just gone insane?
What came next was even worse. With a wave of his hand, countless skeleton soldiers started rising, their empty eye sockets filled with greed toward the living.
That''s when he started distributing hammers¡
"?!?"
¡ª ng! ng! ng! ¡ª
What kind of spectacle was this?! The obviously evil creatures were now obedientlyboring. Their coordination was so great that it begged to question how he had done it.
"Oh! He copied my technique!" The Elder Disciple suddenly chimed in, proud.
As the Old cksmith watched, his heart hovered between utter fright and excitement. This was entirely new territory!
Forging ¡ª> Act of Creation
Necromancy ¡ª> Art of Destruction
How he had managed to fuse both was beyond him. Necromancers would usually only ever create items out of despair and sorrow, but he was different.
"How is it?" Jack couldn''t help but give a proud smile as he finished his best weapon so far, a short broadsword that looked positively evil.
"It''s alright for a first-timer, but it''s garbage otherwise." The master hurriedly replied. Even then, Jack knew he had done a good job because¡.
[Congrattion! Acquired Demonic Smithing F!]
[Who needs friendship and a pure heart?¡]
[You got minions and demonic energy!]
[Ding! You''ve created a profession!]
But, while the old man was ying it cool, trying not to inte his ego¡
"Brother, please teach me! Your skeletons are immune to fire, right?! That''s what I''ve been searching for! Plus, wouldn''t I have even more hammers then!!"
"¡."
Was there a need for more hammers? He already used ten of them! At this rate: Forging ¡ª> Unlimited Hammer Works.
The poor nt disciple came closer to Jack''s me in his excitement. As he brushed against it, disaster struck.
His arm suddenly started rotting, corruption invading it. A secondter, the regr vines had turned into man-devouring vines that bit at everyone like mad dogs.
"W-what is this?!?" The poor grass elemental iled around, panicked.
¡ª sh! ¡ª
The old man decisively made a move, cutting the limb directly, before sending a torrent of mes toward it, incinerating it.
"Tch¡ª Be careful, will you! You, control your mes, and you, protect your own energy." He reproached.
Just like that, Elder Brother was sent back to the florist for recovery, leaving the old and young together.
"Sigh, you''ll have to control your energy. This Demonic Fire of yours is akin to a poison that may erupt anytime. Do you know what this means?" He gave a meaningful nce.
Jack nodded solemnly. Right now, even he wouldn''t dare to wear the gear he crafted. The Demonic Energy would await the best moment to strike and could even kill its user.
"I see. That''s why you said the road would be rough, eh?"
"Exactly. How about it, want to give up?"
"Pfft¡ª As if!"
The two shared a look as the non-stop hammering restarted.
Jack had been nning to use his affinity with the two to request them to forge him something¡but suddenly, he found himself wholeheartedly consumed by the task.
Besides checking up with Lilly from time to time, he forgot about the world. He even dismissed the subordinates that messaged him.
- CPR Dude: Boss, there are guilds causing trouble for us ever since you left. What should we do?
- Jack''O: I''m busy. Figure it out between yourselves. I''m sure the Head Cultist has plenty of ideas too.
He casually replied, not knowing that on the other side of the message, a cultist was now dancing in joy with an evil grin on his face. "Saw that! Project Genesis is a go!!"
Either way, Jack did not care. He only wanted to figure out how to control this energy, to manipte it into doing his bidding, and nothing else.
Thus he kept working, not even minding his fellow cksmiths'' concerns¡
¡ª ng! ng! ng! ¡ª
"You''re still here?! How long has it been?!" ¡ª Not long enough, for he hadn''t seeded yet¡
"You should definitely take a break!" ¡ª He''d stop before dying IRL¡
"You look like a damn ghoul!" ¡ª This was nothing new¡
"Brother, you''re crazy!" ¡ª Thanks for thepliment¡
The more he worked and the more he realized how incredibly hard this was. The Demonic Energy would be tame under his control but go crazy once it left his body.
How could he improve further?! The old man was trying his best to help, but even he was stumped.
Jack was akin to a youngster ying with fire and wondering why it burned. The problem was that it was so much easier to start/extinguish the mes than to control them.
What was he missing? Just what was he¡
"Brother, it''s a shame you can''t hire guards to keep your me in check, haha." At some point, the nt being casually joked.
"?!?¡That''s it! Hahaha" Maniacalughterter, Jack returned to work, leaving hispanions utterly puzzled.
What happened next made them doubt his sanity. Over the course of the few days, he became strange. The man who used to be scheming and in control became a mess.
"C''mon, stop messing with me! Just a little more" He started mumbling to himself as if he had lost his mind.
[Skill creation Failed!]
[Skill Creation Failed!]
[Skill Creation¡ª]
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" He even started shouting at empty air. No matter how worried the others became, he kept pushing himself until¡
[Congrattions! Aplished a miracle!]
[Created New Skill: Soul Imbuement!]
[Demonic Smithing Ranked Up!]
[Your Sanity Went Down!]
He started chuckling like a madman. Through sheer perseverance, he had managed to bring forth a skill that wasn''t supposed to be in the game just yet.
This would send a portion of his soul into the things he crafted, assuring the Demonic Energy in the items wouldn''t go out of control.
It did weaken his soul, but whatever. He was finally ready to begin crafting his own gear. He was finally¡
[Bringer of Chaos Activated!]
[Your Perseverance Moved the Dead!]
[They Feel Envious! The Dead Are Rising!]
"#$%?/$&!"
Chapter 287 Miracle! Father?!
Chapter 287 Miracle! Father?!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
In a dark dungeon, a handsome man wearing very in armor couldn''t help but sigh as he nced at the soon-to-be executed captive.
It didn''t fit.
A bandit would never leave his mountain for no reason.
"Captain Jeto, I brought the information you wanted!" A subordinate came running, bringing a stack of papers with him.
The Captain quickly flipped through the information, frowning more and more. He was sure the whole fire, bandits, and strange creatures incident had been a diversion, but for what?
No key location had been attacked, and there weren''t that many casualties either. He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he kept reading, his subordinate unsure if he should speak up.
"What is it?"
"S-sir, isn''t it good that everything ended well?"
"You''re young, and youck experience, but no. I used to serve in the capital for a short while. There, plotting runs rampant and nothing is as it seems."
"???"
"Fear not the external enemy that will march to your doors with an army. No, schemes in darkness are more deadly. Do you understand?"
"Yes?"
"You see, there''s¡ª"
He was suddenly interrupted by the strident ring of an rm. ¡ª DingDing! DingDing! ¡ª This meant a monster attack?! Wait, no¡ the walls had been breached already!!
What now?! Confusion and Fear took hold of the City. The citizens had just survived a fire, and suddenly this was ringing?!
"Quick! Find the enemies! Where are they?!" Shouts resounded across the streets, soldiers rushing forward.
They courageously braved the dark veil that was progressively engulfing them, reducing visibility. They were ready to die for their City!
But, they soon found themselves at a loss. Where were the enemies?! No matter how much they searched, everything was a little too peaceful.
Luckily, new information came forth:
"Sir, there''s been sighing of undead in the crafting district! We have to hurry. They''re bound to spread everywhere!"
"Lock the perimeter. Even rats should not be allowed to leave!" The Captain ordered powerfully.
They soon moved in together, ready to "cleanse" some undead with their swords. A few Braves even joined their cause.
"Let''s do this! Kill them all! Prove yourself worthy and¡ª WTF?!" They could only stare wide-eyed at the scene that appeared before them.
¡ª ng! ng! ng! ¡ª
"¡."
"¡."
"¡."
Many started pinching themselves or theirpanions, trying to ess if they were dreaming. A few shouts of painter, reality finally set in.
In front of them were plenty of undead: skeletons, zombies, and even ghost-looking ones. Yet this powerful line-up was busy¡.crafting?!
They swung forging hammers, chiseling picks, and other tools as they busied themselves with production jobs.
No matter how they rubbed their eyes, the scene stayed the same. They would craft one piece after the other tirelessly.
"Wish me luck¡." A man moved toward one of them ever so carefully¡only to be ignored?!
Desire to Craft > Hunger for Flesh
What had started as an incredibly tense situation had just gone from 100 to 0. Dangerous monsters? Please! Heck, even if they turned hostile now, everything would be fine.
The civilians had been apanied to safety, the area was surrounded, and this was simply too weird¡
"S-sir, what do we do now?" A few couldn''t help but ask, perplexed.
They were asking him, but who was he supposed to ask? He was no expert, but the crafters seemed to be diligently working too. Was this event actually a good thing?
"Report to the merchant groups for now!"
"Yes, Sir!"
Thus started the most awkward guard duty of all time. They all remained on high alert, and yet there just wasn''t anything else to do.
Snacks were distributed, and many even started joking.
"Kill, marry, sleep with: any of the undead crafters in the room with us, go!"
"Are you kidding me?! How disgusting, just look at them!"
"Tch¡ª You''re no fun. It''s a game, a game!"
Obviously, a few problems cropped up-. A few Braves used the opportunity to go on a rampage. It seemed as if the bastards had lost their minds as they charged forward.
"Don''t stop me! Look at all that juicy XP!" They Shouted over and over while the soldiers carried them away.
It didn''t take long for the merchants to arrive, every faction sending men. They arrived as quickly as they had left upon hearing there were undead.
"Oh my god, this is a miracle!"
"Production workers that never tire!!!"
"They''re not aggressive in the least either? How marvelous!"
In their eyes, there were $ signs. To them, only profit mattered, and they were absolutely ready to exploit undeadbor if they could.
"Be careful. We have no proof that they won''t suddenly turn feral." The Captain reminded, only to be ignored.
Lengthy talks were held, the Captain watching over the meeting. Why was there more time spent on how to exploit the undead than how to handle them safely?
Just as they were about to reach a verdict, the crafters who had previously evacuated finally came back. Their eyes opened wide as they witnessed what was happening.
"Father, it''s you!"
"Founder?! Only you could be this skillful!"
"Haha, our Little Swallow shop is blessed by the gods!"
They all rejoiced one after the other. Possibly for the first time ever in Infinite, people actually cared for the undead. After all, they were simply working for the City!
Everyone and their mothers mored for the undead not to be humiliated further, either by freeing them of their undeath or taking care of them.
"Alright, alright, settle down, people! Those who want to put their rtives down can do so now. Others will be put under house arrest until we know more!"
Everyone agreed with that, heavy metallic bars being set up to iste the dead from the living. Everything was just so perfect!
As for Jack, he was currently hiding. He had heard about the madness currently happening and wanted nothing to do with it!
Exploiting the undead? He could see endless benefits to this. It was something he had done and would do. But even then, he was still a firm believer in Murphy''s Law.
Everything was peachy and awesome¡.until it wasn''t.
The livings were under the impression that their dead loved ones hade back to help them. They hadn''t, not at all. The dead were back to craft, and nothing else.
What would happen once they were out of materials? The living would soon find out...
Chapter 288 Eavesdropping
Chapter 288 Eavesdropping
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
In the quiet of the night, many undead all over the Crafting district started wailing. It began as a murmur before turning into loud humming.
In a certain workshop, a craftsman nced at the caged undead with worry.
"W-what happened, mother?"
"Wuwuwuwu!"
"?!?"
The undead in the cage looked positively pitiful, her rotting hands iling around searching for something. That''s when he realized the issue. She had run out of materials!
His heart ached as he witnessed her sad state. She was so hardworking, just like in the old days, and he found himself ovee by emotion.
Barely hesitating, he stepped into the cage. After all, she was the one who had given him life, and she didn''t look one bit dangerous.
¡ª ng! ¡ª
He grabbed a few ores, ready tofort the sobbing undead, advancing withpassion in his eyes. He arrived by her side, and that''s when she nced his way.
Her eyes were different than they used to be, now glowing red. Yet, he could still detect the love in her eyes. She looked so radiant at this moment.
She slowly opened her mouth. Would she speak for the first time?
"Yes, mother?" He nced at her, hopeful.
She trotted over gently. He had missed her so much that he didn''t hesitate to reciprocate as she went for a hug. At this moment, he felt aforting bliss he hadn''t felt in a long time.
Her arms wrapped around him, containing so much love it was almost suffocating.
No, it was suffocating.
"Mother, I¡ª"
Her mouth opened wider, drooling all over the ce and revealing her sharp ck teeth. At this moment, she looked as monstrous as happy. After all, she had been so hungry¡
¡ª Chomp!¡ª
She plunged her teeth into the exposed flesh, her victim trying to free himself without sess, her grasp too strong.
"No, no, mother, please!! Moth¡" The sobs became weaker and weaker until theypletely disappeared.
In the dark workshop, the undead''s eyes glowed with a sense of fulfillment. Crafting was great, but feeding wasn''t bad either.
She stumbled toward the outside world, one filled with plenty of delicious food¡.
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Utter chaos engulfed Timber City.
"Sir, the crafting district is a goner! The undead have all be free!" A soldier rushed to report
"Tch¡ª Those fools! We should have killed the creatures earlier when we had the chance! Make sure you surround the crafting district and don''t let any escape!"
"W-what about the craftsmen inside, Sir?"
"First we contain, then we rescue. Get to work, soldier!"
They moved with great coordination, reinforcing the perimeter they already had there. Undead after undead woulde out screeching, only to perish under their des.
They were hungry¡.
This was an incredible mess, but at least the damage would be minimal, or so it was supposed to be. A shivering soldier arrived with dreadful information.
"S-sir, bad news! There are outbreaks in other districts too. Some people have smuggled their undead loved ones out earlier!"
"Quick, send soldiers!" The Captain felt like spitting blood. Some of them really had tools for brains! How else could this end besides in a disaster?!
The only saving grace was that a few light priests had already appeared. They liked to charge exorbitant "donations" for their help, but at this point, they were needed.
They''d help purify the area, escorted by the soldiers.
But, even then, he kept having a bad feeling. Even now, they had no clue what had caused this whole event. Also, what if it was linked to the bandits'' attack?
What if this had been their objective all along? Also, what if this entire thing was nothing but another distraction for an even bigger, eviler n?!
He needed council. He needed someone that understood magic well. In the City, there were two big groups of mages.
1. The Tower people ¡ª> Snobbish, mostly only interested in recruiting for their organization.
2. The enchanters ¡ª> They were very profit-oriented, but at least they always did a good job since their reputation was everything to them.
¡ª Knock! Knock! ¡ª
"Anyone here?" No matter how much he kept knocking, there was no answer. Of course, they wouldn''t answer during such a crisis. "Hey, I have info about a lost treasure!"
Instantly the door opened, revealing a jovial-lookingdy.
"Lost treasure?"
"¡."
The Captain steeled his heart. There really was a lost treasure, the one belonging to the bandits. Find the bandits'' aplice ¡ª> Find the treasure.
"You want us to investigate in exchange for information about the bandits'' treasure, correct?"
"Exactly!"
"Pfft¡ª How silly. If this whole thing is really a conspiracy against Timber City, you can be sure we won''t stick our neck out. Profit is useless if you''re dead."
"B-but!!"
"No buts, get out, you justice-obsessed fool."
Once outside, he couldn''t help but grind his teeth in annoyance at the selfishness. Sometimes the human racepletely disgusted him.
Just as he was considering his next move, he suddenly twitched as he sensed something. Was he crazy, or had something just flown next to his head?!
He intently looked around, making sure no one was watching. The street waspletely deserted. He could use that¡
His eyes suddenly started glowing a bright blue as the world changed. He could see mana swirling all around, primarily demonic.
This was something he barely ever used, for it wasn''t a power a human should possess. He knew that much.
His head already felt like it would split open, but he kept his eyes wide open. That''s when he saw it: there was a sh of mana happily floating away.
He ran after it using his sword as a crutch, barely keeping his bnce.
The thing flew away fast, and he almost lost it many times over. But after a while, it unknowingly guided him toward what looked like a simple teashop. < Tea Life >
"???"
He dragged his body forward, trying to listen in¡but failed. Wait, this meant that there was a sound barrier here. Why would a tea shop need that?!
He could only give a wry smile as he focused all his powers on his ears. A bright moon-shaped halo appeared above his head as he used this ability.
He''d never use it in normal circumstances, but he felt the need to. Inside he could hear a man''s voice¡
"Tch¡ª It sure is noisy outside. Can''t they die more quietly?" A youngsterined as he sipped tea.
"Hehe, that''s just how humans are, Sir. What''s the n now? Are you nning to summon more undead?" A respectful voice sounded.
¡ª Gasp! ¡ª
As an involuntarily gasp escaped the Captain, the tea shop suddenly turned silent¡
Chapter 289 Moon Elf
Chapter 289 Moon Elf
"Are you nning to summon more undead, Sir?" As the Tea Demon asked, a sound suddenly resounded outside.
"!!!" Someone was here!
Jack looked at the nearby Fairy, who had juste back from a round across the City. Tch¡ª She had obviously been followed, and the Demon just had to run his mouth!
"Ah! I''ll take care of it, Sir!" The Demon bolted outside, a magical cloak of bloody darkness surrounding him.
¡ª sh! ¡ª
As a collision resounded, Jack hurried outside too. His eyes couldn''t help but bulge as he saw their would-be enemy.
It was a knight-type, one that was wearing the sigil of the City. This guy was a guard?! Didn''t this mean that they had to kill him, or they''d be busted?!
He wielded arge sword as if a kid''s toy, waving it in a protective arc against the magical ws the Demon was shing with.
The man''s entire body was glowing silver bluish, and the bright moon halo behind his head was so very telling. Jack couldn''t help but involuntarily shiver.
A goddamn Moon Elf! Those freaking nosy bastards were already here?! Were they allied with the humans?!
Wait, no, there was something strange. The man''s ears were short, and his orifices were already bleeding from strain. Was he a halfling? Either way, he was an issue!
"Hurry, you have 20 seconds to capture him!" Jack urged.
"I got this, Sir!!" The Demon reassured as Moon Moon and Fairy threw Fireballs/ Wind des on the side.
But even then it was all worthless. The man''s aura was akin to an invincible shield. As the Moonlight fell on him, he pretty much had Infinite power.
Without waiting, Jack controlled Demonic Energy, sending it out to cover the sky.
Damage Power ¡ª> 0
Generating Darkness ¡ª> Very effective!
With this, they''d be able to capture their target, or somon sense would have told them. Sadly, the man had a trump card.
"Ah!!!" The man growled, his entire body turning red as he used a berserk ability. But a secondter, he was running away!
"Stop him!" Jack shouted.
The Demon managed to block him. At this moment, the two were freaking d the streets were empty. Otherwise, they would have long be surrounded.
The man was cornered, there was nowhere to go, and he knew it.
That''s when their eyes met. In the glowing irises, Jack saw ancestral power that no human could ever match,bined with human madness and mettle.
"!?!"
Before they could react, the man spat a mouthful of blood, his entire body suddenly emitting a brilliant light.
"Are you kidding me?! He''s awakening?!" Jack couldn''t help but curse as he hurriedly summoned plenty of skeletons in front of him.
This meant that his bloodline had resonated with his peril and activated, granting him bothsting power and an incredible short-term buff.
That''s when it happened: a shockwave spread outward from the knight. It wasn''t an attack but raw magical energy, something that shouldn''t have been possible at this stage of the game!
¡ª Whoosh!! Crack! Crack! ¡ª
Moonlight aura des appeared, flowing all over. They barraged the surroundings, Jack''s summons shattering one after the other as they acted as a shield.
The Demon, being in close proximity, tanked a few, half of his body menacing to disappear. This single move did so much damage that he was about to falter.
Jack could see in the Moon Guy that he was seriously considering just finishing them off. If they fought right now while he had the power of the world assisting him, they''d 100% lose!
Objective: Stop the man ¡ª> Survive
Jack VS Level 50ish buffed NPC
This was an emergency! Jack precisely knew what to do, even if it pained him¡
"Hehehe, you can stand down. You bought enough time for me to remove my seal. Now, little Demon, watch closely, for I will show you the meaning of true power¡ª" Jack bluffed, lying through his teeth.
The NPC currently felt like the king of the world, with raw elven magical power coursing through his veins, but he faltered hearing Jack''s confident tone.
Without hesitating, he turned tail once more. Jack had no choice but to watch him disappear.
"I-I''m sorry, Sir. Whatever this guy was he¡ª"
"Moon Elf, a race that''s long been considered extinct. Their magical sensitivity and abilities are both peerless. Our only saving grace is that the guy is obviously a Newbie." Jack sighed.
A fully developed Moon Elf would have wiped the floor with them as easily as one would beat a child in a fistfight.
The Fairy wanted to go after him, but he stopped her with a wave. Against a Moon Elf, the invisibility she was so proud of would be utterly useless.
The situation wasn''tpletely hopeless, but it was bad, real bad!
1. Someone associated with the City now knew he had summoned the undead. He had never intended to, but this didn''t change the facts.
2. That someone just happened to be one OP NPC that he literally couldn''t do anything about in a direct confrontation.
3. It was only a question of time before he shared the information withw enforcement. By then, he would join the most wanted list. Heck, maybe they''d search for his mana signature directly.
4. The only saving grace was that his awakening had changed the man''s features. Right now, he''d probably have trouble proving his own identity¡
Ah, this whole thing was a mess. How had this even happened? All he had wanted to do was craft OP equipment peacefully¡
"W-what now, Sir?" The Demon uttered, shaken.
"Right now, we get the hell out. Themotion will have been visible from a distance. Afterward, we find that fool, making sure not to use magic." Jack instructed.
"?!?"
"What is it?"
"T-that¡All my information gathering techniques rely on magic." The Demon admitted with downcast eyes.
Jack could only shake his head at the man''s foolishness. Hadn''t he been there for 200 years already? How disappointing!
It had only taken him a month to take over a vige and a few weeks to take over one of the biggest businesses in Sprigfield. It seemed he had a bunch of work on his te.
He already had a n to deal with the current situation, but could he make it in time? Even he wasn''t sure.
"Follow me. I''m about to change your worldview¡."
Chapter 290 Recruiting!
Chapter 290 Recruiting!
As rms resounded across Timber City, two and a half shadows could be seen scurrying around. They were wearing heavy cloaks hiding their features.
"W-why are we here, Sir?!"
"To get manpower."
Jack candidly replied, the Demon raising a brow. They were currently in the poorest, shadiest district in the City. This ce was basically a gathering of lowlifes.
"Ah¡alright, I can guide us toward the dens of the biggest gangs in the area. Follow me, Sir!" The Demon cheerfully replied, trying to be helpful.
"Gangs? Why would I care about gangs? That''s not where we''re going at all."
"?!?"
The deeper Jack brought them into the slums, the more ufortable the Demon got. This ce was really nothing good, as in it was trash.
Jack couldn''t help but sigh at hispanion''s foolishness. Any gang that was out in the open necessarily had to have a backing.
It wouldn''t matter whether this backing was on the side of the Empire or not. There was always a significant chance of another information leak happening.
Right now, Jack was nothing more than a small fish in a big pond. Any NPC on the streets could pretty much one-shot him as long as they put their minds to it.
His saving grace was that he had a high-level demon by his side, even if fighting directly wasn''t his strong suit. #Bamboozling OP!
They soon arrived at a shitty-looking courtyard. There was so much trash everywhere that one could have easily believed this ce to be a garbage dump.
Yet, dirty human figures could be seen crouching or lying all over.
"We''re here," Jack remarked.
"?!?"
The Demon nced all around, not knowing whether his Boss had suddenly lost his mind. What could dregs of society like them even do?
Target existing power ¡ª> Dangerous
Create one from scratch ¡ª> The way to go!
Jack grinned as he pictured what these people would soon be. They were hideous, selfish, and useless, but this was precisely why he hade here.
"Hello, gentlemen." He yfully uttered, many cackles of ridicule resounding.
"Pfft¡ª This dude''s lost."
"This must be fate that we met! Give us coins, coins, coins!"
"Hehe, what do you mean, lost? Fate? He obviously came here to give us his wallet!" Some gleefully pulled knives out.
The hobos cackled, he cackled, the skeleton soldiers he summoned cackled¡then it was a massacre.
Jack didn''t even bother to state why he was there. He simply started a killing spree, his undead surrounding the entire area, none allowed to leave alive.
There was no rhyme or reason to his acts, no demands, no anger, only bloodshed. They tried resisting, negotiating, and even begging, but it was all for naught.
"Ah, this is such a nice night, isn''t it?" Jack sighed as he nced at the severed limbs decorating the ground as if appreciating beautiful art.
[Caused Incredible Fear!]
[Evil! Bully! Apostle of Massacre!]
"What? No, no, I''m just freeing them from the pain of existence." Jack speaking to empty air as if a madman did nothing to reassure the shivering hobos.
They were lying in pools of blood and urine, utterly defeated. Their eyes were lifeless as they realized that they would all die. All because of the whims of one crazy bastard.
He suddenly nced at them all amusingly.
"Oh, there''s still a bunch alive, eh? How fun!"
"M-monster! W-why are you doing this?!" One of them finally found the courage to cry out. He had already epted his fate, but even then, he wanted to know why!
"Why? Because I can, because you''re all weak, because no one cares what happens to you all, that''s why." He happily grinned.
"¡"
"Woo!" (You guys deserve it forughing!)
Moon Moon had no pity in its heart for the fools. None had bothered to react when a few of them had tried to mug them.
Instead, it was busy collecting the severed limbs. Wouldn''t this make for great snacks! It even summoned a few ming chickens to start a barbecue.
Thisst straw finally broke the hobos, many nervous and desperateughs echoing. The Demon killed them while his pet roasted their flesh.
They felt that the world was ruthless, all hopes long gone. But that''s when there was a reversal.
"Now, anyone here wants to live? I want ves." Jack suddenly offered them a lifeline.
Was it a trick? Would he simply turn around and torture the hopeful ones? They were probably doomed either way, but they wanted to believe.
A few hurriedly raised their hands to volunteer. Whatever he needed, they would do for sure, no question asked!
What happened next was something they would forever remember.
The Demon forced them to eat human flesh, watching over them gleefully. Their desire to live, their hunger, and the glorious cooking allowed them to stomach the food.
As soon as they were done¡
Gigantic magical circles made out of demonic mes appeared under their feet. cksmithing had increased Jack''s control over fire enough for such an illusion.
"Was it good? I always liked that ritual." He chuckled.
"R-ritual?!" They lowly eximed, their eyes bulging.
"Oh, right, didn''t I tell you guys? From now on, you guys are part of the demon race. If you get noticed, you''re dead, hehe."
"?!?"
"Now, let''s bring you up to speed, shall we." The evil madman cackled.
Stick ¡ª> Death from a crazy bastard
Carrot ¡ª> Awesome food and a sense of belonging
There would be no turning back for them. The decision to eat the human flesh and serve the devil had sealed their fate forever.
[Sessfully obtained new subordinates!]
[Affinity Maxed for the current time!]
[This almost feels like cheating¡.]
By the side, the actual Demon worried this endeavor was utterly useless but also held back hisughter. If bing a demon was that easy, everyone would be one!
Those idiots sure were gullible!
Jack hurriedly gave them directives, confident that none would dare betray him. They would be loyal for sure, if only for self-preservation.
It was time for them to scour the City and gather information. He could only hope that they''d find his target.
After all, that Moon Elf was probably in hiding at the moment and would be alerted by anyone powerful making a move. As for beggars¡
Chapter 291 Lucky Golden Den
Chapter 291 Lucky Golden Den
In the Timber City Slums, there was currently a duo of beast and man happily roasting some flesh on a garbage-bin fire. On the side, a demon was frowning in obvious worry.
"You okay?" Jack chuckled at his state.
"T-that¡"
"Speak freely."
"There''s no way that will work! As if a couple of beggars would be able to track down someone that even managed to eavesdrop on my shop!"
Jack didn''t even bother replying, only grinning as he pointed in the distance. A few of the said beggars were running over, out of breath.
"B-boss! I¡ we found him! He''s hiding at the Lucky Golden Den!" They spat out quickly, eyes filled with expectation.
"Good job." Jack praised as he flung them a few gold coins over, rising up and gesturing the shellshocked demon to follow.
The Lucky Golden Den, eh? This was such an incredibly bold move, one that surprised even him. He would have expected the man to hide in a sewer or something instead.
Nope, he had chosen to stay in public, in in sight. Then again, it did make sense given how peculiar the ce was.
Oh well, it was time for an assassination mission!
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Tough-looking bodyguards guarded enormous golden arches.
Usually, there would have been a sea of people swarming over, but now the ce was rtively calm. Actually, it was a wonder why the business was still open.
A small group appeared, all wearing glowing masks. Had anyone looked closer, they would have realized that they were all made of pumpkins.
"Wee to the Lucky Golden Den, customers! Inside awaits incredible wonders and¡ª"
¡ª A wild undead appeared! ¡ª
The zombie-looking creature sprinted at the men, eager to prey on their flesh. It was a grim reminder of the ongoing disaster, yet it didn''t affect the men.
"Another one?! Grab the head. There''s a bounty for those creatures!" Their voice was as steady as their swords.
As if they had repeated this a million times, they rushed over, stabbing the creature in all orifices, ALL! Dark blood flew all over the ce, some evennding on the customers.
"Woo!" (Sticky!)
"As I was saying, customer, wee to ¡ª" The guard''s head suddenly slid off his shoulders, yet no blood came out.
"?!?" Deadly Invisible Magical Strings?!
A slim figure came forward, smiling warmly. His blue velvet suit gave him an aristocratic look, the bodyguards bowing and trembling on his passage.
< Manager Lu > was written on a golden pin on his chest.
"I apologize for my subordinate''s rudeness, soiling you with vile undead blood. Worry not. It shan''t happen again." He "reassured", the subordinates resisting the urge to vomit.
"Woo?!" (Wow, a magic trick!)
The head had suddenly fallen off: amazing! The little wolf was already trying to figure out how it worked, only bing more and more puzzled. Oh well, it would ask its masterter!
Said master was suddenly reconsidering his ns. As for the assassination mission¡.ABORT X 1000!
As long as that guy was here, there would be no way to pull it off discreetly! Heck, he''d probably be insta-killed as soon as he made a move.
"Let''s head inside." The manager ordered in a sweet tone, the party following.
As soon as they went through the doors, they all felt an effect on their mana. It suddenly turned sluggish and hard to gather. Any subtle magic would be impossible to use.
Heck, this was probably why their target hade here. The sealing formation would help him quickly recover, while being masked here was nothing out of the ordinary.
They all reacted differently.
Poor Tea Demon ¡ª> About to go insane, his demeanor incredibly stiff.
Moon Moon ¡ª> Already searching for the food.
Jack ¡ª> Observing his surroundings calmly.
The Lucky Golden Den looked even morevish on the inside than the outside. It was an old-school casino that featured everything one would have expected.
- Enough alcohol to drown the world, turning anyone into a merry spendthrift.
- Lavish and colorful gambling tables that were inviting one to squander their entire fortune.
- Explosive maids and butlers, their outfits seemingly about to burst around the chest/arms, respectively. They were akin to devils, ushering customers down the wrong path.
"Impressive, isn''t it?" Their host murmured meaningfully.
He probably meant: ''See what kind of bigshot I am?''. Chances were that he had recognized Jack''s demon friend, possibly knew why they were here, and would try to exploit them.
What seemed like a simplement was meant to get the high ground in uing negotiations. Jack realized that much.
Still, this establishment sure was phenomenal by City standards. Heck, it would have been a perfect Casino in the olden days, back when people still drovend cars.
But, for a modern man, it simply had too many ws.
"Yep, it''s a great third-rate Casino." Jack "innocently" replied.
His tone conveyed how "impressed" he was, the manager choking for an instant. Even then, the man kept a gentlemanly appearance.
"Is that so, Customer? May you point out a few ws for me?"
The demon held his breath as he witnessed this exchange. He could feel the veiled threat in the man''s words. ndering would be met by a fate worse than death!
There was no way anyone would be able to point out ws here! Would they have to fight? The Boss was in a sealed state, right? Would they be fine against the crazy man?!
"The uniforms are in, the music horrendous, the smell downright wrong, the games boring, the drinkscking in creativity, the building uninviting, etc." Jack sighed.
"?!?"
"Woo!" (There''s not enough meat!)
The little wolf raised its head as it powerfully chimed in. The meat problem was the most important and should be resolved ASAP for sure!"
"¡."
The manager, who had been ready to find fault with the youngster, suddenly became speechless. Was he simply spewing bullshit, or was he serious?
Was the man hailing from the Capital? He didn''t have much information on that one. He only knew about the target he was following.
"Customer, are you perhapsparing our ce to¡ª"
"The Capital''s Casinos? No, they''re third-rate too. Anyway, you should have an office, right? Why are we still standing here?" Jackined.
"F-follow me." The manager whispered. Somehow this man gave him a bizarre feeling...
Chapter 292 Assassination? Where? When?
Chapter 292 Assassination? Where? When?
"How about some tea?" The Manager poured some fragrant green liquid for his visitors.
By now, the man had regained his calm. So what if the youngster was tricky? He still had the advantage with the Golden Dice Conglomerate backing him.
This tea was his opening move: it just happened to be the demon''s favorite beverage. The demon was already turning white, knowing he had never told anyone.
How would the youngster counter this?
Jack casually picked his own cup, elegantly drinking the content¡ª or so it seemed. In fact, he was pouring the entirety of it down his inventory.
This simple task of storing liquid without a container actually required an incredibly high system mastery. It was even deemed impossible.
Funnily, that simple gesture was enough to utterly destroy the calm the Manager had finally regained.
"?!?"
He hadn''t hesitated in the least: this meant he was either stupid, confident the tea wasn''t poisoned, or unafraid even if it was.
Stupid ¡ª> His Casino Analysis, even if bullshit proved he wasn''t.
Confident ¡ª> This would mean he knew about him and his organization
Utterly Fearless ¡ª> There were so many poisons in this world, and only the strongest of beings could resist them all.
Which was it? Even now, he wasn''t sure which one was preferable¡
"Are you alright, Mister Manager? You seem slightly pale? You should drink. I''m sure you''ll feel better." Jack considerately handed him a teacup.
"T-thank you." The Manager had no choice but to ept it with shaking hands as he started drinking it, only to freeze.
!?!
What the hell was that?! Demonic Energy suddenly invaded his body, trying to corrupt and devour it. This was the weaker application of Ghoulish Touch, except utterly raw.
This was definitely an assassination attempt! The Manager reacted instantly.
¡ª Swoosh! ¡ª
Invisible threads of death suddenly enveloped the guests, a millimeter away from removing their heads. As for the poison, his internal energy had already cleared it all!
"You dare!" The Manager thundered.
The demon stared wide-eyed at the situation. What had his Boss done?! Had he really tried to assassinate this extremely powerful human executive?! Was he mad?!
He nced at Jack, confused, but thetter adorned an even more confused expression.
"Dare? What happened?" He looked utterly innocent.
"Hehe, are you going to deny your silly assassination attempt?" The man''s patience was growing thin.
"Assassination? What assassination?" He asked, confused.
"The poison! The magic you somehow added to my tea, crazy bastard!" He spat out, enraged.
"Oops, my bad! It seems like I did it again. Emitting magic by mistake happens, you know." The youngster retorted, glossing over the incident entirely.
"¡."
"¡."
"Woo!" (It''s the magic trick again!)
The little wolf''s exmation felt especially loud in the awkward silence. This power seemed so cool!!!
"So this is an ident?! Do you think I''ll believe you!" The exasperated Manager spat out.
What was up with this guy, and what was up with his pet?! Why were both of thempletely rxed and one even clearly entertained?!
The demon was about to shit himself. This was the natural reaction one should have! Maybe they were Braves? No, this didn''t make sense. They didn''t fit the mold: loud quest seekers.
Jack simply gave him a yful look as if he was looking at a young child.
"Pfft¡ª If you consider this an assassination attempt, then you better not walk outside. The very world would try to assassinate you: rain, wind, mosquitoes, etc."
"T-that''s not¡ª"
"As a manager, you should show more poise than this. Losing your calm for such a little incident, really?"
"W-what are you¡ª"
"Besides, you should be more careful. I''m fairly good-natured, but what if you chance upon someone ill-tempered in the future? You''d be in deep trouble, wouldn''t you?"
"T-that¡ª"
"Plus, you wasted so much time. If you want to kill someone, just kill them. So wishy-washy! Don''t be like that Moon Moon. Do you understand?" Jack addressed his pet at the end.
"Woo!" (Understood master!)
The two''s interaction finally pushed the other down a mental breakdown. Who the fuck talked like that?! Did none of them fear death?!
The Manager was slowly getting dragged into their pace. Why was he starting to feel like it might actually simply be an ident? But then he came back to his senses.
"WAIT, that''s bullshit! There''s no way anyone can bypass the mana disruptor by MISTAKE!" He screamed, incensed.
"Why not?"
"BECAUSE!"
"Do you know how many times people have tried scheming against me with those? I''ve seen it all: sealing attempts, failed assassinations, shitty prank even."
"?!?"
"At some point, it kinda loses its novelty and effectiveness." Jack sighed with mncholy, seemingly reminiscing.
That''s when the Manager plopped back in his chair, his arms lying lifelessly on his office table. How had he gone from fuming to being chastised for his inexperience?
Over the length of his career, he had seen plenty of people. He had seen them at their highest from winning the jackpot and at their lowest from losing it all.
But, never had he seen someone like this youngster nor his wolf. All the experience he had umted during his entire life was now proving misleading.
[Sessfully Made an NPC Doubt the World!]
[Acquired Skill: Art of Bullshit!]
[Is this Negotiating?!]
Oh? Didn''t he already have that? Also, thest part about the mana disruptors was totally legit. This was ndering!
In any case, this concluded this slight disturbance. The Manager was finally open to dialogue. Thus they negotiated while Moon Moon munched on a bone it had found somewhere.
- The Moon Elf was hidden and under the Conglomerate''s protection.
- Given proper incentives, they could hand him over.
- But, they had a troublesome request.
"Bring me amerce guild A-Rank Certificate, and we''ll give you the guy on a silver tter, no, a gold tter even!"
"?!?"
At that moment, it was Jack''s turn to stare nkly. Was there even a point in asking him for that?! The worst was that the Manager was even giving him an encouraging thumb up!
"If it''s you, you can do it!"
The Party soon left the premises, the demon looking utterly lifeless as he nced at the man beside him. He had sessfully scammed one Manager. Could he do the same to the entiremerce organization?
The answer was obviously a resounding no, and yet¡.
Chapter 293 Friendly Lilly!
Chapter 293 Friendly Lilly!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Lilly couldn''t help but feel that her brother was acting strange recently. He seemed a bit overprotective, yet his concerned nces gave her a warm feeling.
In any case, he had been working hard in Infinite, grumbling about greedy merchants, and so had she. That''s how she ended up at the first New Leaf+ hunting ground with her new friends.
¡ª sh! ¡ª
¡ª Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! ¡ª
[Congrattions! Defeated Thousandth Chicken!]
[This system is concerned. There are other monsters!]
"Be a good system and just disy the level-ups!" Lilly sharply replied as usual.
She had initially been nning to conquer dungeons solo like her brother, only to realize that her skills were simply not up to par.
As she was training from the ground up, a group of lunatics had somehow gathered around her.
"Power is coursing through my veins!!! Behold the power of a legendary hunter! Hahaha, just watch me! I''ll be the one to y the Demon King, HA!"
"Pfft¡ªHe''d p your ass any day! Besides, he can annihte you with a wave of his little finger. He has an army, one that will include yours truly, Lord Evolver the Third!"
"Eh, you both are fools. y him? Serve him? Are you even qualified? Hehe, if anyone seeds, it will be me. My seduction n is as wless as my skin!"
Once again, they were b?u?l?l?s?h?i?t?t?i?n?g? talking big¡
1. Luke: Self-proimed legendary hunter, has special hunter marks. The more he kills the same enemy, the stronger he bes against them. OP in theory, but awful power ratio.
2. Lord Evolver the Third: Real name unknown, idolizes the Demon King, able to steal powers from monsters once in a blue moon. * PS: Chicken wings on a human are NOT threatening.
3. Tiphany: Self-proimed Goddess of Seduction, about as seductive as a brick, often finds herself covered in monster entrails. In-game bloody witch, the kind that collects gory, bloody parts.
Those idiots were Lilly''s current party. In theory, they had enormous potential, but in practice, they just farmed the same weak monsters A LOT!
As Lilly crushed yet another poultry adversary¡
"Girl, you''re getting stronger by the day! Are you sure you want to go for a support ss?! Your fists are mightier than ady dragon!" The tactless Luke praised (?).
Yes, she was getting stronger, but it wasn''t fast enough. It was easier to help someone as a support, but she''d just be Jack''s burden if she couldn''t even protect herself.
She couldn''t ept this!
"We''re doing a dungeon today. Follow me!" She grinned as she announced her ns.
"W-what?! We''re not ready yet! We have to kill a few more thousand chickens, then foxes, and finally¡ª"
"Objection overruled! Hurry up."
At this moment, they all found themselves gulping in apprehension and eagerness. What had suddenly gotten into her? Also¡were they going crazy, or was she faintly glowing green?
For some reason, she decisively brought them to the Training Grounds. More specifically, they were visiting a little wood carving shop that had appeared recently.
< Training Instructor''s Hard Wood!>
"¡."
In front of the establishment was a super long line filled with yers wanting to ce variousmissions.
"Tch¡ª We''ll have to wait for hours bef¡ª Lilly?!"
She was already stepping forward, willfully ignoring everyone else. "Passing through, passing through, I have an appointment!" She kept mumbling.
Dozens of eyesnded on her, many grimacing.
Then, of course, a few "righteous" yers took it upon themselves to protect order.
"An appointment? No way! We live in a society: stand aside and queue up like everyone else." One proimed powerfully.
Lilly didn''t even acknowledge him and just kept walking.
"You bitch, are you ignoring me?! Do you think you''re a big shot because you''re a little pretty! Do we look like pushovers to you?!"
"Nope, just you¡." She mumbled, shaking her head.
"You?!!"
"As I said, appointment. Look it up."
"Pfft¡ª As if we''d believe such an obvious lie! There''s no way that¡ª"
Would she waste time with the dumbass? Other yers were looking at the show and even nodding approvingly at the clown.
What would Jack do in this situation? She was sadly too weak for a 1 v 20 just yet. This time she would be the bigger person and settle things amicably.
"I understand. Tiphany, pay the man for his trouble."
"A-are you sure?!" She shivered slightly.
"Yep, do it," Lilly reassured her.
Of course, the man took the opportunity to thunder about how incorruptible he was, how he wouldn''t leave a wrong be for petty profit and all that bullshit.
He looked so heated and passionate. He was akin to a hero of justice from oldics, which was frankly surprising in a vige such as New Leaf+.
Still, he didn''t seem that reluctant to a girl giving him a tribute. He showed a slight idiotic grin, probably feeling like a king.
"Here''s a gift!" Lilly announced yfully.
That''s when a sea of chicken entrails fell on the man''s head. Usually, this wasn''t a part anyone would ever collect, and barely any care had been given to the item.
It was bloody, gross, looked bloated for some reason, and smelled of death.
Bribe? ¡ª> Horrific Stuff
"What the fuck is that?!!! Get it off! Get it off!" As the man screamed and iled around, many drew cold breaths¡ª This was a mistake.
The bystanders choked, tasting the foul air that came out of the man. They felt their stomachs churn as they nced with pity toward the victim.
He was battling with a bucket, trying to get the bloody smell off him.
"Why?! Why isn''t it going away!"
"Don''t worry, kindw-abiding stranger. You''ll be able to enjoy the effects of the perfume as long as you are alive!"
"Goddamn bitch!" The man screamed as he tried killing himself, only to be thwarted by the safe zone protection. He ran away, showering their party with countless insults.
Lilly gave a satisfied nod before turning to the others. "Now, does anyone else have an objection to me going to my appointment?"
"N-no!!!" Never had there been a crowd more unified than that.
It wasn''t that they were cowards, but why would they voluntarily go through this? The Training Instructor would turn her away for sure!
Just as they were shaking their heads, they saw the training instructor rush over.
"What the hell is this bloody smell!! Who''s the bastard that¡ª Oh, it''s Miss Lilly! Wee, wee! I have your item ready right here! It was hard to make, but I managed!"
He handed a small box over, many ring at it, hoping they had X-Ray vision. What kind of secret weapony inside?!
"Thanks, Uncle, take care! C''mon, guys. We need a few more things." She calmly led her party away.
Lilly, was it? Who the heck was that?! Why was the NPC so friendly to her, and what was she nning?
Many couldn''t sit still as they smelled a scoop¡
Chapter 294 Rats! Lots of Rats!!!
Chapter 294 Rats! Lots of Rats!!!
[Wee to Hellish Fox Grove!]
"Are you crazy?!!!" Lilly''s teammates were about to go insane.
When she had wanted them to clear the normal version of the Dungeon, they had agreed to brave the danger and ignore their fears.
When she had led them inside the hard version, they had wanted to give up many times. They had barely seeded after dying more times than they could remember.
After all, she had threatened to do it by herself if they didn''t help. Her leaving the team would definitely reduce their party''s hunting pace.
However, this was really pushing it. Hellish?!
"Lilly, listen. We like you, and we want to help, but there''s no way we can possibly finish this, not right now anyway. The gap in difficulty is¡ª"
"Monstrous, gargantuan, bigger than a bigfoot''s dick?"
"¡?!?"
"Hehe, I never said that we''d clear it. The normal monsters aren''t impossible. It''s just the bosses that we need to avoid. C''mon, let''s go!"
They felt overwhelmed as they followed their fearless leader, one of them praising her for looking as domineering as the Demon King himself! ¡ª If only they knew¡
Before long, they arrived at the vige with that weird-ass-looking fox-wearing cannibal NPC. They could still remember Pancake''s joking analysis on the topic.
Cannibal? Check
Loves to skin foxes? Check
Ready to die for the cause? Check
Badass enough to fight the Shadow Fox? Check!
Conclusion ¡ª> This NPC was totally an unofficial member of D.L.!
It barely took Lilly a few well-said sentences to utterly charm the NPC. Tiphany was staring at it happen in the background, mouth gaping and taking notes.
"Ah, Miss Lilly, you''re the little sister I never had. Of course, I''ll fight by your side until the end!" He mored.
As they heard him throw his life away so easily (once more), they couldn''t help but shiver. Thispanion of theirs was truly devilish! * PS: Mental note: Never Slight her!
Then they all headed toward the infamous rat cer.
"?!?"
This ce was the kind that everyone avoided, but one had to go through there to stand a chance against thest Boss. Wait¡ weren''t they not fighting the Boss?!
"Lilly, what are we doing here?"
She yfully winked as she took out the mysterious item the Training Instructor had given her and a bunch of other things.
Beforeing here, she had pretty much entered every single shop. It was as if she had been preparing for war.
Alchemist ¡ª> Strange looking custom potions
cksmith ¡ª> A small mysterious case
Steven ¡ª> Lots of vegetables
"Let''s do this!"
They opened the door in the most dramatic fashion, only to be greeted by red-eyed rats from hell.
X 10
A few secondster, the poor NPC was already getting devoured alive, screaming atop his lungs: "Run, Miss, run!! ARGGG!"
She gave him a thumb up as the ws and teeth tore through the man''s flesh. Great distraction! She then took out a long, thin, and cylindrical object.
??? ¡ª ??? ¡ª ???
????? ¡ª ????? ¡ª ?????
Out of nowhere, she started ying the pipe?!
What was wrong with her? This clearly wasn''t the time for¡Wait?!!
The rhythmic tune mixed with the screams of agony as blood sshed all over. She watched it all happen with a slight smile, even throwing food and potions at the creatures.
"Oh god, she''s trying to tame them?!!!"
She shook her head, obviously contesting that sentence. Trying? No way! She WAS taming them! She had nned everything for this moment!
The party members were already taking defensive stances as the sea of rodents finished their happy meal and turned toward them.
"Oh no, nonono. Noooo!!!!" Luke screamed high-pitched, totally worthy of a horror flick.
The only one staying calm was Lilly. She stayed utterly still as her fingers tapped on the instrument, creating wonderful sounds.
Death staring her in the face? This seemed like a typical day to her! The others were scared shitless, but they remained in ce even as the rat swarm charged.
That''s when the nightmare began. It was utterly impossible for the level 5-6 yers to resist, no matter how much they tried. It barely took a second for them all to be overwhelmed.
It was a bloody massacre!
As they respawned at the beginning of the Dungeon, their faces turned pale as they shivered endlessly. Even with a reduced trauma setting, they were still shocked.
Getting eaten alive by rats was freaking horrible! They felt likeining but didn''t. They only checked on theirpanion.
Lilly was staring in mid-air nkly as if waiting for something.
"Lilly, are you alright?" One asked, concerned.
She suddenly rose, ring at the sky as if wanting to curse the gods. Actually, it didn''t just seem like it¡
"That''s utter bullshit! What kind of shitty system are you?! There are hidden quests everywhere, and you''re telling me this didn''t proc one?!!"
"¡."
"How about youe down here and exin yourself! I''m contesting yourck of foresight. What''s the point of having rats in there if we can''t do anything with them, eh?!"
Why did she suddenly sound like a gangster collecting protection fees?! They felt at a loss. Were they supposed tofort her or tell her to calm down since raging was futile?
But suddenly, she stopped, her expression changing.
[Comint Received. Please Standby!]
[Reviewing yer''s Earlier Actions!]
[Music yed and Food Given.]
[Time Spent Taming = Low!]
[Analyzing! Analyzing!]
"Alright, as long as you do your job properly."
[Result! Rat Cannot Be Tamed Using a Pipe!]
[Conclusion! Taming Failing Is Logical!]
"Rat? Who said anything about a rat? I was taming a rat swarm!" Lilly cheekily replied.
[Analyzing. Analyzing. Found References!]
[Sessfully Reproduced Part of Pied Piper scene!]
[Unlocked Super Secret Demonic Piper ss! Select? Y/N]
Lilly suddenly startedughing maniacally, herpanions raising a brow in worry. Had the traumatizing experience messed with her mind?
But as she invoked a demonic rat swarm, they were the ones that started shaking. At this moment, they counted their blessings that she was on their side.
Rat PTSD was about to sweep New Leaf+, wasn''t it?!
"Now, it''s time for the next part of my training!" Her smile was as beautiful as positively frightening.
Chapter 295 Crafting Test!
Chapter 295 Crafting Test!
"None shall pass¡without an entry token!"
Cheeky guards at the entrance of the massive manor blocked Jack''s way. This was the meeting spot chosen to decide the future of the City.
Everyone was in a state of high alert and panic after the previous night''s events.
The issue wasn''t the number of victims but who they were. By now, almost half of the artisans in Timber City had kicked the bucket.
This had sent ripples through the entire ruling ss, both the Empire''s representatives and the merchants. How were they supposed to meet their gearing-up deadlines now?!
Getting inside that one meeting was the opportunity to influence them all! That''s why Jack couldn''t help but be insistent.
"Brother, you may not know it, but I''m Old man Aron''s Disciple! I should be allowed to witness the proceedings at least, right?"
"Nope, only established union''s craftsmen are allowed inside, security reasons."
"¡."
He had thought his legendary master would allow him a free pass, but apparently not. How was he supposed to change things if he couldn''t even get inside?!
Convince an executive to invite him as a +1?
Kidnap and impersonate one of the actual guests?
Create a fake terrorist alert to stall while he thought of a n?
Countless ideas swirled in his head, most being instantly rejected. After all, there were plenty of magical troops patrolling the area in search of clues.
Just as he was feeling peeved, he finally saw hope as a few people rushed toward a magnificent Tower in the distance.
"Psst ¡ª Where are we even going?!"
"Didn''t you hear? The owner of the Treasure Pavilion is recruiting craftsmen. Hurry up!"
Oh? Jack didn''t hesitate to follow them, quickly tasking his demon + beggar squad with gathering information.
What they found was oddly satisfying. The owner of the ce was a youngster that was nicknamed the Treasure Prince, one who had recently taken over the family business.
This guy would have ess to the Commerce Union''s meeting, right?!
Before, he had only been trading and auctioning, not bothering with the actual crafting process. It worked when there was plenty of equipment to go around, but now¡
Chances were that he would be the one feeling the shortage the most. After all, many old foxes would try to take advantage of a youngster.
He needed leverage, one that would give him a standing in the current decision-making, one that just happened to somewhat align with Jack''s goals.
But he wasn''t the only one there. A dozen other NPCs and even one yer were here for the same job offer.
They were all brought to arge empty room on the first floor, many gawking at thevish decorations on the way.
"How will we be tested?"
"Not sure. It should be quick."
"Quick? Creating quality work takes time¡."
Discussions were already ongoing, everyone whispering lowly but heatedly. Jack quickly scanned thepetition.
Some were obviously worried and stressed, biting their nails nervously.
Others were frowning, tapping their foot in annoyance as they waited. They would have been checking their watches if they had any.
Thest ones were very calm, showing calctive looks. They raised their sses with slight grins, ready to negotiate amazing working conditions.
That''s when a few attendants showed up with refreshments and apologetic faces.
"Honored guests, as soon as our Lord arrives, we will start the test. Please make yourselvesfortable and take the time to prepare yourselves."
"Test?!" Many grumbled.
"Yes, I don''t know much, but it will require crafting a piece of weapon or armor in a given time in this very room." That was the only info that was given.
As a few tried getting more info, Jack couldn''t help but frown. In this room? Was it a contest that was visible for all?!
He could already picture people screaming as he summoned hammering skeletons. Would they freak out or freak out and call the cops? Either way, it was bad.
Showing his actual mastery wasn''t an option.
Should he leave right now and then? It wasn''t toote to drop an alchemical bomb on the meeting spot to dy it.
But as he nced at the people arguing with the attendants, he changed his mind. He could already see a path tonding the job.
Jack, who was usually more of a loner character, suddenly came to life.
"Ah, this wait is killing me! Good thing I brought something to calm my nerves, hahaha." He chuckled boisterously, taking out beers.
"?!?"
The scheming and impatient ones stared at him with disdain. This fool wanted to drink? What a waste of time and an idiotic thing to do!
But the more he drank, the better he looked. Even then, he still seemed to be in control of his actions, not showing anyck of coordination.
No, he just seemed especially happy and rxed, with none of the usual side effects.
"Brother, what exactly are you drinking?" A man approached, curious.
"Oh, this? This, brother, is something extremely amazing! It tastes like beer, feels like beer, but it''s mellow enough for one to keep one''s mind straight. I drink this while crafting!"
"R-really?!"
"Yep, nothing''s better for one''s mental state!" He chuckled.
Afterward, he didn''t say anything. After all, speaking would be counterproductive. All he did was show how much he was enjoying himself. It didn''t take long¡
"Brother, could you perhaps share a bit with me?" A stressed yet hopeful youngster asked.
"T-that¡.it''s very precious." Jack feigned being against it.
"I''ll pay!" The youngster cried out.
"Tch¡ªFine, here you go." Jack shared.
Of course, many snorted as they saw this scene, even mumbling how much of an idiot the man was. What if the drink was poisoned? What if it was just a trick? What if¡
But Jack had an easy answer to this¡
"Just don''t drink it, like I care!" He even looked at theiners as if they were utterly retarded.
"Y-you!!!"
"Me?"
Many couldn''t help but giggle as they saw this scene. The more time passed and the better opinion they were getting of Jack.
After all, whenever he spoke of crating, his eyes would light up and bring warmth to the world. Heck, many wished him well from the bottom of their hearts.
Even now, they were thanking him for sharing his awesome drink, not knowing how traitorous it was.
It wasn''t poisonous or anything. It was simply a cocktail they hade up with at the Drunken Sailor, one that made one feel the alcohol''s impact all at once.
Because it wasn''t actually meant to be dangerous, most life-saving defenses wouldn''t activate either. Fun fact, this was actually an assassin''s technique.
Jack nodded, satisfied at the soon-to-be drunks as he subtly sent a few directives out.
A few instantster, the doors were pushed open by an out-of-breath servant. He quickly locked on Jack, rushing toward him.
As he came closer, he suddenly seemed to change entirely. He went from panicked servant to an aristocrat-looking gentleman.
"?!?"
Many couldn''t help but jerk in shock at the implication. Was this guy a butler for a rich family? How he had suddenly regained hisposure was so impressive!
More importantly, what news had spooked him enough to forget etiquette in the first ce?!
They all perked their ears up, listening to the conversation.
"Sir, I have news. You should follow me and¡ª" The Demon yed the part of the loyal servant perfectly.
"Enough. I don''t want my family involved. I''ll seed alone." Jack waved his hand dismissively.
"I understand, Sir¡but¡ª"
"No but! All I need is hard work and these hands of mine."
"That''s not it, Sir. I''m not asking you toe back, just to reconsider joining the Treasure Pavilion. The Diamond House is also recruiting, and they offer far better conditions!"
"I don''t care."
"Please, Sir, there''s a secret recruitment at this address, just¡ª"
"No need. Get out." Jack sternly ordered, throwing the piece of paper he had just received.
The poor servant had no choice but to leave, his shoulders low. As for Jack, he calmly sat and began meditating.
It was as if a bomb had gone off in the room. Secret recruitment?! Better conditions?! Wasn''t this an incredible opportunity?!
They nced at the calm youngster in the middle of the room. Perhaps he wasn''t interested, but they were!
One of the impatient ones approached quickly.
"Say, brother. If you''re not going to¡ª"
"Take it, I don''t care, but you really shouldn''t go. The test here will definitely be more challenging and will help push one''s limits." Jack dered with gusto.
"¡.Yes, of course." The man gave a nervousugh.
Harder test? Less benefits? What kind of idiot would prefer this?! Only a runaway noble that just wanted to y!
In theing minutes, the waiting room cleared out as if magic. So many were suddenly "heading to the toilet". Funny enough, it was mostly the ones who had not drank at all.
Would theye back? Probably not given what Jack had nned at the destination. Let''s just say they would believe this amazing opportunity to be legit.
As for the warier ones, they too left after sending a few scouts. They couldn''t resist the temptation either.
"Sirs, you should stay. Our Boss is about toe in for sure!" A few attendants tried stopping the mass exodus, but no one really cared by now.
All contestants were either gone or drunk in a corner. This left Jack as the only man standing. He couldn''t help but praise himself for a job well done.
Need to pass a test?
Improve your skills? ¡ª> Nope
Get rid of thepetition ¡ª> Hell yeah!
Just as he was feeling proud, one of the attendants startedughing. It started as a chuckle before it turned into a guffaw, the man almost rolling on the ground.
As Jack observed him, he suddenly saw what had eluded him beforehand¡this guy was this ce''s Boss wasn''t he?!
He could only give an awkward smile.
"Well, this is¡.I can exin!" (?!)
Chapter 296 Crafting Test!
Chapter 296 Crafting Test!
"None shall pass¡without an entry token!"
Cheeky guards at the entrance of the massive manor blocked Jack''s way. This was the meeting spot chosen to decide the future of the City.
Everyone was in a state of high alert and panic after the previous night''s events.
The issue wasn''t the number of victims but who they were. By now, almost half of the artisans in Timber City had kicked the bucket.
This had sent ripples through the entire ruling ss, both the Empire''s representatives and the merchants. How were they supposed to meet their gearing-up deadlines now?!
Getting inside that one meeting was the opportunity to influence them all! That''s why Jack couldn''t help but be insistent.
"Brother, you may not know it, but I''m Old man Aron''s Disciple! I should be allowed to witness the proceedings at least, right?"
"Nope, only established union''s craftsmen are allowed inside, security reasons."
"¡."
He had thought his legendary master would allow him a free pass, but apparently not. How was he supposed to change things if he couldn''t even get inside?!
Convince an executive to invite him as a +1?
Kidnap and impersonate one of the actual guests?
Create a fake terrorist alert to stall while he thought of a n?
Countless ideas swirled in his head, most being instantly rejected. After all, there were plenty of magical troops patrolling the area in search of clues.
Just as he was feeling peeved, he finally saw hope as a few people rushed toward a magnificent Tower in the distance.
"Psst ¡ª Where are we even going?!"
"Didn''t you hear? The owner of the Treasure Pavilion is recruiting craftsmen. Hurry up!"
Oh? Jack didn''t hesitate to follow them, quickly tasking his demon + beggar squad with gathering information.
What they found was oddly satisfying. The owner of the ce was a youngster that was nicknamed the Treasure Prince, one who had recently taken over the family business.
This guy would have ess to the Commerce Union''s meeting, right?!
Before, he had only been trading and auctioning, not bothering with the actual crafting process. It worked when there was plenty of equipment to go around, but now¡
Chances were that he would be the one feeling the shortage the most. After all, many old foxes would try to take advantage of a youngster.
He needed leverage, one that would give him a standing in the current decision-making, one that just happened to somewhat align with Jack''s goals.
But he wasn''t the only one there. A dozen other NPCs and even one yer were here for the same job offer.
They were all brought to arge empty room on the first floor, many gawking at thevish decorations on the way.
"How will we be tested?"
"Not sure. It should be quick."
"Quick? Creating quality work takes time¡."
Discussions were already ongoing, everyone whispering lowly but heatedly. Jack quickly scanned thepetition.
Some were obviously worried and stressed, biting their nails nervously.
Others were frowning, tapping their foot in annoyance as they waited. They would have been checking their watches if they had any.
Thest ones were very calm, showing calctive looks. They raised their sses with slight grins, ready to negotiate amazing working conditions.
That''s when a few attendants showed up with refreshments and apologetic faces.
"Honored guests, as soon as our Lord arrives, we will start the test. Please make yourselvesfortable and take the time to prepare yourselves."
"Test?!" Many grumbled.
"Yes, I don''t know much, but it will require crafting a piece of weapon or armor in a given time in this very room." That was the only info that was given.
As a few tried getting more info, Jack couldn''t help but frown. In this room? Was it a contest that was visible for all?!
He could already picture people screaming as he summoned hammering skeletons. Would they freak out or freak out and call the cops? Either way, it was bad.
Showing his actual mastery wasn''t an option.
Should he leave right now and then? It wasn''t toote to drop an alchemical bomb on the meeting spot to dy it.
But as he nced at the people arguing with the attendants, he changed his mind. He could already see a path tonding the job.
Jack, who was usually more of a loner character, suddenly came to life.
"Ah, this wait is killing me! Good thing I brought something to calm my nerves, hahaha." He chuckled boisterously, taking out beers.
"?!?"
The scheming and impatient ones stared at him with disdain. This fool wanted to drink? What a waste of time and an idiotic thing to do!
But the more he drank, the better he looked. Even then, he still seemed to be in control of his actions, not showing anyck of coordination.
No, he just seemed especially happy and rxed, with none of the usual side effects.
"Brother, what exactly are you drinking?" A man approached, curious.
"Oh, this? This, brother, is something extremely amazing! It tastes like beer, feels like beer, but it''s mellow enough for one to keep one''s mind straight. I drink this while crafting!"
"R-really?!"
"Yep, nothing''s better for one''s mental state!" He chuckled.
Afterward, he didn''t say anything. After all, speaking would be counterproductive. All he did was show how much he was enjoying himself. It didn''t take long¡
"Brother, could you perhaps share a bit with me?" A stressed yet hopeful youngster asked.
"T-that¡.it''s very precious." Jack feigned being against it.
"I''ll pay!" The youngster cried out.
"Tch¡ªFine, here you go." Jack shared.
Of course, many snorted as they saw this scene, even mumbling how much of an idiot the man was. What if the drink was poisoned? What if it was just a trick? What if¡
But Jack had an easy answer to this¡
"Just don''t drink it, like I care!" He even looked at theiners as if they were utterly retarded.
"Y-you!!!"
"Me?"
Many couldn''t help but giggle as they saw this scene. The more time passed and the better opinion they were getting of Jack.
After all, whenever he spoke of crating, his eyes would light up and bring warmth to the world. Heck, many wished him well from the bottom of their hearts.
Even now, they were thanking him for sharing his awesome drink, not knowing how traitorous it was.
It wasn''t poisonous or anything. It was simply a cocktail they hade up with at the Drunken Sailor, one that made one feel the alcohol''s impact all at once.
Because it wasn''t actually meant to be dangerous, most life-saving defenses wouldn''t activate either. Fun fact, this was actually an assassin''s technique.
Jack nodded, satisfied at the soon-to-be drunks as he subtly sent a few directives out.
A few instantster, the doors were pushed open by an out-of-breath servant. He quickly locked on Jack, rushing toward him.
As he came closer, he suddenly seemed to change entirely. He went from panicked servant to an aristocrat-looking gentleman.
"?!?"
Many couldn''t help but jerk in shock at the implication. Was this guy a butler for a rich family? How he had suddenly regained hisposure was so impressive!
More importantly, what news had spooked him enough to forget etiquette in the first ce?!
They all perked their ears up, listening to the conversation.
"Sir, I have news. You should follow me and¡ª" The Demon yed the part of the loyal servant perfectly.
"Enough. I don''t want my family involved. I''ll seed alone." Jack waved his hand dismissively.
"I understand, Sir¡but¡ª"
"No but! All I need is hard work and these hands of mine."
"That''s not it, Sir. I''m not asking you toe back, just to reconsider joining the Treasure Pavilion. The Diamond House is also recruiting, and they offer far better conditions!"
"I don''t care."
"Please, Sir, there''s a secret recruitment at this address, just¡ª"
"No need. Get out." Jack sternly ordered, throwing the piece of paper he had just received.
The poor servant had no choice but to leave, his shoulders low. As for Jack, he calmly sat and began meditating.
It was as if a bomb had gone off in the room. Secret recruitment?! Better conditions?! Wasn''t this an incredible opportunity?!
They nced at the calm youngster in the middle of the room. Perhaps he wasn''t interested, but they were!
One of the impatient ones approached quickly.
"Say, brother. If you''re not going to¡ª"
"Take it, I don''t care, but you really shouldn''t go. The test here will definitely be more challenging and will help push one''s limits." Jack dered with gusto.
"¡.Yes, of course." The man gave a nervousugh.
Harder test? Less benefits? What kind of idiot would prefer this?! Only a runaway noble that just wanted to y!
In theing minutes, the waiting room cleared out as if magic. So many were suddenly "heading to the toilet". Funny enough, it was mostly the ones who had not drank at all.
Would theye back? Probably not given what Jack had nned at the destination. Let''s just say they would believe this amazing opportunity to be legit.
As for the warier ones, they too left after sending a few scouts. They couldn''t resist the temptation either.
"Sirs, you should stay. Our Boss is about toe in for sure!" A few attendants tried stopping the mass exodus, but no one really cared by now.
All contestants were either gone or drunk in a corner. This left Jack as the only man standing. He couldn''t help but praise himself for a job well done.
Need to pass a test?
Improve your skills? ¡ª> Nope
Get rid of thepetition ¡ª> Hell yeah!
Just as he was feeling proud, one of the attendants startedughing. It started as a chuckle before it turned into a guffaw, the man almost rolling on the ground.
As Jack observed him, he suddenly saw what had eluded him beforehand¡this guy was this ce''s Boss wasn''t he?!
He could only give an awkward smile.
"Well, this is¡.I can exin!" (?!)
Chapter 297 One Table to Rule Them All!
Chapter 297 One Table to Rule Them All!
There were only two individuals in the room: oneughing his ass off and the other giving an awkward smile.
"Pfft¡ª What kind of devil are you? You made them all quit!"
"What?! No way! I''m obviously innocent here! I even rmended them to stay!" Jack protested righteously.
"Riiiight! Let me guess. It''s totally the fault of a magical Fairy that just happened to pass by, is that it?" The man joked.
In Jack''s pocket, a tiny fairy was currently covering her face with her hands, ashamed. This really was all her fault!
"Bah, whatever. Whether I''m innocent or not matters little. I''m old man''s Aron''s student if that means anything. Shall we cooperate?"
"You''re his student?! Are you serious?! That means you know about his other student, the mighty Dresden, right?!"
"That sounds too cool a name for Elder Brother¡." Jackmented, puzzled.
"¡."
"¡."
"Holy shit, you''re really his student? Are you crazy?!"
"What?"
"Ever since his wife has left the world, he''s been known as a reclusive old coot that can''t teach anyone properly. He works his students until the brink of death!"
Then again, this wasn''t too strange. Any new student would seemzypared to a grass elemental that risked his life every time he came near the forge.
Funny how such a "stern" mentor had actually rmended he take a break instead. The fault probablyy with the random wannabe students.
"Anyway, why did youe here? Just be honest. We both know you''re far from ordinary. Just that servant of yours is next level." The owner remarked with a yful gaze.
"Sigh, I guess the gig is up. Was it my handsome face that gave me away or my glorious aura?" Jack seemed like the epitome of a narcissist at that moment.
"Pfft! Hahahaha!"
As for why Jack was joking so much, well¡
[Made the "Treasure Prince" Laugh!]
[Increased Affinity!]
Jack almost felt like a cheater, for the system was straight-out pointing to the man''s weakness. As long as he raised the affinity enough, he was sure to aplish his goal.
"How about it, shall we attend the Commerce Union''s meeting together?" Jack seemingly innocently proposed.
"So that''s what you''re after." His gaze suddenly turned as sharp as a de. "Fine! But I''ll be using your master''s name, hehe! What do you think?"
The man paused. It was one thing to introduce himself as his student, but another to take advantage of their rtionship.
There was no way that he''d agree easily, but he was prepared to slowly convince him to¡ª
"Sure!"
There was no hesitation, no regret, and he was already heading for the door?! What kind of heartless bastard was he? Or perhaps they just had a great rtionship?
It didn''t take long for the two to be back at the grand manor, the guard on duty instantly locking on Jack.
"Entry token!"
"I have none."
"Then move out of the way, you annoying¡ª" 0_0
As he finally noticed the man next to Jack, he couldn''t help but stare in shock. It wasn''t that he had been hiding, but he wore a cloak that hid most of his face.
But the true reason why the guard had initially disregarded the "Prince" was that he walked side by side with Jack as an equal.
A sh of a tokenter, the guard''s expression was turning purple. Had he just offended an unknown bigshot from the Capital or something?! Jack''s taunting grin only made it worse!
They were quickly ushered into a security council chamber look-alike.
- Enormous murals depicting humans fighting various demonic races
- Circr floating table seemingly made of jade, engraved with glyphs
- Bunch of extravagant-looking men shouting all over.
"There''s no way this is fair to us! Do you know how much deficit this will cause my Golden Axis Conglomerate?! Do you?!"
"Selfish old thing, of course, I''m aware! Do you think Ascending will just sit by idly and take all the losses?! Are you crazy?!"
It''s only then that a third man had to intervene.
"Both of you, stop this nonsense. We need to decide what to do concretely. Besides, we have a guest¡No, guests?" Inquisitive gazes focused on Jack as they assessed him.
It was time for the two of them to start n BLUFF!
The whole idea came from Jack''s twisted mind and made his newpanion question his sanity. He grinned as he looked at the magnificent table.
This thing was actually a very popr artifact from his past life, one that every organization worth its salt possessed.
He was thus VERY familiar with it.
He casually strolled toward the table, giving a peaceful smile. At this moment, he didn''t look at all out of ce, as if this ce was his own manor.
"¡"
Many fell silent, utterly baffled. Most here were merchants and were great at reading people: this man was way too rxed!!
He didn''t wait for an invitation. He went toward an empty spot before the table and sat¡in the air!
"?!"
Was he actually just a fool? Did he expect a chair to magically appear? What kind of silly person had the "Treasure Prince" brought along?
A few chucked. How great would his face look when he fell on his ass?! They couldn''t wait for it to happen and¡ª
The artifact table suddenly shone as a glowing green throne appeared out of nowhere.
"#%$?!"
"W-what?!"
"H-he did it!"
Shellshocked bigshot merchants cried out one after the other. A few had actually seen what had happened, but they weren''t any less confused.
All he had done was brush his hand on the table, a few glyphs had appeared, and his seat had been summoned?!
Didn''t this mean that he was a Glyph Master?!
Their eyes bulged in shock as they stared at this mysterious bigshot. But then they nced at the Treasure Prince, begging him to enlighten them.
The man was inwardly screaming. If they asked him, who was he supposed to ask?! Who was he really?!
He finally realized why he had so readily agreed to use his mentor''s name. Forget the mentor! Who cared about a half-dead old man, anyway!
He slowly opened his mouth, remembering Jack''s instructions: keep it mysterious!
"May I present to you all my newest associate?"
"?!?"
This was as good as saying nothing!! But they forgot their disappointment as the mysterious Jack lightly chuckled¡
Chapter 298 Wise Jack!
Chapter 298 Wise Jack!
Jack lightly chuckled as he saw the merchants'' faces. They were full of questions, their brains already filling his nk identity with infinite guesses.
[Great Swindler Detected!]
[This system shall watch over you!]
"Hello everyone, how''s the bickering going?"
Their faces twisted in shame from what he implied. After all this time, they hadn''t decided on a course of action just yet. They sure were slow!
"Now, who wants to bring me up to speed?" Jack grinned, a few eager merchants stepping forward.
There were a few issues:
1. The many deaths taking their toll on operations
2. Loss of trust, both from the clients and employees.
3. A suddenck of experienced craftsmen, both to craft and teach the next generation.
4. An issue in how to allocate emergency resources. After all, everyone had their own agenda.
"That''s what happened, Sir¡"
"Tsk-tsk-tsk. So, in conclusion, you guys are so used to peaceful times that a little setback instantly paralyzed you?" Jack shook his head disapprovingly.
"?!?"
He called this a little setback?! What would he consider a major catastrophe then?! They gulped once more but quickly came back to their senses.
Having all their ws pointed out sure felt bad, but they quickly regained their senses. Whoever this Lord was, they couldn''t afford to show such a pitiful disy.
If only for the sake of not losing further face, they proposed solutions one after the other.
"We already requested help from the Capital, but we can offer small private rewards to motivate them."
"Some craftsmen still seem to be hiding in fear of retribution. Tell them all that we won''t press charges for them releasing the undead in a moment of weakness."
"How about requesting the graduates from the local adventurer college to help with burying the dead? They''ll have to get used to the stench at some point anyway."
"As for the distribution of earnings, let''s just focus on recovering right now. As long as we keep a tight leash on our finances, we''ll recover soon enough!"
"As for reassuring the public, we''ve already requested a Nobleman to step forward. We can only hope that one will show up out of pity¡."
Now that they had actually stopped bickering, they showed their experience. After all, they could somewhat agree on an optimal solution. They had simply been reluctant to.
The mysterious Jack observing them had been enough to motivate them. Many were even daydreaming¡.what if he was actually a hidden noble? Maybe he''d assist them.
They nced his way, hope filling their eyes.
"So those are your final resolutions?" He asked yfully.
"Y-yes!" Why did this sound like a test?
"Congrats!¡" As he congratted them, they broke out in genuine smiles. "¡You all fucked up."
"S-sir?¡."
"I see that you all are taking calctive risks, ensuring the prosperity of your respective businesses. Either you lot have the foresight of a toddler or you''re goddamn awful at math!"
"¡"
"What do you do when a crisis happens? Either you tighten your belt, and you endure,ing out battered and beaten¡."
They held their breaths as he gazed at them with a maic look.
"¡Or, you rise up to the asion ande out even stronger. Now is not the time to cower, now''s not the time for useless half-measures either. It''s time to act!" He thundered.
Each second, his tone was getting more and more heated as if a professional preacher.
"Now''s the time to invest massively. To turn this entire City into your yground, to even use the asion to show the world that no matter what, you''ll remain!"
"!!!!"
"If you guys are all scaredy cats, what prevents any random power from taking over your businesses? Will you fight or just hand your lives away?"
"We''ll fight!!!" The usually calm merchants found themselves screaming along.
Jack nodded happily. Attending countless motivational shows and cult gatherings in his previous life had served him well.
They still had no idea who he was, but they were now cheering and pping for him.
1. Able to use the Table Artifact.
2. Showing the demeanor of a Noble.
3. An insanely deep understanding of business (By their standards)
4. The ability to rally people with a few words akin to a mighty general.
The more he talked, the more heated they became.
Jack easily convinced them to let him help with their issues. Right now, they had abor shortage, right? He just happened to know a cksmith Teacher.
He''d "sacrifice" himself for the greater good, requesting a few "necessary" operating costs. At first nce, he was doing them a favor, but he was actually getting countless benefits!
- An A-Rank Commerce Union Certificate
- A bunch of rare ores and magic stones
- A VIP treatment at pretty much all of their shops
He was pretty much robbing them blind, all because they had mistaken him for a Noble. The tone they addressed him was now filled with reverence.
"Thank you for enlightening and helping us! I''ll remember this meeting all my life. Thank you for the grace you''ve shown us, my Lord!"
"Sir, my residence is open to you any time, the day or night. Feel free to visit whenever!"
Even the "Treasure Prince" by the side couldn''t help but have doubts. There was no way this guy was a Noble! Otherwise, he wouldn''t have needed him to enter the meeting, right?!
What if this had just been done on a whim? What if he really was a bigshot from the capital?! But then he kept remembering how the man had cheated on the previous test¡
Could a Lord really be that petty?! At this moment, it was definitely better for him to stop thinking about it.
But suddenly, the jovial atmosphere was shattered by the doors mming open.
"Are the foolishmoners still arguing about what to do? They are, aren''t they?" A sharp and arrogant voice resounded.
"I believe they are, my Lord. Wait¡they''re addressing someone as one would a noble." A feminine but powerful voice replied.
[Danger Detected!]
That''s when two individuals intruded in the meeting room. A real Noble?! What was up with this timing?! Jack had been about to leave too¡
Chapter 299 Welcome to the Gang!
Chapter 299 Wee to the Gang!
The two neers were obviously members of the high society, a noble and his subordinate.
Thedy wore light leather armor, allowing for ease of movement and revealing her muscr curves. There was no doubt she was very used to wielding the spear she carried.
She gazed at him as a predator would¡no she was one! The orange glint gave away the fact that she possessed a particr bloodline. Lynx? Barbarian perhaps?
As for the noble, his outfit was entirely silver, elegant, and, more importantly, enchanted. This thing was probably worth a fortune! Jack almost wanted to strip the guy!
¡ª Humph! ¡ª
"Is he the one iming to be a Noble? How very ludicrous! As if there would ever be a Noble as unsightly as this." The man scoffed, the woman grasping her weapon tighter.
"M-my Lord¡.this¡."
The Noble shook his head, gesturing to his subordinate. She didn''t hesitate at all, mightily swinging her tool of murder right at his neck! The nerves!
He hurriedly swiped his hand at the jade table, a green shield manifesting around him. But even then, she showed a confident smile.
The pointy tip inched closer as she chuckled. As if a petty automated defense measure like that would stop her! The fool was obviously dreaming!
¡ª ng! ¡ª
"What?!" She gasped.
When he had activated the shield, Jack had modified its base options a bit. It was now focusing its resistance on a few core points.
"W-wait, what are you doing?! This man is our benefactor! Please stay your de¡eh, spear!!" The merchants finally reacted.
Thedy didn''t even acknowledge them. She gave a war cry and showcasedbo afterbo, going to town on the poor barrier. It even started trembling violently.
She was attacking absolutely everywhere, searching for weakness, forcing Jack to update the shield in real-time. But luckily, she was soon out of breath.
The host''s legs were shivering as he saw this scene, but then he remembered Jack''s words. In a time of trouble, one needs to be bold!
"STOP!" He was brandishing a glowing seal that could control the defensive formations installed in the manor.
"?!?"
White shiny lightning flew toward her, following her even as she tried dodging. A few secondster, she was utterly restrained in a killing array.
Any move and her fate would be sealed.
"Oh? You lot are defending him? How very bold of you! Soon, you''lle to regret this moment, I guarantee it." The noblemented, turning talons to leave.
That''s when she started sniffing. Her eyes widened as she stared meaningfully at Jack before disappearing after her master.
He could already feel that this one would be trouble.
¡ª Sigh! ¡ª
"I thought I was going die!"
"Who was he actually?"
"That was Lord Silver."
"W-what?!"
That''s when he learned that he was the one responsible for the logistics for part of the Empire''s Army. That''s also when his serenity crumbled.
The scent she had recognized¡what if it was rted to the Captain? Somehow that was the hunch he was getting.
If the manpletely disappeared, he would be the #1 suspect, but it would be the #2 criminal if the Captain was set free. Both options were bad!
Even then, his worries did not show on his face, the merchantspletely oblivious to it. They were even nning in case the tyrannic noble came back.
Jack didn''t have time for that anymore, hurrying over to the Golden Lucky Pavilion. This time there was actually a line at the entrance, people utterly blocking it.
He simply headed forward¡
"Hey, you! You, you, don''t even try to cut the queue here! Otherwise, I''ll¡ª" The belligerent random guy was suddenly grabbed by the ce''s guards and taken away.
As the guards escorted him inside respectfully, many eximed in shock. This ce was already super VIP! How the hell was he getting such treatment?!
"Who''s that guy?!"
"Must be a noble¡"
In the back, a certain spear wielder couldn''t help but wince. Had she not been busy invisibly tailing her prey, they would have long died for uttering such falsities.
Inside, the atmosphere was warm, every employee bowing as he made his way toward the Boss''s study.
"Sir, you''re back!!" The man weed him with the enthusiasm of a father weing his son back from the war. "Do you have it?!" his eyes were already gleaming with expectation.
"Of course, but we need to discuss¡ª"
The man suddenly turned uncannily serious.
"There''s no time for that. This "guest" of ours is about to recuperate fully and wanted to leave already. Apparently, he wanted to organize a meeting with Lord Silver¡."
"And?!"
"I bought time for now. The elf is still hurt but strong enough to fight back and cause a ruckus. How should we proceed?" He questioned.
In regr times a little ruckus wouldn''t have mattered too much. As long as the Gambling Den''s Boss helped, they could quickly drive most investigators away.
But what if a Noble came directly?! This could quickly get very dangerous. No, they had to handle him with a lot of care.
"Simple, if he wants to meet Silver, we''ll have him meet the man," Jack uttered, pondering.
"T-that¡I''m not sure this will work. The man seems rather sharp¡." Yes, Jack wouldn''t be able to do it for sure, and neither would the Demon or Moon Moon.
"Then we''ll just have to take a gamble." Jack sighed as he sent for a helper.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
"Are you kidding me?! Do you know how crazy this sounds?!"
In the office, the Treasure Prince was seriously considering reporting the others in the room to the authorities. Jack had requested for him, only to ask him to impersonate a noble?!
"Oh? Are you scared?"
"Of course! Do you even understand what this act even means?!"
"Yep! Good thing you personally introduced me as your new associate in front of the whole Commerce Union, isn''t it!" Jack yfully mentioned.
The man turned white. Even if he stopped associating with this man, there would still be repercussions on his business.
Jack brought benefits, but was it worth it considering the risks?!
"Woo!" (Just do it!)
The little wolf couldn''t understand why the human was hesitating so much. After all, dressing up was so much fun!
"Woo!" (you should request a cape too!)
"¡."
A quick trantionter, the man didn''t know whether tough or cry. Even the pet had a few screws loose! He could only get dressed for his new role while clenching his jaw.
Then they descended toward the inner sanctum of the casino. This ce served as a temporary bunker should anything happen on the surface.
As a man wearing a silver mask entered one of the underground rooms, the half Moon Elf Captain rose in a hurry.
"Lord, I have something important to report! It concerns the very survival of Timber City!"
"Really? It seems highly improbable that only you would know information so valuable, right?"
"I swear on my honor that it is true!" He dered righteously, his eyes shing white. This was Moon Elf appraisal magic!
"I guess we''re done here." The Treasure Prince snorted, leaving.
"Wait, please!! I beg you, my Lord!! I didn''t mean any disrespect!!" The Captain hurriedly apologized, worried he had just antagonized his only potential ally.
After all, he couldn''t return to his troops with his current appearance. Plus, the little he had seen of the man''s aura had revealed enough.
He did not seem to know any ck magic. ¡ª> He was a merchant, so that was natural.
He was no murderer ¡ª> He could pay people for that.
That''s when the two truly started discussing. The more the fake heard and the more he realized that he was in deep shit, way deeper than he had once thought.
His "associate" has caused the undead attack?!
Furthermore, he was very possibly a demon himself?!
Oh god, this wasn''t a question of benefits anymore, but survival!
Had he nned all of this just to make an impression on all the merchants at once?!
GAME OVER!
Even then, he stayed true to the script. He had no doubt that the demons were currently watching. He could be so easily silenced and disposed of in theirir!
Common sense did state that no one would dare kill him, but they were exceptions.
He concluded his task, reassuring the Captain that everything would be taken care of and that he should remain at the casino to recuperate.
As he returned, he channeled all his acting talent. He had to be the closest ally to the crazies until he was out of their grasp. Only then could he reach out for help.
"How was it?" Jack casually asked.
His associate quickly made small talk before excusing himself. Just as he was about to be free, the inside of his mask suddenly glowed a dark light.
"?!?"
As he froze, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Wee on the Demonic Path, brother! From now on, you''re one of us."
"No, no, no¡." He murmured, tears filling his eyes.
"It''s alright to cry. I understand. Others had the same reaction when joining our family in the past!"
"Tell me straight. Are you nning to destroy this City?" The man finally gathered his courage to ask directly. He was already fucked anyway.
"No? Honestly, the whole undead thing was an ident. I was just trying to forge some weapons, and it somehow happened." Jack shrugged.
Who the hell would believe such a stupid story?! It was fine if he didn''t want to say, but did he have to be that sarcastic?!
"No, this should buy us a bit of time with that Moon Elf. The next step is to find a definitive way to keep him silent. Then we need to deal with that Silver Guy and then¡."
As Jack discussed his ns, The "Treasure Prince" suddenly regretted wanting to have fun by recruiting a funny employee¡
Chapter 300 Incompetent Teacher
Chapter 300 Ipetent Teacher
As soon as the Treasure Prince joined Jack''s faction, he was worked to the bone. Tears streamed down his face as he wondered if he should fake his own death.
"How was it?! Did you get enough people? What about the blindfolds?" Jack asked, hopeful.
"I did¡."
Even as he inwardlyined, he had still aplished his tasks efficiently and swiftly. Meanwhile, Jack had been working on a secret project by himself.
"Great, call everyone over. It will be time for us to officially begin our ss. Exciting, isn''t it!"
Before long, an NPC army stood before him, about 50 of them. This was pretty good, considering the news about the recruitment had only started spreading a day ago.
A few gasped as they recognized him. "I-it''s you! You''re the guy that got me drunk at the Treasure Pavilion!!!"/"That''s the mysterious guy from the Lucky golden Den!"
Even his grass elemental brother was there, acting sneaky under the cover of a cloak and mask. He looked like a carnival jester.
Jack cleared his throat before theatrically gesturing toward the crowd.
"Wee, everyone! I''m sure you''ve heard that the Commerce Union is recruiting. This is a lifetime opportunity for you all to learn an amazing trade: cksmithing!"
A few raised their hands shyly.
"Sir, how long will training take?"
"You''ll be out of here before you know it. There won''t be the usual tedious two years of mentorship that only serves to provide cheapbor for the cksmiths."
Jack made the usual training method sound bad, but really he was misrepresenting it.
cksmiths in Infinite ¡ª> Proud all-inclusive craftsmen
Jack''s Method ¡ª> Turn them into cogs in the machine, industrialization style. They would learn far less with him, but it wouldn''t show at first nce as long as they stuck to one thing.
"Sir, how much will training cost?"
"The upfront cost is null. A percentage of your profit will be taken for a while after graduation, that''s all." Jack refrained from giving any detail.
It wouldn''t be toote to make them sign a borderline ve contract when everyone was drunk at a mandatory office party.
A few frowned, but many others actually cheered. They were broke, and this gave them a chance to climb the socialdder now.
"Sir, I already know the trade. I can start working right now!" One proimed, proud.
"I see. You can simply take the ss, and I''ll evaluate your mastery from there. It will strengthen your basics and let you practice. No one skips ss!" Jack thundered.
The man was left speechless. He was akin to an immigrant getting denied recognition for his previous studies. It sure left a sour taste in his mouth.
But Jack wouldn''tpromise on that point. After all, the whole process was only to camouge the more sinister part of his n.
"Alright, onest question, and we''ll proceed!"
He surveyed the crowd, sorting through the hands. He picked a worried but cheerful-looking girl.
"S-sir, what about those we don''t aspire to be cksmiths? Should we leave?" She questioned, already expecting his answer.
There seemed to be many people in the same situation as her. It wasn''t like he could all turn them away, right? Actually, this was an opportunity¡
"Girl, do you still want to be a crafter?"
"Absolutely! One day I''ll make clothes for Royalty! I want to be a professional tailor." She dered as she clenched her fist, resolve appearing in her pretty brown eyes.
"Hehe, cksmithing is all I teach. Most would give up on teaching you, BUT I''m different! You should totally join!"
"I should?!" She wasn''t the only confused one.
"You seem puzzled, young one. Have you ever heard the phrase all roads lead to the peak? It means that there are many paths one can thread in life." He sighed profoundly.
"S-sir?¡"
"Don''t you realize? Learning cksmithing is but a step to bing the best Tailor ever. Think about it. Both can make clothes: it''s just with slightly different materials."
"B-but¡"
He came closer, grabbing her hands while gazing deeply into her eyes.
"Mastering your inner fire will do miracles for you down the line, believe me! In fact, I sense that you show promising talent!" He gave her a scammer-level encouraging smile.
"T-that¡I have no fire affinity¡." She blushed as she uttered in a low voice.
At this moment, some of the applicants straight-up left. This dumbass was obviously talking out of his ass! They''d only be ruined if they learned under him.
cksmith = Tailor ¡ª> Nope!
No fire Affinity & Great Talent ¡ª> So ridiculous!
Still, a few remained to see how things would y out, if only to watch the show. Would that be enough to make him cower?
"And?"
"I-I have no fire Aff¡ª"
"I heard you. So? What''s your point?" Jack innocently asked.
Many gasped. Was he that clueless or simply pretending? They were lucky to have dodged a bullet right there!
"It means that I won''t be able to¡ª"
"Nope, that''s a myth. You can forge with any power. You just need to learn to break ores down. It''s challenging, but not impossible, and once you''re past this hurdle¡."
Many eximed in "realization". They were the ones that really wanted to participate. To most, he still sounded like a fool¡.and yet... Was there genius hidden in his words?
"Alright, everyone, follow me!" Jack happily guided them toward the slums for some reason. Then he proudly disyed what looked like a Yakuza stronghold. "Here we are!!"
"?!?"
The ce wasrge, trashy, sketchy, super old, and there was even a panel of rules on the wall.
¡ª OP cksmithing Academy! ¡ª
1. This ce doesn''t exist
2. Always wear the uniform
3. Never give cksmithing up
4. Never let your colleagues down
5. Consider your handsome teacher a literal god
"Stand in line to join. There will be no turning back from now on!" Jack warned solemnly.
Many gulped as they still signed up. Others hurriedly left since the whole thing looked way too shady! A few wanted to ask more questions, but he dismissed them.
"Sometimes in life, you won''t have all the necessary information. In such cases, just go with your gut feeling and hope for the best. That''s all there is to it."
In total, 17 out of the initial 50 decided to join his cksmithing school.
"Wee, you all! Alright, here are your uniforms!" He handed them all a bundle of clothes.
As they opened them, their faces couldn''t help but twitch¡ªblindfolds, ear muffs, and long robes that would easily catch fire. Also, wasn''t this all sex stuff?! What BS!
"S-sir¡?!"
"What is it?" Jack innocently asked.
"T-that¡nothing!" He couldn''t help but chuckle as he saw her reaction. The wannabe tailor he had scammed was now tomato color.
They reluctantly put on the bizarre clothes.
He then guided them inside what had once been an abandoned factory. He had swept aside the rat droppings and turned the entire ce into a wannabe forge with portable furnaces.
Even then, it still looked and smelled horrible. His new students couldn''t help but grimace as they entered. What were they supposed to do now?
"The first step of bing a godly cksmith is to get used to the forge. Now, there''s a reason you''re all blindfolded, and your ears are mostly covered."
"¡."
"I want you all to focus on the feeling of forging, forgetting your other senses. I''ll teach you all a couple of basic techniques, but that will be all. Are you ready?"
"Yes, Sir!!"
Any sane person would have long run away, but they all stayed. The remaining ones were either very desperate or thinking themselves clever at this stage. This was a test, right?!
They were convinced that he''d soon allow them to take the silly costumes off. After all, they had made sure that the Commerce Union really backed him.
