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 flaw 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 Schrödinger’s cat. Had Bubblegum succeeded? He would know as soon as he checked.
— Ding!—
– Bubblegum: I obtained it, but I need help! I’m surrounded by wolves.
– Jack’O: Right now?!
How long could a player 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!
– 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.
– 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 young lad who had just been told by his girlfriend: “My parents aren’t home…”
The players couldn’t help but wryly smile as they exchanged glances. He sure was quick to come to her rescue. They were almost jealous! No, scratch that. They were Hella 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?!” One commented.
“Wolves can climb. They aren’t doing it right now because she’s barely in range of their leap.” Jack explained.
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.
– Jack’O: Get ready, we’re here! Do you see us?
– Bubblegum: Yes! What’s the plan?
– Jack’O: Run as fast as you can. We’ll hold them off.
They then shared a glance. 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, only lasted 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 annihilate 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 claws 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 player 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, flaunting 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 and complete 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’ll come back for you, Boss! I’ll come 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 explain 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 one last glance 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 accompanied the Clucking sounds.
Ah, this was actually relaxing. 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 succeed. 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 success…
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 success!