《Virtual Lycan: An Artificial Fantasy Playthrough》 Prologue: [A High-Level Beast in a Low-Level Dungeon?!] [Posted: October 31, 2050] [ArrowHead82: What the hell is this game?! Is this supposed to be a fantasy VRMMO or a horror freak show?!] [Zedi29: Damn... What''s with you, dude? You look like you saw a ghost or something.] [ArrowHead82: Who the hell put a high-level beast in a low-level forest dungeon?!] [HeThiccBoy: Dude, if you''re talking about the dreaded , then you went the wrong way. LOL] [ArrowHead82: I know what the is! I read all about it in the wiki! What it didn''t mention is a 6-foot beast roaming around the one that''s near the and the ! I f**king died there while I was hunting for those [Horned Rabbits]!] [EveryM4N: Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Strange... I never heard of a beast-type monster roaming around in those parts.] [Zedi29: Maybe you got your directions wrong and encountered a [Wild Bear] instead?] [ArrowHead82: Like hell it was! It was a huge beast walking in two. It looked like a wolf and just jumped out during a full moon!] [HeThiccBoy: Okay, you really must be hallucinating. How long are you under the [VeilCon] any way?] [CuriousGossip2: Maybe the monster Arrow mentioned might not be a normal one. Maybe it''s a monster that only appears during a hidden event.] [EveryM4N: Hidden event? Do you mean those rumored [Hidden Quests]?] [Zedi29: WTF?! If that''s the case, it might be an ultra-rare boss monster wandering around near .] [CuriousGossip2: Who knows? But I know from a few peers that this monster is special not because of its strength, but the abilities it possesses under a full moon. If the beast bites you during that, you may become one yourself... A beast who can do nothing but hunt and eat other adventurers who would dare to attack it. :)] [Zedi29: Seriously, Gossip?! WTF?! What''s with the asshat creepypasta?!] [HeThiccBoy: Yeah! I mean, werewolves aren''t real in [Isekai]. Do they?] [CuriousGossip2: Who knows~ Maybe one of you might be already bitten by one~] [ArrowHead82: ... WTF is this game?!] Chapter 1: The Melancholy of Lucas Lowell [Dream no more!]/[Transport yourself into another world!]/[Live in the fantasy world just like-] "Hey! Keep it down, you brats! Can''t you see I''m watching the match?!" I groan as I watch my grouchy boss yelling at the kids. However, I feel a bit sorry for them when they run away from the store. Besides, they didn''t do anything to make him mad. In fact, the one playing the trailer is me. And it''s not any other video game trailer playing on my phone. It''s a trailer for the first VRMMO on the [Advanced Virtual Reality System]. [Isekai Online]. It''s like any other fantasy MMO out there including retro ones. The big difference is that the system meant for character development runs on a [Mastery System], a skill system of sorts that customize your play style: no job classes or anything to dictate it. It has been a month since its release and so far, the hype train for it didn''t stop. The only caveat is that the latest [ADVR] console, [VeilCon] is so damn expensive! It''s a miracle I got it as a gift along with the game. Although I joined the game a week after the release and the person who sent me the bundle was none other than my... "Hey! What the hell are you goofing around for, newbie?!" Dammit... The big bad boss noticed me! I thought I hid my phone under the counter a bit too well. Still, I can''t quit this job now. Even if I hadn''t fronted the cashier for a few months now. How the hell did this general store keep its lights up with that jerk around?! "LUUUUUUCAAAAASSSSSS!!!" WTF?! Did that bastard have to shout that loud?! Dammit, the boss is already pissed after my sneakaway trailer rewatch. "Hey! I told you brats to- OOOOFFF!" As I feared, a certain guy with glasses wearing green eyeglasses along with a green plaid buttoned shirt over his white undershirt, blue denim pants, and orange sneakers. I can tell who he is because of his short auburn hair that looks like he hasn''t combed his bangs lately. "Sorry! I''ll buy some stuff afterward!" He quickly rushes by my side and glares at me without realizing what the hell he has done. "Lucas! I can''t believe you did me in like that!" I raise my eyebrow and ask, "Done what?" "THE EDITS! Why didn''t you tell me about them?! I could have gone in and suggested some stuff during the editing?!" Oh, right. That. "If I don''t, you''ll be the one editing without me stopping your crazy ideas, Bryan," I answered. "I get the draft is perfect, but it''s better to double-check than have readers complain about the lack of logic behind the characters'' actions." "Okay. You may have a good point. But we''re supposed to be a team, Lucas. A bit of clarity is a big part when it comes to collaborations." I sigh. "Yeah, my bad. But still..." "Hey! Why are you chattering around for, newbie?!" I was almost startled as soon as I heard my boss shouting at me. "Get your ass up and haul that inventory back onto their shelves!" I sigh again. I have a right to be pissed at that asshole. But being pissed does no wonders with my paycheck and livelihood. Even if I try to find some free time while waiting for the inventory or customer, he will pull out some bullshit to accuse me of being lazy. "Huh. What a charming guy." Bryan turned to me next. "If you''re done, meet me at the usual." I didn''t say anything else but to wave and give him the usual from the drinks section. I wish we could chat longer, but I can feel that jerk''s glare running through my spine.
After a while, I got out of that hellhole I got out of my store uniform and back into my brown open-buttoned shirt and blue T-shirt. Then I quickly ran to the MoonCoin coffee shop nearby while trying not to look back from the dreaded place called part-time. Once I was inside the cafe, I saw Bryan sitting at our usual table on the right with two paper cups near him. "Congrats on surviving another day of hell, Lucas," Bryan greeted with his usual grin. "Enough with the jokes, Bryan," I groan as I sit in front of my friend. "Still, I''m glad you didn''t run away like the other kids." "What''s that supposed to mean?!" Bryan frowned before shaking his head. "Besides, did you spend months working in that store? Why the hell did you not leave in the first place? Your boss is more like Satan than a normal manager to me." "If I do it now, I can''t secure my current budget I have this month," I answer while taking a cup of latte that he ordered for me. "Rent''s due this month and even if I quit, Mr. Grumpy Asshole won''t give me enough severance pay as promised." "Geez... That sounds like black company shit right there. I''m surprised no one reported him. Not even you." I sip my latte slowly to avoid getting my tongue before I turn to Bryan. "If I rush in without a plan, then it will get worse on my end. That''s how I work against those kinds of people." "Still, you shouldn''t be a pushover. You have a right to be heard as a part-time employee of the 10-Seven!" He says while pumping his arm like he''s pushing weights. "You did endure his torturous orders for months now, right? Not to mention you already have a steady budget with your Sponzer and your articles." "But they were meant for extra money, not bills and rent," I clarify. "So far, I only have 3 Sponzers. One of them is you, remember?" "O-Oh..." "Second, I have some competition when it comes to guides and articles at the [Isekai Travelers] fansite. With most of them being the top guides and most visited, I can''t earn enough revenue than I used to." I sip my latte again. "Adding to my serialized web novel''s current views and you get a recipe for financial disaster." Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I can see Bryan''s eyes widen after saying all of that. "Yeesh... "Struggling" doesn''t even begin to describe your living situation, Lowell." That''s an understatement. I''ve been struggling since the moment I left high school. From my parents'' disapproval over my decision to become a writer to leaving home from Nevada once I knew it was too much for me to live there any longer to cover the college tuition and apartment rent, I didn''t have a glamorous life as anyone would expect moving here in the Big Apple. "Well, it''s not like I wish to live in a big mansion like everyone else," I said while leaning back in my seat. "This is my life and no one can tell me otherwise." "Wow, I didn''t expect you to be an edge lord, Lowell." I gasp when I hear someone behind me. When I turn around, I sigh in frustration to see who it is. "Give me a break, Harley. It''s not like I ask for a better life away from my "perfect" parents." The black-haired man in our age chuckles as he sits down next to Bryan. "But you have an F when it comes to optimism. Sure, you''re having a shitty life right now. But posting about 50 chapters online is nothing to scoff at. You''re currently on the Top 50 right now on Horror and Suspense." "Yeah, but not enough to get some readers. I don''t have enough money to buy ads to promote it." "But reviews are praising your story beats and lore. Well, except for some criticisms of your worldbuilding and twists," Bryan points out before Harley smacks him in the gut. "I said "encourage" him, not make him feel worse!" I groan upon hearing his whispers. "I get you want to help me, but this is my problem and I should be the one who needs to solve it. But thank you for trying." "Hey, that''s what best friends are for," Bryan said. "If you want real encouragement, how about we should steer clear of those RL stuff for now?" "Yep. Like this one!" Harley quickly flashes his phone to us with a forum thread that seemed to have been posted almost a month ago. "[A High-Level Beast in a Low-Level Dungeon]?" I read it out loud. "Is this about that rumor running around in [Isekai] lately?" "Yeah. There''s an update posted and they say the beast in question somehow moved out of the dungeon the original poster mentioned," Harley explains. "However, another player reported that the same monster appeared near the ." I raise my eyebrow when I hear this. "What about it? Isn''t that monster supposed to be spawned in different areas like other ones including MVP bosses? I mean, someone defeated it and we might not have heard about it on social media." "That''s the thing. The monster has a unique dark blue name tag and no other monster has it. When players try to approach it, they see a warning that says it''s dangerous and "cannot be found by other means". They even have screenshots of that pop-up." Well, that changes things. But still... "Not only that, the same monster appeared during the full moon in the game! Not before or after. During the full moon." "As in it appeared in a few hours outside the game, right?" Bryan said. "Full moons only occur every 14 days in in-game time as opposed to the real one. So that''s about 2-3 days here." "Right on the money, Kessler! In short, what we''re witnessing is a big lore mystery emerging inside the game and we might get a boatload of attention if we solve it." Harley then turned to me with a big smile on his smile. "What about it, Lowell? Sounds like an interesting subject for your next article." Thinking about it, it does sound like a big deal. But there are too many uncertainties around it. I mean, the information came from other players'' statements and there are a few that might be exaggerated for clicks. I really want to boost my articles, but... "You don''t have to pursue it if you don''t want it, Lucas," Harley suggested. "Besides, according to them, being killed by that monster will give you the worst [Death Penalty] you have ever experienced before. You should give it some thought if you''re still interested, though." "Yeah, thanks for the warning, Harley. I know where I should avoid this week," Bryan yawned before sipping his Cappuccino. "I want to know more about it since it''s rumored to be a werewolf of some sort, but I''m still in my 10''s and I have to grind for [MEXP] to level up my [Magic Artillery Mastery]." I chuckle at his second thoughts. "At least you''re still smart enough to avoid those reckless endeavors despite your obsessive tendencies when it comes to werewolf movies. Not unlike that knight who jumped in front of us and got killed on his first visit." I don''t know the name of the knight (I do recall his name starts with an A), but Bryan and I saw him before and that''s all I can recall. "Yeah, not gonna touch that one," Bryan said. "What the hell did that guy was doing?" We chuckle at the thought of that stupid memory. "That definitely helps me a lot. Thanks for sharing that with us, Harley." "Anytime, Lowell! Glad you''re back to your old self." I''m glad, too. I smile while watching both of my friends chatting about an explosion in the . Brycen Kessler and Harley Spencer. They have been my only friends since middle school. Both of them are odd ducks, but despite my annoyance in some cases, they are the ones who make me forget the pain of reality outside [Isekai Online]. I wish I could stay with them a bit longer. Chat with them more about the game. But reality just had to remind the shitty life I''m in right now.
Night time falls and I yawn as I walk my ass up to the 3rd floor of the apartment building. I wish I could say Bryan and Harley are living with me. But they are staying at the college down while I can''t afford to stay there. It''s not because I''m broke, but I have to get by without relying too much on my deadbeat parents. As I open the door to the leftmost corner of the hallway, I see a kitchen counter on my right with the sink filled with dishes and instant noodle cups I forgot to throw out. On my left is a small bathroom complete with a shower, sink, and toilet. In front of me is a small living room with an outdated television and sofa and a bedroom to the side. Honestly, I doubt my friends would live here in this cramped apartment. But it''s cheap and has good Wi-Fi along with the basic amenities. "Home sweet home..." I muttered to myself. "It''s better than last week, I guess." Yeah, I doubt it''s true. With my boss''s attitude and my work schedule being around the weekends and every Tuesday and Wednesday at night, I don''t know if I can earn enough income for the rent in time. I removed my shoes and lay down on my bed as I let out a sigh. I close my eyes for a while, trying to get enough rest before I can move on. I turn around and see my PC and a violet [VeilCon] sitting right next to my textbooks. With a stressful day today, I expect things in [Isekai Online] will get better for me. Unfortunately, the world of is no different than in the real world. But do I have a choice in this matter? It''s not the articles I''m worried about. But abandoning the game meant leaving my friends behind. It''s late, but I should check up on it just in case. I stand up and boot up both of my [VeilCon] and PC. While the PC is slow, the [VeilCon] is fast enough to finish booting up, which is enough for me to double-check its settings. Once both of them are all booted up, I lay down on my bed again and put on my goggles. It should be daytime in the game right now, so a perfect time for me to log in and meet up with a few unlikeable faces. I close my eyes and prepare to enter [Isekai Online] once more as I utter the activation phrase. "[Dive in]!" Chapter 2: Struggles in Isekai
[Login Credentials confirmed] [Password confirmed] [Diving into the game, [Isekai Online].] [Logging in as...]
"Argh... My back..." I groan as I get up from my sleeping bag. "The bed in my apartment was more comfortable than this camping bag." I stretch my arms out as I let out a yawn. When I get up, I notice that I''m sleeping under a store stand, and several people in a variety of humanoid species chatting and shopping with other players. I open a virtual mirror from the menu to double-check myself. Short light blue hair, blue eyes, slightly pale skin, shorter build, and a set of white shirt, brown shorts, and shoes to complete the look. Yes, this is it. This is the first town players spawn in after character creation: [Initio]. According to the official wiki, it''s located in the country of , which is the current area we''re allowed to explore in. I heard there are other countries and kingdoms nearby, but it won''t be released until the first expansion in a few months, which is surprisingly fast considering it has been a month since the release. The only downside is that this country only has a city and town along with a few villages and you need to visit them before accessing its fast travel feature. That thought aside, I should check on my stats before starting the day right. I open my stats and read my current levels.
[Lowry]
[Stats] [Race: Insignis] [Total Mastery Level: 5] [HP: 350/350] [MP: 470/470] [SP: 200/200]
I sigh as I stare at my in-game name again. Of all the names I picked, it had to be . It''s a nickname Bryan coined when we were in middle school. I still cringed why did he give me that nickname in the first place? Then again, if it wasn''t for him, my bullies at college wouldn''t know who I am since I have a reputation for my terrible naming sense. I''m offended, but I can see why. Heck, everything behind my character''s creation was specifically made to make me a wallflower from my appearance to my starting [Masteries].