Sadly, Jack had no such intention. He watched the scene approvingly.
Would they awaken some extraordinary power through this? Perhaps, but probably not. But, it would help him make sure that they''d obey even the silliest orders.
They didn''t deserve his tutge if they couldn''t ept such simple directives as working blindly in a burning hot forge.
Jack summoned two dozen skeletons, sending them to teach the students on their paths. They woulde behind them and gently guide their limbs.
¡ª ng! ng! ¡ª
Needless to say, many burns happened.
Melting the ores and hammering without their senses was akin to torture. Even that guy who was already a professional cksmith couldn''t do it.
"This is impossible! What the hell are we supposed to sense?!"
"Is that so? Tell me, how do birds fly? How do fishes swim? How do you breathe?" Jack asked inquisitively.
"That''s just how things are! That''spletely different! There''s no way that¡ª"
"It just means you haven''t figured out how yet. Perhaps you''re not as good as you think you are. Do you wish to quit? You''ll still be billed for¡ª"
"I''ll be staying!" He didn''t want to be the first to fail. His pride wouldn''t allow it.
At some point, Jack was satisfied. He had made them do bullshit training long enough. It was time for the real stuff. But just as he opened his mouth to stop them¡
"I did it! I can sense the fire! How it longs for more air, how it needs more fuel, how it¡." The professional cksmith suddenly eximed.
Wait, what?! Jack stared at the scene, baffled. How?! This didn''t make any sense! In theory, it was possible to achieve such a level, but wasn''t this a little too fast?
The man was already kneeling on the ground, still blindfolded.
"Teacher, thank you so much! I''m sorry for doubting your boundless wisdom!"
"¡Sure¡no worries¡."
What the actual fuck?! It was time for the next step then...
Chapter 301 Jack’s Secret!
Chapter 301 Jack¡¯s Secret!
In the hellish forge, 16 wannabe cksmiths were hard at work under the encouragements of their enthusiastic colleague.
"Work harder! Keep fighting! Hammer till your asses start bleeding!" He shouted.
"YES!" (x16)
¡ª ng! ng! ng! ¡ª
- One crushed his fingers by mistake
- Another stepped into the forge
- One dude impaled himself
"Senior''s on fire again!!! Someone get water!!"
All across the room people were suffering injuries.
They were now ustomed to conditions that any other would have considered physical and mental torture.
Jack had slowly but surely ingrained into their heads that suffering was nothing more than the world trying to hold them back from reaching their full potential.
Yes, it was bullshit, but it got them hyped. Their eyes shone with marvel whenever Jack spoke of his ideals. They were like little chicks pecking from his hand.
"Really?! It''s possible to meet real dwarves eventually?!"
"What?! Can we really surpass them?!"
"With Teacher''s help, why not, right?!"
It hadn''t taken much for them to be his people. This was only possible because of the special circumstances of the Event. After all¡.
[Quest! Train the Next Generation of cksmiths!]
[Potential Reward: Increased Affinity!]
Every time he checked that message, he''d inwardly promise himself: no matter what, he was gonna get some of them at the end!
Why was he going through too much trouble right after learning the trade himself? Well¡he had figured out a slight issue. He was incapable of creating non-cursed gear¡
¡ª
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Epic Cursed Falchion of DOOM! ??
Rank E+
IF Demonic Affinity 50
OR Jack''O
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[Attack] 21-24
[Speed] Slow
[Range] Melee
[Durability] Decent
[Passive] + High Stakes!
[Active] + Self-Destruct!
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High Stakes: When your life goes below 99%, you explode.
Self-Destruct: You explode
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Epic Maic Jacket ??
Rank E+
IF Level 30
OR Jack''O
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[Armor Rating] 10
[Armor Type] Metal
[Durability] Very Good
[Passive] + Ma!
[Active] Rooted
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Ma!: Attracts Projectiles (Arrows, Spells)
Rooted: You bepletely immobile
¡ª
On the one hand, he was creating Epic Level Gear already, which was phenomenal speed, but on the other hand, it all seemed geared toward killing himself!
Hence he was teaching his disciples seriously, from crafting weapons of ughter to creating very rough siege weaponponents.
"Alright, everyone, I''ll be heading out. Behave while I''m gone, alright?"
"Yes, Sir!" (X17!)
"No need to worry, teacher. We''ll be fine with our masked brothers!" A bubbly girl cheerfully replied.
Oh, sweet summer child. Her "brothers" were skeletons that would rip her face off had Jack not been controlling them.
He left without a worry in the world¡.
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As the man left, the shadows of a nearby alley suddenly came to life. A long-legged girl with a toned body appeared: Lord Silver''s subordinate!
A few hoodlums hanging nearby looked straight in her direction, yet none reacted. Just to confirm, she approached them, giving them slight pushes one after the other.
"Pfft, how clumsy are you?"
"W-what was that?!"
"G-ghost??!!"
They left screaming their lungs out, crying for their mothers. Many slum dwellers feared more the paranormal than death itself since they were used to thetter.
This test was a sess.
Even if it made her feel dirty to use such a cheat, she had to admit that the invisibility scroll her master had gifted her was truly amazing.
She quickly infiltrated the OP cksmith School, giving a strange look at the rules on her way. What was up with thatst one?
- Consider your handsome Teacher a literal god
Talk about an arrogant bastard! The idiot didn''t even realize how grave a sin it was to impersonate a Noble. As for his students, they were utter morons!
She started snooping, listening to their conversations.
¡ª
"No, no! You cannot just rely on your hammer to forge!"
"Ah?! You''re right! What if you lose It one day?!
¡ª
"Remember, you should always be on the move while you''re working."
"I agree! You never know when''s the next undead invasion!"
¡ª
"Brothers and sisters, look at what I brought!"
"Two giant baths? Ah, wait! Oh my god, you''re a genius!"
"Hehe, why just temper steel when you can temper yourself too!"
¡ª
They were akin to echoes of one another. Sometimes the meaning of their words would elude herpletely, and yet they all understood one another.
That''s when she turned serious. He had to have used some kind of memory maniption magic, right? This was the only exnation!
She used her skills as a hunter, slowly prowling to one of the mask-wearing guards, capturing him and bringing him away.
The two of them soon stood inplete darkness in a remote corner.
"Tell me everything I need to know or else¡." She threatened, removing the man''s mask¡only to be confronted with a skull.
"W-what?!" The skeleton suddenly shattered, sending bone fragments all over the ce.
That''s when she understood everything.
This man was the very evil they had been looking for! He was the one that had caused the undead invasion, and now he was taking over the City using the catastrophe!
She felt her heart chill as she rushed to her master.
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"Can you feel this? The wind is turning."
"Woo?" (Is it?)
"Listen well, Moon Moon. Such a phrase is great for posturing. If you ever are trying to impress someone, just repeat that while staring at the horizon with mncholy."
"Woo!" (The wind is turning!)
Jack and his pet were spending quality time together. How long had it been since they had gone on a walk, just the two of them?
They were now strolling the streets of themercial district, stopping every other step while trying the local delicacies.
- Sausage
- Another sausage
- Another different sausage
The gluttonous little wolf had no qualm about tasting the same item many times in a row.
On their passage, the NPCs would smile warmly. There was something about the two of them that was profoundly heartwarming.
On their way, they would stop by the local churches, orphanages, and other charitable organizations, spending time with the unfortunate.
"Sir, Moon Moon, you''re a Saint!"
"Thank you so much for bringing joy to these poor souls!"
¡ª
"Woo!"( The wind is turning¡)
The little wolf would repeat that one sentence over and over, trying to master it. Then again, it wasn''t like the people around understood it anyway.
Anyone that knew Jack would have questioned their eyes or the world''s reality instead. Had he been possessed?
Suddenly, countless footsteps resounded as a crazy number of soldiers appeared. The ones in front had long pikes meant for killing beasts.
"There he is! Surround him, and don''t give him the shadow of a chance! Be careful, for he is highly dangerous!" A random leader bellowed.
Many NPCs stepped forward, protesting.
How dared the soldiers cause suchmotion in their street? It was fine if it was fighting crime, but why were they bullying such a nice young man?!
"Civilians, disperse! Soldiers, get ready to fight for your lives. There is no way he''lle with us voluntarily and¡ª"
"I don''t mind. I''ll follow. Where are we going?" Jack innocently asked.
"¡." So much for the grand objection.
"Please follow us to the Commerce Union''s Headquarters!"
Jack was soon escorted under heavy guard until they finally reached their destination. The soldiers couldn''t help but nce at one another, confused. This had been really easy¡
Everyone influential was assembled inside therge manor, from merchants to mages and even a bard for posterity.
All eyes were on Jack, observing him and trying to make out any sign of him being evil incarnate. But, at the moment, he seemed elegant and poised.
A man wearing a judge robe stepped forward.
"Let us start this impromptu trial. This man is used of being a necromancer and using brainwashing magic. Now, I seem to understand that the used came willingly?"
"Yes, Sir!"
"Good, now can the user step forth and state her case?"
Jack simply seemed incredibly baffled as the heavy usation of using skeleton soldiers and turning students mad were spoken, then there was the bit about City conquest.
At the end of her statement, she even taunted him.
"Do you dare to admit to your crimes! Your school is already surrounded and will be searched any second now. There is no need to drag things out!" She shouted.
"Admit? I admit to strolling with my wolf. I also admit to teaching students with the Commerce Union''s blessing¡.Oh, and I admit to being handsome."
"Y-you!!!"
Jack nced at the people assembled.
"If you guys wanted to a visit my school, you should have simply asked. Was there a need for all this exaggerated scene?" He chuckled.
"You wouldply with a search of your premises?" the judge asked.
"Yes? It''s not like I have anything to hide." Jack shrugged.
In a matter of minutes, they were all back at the school, ready to inspect it. As they entered, a bigshot couldn''t help but exim.
"This really doesn''t look like a forge!"
"Pfft¡ª Of course, it doesn''t! Our Teacher is awesome!" A student instantly replied. That''s when a few cksmiths from the Union came forth, examining the products.
"They forged a few strange pieces, but it''s definitely cksmithing. It seems like a special training method, one that''s effective."
"Yes, these things they forge are mostly worthless, but perfect as a training exercise. No problem here." They happily gave their OK while holding siege weaponponents.
The hunterdy came forward. "Just remove the men''s helmets! You''ll see that they''re all skeletons!" She screamed.
"Lady¡.you certainly have a vivid imagination. Everyone, remove your helmets." Jack instructed. That''s when plenty of men revealed their faces.
"As you can see, they''re men of flesh and blood. While they hail from the slums, I can vouch for their character and how hardworking they are."
"T-that''s impossible! I know what I saw!"
"Now, miss. It appears this has been defamation¡."
Chapter 302 Jack VS Silver
Chapter 302 Jack VS Silver
Jack grinned as he turned toward Lord Silver''s subordinate.
"Now, miss. It appears this has been defamation¡."
Her face showed shock and shame as the bystanders looked at her in disapproval. They would have expected better from someone rted to a Noble.
She had fallen straight into Jack''s trap!
"I swear on my honor as a noble retainer that this man is evil and¡ª"
"Now, now, miss. Is reminding us of your background really necessary? We may be lowly merchants, but shouldn''t we deserve at least some recognition?" Jack sighed.
His simple words wereced with poison.
Noble Retainer''s Honor¡ª> Attempt to bully them with her status
May be lowly Merchant ¡ª> Made Jack part of the powerful merchant group.
Deserve Some Recognition ¡ª> Resonated with the merchants, for their status was doomed to be lower than the nobles.
The crowd now showed disdain at this "bullying attempt," while Jack''s students furiously denounced her for being a horrible human being.
"T-that''s not what I meant, I¡ª" She tried to defend herself, only for Jack to cut her off.
"Now, miss. Why the need to nder me such? Is this an order from your Lord, or is it your own initiative? Do not worry. You can answer truthfully, for we are sensible people."
That''s when many connected the dots.
They all remembered Lord Silver picking up a fight with Jack for "impersonating a Noble". The thing was, he had never imed to be one in the first ce!
"T-that¡!!" She shivered.
This question was so perverse! Before, she only had to exin herself and still had hope to prove her innocence. But now that the spotlight was on her Lord¡
"It was 100% my doing! But I swear I¡ª" She couldn''t even let the shadow of a doubtnd on her master. This was her duty as a retainer.
"Oh? Did this mean you used Lord silver''s seal tounch the trial without his permission? Or perhaps did you consult him beforehand?" Jack calmly asked.
She suddenly seemed like she had eaten a mouthful of shit. She obviously had his blessings, but she couldn''t admit to it! Also, how did he know about the seal?!
"I-it was all my doing, alone!" She bit her lips, enduring the impulse to murder the fool before her.
It was fine if she took some me for now. The truth would be revealedter on, and her honor restored.
The judge sighed as he ordered the soldiers.
"Take her into custody, but make sure to treat her well. This could simply be a huge misunderstanding." He wasn''t dumb enough to provoke a noble.
The soldiers approached, quickly taking her weapon and armor, leaving her with just her clothes. This was only a formality, so she did not mind, but she should have.
"Oh my god!!! What''s this?!!" A soldier suddenly cried out.
In her pocket, he found a small item. It made everyone that saw it recoil with shock and disgust, her first. How the hell was this there?!
It was a small statue of an unrecognizable mass of flesh busy summoning skeletons. An evil deity''s effigy?!
¡ª Swing! ¡ª
The soldiers all drew their weapons, ready for a fight.
On the side, Jack was acting the most surprised. He was even backing away a few steps away, taking refuge between soldiers and students.
But as the retainer looked his way, she suddenly saw him wink at her. That''s when she lost her mind.
"It was him! It was him all along!!! Arrest the bastard! He just winked at me!!" She screamed akin to a banshee as she went wild.
Winked, was it? The thing was, he hadn''t¡.
In the back, a Demon grinned. Gosh, his new master was positively devilish! Such a simple illusion spell was so easy to see through, yet in the heat of the moment¡
"I was watching him the whole time! He did no such thing as winking! This shrew''s lying through her teeth!!" The soldiers quickly spoke the truth.
That was thest straw that broke the credibility she once had.
- Impossible high anger toward one man
- Unreliable words
- Dubious Statue
Yep, she was one bad apple. She had schemed against Jack all on her own while abusing her position. She only wanted to get rid of her Lord''s enemy...or so the story went.
There would never be any mention of the basement the skeletons were currently hiding in nor of a Demon and Fairy''s nice gesture of subtly "gifting" someone a statue.
The crowd left, dragging the offender along while the students were already rejoicing that "Justice" had prevailed.
Everything was as it should be....officially.
There was one downside to this whole n: it would obviously make Lord Silver suspicious. But, there were two possibilities in this case¡
1. Jack actually was a Necromancer
2. He had done all this simply to frame the annoying girl and warn her master.
For a Noble, getting a few skeleton soldiers wasn''t that hard, even with Necromancy being considered evil in thend, so he''d consider both options for sure.
Lord Silver could easily deal with Jack, but what ungodly price would he have to pay? More importantly, would it be worth it?
Jack was peacefully smiling at this moment, for he knew that the higher one is, the more one is afraid to fall¡
"Pfft¡ª You''re smiling deviously again." A tiny Fairy remarked as she floated near his ear while invisible.
She couldn''t help but rejoice, for she had finally redeemed herself from her previous mistake with the Moon Elf.
"It''s because I am happy. Now, shall we get started on the next step? Everyone, gather up. It will be time for a y!" He called out.
Students, previous hobos, and skeletons (masked) all came out to stand at attention. As Jack started exining his next n, they listened attentively.
They were tasked with ying a prank on someone. The whole thing sounded extremely strange, but they knew that he had his reasons for everything.
After all, his goals were way beyond their understanding.
In fact, they weren''t the only ones lost. Even his closest confidants had no clue what was going on. All they understood was that he was targeting the Moon Elf.
But, no matter how they looked at it, wasn''t this really just a prank?!
Oh well, they would soon know¡
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In the most luxurious hotel in the City, a man suddenly mmed his desk so hard that it broke, sending splinters all over.
"M-my Lord?!"
A nearby maid jumped in fright. This was the first time in her life that she saw the elegant Lord Silver showing anger. What news did he just receive?!
"No need to mind me. Leave me alone for now. I need to think." He did not man his bloodied hand nor the mess, his heart in disarray.
The annoying impostor was actually a scheming devil.
At this moment, Lord silver instantly saw through the many schemes. His subordinate was foolish and easy to fool, but he was different.
But because of this, he understood how thorny this guy was.
Right now, he had turned public opinion on his side and made it incredibly difficult for him to make a move.
Any attempt on his part to investigate or apprehend the viin would be met with incredible bacsh and would further support the "Jack is a victim" narrative.
He spat out in annoyance. If this was the Capital, he could have the man''s head on his bedside table in an hour. Sadly, this wasn''t possible here.
He was strong and could personally assassinate the man easily, but he wasn''t naive enough to believe this woulde without repercussions.
No matter the options, they all ended up with himing on top but being incredibly weakened. By then, his adversaries in the Capital would simply finish him.
"Jack, was it? You''re good. Real good!" He uttered twice.
For him tomit amoner''s name to memory was a miracle. In fact, it had only ever happened twice, and both were long gone from this world.
He chuckled as he fished out an Amethyst Amulet from his pocket, staring intently at it. Was it really worth it to use something so valuable on such a miscreant? Probably not¡
But, a Noble''s Honor was priceless.
The man thought himself clever for capturing his subordinate and tying most of his moves, but he had made one fatal mistake. He had made him feel threatened, and this deserved death.
Lord Silver decisively crushed the Amulet.
A purple puff of smoke escaped from it, forming a visage akin to a genie. The being''s astonished glowing eyes rested on its summoner.
"Wow! How unexpected! The mighty Lord Silver requesting assistance? Could the world be ending?!"
"Worse, someone insulted me."
"¡.Right."
"I need you toe here, personally. I need to know all the secrets he holds as soon as possible." Lord Silver solemnly requested.
"WHAT?! Do you know what you''re asking?!¡ Of course, you know, you''re Lord silver." The being remained silent for a few seconds. "Fine, I''ll grab my things, and I''ll be there soon."
The connection was then aborted. The noble couldn''t help but grin as he pictured what would soon happen.
No one in this world was entirely clean, and the Royal Seer''s specialty was precisely figuring out people''s dark secrets.
Calling him for help was akin to using Hellfire to light up a twig. The annoying bastard would never recover from this.
The only question was¡should he end him or enve him?
But he slowly calmed down, forgetting his anger. He stared at the mountain of paper that had flown away along with the desk''s destruction. Right, he still had his initial mission to prioritize.
After all, finding the source of the mana renewal was more important than taking revenge on one annoyingmoner...
Chapter 303 All DEAD!!
Chapter 303 All DEAD!!
In the OP cksmith school, a master was instructing his students.
"Are you all ready? There cannot be any mistake here, or our school will most likely cease to exist, do you all understand?" Jack
"Gulp!" It was that big of a deal?!
Everything was ready to go. They were just missing the lead actor¡.
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The Captain sighed in relief as he saw his reflection in the mirror.
He finally looked human again!
He had waited so long since he knew very well what would happen if he were to swagger back to the barrack looking like a Moon Elf.
1. Getting Captured
2. Losing most credibility
3. Not being able to help to deal with the Necromancer.
Then again, perhaps everything was already resolved? Lord Silver had promised¡
In any case, he had grown up in this City, and he for sure would do all he could to save it from being destroyed by a scheming lunatic.
He stepped up, ready to leave, offering silent thanks to the Golden lucky Den''s owner. At first, he had thought him only to be a greedy bastard, but he too cared about the City.
¡ª ng! ¡ª
"Thank god you''re still here! I have some information!" The owner suddenly appeared, out of breath.
"?!"
"The man you''re interested in¡he''s started a cksmith school. You should go there if you want to prove his involvement in the City''s trouble!"
"What? I''ll just go to the barracks instead. Why would I¡."
"Please! The students there are innocent! I''ve just learned that my own son might be in their midst. Please rescue them! As long as you keep them alive, it''s fine! I beg of you!"
The man was already on the ground, bowing while shedding tears.
The Captain was an upright man. It was the least he could do after all the owner had done for him. He quickly reassured him, leaving for the school.
¡ª OP cksmith School! ¡ª
The ce was shady as hell.
No, shady didn''t even do it justice. Even in the slums, it looked terrible!
He slowly made his way inside, soon finding the students. They were all good kids that had been led down the wrong path. He''d make this quick.
In the cacophony of the hammering, the Captain struck!
He dashed from the shadows right behind the nearest student, mming a palm on his head to hinder him. Of course, he made sure to control his strength.
But just as he was about to hit, the target suddenly dodged!
¡ª Whoosh!! ¡ª
How?! Did this guy have eyes in the back of his head?!
"We''re under attack!! Sound the rm! To arms!!"
Just like that, the Captain was revealed. Then again, who could expect a cksmith to randomly side-step while crafting?
They all grabbed the nearest tool, looking half menacing and half foolish. Fighting spirit overflowed from them, yet some were only equipped with metal buckets¡?!
"Look, I don''t mean any harm, I¡"
The Captain tried negotiating, but the students were already furious.
"Yet another viin!"
"Beat him up! No mercy against evil!
"Show him the result of your training! Make Teacher proud, defend the school!"
They all charged at once, bellowing war cries, a melee beginning.
1 Captain Vs. 17 Students
At this moment, their number advantage didn''t do much for them.
Their valor only equaled theirck of skills. They had grown more powerful, but they were too used to hitting lifeless unmoving metal.
"Stop Moving, you bastard!"
Theyined as they fell one by one.
Chop! Thud! Chop Thud!
It didn''t take long for the Captain to stand alone, surrounded by a bunch of unconscious people. Now he''d just have to bring them to safety and perhaps interrogate them gently.
But suddenly, a man showed up, whistling.
Their gaze met: it was the Necromancer bastard!
The Captain rushed toward his prey so quickly that the floor under his feet trembled.
¡ª Charge! ¡ª
He expected the man to summon evil creatures, he expected him to use evil magic, he expected him to run, he expected many things¡
But then his palm collided with him, rendering him unconscious. What?! How was it this easy?! He stared at the evil being in his clutches, questioning his eyes.
Illusion? No.
Wrong guy? Neither
He even used his Moon Elf increased senses to check in detail. But no matter what he did, he couldn''t find any trick.
That''s when the gambling den owner entered, his face a mask of terror. In his hand, there was a shattered crystal, the kind that kept track of a loved one''s life status.
"Noooo! What have you done?!" He ran toward a fallen cksmith.
"Don''t worry, they''re just¡ª" The Captain suddenly noticed all the blood. The students he had knocked down were on the ground, lifeless, all their orifices bleeding.
What?! This was impossible!
He rushed toward them, trying his best to reanimate them. All he managed to do was smear his hands with blood. They were gone, utterly gone.
"Why? WHY?! You said you''d spare them!" The owner wailed as he cradled one of the bodies.
"I swear, I didn''t do anything!" The Captain cried out, grabbing Jack by the cor and pping him awake. "Why are they all dead?!" He pointed at the students.
Sorrow, anger, and even more sorrow shed in Jack''s eyes as he nced at the scene.
"Bacsh. They were already exhausted from pushing their limits forging, and you beat them up so much¡.Their bodies couldn''t handle it anymore." Jack tearfully exined.
"?!?"
The Captain''s grip loosened. This was all his fault?! He had only wanted to help¡.how had things turned out this way?!
Jack managed to free himself, unsteadily dragging himself toward the massacre. He gave a self-deprecatingugh as Demonic Energy started swirling around him.
"Once more, students of mine are dying. Is my existence cursed?!" He seemed to wallow in self-pity for a few instants before resolving himself.
"No, Last time I failed, but this time I''ll save them for sure! This time I''ll do it right. This time I''ll bring them back properly!" Jack mumbled to himself.
"You''ll bring them back?! Do it, please!" The owner begged.
By now Jack was overflowing with Demonic Energy, obviously ready to cast an incredible mass undead summoning spell.
Yet, he didn''t look evil nor powerful. He was simply a broken mess of a man, barely coping with the loss of his students. He wanted them back, at all cost, nothing else.
The Captain couldn''t take his eyes from this lonely sorrowful figure.
At this moment, he remembered the courage the students had shown, even when they were so clearly outmatched. Did they know that they were rushing to their deaths then?!
They died protecting their beloved school, wanting to make their Teacher proud. At this moment, the Captain felt doubt for the first time.
The man looked so sad¡
Even the best actor couldn''t fake such sadness¡
Had he misunderstood him? He was undoubtedly a Necromancer, but perhaps he was trying to help? Was that why the undead had only been crafting back then?
What if the actual cause of the disaster were the greedy merchants trying to enve the undead?
His mind rocked nonstop, but he still knew he had to stop this spell. He rushed forth and ended it, leaving two grown men bawling their eyes out.
"Why? Let him bring back the people you killed!"
"Please, just let me finish. You can kill me afterward, but please¡." Jack begged.
The Captain felt their pain, profoundly so. He was overwhelmed by guilt, sorrow, and regret, but he forced himself to slowly utter:
"No, we all know this won''t truly bring them back. I''m sorry, so truly sorry, but we can''t repeat the undead outbreak tragedy. Not again¡You understand, don''t you?"
The two exchanged a nce tinged with enough sadness to drown a fish. At this moment, they understood one another.
Jack held his hands up, gesturing for the man to take him into custody.
"What right do I have to bring you to justice? I''m nothing but a sinner myself¡." The Captain shook his head.
The two quickly decided to bury the victims before surrendering to the authorities and confessing their crimes. They needed to atone for their mistakes.
But just as they were about to begin¡
"Ah, you''re here! What are you up to¡ª What the hell happened here?!" The Treasure Prince just happened to pass by. It didn''t take long for him to get the gist of the situation.
"We need to find a tomb with a lot of sunlight. A cksmith who''s cold is sad and poor." Jack remarked, and they got to work.
They exited the City, finding a nice spot in the mountain.
Jack took care of the eulogy¡
He spoke of his students'' valor. They had insisted on learning a dangerous forging technique just to improve, all so they could give better lives to their families.
He spoke of their character. They were extremely kind and always helped one another.
He spoke of how lucky he had been to teach them, even for a short while.
Then it was time to atone. But just as they were about to head to the barracks, the Treasure Prince chimed in.
"You want to atone? What will throwing your lives away do? The past is history, but there is still good to be done in the future. If you want to atone, then atone for real!" He cried out.
The Captain found new resolve in the man''s words.
"About that, I have a suggestion." the Treasure Prince offered.
Jack''s and his twopanions waved the man away as he left for his new journey. He was heading to an orphanage in the middle of nowhere to repent.
As soon as he disappeared on the horizon¡
"Pfft¡ª I can''t believe that freaking worked!"
"Just like that, he''s gone?!"
They nced at their leader with awe. This n had been utterly ridiculous, but his godlike acting had carried it topletion!
"Now, help me dig them out, alright?" Jack requested.
But suddenly, an earth-shattering explosion happened in the City, colossal energy beams reaching the sky. The two turned to Jack. What had he done this time?
"I''m innocent!"
"¡"
"¡"
Chapter 304 Towers?!
Chapter 304 Towers?!
A purple-cloaked gentle-looking man whistled as he grabbed his travel kit.
This simple act was enough to send tremors across the entirety of the Empire''s Capital! The Royal Seer was heading out?!
Maids squeaked in astonishment, soldiers shivered in surprise, nobles trembled in fright, and the King himself worried.
Where was he going, and most importantly, who was he investigating?!
Was he acting alone or on the orders of the King?
This was stered on his door¡
¡ª RS: Gone on vacation, do not disturb! ¡ª
That''s when rumors of a super super-secret mission started running about. As for the man in question¡he''d never tell that he was doing someone else a favor!
He simply chuckled, wondering how these rumors would evolve.
He headed to a secluded courtyard before activating the raven-adorned scepter in his hand. The air before him twisted as a purple portal appeared: it was time for an adventure!
¡ª Ripple! ¡ª
¡ª Crackle! ¡ª
¡ª Ripple! ¡ª
Back in Timber City¡.
The people were already panicking as they pointed at the dimensional fissure that had just appeared in the middle of the crafting district.
"Guards! Guards! Hurry up!"
"Quick, run! This thing''s obviously demonic in nature!!"
"Oh god! Haven''t we suffered enough?! We just finished dealing with the undead!"
They were already expecting another catastrophe, many seriously considering leaving City. What if they went to Sprigfield Town? Surely it would be quieter, right?!
They kept watching the portal from afar with apprehension. The purple glow was progressively getting brighter and brighter. Wait, it was about to blow!!!
They were all already running when it happened.
¡ª BANG! ¡ª
Mana filled the entire district, tainting it purple.
The citizen screamed in fear and agony¡.Wait, they weren''t hurt?! Many got up, their faces red in embarrassment.
As they turned toward the portal, they couldn''t help but feel perplexed. What was actually this thing? If it didn''t cause damage, then what¡
"AAAAHHHH!" A scream resounded as a man was catapulted out.
Many held their breaths¡only to eruptughing.
He looked like he had been left too long in a washing machine, covered in ashes, and then doodled on with a red marker¡.Oh, and his clothes were in tatters.
Young and old giggled, pointing at the strange creature that had just appeared before them.
"Pfft¡ª Hahahaha!"
"What are you allughing at, you bunch of!¡ª"
The Royal Seer was about to get angry, but his face suddenly twisted in horror.
The bystanders didn''t find it strange given the man''s current situation, but anyone from the Royal Capital would have been shitting their pants at that moment.
The ever calm Royal Seer showing fear? Was this even possible?!
He suddenly realized why his transport spell had so magnificently failed. He had ported straight into a demon ambush!
He got ready to fight for his life, expecting hundreds of demons toe out of nowhere and assassinate him¡.but nothing happened.
As the citizens watched him turn all over and re at empty air, they worried about his mental health.
"What?!¡"
It didn''t actually seem to be an ambush.
Then, why was there so much demonic energy all around? The entire district was corrupted! Wait, no¡the energy was nothing but a remnant.
But just as he was heaving a sigh of relief, the world suddenly trembled.
The energy from the portal was reacting with the demonic energy!
At this rate, the whole City would disappear!
"Gods, please have Mercy!!" He begged as he searched for a solution, any solution.
Should he give up and reenter the portal? No, it was already closing: his body would be shredded to oblivion.
Should he use one of his life-saving measures and fly away? The City would perish, but at least he would remain.
Just as he was seriously considering fleeing, he suddenly sensed something.
The horror was suddenly reced by excitement.
"This was here all along?!! Hahahahaha!" He guffawed, hisugh filling the entire City. He sure looked happy for a man who was in such a dire state!
"Mama, what''s happening?"
"He''s crazy, don''t look at him!"
The Royal Seer ignored the looks of disgust he was getting, focusing on sensing the world. He then slowly guided the mana toward two specific spots.
That''s when the ambient mana became extremely chaotic, seemingly bubbling. But instead of exploding, it suddenly started getting sucked in by invisible entities.
The whole process created two gigantic typhoons of purplish mana, engulfing everything.
"Is this the end of the world?!"
"Goddammit, so much for my eat less, live long diet!"
The world trembled more and more as countless soldiers appeared along with every influential person; this included the people''s biggest hope.
"Lord Silver, please help us!!" Many begged the noble.
Even he didn''t know how to deal with this whole mess! The soldiers were already getting into position to apprehend the shady-looking beggar.
The man''s eyes were closed as he focused all his attention on the delicate task. There could be no mistake, or the results would be beyond catastrophic!
"Grab him!"
The soldiers shouted, reaching their target. For some reason, the man seemed glued in ce! No matter what they tried, he just wouldn''t move: pushing, pulling, beating, and more.
That''s when Lord Silver finally came closer.
"Oh god, no!" his eyes bulged as he recognized the poor man. "Stop beating, stop beating!" He screamed.
What had they done?! This being was second only to the King!
While his personal power wasn''t too high, his influence was enormous! After all, he was the ultimate intelligence-gatheringst weapon.
Just as he was panicking, he finally realized the man''s state. He was deep in a meditative state! He hurriedly pushed the soldiers away before tampering with the scene.
He grabbed a nearby boulder, shattered it to pieces, and scrambled them around the man.
"L-Lord Silver¡Should we help?" Many asked.
"You''ve done too much already!! He screamed back, almost losing his temper. "Listen, and listen well, all of you! A boulder hurt this lord, do you all understand!!!"
He stared at them all, making sure they had understood.
Lord Silver called the beggar "this Lord"?! Wait, he was no beggar then! They shivered as they all nodded over and over. Admitting to beating him would mean Doom.
Just in case, they all dispersed, not wanting to have anything to do with the situation, leaving Lord Silver and the soldiers as the only ones present on the scene.
The two gigantic maelstroms slowly disappeared, and in their ce, two flying Towers appeared. They looked ethreal and half the size of the damn City! How?!
A secondter, plenty of ethereal nes seemed to ovep as colorful beams of light escaped from each of them, reaching the sky.
"L-lord Silver, what is this?!"
"Whatever it is, it should be a blessing."
"ARRGG! Ouch! Ouch!" The Royal Seer screamed in pain as soon as he opened his eyes. Why did it feel like he had gone through a dozen rounds of beatings?!
"Are you alright, Sir!" Lord Silver was already at his side, helping him up, handing a healing potion over.
The man instantly understood what had happened but decided to spare the ce''s people. He was actually in a fantastic mood as he nced at the two floating Towers.
"Ah, we are truly fortunate. Who knew this was here." He sighed.
The silence overflowed with the soldiers'' infinite curiosity. They were dying to know more but didn''t know if it was impolite to ask.
"This is a remnant from the previous age, back when magic circted freely and dragons were asmon as crows."
"?!?"
"Back then, our entire empire was filled with portals leading everywhere. Oh, and I don''t mean the temporary bullshit we have now. No, true and permanent portals!"
"!!!"
"As for these two Towers, they are links to other worlds, some inhabited by monsters, others designed as trialsnds for inheritances." The Royal Seer paused.
This was so damn amazing! What kind of incredible treasures and powers were contained in there?!
Just as they were wondering, circles of light suddenly escaped from the things. Some were red, while the others were yellow.
"Sir, what''s this? Should we prepare to defend?!" Lord Silver asked, only to be met with a falling sound.
¡ª Thud! ¡ª
The Royal Seer was on the floor, in a horrendous state and snoring as he used a rock as a pillow. Given the incredible spell he had just performed, this much was expected.
"Bring him to safety and take care of him!" He ordered, preparing for a battle.
As a yellow circle came nearby, he shed at it. His move was so powerful that it created afterimages, seemed to break the fabric of space, and removed air from the area.
As for how effective it was¡..Nothing at all happened. Lord Silver might as well not have done anything.
A courageous soldier clenched his fist as he went forward,ing into contact with the thing.
"T-this is!!!"
"Are you alright?! What happened?!"
"T-that¡.just try touching it, and you''ll understand."
One after the other, they all came near the floating glowing circles. As soon as they came into contact with it, they instinctively felt what this was.
They were gates bringing one to the towers!
"Taxi, Beam me up!!" An excited yer suddenly came rushing to one before disappearing. This thing was so magical!
Of course, for the yer involved, it looked more like this¡
[Ding! Tower of Trial Detected: ughter!]
[Do you wish to participate? Y/N? ]
At the same time, a group wasing back from burying many students alive. As soon as Jack noticed the enormous Towers floating in the air, his eyes gleamed.
"Jackpot! Finally some content that''s not level 40!!!"
"Hehe, this will be so fun!"
"Woo!" (Hell yeah!!)
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Chapter 305 Ice Cube Baby!
Chapter 305 Ice Cube Baby!
Jack stared at the system messages-.
[Ding! Tower of Trial Detected: ughter!]
[Do you wish to participate? Y/N?]
"Woo!" (Another challenge!)
The little wolf''s tail was already swatting from side to side in excitement. It was even ying with the floating magic circles, swiping its paw through them.
The Casino Boss suddenly jumped forward.
"Sir, you should stay far away from this!! I''ve heard legends about these Towers. In there, lives are cheap, and death is almost assured!" He warned.
"Woo!" (So what!!)
"No, no, he''s right. These trials are very punishing." Jack actually agreed¡only to add. "So we''ll have to be very careful. Let''s get this started!"
"Woo!" (Onward!)
"Wait, you''re still going?! Are you crazy, or are you¡ª?" The Casino Boss stopped shouting as the two disappeared into a red circle.
The two felt like their bodies had turned to smoke.
For an instant, it was as if they were floating, but then came the fall. They heavily crashed on a white floor.
This ce seemed to be a huge castle, but it was so enormous that the walls and the ceiling were out of rendering distance. White floor, red glowing air, nothing else.
Actually, no¡
¡ª Blob! Blob! ¡ª
A creature appeared, hopping toward them.
Moon Moon was already ready to blow the thing up, but Jack gestured for hispanion to stand down. As the monster came closer, it revealed itself to be¡a white slime?!
Most games had slimes right at the beginning, but not this one¡
The peculiar thing was that the small creature had a wooden sign stuck in its jiggly body. On it was written "Dimensional Employment Jelly!"
"Woo?!" (Ally? Enemy? Food?!)
"This thing should be the help AI. It would normally rmend a world to explore based on our level and status."
The creature finally reached them, bounced around for a while, and finally stopped frozen. The thing looked utterly confused as it stared at Jack. #Disabled Auto Functions
Jack chuckled, touching the squishy little thing.
[Wee to the Dimensional Battlefield!]
[Please Select a Level & Difficulty!]
- Sknd
- d Fun
- Hellish Scape
- [Normal / Hard / Hellish!]
"Woo!" (?!?)
The little wolf cried out as it saw a floating transparent thing appear! Wait, were those the things its master usually tapped in the air?! Amazing! It could seeeee!!!
¡ª Happy Wolf Noises! ¡ª
"Woo!" (Hellish! Hellish!)
[Are you sure you wish to select¡ª]
"Hell no! Launch d Normal." Jack interrupted, a colorful blue light engulfing them both. It was party time¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
As soon as they spawned, they were assaulted by an unbelievably cold. There was a snowy in, ice, but most importantly lots of wind.
¡ª Shiver! ¡ª
"Woo!" (Whoaa!!)
The little wolf disregarded the frostpletely, jumping in the nearby snow. This white powder was so amazing! What was that?! A secondter, it got stuck, its ass sticking out.
[* Warning! Ice Climate In Effect!]
[Your pet is suffering frostbite!]
[Losing HP progressively!]
That sure was fast¡
This was the very reason they were here. Trials tended to go overboard with elemental effects, and anyone unprepared would die before even seeing the first monster.
Even if he had an affinity for wind and fire, it was preferable to have the opposite element. For instance, here¡
"Be careful, will you." Jack formed a ring of fire around Moon Moon, slowly melting the snow along with getting rid of the debuff.
The little wolf nodded, ring suspiciously at the remaining snow.
Thus they departed.
Jack acted as a living heater from time to time, slowly expending his mana.
"Woo?!" (Are we lost?)
"Definitely." Jack chuckled.
Even he had no way to know their current whereabouts.
After all, this kind of challenge got easier and easierter on in the game.
1) The crafters would be higher level, and buying portable temporary shelters would eventually be possible.
2) There were ways to "level up" one''s bonus in this specific trial.
After every clear, they would receive merits to spend at the friendly Employment Jelly. It could boost their resistance, let them start with a map, and more.
Obviously, the first clear would be the hardest¡.
¡ª Rustle! Rustle! ¡ª
"Stop!"
"Woo?!"
The two froze¡.
¡ª Rustle! Rustle! ¡ª
A distance away, the snow was heaving up and down as if it was breathing. This could only mean one thing: enemies!
Then it appeared¡
< Little Snow Ball Lv 30!??>
"We have to kill this thing fast, else we''re doomed."
"Woo?" (It doesn''t look strong¡)
"Believe me. Those things are not just strong but terrifying!" Jack readied his fire as the little wolf darted toward the creature.
As it sensed the wolf, it rolled toward it at full speed. As it traveled, the surrounding snow stuck to it, slowly making it bigger and bigger.
It could evolve¡.and fast!
It already wasn''t the same enemy as it reached the poor wolf.
< Medium Snow Ball Lv 30!??>
"Woo?!" (Why is it so big?!)
Then again, so what if it had grown?! It would only be a bigger target! The little wolf summoned plenty of fiery chickens directly on it!
The magic collided with the enemy!
Direct hit!
"Woo!" (Take that! Who''s the best wolf!)
But, it seemed the rejoicing was a little premature.
As the snowball shrieked in agony and melted, a couple more showed up!
< Little Snow Ball Lv 30!??>
< Little Snow Ball Lv 30!??>
< Little Snow Ball Lv 30!??>
- ¡.
Jack nced at them all, taking in the battlefield''s view.
"Do you know what this means?"
"Woo!" (We run!!!)
They had been together long enough that the little wolf could sense that they would get wrecked if they fought.
"Nope. More urately, I do want to run, but we can''t. Look at this¡." Jack pointed toward the snow.
Snow:
- Bad for humans
- Good for snowballs
It was something painfully obvious, but it made a world of difference in such a ce. If they tried fleeing, the creatures would catch up and crush them.
The two shared a look: this called for ast stand.
"C''mon, you big white things! Ever heard the expression: balls on fire? I''ll teach you, hahaha!"
¡ª Little Wolf Cackles! ¡ª
That''s when they went all in.
They spammed their spells as if their mana was infinite.
The inferno raged on so powerfully that, for a brief instant, the world of ice disappeared. The biting cold turned to a pleasant autumn breeze, the snow creatures perishing.
They felt like the masters of the world, having defeated the harsh environment¡.but then the cold came back.
They fell to the ground, utterly drained. The snow slowly came back, covering their tired bodies, and burying them alive.
With every second, another of their organ froze forever.
Then came death¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
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Timber City
Plenty of NPCs were loudly discussing.
"What are those Towers?!"
"What about the people that entered?"
"No idea, but I hope this thing increases property value!"
Suddenly a bunch of blue lights appeared: the challengers were back!
But as the bystanders saw their state, they couldn''t help but scream. What kind of horror had they been through?!
Their state was horrendous!
- Cut to tiny pieces
- Frozen into ice cubes
- Turned into melted goo
- Turned to literal charcoal
- Crushed beyond recognition
- ¡
Some yers had just arrived here from Sprigfield only to die. In addition, the system had sent a few foolhardy NPCs to showcase the danger.
Everyone who had gone inside had died, no exception.
"Oh god! What a massacre!"
"Has anyone seen my husband?! He went inside!"
"Ma''am, could your husband be that pile of goo?" Unending sobs echoed, the entire za turning incredibly gloomy.
¡ª Crack! ¡ª
A cracking sound suddenly resonated, the spectators fearfully falling back a few steps.
"I''m back, bitches! Missed me?" Jack shouted as some ran as far as their legs could carry them. C''mon, it was only a joke¡
"A-a survivor?!" They stared at him in disbelief.
Right now, his body was mostly fine after his respawn, but¡
[Lost XP!]
[Curse of Everfrost!]
He couldn''t feel his left shoulder as it waspletely frozen, leaving him two options:
1. Seek a very high-level priest ($$$)
2. Wait for this temporary curse to be over
It just happened that option 1 was damn near impossible at this stage of the game. In this case, patience would definitely be a virtue.
He turned toward the Ice Cube next to him, carefully melting it.
"Woo?!" (What happened?!)
The little wolf seemed confused at first, soon remembering how they had been defeated. Ah, it was that damn snow! At this moment, it updated its list of lifelong enemies:
1. Evil meat thieves
2. Sneaky snow
3. Dragons
Jack gave a thumb up to hispanion. The wolf was oozing with fighting spirit, obviously angry at their loss.
"Shall we get revenge?"
"Woo!!"
The bbergasted bystanders watched the two madmen reenter thend of death. Were they trying tomit suicide?!
The two crazies instantly became the #1 Timber City topic. In fact, people were still talking about it when the two reappeared.
They were frozen again, and it was even worse! The man''s arm had been turned to ice, and the wolf wasn''t any better.
"How horrible! At least now they won''t dare to¡ª"
They had already entered the Tower again.
¡But this was only the beginning. Over and over, they came out frozen, their symptoms bing worse and worse.
"T-they''re insane!"
"Totally!"
Eventually, they turned numb to it.
At one point, Jack lost the use of his arms.
A few yers even scoffed at him from outside. After all, one could neither use weapons nor magic in such a state.
Yet¡.Inside the d Trial, an inferno burned!
"Tcht¡ª It''s way harder to control now, but it''s still feasible¡." He grumbled as he casually aplished a "miracle".
But, if anyone were to ask him, the true miracle was what they had just found. In the distance, there was a small igloo.
"Jackpot!"
Chapter 306 - Rat Demon Queen!
Chapter 306 - Rat Demon Queen!
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Back in New Leaf+ Vige, a few youngsters were surrounded by a pack of deadly wolves.
The creatures licked their lips in expectation at the delicious meal that had thrown itself at them. With powerful howls, they all charged forward.
They never noticed how calm the "preys" were¡
Lilly''s party rxedly gossiped as they ughtered the wolves.
"Hey, did you hear? Apparently, something big happened in Timber City!"
"What? Also, where''s Timber City?"
"New Leaf+, Sprigfield, then you have Timber¡."
The edgy self-proimed "Lord Evolver" slowly exined the whole Towers situation. Honestly, his information-gathering abilities were far above his fighting capabilities.
Then again, it wasn''t like much fighting was needed right now¡
¡ª Shriek! Shriek! ¡ª
A sea of ck creatures assaulted the wolves, utterly bullying them as they devoured the flesh. This was Lilly''s signature move: the ungodly rat swarm.
This thing was enough to make grown men cry at its mere mention. They still remembered the earlier event.
They had been traveling in the Forest when a group of three uncles had blocked their paths, rejoicing as soon as they saw their emblem-less chests.
¡ª Wild PK yers Appeared! ¡ª
Sadly for them, they had picked the wrong target. A secondter, Lilly had waived her slender hand, and thus the nightmare had begun.
¡ª Rat Swarm Appeared! ¡ª
Rat Swarm > PK yers
While the rats were only level 5, a sea of them was enough to terrify even the Wolf Overlord that watched over the area.
As for bandits ¡ ?????
Legend said their screams still echoed in the Forest to this day. They had since then reformed. PK? Them? No way! They were upright citizens!
¡ª Dying Wolf Noises! ¡ª
Even now, they barely had anything to do. The challenge wasn''t to survive or even defeat the wolves. Nope, they only had to worry about being able to steal the kill!
They could slowly upgrade their abilities as long as they dealt the final blow. Luke''s bonus damage. / Evolver''s bloodline evolution. /Tiphany''s witchy trinkets.
"Tch¡ª You guys sure are bad. You can''t even out-damage a few rats." Lilly cheekilymented.
"A few?! You call this a few?!¡ Can you lend me a FEW credits then?" Evolver quickly retorted.
Once again, another round of yful banter started. Still, Lilly soon showed a serious expression. "You guys¡.I think we should leave New Leaf."
"W-what?! Why? We''re not done farming!"
"Think about it. Every day new stuffes out, like those Towers. We''ll never progress if we always stick to the beginner area."
She sure had a point, but they all had sses that could get stronger even when their levels stayed the same. Even her rats could grow stronger the more they devoured.
Pro ¡ª> Really strong for their level
Con ¡ª> Harder to level up since they didn''t only rely on XP
"Hear me out. What if right now we''re eating the crumbs and missing the pie? Perhaps we''ll be able to kill wolvester, higher-level ones even¡"Lilly argued.
They all ceased fighting in deep reflection. In any case, the rats would take care of the monsters.
¡ª Howls of Agony in the background ¡ª
"So, what do you propose?" Luke spoke up.
"Easy, weplete all the dungeons, and then we leave ASAP," Lilly stated.
While they stared at each other, a few yers screamed after having stumbled upon the rat swarm. They were now getting a free teleport back to the vige.
Silence remained for a solid minute until they reached a conclusion.
"Fine."
"Alright."
"Guess we all agree!"
They knew better than to leave their secret weapon''s side!
Perhaps it would have been different in other circumstances, but as things stood, she was stronger than all of thembined!
They were even considered elites for their levels, but that rat swarm skill was just too perverse. It was like bringing an atomic bomb to a fistfight!
But just as they were about to resume their grinding, the bushes rustled as about 40 yers appeared. They seemed mean and armed for a war, metal weapons and all!
"Wow, that''s a lot of people!" Lilly casuallymented.
For some reason, they seemed to be looking her way? Their leader even stepped forward, pointing at her. "You!! Today is the day you and your pet rats all perish!!"
"¡"
"Haha, are you regretting now? It''s far toote!"
"So, who are you again?" Lilly innocently asked.
"Y-y-you bitch!" He screamed.
Evolver suddenly chimed in: "Ah! I recognize this high-pitched girly scream! It''s that one blind dude who keeps walking in the rat swarm and dying!"
"What?! That wasn''t a girl?!" Tiphany eximed, shocked.
That''s when the leader lost his mind.
"#%?! Kill them all!"
Lilly''s Party VS 40 Bloodthirsty yers
Her party was severely outnumbered 10 to 1, and their assants were also filled with righteous fury. All of them were blind idiots who the rat swarm had devoured.
"Defeat the Rat Demon Queen!"
"We need her head on a stick!"
Rat Demon Queen? What kind of silly title was this? Also, wouldn''t a pike be cooler than a stick?
Lilly made sure to stay far away from the enemy lines, but even then, herpanions died one after the other.
"Take care of my kid!"
"Tell my wife I love her!"
"Lilly, you must survive at all cost!"
What was up with the cheesy lines? They didn''t even have any loss-on-death items, none at all! Since this was the tutorial, they would just need to walk back.
Rat Swarm VS 28 Bloothristy yers.
The fight was intense, bloody, and horror-movie worthy. No matter what the yers threw at the rat swarm, it lived! They felt like they were facing an invincible enemy.
Lilly was even enjoying the show when disaster struck.
¡ª Woosh! ¡ª
Out of nowhere, five assassins appeared! Had they been hiding all this time just to assassinate her?! They struck so fast, not giving her any chance¡. Yet she avoided!
"How?!"
"Goddamnit!"
They cursed as she navigated their attacks. She even took the opportunity to attack them with a short sword.
¡ª ng! ng! ¡ª
But even then, there was nothing that she could do against 5 of¡
"ARGGG!"
The assassins froze in stupefaction. She had just thrown a dagger into a man''s throat. What the hell was her actual ss?!
While they were confused, she managed to wound one of them, but the blow wasn''t decisive.
"So resistant!" Sheined.
At this moment, they almost fainted from anger. SHE wasining?! The girl fighting five assassins as a tamer while her creatures ughtered 30 othersined?!
They felt like throwing up blood.
This girl was crazy!
Lilly Vs. 4 Assassins
Before, she had taken them by surprise, but now they knew better. They stayed strong, not giving her an inch. It didn''t take long for her to be cornered.
But that''s when shrieks were heard: her swarm was done dealing with the other enemies! She would win this fight as long as she could survive a bit longer!
She adopted what she thought was a defensive posture. Sadly, her defensive posture was sorelycking. She found out as a longsword pierced her chest from side to side.
As her avatar slowly disappeared into countless pieces, she felt terrible.
This had all happened because she had been cking.
Supervise the rats? She should have been training alongside them! She had been relying too much on a single OP skill.
"The Demon Rat Queen is dead, and so are her rats. She''s finished!" Her killers celebrated their achievements.
Little did they know that she was no tamer but a summoner that could resummon a swarm whenever. This assault also made her realize her ws.
They had unknowingly created a monster¡
Chapter 307 New Training
Chapter 307 New Training
Jack and Moon Moon had died so many times that they had lost count.
Even the weakest enemies were enough to exhaust them to death. Then the elements would finish them.
Most would actually skip this kind of content, only to clear it once they were stronger. He had seen many level 40+ yers fail the level 30 area in his previous life.
This realm was merciless and filled with ambushes, but there was finally a glimmer of hope in front of them.
A small igloo!
This was theirst hope!
"Finally! We did it!" Tears of joy came out only to freeze up.
As soon as they came near, the Igloo exploded! ¡ª BOOM! ¡ª An avnche was sent their way, a wave of snow about to bury them alive once more!
"Woo!" (What is this?!)
They ran and ran some more, but couldn''t escape! Moon Moon''s world was shattering. How could something be so fast without any legs?!
They found themselves in a white sea, frost and suffocation trying to end their lives.
That''s when their survival instinct and their experiences came into y. The two used fire abilities as they wiggled their way to the surface, barelying out.
But they were each weed by an ice spear aimed at their throat.
A furry and scaly humanoid creature stood before them, ready to impale them at any moment.
"Woo!" (Not again¡)
The little wolf resolved itself to yet another death, but then its master started speaking a strangenguage.
The words were concise, slow, simple, and very deep. It reminded one of the grumblings of a beast more than any sound a human would ever produce.
The ice spears stilled, slowly retreating.
The creature replied, surprise evident in its voice. Then it walked away, wordlessly as Jack hurried to follow. The beast then started ying in the snow.
"Woo?!"
"Hehe, he''s rebuilding. Let''s help." Jack exined.
He couldn''t feel his limbs, and yet he crouched, gathering snow and forming cubes. He forgot the frost and pain, only focusing on his task.
"No need to help. Rest." The creature spoke up, seeing Jack''s state.
But, thetter simply kept working. Even if it was utterly pointless, the little wolf by the side joined in. At this moment, the two showed awe-inspiring willpower!
The three kept working, the mysterious beingpleting 99.99% of the work, but that did not matter.
[Congrattions! Created an Igloo!]
[Acquired basic Igloo making skills (Temporary!)]
There it was! This was the only reason Jack had endured the earlier suffering instead of patiently waiting. They soon entered this new dwelling, with a campfire in the middle.
Warm! It was so warm!
This was bliss! The defrosting process in real life would have been apanied by unending agony, but in-game it simply felt heavenly.
In a matter of minutes, they were back to normal¡given that they were still frozen from the curse. Still, it was an unbelievable improvement.
That''s when their host began to remove its skin, revealing the blue flesh underneath and the white crystal-like hair.
"You, how do you speak Nordic?"
"A friend."
Jack insisted on the "friend", the man giving him an appreciative nce. This went beyond the simple friendship and carried the meaning of a brother in arms.
There was no way that an outsider would ever be taught this meaning. This meant that the weak-looking pink-fleshed human was one of theirs.
As for the details¡Did it really matter?
"Actually, I''d like you to teach me a few things." Jack candidly asked.
"Teach? What things?"
"Igloo, hunting, resisting, the usual."
The Nord''s gaze turned piercing. Someone who was such a close "friend" of their race should definitely have been taught such basic stuff.
"Time travel."
"Oh, alright."
"¡.." (?!?)
The little wolf was used to its master being mysterious, but had this new guy really epted such a reason?! Wow! Its master was so Epic!
"Rest well. We begin at dawn."
Jack simply rolled to the side, knowing that the training toe would be extremely harsh even for him. It was especially mad to try it while Cursed with Everfrost. Oh well¡.
"Log Out!"
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
"Bam! Bam! Bam Bam!"
Soft murmurs echoed in the room.
Jack awoke to the view of his sister¡training?
She was punching the air as if battling an invisible opponent, and she even did the sound effects. She was frowning intently, but rather than intimidating, she looked he cute!
It didn''t help that she wore short shorts with a silly-looking cartoon rabbit.
A chuckle escaped him, and she instantly turned red.
"H-how long have you been watching?!"
"Bam! Bam! Bam Bam!"
He imitated her as she twitched in embarrassment. More importantly, why was his impression so good?!
"So, what were you doing?"
"T-that, I need to learn how to fight! I''ve realized that meleebat is currently my number one weakness. That''s why I''ve been training."
Seeing that her brother was listening, she talked about the problems she had encountered. For instance, she was having trouble with PVP.
"Assassins are the worst!" Sheined.
"I 100% agree!"
Somehow she had managed to get a summoner ss which allowed her to clear PVE content rtively easily, but it turned her into the main target for the sneaky bastards.
Even then, she was way too hard on herself. After all, summoners were sses that could take a while to shine, depending on the initial summon.
Tutorial? ¡ª> Probably a trash summon, right?
"So what can you invoke?"
"Rats¡Ah, but really cute ones!"
Rats, was it? She was pretty much ying in hard mode at the moment. Even a few of them would probably only reach the level of a fox at best.
She should change the rats for something stronger ASAP.
"You know¡ª "
"It''s super funny how they scare my party members, hehe! " She chucked, her eyesing alive.
Then again, so what if the rats weren''t strong? So what if her party members were cowards? As long as she was having fun, that was all that mattered.
Jack swallowed the unneeded advice he was about to give.
"Right, what were you saying?" She asked.
"Oh, nothing, just that¡ª"
¡ª Ding! New Message! ¡ª
Bubblegum: I''ll coincidentally visit your Town soon. Want to meet for a coffee? If you have time, of course!
"W-what''s this?!!"
"Oh, a friend."
There was a moment of silence. Who was he trying to fool?! She was ying in New Leaf+ Vige! She had long heard of the pink-haired assassin that followed her brother.
Friend? Friend?! If this was just a friend, then Lilly herself was an acquaintance at best!
"What are you waiting for? Reply!" She urged.
At this moment, Jack couldn''t help but think about the what-ifs.
What if she wanted more than a coffee? Did he even have time for her? Would he just be leading her on?
It was one thing in Infinite, but another IRL. After all, to most, it was only a game. He really was the strange one.
"What are you afraid of?" Lilly softly asked.
"To hurt her¡." He sighed before adding.
"You see, there''s this big Boss I want to hunt in Infinite one day. This will take me a lot of time andmitment. Plus, I don''t want to abandon my actual family and¡."
"Pfft¡ª That''s it?"
"That''s a lot¡."
Lilly chuckled as she snatched the phone away, slowly typing. "He''ll be there, but he''s also a hopeless gaming addict. I''m Lilly, by the way! How¡ª" Lilly fled, his phone hostage.
Did this mean that he had a date? Or was it just a coffee?
Chapter 308 Little Wolf — Eternal Protector!
Chapter 308 Little Wolf ¡ª Eternal Protector!
In the Igloo, a peaceful Jack was still sleeping (Disconnected in a non-DC instance).
"Woo!" (It''s morning!!)
The little wolf gently tapped its master to wake him up.
"Little one¡Your master''s gone." The Nord behind him deplored.
He knew the disease affecting the man far too well: the Eternal Slumber. He looked alive, felt alive, but his soul was long gone.
"Rest in peace, friend." The Nord slowly closed Jack''s eyes, even as the little wolf protested.
"Woo! Woo Woo!" (What do you think you''re doing?!)
"Don''t worry, little one. I''ll give him a burial worthy of a noble warrior." He uttered as he thumped his chest with assurance and grabbed the body.
He quickly exited in the cold snow, finding a proper spot before beginning. His muscles bulged as he mmed the ground.
¡ª RUMBLE! RUMBLE! ¡ª
What happened next was magical: runes appeared in the snow, thetter seeminglying alive. A secondter, a weird avnche started as it rose upward, leaving arge pit.
Just as the Nord was about to throw the body in, the wolf came running.
"Woo!" (Over my dead body!)
The NPC gave a sad chuckle before he showcased his aura, making it as intimidating as possible. Even a Nord would have trouble resisting this, much less a little¡wtf?!
"Woo!" (Never surrender!)
The creature''s legs shook so much they became blurry, and yet it stood still. What kind of godlike determination was this?!
"Woo!" (Never give up!)
Not only did Moon Moon not cower, but it even advanced, seemingly getting ready to fight. Then again, there was no way it would dare for¡ again?!
The Nord raised his head, ncing at the magic above his head, bbergasted. This little thing could use something soplex?!
¡ª Whoosh!! ¡ª
A rain of fire fell upon him, not damaging him in the slightest. Just his skin had been enough to protect him, and it was now producing a cold mist as it extinguished the fire.
"Little wolf, give up already. There''s no need to make this difficult for any of us." The Nord tried coaxing the pet, only to failmentably. Thus started a battle of attrition.
Moon Moon versus Exhaustion.
The man just stood in ce, waiting for it to tire itself out, but the wolf just wouldn''t give up.
"Woo!" (He''ll freeze!)
Moon Moon tried calling out to the man many times, but he wouldn''t listen. The little wolf had no choice but to spam fire spells to raise the temperature.
Also, why the hell was this guy''s skin so cold! Was that how they killed their victims?! The wolf shuddered, picturing getting cuddled to death by the big guy.
But very soon, Moon Moon realized that at this rate, its master would die. Nooo, it wouldn''t let it happen!
''Think, Moon Moon!''
''You''re a smart wolf, Master says so! Just think!''
No amount of fiery chickens could defeat the guy, and its mana was slowly getting drained by the AoE magic. It had to change tactics.
The little wolf ran countless simtions in its head. It ran so many of them that it lost count of the number of "ones"! At this moment, it remembered its Master''s lessons¡
¡ª Imaginary Wise and Suave Jack Appeared! ¡ª
"Magic is all about control and willpower. The stronger the image, the stronger the power. Squeeze your mana out and wield it ording to your will. Do you understand?"
"Woo!" (I''ll make you proud, Master!)
That''s when the little wolf started focusing on the strongest image it could fathom¡
The Nord by the side couldn''t help but raise a brow. He could see the wolf howl at empty air, meaning the frost-induced hallucinations had begun. This brought back memories.
At this moment, the Nord could rte to the wolf. He had once been the one trying to "save" his father from being buried alive before he knew better.
Since there was no curing the Eternal Slumber, it was better to end things quickly and cleanly. Still, this was difficult for a youngster to understand.
The Nord stood still as he observed the little thing.
Perhaps the hallucinations would allow it to speak to its Master onest time and help it cope with the death. It really seemed like the little one was mulling over something.
"Take your time, little one." The man murmured until the pet closed its eyes.
Was it being affected by the frost? No, it had suddenly turned immobile, as if it had given up. Had the sorrow defeated it? He approached to save it.
Little did he know the wolf was meditating¡.
Just as he almost reached him, Moon Moon powerfully opened its eyes. They were ck, emitted pure fire, and had a godly look!
"W-What?!!"
"Woo!"
That''s when it happened.
It was the birth of a new spell in Infinite.
A geyser of fire suddenly erupted directly on the Nord!
But, it wasn''t all. A secondter, countless sprites of fire were born. They circled the primary cluster, attacking relentlessly.
The Nord quickly countered with an ice cloud, expecting things to end. But then the sprites cooperated, cutting the ice fog as a cavalry would.
What?! It was almost as if they were alive! What kind of ever-changing spell was this, and how had a wolf mastered it?!
A low humming sound resonated in the surrounding, filling them. Wait¡the sprites could even chant?! The more they did and the more sprites appeared.
He listened to it, trying to pierce its secret, only to freeze baffled.
What the actual heck was this?! "One, one, one, one, one!" The sprites repeated over and over. More importantly, how was this producing any power whatsoever?!
In the back, the little wolf''s gaze was unbelievably steady. ''Focus on the barbecue, focus on the ones, focus on saving Master!''
The man had spoken of an Eternal Slumber, right? Whether he was right or not didn''t matter: it would stand guard over its master, rescuing him.
This was its answer: the Eternal Barbecue!
Forever joyous!
Forever powerful!
Forever by Master''s side!
"Woo!" (Bring it on!)
But that''s when the little wolf suddenly saw its master twitch. He was back! They had defeated whatever bullshit this Eternal Slumber was!
Jack awoke to a happy wolf licking his face relentlessly and an NPC shouting about revenants, miracles, and whatnot.
"So, time for training?"
NEXT CHAP NOT READY IN TIME FOR RESET #SOON
Chapter 309 Igloo Madness!
Chapter 309 Igloo Madness!
Jack came back to a literal battlefield. How long had Moon Moon and the Nord been fighting?
"Y-you, you''re alive?! How?! That''s impossible! You¡ª" He kept babbling, eyes bulging with astonishment.
But then it was reced with horror. He remembered how many members of the ns had been disposed of after suffering from the Eternal Slumber.
He slumped to the ground, holding his head between his hands in a mental breakdown, uttering "Eternal Slumber" and "All Dead" asionally.
[Congrattions! Traumatized a Nord!]
[Demon King Title Fear++!]
"¡."
What kind of BS was this?! He was innocent! He had just been a bitte!
This misunderstanding was actually very easy to clear. Thus, Jack approached the man built like a fridge, patted his back gently, and¡
"Don''t be hard on yourself. You guys did the right thing, it''s just that I''m too awesome. Such a puny problem is nothing to me." Jack bullshitted.
[Nord Affinity ++++ (Temp)]
[Shamelessly Tricked a Crying Man!]
[Acquired Title: Preying on Weakness!]
The Nord nced at him with boundless admiration. No, he nced at him as if he was the messiah. He suddenly came alive, showing incredible fervor.
"Pleasee back with me to our vige!!" He grabbed Jack''s hands.
"Sure, but it''s in the snow, right? How will I survive until¡"
"I''ll teach you everything I know! Even the forbidden knowledge! I''ll escort you there personally! I''ll¡ª"
"Deal!" Jack grinned.
That''s when their training officially began.
"Woo! Woo! Woo Woo!" (??It''s the eye of the ** Dragon!??)
The little wolf howled by the side, tasked with an important duty. Yes, it was in charge of the "training montage music"! Apparently, this would make the process go faster!
The Nord also helped. Because of Jack''s promise, he actively used his mana to support the learning process.
First came the Igloo building.
There were two progress bars associated with this skill:
1. One for this specific instance. It went up very fast in order to let even pure warriors have a chance at clearing this content if they spent the effort.
2. One that actually tranted to real experience outside. Yes, it was possible to craft Igloos in the outside world and not just in an ice biome.
Their party kept building Igloo after Igloo, so many that it soon appeared that there was a great wall of China in the trial!
Many times the Nord tried interrupting since Jack had obviously mastered the craft, but thetter simply refused to budge.
"No, I''m not done yet!!" He kept shouting as he built more and more Igloos, the howling still echoing. This was the first time the Nord wanted to berate someone for being too diligent.
After what felt like an eternity, Jack was finally done. At this moment, the d trial looked very weird.
Why was there a gigantic snow castle in the middle of nowhere?!
Also, what was up with its look? It had high walls with guard towers that were wolf-shaped. Then there was the interior decoration¡
"Woo!" (Perfect!)
The little wolf nodded in approbation at the meat-shaped ice statues. Besides the color, they looked as sulent as the real thing!
[Acquired Skill: Igloo Building A!]
[¡Is this still an Igloo?!]
Even the system was baffled by the crazy construction that had taken ce.
But just as Jack and wolf were rejoicing about their handiwork, a wave of monsters came out of nowhere to destroy it all. That was the first time they saw most of the species.
The viins had seen the buildings from afar and wanted them down!
There were:
- Snow Balls
- Ice Goblins
- Snow Raptors
- Large Snowmen
- A Gigantic Ice tortoise
It barely took a few hours for their paradise to be entirely annihted. After all, there were just too many Igloos.
Jack felt like he was ying a strategy game but had only built houses¡.not very efficient for defense.
The Nord had to evacuate, running away with a human and a wolf under his arms. Even then, the two seemed unrepentant as they cursed the creatures on the way.
With this, Jack confirmed that the NPC wouldn''t help them in a fight. Quite sad, considering he was probably the highest level mob around.
Afterward could begin the next step on the list: Frost resistance!
The initial training only involved standard endurance training, but the NPC actually brought out a treasure to help him. It was a berry seemingly made of ice.
"This is the only one in its existence, at least as far as I know. This thing is extremely precious and must be eaten very carefully by¡ª"
Jack didn''t wait for theplete exnation. He simply snatched the Everfrost Berry away, swallowing it whole.
"What the hell?! Are you crazy?! Do you know what you''ve ?!¡ª"
"Yep, don''t worry. Moon Moon, I need help here."
Jack whispered a few directives while the NPC was losing his mind. He went outside in the biting cold, naked.
This treasure was actually alive and possessed a spirit. It would try to take over Jack''s soul or turn his body to ice if it failed.
He could already feel the thing trying to destroy his will.
[Resisted Everfrost Spirit!]
[Resisted Everfrost Spirit!]
[Resisted Everfrost Spirit!]
¡..
Jack waved the unending notifications away, enduring.
It didn''t take long for the ice spirit to realize that it wouldn''t win this fight. Instead of giving its power to the annoying human, it preferred if they both died.
Jack could feel the cold spread inside him. But that''s when Moon Moon shone as it summoned its newest "Barbecue Time" ability.
The crazy big fire appeared and so did the living fire sprites.
"Hehe, do you know what this is?" Jack chuckled as he approached the fire. That''s when the living sprites felt their arch-nemesis, the Everfrost Spirit!
They entered Jack''s body, and a duel started. The ice spirit quickly dispatched them, but there was still a sea of them waiting behind.
At this rate, the oue was evident. It would die to fire sprites.
"Now, now. Do you prefer submitting to me or perishing to your worst enemy? It doesn''t matter to me since I''m immortal anyway." Jack taunted.
A few secondster, Jack had sessfully absorbed the thing.
[Resistance to Frost +++!]
[This is totally cheating¡.]
In the back, the Nord watched with his jaw hanging wide open. His own method would have taken a few days at best.
Jack came back after a 5 minutes absorption process.
"Now, it''s hunting time, right?"
"Gulp. Y-yes¡."
Chapter 310 Is this Hunting?!!
Chapter 310 Is this Hunting?!!
The snow rustled softly¡
On the snowy field, a snowball happily rolled around.
These things formed naturally and would simply roll around in normal cases. But they''d go into attack mode whenever they sensed intruders.
The current situation was quite ironic. Jack''s party hid in the snow to hunt¡snow. In their midst, the wolf was especially fired up: that damn snow!!
The Nord whispered in their ears:
"Now, you want to be extra careful about these things. They can sense vibrations in an area around them. This makes it near impossible to sneak up on them." He exined.
The two listened attentively, for he was teaching them secret Nord hunting methods. Jack especially stared at him as if he was a pile of gold.
"Now, there is a trick to confuse them. You grab some snow, and then you do this." He clenched his fist hard, forcefully condensing it into ice.
Afterward, he winked at them before throwing it between them and their opponent. This sent ripples in the snowy field, the thing rolling all around in surprise.
The Nord threw more ice every other second until the living snowball stopped reacting to it. Then he gestured for them to move out.
The snowball felt the disturbance but wrongly assumed it was the same thing as earlier. That''s how they managed to sneak up on it.
"Now!!" The Nord shouted.
"Woo!" (Revenge!)
¡ª Fire!! ¡ª
Thebined inferno engulfed the creature, its spirit screaming as it left its body. It had died instantly, never even triggering its roll/power-up move!
[Received Teachings! + Damage VS Snowballs!]
"That was perfect! You guys are naturals at this!" The Nord praised.
"Woo!" (Of course!)
The little wolf paraded proudly as they slowly headed toward their next target. This time they wanted to defeat some ice goblins.
They were creatures that wandered in small groups and had both long-ranged ice-throwing attacks and a deadly ice touch. Their coordination made them utterly fatal.
"Now, those ones aren''t as easy to trick. They''re quite smart. We''ll have to be creative if we want to get to them. Do you see these little bumps?" The Nord asked.
The in was uneven, showing small snow hills that were obviously ice goblin camouged outposts. Sneaking up on them would be impossible.
"Watch closely!" The Nord suddenly equippedrge snowshoes before rushing forward like a madman.
He was akin to a bulldozer as he collided with one snow hill after the other, destroying the environement and goblins alike.
A few minutester, it was a scene of destruction, blue goblin blood everywhere.
"See, this? That''s how you do it! Now, let me show you how to wear snowshoes." The Nord enthusiastically said.
Before long, there was a pair ready for both Jack and Moon Moon. In his previous life, he had learned how to use them, so it was just a matter of making his current Avatar learn.
[Learned to Wear Snow Shoes!]
[Bonus Speed in Snow!]
As for the pet¡
"Woo?!" (What sorcery is this?!)
The little wolf kept tumbling in ce, unable to keep its bnce. What kind of crazy torture device was this?! It made even standing impossible!
"Pfft¡ª Keep going. You''ll get it!" Jack encouraged the silly-looking wolf by the side.
"Sigh, I think the wolf will have to sit that one out." The Nord deplored.
"You think so? I bet Moon Moon will be fine. Ah, then again, we probably shouldn''t bet, for I''d be taking advantage of you." Jack uttered with a mischievous smile.
Nords had a highlypetitive personality. Now that he was contesting the man''s expert opinion¡
"Bet? You''re on! Let''s see how it fares!" The man thundered, confident.
Jack grinned, finalizing the details of their bet. As long as Moon Moon managed to hunt a single goblin alone, the Nord would actually agree to help him with one thing.
Was winning even possible? Jack approached the worried wolf, murmuring in its ears. Thetter yelped in surprise as it went to work.
"Woo!" (I got this!!)
The little wolf dered, extremely motivated. It was ready to take on the world, much less a few tiny goblins.
The Nord scoffed by the side. The little thing was so unsteady that even a blind and deaf, crippled grandmother would be able to run away from it in time!
But suddenly something strange happened. The little wolf opened its mouth and then screamed super loudly! ¡ª GAOOO!!! ¡ª
"W-what?!" The Nord jerked in shock.
Jack smirked, pleased. This sound just happened to be the cry of the gigantic ice tortoise they had previously encountered, aka this level''sst boss.
Moon Moon''s imitation was 100% on point!
One had to know that the humongous creature was a spawn type one. Just by existing, it would create monsters around it.
As the goblins heard the cry, they instantly barricaded themselves in their holes, tightly closing any window they used to inspect the surroundings.
This way, they would avoid being targeted by some of the ice creatures the tortoise spawned¡.except there were none.
On the surface, there was actually only a wolf.
Moon Moon wobbled its way over to a watch bunker, looking incredibly silly. But it didn''t matter, for it kept scaring the goblins underground.
¡ª GAOOO!!! ¡ª
¡ª GAOOO!!! ¡ª
¡ª GAOOO!!! ¡ª
After what felt like an eternity, Moon Moon reached its target.
It slid its paw inside one of the goblin holes, and then it unleashed hell inside. The safe snow bunker was instantly turned into an oven, the goblin perishing with a scream of agony.
"W-what the actual hell?!" The Nord''s eyes bulged. One could hunt like that?! He turned toward the gleeful Jack. Seriously, who was the teacher here?!
"Guess I won." Jack gloated, making a victory sign.
The Nord seemed soulless as they cleaned the remaining goblins and even went toward the following target: Ice Raptors.
They were very aggressive hunters. Their usual strategy was to attack from both the front and the back to wear down their victims.
This time the man changed his wording: The ¡ª> One
"This is one way to hunt them. You put a shield behind yourself, and then you clear the ones in front of you." Here, watch.
The Raptors weren''t that big, but they were fast, and their ws and fangs were deadly sharp! Plus, their bluish ice scales were sturdy and could take a beating.
The Nord wielded a spear to impale them as they charged toward him, using their momentum against them while the shield protected him. He looked he cool!
Then it was their time to try:
Jack and Moon Moon put themselves back to back as they spewed mes all over the ce. But even then, they had a lot of trouble.
They barely managed to kill two raptors out of the nine raptor pack, sending the rest fleeing after an extremely long time.
Both fell to the ground, struggling to catch their breath. Without the frost training to resist the elements and the Igloo training to recuperate afterward, they would have perished.
"This really was a bad attempt," Jack grumbled afterward.
"Hehe, do not worry. Everyone has to start somewhere." The Nord gentlyforted while inwardly rejoicing. Thismon-sense-defying bastard had finally hit an obstacle!
"You''re not wrong. This was the start, and now it''s time for version 2.0!" Jackpletely agreed, giving his teacher a terrible feeling.
A few hourster¡
"Muahahaha! Die, die, all of you die!!!" A youngster cackled as he pierced the skulls of incapacitated ice raptors, a despairing Nord by the side.
What the fuck was this?! This wasn''t hunting: this was butchering!
In the middle of the snow, there was a fantastic barbecue. It sent a waft of an alluring, mouth-watering smell, enticing the nearby raptors.
They''d approach, carefully sending one of their own to check for danger. It would cross to the other side without any issue and feast on the gorgeous meat.
The others would get jealous and rush forward all at once, but theirbined weight would break the thin ice. ¡ª CRACK! ¡ª ¡ Next came the fall.
The creatures wouldnd on sharpened ice spikes and get skewered. That''s when the cackling youngster and wolf would show up.
It was a massacre, the creatures victims of their gluttony.
[Created an borated Ice Trap!]
[Is this still Igloo building?!!]
As soon as Jack was gone, he went next to the Nord, happily sping his shoulder. "Hunting is fun, isn''t it!" he remarked brightly.
"H-hunting¡."
"Hunting!"
"¡."
A long silence ensued, only broken by the cries of pain from the remaining raptor that Moon Moon was gleefully tormenting. The Nord finally spoke.
"Now, two more creatures remain left to hunt in this ce. The first is therge snowman, and then there''s the overlord of this ce¡."
Jack gave him a questioning nce as the Nord gulped.
"A-are you nning to hunt them too?" He asked, almost as if fearing the answer. His judgment told him the guy was nowhere strong enough yet¡.
"Oh? That''s really tempting!¡."
"?!?"
"¡But it really won''t be possible with my current power. It would be like tickling them with a lighter. It wouldn''t be too effective, now would it?" Jack joked.
The NPC finally heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, the crazy stunts would be over! Every time he saw the youngster hunt, he felt like getting a heart attack.
"Now you''ll apany me toward my vige, right? It should be in this direction!" The relieved Nord led the way, finally hoping to save his people.
Jack followed, a shadow of a smile on his face. A vige full of NPC sounded just right for what he had in mind¡.
Chapter 311 Traumatizing a Village
Chapter 311 Traumatizing a Vige
In a quiet vige¡
The snowstorm had raged on for so long that the residents had forgotten the sight of the sun. All that remained was cold, silence, and eternal despair.
Every day, more n members fell to the Eternal Slumber, an eternal sleep from which there was no waking up.
Many times they had tried leaving, but the snowstorm was a prison. It was easy to enter it but extremely hard to leave.
"There, all nice and cozy!" A nsman gave a satisfied nod as he nced at the grave he had just dug, his own.
This guy was a sentry. Then again, it wasn''t like they had much to watch out for. No intelligent creature would enter this deathnd voluntarily. There was just no way.
Or so he thought, as the raging wind carried a murmur¡
"?? Can you feel the heat now! My heart pumping, my blood boiling, and my legs swinging! Wolf solo time!¡. Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! ??"
Heat? What heat?! The more the sentry listened, the bigger his wry smile became. He was already hallucinating: good thing the grave was ready.
Then the audio hallucinations turned visual. A youngster happily skipped in the raging storm while singing, an orange striped wolf shaking its ass to the music.
Behind stood his brother, the man they had officially sent on a quest to save them all. Still, they knew it was nothing but a pipe dream.
Yep, he was 100% losing it!
Jack erupted in the vige, happily singing.
On the way, he observed this ce''s inhabitants. They looked as strong as entric. On his passage, their eyes would bulge as they pointed at him as if they had seen a ghost.
Their reactions were so very odd:
- Lowering oneself into a grave
- Waving exorcism tools
- Cutting one''s palm
- Laugh mindlessly
- Praise the dream
-¡
Being left stranded without any sun for so long had turned them crazy. Oh well, this didn''t matter much.
Jack reached the vige center, a bunch of Nords crowding around him.
"Hello, everyone, and wee to my TED talk! Eh, I mean, hello there! I''m Jack''O, and I''m pleased to be here. I''ll be signing autographster on. No need to worry!"
"?!?"
"I heard you guys have peeps suffering from Eternal Slumber. Why don''t you bring them here along with every magical item you guys own? For medicinal purposes, of course!"
"¡"
"¡"
"D-do you guys see this?!"
"Wait, you guys see him too?!"
"Yep. T-this means¡.mass hallucination!"
None of them even entertained the idea that the cheerful-sounding Jack could really be physically present. After all, his bright voice felt way too foreign at the moment.
It didn''t help that his contact here was on the outskirts, busy preventing his brother from burying himself alive.
"Woo! Woo woo!" (What the hell are you guys doing?! Don''t just stand there!)
The little wolf berated the vigers. Did they not want help anymore?! Why were they still standing there cluelessly when its master had given them directives?
Moon Moon waved a paw, sending a torrent of fire their way.
¡ª Whoosh!¡ª
What the hell?! Their jaws hung loose as they stared at the spectacle. They finally realized that the fire, wolf, and the weird youngster were real!
"Great, do I have your attention now? Patients! Magic items! ASAP!" Jack pped his hands, bringing them back to their senses.
"!!!!!"
That''s when the Nords all went crazy. They had so many questions! But, as they saw the youngster''s annoyed expression, they unconsciously obeyed his orders.
A few minutester¡.
Jack grinned as he nced at the treasures assembled before him. There were mythical items¡.MYTHICAL!!! They glowed a bright blue, all of the Ice element.
So what if his specialty was fire/demonic energy?! He wouldn''t say no to that! He approached them with greed in his eyes. As for the pile of patients¡who cares!!
[Mythical Brooch of the Eternal Lich King! :snowke:]
[Mythical Sword of ciation! :snowke:]
[Mythical Leg Warmer! :snowke::fire:]
"!!!"
"?!?"
But as he touched them, his tears of joy turned into tears of despair. This was such a cruel world! The only message he kept getting was [Cannot Pick Up!]
"I-is there a problem? Also¡who are you exactly?" A viger finally found the courage to ask. The man had mentioned curing the Eternal Slumber, but nothing else¡
That''s when the Nord who had guided him to this vige finally arrived, exining the situation. A few secondster, they nced at Jack with stars in their eyes.
He had managed to survive the Eternal Slumber himself?! There was no way their colleague would lie about this! How freaking amazing was this?!
They all turned toward him, bowing until their faces were literally in the snow as they asked him over and over for help.
[Eternally Slumbering Vige!]
[Quest! Help the Nords Wake Up!]
One had to know that Jack''sment had been 100% a bluff back then. He had no way to cure anyone of the Eternal Slumber that easily, "easily" being the keyword.
But, as he nced at the pile of glowing treasures assembled, he couldn''t help but believe that there was still a chance even for him.
This could actually be quite fun, even. Plus, it would increase his affinity with the vigers, which was a pretty great thing, honestly.
While they would never exit this trial area, they would still be an amazing help for him to level up quickly and efficiently, something he had been cking with.
They did puppy eyes his way¡.
"Alright, I''ll help, but!¡" they all held their breaths, hoping the condition wouldn''t be too hard. "¡I''m smacking the next one that calls me a hallucination! Humph!" Jack said.
"YES!!!!" Thunderous cheers resounded, turning the once hopeless and deadly silent vige into a warm ce.
"Woo!" (Hehe, they finally realized Master''s greatness!)
The little wolf wagged its tail happily as it watched the process. Under Jack''s directives, they built a giant igloo to house all the peacefully sleeping patients.
Then he had them grind a few mythical artifacts into a glowing powder that he used to trace a vast magical circle while cackling.
Jack especially made sure to record that part of the process. How would others react once they saw such a wasteful process? If he couldn''t bring the items out, he''d have lots of fun!!
Oh, fun fact he didn''t have the power to destroy the items himself. He relied on the Nords themselves. They cried as they scrapped their ancestral heirlooms.
"Don''t worry, guys, it will all be worth it!" Jack kept reassuring them. Still, this didn''t prevent the tears from falling.
After what felt like about a hundred heart attacks to the poor NPCs, they were finally done. Jack observed his handiwork happily before turning serious.
"Now, bring over your most prized possession, the Coming-of-Age Goblet." He ordered.
"AHH! Noooo! Please don''t!!!" They all screamed at once.
"Tch¡ª Why all the fuss? I''m not going to destroy it or anything." Jack scoffed at their terrified expressions.
They brought arge goblet made of ice that scintited even without any light a few secondster. As soon as he touched it, Jack showed a solemn expression.
"Yep, just as I thought." He sighed as he sensed the evil contained within.
Like many races in Infinite, Nords had a ritual for a youngster to be an adult. This included a powering-up blood drink and this specific artifact.
This ritual gave them powerful ice-based physiques, one that they really couldn''t do without. Hencey the issue.
The Eternal Slumber was a sentient curse. It had hidden in the goblet, thus infecting every youngster easily. After all, they would ept the power (and sneaky curse) willingly.
"W-what is it?" The Nords stared at him while shaking. Had he figured out something?
"Oh, everyone who drank from this has the curse of Eternal Slumber. They''ll develop symptoms eventually, no big deal." Jack shrugged, chuckling at their reaction.
No big deal?! How was this not a big deal?! If he was right, they were all dead men!! How was he so rxed?!
Jack didn''t let their stress affect him as he moved his hand at an incredible speed, mixing countless powdery substances: white, brown, grayish, and even purple.
He then grabbed a kettle, boiling some water before mixing everything in the Goblet artifact. Before long, a hot chocte-looking beverage was given birth.
Gulp! It looked and smelled so nice! Their eyes shone with fervor: was this the cure to the curse?! As they saw Jack stir onest time, one stepped forward.
"S-sir, should I help with distributing the medicine? How much should we give everyone? How long before it takes effect?" He nervously asked.
"Medicine? What medicine?" Jack shot him a puzzled nce. "This is hot chocte. Have you never seen it before? You can''t try it, though. This one''s mine."
"¡."
"¡"
"Yep, hot chocte is the best on a snowy day!" Jack eximed before taking a sip.
In the silence, they watched him drink his warm sugary beverage, heave in happiness, and then lie down on the floor with a silly smile. Was he¡.taking a nap?!
But that''s when they realized where he had slumped down. He was precisely in the middle of the magic circle he had drawn earlier. It was already glowing, sending him energy.
Was this voluntary or just a mistake? Just as they wondered if they should wake him up, Jack''s Nordpanion shook his head. "Just wait for the miracle to happen."
Moon Moon went to lie next to its master, guarding over him. In absolute silence, about 20 powerful-looking Nords watched over one sleeping man.
As for Jack''s current status, it would have scared them had they known.
[Curse of Eternal Slumber Activated!]
[essing the Dream Realm!]
[Good Luck!]
Chapter 312 Peaceful Dreamy Village!
Chapter 312 Peaceful Dreamy Vige!
[Curse of Eternal Slumber Activated!]
[essing the Dream Realm!]
[Good Luck!]
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Jack awoke to the chirping of birds, warm sun rays falling unto his face.
"You''re finally awake! Are you trying to ck off once again! C''mon, it''s time to hunt. Follow me!" His Nordpanion stood by his side with a teasing grin.
They were in the Nord Vige, but it was utterly different from what he had seen. Instead of Igloos, there were pces of ice all over, residents waving on his passage.
They soon reached the edge of the vige, that one sentry waving at them. "You guys sure took your time! Slowest hunter washes dishes tonight, hahaha!" He bolted awayughing.
Pfft¡ª As if an illusion of this level would affect¡.
"Youing, slowpoke?! What are you waiting for!" The Nord''s cry brought Jack to his senses.
Right, what was he daydreaming about? Jack ignored the strange feeling as he ran after his two brothers. It was a given not to abandon family, even on a hunting trip!
¡ª
Somewhere in the dream realm, an ethereal Curse trembled with satisfaction. It had already found this neer''s weakness: Family.
It had cleverly tweaked their memories to make the human brother with the two other Nords. Thus the man''s fate had been sealed, forever a prisoner of the dream.
In the peaceful dream realm, the Curse kept growing stronger.
¡ª
Jack had never been so happy.
He proudly strutted as he brought an enormous snow elk back to the vige. On the way, everyone eximed in admiration, already excited about the feast toe.
They all gathered around a huge campfire, roasting the meat until it gave a golden glow. His brother chuckled, pping his back as he pointed to the shy vige girls.
"Hehe, look like you''re popr!"
One approached while twirling her fingers, her face flushed.
"J-Jack, w-would you h-help me with practicing my dancing?" She asked while pointing at the few people already shaking their bodies.
There was much rejoicing, lots of eating, drinking, and a lovely girl nesting in his embrace. This life was simple yet beautiful, with nothing left to be desired.
Soon a peaceful night fell on the vige, every soul resting before another full day of joyful living. Jack was the same: he had alreadypletely limated.
Not only did he not resist this life, but he embraced it. It didn''t take long for days to pass, seeding one another.
From time to time, the Curse would check up on its flock. There was no problem whatsoever with anyone, not even Jack. He had genuinely fallen for the dream: he wasn''t faking.
Days turned into weeks, with Jack enjoying himself more and more.
Still, something was missing from it all. It wasn''t a big deal, but the quiet vige needed a little something extra to be a true paradise.
What made the Curse so hard to extricate oneself from was its ability to evolve. Yet, it always felt real enough never to feel fake and empty.
Jack started having fun with a few side projects.
First, he started by renovating the vige, making a few additions to render it more entertaining, nothing too big.
He started with a casino: the vigers loved to bet on the oue of the hunts. They had already been doing it: he just made it more organized.
Then he added a coliseum. It was pretty much a giant Igloo without a roof where people could sit. This allowed everyone topete and improve by fighting one another.
Afterward came the racetrack. They would use a "sled" to slide down a snowy hill. They found joy in the speed rush, plus it was another thing to bet on.
Then he introduced a French Fry stand. By heating fat from various monsters, they could get an amazingly delicious snack that quickly became extremely popr.
He even introduced a "Titty Bar" where warriors of both genders would showcase their resistance to the frost as they went around almost naked in the snow. #Totally training
Eventually, there started to be a lot of stuff to do. That''s when Jack introduced the concept of a subway to go from attraction to attraction.
By that point, the vige looked slightly weird, but the people were happy, and happy people gave good dream energy, only making the Curse stronger¡it didn''t react.
But, Jack was far from done.
He soon got bored with something so simple. In a matter of a few days, he brought the vige through a few centuries of progress.
¡ª Ding! Ding! Buy one get one for free! ¡ª
¡ª Snow Cap! Worn by Winners! ¡ª
¡ª Endorsed by Jack''O! ¡ª
In the quiet and not-so-tiny vige, glowing advertisement billboards showcased slogans as they sold whatever product. But, Jack still wasn''t satisfied.
A few dayster, he added a few red Apocalypse-looking gates. They led to other areas of the multiverse. They were stered with warnings and travel agency ads.
At this point, the vigers started to question Jack''s process slightly.
"B-brother, what''s this? Why does it look so ominous?!"
"It says this one leads to a burning Hell¡."
But he kept reassuring them that everything was going to be fine. There was no need to worry too much about it.
It didn''t take long for the vigers to conquer the multiverse, Jack soon bing renowned as the Demon King universe-wide. #Totally Hunting Training
Things still felt boring¡.
This time he created a VR game, calling it Infinite 2.0. Many vigers wanted to know what had happened to the first Infinite version. He told them not to worry about it.
Before long, every viger was diving into the new VR. They kinda liked it, especially when he added the function to create their own personal universe in-game.
More and more instances were created¡
Infinite NPC ¡ª> ying Infinite 2.0 ¡ª> Creating Infinite 3.0 In-game
Then he gave them the ability to popte their newly built world with their own NPCs, giving thetter the ability to create their world too¡the process kept repeating.
"Don''t you feel something is wrong with this world?!"
"Wow, Infinite 132 154 562 is pretty neat!"
"Is this really our vige?!"
The older peeps nced at the glowing steel Metropolis the size of a with aching hearts. Where had their simple vige gone? Depression ¡ª> Loss of power
Meanwhile, the youngsters drew infinite power from the Curse in their quest to create infinite replicas of Infinite. Consumption > Power Generated
That''s when the Curse realized that something was terribly wrong, finally noticing the mess Jack had made. For the first time, it felt fury¡
[You''ve Managed to Anger a Curse?!]
[The Curse is Awakening!]
[Get Ready!]
Chapter 313 Dream Fight!
Chapter 313 Dream Fight!
The entire Dream Realm Trembled, the Curse Awakening. That''s when the dreamers started waking up, Jack included.
"Oh, guess I didn''t conquer the multiverse after all ~ sucks." He pouted, stating the obvious.
For a while, he had believed this to be Reality. But, now that he thought about it, aplishing all this in a week was a bit of an exaggeration.
He nced at the City he had built.
It had all thefort of a modern city, docked spaceships used as flying buildings, various alien species they had grabbed from whatever corner of the multiverse, and more.