[Masteries]
[Dagger] Level 5 [Fire] Level 3 [Life] Level 6 [Magical Affinity] Level 4 [Alchemy] Level 8 [Scribe] Level 7 [Magecrafting] Level 1
I shouldn''t have the game in the first place due to my limited budget. However, through miraculous means, I somehow got it and a [VeilCon] as my 19th birthday gift. With Bryan nagging me to join in once I told him the news, I gave in, but not before making some adjustments to ensure no one would bug me during the game. I did my research beforehand and I learned that out of the [Races] included in [Isekai], there''s the mysterious [Insignis Race]. No one knew about race''s true nature other than its [Storyline Bonus] trait and bonus [INT] and [WIS], so its popularity meta-wise is not exactly good. But I am trying to write articles for some extra cash, so I took it and customized my character to be a bit bland despite the light blue hair. As for the [Masteries], I mostly chose some that are easy to use and helpful in my future adventures. I thought my choices would let me play the game uninterrupted. Unfortunately, I didn''t realize they would lead me to more frustration compared to my real-life bullies. But I shouldn''t think about it right now. I need to set up shop and head out to forage for herbs. As I check on my inventory for tonight, I also open up my [Private Message] window to contact my friends.
[ Hey, you busy?]
[ I should say the same to you, Lowry. I saw some of the [Viper Fangs] scheming around outside the hall. Are you sure you can set up shop without me?]
[ I think I can manage.]
[ Okay... Just be careful, dude.]
Well, Bryan is out. He did say he''s going to grind his character. is the name of his character in this game, as in "lycanthrope". Despite that, he plays as a gun-slinging [Human] hunter. But I know that he''s a werewolf otaku and he will do everything to show his love such as putting references on everything including video games that don''t involve them, even if it affects the stories he''s currently writing. What about Harley? I know that he''s playing as a [Human] crafter with a shop not far from mine.
[ By the time you get this message, I got a large commission from a large dungeon party. So be careful out there, Lowry.]
[ You still owe me an enchantment after you ditch me for those rare herbs. >:( ]
Ugh... I thought he forgot... Then again, I did promise him after that accident. I hope I still have enough stones for the [Enchantment]. I guess I''m going solo for now. "Huh. I was wondering when we will show your boring face again." That voice... It''s just as I feared. I turn around and see four men standing in front of my stand. Two of them are wearing armor and the rest wielding a magic staff and a pair of gauntlets. "Huh. I was expecting the leader, but you four will do," I snark before I point at the makeshift sign nearby. "Can''t you see the sign? The store opens at night time..." "Don''t avoid the subject, Lowry. You know why we''re here!" One of the armored jerks interrupted. "Unless you want us to make you remember." I can see him cracking his knuckles. I''m not deliberately dodging the subject, but I''m starting to get sick of meeting their dumb faces again. "If you think I''m trying to escape, you have trust issues. I''m still going for tonight''s exploration, but my stance that it is dangerous to go there still stands. Especially with the recent rumors about a beast prowling about." Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "You mean that shitty forum post about some "werewolf"? As if we believe in those bogus creepypastas," another armored man scoffed. "Besides, this game is new and there''s no way ghosts and glitch monsters exist!" "I get your skepticism, but if the whole party goes down, then it''s all on you for disregarding my warnings." That should have reached into their peabrains. Instead, I ended up with a fist on my cheek and a stinging pain as I collapsed on my stand. God, even if he''s not planning to PK me due to rules against it in towns and cities, it''s painful enough to lose some of my [HP]. "Don''t get all cocky, Lowry! The boss might be forgiving thanks to your offer, but you''re still a weakling," The first armored man reminded. "With your [Insignis Race] and a bunch of mish-mash [Masteries], you can''t beat a [Weak Slime] with your rusty dagger and pathetic magic," the mage added. "Consider yourself lucky we''re giving you a chance to grind for [Mastery Levels]." Again, should I care about my levels or anything?! The only reason I have to grind is for materials and their blackmail. If I reject them, their threat of killing me through an [Ante Duel] might make a reality and I rather not risk it from happening. Then again, I can''t say all of that for the same reasons. Thankfully, they left as they continued laughing at my misery. I stumble onto my feet as I check on my stand''s current state. The [Viper Fangs Guild]. It''s a guild full of rowdy players who spend their time harassing players and bully them into servitude. The whole reason I got involved with them was because they almost PKing some newbies outside town. I intervened due to conscience, but that sent me to weeks of torture, especially after learning who their guild leader was. I would blame myself, but it''s better than ruining a newbie''s first day. Plus, they did give me a share of the dungeon rewards, though not without disgust at the true nature of my situation. But enough about that. The briefing will start in a few in-game hours, so I should hurry with the forging before they try hunting me down again. Of course, that would mean moving my stand again. I''ve been moving it several times so those Viper jerks won''t destroy my game life''s work. It''s to the point I have to sleep under my stand instead of renting a room in the inn to protect it. Again, not my brightest idea. My back... I should stop goofing around. Time for me to hit the... Huh? What''s that on the ground? I would have ignored that item if it wasn''t for my damn curiosity. Dropped items normally disappear in a few seconds and by the looks of it, this strange wooden charm doesn''t look like it belongs to one of the players. It''s a small plaque with a robe that has a crescent moon etched in burned writing material.
[Strange Moon Charm] [A wooden charm with a crescent moon etched on the front.]
It labels as a [Key Item], yet it doesn''t look like it''s related to a [Quest]. However...
[NOTICE]
[You sensed mana in this charm.]
One of my [Magical Affinity] skills says otherwise. But I don''t know how to make it all of this. Selling it is out of the question since it''s a [Key Item] and it might clog up my [Inventory]... [Huh? Where did it go?] I turn to the source of the voice and see a man wearing simple leather armor rummaging around his pant pockets. But rather than having a green crystal floating above the player''s head, he has a blue crystal. An indicator that he''s an NPC of this game. Most of the players seem to ignore him, which is understandable. To them, he''s nothing more than one of the minor NPCs occupying the town. But with the charm in hand, I have a few guesses he''s more than that. "Hey," I call out while offering the charm to the NPC. "I think you drop this." The NPC notices the charm and screams in shock. [The charm! I thought I lost it forever!] He quickly snatches it and smiles at me next. [Thanks for finding it, good stranger! You save me from my wife''s wrath!] What a jolly guy. I don''t want to know about his wife, though. However, while the deed is done, I know there is more to this than giving the lost item to the NPC cliche. "No problem. Although you should keep that charm more securely," I suggest. "Not all adventurers here are good and they might pull a wool over your eyes if you''re not careful." Normally in video games, players ignore NPCs if they don''t offer anything important such as shops, quests, and story beats. The reason is that they act as fillers and often give out hints and tips about the game. Some of them do talk to them, but it''s mostly to find some humorous quests and references from other media. However, as I continue to play [Isekai], I learn that interacting with the NPCs is one of the main factors in finding the game''s defining feature. [Hidden Quests]. As its name implies, they are a type of [Quests] that cannot be found through normal means. According to the official wiki, you have to interact with some NPCs along with fulfilling certain requirements. Some require unique items and some may need to use their roleplaying experience to help them uncover them. Ever since I learned about them, I uncovered some of them in . But most of them are nothing more than fetch quests, and no offense to them, but the rewards were leaning between commons to abysmally useless in crafting or battles. I did get some setting info, sure. But I don''t know if I count them as "hidden". This guy might not be different, but it''s worth a try getting a [Quest] from him. [Thanks for the tip, kid,] the NPC says while pocketing his charm. [I wish I could talk more. But I need to attend my duties.] Duties, huh? I might smack him for that "kid" comment if it wasn''t for that important detail. Though, I blame myself for my poor design taste. "If you need help, you can drop by at the . I''m an adventurer and I''m willing to take it as an official [Quest]." [Thanks for the offer. But I actually need a pharmacist. The usual one I visited is out of town and my village''s stock is almost running out of potions. With the recent attacks going on, the village doctor might not heal most of the injured on time.] So he''s not from this town, huh? That''s a first for me. There''s also the fact this one might involve crafting. I did want to save the remaining ones, but I can''t skip this one out! "How many injured are currently in so far?" I ask. [About 7 left, two are currently in emergency care. Why do you ask?] Good. I might lose a lot of stock, but it''s all for the NPC. "I may whip up some potions for your troubles. Give me a minute." I quickly set up my [Advanced Alchemy Kit] on my stand along with a lot of herbs such as [Vis Herbs] and [Magus Roots]. While I am weak in battle, I am very skilled when it comes to [Alchemy]. It''s probably because I spent some free time making potions to sell that I may have gained a lot of [MEXP] in the process. I wish I could say the same with [Magecrafting], but I don''t know how beyond using [Enchantment] and using a crafting menu is a pain. But thanks to that, I can make a bit more high-quality [Healing Potions] and a bit faster with [Mass Production]. Of course, just as I start crafting, I see another notification popping up, confirming my suspicions after meeting the villager NPC.
[QUEST APPROVED!]
[You have accepted a [Hidden Quest], [A Potion for a Village] **!]
[Hidden Quest: A Potion for a Village **]
[You decided to help out a villager''s home from the pain of the attack. Buy or create 7 [Healing Potions] to give to the villager. Recommended Party: 1]
Well, two stars are not much, but I''m okay regardless of the difficulty. After about 4 minutes of crafting, I managed to create 10 of them with quality between 11-14. A bit much, but that''s the power of the [Alchemy Mastery Level 8]. "Here you go. 7 high-quality [Healing Potions] along with a few extras and a few bottles of [Mana Potions]." I give almost a dozen bottles to the NPC. [W-Wait... Are you sure about this, young man? I was asking for a few bottles, but this...] Yeah. A few extra ones are a waste, but it''s not just for the [Hidden Quest''s] extra rewards. "Saving a few lives is better than saving some stock. I''ll deal with my own problems while you take care of yours. Just think about repaying once there are no more injured." That sounds a bit too cool and cringey, but I''m trying to be genuine without feigning my true intentions. [Well... I didn''t expect you to be a good Samaritan, kid. What''s your name?] Huh? Is he asking my name already? That''s oddly quick, but he doesn''t look like a bad guy to me. "It''s , sir." [Lowry...] The NPC stares at me with a suspicious look in his eyes. Then he smiles and says, [You look like a weakened puppy, but you have the heart of a wolf hiding in the shadows.] I raise my eyebrow. "...Huh?" [Oh, forgive my rambling. My name is and I would like to thank you again from the bottom of my heart for your generosity. I will be staying here until nighttime, so see me at the inn if you like to chat.] "Uh... Yeah. See you soon and give my regards to the patients!" I wave goodbye to the NPC as I pack up my things and head off to forage.
[NOTICE]
[You have completed the [Hidden Quest], [A Potion for a Village] **!] [Due to your generosity, an extra reward will be given to you shortly.]
Huh. Didn''t expect some extras already. But looking at the window, I''m more confused than ever. Fenrir Greyheart. He''s an odd guy, but again, he has a good judge of character. I wonder if we meet again as he said. Well, I can''t find that out right now. Besides, the [Viper Fangs] jerks are waiting and I can''t afford to waste more time for my sake. Chapter 3: Viper Fangs Plans Here am I. The guild house of the [Viper Fangs]. Although, I can''t say it''s a true guild house. It''s only an old ruined building that can be mistaken as a dungeon if it wasn''t set inside [Initio]. I don''t know what they''re thinking, but it''s understandable since they have a habit of making other players slaves and unwilling to gain attention because of it. Unlike my last visit, there are many more players than before and most of them are new faces. I have a feeling they were busy with the newbies. The real question is what are they planning this time? "Um... Excuse me..." A woman''s voice. Must be one of the newbies. I turn around to help her... But then, my heart starts to flutter when I see her golden long hair, blue eyes, and skimpy brown leather armor with a dagger sheathed on her back. "Are you one of the guild members around here?" I''m almost speechless upon seeing her in-game appearance. Thankfully, I managed to calm myself before muttering nonsense in front of a lady. "Uh... No... No, I''m not. I''m sort of a... an associate," I sheepishly answered. "To whom?" I wish I had avoided using this answer, but... "To the guild leader," I groaned. "It''s a long story. Are you new around here?" "Yeah, second day, finished the . A big recommendation to my RL friend." To my surprise, she stretched out her hand to me and smiled. "I''m , what''s yours?" "Lowry. Embarrassing name, I know." "Oh?" M3GAN tilts her head. "I don''t think your name is embarrassing. I think it sounds cute." Tell that to Lyca. "Whatever. Anyways, are you sure you want to join this party? It might be too dangerous for a newbie like you to take the plunge into dungeon diving." The woman laughs and says, "No problem for me. I did have a lot of help and so far, we have many players in our party. I doubt this dive won''t be an issue. Well, tell that to my 1 month of playing an MMO in only one day." It''s my turn to chuckle. Yeah, she won''t survive if she doesn''t get help. Thankfully, our chat ends with a trumpet and several guild members gathering on a makeshift stage. "Looks like the whole gang is here." And that would mean one thing. "Well, didn''t expect you to arrive here on time, Lowy." My gaze turned into a glare as I turned around and saw a familiar brown-haired man in leather armor and a large sword on his back. He was sneering with a gold tooth implanted in his mouth and his red eyes were gleaming in pure malice. That''s the guild leader that I''m both fearful and annoyed. "For a second there, I might have sent some men to pick you up." Despite his name, he is anything but his namesake. He''s an arrogant know-it-all who loves putting down anyone he deems weak. His gaming skills are decent, but he uses his party to level up faster to the point he stops fighting by their side. I''m guessing that''s the reason he set up this guild. What''s worse is that he''s a bad mentor. He blames the newbies for his faults and is willing to harm them as long they are outside cities and towns. This makes me wonder why the mods aren''t acting against these kinds of jerks right now. "Do you think I''m planning to abandon a dungeon raid party who wouldn''t know where to go without a [Scribe] navigator?" I said. "Knowing you, you would have led them to their early [Death Penalties] if you tried PKing me out of LOLz." Savior chuckles as if I''m making a joke. "Now come on, why would I do that to a helpful s- I mean, unofficial guild navigator? Sure, your [Scribe] is only Level 7, but you''re good at drawing maps and you can copy some of them at the library just like we ask. Plus, your potions are all the rage in the guild and you''re quick in healing and buffing. You may be weak in battle, but you are good at being a nanny." Is that what they think of me? A nanny? If that''s another one of his insults, then I''m not happy about it. "You do realize I''m a few meters away from the door. I don''t care if you give me another [Death Penalty]. But know that you''re down a navigator if you do." I''m hoping it would be enough to push that jerk away. But all I can see from him is his smile turning into a frown. "So? A penalty is a penalty," Savior said with venom in his voice directed at me. "Your job is to heal and navigate. I don''t care if you have any debuffs or status conditions as long you do your job right. You''re too weak to do anything to the monsters, so why do you have a right to call in sick?" I gulp as I stare at his red eyes as if I''m staring right in front of a dragon. I should have a right to call out his bullshit. I know I can''t fight, but I am also defenseless against aggro monsters. Even the stat debuffs from the penalties are more dangerous since they also affect my already low defenses. I try opening my mouth, trying to find the courage to shut him up. But I can''t. "Fine. Have it your way." With those words, Savior''s smile came back, only with a sinister fa?ade. "Good to hear. I''m glad you''re always the understanding type. Well, sit back and relax. The briefing will start in a few seconds." Savior walked to the stage with a burst of laughter you can hear from many clich¨¦ villains. I remained calm, but I struggled to contain the anger in my heart. Even if I do, it won''t end well for me and everyone else involved. So I remained quiet and sat on one of the rubble to wait for the briefing.
Eventually, the dungeon briefing has begun. I joined the party specifically made for this dungeon dive so I can get the [Quest] from Savior.
[Dungeon Quest: Conquer the Ruins! ***]
[Beasts and monsters have plagued the ruins in The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Goal: Clear the
[Dungeon Quests] are what you call the main goal assigned to each dungeon in [Isekai]. You can tell which once you access its entrance. I never tried that because of my current level and I mostly got them from Savior''s party. What''s different from the other [Quests] is how you complete it. While normal [Quests] often have a multi-Quest structure when it comes to the main and side stories in the game, [Dungeon Quests] often give new goals as part of a single one. That''s because you need to climb up or down the dungeon to progress and to do that, you need to clear the floor based on RNG. In other words, not all dungeon floors are the same. However, this dungeon seems a bit different from the others I''ve been before. I can''t point out what it is, but this doesn''t sound like a dangerous dungeon, especially in [Isekai''s] initial patch. Not to mention the rumors Harley mentioned... "Lowry?" My thoughts broke as soon as I heard M3GAN''s voice. Right, she must have witnessed my confrontation with Savior. Either way, I''ll figure it out later. "Oh... Sorry about earlier..." I apologized. "I didn''t mean to ruin the mood back there." "Oh, that''s okay. I''m just surprised you look like you knew the guild leader very well. Are you friends in real life?" I scoffed. "Friends? As if. You may think of him as a reliable guild leader here. But in real life, he''s a tyrant. He''s the worst guy you can meet here if you rub him the wrong way. He''s even worse if you meet him in real life." "Tyrant" might be too much, but that''s how I describe Savior (aka David Lawson). In reality, he''s a bully who somehow worms his way from high school to college enjoying my suffering under his hands while taking advantage of his benefits as an heir of a famous tech company in Silicon Valley. For some reason, he also thinks he''s a protagonist of a Korean drama or webtoon who has OP skills and the underdog who conquered all others. Either that or he read too many webtoons online. "If he''s that bad, why are you still hanging around with him?" M3GAN has a good point. But I did mention he is an heir and I''m serious about that part. "There''s a chance he will use everything to keep me here. To him, I''m a cash grab for dungeon rewards. If I leave, who knows what will happen to my real life now? Besides, if I leave now, their [Death Penalties] are all on me." M3GAN chuckled. "You look like a weak kid, but you have a big heart, huh? I like boys like that~" What does she mean by that? She even twirls her finger around my chest when she says those words. Dammit... I''m already blushing just looking at her. "Uh... Yeah..." I muttered as I tried to regain my composure. "If you need help in battle, just give me a call, okay?" M3GAN nods and says, "Got it! I''m looking forward to working with you, teacher~" Man... Why does she look so cute?! Goddammit, puberty! You make me lose my composure!
Eventually, the briefing ends. We need to be at the dungeon 2 hours before the full moon. That means I have enough time to forage for my shop''s stock for tomorrow. At least that was the plan until Savior approached me again "Hey, bud! Got a minute?" I glare at him, knowing what he might ask. "What is it, Save? Can''t you see I''m busy?" "Yeah, busy. I get that, but the dungeon dive is tonight and I kinda need your assistance with something. Namely, stock up about 10-15 dozen potions?" WTF?! Is this guy screwing with me? "Why are you asking me?! Even if I can produce it in a few hours, I still need to stock up on herbs, but only for the shop!" I countered. "Plus, you already have alchemists with you? Why can''t you ask them to craft the rest or better yet, buy them in the store?!" "Good point. I should ask t- Oh wait... I can''t because we know [Alchemy] is one of the least popular [Masteries] right now and no one is willing to sacrifice a [Mastery Slot] on one. I would like to buy some, but I don''t want to waste my hard-earned money on something so trivial. Which is where you come in. Besides, who would want to buy in your dinky store anyway? I doubt it''s good enough to have a decent stand that won''t break down with a feather. Hahahahaha!" That...bastard! I want to smack him so bad. But unfortunately, he''s too fast for me to react before he punches me in the gut. This causes me to collapse on my knee as I cough out a bit of blood. "Teacher Lowry!" Dammit... Now I''m making a female newbie worried. Not to be rude, but I feel like I''m not a teacher material for her given how I''m kneeling like a helpless puppy. Not to mention him having a passive [Mastery] feels a bit unfair for a support magic user like me. "But you do have a point on time. Whether you buy or craft them is up to you. Just be here with the potions, okay?" I still grit my teeth as I nod, trying not to let out any tears for Savior to enjoy. "Ha! He really is a pushover!" "Hey! Don''t forget to flavor your potions, kid! I like a "lemon" taste for my potion." "I like mine "orange-y", mule!" "And mine "peachy"! Get it? Cause you''re the "butt" of all [Isekai]!" I can hear Savior''s goons laughing at my back. Dammit, all... Just how many orders do you want me to do just for your entertainment?! "L-Lowry?" Oh, right. M3GAN is still watching. I sigh as I struggle to get up. "Sorry you have to see that, M3GAN." "I get that. But are you sure you''re okay?" She asked with concern in her voice. "That punch looks kinda pai-" "I''m fine," I quickly interjected. "I''m okay. I only lost a bit of my [HP], that''s all. It will be fully recovered by the time of the dive." "But that''s not..." I quickly gesture to her to stop. "I know you''re worried about me and I appreciate your concerns. But this is my problem alone. If you get involved because of me, then I won''t forgive myself." "Lowry..." I dust my clothes and stretch my arms. "Either way, I was going to stock up on potions for the dungeon anyway. If I don''t get them in time, then we won''t be able to survive through the end. I can''t fight, but the fate of this party rests on my hands." That sounds a bit cliche. But it''s a good way to ensure M3GAN that I''m not the type to go down that easily. "Alright... Just be careful... I''ll try to buy some stuff for the dungeon, too." Right... I almost forgot that she was new at this game. I took out a small piece of paper and jolted down some items with my [Quill Pen]. "Here. These are the consumable items I recommend getting for newbies. They''re not powerful as the staples, but they are cheap for you to buy." "Thanks, teach. Hope to see you at the entrance!" I nod as I wave goodbye to M3GAN for now. Yeah, this is my burden alone. I don''t want to give it to anyone else, not even my friends. I didn''t ask to be bullied. I didn''t ask for my bully to follow me in this game. I didn''t ask to have the same experience as with my family. But this is the fate they give me for [Isekai]. A fate I cannot escape even with my full strength. There are consequences if I dare to do so and I don''t want everyone to give me unnecessary pity for the events I unknowingly instigated. I look down to see a puddle reflecting my character''s image. He looks like a weak kid. A representation of my cowardly facade. I made him, yet I hated him because he was everything I tried to escape. I grit my teeth as a tear falls from my eye. If only I could kill my weak self... If only I could be reborn in this virtual world... If only I could start from zero... If only I become a beast than a mage...
[Lowry''s Masteries]
[Dagger] Level 5 [Fire] Level 3 [Life] Level 6 [Magical Affinity] Level 4 [Alchemy] Level 8 [Scribe] Level 7 [Magecrafting] Level 1
Chapter 4: A Coward Man "Thank you! Come again!" I sigh as I leave the general store. I did the forage as I planned. However, most of the herbs I got will be used for the party''s potion supply. Not only that, with the limited time I have, I don''t have time to forage more herbs I need for high-quality [Healing Potions]. So I turned to the general store to buy the rest of them, but at the cost of my own pocket [Lapi] thanks to the Vipers trying to be petty cheap with their guild funds. Despite all of this, it''s not enough for my supply. At this rate, I won''t be able to catch up and there''s a possibility they will toss me out as boss bait again.
[WARNING]
[You are feeling peckish. Eat something to replenish your [SP] and recovery rate.]
Oh, right... I haven''t eaten anything since my login. I heard from other players there''s a delicious [Rabbit Steak] made by a hunter or something, but I doubt I have enough [Lapi] to buy even one meal. I resign to the inn for now. Their meals are a bit cheaper enough for my current budget... [Lowry! Didn''t expect you to be here!] My eyes widen when I look up at the voice calling out to me. To my shock, it came from the same grey-haired man waving at me from the table full of dishes that might be too much for my stomach. [Come on! Sit down! The table is open for everyone, including you!] I chuckle sheepishly to see his toothy grin. I only gave him potions for his village (and the [Hidden Quest]) and he started to treat me as a friend. I''m starting to wonder if he''s reckless or a dumb muscle. Still, I appreciate the invitation and I need to rest my legs anyway. "Hey, Mr. Greyheart. How are the villagers?" The NPC gives a thumbs-up to me and says, [They''re A-okay thanks to your potions! I delivered them with my partner''s help and they informed me that they were recovering as we spoke. Thanks to you, we were able to avoid casualties.] Glad to hear his [Quest''s] story has a happy ending. Unlike me... "Thank goodness," I sigh in relief. "To tell you the truth, I''m more of a beginner in [Alchemy] and I''m glad my potions saved the day. Hehe..." [Well, beginner or not, you still saved my villagers.] To my surprise, he hands me a plate of a large cooked steak. It''s not an ordinary steak as this one is the most expensive meal they have on their menu.
[Golden Herb Steak] [A steak mixed with a variety of meat made by the greatest chef or a heartwarming cook. Effects: +15% STR, 17% VIT, +5% of rare item drops Quality: 18]
"I-I can''t accept this!" I protest. [Nonsense! You gave me those potions without any payment and I can''t leave it after everything you did for me and my village! Besides, you can''t do any adventuring with an empty stomach.] I try to open my mouth to say otherwise. This is too much for a reward in terms of budget and I''m not much of a meat guy and more of a fish and veggies. But I can hear my stomach growling and another notice of my low [SP] due to hunger. "A-Alright. T-Thanks." This might be an underwhelming [Hidden Quest] reward if it wasn''t for a pop-up not appearing as usual. Now that I think about it, I haven''t seen any windows related to it ever since I finished the first one. Is there a bug or is there more to this [Quest] than a potion-making one? Ugh... I''m too hungry to think about it right now. I cut a small piece with a knife and take a bite of it. As if my [VeilCon] glitching out, I can taste a mix of chicken, beef, and pork at the same time and the seasoning of herbs and soy sauce makes up for the chimeric taste! I feel a bit guilty taking advantage of Greyheart''s gratitude due to the staff buffs for the upcoming dungeon dive, but I take what I have and it''s not so bad being rewarded with a bit of kindness for once. [You feeling better, kid?] I nod slowly with a smile forming on my face. "Y-Yeah. I really need it. Thanks again, Mr. Greyheart." [Please, call me Fenrir. We''re all friends here. No need to be formal,] he said. [Although, I don''t know if you''re feeling a lot better. Is something troubling you, Lowry?] I almost choked my steak upon hearing that question. I cough before drinking a glass of water Fenrir provided. "N-No, nothing''s going on. I''m fine. I''m okay." [Really? Cause your heartbeat says otherwise.] My what? Can this game even detect my heartbeat from real life? I thought it only scanned my mind to access the full features of [ADVR]. "I said I''m okay and if you keep pestering me, I''m leaving without finishing this steak!" I know the steak will disappear if I do, but I''m tired of everyone putting me down and I need some rest before the dive. [I don''t mean to pry into your private life, but I feel like you have too many repressed emotions and you might not be able to bottle them up for too long.] What is he? My therapist?! I don''t need a psychology lesson now! All I want is to eat in peace and... [Are you angry at someone? Your hands are trembling...] I gasp. I try to make another excuse. But when I look down, I see my hands shaking while cutting another piece of steak. I try to stop the trembling, but it seems to grow faster. He''s wrong, I''m fine. I''m fine! I... "The boss might be forgiving thanks to your offer, but you''re still a weakling." I cringe upon recalling one of the goons calling out to me. I sigh and let go of my utensils to the plate. "You can say that," I sigh in defeat. "Someone I know forced me to participate in their guild''s dungeon exploration and let''s just say it''s not a good deal. Heck, I''ve been dealing with him and his goons for months now." I can hear Fenrir humming. [Why didn''t you leave them or ask for help?] "If I do that, they will turn to everyone else and do anything to blame me for treachery or something," I answered. "My burdens are mine alone. If I give them to everyone else, they will never forgive me. Doing a mutiny would have the same effect, letting everyone blame me for everything that''s going wrong. I''ve learned that fighting has consequences. If I backstab them to escape, then they will force my hand to backstab the ones close to me by any means. And I don''t want them to make me lose more of them again." I sigh after releasing all of my feelings, just like Fenrir asked. "Is that all you want? Because that''s all I can share. I need to eat, so can you not disturb me?" I hear him humming in thought again. I feel like he''s not going to listen to me. Either way, all I can do is ignore him until... The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. [If I can understand, you''re running away from yourself and your dignity.] I drop the spoon again. "What...did you say?" His tone suddenly changes. What was once a jolly old man turned into a stern, cold man as he glared at me with his yellow eyes. For some reason, they are glowing a slight gold. [You say you didn''t act because you fear retribution. But all I see in you is a deer who always runs away from responsibilities. A prey not willing to fight back even when given a chance to turn the tables against their hunter.] I grit my teeth. What the hell is he spouting about? This guy doesn''t understand what I''ve been through both in RL and online life! I''m not as strong, smart, or skilled as everyone else! If anything, trying to improve on them led me to years of suffering out of jealousy and amusement from my bullies! I''m not... [I have to ask. Did you even try to stand up against your tormentor? Did you ignore him at all? Do you have friends who were aware of everything that happened to you?] I narrow my eyes and say, "I did many times. But all that did was a lot of bruises around my body. And I told you, calling for help isn''t gonna help me at all!!! Don''t you hear what I said?! I don''t want to get my friends at all than letting them be threatened to stab me in the back!" [Now that''s odd. You said you don''t want to involve your friends because of the bully''s threats. But did they even make those kinds of threats at all?] ...Huh? I know they made those threats. I know because... Because... I know... I know he said... "You will regret turning against us, Lucas." Huh? That''s not what I remember. That''s not Savior''s... "What''s the point of following your friends to a college and major we didn''t recommend to you? This is the reason why you will never be an heir to a company soon." No... That''s...my father. "Someday, your friends will turn their back and leave you." "Like the hell, my friends will do that." "Oh, but I will... And trust me. You will never have another "friend" who will corrupt you away from your responsibilities." Why am I remembering him now?! This isn''t about my parents! This is about my current... My current... No... My whole life... [What makes you think your friends will leave after confronting your tormentors? Why do you think leaving a bully would make your life suffer even more? All I''m hearing is nothing but hogwash. Tormentors and bullies indeed exist to suffer others, but it''s not only for their amusement. It''s because they feel inferior to the ones they see as the better person than them. Those feelings give birth to jealousy and jealousy is the main motivation behind their bullying. To dominate others and show themselves as the more powerful person than the better one. It''s this imbalance that created wars, deaths, and unnecessary despair around . However, the only thing powerful enough to beat jealousy is kindness. The power of bonds forged in everyday life.] I groan. Is this about the power of friendship clich¨¦? Cause I''m sick... OWWWW!!! "Hey, why did you slap me?!" I yell at Fenrir. [I thought you might not listen and you think that last line might be too boring for you.] WTF?! Is he a mind reader or something?! [And before you ask, I''m not a mind reader. I have some kids who often think of my advice as boring. Some of them died because they disregarded them.] ...What? Since when did this convention go into a darker route already? [Right now, the world is facing a peaceful era, decades after the horrible world war that has instigated an era without gods. But it doesn''t mean they achieved most of it through moral means. As I said, the world faced wars because of the imbalance between physical and social power. Some gave in to corruption and hid from the public to continue their pursuits of power and riches and some committed crimes against humanity for greed and lust. Not even the bright kingdoms such as are safe from the corrupted life. However, if you have friends by your side, it''s proof that you are never alone. A power that will give you courage to face your tormentors and obstacles coming your way. That''s how my village lives in this principle and it should be the same for you and every race in this bright world.] Fenrir places his hand on my shoulder as if I''m his son. [I can sense the potential hiding in your mask. You can keep hiding behind it, but you will be trapped in stagnation if you continue to give in to cowardice. You have the power to stand up by yourself or with your friends, but you need to find a solid motivation to move on from your suffering.] I... I simply sigh in defeat. I want to say that everything he said was hogwash... Excuses that make me force to risk everything I worked for... But it turns out, I''m the one who is making excuses to not do anything at all. Everything he said is true. I''m only burying myself because I thought it was my burden alone. I only thought of those things because of all the insults and harassment I endured from Savior and the other bullies since middle school. All because my stupid Dad accused me of turning away from a job I don''t even care about! In the end, I''m only a cowardly deer. Nothing else...