He would certainly be missing the living chocte elephants, his aquarium mermaids, and that one orange-peeling chaos dragon.
Nords ran all around in panic as they pointed to the bleeding sky.
"Where the hell are we?!"
"There''s something wrong with this ce!!!"
"What''s happening right now?! I''m so confused!!!"
Jack hollered at them all, grabbing their attention before reassuring them. "Don''t worry. It''s just the Apocalypse. You''re all going to die! Oh, and hi, I''m Jack!"
"AHHHHHH!!!!" As they screamed, many disappeared from the dream realm, the shock too big for their spirit.
"Perfect log out! Hehe, just in time to take care of this whole mess." The bleeding sky slowly took a shape he knew very well: the assassin who had killed him.
The man''s shadowy hood emitted an evil aura as he locked unto him. But a secondter, its body started morphing, soon turning into¡. A tiny goldfish?!
"Oh no! My nemesis, a goldfish!" Jack exaggeratedly eximed.
The Curse finally realized that using fears against this crazy man wouldn''t work. His genuine fears were too hard to read! It started morphing once again.
[The Curse Is Taking Physical Shape!]
Jack grinned. This was still his domain, his City. As he pressed a button, deafening music erupted from countless speakers: Boss Music.
"You better take a shape worthy of my hype, you bastard." At this moment, there was no hint of fear in his voice, only eagerness.
The Curse kept morphing, a ball of blood and darkness. But then it finally settled on a shape. "Damn, so handsome!" Jack couldn''t help but praise.
[Eternal Slumber Curse!]
This new enemy looked exactly like Jack, but a shadow version! Wasn''t he praising himself by extension!! The bystanders didn''t know how to react to this.
The creature overflowed with so much power, its mana corrupting the very fabric of the world around it. Yet Jack was still smiling brightly.
"Hahahaha, shall we get started!" He screamed as he tapped a button. What happened next was so over-the-top that seeing it made many NPCs DC.
- Spaceships dropping bombs
- Android-piloted mechas flying in
- Magical arrays lighting the entire world
--sized aliens gulping the enemy down
Jack was taking advantage of the dream realm. Magic and technology created an impossibly powerfulbination. But, no matter what he used on the Curse, it didn''t budge.
"Wasting your time, you are." The Curse scoffed at Jack''s efforts.
"Damn, you''re talking like that?! You should have taken a small green appearance!" Jack kept cackling as the fight raged on.
Then the Curse counterattacked. It teleported behind Jack and started smacking him around. He flew into building after building, wrecking them.
"Dammit! This was a replica of the Babel Tower!" He extirpated himself from the rubble as heined, peeved.
¡ª Smack! CRASH! Smack! CRASH! ¡ª
It was an unending cycle of pping, crashing, and suffering. Every time, Jack would emerge whileining about how X building had been his favorite for Y or Z reasons.
But, the more it happened, and the fainter his body became, his spirit slowly eroding. There was only so much that he could do against the Curse. It was a god in this ce.
"Giving up, you should. Kill you, I will." The Curse issued an ultimatum.
It would extinguish the mortal''s spirit forever. It would take a lot of energy, but it would seed eventually. It didn''t matter if it took a day or a year.
"Hehe, try your best!" Even while losing, Jack didn''t lose courage.
"As you willl¡." The Curse shrugged.
¡ª Smack! CRASH! Smack! CRASH! ¡ª
The Nord bystanders saw it all happen, clenching their fists as they cursed their weakness. But all they could do was watch¡ª and disappear when Jack''s body collided with them.
He was bing fainter and fainter until he finally couldn''t endure anymore. There was no winning against a god. It was impossible¡.
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Back in the real world, more and more Nords were awakening.
They would all wake up the same way: coughing blood from intense shock as they bit their tongues.
"Father, you''re back! You''re finally back! Thank God!" A viger rejoiced at their rtive regaining consciousness.
"No!!!" (X13!) The mighty shouts made the Igloo tremble, scaring the bystanders. What was happening?!
"God had nothing to do with it. Thank Jack!" The recently awakened Nords all nced toward the youngster who had saved them.
He seemed to be peacefully sleeping, yet they knew the suffering he was enduring inside the dream realm. Even now, his spirit was at risk as he fought the Curse.
"From now on, he will be an Eternal Friend of our n! In life, in death, and all over the multiverse!" they powerfully eximed, many ncing at them confused.
They established a defensive perimeter around the sleeping man and his wolf. At this moment, if a god came to disturb him, they would freaking fight it!
"Guard our savior!" They shouted, tears in their eyes.
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"Is that all you can do?!" A youngster taunted an unbelievably strong evil, all the while getting smacked around relentlessly.
¡ª Smack! CRASH! Smack! CRASH! ¡ª
His body was getting fainter and fainter. By now, he looked like a ghost, utterly translucent. As for the remaining dreamers, they had long been ejected out.
But just as he was enduring the beating, a string of notifications suddenly appeared.
[Affinity ++++++++!]
[Eternal Friend of the Nord!]
[Babies will be named after you!]
[Men and women alike will idolize you!]
Wow! They sure had been impressed. Wasn''t there one too many + after the affinity line?! Also, what was up with the baby names? Would they be named Jack or Jack''O?
Those were hisst thoughts as he was smacked into oblivion.
The Curse stood alone in the dream realm. Even now, it felt rage: that living error had screwed everything up for it! Still, at least he was gone forever¡.
¡ª Woosh! ¡ª
But a secondter, a man reappeared in the dream realm. Not only was Jack back, but his spirit was intact again!
"How?!"
"Oh, I have an array for that. Anyway, let''s keep ying, shall we? Let''s do this a few thousand times, alright? Don''t go limp on me, now!" Jack winked.
At that moment, the Curse turned pale. Its palm already hurt from pping! As for Jack, he was already practicing his glorious return speech.
The smacking sound returned, but this time with a slight variation¡
¡ª Smack! CRASH! Smack! CRASH! ¡ª
¡ª Sob, Sob, Sob! ¡ª
It was the Curse crying...
Chapter 314 Village Renovation!
Chapter 314 Vige Renovation!
A sleeping youngster suddenly flipped upward.
"Yep, that was a nice nap." He casuallymented. He had finally settled against a great speech in the end.
Tons of tearful glowing eyes stared at him with emotion. He was back, he had survived! A secondter, the entire vige was kneeling before him, showing their gratitude.
He hadn''t only saved the dying ones, but also the livings, for he had brought hope back. He had singlehandedly saved everyone in their vige.
"Thank you so much!" They were choking so much that they could barely speak.
Even with all his scheming, a smile escaped Jack at this moment. He could rte to their bliss at reuniting with their family, but he then returned to his senses.
"Alright, everyone, there''s something else we must do now. I''ll be counting on everyone to help me with¡ª"
"We''ll do it!! We''ll work until our bodies crumble!" They didn''t even care what it was. They would do it.
Thus began a New Event¡.
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As Jack guided his new s?l?a?v?e?s? allies, the rest of Infinite was going crazy.
Jack hadn''t noticed anything, but while he had been having fun within the Dream Realm, a disaster had happened everywhere else.
It hadn''tsted too long, but for about an hour something crazy had happened ¡ª> Lag!
It wouldn''t have been too strange in any random old game, but it was the first time it happened in Infinite!
Self-proimed experts kept trying to figure out the reason, but they simply couldn''t. The devs didn''t even bother to release a statement either.
Many saw this as an opportunity to determine where the Infinite servers were located. Only a major disaster would have affected such a big yet mysteriouspany.
Nothing, there was nothing at all.
They could never have imagined that a single yer was responsible for all that mess, not even in their wildest dreams. Jack''s infinite Infinities had managed to overload the game system.
At that moment, the topic was trending on all social media tforms. #Mysterious Lag! #Find The Servers #Infinite''s Downfall?
That''s when a particr video went viral.
A red-cloaked man stood in front of arge crowd as he preached loudly.
"Join the Demon King''s Church and witness miracles! Our God is conquering the world as we speak! I only wish for time to stop so we can bask in his glory forever!"
Right after his speech, the world startedgging. Time stop? Lag? It was such uncanny timing! Many jokingly med him and his speech.
"Hehe, this is obviously our God''s doing! Can you feel his power, can you?!" The head cultist not only didn''t deny it but encouraged it.
Many scoffed at how ridiculous this sounded. His "god" was actually a yer: as if a lone individual could have caused it all.
Yet, what they thought didn''t matter as countless users started joining the Church one after the other. Arguments could be heard all over Sprigfield:
"What, you joined them?! Don''t tell me you really believe his lies!!"
"Who cares! It looks fun, and they have some bitching style!"
Many really loved the edgy red outfits. Then there was the whole sense ofmunity, for they were probably the most united faction out there.
So what if they were a little crazy? Role-ying a cultist was cool!
But, this wasn''t the only impact. No, the biggest one was undoubtedly on the NPCs. To them, this wasn''t justg: it was their reality crumbling.
Many panicked as they searched for salvation from this Apocalyptic event. The head cultist now had a new shiny system window:
NPCs want to join your Church!
- Crazy Dave has applied!
- Random Joe has applied
- Lonely Widow has applied!
- ¡
As for his answer¡
"Everyone is wee in the Demon King''s Church, even gods! Let the world tremble, let it know of our greatness, and let us overshadow the sun itself, hahaha!"
An unending crazyugh kept echoing in Sprigfield as a satisfied cultist nced in Timber City''s direction with a longing gaze.
"We''ll follow in your footsteps, my Lord!"
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Jack shuddered with a strange feeling.
Was someone talking behind his back? Oh well, it was probably just his allies wondering what he was up to.
He observed the Nords who kept piling up snow as if their lives depended on it. They were akin to zombies, not showing the slightest trace of exhaustion.
From time to time, a viger would remark how crazy the thing they were building seemed, only for others to erupt inughter.
"Pfft¡ª You think this is crazy?! You should have seen what he built in the Dream Realm! It was, it was¡.I can''t even describe it!! Now, THAT was crazy!!"
They were hard at work, building Fort Kickass. At this rate, the peaceful vige would soon be turned into a single castle sorge it touched the sky.
Yet, even that was nothingpared to the skyscrapers from the dream realm. He really had expanded their horizons with his previous stunt.
Why was he even building it? They had no idea, but they did not care one bit.
Jack kept strolling through the vige, barking orders.
"I want the floor even more slippery than a lubed cucumber!"
"Polish those mirrors! I want to see my past and future in them!"
"Reinforce the foundation. We don''t want it to copse on us randomly!"
"Add more cracks to these tiles! They should be as easy to break as a depressed teenager''s self-esteem!"
"Yes, yes, just like that!! Ah, make sure the spikes are sturdy and sharp. I want it to be able to pierce the world itself!"
He was everywhere, barely doing anything himself, and yet no one minded. They would simply shout a powerful "Yes, Sir!" as they kept working.
Slowly but surely, a monstrous castle was erected. It looked horrendous, and it was positively unsuitable for living. After all, it was filled to the brim with traps.
Still, the Nords rejoiced as theypleted it. Well, all but the one who had witnessed Jack y with snow in the past. He had a terrible feeling about this.
"You''re 100% sure this is safe, right?" He asked once more.
"Of course! Do you think I''m a fool!" Jack reassured.
But a few secondster, loud bellows echoed. ¡ª GAOOO!!! ¡ª This time, it wasn''t Moon Moon imitating. No, it was the real thing, and they were fucked!
Chapter 315 — GAOOO!!! — (1/2)
Chapter 315 ¡ª GAOOO!!! ¡ª (1/2)
The entire d Trial rumbled.
"May the gods have mercy on our soul. It''s happening again!!!" That one Nord eximed as he remembered what had happened to Jack''s previous ice castle.
The ground shook, and the ever-continuous snowstorm outside the vige was overshadowed by the screams and the trembling.
It sounded like an Avncherge enough to engulf the whole world was heading their way. But really, it was even worse, for this was an enormous monster wave!
All the creatures they had seen back then were showing up again, hundreds and even thousands of them! How were they supposed to survive this?!
The Nords clenched their fists, knowing they would perish soon. Even then, they chuckled as they smiled: it was better to die fighting than sleeping eternally!
"There''s just onest thing remaining to do," Jack murmured as he grabbed their treasure Goblet, heading into a closed room. What was he up to?
Many hammering sounds echoed, soon followed by painful howls and despair-inducing sobs. Seriously what the heck was happening in there?!
As he came back out, he had a huge grin. It seemed like he had seeded in whatever he was doing.
"Everyone, gather up! Let''s share onest drink, shall we!" He called out as he brought the Goblet back out.
¡What the hell had happened to it?! The artifact was now crooked and had a dark hue that seemed positively demonic!
It contained a ck liquid that he started pouring for everyone. Not only was it bubbling, but screams were heard from it¡
"A toast to you all! Gulp!"
"?!?"
"¡."
They drank it all, resolved to die for their savior.
A secondter, they were convulsing on the ground. Their bodies and mind had trouble limating to this new state.
"Pfft¡ª Are you worms or powerful Nords? Which is it?!" Jack thundered, taunting them.
The more they heard and the angrier they got. As if they''d give up that easily! They all rose one after the other, struggling to keep their bnce, until¡
The NPCs'' vision suddenly filled with weird screens.
[Sessfully Installed the Dream System!]
[Please Enter Your Username!]
[Wee to the Legion, "X"!]
They shared expressions full of excitement and marvel, many in their midst recognizing what this was. "Hahaha, this is crazy!" "It''s just like Infinite 2.0!" they eximed.
Jack chuckled as he saw the actual system''s reaction. It was far too baffled, having difficulty interpreting the situation as it went [D-dream S-system?! Error! Error!] over and over.
He manipted a new screen that had just appeared for him only, inputtingmands in there. This was only an illusion, but it would allow him to show the Nords anything.
[Commander Jack''O Issuing Directives!]
[Please Prepare for Castle Defense!]
[Head to Coordinates X, Y, Z!]
Every single viger got different orders. He had just created amanding tool that would work even on NPCs. So what if he was using a Curse to aplish this?
What mattered wasn''t how but the results!
Everyone was already in position before the invading monsters were even remotely close to the castle. They were already reading the detailed instructions about their jobs.
Jack felt like he was ying a real-time strategy game. He couldn''t help but feel excited. This was truly freaking fun.
That''s when the enemy army finally arrived.
The most noticeable entity was definitely the gigantic Ice Tortoise. Ice sprites kept spawning around it, some even as big as a human.
< Primordial Ice Tortoise of Doom Lv 70! :snowke::snowke::snowke:>
As for the ragtag ice monsters that could be found all over, they were marching onward by the side. They had long been enved and would be used as foot soldiers.
¡ª GAOOO!!! ¡ª
The creature''s bellow made many unconsciously tremble. But as they saw the glowing screen in front of them, they progressively calmed down. But right after, a mighty howl echoed.
"Woo? Woo!" (You want to y this game? You''re on!)
¡ª GAOOO!!! ¡ª
As the little wolf perfectly reproduced the Tortoise''s cry, the Tortoise suddenly stopped, utterly confused. What the heck was this?! But then it finally noticed the small wolf.
That''s when a shouting contest happened between the two. As countless ¡ª GAOOO!!! ¡ª ¡ª GAOOO!!! ¡ª ¡ª GAOOO!!! ¡ª resounded, many couldn''t help but eruptughing.
"Go, Moon Moon! Show it who''s Boss!"
"Go, Dream Team!! (Literally)"
All the tension of facing an Apocalypse-level monster wave was gone. All that remained was excitement and a desire for blood. The soldiers'' eyes even glowed red with eagerness.
¡ª Shake! Shake! ¡ª
The wave finally reached their outer walls, destroying them as if they were made of paper. The creatures then spread inside the castle with incredible momentum.
This momentum was their downfall¡.
- They slipped all over
- They got lost in mirror mazes
- They fell into bottomless pitfalls
- They were skewered by sharp spikes
- They were boiled alive with crazy hot grease
- ¡.
It was aplete massacre! The monsters supposed to have the upper hand were getting ughtered as if pigs. They didn''t stand a single chance!
At times they would throw projectiles at the vigers and evene close to encircling/reaching them, but that''s when they''d hide behind cover/disappear in secret passages.
As for navigating the battlefield, all they did was follow the orders of the Dream System, nothing else. As for who they came from¡
In the highest Watch Tower, Jack sipped on some hot chocte as he surveyed the battlefield, sending people where they were needed.
"So far, so good." He chuckled lightly.
But as if a jinx, that''s when the gigantic Ice Tortoise finally arrived. The thing was invincible, destroying everything on its way.
As for the countless traps, they might as well have been grass des! That''s when the Nords realized that they would lose this fight. But, so what? They were ready for death!
They sped their weapons solidly and¡
[Retreat! Now! ¡ª Jack''O!]
They obeyed.
As the Ice Tortoise saw the little creatures run away from it, it cried out domineeringly. ¡ª GAOOO!!! ¡ª It was this ce''s overlord, and none could challenge it!
It ultimately entered the castle, spawning infinite ice creatures. This was the end, truly. No human could resist something that insanely OP.
Yet, Jack was still smiling and sipping his hot drink...
Chapter 316 — GAOOO!!! — (2/2)
Chapter 316 ¡ª GAOOO!!! ¡ª (2/2)
Yet, Jack was still smiling and sipping his hot drink. There was a reason he had made sure to watch over the castle''s construction from start to finish, an excellent reason!
He slowly rose, grabbing arge colorful red nket. He then powerfully clenched his fist as he grinned. "Enjoy your conquest, little tortoise." That''s when he jumped off the Tower.
For an instant, the world seemed toe to a halt. But then it happened, and a slight change urred to the castle.
Everything suddenly blew up. It wasn''t as much an explosion as everything crumbling down simultaneously with incredible momentum.
That''s when they finally realized the true nature of the castle. It was one giant death trap!
The foundation gave up and made the behemoth tumble, the ceiling turned into a gigantic, the remaining walls turned into restraints, and the Towers turned into colossal skewers.
The creature cried out in pain and confusion. It was¡hurt! How?! It was destroying the human''s base and then¡.?! The Nords watched on, eyes popping, blue blood overflowing everywhere!
"I-is this really happening?!"
"This man''s a god!!"
Jack was slowly descending from the sky, gliding as if a heavenly being. His target was the screaming Tortoise. He dropped on a Tower/Skewer, entering the structure''s remains.
Before long, he was inside the creature''s body, staring at an enormous blue heart that was beating insanely powerfully.
¡ª Ba-dump! Ba-dump! ¡ª
"Hehe, that''s a tad loud, ain''t it? How about we put an end to it." He evilly chuckled as he approached the organ.
That''s when the creature bellowed once more. ¡ª GAOOO!!! ¡ª But this time it wasn''t as much an intimidating shout as one of supplication.
Sadly for it, all that Jack saw was XP, shiny, very very shiny XP. He summoned a dark me in every hand, and then¡
He unleashed the entirety of his fury on the thing.
"That''s for destroying my previous castle, you bastard!"
"That''s for not even sparing the regr Igloos!"
"That''s for spawning annoying ice creatures!"
"That''s for being obnoxiously loud!"
"That''s for the XP!!"
The damage had finally umted a little too much. That''s when the gigantic Overlord Ice Tortoise lost its heart and its life.
[#$"%"?&/$&?"]
[Analyzing Igloo Creation Skill!]
[Unbnced! Something''s Unbnced!!]
"What are you waiting for? Give me my XP already!" Jack berated.
The NPCs had helped him build the death trap that had immobilized the behemoth, but he had been the only one to deal thest killing blow.
This was a raid-level Boss that was supposed to be impossible to hunt. To exit the trial, one only had to manage to seal the creature temporarily.
If Jack remembered correctly, the usual clear method was to strike a friendship with the Nords, then use their expertise to find legendary mes to aplish the quest.
Killing it?! This had never been supposed to happen!
[Level UP!]
[Level UP!]
[¡.]
[Reached Level 34!]
[Analyzing! Error! Error!]
The system was utterly losing its mind trying to figure out where it had gone wrong. To be fair, it hadn''t.
Jack''s castle of doom was something that had taken an eternity for a builder''s guild to create in his past life.
When they had finally seeded, the monsters had long grown strong enough to resist it. It was akin to the holy grail of castles.
Where the creature''s heart once stood, a tiny crystal of ice glowed as if a tiny blue sun, an Everfrost Heart. Jack quickly grabbed it, leaving the Tortoise''s body.
A sea of Nords stared at him with veneration. He raised his fist in the air powerfully, showcasing the spoils of his victory.
"Now, who wants to eat some tortoise meat!! There''s plenty to go around!!" That''s when the realm truly rumbled, the cheers even louder than the enormous monster army.
A warm sun fell on a small peaceful Nord vige.
The Curse had been defeated, even reformed, the snowstorm surrounding the ce had disappeared with the Tortoise, and terrified monsters were scurrying away.
A small wolf took its rightful ce near its master, already salivating. Tortoise meat? It wouldn''t miss that for anything in the world!
As if on cue, the Everfrost Curse was also expiring, as they regained 100% control of their bodies. It was time to be merry and enjoy!
¡ª
Back in Timber City, many curious yers were entering the Dimensional Trial area.
Many talked with the Employment Jelly, trying to get information out of it. They had to be cautious as no one hade back alive from any trials just yet.
The trials were truly perverse difficulty-wise.
But just as they were conversing, the jelly suddenly turned silent as its body started rippling endlessly.
It seemed¡shocked?! In fact, its body had already morphed to a "?" shape. It looked so damn strange!
The creature slowly turned toward a seemingly empty corner of the white realm. The air started glowing golden, and a secondter a leaderboard appeared.
But as they checked it, they couldn''t help but gasp. What the heck was this?! There was only a single name up there.
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d Ranking: Score!
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1. #&%?! Error! Error! Jack''O!
*PS: Score based on difficulty!
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Was he hacking or something?! No, this was impossible: otherwise, he would have been banned from the leaderboard and game, right?!
There was only one exnation: the system simply didn''t know how to grade his performance! Then again, this shouldn''t have been possible either?!
Just as they were wondering what the hell happened, this appeared¡
[First d Clear: Jack''O! Congrattions! :party_popper:]
[Igloo Creation Temporarily Disabled!]
"Igloo Creation disabled?!"
"Does that mean it was bugged?"
"How can something like that even be OP?!"
"Doesn''t this guy have his own channel or something? Pancakes, right!" The yers all rushed to exit the game and connect on their favorite streaming tforms.
¡ª
As Jack exited the game, his phone lit up like crazy.
¡ª Ding! Ding! Ding! ¡ª
Pancakes had sent him so many messages. He already had heard about thest announcement, and he wanted to footage ASAP.
But just as he was replying, he suddenly noticed a post-it on a nearby wall. This was his sister''s handwriting. There was a time (soon), an address, and a name, a guy''s name.
So what if she was meeting a guy? It wasn''t any of his business. He calmly sat on his bed, rejoicing for her. But a few minutester, he rose and left their apartment.
He suddenly felt like taking a walk. If he just happened to see Lilly in passing, it would be fate... yes, fate! Yes, he would just happen to walk nearby... what was the address again?
Chapter 317 Lilly & Mobsters (1/2)
Chapter 317 Lilly & Mobsters (1/2)
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A man went from shadow to shadow as if a spy.
Jack followed Lilly''s footsteps, reaching a medium-sized building where tons of rough-looking men seemed to be gathering.
They all shared one point inmon: tattoos, lots of tattoos! The problem wasn''t the ink but the fact that they all shared the same pterodactyl one: a gang?!
What the hell had happened for Lilly to be mixed with them? Either way, he would soon know. Jack pushed the door open, entering the gang''sir.
¡ª 14 Mobsters Appeared! ¡ª
They stared his way with prating gazes.
They were not one bit friendly, staring daggers at him and zeroing in on the notepad he carried with him.
This was his cover ¡ª> Recruiter for a Security Company
He would start with a friendly greeting and get to know more about them under the guise of recruiting strong men for a contract.
"Hello everyone, I work for¡ª"
"We''re not interested. Get the fuck out!"
Their leader, an ox-like man the size of a mountain, spat out, not even letting him finish. How rude! The man approached menacingly, towering over him.
"What if I have an opportunity for you all to make lots of credits?" A few seemed to falter. "Ah, right, I saw a girl enter this ce earlier. Do you know what¡ª"
"GET OUT! And nevere back!"
The enmity was palpable. They were already cracking their knuckles, getting ready for some action. Those guys knew Lilly!
"Why don''t we resolve this like adults and¡ª" Jack tried to resolve things peacefully onest time.
"SCRAM! Our Boss already called dibs on her. She''s his: get lost!" The man bellowed as he sneered, the minions chuckling following his lead.
Dibs?! Boss?! This was BAD! As they evilly chuckled, memories shed past Jack''s eyes, images of her broken corpse.
He observed the men in the surroundings: how theyughed, how they stood, and even how they breathed.
They were amateurs, martial artists but amateurs nheless. As long as he could shock them, he could take control of the situation and get answers out of them.
He''d target the leader to subdue the others. He had to be ruthless and take them by surprise. He opened his mouth, "giving up".
"Alright, I''ll leave right¡ª"
Jack never even finished his sentence, striking as soon as he felt them lower their guard.
He wasn''t fast, nor was he strong, but it didn''t take him long to cover the short distance between him and the leader guy.
There was a cold glint of metal, the sound of flesh being prated, and a scream of surprise more than pain. Then a dagger rested on an exposed throat.
"Twitch a muscle, and you die. Do you understand?" Jack stated.
"W-what?!" A panicked hostage cried out.
The gleeful atmosphere turned dark, theughs getting stuck in the goon''s throats. Panic filled their faces, not knowing how to handle the situation.
Many stared at the blood that flowed out of the hostage''s arms. That''s when they realized they were in over their heads. This guy was crazy!
Jack grinned. Crazy was precisely the look he was going for!
"Who''s your Boss? What does he want with the girl?"
"Y-you, who the hell are y¡ª"
"Answer!"
The man scoffed, remaining silent. Fuck! Jack had miscalcted. While the man seemed like a rookie gangster, his loyalty to his "Boss" was extremely high.
But, not all was lost. The man''s subordinates were looking over, as terrified as worried. He could use this!
"Now, why don''t you all tell me everything you know? I may just spare his life if you guys cooperate. What do you say?" He gently coaxed them.
He felt his hostage squirm, seemingly about to try something. Jack put his hand on one of the man''s pressure points: one that controlled pain.
"Don''t you dare say anyth¡ª ARGGG!"
As they heard the gut-wrenching scream of agony, the subordinates shivered and opened their mouths in a hurry.
"We''ll talk, we''ll talk! Please don''t hurt him anymore!" Just like that, they started spiling a lot of information.
But, the more they spoke and the stranger''s Jack expression became. He may just have fucked up.¡
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Lilly couldn''t stop her heart from beating excitingly. Today was officially the start of her martial art journey!
- Tiger-Crushing Fist!
- Roundhouse Kick from Hell!
- Dragon Swoops from the Sky!
- Heavenly Jugr Destroying Fist!
- ¡
Those moves were so damn exciting and hard to perform! Still, there was no way she would give up! As for what had brought her here¡
¡ª
Recently she had been learning to defend herself with her brother. Whenever he took a break from gaming, Jack would show her a few moves and give her plenty of advice.
Every time she heard him talk, it would blow her mind. He was akin to a living mythical Infinite Guru! He knew everything there was to know!
But, there was just one issue. She had realized she needed a training partner if she wanted to improve. Finding one was proving to be quiteplicated:
- Her friends in Infinite were weak
- Her brother was strong but would never injure her.
- The school PE teacher was evading her ever since their duel.
She needed to expand her circles! That''s when she found the perfect ce to help her progress: Pterodactyl-Fang Dojo!
The owner was an entric that only cared about raising the ultimate students, and there were plenty of p?u?n?c?h?i?n?g? ?b?a?g?s? good brothers to practice with!
Sensei Laurent looked quite handsome for an uncle. His only w was that he''d get excited way too easily for apparently no reason. He just LOVED to exaggerate.
For instance, his eyes hadn''t stopped shining during her entrance test as he kept shouting: "Incredible!" "Such strength in this small frame?!" "Once in a millennium talent!"
He had even bowed before her, tears in his eyes as he begged her toe under his tutge. He even promised to make her the greatest warrior, whatever that meant.
This simply wasn''t necessary. She just wanted to train IRL to give herself a solid foundation to improve upon in Infinite.
Really, he was a good guy with a few screws loose.
1. He actually had money and only did the Dojo thing as a hobby.
2. All he asked in exchange for his help was for her to recognize him as her teacher once she reached greater heights¡whatever that meant.
3. He seemed convinced recruiters would magically appear to take her away. He had even instructed his students to sternly turn away anyone asking to meet her ASAP!
Still, she loved his enthusiasm and followed his teachings.
She''d do her best to copy the moves he showed her. It was hard at first, but it was getting easier and easier. Sess after countless failures felt so exhrating!
Pushing one''s limits was the best feeling in the world!
She could finally understand why Sensei Laurent yed Dojo instructor. It was super fun! Still, she couldn''t wait until they were done with the basic easy moves!
She would train diligently and evolve into a badass Lilly 2.0 ...or even 3.0! Then she''d show her brother all her cool new moves. How impressed would he be?!
She hadn''t told him anything about this since she wanted to surprise him. At this moment, he was probably kicking ass in Infinite, right?
She kept focusing on her training, a small smile on her lips.
Meanwhile...
Chapter 318 Lilly & Mobsters (2/2)
Chapter 318 Lilly & Mobsters (2/2)
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As he watched his new student training, Sensei Laurent Felt the world spin. Monster! She was an utter andplete monster!
One of his old students, now a PE teacher at a rich girl''s school, had called him in tears begging him to keep a certain girl busy so she''d stop challenging him.
Back then, he had thought it to be an exaggeration¡.NOPE!
Lilly simply wasn''t human!
Even now, she was performing moves that even his best students had trouble pulling off! She hadn''t even flinched at the "Heaven", "Hell", and "Dragon" in the names.
Seeing her practice made him feel like he had wasted all his life. She''d soon reach his level. Yet, he couldn''t help but cheer her on from the sidelines, a huge grin on his face.
She was so diligent and an incredibly kind soul.
Even with her impossible talent, she wasn''t the least bit arrogant. He''d often hear her mumble about catching up to her brother and berating herself for her mistakes.
Please! What catching up?! She had to be misunderstanding something for sure! Either that or the man was a cyborg!
She kept performing the moves, growing more and more confident. From time to time, she''d glow green, the poor girl seemingly oblivious to her own powers.
As for the actual training¡
Laurent was already racking his brain, wondering what he''d teach her the next day. As for in a week or month¡.would he still have the qualifications by then?
But just as he was deep in thoughts, he suddenly froze. Wait¡what?! He could feel a disturbance!
This room waspletely soundproof, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but his instinct was warning him. Something was happening!
His gaze turned solemn as he nced at the youngdy. It probably concerned her, right?
In the beginning, he had been worried about other martial arts club recruiters trying to steal her. But now that he had seen her power, he feared something far sinister.
Laurent nervously fiddled with the device in his pocket: hopefully, he wouldn''t have to blow another city up¡
"I''ll be right back, Lilly. Train well!"
"Yes! I''ll master these basic moves ASAP!!"
He almost choked when he heard "basic," but he calmed himself, leaving the hidden training room. He could already sense a tornado of negative emotions: fear and anger.
"Here goes nothing."
He opened the door decisively, just in time to see a youngster holding a knife to his eldest student''s throat. Oh god, Bob?! He had to deescte the situation and¡ª
Just as he was getting ready for the worst, the situation turned strange as both startedughing.
"Pfft¡ª Wait, so you guys aren''t kidnappers?!"
"Pfft¡ª So you aren''t a recruiter?!"
"That''s such a relief!" (X2)
The captor moved the knife away, even helping the victim up. The two then started conversing with one another as if everything was normal.
"Sorry about the stabbing, and don''t worry about your arms. They''ll be as good as new in a few weeks or days with medicine."
"All good, brother! It''s my fault: I misunderstood the notepad and then got angry and... Still, you went 1 v 14 to save your sister. That''s awesome!!"
"No, no, you''re exaggerating. It''s nothing that great."
"What are you talking about? It''s¡."
They kept going back and forth like two old friends, one still bleeding. Laurent stood still, gawking at the crazy duo. But then he finally recognized the youngster.
"It''s you!!" Sensei Laurent screamed.
This was the youth from the homeless man incident, the one with a genius-level perception! Jack turned his way.
"I''ve heard from these guys that you''re teaching my sister. Thanks for that and sorry for all the mess." The youngster politely bowed.
Sister?! He was the brother Lilly kept mumbling about?! The world sure was a small ce. Wait, wasn''t this an opportunity? He''d have him join the Dojo in the guise of making amends!
He made sure to look as stern as humanly possible.
"As you said, you really made a mess and¡ª"
"~Teacher, please forgive him already!"
"A big mess: there''s so much blood all over and¡ª"
"~Teacher, I''ll wipe the blood!"
"An incredible mess. All that emotional distress and¡ª"
"~Teacher, I''m fine!"
"¡."
"¡."
Laurent took a deep breath, staring daggers at his pig-like student. He then uttered as quickly as possible:
"A huge mess! I''ll only forgive you if you join us, first passing the entrance test!! Let''s start right now!!"
¡ª Hopeful Teacher Noises ¡ª
"Fine, but martial art isn''t my strong suit." Jack finally sighed.
Not his strong suit?! Who was he trying to fool?! They all made a circle around the two of them, Laurent quickly showing the youngster a few moves, instructing him to copy them.
- Flowing palm strikes
- Bncing Crane Position
- Dexterous Ape''s Catching Pose
- ¡
After every single exercise, the students eximed in awe. Jack was so good! It was as if he had done those movements a million times!!
"You got this, brother Jack!"
"He''s a natural!"
But the more they eximed and the more Laurent frowned. No, there was something wrong. He wasn''t doing the actual movements he had shown him, just simr ones.
Talent wasn''t a measure of proficiency but of one''s ability to improve quickly. This youngster didn''t have an ounce of talent. None at all!
"Talentless¡ª"
"~Teacher, are you blind?!"
Laurent ignored the students'' protest as he and Jack exchanged a nce, the youngster smiling meaningfully. ''Didn''t I tell you?''
A talentless older brother protecting his little sister who had all the talent in the world. Heaven could be so unfair! How much suffering had he endured to reach this level?
"I can see why she idolizes you¡." Laurent chuckled.
"~Teacher, you mean he passed?! Awesome! Ah, you haven''t even seen the best part! He can look really scary when he wants! Jack, do the eyes!!!" The student rejoiced.
The eyes? What was this about? Laurent looked on, curious. That''s when IT happened: a gaze he would forever remember.
For an instant, the youngster disappeared.
He was reced by an old man. No¡a broken thing, a creature who had long stopped being human, one only fueled by its obsessions.
It was a monster that would do anything to reach its goal.
Even if the world stopped, it would remain.
Its grasp seemed to engulf the universe.
Unending pain and sorrow¡
"~Teacher? Are you alright? You seem a little pale."
Laurent returned to his senses, his legs shaking as he stared at the youngster. At this moment, he found himself thanking the Heavens that such a being was talentless!
Was Lilly a monster? No, she was a sweet girl with too much power.
This thing was a true monster¡or could be one.
"Take good care of her, alright?"
It wasn''t a request. It was a warning. Laurent gulped, fearing what the world would be if anything happened to "Lilly".
¡ª Ding! ¡ª
The youngster''s cellphone beeped, and he suddenly seemed slightly nervous. "Well, gotta go. I have a date, haha. Take care, everyone!"
The ordinary-looking youngster left peacefully, leaving a teacher scared shitless in his wake...
Chapter 319 Just a Coffee...
Chapter 319 Just a Coffee...¡¡¡¡¡ª Ding! ¡ª
"You''ve reached your destination!"
Was this really the right ce? Jack nced at the sign with doubtful eyes: "Super Neko Maid & Butler Caf¨¦!" Well¡.he was here for a coffee, so probably?
He pushed the doors open, finding himself in a world of cosy and happy chatter. It wasn''t just the employees that were dressed up, but many customers too.
Jack couldn''t help but stare at the scene. It was almost as colorful as Infinite! A cute girl with brown hair and piercing green eyes weed him with a bow.
"Wee, master!" The girl was pretty enough to be a model.
As he saw her, he froze. Was he crazy or¡?
She happily guided him toward a table, ready to take his order. But at this moment, he didn''t care much about food or drinks and kept staring at her.
No, he wasn''t crazy! Her features were different from the game, but it was Bubblegum, alright! Others wouldn''t have noticed, but his instinct told him it was her!
Pfft¡ª Was she trying to surprise him?
A young manager was subtly staring their way from the back, her eyes shining. Should he point the ruse out already?
No¡ying along would be way more fun! He slowly checked the menu, particrly the performance section: meals served with a small show.
~ Super Neko Combo (Super Neko Imitation Nyan!)
~ Love-Love Omelet (Condiment Drawing)
~ Birthday Special (?Singing for You!?)
~ Dance Dance Eggolution (Dancing!)
~ ¡.
Jack nced at Bubblegum with incredible seriousness. "I''ll take¡" he then enumerated all the performance dishes.
"Whaaaa?! A-are you sure?!"
"Very!"
"¡"
"¡"
Just when Bubblegum was about to falter, the manager appeared. Her blond hair was as brilliant as her smile as she nced at her friend, who seemed in a pickle.
"Don''t worry, Master! She''ll be right back with the food!" She impishly chuckled as she doomed the poor Bubblegum, dragging her toward the back.
They were back a few minutester, with enough dishes to feed an army.
The other customers were astonished at first but ended upughing soon after. "Wow, a show''s starting!" "Miss maid, I don''t think he''s actually here for the food, hahaha!"
She went from dancing to singing to finishing her sentences with Nyan in one sitting. Her face had long turned utterly crimson, yet she kept going. ~ So cute!!!
Jack was looking at her, nodding approvingly. At one point, he even imitated an orchestra conductor, swaying his fork following the music.
Then came the condiment writing.
"What should I write, Master?"
"Woo!"
She couldn''t help but chuckle. She had heard this so many times in Infinite. The other customers were baffled, but she understood.
Afterward, she sat in front of him, mentally exhausted. Who knew being a maid could be so tiring! In retrospect, this had all been a trap from her "close" friend!
"When did you two even n this?!"
"n? We didn''t. I just wanted to see you dance. "
"T-then when did you realize that I was disguised?!"
"Oh, as soon I saw you. I''d recognize you anywhere."
¡ª Crash! ¡ª
The sound of ss shattering echoed. The manager was trembling, stars in her eyes. He''d recognize her friend anywhere?! How crazy romantic was that?!
Why was the bystander getting so excited? Even now, she was giving Bubblegum a huge thumb up.
"¡."
"¡."
That''s when the two decided to run away.
They strolled around peacefully as they talked, and it felt so natural. So what if their appearances were different? For the first time in forever, Jack opened up.
¡ª
"So I went to this Dojo, and I¡."
"Pfft¡ª You guys just made peace afterward?!"
¡ª
"Did you see the Roomba video?¡"
"You saved your family from debt with a video?!"
¡ª
"Wait¡how am I the reason you''re ying Infinite?!"
"I was just joining casually, but then we had lots of fun, so I kept ying, haha¡."
¡ª
"My sister recently started ying too. I want to help her, but I don''t want to ruin the experience for her either."
"Tch¡ª So sensible! What happened to the Jack who shoved all that info inside me?! Then again, info''s not the only thing that you¡."
¡ª
"You know, I was in a really bad ce before. But then a miracle happened, and I got a second chance at life. Part of me is scared to mess things up.
"I understand this more than you know. But so what if you mess up a bit? We''re both human, Jack. No one expects you to be a god¡.well except that one cultist¡."
¡ª
Jack had initially been nning for a short meeting before returning to Infinite, but hepletely lost track of time.
From time to time, they''d visit random ces that looked interesting.
¡ª
At a gun range, he saw her badass side. She yfully challenged him to a duel, one that he lost badly. Before he knew it, other people wanted to join too.
She defeated them all, even an active policeman!
Every time, she''d show a mischievous grin before pulling the trigger. Then her sma bullets would hit the target head-on, obliterating it.
"Damn, you''re good! Where did you even learn to shoot?"
"I was kidnapped once, so I trained."
Shepletely glossed over said guns being restricted and unavable to the public.
¡ª
At a small attraction park, he saw her childish side. She insisted on trying everything that looked fun, even the rides usually meant for kids. She went wild in the bumper car ring!
"Muhahaha, I am the bumper overlord!"
"Bumper overlord?! Wait till I ram you!"
Both of thempletely ignored the bystanders giving them weird nces.
¡ª
At aser-tag ce, he saw herpetitive side. They faced one another inside the neon-glowing yground, shooting happily. The other yers soon understood one thing.
Encountering Jack or Bubblegum ¡ª> Instant Annihtion.
Their names stood proudly at the top of the leaderboard. But soon, they realized something else. Jack > Bubblegum. He won every single duel!
She was the better shooter and was even an assassin in Infinite. Yet he always managed to get her from the back! It was so irksome!
"You, why are you always behind me?!"
"The view''s nice¡."
¡ª
At a rodeo, he saw her down-to-earth side. She didn''t mind the mud or how unsophisticated the ce was. She was simply having fun.
"Hey,e check this pig! It''s so cute!"
"Not as cute as you, but yes."
He found himself spouting cheesy lines like an idiot. Still, it was worth it just to see her smile.
They soon watched the main event, mutated bulls running after clowns jumping around in power suits. The whole thing looked as silly as epic, the fans cheering endlessly.
"Dodge it! Hurry! Not that way!" She cheered along, her eyes glowing and her slender fists raised high.
The show was great, yet he found himself observing her more and more, from her messy hair to her cool yet practical ck sneakers.
He was brought back to his senses by an announcement.
"Ladies and gentlemen. Now is the long-awaited amateur challenge! Does anyone from the crowd want to give it a try? Just be aware, it''s super incredibly dangerous!"
Jack gave a nce at the mutated bulls. Evading them was harder than it seemed, for they had a unique ability: a sixth sense. They could guess their opponent''s movements.
As Jack stood up, volunteering, he instantly became the crowd''s focus.
"Oh? We have a valiant hero! Alright,e on down, you s?u?i?c?i?d?a?l? courageous guy!" The announcer cried out.
As Jack came down, a few event organizers were freaking out. Who the hell was this guy?! This was actually a nned event, with a professional scheduled to participate.
As Jack arrived near the challenge ring, a few employees were ready to stall him long enough for their boss to show up and exin the situation.
"It seems there''s a problem with the suit! We''ll get you another one. Just wait a minute!" They uttered the perfect excuse¡ª or so they thought.
"Oh, no need." Before they could react, Jack entered the ring, closing the door behind him.
That''s when the executives felt like their hearts would stop. Not only was there a civilian in the ring, but he was gearless to boot?! He was 100% dead!
But it was toote: a mutated bull was already charging.
Jack finally saw her worried side. Bubblegum even grabbed a sma gun from god knows where ready to shoot the thing. He gestured for her to stay put with a small smile.
The bull was an opponent Jack could never hope to run away from or defeat if only physical capabilities were concerned. But he didn''t have to.
"You have a sixth sense, right? Sense this!"
He used the same trick as earlier with the Dojo Teacher. For an instant, he reverted back to his broken self, one that would cause unending suffering to anyone slighting him.
The bull sensed the change. Tricked by its ability, it saw Jack as an impossible obstacle to ovee.
Gasps and screams of fear resonated. The man was doomed. He''d get trampled and!¡ª The bull suddenly stopped, groveling at the man''s feet.
"There, there. Good bull." As they saw the madman pet the monster, everyone froze.
What?! How?! A few secondster came the thunderous cheers. But more importantly, she was smiling, radiantly so.
The two left quickly, not minding the event organizers trying to recruit him or the crazed fans cheering him on.
They finished the day with plenty of noiseints. At the hotel, he saw her passionate side, not that it was the first time. That''s when he realized he may just have fallen¡
In the morning, a chuckling Lilly spotted him as he returned.
"So, how was the coffee?"
"Delicious."
As if running away, Jack hurriedly connected to Infinite. But as soon as he spawned, he couldn''t help but stare.
What the hell had happened while he was away?!
Chapter 320 Summer Heat!
Chapter 320 Summer Heat!¡¡¡¡As Jack spawned, he couldn''t help but gasp for breath.
What the hell had happened here?! Pearls of sweat instantly formed on his forehead, slowly trickling down his face. Timber City was extremely hot!
But that''s when he saw the Trial Towers above. One of them was radiating powerful fiery gales like a colossal heater.
[Wee back to Infinite!]
[Sessfully Damaged a Trial Land!]
[Quest! Ice Tortoise''s Death Aftermath!]
[Acquired Title: World Destructor +DMG to Realms!]
What the actual F?!
There were already a few yers pointing his way.
Jack instantly ran into an alley, disguising himself anding back out afterward. He went to check on the trial Tower, and the whole thing was a mess, yers crowding.
The poor Jelly NPC was half-melting from the heat and couldn''t even create a coherent sentence. [Welc¡ª Error Error! Trial L%#$!]
1. Sknd
2. ¡ª¡ª¡ª
3. Hellish Scape
The d Trial was totally inessible.
The culprit was obvious¡.but thankfully, the leaderboard was a yer-only function.
The elemental bnce had been broken, and the climate had changed as a result. The only way to possibly return things to normal would be to shatter the other two. But how?!
Jack''s gaze turned resolute. It was time for a big move!
Without hesitating, he nced at the fiery, hellish portal and¡ª left. Yep, no freaking way he was heading in there to die! He''d just end up with a curse!
He quickly arranged a meeting with his people.
~ In a small Teashop ~
"Everyone, we have to do something about this heat!" Jack powerfully dered, his audience''s eyes lighting up. Of course, their Boss had a n!
"I''m talking travel agencies, lemonade stands, refreshing pools, ice cubes sold as a luxury item, and ice-enchanted weapons! So much gold potential!"
"?!?"
"The climate in Sprigfield and the Capital should still be the same for now. Let''s exploit this hot weather while we still can!!"
0_0
The demon shyly raised his hand. "Boss, the heat is increasing by the second. In a few weeks, there won''t be any life left in this ce¡."
[The Situation is Dire! Will you¡ª]
"Precisely! We only have a few weeks, so get to work, everyone!" Jack enthusiastically pped his hands, dismissing employees and system windows alike.
The NPCs were freaking out, the yers were excited about the challenge, not understanding how difficult it would be, yet Jack only cared about business?!
At this moment, he seemed utterly mad!
The thing was, even he wasn''t sure how to solve this issue. The only reason he had defeated the Tortoise was the Igloo Creation skill.
The two remaining behemoths would be the Eternal Wind Destroyer and the Ginormous Fiery Mad Snail if he remembered correctly.
This gave him two objectives:
- Devise an OP flying device
- Find a way to create infinite water
The two were near impossible. He had to somehow remember bugs/exploits that he could use to clear that. Otherwise, he''d spend the rest of his life trying to defeat them.
God, this was such a pain! Why was it that every time he did something, the system would create a disaster associated with it?!
Oh well¡ he''d just have to keep thinking. At least someone was enjoying the new weather. Jack nced amusedly at hispanion¡
"Woo!" (This is kind of fun!)
The little wolf was jumping around in excitement; it felt so warm! They could have trounced the traitorous snow if they had this heat in the d trial!
Just as Jack was lost in thoughts, a messenger ran to him. "Sir, the Union is organizing a meeting! They beg of you to dispense your wisdom, my Lord!!" He bowed lowly.
Jack couldn''t help but chuckle. They wanted his help? He was the one that had caused the problem in the first ce!
It was like asking an arsonist to work at a gas station or a serial killer to be a cop. It was the worst decision ever! Oh well, he would give advice, alright! The best kind of advice!
"Alright, lead the way."
"Thank God! Follow me, Sir!"
A scheming grin already adorned his face. Oh, this would be fun! Whether his advice would actually help the City was an entirely different matter¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
"Gasp!" A man sweaty all over suddenly woke up.
What was up with this insupportable heat?! Was someone torturing him? Who dared?! He was the Royal Seer, after all!
"Sir! You''re finally awake!"A maid rushed to his side.
It didn''t take him long to get up, grumbling all the while. He was in avish guest room belonging to Lord Silver. Good, the man still had a conscience.
But he quickly dismissed all thoughts about meeting his host. Who cared about him? There were Trial Towers out there! He hurried out, not minding the frantic screams of the maid.
But as he gazed upon the Towering Structures, his eyes bulged with fright. What kind of a catastrophe had happened while he was sleeping?!
He ran closer, his heart almost stopping. This wasn''t just a Disaster. It was a Cmity! The heated wind showed no sign of stopping at all!
He instantly saw through what would soon happen.
1. Difort
2. Heavy Drought
3. Spontaneous Combustion
4. Creation of a perfect Fire Biome
This was no ident, nor a natural disaster either. Someone had voluntarily destroyed one of the trialnds!
Their goal was obvious, to make the terrain perfect for a monster invasion! Fire monsters? Smanders? Elementals? Fiery Demons, perhaps? Either way, he had to stop it!
Wait, Fiery Demons?! What if the earlier demonic energy outbreak was connected?! It had to be! The Royal Seer suddenly turned pale, porting inside the Trial Tower.
A nce was all it took to confirm his hypothesis.
In passing, he saw tons of Braves crowding around a deted Jelly, others staring at empty air madly.
"~Sucks! I haven''t tried the d yet! I wanted to make a snowman¡."
"Meh, it was horrible anyway. I lost my little brother to the frost! Lil bro''s a water mage. He froze as soon as he tried casting."
The Braves really were foolish! Even now, they were casually gossiping. So what if they could revive? They were still inhabitants of this world¡
"I have to hurry up, or the entire world will be destroyed¡." The Royal Seer solemnly mumbled. That''s when Braves gathered around him.
"Is he a quest NPC?"
"Why''s he half-naked?"
"Shh¡ª Sir, do you require assistance?"
Did they want to help? Fine! "Listen well. The world is ending!¡."
He made the most glorious speech ever, enumerating the enemy''s n. He had guessed it all thanks to his incredible prescience.
But then something weird happened. As he mentioned the otherworldly invaders that had already sent their spies to infiltrate human society, they stopped listening.
"Tch¡ª Never mind, it was only a crazy conspiracy theorist." They''d sneer as they ran away. What?! The Royal Seer Spoke the truth, and yet they refused to listen¡
Little did both parties know that this NPC''s Quest was closely rted to the "Investigate" Quest they had previously received.
The Seer didn''t stay to convince them anymore, lumping all the Braves together. This time he headed toward the Commerce Union. They would listen for sure!
He powerfully pushed their HQ''s doors open, intruding upon a meeting.
"It''s urgent. We have to do something about the Heat!!" He screamed, the 20-ish merchants at the jade table ncing his way.
The man looked very silly, half-dressed and all, but the guards had let him pass even then. Who was he? Either way, they gave him a reassuring nce.
"Do not worry. We already have a n ready to deal with it!" Their smiles were so confident they almost blinded him.
The Seer choked for an instant. He had expected opposition, denial, and discord to slow down the process. But they all seemed on the same page?!
"R-really?!"
"Why don''t you take a seat." A youngster calmly offered.
It''s only then that the Seer noticed him. He wasn''t eye-catching, yet he had a certain aura of influence. All the merchants were even looking at him with admiration, all!!
The Royal Seer couldn''t help but be impressed, even looking forward to their n. The youngster took the lead, resuming the meeting.
"Now, where were we? Oh right, the East slide. Here''s my idea for this one¡."
"Ah, what about adding a part of it in the air?!"
"Oh! That sounds pretty cool indeed¡."
They enthusiastically talked more and more about something called "Water-Land". At first, the Royal Seer was confused, but the more they spoke and the stiffer his face became.
"A water park?!!! That''s your solution?! That''s bullshit!"
"¡."
"Are you all crazy?! Listen well. The world is ending! We¡ª"
Just as the Royal Seer was getting into his world-end tirade, Jack suddenly cut him off, hijacking the speech.
"First, it will be an inconvenience, then a drought, but then¡." The more he spoke, the stranger the Seer''s face became.
This was 99.9% his speech! The 0.1% remaining were improvements! Could this guy read his mind?! No, he would have sensed it¡ how was this possible?!
Jack couldn''t help but inwardly snicker. He just happened to have the forums open, reading a thread called ''Crazy Conspiracy Theorist Spotted!''
Even after his speech ended, the Seer was still shellshocked.
"T-then why¡this?" He asked weakly.
"Oh? It just happens that the tools we''ll use to build the attraction park are the same that will be needed to destroy the remaining two realms and bring bnce to the world."
"Destroy?! Shouldn''t we restore the d instead?!"
"Sigh, such a Noob. You, who are you again?"
He didn''t know what Noob meant, but the sigh was one of disappointment.
For the first time in his life, the Royal Seer was being looked down on by someone. He should have felt angry, and yet¡why did he feel ashamed?
"I''m the Royal Seer from the Capital¡"
"?!?"
What the actual fuck was he doing here?! At this moment, even Jack lost his bearings. But suddenly, a crazy idea wormed its way into his mind¡.
Chapter 321 New Objective! (+Friend?!)
Chapter 321 New Objective! (+Friend?!)¡¡¡¡The Royal Seer?! Holy cow! Jack instantly sensed danger creeping.
Seer ¡ª> Information Specialist
Seers were the number one mystical ss for remote information gathering. While hard to use, divination was also extremely troublesome to defend against.
It just happened that Jack had LOTS of things to hide. He could picture himself in front of an Empire judge, thetter reading his crimes with incredible disbelief.
- Bandits?!
- Hijacked the City''s Defense System?!
- Almost annihted an entire District?!
- Caused a regional environmental disaster?!
- Oh¡.and the whole worldwide renewal of mana...
- ¡
There wouldn''t even be a need for any deliberation. He''d get punished instantly. Now, this Seer increased the chances of something bad happening incrementally!
The logical thing to do was to run as far as possible and hide in another world. As long as he entered an instance, divination against him would fail.
It wouldn''t be toote toe back once the Seer was gone. But a crazy idea wormed its way into his brain. Could he perhaps exploit this?!
He shouldn''t for sure¡.but could he? He couldn''t help but want to figure it out. He shouldn''t take the gamble, and yet¡ ARGGG! It was way too tempting!
Also, he had totally just looked down on the guy! Was there anying back from this? The merchants were already freaking out, worried about him.
Apologize and excuse himself? How about no! In for a penny, in for a p?o?u?n?d? crazed n that could backfire any time! Instead, he doubled down!
"Royal Seer? Sigh, I''m disappointed. Do you know how many resources would go into mending the d? Do you take humanity as your personal money box?"
"W-what? Of course not, I¡ª" The Seer tried protesting.
"Why spend when we could be plundering, eh? Don''t you think we should keep our strength to resist potential invaders? They''re just waiting for us to let our guards down!"
"Ah! I never meant to¡ª"
"You never meant to?! Do you think your good intentions will be any constion once the Fiery Demonic Beings have taken over? You should be more careful with your words for¡!"
What followed was an incredibly long lecture about the impact of one''s actions on the world. Identifying problems was good, but thinking about appropriate solutions mattered more.
Jack''s momentum was so powerful that the poor Royal Seer couldn''t ce a single word. He wanted to, he really wanted, but how were the man''s arguments all so logical?!
The gallery was about to lose their minds. Who the heck was he to preach to the Royal Seer?! Was he crazy?! A Merchant tried to salvage the situation.
"S-sir, he''s the Royal Seer, the Royal Seer!" He murmured to Jack.
But instead of stepping down, the madman retorted loudly. "Royal Seer? I''m not deaf, I heard. So what?! I''m talking about humanity''s survival here!"
Talk he did¡in very ample detail. Jack fought conspiracy-sounding theories with even more over-the-top conspiracy theories.
Mana disappearing centuries ago? ¡ª> A vile n to make humanity lower its guard while thest of their heroes died of old age. As for new ones? Good luck without mana!
Creation of a Fiery Demonic Biome? ¡ª> Perfect for shape-shifting demonic reptilians. What if they were already in their midsts, perhaps having infiltrated even the Nobles?!
The appearance of the Braves? ¡ª> What if an evil entity had already corrupted some of them? Why else would so many ignore local residents so much?! (Unlike him, obviously)
"Oh my god?!" This man spoke hisnguage! The Royal Seer was too busy gasping to remember the disrespect.
With a single bullshit tirade, Jack had impressed the Seer and shed a light of doubt on the Nobles (Lord Silver, for instance) and the yers (Who knew him).
The merchants were already panicking. The situation was this dire?! But as the Seer nced at them, they began trembling in fright.
"You said spies could be in our midst?" He gave them a suspicious look.
Oh no! If the man divined about them, they were doomed! They had allmitted their fair share of crimes, mostly insignificant, but still!
That''s when a miracle happened¡
"Oh, don''t worry about them. They''re all true human patriots. I''ve personally vetted everyone in this room." They were already heaving sighs of relief. [Affinity +++!]
"Verified? How?!" The Seer asked, perplexed.
"Instinct and experience," Jack remarked.
"¡"
"¡"
"I see! I understand!" The Seer eximed. He did?! The crowd felt like they had lost a few brain cells along the way. As for Jack, he was already proceeding to the next step.
"Now, I need your help with something¡."
¡ª
It didn''t take long for a ritual to begin.
The Seer splurged, scattering precious mana stone powder all over the room in a specific pattern, the four cardinal directions and nine virtuous divination shapes all represented.
The man stood alone in the middle. His entire body brightly glowed as it was enveloped in mana. It seemed as if a thousand stars orbited around him, the look of a deity.
¡ª ???? ??? ¡ª
That''s when a colossal ethereal eye formed above him as if a god was directly peering into the mortal realm.
"Oh mana, let me pry into this world''s essence! Reveal your truths! AH!" With a mighty grunt, he controlled the unbelievable energy to do his bidding.
The eye disappeared, seemingly floating away. The Seer started violently shaking a secondter, blood trickling out of his nose.
"Just a little more¡just a little more!!" He kept pushing until he suddenly fell like a puppet with its strings cut.
"L-lord Seer, are you alright?!" The merchants cried out.
With their help, the Seer weakly rose. He ignored his injuries, even showing a victorious smile as he passed a bloodstained letter over.
"Take it, and save humanity!"
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
~ Vision ~
Water Essence: Underwater Kingdom ¡ª> Somewhere deep inside the Very Wet Lake
Wind Essence: Eternal Steppe ¡ª> Old disconnected traces in Sprigfield Meadow + Faint recent traces in Greenwood Forest
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
It looked like it was time for him to return to Sprigfield. He''d have to do his own investigating, but he now knew where to search.
Also, theck of details made it clear that the items were no longer in the main world of Infinite. Otherwise, the Seer would have detected them.
[Progressed on Ice Tortoise''s Death Aftermath!]
[Quest! Find the Lost Elemental Powers!]
Jack waved his hand, seemingly burning the message, the Seer nodding in appreciation. After all, one''s magical writing could be used for curses and whatnot.
¡ª Obtained Seer''s Bloody handwritten letter! ¡ª
Everything had gone so well! Jack couldn''t be happier for¡ª CLANG ¡ª the door was pushed open, a familiarly detestable face invading.
Lord Silver! The man looked as noble and authoritative as ever. He was obviously here to cause trouble! But this time, he didn''t waste time on rhetorics.
He approached the Seer, whispering in his ears. That''s when thetter''s look at Jack changed. He knew about the skeletons! He was now inching backward warily.
"Lord Seer, you should divine this man right now, revealing him for the viin he is!" Silver loudly suggested. As the Seer nodded, the noble reveled in his uing victory.
¡ª Mana Emissions to the Max! ¡ª
The entire manor started shaking, the merchants turning livid. What the hell had the man said?! Also, wouldn''t they be implicated too?!
But just as the spell was about to activate truly¡.
"How did someone so retarded even be the Royal Seer?" Jack wasn''t fearful or angry. He was simply disappointed.
The spectators wanted to hide in a hole. What was their partner doing?! Was now really the time for the insults?!
"Don''t worry, Lord Seer. I''ll protect you while youplete the spell!" Silver reassured.
"Pfft¡ª Will you pay for the coffin too?" Jackughed at the two.
He was now threatening the Seer?! What kind of madman was he?! Not even considering the power of his opponents, they had the Empire''s backing!
But that''s when the Seer suddenly stopped, ncing at his protector weirdly.
Lord Silver hadmitted a grave mistake. He had encouraged the man to cast the spell right now in his eagerness.
The Seer was already in bad shape from the previous one. Either Silver had spoken too quickly¡or he wanted him to overexert himself!
What if he divined Jack, didn''t get any result and burned his power out. The enemies of humanity would be the ones winning!
Just as he was hesitating, he heard a calm voice.
"Us humans are easily fooled whenever we truly hope or fear something to be true. That''s when we are the most vulnerable, emotion clouding our judgment."
At this moment, the Seer shook: this was so true!
- Not once had Jack tried to defend himself
- He mainly had been observing quietly
- Fire reptilians wouldn''t be so patient
- Jack appeared wise beyond belief
- Silver had been rushing him!
- Was the Noble the enemy?!
The Seer ceased to hesitate. In this moment of doubt, he used something he was familiar with: instinct and experience. Both screamed at Jack''s innocence!
The light dimmed out, the Seer taking a few steps forward, standing right before Jack. Then he very slowly¡.bowed?!
"Thank you for your teachings!"
"It''s fine. You''re helping a lot."
The spectators fell from their chairs. What was wrong with this world?! Were the two trying to toy with their emotions?! Also, couldn''t they have resolved this with vows?! Perhaps not...?
A confused and fuming Silver was about to protest, only to receive a death re from the Seer. "You, I''ll deal with youter. Behave, or I''ll strip you of your Noble title!"
"???!!!!"
"Well, I''ll be going. Take care, you all!" Jack cheerfully left, leaving traumatized NPCs and a smiling Seer in his wake. It was time to return to Sprigfield¡
Chapter 322 Explosive Reunion!
Chapter 322 Explosive Reunion!¡¡¡¡On a mountainous path, travelers boisterously sang.
"Give me a woo!"
"Woo!"
"Give me a woo woo!"
"Woo! Woo!"
They couldn''t be in a better mood. Returning to Sprigfield felt like returning home. Sure the Tea Shop peeps were nice, but they remained new acquaintances.
But this time, the journey felt way different. The road wasn''t deste anymore, tons of yers were migrating toward Timber City.
They all had a clear goal in mind ¡ª> The super cool Trial Towers.
Did they even have the level to challenge them? Not really. They simply wanted to see what all the fuss was about. After all, a gigantic me-spewing floating Tower was kinda cool.
Fun fact there were already new bandits roaming the area. They were having a field day with all the new "customers". It almost felt nostalgic: he had been there for the OG bandits.
As they finally passed through the gates that delimited the two areas, plenty of fingers were pointed.
"What?! They''reing back already?!"
"Pfft¡ª Noobs! I bet they were careless and got robbed!"
"That''s just a small setback! Talk about having no backbone!"
They wore disguises, but still. Those yers sure were quick to judge. Jack simply shook his head at the fools. ~ Good luck in the trials, haha!
There wasn''t a ripple in his heart as he simply hurried back. The closer they got, the quicker his steps became.
They ignored the yers.
They even ignored the Town.
Then they finally reached the Pumpkin Farm.
On the outskirt of it were plenty of bloodstains and lots of trash drops. Yet the trees were as numerous and as luscious as ever. Their leaves now showed a nice red tint.
"Halt! Who goes there!!" As soon as they came closer, an unknown man stepped out from behind the trees, showing an incredibly stern face.
"No need to announce me. I''ll go right in." Jack chuckled.
Before leaving, he had gotten his cksmith army to upgrade his gear. While they were no master, he could be said to wear decent gear for his level.
They had been d to help. The tricky part had been convincing them not to follow him. He mercilessly left them behind with tons of homework to dry their tears.
In any case¡
High Level + Decent Gear + Jack''s Skill ¡ª> He felt Invincible as far as 1 v 1 was concerned.
He totally ignored the sentry as he kept going forward. Even as the man threw water des at his head, he barely reacted, dark mes evaporating them.
He was getting really good atbining Fire + Demonic Energy!
Their party simply walked straight into the killer-tree forest. The man scoffed in the back: they''d all get skewered and drained! Countless had perished the same way already!
The trees rushed toward Jack, powerfully¡.rubbing against his hand?! Wait a minute, was he petting the killer nts?! How was this possible?!
"H-how?! Who the hell are you?!" The man cried in shock.
Jack simply chuckled as he pointed at the D.L. emblem on the man''s chest. Meanwhile, Moon Moon removed its armor under the cover of the forest.
Orange Knight ¡ª> Silly-looking wolf
The sentry''s eyes shone with stars. Oh god! It was the Faction leader?! How could he have been so blind! An autographter, he instantly agreed to keep Jack''s presence a secret¡
¡ª
In the Pumpkin Patch stood a goddess.
Her appearance was a gift from Heaven, but what was even more impressive was her Life magic mastery. Each of her movements was apanied by an overflowing green light.
Wherever that green light fell, the world would seeminglye alive. New sprouts, insects happily scuttling, and birds chirping. Then magnificent pumpkins would appear.
Her gaze was full of the satisfaction of work well done, yet there was a certain mncholy to her figure. At this moment, she simply seemed otherworldly.
Still, she gave it her all. She had been working hard and improving daily, all for his sake. He had told her he''de back, and not once had she lost hope.
But just as she was plowing the field¡.
¡ª Whoosh! ¡ª
A figure jumped from the shadows!
Jack wanted to surprise her and had sessfully sneaked closer! He was only a few meters away from her and then¡.
¡ª BOOM! ¡ª
An earth-shattering green st happened.
His body exploded, sending blood and flesh all over the ce.
Jack''s surprise had turned into quite the gory one, his fluids covering her entirely.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
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A secondter, he was left staring at the darkness of the Death Realm, shellshocked. What the actual hell?! Also, was he crazy, or was a death goddess chuckling in the background?
He slowly reminisced about the previous scene. He had stepped near some pumpkins, and then¡.had blown up?!
He found himself shaking, remembering the power of the explosion. Pumpkin Life-Energy Mines?! How awesomely frightening was that?!
But as he respawned in Timber City, he couldn''t help but sigh. This was what he got for feeling unbeatable and not even bothering to register his respawn at Sprigfield.
#Registering Respawn Matters #Not Actually Unbeatable #Price of Arrogance #RIP
He had left her with such a traumatizing sight too! Was she ming herself right now? His eyes turned sharp as he decided to throw caution to the wind.
"Wait for me! I''ll be right there!"
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On the mountainous road, a standoff was happening.
Rough-looking bandits currently surrounded a small group of yers. Thetter smiled viciously at their prey. It was almost as if the job had changed their appearances.
"Money or your life! Get all your gold out now!"
"Please, do you think we''ll be afraid of such ruffians!"
The bandits frowned. Those travelers were truly strange. It was as if they were utterly unafraid to die! Hell, their eyes even shone with the desire to fight.
Were they all freaking suicidal?! What was wrong with them?! How many brothers would they lose to defeat them, and was it worth it?
But just as the bandits were thinking and the yers were sneering, something happened.
¡ª Clip! Clop! Clip! Clop! ¡ª
The sudden sound of gallop took them all by surprise. It was too faint to be a cavalry but far too quick to be a merchant convoy either.
Was it a messenger? What of it was actually a powerful warrior?
Everyone stared at the distance, trying to figure it out. That''s when they saw the silliest yet most epic-looking mount ever.
Jack stormed in, riding a donkey. Well, it wasn''t just any donkey. It was a donkey with a Draconic bloodline. This thing could really run!
Yes, it was very short, but because of that, it had been very cheap too! A mount in Infinite could easily cost a few thousand golds. He had gotten this one for 1337, a total bargain!
Even that bargain had only been possible thanks to his connection with the merchants. They had actually been trying to do him a favor.
As for the Dragon-Donkey''s silly look¡who cared! Who else had a mount? No one! ''Hehe, gaze on this majestic beast, you poor peeps!'' Jack inwardly chuckled.
Bandits and yers stared at the scene strangely. Was this guy strong or weak? They really couldn''t tell!
Mount ¡ª> Symbol of status.
It was probably better for the criminals to leave this guy alone. They were bandits, not madmen with a death wish.
As the man passed them, the bandits heaved a sigh of relief¡but then they choked when he suddenly stopped, even turning back.
Jack nced at the yers. Weren''t they the ones who had called him a Noob without any backbone earlier? Talk about fate!
"Sir, this isn''t what it looks like¡." A stressed bandit murmured.
"Oh? So this isn''t a robbery? A shame. I would have suggested taking hostages instead of killing if it had been one. Braves are immortal, you know."
"?!?"
"Anyway, see youter, you all. Take care!" Jack gave a friendly wave as he departed, the trotting sound bing weaker and weaker.
That''s when the bandits grinned as they looked at the yers.
"Braves, eh? That exins a lot! Now¡.Money or freedom!" The bandit screamed at the yers.
They weren''t as fearless this time, their faces turning pale from fright and anger. Seriously, who the Hell was that guy?!
"M-money?"
"Good!"
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"AHHHH!" A tiny fairy watched the scene of destruction with bulging eyes as she trembled nonstop.
She had almost perished! Had she stayed in Jack''s pocket, she would have been turned to Fairy mincemeat! Since when was the Pumpkin Farm so dangerous?!
But what followed chilled her to the bone¡
Pumpkin Girl nearby lightly screamed in surprise but quickly regained herposure, showing an embarrassed expression as she disabled the Farm''s defenses.
"You''re finally back!" She cheerfully addressed the wolf and fairy, seemingly not minding the bloody mess covering her.
"Woo!" (That was so shy!)
The little wolf stared at the remaining pumpkins with wariness yet longing. It wanted to see the explosion again¡.just this time without anyone exploding in pieces.
The nearby fairy couldn''t take it anymore¡
"H-how are you all so calm?!" She knew about Jack being a Brave, but still!
"Woo!" "That''s obvious!"
What followed was a heated exnation of how even death wouldn''t stop him froming back to them. Nothing would!
It was a confidence that bordered insanity! What kind of reasoning was that?! How did she not feel guilty one bit?! This was crazy!
That''s when Moon Moon started telling about their adventures with its tail wagging. There was so much to tell. After all, its master was way too awesome!
"Woo!"
"Woo, Woo!"
"Woo! Woo! Woo!"
The two kept heatedly conversing in a bloodied pumpkin patch, not a worry in the world. But it seemed they were right not to worry overly.
A bitter, the sound of galloping suddenly echoed in the quiet atmosphere. That''s when Pumpkin Girl showed a smilerge enough to illuminate the world.
He was back¡.
Chapter 323 Bubblegum VS Pumpkin Girl
Chapter 323 Bubblegum VS Pumpkin Girl¡¡¡¡¡ª The Return of the King! ¡ª
There was no other way to describe Jacking back to Sprigfield.
He rushed straight through the Town this time, leaving NPCs and yers alike in utter shock as they gawked at his shadow.
"Oh god, he''s back! Nooo!"
"What an ugly donkey¡.thing!"
"Stop staring at his ass. It''s an emergency!!"
The entire Town went crazy, tons of high pitch screams resounding. The people were akin to twitching pool streamers attacked by fiery ho¡ª or something simr.
But Jack did not care one bit. At this moment, he only had eyes for the Pumpkin Farm and nothing else.
"FASTER Toothfull! Show off your dragon lineage!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, the passerby raising doubtful eyebrows. Dragon? More like Lizard¡ªDonkey!
¡ª Clip! Clop! Clip! Clop!¡ª
The two madly galloped across the in.
But as he reached the Farm''s premises, none dared to follow. After all, that ce was SCARY! How many had died trying to steal the Mythical Trident?! Over 9000¡or close.
There she stood, waiting for him. Pumpkin Girl''s eyes shone with a light he had missed. "Wee back." She simply murmured as she dived into his embrace, gluing herself to him.
"Yes, I''m home." He closed his eyes, enjoying the moment.
The two shared their body heat, the world seeminglying to a halt. They then peacefully headed inside the little farmhouse for a long and intense¡discussion.
Meanwhile¡
The news spread like wildfire ¡ª> The Demon King was back!
Cultists donned their robes, assassins sharpened their daggers, guild leaders sent mass summons, schrs grabbed their quills, and even the NPCs joined in on the fun!
People were either rushing to the Farm or in Town listening to the rumors. There was no exception! This had suddenly be the #1 Sprigfield Topic.
Many unlucky yers posted to the forums to brag about their recent achievements, only to be instantly overshadowed.
¡ª Tamed a pet rock! #So cute
¡ª Soloed an Elite Eel! #Stronk
¡ª Sessfully Learned Basic Goblin! #Mr. Worldwide
¡ª ¡
They''d all get simr replies:
"Who F-ing cares! The Demon King''s back!!"
"Oh, this will be fun! Maybe a war even?"
"I know, right?! #Suspense #Wow!"
"Pftt- Poor OP! #Hijacked Thread!"
Heck, at this moment, there were even a few channels that had decided to cover the event IRL. Pancakes was already doing a live forum reading of all the juicy gossip.
He even kept teasing his viewers:
"Everyone, stay tuned! As long as we reach subs goals, you know what''s up, right? Interview with Moon Moon, YEAH BOY!¡ Oh, and the Demon King, hehe."
The Farm surroundings soon looked like the scene of a legendary metal concert. Everyone nced at the trees, trying to peer inside.
A Fairy watched it all happen in the skies, bing more and more frantic. She''d check on Jack from time to time, only toe back blushing¡they were busy.
Time psed, the ce filling up like crazy, the Town actually bing deserted.
More People ¡ª> More Conflict
It all began with the damn cultists.
"Demon King, Demon King, Demon King!" They loudly chanted as perfect certified fanatics. They had even forcefully imed arge area and started a human sacrifice in in sight!
"How dare you hurt the innocent?!" White knights thundered.
"Innocent? The sacrifice''s a volunteer, though?" They kept going, ignoring the idiots.
"We''ll cleanse the world of your¡ª" The self-righteous peeps screamed.
But just as war was about to erupt, a killer tree suddenly moved its branches, throwing a Pumpkin at the idiots. Many saw it and chuckled: what kind of silly attack was this?
There was no way that this would do any¡ª
¡ª BOOM! ¡ª
An explosion of life energy!
Dashing yers were instantly turned into mangled corpses, bits of them flying all over the ce. That''s when the ce turned deathly silent.
It wasn''t because of the deaths nor the gore. People were either used to it or had gore filtered off anyway. No, they froze as they saw orange appear in the green Forest.
Pumpkins, so many pumpkins!
"Gulp! If thisnds¡ we''re all doomed!"
That''s when a lone majestic wolf came out of the wood. He nced at them all before uttering an ultimatum.
"Woo!"
"¡."
"¡."
"He says to be quiet." A cultist tranted, pridefully taking a document out of his pocket and showcasing it. ¡ª Woo Language Course Graduate (Beginner) ¡ª
Casualties ¡ª> 13 Dead, 29 injured, 245 traumatized¡and all this had been a simple warning. 0_0
The cultists took the opportunity to finish their summoning circle. "Oh, great Demon King! We sacrifice these members for you to appear before us!"
The magic circle glowed¡.nothing happening. Many couldn''t help but facepalm at the crazies'' antics. But a few secondster, the trees rustled.
The killer trees were¡.getting out of the way?! A man appeared, a gorgeous girl by his side, the Pumpkin Witch! She seemed so demure right now, but it was all a lie!!
Jack nced at the sea of yers.
Wasn''t there a LOT of cultists? It seemed they still hadn''t gotten rid of their summoning circle habits either. Oh well, whatever¡
"Oh? I see a few came to wee me back." He chuckled.
A few?! This was at least 80% of the Sprigfield yers currently connected. This was way more than a few! Also, how was he so calm?! He even had a certain regal aura¡
A few guild leaders opened their mouths, ready toin. For instance, the Macabre Deer was still rampaging in the Forest to this day.
Jack didn''t let them speak, waving his arm akin to an overlord. "Hehe, let there be Quests! System, share Mission!" He powerfully dered.
A thousand screens shed¡
[Jack''O Wants to Share a Quest, ept? Y/N? ]
[ This Quest will Impact the Future of Infinite! ]
Future of Infinite?! ept! ept! ept! How massive would the opportunities be for something like that?! They all shook in excitement, some even having trouble pressing YES!
[ Quest! Help Royal Seer or Jack''O! ]
Or? Was this a Good versus Evil choice? Or was it simply a Sprigfield versus Timber City representative? Many were already trying to figure it out.
Any Other Option > Helping the Demon King.
"Now, everyone who wants to help, sit down for a briefing. Others should scram." He imposingly ordered, yfully ying with a Pumpkin.
Would he bomb them if they rebuked him?!
Many hurriedly left, but even more remained. They all appeared respectful and ready to set their previous differences aside. This was far more important¡ª or so they said.
Naturally, Jack noticed the scheming nce in their eyes. Those younglings still had a lot to learn. Bullshitting was an art!
"Here''s what we''re looking for¡." He told them everything¡about an unrted topic.
Finding Rare Resources/Artifacts ¡ª> Getting an Elf and a Mermaid.
They "needed" their power to repair the Trial. They were the only ones with the ancestral knowledge to make it happen¡or so the story went.
The more he spoke, the more heated he became.
"¡ Let''s do this for humanity''s sake!!~and the Quest rewards." He ended his discourse with incredible gusto, whispering his "true" motivation at the end.
Many inwardly scoffed as he revealed his true colors. Then it was time for them to spread out, only a few remaining.
The Drunken Sailor Staff
Plenty of petspanions, from animals to undead and even that one blind goblin girl.
Then there were the ones who had been with him from the start. CPR Dude, Head Cultist, and Bubblegum¡ª She nced at him with a piercing gaze.
"You''re about to start another war, aren''t you?" She sighed, instantly seeing through his ns.
"War? Who said anything about war? We''ll just create a tiny bit of chaos. You know, just like in New Leaf back then, haha." Jack cheekily replied.
yers and pets were already cackling heartily while the NPCs coldly shivered. The more they interacted with him, the more they understood his Demon King nickname!
"Now, I need some rumors started¡." He mischievously grinned.
Everyone departed to aplish their respective tasks. This left two girls staring daggers at one another.
Bubblegum VS Pumpkin Girl
The two appeared to be peacefully smiling, yet this "peaceful" atmosphere made even the undead rat and chicken shiver, scurrying into hiding.
"Oh? You''re still here?"
"No need to worry. WE''ll leave soon, hehe."
"Is that so? Doe in: GUESTS are always wee."
One had the home ground advantage, but the other was an old partner that could apany him when he went on a mission. Who even had the advantage here?
A secondter, one took some Pumpkins out, the other grabbing daggers.
"Hehe, have you ever tried eating a PUMPKIN?"
"Sadly, I''ve somehow always AVOIDED eating one, at least here."
"Oh? That''s a real shame. Everyone agrees that my pumpkins are to DIE for !"
"I''m sure that''s the case. Many IMMORTAL Braves would die for a slight taste."
Pumpkin Bombing? So what? Bubblegum was an assassin: she could always avoid it, and she''d simply respawn worst-case. Why would she get intimidated?
The two kept staring daggers at one another, the tension reaching an all-time high. At some point, even Moon Moon realized that something was wrong.
"Woo! Woo!" (This is bad! We need to do something!)
The little wolf showed confusion. The more it listened to the words and the less it understood why there was so much tension. So strange!
It was even about to get between them, but Jack gestured it to stay put with a smile. God, humans were so difficult to understand at times!
Jack kept watching with his arms crossed¡.
Just as the situation was about to explode¡.both of them startedughing. The tension was gone as if it had never existed in the first ce.
"I guess he wasn''t exaggerating when he spoke of you."
"That''s exactly my sentiment, haha!"
Jack had long guessed this would end up like that. Peace returned to the Farm, the wait beginning. In the outside world, the yers got really busy.
After a long while, Jack finally received the message he had been waiting for. They had spotted elves¡. Still, wasn''t this a bit too quick?!
Chapter 324 Strength in Belief!
Chapter 324 Strength in Belief!¡¡¡¡What, they had found an Elf?! Jack couldn''t believe his ears.
Logically speaking, this made no sense at all! Even he had no confidence in finding them so quickly. One had to know that they resided deep in the Greenwood Forest.
Were they in a T2 Area or perhaps even T3?
One had to remember that barely entering a T2 had been the ultimate limit of his abilities not long ago. Even now, he was definitely too weak to reach the deeper parts.
His Strategy ¡ª> Quantity over Quality
He was sending an army of immortal baits in pursuit of personal gain. At the end of the day, he just needed them to annoy the elves enough to draw them out.
"Woo! Woo!" (We already found them?! That''s amazing!)
The little wolf was already rejoicing, wolfing down its pumpkin pie. It was time to go!
"Hehe, that may not be a good thing. Either the news is fake, and someone''sying a trap for us, or some unknown event is in progress." Jack sighed, pensive.
"Woo?!" (A trap?!)
"Hehe, we''ll simply have to prepare ourselves to take on the world., won''t we?" Jack lightly chuckled. He''d assume the worst and hope for the best¡.
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In a particr Greenwood clearing¡
"There''s really one?! What kind of luck is this?!" The yers eximed.
They were currently surrounding a young Elvendy. Long blond hair, skin as fair as snow, sharp pointy eyes, a short stature¡and so much arrogance!
She nced at them with her head held high, not worried by their menacing look and sharp weapons.
"You came to wee this esteemed youngdy. I guess you humans aren''tpletely worthless after all." She chuckled.
The yers shared weird nces. There was 100% something wrong with this youngster''s brain. Then again, this much was to be expected given how they had found her.
She had been going around singing loudly.
Wariness? None!
Self-awareness? None either!
It was quite ridiculous how their initial n had simply been to fake a search before calling the Demon King over to screw with him.
Somehow they had ended up finding the real deal¡
"What are you oafs waiting for? Bring me food and lead the way to the nearest pce. I''ll give your ruler the honor of basking in my presence." She ordered.
Did she think they''d ve for her because she said so? Bitch, please! They inwardly sneered at her foolishness. In any case, she would be the perfect bait!
For now, they''d focus on their current kidnapping n. As long as they could nab the Demon King, they could trade his life for their true objective.
Mythical Trident ¡ª> Great Wealth + Fame!
But even as they were full of Greed, they didn''t becent. Their opponent was a force to be reckoned with, after all.
Still, so what if he was the Demon King? He was still human! Hehe, they would utterly destroy him!
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"Just a little bit further!" A yer enthusiastically led the way.
Their guide was a fan of the Demon King. He kept ncing backward with admiration. A trap? If it was one, this guy didn''t know about it.
They finally reached their destination.
An Elf, it really was one! Jack''s heart started beating fast because of what this represented. Somewhere, somehow, a path leading to the Elven Realm had opened!
His eyes shone as he nced at her.
Her body trembled as she saw those piercing eyes full of Greed and desire. She felt the urge to run away, as far as possible. But then the fear turned into anger.
How dare a puny human look at her like that! She was royalty and deserved to be treated as such! She turned to the others. "Bring me this pervert''s eyes." She spat out.
"T-that''s a bit extreme¡no?" They showed awkward smiles, seemingly wanting to mediate between the two. But, they were inwardly scheming, waiting for their prey to approach.
20 meters¡
12 meters¡
NOW!
Jack carefully approached, but suddenly¡ ¡ª Bzzzzz¡ª The surrounding air violently rippled. A secondter, an enormous green light cage appeared!
¡ª ??? ¡ª ??? ?? ¡ª ??? ???? ¡ª
How?! Jack was instantly taken aback. Those crazy bastards had gotten their hands unto an entrapment formation?! It would even prevent respawn?! Next level ambush!
No, it wasn''t just a simple one either. It was a doubleyered one!
From middle to edge, it went:
- Cage Area
- Safe Area (Enemies)
- Sturdy exterior wall.
That''s when dozen upon dozens of grinning yers made their appearance. They all carried bows, staffs, or throwing weapons.
They all took ce in the safe area, one that only they could ess. Holy Crap!
The entire area had suddenly been turned into a shooting range. But instead of shooting a dull, lifeless target, they''d be firing at the Demon King himself. How extravagant!
The Elf gave a gasp as she rushed toward the shining wall, only to collide heavily with it.
¡ª BONK! ¡ª
"Hey, let me out! You morons, I''m still in here. What are you all doing?!" She was thumping her small fist against the light, throwing a tantrum.
At this moment, many yfully aimed their weapons at the Elf, panic finally showing on her delicate visage. What the hell was wrong with those people?!
"Cease this foolishness at once! I''m from the royal line of¡ª"
"Who freaking cares, hahaha! Anyway, Take the Demon King down a peg!" They all repeated thest part as if a war cry.
"You guys, can''t we slowly discuss this?!"
"Nope!! Ready, aim¡FIRE!!"
That''s when the outburst started, a rain of death flying his way. There was no way that anyone could evade this, even him!
The world disappeared for an instant under the shes of light.
"Hehe, as soon as he dies, we''ll very temporarily be able to hold his soul. This should be sufficient as coteral. You all know how much the Witch cares about him!"
Everything was ounted for¡ª or so they thought. Suddenly an enormousmotion was heard, relentless banging sounds echoing.
¡ª Bang! Bang! Bang! ¡ª
"EHHH?!" The enemies inside the safe zone jumped in fright. What the hell was that?! But as they turned around¡. "W-when did they alle?!
A green sea had appeared, goblins staring at them all with eyes overflowing with fury! There were enough of them to make the yers turn pale.
They were the trump card Jack had prepared, expecting this to be a trap. But, there was an issue. Even with their numbers, they couldn''t break through the formation!
Even as they relentlessly struck, they barely managed to dim the barrier slightly. It would still stand strong for a while! That''s when the kidnappers finally rxed.
They ignored the ruckus, focusing on the Demon King. They''d grab him and¡. HOW?! As the aftereffects of the attacks went away, he stood there alive and well!
Not only had he survived, but he was even staring at them with a taunting smile. He currently had a ghostly appearance, bone dust floating in his surroundings.
At thest minute, he had summoned dozens of skeletons to act as bone shields. That''s how he had barely managed to preserve his life.
"Was that it? I''ll praise you for the effort, but it''s not sufficient. Still, that''s quite an interesting n." He chuckled as he calmly strolled around.
The madman then started pointing at the glyphs with an amused expression, exining their meaning as if a bored schr.
"Oh? The prison glyph, this one is quite obvious. Now that one''s to allow your own attacks to go through the wall. Finally, thatst one is to aim at my soul. You went all out, eh?"
They watched him describe it all, utterly baffled. Some remembered clearly the mage who had given them the formation: even he didn''t understand it that well!
They knew he was a monster¡.but wasn''t this exaggerated?! But they suddenly came to a realization. "Goddammit, keep attacking. He''s buying time!"
Jack felt helpless. He knew very well that his own people wouldn''t be able to rescue him in time. There was only so much he could do in such a passive position!
Should he use THAT now? That one thing he had gotten back in the Tutorial Necro Dungeon, so strong it had taken an eternity to master and even scared him!
It was truly a perverse spell, but he couldn''t afford to let himself get sealed so easily. So what if he caused yet another cmity? He''d retain his freedom!
He made his mind, his entire being turning cold. He began essing magic older than time itself, one that definitely shouldn''t exist in this world.
Dark tendrils started oozing from him, seemingly alive. Even the world itself began to weep as if sensing the disaster toe.
The assants threw everything they had at him, EVERYTHING! But even then, they somehow felt that it wouldn''t be enough.
Cold sweat escaped them, their breathing bing erratic.
The Demon King was a freaking madman!
But just as he was about to unleash hell unto the world, Jack saw Moon Moon and Bubblegum''s worried expressions.
They were banging on the barrier of light with all they had. Her daggers were enveloped by deadly energy as she relentlessly shed to no avail.
Even while they fought, the two kept shouting orders at the goblin legion. They were akin to proud generals anxious to rescue their Lord.
That''s right¡.he wasn''t alone, not anymore.
Even if he fell and got kidnapped, they woulde for him.
Use a dangerous trump card? He suddenly changed his mind. Jack stopped everything, the terrifying mana flow disappearing.
He chose to believe in them instead. He gave a bright smile as he nced at them onest time. He finally ran out of mana, his body torn apart and his soul captured.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
The battlefield turned silent. The Demon King had been defeated?! Everyone couldn''t help but be stupefied. But, amidst the silence, a war cry resounded.
"You''re all dead!!" Bubblegum shouted. It wasn''t simply anger. It was a promise. The battle was only getting started¡
Chapter 325 Demon King in a Bottle!
Chapter 325 Demon King in a Bottle!¡¡¡¡"The Demon King''s down, hahaha!" A gleefulugh echoed across the battlefield.
A secondter, the magical prison showed its scariness. The inneryer suddenly copsed, engulfing Jack''s remains. Then it condensed into a small jade bead, a dark figure inside.
[Ding! Obtained Demon King in a Bottle!]
"Woo?!" (What?! How?!)
The little wolf stared at the bead, utterly confused. Its master was in there, but how?! The bead was so small too! Wait, no. Right now, they had to focus on saving him!
"Do not let a single one of them escape this ce alive!" Bubblegum screamed, the Goblins under hermand striking the green barrier with even more vigor.
95 Goblins VS 60 yers + Barrier
Now that Jack had perished, the viins unleashed hell on the poor creatures. Every time they were about to get hit, they''d retreat in a hurry.
Were they simply cowardly? Nope, quite the contrary even.
They teared up as they retreated, keeping their mentor''s teachings in mind. They remembered that fateful day he had been teaching them humannguage.
¡ª
He had addressed them all sternly¡
"All of you goblins, listen and listen well! If I teach you, you''re not allowed to die anymore. Do you all understand?! I won''t tolerate any of my students kicking the bucket stupidly." ~ After all, they were his precious ves.
They had been so touched. Their student days remained their best memories: food from the Pumpkin Witch and the teachings of the King himself!
Actually, did he perhaps know this day woulde?! He probably did, and they wouldn''t disappoint him! Their eyes showed incredible resolve: they''d save him!
But for now, they retreated¡
¡ª
Seeing them back off, the yers began loudly jeering:
"Pfftt¡ª They''re so afraid! st them to Oblivion!"
"Hehe, riddle me this: small and about to die!"
"Return to your shitty Canyon, you all!"
As soon as their immediate surroundings were clear, the yers capitalized on the opportunity. The green barrier suddenly exploded in blinding light. ¡ª sh! ¡ª
"ARGGG! My eyes!!" The goblins cried out.
"NOW!" The yers rushed across the battlefield with evil grins. They had previously closed their eyes, and now they had the ultimate advantage!
The poor goblins couldn''t even see them, much less fight back. There was only one oue possible for this: a bloody massacre!
The yers were already killing their way out! But a second into their killing spree, something strange happened.
¡ª ng! ng! ¡ª
The sound of parrying echoed all over. What the hell?! Had the goblins somehow unlocked the force?! Many couldn''t help but gasp. How?!
These goblins could use earth magic, and they were now sensing the earth itself! As soon as they regained their calm, they instantly sensed their enemies.
As for how they had done it¡.Jack! He had taught them about a mythical blind earth bender and told them how to do something simr.
"Get the Jade Pearl!" A Goblin shouted. Even while blind, they actually organized a counterattack. Rock bullets and rock spikes began flying everywhere.
"WHAT?! They can still cast spells?! What kind of crazy concept is¡ª ARGGG!" Theining yer took an arrow to the knee, then the throat.
More and more yers were killed. That''s when the kidnappers chose to flee, heading straight for the Town. The enemies would get hunted by the militia if they came near!
"Run, and don''t stop!!" This was the order that was repeated over and over.
As Bubblegum saw this, she ground her teeth. Goddammit, why couldn''t they just die obediently?! As for her goblins¡they 100% would be left behind!
She was one of the few that instantly gave chase. But, they still had half their numbers. This was looking more and more desperate.
"Woo?!" (They''re getting away!)
The little wolf gave a desperate howl. Those bastards were running with its awesome master. It needed him!
As the two ran, Bubblegum kept grumbling.
"What if we make a blockade? No, they''ll get reinforcements too¡."
"Can we steal the Jade from them in the Town? No, they''re being careful, sting their surroundings with magic."
"Tch¡ª I just wish we could take them all down and that Bloody Forest while we''re at it."
"Woo!!!!" (Let''s do that!!)