[NOTICE]
[Your [Golden Herb Steak] will disappear in 1 minute. Please finish eating to obtain the full effects of it.]
I quickly checked the time on my UI as soon as I read the notice. I''m already wasting time here. I ate most of the steak and drank all of it down with a glass of water. "Thanks for the lesson, Fenrir. But even if you tell me all of that, it''s still too late. I''m indeed a coward, but I rather be one than let all of the adventurers die in the than abandon the dungeon dive." [Forest...of Luna?] "Yeah. That''s where his guild is heading next." I raise my eyebrow when his voice shifts again, which is odd. "I don''t know the details, but they''re aiming for the treasure at the end and..." Suddenly, Fenrir quickly grabs my next and shouts, [Do you plan to betray my village after everything?! How could you?!] What is he babbling about?! I can feel his grip tightening around my neck and I will get a penalty for suffocation! "C-Calm down! I s-seriously don''t know what are you talking about! I mean, why are you mad about a forest dungeon?!" To my relief, he stops shaking me as he releases my neck. [Dungeon? You mean you have no idea about the shrine?] I raise my eyebrow. Did he mistake that dungeon for a shrine? I cough before I can speak again. "If I knew about the shrine thing, I would have known about it in the first place!" Now that he said it, the [Quest] description never mentions anything about a shrine and Savior and his right-hand man didn''t elaborate more about the dungeon I never heard of in any wikis and guides I know. [I''m sorry for that, Lowry. But I want to know what those people you''ve mentioned know about the .] I narrow my eyes at him. I would call him a liar at this point. But something about this [Quest] doesn''t sit right with me. Honestly, I don''t want to have this [Dungeon Quest] approved unless we know what we''re dealing with here. Some [Dungeon Quests] I know tend to create consequences that will affect the game world in the long run and with some acting as an [Urgent Quest], we don''t know what will happen if we clear it. At that point, I see a new ping popping in front of me.
[NOTICE]
[You have to share details of your upcoming exploration with the mysterious visitor, . You have uncovered the secrets behind the current [Dungeon Quest], [Conquer the Ruins!].]
What a coincidence. I didn''t expect this NPC would be related to [Viper Fangs''] [Dungeon Quest]. More importantly, what he said somehow disturbs me a bit. "It''s okay. I''m more confused than you, Fenrir," I admit. "But I have to ask. What is the ? Is it sacred for your village?" [It''s more than a sacred landmark, Lowry. It''s...] As he answers my question, my eyes widen, horrified at the true nature of it. Then, I''m stunned at what the guild will do to it. Harassing me and the newbies is one thing, but... Ack... I hate this. I hate all of this. And it''s all because I''m nothing but a big coward! Lyco and Hiroshi aren''t with me right now, so I can''t do anything alone! No... I have to do something. I have to help not only the NPCs, but for M3GAN and the new players. It''s impossible! No, it''s not impossible. I''m making excuses every time I think of this! Yeah... I keep making excuses. Because I''m scared of defying my bullies. Why the hell am I treating them like my parents?! I''m sick of this cowardly fa?ade. I''m sick of Savior spitting on me like dirt! I''m sick of my own character being so weak against everyone around me! I''m done making excuses and I''m done running. [You have the power to stand up by yourself or with your friends, but you need to find a solid motivation to move on from your suffering.] ...A motivation, huh? As I look up when I hear another ping, I realize what it is for me. "Fenrir?" [What is it, Lowry?] I gulp as I stare up at a holographic window. "I might do something stupid very soon. I hope you have a backup with you soon," I said all of that with a smirk filled with mischief on my face. The very first genuine one I show to everyone other than my friends. Chapter 5: Forest of Luna "Why the hell are you late?!" I sigh as I scratch the back of my head while facing Savior''s goons surrounding me in front of the entrance. "Does it matter? I brought the potions just like you ask." "Still, not being late to the dive is part of the deal, mule," one of them shouted. "You''re our navigator and one of our best supporters! If you''re a second late, the whole party falls." Yeesh. Like you guys care about me being early at all. "Now, now. Lowry got our stuff and everyone''s here just like we promised," Savior says in his worst friendly tone while approaching me and his goons. "As long he got the goods, then we''re all set." He then turns to me with a glare hidden behind his smile. "Besides, he already knew what would happen if he played hooky, right?" I glare back at him, but I simply take a deep breath and say, "Can we get this over with? I already set my [VeilCon] up for sleep mode and we need to finish this quickly before lectures start tomorrow." "Right, right." Savior turns to everyone else in the party. "You heard him! We''ll head into the forest in T-7! Get your gear ready and prepare for the dungeon dive!" I watch the Viper guild head off to whatever they''re doing, leaving me alone for a while. As much as I want to stop this dive, I know that jerk isn''t the type to listen to everything I say. Even if he does, he would still proceed as they plan anyway. I would leave, but now that I know more, I might as well stay and keep an eye on Savior and [Viper Fangs] until I make the right time to strike. "Teach?" I turn to a familiar voice behind me. "M3GAN! You got everything I suggested?" She nods with a smile. "Yep! Everything down to the [Iron Dagger] and everything else!" She then frowns when she sees someone behind me. "But are you sure you still want to do this, teach? You were against this [Quest] for a while now." Right, she is still worried after the confrontation earlier. But I found my resolve and I''m not going back on it. "Don''t worry. I''m fine and I''m not the type to abandon a newcomer to those jerks in charge." I turn to every newbie participating in the dive. "As long they get their heads together, we might able to get through this without any casualties on our side. I promised we''ll get through this without any penalties." It''s not an exaggerated promise. Those viper jerks tend to abandon other players who are not part of the guild and sometimes throw them as meat shields when we face a stronger monster. Not to mention how they treat them less than teammates and more like slaves than me. I don''t want them to suffer because of my cowardice and this time, I won''t make any excuses for this [Dungeon Quest]. "Alright! Let''s move out, everyone!" There''s the signal. Looks like it''s time to start this life-changing [Quest].
[3rd Clearing] "Dammit! I''m on red!" "There''s too many of them!" "Tanks! Get those wolves away from those mages!" "My buffs ran out! Can someone buff me?!" "GAH!!! I''ve been [Poisoned]!!!" As expected of [Viper Fangs], they just started this [Quest] with a chaotic fight to the death. In most [Dungeons], you can tell the difficulty by the stars on their description or the stars on their associated [Dungeon Quest]. Since the dungeon has 3 stars, that means only the first two floors are randomly assigned with a few monsters with matching levels and easy puzzles to solve. So by the time we got to the 3rd floor, we were met with a [Chaos Floor], a room that had a large amount of monsters popping up from left to right. They are not tough to beat on their own. But in numbers, they are annoying to deal with especially if you''re the poor sap who tried to clear this dungeon solo. Anyways, from the current state of the party, I have a feeling we might lose some players to this dungeon run. If it happens, the chances of reaching the boss room will be slim and it may be impossible to defeat it with only about 2-5 players. At this point, I have to intervene or our run might be cut short on this floor. "Save, before you start throwing everyone else, I have an idea to push through this floor!" I call out. "Why do I want to listen to you, Lowry?!" Savior shouted while he kept swinging his broadsword toward most of the wolves and goblins coming his way. "Because I''m the only one who can increase our chances of reaching the last clearing. Unless you want to be blamed for your stupidity, let me lead on this floor for once!" I know for a fact that he had no choice in this matter. While I''m not usually the one who helped them clear most of the dungeons, I was able to mitigate the losses before the boss room. By studying the patterns of each monster, I may be able to turn the tables in our favor. "Fine! But you know the drill by now. It will be on your head if you f**k this up!" Like I ever did. I turn to everyone currently fighting the remaining monsters. "Newbies, if you don''t have [Shield] or armor with you, fall back! Focus on the back row if you have any ranged [Masteries] or magic! Supporters, use your AoE buffs to the frontlines! I''ll take care of the injured and poisoned!" Once I sent the orders, I proceeded to heal most of the injured players including ones that were afflicted with [Poison]. While my [Healing Aura] is weak as a healing spell, I do have [Curing Light], a spell that dispels any player from [Poison], [Paralysis], and [Blindness]. Thanks to my [Insignis] passive and [Magical Affinity], I managed to heal about 3-6 players while buffing some physical attackers with [Gift of Strength]. Ironically, [Life Mastery] is the highest combat-related [Mastery] in my arsenal. I may be weak, but I''m not weak when it comes to support and strategy. Eventually, all of that healing and buffing left me with half of [MP]. I can feel a bit of exhaustion as I catch my breath from those repetitive incantations. But I think I can manage with a few small fries. "Are you okay, teach?" M3GAN runs to my side with a worried look on her face. "That looks like a lot of players you healed." "Don''t worry about me. I would worry about those goblins though." The [Snare Goblins]. They are infamous for ambushing unprepared players in forest dungeons and robbing a random weapon or rare consumable from your inventory right before you get the penalty. However, if you know their patterns and movements, you may be able to avoid their robbery skill and kill them in one go. "What''s your suggestion?" M3GAN asked. "Should we have the tanks deal with them?" "No, just follow my lead and we can take out the rest of the goblins." It sounds overconfident, but I already dealt with those goblin trolls a few times now. If anything, the only risk is losing my dagger and it''s only the one I got when starting the game. First things first, we have to make some preparations. I turn to M3GAN and raise my arm to start the incantation. ¡°Spirits of life, hear my call. Give my ally the strength from your power. [Gift of Strength].¡± I see a white light glow on her body as soon as I cast the spell. Once that''s finished, I cast the same spell on myself. [Your [ATK] has been increased by 5% for two minutes.] "We got two minutes. You go on the front and I''ll take the back," I instructed. "Get their attention and leave once I give the signal." "Got it!" Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! And she''s off. Honestly, this is the move that''s not recommended to use against [Snare Goblins]. However, this hasn''t been the case with two or more players in your party. With the right timing, you can interrupt their robbery skills and with M3GAN running closer and closer to them, I run to the back and start my incantation. ¡°Spirits of flames, show yourselves! Pierce my enemies with the burning arrows from the scorching sun!" Flames begin to emerge around me as they form into arrows. "[Fire Arrows]!" With a flick of my wrist, I throw the arrows at the goblins and let them make their marks on their backs. Thanks to my spell, they are so shocked by it to the point their robbery skill is interrupted. Since I''m currently at the back, this makes it a perfect place to use my temporary trump card. I hop away from my position and charge to one of the confused goblins. "[Backstab]!" My dagger quickly connects to the goblin''s back as soon as I chant the skill''s name. It screams in pain before it explodes in data and items in front of me. While my [Starter Dagger] is too weak against stronger monsters such as [Snare Goblins], it makes up for the [Dagger Mastery''s] high critical rate and speed. "M3GAN! Now''s your chance!" I call out before I attack the next goblin who just notices my recent kill. "R-Right!" M3GAN shouts. ¡°Spirits of thunder, heed my call. Help me gather your power and mold them into bolts which I can smite my foes!" As soon as I hear her chanting and electricity appearing next to them, I back away from the goblins as fast as possible. "Target the ones who will oppose my path and scatter them all to dust! [Lightning Scatter]!¡± I smile as I watch several bolts of electricity hit most of the goblins. While they don''t kill most of them, it''s enough for most of the players to take care of the rest. "Son of the gun, they did it." I hear Savior muttering behind me. "Alright, ladies and gents! Let''s take care of the rest of the [Chaos Room]!" Once again, he''s rushing. But it doesn''t matter since we took care of the problematic goblins'' numbers as I turn to M3GAN. "You heard him. Let''s take care of the wolves next and finish this annoying floor." "Got it, teach!" With that, we use the same tactic to deal with the rest of the monsters.
[7th Clearing] "Yeah! 6 floors down!" "And we got some awesome loot, too!" "Not only that, the [Viper Fangs] are so powerful!" "Not to mention their navigator is awesome! Why isn''t he part of the guild already? They look so awesome together as guildmates!" I dryly chuckle when I hear those comments while walking through the next clearing. This one is a bit easier along with the previous ones after the 3rd floor, so it''s mostly focused on navigation and clearing out some monsters along the way. However, what''s more impressive is the newbies'' skills in battle, especially M3GAN herself. "Wow, it''s everything I want from the Mystery Dungeon series and all! Well, except with the Monster Houses and goblins," M3GAN commented. "I''m surprised you survived all of that, teach." "You can say that. It might be dangerous for someone like me, but I have reasons to dive into [Dungeons]. I can''t say why out of privacy, but I tend to explore the world-building and lore of the game," I explained. "Lore? As in you have to go through those cutscenes? Man, that''s rough." I shake my head. "No, it''s not annoying for me. Believe it or not, I aspire to become a writer for LitRPG and Fantasy." "Lit...RPG?" "It stands for "Literature RPG". Just think of them as a Western version of those isekai light novels, though that''s a poor way to describe them. Either way, I''m open for inspiration, so that''s another reason why I pursue the lore of ." "Wow, that''s awesome! I bet you might become a bestseller author if you keep it up!" "Bestseller" might be an overstatement. When I first started playing this game thanks to that gift, I didn''t have any motivation to do anything beyond fighting monsters. However, I learned after taking a few [Quests] that this game world was not as cut and dry as any MMO world I''ve played before. I learned later that the game''s worldbuilding was actually made by a bestseller author of "The World of Seraph" fantasy novel series, Wayne Enigma. He made the novel''s world unique and immersive in terms of lore and mythology woven around the story. If he could make Seraph on par with Tolkien''s Middle-earth, then I don''t know what would make me hook into . "Yeah, you can say that. But I still haven''t got through the publishing phase of my career yet," I said. "Besides, my web novel still only has about 20 followers and I still have no luck when it comes to monetary earnings." "Wow, that''s a shame. Maybe after this, you should share a link on your web novel sometime. I would love to get a kick out of it especially since this is my third day in this game already." "I don''t know. It''s more of a psychological horror side..." But I was met with her puppy-dog eyes. I guess there''s no saying no to a girl like her. "Okay, I''ll DM you the link later." "Thanks, teach! You''re the best!" She says that while she hugs me tight with her chest getting closer to my face. "Uh? You''re welcome?" Before I can ask her to let me go, I hear one of Savior''s accomplices. "Hey! We found the boss room!" Well, so much for the casual talk. Most 3-star [Dungeons] have about 8-10 floors (treasure rooms included). So I expected as much. However, this looks like more of an entrance to a shrine than a menacing boss room to me. It has a wooden door with a brown Shinto shrine-like structure above it and a wooden carving of a wolf''s head hanging in front of it. "Huh. That was easier than I thought it would," Savior says before he turns to us next. "Alright, everyone! Behind this door is the last obstacle to the big reward ahead! Once we defeat the monster hiding behind it, the [Quest] will be complete and everyone will get most of the rewards of your choice!" Everyone cheers after his declaration. Of course, they''re all lies as he tends to only give the rewards to the guild and the ones that he deemed as useful. As for me, all I got were only [MEXP] and exploitation. "Hey, Savior! There''s something at the door!" Savior and I quickly approached the sign where his goon was pointing at. I dust it off to see it''s written in Common (much to my relief) and read the contents out for everyone to hear. [Outsiders beware. This is the sacred ground of the . Offerings will be accepted under the full moon. However, the hearts who only desire to rob for riches and power will be punished.] Huh. This gets stranger and stranger. Why does a [Dungeon] have this strange warning? It''s as if this is genuinely a place we shouldn''t ransack in. "Outsiders?! What the hell is that sign spewing about?!" Savior complained. "Besides, there are ruins around here. Nobody visited this place in basically years in game time!" I take another good look at the sign. "But judging by the sign''s condition, it doesn''t seem too old. Heck, it looked very recent to me." But all I get from Savior is a menacing glare. "Since when did I ask your opinion, Lowry?! Abandoned or not, nobody visited here for a while. So it would be a waste if we leave those treasures alone if we abandon this [Dungeon]. Unless you want to make a vote for it." I would say yes. But of all things rotten, he''s a very charismatic leader. He will take advantage of it to turn against me. I know it''s cowardly, but I''m running into a Morton''s Fork with this guy in charge. "No, it''s getting too late. If we don''t act quickly, we might face some stronger nocturnal monsters soon," I answered while looking around the entrance and the players looking at us. "Besides, I don''t want to be the party pooper since we''re closer to the end." "Hmph... Good choice." Savior grins while patting my head like a dog. "Now let''s go inside. Drink up your potions, heal, and buff as fast as you can, people! Cause once we go in, we cannot go out! The only way out is to defeat the boss or die trying!" "YEAH!!!!" He and his goons open the door as we prepare ourselves for the last battle of the dive. Everyone was preparing themselves as we took a few potions to recover while most healers buffed us up. As for me, I mentally prepare myself while staring at Savior grinning ear-to-ear as we enter the boss room. I look at M3GAN, who is somehow concerned about me after that. But I respond with a smile and nod. I''m not the type to go down that easily and I''m not the type to have more casualties in this run. But once all of us were inside, we heard a door closed shut and a gust of wind blew past us. I hear most of the players muttering their confusion and fear as I see a new notification popping out in front of me.
[WARNING]
[You feel a strong dark mana emanating from this clearing.]
[Mana]?! Dark, not corrupted?! Why do I have a bad feeling about this? "Save, something big is coming!" I call out to him. "You heard the mu- I mean, navigator! Ready your weapons a-" Before he can finish, we hear a loud howl. A large shadow covers all of us as we look up and gasp at what we see. It was a large pitch-black wolf with its fur flowing like a misty shadow and its eyes were glowing red. Not only that, it has a strange red circular mark patterned on its forehead. It lets out a howl loud enough to break the sound barrier and several windows pop up in front of us. I froze upon seeing the large monster appear right in front of us. But it''s only seeing the contents of the UI that makes us realize what it is.
[NEW DUNGEON GOAL]
[Defeat the boss monster of the , [Evil Spirit Wolf]!]
[Lowry''s Masteries]
[Dagger] Level 6 [Fire] Level 4 [Life] Level 6 [Magical Affinity] Level 4 [Alchemy] Level 8 [Scribe] Level 7 [Magecrafting] Level 1
Chapter 6: Dungeon Guardian [AWWOOOOO!!!] I grit my teeth as I along with the rest of the party cover our ears from the boss monster''s howl. The [Evil Spirit Wolf]. I never heard of that boss monster until now. Is it an exclusive monster that only appears in this [Dungeon]? Either way, I feel like we''re all over our heads here. Not only that, I have no clue what its attack pattern and movements are without making a trial-and-error run of it. The only option at this point is to run. But the door behind us already closed shut and I could see that out of all of us horrified at the large black wolf, Savior was grinning ear-to-ear at the sight of it. But for the wrong reason... "Um, teach..." I turn to M3GAN as soon as I hear her voice. "What are we going to do first? I don''t know if we can do that trick we did in the past few floors." She''s right. We''re facing against a larger monster than a bunch of goblins and I have a feeling that this wolf is a bit smarter compared to the previous boss monsters we faced. "Honestly, I have no idea. We might stick together, but I feel like that''s what the monster wants to happen." "So there''s no way we can defeat it?!" Yes, there is. If you''re a competent leader with a high-level skillset. Unfortunately, both Savior and I don''t have those traits and most of the party are nothing more than newbies and low-level players. However, there are many ways to defeat a boss monster and I don''t need to be high-level or the right [Mastery] to do so. "Other than [Dagger] and [Thunder], what other [Masteries] do you have with you and the current levels?" I whisper. "Hmmm... I have [Fire] and [Hunting], both of them at Level 5." I hum once I learn of this. "I think I have some ideas..." "Hey! What the hell are you two standing around for?!" I flinch upon hearing Savior''s voice, causing us to turn in his direction. "If you''re done flirting, let''s smack that big doggy back in the pound!" My eyes widen to hear what he''s about to do. "Save, you''re not thinking of fighting that wolf without a plan?!" "Plan, shlam! We''ll just have to beat that large wolf like we always do," Savior declared. "Besides, it''s 18 against 1. There''s no way it can beat us so easily!" Maybe on paper with 4 supporters (including myself), 4 Melee DPS, 5 Ranged DPS, and 5 Tanks. But the boss monsters are officially called [Dungeon Guardians] for a reason. They test not only the strength and skill of a player but also the problem-solving skills that they¡¯re supposed to learn from conquering the previous floors of the [Dungeon]. And I have a feeling the [Evil Spirit Wolf] is no different from them. "M3GAN, stay close to me and watch my back," I ordered. "Why?" "Just a hunch." That''s all I can say because it will be obvious later on. "Tanks, assume your positions! Supporters, ready your heals and buffs!" Savior ordered. "Melee, wait for my signal! Ranged..." "Hey! Is that wolf taking a deep breath?" I raise my eyebrow as I look up to see it doing just that as if it came out of "The Three Little Pigs". But then, I notice dark energy gathering inside its mouth. "Damn it." I turn to the party and shout, "GET OUT OF HERE!!! IT''S GOING TO ATTACK!!!" It doesn''t matter if everyone listens to me or not. I push M3GAN to the ground and as I duck down with her, I hear some kind of flames and screams of other players nearby. I wish I could see what''s happening, but I''m worried about M3GAN and myself getting caught in the crossfire if we do. When I hear no more screams, I stand up and gasp to see several players injured while some lying on the ground lifeless. Most of them are tanks and some are DPS and supports. What''s worse is that I see the lifeless bodies explode into items, a sign that their characters died and are forced to log out as part of the dungeon''s [Death Penalty]. "D-Did that wolf...kill them?!" I see M3GAN already saw the damage done by the boss monster. "They didn''t just kill them," I calmly answer. "Normally, you have to wait about 2-5 hours before you can log right back in and gain temporary debuffs depending on the consecutive deaths you have. That''s normally a way to discourage anyone from rushing back into the battlefield so they can learn from their mistakes and try again once they get stronger. But when you die in a [Dungeon], you only get about 1-2 hours along with the usual debuffs if you''re in a party. If you die in a boss room, though..." I take a deep breath before I continue. "You can''t get back inside the [Dungeon] until the current run is finished or the current party dies." "WHAT?!" My ears almost ring when I hear her scream. "So does that mean we''re down a few people for this run?!" "Yes. The same penalty applies to special rooms such as the [Chaos Rooms]. Thankfully, we avoided losing a few players thanks to our intervention earlier. Unfortunately, the same can''t be said with our current predicament." As I say this, I notice Savior is glaring at his UI after scanning the whole room for the party''s current state. "Dammit! We lost 3 tanks, 1 DPS, and 2 supporters from that one attack!" He yelled in a tone of frustration. "And most of them are newbies, too! Just how tough is that wolf?!" I groan as soon I hear his complaints. I quickly turn to whisper chat to communicate with Savior without attracting unnecessary attention from the wolf. I chastise. That a**hole! He''s planning to sacrifice some newbies already! This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. "Teach, behind you!" As soon as I hear M3GAN''s voice, I turn around too late just as I find myself in a wolf''s claw attack. I scream in pain as I hear the sound effects of my [HP] going down. Thankfully, one of his goons let me have a defense buff beforehand, so it only cut down half of my health from that attack. If I didn''t, it''s already game over due to my squishy defense. However, as I look around, I see more of the newbies got caught in the crossfire as some disappear while some are lying on the ground groaning in pain. At this rate, we''ll be losing more players even if Savior goes through his sacrificial plan. "We have no choice, guys. M3GAN, use [Fire Wall] in front of us!" I call out. "Huh?!" "You said your [Fire Mastery] is Level 5, right? You should have access to that spell by now! Read the incantation from the window and cast it in front of the party!" I quickly get up and run away from the now-agitated wolf raising its clawed paw to the next group nearby. "Hurry!" "A-Alright..." While playing the game, I read some info about some [Masteries] I currently have with me. I would have [Fire Level 5] like M3GAN. But because I didn''t finish training at the thanks to Savior and his goons, I''m only left with two spells with the said [Mastery] recently leveled up. While the whole research time was wasted, it didn''t mean it was useless. "Spirit of flames, show yourselves! Erect the shield of flames to deter my enemies!" She chants as I notice her hands raised in front of the remaining tanks. "[Fire Wall]!" I roll past M3GAN just before a wall of flames emerges from the ground. As soon as its paw made contact, the wolf howled in pain as we slowly backed away from it. "I don''t think it worked, teach..." M3GAN muttered. "No, it did. It''s only a diversion until we come up with a plan," I said. "We just need to do what Savior is trying to do and hit everything we got." "But you said..." I shake my head. "I know what I said. But we don''t have any option left unless we want him to sacrifice more newbies in this boss battle. However, we still have a chance to turn things around if we fight carefully. We just need to find its weak point and memorize its attack pattern." "How are we going to do that?" Good question. I quickly turn to Save through the whisper chat next. I groan in frustration and annoyance. This guy has some dumb priorities. <...You''re not gonna stab us in the back, right?> I quickly grab M3GAN''s wrist and run behind the [Evil Spirit Wolf]. I can hear Savior ordering the DPS group to attack from behind as we continue running. If they keep this up, the wolf''s aggro will be focused on them for now. This gives us enough time to make our counterattack. "Ready, M3GAN?" "U-Uh... Yeah?" We squat down... "One, two, three..." And just as the wolf stumbles backward... "JUMP!" On my signal, we jump up and I quickly grab the fur from the wolf''s large tail. Using most of my strength, I pull myself to its backside and run through its back with M3GAN still holding my hand. "N-No way... How did you do that?!" M3GAN quietly exclaimed. "You don''t seem to have any skill to jump that high." I smirk and answer, "I just had the right timing." She''s right. Normally, it would be impossible to reach the wolf''s back without the [Physical Enhancement''s] [Super Jump]. However, if you calculate how many tail wags without losing your focus in the battle, there''s a chance you can achieve this feat by using its tail as an elevator to its back. It''s hard to achieve, but I manage to do so after a few run-ins with similar boss monsters like this one. And now that I''m here, I can use this chance to search for its weak point. "[Aura Sight]!" This [Magical Affinity] skill doesn''t reveal any [HP] information, but it can help me find the right places by detecting some mana points in some areas. In this case, we''re looking for a spot where the wolf''s weak point is. After a few seconds of searching, I found the weak point. "Gotcha... It''s on its neck! We just need to hit its chin or the back for a critical hit." "And how do we do that?" I smirk again. "What do you think?" It takes a few seconds to let her realize what I mean as I see her take out a strange spiky dagger from her sheath. That aside, I did the same with my [Starter Dagger] and we aimed them at the nape of the wolf. I just re-casted [Gift of Strength] a minute ago, so this last minute better be worth it. "Ready?" I asked. "Ready as I can be!" She answered with a smirk. That''s what I want to hear. "[Backstab]!" With a quick, but strong jab on the nape, we stab our daggers in and we hear the wolf howl in pain.
[CRITICAL HIT!]
I knew it! The neck is the [Evil Spirit Wolf''s] weak point! However, it has the unfortunate effect of the wolf starting to rampage around like an angry bull. We grab its fur and hang tight as it continues to growl and howl. "AHHHHH!!!" "Don''t let go, M3GAN! We''ll lose [HP] if we do!" Still, this is a great opportunity. I make a quick whisper chat to Savior while we hang on for our dear lives. Then, I hear his voice commanding the ranged DPS to aim at his neck. I think this is a good time for us to escape. But not before we make one more move. "M3GAN, switch to [Fire] magic!" "Got it!" We raise our right arms to the nape and chant, ¡°Spirits of flames, show yourselves! Bring the fire from my heart and help me gather into my hand! [Fire Ball]!" We throw two balls of flames at its nape and that''s all we need to release our grip onto its fur before jumping down and rolling away from the flailing wolf. "Savior!" I call out. "Now''s your chance! "You don''t have to tell me twice!" Savior then charges at the wolf with his broadsword raised just as M3GAN and I run away from the wolf. "You''re mine, doggy! [Aftershock]!" He swings his blade at the wolf''s neck, leaving a large gash that bleeds out black blood as it growls in pain.
[CRITICAL HIT!]
Alright! That should be enough to deal a large amount of damage to it. "Yeah! Looks like that wolf is dead for good!" M3GAN cheered. "Don''t celebrate just yet, M3GAN. Look!" I point to the [Evil Spirit Wolf] as I notice its body now covered in a red glow as it lets a loud howl.
[WARNING]
[The [Evil Spirit Wolf] has been enraged. It''s [STR] and [SPD] has been doubled!]