Bubblegum wanted to protest, but Moon Moon was already gone. What was it exactly that it had nned?! She kept following, getting ready for a desperate strike.
If she had to, she''d go 1 v 30. She had no confidence in pulling it off, but she probably had a 30% chance to seed. Their coordination wasn''t perfect.
As long as they showed a slight opening, she''d be able to dash in, cut the man''s hand and leave with the Jade. It was all about timing.
She bid her time, prowling akin to a predator.
But just as they were about to leave the Forest, they all frowned. Why was it so hot? Also, why was there smoke? The chase suddenly came to a halt.
An enormous wall of fire blocked the way!
How?! This Forest wasn''t that easy to burn. So many had tried without sess¡but Moon Moon had somehow seeded.
"Woo!" (Stop, Viins!)
The little wolf howled with satisfaction. Its new barbecue spell hadn''t let it down! The only issue was that it was on the wrong side of the wall to actually help.
The first one to recover from the shock was Bubblegum.
While the other yers were stunned or trembling, she struck. She appeared akin to a ghost in their midsts. Instantly a few heads rolled.
"Die!" She uttered with fury.
At first, they felt fear, but it soon turned into ridicule. This girl had to be dumb! As if an assassin could deal with all of them at once! She''d be the only one dying!
They mercilessly struck her, attacks raining from all directions.
But that''s when the atmosphere around her changed.
Her eyes started glowing golden. She showed a savage appearance, and¡tails appeared?! Long fluffy orange tails. What the heck was this?! Dagger wielding with her tails?!
"World of Shadows." The world turned dark as she spun around, pushing the entire group back. Some died. Others flew a distance away, leaving her target alone in the smoke.
In one swift motion, she managed to grab the Jade and the hand still holding it. Sess! She hurriedly fell back¡or tried.
The maimed and angry leader chuckled. "Did you think it would be so easy? You really are foolish, aren''t you."
She found her feet solidly stuck to the ground, unable to move even a centimeter. That''s when she finally noticed the glowing ethereal chain between her and the guy. A curse?!
"Tch¡ª You''re as annoying as that asshole. But, what are you gonna do now, eh? You''re screwed!" He gloated, his men alreadying back.
She could hear the goblins heading this way, but they would bete.
She had already used all her mana in thest attack.
She wouldn''t survive this for sure.
But instead of freaking out, she gave a beautiful smile, screaming a powerful "Catch!" the kidnappers moved to intercept. Whatever she tried, they shot it down, but she didn''t
She didn''t even bother with them, turning toward the raging inferno. Then she¡threw the Jade in there!
"You bitch, you''re insane! Fire has cleansing property. There''s no way a trapped soul would ever survive something like that! You just screwed himpletely!" He screamed.
It barely took a few seconds for the Jade to fly across,nding on the other side.
"Woo!" (We did it!)
Howls of celebration resounded across the ce. The little wolf had managed to catch its master! Now, they just needed to find a method to get him out of there!
He''d still be fine, right? Right?!
Bubblegum soon got brutally murdered.
As for the kidnappers¡.they were already burning along with the innocent bystanders. As the heat brought incredible suffering, they wondered who really were the bad guys¡
Environmental Destruction to the MAX!¡.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
The people here were insane, barbaric, and foolish!
How dare they treat a noble Elfdy like that?! While death rained down upon the King something, she huddled on the ground, trembling.
This was so disgraceful! She couldn''t help but want to curse everyone involved. They would have to pay for this!
When a group made a run for it, she followed them. Were they heading to Town? There had to be someone smarter there, right? They''d realize who she was and bow down.
She crawled after them, having to pass near disgusting goblins. Smearing her beautiful hands and visage with blood and dirtying her clothes.
This was the worst!¡ª Or so she thought.
It didn''t take long for her to change her mind.
She felt sick as she sensed the inferno spreading across the Greenwood Forest. She could hear the trees'' cries of agony.
Monsters! They were utter monsters! How dare theymit such atrocities?! This ce belonged to her race; it wasn''t theirs!
She hid in the soil, barely surviving it. All she could do was wait for it to be over, trembling all over. It was so hot! Many times she felt like she would be cooked alive.
Her unblemished skin became burnt, and she couldn''t feel any water in her entire body. She barely had the strength to stand.
As she saw the aftermath of the destruction, she felt rage invade her. She nced toward the Town,a n forming in her head.
1. Meet the Town Leader
2. Tell him of her identity
3. Rece him or be a shadow ruler
She''d then make the necessary changes to her ns. Yes, this would do for sure! Everyone would bow to her once they understood her actual background.
Thus began her journey to change the world¡. One that ended very abruptly as ck-cloaked men appeared before her.
"Hehe, this has to be our lucky day. First this and now the rumored Elf youngdy, nice!" One of them cackled evilly.
In his hand, there was a jade, one he had stolen from a wolf¡
Chapter 326 Prison Break!
Chapter 326 Prison Break!¡¡¡¡Darkness, total darkness, and the smell of iron.
In a small cell, an Elf was despairing. "I''m telling you, you can''t keep me here! You''ll all regret itter. They''lle for me!" She kept crying out, but no one cared.
But suddenly she heard the sound of footsteps¡
¡ª ng! Thump! ¡ª
"Let me out! Let¡ª" As she tried pleading her case, one of her captors threw a body in, a bloody one that she recognized. "It''s you?!"
Jack slowly opened his eyes, groaning. At this moment, he couldn''t have looked more pitiful. Cuts, bruises, he was just short of maimed.
"Oh, you''re that Elf¡I pity you. Who knows what they''ll do to you¡." Jack meaningfully sighed.
That''s when her entire face turned pale, and her body trembled. "Y-you can''t scare me! There''s no way they''ll dare to¡ª" Her voice turned into a whimper.
She felt less confident as he saw him vomit blood. What the hell had he been put through, and was this the fate that awaited her?!
"W-what happened?"
"They served me delicacies worthy of a king, drew me a bubble bath, dressed me in fine silk, and even offered me a couple of ves to warm my bed¡." Jack slowly uttered.
"What?! Then how did¡ª"
"You''re not familiar with the concept of sarcasm, eh? What do you think they did?! Torture, torture, and some more torture!" He spat out.
"Gulp! I really need to speak to¡ª"
"Pfft¡ª You still think you can talk your way out of this? How ridiculous. Those people are ve traders. Do you know what ves are? They''ll utterly break you, crush your spirit until you''re obedient. They''ll¡."
Jack began describing various "fun" techniques they''d use one after the other. It went from rat bites to sleep/food deprivation and even forced urine drinking.
The more he spoke, the weaker her legs got. Nooo! There was no way she''d be able to endure even one of these! Even now, Jack was still throwing blood up.
But suddenly something happened¡
¡ª Cling! ¡ª
He had just spat out¡a silver key?!
"There we go." He grinned as he chuckled. He was already stretching, his intentions obvious. A prison break?! That''s when she saw hope for the first time.
"You, what are you nning?!"
"Obviously going for a walk¡.I''m escaping, duh!"
"Bring me with you! Please, please, please!" She clung to hope as she clung to his arm.
At this moment, she had wholly forgotten his horrendous state or that she wasn''t supposed to touch a member of the opposite sex.
Nope, the Hobo-looking Jack felt like Prince Charming to her at this moment. He was the only one that stood between her and a life of very.
He nced at her with an eagle gaze, obviously hesitating.
"I swear I won''t slow you down! You have enemies here too, right? Let''s escape back to the Forest. I swear I''ll put in a good word for you and¡ª"
"A good word? There is nothing more worthless than an empty promise. It¡ª"
"I swear on the Elven Forest!" She heatedly screamed.
That''s when he finally agreed. The two left as he led them across the undergroundplex.
At first, she was utterly scared, every step turning her stomach, but then she saw him. How was he so good at this?! He sneaked toward a sentry and¡ ¡ª Chop!¡ª Took it down!
Even she couldn''t tell what technique this was. He''d chop, and the enemies would fall! His power seemed to ignore 100% of their defenses. How amazing was that!
"Here, wear this." He gave her a cloak.
It just happened to be her size¡but too tight for her to just wear over her current garbs.
He urged her to change her dress. She wanted to tell him to turn away, to give her the considerations ady should have, but then she saw his stern gaze.
She changed under his watchful gaze as he scouted for enemies. She was feeling such shame, and yet a part of her hoped he''d look at her directly.
Was she that unattractive?! This was the first time anyone ever disregarded her so much!
"Let''s go¡."
The path forward wasden with enemies.
Every single second felt like Eternity. Why were there so many enemies patrolling?! Was this ce a dungeon, or a freaking pce!
Just as they were about to get out¡
"Jer, where are you going! It really is you. I''d recognize you everywhere!" One of the sentries suddenly hollered at her.
She froze. Oh god!
What now?! What should she say?!
The man was alreadying her way. At this rate, they''d get caught, and¡ just as she was freaking out, she felt aforting touch on her back.
"Demon King rted job. You know how it is. Not a moment of rest ever since he returned, am I right!" Jack not only kept his calm but was even joking around?!
"Oh? I see, that makes sense. Good luck to you both. Make sure you stay far away from the farm trees, hahaha!" The sentry waved them away.
They managed to leave the ce without arousing suspicion.
As they left, she finally saw the ce for what it was, a fine silk shop. Talk about sneaky and shady! ve traders under a legit-looking business?! The human world sure was scary!
Yet, she didn''t feel scared but d. She was so lucky to have found him! At first, she thought him to be a bad guy, but he was actually great.
"Take care, have a good life." Jack left.
WHAT?!? Was he leaving her behind just like that?! He had agreed to get her out of the cell, but he was just letting her be now?! Wasn''t this a little too heartless!
"Hey, wait up! I said wait up!" For the first time in her life, the proud princess found herself chasing after someone.
She ran after him in a hurry. "Please, let me tag along. We can go back to the Elven Forest and flee from those¡right, Bloody Chains!"
"Greenwood Forest."
"What? Oh, the name, I see! Please, let''s go there, and I''ll make sure you''re rewarded." She begged, appealing to his greed. Humans were greedy, right?
But the more she begged and the less it seemed to work. She was getting the feeling that she was talking with a monk! At this moment, she kept cursing her destitute appearance.
"Tch¡ª I''ll let you tag along for now." He spat out.
"YAY!!!" She cheered so loudly that the passerby all turned her way.
But soon, her happiness turned to bashfulness as he booked them a room at the local inn, a single room.
D-did he have designs on her?! Would he try h-holding hands or kissing her?! How should she react then? Her entire being was flushed red.
Soon¡
"Here, there''s water in the bath."
"Gulp. Y-you want me to undress?!" She had trouble breathing.
"¡."
"¡A-alright!"
He didn''t particrly stay to watch, but this didn''t stop her imagination. She quickly cleaned herself, readying her heart for what wasing.
He came back, ncing at her.
"Are you done?" He asked in a deep voice.
"Y-yes¡." She rose, standing before him shyly.
That''s when he grabbed her by the shoulders and¡pushed her aside. He entered the bath, seemingly utterly immune to her charm.
The water turned blood red instantly. How much had he suffered?! Stealing and swallowing the prison key while being tortured shouldn''t have been easy, right?
She found herself invaded by a strange feeling, something called empathy. She even found her hands moving by themselves, gently washing his bloodied back.
The bath couldn''t have been more peaceful. As he finally came out, she found herself staring. Was now the time for¡.
"Let''s go."
"T-to the bed?"
"To your Forest, I''ll drop you off. Why aren''t you dressed yet? Hurry up."
How was she supposed to reply to this?! She followed him, her head a confused mess. He had no interest in her body at all. Why did this sadden her?!
They left Town wearing traveler clothes.
As they traveled, she finally realized the extent of how terrifying the world could be. It was one danger after the other.
- Wandering monsters
- Human-sacrificing cultists
- The self-righteous I.R.L guild
- A bunch of cannibals shouting meat is meat
- Forest bandits, their leader calling himself Rob Hoody
- ¡
There were enemies at every corner!
He''d bravely protect her during every encounter. The more he fought and the more injuries he suffered, but he kept going for her sake.
The more he got hurt and the guiltier she felt. This was all her fault, all because she had wanted to leave home.
The poor Elf was having a breakdown as she remembered how naive she had been. She had even been singing back then: how lucky was she to even be alive?!
No, it wasn''t luck. It was all thanks to him¡
After countless tribtions, they finally reached their destination. She had led him toward a small clearing withrge archaic trees forming a natural arch.
"Your princess is back. Open the way." She powerfully dered in elvish.
The Forest instantly turned quiet¡before a gale rose! WHOOSH! An incredible quantity of mana was drawn into the arch, and a glowing golden portal appeared.
"There we are. Let''s go!" She happily dered.
"I doubt a human would be weed there." Jack sighed, already turning back to leave.
"W-wait, WAIT! What about your reward for saving me? You should definitely im it!"
"Sigh, it''s fine. As long as you''re safe,ter."
He still wanted to leave?! She had to do something! She didn''t think about where they were, her status, or how humans were banned from this ce.
"Please, just rest for tonight!" She grabbed his hand, showing puppy eyes.
"Fine¡"
Yes! She happily dragged him inside the portal, not noticing the scheming grin he was now showing.
[The Portal is Rejecting You!]
[Error! Error! Guest of the Elves!]
[Wee to the Elven Settlement!]
Chapter 327 Warm Elven Welcoming
Chapter 327 Warm Elven Weing¡¡¡¡[Wee to the Elven Settlement!]
[Congrats! First Human to Make it Here!]
The system wasn''t the only one to congratte Jack. Indeed, there were already a bunch of very "friendly" elves ready to wee him.
There were about fifty of them, all in the process of casting one magic spell or another. Oh, and all of them were aimed straight at him!
- Thorny vines to rip him apart
- Deadly looking ethereal weapons to slice him
- Magical projectiles to drown/burn/crush/obliterate him
- ¡.
Heck, even the birds seemed like they wanted to turn him into mincemeat! If a lousy host contest existed, they would have 100% gotten first ce!
Their leader, a handsome elven dude¡ª ordy, shouted:
"Lady Crystal Leaf, get away from this beast!"
Crystal Leaf? What kind of stupid name was this?! No wonder this was the first time he heard it. Still, right now he had more pressing issues, for instance¡
< Experienced Elven Mage 57! :leaf_fluttering_in_wind::sparkles: >
< Elder Elven Swordsman 59! :leaf_fluttering_in_wind::sparkles: >
< Mighty White Griffin 65! :leaf_fluttering_in_wind::sparkles: >
¡.
Jack nced at all these mighty beings while keeping his calm. Was it because he had everything under control? Nope, quite the contrary: he was fucked!
He couldn''t picture a scenario in which he''d be able to deal with them. Since there was nothing he could do, there was no point in panicking, right?
But he wasn''t out of hope just yet¡
"Stay your magic! No harm shalle to him!" Not only didn''t his guide move, but she even put her body straight in the line of fire.
Her meaning was obvious: Want to kill him? Over my dead body!
That''s when her elven brethren lost their minds¡and temper. Magical sparks were already flying around them as they slightly lost control over their mana.
At this moment, it would have seemed as if he was an unpardonable viin.
[Affinity Reaching Negative Levels!]
[Achievement! Kidnapped a Princess!]
Luckily¡ª or unluckily, Crystal Leaf hurriedly came to his defense.
"You guys are misunderstanding. He''s my savior! I would be a ve without his bravery and wits. I''m the one that insisted that he escort me here. I owe him this much!"
She spoke eloquently, her eyes shining with incredible admiration and her face flushed as she remembered the short time they had spent together.
[Affinity''s All Gone!]
[Achievement! Seduced a Princess!]
Seduced? What seduced?! Sure he had disregarded a few Affinity + pop-ups, but there was no way it had reached a point of no return. It was a naive crush at worst!
But, the elves didn''t see it like this, nor did they care about his opinion. One darted toward him, a vortex of flying water des orbiting around him.
"You dare!" The princess took a stand¡.only to be sent flying by a gentle grasp. For an instant, she seemed to float away.
The sharp tip of the spell reached straight toward Jack''s heart. It shed his chest, prated the organ, and¡suddenly stopped?!
"W-why?!" The belligerent Elf questioned.
"If he is to die, so will I." Crystal Leaf had taken a dagger out of nowhere and aimed it at her own throat at thest second.
Was there a need to go so far? In her eyes, yes.
It was a melodramatic and overused gesture, yet Jack couldn''t help but praise her inwardly. He could see how serious she was in her gaze, even in her unbelievable naivety.
"P-princess?! Why?!"
Many tried to reason with her, but it was clear that she would have none of it. They were utterly helpless in front of this "tantrum" of hers.
The less they understood her and the angrier they got at the human. He was obviously the one who had messed with her head!
The atmosphere was now as rxed as a gunpowder keg with extra dynamite and chili peppers. Oh, and Jack just happened to be the center of it: fun times.
Just as it was about to explode, the group of elves suddenly parted.
¡ª An olddy appeared! ¡ª
The neer was an Elf Lady that looked around 30 in human years, pretty much as old-looking as they came.
Somehow, her body managed to be even more explosive than the atmosphere, her simple white cloth dress struggling to hide her bountiful charm.
A tree medallion was nestled between her assets. A YGG''s symbol? Given the design, she was probably a priestess of the Eternal God of life.
Somehow, her simple presence managed to calm the atmosphere. As soon as Jack''spanion saw her, she beamed in joy. "Big sis! Please, reason with them!" She begged.
She came forward, analyzing the human before her.
"Fearless, calm, resolute¡." In the back, Young Leaf nodded with incredible vigor. Yes, yes, he was! But then the older finished: "¡also foolish, ignoble and undeserving of living."
"W-what?! There''s no way!" She vehemently protested.
"His mere presence breaks the humans'' promise. One without honor who schemes to get close to royalty is ignoble. Heing here is foolish, for he will die." She remarked.
"That can''t be!" Leaf was unwilling, faltering with despair.
In the back, the elves were already snickering. To them, such condemnation was not only urate but also just. Exhibit A ¡ª> Elves are Bastards.
The humans'' promise? What did a promise made at least a thousand years ago have to do with the current humans?! The elves should have sent an ambassador or something!
As for what would happen now, Jack could already guess it.
The "Big sister" suddenly changed her tune, giving a benevolent smile. "Well, if he did save you, he needs to be rewarded."
"R-really?!" Young Leaf happily chirped.
"Indeed¡he will be executed with dignity and will even be buried in the External elven Cemetery amidst the most renown elven servants." Her tone remained gentle.
"WHAT?! YGG would never agree with¡ª"
"My decision is final."
That''s when creeping branches pped the knife away, preventing any suicidal attempt. Thus the human''s fate was decided.
Any other yer would have been shouting at the injustice, yet all Jack did was take a mental note. Exhibit B ¡ª> Elves are Bastards
Well, perhaps there was an exception¡
By the side, the once arrogant elven princess was trembling, sorrow, self-me, and anguish clear on her face. Her brain seemed about to erupt from overthinking.
There was no way out of this, not this one¡
1. Use his previous knowledge to bettermunicate with them? They''d get suspicious of how he had learned theirnguage in the first ce.
2. Try to reason with them over justice? This could only work with a curious youngster not set in their way yet.
Jack would endure and treat them with MERCY:
1. ''Member
2. Enlist An Army
3. Raid Their Vige
4. Crush Them Entirely
5. You Regretting Yet Fools?!
Yep, he was already picturing it all in his head. The uing events would be as magnificent as bloody! Aftering in person, he''d be able to guide an army back.
Hidden Vige of the Elves? ¡ª> $$$$
As for the morality of the whole thing¡this could be considered a legitimate defense, right? They would have killed him first in any case.
He patiently waited for the execution to begin as he observed the grinning elves. He had to admit that they were truly powerful. Tch¡ª Defeating them would be troublesome.
Still, their arrogance would be their downfall. They''d be the main cause of their¡ª His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a shout.
"I object to killing him!" His only ally was still lobbying. How cute.
The others were already about to dismiss her and retort, but she picked up the pace. The others couldn''t even ce a word because of how fast she was!
"Long ago, some humans were guests of the Eternal Tree! They were weed with open arms and could visit anytime. They were even considered YGG''s children too!"
"That''s¡ª"
"Yes, they were heroes, chosen by YGG himself! Do you dare im that our God was mistaken in his benevolence? Are you perhaps rebelling against his teachings?!"
"That''s not¡ª"
"He must perish for "invading" ournd? How is that any fair?! Do you even remember the old teachings?! Aren''t you supposed to represent him in all¡ª"
Just as her speech was getting heated, the priestess interrupted:
"How dare youpare this puny human to the heroes of old! They were worthy beings who were pure and true, nothing like this worm!"
"Yes! Listen to reason."
"She who represents YGG is wise!"
The others were already moring in support. At this moment, they were sending disapproving res at the young elven girl. Did she forget her elven roots?
They all pointed fingers at her: she was the one in the wrong. Her reputation and status were getting lower by the second.
She wasmitting a pure social suicide, bound to carry this shame forever. But she didn''t care, still racking her brain on how to save him¡
"It''s alright. You''ve done enough. I''ll be fine." Jack gently whispered.
Really, she had done enough. It wasn''t like dying once was a big deal for him anyway. He''d be teleported back home just in time for supper. #Perfect Timing!
She teared up. He was showing such a rxed smile for her sake! Screw all the legendary figures, he was the real hero! He was the one who had saved her from the darkness and¡
AH! She suddenly had a sh of insight, a victorious smile blooming on her face. She turned toward the elven crowd and¡
"I nominate Jack''O as a hero candidate! He''ll go through the Legendary Elven Trials and prove his worth!" She powerfully dered.
"WHAT?!! Do you know what will happen to you once he fails?!"
"Humph! He''ll seed! I believe in him!"
[Optional Quest: Elven Trials!]
[ept? Y/N ?]
A bbergasted Jack stared at his notifications. What the actual hell?! Trials? No freaking way! He had been so close to going home! As for refusing....GODDAMNIT!
Chapter 328 Eternal Labyrinth!
Chapter 328 Eternal Labyrinth!¡¡¡¡"I nominate Jack''O as a hero candidate!"
Before Jack could protest, Leaf was already glowing in a myriad of colors, her hands joined in prayer.
[You''ve Been Chosen as a Hero Candidate!]
[Optional Quest: Elven Trials!]
[ept? Y/N ?]
Oh god! Why had she done this?!
One had to know that this hero nomination was a HUGE deal. Oh, and failing it was terrifying for both the contestant and the sponsor.
As for refusing? It was the same as giving up!
He observed his elvenpanion. She didn''t show any fear, only hope and a gentle smile, ready to sacrifice herself to give him the slightest chance at survival.
This was the most touching and unnecessary sacrifice ever.
Should he walk away? He totally could! But as he saw her giving him a thumb up by the side, he couldn''t help but give a wry smile. Tch¡ª He''d at least give it a try.
"Trials? Fine, bring it on!" He powerfully dered.
*Elvesughing at a foolish human*
But really, who was the fool here¡
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Word spread across the settlement like an atomic cloud.
Random elves appeared out of nowhere, wanting to gaze upon the man who had driven someone of elven royal blood to "insanity".
Jack stood before a regal-looking hole in an ancient tree. The details on the entrance frame would have wowed any sculptor ever: nts, animals, elves, all seemingly dancing joyfully.
¡ª Eternal Labyrinth! ¡ª
Jack nced at it with desire. This Trial was connected to the Elven HQ, right?! If only he could steal such power, he''d be able to create teleporters! A shame, it wouldn''t be so easy¡
"Go on, human. This is the first Trial, one so simple every elven child has cleared it. Reach the other end to seed. Simple enough, right?"
"It sure does! Alright, see you on the other side."
Jack entered the dark tree trunk, disappearing instantly. As soon as he did, a magical screen showed the inside of the Trial, the elves alreadyughing.
"Pfft¡ª What an idiot!"
"He''ll survive a few minutes at best!"
"No way! He''ll survive a while¡forever trapped in the first illusion formation, haha!"
Jack didn''t take long to reach said illusion formation, the first obstacle. It was so high level that he couldn''t even guess the caster''s proficiency! No, it was even worse¡
This was a god''s Trial, right?!
One had to know there were two types of God Trials:
1. Evil God ¡ª> You would suffer from their cruelty
2. Benevolent God ¡ª> You would suffer from their friendliness.
Sometimes a painful quick death was preferable to an eternity of nonsensical riddles, puzzles, and weird tests. Right now was clearly the second option.
Jack found himself in a small sunny clearing with lush vegetation, a small hut, and a tiny well to quench his thirst.
Friendly animals crowded around. Rabbits, birds, deers, sheeps, and more! He looked like a freaking reclusive Fairy Tale Princess!
He explored it all, not finding anything of interest. This ce seemed like a freaking prison! As for the animals, was he supposed to kill them to state his hunger or spare them?
Was this the test? Show his virtue through enduring mortal desires? Unsure, he hadn''t killed any yet, biding his time. Then again, what if this whole thing was timed?!
He tried everything he could think of¡
- Showed his benevolence by gifting animals straw hats
- Showed his piety by erecting a cool YGG statue
- Showed his resilience by enduring the hunger
- Showed his loving side by petting the animals
- ¡.
Nothing ever worked. To him, it seemed as if weeks had gone by, yet barely a day had passed in the real world. The elves were still chuckling at his pathetic disy.
"Hehe, he''s worse than a child!"
"Of course! All humans are like that!"
"How long until the passage of time turns him insane?"
They all discussed the man''s fate, not showing an ounce ofpassion. Then they''d scoff at Leaf, who even now still believed in him¡
Jack had tried, but he really couldn''t take it anymore. ''Benevolent God, my Ass!'' he keptining inwardly. Then at some point, he simply stopped caring.
He stood under the bright blue sky, shouting at it like a madman. "What the heck am I supposed to do here?! C''mon, answer me, YGG, goddammit!"
He was just venting, and yet a golden screen appeared before him.
¡ª Wee to the Labyrinth! ¡ª
1. Are you ready to learn?
2. Follow all the directives
3. Call YGG if you need help
4. More importantly, have fun! ^_^
"¡."
At this moment, even Jack was speechless.
WHAT THE HELL?! Learn? Directives? Have fun?!
Outside they had bragged about every childpleting this. Was this only a simple learning game?!
In front of him were now instructions in elvish exining how to get out of this insanely peaceful world. It went from petting a rabbit to jumping at random spots.
Point was¡.this test was bullshit! Testing one''s value? Nope! All it tested was one''s literacy in elvish, nothing else! Then again, it would be impossible for regr humans to seed.
He felt like venting, like screaming at this BS god for making a fool out of him. Why hadn''t it shown the instructions from day one? Then again, the elves also slighted him...
They had been crowding outside. What if they had a way to see what happened inside? Probably, right? If that was the case, he''d give them a show they would never forget¡
¡ª
"How can one be so lucky?!" Tons of elves eximed at once.
The human had obviously been stumped, stuck in the illusion realm. He had even started losing his mind, rolling on the floor and moving erratically.
But just as they were making fun of his pathetic disy, the fool had somehow inadvertentlypleted the requirements to exit!
An enormous golden portal appeared before the human. He kept gawking at it, overwhelmed by shock. "A portal?!" It was 100% evident that he had activated it by mistake!
They wanted to call foul, but he hadpleted that part. Still, they calmed down when they remembered all the other dangers awaiting him.
Soon he came to an intersection, one that offered 27 pathway options. Such a choice would stump anyone but Jack.
He heroically¡.grabbed a coin, entrusting his fate to it.
"Head, I''ll go in. Tail, I won''t!" He confidently dered: the most stupid way to go about clearing this.
The elvesughed their asses off. The thing was, all those pathways were traps. Yes, the actual pathy in a secret passage by the side, protected by an illusion.
"Hehe, without the Elven Wisdom, he''s doomed!" One remarked, the others all nodding in agreement.
One had to know that these NPC were utterly convinced that one HAD to be an elf to receive their god''s message. Never did it cross their mind that he was seeing it too.
On the screen, Jack quickly found the "correct" pathway. He entered the wrong one with the confidence of an emperor.
But just as he took a few steps, he suddenly dropped his coin. It bounced a few times, quickly rolling away.
"Come back here!" He jumped to catch it.
While trying to retrieve it, he just happened to collide with the wall that hid the secret passage, going straight through it. ¡ª Whoosh! ¡ª
"Ah?! Is this a shortcut or something? Nice!" He barely took the time to observe his surroundings, happily heading inside.
The elves couldn''t believe their eyes.
"WHAT?! This is cheating! He clearly chose the wrong path!" The elves cried out, outraged.
"The wrong path? It seemed to me like he went the correct one. Are you all perhaps turning blind with age? How concerning!" Crystal Leaf replied with a beautiful smile.
They could only grind their teeth as they all kept watching. Sadly for them, Jack was far from done¡
¡ª Wee to the dart path! ¡ª
An impossibly deadly corridor stood before him. In the sidewalls, countless holes would spew infinite darts. Even a legendary acrobat would turn pale at seeing it.
The shooting patterns were continuously changing, and the darts were so fast that one had to move out of the way in advance.
"Damn, that will be hard!" Jack eximed loudly.
There was actually a trick to this: this ce was an illusion. The darts were as physical as one believed them to be. Fear them ¡ª> Get skewered.
He spent a while observing the darts but then startedughing. "Hehe, this will be a piece of cake. I''ve memorized all the patterns!" He said as he took out a blindfold.
The madman was going in blind?!
He cried out as he rushed in, doing countless acrobatics¡and tanking every dart! How could one be so bad?! On the other side, he patted himself.
"Not a single wound?! Like a Boss!" Heughingly left.
Outside, the elves were about to have a heart attack. He thought the darts were real yet managed to go through anyway?! This didn''t make any sense?!
¡ª
Soon Jack was confronted with a giant man-eating nt. The thing''s teeth were big enough to skewer a damn elephant! The human was instantly scared into submission.
"He deserves to be eaten, EATEN!!!" But he wasn''t¡ He somehow headpatted his way to safety by mistake!
¡ª
In a cave, countless stctites started falling like death sentences. It was time to run! The human rushed all around, stumbling everywhere.
The man had no n, skill, or worth, yet he survived. Heck, at times, he even stood in ce shivering! Once again, his luck saved him.
¡ª
In a temple, he was confronted with a puzzle. He threw coin after coin, relying entirely on luck to pass the level. It was an insult to anyone''s intelligence!
¡ª
Just like that, Jack emerged from thebyrinth victorious. He looked the same as he once did, everything that had happened inside only an illusion.
Yet, the elves who had done nothing but watch looked worse for the wear for some odd reason. Pale faces, their entire bodies shaking, blood trickling out of their lips.
"I have to admit. This was challenging!" Jack eximed with a genuine smile.
"SCREW YOU!!" They shouted, but he only nced at them, "confused".
[Completed First Trial!]
[Get ready for the Second One!]
Chapter 329 Crazy Ride!
Chapter 329 Crazy Ride!¡¡¡¡[Get ready for the Second Trial!]
Ready?! How was one supposed to get ready for this?! Jack stared at the uing challenge with a helpless expression.
In front of him was a huge bird, leering his way while screeching menacingly.
< Mighty White Griffin 65! :leaf_fluttering_in_wind::sparkles: >
"Scree! Scree!"
The creature stood proudly: the upper half of an eagle, grandiose feathered wings, and the powerful body of a lion. The YGG priestess came forward with augh.
"Your next task is as simple as the previous one. All you need to do is hang around for ap on this majestic creature''s back."
Majestic?! It would have made sailors blush with its curses! She was already beside the thing, rubbing its feathery head, not minding the sharp beak next to her face.
"Of course, you won''t make it too easy, right?" She chuckled.
"Scree! Scree! Scree!"
It didn''t take long for Jack to be seated on his shiny new ride, one that 100% wanted to kill him. Even now, it was bragging about its master n on how to get rid of him.
- Fly high above
- m against rocks
- Go through thorny thickets
- Screech till his eardrums bled
- ¡.
The more Jack heard and the more uneasy he became.
Was this bird in the damn mafia?! How did it know so many methods to "identally" get rid of someone?! Evenva surfing in a volcano had to be safer than riding it!
"Are you ready? 3¡2¡1¡."
"Screee!"
With that cry came the eleration¡and the tears!
The mighty gale irritated his eyes, making him feel like his stomach had reached his head. This was CRAZY!
¡ª SWOOSH! ¡ª
He struggled to hang on, clenching the feathers as forcefully as a fat kid clung to chocte. A second of inattention, and he''d instantly fall to his death.
The worst was that this insane pace¡.was the thing very slowly rising. The actual Trial hadn''t started yet! The creature suddenly noticed his state.
"Scree!" (Worthless Motherfucker!)
The Griffin couldn''t wait to doom this ridiculously lousy human. Why did it have to let such a pathetic man ride it in the first ce?! Dumb Trials! Still, it would soon end for¡ª
"Scree? Scree!" (Motherfucker? Naw, I usually don''t fuck birds.)
The Griffin froze, even forgetting to p its vast wings for a split second. But then it rose higher, turning its head in every direction as if searching for something.
"Scree?! Scree!" (Who said that?! Show yourself, bastard!)
It was the only true Griffin of the settlement and a being none could sneak upon¡usually. Yet no matter where it looked, it couldn''t see any of its brethren. An outsider, perhaps?!
"Scree! Screee" (The duality of birds: fast wings, slow brain.)
A deep sigh followed thetest screech. That''s when the Griffin finally located where the cry hade from, its own back! It turned its head, meeting the human''s gaze.
"¡?!?"
"Scree." (You Okay?)
The Griffin was so bbergasted that it had lost any trace of majesty. The human was the one screeching?! How?! Why?! Was this a prank?!
"Tch¡ª p your wings more than that. We''re losing altitude right now. Don''t tell me flying and talking''s too hard for you?" Jack mercilessly mocked.
That''s when the Griffin finally regained its bearings.
"Screeeeeeeee!"
(So what if you can speak? A weakling like you doesn''t deserver to! Idiot, you should have been begging for your life. You wasted your only chance! I''ll rip you to shreds and¡)
Thus started the longest bird monologue ever.
As much as Jack had insulted it for its birdbrain, it remained a level 65 sentient creature. It even started describing all the atrocities it wouldmit to his body.
Frankly put, he was screwed. Still, begging, was it? This wouldn''t have worked in the first ce, or he''d have to be the thing''s servant. No thank you!!!
At this moment, he needed to give the bird a reason to spare him. He readied rare materials he had gotten from the Merchant Union, ready to bribe the hell out of it!
But, just as he was about to take them out, he changed his mind. Yes, this would be way more effective! Jack went to work while the bird kept cursing in the background.
"Screeeeee¡ª Scree?!" (Then I''ll drown you and¡ª What''s that?!)
The Griffin suddenly stopped its tirade. A scent had just reached its nose. It was something subtle yet so mouth-watering that it could even affect it.
It turned its head and almost froze once again. What the hell was wrong with this guy?! He should have been freaking out from the promises of death, but instead he was having a pic!
He had taken a tablecloth, a winess, and orange cookies from God knows where. Jack had used the creature slowing down to threaten him to set it up.
The Griffin felt a deep hatred invade its heart. The human dared!! Yet, curiosity and hunger actually overcame the anger. What were the cookies made with?!
"Pretty nice, right?" Jack moved a cookie from side to side, the bird''s head following it as if a metronome. It was HOOKED! "Here, try one." He sent one in the open beak.
¡ª Happy Bird Munching Noises ¡ª
The bird glowed with joy. How could something with so little mana taste so good?! It didn''t make any sense! Also, why were they so small?! He had already finished his cookie.
"Scree!" (MOAR!!)
"Hum, those pumpkin cookies are precious."
"Scree!" (Give me more, or I''ll bite your head off right now!)
"Is that so? Oh well, everyone has to die one day anyway." Jack shrugged, munching on yet another cookie.
Now, the Griffin was furious! It would make the human spit all the cookies out, all of them! Still, the human had a point. There would be no more cookies if he died.
Killing n ¡ª> Torture n
The Griffin suddenly elerated, starting its torture endeavors.
It didn''t take long for Jack to be bloodied all over. His skin was pierced, bones broken, and flesh hung to the environment. He was a goddamn martyr.
The Griffin kept a close watch on the human''s condition. No matter what, it wouldn''t allow him to die! But, even now, he was still valiantly munching, even winking at the bird.
Every munch stabbed the poor Griffin deeper than any de ever could.
"Scree!" (Asshole, I''ll force you to give me some!)
¡ª Munch! ¡ª
"Scree!" (Viin, how about we make a deal?)
¡ª Menacing Munch! ¡ª
"Scree!" (Human, can I get a few cookies?)
"Oh? Is that how you ask a favor? Do you really want some?"
"Screeee!" (Great Lord, please have mercy! A few crumbs will do, please let this foolish bird taste the greatness of pumpkin cookies once again in its pitiful life!)
¡ª The Noble creature had fallen ¡ª
That''s when Jack finally threw a few cookies in the creature''s beak. It flew slowly, closing its eyes with satisfaction, enjoying the taste fully.
After a great foodgasm, it powerfully screeched as it looked at the human. For the first time, it had no thoughts of doing anything bad to him. He even looked quite pleasing.
"Scree?" (What exactly are Pumpkin Cookies?)
"Well, you see¡." He began talking about a magicalnd known as Pumpkin Farm, inhabited by a Pumpkin Princess that turned love into delicacies.
The Griffin was listening to the story, totally enthralled, letting Jack dictate how and where they were they were flying. It was very peaceful¡.
¡ª
Meanwhile, the elves on the ground had been through so many emotions.
First, there had been some confusion when the Griffin took its time initially. It slowly rose, and then¡stayed in ce? Why?
It even seemed that it forgot to p its wings at some point, making the gallery unnecessarily worry.
"Did something happen to it?!"
"I bet the human''s cheating again!"
"No, everything seems fine. How strange¡"
With the priestess'' reassurance, they kept watching on. Luckily, it seemed as if they had been worried for nothing as they heard the Griffin angrily screech.
Why did it feel like it was insulting the human? No, perhaps even threatening it? While they didn''t speak itsnguage, it was obviously something of the like.
Their guesses were soon proved right. The creature flew at the speed of a typhoon as it went from obstacle to obstacle, tormenting the mortal.
"Hehe, there we go!"
"I doubt we''ll ever see him again."
"No, the Griffin will at least bring back the corpse¡or what remains of it."
They watched on, the pace getting crazier and crazier. With every impact, they screamed as if sports fans¡ª except one. When it started raining blood, they roared with joy.
"Haha, he''s done for!"
"Hehe, it''s ying with its food!"
"That''s fine. It will make it more entertaining."
In their joy, they didn''t notice any irregrity. When Jack fed the creature, they wrongly assumed the screech of joy meant the human was dead. This was the only exnation, right?
They excitedly pointed at the creature as it did a slow circle in the air. It looked like an emperoring back from an epic battle.
On the side, young Leaf was on the ground, tears streaming down her beautiful face.
He was dead, and it was all her fault. Not only was he dead, but he had been toyed with until hisst moments. All she wanted was to help, but it was all over.
At this moment, she didn''t care about the impact this would have on her at all. She barely reacted when the priestess approached her.
"As per tradition, you will be banished from the elven vige since your candidate has failed the Trials and¡ª" Gasps interrupted her.
The Griffinnded, a man standing on its back. The creature slowly lowered its head, Jack nonchntly stepping over it to reach the ground.
"Now, what dumb bitch said that I was dead?" He yfully asked.
"¡.?!?"
Chapter 330 Elven Arena!
Chapter 330 Elven Arena!¡¡¡¡"Now, what dumb bitch said that I was dead?" Jack''s voice echoed in the deathly silence.
The elves would have probably been less surprised if he had spontaneously sprouted seraph wings. Their eyes kept going from the human to the submissive Griffin in disbelief.
"Y-you''re alive?!!" Before she knew what she was doing, Leaf had dashed toward him, sobbing as she embraced him. "You''re really here, not a ghost!!"
Even their apparent leader, the YGG priestess, was going insane. At this moment, the countless hours she had spent to get close to the Griffin shed before her eyes.
The same Griffin was now bowing to some random human after a short flying session. What the hell?! To make matters worse, said human didn''t especially look hurt either.
yer ¡ª> Easy healing + ess to Inventory
How long would they keep staring? Jack broke the silence. "What''s next? Are we done?" He fearlessly inquired.
"N-next? Ah, there''s still one Trial. We''ll have to head to the Arena for that one."
"I see, lead the way. Let me guess. This one too will be simple, right?" He yfully used what seemed like her favorite sentence.
He was escorted by utterly confused elves, having seemingly lost their souls. Pfft¡ª They sure were fun to tease! Should he anger them a bit more?¡
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They so wanted to murder him!
Their next destination wasn''t too far away, yet the human had used the Griffin to fly over very, very slowly.
The creature knew the way and could have instantly brought him, but Jack insisted on hovering near the elves as they made their way there as a group.
They stared at the creature with awe, wishing they could be in his ce. But, he then started spewing infuriatingments.
"Tch¡ª Why are your feathers so ufortable?"
"Why are you hiding in this vige? Bird riding is fun¡"
"I wonder what Griffin tastes like. Do you think you''d be delicious?"
While they were dying of jealousy, he was freakingining?! Ufortable feathers? Bird?! Asking the creature about the taste of its meat?! Yet the Griffin didn''t mind it one bit.
When the group finally reached the Arena, they all felt like they had aged a few centuries in an instant, their entire bodies suddenly feeling feeble.
¡ª Wee to the Arena! ¡ª
It was HUGE and shaped like a wooden nest. The walls were made of living branches that even seemed to be breathing. One noticeable detail: there was no entrance.
It was one of those, wasn''t it?
Just as the priestess was about to instruct him, Jack walked straight up to the wall. A secondter, the wooden wall seemingly swallowed him.
The branches soon brought him to a new world. Blue sky, greenery, a bunch of trees, soft wind, and even a warm sun. This ce was its own little ecosystem.
[Wee to the Elven Arena!]
[Survive Three Waves to im Your Reward!]
First, it was 3 trials, and then 3 waves. Hopefully, it would really be the end afterward. Jack''s aura turned sharp as he positioned himself for battle.
"Let''s get this party started, shall we?"
Green light suffused across the entire Arena, the air seemingly heating up. The first enemies were already spawning. As Jack saw them, he gave a wry smile.
< Young Treant Protector 25! :leaf_fluttering_in_wind::sparkles: >
Tons of living saplings had appeared, now slowly moving toward him. They were as slow as sturdy¡but he sure had lucked out on the type!
"Really, they are sending wood creatures against me? Ridiculous!" He chuckled as he instantly sent fireballs their way, lighting them up.
It didn''t take long for them to start wailing, unsessfully trying to extinguish their bodies. Before long, they were all turned into ashes.
Still, Jack knew this had just been the warm-up (literally). As the next enemies spawned, his face turned solemn. Wooden humanoid-shaped golems, a whole lot of them!
< Wooden Elven Guard 45! :leaf_fluttering_in_wind::sparkles: >
Level 45?! At this rate, wouldn''t he face level 65 enemies during the third round?! But, he quickly regained his spirit, barely side-stepping an attack.
¡ª Twang! ¡ª
The sound of arrows being fired echoed all around him. Crap, he had to run!! Volley after volley were heading his way. Arrows, wooden spikes, and even spinning logs!
As he evaded, he sent a few fire spears toward the enemies, the effectiveness limited this time. The creatures too could evade, and they were damn good at it!
They were like monkeys in the jungle as they leaped from walls to trees, to walls again, even doing flips and backflips. They were like ninjas!
Also, it seemed like they could learn but were excruciatingly slow. So slow that it was hard to believe. Did this mean he had a time limit?
Jack instantly realized that simply firing spells at them wouldn''t work. He''d have to eitherunch onerge AOE attack or find a way to restrain them.
"Seems I''ll be relying on you guys again," Jack murmured as he prepared to use his trump card.
But he suddenly stopped¡how much of this Trial could the Elves watch from the outside? He''d have to rely on his peerless disguise techniques!
That''s when he began the n Pumpkin.
He''d dodge the attacks while casually dropping pumpkins at times. After every drop ¡ Stter! The food exploded from the projectiles.
But after a very long while, they finally learned that the Pumpkins did nothing at all. That''s when they stopped targeting them entirely. Oh, this would be great!
"Arise, my minions."
Suddenly soiled bony hands pierced out of the ground, grabbing the pumpkins above them. A few secondster, Pumpkin-Wearing Skeletons came out, ready to fight.
They swarmed toward the enemies at a pace that was rtively slow. But, the dumb creatures ignored the Pumpkins they "knew" not to be a danger.
Jack had given his minions the order not to attack any of the enemies either, so they didn''t emit the slightest bit of killing intent. That''s how they sneaked in in sight.
Then the skeletons all reached their targets. Attack? Nope! They simply embraced them. They were literally grabbing their heels.
"Good, that''s perfect! Give them more hugs. Gotta spread the love! Hey, buddy, this should help warm you up!" Jack shouted as he threw fire at the enemies.
One after the other, they fell, their aura filled with iprehension. Why had the moving Pumpkins suddenly turned dangerous?! They all realized their mistakes toote.
This was only possible because he had great control over his troop and battlefield awareness. He''d always execute each enemy during the first grab.
[Updating the Arena!]
[Pumpkins = Mortal Enemies!]
"¡.Bruh."
What kind of silly mortal enemy was this?! It was even worse than when Moon Moon had tried killing snow. Jack readied himself for the third wave, his palms already sweaty.
Mana suddenly filled the entire ce, lots of mana! He had an awful feeling about this, so much that he was already backing off from the spawn point.
This time, there was only one monster, but it didn''t make it less terrifying. Oh no!
< Giant Ghostly Carnivora 65! :leaf_fluttering_in_wind::sparkles: >
What the hell was this doing here?! Why would elves even have something like that?! It didn''t make any sense whatsoever!
This thing was half-physical and half-immaterial. It was a gigantic bluish glowing carnivorous nt with a gaping toothless maw and countless thornless vines.
It didn''t look particrly menacing, but Jack knew this was only an illusion. It would bait adventurers to approach as it looked harmless and even valuable.
Nope! Big F-ing Red g!
Simply being in contact with this thing would transmit negative energy, simrly to his Ghoul Touch. It really wasn''t something one could endure!
Jack instantly got to work, trying to find the monster''s ws as the fight resumed once more.
¡ª m! Spit! Whoosh! ¡ª
The nt would m its tentacles at him, rupturing the ground where he''d been a second earlier. Jack stayed near the Arena''s edge, as far as possible from the thing.
He tried to use his spells to damage it, but it had no effect whatsoever. He was akin to a man trying to thaw a block of ice with a single match.
"Tch¡ª This won''t work." He grumbled.
Attacks? Ineffective.
ws? None that he could exploit.
Surviving? Barely because it was toying with him.
Was there still hope? Not really, the thing devouring him would be a fatality and¡wait, devouring?! He could always use that¡or that?
There would be consequences for sure, but would the pros outweigh the cons? Jack''s brain was going full throttle.
"Ah, why not¡."
That''s when he stopped running, charging at the creature and then¡plunging in its maw?! Only he knew what he was thinking¡
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"Go on, kill him!!!" As soon as the challenge started, the elves instantly started cheering for the monsters.
When they witnessed the treants getting steamrolled, they grumbled about how he really had a bad affinity. Why did it just have to be fire?! But then they quickly calmed down.
"It''s fine. The Elven Guards won''t be as easy."
"For sure! So what if he counters them? He has to hit them first!"
They chuckled as they saw Jack''s expression, his face pale. It was evident that he couldn''t cope with their speed. It seemed like he too had realized this problem.
He was doomed, utterly doomed!
Except something strange suddenly happened.
"Why is he tossing Pumpkins everywhere?"
"More importantly, where is he taking them from?!"
They couldn''t understand what he was doing at all. Had he lost his mind? It really seemed to be the case, making them snicker.
But then the big reveal happened.
It all happened so fast that they barely saw it.
Pumpkin Golems came out of the ground, and he quickly worked with them to annihte all the enemies. This was possible?!
They were still in shock when the nt spawned. Seeing Jack struggling to survive sure cheered them up. But then it became even better as he was gobbled up!
"What?!"
"He finally gave up, haha!"
"He''ll be dead from the negative energy in a few seconds!"
They were embracing one another, tearing up in joy. But suddenly, one of them pointed at the screen. "Guys, what the hell is this?!"
The nt was trembling, seemingly from the inside¡.
Chapter 331 Picking a Reward
Chapter 331 Picking a Reward¡¡¡¡Jack found himself in a world of bluish ghostly light.
It reminded him of a starry sky: so beautiful and as vast as the universe. He felt as if floating, yet knew that the scene was nothing but a deadly trap.
At this moment, he was inside the Ghostly Carnivora. He also knew that the light was unbelievably deadly.
It was all pure negative energy!
He couldn''t help but snicker to himself. Were the elves outside already considering him dead? Probably, right? He wasn''t quite doomed just yet, for he still had a trump card.
"Activate Ghoul Transformation!" This thing was totally needed if he wanted to stand a chance.
Just as he was done morphing, the light increased in intensity, the energy prating his entire body.
[Negative Energy Detected!]
[Currently Undead¡Immune! Immune!]
He simply let it all wash over him, even going for a counterattack. "Take this!!" His full-powered sh barely left a scratch. Still, either way this creature was going down!
He kept the onught going, the monster seemingly not minding much. Thus he kept scratching and scratching until¡
¡ª REEEEE! ¡ª
What the hell was that cry?! The Ghost Carnivora had finally realized that something was wrong. Why hadn''t the human inside it perished already?
At this moment, the creature finally learned the meaning of indigestion. It shook, unsure what was happening and even more unsure of how to fix the problem.
One had to know that the stomach of that being was a trap from which escaping was impossible. This was because the whole space would be magically closed as if it were another realm.
The poor nt opened its maw wide and tried digging the annoyance out with a vine, but it just couldn''t! That''s when it turned toward the sky, seemingly begging for help.
Meanwhile¡
-1
-1
-1
-1
-¡
Jack wasn''t giving up one bit. This was actually a contest of endurance between him and the nt.
He was akin to an inmate digging his way out with a stic spoon. How was it even possible? Who freaking knows!
"Freedom awaits, just a couple more million fireballs¡." Jack reassured himself as he kept firing magic / meditating at the same time, totally acting as if a Hellish Oven.
Yes, just a few million¡
¡ª
The elves'' faces had drastically changed once they had detected the strange happenings. They all pointed toward the creature in worry.
"Its body''s shaking?!"
"That''s not all, is it¡wailing?!"
"Oh god, what the hell did he do again?!"
They stared at the screen, beads of sweat trickling down their foreheads. They already couldn''t take the suspense!
But as seconds, minutes, and hours psed, they concluded that Jack was definitely still alive in there. How?!
Little did they know, he was not only alive but also actively working toward taking the thing down. But then suddenly a detail came to light¡
"W-what happened to the vegetation?!" A trembling elf remarked.
The previously lush Arena full of trees was slowly but surely getting transformed. The vitality of the surroundings was getting drained and turned into Negative Energy!
Life ¡ª> Death
None had ever seen it happen like that before! This was simply because the only way to defeat such a creature was one solid proactive blow.
Battle of attrition? Ridiculously dumb!
But, seeing how long this took, this was beyond attrition! Heck, the elves were just watching, and they were already getting weary. How would he feel in there?!
"Tch¡ª At least he ought to be suffering, right?" The elves nced at one another, finding sce in that thought¡
¡ª
"Ah! That''s the spot!" Jack was almost moaning.
Every time the creature sent a pulse of Negative Energy, he felt the fatigue in his body and soul disappear. Well¡more urately, he felt his mana regenerate, but it was simr.
What if he opened an Undead Only Resort? Wouldn''t this be super popr?! Then again, spas were primarily popr with the fairer sex, and they tended to mind rotting flesh.
Time passed, and some more, and then¡.
[Safety Warning!]
[Connected Too Long!]
[You Will Be Disconnected!]
[Please Rest Well! In the Meantime, t¡ª]
"Hell no! Disable safety measures, abort! Humans can survive three days without water, don''t give me that crap! Just do your job and register the damage ticks!!!"
-1
-1
-1
-1
¡
Even as he bickered with the system, he still kept roasting the poor ghostly nt, not a shred of mercy. Luckily, the system had no choice but to back down.
Then it finally happened. With onest damage tick, the Boss copsed, wrecked from the inside. Anyone else would have been cheering, yet he couldn''t.
The joy and relief in his eyes instantly switched to solemnity. Right now, he indubitably looked and felt like a ghoul, and there was no way he could fool the elves.
[Congrattions! Completed Settlement Trials!]
[Head to the Inner Temple to collect your reward!]
[PS: It can be found easily by the exit of the Arena!]
At least he now had a clear goal!
He prepared himself and¡.
¡ª Whoosh! ¡ª
He bolted out so fast that the elves only saw his shadow.
They stared at him in disbelief. He had taken the Ghost Carvivora down?! Also, why was he wearing such a weird full-body cloak, and where was he rushing?
Still, they were too shocked to react. It was only after a few minutes that they regained their senses. But then their beautiful features twisted into horrible grimaces.
They had sensed something extraordinarily vile and corrupted:
"A demonic presence¡Undead?!"
"Quick, find and obliterate this abomination!"
"Tch¡ª Here, I thought the only vile thing here was the human, yet¡.Oh god!!"
The corrupted mana came precisely from the traces he had just left behind!
¡ª
Jack dragged himself forward.
When was thest time he had slept? He couldn''t even remember. There was only one thing in his mind: reaching the Temple, wherever that was, and grabbing his reward.
"1, 1, 1, 1, ¡" He kept repeating over and over.
Before, it had been a mantra to remind himself to attack, but now it was to put one foot in front of the other.
Then he found it! The Temple was a massive white tree that almost seemed made of marble and yet was definitely alive.
But right now, he didn''t have the mind to observe the beauty of it. "Please let me be in time!" He rushed inside the small hole that served as a door.
[Wee to the Elven Treasury!]
[Please Pick One Reward!]
What?! Treasury?! Wasn''t this a temple?!
A secondter, he was teleported into a pure white room full of countless treasures. All were super high level¡.but how could he pick like this?!
- Belt: ???
- Cloak: ???
- Dagger: ???
Everything, absolutely everything, was sealed! He couldn''t even see theplete shape of the items as they too were pixted. Were the things here censored?!
"No, it''s fine. I just need to calm down and sense the right element." He just had to remember the feeling the Seer had described in his letter.
After all, he knew precisely what he wanted: an item capable of opening the way forward to his next destination, the link between this world and the Eternal Steppes!
This was the whole reason he was here in the first ce! He hurried as much as possible, observing countless items as best as he could.
"Let the wind blow." He gently whispered as he created a small gale.
He stared at all the items. He''d know that he had the right one as long as it reacted to the wind. Not this one, not this one either¡that one!
He had finally found it! It was on the opposite side of the room, just waiting for him. He hurried toward it. With this, he''d¡ª
¡ª CRASH!! ¡ª
An earth-shattering sound resounded, a being emerging from the Floor: the priestess! Oh, and she seemed positively pissed, her eyes a bottomless abyss.
"Filthy undead! I should have known! A being as weak as you couldn''t possibly survive otherwise."
"Let''s talk this¡ª"
"Talk?! Hehe, as if! Do you think me as naive as that stupid girl? You may have fooled her, but you won''t touch our treasures!"She ridiculed.
"I totallypleted the Trials. I earned it and¡ª"
With a wave, she sent everything in the room flying, the items stacking neatly in the farthest corner, a barrier of vines appearing to protect them.
The priestess gave a sadistic smile as she refocused on Jack. "Now, let''s pump you full of light magic, shall we?"
Putting arrogant humans back in their ce was incredibly fun, but torturing an Undead until they begged to be exorcised even more so.
At this moment, she shared an expression with those annoying Light Church guys. That''s when Jack realized he was fucked.
- She was way too strong
- He wouldn''t get his reward
- He''d get tortured for super long
- Even if Leaf wanted to help, she wouldn''t be able in the short term
- He really was utterly,pletely fantastically screwed¡over 9000!
"Sigh¡Aren''t elves supposed to be the good guys in stories? I never hurt any of you, not in this life anyway. Yet here you are being so harsh." Jack sighed.
"Hehe, are you going to cry? It''s not like the undead even have emotions. They''re nothing but a byproduct of magic and mere mimicry." She scoffed.
While usually right, this didn''t apply to yers at all! Otherwise, there would have been big problems for the yers'' mental state.
Exhibit 3: Elves are Bastards
At this moment, Jack understood what he had to do. It was a royal pain in the ass, but it beat the alternative. "You bitch of an elf, mark my words, I''ll be back!"
That''s when he took a Pumpkin out, one filled with plenty of life energy, one that would instantly kill him.
"Bye-bye." Then he blew himself.
As he died, he cursed the elves, swearing toe back with an unbelievably strong army and rid the world of their righteous arrogance¡
Chapter 332 Preparations: MERCY
Chapter 332 Preparations: MERCY¡¡¡¡Goddamn Elves!
He had once again died thanks to those human-hating pieces of garbage. Well, it was more that they considered humans like dumb animals or something.
That one priestess''s beautiful face twisted as a sadistic smile was still vivid in his mind.
After a well-deserved IRL nap, he finally respawned in Sprigfield. He instantly became the focus of the attention.
Somehow, his sleep-deprived self had figured that wearing a gue-doctor-looking outfit would make him less suspicious. Where did he even get that? The merchants, maybe?
He could already hear variousments:
"Look at that weirdo!"
"Pfft¡ª Is he shaking? LOL!"
"Being so weak? Eh, couldn''t be me."
Weak? He was shaking with fury! He utterly disregarded them, assessing his losses. He had dropped a bunch of crafting materials on death. Only about 100 gold? Perfect!
How would have the yers reacted if they knew his thoughts? Next to him, some peeps were crying over the loss of 10 G. That''s when a handsome, kind-looking elder showed up.
"Everyone, gather around! Are you tired of dying? Do you wish to leave your weakling shells? Join Rising now, take your destiny into your own hands and be a legend!"
He had so much intensity that the surrounding yers were instantly swept in his discourse, their eyes shining. Apparently, he was renowned as being an immortal yer.
Now he was even bragging about never dying himself. But in the middle of his heated tirade, a clearugh suddenly echoed.
The surrounding yers all turned Jack''s way, the man staring daggers at him, ready to scold him.
"Laughing, are you? The very fact that you''re here means you''ve failed to stay alive. You failed to assess your limits and did not train adequately."
Did he mean to use him as a counterexample? This guy had clearly found the wrong target for that!
Instead of cowering as the man hoped, Jack chuckled. "Never dying just means you never challenged yourself. It''s nothing to celebrate." He shook his head in disappointment
"Imbecile, do you think you know better than the mighty Rising guild?! We have members all around the world! Do you know how many pro yers we have? Let me tell you¡."
This guy just wasn''t shutting up, was he? Jack merely scoffed in a yful mood. Before anyone could react, he rushed toward the man, grabbed his face, and then¡
¡ª Jack used Burn Baby Burn! It''s super effective! ¡ª
In mere instants, the "immortal" guy was turned into cinders. The gallery stared at the weird-looking man with crazed looks. Insta-kill?! HOW?!
"Welp,ter, you all." Jack waved, running away from the militia members alreadying to apprehend him. Killing in Town was a big no-no, yet he didn''t care.
Compared to the level 60 elves, those guys were jokes! Ever since Timber City had been discovered, some of the guards were even higher level than 40, but so what?
He happily ran away, unrestrained. Every NPC or yer trying to stop him was toyed with. Fire to drive them away, wind to boost his speed, crumbling bones as footholds.
At this moment, he felt so free. Yep, sometimes returning to a weaker-level area was so freaking liberating.
He had gone from being bullied, barely managing to scheme his way out, to straight-up wrecking everything blocking him now.
A grinning yer finally catching up? Just kill him! No worries whatsoever, haha.
As he hopped from rooftop to rooftop in his escape, he couldn''t help but notice how the Town had changed. There was a certain vitality to it, with tons of new yers arriving.
Gone were the days when Sprigfield was a high-level area. Now even casual yers coulde here¡albeit only the ones that had been ying sinceunch.
The whole town was already on high alert.
"Catch him. He went that way!"
"How dare he mess with our faction!!"
"Halt! Come back here, you criminal scum!"
Countless angry shouts echoed¡and were still echoing after he was gone. He managed to escape his pursuers (by killing half of them) before sneaking back to the farm.
They were all there waiting for him. The relieved Bubblegum, the ever Sunny Pumpkin Girl, all his faction members, the various NPCs, and even Lead.
"Boss, you said we''re doing something big this time, right? I can''t wait!" CPR dude eximed.
"Hehe, let me tell you about n MERCY¡."
The more he spoke, the more restless they became. Mercy? There was none whatsoever! Still, they 100% agreed with it: this n was freaking amazing!
Level 60 Elves were way too strong for the current yer base, but they had a trump card: the yers weren''t afraid of death. They could afford to fail a few times!
They had a few more things going for them:
1. Being underestimated by their enemies
2. So many new yers hungering for excitement
3. The Elven guardian deity possibly being in a deep slumber
No one held a grudge quite like Jack. As for having pity? Who cared? They were NPCs anyway! If they were nice, he''d treat them well, but otherwise¡cut them like grass!
He exined everything in detail, spitting directives as fast as a rapper would dissing verses. He was utterly unstoppable! Once done, he nced at them solemnly.
"So that''s the n, do you all understand?"
"Yes, Boss!"
"Yes, my Lord!"
"As you will, my King!"
They all answered as they pleased, hurriedly departing toward the Town. It was time to use mankind''s greatest strength: fools ready to die for profit!
They were like undead worker bees, not just hard-working but totally tireless. How would the world react once they turned the Elven territory into a D.L colony? Freak out for sure!
Just before leaving, Bubblegum came next to him. She then very slowly approached him, and¡ yfully flicked his forehead!
"Next time you''re getting yourself voluntarily kidnapped, warn me in advance. I actually worried for you." Her voice was tinged with love and concern.
"That''s the thing. I wasn''t nning to. It just happened. Still, no need to worry. I''m sure you would have gotten me out either way!" His smile looked so innocent right now.
"Tch¡ª You''re goddamn right about that!" She grumbled, stealing a kiss before leaving on her new secret mission. Pumpkin Girl watched on,ing closer while frowning.
"Fighting elves should be fun, right?" He tried changing the mood.
"No more than 100."
"?"
"No more than 100 wives!"
"100?! Woman, are you trying to kill me?! How¡ª" His protests turned silent as she stole his lips. Wait, wasn''t this his move!
Time quickly passed, preparations underway.
The Town was already going crazy as information about the events of Timber City came to light. Everyone and their mother were talking about it!
"Hey, did you hear about the elves?"
"Yeah, those bastards refused to help humanity!"
"So what? We''ll beat them all up and get the key we need to¡why do we need that again? Right, to stop the Trials Towers from blowing up!"
Countless rumors were going on about the pointy-eared creatures, all negative. Jack''s minions had aced the ndering.
- They hunted humans for sport
- They refused to share their mana-richnd, hoarding resources.
- They too were getting ready for a conquest war and would attack soon.
- ¡.
yers pretty much believed it all. It came from NPCs, so it had to be true, right? Not exactly, haha. Then again, it wasn''t like they cared that much about elf rights in the first ce.
Sure, there was a bit of bacsh. Some peeps had even created the PETE: yers for Ethical Treatment of Elves. They were the ones pushing for friendly negotiations.
But, their voices were quickly swept away in the chaos. After all, all the new factions had been looking for an excuse to prove their worth.
"Join us and punish the arrogant elves!"
"Come, brothers and sisters. For humanity''s sake!"
"I have a dream! That one day, every yer in our guild will own their own elf butler/maid. Sign up now and help us realize this wonderful ambition!"
They all used simr tactics: anger, duty, and desire. Oh, and it was working!
Heck, there were so many factions that even Jack lost track. He watched this beautiful mess happen with eagerness. After all, the more, the merrier!
Almost no one knew that this insanity had started with one resentful yer.
Jack peacefully ate cookies in Pumpkin Girl''spany as he controlled it all from the shadows. He couldn''t help but picture how the elves would look: they''d never see iting!
But just as they were enjoying themselves, a mighty gale suddenly rose.
Out of nowhere, all the sentient trees surrounding the farm shuddered as they sounded the rm! There was an invader, one that they couldn''t stop!!!"
Jack was already calling for backup when he froze. Wait¡could it be?! He stared at the sky, utterly speechless. A big bird was circling around them, screeching with hunger.
"SCREEEE!!!!" (Pumpkin Cookies!!!!!)
As it finally saw Jack, it cried victoriously. Finally! It had finally found the promisednd the human had told him about! This was the Pumpkin Farm, right?!
This ce was incredibly magical. While it looked ordinary and small, the Griffin knew better than to be fooled. Ah, was this the Pumpkin Princess?!
The poor bird couldn''t contain its overflowing joy, hurriedly flying downward. No, in its excitement, it dropped more than it flew.
¡ª CRASH!! ¡ª
Itnded akin to a meteorite, trying its best to make puppy eyes toward Pumpkin Girl, its tongue out of its beak.
"¡."
"¡."
Jack couldn''t help but stare at it strangely. It was way weaker than he remembered. Was this because it had left the forest? < Mighty White Griffin 50! :leaf_fluttering_in_wind::sparkles: >
"Who might you be?" Pumpkin Girl asked in a friendly tone.
As the bird kept going, "Scree!" Jack tranted. It had left the elven settlement for a better life here. Since it knew it would be imposing, it had brought a gift.
That''s when the Griffin raised its paw, offering a green translucent key, the same key they were officially wagging war to obtain.
With this, the whole thing could be avoided, right? Jack pocketed it silently. Yep, no one had to know.
Up next: a new adventure! Just like that, he had screwed over the fate of two species¡
Chapter 333 New Area?!
Chapter 333 New Area?!¡¡¡¡Pumpkin Girl had the most radiant smile.
The Elves'' Griffin had left its ancestral home simply for the taste of her cookies. Was there a better achievement than that? Well, perhaps her managing to grab Jack''s attention?
Either way, the gluttonous bird didn''t take long to craft itself a nest¡in the exact same tree as the Fairy! The two could be heard bickering about living arrangements.
"You birdbrain, this tree''s mine! Find yourself a new one, humph!" She''d utter, only for the creature to refuse categorically.
"Scree!!" (Such a big tree for such a tiny thing? No way!)
This tree just happened to be very close to the house. It wouldn''t give up on a tree that smelled of Pumpkin Cookies from the nearby chimney.
They both were mythical creatures, yet this was their concern?! Jack couldn''t help but shake his head: "You two, stop it. I''m about to embark on a dangerous journey here!"
For the first time, they stopped squabbling.
"As if! You''re the one causing trouble! Everyone should worry about meeting you instead!"
"Scree!" (The nail-sized girl is totally right!)
They were both nodding, watching him as if he was some kind of ultimate evil roaming thend. Worry? None whatsoever!
"Tch¡ª What do you take me for?" Jack grumbled. "Just watch! This time we''ll be so low-key no one will even notice we were there, just like a silent fart, right Moon Moon?"
"Woo!" (100%! We''ll be like the wind, invisible!)
The two left the Farm with a pep in their steps: super-secret operation none the wiser was starting! After all, they didn''t want to distract from the war preparations¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
A cloaked man and his pet were chuckling happily.
An incredibly vast in stood before him, one that almost seemed alive. The wind current was so strong that it ruffled the tall vegetation, seemingly making a wave.
Here resided an ancient race that excelled in speed, power, and elemental affinity. Oh, and apparently it was possible to be one of them. How amazing was that!
The man nced at his pet lovingly as he eximed.
"We made it! We finally reached this god-forsaken ce! Can you believe it? Not only did we bypass the need for a key, but now we have this entirend to ourselves!"
"Caw-Caw!" (Happy!)
The ck raven on his arm happily reveled in its master''s joy.
This man was someone who had no rtion to Jack whatsoever. He wasn''t even from Sprigfield or Timber City but from another settlement entirely.
He was still rtively unknown, but very soon the world would get to know the Racing Raven! Sadly, his happiness would be short-lived¡
¡ª BZZZZ! ¡ª
It started as a soft murmur as if the wind itself was buzzing, but then it became louder and louder until it turned into a mighty roar.
The mana in the entire realm began gathering over the steppe until it created a freaking tornado! The cmity obscured the sky and was going faster and faster.
"W-what kind of insane event is this?!"
"Caw-Caw!" (Panicked!)
Something suddenly materialized in the sky: Huge, countless, glowing magically, and very out of ce! Those looked just like¡..steps?! A stairway to heaven had just appeared?!
As the duo was staring nkly, a man appeared out of nowhere. He looked young, easygoing, had a wolf by his side, and was already casually descending the stairway.
"Oh? This ce''s neat. Still, let''s hurry before the others arrive." The youngster nonchntlymented.
"T-the others?!" The "Racing Raven" was already trembling.
"Sprigfield ising."
"Sprigfield?!"
A secondter, it all became clear as the stairway began spitting yers out faster than the spawn of a Newbie Vige! Sprigfield as an entire freaking Town!
The hopeful Racing Raven''s gaming n had suddenly turned into a nightmare. If everyone could suddenly ess this ce, all his efforts would have gone to waste!
Meanwhile, the cause of it all was happily strolling next to him, as if he already owned the ce¡.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Yep, this happened mere hours after Jack dered that he wouldn''t make waves.
After a pointlessly long portal opening ritual that would have made anyone else cry, Jack had finally managed to activate the Green Key at the Sprigfield in. That''s when¡
[Please Select One!]
[Visit the Eternal Steppe!]
[Annex the Eternal Steppe!]
Annex?! Who the hell could resist this?! Only someone who didn''t understand the implications! There was no way this wouldn''t be mad entertaining!
Annex meant a whole lot of opportunities!
- New Hunting Grounds
- New yable Races
- Trading routes
- Much More!
Heck, pushed to the extreme, it was even possible to start a conquest war! How freaking awesome was that! He simply couldn''t resist.
Meanwhile, the other option was simply to be teleported to the ce¡alone. This could be used to monopolize quests and specialty drops, but that was about it.
As for the impact this would have on the world of Infinite¡he didn''t care! No matter what, he''d struggle until he came on top. That was his current philosophy!
But even he had to admit: this was freaking grandiose. A stairway made of wind now linked both of their worlds!
Enough to impress him? ¡ª> Made the other yers mad!
"L-look there! It''s floating?!"
"Oh god, there''s a man Climbing toward heaven?!"
"He''s not just climbing. He''s waving too. What the heck is he?! Should we wave back? What will happen if we do? What¡"
At this moment, the entire Town saw him. But just as they were wondering if he was some Heaven''s Envoy NPC or something, they finally noticed the small wolf by Jack''s side.
It was also waving its little paws, its tail whooshing from side to side as it enjoyed the view. Sprigfield looked so tiny from there!
"Woo!" (I''m taller than all of you, hehe!)
A secondter, the duo climbed some more, suddenly disappearing as if hidden by a mist. With his disappearance, they finally came back to their senses.
"Demon King?! Don''t let him get ahead!"
"Move your asses, an entire New World Awaits!"
"Stairs in the sky?! Unfair! Acrophobia''s a medical condition¡."
Solo yers and guilds alike all decided to participate. They all rushed toward the heavenly stairs like their buts were one fire! (For some, it really was)
But just as they were all about to migrate to this new area¡.
[Eternal Steppe!]
[First Wave 347/500!]
Wait, there was a limit to the number of yers?! What kind of BS was this?! But then, many observant peeps couldn''t help but remark something odd:
If the ces were limited, then why hadn''t D.L. monopolized them all? After all, their leader had obviously started the party. Was there something ominous on the other side?
But as they hesitated, others dashed in like cattle at a ughterhouse. They simply followed the momentum, unaware of the fate that would await them¡
¡ª
Jack had begun it all, yet he was so rxed. He chuckled as he saw Moon Moon jumping in and out of the tall grass/wheat, ignoring the sobbing Exploring yer.
The whole ce gave a wild vibe, the lush vegetation not showing a sign of ever being maintained. Then again, there was a reason for that¡
"Moon Moon, move back a bit," Jack warned.
He grabbed a random pebble, throwing it a few meters near the wolf''s position. That''s when the herbs began iling around wildly, coiling around the rock and dragging it down.
* Gulping wolf noises! *
The poor wolf had the equivalent of a heart attack. This was the same grass it had been ying in?! SCARY!! It hurried back even faster than the yers hurried in.
Actually, there were already a few that had misstepped and¡
"Arrggg! Help, help, please! I''m¡ª" Their desperate cries would quickly be muffled, their bodies sure to be nutrients for the nts.
The gaze turned incredibly wary, everyone ncing at every piece of golden grass as if their mortal enemy. Heck, some were already afraid to step off the stairs.
As for going back¡
[This Gate Is Currently One-Way!]
[Complete Missions to Unlock!]
Many now understood why there weren''t that many D.L. members. This ce was a freaking deathtrap¡ª until they cleared it anyway.
Their faces were so expressive that it was a show in itself. It was a mix of surprise, unease, confusion, and even dread.
The members of a small faction were already pale. They were all here¡.Wouldn''t this mean that anything they controlled back home would be up for grabs?!
Some nced at Jack resentfully, while others chuckled as they understood that danger came hand in hand with opportunity.
The wise ones were already observing his every move, eager to copy whatever he was doing. After all, he showed no fear as he walked the field. How?!
He should have been scared of the sneaky hiding enemies, and yet he seemed utterly confident that nothing bad would happen to him. How?!
"D-demon King, Sir. How can you know about¡." A shy and naive yer asked.
"Oh? The enemies? Just look." He shrugged.
Some became angry at his reply. Why the hell wouldn''t he just tell them, eh?! Still, many there understood the truth. He really was just looking!
The way the monster herbs swayed was different than the regr ones. It was barely noticeable, and even he himself wasn''t sure why he knew at times, but it was apparent.
Some just didn''t feel right, and this was enough for him to have 100% confidence in where he was stepping. Still, not everything was under his control.
Jack nced at the horizon while frowning. THEY wereing!
The ones still on the steps couldn''t feel it, and many on the ground didn''t realize either, but the earth was very slightly shaking.
Jack knew this trembling very well. He wasn''t just familiar with it, but it had be part of his life at some point.
A cavalry wasing, but not any cavalry. Would they be the monsters or allies here? Centaurs, lots of centaurs¡
Chapter 334 Centaur Village!
Chapter 334 Centaur Vige!¡¡¡¡The Steppe area trembled from the iing Cavalry.
As it grew stronger and stronger, so did the yers'' restless hearts. Some were alreadyining, ncing at the steps they had juste from. "Enemies?! This is BS. Let me out!!"
But, as there were pessimists, so were there optimists. "Brother, no need to panic. Perhaps it''s a wee party. After all, someone probably saw us and¡."
Some agreed, but others'' faces turned into a mask of horror.
They had been ncing at the sky when they saw it! Dark, long, spiky, bloody, a terrifying red streak of doom flying straight at them!
"Careful there''s!¡ª"
The atrocious-looking spear flew into the human''s body, making it explode. ¡ª Stter! ¡ª Impaled, broken, and utterly sniped. DEAD!
"W-what?!!"
"One-HIT?!"
"Watch the sky. Get behind cover!"
The victim had been rekindling hope, and his death brought despair and confusion. It didn''t help that there was no cover to be found. How were they supposed to survive?!
Whatever or whoever wasing would screw them up! Heck, they could already picture the Boss music in the background! But suddenly, a calm voice echoed.
"Rx, will you? This just announces their arrival. Besides, we''re screwed if we fight anyway¡." Jack sighed.
Warning?! There was a dead body, and the thing had made a damn crater on the solid earth! What woulde next? Perhaps a friendly nuke exchange?
¡ª Clip! Clop! Clip! Clop! ¡ª
As they finally appeared, many couldn''t help but gulp.
The lower body of a muscr horse, the upper body of an even muscr human, and clothes made of primal yet rich brown fur. What they were was obvious. Centaurs, so many of them!
But it wasn''t their numbers that were intimidating. No, it was their aura!
Wild, untamable, proud, and powerful beyond beliefs. It screamed "elite soldiers born from the harshness of the wilderness". Well, that and they were huge!
A ferocious-looking gigantic Centaur full of scars came forward. Without saying a word, he strolled amidst the frozen humans¡and then grabbed one!
The poor guy didn''t even darein as the mean-looking Centaur hoisted him in the air by the foot.
"What do we have here? Humans in the Eternal Steppe? Are you guys here to invade?" He frowned.
"W-wa-wa-what?! No way! We''re just lost!" They all shakily replied as the ones who had said stuff about conquering this world suddenly felt tense.
"Tch¡ª Weak! A man should stand proudly on all four!"
"Y-yes, Sir Centaur!" An idiot went on all four.
"¡"
"¡"
The humans made a fool of themselves at the first meeting. But even then, the centaurs decided to bring them along, if anything, just because of their shared roots.
They were heading to a Centaur vige?! Nice!
At that moment, countless yers thanked their luck! Then again, perhaps they would soon regret celebrating already¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
A very long rideter, they had finally arrived! Finally, they wouldn''t be carried around like potato sacks.
[Congrattions! Reached Centaur Vige!]
But as they entered the area, they all frowned. Humans couldn''t live here! It was 100% impossible!
The yers'' hype about the vige had been stopped as soon as it started. What the heck was all this?! Let''s just say calling this ce a vige was false advertising.
The houses? There wererge but shoddy leather tents.
The safe heaven? They risked being bitten by wild critters or trampled by random centaurs every other second.
The ability to gather information? It was so freaking impossible! Every time they approached a Centaur to ask for anything, they''d be invited to arm wrestle or directly duel.
Here, strength reigned supreme. Not justbat power, but pure raw strength. Power was everything, no matter the activity. How could theypete?!
Jack could only shake his head at how naive the yers were. Trying to raise affinity simply by talking? This kind of silly approach would take a long time to work.
By now, most Braves were showing lifeless expressions as they were treated as children. They all seemed perplexed. What were they supposed to do now?
Jack eclipsed himself from the vige, knowing staying was pointless.
As he reached the vige''s delimitation, he could sense numerous gazes. The Centaurs were rowdy and "peculiar", but they were far from mindless brutes.
Behind their rowdiness, candidness, and seeminglyissez-faire attitude, hid sharp intellect. Yet, they yed the fool as they kept shouting stuff like:
"They said they''re grown adults, but the grown part¡."
"Hehe, even my little girl''s stronger than you!"
"Pfft¡ª Puny human, shall wepare size?"
"Wolf! Wolf stew tonight!"
Moon Moon apanied him as it red behind it warily. Wolf meat? Who had muttered that?! It was only a small kid, a young centaur the size of a football yer.
The little wolf sighed, letting it slide as it showed a magnanimous profile. Instead, it concentrated on the current task: a hunt!
[Ding! Explore the vige''s surroundings!]
[Survive & Bring Back Your Findings!]
This was the kind of mission that the system auto-generated for anyone leaving the premises. But, it didn''t share the danger at all¡
¡ª
In a field of golden herbs, a man and his wolf suddenly dropped to the ground, hiding as they held their breath.
They had mud in their hair, fur, and anywhere that could remotely be dirty. They were eating soil, and yet they didn''t care¡because said soil was trembling!
¡ª Bam! Bam! Bam! ¡ª
Monsters! Two enormous monsters!
The creatures charging over looked like buffaloes but weren''t. No, those were scary and BIG! Their hooves and eyes glowed with heated read magical light as if a promise of death!
Moon Moon wanted nothing to do with them, but it remembered the "Quick, y dead!" its master had urgently murmured.
As it saw their silhouettes charging at them full speed, it shivered.
< Mighty Rumbling Buffaloes 45! :small_orange_diamond: >
So powerful, sorge, so dirty! At this rate, they''d be trampled to death! Everything pointed to their ends, but even now, the little wolf believed.
"Woo!" (Master said so!)
Jack kept his eyes close as he listened. He knew those things, and their skull/hide was thick enough to make them tougher than damn dragons!
¡ª Bam! Bam! Bam! ¡ª Every leg pushing on the ground created a fissure. Soon, they would be the broken ones!
100 meters.
50 meters.
10 meters.
Whoosh!
¡ª CRASH! CRASH! ¡ª
At thest second, the two creatures suddenly jumped¡at one another?! Were they mad?! Their leap was so mighty that they collided right above the two ying dead.
The shockwave from the collision almost sent them to the afterlife. But, they had survived! As for the creatures, they were both sent flying backward, stunned.
But that wasn''t all, their skin was ruptured and parts of their skulls broken.
"Quick, now! Butchering time!" Jack hurriedly rose.
They both were lower level than the massive creatures that were more predator than prey, but they didn''t hesitate. When hadn''t they been hunting above their levels? Never!
Two sinister beings suddenly appeared above the poor creatures. Their pierced thick hides wouldn''t do much to protect them from this. They were screwed!
Knife and ws were swung with unbelievable methodical speed.
A young Centaur hiding nearby couldn''t help but gasp. They were so fast! He forgot that he was supposed to tail them silently in his surprise.
It didn''t take long for the creatures to breathe theirst, transformed into meat and pelt. That''s when Jack finally turned toward the young Centaur still "hiding" in the shadows.
"How about youe out? You can help us carry the loot." Jack yfully remarked.
The shellshocked youngster slowly came out, ncing at the two as if they were rare creatures. "H-how?! How did you do that?!"
At first, he had thought they were paralyzed by fear, but he had finally realized that every detail had been nned.
From the spot, they had lied down to the distance between them and the creatures. Both hadn''t been the same at all. He had calcted for their slight difference in speed!
''Who the hell was he?! How did he do that?!'' The youngster''s shiny eyes said.
"Hehe, no one is a better hunter than me back home. Even if we''re new to the area, hunting remains hunting. I knew at a nce they were territorial creatures."
"R-really? Even the Elders wouldn''t dare trying something so crazy!"
"More like they prefer personally bashing skulls in, haha." Jack retorted.
By the side, Moon Moon was howling in happiness. This was its master! It seemed like following buffalo poop had given fruit. Who knew!
The three slowly returned to the vige, carrying the meat on their shoulders. As for the reason why Jack hadn''t used his item box¡
Every Centaur of the tribe nced their way approvingly. This human wasn''t too bad: instead of asking them about plenty of stuff, he had gone hunting.
One had to know that to a nomad tribe there was nothing more sacred than hunting. As they paraded into the vige, Jack couldn''t help but grin.
[ Affinity +]
[ Affinity +]
The notifications just kepting! It was great! The more he raised the affinity and the more information he''d be able to get from the centaurs.
After all, they were the ones best ced to know their own world!
It seemed like everything had gone ording to n as their leader, the scary-looking one, was already heading his way.
"Oh? You three hunted those two alone? Skin sturdier than metal and power that even an adult cannot take lightly. You, you''re good!"
As the Centaur spoke, he only addressed Jack. After all, the one who had done the actual hunting was obvious at a nce. That''s when he gestured to him.
He was pointing toward one of therge leather tents.
Jack solemnly followed. The high quantity of children in the vige hadn''t escaped him. Where had the adults gone?
Chapter 335 THEY Are Coming!
Chapter 335 THEY Are Coming!¡¡¡¡A Centaur and a Human were meeting in arge yet rustic leather tent full of animal furs. It was only supposed to be a meet and greet, but it was bound to turn grim.
Jack didn''t hesitate and went straight to the point.
"Where are the adults? What happened to them?" The high number of kids was a simple observation, yet it changed everything.
The entire Centaur''s being suddenly turned sorrowful and solemn as he nced at the human: this one really was different! Perhaps¡he could even help them?
"This ce, this so-called "Vige," used to be a simple outpost full of hunting tents. But it all changed when THEY attacked¡." The Centaur unconsciously shivered, fearful.
Oh god! A centaur shivering?! They were the kind to ride into battle fearlessly, and anyone slighting them was on for a solid beating¡or many!
"They came out of nowhere and destroyed everything. They first targeted our people, corrupting them into unrecognizable evil beings, then began the ughter¡."
Unbridled fear showed in his eyes as he reminisced. "The more we fought, and the more turned, any wound a death sentence. We call them the Ephials¡."
Ephials?! Jack felt his blood turn to ice.
They were formless shadows,ing from who knew where that would take over their victims'' senses and control them.
Corrupting monsters so early in the game?! He had previously faced a Devil and a Curse, but both were exceptional cases: this was freaking different!
"H-how many?" Jack asked, shaking.
"Hundreds, perhaps more. Luckily, we could retreat here, but it will take us time to recover for sure." The Chief sighed.
"Time to recover? What time to recover?! There''s no way that will happen! They''re definitelying over as we speak!" Jack eximed.
Ephials were very simr to zombies, the dark magical kind. Being injured by one meant joining their ranks!
They hungered for the living, wanting only to spread their corruption. It was a gue that was infinitely hard to stop, akin to the marching of time.
If left alone, they would almost seem sluggish at times, creating a false sense of safety, but it was only an illusion. They 100% would target this ce.
But all he got as a reaction was a stern look, the Chief shaking his head in denial. "No way. It''s impossible! We''ve observed their movements, and they''re staying put."
"Listen, there''s no time to waste. We¡ª"
"Enough! Right now, we need to focus on reconstruction, nothing else. Will you help or not?" The Centaur was adamant, his eyes not wavering, his mind made.
Usually, such resolve would be admirable, but not when Ephials wereing! The only questions were "When" and "How many".
[Quest: Vige Rebirth!]
[Will You Help the Centaurs Rebuild? Y/N?]
"Nope, I''m out." Jack decisively left the tent, the disappointed Centaur sighing.
As he nced at the Centaurs just going about their daily lives and the yers pestering them for Quests, all Jack saw were liabilities.
Tch¡ª So much for his n to use them as ss canons. In such a scenario, what mattered wasn''t power but unity. Unity? Here? There were so many different factions!
Had he known, he would have brought a D.L. army. Sadly, there was no medicine for regret, and the portal leading here was closed shut.
What could he even do?
1. Defend? Theycked information on the enemy, and the yers were divided.
2. Attack? He could venture deep into enemy territory and destroy the source of the corruption.
3. Convince? With worthy proof of the danger, he could probably enlist the mighty Centaurs to help the cause.
4. Betray humanity? Ephials were even harder to handle than devils and curses since theycked desires that he could use to trick them into a weaker position.
"What do you think, Moon Moon?" Jack asked his loyalpanion.
"Woo?" (Why not all! If it''s Master, it''s possible!)
"Pfft¡ª Is there anything I cannot do in your eyes. What if I''m telling you I''ll be walking on the Moon tomorrow, will you believe?" He joked, only to be met with shiny eyes.
"Woo!" (Of course! Can I go too?)
The little wolf asked, its tongue hanging loose. It was remembering a kid story it had randomly heard about the Moon being made of cheese, and cheese was food!
Jack suddenly felt all tension leave his body. True, everything was possible. They just needed to keep pushing forward and hope for the best.
"You''re right! Time to start!"
"Woo!"
Without waiting, he left the Vige. To anyone who would ask, he''d dere with a grin that he was going on an extended hunting trip and to expect a great bounty!
He had a particr goal in mind, so vital that nothing could go wrong. As for where they were heading¡.even he didn''t freaking know!
Yep, he was just roaming farther away from the Vige in a random direction. After all, he had no clue about the Vige''s surroundings. Still, it didn''t take long for him to find his prey.
Human and wolf headed inside the thick vegetation, the grass rustling as they moved through it. Not long after, a young Centaur appeared behind them.
This time he wouldn''t fail his stalking. He had already gotten an earful from the hunting Teacher about it. He focused on the rustling as he kept tailing in sneak mode.
He couldn''t help but wonder what marvelous creature the duo would hunt this time. Would he get to see another bizarre hunting technique? He couldn''t wait!
But suddenly, he heard a low voice.
"Got you!"
¡ª Whoosh! ¡ª
Before the poor Centaur youngster had any time to react, he was tackled with incredible momentum, instantly falling to the ground., already panicking.
"What?! Help!!!"
"Rx, I won''t eat you."
Wait, that voice? As the youngster''s eyes focused on the assant, he froze. The human?! What the hell was this about?! * Visible Confusion *
"We need to talk. It concerns the fate of the entire Centaur race¡."
Jack went straight to the point, painting a picture of a world in which the Centaurs went extinct. He spoke of their abilities, how scary they were, and what they needed to do.
The more he spoke, the more heated he became. By now, the youngster was also shouting with passion.
"Ephials, Ephials everywhere! Is that what you want?!"
"No way!"
"Will you just turn over and die, or will you fight them?!"
"I''ll fight! Of course, I''ll fight!"
"Perfect, let''s go! Lead the way. There''s no time to waste!" Jack finished his speech in a glorious fight deration, stopping by to grab Moon Moon.
Thus they departed toward an adventure.
He couldn''t help but give a wry smile. Was he perhaps the bad guy here? He just had convinced a kid to follow him toward and of death, appealing to his heroic dreams.
Was this considered a kidnapping? Either way, the young Centaur was so motivated that he even insisted they ride on his back.
This new guide was actually very proficient. He knew everything about the territories they were going to. His only w was that he was inexperienced, but Jack could advise him.
"Careful, sure this way''s faster, but better be careful than dead."
"This crazy strong creature? We can trick its sense of smell to pass incognito."
"See that big guy? It''s totally in heat. We can exploit that! Let''s organize a blind date for it: we''ll go through while it''s fighting if you know what I mean."
As for the weaker creatures they didn''t avoid, they were in for a visual treat. Many repeatedly blinked as they stared at the strange vision.
A wolf and a human rode on a pony-sized Centaur, humming/howling, tiny blue friendly birds sometimes joining in.
"Woo! Woo! Woo!"
The little wolf especially loved this song! Apparently, it was sung by legendary riders as they charged to help a white city with a tomato-eating king¡oh and there was a ring?
They journeyed through the Eternal Steppes, a ce that really didn''t fit its name with the amount of vegetation it had. But, it did feel endless, the samendscape over and over.
But as they inched closer and closer, they noticed a stark change. The environment became duller, lifeless, the vegetation became sparse, and even the wild creatures stayed away.
"We''re getting closer. Sneak mode from now on." The wolf and Centaur nodded solemnly. They all knew how risky this stage would be.
But suddenly, Jack''s face contorted as he kicked the Centaur in the sides. The youngster instantly got the message, throwing itself to the ground.
¡ª CRASH! ¡ª
Just as this was happening, Jack grabbed a brown sheet from his inventory, covering the three of them with it. Theyy on the ground, unmoving, ying dead for real this time!
The three remained perfectly still, not even daring to breathe. Jack''spanions had no clue what was happening, but they believed in his judgment.
1 minute
3 minutes
10 minutes
Just as they were seriously getting confused, they finally heard shrill cries. There were so many of them: all above their heads.
¡ª Shriek! Shriek! Shriek! ¡ª
Countless creatures bloated the sky a secondter, turning itpletely dark. One of them flew straight at them,nding and ncing at the brown sheet, confused.
< Corrupted Blue Jay 20! >
The tiny blue bird was right next to them, the same kind that had been happily singing with them the whole journey. Well, almost the same¡
Its eyes werepletely dark, its beak had sharps saw-like teeth, and a dark cloud surrounded its body. One was weak, but their flock was deadly!
¡ª Shriek! ¡ª
Finally, it seemed to determine that the area was clear as it pped its wings, flying away at full speed. The three slowly rose, Jack showing a grim expression.
"Rule #1 of war: information is key."
Those weren''t just birds but scouts. The situation was even direr than he had guessed¡
Chapter 336 "Easy Infiltration!"
Chapter 336 "Easy Infiltration!"¡¡¡¡Jack''s party had just avoided a swarm of corrupted Blue Jay.
"H-how did you spot them?!" The young Centaur asked, his voice shaking. Had it not been for Jack, they would have been devoured clean!
"Watch the clouds. They''re camouging as ones. Except their speed is slightly different." He exined. "Anyway, let''s keep going."
At this moment, they were spies in enemy territory. They could hear their hearts thumping as they progressed ever so carefully.
"Woo!" (Suspicious cloud at front o''clock!)
The little wolf was on the task, pointing its little paw at the sky, sometimes salivating as it found food-shaped clouds. This was actually super fun!
By now, the Young Centaur was so quick to throw himself to the ground that he would have made a fantastic footballer! Just like that, they kept progressing until¡.
¡ª Nervous Gasp! ¡ª
"This is it. Our old home." The youngster whispered as they finally reached their destination.
Before them stood a Gargantuan City, a wall-less one filled with countless enormous stone buildings, one the youngster had talked about during their trip.
The Centaurs were nomads and amazing hunters, always on the move. But, this City, Tribe-Gather they called it, was the one exception. The various ns would rotate and visit it alternatively and collectively once every few years.
This was the core of what could be called the Centaur civilization. Visiting this ce was akin to a pilgrimage for their race, hence how vital it was. But there was an issue.
"How are we supposed to get there?!" The youngster asked, worried as he nced at the empty in utterly void of cover. Wouldn''t they instantly get noticed?!
Infiltrating the ce to gather information was one thing, but even reaching it was already stumpingly difficult.
Still, they had to by any means, not only for the Centaurs'' sake but for their own too. After all, Jack was convinced the item they needed for Timber City''s Event would be in there.
"Moon Moon, what do you think?" Jack quizzed as a teacher would.
"Woo? Woo? Woo?" (Distract them? Make ourselves invisible?)
The little wolf quickly answered. As for how to achieve those two things, it really didn''t know. This felt like an impossible problem.
The ce was surrounded by a dark miasma, not letting them see the inside of the City, but it definitely contained plenty of enemies.
Even on its edge, they could see countless corrupted birds and Centaur-shaped dark figures. This ce was freaking air-tight defense-wise!
"Frankly put, it''s impossible," Jack uttered.
"Woo?!" (What?!)
The little wolf yelped in shock. This was the first time it heard its master giving up. Had they hit a wall for the first time?!
"Or rather¡It won''t be us going over to them." Jack chuckled as he gave them a mysterious smile. Indeed the only way for them to potentially clear this was to trick the enemy AI.
As for how to do it¡.
Jack quickly got to work, the Centaur watching inplete disbelief. Why had he taken pumpkins out? How had he done it? And, why was he carving in the middle of nowhere?!
It didn''t take long for plenty of gigantic pumpkin statues to appear. How had he even gotten so many of them?! Pumpkin Girl''s magic was really getting OP nowadays.
She had given him a literal mountain of them! So many that it''d be possible to crush someone to death under the weight if the system allowed taking them all out at once.
The statues stood out like a sore thumb in the empty in, as odd as shily orange!
"Woo!" (That''s amazing!)
The little wolf went from statue to statue. A troll? A dragon? Arge horse? Ah, there was even a statue of itself: how freaking awesome! Should it request Thanatos too?
Finally, Jack gave a satisfied sigh, happy with the work done.
"What now?" The Centaur asked, utterly puzzled.
"Now we hide, and we wait." Jack simply replied, digging themselves a temporary hideout. Still, wait? What would that even do?
As they hid underground, the poor Centaur visibly ufortable, they heard the sound of galloping. They were here!
It didn''t take long for them to hear a mighty pound and then the sound of sttering resounding repeatedly. They only came out once the silence returned.
Pumpkin Statues ¡ª> Pumpkin Exploded Bits
There was pumpkin pulp all over the ce, everything Jack had painstakingly created destroyed to thest bit. Yet Jack didn''t show any sorrow nor disappointment.
He simply grabbed his carving knife, redoing the whole thing from scratch! What was he even trying to aplish?!
"Don''t worry. We''re just getting started." He reassured as he worked.
It didn''t take long for them to be underground, galloping and sttering happening again. As they came out, the Centaur thought the human would stop by now¡he thought wrong!
Jack resumed tirelessly sculpting.
"Why?!" The Centaur asked in disbelief.
"Why not?" Jack yfully answered. Had he lost his mind?! Initially, the Centaur feared so, but then he felt Moon Moon tugging at his leg.
"Woo!" (Look there!)
The little wolf pointed toward one spot that looked just like the others¡but had slightly less pumpkin mush. Wait, there was one pumpkin missing?!
After a few repetitions, he finally understood everything as pumpkin statues (dark version) began appearing on the City''s edge as if silent guardians!
Yet, jack kept sculpting.
He kept sculpting until the statues stopped appearing on the edge. Knowing they were still getting taken by the patrolling enemies, this could only mean one thing!
"There we go. We''re all set now!" He finally gave a victorious grin, the Centaur still confused.
His n would have been obvious to any human, but to the poor Centaur, it was a traumatizing experience.
"WHAT?! You want us to hide in the statue?!" He screamed.
"Woo!" (This sounds fun!)
The little wolf was already in the thing, sniffing the delicious odor with so much pleasure it was contagious. This smell reminded it of home so much!
Then they were all ready.
They kept waiting. Waiting as they felt a strong force grab the statue, waiting as they felt themselves moving, waiting as they entered the dark miasma area, waiting until they were in.
This stratagem was simple but actively exploited the ws of their enemies. They had a consciousness/leader and were all corrupting Ephials.
There was no greater pleasure than to corrupt art!
Now the entire sess of their operation rested on the shoulder of a very cramped-looking Centaur, the poor thing having trouble breathing.
"Dig your memory and rx," Jack reassured.
"How am I supposed to rx?! I''ve only been here once before!" The youngster cried out.
"Shhh, I''m sure everything will be alright. You talked about this ce a lot on the way over. You just need to pinpoint when we''re under cover, that''s all, no big deal."
No big deal?! The Centaur was about to go insane. How was it not a big deal?! If they broke out of the statue at the wrong time, they''d 100% die or worse!
He nced at the wolf and the man, both watching over him with a peaceful and kind smile. They seemed to have so much confidence in him. How?! Why?!
While the fact that they were technically immortal helped a bunch, Jack actually had full confidence in the youngster.
Seeing their attitude, the Centaur finally decided to man-horse up, focusing.
¡ª Clip! Clop! Clip! Clop! ¡ª
They were still on the edge of the City.
By now, they had reached the outer ring perimeter.
Ah, they had just entered one of the smallest buildings!
"Now!" Following the Centaur''s cry, they broke out!
¡ª Stter! ¡ª
Never in the history of Infinite had a Trojan Horse statue exploded from the inside so magnificently. Bits were sent all over,nding on the floor, walls, ceiling..and enemy!
Nex to them was a single Ephial, one that instantly made the youth freeze, all blood drained from his face. "N-no, t-that can''t be¡" he shivered uncontrobly.
It was Centaur-like but engulfed in darkness. The face was also gone, as if reced by a shadow, one with nothing butrge flickering eyes and a ghostly grin.
< Ephial: Corrupted Centaur 50! :new_moon:>
This thing was powerful! But Jack and Moon Moon didn''t hesitate one bit. They knew that they would be utterly screwed if they didn''t manage to insta-kill this one enemy!
The building they were in lit up like it was Christmas as the two went all in.
That''s why they needed to go out at the perfect timing. Without cover, their shy abilities would have instantly given them away.
Moon Moon''s barbecue skill was especially strong against such an enemy as fire sprites were the natural counter to darkness¡along with life energy.
The summoned mes ganged upon the enemy, quickly creating a wound in its side. Still, even that was all they could do, quickly disappearing as they ran out of energy.
"Good job!" Jack hurried over, grabbing one of Pumpkin Girl''s Pumpkin Life-Bombs. This was one of the three he had on him, such a powerful weapon having carry restrictions.
He stuffed the pumpkin inside the wound opened by his sidekick, the three hurriedly retreating¡ªJack, dragging the shellshocked Centaur along.
3
2
1
Boom!
The life energy exploded inside the Ephial, sending shadowy bloody bits all over.
The mess was the undeniable proof that they had managed to y the creature, and so was the XP prompt.
[Level UP!]
Jack and Moon Moon shared a victorious grin, only to hear sobs.
The poor Centaur was on the ground, grabbing the bloodied bits as if trying to put them back together. "T-that was my uncle. I know he was already gone, but¡."
That''s when the two turned solemn. As he saw the despairing youngster, Jack suddenly felt like helping him eradicate the Ephial Boss.
"Don''t worry, kid. We''ll avenge him." He patted the Centaur''s shoulder. He would do it for his quest, for justice, and more importantly for the mad XP it would give¡
Chapter 337 Touching Sacrifice!
Chapter 337 Touching Sacrifice!¡¡¡¡One would think being sneaky in a ce full of dark miasma would be easy, right? Wrong! So freaking wrong! Every step was akin to a gamble with death¡ª except death was nicer.
Sure, hiding was super easy, but it was even more so for the enemies!
The Ephials'' shadow-like bodies allowed them to blend in with the surroundings perfectly. One could be walking only to randomly collide with one, the result obvious.
"How do we progress?" The Centaur asked at a loss.
He had long gathered himself, his mind focused on the revenge Jack had promised him. Still, this lofty goal obviously wouldn''t be any easy.
"Oh, going there is a big no. More urately, we won''t be the ones to do so." Jack exined. Why did this sound so much like his previous Pumpkin n?!
Jack crouched, gesturing toward the ground, bones suddenly appearing and quickly morphing into¡a skeletal chicken?!
"Shriek!" It happily jumped around, exploring its surroundings, Moon Moon weing it with a timely "Woo!", d to see its old friend.
"C-chicken¡."
"Chicken indeed." Jack praised the Centaur for his astute observation before diligently instructing his pet on its new adventure.
Thus began a Dungeon Mapping journey, one filled with countless shattering sounds, the poor chicken being destroyed and revived nonstop.
"Shriek!" (There''s an enemy there!!)
Normally such a strategy would have totally backfired:
Living creatures spotting an undead would instantly trigger the rm while undead/demonic ones would most likely investigate, hunting them down.
But, Centaur Ephials were actually controlled by some strange power that affected their thoughts, akin to puppets. It created a w in their thinking, their thought process being:
Was the target dangerous?
Yes ¡ª> Incapacitate/ Destroy!
No ¡ª> Corrupt it ASAP!
It just happened that a tiny chicken was neither dangerous nor corruptible by its nature. Had Jack used invoked a skeleton instead, they''d already be fighting right this instant!
It took a while, but they did manage to get an approximate map of the surrounding monster distribution, and the ce was overflowing with enemies.
Their current objective was information gathering. As long as he could reach the city''s core, he was confident he''d be able to get something worthwhile.
"If we pass here, we should be able to avoid most of the patrols." Jack briefed.
"What about the Ephials standing right there? There''s no way we can take on three of them at once!" The Centaur urately remarked.
"You''re right, but Centaurs have one w, climbing." Jack pointed at hispanion''s hooves.
"The birds will¡."
"Woo!" (Leave it to me!)
Moon Moon thumped its chest in assurance, a me flickering atop its tiny paw. While climbing was hard for it too, it could do that much!
Wow! When had its fire mastery increased that much?! In any case, this fitted perfectly into Jack''s n. All he needed was a slight distraction, and he''d do the rest.
"Perfect, move out!" He powerfully dered.
"W-what about me?" The Centaur asked, eager for revenge.
"You stay put and hide. Don''t worry. You''ll have a crucial role to yter." Jack gave him a thumbs-up as they all disappeared into the darkness.
But it didn''t take long for the darkness to light the F UP!
"Woo!" (Let the world burn!)
The small wolf evilly cackled as it let mighty mes burn a building whole! This was so satisfying! Sadly it couldn''t stay too long, so it rushed back to hide.
"Scree! Scree!"
The birds all rushed toward the mes as if moths, trying to determine the cause. The Ephials on the ground too were getting restless.
Luckily none had actually seen the crime happen and they were utterly puzzled. While they searched around for the cause, they weren''t sure what they were looking for.
While a wolf and a pony yed hide and seek with the enemies, jack was jumping from roof to roof with incredible agility.
He had wind swirling around his legs, bones appearing as footholds, and threw pumpkins as noise distractions. Gotta go FAST! He had to reach the core of this ce before¡
¡ª SHRIIIEEKKK! ¡ª
W-what the hell was that?!
An ear-piercing cry resounded, quickly followed by a heavy gallop. That''s when the entire building he was on began shaking like crazy.
A secondter, something appeared on the roof''s edge, and Jack couldn''t help but freeze. Centaurs couldn''t climb? This one freaking could!
In front of his eyes appeared a creature straight out of a nightmare.
He didn''t like the look of this! As dark as night, yet shimmering and somehow easily discernible. It was a huge headless Ephial wielding a ginormous scythe.
< Ephial Commander: Headless Corrupted Centaur 60! :new_moon:>
It was only ten levels above the other foot soldiers, but this one was obviously a boss! Even if he used his two remaining life bombs, there was no way in hell he was taking it down!
What to do?! He could only run or stall it somehow¡but even then, he was screwed: it would only be a matter of seconds before it sounded the rm.
Jack nced reluctantly behind him toward the city core. There was no way he''d make it there anymore. Did this mean he''d have to die ande back?!
More importantly, would the Pumpkin trick even work a second time? What if the Ephial Boss realized the subterfuge?!
But just as he was beginning to despair, he saw a light. There was an item at the Ephial Commander''s hip! It was a sealed cylinder, the kind that contained missives¡
Were those¡orders?!
Wasn''t this precisely the information he had been looking for?! He''d be set as long as he had proof of the Ephials'' nefarious ns.
But this single cylinder might as well have been on the moon. Stealing it would be by no means easy. How?!
He was also running out of time.
The creature was already charging toward him, its hooves destroying the roof tiles. This charge had so much power that it made him turn pale.
This thing outssed him on all levels. He could only face it head-on, yet seriously shouldn''t. His only path to survival was to use its own power against it.
"Yosh, bring it on, big guy!"
Jack screamed as he worked his magic. It was time to use an ability he hadn''t used in forever¡for a good reason!
He took a stance and created the mightiest gale ever! This was his self-destruct skill, driving all his mana into that one spell.
Tornado-like wind was generated, rendering the creature helpless for an instant and pushing it back a few meters, straight toward the roof''s edge!
Jack could sense the thing''s surprise and helplessness. What was up with this powerful wind spell?! But just as the human grinned, the Ephial regained its bnce.
It charged again, this time with even more momentum!
Jack took the same stance as earlier, evidently wanting to reuse the same spell. His goal was obvious, to make the enemy fall back down!
But this time, the Ephial was prepared.
Just as Jack shouted, releasing his spell, the Ephial used a charge skill to go even faster! It used its own ability to its maximum potential, knowing it would have to counter the wind.
Except¡.what wind? Jack''s mana flow was already aplete mess from the previous self-destruct attack. Not even a gentle breeze was generated.
The Ephial hadn''t expected that at all. It really wasn''t ready!! It was as if it had pressed once on a scooter''s gas pedal and ended up at supersonic speed.
It tried to change its stance and cut the human down, but it was already toote. It had more speed than it could control! And they just happened to be on a roof.
A secondter, the creature threw itself off a building. Jack had been expecting just that oue and barely managed to get out of the way.
"SHRIIEKK" It cried helplessly before falling to its death¡.not. The thing was he sturdy, and there was no way a 100-meter fall or so would impact it.
Jack rolled to get back up, ncing at his surroundings hurriedly. Had he seeded? Yes! Next to himy the cylinder he had been looking for!
¡ª Obtained Ephial Commander''s Orders! ¡ª
He could almost picture the victory music. But now that he had obtained this, it was time for him to GTFO while the Ephial was groggy down there.
Part of him wanted to try killing the creature, but he knew this simply wouldn''t happen, not now.
He rushed away, already hearing a cacophony of bird cries and the galloping of the Ephials. Very soon, he''d be surrounded.
It didn''t take him long to reach the Centaur''s hideout. "You''re back!" The youngster happily eximed. Oh, but it wasn''t for long¡
"Can you hear all those enemiesing over?"
"Yes! Climb up, and we''ll run away! No matter what, we can''t die here! I''ll try to convince the other Centaurs. As long as we stay alive, there is still hope and¡ª"
Jack interrupted the heated youngster, giving him a solemn look.
"No. Listen to me, and listen well. I have a secret mission for you. You''re to remain here and hide. No matter what happens, you have to remain hidden. Is that understood?"
"W-what are you nning? Wh¡ª"
"Time is precious! Do you understand?"
"Yes, I do, but¡ª"
"Great! Then take care and make sure to stay alive and well. I''m counting on you." Jack uttered before leaving once more.
The youngster turned white as he realized what the man was doing. He couldn''t ept this! But just as he was about to follow, he saw Jack''s stern look and stopped.
"Come and get me, you bastards!!!" Jack shouted at the top of his lungs.
He was the only one that had been detected. Now he would die to reset the rm level and give them a chance. He was sacrificing himself for their sake!
The young Centaur watched the man he admired the most get ripped to shred by countless corrupted birds. The poor Centaur shed tears of blood as he watched his hero perish.
Yet even now, Jack was smiling¡
Chapter 338 Are You Worthy?
Chapter 338 Are You Worthy?¡¡¡¡It didn''t take long for Jack to make his way back to the Centaur Vige after dying. Luckily for him, his corruption resistance was rather high.
[Corrupted Energy Invades You!]
[Resisted! Will not Transform!]
Now came the core part of the n¡
"WHAT?!" A fuming Centaur Chief bellowed.
Considering the bomb-level news that Jack had just dropped on him, such a reaction was natural. First, there was the whole "orders" thing, and then the missing young Centaur.
"He''s stuck there?! Why the hell would you bring him there?!" Amidst the Centaur''s rage, there was sorrow and despair.
"Because he wanted to save you all." Jack calmly retorted.
"That''s no reason to¡ª"
"It was worth it to him. He might be young, but he has the mettle of a Hero. You''ve seen the orders. They''re nning a mass invasion of this realm; cowering away won''t do any good."
The Centaur clenched his fist mightily, seemingly feeling the urge to punch the human, but this rage quickly turned into self-me. If only he had heeded Jack''s initial warnings.
"Why the long face? You''re a Centaur, not a horse. He''s hiding somece safe for now. He''ll be fine as long as we hurry. Don''t worry: I have a n." Jack reassured. ;)
He had previously told the youngster that there was still a vital role for him to y. Oh, this was totally true: he was now ying the "princess in distress" role!
The Centaur''s entire aura seemed to harden. A secondter, he stormed out of the tent, calling out for the whole tribe.
"Tribesmen assemble! We''re marching to war!¡."
[Centaur War Event Has Begun!]
[How Exciting!]
To the Centaurs it was shocking, but it was even more so for the yers. War?! What the hell?! Only a few knew what this was about. Still, they were all instantly joyful.
"That''s a Main Quest right there!"
"We''ll be able to go back home afterward, right?!"
"Scoff¡ª Who cares about home! All that matters are the rewards we''ll be getting!"
They all crowded around, eager to join ASAP. But they were bound to be disappointed: "The humans are to remain behind!" Outraged cries resounded, only to quiet with a look.
Never had there been war preparation so fast.
Spears? Check!
Armor? Who cares! They were lightning-fast!
Supplies? Pfft¡ª As if a tribe of hunters needed that!
They were ready to spread out in a matter of minutes.
Then came the time for the war briefing. The Centaurs all raised surprised brows¡a human wouldmand them?!
[You Have Been Designed War Commander!]
[Centaur Tribe Has Joined Your Cause!]
[Every Casualty Will Be Your Fault!]
The system message was already hinting at how huge of responsibility this was. He only had been chosen because of the orders, his leadership stat, and the n he had drafted.
But, many couldn''t ept it¡
"A human to lead us?! No way!"
"Chief! We don''t need the instructions of a weakling!"
"Shut up, you all. This guy''s an amazing hunter. But still, war indeed is¡."
The yers were especially unresolved. They weren''t allowed to join the war, but the damn Demon King was supposed to lead it?! What kind of discrimination was this?!
The Chief moved forward, prepared to defend Jack, but thetter never needed his help in the first ce.
"Stop moring: the Chief misspoke." Was he giving up leadership? Not exactly¡ "I''m only bringing the ones that can pass my training. Most of you will be left here."
[Affinity -4!]
[Affinity -6!]
[Affinity -9!]
Jack simply shrugged as he questioned the capabilities of the entire Centaur Vige. They were already turning purple in anger. How dare he question them!
"Tch¡ª Arrogant human! Bring your test on, and I''ll show you. After passing it, I''ll beat you to a bloody pulp!" A mean-looking Centaur chuckled.
There was no way that the human would ever ept such¡
"Perfect! Let''s start already. Follow me!" Jack smiled, acting all mysterious as he left with the challenger.
The remaining people were left standing there, their legs shaking in excitement. They couldn''t wait for their brethren to teach this idiot a lesson!
But a few minutester, a strange scene appeared before their eyes. The two came back¡but this time, the Centaur obediently followed behind the human?!
"What happened?!" They all asked, overwhelmed with curiosity.
"I-I failed¡over and over¡." The Centaur admitted, his head lowered.
What?! They could understand if it had been a trick¡ but the Centaur wasn''t contesting his defeat.
"Anyone else?" Jack asked.
"Me! Pick me! I want to try!" (x60!)
The same thing happened a few times in a row, with none able to pass Jack''s test. Yet none ever mentioned what it was all about: so mysterious!
Before long, every Centaur had tried and failed, all except the Chief. He nced at his brethren, utterly baffled. How?! More especially, if all had failed, would none join?!
"Everyone, do you understand why I''m the one standing here now?" Jack addressed the crowd.
"YES!"
There wasn''t any hesitation in their tone. All that remained was admiration for the human that had managed to impress all of them after spending mere minutes with them.
"Now, will you give up or train under me?"
"TRAIN!" They all shouted in unison.
Every willing Centaur was epted, Jack believing in their potential. Even a few yers were epted: the ones that had a centaur vouching for them.
Of course, the ones left behind were unhappy¡
"What?! That''s so unfair. Why can''t we join?!"
"Being friendly with Centaurs doesn''t impact our strength!"
They all tried arguing, only to be nced at as if fools by Jack and the Centaurs alike. They ultimately left stomping their feet in defeat.
As to what the training entailed¡.it was actually straightforward. Military Strategy! This was the one thing that hunters couldn''t do!
There was a world-ss difference between surrounding one target in a hunt and fighting equal or bigger numbers in a head-on fight.
Jack sat on a big rock as he kept screaming:
"Number 56, you''re way off!"
"Number 12, slow down!"
"Number 42, perfect!"
He had them gallop into the in in an arrow formation, one that would be as simple as effective, one meant to crush everything on their passage.
yers ¡ª> On Centaurs'' backs. (Hence the Affinity Requirement)
The Centaurs were raw gems, they had the strength, the speed, and more importantly they were stubborn as hell.
"Is that all you can do?! My wolf can do better!"
"NO!! One more!" They screamed in response every time.
As he watched them, he was reminded of the men he had trained in the past.
He had left them all traumatized yet strong enough to get called "Brilliant Annihtion Cavalry!" In their wake, all that would remain would be destruction and despair.
As he reminisced, his aura unknowingly changed, bing one of a general. The Centaurs found themselves staring in awe. Who the heck was this human in the human world?!
The yers weren''t immune to it either. At this moment, many gulped in fear. If he was teaching them all this¡ wouldn''t D.L. already know it all?!
They could already picture how they''d fare against such a coordinated army: total wipe! Many swore to themselves that they had to refrain from making an enemy out of him.
It took the entire day, but afterward, they could execute it perfectly! The troops radiated with pride, especially once they learned the move''s domineering name.
[Troops Learned The Brilliant Annihtion Skill!]
[Their Overall Power Has Increased by 512%!]
[Congrattions! Created a New Skill!]
[Leadership Increased Drastically!]
[Affinity ++++]
Anyone would have been happy with such a result, yet Jack was already frowning. "Brilliant Annihtion Skill? Please, that''s only the Charge part, and executed badly at that!"
There was more?!
"¡"
[¡]
Troops and System alike were left standing there speechless. All the pride they had felt earlier was utterly gone. But instead of despairing, it only increased their resolve.
"Sir, we''ll keep training! We''ll get it right!"
"No need. I don''t have a thousand years to teach you." Jack dismissively waved his hand.
A thousand years?! He had to be joking, right?! No¡.he wasn''t. This was the time it would take them to learn the True Formation¡all because it required magicians!
It wasn''t so easy to turn warriors/hunters into magicians, much less a group of them! Then again, this would take way less time in a few updates.
"We''re leaving right now! Get ready, all of you!"
"YES!!!!" There was no hesitation in their shouts.
They had total unity! Well, besides the mini civil war that happened when it was time for Jack to pick which Centaur to ride on. Carrying a human was shameful? Not that one!
They all departed toward the battlefield in high spirits.
Before, they had been inhabited by anger and ready to die for the cause. They were full of hope and eager to test their newfound power this time!
"We''ll show them how strong we are!"
"We''ll avenge our fallen brothers!"
"We''ll take back Tribe-Gather!"
"We''ll rescue the little one!"
Even arriving near the City and seeing its darkness wasn''t enough to damper their enthusiasm. Jack stood at the very front, riding the Centaur Chief.
"Men, get ready! Today is a day that will forever be remembered in Centaur history. Today is the day we retake our honor! Are you ready?"
The Ephials'' stormed out of the City akin to a swarm. There were so many of them that they bloated the in, turning it into a miasma-infestednd. But so what?!
The dark beings were met with a thundering shout that made the world tremble.
"KILLLLL!!"
Chapter 339 KILLLLL!
Chapter 339 KILLLLL!¡¡¡¡They swarmed toward the army akin to locust¡nightmarish ones, their gallop making thend tremble. Yet, the allied Centaur troops didn''t cower one bit.
"KILLLLL!!"
The mighty shout was so powerful that it made the corrupted bluejays twitch so hard in surprise that they lost feathers.
Then came the charge, piercing through the dark bluish feathery rain, the entire world seemingly moving aside, not daring to stand in their way!
¡ª Woosh! ¡ª
The Centaurs were suddenly gone. They were so coordinated that they all seemingly blended into one magnificent arrow of death. A secondter, they were reaching the enemies!
¡ª CRASH! ¡ª
The sea of dark beings parted, the creatures flying all over the ce, some even reaching the birds above!
The ones standing out of the way hadn''t been forgotten either. "STRIKE!" The deadly sharp spears came along with Jack''s shout, all targeting the heads and hearts!
¡ª STAB! Stab! Stab! ¡ª
But the enemies knew no fear. They were already copsing on the allied troops, resolved to tear them to shred. "You stop, you die! Show them the Centaurs'' pride!"
They kept running, even as enemies blocked them, even as they shed blood, and even as some of their brethren fell. But it barely took a few instants for the whole formation to copse.
The Centaurs were hunters, not soldiers, and without the formation all that awaited them was a dog''s death. The yers realized it quite fast. They had a front-row seat to it all.
The hive mind-controlling the Ephials would win this fight, the future grim for humans and Centaurs alike. "It''s over. We''re doomed, so utterly f¡ª" One said only to eat his words.
"32! Three steps to your right!"
"12! Faster, keep up with us!"
"yer on 57, shockwave!"
After the training, they all reacted on instinct, following the directives. Even that yer unconsciously used an AoE ability right in allies'' midst! Oh crap! He''d kill all allies!
But just as the yer was turning pale, corrupted jaybirds appeared out of nowhere, attacking his Centaur from all directions¡only to take the magic head-on!
"Screeeee¡ª" The flying creatures exploded in a puff of feathers, absorbing all the damage. The allies remained utterly untouched.
All that saw this couldn''t help but gulp. What the heck was this godly timing? A second earlier orter, and it would have been a friendly-fire massacre! He had even taken into ount the yer''s reaction time!
But before they could rejoice, a new obstacle stood in their way. Before them, plenty of Ephials stood withrge towering spiked shields! At this rate, they''d impale themselves!
"Sir, where to go?!" Many asked in shock.
"Straight ahead! Get ready, you all! Hehehe!" Jack''s madughter filled the battlefield.
The arrow kept flying through the battlefield, straight toward their deaths, only courage in their hearts. They even found themselves smiling: god, their new leader was INSANE!
The Ephials looked on the fools that thought they could challenge them in a direct head-on fight. Ridiculous! Time seemed to slow down, and then¡
"Everyone, jump!"
For a short instant, the Centaur army not only seemed like an arrow but actually flew! Time seemed to freeze as they passed right over the enemies'' heads.
Even the supposedly emotionless Ephials could be seen shaking. Whoever was controlling them hadn''t nned for that¡at ALL!
All the creatures turned toward one weak human, one they had already killed before, one that was somehow back. It was all his fault. ALL OF IT!
Jack felt the gazes, smiling and brightly and winking. He replied to the looks with one word "Stab!". That''s when the massacre began.
Mid-air Centaurs stabbed right below them while the yers rained CC magic on the enemies. The Ephials fell one after the others, Jack still cackling in the background.
"Good job, now we''re leaving, hahaha!"
The allied troops left the battlefield right before aplete encirclement could be done. Jack led them through a w in the enemy''s formation, only increasing the casualties.
Once outside the dead zone, the Centaurs nced behind them with shock. Ephials all over, dead, injured or in disarray. They had caused so much destruction?!
They were still in awe when a yful voice resounded.
"Well, that was just charge #1. Let''s keep going, shall we?"
"YES!!!!"
For the first time sinceing to this world, the Ephials weren''t the hunters. Unending Centaur charges continued until the entire in turned dark with their ckish blood.
All along, the Centaursmitted countless mistakes. Still, every time a shout would bring them back to order, keeping the formation intact, no matter what.
All they had to do was follow him, nothing else. At some point, they were so confident in their leader that they wished the enemy would use more tricks so that they could see his brilliance.
Raining Stones From the City? Separating into four smaller charge formations soon meeting again.
Covering the in in a tar-like acidic substance? Charging at the perfect angle to turn the enemies into their footholds.
Dropping Ephials from the skies with a flying army? Let them drop! Instant Ephial-skewers. They finally understood why he had told them to bring spare disposable spears¡
At this moment, they felt like an invincible army of veteran soldiers that nothing could stop¡ yet they had no damn clue what they were doing! #Follow the leader #Amazing Boss
They simply kept obeying and ughtering until the Ephials finally gave up trying to fight them all together, fleeing back to the City.
[Acquired Title: Invincible General! +25% Troops Power!]
[Killed 237 Ephials and 1337 Birds!]
[Drove Enemy Army Back!]
[Lost 11 Soldiers]
[Leadership ++]
Victorious shouts echoed on the battlefield, all celebrating happily. They were jubnt for they had all expected to die in this battle.
"We did it!"
"Praise the leader!"
"Hehe, those Ephials never stood a chance!"
But said leader wasn''t rejoicing, far from it. Jack knew that the true challenge hadn''t even begun. He stared at the City''s darkness, knowing full well it could very well devour them all...
Chapter 340 Navigating the City!
Chapter 340 Navigating the City!¡¡¡¡"Rejoicing is good, but don''t let it go to your heads. We may have won the battle, but the war hasn''t even begun." Jack grimly spat out, crushing the joyous atmosphere.
The Centaurs quieted down, overwhelmed by how solemn he seemed. To them this was a miracle victory, but to him everything had gone ording to n, right?!
"Leader, what now?" One asked, hopeful.
"Now we brave the darkness, something only a fool or a madman would ever do. We need six Centaurs total. Whoever has a death wish, follow me!" Jack gave a self-derisiveugh.
Error 404: inspiring speech not found!
"SIX?!" Many eximed in shock as they stared at the darkness.
"A death wish? Hehe, I quite like the sound of that!" The Centaur Chief''s whole body trembled as he guffawed. Yet the others remained deathly silent¡
Their legs shook nonstop as they nced at the fortress behind. Was it the ce''s aura that terrified them or the bad memories? Plus, Jack''s "n" was more like a "collective suicide".
If they felt fear now, they wouldn''t be any use. Jack gave a resigned sigh as he signaled the Chief to depart. Six would have been better, but he''d improvise.
They had barely left, that thundering stomping resounded. Every time the Chief took a step, so did the army behind. Had they changed their minds already?!
"SIX Centaurs, reporting for duty!" They all shouted together.
Pfft¡ª They hadn''t been afraid of the darkness or dying, but to be left behind! How had those death-seeking horses not gone extinct yet?!
"Let''s hurry up then!"
¡ª Clip! Clop! Clip! Clop! ¡ª
The sound of collective madness echoed in the in¡.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Tribe-Gather? More like Tribe-Graveyard!
"W-what in the seven hell is that?!" A gargantuan wall of physical darkness blocked their path. Many wanted to inspect it closer, but Jack sternly warned them against it.
"See that wall? We''re destroying it with a charge. Give it your all, or we''ll die, understood?"
"YES!!!" Many were confused, but they shouted back nheless.
They galloped toward the wall with incredible momentum! At this rate, they''d stter on the damn thing! The Centaurs ignored the Braves'' wails as they kept going.
But as they came closer, the yers turned from scared to utterly terrified. No matter where they nced at the "wall," the same message would pop up.
< Ephial: Corrupted Centaur 50! :new_moon:>
Oh god! This wasn''t a wall, but Ephials?! They were all piled up, their darkness blending into one. They''d 100% die as soon as they touched it!
"Go back, this thing''s¡ª"
"It''s time for some bowling!!!" Jack''s willful scream interrupted all protests.
Then came an earth-shattering crash, Ephials flying all over the ce and the allied forces barely making it through. Had they been any slower, they would have perished!
The "wall" behind them was already getting "repaired", cutting their only path of retreat. Yet the Centaurs didn''t panic one bit.
"Keep galloping, or we''re all dead! Remember, no killing!"
"YES, SIR!"
When surrounded by countless enemies, killing only a few would slow one down. But, ironically, it also brought an opportunity.
As they ran, the mighty Centaurs kicked and punched Ephials away. The nightmarish creatures would be sent tumbling right into their allies, just like dominoes!
If there was one thing they didn''tck, it was enemies. They were EVERYWHERE!
"Just like that, keep going! We''re almost there!" Jack encouraged them as they twisted and turned inside the City.
They went from broad roads to narrow alleyways, passing through buildings. God knows how much furniture and pumpkin statues they destroyed on the way.
But as they kept CC-ing their enemies, they inevitably suffered injury after injury.
Jack could only grit his teeth as he witnessed his allies take blows that would have one-shotted him. -69 - 84 - 75 Every time one fell, they were doomed never to get up.
The Chief that Jack rode was the less injured of them all yet had a huge bleeding gash on his side. More and more kept dying, with only 35 ish Centaurs remaining.
Yet even now, the morale was still high.
"Worthless bastards, can''t even kill a few Centaurs!"
"Come on,e on, keep chasing my shiny ass!"
"Call me the professional Ephial Pusher!"
Anyone else would have long despaired, but not them. They kept mumbling to themselves that they''d be fine as long as they could hear the human''s voice.
In and of death, hope shone like a beacon, the dark creatures all working together to snuff it out.
Ironically it used to be their City, yet Jack was the one guiding them. How was he so proficient?! Many had long stopped trying to make sense of it.
That was until he brought them to a specific alley.
This alley was just like many others they had seen during their wild escape: narrow, long, half-hidden¡.but one thing differentiated it¡it was a cul-de-sac!
Towering steep walls hindered their progress: they were stuck! "Oh no! Quick, go back, go back!" yers screamed.
It was already toote, Ephials blocking their only path of retreat. There was nowhere to flee. This was the end of the road: Jack had led them to their deaths.
A myriad of emotions engulfed them, mostly despair and regret.
They feared for what would happen to their n members and feared the cost of their failure. Yet they didn''t me the human even now, for they''d already all be dead without him.
In the face of death, they acted very Centaur-like.
"Let''s just kill them all! Who''s with me!"
This narrow alley was the perfect ce for ast stand. They''d fight the enemies one after the others until their bodies couldn''t endure anymore.
"Show them our Centaur Pride!!!"
"KILLLL¡ª"
But just as they were getting all heated, a mighty howl resounded¡ a wolf howl?!
They all stared at one another, confused. What was a wolf doing here?! They were even more confused as ropes fell from the sky.
As their eyes rose, they gazed upon a smug orange wolf.
"Woo!" (Right on time!)
"¡..?!?" They stared, bbergasted and speechless.
"What are you all waiting for? Climb already!" Jack berated them. After all, enemies were already crashing on them. They needed to get out ASAP!
Chapter 341 Jack VS Ephial Commander! (1/2)
Chapter 341 Jack VS Ephial Commander! (1/2)¡¡¡¡The Centaur army had just escaped the alley, climbing in a hurry.
"Cut the rope!!" Jack ordered.
¡ª Swish! ¡ª
The Ephials following them instantly crashed down, Moon Moon spitting on them. The pale-faced Centaurs still couldn''t believe they owed their survival to this small wolf!
A secondter, the wolf jumped on the Chief, ready to ride into the sunset as it snuggled next to its master.
"T-that was something!" The Centaurs eximed, jittery from the height. Their race really wasn''t made for climbing.
In fact, they felt as scared as reassured. Surely the enemies wouldn''t be able to follow them here, right? But that illusion was quickly dispelled.
¡ª SHRIIIEEKKK! ¡ª
"Tch¡ª Get ready to fight!!" Jack cried out as the entire building shook.
It was back, that one freakily powerful Boss! Last time Jack had barely escaped, tricking it off the roof, but now he had helpers!
"Come on, you bastard. Let''s see whoes on top now!" Jack mumbled, in a vengeful mood as the shaking intensified.
A secondter, IT appeared.
< Ephial Commander: Headless Corrupted Centaur 70! :new_moon:>
Level 70?! Wasn''t it level 60?! "RETREAT! There''s something¡."
¡ª Spurt! ¡ª
It all happened instantly: the Centaurs'' spears flew toward the creature''s body, only for a halberd of darkness to draw an arc in the air.
Six Centaur heads suddenly went flying. INSTANT DEATH!
"¡ there''s something wrong with this guy." By the time Jack finished his sentence, it was already toote.
It was the same enemy as before, yet it had grown much stronger! It had almost reached True Boss level.
"S-so strong!"
"Six died just like that?!"
"This insane, just insane!"
Even the Centaurs couldn''t keep calm. This bastard hade out of literally nowhere! They ran as quickly as their legs could carry them, without hesitation.
This thing was powerful, fast, but most importantly it was aiming for the wrong human!
Even without a head, one could feel its "gaze" locked straight on Jack. It wanted to crush the only being that had ever avoided it, even if said being had died not long after.
Imagine the shame of failing to kill a human only for mere birds to seed! As a proudmander, it couldn''t let this slide.
¡ª DASH! ¡ª
All that Jack saw was a blur¡.then came the CRASH!
He was perfectly fine, but at what cost. Right before the Ephial Commander reached him, it was mightily tackled by three Centaurs, all four falling off the roof!
They barely could harm the thing, much less stop it¡ Alone they could have never moved such a powerful foe¡ but somehow managed together!
What awaited them below was a sea of regr Ephials and the wrath of the Commander. They had justmitted suicide, all to save him.
Yet as they fell, they gave Jack bright sunny smiles.
"Go on, leader. Let''s meet in the afterlife!"
"Cleanse Tribe-Gather, alright?"
"Hehe, better make a song a¡ª"
They were already gone, their heads loped off in mid-air, the creature ncing at its fleeing prey. They were galloping away, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.
There was a reason he had chosen this specific building to climb. It was connected to the others! Still, reaching it had already costs them more than half their numbers.
But they''d soon lose them all if he didn''t do anything. The birds flying above their heads would ensure they''d never lose that Commander.
They had to stop it¡but how?!
This would have been so freaking easier if they didn''t have a time limit!
But they had to reach the City''s core fast, finding whatever evily in there before it couldpletely reorganize. Otherwise, they''d be walking into their own graves!
C''mon, think, think! Just freaking think!
"Woo?"
The little wolf felt its master''s anxiety, feeling restless. It wanted to help so much, but it was nowhere near as smart as him¡ what could it do?
Jack kept steering them in the right direction absentmindedly.
Rooftops? Not enough room to fight effectively.
Ground Below? Crawling with way too many enemies.
Few Towers? It''d be amazing to crash one on the creature¡but not happening.
If only they could get the same momentum they had at the entrance gate, they''d be able to obliterate the enemy easily. The roofs saved them as much as they limited them.
If only¡
Jack suddenly jerked in shock. What if?!
"Ah! Quick,e here!" He gestured to a Centaur, whispering in his ear.
No one else heard his instructions, but the Centaur''s reaction was very telling. "W-what?! R-really?! That''s possible?! Alright, you can count on me!"
A secondter, a baffling scene appeared before them. Jack focused, gathering some dark energy around him¡as he turned the Centaur into an Ephial?!
It was the same darkness, the same shape, the same¡
"Wow, that''s neat!" But the Centaur''s voice revealed that he waspletely fine as he quickly disappeared after receiving a package.
"W-what was that?! How did you¡ª"
¡ª SHRIIIEEKKK! ¡ª
IT was back, and they were fucked.
Once again, it ran up a wall using some kind of ability. This time it wouldn''t leave empty-handed, already eying Jack''s head.
"We RUN!" They didn''t dawdle and simply ran.
There was no way for them to fight it head-on, not here anyway. Thus began a mad and bloody pursuit, every step survivedden with a corpse.
Pushing the creature off a ledge wasn''t possible anymore. All they could do was use their bodies to buy a few seconds for their party.
¡26 Centaurs.
¡25
¡23
¡20
Their number dwindled faster than a strip teaser loses clothes. They could only harden their hearts and keep going.
"Woo!" (We can''t keep going like that!)
The little wolf trembled as it saw its new friends get killed one after the others. It knew they wouldn''t respawn for some reason, its master had told him.
So many friends were gone forever. This simply wasn''t fair! It would have already bitten that thing''s head if it had one!
"Keep going, keep going." Jack kept repeating.
They kept galloping until they finally reached a specific spot.
It looked just like all the other rooftops, maybe slightlyrger but still notrge enough for a proper charge. If anything, it had a little shade from a nearby tower?
As Jack finally stopped, everyone couldn''t help but still in shock. Had he given up? No, right?! Even now the creature was ncing evilly at them. It had finally cornered its prey!
This would be a nice spot for a grave...
Chapter 342 Jack VS Ephial Commander! (2/2)
Chapter 342 Jack VS Ephial Commander! (2/2)¡¡¡¡As Jack finally stopped, everyone couldn''t help but still in shock. Had he finally given up? No, right?!
He turned toward the few remaining yers. Many had died or been thrown off (and died) on the way.
"I need you all to restrain it for an instant. Even healing or buff skills are fine as long as they stop it. Can you all do it?" Jack requested.
They shared uneasy nces before finally nodding. Would this even aplish anything? They weren''t sure, but he had brought them this far. They''d believe.
Centaurs X yers (27) vs. One Badass Ephial
Madman & Minions vs. Chad Corrupted Knight
They had the advantage in numbers¡but it did little to this thing. Not only was it super hard to damage, but it could also heal.
A group was utterly useless against a creature that one had to finish in one hit. The Commander realized it had the advantage as it didn''t even let the birds help.
It nced at its prey. This time it was going to grab his head!
¡ª SHRIIIEEKKK! ¡ª
"NOW!!!" Magic rained hard, turning the entire area more colorful than a rainbow, all of it centered straight on the Ephial.
It never stood a chance¡and became staggered. As for actual damage? It was so pitiful that it wasn''t even worth mentioning.
"FELL IT!!!!" Jack suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs¡.Why was he being so loud?!
A sweaty Centaur hurriedly got to work a distance away, grabbing the Pumpkin Jack had given him, one that he knew could blow his entire face off easily.
He had been told where to find his target and how to activate the thing but couldn''t help but feel stressed. It also didn''t help that Ephials were everywhere!
Every second he feared his disguise would go off, hoping Jack was right about the Centaur-shape + darkness being enough to fool the enemies temporarily.
But as soon as he heard the shout, all hesitation disappeared: he had a job to do!
Not long afterward¡
¡ª Boom! ¡ª
A loud explosion echoed!
At first, they were confused, seemingly nothing happening, but they soon stared in disbelief. The little shade from the nearby tower turned into a LOT of shade.
This madman had made a Tower fall?! How?! The Centaurs couldn''t even fathom it, and even the yers nked: destroying support beams was no small feat!
Then it all came crashing down¡. Right on the Ephial!
¡ª CRASH! ¡ª
What kind of crazy killing technique was this?! The only one that kept its cool was Moon Moon, for it had already seen something simr in the d.
"I-insane!"
"T-this is what Infinite means¡."
"H-how?! This doesn''t make any sense!"
They stared at the aftermath, their legs still shaking from the collision. Dust clouds and rubble all over, the roof they were on not copsing by some miracle.
They still couldn''t believe it, ncing at the rubble the Ephial was buried under. But it suddenly started trembling just as they were getting carried away.
"W-what?! No way!" They all cried out in shock, but the shock wouldn''t stop the Ephial Commander from getting out alive.
It was already almost done crawling its way out, filling the hearts of the people present with despair. Even a tower crash hadn''t been enough?!
Jack saw it happen, not that surprised. The technique that had killed the overlord of the d had barely affected this enemy.
The differencey in their intelligence.
The Commander had been wary enough to activate a life-saving skill right before impact, an onyx barrier that was now destroyed.
"Tch¡ª You guys sure are getting excited over nothing¡." Jack casuallymented, making their jaws hit the ground.
Nothing?! Nothing?! How the hell was this nothing?! They wanted to scream, outraged, but suddenly stopped as they suddenly realized how odd hisposure was. Did he have a n?!
"Tell me, what do you see right now?" Jack chuckled as he pointed at the tower''s remains, the dust floating away.
It was rtively intact even after being toppled, as if a long bridge had just been ced across many rooftops. The tower''s durability was impressive¡but so what?
Amidst the puzzled faces, the Centaur Chief suddenly beamed as he startedughing. "Hahahaha! Amazing! This is the greatest thing I''ve seen in my life!"
Hisughter was contagious, soon spreading across more and more party members, leaving a few still bbergasted.
"W-why are youughing?! This thing''s still alive! We should run and¡ª"
"Still alive? Not for long." The Chief chuckled, many sharing meaningful looks.
"Silly horses, stopughing and get to work already!" Jack berated them as they all nodded enthusiastically.
¡ª
After struggling for a while, the Ephial Commander finally managed to extirpate itself from the rubble¡ only to be greeted by a Brilliant Annihtion Charge to the face!
But so what? Would it fear the strike of those pesky creatures? No way! How many of those had it already blocked? Plenty! It casually parried, ready to counterattack!
Except¡ Regr charge ¡Ù Brilliant Annihtion Charge!
As soon as the two collided, the creature finally realized toote that it hadmitted an incredible mistake. One does not take a Centaur Charge head-on!
Power to fight armies ¡ª> All focused on one creature! Needless to say, the impact was unimaginable!
*Censored Murder Scene*
Jack watched the creature''s end, addressing a prayer to the fallen. Meanwhile, his party members couldn''t help but watch in awe as they pictured his thought process:
1. The ground had too many monsters? Alright, they''d stay on the roofs!
2. The Commander could still reach the roofs, and was OP? They just needed to use their even more OP Charge formation!
3. There wasn''t enough room on the roofs to allow such an intricate maneuver? Here''s a tower to use as a tform to build momentum!
The Centaurs beat the creature up, but it was all thanks to Jack''s scheming!
As for the results¡
[Your Troops Look at You in Awe!]
[Great Feat! Defeated Ephial Commander!]
[Ephial Commander''s Great Soul Avable. Collect? Y/N?]
Soul?! Holy shit! What kind of luck did he have?! This could be used to upgrade summons amongst other things!
"Collect, collect! Nice!" Jack hurriedly screamed, the yers looking enviously.
But just as he was rejoicing¡.
¡ª SHRIIIEEKKK! ¡ª
¡ª SHRIIIEEKKK! ¡ª
¡ª SHRIIIEEKKK! ¡ª
Oh Crap! 0_0
How manymanders was that?!
Perhaps he was a bit too "lucky" today. "RUUUUNNNNN!"
Chapter 343 Intimidating...Thing
Chapter 343 Intimidating...Thing¡¡¡¡Just as the Centaur army was rejoicing from their victory¡.
¡ª SHRIIIEEKKK! ¡ª
¡ª SHRIIIEEKKK! ¡ª
¡ª SHRIIIEEKKK! ¡ª
Their hearts all stopped beating as they realized what this meant¡.more Ephialmanders?!
"We''re screwed¡." A yer wailed.
"This area''s so damn unbnced!!" Anotherined.
"Wait?! They sound far away. Let''s leave the City. Then we can¡ª"
Jack shook his head at the silly suggestion. Run away? As if that was still an option! The Ephials would be king in the open in with their near-unlimited stamina.
No, it seemed like they were out of the City,ing back from a military campaign, perhaps? It wasn''t the time to cower, quite the contrary.
"No, we head deeper! GOOO!" He ordered instead.
The Centaur Chief led the way, running from rooftop to rooftop, the regrs Ephials below eying them menacingly and the corrupted bluejays trying to stop them to no avail.
¡ª Tap! Tap! Tap! ¡ª
They had a specific destination in mind.
In the middle of the City stood arge cathedral dedicated to the Wind Step God, he who blessed the Centaurs with its godspeed¡or so the legend said.
"Are you sure our enemy''s there? Wouldn''t a godly power be poison to a corrupted being?" The Chief asked as he ran, doubtful.
"Poison? Definitely, the sweetest of all poisons."
Such a power would be akin to processed sugar to humans. Bad for one''s health and actually damaging if taken in high quantity but still irresistible.
Then they finally reached a rooftop near the cathedral.
Wind swirled around it, seemingly fighting patches of darkness growing on its massive walls akin to cancer. It smelled of corruption and death, even from afar.
The Ephials'' leader would 100% be in there! But would they be able to kill it in time? They could already hear the enemies closing in.
¡ª SHRIIIEEKKK! ¡ª
"God, they''re getting closer. How do we get down?!"
"Jump."
"?!?"
"Just do it."
"Woo!" (Right there!)
That''s when the smug little wolf pointed toward the ground at a wooden hay shop. Finding this ce was the result of its skeletal chicken brother''s efforts!
* Gulp! *
The Centaur gave a terrified look as he finally realized what they expected of him. But the approaching shrieks and Jack''s stern look didn''t give any room for getting out of it.
"Eternal Galloping Father, please protect me¡."
¡ª JUMP! ¡ª
The terrified howl of an airborne Centaur was so powerful that it almost made the Ephials down below recoil in shock. ¡ªBAM! ¡ª
Then the squad followed, dropping with screams worthy of hell residents. Centaurs were NOT built for heights!
They emerged as hay-covered vengeful demons, staring resentfully at the sea of monsters blocking their way. Regr Ephials? They were nothingpared to the fear of jumping!
"CHARGEEE!"
With Jack''s scream, they dove into the fray, not worried one bit about their safety. They were so full of adrenaline that they would have dared charge at a god!
"KILLLLLL!"
The poor Ephials simply couldn''t cope as they flew all over the ce.
Still, this would quickly exhaust them¡no, very quickly! Jack frowned as he realized the Centaurs had lost sight of their objective in their rage.
Why were some killing enemies?! They were supposed to rush to the cathedral! At this rate, they''d be stopped right here. No, he needed to give his troops a target for their anger.
"Everyone, look at how they desecrated this ce!" Jack shouted as he pointed straight at one of the many Pumpkin Statues that now decorated the City.
This one just so happened to be one of a Pumpkin unicorn. "See, they''re saying unicorns are better than Centaurs!" He bullshitted.
"What?!"
"How dare they!!!"
"Wreck-it to pieces!!!"
The Centaurs'' eyes turned red, all the adrenaline from their "near-death" jump getting fueled toward the innocent Pumpkin Statue.
They finally got back on track, rushing forward with the speed of a thousand avengers, orange pulp soon flying all over the ce as they obliterated the statue.
Even the semi-sentient Ephials couldn''t help but watch it happen, shellshocked. There was definitely something wrong with those people''s brains!
The "vile" orange enemy was finally defeated, and the troops finally returned to their senses.
"Head in!" Jack urged them.
They went through the entrance arches, full of wind and dark energies that seemed to be fighting even now, akin to oil and water.
¡ª Woosh! ¡ª
Instantly it felt like they were in a different world, arge courtyard and a gigantic Marble-White Centaur statue greeting them.
"AH!" Many unconsciously bent a leg to show respect, only to freeze.
"Where''s the head?!" They eximed in shock.
Much like the headless Ephial Commander, the statue''s head had been reced by a pulsating formless mass of darkness. This thing was alive!
The only question was how smart it was. Formless beings tended to have wed thinking. They could very well exploit this, and¡ª Jack froze as he sensed the thing''s will.
An appendage appeared from the formless mass as if a camera aimed at them. It began glowing with a dark light as if rejoicing at their presence. ~Tasty preys, lots of them!
He could sense the thing''s confidence: this was a trap and had been from the very beginning. Pride of a Corrupting monster? This one was different!
Chapter 344 Centaurs VS Thing
Chapter 344 Centaurs VS Thing¡¡¡¡"DODGE!!!" Jack cried out as the assault began.
Dark tentacles mmed at them, cleaving a Centaur to pieces. This thing was STRONG! The enemy remained on the statue''s head, akin to an evil turret of doom.
But that wasn''t all. The regr Ephials were about to swarm inside the cathedral. If this happened, they wouldn''t have any room to dodge at all!
"Block the entrance! Make it copse!" Jack screamed toward his troops.
They all heard, but so did the creature. It seemed to viciously smile as it began hammering the pathway leading to the entrance.
Jack nced at it all, gulping. There were small windows to the assault that they could exploit, but they were so short! He alone wouldn''t have the speed for it, far from it.
He''d have to guide a Centaur into¡ª
"No." The Chief put his hooves down. "I refuse to believe this ¡.thing is all that powerful! Eternal Galloping Father, pleasee to our aid!"
His prayer was so loud that it echoed in the cathedral akin to thousand chimes. He was barely done that¡
~Pfttt HaHaHaHaHaHaHa!
The mass of darkness suddenly beganughing at the Centaur''s stupidity. What good would praying do now? That weak god couldn''t even protect its own temple!
¡ª WHOOSH! ¡ª
Just as the creature wasughing, a powerful gust of wind appeared from the statue, spreading to every corner of the cathedral. As it passed them, it carried¡freedom?!
It finally settled near the entrance, the wind creating a physical chaotic wind barrier. It happened just in time as Ephials were storming in.
Rectification, Ephial remains stormed in!!! They had been instantly shredded! The creature turned speechless while the Chief''s heartyugh echoed in the area.
"Our God isn''t so weak as to be defiled by something as puny as you that can''t even take shape!"
Except that this "puny" thing was now enraged.
Countless tentacles sprouted out of the dark ball as if hundreds of barbed whips. Those were made to inflict the highest suffering on their victims.
~ Tch ¡ª Last remnants of a soon-to-be-forgotten god! All will perish!
Thus the assault resumed.
¡ª p! m! Bang! ¡ª
Jack sat on the Chief, the main target of the assault, as he banged his sides to instruct him on where to dodge, as one would a horse.
"Gallop clockwise, evasion maneuver number 3!" Jack instructed, his eyes busy observing the cathedral. That''s when he noticed it!
Everyone thought all that had happened was a windwall to block the entrance, but that wasn''t it! Glyphs had appeared on the walls, tiny and flickering weakly but present.
The wind god had been waiting for them to face the enemy, conserving its power for this final battle¡ª and they were the champions it had chosen!
Now they just had to figure out how to activate the glyphs.
This was more of a tribal magic, which didn''t necessarily follow the regr magical rules. What could power this?
Jack couldn''t appear calmer as he kept racking his brain, while deadly attacks barely missed the two of them.
But just as the Chief dodged, he just happened to stand near a glyph on the wall. Wait¡ had it just lit up slightly?!
Did that mean the Centaurs could activate the glyphs? No, others were near the walls, yet the glyphs remained lifeless.
Ah! Was it because of the prayer?! Perhaps the courage he had shown or something? Whatever it was, Jack had to reproduce this somehow.
"Men, heed my call! It''s time for some training! We''ll fight until we win or die!" Jack bellowed.
Training?! Fight to death?! What kind of madness was this?! Now wasn''t the time to train or fight: even surviving was hard, much less defeat that impossibly strong enemy!
Every time they tried to charge at it, they''d have to dodge a tentacle menacing to smash them to a pulp. As for throwing spears¡that was even less useful!
The few remaining yers instantlyined.
"B-boss, we''re barely surviving here¡ª"
"M-maybe we can run?"
"What if¡ª"
But a secondter, it became even worse. They turned pale as they received messages from their dead friends: "This thing corrupts items on death¡$$$ loss over 9000!!!!"
Oh god! Dying was one thing, but losing the stuff they had worked hard for? No way! They''d rather die to the minions, only losing a few items!
"Fuck that shit. I''m out!" A yer cried out as he threw himself toward the wind wall, passing straight through, hisughter resounding on the other side.
"That works?!" A few eximed as they followed his example.
Only a dozen Centaurs and a lone yer, an earth mage, remained. He had been raining earth bullets at the enemy without much sess.
"You''re staying? You''ll probably die." Jack remarked.
"Pfft¡ª What''s the point of living in fear? So what if I lose all my items? As long as I have earth, I''ll be fine." He chuckled.
"Cocky¡.but I like it." Jack couldn''t help but grin before turning to the Centaurs. "Let''s begin!"
He didn''t exin himself, but he didn''t have to. If the human said it was time for some training, then it was time for some training!
They all disregarded the OP boss before them at this moment as they followed Jack''s instructions.
"Number 11: Jump like you mean it!"
"Number 7: half a step behind."
"Number 9: Shake that ass!"
It was incredibly foolish. All the boss had to do to kill them was listen to the instructions and target where they''d be. But instantster, it realized it wouldn''t be that easy.
~ How?! Why aren''t you dying!!!
From time to time, they wouldpletely ignore Jack''s instructions or even go against thempletely. Of course, Jack had countermeasures against intelligent enemies!
His intonations and the specific words he used sometimes had entirely different meanings than what he seemed to be saying.
Jack kept ordering, leading his troops to dodge the enemy''s assault. But even then, they were only expending their energy, not making any actual progress damage-wise.
~ Useless! All useless! You puny things can''t do a thing!
Hearing the creaturein, Jack sighed before giving a new order. "Guys, it seems we bored our guest. How about singing for it?"
The troops all began "singing" prayers a secondter, much like the Chief had done before. Jack stood atop the Centaur, guiding the others akin to an orchestra conductor.
"Yes, yes, just like that!"
"?? Oh great Eternal Galloping Father, pleasee to our aid! ??" (X13)
They were so damn bad at singing that it was quite literally torture. Blood kept flowing, but the poor evil creature in the middle couldn''t seem to finish them off.
It was all because of that one hateful human and chiefbo!
One had prayed to his god for the wind barrier, and the other was the shot-caller. He knew he couldn''t win. He was clearly just doing everything possible to annoy it!
~ Wretched thing, you''ll die a horrible death!
Jack replied to the creature''s anger with a huge smile.
The song was working, the creature not realizing how the prayers made the glyphs glow slightly. Perhaps it couldn''t see them in the first ce?
Seeing the hateful human''s smile, the creature finally had enough. It gathered its strength, resolved to use a finishing move. So what if it would affect its growth slightly?
~ DIE!!!!
But just as it finally went all-in, so did Jack.
"All of you, follow my orders!" He directed them all toward the tiny glyphs on the wall. "Now, pray like you''ve never prayed. Drive all your courage and anger toward the glyphs!"
They jumped in surprise as they saw the glyphs for the first time. Had those been there all this time?! Just surviving had taken all their attention after all!
The dark creature in the middle gathered incredible energy at an unbelievable rate, unleashing it all in one go! A dark wave exploded outward, soon reaching the Centaurs.
This power was so dreadful and corrupting! It would turn them into Ephials for sure, reducing them to nothing but drones.
They kept their eyes open, staring death in the face. But just as they were convinced they were goners, a green light film suddenly surrounded them.
"Ah?! What''s that?!" They eximed, shocked.
"Our god. That''s our god." The Chief exined, overwhelmed with emotion.
The glyphs began glowing brighter and brighter until the dark cathedral suddenly turned into a noble green world. Then it all merged together, forming an array!
The formation surrounded the dark creature in the middle, akin to a prison.
~ NOOOO!!!
The thing mmed its tentacles and its body against it, but it simply couldn''t do anything about it! It was utterly stuck! It was over for it¡
"This is what you get for underestimating a god." In its despair, it heard a gloating human voice.
~ It''s all your fault! All your faultttt!!!
"Hehe, I barely did anything, really." The humbler Jack acted, and the more pissed the creature became. But so what? It was already doomed.
With onest green sh, the creature was smitten by godly power, a dark portal appearing to banish it back to the realm it came from.
It was over.
Jack turned toward his troops.
"There we go, all done!" He made a victory sign.
They were overwhelmed with disbelief and happiness. They had managed to protect their world?! But suddenly, their expressions changed.
"DODGE!!!!" They all screamed in unison.
A secondter, a dark tentacle wrapped around Jack, powerfully dragging him backward. How?! It was already sealed and banished!!!?!
But then he saw the glyphs¡they had suddenly stopped glowing. The god had run out of power at the worst possible timing!!!
~ And this is what you get for underestimating me!
The creature''s gloating tone was thest thing Jack heard before being engulfed by the darkness¡.
Chapter 345 Divine Guarding Beast
Chapter 345 Divine Guarding Beast¡¡¡¡~ And this is what you get for underestimating me!
The creature''s vengeful voice echoed as it wrapped its shadowy tentacles around Jack, dragging it with it just as it was getting banished.
"Nooo!"
"General!"
But before anyone could react, he was already gone, the portal closing forever. Despair filled the troops'' hearts as they slumped to the ground despondent.
"Woo¡"
"General¡"
"T-this can''t be¡."
"He''ll be back, right?!¡."
In the heavy silence, all that remained was emptiness where he once stood...emptiness and wails of Ephials in the background!
"I don''t know. I freaking don''t know, but we have to survive for his sake!" The Chief urged,ing back to his senses.
"Just survive? No goddamn way! We have to obliterate those bastards!"
"Hell yeah! Just not now¡. Survive first!"
They all solemnly nodded, their eyes suddenly shining with renewed determination. They would carry Jack''s legacy, even if he wasn''t there anymore!
"Troops, move out! Just treat it as training!" The Chief energetically yet sorrowfully bellowed, just as he would have done.
¡ª Woosh! ¡ª
They burst out of the temple like one entity akin or perhaps war chariots of doom. The ce wasden with confused Ephials, but there was no stopping now!
¡ª BAM!!! ¡ª
Ephials were sent flying all over, but their instinct was already kicking in, pushing them to fight back. Even without a leader, their sheer number was enough to defeat the Centaurs.
"PUSH!!!"
"AHHHH!!!"
They charged their way out of Tribe-gather, the wind moist with their blood and manly tears. They were pushing through with sheer will and the techniques he had shown them¡
After what felt like an instant and an eternity at once, the bloodied Centaurs emerged out of Tribe-Gather, giving it onest look. They would be back!
The return path was silent, the troops akin to sheeted des as they contemted their next revenge n.
It didn''t take them long to reach the Centaur vige, and they were even quicker to gather for onest assault.
Children, women, men previously left behind to ensure the vige''s safety, and even the elders; all were there!
The Centaur Chief stood before them, getting emotional as he spoke of Jack''s heroic deeds:
"He gave his life to save us all. Now we''ll crush the bastards that murdered him! Are you ready!!"
"KILLL!"
"WOO!"
That''s when, unbeknown to most of Infinite, something truly crazy happened, a single earth mage yer witnessing it.
Even from another world, quite possibly his grave, Jack waspleting a world-level Quest!...All under the supervision of a little wolf.
"Woo! Woo!"
"Yes, Boss, understood!"
Moon Moon became the new army leader, giving orders as its master once did. It had no idea what it was doing, but it was a smart wolf and quickly realized two things.
1. Its master wasn''ting back, perhaps because the "event" wasn''t over yet.
2. It was up to its furry self to bring him back!
That''s how a tiny orange wolf led a pack of Centaurs as if a shepherd from hell , driving them to death''s door with insane training.
Lackingmander? They''d double down on the training instead! Before, they had been on a time limit, but now the Ephials had stopped respawning. This time they''d wipe them all!
.
.
.
While the NPCs trained, the yers went wild.
They had long respawned and were doing their best to loot the once glorious Tribe-Gather.
Clear the City? No way! Dying to Ephials had too high of an XP loss: it simply wasn''t worth it!
As for helping the Centaurs? No way either since the NPCs were stingy as hell! The "bastards" wouldn''t even let them plunder the City for the yers'' "just" reward.
All except that one earth mage had basically be leeching scavengers. They understood that they''d be able to leave the ce once the Centaurs cleared the Ephials: they had no reason to stress!
Thus continued an endless cycle of Braves Looting X NPC training. It took so much time that the yers had long be rich.
The forums had since been filled with the tales of their conquest.
< Found a new artifact! + Speed! >
- SupersonicNinja: Gaze upon this baby! OP.png
- BuyingDumplings: Bro, stop posting that shit! Imma die of jealousy here! :loudly_crying_face:
- CruelWorld: 59% speed increase active?!! WTF!!! That brooch''s better than a car!
< Ephialnd ($$$) Centaur ying Halberd! >
- TyrannicLeaf: I found the armory! With this, I can legit 1 v 1 a Centaur! Stronk.png
- ChadMaster31: Yes, but can you fight all the buddies of that 1 Centaur? Lol :grinning_squinting_face:
- AverageAdvice. Do it, just do it! :smiling_face_with_horns:
There were so many threads like those that people were regretting not diving into the sky portal faster.
Luckily for the ones watching on the sideline, after about a week of training, temporary general Moon Moon was finally done!
It addressed its troops in front of Tribe-Gather right before the final battle, aka the most awe-inspiring string of "Woo"s ever.
Then the final charge began, the entire realm rumbling in response. It was so mighty that it almost made the enemies seem puny.
The collision was world-shattering, the Centaurs cutting through the enemy lines like butter.
The random yers watched it happen, shellshocked. How were they so strong?! Also...why the fuck were they obeying the wolf?!
The actual battle was over in an instant since they had over-prepared for it. Just like that, the ancestral City was back to its rightful owners.
As thest Ephial fell...
[Centaur vs. Ephial event has ended!]
[Rewards given based on participation!]
[*PS: All scavengers will only receive XP rewards!]
A collective sigh escaped the yers. No reward?! But then they all nced at that one earth mage still with the Centaurs. What did he get?!
They wouldn''t to know since the man himself didn''t care. He rushed toward the Wind God''s temple with the other Centaurs.
After a week, it was finally time to bring Jack back, right? He couldn''t wait to ask what had happened to him!
An eager wolf and Brave reached the temple and got busy under the watchful gaze of the Centaurs.
But then...
"Woo?! Woo! Woo!"
Tearjerking sad howls echoed in the temple, a distressed wolf pacing around anxiously. Why?! Why wasn''t he back yet?!
"Let''s be patient. He''s a Brave after all..." The Chief reassured, but he himself didn''t have much hope.
The Centaurs returned to their vige, the yers left the realm for now, and all was well that ended well...besides for Jack still missing.
Lots of time passed, that one Centaur kid eventually resurfaced from his hiding ce, and Moon Moon obtained that one item they hade to this realm for. But even then, it felt empty¡
The emptiness would slightly fade away when its family passed by...
...When the pink-haireddy came to pet it, sharing her warmth as she gazed at Jack''sst sighted location.
...When the rough-looking man came to bow at empty air like a madman.
...When a drunk cult leader showed up with offerings.
...There were so many, and yet they couldn''t drive the emptiness away.
They''d often leave carved pumpkins behind, and soon the shrine became a touristic attraction.
NPCs or yers would visit the wind god temple to pray to the white headless Centaur statue.
"Eternal Galloping Father, bless me with your godlike speed!" They''d utter as they''d nce at the little wolf on the side in shock.
The NPCs would exim at the deep sorrowful yet noble aura it carried while the yers cried at the name tag.
< Moon Moon: Wind God''s Divine Guarding Beast (Temp) >
This little wolf would remain there for as long as time still flowed, awaiting its master''s return.
All would leave the temple, their hearts heavy yet moved by such dedication. Then they''d softly mumble to themselves. "Little wolf..."
"....Your master''s already dead..."
".....Your master already gave up his ount..."
As far as the world was concerned, the Demon King was gone for good...
Chapter 346 OP Hero-Princess!
Chapter 346 OP Hero-Princess!¡¡¡¡A young man clenched his fist so tightly that it turnedpletely white. This recent problem he was facing was proving so damn troublesome!
"B-brother, you should take a rest.." Lilly sweetly uttered, concerned for her brother''s health. After all, he had more ck under the eyes than a roon!
He sighed once more, as he had done so many times thest week.
"Don''t worry, I''m fine," Jack reassured, his gaze wandering across his breakfast sushi. "Just look at this wonderful food. We''re blessed!"
Even without selling in-game currency at the gold exchange, the streaming revenue from Pancake''s business was sufficient to pay for their regr expenses easily.
"What good is food without sleep! Why don''t you send a ticket to support? A bug is screwing you, right?" Lilly sharply asked.
"Oh, it''s no big deal. It just makes me waste a bit of time¡Anyway, thanks for breakfast, little sis. I''m off to y some more, study well at school."
"S-sure¡"
Study? Did she even need to at this point? Let''s just say she had other ns in the making. Still, she''d do it if only for his peace of mind.
She watched him return to the VR helmet with mixed feelings. Where did his drivee from? What made him push himself so much, and why was he so damn stubborn! Oh well¡
¡ª ng! ¡ª
Alone in his room, Jack observed the screen before him. It was Pancake''s video, one that featured a little wolf, the bulletments flying like crazy.
¡ª CrazyGoose: Wow! He''s still guarding even now?! Forget an rm system. I want this wolf!
¡ª RespectableDrunkard: Brother wolf is so noble! So sad: still waiting for its master even now. I''ll need another box of tissues...
¡ª DestituteHousewive: Where''s the Demon King?! Why isn''t he back yet?! People say he gave up his ount, but that has to be a lie, right?!
"I''ming. Wait for me." Jack closed the video, shivering at the hurdle toe. "Log in!"
.
.
.
~ Hehe, you''re back for more? Puny human!
Once again that being awaited him, a dark shadow with countless barbed tentacles. It reminded him of the Living Curse except this one was far stronger and testing his limits thoroughly.
As soon as it saw him, it sent countless attacks his way shredding his body in a matter of seconds, a process that would repeat itself over and over in theing days.
Painful, it was so painful, and yet that wasn''t the main issue here.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
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[XP Loss Prevented.]
Prevented? This was barely a constion, for Jack had already lost three entire levels to this creature, finally reaching the penalty limit for this sub-realm.
He quickly respawned, finding himself in a replica of the Centaur God''s Temple, right next to the Boss and ready to be turned into mincemeat again.
~ Hehe, how does it feel? Good, right?!
The being happily cackled as it witnessed his muscles twitch uncontrobly from the unbearable pain. In the background, the system was still freaking out...
[Error! Error! yer Location Unknown!]
He was never supposed to enter this ce. Normally the Boss would never develop such a grudge against one yer since it was considered a raid.
Jack''s unbelievably high contribution to the fight had utterly broken the system! He now found himself in an unbreakable loop of constant suffering until he could defeat the Boss.
He nced at his opponent, sighing once more. < ?!?! > Defeat that? How?! He had initially nned to beat it in a mental battle of attrition, but it wasn''t working!
Of course, the system wouldn''t stand idly as a yer got tortured and had long given him another option, but he had another issue.
[ount Corruption Detected!]
[Leave and Repair ount? Y/N?]
[*PS: epting Is Highly Suggested¡ª]
"SHUT UP!" Jack thundered.
Literally anyone else would have long epted if only to end the suffering, but he couldn''t bring himself to. He knew what Repair meant.
He''d get back the levels he had lost, and everything would be the same¡or close. There was one thing that would change, and that was Moon Moon.
If he epted, the little wolf would be "repaired" alongside him. The skills, name, affinity, and even the tricks he had taught it would be the same¡but that was it.
He shivered as he remembered a post from his previous life, a man crying all over the forums about how his dog wasn''t the same after his ount was repaired.
Jack couldn''t ept this¡
Every time his flesh would get sliced, he''d remember the loyal wolf waiting for him back in the real world, decisively refusing the repair option even if it was the logical alternative.
¡ª sh! Stab! Pierce! ¡ª
~ Does it hurt! Keep hurting, haha! This is what you get from preventing my world conquest!
"Sure¡" Jack tried his best to appear as nonchnt as possible.
This was their usual routine, he suffering, and the shadowy creature venting. But the more it kept going, the more he despaired.
~ Still putting on a brave front? Do you think I''ll give up because of that? Foolish, how foolish!
The creature saw through him like an open book. Then again, this much wasn''t that hard to figure out. Thus continued another session that led nowhere.
When Jack finally removed his VR helmet, he found himself shaking, his entire body drenched in a cold sweat.
"Screw that!¡ª *Cough*" he was suddenly overwhelmed by a coughing fit, feeling a warm liquid as he covered his mouth. Wait¡blood?!
Was throwing blood from anger actually a thing? But that''s when he heard the front door open. Lilly was back?! He couldn''t let her worry!
He rushed to the bathroom akin to a mad demon, so quickly that it almost made their entire apartmentplex shake.
"B-brother?!"
"Gotta drain the snake, hehe!"
He sequestrated himself inside, ncing at his reflection in the mirror as he ran cold water on his face. Even now, he still looked rtively healthy, at leastpared to back then.
Perhaps he should buy makeup to hide the dark circles from Lilly? No, he just had to somehow clear that goddamn Bugged Boss, and things would return to normal. But how?!
Fight? Impossible.
Negotiate? It didn''t care.
Oust it? This thing seemed eternal!
Repair his ount and risk Moon Moon? Even at an impasse, he didn''t want to. People would probablyugh if they knew, but that wolf was currently his best friend!
"Brother, let''s hang out!" Lilly''s enthusiastic voice came from the other side of the bathroom door.
"A break? That does sound nice!" He made sure his voice wasn''t shaking anymore, steadying his posture as he came out. "Now, what do you want to¡ª"
Jack neverpleted his sentence. As soon as he came out, he noticed the bloody handkerchief in Lilly''s hand. In his rush, he had left traces!
"T-this is¡"
"I already know." That''s all she said as she came closer, giving him a bear hug¡ª or the equivalent with her tiny frame.
Feeling her warmth, he realized that trying to fool her was useless. Her meaning was clear: no matter what happened, she would be by his side to shoulder everything with him.
"Let''s go for a walk, it will change your mind!" Before he could react, she was already dragging him outside.
The soft wind and the evening light were godlike. Compared to his recent in-game suffering, this was paradise on earth, even the vagrants pleasant to the eyes!
He let her guide the way, and they soon reached a lush park filled with a few modules, plenty of flying drones covering the area to prevent any possible kidnapping.
The children would happily y, their parents nearby ncing at their phones more than they did their offspring. They rxed as they breathed in the purified air from the Breathe-Fresh Fans.
Lilly happily ran to a swing, disregarding the gallery''s judging or amused looks.
"I want you to push me, just like when we were young!"
"Alright." Jack found himself smiling.
The two ignored the entire world as they had fun, her crystallineughter brightening the entire park. "Woo! Higher!" "Faster!" "This is so much fun!"
But just as they enjoyed themselves, the sound of a quarrel made its way to them. A boy was annoying a little girl to no end and had stolen her bright red toy truck.
"G-give it back!"
"Pfft¡ª Trucks are for boys!" The little asshole imed.
Tch¡ª talk about annoying. For some reason, no parent was stepping in either. Were they all blind and deaf? The drones wouldn''t get involved for such a trifle either.
But before he could do anything about the disturbance, he found himself pushing an empty swing. He couldn''t help but stare wide-eyed as Lillyunched herself in the air akin to a professional acrobat.
She appeared so graceful, flying above and appearing so free. But seriously, when the hell had she gotten so proficient?! There was no way he''d be able to do that!
Her target was evident: the bully boy!
¡ª CRASH! ¡ª
She didn''t justnd, she crashed with a superheronding. Her fist even made the earth under her tremble, making the little bully lose his bnce for an instant.
"You, stealing isn''t nice, you know." She calmly remarked, the kid turningpletely white as he gulped. Where had this scary-looking big sistere from?!
On the side, the little girl had stars in her eyes. She was even mumbling about a Hero-Princess sent from Heaven or something.
"Now, little boy, give the truck back. If you''re bored, you can ask her to y together. If you¡ª" She quickly gave the troublemaker a sermon, the kids finally making peace under her lead.
After her random good deed, she returned toward Jack as if flying out of a swing was nothing out of the ordinary, giving him a thumb up.
"Peace has returned!" She giggled as she sat on the swing again.
"That was quick." Jack praised.
"Hehe, it''s no big deal. That boy simply felt left out and wanted to y with the little girl. He just didn''t know how to ask and¡ª" Lilly started exining, only to be interrupted.
"HAHA! That''s it! You''re a freaking genius, Lilly! I''m the little girl! I''m totally the little girl!" Jack maniacally guffawed, the entire park giving him dark looks.
"W-what?" She stilled.
"I gotta log back to Infinite! I''ll exin on the way!!" Jack had never seemed as crazy as at that specific moment, but even then, Lilly simply smiled in support.
They rushed back home, Jack entering the Temple of suffering again, facing the deadly unknown Boss monster once again. It aimed its appendage his way, ready for the torture to begin.
~ Puny human, are you ready to suffer and¡ª YOU?! What the hell are you doing?!~ The creature yelped in shock as it felt the human''s touch.
"It''s called a hug. Shh¡ª just let it happen."
~ ¡ ?!?
This human was definitely crazy! By now he was even whispering about how he understood its loneliness.
[yer Jack''O Used¡Hug?!!]
[It''s not very effective¡]
[¡.]
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©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
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In the sub-realm, madughter echoed: "Hahaha, I''m just getting started!" He would brute-hug this challenge!... Or try anyway...
Chapter 347 Explosive Come Back!
Chapter 347 Explosive Come Back!¡¡¡¡[¡??!%!]
[Error! Error!]
In the shadow temple realm, the poor Infinite AI was having a breakdown as it gazed at the scene before it. 1 Brave + 1 Unknown Evil, both working to break the lock over this ce.
After countless deaths, Jack had somehow managed to turn the creature into an ally. It seemed even a monster could feel loneliness, and he had convinced it to follow him.
[Converted An Evil Being?!]
[Acquired Title: Free Hugs For Days! +14% Hug Power!]
"Go on, keep striking at it. Behind lies freedom!" Jack urged the shadowy creature as it kept striking at the very fabric of the realm with its tentacles.
¡ª Crackle! Crackle! ¡ª
[Warning! Dangerous Action Detected!]
[ount Corruption May Increase Further!]
"Keep going!" Jack''s eyes were red with madness, yet his heart was at peace. So what if this was dangerous? There was a chance, and he''d seize it!
Then it finally happened.
With onest strike, the entire realm broke, an enormous dark fissure appearing in the air akin to a bleeding gash. Out of it came sharp dimensional winds that threatened their souls.
[Warning! Death Is Assured In There!]
That was to be expected. After all, they were trying to brute-force a path back to the mortal world. The System wasn''t going to help either, still pushing for "Repair" instead. But so what?
"Get ready, just like we nned."
~ Hehe, of course! Time to leave this god-awful prison!
That''s when the man opened his mouth¡the shadow flying inside it?! A secondter, his aura turned vile, and his eyes turned pitch ck.
[Evil Spirit Possession?!]
[How Foolish¡]
Foolish? Very, but they were only getting started! As the two jumped inside the deadly portal, the System got ready to delete 2 entries in its registry of existing entities¡
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Even while possessed Jack felt it all.
The journey between worlds was akin to being thrown into a washing machine¡.but one full of sharp icy des. Every second he had to forcefully disable the auto safety-logout.
But then they saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
Jack''s bloodied body was flung out of the buzzing portal faster than a bolide, colliding with a wall and struggling to get up. What followed next was an even faster orangeet!
First came the "woo!", then the feeling of the fur as Moon Moon rubbed its face against him. The little wolf was brimming with bliss, but then it stilled. There was something wrong with its master!
His face was covered in scars, but it wasn''t just his body that was broken, so was his soul. Without that "soul" to link himself to his avatar, his return would be pointless.
[As Expected¡]
[Soul About To Rupture.]
[You Will Perish In 74¡73¡]
Jack''s fate was already set. Even the Goddess of death wouldn''t dare intervene at this point, not in this current version of the game; none could, for this was the age of mortals.
He could sense regret oozing from the nearest Eternal Galloping Father''s statue, the bitterness of the Unknown Evil, but most importantly, the little wolf''s despair.
Now was the time to say hisst goodbyes and¡ª What?! Jack wasn''t doing any of that, instead gazing inside the portal''s abyss whileughing madly. Had he turned crazy?!
"Quick, Moon Moon, give me some help over here!"
He was already going around trying to put together a magic circle. While doing so, he kept mumbling about this being an opportunity that couldn''t be missed.
The little tidbit they managed to hear confirmed his madness. He wanted to use the opportunity of his soul being a mess to mend it and upgrade it at the same time?!
There was no way something like that was possible! Right?! At this moment, a few divinities were already observing his progress unbeknown to him. After all, it wasn''t every day that the fabric of the world was forcefully broken.
"Put this right there!"
In the very center of the array, he installed the ever-frozen heart they had gotten from the d Boss. This would absorb the cold energy from the dimensional wind.
"Tch¡ª It won''t be enough, far from enough in fact. Shadow, I''ll need your help to deal with the space energy! Follow my instructions."
The creature obliged but couldn''t help but feel extremely weird.
After invading this world with its real body, the ne''sws were quickly making most of its power evaporate, at least temporarily. Somehow Jack''s instructions took that into ount!
How did he know?!
[A Wind God Is Shaking!]
[A Wandering Deity Is Confused!]
[A Death God Overflows With Pride!]
[A Farming God Worries For His Apostle!]
"Tch¡ª No time for useless notifications." Jack brushed it all aside as he connected the deadly portal with his magic circle, using it as a battery.
But even then, it wasn''t like pure energy could magically regenerate a soul. This was nothing but wishful thinking on his part. If anything, he was pretty much creating one huge magic bomb!
But just as there were only a few seconds left in his life, he finally revealed thest part of his n. He grinned as he ced the final puzzle piece in the magical formation.
[Sessfully Created¡ a Soul-Refining Furnace?!]
[Activate Using Commander''s Great Soul? Y/N?]
[*PS: Please Don''t!]
The poor System was already dreading all the damage that this would cause. Was this guy trying to overwork its AI self?! It sure looked like it!
"Yes!" Jackughed manically, disregarding the System''s protests.
That''s when the whole thing lit up, turning the entire Temple into a light show. It was as beautiful as forebodingly ominous. The energy kept going up and up and up until¡.
¡ª BOOM!!! ¡ª
The Temple exploded.
Jack felt thest wisps of his soul being ripped to shred as the energy engulfed him. He had to endure and had to make it his! He was aiming for a rebirth akin to a Phoenix!
How long did the processst? Even he didn''t know. The world and everyone in it disappeared, only dark energy filling his vision.
He gave a self-derisive smile. All this not to lose his pet¡he really was a fool, wasn''t he? But if there was one thing this fool didn''tck, it was willpower.
He kept enduring until his vision was flooded with notifications.
[Sessfully reforged your soul!]
[Your Soul Now Has A Demonic Property!]
[Gained Partial Immunity to Demonic Energy?!]
[Soul destruction has been adverted. Congrattions!]
The soul that usually served to enhance summons had instead been used to enhance a yer. Wouldn''t this make him half a monster? Then again, he didn''t mind it either.
As he finally regained his sight, he couldn''t help but gasp.
The Temple was gone, the earth was cracked open, and there were hundreds of baffled Centaurs staring straight at him, their bulging eyes bigger than full moons.
A raging storm overcame their hearts, countless questions wishing to escape their lips. Was it really Jack? What had happened to him? How had hee back?
But there was one thing they especially wondered:
"W-where''s Tribe-Gather?!"
There was nothing here but rubble. It wasn''t just the Temple that was gone. The city had been obliterated too! The Centaurs couldn''t have been more distressed. This was their Holy City!
It only took instants for their distress to turn to sorrow and finally rage. As he nced at the mighty Centaurs assembled, Jack couldn''t help but gulp. He''d have to apologize and¡ª
[You''ve Destroyed An Historical City!]
[The Eternal Galloping Father Wants You Dead!]
There was already a green light gathering around the rubble. Was the god trying tomunicate with its followers?! He had to prevent this at all costs!
Jack hurriedly pointed to the distance.
"I saw Ephials running that way! I''m in no condition to chase, but you still can! Hurry!" He screamed.
They nodded, giving him respectful nods as they passed him. Jack''s state was so pitiful: he had obviously fought the Ephials! It''s only when they had angrily galloped away that he finally sighed in relief.
Time to Run!
[Trying to escape responsibility¡.]
"Tch¡ª Stop judging and hand over the Quest rewards already!"
Rewards?! This goddamn Brave still wanted rewards for "saving" Tribe-Gather? He had just destroyed it! The System wanted to cry as it reluctantly sent a stream of notifications.
[Gained a Level!]
[G?a?i?n?e?d? ?A?c?c?e?s?s? ?t?o? ?T?r?i?b?e?-?G?a?t?h?e?r?!? ]
[Unlocked Centaur-Race Change Quests!]
[Reward for Saving the Centaurs: Select One!]
- Mythical Centaur Companionship Spear
- Rare Centaur lucky horseshoe
- Epic Leash of the Unbridled
- ¡
What was up with all those different rarities of equipment? There had to be an exnation, right? Sigh, decisions, decisions¡
(Rare < Epic < Mythical)
Chapter 348 Goodbye Centaur Realm!
Chapter 348 Goodbye Centaur Realm!¡¡¡¡A man paced around the portal leading out of the Centaur Realm. He kept mumbling to himself, "Decisions, decisions!" a happy little wolf following along.
Jack couldn''t help but scowl, perplexed at the choices offered: Rare Centaur lucky horseshoe / Epic Leash of the Unbridled / Mythical Centaur Companionship Spear.
Mythical > Epic > Rare¡, or that''s how it was supposed to be anyway. But he still had doubts: what if the whole selection was a trick?! Wasn''t it too obvious otherwise?!
¡ª Clip! Clop! Clip! Clop! ¡ª
He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of galloping as a Centaur he recognized appeared. It was that one kid that had infiltrated Tribe-Gather with him.
The youthful and innocent look he once had was now gone. This was what surviving in enemy territory for a while could do to someone.
"Running away?" He clicked his tongue.
"Not so much running away as leaving. The enemies are defeated. All that remains are for the Centaurs to rebuild and thrive. I''m sure you''ll figure it out." Jack shrugged.
"You, you''re the one that destroyed Tribe-Gather." It wasn''t a question but a statement, the Centaur already clenching his spear tightly. He knew?! Wait, no. This was only a test for¡ª
"Woo?!" (How did you know?!)
The little wolf''s surprised face gave it all up. It had considered the "kid" an ally and hadn''t been on guard, but that had cost them dearly.
"I knew it!!!" The Centaur bellowed, charging near Mach speed!
His body was enveloped by deadly wind energy, green mana particles seemingly flooding the world. A spell?! This was a spell for sure! When the heck had he mastered this?!
< Eternal Galloping Father''s Envoy! Lv 55 :horse::dashing_away:>
A blessing from a god?! No wonder he looked stronger! "Move out!" Jack cried out, already heading for the portal. If they managed to leave this ce, they''d have a chance!
But the enemy was already ready for it¡
"I don''t think so!" He shouted as he charged to the perfect location to bl0ck their way, his sharp spear ready to impale them both. He was fighting using tips Jack had given him!
He was fighting smartly, but his eyes werepletely green. Oh god, was this some kind of partial possession? Reasoning with him wouldn''t be possible.
[A Certain Deity Rejoices From Your Uing Demise!]
That''s when he began his assault. Jack could see remnants of the Brilliant Charge in his spearmanship. The bastard was using his own technique against him!
He couldn''t afford to die, or he''d respawn in the Centaur Vige. What if they had realized what he had done by that point? They''d capture him for sure! No, he had to survive!
¡ª Thrust! Bam! Stter! ¡ª
Every attack had so much power that Jack couldn''t even hope to use his shield to block. Heck, blocking a gigantic battering ram would have been bloody easier!
Jack managed to read the Centaur''s bodynguage. Dodging every hit thanks to it. Up, up, down, down, left, right, death kepting for him from all directions! It was unending!
¡ª Dodge, dodge, dodged! ¡ª
But even with his perfect predictions, their physical specs were worlds apart. But the main issue was the goddamn wind. Even as the primary attacks missed, it would still dig into his flesh.
The passive wind des had long turned Jack into a bloody mess. He was utterly stuck, and it was the same for Moon Moon. The little wolf couldn''t help much, the wind dispelling its fire.
"Woo!" (Why fight?!)
The little wolf still couldn''t understand why they were trying to kill one another. They had been friends recently!
Jack could only give a sorrowful smile; the answer was obvious. It wasn''t just the anger but faith and greed too. ''Kill him, shred him, destroy him¡.'' The wind kept whispering.
The god had been the catalyst of it all. It had given its power and promised some more for sure as long as Jack died. Resisting such attraction was near impossible¡
Yet another spear barely missed his head. It sted the earth open, and the wind blew an ear offpletely. Blood gushed out, the Centaur giving a mocking smile.
"Still not admitting defeat? You''re 100% outssed!"
"So what?" Jack chuckled, spitting blood.
Even now, he hadn''t given up. As long as he kept enduring, there was always a possibility his opponent would make a mistake, allowing him to slip out.
"Woo!!" (Please Stop!)
The little wolf urged nonstop, but the target literally had a god instructing him otherwise. Could a wolf whimper really go against a godly consciousness? No way!
[A Wind God Thirsts For your Blood¡]
Tch¡ª Annoying god! Jack''de back to wreck his temples someday! But for now, he had to escape that one monster before him. He had to¡ª Suddenly, the Centaur froze.
[A Certain Wind God Is Perplexed!]
"Woo!" (That''s it! Just like that!)
"He stopped?! Let''s leave before he wakes up!" Jack cried out.
Except Moon Moon protested. There was no way it would abandon its friend to the evil green light! Even if the chances to bring him back were low, it wouldn''t give up!
It had taken Jack so much effort toe back here. Getting captured now would be utterly idiotic, and the logical thing to do was to escape ASAP.
He could simply grab the little wolf and¡ª, But he stopped himself. The "logical" thing would be running away, wouldn''t it?
"Tch¡ª Fine!" He grumbled.
He grabbed Moon Moon, but instead of fleeing, he dashed toward the opponent, right at the perfect range to be trampled to death. So close there wouldn''t be any avoiding it.
"Moon Moon, I choose you!" He directly threw the little wolf at the Centaur as if it were a fluffy grenade. It kept "wooing" all over its flight duration, finallynding on the target.
"Woo! Woo!" (Come back to your senses, brother!)
The little wolf used all its known vocabry to convince their old friend not to reduce them to a bloody paste. That''s when a w-like hand was extended straight toward the wolf''s skull!
"Woo?!"
Death! Or not¡?! The Centaur heartily guffawed instead. "Pffft¡ª Hahahaha, you guys really are crazy! Killing you all is god''s decree, and yet you''re still trying to bring me back?!"
The wind was still howling about wanting Jack dead, the eyes were still green, but all traces of aggression were otherwise gone?!
The little wolf harrumphed, its tiny nose twitching. "Woo!". Of course, they would! They had fought side by side and were definitely allies!
"Wee back¡" Jack whispered, still confused as to how this could have possibly worked.
The Centaur was now happily petting the wolf, thetter showing afortable expression. Meanwhile in the background, the wind had stopped rotating at once.
[A Wind God Is Petrified!-]
[A Wind God Is Urging Its Envoy to Murder You!]
The Centaur then turned serious as he turned toward the human. "You''ve caused great harm to the Centaur tribe, destroying our history just like that¡."
He sure had done so, but it wasn''t like he could possibly turn back time. He didn''t regret it either, for he valued his whole life way more than the Centaur cultural heritage.
"¡but I guess it''s not all that bad. Since our history''s gone, we''ll just have to create our own future, won''t we? We''ll just have to create a City that will put Tribe-Gather to shame, hehe."
Was this the optimism of youth? To see the positive even in disasters could be called foolish, but Jack couldn''t help but be impressed.
"This will be a lot of work¡."
"A LOT of work!"
"Woo!"