As expected, it entered its [Enraged] state. That means it''s now in its final phase of the boss battle. By the looks of it, it took a few strong hits from Savior along with several buffed DPS to cut its [HP] down to yellow. But if we get hit by one of its attacks, then it''s all over. We would keep on the defense, but we''re just delaying our deaths if we do. At this point, this battle is now focused on defense to all-out offense. It''s time to end this beast once and for all.
[Lowry''s Masteries]
[Dagger] Level 6 [Fire] Level 4 [Life] Level 6 [Magical Affinity] Level 4 [Alchemy] Level 8 [Scribe] Level 7 [Magecrafting] Level 1
Chapter 7: The Truth of the Treasure [AWWWWWOOOOOO!!!] As expected, the [Evil Spirit Wolf] has shifted to its final phase. Red aura aside, its appearance has completely changed to reflect this with wisps of shadows leaking more from its fur and the eyes were glowing a more intense red than before. However, there is one important change that may give us some trouble and that is a flowing scarf-like mane growing out around its neck. That''s where its weak point is and getting through it may prove more difficult than before. While you can still hit the wolf at any part to damage it, its weak point is the main key to our victory. "FIRE!!!" I turn around and notice Savior commanding some mages and archers firing their attacks and spells at the wolf. I won''t complain, attacking from afar is not a bad move at the start of the boss''s final phase. You need to gain distance first to avoid getting caught at its potential OTK attack. Sure enough, the wolf took a deep breath and let out a black flame that incinerated half of the tanks protecting the back row. Two of them seemed to survive while the remaining tanks and three more DPS disappeared as they died. We''re already losing more party members and we''re running on borrowed time right now. I have to figure out how to bypass its weak point''s shield while avoiding its powerful attacks. "[Aura Sight]!" I scan the wolf once more since it seems to be preoccupied with the other players. Looking at it closely, its mane has a large brown [Mana] enveloping the blue one on its neck. If I recall, brown Mana represents a shield protecting the boss monster''s weak point and from its size, it may take a while to break through it before trying to do another critical hit. However, I also notice some mana at another part. How odd that it''s there, but there seems to be a connection to all of this. "Lowry!" Oh, crap. I almost forgot about its breath attack! I quickly roll away and run before the wolf spews the flames onto me. With my current strength, there''s a high chance I will be OTK if I don''t get out of here. Thankfully, I''m not the type to rely too much on my [Masteries]. Before the dungeon run, I pick up a few tools along with some potions.
[Grappling Hook] [A hook made for climbing and grabbing objects.]
[Rope] [A simple rope.]
With the hook already tied by a rope beforehand, I toss the former at one of the trees above and I swing away from the flames as I land at the top of it. I can see a bit of singe on the rope afterward, but I sigh in relief that I barely escaped from its wrath. M3GAN... Guess she managed to access her whisper chat just like I taught her. I thought. She''s right. This can''t go on any longer. We need to end the fight right here and now. I smile, knowing she sounds extra worried about me. After that, there''s silence. I thought she hung up because of my recklessness again. But then, I hear another voice in the chat. Savior''s voice asks threateningly. I hear nothing but silence for a few seconds. There''s a high chance he might reject my proposal out of pride and arrogance against me. However, with more party members dropping like flies, I have a feeling he will accept it regardless. <...Fine. Give me the laydown.> Just what I want to hear.
After I explained everything, we executed our plan immediately. "[Flurry of Blades]!" I watch the [Viper Fangs] leader swing his blade several times at the wolf, creating small cuts and bruises around its body. As predicted, Savior charged in with a full-on offense with the role of gaining its aggro focusing only on him. After that, he starts running away from the wolf, diverting it around the field long enough for M3GAN and I to spread the remaining rope I have. I can only afford about 7 cm. It''s not long enough to tie it down. But it''s long enough to make a trip wire for a large wolf. However, there is a problem... "Uh, teacher Lowry... I don''t think it''s long enough." Crap. That''s not what I want right now. But M3GAN is right. If this rope is too short, then we can''t trip that big a** dog without risking our virtual lives. But this is the only rope I have. How can I... Wait, we''re in the forest. While it''s not a jungle, maybe... "M3GAN, give me a few more seconds!" I quickly rush up on one of the trees again. "Teach, where are you going?!" "Where do you think? To get some rope," I said this while grabbing a few vines I managed to find on the branches. I jumped down and quickly tied the vine onto my rope before Savior started complaining. I have to jinx it. But thankfully, the vine is enough to finalize our plan. It''s fragile, but it gets the job done. "Get ready, M3GAN! Pull the rope as your life depends on it!" "Like you have to tell me twice! I am not getting another debuff penalty!" We pull the trip wire as hard as we can just as Savior arrives. I see him jump away from it and as soon as the wolf arrives, it trips on the rope and falls onto him. We would have screamed in horror at this mistake along with the surviving party members nearby, but that''s what we''re expecting. I see him raise his blade and shout, "[Aftershock]!" With a swing of his broadsword, it gives off a big wave of energy passing through the wolf as it cuts down the mane''s fur bit by bit. "[Flurry of Blades]!" As expected, Savior follows it up with another [Flurry of Blades] and just seeing him cutting the annoying mane eight times is enough to make my jaw drop. And with the final slash, the wolf howls as its mane disappears to reveal its exposed neck. "Alright! We got rid of it''s mane!" M3GAN exclaimed. "We might have a chance to beat this thing!" That''s true. But as I learned from my many battles, it''s not that easy to put down an enraged boss. Once again, the wolf howls, causing everyone including us to be pushed back. It doesn''t want us to finish this battle like this. Too bad for the wolf, it''s already over the moment its shield is down. ¡°Spirits of life, hear my call. Give me the strength from your power. [Gift of Strength]!¡± After I cast one last buff, I run towards the wolf and ready my dagger. As I get closer, I can see it''s preparing for another breath attack. But not this time! "[Knife Toss]!" I throw my dagger at the back of its chin. As soon it makes its mark, the wolf howls again.
[CRITICAL HIT]!
[NOTICE]
[You have disrupted its attack with a critical.]
That''s what I want. I use its panic to climb up via fur and vines again. As it rampages once more, I struggle to grab my dagger that is still stuck on its chin. It only took a while since the monsters kept on rampaging in their ill attempt to get rid of me. But I quickly recover my dagger and stab its blade on its nape once more.
[CRITICAL HIT]
And I didn''t stop stabbing even as it continued to shake me out of its back.
[CRITICAL HIT]
[CRITICAL HIT] If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
[CRITICAL HIT]
[CRITICAL HIT]
[CRITICAL HIT]
As I continue, I see most of the surviving members kept on attacking from the distance until its [HP] is almost at zero. Even as the wolf attacks them with its claws, that''s the last thing it can ever do as I make my own coup de grace. "[Backstab]!" With one last yell, I stab the wolf with most of the strength I have. It howled in pain before collapsing on the ground and its eyes stopped glowing once it closed them for the last time.
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
[You have defeated the [Evil Spirit Wolf]!]
I finally sigh in relief upon seeing the notice. It only took a few stabs and half of my [HP] loss from its attacks. But we finally defeated the unknown [Dungeon Guardian]. I barely kept my eyes open after that exhausting struggle, yet I heard the guild cheering for our victory.
"So, is that all of us?" His right-hand man nods his head while I''m trying to get up from the ground. "H-Here..." I turn around to see M3GAN offering me a bottle of [Healing Potion]. "You might have already used up most of your potions." I smile as I accept her bottle. "Thanks." But just as I can drink it, I turn to see Savior starting to mumble by himself. "Dammit, most of the newbies are killed and half of the guild are already kicked out by that wolf, huh? Man, this makes the reward split a bit too awkward now that there''s only one newbie, the nav, and most of us here." "Should we redo the run then?" One of his goons asked. Savior hummed in thought. "Nah. I already told them that we''ll give them the rewards once we''re out of this rusty forest. Besides, we still need to check out the [Treasure Room] to complete this run and we only have a few minutes until the [Dungeon] closes." "Sounds good," I said while drinking my potion. "I rather be out of this [Boss Room] than be trapped here." "You heard the navigator! Let''s go!" With that, we head inside the last room of the dungeon.
Once we''re inside, my eyes widen to see what''s inside. Honestly. I was expecting a treasure chest or a pile of treasure waiting for us to grab. Instead, we''re met with a wooden wolf statue along with a wooden chest sitting in some sort of an offering shrine. "Huh. I''m expecting a golden welcome, but it will have to do." Save then turns to me next. "Okay, Lowry. You''re up! Open up the treasure and let''s get out of this musty forest." Of course, they have to rely upon a weak player like me to open it. It might make sense for them since most of the treasures we encounter tend to have some kind of trap hidden within the treasure chest. So I step forward to check the chest... And I see a notification that confirms my suspicions from the start. "Hey, Save." "Huh? What is it? Aren''t you going to open that chest already?!" I roll my eyes while ignoring his stupid demands. "Where did you get this [Dungeon Quest] in the first place?" As if I said a taboo word, Savior flinches while his goons take out their weapons. However, he stops them as he regains his composure. "What do you mean, Lowry? I thought we agreed that you don''t ask questions while working as our dungeon navigator." I sigh. "You know, I didn''t agree to some conditions. You only said you''ll leave me alone as long as I participate in your crazy dungeon runs." And that''s not a lie. He said that word for word during our first meeting in [Isekai]. "Have you heard of an "unwritten rule"? Besides, you have no right to question the [Viper Fangs''] right as a guild! Besides, you didn''t even bother joining it, so it''s guild classified information." "Not even sharing every lore detail as well?" I raise my eyebrow. "That isn''t like you, Save." "Do I even care about those worldbuilding mumbo jumbo you rambling with your friends?! We''re only a few minutes until kick-out time, Lowry! So get your ass on that chest and open it already!" So we''re playing that game, huh? I chuckle upon hearing his answers. "Huh? What the hell are you laughing about?!" Savior shouted with a hint of rage in his voice. "The fact that your greed and recklessness is all I need to confirm." I reveal the notification that I got to him and his cronies.
[DUNGEON GOAL]
[You have successfully cleared a dungeon! Open the treasure chest to get your rewards!]
And I let the effects of my true [Quest] change the wording of the text.
[DUNGEON GOAL]
[You have successfully broken into the sacred shrine of the forest! Break through the offering chest to steal the valuables from the people who offered to the spirit.]
"N-No way!" I can see M3GAN covering her mouth upon seeing the real [Dungeon Goal]. "So? What''s the whole point of showing us that notification?!" Savior asked. "You''re trying to ransack a sacred landmark, Savior. A landmark that has been protected from intruders for centuries!" I shouted. "Do you expect me to ignore the consequences for treasure?!" "...Well, yeah. Isn''t that the point of a [Dungeon]? I mean, we''re in one, remember?" I grit my teeth at his stupidity. "You mean we''re in a landmark disguised as a [Dungeon]. My guess is that you got it from a [Hidden Quest] that involved some bandits and you made a deal on getting through this forest and defeating the guardian in exchange for rewards, right?" Savior flinches again. "What you''re saying is bulls**t, Lowry. What are you trying to prove here? That the rewards are less important than the game''s silly excuse plot?" This a**hole. He''s not thinking about the consequences that will affect the game at all! "I''m saying I''m not going to be an accessory for robbery." I quickly take out my dagger and aim it at Savior. "And I will not let you desecrate this shrine for your greedy ignorance!" Yeah, aiming my dagger at a high-level player like Savior might be stupid on my end. But I said my piece and I made my stand. "You have got to be joking. I''ve been nice to you and even put up your crazy schemes against those dungeon bosses and [Chaos Rooms] and this is the "thanks" you''re going to give me? In the end, you care more about the dumb [Isekai] plot than being part of the crew." Savior starts to chuckle as he flashes a smirk on his face. "Then again, we were planning to kick you down and abandon you here in case the boss is too troublesome to deal with. Just so you know, the rules from don''t apply here and we can kill you here right here and now." I narrow my eyes. "Try as you might. But if you do that, you will be labeled as a due to my low [Mastery Level]. It''s a lose-lose decision, Save. Give it up and walk away." To my surprise, Savior simply backs away and silently gestures to his goons, but not before gritting his teeth in anger. I guess his reputation is more important than giving me a penalty. "Wow, you''re amazing, teach!" M3GAN approaches me with a bright-eyed smile. "You said you''re low-leveled and yet, you managed to make the strongest player to back off like that." "I''m just stating the fact, that''s all," I said as I put down my dagger. "Now come on. Let''s get out o- URGH!!!" Just as I make one step away from the shrine, I feel a strange pain in my chest. I can''t breathe to the point of collapsing on my knees. And I look up to see what is happening. "P-Poisoned?! B-But how?!" I hear another chuckle. Not from Savior or his goons. But from M3GAN... "Wow, you are more gullible than Save told me." I see her face morph from her innocent smile to a devious smirk glaring above me. "It''s no wonder why you stuck on single-digits for months now." I grit my teeth. "M-M3GAN... W-What is the meaning of all this?!" "Haha! Don''t you get it? It''s called an "act", teach. I just need to drop your guard enough for me to get in a kill. And the moment you accepted my "gift", I knew I got you hook, line, and sinker!" She walks over to Savior who is also smirking and hugs him. "In other words, you''ve been had, kid! And since I''m also in single digits, that means my dear Savey won''t get that terrible title. Right, honey?" "That''s right, snuckums." Before I know it, they start kissing each other while I''m on the ground struggling to move from my [Poisoned] state. "You always said you have to take one step before your opponent. So I did so and hired her to get close to you like the cliche underdog you were. In the end, you''re nothing more than know-it-all dumba** who will never escape my shadow, both in real life or !" Both he, M3GAN, and his goons start laughing while I''m suffering from the poison. Just hearing them laughing at my misery makes me sick to the bones as my [HP] continues to drop. Well, at least that''s what they believe. "Wow, I have to admit. That''s a fine play. If you play your cards right."
[NOTICE]
[Your [SPD] has been increased to 10% for 1 minute.]
Just in time. "Huh? What are you babbling about again? Don''t you realize y-" "[Backstab]." I quickly rush behind them. But not on Savior, but the girl that I saw as an "equal". "Ack... ARGGGGGHHHH!!!" I remove the blade of my dagger from M3GAN''s back and aim it at Savior once more. "Let me make things clear, Save. I''m not interested in getting out of your shadow or becoming the top player. However..." I narrow my eyes and flash my own grin at my tormentor. "I have a short temper when it comes to idiots like you."