The little wolf was already ready to volunteer to help, but the other two realized that such a thing wouldn''t happen. Jack would soon be considered an enemy of the Centaurs.
"Anyway, just go. May we meet one day again." The Centaur dered, ready to shoulder the weight of his race''s struggles entirely.
[A Wind God Is Outraged!]
[A Wind God Berates His Envoy!]
But even then, the youngster''s smile didn''t change one bit, not even when the wind energy around him suddenly dissipated, nor when his name tag changed.
< Foolishly Optimistic Young Centaur Lv 30! >
He had been punished for standing against his god, but his eyes showed no regret whatsoever. What kind of crazy sacrifice was this?!
One could disregard him as just an NPC, which made his sacrifice even more significant. To him, this was the only world he had!
That''s when Jack finally made a choice.
"System, give me the Mythical Centaur Companionship Spear."
He raised his hand in the air, violent red energy appearing out of nowhere and gathering toward him. Then the entire thing turned into a resplendent blood-red spear.
The thing had the length of a car, the sharpness of a legendary detective, and the weight of a goddamn tree trunk. Jack could barely hold the item!
He barely nced at the attributes, the damage making him raise his brow in surprise, the skill making him drool. It had an OP passive buff: +468% Movement Speed, +33% Power.
This thing was crazy strong! Even if no one in the game could currently use it, it would still be worth a small castle just as a collection piece to show off to friends.
It was such an OP weapon, and yet¡
"There you go." Jack dropped it at the Foolish Centaur.
"W-what is this?!" Thetter was shellshocked. Not only had this thing appeared out of nowhere, but its aura was so overwhelming!
"Hehe, your god abandoned you because you chose to let me go. Just take it as a token of my gratitude." Jack shrugged, acting as if the whole thing wasn''t that big a deal.
Just like that, he had given a mythical weapon up. How many would throw blood at their screen once this footage became public? Countless for sure!
"I can''t ept something so¡" The Foolish Centaur already wanted to give the weapon back, only for Jack tough his ass off as he fled straight toward the portal.
As far as Jack was concerned, this outing was a sess. not only had they found the wind gem they hade for, but he had managed to upgrade his very soul and they had made a friend.
"If you''re ever in the human realm, look for the Demonic Legion! Later, hahaha!!" Hisughter seemingly filled the entire realm as he escaped, leaving a shellshocked Centaur behind.
The two were engulfed by green energy as they crossed between worlds.
"Woo!" (That weapon looked so strong!)
"Hehe, more than you can imagine..."
But right now he wasn''t focused on what they had left behind, but on what awaited them on the other side. They were finally returning home.
How surprised would the others be? It wasn''t every day one managed toe back from another world, haha.
"I''m on my way, you all!"
Chapter 349 Just a Spear....
Chapter 349 Just a Spear....¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
It had been a few hours since Jack had left the Centaur realm, the sound of a mighty spear relentlessly swinging echoing.
The youngster was still training, trying his new godly weapon out as he nced at the nearby portal from time to time. The more he swung and the more he was filled with disbelief.
Jack had given something that strong just like that?! This one item was tripling his attack power at the very least! Who gave something like that away?! Even gods weren''t as generous!
As he kept training, the earth began terrifyingly trembling.
¡ª Clip! Clop! Clip! Clop! ¡ª
Countless Centaurs were heading over, raising dust in their wake.
Their gallop was as mighty as angry, their faces twisted by rage. They weren''t here for a pleasant stroll. That much was obvious!
"You, youngster! Did you see the human?! Where did he go?!"
"He''s gone already. Why?" The foolish Centaur inquired.
"REVENGE!" The Chief bellowed.
The Centaur was already ready to lead his brethren into the portal. They''d invade the human realm if they had to, following that traitorous human to the end of the earth!
But there came an unexpected obstacle.
"I won''t let you." The calm deration came akin to a bombshell in the heated atmosphere, the youngster already adopting a fighting posture.
"Move aside, kid-, or we''ll trample you." The Chief threatened. He didn''t have time for any silly games. But, he had obviously underestimated the kid''s resolve: he wasn''t budging one bit!
Ridiculous fight iing?!
One Youngster VS. Hundreds of Veterans
Dead Centaur Galloping VS. Angry Equine Avengers
The oue was obvious, one doomed to be battered badly or perhaps killed. But even then, he didn''t falter as he slowly enunciated. "None shall pass."
He had already adopted a battle stance, ready to make his new weapon taste blood for the first time. A shame that it would be a brethren''s blood, but friendship was sacred.
Derisive snorts, chuckles of ridicule, and angry growls were aplenty, but none affected his resolve. He was simply that foolish!
The Chief raised his hand and¡froze in ce?! For some reason, he wasn''t ordering the assault, only staring at the man''s bright red spear, all eyes turning toward it.
"Wow! What a spear!"
"It''s making me shiver just looking at it!"
"Tch¡ª So what?! He''s still alone and weak. He''s doomed!"
They all agreed that the weapon was remarkable, but it wouldn''t affect them that much. Well, there was one that was now shaking more than a leaf in the wind¡the usually valiant Chief?!
"Y-you! That spear! How?!" He cried out.
The youngster was taken aback. Why was he shaking so much? There was something about the way he was acting, the anger gone.
"What about it?" He coldly asked, swinging it powerfully.
"You can wield it?!!!" The man cried out once again.
Why was the Chief getting so worked up?! He seemed to be thinking so fast that his brain was about to overheat. But after a while of processing, he finally reached a decision.
Under the shellshocked gaze of everyone, the Chief suddenly¡knelt?!! What the heck?! He even had an exalted look of happiness stered on his face.
"This lowly Chief salutes his king!"
Many Centaurs felt like their ears were defective. King?! Since when did Centaurs have a king?! This was a prank, right?! It had to be!
But then the older members in the tribes all jumped in shock as they simrly copied his movements, kneeling while excitingly mumbling. "The king''s spear!" "It''s real!!!"
There was a legend in the Centaur tribe, an old one that barely anyone but the older generation remembered. It spoke of a Centaur with a red spear and the courage of 10 000.
10 000? Yep, it did check out! He was facing them all alone, after all! The myth said this man''s arrival announced an era of prosperity for their entire race.
He was also said to be the one that would seek the other Centaur tribes scattered around the world and reunite them all.
"Hahaha, this is a glorious day! Glorious!!!" The Chief was already grinning from ear to ear. "King, what are your instructions?"
The foolish Centaur only had one thought. WTF! The Chief had probably misunderstood, right?! But either way, he''d be damned if he let this chance go!
"Give up ridiculous thoughts of invading the human realm. We need to focus on rebuilding first!" He waved his hand in what he believed a regal fashion.
"YES!!" Many were still confused, but they replied as one either way.
The older generation was already babbling away, exining the whole thing. The whole reason Tribe-Gather was so important was to reunite the Centaur race¡but the king was even better!
Revenge? Who cared! They had found a king!
They readily agreed with his n to return home, Jack nothing but an afterthought at this point. As for how their god would react? Well¡it was coy at the moment for some reason.
The youngster had no clue how he''d handle such an ordeal, feeling that the whole king thing was probably BS, but he''d fake it for his friend''s sake!
On the way back, the Chief inched closer., dying to know one thing:
"King, where did you find the spear?"
All Centaurs perked their ears up¡
"It was a gift¡."
"A gift¡.?!"
O_O
Only a god would be able to give something like that, right?! What kind of miracle had the youngster aplished to directly deserve such a reward?!
All misunderstood, not knowing it had in facte from a mortal. The youngster couldn''t stop thinking about it. Had Jack known about it all? He had to, right?! As expected of him!
The f?o?o?l?i?s?h? kingly Centaur couldn''t help but wonder what the human was up on the other side. In any case, he prayed for his wellbeing.
As far as he was concerned¡ Jack > Eternal Galloping Father. Perhaps he''d erect a temple in his honor? No, just one wouldn''t do¡
.
.
.
Jack couldn''t help but chuckle.
[A Foolish Centaur is Eternally Grateful!]
"Pfft¡ª How many times will you show me that message? Isn''t he a little too thankful for a single spear? Disable Centaur-rted notifications."Jack casually ordered.
But hisugher suddenly stopped, for it seemed like there was a weing party ready for them¡.the deadly kind!
Chapter 350 Mighty Deleter of Accounts!!!
Chapter 350 Mighty Deleter of ounts!!!¡¡¡¡A hellish scene awaited Jack and wolf as they left the Centaur realm.
Blood, LOTS of blood, the nging of weapons, and the drying screams of enraged yers. The once peaceful Sprigfield in had been turned into¡a human meat grinder?!
"Woo?!" (What the fuck?!)
The little wolf looked at the scene strangely. Many angry humans surrounded robed individuals that seemed oddly familiar. Also, was that a gigantic blood summoning circle?
About 400 "viins" for 1200 "heroes," maybe?
The outnumbered "viins" were trying toplete a ritual, and the "heroes", a bunch of allied guild, were doing their best to stop the whole thing. Still, the "bad guys" fought tooth and nail.
Jack suddenly felt the urge to facepalm as he listened.
"Die, you bunch of crazy bastards!"
"Crazy?! Hell no! We 100% know what we''re doing!"
"Not Crazy?! Who the hell''s been kidnapping virgins left and right for their bloody apocalyptic ritual?!"
"Idiot! The historic texts clearly specify that virgin blood is the best catalyst to call upon a demon king! Pfft¡ª Can''t believe you don''t even know that!"
After a few rounds of "dialogue", it became painfully obvious that there was no reasoning with the cultists¡.the ones that now were clearly obviously members of D.L.
"Woo!" (Hey, I know that guy!)
"Psst¡ª Just act like you don''t know them." Jack sighed as he nced at their antics. Was there a need for such a show?!
Oh, but it soon became even more embarrassing. As they were slowly but surely overwhelmed, the cultists would irk their killers onest time with their dying breaths.
"ARGGG¡ª Hehe, fool! Arrggg! I''m actually a virgin! One more sacrifice for the Dark Lord! Muahahahaha¡ªaarrrgggg!" They looked so smug too!
As their blo0d sshed on the circle and made it glow brighter, their enemies would sport expressions of horror as they called for healers¡for their enemies?!
This was both one of the goriest and silliest fights Jack had ever seen, previous life included. Heck, it almost gave him "Pirate''s Watermelon Massacre" vibes.
But then the circle brightness reached an all-time high, and that''s when one "hero" unconsciously nced at the closed portal with worry, only to turn ashen.
He rubbed his eyes a few times in disbelief, his face a mask of terror, finally screaming akin to a pig being ughtered.
"D-demon KING?!"
That''s when the entire battlefield turned silent, all processing the information, only for it to be incredibly chaotic a secondter.
"We did it!!"
"I-it''s him?! Goddamn!"
"Quick! Protect/Kill him!"
Couldn''t everyone just chill for a second?! They had just fought a godly Envoy a few minutes before. Sadly the bloodthirsty gazes couldn''t be more intense.
The yers had been growing restless with fury thanks to the cultists, and now they finally had one lone target to me it on. To them, he was the epitome of evil at that moment!
That''s when they all charged toward him. Heck, they looked like zombies that had seen the juicy exposed brain of a renowned scientist!
As for the Head Cultist, he was already swaggering over, his face stered with pride. "Don''t worry, my Lord. We''ll drive them away!"
-_-
It would have been so much more reassuring if he wasn''t missing an arm and an eye! Also, were those arrows sticking out of his back?! Yep, 1..3¡5 of them, goddamn!
"Woo?!" (What is happening?!)
The little wolf was utterly puzzled. What was that about seeded and whatnot?! Also, why were people so angry at them? They had just arrived! Still, it was ready to fight!
¡ª HOWL! ¡ª
Moon Moon''s eyes shone with bloodlust. Last time it had lost its master to a strange dark creature, but never again! Bring it on!
"Hahahaha, that''s our guardian beast! Do you all hear that howl? Brothers, can you feel your bodies growing stronger!"
"YES!!" (So many half-dead dudes!)
"Oh god, this wolf gives a buff?!" Their enemies cried out in horror as the cultists suddenly seemed to be on steroids.
Buff? What buff?! Jack could clearly see that all that had changed was their mental state. His crazy allies were fueling on the cebo effect really hard right now!
But even with high spirits, a couple of men could only do so much against a wave of angry yers. No, they had to do something quickly, or they''d all perish here.
More importantly, that one wind gem was the kind that could drop on death!
How much of a pain would it be if someone looted it only to disappear afterward. He really didn''t feel like tracking someone for his hard-earned reward.
At this moment, he had no choice but to embrace his Chuuni side. Hopefully, it wouldn''t make the situation worseter, right?
Jack nced at his feet, whispering under his breath. "Psst¡ª Follow my lead, make it shy." He instructed¡.his shadow?! In there was a very faint name tag .
"Muahahahaha! You did well, mortals, for I have returned! From now on, begins my unstoppable world conquest! Let''s begin by wiping the ounts of these foolish yers and¡ª"
That''s the exact moment that his new ally chose to act. His shadow extended, akin to an ever-hungry monster. Teeth, countless eyes, and extended tongues¡well shadows.
"RUUUNNNN!"
That''s when the yer all seemed to dete as they ran like the wind. ount deletion?! Holy crap! Could he really do that?! He probably couldn''t, but heck they wouldn''t take the chance!
It didn''t help that a certain Head Cultist was casting ambiance spells to help in the background at Jack''s request.
As Jack saw them flee, he kept track of the shadow''s status. It had pretty much lost all its powers in the previous events. A shadow illusion was pretty much the limit of its abilities.
They had managed to bluff and¡or not!
He suddenly noticed a courageous warrior in full te, standing straight in the middle of the way with his bastard sword solidly nted in the ground.
"Bring it on, evil demon! I''m not afraid of your malevolent magic!"
This fool was about to blow the gig up! What kind of asshole was ready to risk his ount just to prove a point?! Jack couldn''t help but grind his teeth in anger.
The yers had now stopped fleeing. They were waiting to see that one man''s fate before they decided whether to fight or not. He could already predict how things would go:
Warrior Surviving ¡ª> Losing all credibility ¡ª> Game Over ¡ª> All Striking Him ¡ª> Annoying Time!
He had to defeat that guy now!¡NO, it wouldn''t be enough! He needed something that looked way more cryptic and terrifying!
Jack steadied himself, appearing calm as he waved his hand. With the motion, he unleashed the entirety of his dark powers¡.yet nothing happened¡ª or so it seemed.
In fact, bones gathered underground, taking small but sturdy bony forms. They then began overturning the earth, digging relentlessly.
Undead moles, lots of them, all rushing toward that lone warrior!
On the surface, the gigantic shadow was about to reach the target. "Go on. Bloody eat me, you monster!" The man fearlessly taunted¡and the shadow monsterplied, devouring him!
¡ª Gobble! ¡ª
Oh, there was no audio effect at all¡.but everyone still heard it, their imaginations vivid. Had anyone been closer, they would have seen the hole opening under him, but none noticed.
"I-it ate him!!" Many Captain Obviouses remarked.
A secondter, nervous eyes rested on the people that had the poor guy as a friend. They watched their friend list even more intently than a karate turtle eyed pizza.
"He died! His ount is still active!"
"Tell us as soon as he respawns, and we''ll charge straight in!"
Many were already drawing their weapons, staring at Jack with evil nces. They''d make him pay for sure if he had been toying with them! Yet¡.wasn''t the Demon King a little too rxed?!
He hadn''t been idle all this time and had been actively praying for once.
''Thanatos, hear my prayer. I''m sending a guest your way. Entertain him for me, will you." It was his only request. How nice of him. Heck, this was pretty much a reward!
But the yers on the other side saw it differently.
"Gulp! H-he''s not respawning!"
"H-he can really delete ounts?!"
As soon as one arrived at that "clever" conclusion, countless yers totally gave up on killing the crazy cultists or their leader. HELL NO!
[Scared an Army Silly! Fear UP! + Soul Power!]
Soul power?! Was this an interaction of his ss with his new dark lord soul? Neat! Meanwhile, the allies were eximing in awe.
"Wow! Are they all Olympic sprinters?!"
"Haha, as expected of our God!"
"Demon King! Demon King!"
The cultists were already crowding around him in celebration, not understanding how close of a call this had been. Still, this would buy them a bit of time for sure.
[Your Infamy Raises A LOT! Are you trying to traumatize others?!]
[Your Troops Idolize You! Acquired Lord of the Lunatics!]
Actually, perhaps more than a bit looking at the forums¡
< HOT NEWS! Demon King back and deleting ounts?! WTF!! >
¡ª AdamSd: Please, that''s obviously fake news!¡ That''s just a Monday for him!
¡ª MonstersFightHim: I was there. I saw it all! Tonight I''m checking under the bed for the Demon King before I close an eye!
¡ª HugeFatBoat: Bruh¡ I''m really tempted to call BS right now. Then again, it''s the Demon King. @Other Towns: You guys taking refugees? Asking for a friend, it''s urgent!
There were plenty of simr threads. Oh well, infamy was still good, right? Either way, he couldn''t help but increase his pace toward the Pumpkin Farm. Time for a well-deserved rest!
But his good mood was suddenly soured by the Head Cultist approaching.
"Lord, I have news about the Pumpkin Witch. She''s gone¡ª"
His tone was way too ominous!
Chapter 351 Following Her Footsteps!
Chapter 351 Following Her Footsteps!¡¡¡¡"What did you say?!" Jack''s tone couldn''t have been colder.
"The Pumpkin Witch is gone, my Lord! A subordinate just reported it. She''s nowhere to be found!" The cultist respectfully but nervously replied. He knew what she meant to his master.
"Woo?!" (Oh no!)
The little wolf knew how dire the situation was. There was no way that she''d ever voluntarily leave her home willingly. After all, the Pumpkin Farm was her "paradise on earth".
That''s when Jack lost his cool. The man who had faced an entire army by himself seemingly without a sweat, turned blue with worry as he dashed through the ins, leaving everyone in the dust.
On the way, they encountered many yers that readily misunderstood the situation. Oh god, was the Demon King personally chasing them?! He had to be toying with them!
But he barely registered their existences, only returning to his senses once he saw their farm. It looked precisely as it usually did¡on the surface. Life was missing from it!
Pets? Gone
Fairy? Nowhere to be found!
Pumpkin Girl? No sign of her whatsoever.
Had they all been kidnapped? It didn''t seem to be the case: there was no sign of struggle. How did this make any sense?!
But then he finally found a clue.
Scrolls, dozens of nk scrolls! Why would anyone need that many on a farm? Wait, there was also a new set of very tiny writing tools, the kind only a Fairy could use.
Jack hurriedly approached the chimney, scurrying around, finally finding burnt parchment fragments stuck to the upper part.
"Woo?!" (What''s that?!)
"The Fairy''s been spying and sending reports here. Pumpkin Girl has been careful and burned the messages afterward. This means whatever was on there was confidential information."
[Acquired Apprentice Detective Title!]
[Companion Side-Quest Started: Finding Pumpkin Girl!]
Jack frowned, already picturing the timeline. While he was gone, Pumpkin Girl had received some key information that had somehow prompted her to leave this ce¡but what?!
"We''d need to find where the Fairy went. Bloody hell, there''s no way an invisible flying Fairy left any traces!" Jack couldn''t help but curse.
But then Moon Moon stepped forward, sniffing the air¡
"Woo!" (This way! The smell of wind!)
"Wind?!" Did wind even have a smell? Was it because of how close the two were? In any case, this was just what they needed. "Lead the way!"
The traces led them straight toward Sprigfield.
The two couldn''t help but stare weirdly as soon as they saw it. Why the hell were their faces painted on the outer wall¡seriously?! Oh, and it was just the beginning.
For some reason, there was a new entrance gate to the Town, one strictly used by the D.L. cultists. How the heck had they managed to aplish that?!
As soon as they showed up, the cultist guards made a ruckus.
"Our God has returned, Muhahahaha!"
"Bask in his presence and rejoice!"
"He has vanquished death itself!"
¡
¡ª Jack + Wolf Used Run! ¡ª
¡ª Equipped a Rough Disguise! ¡ª
As soon as they entered the Town, they were confronted with a huge construction site, countless yers tirelessly working on a¡temple?! Wait, was that his statue?!
There were plenty of banners everywhere:
< Creating our own kingdom!>
¡.
#Exploitation! They sure had been busy while he was gone¡
They turned a blind eye to the fanatics as they kept following the wind.
It led straight toward an NPC merchant, one in charge of transporting the materials from the forest and mountain to the construction site. He couldn''t have looked more normal¡
"Woo!" (This guy''s very suspicious!)
The little wolf warned its master. This guy smelled way too much of the wind. But he also had a foul scent that irritated its nose¡but what was it?!
"You, how would you like to be rich?" Jack went straight to the point. "I need information about my wife. Orange hair, blue eyes, and¡ª"
That''s when the merchant turned hostile. Even if he kept a poker face, there were subtle signs like his fist unconsciously clenching up. He knew her!
No matter how much Jack tried to negotiate, the man didn''t budge one bit. Even admitting that he was the Demon King wasn''t enough to make him budge, the man refusing to believe him¡
"I don''t know anything. I have a crew to run, excuse me." The man quickly ended the conversation.
"Woo?!" (What now?!)
"Now we just have to be more "persuasive", right?" Jack''s tone was so cold that it chilled Moon Moon. "You, stone merchant, how about you tell me what I need to know? Otherwise¡"
"Humph, threatening me?! Guards, guards! Help!" The merchant grinned, knowing this was his victory. After all, the cult was very keen on protecting their allies. Using force here? Idiot!
The cultists in charge of protecting public safety in the area came swaggering in, their spears already raised and ready to dispatch the troublemaker.
"You, how dare you!¡ª"
Jack just happened to show his face at that moment, the guard suddenly gulping hard. Had he almost tried arresting the big boss of their organization?!
"How dare you disrespect the great one! Confess your sins already!" The guard hollered furiously, his colleague''s eyes shining by the side.
That''s when the merchant turned livid¡..and yet he didn''t change his stance! "I really don''t know anything" He shrugged as he shook like a leaf.
Knowing he was doomed, he didn''t bother to hide his feelings anymore, hatred shing in his eyes as he gazed straight at him. Was he an enemy?! This meant she was in trouble!
"Grab him!" The time for peaceful discussion was over.
It didn''t take long for the man to be strapped to a chair, a dripping towel on his face. Jack stood above him, making it rain all over him.
"Gasp! No more! Mercy!"
"Ready to talk yet? No? Oh well¡"
[yer Has Absolutely No Morals!]
[Acquired Waterboarding Enthusiast!]
[This System Feels Bad For the Poor Merchant!]
Tch¡ª Now wasn''t the time to show mercy! Her life could very well be in danger. Compared to her, the suffering of this NPC was nothing.
But as he kept going relentlessly, he couldn''t help but feel that something was wrong. There really was something strange to the man''s supplications. They were too¡light?
Even a professionally trained assassin wouldn''t take a round of waterboarding as lightly as he was. There was absolutely no sign that he was fundamentally suffering.
And yet there was none of the madness one would have expected from someone who had gone through countless tribtions.
He feared Jack but didn''t fear drowning?!
"Woo?!" (Talk already!)
The little wolf was by the side copying its master, its cute voice wildly contrasting with the inhumane action it was casually doing. But then Jack waved a hand, stopping it.
"Carp, merman, octopus, eel, tuna¡No, eel it is!"
The little wolf waspletely confused. Its master had suddenly started listing food, only for their prisoner to turn from fearful to utterly terrified.
"Woo! Woo!" (Salmon! Trout!)
¡ª It wasn''t very effective¡. ¡ª
"That''s not it. This guy IS the eel. I''m not sure how he managed to take human form, but that''s why he''s not afraid of drowning. Now let''s get the rest out of him!" Jack evilly exined.
Then began another round of intense "persuasion", Jack bing a sashimi artisan. Yet by some godly miracle, the creature managed to remain mum, fainting quickly.
"Woo?!" (Talk! Talk!)
"She''s at theke. She has to be." Jack grimly stated.
Thisplicated things so much. With the humans and the mermaids at war, even mobilizing the entirety of D.L. wouldn''t suffice to invade. As for sneaking in¡ they''d be patrolling for sure!
They needed help, lots of help!
Jack didn''t wait, exploiting the nearby cultists without any remorse.
In a matter of minutes, he had them run all across Town, gathering anything that could potentially be of help to their rescue operation.
They sensed the urgency, and they ran, causing quite the stir in the process. They''d enter every shop before rushing out while carrying a bunch of goodies in their arms.
"The cultists finally went crazy!"
"Quick, someone, get the guards! They''re robbing!"
"You viins are finally showing your true colors! I knew it!"
It didn''t take long for the guards to intervene, running left and right as they tried to keep up. But every "victim" shopkeeper they met was actually beaming with joy.
They couldn''t believe how much stuff they had sold in one go. Was their leader equipping an army or something? Either way, they couldn''t care less as long as they were getting paid.
The overworked guards endlessly grumbled while the root cause was already gone for theke. He stood before it, a gagged and bound eel next to him. (Human form)
"Water Elemental, you there? I really need you right now!"
Theke water suddenly swirled as it rose into a water tornado, one that crashed right before him, the Water Elemental appearing.
"Hey! I need your help for¡ª"
¡ª Growl! ¡ª
Moon Moon suddenly began growling at the creature, Jack freezing. The little wolf was right. There was something incredibly wrong with that guy! No, it wasn''t him in the first ce!
"Oh? It seems you know the original! Anyway, today''s your lucky day, for I am a very, very friendly elemental who''s in a very, very good mood! How about I help you in his stead?"
"Woo!" (Really!)
"Well, yes, for a small price, of course. How about¡.your soul!"
"Woo?! Woo!" (Small price?! We''ll just wait for our friend instead!)
The little wolf couldn''t help itself but sneer at the sight of the elemental trying to ckmail them. What an amateur!
Jack knew better. This clone''s presence meant that the Water Elemental was training in seclusion. This was the system blocking him from using the OP ally card, right?
He sighed: "It won''t be that easy. My bet is this guy will prevent us from reaching the "original" in the first ce."
"Oh, what a smart one! Let''s see how long you can endure before¡."
"I agree." Jack cut the creature off.
"?!?"
"My soul for your help¡."
At this moment, the creature, the eel, and the wolf were equally bbergasted. Wasn''t this a little too quick?! Either way, the Elemental jumped on the opportunity!
"Hehe, a pleasure to do business with you! Let''s get this party started! After all, the sooner I help you, the sooner I get to eat!"
As the creature happily hummed, a shellshocked humanoid eel stared at Jack in utter disbelief. Why was he going that far?! Why was he willing to sacrifice so much?!
"Why? Didn''t I tell you before? I''m getting my woman back." He shrugged.
That''s when the eel began to cry, overwhelmed by guilt. She really was his wife, and he loved her that much?! Such pure love! How could a man like that be called the Demon King?!
"Let''s go, shall we."
"Woo!"
Theke parted open before them, revealing a long tunnel. This would bring them near the mermaid kingdom. As for what came next, even Jack was far from confident¡
Chapter 352 Almost Godlike Singing...
Chapter 352 Almost Godlike Singing...¡¡¡¡"Just like I thought," Jack grumbled.
They had traveled through the magical tunnel, the variouske creatures unable to see them thanks to the elemental''s power (clone). But they hadn''t seen any trace of Pumpkin Girl.
This meant she had headed even deeper, right in the mermaid kingdom. Then again, that much was expected, the eel finally admitting she had been asking tons of questions about it earlier.
The transformed NPC merchant''s attitude had done a 180 ever since Jack''s sincerity toward Pumpkin Girl had moved him.
The elemental chuckled in the background.
"This is as far as I''ll bring you. With this, I''ve done my part: you have three days after which I''ll devour you. Make good use of it, hehe." Then he left.
¡ª RUMBLE! ¡ª
The air pocket they had been in disappeared. Water filled their surroundings as they quickly consumed water breathing pills, observing the area.
[Reached Hidden Mermaid Kingdom Entrance!]
[Good Luck Opening the Way!]
They now stood at the very bottom of theke.
An imprint of a gigantic door was etched into the rockyke floor. There were plenty of mermaid statues seemingly protecting it, their eyes shining pearls.
"Woo?!" (So beautiful!)
The little wolf excitingly swam around, observing the shiny rocky creations. Those looked so mysterious! It then copied its master, searching for clues.
"Legends say that only a true mermaid can enter this ce. Only their songs have the potential to even move stone." The eelmented.
"And yet she passed through somehow¡."
"Woo?!" (Singing?!)
The little wolf cleared its throat before it started singing to the statue next to it. "?? Woo~woo~woo! ??" but there was absolutely no reaction from the sculptures.
They had to figure out how to open this quickly. Theke monsters had cleared the area after sensing the elemental, but they''d return for sure since he was gone.
In fact, the being had never actually left.
It was hiding, stalking the party while licking its inexistent lips. Jack perishing would be the cue for him to harvest the human''s soul. He couldn''t wait!
After all, he knew the puzzle to be unsolvable¡.
.
.
.
"Guys, look over there!" Jack pointed to the door.
In the middle of it, an intricate design seemed to form¡a gigantic eye?! The eerie part was that it even seemed to be blinking at times.
"I suddenly don''t feel too well¡."
"Woo!" (Scary!)
Jack scoffed at their shaking. What was the point of worrying? At the bottom of theke, any Boss spawning would instantly murder them anyway.
"I think this eye is the one we actually need to impress¡." He theorized.
"What?! But how? Can an eye even hear a song?" The eel asked, perplexed.
"That''s what we''ll know soon¡." Jack stepped forward.
A secondter, he began singing..not that this atrocity deserved such appetion! He sang from the heart, powerfully, valiantly, and out of tune. "?? My LiTtLe aPpLe! ??"
Under the bystanders'' horrified eyes, the statues reacted¡in the wrong way! One after the other, they began cracking. It was as if they preferred to die than listen to him!
[The Nearby Statues Are Wailing!]
[They Regret Lacking the Ability to Commit Murder!]
But then he finally stopped, peace finally returning to the area¡
"W-what the heck was that?!" The eel was shaking even more. There was no way they''d be able to seed, and the ce''s upants woulde back soon.
"Did you see that?" Jack''s voice echoed.
"Yes, I did! We''re utterly screwed! They almost turned to rubble!"
"No, not that. There was an order to it. I sang, the statues hated it and cracked¡. only afterward did the eye seemingly blink with disgust. An order: it reacted!"
Was the human turning crazy¡
"Woo!" (You''re right!)
The little wolf had already understood. The eye judged the performance¡..based on the statues'' reactions! As for how to exploit that¡surely its master would have a n.
"How is that supposed to help us¡."
"Hehe, you''ll see. It will be your time to shine!"
The eel couldn''t help but feel ufortable seeing Jack''s grin. Wasn''t the man expecting a little too much from him?! His difort only became worse as he heard Jack''s n¡
.
.
.
The elemental was rejoicing.
How foolish! They were all extremely foolish!
The party was still hanging around the area, still utterly stumped. That much was obvious, thanks to their slumped shoulders and furrowed brows.
But that wasn''t the issue. The wolf had gotten bored without them noticing and begun ying a little too far away from the group. Oh, this would be so delectably entertaining!
That''s when it finallymitted a colossal mistake. While ying, the wolf mistakenly entered a group of Octopuses'' path!
It panicked and retreated, but it was already toote. It had utterly aggroed them, and they had locked on its position!
The little wolf failed to run away, and it even brought the enemies back to their group! The two humanoids instantly turned crazy with worry.
They were at their wits'' end, ready to clutch at straws¡
"Quick, you try singing too!" Jack screamed.
"A-alright¡." The shivering eelplied.
As for his voice¡.it was pretty bad. In the NPC''s state of panic, it simply couldn''t produce the notes correctly. Then again, its voice wasn''t that amazing in the first ce.
That''s when the octopuses finally reached them.
The monsters didn''t lose any time as they created the perfect hunting ground for themselves, spewing ink all over the ce. The visibility instantly became nil as they went to the assault!
In the darkness, it was near-impossible to tell what was happening. But one thing was clear¡the octopuses were producing casualties, the sound of bones shattering echoing all around!
¡ª Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! ¡ª
But then it somehow continued. The monsters had already killed a dozen people, yet some still remaining?! This didn''t make any sense!
But that''s when the ink cloud finally disappeared.
Tons of crushed skeletons, mere summons¡
Utterly "awed" mermaid statues¡.
Confused Octopuses¡
The stone eye in the door checked the aftermath. Thanks to the ink, it had missed the process: all it knew was that the eel had begun singing, and now the statues were "happy".
Their faces looked utterly pleased by the song as if they hadn''t ever heard anything better. This was one huge hurdle, given they had heard mermaids sing before!
The stone eye couldn''t help but be impressed, concluding that the trial takers had seeded. Thus it activated its powers, the entire door rumbling in response.
It started shaking violently, gradually glowing a bright, magical blue. Then its entire surface began transforming, mermaid patterns seemingly swimming on it!
Finally, it began parting, revealing a bright blue passageway that looked crystal-like. It was opening!
The octopuses watched the whole process happen in a reverend state, but the elemental in the background couldn''t be more outraged. The human had so very obviously cheated!
Jack was in fact justing out from behind a statue, chiseling tools in hand, grinning. He had forcefully changed the statues'' expressions, working under the ink''s cover!
He chuckled, even winking at the hiding elemental.
"Let''s go, shall we¡"
The other two came out of their hiding spots, all three jumping into the blue world, the elemental left stomping its inexistent foot in the back. Bloody scheming bastards!
.
.
.
[Sessfully "Solved" the Puzzle...]
[Wee to the Mermaid Kingdom!]
Chapter 353 New Friends!
Chapter 353 New Friends!¡¡¡¡[Wee to the Mermaid Kingdom!]
As they were catapulted into this new world, they couldn''t help but stare. It was so damn beautiful!
An endless sandy beach, colorful sea coral/anemone everywhere, unbelievably clear water, pearls glistering like a thousand stars, and small koi fishes happily swimming about.
Paradise, this was simply paradise!
"Woo!" (Amazing!)
The tiny creatures were already approaching the curious wolf, swimming around it. They were so cute that thetter couldn''t help but want to y with them!
Their cuteness was so contagious that the eel was already ying with them, and even Jack found himself breaking into a smile. But then he froze, breaking into a sudden cold sweat.
Cute fishies? No, far from it! The cute creatures were nothing more than a trap, the deadliest of them all! The entire thing was a formation meant to stall would-be invaders!
That''s when he remembered the few kois that had been swimming away after noticing them: spies! This meant those were way smarter than they looked!
At this rate, they''d end up asmbs to the ughter!
"Here, give them this." Jack rummaged through his inventory, handing a secret weapon to his allies.
The two beamed with joy as they happily went to distribute the roasted pumpkin! Their hearts were menacing to melt from joy as the little ones crowded around them.
"Woo!" (Don''t worry, there''ll be enough for everyone!)
The little wolf reassured them, its paw held confidently in the air. By the side, its master was approvingly nodding, monitoring the creatures'' reactions. By now, they loved them!
But then Jack mercilessly interrupted the joyful moment, dragging them toward a corner of the beach as he began to dig as if looking for a hidden treasure.
But what happened next confused them both. Why the hell was he burying himself in the hole he had just dug?! Was this a strange part of the human culture?
"What are you waiting for? Your turn!" His voice had an incredible feeling of urgency to it, but the two couldn''t figure out why for the love of them. Yet theyplied anyway, out of trust.
Three people were buried alive.
Three people were chilling under the sandy beach.
Three people found the whole experience very itchy.
But just as they were about to dig themselves out of boredom, Jack''s solemn voice resounded. "Do not move, do not speak, no matter what."
A few minutes after he had warned them came the lubies. There were songs, and yet they weren''t. That''s when they finally understood.
Mermaids! Their casual conversation tone was unbelievably melodic. It felt almost as if they were giving a show¡not that was the case.
"?? Are you sure there are humans here? ?? "
"?? Why would the little ones lie! Quick, tell us where the evil humans went! Don''t worry. We''ll catch them! ??"
Those were obviously soldiers! Judging by the faint whispers, there were dozens of them! The surface had just turned into aplete death zone. The three held their breaths¡.but then:
¡ª Blup! Blup! ¡ª
The kois simply acted cute!
Jack had been right! The fishes were smart enough to realize something bad would happen to the gentle neers if they snitched. More importantly, the food would be gone!!
"?? Ah, did you guys y a prank on us? ??"
The fishes that had tasted Pumpkin Girl''s cooking all shook their bodies in agreement, covering for the "humans". The soldiers finally called it a false rm, leaving.
.
.
.
"Gasp!" The three came out of the sand like cannonballs.
This had been so damn close! Anyone else would have normally been overwhelmed by the beauty of the scene, perhapszily strolling, only to get kidnapped as a result.
Now that they had avoided this hurdle, they had the advantage! No one knew they were here yet, and this would be the perfect timing to infiltrate the enemy!
Jack gave a very "warm" smile.
"I need a guide for this realm. Anyone wants to volunteer? Free food included in¡ª" He had barely uttered food that he was literally swarmed, all wanting to be fed!
They settled on a few fishes that looked especially reliable, all of them leaving. Yet the atmosphere was quite gloomy, the eel and Moon Moon''s heads hanging low.
"What is it?"
"Woo¡" (We totally missed that¡)
Pfft¡ª Was that it? Jack chuckled, extending his hand: "Can you feel this calming current? Like soft wind, it''s meant to put us at ease. It''s normal to be affected the first encounter."
The three resumed their journey, bribing the ce''s natural sentries left and right. They''d often make detours, avoiding natural dangers of the area, for instance the shark reef.
But under the fantastic skills of their guides, they finally reached their destination, the Mermaid City.
[Found Historical Location!]
[Try Not to Destroy That One!]
They stood on a rocky cliff, a distance away. The sight was breathtaking and so different from anything they had seen in the human world:
- Buildings made of corals or even pearls
- Dolphin-like creatures being used as cattle
- Seaweed farms softly waving in the current
- Tons of sea creatures swimming all over the ce.
- ¡.
The whole thing gave a feeling of peace¡and yet something was wrong. In the city''s periphery, there was a small annexed Town¡with humans?!
"Humans here?! How?!"
"No, it''s impossible!" The eel shook its head.
Not only was their presence odd, but that one area didn''t have any water filling it. Who had even bothered creating such a hideout under the sea?!
"Woo! Woo?!" (So weird! Ah, is this one a trap too?!)
The little wolf might be on to something there. What if the "human district" was bait for them to approach? Either way, the residents didn''t seem t be restrained in any way.
If anything, that district was perhaps a little less guarded. Everywhere else, there were plenty of mermaids with tridents, but none in the human area¡why would that be?!
Perhaps a formation already protected it?
Perhaps there were hidden sentries?
Or perhaps¡
"What if the humans we see are actually transformed mermaids?" Jack hypothesized.
"There''s no way that''s the case! It took me years to manage to craft my merchant form! Before that, I wouldn''t have been able to trade one bit with the surface world." The eel contested.
"Yes, but what if they found a way somehow? What if all of them are transformed? Wait¡what if they''re currently training?!"
"Training? But they''re just standing there and¡ª oh, I see!" They weren''t training their power, but their adaptability. They were getting ready for a massnd invasion!
Just as the eel was being enlightened, Jack sighed before actually rising. So what if this ce was dangerous? He''d most probably find Pumpkin Girl there. He had to enter it!
"W-where are you going?!"
"Backtracking."
Jack simply stated, for he already had a n. He retraced his steps, thinking back to that one area their guides had urged them to stay far away from.
It didn''t take long for hispanions to realize what he was nning to do, their faces turning white with worry. The merchant was incredibly distressed.
"Y-you, you can''t be serious, right?!"
"Oh, but I am. See you soon if I survive¡." A secondter, Jack courageously (foolishly) entered the death zone where more than enough killer sharks resided.
Without hesitating, he cut his palm open, crimson blood floating out!
The others watched him stupefied. What was he even doing? But as his blood drifted away, they feared what was toe, urging him to flee with them.
That''s when it happened.
¡ª ROAR! ¡ª
Chapter 354 Baby Shark!
Chapter 354 Baby Shark!¡¡¡¡¡ª ROAR! ¡ª
Smelling the blood, an enormous prehistoric-looking shark appeared!
Wasn''t this a little too fast? And how the hell was it roaring underwater?! In any case, the creature had already locked on Jack.
< Bloodthirsty Great Killer Shark! Lv. 50 :shark:>
Moon Moon and the eel stepped forward, ready to help him fight. But Jack had other ns, crazy ones. "Stand Back. I''ll personally deal with this one." He ordered.
One versus one against a goddamn shark?!
"Y-you''re joking, right?! Why?!"
"Woo!" (Trust in him!)
The little wolf moved to the side, trusting his master more than logic would have warranted. It was wholeheartedly supporting this "suicide" attempt, even cheering¡
Just by moving, the creature was generating a fast current. #Shark Maelstrom #Much Speed! #Scary Shark!
The monster''s appearance would have been enough to prompt anyone to flee. Every sharp tooth was alreadyrger than Jack''s head! But he calmly took his shield out, readying himself.
¡ª ROAR! ¡ª
Then the monster was upon him.
Its enormous body collided with him, generating a force so colossal that resisting was impossible¡ª not that he would try.
Jack blocked it, using the momentum to push himself away from the creature, his feet leaving the ground, rapidly floating away. That''s when the creature''s nightmarish grin seemed to grow.
Just from this exchange, it knew that it would win! Its meal was utterly doomed now that it had lost its footing. The water was the shark''s domain.
It swam unbelievably quickly and¡ª
¡ª CRUNCH! ¡ª
But something strange happened just as it was about to gobble the human up. Out of nowhere, a blue light appeared along with¡.a trident?!
[You cannot Wield This Weapon!]
[You cannot¡ª]
- 46
Yet a bright red damage number appeared above the creature''s evil head!
Jack had used the mythical trident he had obtained back then and positioned it perfectly for the shark to hurt itself! The shark couldn''t help but be taken aback. What was that?!
Its eyes turned red with fury as it pped its tail toward the human. A push attack! Jack diligently blocked it with his shield, being sent flying once more.
Fighting underwater usually hindered yers, but he was using the water to absorb the shock of the shark''s attacks. Otherwise, he would have long been reduced to a paste.
¡ª ROAR! ¡ª
The shark seemingly entered a mad rampage, pping with its tail, cutting with its fins, and biting at the target. That''s when Jack''s talent shone; not many witnessed it, sadly.
"H-how is he doing that?! How is this possible? The shark seems to be toying with him at first nce, and yet¡WTF?!" The eel cried out in disbelief.
There was something perverse about Jack''s method of fighting. He wasn''t actually doing any damage himself, the shark''s skin being way too thick¡and yet he was winning?!
- 45
- 23
- 66
Every shark bite always ended up with the poor creature biting the trident. At first, it tried to devour the thing hole; how hard could it be, right? Except, it was a mythical trident! #Sturdy!
No matter how much the shark bit, it simply couldn''t break the item. It had also tried stealing it many times, only for skeletons to "help" it give it back to Jack.
Their bony hands couldn''t do much damage, but they had no qualm whatsoever about diving deep into the shark''s mouth to retrieve the weapon.
But the longer the fight went on, the more tired Jack became. Moon Moon could sense how exhausted its master was, worry adorning its tiny face.
Yet, even then, it still believed¡and cheered of course!
"Woo!" (Beat this baddy shark!)
Faced with such humiliation, the shark progressively lost its mind. It went from furious to savage, only to have a mental breakdown afterward. It didn''t help that Jack kept taunting it!
"Come on, big guy! What are you waiting for? Aren''t you hungry? Can''t you smell my tasty blood? Doesn''t it just make your stomach rumble?"
He''d even wave a bloody hand around while singing an annoying tune to boot. "Baby shark, do-do-do!" It was horrendous!
Then it finally reached a point where the shark finally had enough. All energy left its body as it despondently began swimming away. What was wrong with this world?!
Just as it was despairing, Jack threw it a lifeline¡
"How about it? I have some very food right here. Want some? I just need you to help me with something." He tempted while dangling the bloodiest, juiciest steak ever.
¡ª Drool! ¡ª
Could sharks even drool? This one was for sure! Its eyes were transfixed on the food as if in a trance. When Jack finally threw it over, it couldn''t believe its eyes. The food was for real?!
After the suffering it had just suffered, this was bliss! Every bite felt like its mouth was having a party¡ª or something like that. It even seemed to be tearing up slightly.
[Sessfully...Half-Tamed a Killer Shark?!]
[The Wild Predator Is Now Friendly...]
[Swimming Ranked UP +++]
[Taming Ranked UP ++]
While the shark was busy devouring the treat, Jack sighed with relief. He couldn''t feel his arms, both of them, nor did he have the energy left to swim. Plus, he was utterly out of mana!
Had the shark pushed a little bit longer, it would have actually won that fight out of attrition. Luckily for Jack, he had brought lots of food, enough to distract an army of hungry monsters.
By the side, the eel was still puzzled.
"Psst¡ª But why did he insist on fighting a shark, alone to boot?" He asked the nearby Moon Moon.
"Woo! Woo!" (It''s obvious! He beat it fair and square to gain its respect!)
The eel''s face couldn''t help but twitch. If this was fair and square, then sneaky things were a myth! It wasn''t his ce to judge, but even then, one detail didn''t add up.
"Still, what good will a shark be for an infiltration mission? It can''t hide¡."
The burly creature couldn''t be more conspicuous! From itsrge body to the gigantic teeth and the thirst for blood¡ it would draw all gazes.
Jack lowly chuckled in response.
"Who said anything about hiding? We''ll simply walk straight through the front door."
"W-what?!" The poor eel cried out.
He officially had no clue what the fuck was going on.
He even started questioning his decision to help the lovers reunite. This guy was definitely crazy! More than he could ever possibly fathom¡
Chapter 355 I AM Human!
Chapter 355 I AM Human!¡¡¡¡Never had the Mermaid city been so peaceful.
Yet everything was about to change, an incredible evil about to sweep the City. It all started when a strangemotion happened.
"SHARK!!!" The sentry''s cry of disbelief echoed so loudly.
"What, all the way over here?! That''s impossible!" The bystanders cried out.
The shock was so big that countless transformations suddenly reverted. What previously looked like a human underwater settlement revealed itself for its true nature.
Mermaids, visiting frogs, scaled alligator-like creatures, and more. Many races living in theke had recentlye under the mermaids'' banner, after all.
"Everyone, get ready to fight! It seems they didn''t learn their lessons! This time we''ll massacre them all and¡ª"
"Wait! It''s not a shark wave¡. there''s only one shark?! Gasp! Three individuals are on its back!"
Many couldn''t help but choke. People?! Was there even someone able to tame sharks in thiske? Thetters were highly infamous for their horrendous characters, so how?!
Their curiosity was already getting the better of them.
By the time Jack finally arrived riding his dashing shark mount, a crowd was assembled, all dying of curiosity. Who the hell was this guy?!
Jack had simply gotten a shark because it looked cool. Little did he know that historically they had been a force to reckon with. Hell, there was a reason their territory was off-limit!
He had been worried they''d be suspicious¡.but their shining eyes only showed a fearful curiosity. But they were obviously about to ask questions, and that would be bad.
"Tsk-Tsk. You all failed." Jack shook his head, "disappointed".
"W-what?!" Many lost their train of thought.
Good. Jack was utterly determined to take control of the flow of the conversation forcefully. Could he pull the wool over an entire group of enemies? He''d bloody try!
Right now, he needed to show authority. He wanted to bombard them with such assurance that they''d just ept his story at face value.
He''d base all his show on one hypothesis: they were training to look human¡.naturally they''d need a teacher, right? He''d y that role!
"All I did was show up, and you all lost your transformations? Ridiculous! What do you have to say for yourselves?!" He powerfully berated them.
One had to know that hundreds of them¡while he was a total stranger who couldn''t look more human. It would be way too easy to reveal him for who he was.
Thus he kept a close eye on the people in the crowd.
Shame, confusion, surprise, excitement, anger¡ª RED FLAG!
Anyone showing anger toward him at this stage would undoubtedly try to contest the fake image he was trying to present. He had to nip them in the bud.
"You, the frowning bastard! I can see your bloody tail. How useless can you be!" He hurriedly kept going, noticing most of the belligerent ones, pointed at them with reproach.
"Green skin!"
"Webbed hands!"
"Close your goddamn mouth!"
"You''re literally emitting water!"
He kept going with the ws, shutting a good number of the spectators. They wanted to talk back, ask him who the hell he was, but recoiled under the crowd''s gazes.
But this was only a temporary measure. It was only a matter of time before someone called him an impostor. As for how to deal with that¡. he''d simply call himself out!
"Now, I have a challenge for you all. Try your best to find a w in my disguise, any at all! I''ll give a reward to the first one that seeds, something great." Jack winked at them.
Something great?! How excitinging from a guy that was casually riding a shark! Even now, they still had no clue who he was, but all they had in mind was the rewards.
Thus they all spoke one after the others, creating a cacophony of answers.
"Raise your hands, one after the others. That''s how humans would do it. Tch¡ª Don''t you guys know the adage: know your enemy?" He once again criticized them.
He wanted them to believe that he was a mysterious expert on human culture. Given the current war with humans, this would be useful to send spies into enemy territory!
To him, it was only a cover, but to them it was an opportunity to learn a craft. Who knows, maybe they''d be able to get a job out of this, right?
Some were still suspicious, but plenty were ready to jump on the opportunity, no question asked. It didn''t take long for a sea of hands to be raised.
"Your eyes are too dark! Human eyes aren''t like that!"
"Hehe, that''s all voluntary. Eye color can change based on magic mastery: true for all races. It''s easier to collect information if people think you''re a mage."
"Ah! I see! What about the shark! There''s no way a human could tame one!" They all nodded. Oh, this was pure gold!
"Now that one is a bit tricky. But humans are deeply religious and worship many bullshit gods. Just me it on a god''s gift, and 99% of them will ept it, even if it''s nonsense."
"What about the 1%?!"
"Every living thing is imperfect. Going for 100% on every point will make you seem even more suspicious. Do you understand?"
"Kinda¡?"
They were still processing the previous statement, not realizing that they had unconsciously epted the human as a bona fide ally when he was actually aplete stranger.
"Oh, I know! Your attitude is obviously a dead giveaway! As if a human would ever stand in here and lecture us!" A bright student chuckled, the irony passing above her head.
"Tch¡ª Nitpicking. I guess you''re the worst kind of right. How about this? I''ll answer three of your questions...but only if I deem them worthy. Only one chance per question too¡."
"Thank you!!" The random girl was now bowing so exaggeratedly.
Jack observed her. She was hiding her bestial attributes, but she was probably some mixed-blood between a mermaid and something else.
Her short brown hair couldn''t appear more basic, yet there was an air around her, mermaid-like, but without the narcissism.
After thinking for a few moments, she finally opened her mouth.
"What are your¡ª"
"Orders from the pce!" A mighty shout mercilessly drowned her voice, a crown-wearing frog interrupting her. "The unknown visitor is to report to the pce immediately!"
The crowd couldn''t help but feel both sad and excited. As expected of such a character, he was already getting summoned by her majesty!
But then they suddenly realized that they hadn''t even asked him who he was or where he wasing from. Couldn''t he at least answer this beforehand?!
"Her Majesty? I see. Give me a second. I''m giving a lecture."
"?!?"
Had he just told the imperial messenger to¡wait?! This guy had balls of steel, adamantium even! The awe they had felt earlier was suddenly rekindled.
"Y-you, you, you!!" The messenger couldn''t believe his ears, stuttering and stunned.
"Just kidding, haha!" Jack began tough heartily, everyone releasing the breath they had unconsciously been holding.
"Humor is something humans are very keen on. You have to learn it if you don''t want to stand out. It''s imperative that¡."
What the heck?! Was he still lecturing?! Had he been joking or not?! There was one thing they were sure of, however. They needed to study under him!
After a few more minutes, Jack left satisfied. How would his new students react if they knew they had helped him create a near-perfect alibi?
Now, would his subterfuge fool a queen? So many things could go wrong, yet he still had to, for her sake¡
Chapter 356 The Mist!
Chapter 356 The Mist!¡¡¡¡©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
In a pce under the sea, an empress'' delicate brows were raised.
The crystal table before her was supposed to be unnecessarilyrge andvish, just like the rest of the pce, but now it was entirely filled with message shells!
Pretty much all of them wereints from the "noble-blood" faction who simply couldn''t stand her new human infiltration n. Transform into a human? Disgraceful!¡ª or so they thought.
But amidst the pile of junk mail, a few arranged neatly by the side stood out. All concerned a specific man, one that hade out of nowhere.
"A human, is it?" How interesting!" She uttered with a yful grin.
Seeing that smile of hers, the nearest pce guards shivered, resolving to stay far away from this neer! It didn''t help that he was still nowhere to be seen a few minutester.
"Where is he? Have they gotten lost on the way?" The Empress inquired.
"Gulp. H-he''s still lecturing, your Majesty. He said to¡w-wait¡" A pale-faced errand boy answered, stuttering.
"Is that so? Call the Thousand-Hands General. Tell him I may need his¡talents." The Empress nonchntly ordered, the bystanders shaking like leaves in the wind at the man''s mention.
The poor bastard hadn''t even met the Empress, yet was already doomed! It seemed there would be an execution soon¡
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Jack followed his new frog guide alone, having left the shivering eel and the way too curious wolf behind to mingle with the residents.
The closer they got to the center of the City and the more magnificent the ce became. By now, the houses had pretty much disappeared, reced by few-storiesvish mansions.
Along with the increase in property value came a rise in arrogance. This was especially true for the mermaids, many ncing at him with disdain after merely looking at his appearance.
They all unconsciously expected him to falter, for him to bend toward them, but he replied to every disdainful smile with a smile and a wave.
Arrogant bastards? Respectfully treat them as equals! Somehow this irked them even more than being ignored. They''d always reply with scorn and "poisonous" words.
"Such a disgusting appearance!"
"How unbing. You should be ashamed!"
"What a lowborn! You ought to be relegated to manure duty!"
Pfft¡ª Were those supposed to be insults?! He couldn''t help but chuckle. Those fish people seriously hadn''t seen much of the world!
But under the frog''s hurried lead, they soon reached their destination: a pce that seemed more brilliant than a 12k car headlight! Then there were the guards. They were everywhere!
The ce was obviously one colossal fortress. Heck, it looked so sturdy that the entire city could have been destroyed many times before the pce fell!
The interior wasn''t any worse. It made any building he had seen in Infinite so far feel like a country bumpkin''s house. Still, wasn''t it a bit too exaggerated? Even the doors were crystal!
At first, many guards showed curiosity toward him and reverence toward the frog. But as they proceeded, the guide was summarily greeted while guards looked at Jack as if a leper.
They obviously knew something! Then they finally reached the gigantic crystal doors of the throne room, the guards ncing at him as if a dead man.
He couldn''t help but give a wry smile: good thing he hade alone; the others would have cracked under pressure! But even then, he remained as calm as still water, even chuckling.
"So grim! You guys should smile a little, hehe."
The guards silently opened the way.
¡ª CREAK! ¡ª
A world of mist was revealed.
There was nothing else to be seen, mist, mist, mist everywhere.
Oh, but the fog wasn''t just any random fog. It was one filled with magic. One specifically designed to restrain one''s magical power and senses. Entering it was akin to suicide. It was¡ª
"Wow, so refreshing! It''s like being inside a spring sauna!" Jack unhesitatingly entered, his pleased voice echoing.
The guards couldn''t help but jump in shock as they nced at one another. Refreshing?! What kind of crazy was this guy?! Did he not realize what was happening there?!
Jack actually understood way more than they did. The mist wasn''t only there to make him unconformable, but a multi-purpose test.
1. It would remove most disguises
2. It would make one blind, testing their courage
3. It would act as a test of magical mastery, the exit hidden away.
Now he had quite an issue.
He had remained in human form, which meant he was either extremely skilled or just an average regr human.
He could find his way out, but it would take him time, given that he was lower level than the whole trap. After all, this ce was a Big Boss location that wasn''t usually essible.
Thus solving the maze too slowly would instantly reveal that he was in fact 100% human, the Empress he was about to meet no doubt waiting for him to slip up.
This appeared like an impossible problem to solve¡and it bloody was! Still, this didn''t mean that he was out of tricks.
Jack happilyy on the white floor without caring about where he was, closing his eyes in satisfaction. "Ah, this is perfect!"
The guards and the Empress alike were shellshocked. Was this dumbass actually taking a goddamn nap right in the middle of the throne room?!
The Empress was especially peeved. A second ago, she had been snickering, waiting to see his performance¡.but now what was there to see?! This was supposed to be a bloody test!
Was she supposed to simply watch him sleep for ages?! She had no time for such idiocy, her time especially precious now that war wasing!
Jack was just resting when an angelic voice resounded.
"You seem so veryfortable¡." The voice was tinged with fury and had threatening undertones. The Empress''s meaning was obvious: ''get going, or I''ll deal with you!''
The guards almost shat their pants, shivering. She was obviously pissed! This reminded them of when her Majesty had destroyed an entire n of rebel Koi-People!
But then what followed almost made them cough blood.
"Yes, so veryfortable. You should give it a try too." Jackzily replied, yawning. But that wasn''t all: he gently patted the stone beside him.
Had he just suggested the Empress lie on the cold floor like amoner?! How outrageous! This guy sure knew how to freaking court death!
"Oh¡is that so? How about I send you somepany? I''m sure the Thousand-Arms General would love to apany you." The empress'' voice was now calm, but her words were terrifying.
The guards somehow managed to turn even paler. After all, the general was a renowned sadist that would use all his arms to torture his victims. Heck, even the noble-blood feared him!
Have "fun" with the general? There was no way that anyone sane would ever¡ª
"Oh? Sure! The more, the merrier!" Jack happily replied.
WTF?! Could anyone really be that idiotic?! Was his brain filled with water?! This had to be the case, right?!
The Empress''s eyes turned icy. She knew that no one from theke would ever show such bravado. There was only one exnation: this guy indeed was human.
"Someone fetch the general¡." The Empress''s voice couldn''t be chillier.
But as everyone was trembling, Jack actually adorned a small grin. He had sessfully changed the nature of the test...
Chapter 357 "Fun" Torture Session!
Chapter 357 "Fun" Torture Session!¡¡¡¡"Hehe, so you''re him." A chuckle rudely awoke Jack from his nap.
The neer was a towering and battle-hardened octopus. The scars all over its body gave him a savage look, one only reinforced by his evil aura.
Then there was the glint in his eyes that was utterly terrifying and sadistic. He was even licking his lip, expecting all the "fun" they would have.
The being gazed straight into his prey''s eyes, waiting for the realization to set in. It would be as usual: the fear, then the begging, and finally¡ª
"The Thousand-Arms General, eh? Whoever gave you your title is in dire need of a math ss." Jack sighed as he peacefully uttered.
But even faced with such disrespect, the octopus kept his cool. This wasn''t the first time he was dealing with a cocky target.
"Hehe, don''t worry, it will feel like thousands. Now, let''s have some fun, shall we!" The General radiated perverse joy as he got many toys out.
There were all kinds of daggers, saws, scalpels, needles, poisonous-looking potions, mps, doom devices, and even a few eerily glowing pearls. This guy really loved torturing people!
Slowly taking all of it out wasn''t just for his sake but for his victim''s sake too. The target''s fear would rise with every new addition. It was a showcase from hell!
Even Jack couldn''t remain still before such a disy. His face showed shock, the octopus inwardly grinning to himself¡ª until Jack spoke.
"Oh! A pearl of anguish! Is that a portable iron maiden?! Lead sprinkler, eh? That''s a ssic. Oh? What''s in there? Mandrake''s blood, right? Nice!" Jack excitedly chattered.
There was something wrong with this guy! How was he so happy about seeing such tools?! Also, wasn''t he a little too knowledgeable? The General''s collection was quite rare too!
The General''s eyes shone with interest. Had he suddenly found a kindred spirit?! He couldn''t help but get curious about this human.
"You know about those?!"
"Of course! It''s a pretty nice collection for an amateur." Jack praised.
That''s when the atmosphere instantly turned dark. Was there a bigger mistake than calling the one about to torture you, an amateur?! Not when the proud General was concerned!
[Warning! Log-Out Rmended!]
[Warning! Please Exit the Game Before¡ª]
Jack ignored the warnings as the torturer tied him up, the "fun" beginning¡
1. Complete restraint of freedom
2. Use of various pain-enhancing drugs
3. Decent addition of mental torment, insisting on his prisoner status.
4. Skilled use of physical devices to inflict the most pain and the littlest damage.
5. Appropriate finishers: magic tools used to assault both the mind and the body at once.
6. Profit?
This was an entire torture course that didn''t leave anythingcking. The guards only heard the sounds, yet it was enough to make them all sick. Yes, they who knew death!
As for the Empress, that could peer inside the mist, she had to avoid her gaze. The whole process was way too gory and bloody!
Jack''s entrails were exposed to the air, his skin was utterly peeled off, and yet he was alive and kicking. He was akin to a vision from nightmares.
"Hehe, how was it?" The General released a breath, finally free of the fury of being called an amateur. By now, his victim had a zed look on his face, his mind broken.
This was the look of someone that had given up on life. All he had to do was to refresh his consciousness, and he would no doubt break into tears. The human would¡ª
"Meh, it was fine¡for an amateur: 5/7!" Jack calmly rated.
"¡.?!?"
At this moment, there was a long silence, all parties shellshocked. How was he so calm?! That''s when they finally realized¡that they didn''t understand anything!
There was something fundamentally wrong with this human! Did he not know pain? No, that wasn''t possible either¡.the General wouldn''t miss something so obvious!
But sadly for their sanity, Jack was only getting started.
"Here, let me show you." He casually waved, his restraints cut through like butter as he approached the tools to inspect them.
"¡.?!?"
He had freed himself? That easily?!
Jack was inwardly rejoicing at the moment. The mist blocked most magic, but not Unique one: he could still use his Demon King''s Nascent Soul Weapon!
Yes, he had just used a finisher spell to cut through regr restraints! But since it simply conjured a tiny dagger, it seemed to his captor like he had done it easily.
He was now strolling peacefully, in a horrifying state. Then again, he was a yer, so as long as his HP didn''t reach zero, he''d be fine¡.albeit gued with countless maimed debuffs.
That''s when he began berating the stunned General.
"Tsk¡ª tsk¡ª Look at that! There''s still blood on this stake! You should wipe it as soon as you are done using it. One needs to be meticulous!"
"You misused this w. You were gentle enough not to inflict much damage, but you could have pressed more strongly with the spiked handle part."
"You used this spear on my hands, but it''s meant for the victim''s back door, you know. You insert it hilt included and¡."
The more he spoke, the stranger the situation became. He was freaking teaching their chief torturer?! Who the heck was this guy?! What kind of BS was this?!
"I-I understand!" The General replied, awe in his tone.
"Hm, but more importantly, you''re missing one vital tool. I just needed a look to know that you are an amateur." Jack casually remarked.
"W-what?! What is it?!" Never had the General been so excited. An entirely new world of possibilities was opening before him.
"Should I tell you, I wonder?" Jack yfully teased him.
He simply wanted to let him wait for a little, but the man instantly acted! Before Jack could react, the General dashed straight at him¡and kneeled?!
"Please ept this lowly one as a student! I shall do everything in my power to make you proud! Please¡ª"
"Tch¡ª Fine. You see, the secret to torture lies not in damaging but in healing." Jack chuckled.
"AH!!! I understand, thank you, master!"
That''s when the entire throne room shook, the mist evaporating. The mental shock had been too much, the Empress losing control of her spell.
She was revealed in all her splendor, an appearance worthy of a goddess. But at this moment, her beauty was slightly affected by the dead goldfish''s expression.
"Oh? So you finally decided to join us?"
A bloody walking corpse happily waved, a spike ball in hand. He was akin to beckoning to the living, which was utterly terrifying.
Seriously, who hell was that guy?! There was no way that he was human! He had to be some kind of devil, right?!
[Scammer! Great Scammer!]
[This System Is at a Loss for Words!]
"Now, I believe you were dying to meet me, right? I guess I can hear your offer. So, what do you propose, youngdy?" His bright smile showed no sign of politeness.
Usually, anyone in the room would have killed him for such disrespect, but their thoughts were inplete disarray. The beautiful and merciless goddess was nowhere to be seen.
"T-that¡.Yes¡No¡Kinda?! I¡ª"
"It''s alright, take your time. There''s no hurry, hehe¡."
Chapter 358 Fishfight!
Chapter 358 Fishfight!¡¡¡¡The events of Jack overturning the torture session were unbelievably shocking, but even then, it didn''t take long for the Empress to regain her bearings.
Along with her change in mood came an unbelievably powerful aura. The mana she emitted was the same ocean blue as her long hair or her deep eyes filled with curiosity.
She looked so regal! Chances were, this was her usual appearance.
"You, who are you?" She gently inquired.
"Simply a wandering schr." Jack casually replied.
At this moment, he was extremely willing to y the mysterious part. While having higher requirements on the "performance" part, this came with fewer lies and fewer chances to screw up.
She acknowledged his terse answer and kept talking:
"I''m sure you already know, but the humans have been extremely active recently. They''ve been greedily gathering every resource and killing every aquatic people they set their sights on¡."
It seemed like the mermaids were confusing the general humans with the Braves. Yep, not minding about the future was ssic yer behavior. After all, this was only a game to them!
"But then it became worse. The viins tricked a noble blood before eventually murdering her underhandedly when she tried to get revenge. War is now unavoidable¡."
Underhanded?! Bitch, please! That silly arrogant fish had attacked them onnd. What did she expect?! But even as he inwardly cursed her, he solemnly nodded on the outside.
"That''s where youe in. Please teach our people how to blend with the surface dwellers. You have a lot of experience with that, right?" The Empress earnestly requested.
Usually, she would have intimidated her interlocutor with her aura or acted coy, entrancing them with her sublimely cute face¡.but all she could use against this guy was her sincerity!
For the first time, she felt utterly naked and helpless, every second he took to think maddening. This was the only way to reduce casualties for her people! Please ept!
"Alright, I can try to¡ª"Just as she was getting relieved, amotion happened at the worst timing possible!
¡ª SLAM! ¡ª
The throne room doors were flung wide open, a delegation of gorgeously furious mermaids invading. They looked haughty and powerful, and there couldn''t have been more scorn on their faces.
"''Empress'', you''ve finally turned insane. ying with a human now¡." The group leader uttered "Empress" with as much irony as mermaidly possible.
Clearly, the neers were enemies, the Empress'' body tensing from head to tail. Then they looked at him like he was dog shit under one''s shoe.
But would the Empress just ept such disrespect?
"Tiara, I see you''vee to ''y''. Sadly I can''t entertain you. I happen to have a nation to take care of. Obediently return to your aquarium, will you? Guards, escort her out."
Her meaning was obvious. ''Get the Fuck out!''. But just as the guards were trying to follow orders, their target snorted as she clenched her fist, activating a magical blue gem.
¡ª FLASH! ¡ª
Out of nowhere, a small army of Water-Gecko people appeared around the Pure-Blood fish, protecting their mistress.
The Empress and the leader of the invaders were left staring at one another, none willing to back down, their aura growing stronger and stronger, enough to create a water current!
At first, the Empress was about to win this aura fight, but then the other invaders joined in. That''s when the mana pressure reached crazy levels, forming a mana tornado!
But just when a fight was about to break out, the enemy leader finally relented, snorting.
"Tch¡ª There''s no point fighting you. Hand over the disgraceful human, or we''ll have no choice but to take that crown of yours. It''s a horrible mismatch anyway."
"Human? There are no humans here. Are you saying you can''t see through my subordinate''s disguise? Should I take it as praise?" The Empress powerfully questioned.
"As if! I''m saying he''s 100% human. Of course, he looks like one! Better gut him open right now and disy him for all to see. We should¡" She kept going on, the Empress retorting at times.
The two mermaids engaged in one hell of a verbal joust, none daring interrupting. How much bad blood was there between the two?! Jack was left standing there, both ignoring him while "debating" whether to kill him or not.
Some bizarre insults kepting: salted fish, human lover, dull-scaled, frog voice, goldfish brained, beached whale¡and more.
In their fury, they even reverted back to their originalnguage, the "Tongue of the Deep", which made them sound even more harmonious than usual.
''System, save this recording. File name: Fish Fight Song.''
[User? You Fate Is Being Discussed¡.]
[This System Advises to Take This Seriously!]
The system wasn''t wrong either. While thinking about possibly releasing this recording as a stand-alone song, his fate had turned for the worse.
The Empress had great arguments to save him, but it always came back to one key point: the "Noble-Blood" refused to work with him, all of them.
No matter how powerful the Empress was, she couldn''t go against the upper strata of her people. In fact, she had initially only been chosen to sit on the throne as a puppet.
It just so happened that she hadn''t been the weak-minded girl the nobles had expected her to be, and she had grown way stronger¡but even she had her limits.
At this rate, he''d perish, the sacrifices made toe here all made worthless. That he couldn''t ept. That''s when Jack interrupted the twodies.
"Why are you still fighting? How bored are you? I''m sure there are a thousand things more productive you two could do. Or is the human menace perhaps exaggerated?" He calmly asked.
All mermaids present went silent. Not because he had interrupted, not because he had chosen the perfect timing to do so, but because of thenguage he spoke.
He could speak the Deep Tongue?! How?!
That single fact disrupted their train of thought. One had to know that there was no way for a human to learn it, given that their worlds had simply been apart for too long.
[This System Is Also Confused...]
Jack couldn''t help but brightly smile as he noticed the stunned expressions of the nobles. Just like that, it seemed he had turned a few from hostile to neutral.
But there was still one issue. The enemy leader didn''t falter one bit. Instead, she grinned schemingly.
"Is that so? Alright, I''ll ept you in our midst, but on one condition. We''ll send you to the armies'' forefront and have you ughter humans!"
This was an incredibly deadly and perverse suggestion. This was the perfect way to deal with this new guy supporting the Empress. Whether he was a spy or not he''d die on the battlefield!
As soon as this condition was uttered, the Empress'' expression turned dark. This was a certain death sentence! There was no way that she would ever ept such¡ª
"Alright, I''ll be at the very front!" Jack happily replied.
"WHAT?! No, you can''t! There''s¡ª" The Empress tried protesting.
"Hehe, perfect! It''s already toote: he''s agreed! Such courage!" The enemy leader rejoiced endlessly while the Empress despaired.
Little did they know Jack was inwardlyughing. At the very front? So fucking what! He was a yer! not only could he respawn, but he didn''t have any qualms about doing some PVP!
"Your first mission will be¡."
That''s when Jack''s smile turned gloomy...
Chapter 359 Babysitting Job
Chapter 359 Babysitting Job¡¡¡¡What kind of bullshit mission was this?! Jack stared at the "fishes" before him, his face twitching.
His new task was to escort a bunch of inexperienced weak aquatic humanoid NPCs straight into enemynd to fight. He could already feel the headacheing:
1. Goddamn escort mission!
2. He''d be monitored via magic¡
3. High kill requirements to boot!
4. Oh, and the system had truly screwed him over! The AI had also joined in bullying him.
[Language Now Changed!]
[Allmunications Temporarily Altered!]
[Communicating With "yers" = Penalties Applied!]
This sounded easy to bypass but wasn''t. Even if he talked to his people IRL, any suspicious move by them would most likely alert the system.
Was this retribution for all the work he had given the AItely? This was akin to throwing him into a tumultuous sea, an anchor attached to his foot.
But even then, he wasn''t in the position to refuse. Not only was he running out of water-breathing pills, but he still hadn''t found Pumpkin Girl yet.
Oh, and he still needed to find a water-generating treasure¡but that was lower on his priority list. After all: Pumpkin Girl > Preventing a Massive Infinite Disaster.
But now that he gazed at his troops, he felt like crying. "Inexperienced" was actually gracious to them: they were downright frighteningly bad!
He had given them a single order: "Show me what you got."
They swung their various weapons with great focus and dedication, eager to show off. The barbed coral-looking tools of destruction were sent flying all over, sometimes toward allies.
"You all, you''re supposed to hold the damn thing! You, did you just stab yourself picking your teeth with a spear?! What about you? I saw you bludgeon that other guy! Seriously¡."
There were visions of horrors everywhere. Gross misuse of weapons, peeps shaking in their scales, and downright imbeciles. Those guys would be a danger to themselves!
They were theplete opposite of the Centaurs¡
Jack could almost hear that one mermaid chuckling in the background. At this rate, he''d have to fight an army alone and with liabilities. This was freaking hellish!¡ª Not that he''d give up.
"All of you, from now on, refer to me as Commander. Follow me. We''re going out to train!" Jack powerfully dered.
The shaking fishes sheepishly followed him to a beach. It took a while to find one that wasn''t upied by yers, for even with the uing war, they were still farming.
They took their first steps unto the sand.
They were worse than crawling newborn turtles. How hard could putting one foot before the other be? ording to them: very freaking brutal!
"Ah! Commander, save me!"
One had somehow aggroed a few giant crabs and was now running for his life. Unluckily for him, there was a bold guy beside him.
"I''ll save you! Just wait for me. I''ll!¡ª"
"OUCH! Stop stabbing me! I''m dying, dying!!"
This was what he was supposed to deal with?! Jack had to run around, physically grabbing his troops frozen in fear, throwing them back to theke as one would a flopping fish.
[Seen Blood: Troops Fear +++!]
-[Troops'' Trust Decreased Sharply!]
What the hell?! The beach wasrge enough to dodge the enemies in the first ce! Also, fear of seeing blood?! What kind of BS was this?!
Jack could sense his blood pressure rise, especially as he saw them gaze at him reproachfully. Some were even mumbling, ''we should have never followed a human''¡ Bastards, all of them!
There was one thing left to do¡
Under the guise of a marching exercise, he grouped them all together and then¡. BAM! Before they could react, he struck. Before long, he had all thirty of them tied up.
"Now, let''s be frank, shall we? You guys are all actors trying to sabotage me. That''s the only exnation. No one is THAT BAD!"
"W-what, no?!" They vehemently protested.
"I gave you all a chance, but you refuse to take it. I''ll torture it out of you all instead. You might not know this, but I''m the one that taught the Thousand-Arms General. Let''s see how¡ª"
¡.. There was already some fainting. How?! Their entire bodies emitted pure terror, which couldn''t be faked. Wait, could it be that they really weren''t acting?!
"P-please have mercy! I''m just a goldfish trainer!"
"I-I just want to go home!"
"S-sorry, sorry, sorry!"
It seems like he had been given civilians. Heck, most of them hadn''t even volunteered for the task. They had been set up as much as he had been¡
[Traumatized the Troops! They Now Distrust You!]
[Desertion is now Possible!]
Was it? As they say, in for a penny, in for a pound. Jack quickly went away, dragging the carcass of a giant crab back.
"Sorry, you all. It seems I misunderstood you. Let me cook you all a meal to apologize." Jack gave them the friendliest smile he could muster.
They were still tied up, dropped on the sand right where the beach met the ocean and had a front-row view of his cooking. That''s when he got to work.
He had called it cooking, but he was torturing the crab''s carcass. He excruciatingly slowly took it apart, piece by piece, from the shell to its soft insides.
¡ª Gulp! ¡ª
¡ª Shiver! ¡ª
[Troops Are Scared Shitless!]
The gallery was nicely reacting, if he could say so. But even that wasn''t enough. He had to make it even better. "Hm, perhaps one won''t be enough. Better get a second one!"
This time he got a live one, maiming the poor thing in the cruelest way possible. It was as if he had a vendetta against the damn thing. The poor monster was quickly shrieking in agony.
¡ª Sudden Vomiting! ¡ª
¡ª Uncontroble Trembling! ¡ª
[Acquired Title: Torture By Proxy!]
[Your "Cooking" Will Haunt Their Nightmares!]
Jack gave a satisfied sigh as he finished the preparations. Before long, he served them a hot piping meal of delicious crab. "Here, eat up! Enjoy!"
They had trouble holding the damn thing, their hands shaking more than a vibrator on max setting. Yet they weren''t about to refuse his "kindness", devouring it ASAP.
Who knew that intimidation was possible with simple cooking? Now that they were utterly terrified of him, he could begin actual work.
"Alright, I''ll meet each one of you. Don''t worry. I''ll just be asking a few questions." He reassured them, peacefully smiling¡ª something they perceived as demonic-looking.
He didn''t take long to interview them, noting their strengths and weaknesses. Whenever such a meeting ended, the target would thank the gods he had survived.
He only ever asked three questions:
1. Their old professions
2. Theirbat experience and fears
3. One seemingly utterly random question.
It went from "What color is the sky?" to "How many shells are in the ocean?" and even "If it takes one human 17 minutes to gut one of us, how many could 345 humans kill in 4.3 days?".
The troops talked to one another, and that third question was rendering them insane. What the heck was it actually about?! Little did they know it was only misdirection.
The questions were only the surface. What truly mattered was the small talk that led to it. It was chock-full of subliminal messages!
Humans Gutting Them? Anger toward the invaders
The Ocean? The home they had to protect
Blue Sky? A desire for peace and freedom
They suddenly felt like victory was the only option they had. Fear and necessity now blended into a beautiful mix of brainwashing.
[Impossible to Ascertain Troops'' Mental State!]
[They Can Break At Any Given Moment!]
Meh, sanity''s overrated anyway¡
"You guys ready to train?"
"YES!!"
Chapter 360 Naked Fish Guy!
Chapter 360 Naked Fish Guy!¡¡¡¡On a remote beach near theke, yers could be seen rushing stealthily, their faces filled with wild excitement. Their leader gave a vicious grin as she guided her party.
"Hehe, we''re almost there. Once you see them, charge in. No pity!"
Then they finally crossed the mist, arriving at a training camp for Aquatic People NPCs. As soon as thetter saw the yers, they showed terror as they tried to escape toward theke.
But would the hunters give up on their preys so easily? No way! They instantly began spamming skills. Last time they had been too slow, but they now had a secret weapon!
"Do it!"
That''s when an ice wizard stepped forward.
In such a humid environment, they were pretty much on steroids. All it took was one perfectly ced spell to cause a chain reaction and freeze a group!
The mage generated an ice spear, throwing it straight at thergest group of fleeing NPCs. They were so doomed!¡ª Or so everyone thought.
But right before it could reach them, something strange happened. The spell randomly exploded mid-air, generating an ice cloud.
"What?! I''m sure I aimed that perfectly!" The stunned yer couldn''t understand how he had missed his spell. But the others knew, already biting their lips in anger.
"Dammit! It''s that masked NPC again!"
"How?! He can even block spells?!"
"Bruh, that guy''s cheated AF!"
There stood a man in the silliest getup possible. The man waspletely naked except for a dead-eyed fish mask that looked utterly silly. Yet, even then he was so powerful!
"It''s because of him? Let me see how many you can block!" The mage''spetitive side had been awakened. That''s when began the deadly ice barrage.
¡ª SWOOSH! SWOOSH! ¡ª
The projectiles flew menacingly, the NPCs about to have a heart attack¡ª well, all except one. The masked guy nonchntly picked up something on the ground, powerfully threw it, and¡
¡ª Echoes of ice exploding and a mage despairing. ¡ª
All the projectiles exploded in mid-air! This guy was akin to an anti-missile defense turret! But there was something even worse. He had actually been throwing¡ shells?!
What the hell?! Those things were all over the beach and had no attack power whatsoever! He simply had godlike timing, using the collision to trigger the magic attacks early.
"Oh god! Forget the little guys. Kill the Boss!"
That''s when the poor masked naked guy became the target of a party of fifteen. But unlike most Boss monsters that were highly aggressive, this guy kept retreating.
Lucky for the yers, they quickly figured out a method to force him to fight. It was rather low-handed, but it wasn''t like yers needed any morals.
"Focus on the NPCs. He has to protect them. That''ll draw him out!" The leader schemingly cried out.
God was this the right call! Every time he wanted to escape, he had toe back in melee range to save the bloody useless fishes! This was enough to pin the poor Boss down.
He''d curse in his strangenguage every time, not that they cared about the gibberish. They mercilessly surrounded him.
But then something unexpected happened. Even while at a disadvantage¡he wasn''t out of tricks just yet:
He avoided a magicalsso at thest second, the thingnding on an ally.
He ducked under a giant halberd, the weapon colliding with another attack and protecting him. It was so close that he even lost back hair on that one.
He rolled right underneath an unsuspecting yer''s legs, simultaneously stabbing the man''sher region. Even in a virtual setting, this was bound to leave a trauma!
He seemed as agile as a naked monkey¡and kinda looked like one. But even he had his limits, his dodges bing sloppier and sloppier over time. Then they finally saw an opening.
"Now, KILLL!"
They all charged forward and¡
He suddenly erupted with power, a fiery inferno rising from his hands. The spell collided with the weakest link in their formation, sending the poor guy flying.
That''s when the Boss ran for his life. There was no hesitation as he sprinted toward theke, unhesitatingly diving into it! The yers were left staring nkly at the scene.
"Really?! He escaped?!"
"Bro, there''s something wrong with that guy!"
"Don''t worry. We''ll get him next time for sure!"
The yers collected a few coral weapons that had been dropped in the panic before reluctantly leaving. Still, it was only a matter of time before they were back.
Meanwhile, under the water surface¡
[Your Troops Are Grateful. Affinity ++!]
[Left the Beach! "Swimming Suit" Effect Disabled!]
All this time, Jack had been wearing his gear. It had simply been hidden under a rare drop he had finally gotten from killing crabs. But even after escaping cmity, he couldn''t help but sigh.
"Goddamn, can''t you guys at least run in a straight line?!" Jack was wondering which gods he had offended to be given such a terrible mission.
They were so hard to protect! They were like babies who didn''t know better than to stick their fingers in power outlets¡ª monsters and yers.
It wasn''t the first time that they were attacked, and it would be far from thest, but it remained as irksome. Thisnd training was proving unbelievingly annoying.
But even then, he had to persevere, all for his master n.
1. Complete Mission
2. Awe The Mermaids
3. Gain Unrestricted ess
4. Profit!
He nced at them all as he gave some post-fight feedback.
"Orange fish, you did pretty well. I saw you block that rapier and save your friend''s life. Blue fish, that juke was actually pretty nice. Yellow guy, stick with the group and stop taunting¡."
Each of his remarks was to the point. Whenever they heard him, they found themselves shivering, wondering if he was an omniscient entity.
A battlefield was one hell of a chaotic mess, especially for them who had never fought before a few days ago. Jack being able to see every little detail never ceased to amaze/terrify them.
Yep, running away was definitely not possible. Heck, he''d probably realize it a second before it actually happened.
"In any case, we''re going back up there. No rest for the wicked¡."
They all nodded solemnly, the grind resuming until...
[Daily Troops Teachings Completed!]
[They Gained Massive XP!]
[Keep Grinding ^_^!]
"You mean suffering¡."
.
.
.
Little did Jack know that things were about to go from bad to worse. While he was diligently teaching, forum posts were steadily gaining poprity.
< The Mysterious Naked Fish Guy! >
< Chosen one: He Who Fights Naked! >
< Naked Guy And the 30 D?w?a?r?v?e?s? Fishes! >
Many were taking notice of the small army, especially given themotion that the escting tension with the mermaids was causing.
¡ª WonSpermatoizoidRace: Guys, this man is my hero! Is there anything cooler than a dude that fights naked?! *Badass Voice: Armor? Who needs it!*
¡ª HeThing: Badass or not, I''m more interested in the lore. Where do you guys think he came from? He seems human, so why is he protecting fishes?!
¡ª SerenelyPragmatic: Who cares about that! Does he give a quest when encountered?! There has to be a secret mission there, right?
¡ª ProYoyoUser: Naw, it only gave the usual mermaid encounter one. You know, that one: [Enemy Faction Detected! Kill/Capture Them for Rewards!]
¡ª OriginalGangster: What if killing him gives a treasure map?! Or maybe it''s possible to recruit him to one''s side? Then again, I''m not sure I''d want a naked guard¡
By that point, every thread usually turned into nonsense, many arguing about the potential rewards. Heck, it even gave rise to its own thread:
< Naked Fish Guy Reward Poll!>
- Treasure Map !$!$!$ 483 votes
- Fish Guy (Pet version) 507 votes
- Shell throwing technique 212 votes
- Fishman Summoning Spell 104 votes
- ¡
Egged by the trendiness of it all, it didn''t take long for a bunch of groups with too much free time to take on the "mission".
While this happened, Jack waszily sipping lemonade on the couch, a sunlightmp basking his face with literal happiness. Was there anything morefortable than this? Probably not!
But just as he was enjoying himself, eyes closed, he suddenly heard footsteps. Then came a gasp of shock, confusion, and even sheer terror.
"Evil alien, what have you done with my brother?! There''s no way he''d bezing around like that!" Lilly exaggeratedly eximed.
"You, how did you see through my disguise?!" He happily yed along.
"Humph, my brother is apulsive workaholic. He''d never be just rxing!"
As she confidently dered, he could see a trace of concern in her eyes. Well, she wasn''t wrong either. It was just that he had long stopped seeing Infinite as work, but instead his calling.
"I have a new quest, one that requires me to train some newbies. Gotta let them rest at some point. Otherwise, they''ll go insane." He shrugged, Lilly raising a brow, stunned.
Letting the NPC rest?! Insane?! What kind of deadly training regiment was he imposing on them?! She had seen many videos of how tireless the AI characters could be!
Then again, this was just like him, wasn''t it¡
She mischievously grinned, lying right next to him and imitating his posture, closing her eyes with satisfaction. "This is nice¡."
It was more than nice. Just her being there was enough to make the small apartment shine with warmth. Then again, perhaps he ought to do something about that¡
"Say, I''ve been thinking¡how about we move out? Either rent something bigger or buy a house altogether?" She deserved that much¡if only for all she had endured in both lives.
"No need! I wouldn''t mind living in a cardboard box as long as we''re together. Anyway, tell me more about that mission of yours!" She eagerly urged him.
"Well, you see¡." He began his story, only for her to suddenly interrupt him.
"You''re Naked Fish Guy, seriously?! Wait, no, what the heck are you doing?! Didn''t you check the forums? You''re about to get raided!!!!"
"¡?!?"
Chapter 361 Secret Weapons!
Chapter 361 Secret Weapons!¡¡¡¡THEY wereing.
Never had Jack feared a battle, but the uing one was already giving him a headache. It would be a trial bybat, his troops versus many strong yers.
This was both a disaster and an opportunity, the only one he would have in fact. While the quest didn''t have any clear time limit, the yers were just improving that much faster¡
Hence why Jack didn''t lose any second, sneaking into the underwater camp where his troops were temporarily resting. A few sentries kept watch, but most were discussing.
"Can you believe how hard this is?! Why can''t we just go back to our usual jobs? I was one of the best in my field!"
"Didn''t you mistakenly blow up your own house? What kind of doctor does that?!"
"Who cares about that! It''s not like we deserve our current fate."
"Training all day is so tiring! I can barely feel my legs!"
"Humph, we should all unite and¡."
Now that they were convinced they were alone, they were going wild with dreams: to leave the battlefield and be safe. s, their grandiose ns were interrupted by a cold voice.
"Oh? So you guys are thinking of unionizing?" Jack''s sudden appearance was worse than a ghost in a horror story. "Anyway, I have good news. You''ll be returning home soon!"
Hearing his words, many thanked the Heavens that he wasn''t going to pursue the earlier topic. In fact, their eyes even lit up at the mention of home¡only for his following words to chill them.
"War is upon us. Now, whether you return home whole or in a body bag will be entirely up to you. Now, which one will you choose?" his tone couldn''t be grimmer.
He surveyed their reactions. It started from a primal terror but quickly switched to solemnness as theypletely believed his words.
Life or death. Was there any simpler choice than this?
"I''ll do whatever it takes!"
"You can count on me!"
"Same here!"
They all proceeded to pledge their undying loyalty, if only because they were far more afraid of him than they''d ever be of any enemies.
"An army ising our way. Here''s what we''ll be doing¡."
But as they heard his n, their faces couldn''t help but change¡.a LOT! At this moment, they were jubnt: thank god he was actually on their side!
.
.
.
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
"Are you sure this is the ce?!" An usatory voice echoed.
The yer in the lead couldn''t help but frown as he saw the Beach that looked just like any other in its surroundings.
"Of course, I''m sure! But remember, I''m the first to interrogate him once we capture him!" Their ice-mage guide reminded them.
Ever since Jack had defeated him, he had felt a renewed thirst for knowledge. How had the man disabled his Ice Spears only using shells?! No matter what, he couldn''t reproduce the exploit!
Whatever weakness the Boss had exploited, he had to know it! Some said the whole thing was a skill, but his gut feeling was telling him otherwise. That''s how he had ended uping back.
It didn''t take long for 60-ish yers to upy the ce, the few trackers in the raid diligently observing their surroundings, only for all toe to the same conclusion.
"Boss, this is 100% a normal Beach."
Where the hell had they disappeared? Had this only been a limited-time event?! This seemed unlikely, seeing how all the previous days the Lake People had been training¡then why?
Just as the other humans were giving him annoyed looks, the wizard suddenly and loudly cried out.
"Wait! Where are the crabs?!"
Monsters had been everywhere thest time he hade here, snapping their pincers at any would-be invader. But they were all gone for some reason.
He couldn''t help but turn pale. This was bad!
"RUNN! It''s a trap!"
That''s when the crabs reappeared in one hell of a spectacr manner. Roaming nearby? Nope! Hiding in the sand? Neither! They came from¡the sky?!
The beautiful day was suddenly eclipsed with countless shadows as giant crustaceans somehow flew over as if thrown! What the heck?! That''s when the panic began¡.
"What is this?!"
"Men, defensive formation! We need to¡ª"
¡ª RUMBLE! ¡ª
¡ª BAM! BAM! BAM! ¡ª
The enemies werending one after the others. There were so many crashing down that the sand seemingly turned alive from the tremors.
The creatures'' eyes glowed red with fury. Whatever had happened to them before their sky-voyage, they were He pissed! That''s when they saw the humans near them¡
Phnx of Braves? In their eyes, all they saw was delicious food! That''s when all hell broke loose, everyone kung-fu freaking fighting for their lives.
"Everyone, target the eyes! Make them run!!" The leader issued orders. After all, it wasn''t his first rodeo.
The yers couldn''t have fought more valiantly. They bashed the creatures'' heads, rode their carapaces, and dodged their ws like bosses¡for the most part anyway.
But even then, it was strange. Why hadn''t the attackers used the opportunity to make a pincer attack on them?! (Pun Non-Intended) Where were they?!
It didn''t take long for many casualties to appear, mostly crabs. Large pearls would roll out of their creatures as loot as they disappeared.
The pearls were so big, so shiny! Seeing the fight slowing down, many couldn''t help themselves, sneakily grabbing one or a few.
How much gold was one even worth? They couldn''t believe their eyes and their luck. At this rate, they''d be rich! What if this windfall WAS the special event?!
Except it wasn''t¡
The mage was the first to notice the issue.
"Throw them away! Those are all fake, focus on the fight!" He screamed loudly and urgently but was promptly ignored. Throwing it away? Why would they do that?!
They had their answers a secondter as notifications popped up.
[Mad Fish Doctor''s All-Purpose Remedy Pearl!]
[Cures Most Illnesses¡Permanently!]
Wasn''t this actually pretty good? The yers couldn''t wait to pocket it¡only for the color of all the pearls to suddenly change to a bright red and them¡.
¡ª BOOM!! ¡ª
¡ª BOOM! BOOM! ¡ª
A series of explosions rocked the Beach. Far away, a Fish Doctor standing next to a homemade catapultughed as he heard the oh-so-familiar sound in the distance.
"Hahahaha, who knew medicine could be that fun!"
"¡Medicine, he says." -_- His colleagues raised their brows.
"Don''t rejoice too early. Get ready, we''re going in!" Jack''s voice interrupted the man''s celebration. It was time to fight!
Chapter 362: Big Decision!
Chapter 362: Big Decision!
[Quest Completed! Victoriously Led Troops in a Land Battle!]
The mission had been given for him to fail, but even the snobbish nobles wouldn''t be able to argue with the results!
"Everyone, we''re going back home!"
"Ah¡ yes!"
The men were definitely happy to hear the word home, yet on the way back, he found them stealing nces back to the battlefield and him, pensive.
"What is it? Shouldn''t you all be ecstatic about the mission ending? Or is it that you took a liking to killing?" Jack raised a brow.
"¡It''s not that. It''s just that we''ve been civilians all our lives, and yet we somehow managed to make a difference today."
"Oh? Is it a matter of honor? Glory, perhaps?" Jack inquired.
"Not exactly¡more like if we learned to fight, doesn''t it mean that we can learn anything? It kinda puts our whole lives into perspective. At least that''s how I''m feeling."
The others all nodded along with that exnation. A bunch of background NPCs had suddenly unlocked the possibility of bing the main characters of their own stories.
"I see. So you finally realized the meaning of free will? How does it feel?"
"Frighteningly amazing!"
Their eyes shone with such a desire for life, something an AI shouldn''t have been able to replicate by any means. Sometimes he almost wondered if true souls weren''t trapped in Infinite.
The bystanders on their way back were brimming with disbelief as they saw them. Why did they seem so different?! Their auras were worlds apart!
As soon as they entered the City¡.
¡ª Whoosh! CRASH! ¡ª
A disguised fluffy orange ball ambushed Jack! Moon Moon had been waiting for its master toe back for so long!
"Woo!" (We found a clue!)
In its mouth, it carried a¡pumpkin cookie?! Pumpkin girl really was here! Their allied NPC merchant stepped forward, worry on his face.
"Be careful. This stuff''s normally only traded to nobles. Whoever''s selling it is making a pretty penny. They likely won''t let go of their golden goose easily¡."
He had to look for a Noble-Blood mermaid with a specific family crest: a conch with a trident inside. Find the true seller, and he''d find her!
Then their groups reached the Pce¡
The guards couldn''t have been more surprised by their return, and yet they were frowning, tense. Did they expect trouble? His men obviously sensed it.
"Sigh, this isn''t the wee I expected¡."
"Yet this is the only one we''ll have. Just be d you have a ce to return to. War can be unforgiving." Jack remarked as they reached the throne room.
¡ª CLANG! ¡ª
"You seeded!" The Empress beamed with wild joy.
Meanwhile, countless nobles gawked at them as one would a new toy. There was no doubt they were trying to measure their usefulness at this instant.
No, some had already finished measuring. He could feel icy killing intent directed at him. Some wanted him bloody dead!
"Now, heroes should be rewarded, should they not? Guards!"
That''s when buff fishmen came over, carryingrge shells utterly full of scintiting pearls. They were so big and so smooth that one could see their reflection in them!
"Those are all yours if you agree to serve me as knights! As for the man that made it all possible, you''ll be a leader of our armies!" She theatrically added!
"Humph! That''s it? That''s your offer? A few silly pearls and a servitude title?" That one noble mermaid leader from back then interrupted.
She showed no disregard for the crown as she approached Jack seductively. Objectively she truly had grace going for her!
"How abouting to my side instead? Being a simple servant seems bad for your talents. I''ll offer you a bride instead, hehe."
¡ª GASPS! ¡ª
The bystanders were whispering like crazy.
It was unusual for Mermaids to marry members of other races in the first ce, but even more so for the man to be in "control"! This was a mark of status!
Had she suddenly gone insane? No, she simply had some foresight. She was now gazing at her Empress rival with provocation as if saying: ''Try and beat that!''
Thetter heavily frowned. She had expected her opponent to make a move but never to go so far! How could she possibly beat that? After all, status was everything!
"Is that so? ¡.Serve me, and I''ll consider you for the position of Mermaid King!"
"WHAT?!!"
What kind of esction was this?! One towered proudly while the other ground her teeth. Exploiting the crown was totally cheating!
But all this time, Jack didn''t care one bit about the whole contest going on. Get
ting married to a mermaid? While they were divinely gorgeous¡that was about it.
He kept searching for that one sigil instead, but it was nowhere to be found. It seemed like he''d have to ask around. Now, which faction should he join for now?
Empress ¡ª> ess to royal secret information channels
Noble-Bloods ¡ª> A coalition with more manpower and resources overall
Everyone was staring at him with awe. How had the guy managed to get marriage offers from both freaking factions without ever showing his true face?!
[yer Choice Affects Uing Events!]
[Please Decide Very Carefully!]
They all waited for his decision. "I''ll¡ª" but Jack could never finish his sentence.
¡ª CRASH! ¡ª
"Did you forget to invite me?!"
A guard suddenly flew through the main door!
The door was ripped out of its hinges while the poor guard turned into a barely recognizable bloody mess! That''s when HE entered.
There stood a towering nightmarish creature! A dragon?! No, it was one huge humanoid seahorse! The guy had more muscles than a bodybuilder and an entire body filled with scales!
"Y-you! G-argan?! Why are you here?! Weren''t you gone at sea?!" The noble leader could be seen shivering.
"Why else! A war is about to begin! I''m here to have fun, obviously!" His raucousughter was quite grating.
"We do not need you. Feel free to return to your salty water¡." The Empress spat out.
"Tch¡ª Empress, how cold! You almost seem unhappy to see me, haha!" He utterly disregarded their obvious displeasure, turning toward Jack.
He red at him as if wanting to devour him. His yellow eyes showed a clear desire to rip him to shred, his aura reeking of blood and violence.
"What a pitiful form. And you''re the one thatmotion is all about? How low has this kingdom fallen in my absence?!" He snorted powerfully. "Hehe, how about I clean it up!"
< Gargan The Human ughterer! LV 70! :droplet::crossed_swords:>
What the fuck?! Level 70?! This was the same level as the goddamn Boss from the d! The difference was that one was a Behemoth while the other was a humanoid Boss!
Humanoid > Powerful But Dumb Beast
[Quest! Survive 1 minute!]
[Good Luck: You''ll need it for sure!]
The Boss grabbed a bone spear from his back, and¡
¡ª WHOOSH! ¡ª
The spear tip magnified in Jack''s vision.
The attack had so much power that the water parted on its way, as if giving way to an emperor! All along, it kept bing more and more powerful!
But that wasn''t all! There was also an added effect. The water swirling around it created a maelstrom from which escape was 100% impossible!
Jack saw his death and knew he was no match for the opponent. It would be an insta-kill. But even then, he red right back!
He would have his revenge and¡.
Suddenly a blue shield materialized around Jack''s body! No, there were two shades of blue. Spear met shields, and the crazy energy contained within all exploded!
¡ª BOOOOOM! ¡ª
The entire Throne Room shook as if affected by an earthquake.
The water turned turbid, stained with blood, so much blood!
"Really? You''re going to protect the human? Have you lost your mind?" The Seahorse stared the Empress and the Noble Leader down.
"Human? Are you stupid?! He''s our master infiltrator and a skilled general! Go back to your saltwater already, you stupid horse!" The Noble spat out.
"Are you trying to rebel against the Mermaid Kingdom? Have you forgotten who gave you a shelter back when you needed one?" The Empress retorded.
"Tch¡ª Fine, I''ll spare his life¡for now. But boy, know this, I will kill you." The Seahorse chuckled as he powerfully left, leaving a few guard corpses in his wake.
As soon as he was gone, everyone released a sigh of relief. A trickle of blood even dripped from the mouth of the twodies as they shared a look.
Worry filled their hearts. When the hell had this guy be so powerful?! At this rate, they wouldn''t be able to go against him even if they united!
"Don''t worry. We won''t let him hurt you." The two seemingly dropped their feud at this instant, agreeing on that point.
Protect him? They had no way to! None of the three knew it, but that Seahorse bastard was already strong enough to raze the Mermaid Kingdom¡he simply hadn''t realized it yet.
Right now, it was:
Jack + Noble + Empress Versus Gargan
But the two would definitely join the guy''s faction if they had to do it to save the Mermaid Kingdom. This was an incred
ible crisis!
A small power bnce shift would doom humanity! This meant that he had to get rid of that Seahorse bastard at all costs! Tch¡ª He had already been busy enough too!
"As for which faction to join, feel free to think about it, but you''ll need our help to survive against¡ª"
"No, I''ve decided already. I''ll join both factions¡."
[Host Selected Option is Not Avable!]
[Mermaid Affinity Reduced Significantly!]
The two were looking at him with clear disappointment, traces of anger on their faces. As they said, a friend to all was a friend to none¡
Chapter 363: Both! I Meant Both!
Chapter 363: Both! I Meant Both!Both the Empress and the Noble Mermaid were incredibly disappointed with Jack. Trying to befriend both at the same time? How distasteful!
"You, how dare you!"
The bystanders grimaced at his foolishness.
[Affinity Value With Mermaids Quickly Sinking!]
"Commander, you should quickly apologize! The two have fought for so long that reconciliation is impossible." Jack''s men urged him, worried.
Anyone would have cowered, but not Jack! Instead, he took a deep breath.
"Apologize? I won''t. Tsk ¡ª Tsk ¡ª This is like the m and the oyster''s tragedy again." He shook his head, disappointed.
"m? Oyster?" Their interest was piqued as he began narrating.
"There was once a divine m and a godly oyster, both so beautiful that all the sea creatures would scramble to peer at their ethereal beauty¡."
"Anyone that saw them bowed a thousand times and swore they would never forget their sight. At first, they were content, but they soon began wondering who looked prettier¡."
"That''s when they beganpeting, trying to attract the most attention. All their efforts were soon spent on this rivalry, and they never saw himing!"¡
"A covetous and devious fisherman waited for them to exhaust their strength infighting, and then¡BAM! He captured them, put them into an aquarium, and then¡ª
¡ª Gulp! ¡ª
The listeners couldn''t help but picture themselves in the ce of the poor m and oyster¡.and by now, even the slowest ones realized he was actually referring to thedies.
Still, it wasn''t his ce to criticize them. The guards gripped their weapons tighter, ready for a confrontation.
"Do you truly believe that?" The Empress'' tone was icy.
"Belief? No, experience. Comcency is the number one reason that dynasties fall. Wouldn''t you agree?" He didn''t show the slightest remorse.
[Animosity Lowered Significantly! But How?!]
[Can Stories Offset Disrespect?!]
Disrespect? What disrespect? He was speaking the truth from the start! Hopefully, praising their beauty would help the messagee across, but even he couldn''t predict the result:
1. They''d believe him unconditionally
2. They''d remain mostly neutral and ask for proof
3. They''d decide to chop his head right here and now
But then a Mermaid chimed in¡
"Snort! A nice fairytale? Nothing but the yapping of a scared little man! He''s so terrified by the mighty Gargan that he''s getting desperate, spinning lies to beg for survival!"
"What?! Commander is fearless and wise beyond!¡ª" What was once a civilian fish didn''t hesitate one bit before talking back, protecting his new hero''s honor.
"Insolent!" It was one thing for Jack to defend himself, but now evenmoners were doing the same?! Where was the reverence toward their superiors?!
At this rate, a war would erupt right here!
Guards VS Jack''s Prot¨¦g¨¦s
Such loyalty! A Noble gave a scheming grin as she gestured to her personal guards.
"Cut their tongues for their insolence, all of them!" This was the perfect n to reveal Jack''s violent side, and then¡ª He''d be punished!
The guards didn''t hesitate, cold steel gleaming powerfully. They weren''t worried one bit. What could a bunch of weaklings do to them? Nothing! They''d simply¡ª
¡ª Throw! GUSH!!! ¡ª
Except that one such weakling suddenly threw a small round ball. A secondter, purple fog gushed everywhere in the room, turning it into aplete mess.
"Bastards! Fight fairly!"
"Dumbass, do you think I''m stupid!"
"Haha, there you are! Talking was a mistake you¡ª WHAT?!"
The nging of weapons against the cold stone and sturdy coral armor resounded as the two groups failed to breach their enemies'' defense or even find the time.
It was turning into one incredible shitshow! But then¡ª
"ENOUGH!" The Empress'' shout dissipated it all, revealing thebatants reduced to scared children under her sharp gaze. They had done fucked up!
The Empress'' wrath would befall them and¡ª
"Sigh¡I see what you mean now. While we fight for trifles, our enemies are growing stronger by the second. Tiara, what do you think about a truce¡for now at least."
¡ª Gasps! ¡ª
How crazy! The two working together was akin to throwing water in an oily cooking pan: it was a recipe for disaster! There was no way this would happen!
"And Boss me around?! Pah, I don''t think so! I''ll¡ª"
"I''ll join your faction, Empress!" Jack interrupted.
"WHAAAT?! Why?!"
"My strength lies in strategy¡. there''s no point in me following someone that won''t listen to my advice no matter how pretty or powerful she is." He shrugged nonchntly.
"You!! How can you be so cocky when Gargan wants you dead." The Noble grumbled, resolved to have thest word.
She expected to see terror on his face, but Jack instead erupted in wildughter. Not only
"Pfft¡ª Hahaha! Gargan? Just him?! Yes, he''s very strong, but so what?! Literal Gods want me dead. What''s a tall seahorsepared to that. Pfft¡ª Nice joke!"
0_0
What a tant lie!¡it was a lie, right¡right?!
And yet, as his troops heard this, they all nodded in realization, not surprised in the least. They knew how irksome he could be to his enemies with his schemes.
But then they couldn''t help but be slightly nervous¡ "Psst¡ª Commander. Did a human god perhaps curse you?! Will you be fine?" They asked, worried.
"Me? Of course! It''s the gods that should fear me. Their power gets weaker the more of their followers I kill, you know."
¡ª Silence¡ ¡ª
What kind of statement was this?!
It made sense logically¡and yet it seemed so over the top. At this moment, thousands of "Bluff rolls" had to be going on in the background.
As for the main offender, he simply kept staring peacefully at the "Tiara" Mermaid. ''So, what will you decide?''
"Tch¡ª FINE! I''ll agree to a temporary truce, but only for the sake of our race!" She eximed loudly as she cutely pouted.
[Truce Established Between both Factions! +Diplomacy!]
[Questline Utterly Destroyed!]
[Recalibrating! Error! Error!]
Sigh, was there a need to be so melodramatic? All he had done was to select his own path, apletely new one from the given options.
"In any case, now that we''re on the same page. Here''s what we''ll do¡." The Empress spoke while the Nobles suggested.
Many were so eager to give suggestions to the new coalition that they seemed like excited kids. They all wanted to make sure they were still relevant at the Pce.
Jack took a backseat for once as he attentively listened, chiming in from time to time. He gave just enough suggestions to appear wise yet avoid revealing too much.
Heck, he even gaveid traps for them.
He''d suggest courses of action that appeared unbelievably ingenious and would 100% win them the war¡if the enemy didn''t know the strategy to counter it instantly!
Strategist of Jack''s Caliber ¡ª> DEATH!
Then he was finally realized from this impromptu meeting, fending off any talk about marriage for now and just pocketing the pearls.
He had barely taken a step outside of the Castle when he was swarmed!
"Commander,e drink with us!"
"We need to celebrate killing all those humans!"
"Bah! I''m celebrating how awesome our leader is! Did you see how he dealt with the arrogant Nobles?! Freaking hero!"
After the tension inside, his troops were unleashing all the joy from the sess, the treasure, but most importantly the glory.
They all waited for his answer with bated breaths.
"Sigh, Alright."
"VICTORY! Hahahaha!"
Right now, he just happened to need a drink, many in fact. There was nothing like a public tavern expedition to solve his current problem.
He was being stalked.
Not by one, not by two, but by a dozen wannabe spies. They were either too obvious or revealed by their colleagues''ck of skills, but that didn''t stop them from trailing him.
How many were there even?
- A killer
- Possibly a fan
- Some jealous girl
- Others just there to observe?
¡. Way too many! At this rate, he''d singlehandedly make any tavern flourish just by showing up. Between his troops and his stalkers, the shop would be filledpletely!
He kept leading the way until they reached a very strange bar. The entire thing was a reverse pool, arge air bubble allowing the aquatic beings to surface to get their drinks.
They''d quickly take shots, then swim back down in thefort of the water. Whether they managed to swim in a straight line depended on their level of drunkenness.
Jack forgot all his problems¡
"Another toast! This one is to the brave men that repelled the human enemy!"
"All thanks to you, Commander! Cheer!"
The group couldn''t be rowdier, and Jack couldn''t have been more drunk. He soon began slurring his words, overly smiling, and bing way too friendly with others.
"~Heyyy! Wanna be my friend? Please be my friend! Your scales are so slick. I need you as a friend for sure! Ah, right, we should celebrate, celebrate¡our meeting! YES!"
He kept awkwardly swimming his way to others, talking way too much about pumpkin cookies. Many chuckled seeing his state, jokingly answering his innocent questions.
The Noble Family selling the pumpkin cookies was a newly created one, an old rtive of the royal familying back to set shop¡ or so the people said.
1. Very mysterious
2. Noble lineage
3. Dark secret?
Sadly it seemed like themon people didn''t know much about such a topic. They were already way too busy dealing with their own lives.
"This was fun, guys, but¡What was I saying again? Right! I''m going for a walk, take are you all, hehehehe!" Jack waspletely wasted as he rose and awkwardly left the pub.
A few secondster, a man coincidentally left too, a scheming light in his eyes.
[Acquired Title: Drunk Even When 100% Sober!]
[User Is Tricking People Again!]
Chapter 364: Assassin and Counterattack!
Chapter 364: Assassin and Counterattack!An unsteady Jack got out of the bar, a strong odor of liquor permeating his body. After all the drinking, he was out for a night swim, the freshwater feeling cool on his skin.
The city was as magnificent as confusing, colorful fish schools acting as road signs. Some even lit up in the dark, but it didn''t stop him from taking a wrong turn.
He found himself in a dark remote alleyway¡
"Ah? A dead end? Bummer¡."
¡ª Tap! Tap! ¡ª
A "passerby" just happened to walk behind him, showing a reassuring smile. But behind the friendly facade hid a scheming smile, the man inwardlyughing his ass off.
He had been worried his target would hurry back to the Pce, but the "human" hadmitted a great mistake. It was as if he was voluntarily making his job easier!
Dark alley? Perfect! He could already picture how proud his mistress would be, showering him with gifts!
That''s why he "selflessly" sacrificed himself. "Why don''t I escort you back home. The streets aren''t a good ce to spend the night." He amicably offered.
"Ah! Really?! How nice!" Drunk Jack was especially friendly. He''d randomly hug people, hum to himself, and naively trust anyone.
Thus the assassin managed to approach the target, grabbing his shoulder, and¡¡ª STAB! ¡ª The motion was extremely fluid and lightning quick, obviously a practiced movement.
The coral dagger stabbed right into Jack''s clothes at full power.
Fatality! ¡ª Or not?!
¡ª ng! ¡ª
What?! Jack just "happened" to have a metal te under his shirt, right at the spot his opponent stabbed.
That''s when the entire atmosphere changed. All traces of Jack being drunk evaporated as he counterattacked! ¡ª SLASH! ¡ª He aimed straight for the opponent''s neck!
The assassin gasped in shock, but his instincts kicked in as he somersaulted backward, a bloody line appearing on his neck.
"You''re not drunk?!"
"You''re not trying to help me?!"
Jack exaggeratedly retorted, but he was already swimming after his opponent, throwing pickaxes to slow him down!
¡ª Woosh! Woosh! ¡ª
The assassin''s first instinct was to run, seeing as his n had beenpletely seen through, but he remained instead, attacking even more ferociously, akin to a wild animal.
By now, he had switched from the dagger to arge sickle, trying to dismember his target. How was he swinging so fast?! It was as if the water did not exist for him!
Jack was quickly driven into a corner. At this rate, he''d get murdered a few secondster! But even then, he didn''t worry too much. He raised his voice, shouting.
"Men, to me!"
That''s when a bunch of flushed aquatic peeps appeared out of nowhere. His troops had followed the orders he had sneakily given back at the Tavern.
They all overflowed with fighting intent, eager to help their Teacher. Heck, the "doctor" was even holding homemade bombs and was itching to throw them all.
"Charge!"
"Hell yeah! Avenge the Commander!"
Avenge?! He was far from dead! Seeing thirty "warriors", the assant panicked, finally retreating. As he swam away, he shouted back angrily:
"So what if you survive today?! You''re bound to die. No one goes against Gargan! Tch¡ª Just you wait!¡."
He disappeared, leaving this curse behind. Many tried to stop him, but he was so fast and slippery! One barely managed to grab him, but a secondter, the killer was gone.
"Coward,e back!"
"We''re not done fighting, you bastard!"
"Run back to Gargan with your tail coiled!"
While they happily spewed insults at the man''s back, Jack couldn''t help but find the situation strange. Hadn''t the guy be oddly talkative toward the end?
"Gargan? No, I don''t think he''s involved. Otherwise, he would have personallye instead of sending an underling. I think it''s just a decoy¡." Jack shared.
"Hehe, I''ve heard this guy''s voice before when he visited my shop. He used to work for the Water-Lilly Noble House, but I''m not sure if that''s still the case. We''ll have to investigate." One said.
But that''s when a soldier that used to be a perfumer stepped forward. "Bah, you guys think I failed that grab? I seeded! There''s a trail, now! Can you sniff it?"
Sniff?! They all approached, perplexed¡and sure enough, the assassin had left a sweet smell in his wake. Talk about a silly way to get caught!
"What are we waiting for then!"
¡ª Sniff! Sniff! Sniff! ¡ª
The passerby all looked at them strangely. What the heck were they even doing?! Had they turned insane?! It didn''t help that there was already a rumor brewing about the assassination.
They ignored the people that were pointing at them strangely and the few that wanted autographs from the "heroes."
"This way! Follow your nose!" What about their hearts? Oh well.
The circus act continued until they reached a specific area, one that was evident who it belonged to thanks to therge field of blue flowers just floating there¡.and the sign:
No trespassing? Talk about hypocritical for people that ordered assassinations! But it wasn''t like such a puny warning would restrict them.
Jack began checking the perimeter. There seemed to be some rm magic in ce, but it looked very simplistic, something he could crack!
"Copy my movements to the letter!" He instructed his men as he led the way.
It didn''t take them long to hide in the blue flower field, slowly sneaking toward arge manor in the distance. But the ce was swarming with guards.
They all nced at the defense perimeter at a loss of how one could go through such defenses. Tch¡ª They''d have to involve the Empress or the Noble Representative¡
Still, their current evidence was quitecking to use an entire n. Was it a few members scheming or all of them? A sweet scent wouldn''t be convincing enough.
"Commander, what should we do?"
"We''ll follow any order!"
They all stared at him, and he could feel their conviction. They''d bloody do it if he ordered them to charge headfirst toward the manor guards!
In every regime, narrow-minded nobles clung to power like leeches to blood; this one was definitely a time bomb for him.
"Sigh, I''m afraid we''ll have to retreat for now. Just keep an eye on those guys and¡ª What the fuck is that?!" Jack couldn''t help but gasp.
They all turned toward the main gate¡
They could hear the sound of fighting and then¡BOOM! Something exploded¡underwater! No, it wasn''t an explosion. It was one crazy powerful attack!
¡ª BOOM! CRASH! CRASH! ¡ª
Countless guards were sent flying, crashing heavily as an arrogant voice echoed. "The likes of you, stopping me? Are you utterly insane?! How ridiculous!"
They all recognized that mighty voice¡.Gargan?! Most of Jack''s men turned pale.
"Is he actually allied with them? Isn''t that really bad for us?"
But just as they were shaking, thinking of the possibilities, the towering giant marched straight to the manor''s front doors.
"So this is the home of the coward exploiting my name, is it?."
Oh shit! He was far from an ally. He hade here for revenge! Oh, and he was positively pissed! This much was evident as he growled at the ce''s owner when she appeared.
"Sir Gargan, what brings you?¡ª"
"Hehe, ying dumb? Let''s have some fun, shall we!"
The Seahorse casually picked arge boulder by the entrance.. .and then freaking threw it full power! His muscr arm was even mightier than the catapults they had made.
The rock streaked through the air and¡ ¡ª CRASH! ¡ª It felt like the entire world trembled at that moment, at the cost of the poor manor.
The thing began copsing like a stack of cards piled up on unsteady dominoes. With this, he''d finally be appeased, right? Apparently not!
The giant was already grabbing another boulder, the traumatized noble urging him to stop. "Please have mercy! I know who caused the problem! I''ll hand him to you!¡ª"
"Oh? You should have said so in the beginning!" Gargan nodded with an "amicable" smile, grinning as the assassin was delivered to him.
"Please enact judgment. It was this stupid servant''s fault!" The noble in the back happily chippered. She had utterly given up on her servant, even looking at him with disdain.
The poor guy was thrown to the wolves. All he had done was obey orders from the very beginning! He hadn''t seeded, but that was only because of Jack''s experience.
This was so damn unfair!
Gargan had already started ripping his arms and legs "yfully", the poor guy screaming like a pig getting ughtered.
But he didn''t speak even then, simply ncing at his mistress. All he wanted was an acknowledgment of his sacrifice, but all he got was disdain.
Why?! He had always been loyal, so why?! He had always looked up to her, but she had never even nced at him! This was so unfair! That''s when he lost the will to resist.
He cracked and told everything...
It had been the noble Mermaid''s n from the start. She''d send an assassin to kill Jack and would me it on Gargan. This would have given her plenty of time to scheme.
The more the poor guy spoke and the more livid she became. "He''s a liar! Don''t trust him! There''s no way that I¡ª"
"Don''t worry. I forgive you." The Seahorse''s voice sounded so nice¡.but that''s when he dashed toward her.
"Nooooo!" A heartwrenching scream escaped her as she tried evading to no avail.
A secondter, her bloodied body was in his grasp as he chuckled sadistically. "Oh well, that should give a good example." He nodded, satisfied, bringing her away and killing more guards.
"Give thedy bac¡ª ARGG!"
"I''ll stop you fro¡ª CRACK!"
Just as he passed by the blue Lilly field, he chuckled as he stared straight at Jack''s hidingpany. "Don''t worry. It will be your turn soon, hehe."
Even Jack felt his blood turn cold.
They had to deal with this monster?! Negotiating was 100% out of the question now! He turned to his shivering men: "Anyone has an idea on how to defeat that guy?"
"D-defeat him?!"
0_0
Chapter 365: Prison Infiltration!
Chapter 365: Prison Infiltration!Defeat Gargan?! Was that even possible?!
Everyone in the Mermaid Kingdom wanted to know who this terrifying seahorse was. Still, he sure had great timing, arriving right before the war with the humans began.
Destroying a Noble ¡ª> Shock Factor!
Now there were even plenty of civilians that were moring for Gargan to lead them, some even wishing for him to rece the Empress. The strong were often worshiped¡
Then came the coup-de-grace. Jack received the news that a couple of Noble-Blood Mermaids had already changed camp, joining the tyrannic being.
With every second, the man''s faction would grow until it became an utterly unstoppable monster¡.and then it would be game over for him.
"Gulp! Commander, what now?"
His troops were anxious, some urging him to flee the City and hide on a beach or something. The viin woulde for him; the smart thing to do was to leave ASAP.
"Run? I can''t, not yet.'' Jack categorically refused.
After all, he had to find Pumpkin Girl first. As long as she was safe, then he wouldn''t mind evacuating this god-forsaken underwater realm ASAP.
Step 1: Save Her
Step 2: GTFO!!
Step 3: Profit!
Meanwhile, his troops were staring at him in awe. Whenever they remembered Gargan, they lost control of their nerves, yet Jack wanted to fight him head-on?! How fearless!
"All of you, could you help me to¡ª"
"Of course, Commander!"
Jack couldn''t help but give a wry smile: he hadn''t even shared his n just yet! Then again, it didn''t matter because they believed in him more than they trusted themselves.
"All of you¡ we''ll overturn the Mermaid Capital! I want it to shine so brightly that it blinds our enemies'' eyes. Now, move out!"
He sent them on what seemed like the most pointless mission ever¡and yet they didn''t even bat an eye. Before long¡
¡ª BOOM! SPARK! CRACKLE! ¡ª
Fire rained on Mermaid City as explosions echoed all over. "WHAT?! We''re under attack?!" Countless bystanders cried in fright, only to look perplexed a secondter.
There was something wrong with the "assault". There were so many explosions and yet barely any damage. What kind of weird effect was in y here?!
It was all done with cheap "fireworks", but it did serve to capture everyone''s attention. The bright colors were the perfect diversion!
[Sessfully Caused Chaos!]
[Uming Quest: Survive Gargan''s Wrath!]
Tch¡ª Talk about intrusively annoying for a guy that wasn''t anywhere near at that moment! Better make himself harder to find!
Jack turned a corner, reappearing slightly different. His skin was now green-bluish, and he had scales adorning his face. Lizard parts + Primitive Glue = Great Disguise!
[This Only Makes The Host More Conspicuous!]
Many looked at him strangely, for he really was scaly. But so what? He didn''t mind being seen as long he wasn''t recognized. Weird Scaly Guy ¡Ù Human-Looking Commander
Thus he not only didn''t run away, but he delved deeper into the City. It didn''t take him long to reach the most bustling trading area of the entire Mermaid Kingdom!
All around were vivacious traders advertising their wares while would-be customers went from shop to shop trying to find something interesting.
The ce was even livelier with the shes of light in the distance. As for what brought him here¡.information! In fact, it only took him a while to find the perfect target!
A well-dressed merchant, wealthy enough to have lots of power, but not exactly a Noble. He''d also twitch slightly every time "Noble" was mentioned: he didn''t like them!
"Hey, friend, how is it going? Also, what''s up with those Pumpkin Cookies being so popr? "Jack "innocently" asked the man.
"Pumpkin? Scoff! Forget those. I''ll sell you algae cookies instead. Now, those are the real deal, not some foreign product brought by an outsider!"
"Outsider? Tell me more!"
"Ah! A slip of the tongue, that''s not what¡ª"
"Don''t worry. We''re on the same side here. It''s unnatural for our people to be eating that crap. Any idea where one could find the one responsible for it. You know, for a "visit"¡."
0_0 Gulp!
Could this guy possibly be a terrorist?! The merchant suddenly felt his backden with cold sweat. The logical thing was to report the guy, but merchant greed quickly took over.
Give Info ¡ª> Strange Guy Deals With Competitor ¡ª> Sales of Seaweed Cookies Increased ¡ª> $$$$!
Arge smile grew on the NPC''s face.
"Third street on the left, then you¡." He proceeded to give detailed instructions, so precise that it was clear a sabotage n had crossed the man''s mind.
¡ª Obtained Vital Clue! ¡ª
Find the source of the Cookie, and find Pumpkin Girl. As one said, all he had to do was follow the crumbs! But this wasn''t something he''d do alone.
It didn''t take him long to find his eternalpanion¡.
"Woo!" (Nice Disguise!)
Except the little one was utterly alone. Apparently, the eel had joined the local merchant guild in search of information...pretty pointless in retrospect.
"Ah, whatever, let''s leave him be. We have an urgent meeting here¡."
"Woo?!" (You found her?!!!)
What were they waiting for! It was time to bring her back home! The little wolf was already sprinting, following Jack''s directions. Their destination was on the outskirt.
[Reached Little Mansion in the Wood!]
"Woo?!" (Is it really here?!)
Before them stood a pretty modest mansion¡if it weren''t for the deadly water formation protecting it. The magic created a turbulent stream that would reduce any invader to shreds.
"Tch¡ª Guess we''ll have to enter through the front gate. Still, this will be a pain¡."
The ce was swarming with guards. Then again, there was a peculiar air about them, as if they were worried about the interior too. Guards? Nope, prison jailers!
"Security''s so damn tight. There''s no way we''re gonna deal with so many of them at once¡."
"Woo!" (Let''s charge in! We can do it!)
The little wolf couldn''t take it anymore, ready to pounce on the guards at any moment. It had already ssified them all as bad guys for kidnapping Pumpkin Girl.
"Don''t you dare! Listen well. We CAN NOT be seen. Do you understand? That''s the only way we can keep her safe as we leave the ce." Jack sternly warned.
Moon Moon couldn''t help but gulp. It had almostmitted an unforgivable mistake! But now it was puzzled. How were they supposed to sneak in?!
"Baking requires ingredients. We''ll use that to our advantage¡."
"Woo?! (How?! Cut their supply?)
"Hehe, the opposite."
A bewildered Moon Moon simply followed Jack around as they went on a quest to find whoever supplied the ce with ingredients, quickly finding the guy in charge.
Bribe? Beg? Intimidate? He felt like all options were so risky. What if he identally tipped off the NPC, thetter warning the jailers that he wasing?
Hard mission ¡ª> Failure!
No, he had to act with tact here. That''s why he introduced himself as a general merchant, the kind that would sell anything he coincidentally got his hands off.
"I have high-quality Pumpkins here. Some soldiers got them from a surface raid, and someone told me you could take them off my hands. How about it?" Jack proposed.
"2 gold each."
"5 gold, they''re so plump!"
"2 gold is plenty for produce."
"Sigh¡3 gold?"
"Fine."
It didn''t take long to conclude their business, Jack casually mentioning how quickly Pumpkins turned bad. There was no way for a fish person to know better anyway.
Fearing value depreciation of its new product, the merchant hurried to organize a shipment toward the manor. This was their ticket in!
The two conspirators didn''t take long to sneak their way toward the transport wagon. A few preparationster, the two happily plunged into the flour bags that were all around.
"Stand perfectly still!"
"Woo!" (Stealth!)
Of course, Jack made the necessary preparations.
+ Added holes to breathe from
+ Added basic magic concealment formation
+ Picked bags that would be the less likely to be searched.
Before they knew it, their flour sack-stowed-away journey began. They felt every bump in the road, and the wait was excruciating, but they held on, not making a peep.
Then after what felt like an eternity¡
"Halt! Identify yourself!" An authoritative voice stopped their cart.
It didn''t take long for guards to board the cart, their wed feet tapping on the floorboard. ¡ª Tap! Tap! ¡ª Oh god, it wasing closer!
Then there was a ruffling sound as a few random sacks were opened to check their content, a voice of suspicion resonating.
"The next shipment wasn''t nned for another week. What''s the meaning of this?"
"I managed to acquire Pumpkins through a secret channel of mine, look! We better bring them in ASAP for them to keep their freshness!" The merchant radiated pride.
Nice! His arrogance had just helped them a bunch!
Calling it "his" secret channel gave it legitimacy, the guards not even thinking of digging deeper into the story. They''d never hear about the suspiciously random Pumpkin seller.
"Alright, fine. Let him through y''all!"
The cart entered the premises, and people were called to bring the ingredients to storage. Just like that, they had passed the firstyer of security.
[Managed to Infiltrate Mysterious Mansion!]
[Personalized Quest: Find "Pumpkin Girl"!]
After a while, silence returned.
"Woo?" (What now?)
"Now we wait¡."
This would be one hell of a night, and not just for them¡
While the two infiltrators bid their time, Mermaid City quickly rounded up all the troublemakers, aka Jack''s unit.
"You all, what do you have to say for yourselves?! Such disturbance deserves death!" The Thousand-Arms General berated them all loudly.
That''s when they all gave the most innocent smiles, perfectly remembering what Jack had instructed them to reply.
"That was a training drill, Sir!"
"What for?!"
¡¥\_(¥Ä)_/¡¥
"..." -_-
Chapter 366: Juking Guards Crazily!
Chapter 366: Juking Guards Crazily!In the dead of night¡.
"Psst¡ª Time to go out!" Jack''s murmur awoke the little wolf, thetter emerging from the flour bag utterly snow white.
"Woo!" (More minutes¡)
"C''mon, we gotta save Pumpkin Girl¡."
"Woo! Woo-woo!" (I''m up, I''m up! Let''s go already!)
Jack hurriedly got dark ninja clothes out of his inventory, the two covering their feet with cloth to remove the sound of their footsteps. It was time to hunt!
"Now remember, those guards don''t look easy to defeat. Either sneak attack or avoid them altogether. We have to be on point!" Jack reminded.
The two left the pantry with no one to stop them. Luckily it seemed like the kitchen security was pretty bad, the owners not expecting enemies to use it to infiltrate.
Parts of the floor were filled with water, but the above surface had plenty of air. The oxygen was necessary to feed the ovens-in-a-bottle ced on various counters.
"Careful not to step in the water. Stay on the dry stone path. Otherwise, we''ll leave water puddles all over." Jack remarked, frowning.
What kind of infiltration happened in the center of the freaking room? Theirs! This was so damn sad: if only he had learned water bending for that very moment!
In any case, the two quickly exited the kitchen,nding in a way too bright hallway. This was because of the glowing blue crystals embedded in the walls: as pretty as inconvenient.
"Woo?" (What are we waiting for?)
"Timing, the perfect timing."
Jack didn''t simply rush forward. No, he wanted to get the timing of the patrols just right. Thus they remained near the kitchen door, ready to hide at a moment''s notice.
1..2¡45¡54¡113¡ then sshing sounds! This was their window of action, one that was so very short. Any fighting could easily lead to disaster in such a case.
"Get ready. Every other minute we hide¡."
The two hurried over, following the stone path. Every time they heard the sshing sounds, they knew they had to find a ce to settle.
They''d often enter random doors, Jack having to pick many basic locks. Many rooms even had sleeping upants/pets that did their best not to wake up.
Thus they kept going, soon developing a rhythm to avoid the patrols. They were simply walking forward, Jack trying to sense a familiar aura.
But trouble showed up just as they were getting confident in their avoidance skills!
¡ª Ssh! Ssh! ¡ª
Crap! Talk about some horrible timing! Guards? Residents? Those were so out of sync with the other patrols! Either way, they had to disappear before the neers could see them.
Toote to backtrack and hide? Definitely! Another group''d spot them if they tried that. They were stranded in a bright hallway with absolutely no cover!
"Woo?!" (Fight?!)
"No, we can''t. Too risky!"
Jack didn''t hesitate anymore, grabbing Moon Moon andunching himself in the air. The kick plus the wind magic brought them all the way to the ceiling!
Then he acted like a Spider-Man, grabbing unto it for dear life. But even then, they stood up like a sore thumb!
With a wave of his hand, he sent a wind de toward the nearest crystal, extinguishing it and plunging the area into darkness.
"Shadow, it''s your turn now."
His shadow suddenly wriggled as if alive, diligently engulfing them both. They went from being visible to being a strange patch of darkness.
Then they waited, crossing their fingers as two guys showed up¡
"Ah?! A light crystal ran out! How suspicious!"
The NPCs wore full coral equipment and would be far from easy targets. Level 50¡freaking level 50! Two of them to boot!
The guy stared at the ce, suddenly locking on the ceiling. "Hey, that ce is way darker than it should be. There''s something wrong with it, right?!"
"Sigh. Brother, it''s called shadows. It kinda happens, especially at night. Who was it again that wanted to go for a midnight snack? Let''s hurry up already."
The former looked especially reluctant as he kept staring at their location. But just when the two started to freak out, he finally relented.
"Fine, but I''ll report it just in case¡." The two then left, Jack thanking Heaven. This had been a close call!
But it also meant that the light trick wouldn''t work anymore. One faulty stone? It happened. Two in quick session? Improbable!
They kept going, praying for no further issues. Sadly there was no way that this would be so easy. It happened when they were trying to hide in a bedroom.
A sleeping NPC suddenly jumped up, his entire body glistening with cold sweat. He had been having a nightmare and had suddenly woken up¡just to face them directly!
"W-who are you people?! A wolf?!"
Moon Moon didn''t hesitate as it swiped his paw at the man. Except the attack was instantly blocked by a green protective shield. An artifact?!
This bastard was seriously packing some heavy defense! Had he been expecting to be assassinated in his sleep or something?! Such foresight!
Fight and break the shield? Too long! Negotiate with the man? The chances of it working were meager! That''s when Jack attempted a foolish n.
"Muhahaha, mortal, I am the Sleep Devil of the Nether Realm! This time I''ve finally managed to trap your soul!" Jack roared.
"W-what?!"
"What? How unoriginal! This is your reaction? How about you freak out a little instead? You''ve already fallen for my unbreakable spell!"
"What spell?!"
"The unbelievably potent spell no one can ever wake up from!"
An utterly puzzled little wolf chimed in, "Woo?!" What the heck was happening right now? Were they attacking the guy or not?!
The man stared at the wolf, his jaw hanging wide. Was this wolf talking? Also, what the hell was wrong with its fur? Why was it orange?!
Whatever the little wolf said, it made the "devil" react.
"Nooo! Why did you tell him how to break the spell?! Tch¡ª He was just getting heated and ready to fight us too!"
The man jerked in shock. Wait, could this be a dream? It had to be, right? Sleep Devil, orange wolf, the strange scene¡it all pointed to a nightmare!
But was this Devil real? Either way, it seemed to be hoping for them to fight. Why?!
"Woo?!"
"You''re right. Even if he knows, he''s not calm enough to do it. His soul is ours, hehe!"
Even now, the duo was cackling at his expense. Even if everything pointed to a nightmare, this whole thing felt so real¡and the danger probably was too! What should he do?!
What had the wolf even said? A method to break the curse? Wait, perhaps he only had to wake up?! But how would one go about that?
Ah! The calm part! Wouldn''t he simply have to go to sleep in a dream to wake up in real life?! This had to be it!
The NPC tentatively tried returning to bed with the barrier still protecting his body. That''s when the "Sleep Devil''s" expression wholly changed. The being absolutely hated the idea!
That''s when the smug resident gave a victorious grin to Jack as he simply went back to sleep, utterly convinced that he was exorcising a Sleep Devil.
Moon Moon watched it all happen, with confusion written on its fluffy face. Was this fish guy aplete idiot, or was there something it had missed?!
But then Jack dragged his partner out, the way finally clear. The patrol on the other side had already passed, and they could now progress.
[Recalibrating NPC''s Intelligence!]
[Raising it!¡. Lowering it! Raising¡ª Error!]
In the background, the system was freaking out. On the one hand, the NPC''s actions were foolish, but his intelligence had allowed him to "see" Jack''s clues.
Jack couldn''t help but chuckle as he saw the AI''s struggles. It would obviously have to increase the enemies'' wisdom¡.but this was an entirely different challenge.
In any case, they kept progressing¡
They were getting closer, the two just knew it. Jack could sense her aura, and it was growing stronger by the second. They had this!
Then they finally reached the end of their journey. It was a bunker-type area with massive doors that reminded them of the Pce.
The problem was that it was guarded even better than the front gate! What kind of crazy concept was this?! How were they supposed to bypass the enemies?!
"Woo!" (I''ll attract their attention!)
The little wolf was ready to sacrifice itself for the cause. So what if it died? The only thing that mattered was their rescue mission.
"Wait, no. Thest guy was half-awake at best and easier to fool, but it probably won''t work against them. They''ll sound the rm as soon as they see you."
After all, there weren''t any wolves in the area. They''d instantly realize that there was something unnatural about the situation.
"Actually, I may have an idea¡"
This time Jack made them backtrack. They had seen many rooms on their way over, and many had pets inside. That''s exactly what he needed right now!
It didn''t take them too long to find a dolphin: quick, aquatic, and probably valuable. It was the perfect bait!
Jack grabbed it and drove demonic energy into it. It wasn''t enough to seriously hurt the poor creature but sufficed to make it crazed for a little while!
[Temporarily Corrupted An Innocent Creature!]
[This Definitely Has To Be Illegal!]
Then the two returned toward the heavily-guarded room, throwing the dolphin in the waterway nearby. It instantly began swimming toward the door.
"Is that¡a dolphin?!"
"Wait, that''s the squad leader''s pet!"
"Quick, catch it!! Don''t let it swim away!"
How was a silly dolphin so effective?! Either way, the duo used the time while they were distracted to sneak inside.
....And there she was, Pumpkin Girl! But then they saw her state¡
"W-what did those bastards do to you?!"
Chapter 367: Gang VS Seaweed Monster!
Chapter 367: Gang VS Seaweed Monster!"W-what did those bastards do to you?!", Jack cried out.
Pumpkin Girl was in the middle of the room, but she was a prisoner! Her body was stuck in arge wriggling mass of seaweed-looking things¡.What the fuck was that?!
She was in aa with arge gemstone in her chest, the whole thing looking extremely unnatural!
"Woo!" (It''s eating her!)
The little wolf instantly realized what was happening. They had to quickly act while she was still alive! Without regard for its safety, it rushed toward her.
At its side was his master. Fueled by sheer rage, he even overtook him! Never had Moon Moon seen its master as angry as he was now.
"Get off her, you weird nt abomination!"
But as they approached, the mass seemingly came alive. Whatever the thing was, it didn''t want to share its snack! It was hellbent on stealing all her life force.
He finally reached the damn thing.
< Sentient Seaweed Amalgam! LV 55! :droplet::leaf_fluttering_in_wind:>
Level 55?! He would have expected it to be stronger, but this was good news. He generated a sharp wind de, sending it flying toward the creature.
The thing seemingly realized what this was, suddenly grouping tons of seaweeds together to form a protective shield. The attacknded, and¡nothing. No effect whatsoever!
With this shield, it''d easily be able to block ranged attacks. But this simply meant they had to get even closer! "Moon Moon, close quarter! Make sure to dodge!"
That''s when they entered the monster''s range.
¡ª SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! ¡ª
It made deadly whips out of seaweeds, swatting at them. Getting caught would mean suffering the same fate as Pumpkin Girl. Mistakes were utterly unforgivable!
Jack ducked, flipped over the vines, and even slid alongside them. Since the floor was covered by about a meter of water, sometimes he''d downright surf!
The two could sense the creature''s aura: it was as angry as puzzled. How did the invader keep avoiding its strikes?!
"Bitch please, you have the same attack pattern as our bushes at home!"
Of course, that was quite an exaggeration, but it worked well as a taunt. Jack wanted to make sure it kept focusing on him as it had so far.
He made it farther and farther¡.just a few meters away from the enemy. But thest meters were the most challenging. There was absolutely no time to dodge!
It wasn''t a matter of skills but raw specs. He simply couldn''tpete with the nt''s multiple appendages, and the thing freaking knew it.
But it had forgotten one vital detail¡.
"WOO!!!!" (DIE!!)
A fiery sun suddenly pounced at the creature''s back. Moon Moon''s sneak attacknded straight on the seaweed, burningrge chunks of it. Sess!
Now all that remained was to¡.SLAP! The poor wolf was bitch-pped away, but it had left an incredibly huge dent in the creature''s defenses! Perfect!
Jack raced forward, reaching the monster, slicing thest tendrils in his way. She''d be safe and¡ª No! Something was wrong, he wrong!
Just as he was about to save her, his face distorted, horror shing on it. He didn''t linger and retreated at full speed.
That''s when he began mumbling as if having lost his mind. "Why? Why?! Why!!"
"Woo?!" (What happened?!)
The little wolf was utterly confused: its master had been about to seed! An invisible barrier, perhaps? It looked at Jack for answers¡.
"It fused with her. That bloody thing fused with her! If we recklessly cut her out, she''ll die." He solemnly exined, the little wolf gasping and whimpering.
How cruel! What kind of sinister tragic plot was this? The hero rushing to save the princess in distress, only for his ignorance to be her downfall¡
Jack red at the empty air with killing intent.
[T-This System Is Totally Innocent!]
[Bonus XP Awarded! Bonus¡.!]
Whatever. He had more important business to attend to. What could he even do in such a situation?! A few ideas shed through his mind:
1. Pull her out of it incredibly slowly
2. Use a magical artifact to supplement her lost vitality
3. Have a man-to-nt discussion with the seaweed abomination
4. Trap her soul with a necromancy spell, sending himself on a crazy resurrection mission
There really were many options¡but they were all equally fucking bad! He wascking time, resources and had already angered the damn thing!
As for the necromancy option? It was perhaps the worst! He could have tried it for anyone else, but her specialty was Life Magic! Her very existence would resist the spell!
What kind of shitty challenge was this?!
Actually, there was onest option, one he had unconsciously ignored at the beginning. He could always do nothing.
They could simply walk away, leaving her to be feed for the seaweed monstrosity. Given her Life Magic potential, the bloody creature would probably take an eternity to milk her out.
It would slowly savor everyst drop of her vitality while she remained trapped and unconscious. She''d remain alive¡but for how long? And could this even be called living?
"Woo?!" (What should we do?!)
"I don''t know, Moon Moon, I don''t know¡."
The little wolf could sense the sorrow in its master''s voice. This feeling of helplessness was the worst, especially given how close they were! This freaking sucked¡
To add insult to injury, the abomination began to sway as if to taunt them happily. A secondter, it started humming as if a crystal resonating. It was alerting the guards!
They had to leave, and now! As soon as the guards came to investigate, they''d be detected, and it''d be the end. Either they''d increase security or move Pumpkin girl entirely!
Jack reluctantly turned his back, ready to leave¡but then he stopped. His head told him it was the best course of action, and yet¡
"No. If we leave now, there''s no guarantee we''ll be able to save herter. She wouldn''t want to live like that¡." He sighed heavily.
"Woo?!" (Yes, for sure!)
"Here''s what we''ll do¡."
The more the little wolf heard and the crazier the n sounded. This was less of a rescue n and more of a suicide one, leading to permanent death!
As a loyalpanion, Moon Moon had no choice but to advise its master¡ They were freaking doing it! Danger? Death? Cmity? It was Pumpkin Girl they were talking about!
Without her, who would cook?! Who would pat their heads?! Who would y fetch with them?! No one! No one would! Pumpkin Girl > Infinite
"Woo!" (For Pumpkin Girl!!!)
For a second, even the creature was baffled by their recklessness. But then it fought back even harder than before. This time it knew to watch out for the wolf!
Every meter they managed to cross was fraught with their sweat and blood, the monster slowly but surely chipping away at their HP.
At this rate, they''d die way before they could aplish anything relevant! Actually, what were they even trying to do?! Had they finally decided just to kill her?!
The two kept going, and just as they were entering the killing zone¡
¡ª BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! ¡ª
Jack threw countless consumables at the thing. It would barely do any damage, but the explosions would be enough to disrupt the enemy''s weed swinging.
"Now, Moon Moon!" Just a little more!
A geyser of fire erupted from the ground. The wolf''s finisher move was used to clear the remainingst shreds in the way, Jack finally reaching her.
But even now, he couldn''t take her out. What was even the point?! The monster sensed his struggle, bringing its vines back to ughter him.
All he did was embrace his lover''s soft body¡That was it?! This was the task he would be perishing for?! What kind of bullshit was this?!
But instead of panicking, he began whispering in her ear.
"I know you''re in there somewhere. This thing fused with you, and it''s way too powerful, but you can do something about it from the inside¡."
"Can you hear me? Follow my voice, and rip that fucker''s sentience to pieces. I believe in you. You got this¡."
"¡But if you don''t, I can''t imagine a better ce to die. Well, I would have preferred you not in aa, you know, but still¡."
His motivational speech quickly turned into incoherent ramblings. This was thest attempt of a madman that couldn''t let go¡ as beautiful as pitiful.
"I can''t do much, but hopefully this will help¡." Resplendent purple energy traveled from his heart to his hand, soon sinking into her.
Jack gave a bright smile¡ and turned lifeless, his soul entirely gone.
[S-Soul T-Transfer D-Detected?! This Shouldn''t Be Possible?!]
[This Won''t Just Affect the Game!! Error! Error!]
[Booting Up Emergency Protocol! Failure?!]
Jack was gambling, the craziest gamble of all. He was offering his existence to his beloved for her to use as a weapon.
He had set everything up for one crazily violent inner consciousness fight. She''d have to go against the psyche of a creature many times her level¡her chances were slim at best.
Were she to fail, the consequences would be disastrous for his ount. He was sure of it! But so what? This was his choice, one made possible by histest "soul" transformation.
The seaweed monster watched with stupefaction, the system kept generating error messages, and a little wolf peacefully watched it all happen.
Why worry? This was Pumpkin Girl they were talking about! It happily coiled on the ground for a nap.
But an hourter, it was suddenly awoken by a mighty roar. The monster was back and even stronger than before, its vines extending in all directions.
A lone tear streamed down Pumpkin Girl''s cheek, and then¡KACHA! The gem embedded in her chest shattered into thousand pieces.
Did this mean they had failed?!
"Woo?!" (Oh, Crap!)
Chapter 368: Moon Moons Last Stand!
Chapter 368: Moon Moon''s Last Stand!There had been a mental fight between Jack + Pumpkin Girl VS the Seaweed Abomination¡.but only thetter came back?!
No, this couldn''t be! Suddenly the world went from colorful to unbelievably grim. Moon Moon stared at its master''s unmoving body in disbelief and despair.
Now the damn tree was even doing a victory dance on their corpses, rejoicing at gaining a new food source.
"Woo!" (Bastard! Give them back!)
That''s when the poor little wolf went insane with rage. It stopped caring about how strong the enemy was, and all fear of annihtion left its mind. It would get them back!
¡ª Dash! ¡ª
The enemy had changed its attack pattern.
Before, it had wholeheartedly tried to kill them, but now it wanted to capture them. The thing had obviously decided to taste a wolf''s life force.
It was a vine hell, seaweeds everywhere trying to restrain it¡and yet it didn''t give up. After all, its master was more important than its own life.
"Woo!" (Take that, you evil thing!)
With a mighty howl, Moon Moon rained fire on the enemy. But just when it was beginning to work¡it didn''t.
The creature had learned from its previous experiences with Moon Moon''s fire. This time it used its appendages to suck some of the surrounding water, extinguishing itself instantly.
Wolf Fire Magic ¡ª> Useless!
This forced Moon Moon to rely on its ws and jaws, but the creature was sorge that even a solid bite would barely hurt it.
The poor wolf had toe to the depressing conclusion that all its bravery was useless. It could try for the rest of eternity without sess with the enemy able to regenerate.
"Woo!" (This is so unfair!)
But instead of wallowing in despair, the little wolf asked itself what would its master do in such a situation. He certainly wouldn''t give up!
He''d often repeat that nothing in this world was invincible, everything having its clear method. The problem was either ack of knowledge or strength.
Lacking Strength? Definitely! But the gap between them was so abysmal that its master would have already perished before it was done training!
No, it had to develop a trick to help itself ovee this. Except what kind of trick could even work here?!
Ah! What if it ran out and came back with Jack''s temporary troops?! They were pretty decent at alchemy and would be able to throw some nice stuff at the enemy!
No, this wouldn''t work¡the stealth part would be an issue. There was no way they''d all be able to sneak back inside the manor. As for bringing only a few elites¡.what elites?!
What about begging the Empress for help? She''d rescue him for sure, right? Ah, but she''d instantly realize that he was actually human, right?! This wouldn''t work either.
Moon Moon''s brain was seriously overheating from thinking about all those crazy ns. If only it could have the brains of its master!
Every potential solution was a dead end! The creature was also hellbent on stopping it from thinking. ¡ª p! p! p! ¡ª How annoying!
If only a couple more pets were here to act as a distraction! No, this wouldn''t have worked either. The monster was attacking way too fast for them to keep up.
If only there were a couple more Moon Moons here! It would¡ª wait! The little wolf suddenly beamed with joy: that was it!
"Woo!" (Hahahaha!)
The little wolf began cackling,ughing evilly as its master had done so many times. It had finallye up with a viable n!
As it kept dodging, it focused its mind on manipting its fire magic. The usual method was ineffective, but what about this one!
Instead of throwing fire at the thing, it manipted it to form¡more Moon Moons! The result was a ton of fire wolves all over the ce!
Damage-wise, they were about as helpful as a cigarette lighter''s me¡.but they were awesomely bright!
The creature suddenly stilled, utterly confused. Where had all those wolvese from?! More importantly, which one should it attack first?!
Moon Moon swatted away the mysterious box appearing before its eyes [Unlocked¡], and ran even faster. This time it would grab its master!
Many fire wolves arrived at the man''s side, all making the motion of biting his cor. As the creature attacked yet another clone, Moon Moon rushed out, carrying Jack away!
Sess! We did it, master! It would just put him back in a corner, return for Pumpkin Girl, and¡¡ª m! m! ¡ª What?! Moon Moon barely escaped getting caught.
The creature''s reach had increased! Its vines had kept growing and now were so long that they could reach every corner of the room. There was nowhere to hide anymore.
This meant it had to remain with Jack and also that it would be impossible to go back for her. Trying would simply waste all its previous efforts.
"Woo!" (I''m sorry, but¡)
A tear escaped the little wolf as it resolved itself. It would bring Jack back to D.L., and they''d find a solution to his lifeless state together, whatever it was.
But for now, it had to escape as quickly as possible before¡ª Suddenly, its worst nightmare realized itself as the room''s doors were mmed open, guards entering.
¡ª ng! ¡ª
"What the hell is all that ruckus abo¡ª Invaders!"
The fish''s outburst was enough to alert all its colleagues. A few secondster, they were swarming the ce, standing between Moon Moon and freedom.
To make matters worse, a ring rm began ringing, the enemies about to get lots and lots of reinforcements.
A deadly seaweed monster behind and an army of guards in front. The little wolf obviously couldn''t contend with such a lineup, yet it would bloody try anyway!
It had learned from its master never to give up!
"Woo!" (Bring it on, all of you! I''m a proud member of D.L.!)
The little wolf not only didn''t falter but even taunted the enemies, giving itself courage. Thetter couldn''t help but stare at it bewildered.
"Is that a wolf?! Since when are there wolves in ake?!"
"Who cares? Apprehend it! We''ll interrogate itter."
"Interrogate a wolf? Wait, it''s dragging someone!"
"Let''s catch them both first!"
They all sprung on it from all directions, but just as they did, Moon Moon used its new magic against them.
Instantly many wolves appeared and¡.the guards didn''t even give them a look! Their vision was much better than the tree, and they quickly saw through the illusion.
After all, only one of the fiery balls had a living wolf inside it. Many even used water spells to reduce the illusions to nothingness instantly.
"Spread out and surround it!" They were organized enough to make use of their numbers effectively.
What should it do?! Leave Jack behind and run away alone? It really couldn''t ept that! Besides, was fleeing even possible at this point? Perhaps this called for a heroicst stand.
Moon Moon went on a rampage.
It wed and bit at the enemies, throwing fireballs as distractions. They''d block the spells with water, it would create steam clouds, and it''d vengefully pounce using them as cover!
It didn''t take long for the enemies to be full of wounds, their blood staining the ce. It was impressive that Moon Moon did it all while carrying its master!
But the scene appeared bloodier than it was. The enemies were all wounded, but none were in critical conditions.
Whenever a guard was hurt, they''d retreat to heal while others covered for them. This meant that the wolf was expending its energy pointlessly.
Moon Moon nced at the exit sorrowfully. It was utterly unusable, as a torrent of new guards kept charging in.
It fought well, all until the end. It fought so valiantly that even its enemies were in awe of its courage. But it was all pointless.
The guards even managed to trap it inside a water prison, one that became smaller and smaller with every chant. It couldn''t dodge anymore, a wolf ripe for ughter¡
"Woo¡" (Sorry, master. I tried.)
It kept biting, even as its legs stopped working. But then it felt vines wrap around its body, immobilizing it entirely.
The seaweed monster yanked its body away from the guards, ready to devour its prey. This was the end¡
"There goes any interrogation¡ª"
"W-wait, what''s happening?!"
"It''s not eating them?!"
Guards suddenly eximed as a strange scene appeared before their eyes. The seaweeds had indeed captured the wolf, but instead of eating it¡they were patting its fur?!
What kind of oue was this?! But then it became even weirder as the unconscious guy received the same treatment. What the actual fuck?!
"Woo?!" (W-what?¡)
Just as everyone was equally puzzled, Jack''s body suddenly trembled.
"GASP!" He sprung upward, awakening. It didn''t take him long to survey the room, seeing all the guards. But instead of panicking, he simply waved at them. "Sup!"
"¡Sup?" Wasn''t he a little too rxed for an intruder?! A few shellshocked guards unconsciously waved back.
"Woo?!" (What''s happening?!)
The little wolf''s heart was beating faster than ever. Its master was alright?! This was great news, but it couldn''t be more puzzled. Was the tree their friend now?! How?!
Jack gestured to the tree to put them down, the thing obedientlyplying. Then he turned toward the stunned Moon Moon, chuckling as he scratched his head in embarrassment.
"Well, it seems like we''ve misunderstood a little. That seaweed guy over there really was feeding on her energy, but not because it was trying to eat her¡."
How was this even possible?! What about all the guards holding her prisoner?! This didn''t make any sense!
"Well, turns out this seaweed thing is her summon, this mansion is hers, and the guards are here to protect her¡ª"
"Woo?!" (SAY WHAT?!)
"It''s a long story¡." Pumpkin Girl''s voice suddenly echoed
Chapter 369 - 369 Pumpkin Girl’s Adventure!
369 Pumpkin Girl¡¯s Adventure!
¡°It¡¯s a long story¡ª¡± Pumpkin Girl¡¯s voice suddenly echoed, only to suddenly halt as two bodies rushed into her embrace.
She couldn¡¯t help but give a helpless smile at the wolf/human acting spoiled, hugging her endlessly. Her heart suddenly felt so full as she patted their heads gently.
¡°Thank you.¡± She softly murmured.
She knew the trouble they had gone through to save her, realizing how lucky she was. Thanks to her involvement with Jack, she understood just how little an ¡°NPC¡± should have mattered to a Brave, and yet¡
¡°Woo!¡± (As long as you¡¯re alright!)
¡°Of course she¡¯s alright! She¡¯s not one to kick the bucket that easily. She knows I wouldn¡¯t forgive her otherwise.¡± Jack teased, but relief was nheless painted on his face.
He looked like a man that had attained enlightenment, one that didn¡¯t have any worry in the world anymore. He had found her again, and that was enough.
The scene couldn¡¯t have been more wholesome¡.
Yet the guards in the back nced at the same scene with bulging eyes, some even forgetting to breathe. Was this really the headstrong Pumpkin Queen?!
.....
She who had somehow instilled fear in them was now gently patting a random guy and wolf that hade from god knows where?!
More importantly, said wolf was totally a ravenous beast mere moments ago. This ¡°cute wolf¡± would have already turned them into corpses if it hadn¡¯t been for their number advantage!
Even the terrifying seaweed tree, one that drank literal blood as sustenance, was looming shyly in the background. Why did it seem like it wanted to participate in the group hug?!
This vision was such a shock that it had many doubting their own sanity:
¡°Can anyone tell me what¡¯s happening?!¡±
¡°Perhaps we¡¯re already all dead¡.¡±
¡°Should we even be here?¡±
They iled their legs/tails ufortably, not knowing what to do. Seeing their state, Pumpkin Girl turned their way.
¡°Men, we have esteemed guests. I expect all of you to show utmost professionalism and dignity. Whoever fails to do so will be deprived of food for a month!¡±
¡°U-understood!¡± Horrified gasps resounded, the guards barely managing to stutter an answer as they hurriedly scampered out the room.
The man and wolf duo nced at one another with wry but knowing smiles. Her cooking was that great! She refocused on them, her eyes as gentle as morning dew.
¡°I guess I have a lot of things to exin, don¡¯t I. Here¡¯s how it happened¡.¡±
It all began on a beautifully peaceful morning full of sunlight, pumpkins, and blood.
There were a couple of ¡°rats¡± as usual, but the living trees had captured them all (truly a fantastic job!) This was regr business, with the noise that came with it.
For the ¡°rats¡± it went:
1. Yapping about their guilds
2. Pathetic attempts at a deal
3. Uncontroble Sobbing
4. Begging for forgiveness
5. +Trauma, ¨C $$$
But that day was quite special, for some bloke actually proposed a worthwhile deal. Unbeknown to him, the guy actually had pretty valuable information to trade.
After a while of t?h?r?e?a?t?e?n?i?n?g? haggling, information about a Legendary Mermaid Treasure was obtained! It was the almighty¡Always Wet Conch!
Ignoring the doubtful (at best) name, this item could generate near-endless water, much like a 4 x 4 water well. It also happened to be just what Jack had been looking for!
As soon as Pumpkin Girl had heard of it, she naturally reacted as one would expect of a girl Jack had chosen¡
1. Went on an adventure
2. Infiltrated enemy territory
3. Created a base using cookies
4. Proceeded to search far and wide for the treasure
5. Profit!
[Error! Error! Verifying Files Integrity!]
[This NPC is supposed to be a Farmgirl!]
[NPC Growth Factor Over 9000?!]
This seemed like an unbelievable exploit, but technically the soldiers were only lent to her. They protected this area, and her, waiting to be dispatched shortly.
As for how she had spent her time here¡
¡°So I raised this little one to help me scout the area. It¡¯s made of seaweed and can share the senses of its wavy green brethren, well kinda¡.¡± She proudly patted her chest.
¡°Woo?!¡± (That¡¯s amazing!)
¡°You used the gemstone as a catalyst to invoke it, right?¡± Jack¡¯s remark instantly had her beam. As expected of him, he had easily seen through her!
It was what a yer would consider an ¡°event item¡± or an ¡°amplifier¡± in magic terms. It didn¡¯tst long, it had a bunch of restrictions, but it could make miracles possible.
Now that the gem was shattered, the poor seaweed monster would wither soon enough. The pitiful thing was overflowing with joy, unaware of its uing doom. #Make-a-Wish Candidate!
¡°Woo¡¡± (Sorry for disturbing you!)
The little wolf was already bowing its head, apologizing. No wonder she had seemed dead back then: she had simply been very focused! But she wasn¡¯t mad, far from it.
¡°No, it¡¯s a good thing you came. Otherwise, I might not have made it.¡± She began shivering uncontrobly as she reminisced about her earlier experience.
¡°Woo?¡± (Seaweed magic¡¯s super scary!!)
No wonder it tasted so bad! It had to be forbidden magic! People said Demonic Magic was evil, but it was nothingpared to this! But its master only chuckled in response¡
¡°It¡¯s not the magic, but the scope. Seaweed might seem simple, but how many are there in the entireke? Way too many! The flux of information had to be brutal, to say the least.¡±
Pumpkin Girl hurriedly nodded, her eyes still filled with fright. She had almost lost herself in the process, had nearly be a seaweed herself.
Her return was all thanks to him. She had heard his voice and finally remembered that she was human¡and all the fun things she needed her human body for!
She blushed for an instant but soon appeared solemn:
¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter, I found it! I know where to go. North of here is an abyss, one that is as long and deep as my love for you!¡± She seriously eximed.
¡°Endless, I see¡.¡±
¡°Woo¡¡± (¡)
The little wolf didn¡¯t even register their flirting. It was already imagining itself diving deep inside an abyss, void of light and full of water. How would they even light the way?!
Still, they had to go for humanity¡¯s sake. They needed that water thingy to create that bigger thingy called a water park! ¡ª Oh, and prevent their realm from exploding¡
¡°Sadly, I wasn¡¯t able to see much. There are no seaweeds anywhere near the ce, and¡ª What is it?!¡± Pumpkin Girl didn¡¯t miss Jack¡¯s frown.
¡°This is bad, real bad. I¡¯ve seen seaweeds grow in their of a water dragon, yet they don¡¯t grow near the abyss¡.that ce won¡¯t be simple.¡±
¡°You mean¡¡±
¡°Monsters don¡¯t mind the grass, and neither do most sentient creatures. Either it will be abominations or something even more perverse¡.¡±
¡ª Gulp! ¡ª
The little wolf was already panicking, its hair raised, but Pumpkin Girl couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback. Once again, he was casually talking about meeting a dragon!
At that moment, she once again steeled her resolve. She didn¡¯t mind waiting for him at the farm, but she wanted to be worthy of apanying him should he ever need it.
She¡¯d have to train and¡ª She was suddenly ambushed by an intense kiss, one that literally stole her breath away.
¡°Don¡¯t sweat the small stuff: one step at a time.¡±
¡°Alright. What¡¯s the n for now?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll check the abyss with Moon Moon while you rest here. I still need you to live a long life so you can¡¯t push yourself too much. We¡¯ll need deep diving gear for now and¡ª¡±
¡°Perfect! Follow me!¡±
She grabbed his hand, taking back control of the situation as she dragged him away. They left a sad, lonely seaweed monster back as they quickly exited the room.
She proceeded to parade him around the base, all guards gawking at them like local celebrities, often whispering among themselves while drooling.
¡°God, I¡¯m so jealous of that guy!¡±
¡°He must be up all night if you know what I mean!¡±
¡°Of course! Infinite Pumpkin Cookies! Infinite Midnight Snacks!¡±
As for any lewdments about the Pumpkin Goddess herself¡they bloody knew better! It was one thing tock cookies, but another to get a cookie bounty put on one¡¯s head!
It didn¡¯t take long for the party to reach a messy room that was nheless very well guarded: the treasury room¡if it could be called that.
.....
The whole thing was pretty much where the soldiers dropped the loot they randomly obtained while patrolling (hunting). There was a LOT of junk!
A good merchant would have instantly realized the value of all that trash lootbined, but a great merchant would have understood that it wasn¡¯t worth the trouble it¡¯d cause.
¡°Why are we here exactly?¡± Jack couldn¡¯t help but ask.
¡°Take your pick. I¡¯ll trade for whatever you think is helpful.¡± There were so many items in there glowing brightly; surely one would be helpful, right?
Nope¡.it was all trash, shiny trash.
The problem wasn¡¯t the quality but the fact that the pressure would drastically increase where they nned on going. The usualke items wouldn¡¯t suffice.
Jack casually grabbed a few items before shaking his head.
¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll need a bit more stuff than that. But don¡¯t worry, I know a few mermaids that might just help¡.¡± Jack reassured.
¡°Mermaids? You actually know some?¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (They all wanted to marry him!)
The little wolf happily chimed in, only to raise its head in confusion. Why did the air seem colder all of a sudden? Oh well, whatever.
An innocent wolf happily followed its master¡
Chapter 370 - 370 Explosive Palace Stop!
370 Explosive Pce Stop!
In a Pce under the sea, a Mermaid Empress was attending to various matters from supply chain to troops training when her peaceful morning was interrupted.
¡°Your Majesty, the hum¡ªmander of the human infiltration is requesting an audience!¡± A guard mored by the door.
The enchantingdy raised a slender brow as she authoritatively gestured for the man to let them in. She appeared so calm, and yet her heart was beating quickly.
This time she wouldn¡¯t lose her cool! This time she¡¯d look at him in the eyes, show her usual grace, and this time for sure she¡¯d impress¡no, enchant him!
The crystal doors opened wide¡
¡°Wee, hero, you¡¯ve done¡ª Gasp?!¡± She suddenly choked, unable to keep her cool. She had been so guarded against him that hispanion utterly blindsided her.
Next to him was a girl that she had seen before. Back then, she had given her the impression of a gentle, shy human-looking forest creature. (Her Life mana was so pure after all.)
Shy? Gentle? Forest envoy? Nope!
She came crashing through, her aura one of a battle-hardened queen, her gaze stripping her bare, and with enough sex appeal to blind the sun!
.....
Also, what was up with that position?! She was so close to Jack that his entire arm disappeared into a soft valley. It was as if she was eying a potential rival.
The before versus after was so shocking that the Empress found herself shaking in bewilderment. It got even worse when a powerful yet sultry voice came out of her full lips.
¡°We meet again. I hope you are doing well, Empress. Well, I guess you are since you¡¯ve finally found someone pleasing to your eyes.¡± Pumpkin Girl sweetly uttered.
The Empress found herself shaking once again.
All this because of a mere marriage proposal?! Who exactly was this girl¡and what?! Could a regr girl really emanate such power?!
But then the Empressposed herself. What was she getting stressed about? She was the Mighty Empress of¡ª Never mind! She needed her for the Pce snacks!!! #Crisis!
¡°N-no, you see, I¡ª¡±The Empress stopped herself as Pumpkin Girl¡¯s slight frown sent tremors into her¡¯ unsteady heart. She was suddenly faced headfirst with aplicated dilemma:
1. The proposal had been a joke: Wouldn¡¯t this mean that she had been toying with the man¡¯s heart? ¡ª> Get hated!
2. The Proposal was serious: This would indubitably create an enemy between the two as rivals. ¡ª> Get hated!
No, wait! There was another way! The Empress clenched her fist powerfully. Thank god all those years of diplomacy would serve her now!
With a victorious grin, she chose¡option 3!
¡°I couldn¡¯t be more serious about my proposal, BUT I won¡¯t try to force his hand. He¡¯s already rejected me once too, and¡ª¡±
¡°Yes, but now that I¡¯m looking carefully at her, she indeed is very gorgeous. Her scales are so colorful, yet so delicate and¡.¡±
¡ª ASSHOLE!! ¡ª
Now, this goddess would definitely refuse to cooperate with anything in the future! What kind of deadly game was he ying?! Was he trying to undermine all her efforts?! She¡¯d¡ª ¡°W-what?!¡±
She wasn¡¯t angry at all. She was even beaming so much that it was eerily scary. Ah, this was all because of how he looked at her.
Even as he wasplimenting the Empress with a barrage of flowery words, he only had eyes for the girl by his side. He was clearly enjoying that surprising bout of jealousy.
It was all a clever n to test the Empress¡¯ true feeling, wasn¡¯t it? Pumpkin Girl had agreed not to monopolize him, but that didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d go down without a fight!
He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.
A Farmgirl overpowering an Empress in a duel of spirit sure was a great show! Max affinity sure was OP, wasn¡¯t it! But the fun ended, for they had official business to attend to.
¡°We¡¯ve found a weapon that could help the water people in the uing war, but we¡¯d need some material to retrieve it. How about investing in us?¡± Jack proposed.
¡°U-uh¡S-sure¡ Up to 80 pearls of value.¡± The trembling Empress signaled a few guards to escort them toward the treasury under close escort.
¡°Woo!¡± (Victory!)
Only once the Empress was out of their sights did Moon Moon return to life as it kept stealing nces at Pumpkin Girl.
She looked so peaceful with Jack patting her head, but had a monster hidden inside her, one that had to be even stronger than dragons! Better never anger it!
¡°I¡¯ve picked up a few tricks along the way.¡± She nonchntly exined. Tricks, tricks?! Those were bulldozer-grade negotiation tactics!
¡°Hm, perhaps we could send you into the abyss to overwhelm whatever monsters lies within¡.¡± Jack couldn¡¯t help but tease her.
¡°Woo!!¡± (This wolf agrees! 1 Hit K.O.!)
¡°Pfft¡ª Enough jokes. Let¡¯s do this!¡±
They soon reached the treasury.,..and cried. The room was even bigger and messier than at the mansion. Finding Waldo would have seemed like child y inparison.
¡°ARGGG! Why can¡¯t we just blow everything away! Whatever remains afterward will have the resistance necessary to withstand lots of power.
But as tempting as this was (very), there were so many guards eying them that trying anything sketchy would have meant a death wish.
As for the results¡
Three despondent adventurers sat in the hallway, straight on the floor, their backs against the wall. Somehow they seemed to be sighing more than they breathed.
¡°Nothing! Bloody nothing! What kind of Pce is this?!¡± Pumpkin Girlined while grinding her teeth.
¡°Woo!¡± (Do we head to another Pce then?)
The little wolf innocently asked. Nope, this wasn¡¯t a case of ¡°your princess is another castle¡±. It felt like they had explored every option and were at an impasse.
¡°What now?¡± Pumpkin Girl sighed.
¡°Time for a think tank! Remember, there are no bad ideas.¡± Jack proposed.
Moon Moon was probably the one the most enthusiastic about the idea. Helping by giving ideas? It would do it!
¡°Woo!¡± (Red Meat Submarine!)
¡°Woo!¡± (Drink all theke¡¯s water!)
¡°Woo!¡± (Use that training montage thing!)
Its tail kept wagging from side to side, its excitement way over the top. Sadly all those ideas did end up unreliable for one reason or another.
The poor wolf could only y by the side with every suggestion harshly denied. It had even found some small crabs, yfully returning them.
¡ª Tac! Tac! Tac! ¡ª
¡°Woo! Woo!¡± (so much fun!)
The hows full of happiness couldn¡¯t have been disturbing. Jack gave a wry smile. ¡°Moon Moon, can you keep it down a min¡ª Gasp!¡±
¡°Woo?!¡± (What did I do?!)
¡°No, no! Never mind! That might actually work!¡± A bloodshot-eyed Jack suddenly went to grab the crabs as if looking at some godly treasure.
Without even saying a word, he hurriedly rushed inside the treasury,ing back with a few weird brown balls. Was this supposed to be valuable? It looked¡in at best.
¡°Let¡¯s hurry! Direction, Abyss!¡± He was akin to a new man, rushing forward under the puzzled gazes of hispanions.
They journeyed far and wide¡.in peaceful water.
Then they journeyed far and wide in bandits-infested waters, hiding all the way through. Then they finally reached their destination: the Abyss.
It was dark and DEEP!
Someone could have thrown a water-proof glow-stick in there, and it would have taken decades for anything to reach the ground¡.then again, the pressure would have obliterated it.
The ce was also utterly devoid of life. The seaweeds that could be found everywhere were missing, while not even the shadow of a fish could be seen.
¡°This ce feels way too¡empty, dead even.¡± Pumpkin Girl¡¯s senses were screaming at her to get out of there ASAP.
¡°Dead? Not quite. Here, look at this.¡± Jack didn¡¯t hesitate as he started digging the ground in a big rectangr shape.
At first, it seemed so cryptic, but then it turned downright crazy. He was digging a bloody hole to bury himself in! He even happilyid himself in there, seemingly awaiting his end.
¡°Woo?!¡± (That looks fun!)
¡°W-what are you doing?!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback.
But Jack simply winked her way, patting the soil next to him, inviting her. ¡°Won¡¯t youe by my side?¡± He gantly offered.
It seemed insane, but she trusted him, quickly joining him. As for Moon Moon, not even a trace of hesitation! A few secondster, the two were snuggling up to him.
He quickly crushed one of the brown balls, spraying it all over his body as if sun lotion. He then chucked: ¡°Now we y dead.¡±
¡°Woo!¡± (ARRGGG!)
Peace returned to the Abyss¡¯ surroundings. There was a moment of floating silence, but then it all happened at once.
¡ª Tremble! Tremble! ¡ª
The previously dead-looking soil began shaking so intensely it felt like an earthquake! But this was only the beginning.
¡°No matter what, do not move,¡± Jack advised as something approached. No, it wasn¡¯t something, but countless little somethings that all formed a wave.
It was powerful, fast, and all-epassing.
They finally realized what the whole thing was as it came closer. Crustaceans! Lots of and lots of them with dark shiny carapaces!
.....
They looked just like centipede/crab abominations, with maws full of sharp teeth that seemingly could tear through the fabric of time itself.
Each was the size of a palm, but it didn¡¯t remove one bit of their terrifying factor! It didn¡¯t help that they were heading straight for them!
¡ª SHRIEEKKKK! ¡ª
Those things wanted to devour them!
But even faced with such a nightmarish scene, Jack remained utterly calm.
No, it was even worse than that. He even added oil to fire as he gestured toward the creatures. ¡°Come here, little ones,e to daddy!¡±
¡ª SHRIEEKKKK! SHRIEEKKKK! ¡ª
Was there a need to taunt them?!...
Chapter 371 Abyss Diving!
Chapter 371 Abyss Diving!
The wave of nightmarish critters was heading straight for them, their shrieking making theke itself tremble.
¡ª SHRIEEKKKK! ¡ª
"Woo!" (So many of them?!)
The little wolf couldn''t help but shake, but then it felt a soft nudge in his sides. Pumpkin Girl sent him a soothing nce, and she looked so peaceful¡all because of the nearby Jack!
"Those are cleaners, a hive race that inhabits the deep seas. They feast on the dead and only the dead. As for why they''re here, it''s probably because of the Abyss¡"
"The Abyss? Sea?"
Jack pointed to the brown balls.
"These are also found in the sea. At first I overlooked them, but then figured that maybe it meant there would be cleaners here too."
"S-so, what exactly is this anyway?" Pumpkin Girl couldn''t help but ask, a vile odoring out of the brown paste even underwater.
"This, well¡. you''ll see¡." Jack cryptically replied.
In fact, he didn''t even finish his sentence that the creatures were upon them. With the proximity, their nametes became visible.
[LV 120 "Cleaners" Legion! ???]
[Quest! Hunt Them All Down!]
[Alternatively, You Can Run¡]
Level 120?! The Legion was a force to reckon with. Anyone with a shred of survival instinct would have swam away as fast as possible, but Jack didn''t move one bit.
He didn''t move even as the creatures engulfed him¡
He didn''t move as they crawled across his skin, tickled his nose, and shrieked by his ears¡.
He didn''t move either as they began to¡.lick him?! What kind of ridiculous scene was that?! Jack now had plenty of time to inspect every individual level 5-10 critters.
What the heck was happening?!
"This paste is like catnip to cats or cocaine to humans. Once they taste it, it''s tough for them to stop. With this here, they won''t even notice us as long as we don''t attack."
"Woo!" (Ah! It''s like the Pumpkin Cookies! Add¡addictive!)
The little wolf triumphantly finished its sentence. But a secondter, it was already busy salivating at the brown substance, wondering what it tasted like.
That''s when Jack finally rose up.
Well, he couldn''t actually be seen, only a humanoid wriggling mass of bugs appearing. Anyone with an insect phobia would have long had a heart attack!
"With this, we''re ready to explore the Abyss."
"?!?"
Jack chuckled as he promptly exined the concept of diving suits. In this case, the bugs themselves would be his "suit", and they would be the ones resisting the water pressure.
"Woo!" (That''s so amazing! My turn, my turn!)
"Hehe, alright."
Another brown ball was promptly crushed, a wolf-shaped bug mass soon appearing next to the humanoid one.
Seeing this, Pumpkin Girl couldn''t help but take a leap behind, watching the brown balls in horror. But a secondter, she resolved herself,ing forward again.
"I''ll help too!" She struggled to resist her disgust with every fiber of her being, showing a brave front.
"It''s alright. There''s nothing much you can do down there. Just find somece safe to wait for me. I''ll bring you back a souvenir." Jack suavely waved an insect-covered hand.
Then he approached the seemingly bottomless fissure next to them. This was the ce they had to explore, all to find the magical water-generating treasure. It was time to dive in!
¡ª Jump! ¡ª
The two disappeared.
It was so dark, silent, and oppressive. They quickly lost sense of their surroundings, of time, and even lost their sense of self. All they could feel was the non-stop wriggling.
Diving into the Abyss was akin to being a prisoner of an endless nightmare.
Falling, some more falling, even more falling, then some¡.were they still falling? Perhaps they had long reached the ground and simply hadn''t felt it? Perhaps they were dead too?
"Woo?" (¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª)
The little wolf called its master, but it couldn''t even hear its own voice. W-what was this?! Anxiety threatened to overwhelm it, but then it felt a soothing aura.
''Don''t worry. I''m still here.''
The dark world quickly went from unbelievably terrifying to entertaining as it felt its master''s presence through their bond. How curious of a ce this was!
Who knows how long thatsted, but then they suddenly hit something¡
¡ª CRASH! ¡ª
They abruptly regained their sight, and they couldn''t help but gasp.
There was just so much to take in! Everywhere around them, there were ships, tons and tons of ships. No, not ships, vessels! True behemoths of the sea, the size of dragons!
Below them, there was soft pure white sand, and above a star-filled dome of bright neon blue light. The whole thing could only be described as otherworldly!
As for the critters covering them? All were gone! They were stuck in the folds of the blue barrier over their heads as if a giant.
"Woo!" (This ce is amazing! The Abyss is so cool!")
The little wolf''s eyes were full of stars as it gazed at everything from the giant constructions to the weird metallic chains that linked them to the ground.
"Tch¡ª I don''t think we''re in the Abyss anymore. I believe this is a remnant, one that holds a lot of power at that to keep the "Cleaners" at bay." Jack remarked.
"Woo?" (Remnant?)
"This Abyss seems quite special, not just a hole but a pathway, one that leads to various scenes across time and space¡."
"Woo?" (¡?!?)
"Like a long tunnel where people and things get lost¡."
Ah! That was an exnation the little wolf could understand! This meant they were at the right ce, right?! After all, they were searching for a lost Mermaid Treasure!
The two began exploring the area, Jack exining the whole concept of naval "ships" to hispanion. The two circled the sunken ships many times over, Jack''s frown getting deeper and deeper.
"Those are from high-level sea areas for sure¡."
Even the crests on them were high-level magical circles, long-broken but still identifiable by his discerning eye. But the strange part was theplete absence of monsters.
It was quiet, a little too quiet¡
"Woo?" (Can we look inside?)
"Tch¡ª We''ll have to. Treasures won''t just be lying in the sand, sadly. Alright, but before we go in, let''s do a few preparations¡."
Under the wolf''s shocked gaze, Jack suddenly began taking out various things. No, LOTS of things! Was he preparing for war?! Were those "ships" that dangerous?!
1. He started by digging trenches
2. Then added lots of magical formations in there
3. Afterward, he doodled weird things all over the blue barrier
4. Finally, he topped it all by creating lots of sand statues all over the ce.
The result was a sea floor that looked like a modern artist with dubious tastes had vandalized it. It wasn''t just shocking. It was downright eery!
"Woo!" (What''s that for?!)
"Hiding, warding, diversion, self-destruction¡." Jack kept listing more functions than the little wolf could possibly remember! But at least they were now ready¡
The two boarded one of the vessels. It appeared brand new as if it was perfectly fine to sail, and yet it was here.
"Ready? 3¡2¡1..!" Jack opened the trapdoor leading inside.
¡ª Whoosh! Puff! ¡ª
A white fog greeted them along with wind colder than death¡but the worst was the scent. That scent was enough for them both to gag, so horrible that Moon Moon almost fainted.
simr curses.
[Wee to the Old Pirate Ship! Enjoy Your Stay!]
"Quick, use spells!" Jack hurriedly shouted.
"Woo?!" (Spells?!)
Its master had already surrounded himself with a demonic energy aura as he spent his mana reckless. Ah! It hurriedly copied him, turning itself into a bonfire.
At first, it didn''t understand what was going on, but then it felt it. There was something trying totch unto them, trying to devour them. It was¡.the air itself?!
"This is time magic, or rather a curse."
"Woo?!" (Time?!)
"Time erases all and everything. No wonder the ships are so maintained, their time has long stopped flowing, their husk only bait for unsuspecting travelers¡."
The little wolf couldn''t help but shake. Without its master''s warning, it would never have realized the danger. After all, it was customary for an old ship to host foul air, right?!
This ce was freaking deadly!
[Resisted time Erosion!]
[Resisted Time Erosion!]
¡.
"Woo!" (Let''s run!)
"No, quite the contrary. The worst thing to do against a time curse is to y it safe. This is only giving it more time: time is power in this case! Let''s go!"
Jack decisively headed inside, more careful than ever. After all, many guilds had been destroyed by simr curses.
[You''ve Entered a Legacy Realm!]
[Ahoy, Private! Stay Sharp!]
Ahoy? Private?! This was their only warning before a sand-golden colored energy engulfed them! Then they were swept away by an irresistible flow!
¡ª Darkness¡Golden Darkness?! ¡ª
The entire world was rocking, the smell of salt and vomit assaulting their noses. Whatever this ce was, it felt way worse than dying.
It was like their insides had been turned upside down, and a thousand mes had burned their skins. It felt¡ª "Stop ying dead, youzy bastard!" KICK!
Jack suddenly opened his eyes wide, a scruffy guy''s mug weing him. The guy was tall, well-built, half-naked, full of scars, and was holding a leather whip.
"Hurry the fuck up and row! Gotta leave that bloody shore, or we''re all dead!"
Jack grabbed the oar before him, pushing and pulling as he inspected his surroundings. This was a ship with gruff sailors everywhere, one he recognized instantly.
They were on the vessel before its demise! What kind of mirage was this?! Jack wasn''t sure, but he was certain it was a deadly one! An old seadog beside him chuckled.
"Wee to the Golden Pearl, matey! Ready to die?"
[New Mission! Survive!]
Chapter 372 Row Till You Bleed!
Chapter 372 Row Till You Bleed!
"Row like your life depends on it!!" Panicked shouts echoed all over the shop, unfortunate sailors working their asses off.
¡ª SHISHISHI! ¡ª
In the distance, strange cries resounded from the creatures chasing them. Just the sounds were enough for many to soil themselves, their faces turning ghostly pale.
"What the hell is that?!" Jack questioned.
"Probably what annihted the previous crew! I bloody knew that following after them was a TERRIFIC idea! TCH ¡ª We already have plenty to worry about!" The old man cursed.
Jack now had to survive.
He didn''t just row; he gave it his all. His taut muscles quickly dripped with sweat as he worked the oar. But would this be enough?
"AH!! A monster!!" A scream came from the crew quarter, wounded sailors bursting out of the crew quarters terrified.
Plenty of soldiers clenched their weapons, gulping heavily. That''s when IT came running through. A creature with eyes of mes, fangs of steel, and glowingly mighty.
Before anyone could react, the monster charged straight at the rowing crew with a bloodthirsty howl! It sounded a bit like¡
"WOO!" (Masssteerrrr!!! I finally found you!)
"Noooooo!" Time seemed to stop. This beast was so cunning! It was targeting their means of propulsion, and then the other monsters would catch up and¡ª
But then they all stilled. What the heck was happening?! The devilish beast was¡licking one of their Newbie sailors?! The guy looked so unremarkable too!
The shock was big enough to slow down the vessels, too many busy gawking.
"What the hell are you all doing?! Is this the time to be polishing your wood?! Work those oars!" Jack brought them back to their senses.
"R-right! S-sorry!"
They all resumed working, many still ncing at the wolf with unease. Except they''d soon have a bigger issue than a strange pet: they were far too slow.
"They''re still catching up¡." The guy with the whip muttered solemnly.
The man nced at their position and at their sails with regret. He knew they''d be useless around that cursed windless Ind. All they could do was prepare themselves to fight¡
That''s the moment Jack rose from his rowing seat, only to stare at the empty air oddly.
[Use of Inventory Restricted! Good Luck!]
[Clear the Mission to Unlock!]
How annoying.
He turned toward the sailors that were busy ring at him as they warned: "Newbie, return to your seat and¡ª"
"I don''t have time for that bullshit." Jack bypassed the angry guys, stepping up on a wooden barrel to be visible to everyone. "Now, all you bitches, listen up if you want to live!"
¡ª Gasp! ¡ª
Had the guy lost his mind?!
The crew-master was already holding his whip, ready to handle it.
"Have you guys never learned how to row properly?! We''re going all out! I''ll teach you all how to go into overdrive!"
What was he even talking about?! But then he began teaching. "Use your life essence and¡" Wait, was this really possible?! "Follow the rhythm and¡."
The NPCs intently listened to him. He spoke of a crazy technique that seemed too good to be true, but they didn''t have much to lose at the moment anyway.
[Error! Unknown Energy Detected!]
[Error! User doesn''t have the capabilities to¡ª]
''The capability to teach such advanced knowledge?'' Jack inwardly snickered at the system. Oh, he really didn''t. But this wasn''t the real Infinite world. It was a mirage!
A mirage was, in essence, a reflection of the real world.
It was as if he was a bystander ying out a scenario that had happened long ago. This meant that it was tough to influence for a few reasons:
1. No inventory!
2. Unable to y it as a party!
3. General flow of events set in stone!
But, there was onerge loophole to the whole thing, one he''d exploit! He''d teach the actors, teach them forbidden knowledge, and they would affect the mirage in his stead!
He went into a heated speech, teaching them how to "unlock" their true potential. They''d put their all into this moment of life and death, not caring about bacsh!
"Everyone, focus! Row like you mean it!" Jack repeatedly shouted as Moon Moon kept howling to regte their cadence.
Before long, their bodies started oozing blood pearls as their muscles bulged powerfully. It seemed as if they were all taking magical steroids at once!
All of this really couldn''t be healthy, but they were way too taken with the feeling of ecstasy that came with power toin.
"Wow! I''m overflowing with energy!"
"Row, row, fight¡ª leave this ind!"
"Less talking and more rowing!
Under Jack''s teaching, it didn''t take long for the ship to increase pace visibly. It was such an increase that even the Captain left his post at the helm to check the miracle.
Everyone was all smiles, knowing they finally had a chance at surviving! Well, all but the poor system that was having another mental breakdown.
[User Taught NPCs Blood Magic Variation?! How?!]
[Lifespans Consumed! They''re Doomed!]
[What Have You Done?!]
What had he done? He had made them row fast as fuck! He''d be out of the mirage before they started dropping like flies anyway, right?
Under their crazed state, it didn''t take too long to reach the open sea. This allowed them to unfurl their sails, the wind sending them forward!
They were out! They had left whatever enemies were behind them back then¡.and yet red-eyed half-naked berserk rowers were still working.
"Eh¡you guys, you can stop now¡."