Current Quest: Defend the Village Shrine! *** Type: [Hidden] Description: You have learned that you unknowingly participated in a robbery of a sacred shrine near Fenrir''s village. You must defend it by any means without damaging the shrine itself. Condition: The [Quest] will fail if the shrine is over 50% damage or the intruders successfully take all of the offerings from the shrine. Status: In Progress Party Member(s): [Lowry]
[Lowry''s Masteries]
[Dagger] Level 7 [Fire] Level 5 [Life] Level 6 [Magical Affinity] Level 5 [Alchemy] Level 8 [Scribe] Level 7 [Magecrafting] Level 1
Chapter 8: Mutiny [A Few Hours Ago...] "YOU''RE TELLING ME THAT [DUNGEON] IS ACTUALLY A VILLAGE SHRINE?!" I realized what I said once Fenrir quickly shushed me. I sat back down before everyone else (players and NPCs) noticed us. [Yep. I can''t say much about it, but the shrine in question is more than a simple place for us to worship the [God of Darkness] and the [Spirit of the Beasts]. It also acts as a barrier to our village from bandits, criminals, and anyone who would dare to pillage and kidnap our people.] I didn''t know all of that. And it''s not because of his village was supposed to be a secret. There was a lot of information I had some trouble understanding without any further details. I guess I have to start there before I can make some assumptions. "The [God of Darkness]... How odd that a peaceful village worshipped them," I commented. "No offense. But I never heard something like yours to worship that god. Not when they were the creators of the monsters in the first place." If I recall from the [Prologue Lore] posted on the official site, the [God of Darkness], was responsible for creating the monsters that ravaged the world of during the . With that backstory, it should gain some animosity from many countries for their role. [Ah, you knew of that creation myth, huh? I don''t want to turn this conversation about the past. But they did more than contribute to stopping the decades ago. I know that might be wrong for me to say since they also made the monsters prowling outside these lands, but if it wasn''t for them, we couldn''t learn from our mistakes from the past and move forward.] You know what? Understandable. Everyone has their own opinions about the past. I did have some mixed feelings about their actions. But I know that it was necessary to stop the war that was plaguing this world. [But back to the subject at hand...] Fenrir started. [Again, I can''t say much. But not all monsters Nox created were made to test humanity.] I raise my eyebrow at the last sentence he said. "What do you mean?" [Well, most monsters don''t want to consider themselves as one. They only wished to live peacefully after the war and some even wanted to live with humanity during the . It''s because of their wishes that the god created the and it was them who fulfilled their wishes to live not as monsters, but as simple living beings.] Whoa... Reaction aside, that''s something I never knew from the official wiki and forums before. This was really a true [Hidden Quest]. One that literally revealed part of the world-building you never knew before. [But I''m getting ahead of myself. I supposed now that you know all of this, do you wish to go against me for your so-called quest?] I grew silent. I really wanted to take this [Dungeon Quest] not only to get Savior and his Viper goons off my back but to get enough money to buy a decent stand or tools for my shop. However, there''s another side of me that told me not to do this. Not to mention Fenrir''s call-out speech deconstructed my beliefs really well. The pros were tempting. But even if this was only a game, it''s too much to sacrifice. "No, it''s not. I took [Quests] to explore the world as an adventurer and learn the mysteries of , not to pillage for riches. I''m sorry I unknowingly endanger your home, Fenrir." I sighed as I realized something. "But I can''t say the same with the party leader. He''s the one who accepted it and knowing him, backing out is not an option." Fenrir groaned. [Can''t you convince him? Maybe trick him into leaving the shrine.] "Unfortunately, I''m only a simple support adventurer. If I do that, he might see it as mutiny and he will give me more than torture." [If that''s the case, I have a feeling your party leader might be in cahoots with the same bandits who tried to invade my home. I wish I could help you, but my village''s safety comes first.] That''s true. NPCs rarely participated in some battles and I doubt he could do anything against Savior''s high-level stats. Unless... "Maybe you can help me while prioritizing your village at the same time." Fenrir raised his eyebrow. [Oh? Care to tell me, young Samaritan? How will we protect the village together?] I smirk once I gain his interest and a new [Quest] window. "By sabotaging their operations on the inside."
[Present Time] I take a deep breath as I glare at [Viper Fangs] and M3GAN with my dagger pointing at them. "W-What the hell?! How are you still up and about?!" Savior demanded. "That [Spiked Healing Potion] should have got into your system by now. You can''t move since it''s mixed with some paralysis and poisonous herbs enough to stop your tracks!" M3GAN added with venom in her voice. "But why are you still moving?! And why isn''t your [HP] dropping?!" I sigh. Seeing the true face of a so-called newbie is enough to make me question her life choices. "It''s true that you can disguise it as a normal potion to me. But while I''m not high enough level to detect spiked or fake potions, I can see hints of poison with my [Aura Sight]. You don''t even know that it can be connected with the [Alchemy Mastery] so you can detect foreign objects very early in the game. Then again, you do need to be in the right levels to achieve that." "WHAT?! You''re lying!" That''s actually the truth. You need a total of Level 10 between [Alchemy] and [Magical Affinity] to access this secret ability. Since I have an [Alchemy Level 8] and [Magical Affinity Level 4], I can use it with my [Aura Sight]. It''s not a perfect replacement for that higher-level [Alchemy] skill, but it is enough to detect some faint foreign ingredients in that spiked potion. But it''s not like she knew that in the first place. It''s practically a cheat code or an Easter egg the devs somehow hid until I experimented with those rumors. "Believe anything you want. But regardless, I switched the potion to the one I managed to save and hid from you. This time, this one is spiked with a few speed-boosting herbs. Normally, it would give me 2 minutes of boost. But since I made it so haphazardly, the time limit was halved." As I said this, I see another notification.
[NOTICE]
[Your [SPD] boost has been expired.]
"It''s a shame I can''t grind more to make a similar [Spiked Healing Potion] like yours. But it''s enough to get a heads up in the competition. Who knew being overly cautious has its advantages?" Suddenly, I notice M3GAN collapse to her knees and her eyes widen to see what seems to be her own notification. "[P-Paralysis]?! T-That''s impossible!" I''m glad the [Paralysis Poison] that was coated on my dagger''s blade did the trick despite the low quality. I would make something out of a [Shrouded Lily], but I''m still too low-level for it and it might be overkill to use it against her. However, seeing M3GAN in this temporary state made me a bit guilty. But not guilty enough since she tried to kill me. "How the hell did you know? I did everything to drop your guard so Savior and I can kick you down enough for you to quit the game!" I sigh as I walk in front of the shrine again. "Yeah, I have to admit, you had me at the first half of the dungeon. Your act is so convincing that I even considered adding you to my friend''s list after the run. However, you have made some mistakes that earned my suspicion against you." "What mistakes?! I didn''t do anything to let you know I was faking to be your "mentee"! My act is perfect! And there is no way you..." "You are not getting another debuff penalty." Once I said those words, I could see her eyes widen and her jaw drop as her anger was replaced with shock. "H-Huh?" "That''s what you said before we defeated the [Evil Spirit Wolf]. But you said before that this is your first dungeon run ever since you joined the game. When was the last time you got a [Dungeon Death Penalty]"?" I can see her flinching at that last question. It seems like my suspicions are true after all. "D-Did I say a debuff? I-I mean, I kinda got one when I encountered a strong monster in my f-first battle! Y-Yeah! That''s it! Must have misremembered it." Okay, she has a point. But that isn''t enough to clear my suspicions. "Then what about your dagger?" "M-My dagger?" I nod as I recall its appearance. "Unless you have a [Blacksmith Mastery] or enough money to craft a new dagger, there is no way you can get it in a single-digit TML. Now that I think about it, there was a dagger that Savior took for himself rather than giving it as my share. Something about the name being "Spiky" or "Beast"..." M3GAN flinches again. As I thought, her dagger wasn''t very obvious to me until I recalled the name of that dagger Savior took away in one of our dungeon runs: the [Beast''s Spike Dagger]. It''s from the dungeon that I had the worst performance due to my low-level [Masteries] at that time and the fact he kept treating me as a meat shield. I get why he didn''t want me to have that dagger, but that didn''t excuse his reasons for not giving me any loot for my contributions. "And there''s the fact you managed to survive against the [Evil Spirit Wolf] when the other newbies could not. I thought you shared the same lady luck I had to defeat that boss. But I did notice Save was acting oddly like a team player when things started to go wrong. It''s as if he didn''t want me or you to die from that big wolf." This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "T-That''s doesn''t prove anything at all!" I closed my eyes once I heard her argument. "Then I''m curious about one more detail: What is your [Dagger] and [Thunder''s] level?" "...Eh?" Checkmate. "You mentioned the levels of your [Fire] and [Hunting] are currently on Level 5. But you never bothered to mention the first two''s levels. I heard leveling up to double digits will evolve some of your first spells and passive skills. There''s a chance you might evolve your [Lightning Bolt], so you have to avoid casting it to keep up your act as a low-leveled newbie." "Y-You..." I smirked. "If you really want to prove that you''re a low-level player, then cast it right here and now. No [Lightning Scatter], no [Static Stun]." Now, she is trembling as she struggles to back away. This is my last chance. The only clue to her true identity is her skillset. I can tell from the spell she cast that she hasn''t evolved her [Lightning Scatter] yet. So if she refuses, then it will confirm my suspicions. If she casts it, it will have the same outcome. She cannot escape and avoid this question now. "B-But that''s impossible... You''re nothing but an idiotic know-it-all! I know you''re dumb just like every man I duped!" M3GAN screamed like a banshee. "I know you''re devastated that the girl you love, the girl who barely know you for a day, was nothing but a bad bitch aiming to break your heart!" "Oh, that? Yeah, sorry to break it to you. But one, as an aromantic, I''m not the type who gets all googly-eyes on other girls so easily. And two, I have no feelings for a girl who does nothing but manipulate a boy''s heart to their own means." And I can see her jaw dropped as if the colors on her face disappeared. Sure, she looks cute. But let''s just say I''m not a magnet when it comes to romantic attraction. To me, she''s more of an ally than a crush before the whole reveal. "Geez..." My eyes widen to see Savior approach M3GAN with a groan. "Just when I think you''re too smartass for your own good, you had to break our expectations by risking this crazy ploy. You''re not the risky type of guy. I thought you were smart enough to go against me and my guild." I guess that''s his way of confessing M3GAN''S role as a mole, huh? I sigh while glaring at my bully. "Yeah, I thought so, too. But it''s only because I spent almost my in-game life hiding from your threats. To make excuses and run away whenever you push me too many times. So consider this my resignation letter." I quickly take out an item Fenrir gave me in advance. A wooden plaque charm that resembles his own. "Wait, what the hell is that?!" I didn''t answer his question. Instead, I put the charm on the lock and let it do the rest.
[You have used the [Ancient Moonlight Lock Charm] on the [Treasure Room''s] offering chest!]
[Ancient Moonlight Lock Charm] [A magical charm made to protect the treasures offered to the moonlight.]
The chest and the shrine start to glow white as the light starts to envelop me and everyone else in the room. "You idiot! What the hell are you doing?!" Savior screamed more like a madman than a chivalrous knight. "I already told you. I''m not letting you ransack this shrine and I''m not letting you desecrate its sacred offerings anymore!" I close my eyes and I let the light consume me while ignoring Savior, M3GAN, and the Viper Fangs'' desperate cries to grab the treasure... Or rather, the offering chest behind me.
[You have successfully activated the security magic of the [Sacred Moonlight Shrine]. You and the current occupants will be evicted from the room immediately.]
As I open my eyes, I notice that we''re not in the shrine anymore. Rather, we''re in a familiar clearing before the shrine when I notice a new ping.
[NOTICE]
[The [Sacred Moonlight Shrine] has been sealed. You have been transported back into the [Boss Room].] [You will be transported back to the entrance in 10 minutes.]
Looks like the charm worked. Fenrir wasn''t kidding when he told me about its effects. At this point, my real [Quest] should be finished by then. Although, I still need to take care of a few rising problems behind me. "Y-You..." I turn around and notice Savior getting up from the ground along with his accomplices while giving me a glare enough to shake my shoes. "You ruined everything! You should have become the best navigator in my guild. And yet, you thanked me by staging a mutiny and losing our chance for a big prize?! Have you lost your damn mind?" "I know the consequences and I know the losses. But I told you before that I don''t play the [Quests] just to explore the game''s worldbuilding and setting. But to avoid any consequences that will hurt everyone, player and NPC alike!" I declared as I took out my dagger. "Sorry about the dungeon loot. But I won''t let you harm the shrine or the dreams offered to the shrine!" "You dumba** lunatic!!!!" As expected, Savior charges in my direction and raises his broadsword against me. "[Aftershock]!" I quickly jump up to avoid the earthquake created by his skill while avoiding his energy wave. However... "[Tracking Aim]!" Just as I turned around, an arrow suddenly stabbed my right shoulder. It''s all too sudden that I nearly forgot that I''m now falling from my jump! "Energy that creates our world, push away my enemies away from us! [Mana Force]!" I scream as the Viper mage pushes me in mid-air with his [Arcana] spell. Damn, when Savior said they will come at me like rabid dogs, he wasn''t kidding! But it''s not like I''m going down without a fight! "[Knife Toss]!" I toss my only dagger at one of the mages. Unfortunately, he has enough common sense to move away to avoid it. Not the best move from me since I should have used my spells instead if it wasn''t for the long incantations. But that''s enough for me to land back with only a few bruises and a small dent on my [HP]. I quickly rush in to regain my dagger, but... "[Static Stun]!" I feel a bit of electricity running through my back. It''s too much for my body to handle, so I collapse on the ground just a few inches away from my dagger.
[WARNING]
[You have been [Paralyzed] for 1 minute.]
Just my dumb luck. M3GAN had to use [Paralysis] against me. Her character is only [Human], yet she has frightening luck when it comes to [Status Conditions]. There is no way I can reach my dagger at this state and I can''t grab my staff from the inventory as well. "Spirits of flames, show yourselves! Pierce my ene- ARGHHHHH!!!!" Just what I need. A stab right in my back. I get she''s still pissed at my trickery, but this payback is too much!
[HP: 292/350]
[WARNING]
[You''re now [Bleeding] for 2 minutes! You will lose 3 [HP] for every 5 seconds.]
Not only that, her dagger''s effect had to kick in at this time. I really have the sh**iest luck. And I thought I managed to get away from them unscathed... "What''s the matter now, Lowry?" I grit my teeth and look up to see Savior sneering above me. "Where''s all of that bravado you''ve been having lately, huh?" He kicks me in the gut as I scream in pain.
[HP: 247/350]
"You should have acted like a good dog and listened to everything I said!" He kicks me again. This time, I managed to hold my scream to not give him the satisfaction he wanted.
[HP: 242/350]
"Instead, you threw all of that away all because of some unrelated [Quest] you don''t want to share with us!" And I feel another kick on a place I don''t want him to aim. This time, the pain is too much for me to bear.
[CRITICAL HIT!]
[HP: 232/350]
"This penalty isn''t the only pain you will feel today, Lowry. After the lectures on Monday, you''re going to experience the worst hazing our fraternity will ever have!" His guild including M3GAN join in to make me suffer more! The kicks in [Isekai] are weak, but they''re cutting my [HP] to half thanks to my [Bleeding] state. I only have a minute until the dreaded [Dungeon Death Penalty] as I turn around and stare at the dark clouds parting away from the moon while ignoring the sound of Savior''s sword being raised. "I know this isn''t really goodbye. But at least we should give you a big send-off." Savior sneered above me before he aimed his blade between my legs. "Since you''re not interested in girls, I guess you don''t need it in the game world." "Y-You''re sick." But all I got from my backtalk was a stab in my right thigh.