"No way, I can still go on! I''m powerful!!!" They were like those hamsters that killed themselves running in their ball. #Perfect Employees! #Working till they dropped!
"What''s up with them?! Why are they shedding bloody tears?!" The sharp Captain''s voice echoed.
Jack quickly considered his potential answers:
A) "I thought them forbidden Magic, no biggie!"
B) "No worries. They''re expelling impurities in their blood!"
C) "They''re just very motivated. I''m sure they''ll return to normal eventually¡."
What kind of lie could he even spin here? There was clearly something wrong with them! But just as he was thinking¡.
"Woo!" (That''s obviously because they''re hungry!)
"I-is that wolf¡talking?! They''re hungry¡?" The Captain couldn''t help but be taken aback by the little [Survived Phase One! Left the Dangerous Ind!]
wolf''s expression. How could it convey emotion so well?!
Moon Moon nodded vigorously with such intensity and conviction that even the skeptic Captain couldn''t be taken aback.
Just hungry? This sounded so stupid, and yet¡.it was true that overexertion whilecking energy would lead to injury. Perhaps it was worth feeding them first.
"Alright, bring them food ASAP!"
Jack wasn''t sure how to react to this. As if food would do anything! They weren''t just tired or overworked. They were dying, all of them! Oh, and it was his fault too.
This only left him a few options:
1. Leave the mirage (Best)
2. Heal the affected crew (Impossible)
3. Find something else to me their demise on (Enemies?)
While the others busied themselves preparing rations (or drooling in Moon Moon''s case), he approached the edge of the ship, observing the sea.
An endless red.
Red sea?! Totally normal, right?!
Huge waves kept rocking the ship, creating thud sounds as they battered the wood. As for the water (?), swimming in that red liquid didn''t seem safe at all!
[Survived Phase One! Left the Dangerous Ind!]
[Wee to the Open Sea!]
Tch¡ª There went option 1 of leaving the mirage. He had only finished phase 1?! At this rate, the crew would turn against him in phase 2¡
He felt fell into deep thoughts, the salty wind ruffling his hair.
"Woo?!" (There will be food! Are youing?!)
Moon Moon came nearby,rge sausages filling its mouth. Eating really was the best part of any mission for sure!
"You brought me food? Thanks!" Jack gently ruffled the wolf''s fur. "Alright, I''ll be right there. Wait for me¡."
"Woo!" (Alright!)
¡ª Happy Wolf Noises! ¡ª
But before joining the party, he had a slight detour to make.
Jack went headed inside the ship, heading for the kitchen, no one bothering to stop him. After all, they were about to have a victory feast, so it wasn''t that strange.
He waited to be alone¡
"Sigh, such ack of vignce." He muttered to himself.
He then decisively grabbed a long rope, attached lots and lots of food to it, and shoved it through a porthole window! There went their previous food!
But that wasn''t the worst of it¡
He had effectively created one gigantic and very appetizing fishing line. But instead of being fixed to a fishing rod, it was linked to the ship itself!
[Error! Error! Unrecognized Action!]
[Calcting Mirage Evolution!]
"You do that. Keep calcting. Still, never seen fishing before? I''m expecting fishing XP as soon as I do manage to catch something!" Jack teased the system.
He quickly cleaned the ce, draping over the window and hiding his monstrous "fishing line".
"Yep, this will do!" He praised himself on a job well done, only to be interrupted by the nging of the kitchen door.
"What are you doing here?! The feast has started already!" The crew master stared at him full of suspicion, thetter giving a radiant smile. "Oh, just exploring! Shall we go?"
"Fine, follow me¡." The man grumbled after a quick inspection, not thinking of checking outside the ship.
The feast began¡.
Smelling the food, the crazed crew members finally dropped the oars. They were even hungrier than a stoner after smoking a castle worth of weed!
"Woo!" (Eat and regain your strength!)
As Moon Moon encouraged them, Jack couldn''t help but sigh inwardly. Food wouldn''t help regain their lifespan, their brains mistaking it for hunger.
The more time passed, the more anxious Jack became. The crew''s condition obviously wasn''t improving, and they were about to kick the bucket!
The Captain was already getting ready to order his men to apprehend him for lying to them.
''C''mon! I need a disturbance, anything!'' Jack inwardly prayed. That''s when it happened¡
[Gained 468 943 Fishing XP!]
[You''ve caught a BIG Fish!]
Wasn''t this a little too much XP?!
Chapter 373 Hand Waving = Miracle!
Chapter 373 Hand Waving = Miracle!
[Gained 468 943 Fishing XP!] [You''ve caught a BIG Fish!] Wait, wasn''t this a little too much XP?! That''s when the entire ship rocked, hard! It was as if they had suddenly hit a wall right in the middle of the sea! "What in the seven seas''s happening?! We should be miles away from anynd! Who''s in the crow nest right now?! What do you see up there?!" the Captain loudly shouted. "M-monster! R-runnn!!!" Run? Bloody where?! This was a ship, aka a literal floating coffin! No one had time anymore to bother about Jack''s dubious teachings. But now, even he was getting slightly uneasy. That''s when it happened. ¡ª WHOOSH! ¡ª A gigantic appendage appeared at the ship''s side! The thing was slimy yet scaly and powerful-looking. Its touch ruptured part of the deck, sending splinters flying. "Nooo! T-this can''t be!" Then a monstrous head appeared, one full of barbs and spiky teeth. Tworge pearl-looking beady eyes finally settled on them, the monster''s antennas joyfully wriggling¡it would eat! < Ancestral Blue Draconic Sea Slug! Lv 99! > Damn Mirage! How did this make any sense?! The ship''s food was salty for preservation. How had it attracted a snail?! And one so huge at that! ¡ª ROAR! ¡ª The creature swung itsrge mouth at them, eager to snack! Seeing such an enemy, the Berserk sailors couldn''t hold it anymore. Filled with blood lust, they charged at the monster! An unbelievable battle instantly began! Crazed Sailors VS Giant Slug! Fearless Humans VS Nightmarish Creature! But it quickly became evident that the entire scene wasn''t as much a fight as an all-you-can-eat slug buffet! The Captain''s horrified shrieks weren''t enough to stop it either. "Stop fighting! You''re just throwing your lives away!" "So what?! We''ll puncture its stomach from the inside!!" Another dumbass valiantly shouted before disappearing in the thing''s gaping maw. ¡ª RIP! Rest in tiny pieces! ¡ª "Woo!" (Master, how do we kill this thing?!) Kill? As if that was possible! The sailors were probably level 60 or something, but they weren''t enough to beat this monstrous creature. Salt wasn''t effective either¡ Would this hybrid monstrosity have a dragon''s heart? If they could dislodge it from its chest, they might actually survive this. But only its head was sticking out of the water, its body was hidden under the red sea surface. Fighting that thing in its natural habitat was suicide! As for destroying its scales¡ "FIRE!!!" A few sailors had brought a giant cannon, aiming straight at the monster. ¡ª BOOM! ¡ª The cannonball powerfully flew toward the enemy, finally colliding with its sturdy scales, and¡ CRACK! But it wasn''t the scales that had broken, but the metallic projectile! n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Was this thing invincible?! Meanwhile, the crazed rowers were stillmitting suicide as they fearlessly confronted the creature. Everything was going to shit¡
"YOU! It''s all your fault! You made them go crazy, do something!" The Captain screamed as he grabbed Jack by the cor. "Me?! No way! They''re just very valiant! I don''t have half their courage myself!" He lied through his teeth. "But, I might have a way to deal with this enemy¡." "You do?!" Jack began whispering his n in the man''s ear. The more he did and the redder the Captain''s face became. It even reached new shades of purple, fury oveing him. "Are you crazy?! This is a death sentence!" "Also our only choice¡." Jack shrugged. "ARGG! Fine! Men, listen up!¡." Things quickly went in motion. The more the sailors worked and the more worried they seemed. Perhaps getting eaten would be better than that crazy man''s n! But they obeyed their Captain nevertheless, quickly assembling everything they needed. It was finally show time! "We need to bait the creature¡." "Woo!" (I''m on it! Hey, you dumb slimy Slug! Come and catch me!) The little wolf howled at the creature, disdain apparent in its tone. It even stood on a pile of crates to look taller than it really was, as it hurled "insults" at the behemoth. At first, the Slug ignored the provocation. After all, why would it interrupt its delicious human meal to chase after such a tiny wolf? But then came the fireballs. ¡ª Whoosh! Whoosh! ¡ª Moon Moon kept bombarding the monster with fire. It wasn''t strong enough to harm it, but it was perfect for annoying it. That''s when it finally locked unto it. ¡ª ROAR!!! ¡ª "Woo!" (You can scream? So can I! Humph!) The gaping maw went straight for the unfortunate wolf. The motion was unbelievably fast given the creature''s size and didn''t let any room for dodging. ¡ª GULP! ¡ª Just like that, Moon Moon was gone¡ "Nice! Great job!" Jack cheered up on the side, the sailors giving him dark looks. What kind of heartless bastard was he?! But a secondter, another wolf appeared, quickly taking ce beside Jack. The confused sailors nced between it and the monster''s jaw. Hadn''t it just been eaten?! "Hehe, quiz time. What happens when you mix gunpowder and a fire clone inside a giant slug''s stomach?" ¡ª KABOOM! ¡ª They could hear, feel, and even see the explosion from the outside as the creature''s stomach expended many times over! It looked like a balloon that was ready to burst!
The thing opened its mouth, a mighty gale escaping it. "Hold on to something!" It swept through them all. As for the berserk sailors, they were way too busy ring at the monster and were instantly swept off, falling into the sea.
The gale finally receded, and yet the creature was still standing. That''s when the sailors were finally overwhelmed with despair. They were utterly doomed! Yet one amongst them actually heaved a sigh of relief. It was the first time Jack saw this specific monster, but the way its appendage were turned told him a lot about its mood. The Slug was feeling doubtful¡ Without hesitating, he walked forward, adopting the same yful attitude Moon Moon had before, nailing both the verbal and non-verbal tells perfectly! "Hey, you dumb slimy Slug! Come and catch me!" He taunted the creature without a care in the world. The Draconic Slug suddenly froze. What was up with this little creature?! It clearly remembered what had happened after it had eaten the wolf. Even now, its stomach was still pulsating with unending pain. It quickly reviewed the possibilities in its mind. Could it be yet another trap? What if he was bluffing? Should it just attack the ship itself? But would Jack let it think? Nope! "If you ain''ting, then I''ll go to you! Hehehe." He powerfully dered as he stepped forward. The Slug''s thoughts were a mess. What was up with that guy?! Hisugh was so creepy and foreboding. Should it even fight this madman? Win ¡ª> A few more tiny snacks. Lose ¡ª> A severe stomachache, one that could even be deadly. That''s when the creature met Jack''s eyes. Nope! Nope! Nope! A secondter, it turned tail, disappearing in the red sea. At the end of the day, it had chosen the safer bet. The crew couldn''t help but nce at the sight with bulging eyes. Were they dreaming? That horror had left just like that?! A few rounds of pinchingter¡ "We survived! We really did!" "I bet it ran because of your ugly mug!" "Stop bullshitting. It was obviously thanks to the new guy!"
They all turned toward the human and wolf duo with awe. As for the little incident with the Berserk sailors (now dead), they had forgotten all about it after surviving. [Drove The Giant Sea Slug Away!] [Completed Phase 2 of the Mirage!] [Congrattions! Unlocked Partial Inventory!] Everything seemed to be going well, but the Captain poured cold water over their enthusiasm. "We''re still screwed. All the salt and gunpowder we had went into that explosion. How are we even supposed to survive now?!" ¡ª Gasps! ¡ª That''s what it was back then?! Their shoulders slumped, fear overwhelming them. Didn''t this mean that they''d starve to death?! Being eaten didn''t seem as scary anymore¡ [The Crew Lost All Morale!] [Despair is Rampant!] "Woo?!" (No food?! What a crisis!) The little wolf hurriedly went around the ce, and it wasn''t long before it grabbed a rope. They just had to do like that one piranha fisherman from back then, right? "Don''t even think about it! The creatures in the ocean are all unbelievably vicious! Don''t you dare try to attract any of them!" The Captain warned. Things were looking grim: 1. No rations 2. Nond in sight 3. No possibility of fishing "Woo!" (It''s fine! Master will find a solution!) The little wolf waved a paw full of confidence toward Jack. He''d obviously find a way to solve their plight! ''Just you watch! Master''s amazing!'' "Scoff! He''s no magical genie! Or are you telling me he''s just gonna make food appear by waving his hand?! Ridiculous that''s imposs¡ª"
"C-captain¡?!" A shellshocked sailor was pointing to the side. "What is it?!" The Captain looked over, only to freeze. Jack waved his hand, the motion generating rations out of thin air. This had to be an illusion, right?! "Woo!" (Nice! Meat!) The little wolf came wagging its tail and salivating. Meat was the best on a boat trip! Meanwhile, the spectators were rubbing their eyes in disbelief. "W-what?! H-how?!" "That? It''s a reward from the gods for sessfully driving away the evil sea slug. I heard a weird voice in my head after the battle, calling this power inventory¡." Jack shrugged. "T-that¡.how unbelievable! This might just save us, but there''s still an issue¡." That''s when the Captain nced at the state of the ship. Under the battering of the waves, the wood was loudly creaking, water slowly infiltrating it. The vessel had been damaged in the previous fight. "We''ll have tond for repair." That''s when a few older sailors suddenly began shaking¡
"But Captain, we''re still in the Belt of Doom!" "Yet we''ll have tond either way¡."
Chapter 374 Youll Save Them, Right?!
Chapter 374 You''ll Save Them, Right?!
[New Quest! Mirage Part 3!]
[Find a Way to Repair the Ship!] Jack scowled at his half-locked inventory. This would have been so easy if it wasn''t restricted! Heck, he would have forged the hell out of this vessel! Sadly they had tond, and soon! They headed for a cluster of inds in the distance, the ce hidden under a heavy sea fog. But the closer they got, the more nervous the crew became. "What''s here?" Jack raised a brow: "Death, pain, suffering¡." "The unknown¡" What was up with those cryptic answers? It seemed like they feared this ce because they didn''t know the danger the inds in the area contained. As soon as they came near the beach, the Captain began distributing straws. "As usual, we''ll draw to pick who goes ind and¡ª"
"I have a better idea¡." Jack interrupted. Go in all guns zing? Hell no! Who knew what they''d encounter in this strange mirage. After all, there had already been invisible monsters and a dragon¡ªslug! Under their perplexed gazes, Jack began a one-man show. He moved his hands repeatedly, making tons of weird shapes¡.
"?!?" But that''s when Moon Moon joined in, moving its paws in response. Wait, it seemed like they weremunicating?! Was that even possible?! Jack started from the beginning, teaching them signnguage: ''march'', ''stop'', ''hide'', and more. He''d gesture and quiz them on the meaning. Get it right? ¡ª> Thumbs UP! Get it wrong? ¡ª> Be looked down on by a wolf. If a beast was smart enough to understand something so simple, what did it say about them?! The Sailors quickly startedpeting against one another. The faster they understood Jack''s directives, the better. They all trained on the ship''s deck yet remained entirely silent. Soon, all their conversations changed to signnguage. "Everyone, time to explore the ind!" He remarked. "Go? All of us? It''s dangerous!" "Drawing straws?" "Scary!" Why couldn''t they just rush in and out with a small number like they usually did? They knew just enough to convey their reluctance. Jack was ready to argue as he began gesturing with the speed of a signnguage rap god¡.or a ninja! "Sneak is the way to go! Rushing will only get us all killed! Think about how it went on that first ind! Slow and easy wins the race! There''s¡" He overwhelmed them with so many arguments. They could barely understand him given theircking knowledge, but his confidence nheless won them over. Panicking and cursing sailors ¡ª> Sneaky ninja sailors! The difference was like night and day. Given the fog surrounding the ind, they were even harder to see! That only left two issues: 1. The noise. Jack mercilessly forced them to use their few remaining nkets to wrap their weapons. He even had them remove any metallic pieces from their outfits. 2. The smell Jack made them all roll in sand, dirt, and ashes. The mixture was utterly disgusting, especially with the humidity in the air, but it would help them blend in. "All this necessary?" A despondent sailor couldn''t but gesture. Necessary?! Necessary! Of course! Moon Moon replied promptly, pointing its paw at the guy and imitating him dying a gruesome death. Tch¡ª how dared they doubt its master! "Whatever, let''s go!" Jack gave the marching signal. They proceeded deeper into the ind. The atmosphere was as tense as the visibility nil, and the poor sailors felt like they were in a ghost story. Still, all they had to do was to be discrete and find some wood for repairs. They managed to keep their nerves in check, knowing their mission was easy. But that''s when a man stepped on something¡ ¡ª ng! ¡ª A soft metallic sound resounded as the man slowly lowered his eyes toward the ground. As if fate, that''s the exact moment wind blew the fog surrounding them away¡ That''s when the entire expedition went to shit: "Gold?! Oh my god! GOLD!!!" The scene before them was so marvelous that they all lost their bearings.
It was a city of gold! Everywhere the eye could see, there was a golden hue. "We''re rich! We''re so goddamn rich!" "This is amazing! This is¡ª"
"Shut up, will you!" That''s when they finally came back to their senses, fuck! But as they observed their surroundings, theyughed in relief. It was clear, no monster whatsoever! Everything would be fine! They had been so lucky! What were the chances of finding such a paradise in such a dangerous ce?! One hurriedly shouted: "Guys, firste, first served!"
¡ª Greedy Sailor Noises! ¡ª They all rushed forward as if druggies in need of their fix! They even kicked the "annoying" human that tried to stand in their way¡ "Woo!!" (You bastards! No pushing!) The little wolf couldn''t stand how impatient they were. They had even pushed its master. Talk about impolite! They''d better apologize or else¡ actually, what was that shiny thing? "Don''t bother. They''ve already lost their minds¡." Jack sighed, noticing the wolf''s attention againnding on the City of Gold. Illusion magic? Greed spell? Whatever this thing was, even he could feel its attraction. It was even shinier than the future of a corrupted politician! "Hey, want one?" Jack took out a piece of meat. "Woo?!" (Meat?! Yesss!!) Magic gold was very attractive to the little wolf, but the meat was infinitely better! Thus the enchantment was broken. It couldn''t help but stare back at the gold scenery, confused. Why had it seen so alluring just a second ago?! "Tch¡ª So much for all that training on the boat, those fools¡." Jack grumbled as he shook his head, walking away. "Woo?!" (We''re not going to help them?) "Always remember your mission! Right now, we need to repair the ship, nothing else. As for that City of gold? Who bloody cares? Gold doesn''t float!" He shrugged.
[Resisted the Golden City''s attraction!] [Mental Resistance increased!] "Amen to that!" It was the beginning of a strange treasure hunt, one surrounded by the evesting glow of gold in the distance...but they didn''t care! Nope, they were looking for something far more valuable: wood! It didn''t take long for their search to bring them all around the ind. On one beach, they finally found something¡ < Very Normal Palm Tree Level 40! > Bullshit! What kind of normal palm tree had teeth?! No, there was actually something unbelievably strange. Level 40?! How was it so weak?! [Host Seems Disappointed¡]
[Most Braves Are Level 20-30¡]
Why did it seem like the system was defending the monsters'' honor? Either way, the duo wouldn''t show any mercy! They went all in, engaging in a (un)epic battle. "Woo?" (Isn''t this a bit too easy?) "It didn''t help that their finishing move was essentially a joke..." Jack remarked.
The palm trees'' special move was to immobilize their victims, forcing them to stare at the City of Gold for a few seconds. #Not Very Effective! #Waste of Time! The two stood atop their victims, dragging their barks back to the ship. The system could only watch them cruise through this, expecting them to hit a wall at any moment. The crew was missing! This meant they werecking a carpenter to repair the ce! It wasn''t something Jack''d simply be able to cheat his way out of! Still, it didn''t stop him from trying¡ [Your Carpentry Level is Too Low!] [Your Carpentry Level is Too Low!] [¡] The system was definitely trolling him! He had all the wood he could potentially need to fix the whole thing, but now he was missing the know-how. "Welp, you know what this means, right?" He helplessly sighed. [New Quest! Find a Carpenter!] [Host Should Check Out The City of¡ª] "Woo!" (Carpentry Training Montage!) "Hehe, Precisely!" [?!?] A human and a wolf got to work, shaping wooden nks. They appeared utterly worry-free, as if they had all the time in the world! They alternated boisterous singing, woodworking, and palm tree monster ying. They even established a small base on the deck. Jack knew the system''s agenda, but he didn''t care. Why would he dive into a dubious city to rescue that foolish crew? He didn''t have any desire to argue with greed-blinded idiots. The main issue was that it was a city of gold¡yet his inventory was restricted!! Right now, he couldn''t put anything in it, so what was the point?! [Abandon the Poor Crew to their Fate?!] "Yep! Now, let me work on this wood in peace, will you?" Jack tirelessly kept going. Still, the whole thing was madness. There was no way that he''d be able to gain enough proficiency to repair a ship of that size anytime soon. He appeared like a petnt child that was simply going against the system because he could. He seemed to think that everything would just work out, but¡ [Reminder: Mirage Quest = Time Limit!] [Taking Too Long Will Result In Failure!] "Is that so? Just award me my crafting XP, will you?" Even then, Jack was still showing a wry smile. [¡] [Reached Carpentry F!] [Mastery Still Too Low For The Current Task!] "Oh? Do you mean to repair the ship? I think you''ve made a mistake along the way. How about you examine our wooden nks a little bit closer?" Jack chuckled. He pointed toward the pile of nks thatyered the entire deck. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
[This System Fails to See the Point In¡ª W-what?!] Under Jack''s suggestion, it examined the items closer, only to receive a great shock as it found errors in its previous assessment. [Regr nk!] ¡ª> [Sculpture of a nk!] What the heck was this?! This yer had used an entirely different craft to aplish something so simr that even the system had misunderstood it. < Sculpture of a nk! > It looks like a nk, feels like a nk, works like a nk¡but it''s a sculpture?! Disregarding its slightly lower durability, it can be used as a nk¡ [Error! Error! Recalcting!] [Carpentry F ¡ª> Carpentry Unranked!] [Congrattions! Carving Increased to Rank D!] That''s when Jack gave a radiant smile at the empty air as he began hammering his "sculptures" in the ship holes, patching it! [Sessfully Repaired the Ship!] "There we go! It wasn''t that hard, right?" Jack happily chuckled, Moon Moon raising a tiny paw to the sky. [New Quest! Leave This Ind!] [Good Luck Without a Crew To Man the Ship!] "Luck? Why would I need luck for that? Hahahaha!" Jack didn''t seem worried in the least¡
Chapter 375 Breaking the Mirage!
375 Breaking the Mirage! "A crew to man the ship?" Jack chuckled. As if that was an issue at all! He just needed a couple more hands, right?! That''s precisely what magic was for! "Arise for me!" He gestured toward the deck, the whole thing creaking. A secondter, bone shards came out of the wood, quickly turning into bony humanoids. [You''ve Raised a Skeleton Sailor!] [You''ve raised¡] ¡ [Took Control of the Ship!] [You Are Now Gaining Naval XP!] [What Are Your Orders "Captain"!] "Hear me! Together we''ll sail and conquer this mirage! Everyone to the oars, we''re leaving this bloody ce! Gold? Who needs it!" He shouted at them. The creatures bowed, all taking their respective ces as they got to work. "1, 2, 1, 2, get us the hell away from this ce!" Jack repeated to his new minions. < Skeleton Sailor Level 24!> On the one hand, they were SLOW¡ but they were freebor! Thanks to theirmitment, they soon reached the open sea, and that''s when the trouble began. [How Will Find Your Heading Without a Captain?] The entire sea seemingly stared at them, full of possibilities and mysteries. At the moment, they were akin to rally members that had gotten lost in the wild. "Don''t worry. I have a n for that. Moon Moon,e here!" "Woo!" (How can I help?) [?!?] Jack gave a confident smile, handing a stick to the little wolf. It was full of mermaid carvings he had done on a whim¡but it really was just a stick, right? "Throw it high up in the air!" Jack ordered. ¡ª Whoosh! Thud! ¡ª What exactly was this supposed to aplish? The poor system couldn''t analyze the situation for its life. "There we have it! That''s our heading!" Jack triumphantly dered, pointing in the same direction as the stick''s tip. [Is the Host¡Gambling?!] [?!??] "Of course! You''ll understand soon¡." He chuckled to himself as he barked orders to his undead crew. A mirage was essentially a rey of past events. Usually, he would have to stick with the main actors, but what if he flipped everything on its head instead? He was done ying explorer with a crew that had their own objectives. He''d take control of the narrative from now on,pletely crushing it! The wind kept pushing them, faster and faster. Besides swerving a little to avoid a few Inds, they barely touched the ship. Full wind, straight line! They didn''t sway even when they passed through a flock of flesh-eating seagulls, kept going as they encountered, and kept sailing even as another ship showed on the horizon. "Don''t even pay them attention! Let them chase us. We don''t stop for anyone!" Their ship didn''t stop even as he ran out of mana, all skeletons turning to dust. He''d have spasms out of mana deficiency yet was still pushing himself. He''d draw in his HP pool whenever they needed to adjust the sails, relying on his life regeneration. [You''ve Used Blood magic!] He was bringing shame to an entire linage of evil sorcerers. Instead of using Blood Magic tomit genocides and gain power, he was sailing¡yes, just sailing. Was there anything more ridiculous than this?! Yet he kept them going in the same direction! "Woo!" (You should rest! Let''s stop at an ind and¡ª"
The little wolf couldn''t help but worry. Its master looked so weak, bleeding from all orifices as he kept pushing himself. All because he believed in Moon Moon''s luck¡ "Don''t worry. Everything will be fine¡." He kept reassuring, even as he threw blood up. He wasn''t convincing at all! But then, after who knows how long, Jack raised a bloodied finger as he shakily pointed toward the horizon¡ "We''re here atst." "Woo?!" (What is that?!) Endless red sea? No, it had an end! Was this the edge of the world?! There simply wasn''t anything there, the water falling downward. It was a world-sized gargantuan waterfall! But that wasn''t all. The current was already dragging them toward it! Yet Jack stared straight at the deadly scene with a mischievous grin. [Reached the End of the Mirage!] [New Quest! Escape!]
If they turned right now, they''d be able to survive! Jack shakily rose, drawing upon his very life force to summon his skeleton crew again. At that moment, he looked even worse than the now-dead berserk sailors¡.whatever! "Raise my minions! Adjust the sails, straight in!" "Woo?!" (We''re not avoiding the Abyss?!) Jack scoffed at the [Escape!], even using wind magic to boost their speed further. Their ship was barely touching the tumultuous waves, jumping them! [Warning! Dying In the Mirage Will¡ª] "Shhh, let me enjoy this moment of madness!" Jack scolded, standing at the prowl. He even extended his hands. "I''m the king of the world!" Said king was about to kick the bucket¡ The whole ship, crew, and mascot wolf all plunged into the Abyss. They were so fast that they were flying, a feeling of weightlessness enveloping them. They were about to reach the bottom and perish¡but then something strange happened. Out of nowhere, the world suddenly disappeared entirely! [Error! Error! Out of Bound!] [User Went Out of the Mirage¡?!] [Calcting! Calcting! Calcting!] "There''s no need for that. The quest was to survive the mirage, right? Welp, now we''re out of it: that means we survived! Just see it as a test of courage¡." Jack argued. That''s when the surrounding area returned to what it had been before. They opened their eyes in an old ship, a time curse still trying to devour them. The ship was being flooded with more and more water, all of iting from the outside world. They were officially back! "Woo?!" (What was that?!) "Well, you see¡." Jack quickly exined the situation to hispanion. The mirage had been built to amodate sane yers, and their suicidal action had broken the game¡slightly. "Woo!" (Can we go again?!) The little wolf asked with stars in its eyes. It still remembered that incredible feeling at the end. It was like they were flying! "Pfft¡ª Sure, but first, let''s explore this ce. Remember, we''re here to find a water treasure."
"Woo!" (Of course I remember! For the water park!) Old Ship? This ce was an antique gold mine! Gold pieces, cuttelry, jewels, there was a bit of everything! The two then proceeded to pilfer the entire ce. They didn''t care much, grabbing everything they could, only leaving destruction in their wake. They even scrapped the bloody walls to get some of the engravings! This felt like a British'' wet dream. How many museums could one even open with so many treasures?! Probably just a lousy one¡but still! Still, there wasn''t any trace of any water treasure. They could only shake their heads in disappointment, but then the system finally returned from its analyzing spree. [Calcting¡] [Acquired Sailing F!] n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
[Acquired: Masochist Captain!] [Acquired: He Who Broke The Mirage!] [Magic Mastery Significantly Increased!] [Congrattions! Leveled UP! Leveled UP] Twice?! This was amazing, considering all he had done at the end was a glorified suicide. Then again, the hard part was probably taking over the ship itself¡.oh well! Sailing was pretty straightforward. The masochistic Captain title increased his sailing speed when getting hurt. As for the other title, it was¡ Holy shit!?! The more he read and the more excited he got. ''You''ve discovered a new method to defeat mirages. It''s super effective! +10% rewards from mirage-breaking!'' The 10% increase was nice, but that wasn''t the crux of it. It was all about the implications! "Wait, you''re not going to patch this?!" Jack couldn''t help but exim.
[Rewards = Proportional to Difficulty!] [Mirage Breaking Has Been Deemed a Valid Strategy!] "Oh my god!" This was bloody amazing! Sure the system would probably do some bncing in the background, but did that matter?! Painfully clear the mirage slowly but surely? ¡ª> Hijack a boat and sail it till the world''s end! The second option was obviously more fun, no matter how difficult! "Moon Moon, you know what this means?" "Woo!" (Lots of fun!!!) The duo''s creepyughter echoed in the area as they nced at all the other ships. It was time to enjoy themselves¡ It didn''t take them long to go wild. No, wild was an understatement. They''d dash straight into every ship, busting the front door open, Jack screaming "Here''s Johny" for some reason. Then they''d be assaulted by a simr time curse and other weird illusions¡ [Wee to the Mirage!] [Survive the¡ª Never mind¡] The system would offer them a very nice mission, only for the two troublemakers to start scheming against their NPC allies instantly. The system could only watch their shenanigans: One time they were pirates and induced a bloody mutiny¡ One time they were privateers and quickly betrayed their patrons¡ One time they found themselves on a merchant ship, and they actually joined an enemy pirate crew, then started a mutiny! Oh, and every single run ended up the same, except that sometimes they actually had a living crew with them when they sailed to their deaths. The more adept the two became and the wilder the system notifications became. [Sessfully Created a Cult!] [Turned Evil Pirates Into Saints!] [Caused the Downfall of a Fishing Empire!] [Filled the Sea With the Blood of Innocents!] [Found Antis...and destroyed it. Escaped the Mirage!] Wasn''t there something wrong with thest few?! Either way, the two kept doing their own thing, ignoring everything else that happened in the mirages. Then they''d escape to a list of rewards that was getting shorter and shorter every time thanks to diminishing returns, not that it mattered to Moon Moon. "Woo!" (Again! Again! This is the best!) It would wag its tail with the same excitement every time. Heck, this was perhaps even as fun as¡eating! They were having so much fun with the journeys and the looting that they lost all their sense of time until Jack found something while organizing his inventory. "When the hell did we get that?!" He eximed, holding a small blue pearl. < Legendary Water-Generating Pearl !??(1/97) > ¡ That moment when you dive into the Abyss, only to find yourself breaking out of mirages by diving into another Abyss...only to realize that you inadvertently found the treasure you were looking for.
sslessAscension
Chapter 376 Legendary Treasure?!
376 Legendary Treasure?! "Not there, not there either. How about this piece?" At the bottom of the sea, a duo tirelessly worked on what looked like an intricate puzzle. After clearing more mirages than they could even count, they had finally done it. [Collected all Water-Generating Pearl Fragments!] [New Quest! Piece them all together!] "Woo!" (This is impossible!)
[Treasure Reconstruction Is Not Meant to be Easy!] This thing wasn''t just hard, is was unbelievably difficult. Every individual fragment looked the bloody same: small, blue, ancient-looking. It was akin to trying to piece back a pack of minced beef into the animal it once was. This kind of thing would undoubtedly require a specialist! "Woo?!" (Should we ask the water man?) "Pfft¡ª You mean the elemental? This could probably work¡but I actually have another idea¡." Jack remarked as he approached the destroyed ships. Afterpleting the mirages and looting everything, the poor vessels were only shells from their previous selves, the time magic losing effectiveness by the second. "Here,e help me with this¡." "Woo!" (Aye, aye, Captain!) Jack quickly began setting up a magic circle, linking one ship to the other. Before long, there was a long chain of them, all meeting up at the very center of the area. He quickly deposited all the pearl fragments in the very middle, then gestured to Moon Moon. "At mymand, run from ship to ship, a thin veil of mana around you.
[?!?] "Ready? Set! ¡ Go!" "Woooo!" (Let''s race!) The two troublemakers ran all across the area in opposite directions. As they ran next to the remnant time curses, the magic activated, chasing after them! Magic circle ¡ª> Magic Conductive Properties! The golden energy was akin to hungry ghosts! They would make the ones that had caused their demise pay! Thetter quickly retreated back to the fragments, but now they were surrounded from all sides! They felt like they were suddenly at the eye of the storm! [Host¡Is drawing power out of the enemies?!] [For an Instant, Time is Flowing Backward¡] Under the wolf''s shiny eyes, the fragments suddenly began floating by themselves. Then their time began reversing as they went from being fragments to the whole thing! [You''ve Created a Mirage!] [The Pearl Is Whole Once Again!] < Legendary Water-Generating Pearl !?? > The final product glowed akin to a jewel, a soft power emanating from it. It seemed to fuse with the water, and a gentle current materialized as if celebrating its existence. "Woo!" (This is so beautiful! Almost as much as meat!) "Beautiful? Yes, but it''s about to revert its state! Hurry up. We got work to do!" Jack screamed in response, handing the little wolf arge bottle. On the bottle, there was a shortbel: "Super Glue!". This was something his team of cksmiths hade up with back in the day, and he had been the one to name it¡ [Are You Really Going To¡?!]
Under the system''s horrified gaze, Jack didn''t hesitate one bit to smear the smelliest and ugliest gray glue ever all over the treasure. He was totally ruining it! That''s when the power of the time-magic finally ran out, the curses disappearing after being squeezed dry. This left behind a mess of an artifact. ["Repaired" Legendary Water-Pearl!] [Obtained Crude Used-to-be-Legendary Water-Sphere!] This had to be a bloody crime against History and an insult to whichever hero had crafted such a masterpiece initially. It couldn''t have been uglier nor shoddier! "Woo?" (Did that work?) "Of course it did! Look at that beauty! Ta-da-da!" Jack shamelessly showcased the thing, not minding its dreadful appearance one bit, the little wolf doing a victory dance. [¡.] As for the effects: 1. Control Water! 2. Summon a Water D?r?a?g?o?n? Turtle! 3. Increases Power of Aquatic Lifeforms by 2?0?0?4?%? ? 42%! 4. Grant ess to the Water Realm W?h?e?n?e?v?e?r? ?R?e?q?u?i?r?e?d? With Corresponding Key! He could have obtained a water dragon pet?! How awesome was that! It seemed like a few options had been changed because of the rushed repair work. Yet, he didn''t seem to mind¡ "Here, look at this!" With a wave of his hand, Jack generated an upward current that instantly made them float! "Woo!" (It''s like we''re flying! No need to even wave my paws!) [You Just Missed a Golden Opportunity!] [Aren''t You Bothered By the Result?!] "Missed opportunity? The fragments were 100% useless on their own, and it won''t be toote to reforge the whole thingter on." Jack shrugged. In any case, it wouldn''t be easy even to find anyone with the skills to work on the damn thing in the first ce. Bother about possibilities? Nope! He''d simply enjoy what he had! "Are you ready to soar?" "Woo!" (Hell yeah!) Not long afterward, a wriggling mass of "Cleaners" flew in the Abyss akin to a swarm of insects. The scene was incredibly terrifying, given the creepyughs that came along!
The two couldn''t see shit from the inside of their bug suit, but that didn''t stop them from having the time of their life¡ Then they finally erupted out of the Abyss. "Hehe, did you see that?! Want to try it too?" Jack happily turned toward Pumpkin Girl''s position, radiating joy. But there was something wrong, he wrong¡ Foreign voices weed them¡ "What the heck are those?!" "Who cares! Attack them already!" "Look! The treasure''s in his hand! Grab it!" What?! Not only wasn''t Pumpkin Girl there but there were many soldiers! They had the entire area surrounded and were already closing in!
How?! Had they been followed here without knowing?! Were they tracking one of their party members?! Had they found the treasure location somehow else?! All that mattered at that instant was to GTFO! He''d use the water pearl, get the heck out of there, and find Pumpkin Girl wherever she was being held!
But he suddenly stopped himself as he heard the soldiers. "Give up already! We already captured your girl!" "Pfft¡ª Give up, fight¡ it''s all the same!" "Taste my SPEAR!!!!" A soldier was already thrusting at him with a sharp coral weapon. Jack easily blocked the strike and was about to send the fool flying when he forcefully stopped himself. That other soldier seemed to be telling the truth: they had Pumpkin Girl! Was there even a point in running away without her? Nope! A foolish idea slowly settled in his mind. What if he voluntarily got captured? Chances were that they''d bring him to the same ce that she was being held, right? The only issue would be escaping afterward. He''d probably have to escape a literal fortress. Was that something he could even do?! Actually perhaps¡ He hurriedly yed with his inventory as he washed off thest bit of brown paste covering himself. He was finally wholly revealed, the creatures scurrying away. Hearing their threats, Jack came down, gesturing Moon Moon to do the same¡ He raised his arms high up, dropped the shiniest pearl ever, and even started begging for his life. "No need to fight. I''ll follow you guys." He was now totally defenseless¡ A secondter, a soldier tackled him to the ground, Jacknding face first in the sand. The enemies quickly handcuffed him with sea algae, even taunting him afterward. "Hehe, how the mighty has fallen!" "That''s what he gets for offending Gargan and trying to steal a mermaid treasure." "Look how shiny this thing is! Yep, it doesn''t belong with a human-looking bastard! Can you believe how much we''ll get for it?!" They were already ovee by greed; their egos inted to the max. After all, they had just taken down a man that had received 2 mermaid marriage proposals! They were allughing their asses off at his misfortune¡.except one. A shy guard softly spoke up. "G-guys, I think this pearl''s fake. He was holding one way uglier before¡." Yep, the one they were holding was just a random treasure he had. Its appearance was as great as itsck of usefulness, theplete opposite of the real reconstructed pearl. The guy was obviously right, but Jack could exploit the man''s insecurities! "Yes, YES! He''s right! That one''s a fake! I hid the real one earlier! If you let me go, I''ll tell you about it!" Jack shouted, sounding as desperate as humanly possible. "Pfft¡ª Do you take us forplete morons?!" "G-guys, I swear that this one''s really¡ª" The shy guy tried to speak, another cutting him off. "What an idiot! We searched him and his surroundings. There''s nowhere he could have hidden it!" The new guy was even scoffing at the ridiculousness of the idea. The fools quickly shut the shy guy down, not understanding that the real thing was neatly tucked in Jack''s inventory. They could have gotten it so quickly too¡ [Reminder: The Water-Pearl Will Drop Upon Death!] Evidently, those soldiers weren''t used to dealing with the Braves and their tricks. They didn''t suspect a thing, even when Jack started using it right before their eyes. His hands were locked, but Jack could still summon the cleaner-attracting brown paste in his hands. As they walked, he discreetly spread it on their trail as if cookie crumbs. Jack couldn''t help but inwardly chuckle: One small step for man, one ever-expanding Cleaner highway! Captors and prisoners thus kept progressing at a brisk pace¡ Finally, they arrived at the castle¡ Soon he''d know what had happened to his mermaid "allies". Had they simply betrayed him, or had they been strong-armed into inaction? Either way, they had betrayed him¡ "Hehe, are you ready to suffer?" A soldier chuckled evilly, enjoying the look of fright on Jack''s face. Little did he know, Jack could have asked him the very same question¡ The trap I had nned for them wasn''t that big deal. Still, I was expecting it to make quite the impact simply because of the circumstances. After all, it''s all about the execution... sslessAscension
Creator''s Thought N?v(el)B\\jnn
???? August Madness????
Chapter 377 Still Beautiful!
377 Still Beautiful! As Jack was dragged through the streets, the citizen of the mermaid kingdom could be heard gasping. "What?! Wasn''t this guy on our side?"
"Don''t tell me he''s the one the execution ground''s for?!" The gazes of shock and pity apanied him as he was taken inside the crystal pce, the doors closing in on their freedom akin to a death sentence. ¡ª Bam! ¡ª Then they reached the throne room¡ As soon as they stepped inside, they were weed by Gargan, the gigantic octopus humanoid. He waszily lying on the throne, the Empress relegated to a bystander. Wasn''t this a little too quick?! How had this guy managed to take over in the short duration they had explored the depth of the Abyss? The soldiers hurriedly stood at attention before him, their leader respectfully presenting their spoils of war to the guy. "Leader, this pearl is the only thing he brought out of the Abyss! It allowed him to control the nearby current!" "Oh? So that thing''s a legendary treasure?" He casually yed with it, chuckling. "Instead of running, you stayed for this little thing? Was it worth it?" A sh of regret appeared on Jack''s face as he seemingly realized the whole mess he was in. Soldiers everywhere, big boss watching over him, and utterly naked¡.he was screwed! "Actually, I have a proposal for you. If you get rid of that disgusting human appearance, kiss my feet, swear allegiance to me, perhaps I shall show benevolence. What do you say?" Change his appearance? He''d bloody do it if he could! Sadly, Jack could only grind his teeth as Moon Moon tried protesting: its master''s appearance was perfect as is! "Tch¡ª Alright, take him away, you know where to. Let his screams be a warning to anyone wishing to follow in his footsteps. Extract everything he knows¡."
"Yes, Sir!" The goons were eager toply, kicking their prisoners forward as they grinned at their sore sight.
Fun Travel Destination ¡ª> Prison Cells Even from a distance,mentations echoed out of it, the unmistakable sound of leather hitting flesh resounding. There were LOTS of prisoners; haggards, bloodied, despairing. The leader happily introduced the ce: "Wee to our new yground! As you can see, the men that used to be under yourmands are all here, isn''t it nice? Actually, we have one more surprise, hehe!"
That''s when Jack''s entire body began shaking at the nightmarish sight. It was Pumpkin Girl, but she was barely alive, her entire skin seemingly turned over. Her gorgeous face was full ofcerations, her entire being a mess that could barely be called human. Those bastards! Those fucking bastards! Why?! Why! "Hehe, that''s what she gets for resisting¡ª" ¡ª Stter! ¡ª The soldier never finished his sentence. Before he could react, a bloody line appeared on his neck, his head sliding off his body. With one swift movement, Jack beheaded the bastard as he inwardly cursed. This was too nice a death for such a piece of shit, but he couldn''t care less. He stepped across the warm corpse, rushing to her side, grabbing as many potions as he could and dousing her with them as he gently embraced her¡ "It''s gonna be alright. I''m here¡." "I knew you''de." It was as if the world hade to a halt for a brief instant, but then it all resumed at once, louder than it had ever been. ¡ª Alert! Alert! Alert! ¡ª Jack''s actions had triggered the rm system. Out of nowhere, dozens upon dozens of guards rushed inside, flooding the only path toward the outside. Silent shellshocked colleagues and a cadaver greeted them. "What the hell happened here?!" "H-he saw her, and then he just¡." "He just? What about the restraints? Ah, whatever, we can''t possibly lose with our numbers! Grab him, and the bitch¡ª" n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
That''s when an entire pickaxe found its way into the man''s skull, exploding the soft matter underneath. "W-what?!" The remaining soldiers froze. They logically understood that they had the advantage. After all, even a god couldn''t possibly fight them all! Yet, none whatsoever dared to be the first to advance. The current Jack had the appearance of a wild beast protecting its cub. His desire to protect the girl in his arms transcended the concept of levels, the would-be attackers shivering. His gaze was so goddamn intense! 100 vs. 1? Those eyes were still terrifying! Heck, many were even unconsciously taking steps back. But then a bellow brought them back to their senses: "What''s all thismotion about?" It was their master. That simple question was enough to remind them of the one backing them. Why should they care about Jack? That''s when they all charged at once. They still feared him, but they feared their own master even more.
"Capture him for Lord Gargan!" "Target the ugly girl, and he''ll have to defend! He''ll!¡ª" Crunch
"That''s the perfect n! Use her to drive him to a corner!¡ª" Stter! The fight should have been short and utterly one-sided¡It wasn''t. Even as he ran around holding his partner, he was able tomit genocide. All those that had ever spoken or acted against Pumpkin Girl were targeted. Moon Moon had joined the event too, its fur soon blood-red. "I-Is this guy invincible?!" "I-impossible!" They kept fighting, long enough for their blood to turn the cells area into a blood river, all of them developing instant PTSD. The way he used the area''syout to limit their surrounding power was a work of art¡but even that eventually failed. The two fighters soon ran out of mana and got captured. "D-did we win?!" "Q-quick! Put him in the special cell!" "T-the one for the mythical monsters?! Will it manage to hold him?!" From that point onward, Jack received a true VIP treatment as he was thrown in their best cell. The entire thing was covered in sealing runes that prevented him from using power. [You''ve Entered a Sealed Area!] [Power Adjusted to Level 1!] [Good Luck Escaping!] The system almost seemed to be gloating at his misfortune, but he didn''t care. He instead gently caressed Pumpkin Girl''s long fiery hair, deep concern in his gaze. There was something wrong with her; she wasn''t healing. The earlier potions should have been enough, but the ghastly scars hadn''t disappeared one bit. How pitiful! "Don''t worry. Everything will be fine from now on¡." He kept whispering. She tried giving a reassuring smile, only to freeze, recoiling. She had seen her own reflection in his eyes. She wasn''t just hideous, her face was positively disgusting, and she was¡ª She was suddenly assaulted by a gentle flick attack to the forehead and a passionate kiss. "Tch¡ª Do you think I care about something as silly as a face? No running, you''re mine!" "Alright¡" "Alright? Just alright?!" "Hahahaha, I''m yours! Now, and forever!" Her crystallineughter filled the entire prison, one filled with so much relief. An area that should have been filled with suffering and despair suddenly seemed to transform. A few prisoners even hollered back: "Commander?! It''s you, right?!" "Of course! Who else would be flirting here!" "Commander, how do we escape? We''ll follow your orders again!" It was as if the sun had begun shining in prison, his old troops already rejoicing in advance for their uing freedom. But their happiness was cut short by a snide remark. "Tch¡ª Imbeciles. This ce is the Pce''s Dungeon! Do you think escaping is easy? Sure, killing so many guards was impressive, but it''s over now that you''re locked up¡." It was a skinny older Fishman, his scales so old that they were turning brown. Obviously, the poor guy had spent an eternity locked up away from the sun. "Woo!" (What do you know! One should never give up!) The little wolf valiantly repeated its master''s wisdom as it berated back. Besides, they couldn''t stay there: they had to bring Pumpkin Girl to a doctor! "Young and naive, this brings back memories." "You two should worry about yourselves instead. After that mess, the torture will be brutal¡." "Honestly, I suggest suicide. If you m your head just right against the floor, you might be able to go out painlessly¡." [Respawn Set to Current Location!] [Following the Previous Advice is Not Rmended!] Tch¡ª Who cared about the goddamn spawn anyway? As if he''d leave his woman behind! Right now, his concern wasn''t to minimize the pain but to stall for as long as possible. ¡ª ng! ¡ª A man suddenly entered the dungeon. He wore a long red outfit and wore what seemed like a white fox mask. He didn''t look that intimidating, yet his arrival instantly made the NPCs gasp with fright as they unconsciously scratched their scars. "The new guy''s so freaking screwed." "They sent him of all people¡." The man held his head with pride as he heard the whispers. As expected, his reputation preceded him! And yet¡the new toy seemed utterly puzzled about his identity. "You can''t even recognize me? Talk about slow! I''m the one and only Crimsom Tiger, he who is oftenpared to the Thousand-Arms General himself. Scared?" He chuckled. Yet, the would-be victims were still putting on a brave front. Tch¡ª Looking so calm before him? Talk about disrespectful! Whatever, they''d soon scream for him. He stepped inside the cell, quickly grabbing the restrained fools, and then he began working his gory magic! Incisions,cerations, shredding, tearing, he was going all in! "Hehehe, how do you like that! Can you still take it? You''re reaching your limit, aren''t you? Go on, scream, scream for me!" The bystanders could barely stomach the scene, but then a few of the more observant ones suddenly noticed a detail. What was up with the wolf''s expression? Moon Moon couldn''t help but inwardly snicker, gazing at the viin with ridicule and pity. A peer of the General, was it? It remembered very well how thetter had ended. A show was about to start¡ Moon Moon agrees 100% that the face isn''t the most important in a loved one! It''s the cooking! ...Eh, the soul! Right, totally the soul! sslessAscension
Creator''s Thought
Chapter 378 Ta-da-da! Visit!
378 Ta-da-da! Visit! In the dungeon, pained screams echoed. "Why. Won''t. You. Scream!! Can you not feel pain?!" The bystanders'' jaws almost touched the ground from surprise at the scene. Why was the torturer the one in total anguish? And how the Hell was Jack able to resist so well?!
"Tell me! How do you use the pearl?! You know how for sure, they''ve seen you float with it and call strange creatures! Hurry up and confess!" He kept questioning. "Eh, just touch it! Have you tried turning it off and on again? Perhaps it senses whether its user has a pure heart of something?" Every of Jack''s answers was nonsensical. Jack took it all like a champ, no matter what technique the viin tried, not reacting in the least. Heck, he''d even sometimes point out obvious mistakes, further irking the man. Jack was reacting less than a bloody rock would! How?! It was the strongest blow to the torturer''s career ever, making him feel like he had wasted all his life. What was the point of all his experience if he couldn''t even break one guy that was entirely at his mercy? But that''s when he suddenly had an epiphany. So what if he couldn''t break him? He''d used his loved ones against him! It just so happened that he had not only the man''s lover at his disposition but also the pet! The viin slowly approached a scalpel toward the wolf and then¡.
"Woo!" (Using me against master? No way!) Without hesitating even an instant, the little wolf rammed its head against the de, the entire metallic object sinking into its skull. ¡ª Fatality! ¡ª Moon Moon instantly died. It had chosen to do a quick "visit" to Thanatos. There was no suffering, and its body was already disappearing, leaving a shellshocked torturer behind. "W-what the fuck?!" What kind of loyal pet was this?! No, this was beyond the realm of loyalty. It was downright terrifying! But there still remained the woman. The man slowly approached his scalpel toward her¡only to suddenly stop. Why the Hell was he suddenly feeling an arctic chill?! Was iting from the nearby Jack''s gaze?! The NPC''s instincts were screaming at him: Touch her = Death! There was something wrong with her eyes too. She should have been scared shitless of him, but she was calmly staring back as if daring him to continue?! "Is this your first day on the job? Don''t worry. Everyone makes mistakes." She even yfully forted" him. First day?! He was a pro! He had made even the most formidable soldiers beg for death, the mere mention of his name could scare a generation¡he wasn''t some Newbie torturer! That''s when he finally snapped. No matter what it took, he would crush them all. He''d turn their entire existence into nothing but misery until they saw his face, whether they were awake or having a nightmare! "Tch¡ª I-I''ll be back, just you wait!" He''d bring back a tool that even those crazies wouldn''t be able to ignore! He stormed off, half-crying, half screaming. As soon as he was gone, Jack couldn''t help but nce appreciatively at Pumpkin Girl. Thatst look she had given was truly awesome. "Pfft¡ª Are you impressed? After being together for so long, that much is expected. As long as you''re with me, I wouldn''t mind even facing gods." She shrugged. "Oh? I guess I''ll have to practice fighting gods then. Wouldn''t want to disappoint you, haha." Jack teased. But suddenly, a high-pitched voice interrupted them. "N-No! Nonono! He''s bringing THAT back! We''re doomed. We''re all doomed! You can''t allow it. You really can''t!" A naked guy in a corner started rocking in a fetal position., his face white with terror and his entire body shivering. "I''ve seen it! He''lle back with the demons, the demons! They''ll be everywhere, everywhere! You need to die, now!" The man''s ramblings were barely understandable. What was it that he was so worried about?! Was it some kind of chemical? Some rare magical curse? What was it exactly?! By now, the man was simply repeating "Nono! Die now!" like a broken record. Primal fear had overwhelmed his brain. Even if he wanted, he couldn''t! Die ¡ª> Respawn in the cell ¡ª> Endless suffering. The only way to leave a ce like that was either through lots of suffering or with the help of friends. Except even the entire D.L. guild wouldn''t make it past the castle walls! His troops couldn''t help but feel guilty. Had they known Gargan would take over the ce, they wouldn''t have let the regr guards bring them here for casual interrogation. "Sigh. Commander, it has been a pleasure knowing you. May we meet on the shores of the Scaled Judge for the¡ª" One of them started but stopped as he heard Jackugh?! "Hehehe, finally! It took a while, but they''re finally here!" That''s when his chuckle turned into a full-blownst boss''ugh. "Cmander?!" "Shh. Can you hear?" He dropped to the floor with a huge grin, cing his ear against the floor. A few copied him, utterly perplexed. ¡ª Thump, Thump! ¡ª The whole floor was vibrating. Why did it feel like some ungodly evil was slowly waking up?! With every passing second, the vibration was bing stronger and stronger until they could finally hear it, the walls themselves creaking. "W-what is that?! Is it a tidal wave?!" "Hehe, kind of? All I''ll say is to ignore them the best you can." Them? But just as they were about to ask for more details, they heard the screams. They were so loud that it reached even the dungeon.
It was the sound of thousands of aquatic people all shouting at once, scared, confused, and especially trying to understand what the ck thing at the horizon was. It was an enormous wave¡or at least it looked like one. Millions of bugs had suddenly gathered, all with amon goal. All of them wanted the brown paste! Jack had given them pretty much all he had, applying the rest to the road between the Abyss and here, but it was enough to send a clear signal. The creatures were hooked, wanted more, and were ready to get it! They usually would have avoided the City, but they didn''t care anymore. They were HUNGRY! ¡ª Shriek! Shriek! Shriek! ¡ª Their cries were enough to send the entire Capital into a panic. What were those, where had theye from, and what did they bloody want?! The Cleaners were pretty harmless overall, but to someone that didn''t know better, they appeared like centipedes straight from Hell! "Quick, call the guards!" "Monster invasion! It''s¡what the fuck is that?!" "Close the barrier! Keep those pests away. Then, we''ll eradicate them slowly!" ¡ª Bzzz! Bzzz! ¡ª The sound of the defenses rising filled the air, only to be followed by the echo of the wave crashing against the protective barrier over and over. That''s when it became evident that the monsters just weren''t that smart. So what if they kept knocking on the door? It wouldn''t aplish anything! The tense atmosphere quickly turned to relief as everyone quickly realized that what they had thought to be a great menace was something akin to a fish''s migration. "Pfft¡ª Look at those critters go!" "Keep banging your head until you die!" "Hehe, Mermaid Capital''s defenses are unbreachable!"
Theirughter only increased in power as a few guards used passage tokens to tentatively pass through the barrier themselves, annihting bugs by the dozen with every swing. The enemies were so weak, harmless even! So much for the rm and everything else. At this rate, they''d be done clearing them before lunch! Back in prison, hope was quickly dying.
"It''s over. The situation''s already under control¡."
"Even a miracle won''t be enough¡." They gloomily remarked. As for Jack, he was surprisingly calm with it all, peacefully sitting with his legs crossed, a mysterious smile on his face. "I guess we''re lucky¡." He even chuckled. The people out there had doomed themselves, for they had underestimated the enemies. He knew enough to picture what was happening in real-time vividly. Excited guards suddenly felt like gods, overflowing with adrenaline as they dived into the enemies to ughter them. All logic escaped them as they were overwhelmed with emotions: 1. Pride at the crowd''s cheers 2. Relief of realizing they''d survive
3. Anger against the weaklings for scaring them 4. Desire for recognition pushing them to kill as many as possible The danger had suddenly turned into an event, the soldiers going on an anti-bug crusade with even a few civilians joining in! The whole thing was amazing! But as more and more creatures died, so did their attitude.
Peaceful Cleaners ¡ª> Angry Cleaners Those humanoids dared to stop them on their search for food?! They even dared to kill them to boot?! That''s when their eyes all turned red, everything happening so quickly. 1. The creatures fought back, devouring guards left and right 2. Panic spread across the battlefield. How were the creatures suddenly so terrifying?! 3. The aquatic people all retreated under cover of the barrier, their eyes bulging with horror and wariness.
But this time, everything was different. Instead of ramming themselves against the wall, the Cleaners crowded around a fallen guard''s barrier ess medallion. As the bystanders'' confused exmations reached the prison, Jack couldn''t help but chuckle. "Ta-da-da! Cleaners are evolving!! Congrattions, you''ve done fucked up!" In the background, a certain AI was taking note. This described the current situation so well! At the same time, the Cleaners all began glowing, the same yellow as the ess token. Barrier? What barrier?! The creatures could now cross it as they wished! On a scale of 1 to 10, Mermaid City was fucked¡ Would Mermaid City fall because of the blind arrogance of its citizens? They believed so much in their powreful barriers, and assumed their enemies to be dumb...only to have it all bite them back in the ass! sslessAscension
Creator''s Thought n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
???? August Madness????
Chapter 379 Hell of a Poison!
379 Hell of a Poison! Screams, the sound of flesh being torn apart, useless cries for mercy that would nevere, and the echo of a civilization crushed by a sea of bugs. "Ah, how soothing!" Jack''s murmur even scared his fellow prisoners. Soothing?! He called it bloody soothing?! No, the idea that he had orchestrated it all from a prison cell was infinitely more terrifying! Little did they know, the soothing sound he had referred to was one of notifications. [This Cmity Is All Your Fault!] [Indirectly killed Many guards¡] [Indirectly Killed Civilians¡] [A Noble Mermaid Died!] Wow! Talk about efficient! He didn''t even have to raise a finger, and there were so many casualties! At this moment, he couldn''t help but be proud of himself. [So Many Innocents Have Died¡] [You Are Now Considered "Evil" In The Lake!] Was this supposed to be a punishment? Either way, he had no remorse whatsoever. After all, he was doing all this to save the world with the water pearl! Sure, he was only doing it to save his own faction and farm, but it had to count for something, right? Besides, the idiotic fishes were now reaping what they had sowed. It barely took a few minutes for most of the City''s defenses to fall under the hungry creature''s assault. Thetter only wanted more "sweets," but none realized it. The whole process went as follows: Search for brown paste ¡ª> Eat the "snacks" blocking the way ¡ª> Keep Searching ¡ª> More "snacks" attacking for no reason ¡ª> Eat them too! It wasn''t just a bloodbath; the Capital was menacing to fall entirely at this rate! Meanwhile kept smiling as he bade his time. "Woo!" (It''s getting lively! What now?) "We wait. Some Cleaners will being our way soon." Jack replied. Their main target would be the treasury, but some would definitely smell the remnants of the brown paste on the two of them. ¡ª Rumble! ¡ª The entire castle was already shaking! But before they could arrive, someone else came crashing in, kicking the bloody dungeon door open. "Bastard! So what if it''s the end of the world?! I''ll skin you! I bet this whole goddamn thing''s your fault!" It was the wannabe torturer,pletely red in the face out of anger, and¡.was he freaking drunk?! That sure was quick as hell, given he had only been gone a few minutes! "Hehehe, say hello to my little friend!" He evilly chuckled as he shook a murky dark-purple vial, the liquid emanating a baleful aura. Oh god, no! Jack turned pale for the first time since his capture as he instantly recognized the potion. How the hell had a third-rate viin gotten his hands on something like that?! It wasn''t logical at all! "Hehehe,e here!" Thetter rushed toward him. Then ensued the saddest-looking yet deadliest fight ever. The fish guy was trying to force-feed Jack as he resisted with every fiber of his being, kicking with his hands tied. [Mana Restricted by Location!] [Physical Strength Lowered By Restraints!] [This System Doesn''t Think Winning Is Possible¡] Screw you! Jack ignored the warnings and kept fighting back. He even grabbed the now unconscious Pumpkin Girl to shield her from the vile substance. So what if he was fighting a losing battle? The opponent was already beginning to overpower him, but he still wouldn''t give up! "H-how is he fighting back?!" "That''s the Commander for you!" "You can do it, Commander. Kick his ass!" Many of the nearby prisoners couldn''t help but rub their eyes in disbelief. He was sealed, so how the hell was he so slippery?! He was totally predicting his opponent''s moves. But even for him, a miracle was impossible. The bastard finally managed to corner him, immobilizing him as he brought the venom to his lips. "Hehehe, drink up! Here''s a toast for you!" As the vial titled forward, its evil energy spread throughout the room. What the heck was that stuff?! Even the people at the other end of the room could sense its baleful aura! The bottle titled in slow-motion, the liquid flowing straight toward the now helpless Jack. He was 100% screwed! [Kraken-ying Nightmare Poison Detected!] [Host''s Mind in Danger! Initiating Logout!] [3¡2¡1¡.] Hell no! Cancel, cancel all that! Before the system had time to finish the process, Jack hurriedly put an end to the protective measure. So what if his mind would be in danger?! It wasn''t his first time dealing with something like that! So what if drinking this thing felt worse than dying a thousand times?! He had to stay if only to stop the bastard from giving some to Pumpkin Girl! He could feel her warmth on his back, and he''d bloody protect her even if it was thest thing he did! ''Sleep well. I swear I''ll bring you out of here. I''ll¡ª'' But suddenly something happened! ¡ª SMACK! ¡ª "What?! You''re awake?!" Out of nowhere, the "unconscious" Pumpkin Girl suddenly smacked the hell out of the vial! Had she been faking the whole time?!
The ss bottle was sent flying away, but some of the liquid came out. It was still heading straight for Jack! "I''ll be damned if I allow you all to survive this!" The torturer shouted as he held Jack''s head in ce. He''d at least get him! But Pumpkin Girl was far from done! The always calm and gentle farmgirl seemingly went on a bloody rampage. What the hell?! She wasn''t just angry. She was feral! She wed at his face, stabbed his eyes, and even¡ bit him?! With her current wounded, bloodied appearance, she looked like a goddamn vampire! "Let. Him. Go!!!!" "You crazy bitch! Are you insane?!"
Meanwhile, Jack was trying his best to kick the man''s crotch. Could the couple have fought dirtier than this¡probably not! The bystanders kept wincing just seeing it! But it seemed everyone had underestimated the jailer. "Fuck you both! I''ll bring you down, even if it''s thest thing I do!" He took it all head-on, enduring as he kept a firm grasp on Jack''s head. That''s when a single droplet managed to reach Jack''s mouth. He tried to spit it out, he tried to force himself to vomit, he tried everything but to no avail. The poison seemed to be bloody alive, the thing worming its way to his stomach. He could feel it reaching the very core of his being, felt its corruption as it settled down. "Hehehe, finally! This is what you get for calling me a third-rate torturer!" The viin triumphantly cackled as he threw Pumpkin Girl off him and let go of Jack. Thetter fell to the ground as if a puppet with its strings cut. Yet, there was obviously something wrong with him, his entire body twitching! "H-He''ll be fine, right?! It was only one drop¡." A prisoner worried prisoner uttered. "Pfft, fine? What a joke! This thing even drove the mighty Kraken to madness! So what if it''s only a drop? What do you think this single drop will do to a human!" The torturer was showing a victorious smile. He knew for a fact that the poison had a 570% mortality rate¡the target and everyone else they''d kill after turning mad! On the ground, Jack couldn''t stop convulsing: [Affected By Nightmare Poison!] [This Poison Terrifies Even Mythical Beings!] [Emergency Measure! Login Out to Protect User''s Soul!] [3¡2¡1¡] But the system''s countdown was suddenly interrupted by a croak. The voice was so rough that it seemed toe from a demon itself. "Tch, dumb system, stop trying to log me out!" "W-what?! H-how?!" The shellshocked bystanders suddenly witnessed a sight that would forever burn itself in their retinas. Even as Jack kept twitching, he slowly but surely rose. At the moment, he looked like a bloody zombie, his feet unsteady, but his eyes filled with a bloody glow that nothing could seemingly extinguish. He struggled even to take a step, and yet his broken body emitted such an unyielding aura that he seemed to possess infinite strength. What the heck was this?! It didn''t help that the seals all over the jail suddenly imploded a secondter. The magic had mistaken the poison for Jack''s power and tried to suppress it, only to fail gloriously. Anyone else would have been wriggling on the ground mad, but he slowly steadied his steps, a wooden piece appearing in his hands out of nowhere. He suddenly started humming¡. and sculpting?! He was utilizing every mental resistance passive he possessed, but the whole thing looked ludicrous to others. Why??! Just why?! Was he sane or insane?! Was he still alive or only a puppet of the Nightmare Poison?! Who knew soft humming could be so intimidating?! But they weren''t the only ones confronted with an unbelievable scene.
[Nightmares Are Haunting You!] [Good Luck Resisting!] n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
The entire world had changed for him.
The very water and air around him had be heavy as if reced by tar. The people suddenly looked like monsters, their features turning slightly demonic at times. The space kept trembling, nightmarish illusions appearing all over the ce. They were all fake, but their presence felt so real that he had to resist the urge to flee instantly. His entire world had be an eternal nightmare, even the most beautiful things reduced to putrid fakes that wanted to devour and y him. Everything had turned scary and ugly. Everything was horrendous¡.actually no. As he nced at Pumpkin Girl, she still appeared as beautiful as before, at least to him. She was looking at him with so much love, worried about him. She couldn''t feel any of her own injuries, only his safety mattering to her. This right there was a gaze worth fighting for, worth dying for, worth resiting a nightmare for. Was this thing trying to turn him mad? As if! [Resisted Nightmare Poison?!] [Are You Really Human?!] He was technically a ghoul. Had the system turned stupid? Jack shrugged, not realizing that it was his IRL humanity that the system was questioning. Instead, he turned toward the opponent. "Now, where were we?" Gulp! Pumpkin Girling in with the clutch save! More than a drop of the liquid would have definitely killed me! As for why something so strong was appearing right now...who bloody knows! sslessAscension
Creator''s Thought
Chapter 380 Ill Help You Enter History!
380 I''ll Help You Enter History!
That day the Mermaid Prison was especially lively. "Nooo! S-stay away from me!" first came the cries of despair of the torturer, overpowered by Jack.
"Yessss!" Then came the cheers from the prisoners as he handled the torturer, giving him a taste of his own medicine. Somehow hearing the bastard suffer made the world seem a little brighter. Some were even crying tears of joy, seeing karma finally at work. "Perhaps there is justice in the world after all!" "This is so good, the best even!" They eximed as he opened the cells one after the other. As they finally crossed the metal bars, they all reacted the same: 1. Take one deep breath
2. Kick the bastard in the nuts 3. Bow toward their savior with the gratitude of a monk. He wasn''t just any random guy; he was Hope itself! Thus appeared the peculiar scene of a group of rag-wearing prisoners happily celebrating and peeling away the flesh of their target¡.wait, some were eating it too?! #Potential Members But the rejoicing was cut short¡ ¡ª Shrieks! ¡ª They wereing. Some of the Cleaners had finally followed Jack''s trace all the way over here. Not just a few of them either, but an inescapable swarm.
As soon as they heard them, the prisoners turned deathly pale as they chuckled with self-ridicule, only for most to regain their calm as they sighed. "Welp, seems we''re dying today." "Hey, don''tin too much! We were dead in here already¡." "Comin? No such thing. I''m happy I get to die a free man. Isn''t that just the best?! I guess feeling theke''s current would have been better, but whatever." It didn''t take them long to enter "about to die" mode. Many began reminiscing about their childhood, what had brought them to this moment, and all in between. Just as saying their goodbyes to the world¡ "Aren''t you guys exaggerating a bit? Talk about melodramatic." Thest thing they heard was Jack''s slyment as the creatures made their apparition. Bugs, dark shiny, and vicious-looking bugs everywhere! All were glowing with magical energy, their sharp fangs showing incredible desire toward the living''s flesh. This was the end for sure. It was¡.what the hell?! Jack didn''t care about anyone''s reaction at all as he grabbed Pumpkin Girl and walked straight into the swarm as naturally as politicians lied. But to the others, it looked mad¡
"He brought his lover with him to die?!"
"W-why?! Shouldn''t we be fighting instead?" "Fool! It''s because he''s a man amongst men, a god amongst gods, and especially a romantic amongst romantics! Is there anything sweeter than to die in a lover''s embrace, nope!" Hearing their colleague''s "smart" analysis, many couldn''t help but tear up. What kind of History did he and his lover have to desire to be united even in death?! "As expected of the Commander! Even his death isn''t ordinary! He''s¡ª"
"Yeah, I too am speechless. He''s just that great and¡ª"
"Why are you guys all stopping mid¡ª WHAT?!" One after the other, they froze as they saw Jack amidst the sea of creatures. He was far from dead. He was even at the forefront of the swarm as if¡leading them?! Perhaps they were already dead, and this was but a trick of the mind? Was it some illusion magic? What if the creatures were trying to bait them to go inside too? "Hurry up, or I''m leaving you behind." Jack nonchntly remarked as he departed as if a nightmare shepherd.
Barely a second had psed that that one crazy alchemist that used to fight alongside him shrugged as he copied Jack''s previous motion. "Y-you''re going?!" "Meh, fighting on that beach was crazier if you ask me." "T-that¡actually makes sense. Commander, wait up, we''reing!" The men who used to follow his orders followed in his footsteps one after the other, letting a group of shellshocked random prisoners behind. "Actually¡who the heck was that?!" "¡." .
.
.
The City was getting overrun, aquatic people''s blood and entrails tarnishing the surroundings in a gory mess. Yet, some were still resisting. "Follow Emperor Gargan!" "Drive them away! Destroy them all!" The soldiers fought with the vigor of woodpeckers striking wood on a Sunday morning. They were relentless, hitting the creatures over and over repeatedly. At first, they had been shaking in their scales, but every time they rose their eyes, courage would blossom in their heart. He was the rock they all needed. He stood alone, a one-man army. Gargan, the god-like octopus warrior, was wielding more weapons than a whole squadbined, towering over the creatures. "These are so weak! Crush them!" He bellowed powerfully, even the noble mermaids awestruck at his disy of power.
¡ª sh! Crush! Pierce! ¡ª It seemed like he was making jams out of the enemies, reducing them to nothingness. The creatures could only shriek in pain as they avoided him entirely. But just as they were finding some peace amidst the storm, something unbelievable happened. In the distance, there was arge mass of creatures gathering. "Y-your highness! L-look over there!" "I-is that the monster leader?!" "W-wait, no, that''s¡how?!" The "monster king" was no other than Jack. Not only was hepletely unharmed in the middle of the creatures, but he was even staring straight at the survivors. They were struggling to fight back while he was just there¡chilling. Wait, didn''t this mean that he was the one that had called them over?! This revtion was akin to a nuke exploding as it rocked their world, and for a second many lost all their bearings, their faces turning into colorful paintings. Confusion, curiosity, anger, hate, and even¡lust?! They all had different ways to look at him, all of them! [Infamy Increased Tremendously!] [He Who Brings the Apocalypse!] [You Will Be Hunted!] Hunted? No, the system had it all wrong. This time, he was the one doing the hunting! He calmly nced toward his now enemies, even taunting Gargan toe over. Thetter growled, emitting enough killing intent to give even soldiers a heart attack. He was ready to tear him to pieces. "Pfft¡ª So what if you can growl? Hahahaha!" Jack flicked his hand, and the cacophony began, the cleaners going wild as if screaming a war cry.
¡ª Shriek! Shriek! Shriek! ¡ª
[You¡ You''ve Tamed Them?!] [Analyzing! Analyzing! Error! User is no Tamer!] [Recalibrating the Effect of "Residue of the Deep"!] "Yep, that brown paste really was a little cheated, but that still warrants taming XP, don''t you think? Besides, it took me lots of effort to do it!" Jack argued. [Congrattions! Reached Taming Rank F!] "That''s more like it! Now I just¡ª Oh crap!" He didn''t have any time to celebrate, dodging in a hurry. ¡ª BOOM! ¡ª What the heck?!
Jack and Gargan stared at one another in shock. The man''s charge had created a freaking crater in the sand, causing the entire area to shake. This was enough power to p a skyscraper down in one hit! Meanwhile, Gargan was stunned at the speed the puny human had disyed. It was a speed that should have been impossible for someone in human shape! But the truth quickly revealed itself since Jack was glowing. There was a faint blue aura around him that came from the rough-looking pearl he was clutching. "Tch¡ª So the other one was a fake¡." Gargan spoke for the first time. "Thanks, Captain Obvious! You think I''m just gonna leave it to you? Who knows what you''ll use it for! For all I know, you want to use it as anal beads!" Jack retorted¡loudly. There was a moment of silence, one processing and the bystanders doubting their ears. Sadly for them, not only did their ears work but so did their imaginations. In a matter of seconds, many began grimacing as they pictured the scene of a gigantic warrior struggling to insert¡ª BLERG! Some even vomited! "You, I''ll skin you alive!" Gargan once more charged. He was even faster this time, a red aura enveloping his body. Had he suddenly turned berserk? But so what if he had? Jack wasn''t about to fight him! "Go my minions! Crush him, get food!" Food?! As they heard the term, the critters seemingly came alive. They had learned the word from him, after all. They knew it meant happiness, and thus they would fight! Cleaners VS Gargan Thousands of creatures versus one scary aquatic warrior Hive mind focused on procuring food versus one very angry chunky boy All the while, Jack remained as far as possible, floating in the sea as if some kind of aquatic magical wizard. He was technically the "strategist", not that it worked too well. "Use your entire bodies to ram him! Keep going, bite his dick off! Enter the back door and dig from the inside!" he kept encouraging.
The more the random soldiers heard and the paler they got. Had he always been that vicious? They suddenly really hoped that their Emperor would win! "Gargan, Gargan, Gargan!" Their voices were tinged with desperation. But the one that was truly despairing was actually Jack. He had thought he''d be able to destroy the bastard with his Cleaner legion, but he had underestimated him. There seemed to be some kind of invisible skinyer protecting the guy, the kind one would find in the sea biome, the kind that wasn''t easy at all to obtain.
Seriously, who the heck was this Gargan? Was he some important NPC forter in the story? He felt like he was fighting a Superman! Well, a very angry Superman¡ "Y-you,e back here so I can snap your neck!"
"I''ll refrain. You see, I quite like my neck. It''s long, soft, pulsating, and very fun to touch." Jack mischievously shook his head before continuing. "What I will do, however, is help you enter History. Cheer up. You''ll be remembered across the ages as someone who couldn''t protect Mermaid City. Isn''t that nice!" [You n On Destroying the Whole Thing?!] For the first time since they began fighting, panic shed inside the seemingly unkible Gargan''s eyes¡.
Can''t beat the enemy? No problem! Destroy everything they hold dear until they go on a rampage across thend...and use the entire yermunity to deal with them. Best n ever! sslessAscension n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Chapter 381 Run, Fool!
381 Run, Fool!
That day, so many Cleaners died. The little creatures'' dying shrieks filled the entireke, yet they didn''t retreat even once. To them, a feast was worth dying for! They cleaned the entire ce of its "Residue of the Deep", turning the whole ce upside down. They were unstoppable! The citizens of Mermaid City would forever shiver as they remembered this day, especially that one man''s voice as he "controlled" the swarm. "Look there, food!" That''s all Jack ever said. He''d point at whatever he wanted to be destroyed, calling it the new food scavenging location. The entire City going down was actually coteral damage. "Please, go away! We don''t have any more food, I swear! You won''t find anything, please!" The mermaids would beg with tears in theirrge beautiful eyes, even the ex-Empress. Usually, their looks alone would have been enough to get any man to forgive them, they looked so pitiful after all, but Jack was entirely frigid for them. Mercy?! Bloody mercy?! He had so many reasons to get revenge against them, a thousand of them! 1. They had hurt Pumpkin Girl 2. They had hurt Pumpkin Girl 3. They had hurt¡
They had also betrayed his trust, but that was a mere detail. He could easily forgive everything else, but attacking his people? Hell no! He kept ordering his new army, decimating everything those bastards held dear. Cleaners = Hungriest Invincible Sword! Water-Pearl = Best Survival Tool (Especially when underwater and focusing everything on avoiding) Cleaners + Water-Pearl = Temporarily Unstoppable Combo! As for the innocent victims in all this¡.well, this was war. It was all worth to see Gargan''s despair as deep regret filled his soul, the man shouting non-stop. "Tch¡ª Bastard, I should have killed you when I had the chance!" "Stop fleeing, you coward! Honor-less wimp, fight me!" "Stop hiding behind your minions already!" Each of his shouts revealed how unrepentant he was. Not once did he ever show regret for antagonizing Jack in the first ce. Nope, it was all about him, him, and him! Fight fairly? What did the idiot expect? That Jack would just stand there and let him hit him? The world sure was fair. What he had gained in power, he had lost in self-awareness. At the end of the day, Jack left behind a pile of rubble and apletely traumatized poption. A single look at them triggered an instant wave of PTSD. [Sessfully Razed Mermaid City Down!] [The Mermaids Hate You to the Bone!] [Still, They Fear You Even More!] [Title: Demon King of the Lake!] His title had updated? How was a random peer-given title evolving so much?! Not only did it help for intimidation, but from now he''d even be used to scare misbehaving children¡
Even now, the shivering soldiers were staring at him as if he was Evil incarnate. All hope had long left them as they pictured the grim future. Destroy the Capital ¡ª> Head to the other cities They could already picture Jack gleefully cackling as he ordered his legion to hunt the survivors to the veryst one. The entireke was so doomed! [Fear +++!] [Despair Fills Their Hearts!] Fear, despair? Why were they suddenly despairing now? The City was already gone. It wasn''t like he could do much more damage even if he wanted to! Little did they realize that he wouldn''t be able to attack any random ce. It had to be one that contained the food that the creatures loved so much. As far as he knew, that kind of exotic delicacy had only been present here, but everything had already been wiped clean, and thus his crusade would end. But just as they were all misunderstanding his true power and getting scared shit-less, an angelic voice resounded as if a miracle from Heaven. "That''s enough¡ I''m not angry anymore." Pumpkin Girl softly uttered from Jack''s back as she stared at the scene of destion. ¡ª Gasps! ¡ª Never had someone seemed more pleasing to the eye. So what if her state was horrible and her face currently mangled beyond belief? At this moment, she seemed like a Saint! [Hope Fills Their Hearts!] [What Will You Decide Upon?] Jack could almost see the bnce of Karma hanging above his head. Honestly, he cared very little about the lives of the rabble, but he could feel the weight of her gaze on him. She would ept his decision either way, but still¡ "I should fill the entireke with your blood to redress her grievance¡." They all shook. "Sigh. All of you, scram!" Jack finally bellowed. They ran as if rats on a sinking ship. They ran, sneaking fearful nces at the being that was letting them go, praying for him not to change his mind. At this moment, Jack appeared as if a vengeful Water God, especially floating with the water pearl''s glow. He who had arrived at this ce sneakily was leaving it with a huge BANG! There was only one that didn''t want to leave, Gargan. He squinted veins about to pop all over his forehead. "Human freak, I''ll definitely kill you next time!" He reluctantly left with his entire crew, temporarily retreating. [Drove a Powerhouse Away!] [Mermaid City Confrontation Ending!] [XP +++ Level UP!!! Reached Level 42!] "It''s finally over¡." Pumpkin Girl''s relieved voice echoed. "Not quite." Jack shook his head, staring at the rubble on the floor. "How abouting out now." He growled a warning. ¡ª Bam! ¡ª The remains of a mermaid building were suddenly pushed away, and a gorgeous dust-covered head appeared. "How did you know I was here?!" An oddly excited mermaid asked in awe. She didn''t seem to care about the destruction around her, nor the Cleaners. "Oh, it''s you. You don''t seem too concerned about the destruction of your City." Jack remarked. "Pfft¡ª Don''t try changing the topic! How did you figure out where I was?! Have you ascended to godhood somehow? Wait, no. You saw me hide, right?!" "What does it change¡ª" "Hehe, you were looking at me!" She eximed triumphantly.
Jack could already feel a headacheing. By now, she was even striking seductive poses, stretching her tail and voluptuous chest alike, even with Pumpkin Girl''s death stare! The best thing he could do was just to ignore her and leave ASAP before¡ª "You''re running out of power, aren''t you? The truth is you''re out of mana, and you don''t have perfect control over the creatures either." She sharply pointed out. At this moment, she couldn''t have looked more scheming, her grin showing that she had the situation under control. "I wonder what will happen if I attack "you" right now." She stressed the "you", for she wouldn''t make the mistake of antagonizing the bugs. Flee? Even with the water pearl, he probably wouldn''t be able to. He was very deep inside theke. Fight? That was even less of an option. It would attract Gargan''s attention. Jack would be royally fucked if the "Emperor" returned at that moment. He could only bluff his way out! "What will happen? Sushis. I''ll do mincemeat out of you, stuff that pink flesh of yours into dried algae with rice and vegetables. Then I''ll¡ª" "Hahahahaha! If I didn''t know better, I''d believe you!" Without hesitating, she flicked her tail, elerating toward him. [Your BS Failed for Once!] Goddamn! As if that was the time for the bloody system to gloat! Why did it seem like it wanted him to suffer recently?! Think, think! What could he even do? There was that one Infinite Demonic Energy trick from that book back then¡but he was way too low energy even to start the damn spell! No, there was only one thing he could do. He''d retreat to the Abyss, lure her into a mirage, and then¡. ¡ª Bam! ¡ª Another piece of rubble suddenly exploded outward. That''s when a bunch of bleeding, weak-looking guys showed up. Many of them he recognized. They were his old soldiers and some other prisoners he had freed. "Surprise! We''re here too! We came to save you, Commander! Leave this goddess¡ª bitch to us and run. We got you!" They came for him? Jack could actually see their arms bulging with stolen treasures, and they had obviously been looting. One could be an honorable thief, it seemed¡ "If you make it out alive, the beer''s on me!" Jack irreverently ran for his life, throwing such a puny promise in the wind. He felt Pumpkin Girl wriggle in his arms, seemingly about to say something, but she remained mum in the end. She understood that she was the one he was trying to save. But even then¡ "ARGG!" "How is she so OP?!" "My arm, she cut my goddamn arm!" The scene behind them was already one of a massacre. Jack''s pursuer was akin to a demon from an aquatic Hell, her water trident slicing through bones as if butter. Not only was she decimating the troops faster than herpes spread in a crude bordello, but her gaze never left Jack even as she did so. Goddammit, now what?! It wasn''t like he could go back to help them either. No, he had to do something! 1. Stash Pumpkin Girl somewhere 2. Lead the crazy mermaid far away
3. Wait for the valiant Moon Moon to respawn
4. Improvise¡ ?? N?v(el)B\\jnn
He could already hear her shouts from behind¡ "Why are you running? You can run, but you can''t hide!" She kept yfully shouting over his shoulder. It would have almost seemed cute if she wasn''t covered in blood¡. actually was that a severed finger in her long blue hair?! Pushed by desperation, Jack somehow reached point 2 of his mightily improvised n, reaching a dark bottomless hole. [Enter the Abyss Again?!] [Warning! Extremely Dangerous!] So what if he was low mana? He''d have just enough to throw himself into another mirage cluster. It would be deadly, but so what?! "Sigh. Here goes nothing." He dived to his sure death, a blue blur quickly following after... That moment when you scare away the big bad guy, only to find yourself chased by the mid-boss. Talk about an opportunist Mermaid! Still, all hope wasn''t lost, for I still had one trick up my sleeve,... sslessAscension
Creator''s Thought
Chapter 382 The BEST News!
382 The BEST News! A fiery-haired once beauty gazed at the Abyss, clutching her slender fingers. "Come back already¡." Jack was in there, no doubt fighting the powerful Noble Mermaid. All she could do was believe in him, wishing with all her heart for his safe being. It felt bad. No, it felt horrible. The feeling of helplessness was the worst ever. What would she do if he didn''te back? Avenge him? Return to the farm? Perhaps follow in his footsteps and dive into the Abyss? "Please juste back." As if the world had heard her prayers, bubbles suddenly rose from the dark hole, a blurry figure appearing. Blub! Blub! He was back! He was¡ª but then the neer was revealed. A slender frame, a delicate tail, a face perfect enough for any man to take another nce, she was back. No, this couldn''t be. Didn''t this mean that he?!¡ª "Oh? You seem disappointed. Were you perhaps expecting someone else?" The Mermaid yfully uttered as she approached, extending her hand toward Pumpkin Girl''s head. "Even after all that torture, even with that messed-up face of yours, he was still calling your name until the end¡." Her whisper was full of longing. The end?! No bloody way! Pumpkin Girl''s knees suddenly turned weak. It was all her fault. She hade to theke, and he had followed. If only she had waited for him at the farm, if only she were stronger, if only¡
At that moment, it wasn''t just raining. It was pouring. Regret, self-me, a piece of her soul had been taken away as he had. "You''re crying? What good will crying do? Actually, you can stay here and cry until theke overflows for all I care, punishment for your foolishness." The Mermaid chuckled as she waved her hand. Suddenly a blue water barrier engulfed Pumpkin Girl, sealing her from the rest of the world, restraining her there, but even then, she barely noticed it. The world returned to quiet as the Mermaid left, a broken soul remaining. Pumpkin Girl was so out of it that she barely sensed the aquatic people that soon emerged from the nearby rocks, barely noticed as they tried breaking the barrier. ¡ª ng! ng! ng! ¡ª "How is that thing so strong?!" "It was made by a noble Mermaid, duh!" "Sigh. I guess we can''t bring her back to Gargan. Still, that bastard''s dead, and that''s all that matters. Let''s go back to the base already." With onest nce at the sobbing woman, they all disappeared one by one, not noticing how the light in her eyes had changed. A few secondster, she even began mumbling. "What would he do?" Perhaps he was dead. Perhaps his corpse had been obliterated too. No matter what had happened to him, she''d find him and bring him back, whatever it took, no matter how demonic the magic she had to use. That''s when her entire body shook, a strange dark green glow enveloping her, akin to a corrupted version of her Life Magic. [Error! Error! Problematic Parameter!] [NPC Going Haywire?! Analyzing, Recalib¡ª] "Begone. The voice, this barrier¡.and this bloody world! Without him, none of it matters. So please, just shut the hell up." She growled. That''s when she struck. She mmed her fist against the magical barrier. She mmed it so hard that the sound echoed all around, so hard that her knuckles bled, so strongly that a creaking sound was heard from her bones. Then she did it again, again, and again. She was akin to a terminator robot that couldn''t feel any ounce of pain. She did it until her hands broke and kept going until finally¡ ¡ª Kacha! ¡ª The prison shattered, yet she didn''t rejoice. She simply walked away, leaving a trail of blood in her way. She was going back to the surface and wouldn''t return before she had grown stronger. "Just wait for me¡." Calm slowly but surely returned to theke.
The Abyss was especially quiet and as dark as ever. It remained like that for a while, but suddenly a shadowy figure surrounded by a couple of Cleaners cautiously emerged from it, softly speaking to the creatures. 22:42
"Are you sure Gargan''s sentries are gone?"
* Affirmative Bug Wriggling *
Without hesitating, Jack rushed forward. He couldn''t wait to get the hell out of this ce with¡ª What the fuck?! Pumpkin Girl was gone, only the fragments of a flickering magical barrier remaining. That freaking Mermaid had promised she''d be there waiting for him to emerge. Had she been attacked? No, the protective barrier had been destroyed¡from the inside?! Pumpkin Girl''s Soft Fists > Mermaid Magic¡How?! No, knowing how didn''t matter one bit right now. The problem was the whole n going to shit! Faked Own Death! ??
Negotiated with Mermaid ??
Riding Away In the Sunset with Pumpkin Girl ??
He''d be able to catch up to her right, right?! He hurriedly ran after her, cursing the system under his breath, the damn thing remaining bloody silent. Meanwhile, a certain Mermaid was praising herself for a well-done job, not knowing the evil she had unknowingly released. Her mental state was still a mess at the moment, as she went from sighing to giggling to herself while furiously blushing. "Back in the mirage, he called me cute!" The cold, calctive Mermaid that wanted to capture Jack for her own design was nowhere to be found, not that she realized herself. After all, what had seemed like only a few hours in the real world, had felt like an eternity in the mirage. Jack had slowly but surely chipped at her cold heart.
She remembered every interaction they had, from beginning to end. She had tried murdering him so many times in the beginning, but it felt so silly now. He luckily survived every time, thanks to one thing or another, but in the end they had cooperated to clear the mirage. He had so many opportunities to get rid of her, yet he hadn''t. Slowly but surely, she had changed her mind about him. He was wise He had protected her. He wasn''t scared by her noble Status. He was just perfect! Well¡if it weren''t for his insistence on returning to that one farm girl. If only she could have made her disappear without him knowing, sigh. Still, she had hope for the future. She simply needed to do her job perfectly. Then he''d be sure to reward her, right? Actually, what should she even ask for? Somehow this seemed harder than politics! But suddenly, her whole body shivered as she remembered the time he threatened to eat her. Somehow that didn''t sound that bad! She hurried back to the Pce¡ ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ POV ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
"Dead? He''s dead?! Great! You''ve done well, Tiara, very well!" The towering octopus had never received better news. The human-looking bastard that had destroyed the Capital was finally dead! Still, there was one thing missing. "What about the Water-Pearl?" "My Lord, it''s regrettably been destroyed in the fight." The Mermaid replied. "No matter, as long as he''s gone. Now, there is only one thing left for us to do¡." Gargan chuckled. He obviously meant the reconstruction of Mermaid City. It would be one hell of a troublesome project that would take months at the very least, if not years. "My Lord, how should we proceed with the rebuilding?" A random fish nearby asked, eager to get on with the process. All he got was a look of disdain from the "Emperor". "Rebuilding? What rebuilding? We''re swimming to war! Prepare the weapons, and get the men ready. We''re removing the human scourge right now!" Gargan bellowed. "W-war? My Lord, shouldn''t we focus on recovering inste¡ª"
The protesting guy never finished his sentence, a ginormous fist splitting his head open, the whole thing exploding like a crushed watermelon. "Anyone else?" The silence couldn''t have been heavier. Some clenched their fists, and many showed disgust, but they all shivered in fear. Just like that, it was decided that they were going to war. A few minutester, the entireke was marching to war. Fishes, Crustaceans, Mermaids, and scaled beings of all kinds, all of them! [They Are Coming!] That was the only warning the system ever gave.
Then it began, so quickly that no yer got the chance to react. A few just happened to be farming on the beach at that very moment. They were happily slicing some Murlocks, not a care in the world. "Take that, you scaly freak! Give me loot!" "Hehe, these guys are easy XP!" "Yep, level 22, here I go!" But suddenly, one of thempletely froze as he stared at the nearby water. Was he imagining things, or were there tons of monsters?! TONS! "G-guys, run, we gotta ru¡ª"
There was a whistling sound. A spear flew, quicklynding in the yer''s chest. -80 There was only one damage number, nothing else. That''s how the yers knew they were fucked. They ran¡or at least they tried. They never stood a chance, a few more "gifts" reaching them. ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ N?v(el)B\\jnn
©¥©¥©¥ YOU DIED! ©¥©¥©¥
©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥
Their vision went dark one after the other. There was no resisting, there was no fleeing, there was only dying. Thest thing they saw was the army stepping across their dead body, their bloody weapons already aimed at the distance. The sand shook. Theke water surged, overflowing.
Even the sky turned cloudy, a mighty wind raging as if a bad omen. "They dare to hunt our brethren? Today is the day of reckoning. Today humanity falls!!" Amidst the storm, a powerful voice resounded. It wasn''t just an empty deration of war: he seriously meant it. After all, he had seen firsthand the damage that vile race could cause... Holy hell, that one was clutch! I''m not proud to admit it, but I WILL seduce a fish if the need arises...and did, actually. Her feelings are the reason she didn''t enve me. #Great Sess! sslessAscension
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