[HP: 158/350]
Just how sadistic is he?! At this rate, I can''t bear the pain simulated from my [VeilCon] if Savior keeps this up! "And you talk too much. Let''s pick up the pace and get this over with. I need to tell those ban- I mean our collaborators how you f**k up our operations very badly." Savior removes the blade and aims it at my sensitive point. "See you back at college on Monday, Lowry." I can say the same with myself. Oh well... So much for standing up against my tormentors. It was fun while it la- [AWWWWWOOOOO!!!] ...I''m not the only one who heard that just now, right? "WTF?!" "Was that a wolf''s howl?!" "I thought we killed the boss already!" From the [Viper Fangs] members'' panicked reactions, I''m guessing that''s a yes. Savior moves his sword away from me, much to my relief. Though not enough since the [Paralysis] and [Bleeding] are still in effect and M3GAN still breathing down my neck with her dagger aimed at my back. But as I look up, my eyes widen to see what''s right in front of us. Because behind the glowing full moon is a grey wolf standing in two hindlegs with clawed hands instead of paws, brown shorts that seemed to be ripped apart by force, a muscled build in its body covered in fur, and yellow eyes glaring through our own. What''s more shocking is that it resembles the monster from the rumors my friends mentioned. It never spawns outside of the full moon and sometimes appears at places we least expected. "I-Is this part of the [Dungeon Quest], babe?" M3GAN muttered while trying to keep her dagger in her hands away from my back. "No s**t. What the f**k is that?!" Savior demanded. I didn''t answer his question. But I know what it is. It''s the wandering werewolf and their presence in this mid-leveled [Dungeon] would mark our graves. In the words of Hiromi, we''re screwed. Chapter 9: Invitation to the Pack [AWWWWOOOOOO!!!] Well, this is just great. Not only I''m pinned down by Savior and his goons with a combination of [Status Conditions] I hate, but we''re standing in front of a mysterious monster that was the subject of recent rumors. Along with my dagger still inches away from my hand, I''m trapped with a tied chance of death with either of these jerks. However, they would leave me here as a meat shield to save their skins as usual. "This is bad, boss!" One of the Vipers said to Savior. "That monster is bad news! It looks like the ones from the rumors! You know, the beast appearing in some low-leveled [Dungeons]?" I can hear Savior clicking his tongue. "Just when I think we had to deal with an annoying pest, we also have to deal with an annoying werewolf monster?! Hey, Ayes! What are we dealing with here?" Oh, right. Ayes has a [Hunting Mastery], which lets him check the monster''s limited info thanks to one of its skills. However, I notice his menacing bear [Beast Folk] persona seemingly shattered as it was replaced with a look of horror. "T-That''s the thing, boss. I can''t read anything from that monster!" Everyone gasps while my eyes widen at that revelation. If that''s true, then what we''re facing here might be a monster that was spawned by a hidden event of sorts. It really lives up to its reputation as the "High-Level Monster of the Low-Level Dungeons". "Dammit! Then let''s just get out of here before it notices us." Savior turns to one of the Viper fighters. "Aco, get Lowry here and throw him in front of the monster!" "Already on it, boss." God... It''s only a few seconds away until the [Paralysis] wears off. That means I''m helpless to watch Aco grab my arms and... SLASH!!! ...watch his top half fly away from his legs. "W-Wha..." It was too fast for me to notice, but I turned around and saw the werewolf suddenly appear behind us. I froze in shock at this sudden turn of events to the point I couldn''t process what the hell happened. It wasn''t until I heard a "thud" and M3GAN''s scream behind me that made me realized what happened. "Aco!" Ayes yelled to his now-deceased ally. "WTF?! With just one hit?!" That isn''t an exaggeration. I look at his bisected corpse as it disappears and some of his armor and items fall out of it to the ground. That''s nearly impossible for a monster to do. Normally, it has some attack patterns that would avoid a one-shot kill on some experienced or high-level players. Yet its unusual pattern broke most of my logic about the game so far. I would chalk up on a theory that it might be a player in disguise. But I can''t seem to find a crystal above its head for some reason. Too bad I don''t have time to think. Just when my conditions are about to expire, M3GAN grabs me and aims her dagger right on my left shoulder. "Just like that, babe! Hold him down until we deal with this mutt!" Savior ordered and turned to the werewolf behind me. "As for you, it''s time to put an end to this so-called legend. Fire!" I watched the guild members start firing arrows and spells at the monster. But to our surprise, it quickly moves left and right as they dodge most of them. It then zips to one of the archers and grabs him by the throat. "N-No, wait! Don''t kill me! I just got my [Archery] to 2-" That''s all he could say before the beast stabbed him through the chest with its claws. While some of the gore is censored due to the age range of this game and my current settings, I can still see some blood enough for me to turn away. However, I turn back to witness the rest of the carnage that follows. Most of the ranged fighters are wiped with only a few claw attacks and the remaining tanks were chomped down with their sharp fangs and crushed their armor like hard candy. This isn''t a boss battle like the [Dungeon Guardian]. It''s a massacre.
[NOTICE]
[You are cured from your [Paralysis].] [You are cured from your [Bleeding].]
Well, that was a bad timing. Not to mention my current [HP] count...
[HP: 84/350]
I would sigh in relief that my suffering is over. But it''s brief when I see M3GAN staring at me. "Look at that. You''re cured already? But you still haven''t finished your dessert yet!" She raises her dagger with the craziest look in her green eyes. "I still haven''t forgotten your lying a**!" Crap! It''s not like I have to worry on other others beyond the werewolf. But seeing a woman having an unnecessary and nonsensical grudge is a bit too much on my plate right now! At least that''s what I thought until I saw what''s behind M3GAN. But it''s not the grey werewolf that Savior and his goons are currently fighting. But a brunette werewolf standing above us, growling through its fangs. "H-Huh? W-Wait... T-There''s two?!" Before I could react, the second werewolf grabbed M3GAN by her hair before she could dig her dagger into my shoulder. "N-No! Stop! Why are you taking me?! Take the [Insignis] kid! He''s the weak link of our party! I can''t believe you''re mishandling an innocent lady like me!" Tch... Of course, she has the gall to throw me under the bus. She really is Savior''s g- STAB!!! To my surprise, the brown werewolf suddenly stabs right through her chest. I knew she would eat her words, yet I never expected them to kill her brutally. But then, I hear a voice from the monster. That baritone voice... That doesn''t sound like a monster or an NPC. Now that I think about it, the werewolves seem to appear just when I was about to die in the hands of [Viper Fangs]. Is this because of my current [Hidden Quest]? "M3GAN!!!" Of course, I didn''t have time to wonder about the lore as I noticed Savior turning around and witnessing M3GAN''s death in the hands of the talking werewolf. "Dammit! Problem after problem keeps popping up and they didn''t even bother to kill that traitor!" I can understand his frustrations. By the looks of the battlefield, it seems like he''s the only survivor in the party other than me. I''m guessing his only supporter along with the remaining DPS couldn''t handle the grey werewolf''s strength. At this rate, he''s almost at his limit and his glare on me means I''m next on his hit list. "Fine. If you bozos can''t deal with the problem child, then I''ll just have to deal with him myself!" I feel like that might be a wrong move. But I don''t think I have the right to call him out as he walks closer and closer towards me. But then, the brown werewolf steps forward and gestures me to back away from me. I don''t know what''s going on at this point, but the grey one seems to comply with its silent order. So I followed and watched the whole chaos unfold. "Oh. So you''re planning to protect that bastard instead of killing him, huh? Very well..." Savior raises his sword, not to me. But at the brown werewolf. "You''ll be the first one to die at the hands of the Savior!" Just like any wannabe warrior, Savior screams at the top of his lungs as he rushes in for a kill. But suddenly, the werewolf zips right in front of him like a blur and takes a slash on its arm. By the looks of the gash on it, he somehow cuts it a bit deep. "HA! How do you like that, you poor excuse of a Wolfman?! This is what hap- Huh?" To my shock, the werewolf didn''t flinch from the cut. Instead, they easily removed the blade from its arm and broke it in half. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The werewolf growled. I froze at the sight of their feat. It''s not only the broken sword, but I notice the cut on its arm suddenly heals by itself and their [HP] reflects it. They''re either an unbeatable boss or their level might be much higher than Savior''s. "Damn you..." As soon as I turn back to him, he takes out his dagger and rushes to the brown werewolf. "Don''t mock me, you know-it-all mutt!!! DIEEEEE!!!" He screams again as he rushes to stab the werewolf. However, they respond by kicking the dagger from his hand with its hindleg and grabbing his neck with his right clawed hand. I can''t believe what I see. The brown werewolf not only disarmed Savior, but he managed to grapple him while shaking off his attacks. "I-Impossible... T-There''s no way... There''s no way the great Savior has b- ARK!!!" I quickly flinch once I hear a bone crack in his neck. He releases his grip and I see Savior''s now-lifeless body fall on the ground right before it disappears in data and most of his equipment except his chest armor and sword. Just like that, the mighty, yet corrupted guild leader of [Viper Fangs] has fallen. And now, I''m the only survivor of the party. But now, I''m surrounded by two werewolves as they''re now approaching me. I''m already weakened at this point and despite my [Bleeding] and [Paralysis] being gone, my [HP] is still red. "Is this it? Is this how I die in this strange forest?" I chuckle as I stumble to my dagger and pick it up. "Thanks for dealing with Savior, M3GAN, and their goons. If you want to kill me, then I rather die fighting than fall pitifully." This is a stupid move. But I have a bit of pride after witnessing the [Viper Fangs''] fall. If I can scratch them with my dagger... SMACK! To my shock, I''m not attacked with a claw or a bite. But with a flick on my forehead from a grey werewolf that only dealt me about 10 [HP]. [Are you a fool or something? After what you did for our village shrine, there''s no way we can do that to a reckless hero like you.] My eyes widen. That voice... It can''t be... "F-Fenrir?! Is that you?" The grey werewolf chuckled. [That''s right. I''m currently in a different form, but it''s me. Well, until I have to go back to sleep for my partner''s sake.] I can''t say anything after that. The rumors involving a werewolf monster prowling around the low-leveled areas and [Dungeons]... The monster that managed to strike fear into the players'' hearts in the forums... They were nothing more than a jolly old man NPC all along. God, I feel like this game is mocking me with this ridiculous Red Herring of sorts. [But seriously, I was a bit worried after you went off to stop your party with that charm I gave you. I decided to chase you despite the full moon and thankfully, we transformed just in time to see you almost at death''s door.] Ah, I see. Because of my current [Hidden Quest], there''s a chance that an NPC might come to the site to progress. Yet I never heard of one that could transform into a high-level monster like Fenrir. However, he''s the least of my problems as I look at the brown werewolf. "And who''s your friend? No, the better question is what are you guys? Are you real werewolves?" [Oh, right. This is your first time meeting him.] Fenrir gestures to the brown werewolf to come closer and he complies with his request. [This is . He is a veteran adventurer currently helping out our village with some deliveries.] The brown werewolf somehow chuckles sheepishly. [Hey there, kid. Hope I didn''t scare you back there.] I simply answer with a nod. I still can''t get used to monsters talking to me normally. [As for what we really are, we prefer the term, [Lycanthropes].] "Lycan...thropes?" The brown werewolf named Lawrence nodded. [Yes. As you might already guess, we can transform into half-human beasts. But we can do more than transform in the full moon. We can use our abilities outside of our beast forms and communicate with other beast-type monsters without any issues. Of course, the real difference between [Lycanthropes] and [Beastfolk] is that we''re still the same race even after becoming a beast ourselves. You can call it a [Sub-Race].] Wow... Even with a different name, I never expect them to exist in the world of . Not only that, I never knew the concept of [Sub-Races] existed in this game. As if the train of surprises didn''t stop, Lawrence then takes out a bottle that I can recognize. "A [Healing Potion]? Is that my reward for stopping those jerks from ransacking your shrine? I''m expecting something more," I snarked. To my surprise, Lawrence responds with a chuckle. [For someone who is on his last legs, you seem to have enough strength to show off your smart mouth. As much as we want to give you this as a [Quest] reward, my friend has other ideas. This is only a lifeline depending on your answer.] "Life...line?" Before I can ask more, Fenrir steps forward and says, [What he''s saying is that I''m inviting you to be part of our pack. Despite the difference in strength, you were willing to risk everything to protect not only our village and the forest, but you also shrugged off their temptations and fought for others than yourself. Not every ordinary [Insignis] or any adventurer was hesitant to fight someone bigger out of pure kindness and courage.] He then offered his clawed hand to me. [If you permit me, then I will personally give you a chance to nurture the courage that your tormentors tried to restrain.] Just as he said this, two new windows appear. One is a notification where it lets me know that I finally cleared the [Hidden Quest]. But the second window almost made me choke upon reading it.
[A NEW POSSIBILITY HAS UNLOCKED!]
[Your selfless actions have left a lasting impact on the [Leader of the ], . Because of this, he has invited you to become a [Lycanthrope]!]
M-Me?! A werewolf?! I expect the [Hidden Quests] to offer the players items and areas we can''t access through normal means, but this one takes the cake! But if I accept it, that means there''s a chance I have to endure full moon transformations like tonight. Not only that, I don''t have the right [Race] to pair up with this. Even the third window popping up doesn''t help with my indecision.
[By accepting the [Lycanthrope] [Sub-Race], you will access the [Mind Link] features for this game. Depending on your settings, your personality will be altered when you use the skills associated with it. Do you want to accept this bonus [Quest] reward?] [YES] [NO]
[Mind Link]... It''s one of the features of the [ADVR] and is the most controversial due to its features more akin to hypnosis and mind control. I feel it''s too risky for me to become a [Lycan]. "I-I''m sorry... But I can''t accept your invit-" [Why are you hesitating right now? Being offered to become one is a big deal for you,] Lawrence interrupted. [Unlike the ones being turned by rogue [Lycans], they can offer you lessons to help you control your newfound abilities and transformation. I don''t know how you endure the torment from those heartless intruders, but it''s better than you being stuck as a sycophant to them.] Wait, seriously?! Fenrir can help me control my powers. I turn to him to check if that''s true. [If I didn''t, I wouldn''t plan to do so in the first place. Like I said, you have the potential to become something bigger and it''s time for you to move away from the burdens set upon yourself.] My...burdens... Yeah... It all started when I pushed them away and stopped being a coward. I already committed myself to stop making excuses for everything. Sure, there''s a chance it will mess me up mentally. But how can I move forward if I can''t take any risks?! "You know what, you''re right." I took the potion and tapped [YES]. "Consider me part of the pack, Fenrir." I drink the potion as the windows are replaced with a single notification.
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
[You have accepted a special [Sub-Racial Quest], [Full Moon Transformation].]
[Looks like I''m worried for nothing.] I watch Lawrence walking away and pat on Fenrir''s shoulder. [I leave the kid to you. I''ll do one last sweep before heading back.] Fenrir nods and watches his ally werewolf leap away. He then turns his yellow eyes to me. [Well then, this might not kill you. But the pain might be too much for you to handle. Please bear with it for a while.] I have an idea of what he means. I folded my short sleeve to expose my arm and said, "I guess I''ll see you when I wake up." [Yeah. May the blessings of the Gods and the Spirit of the Beasts guide you.] All of a sudden, he starts to flinch and right in front of my eyes, his movement turns from a gentleman in a wolf''s body to a true beast howling in the moon. But after that, he slowly approaches me and carefully opens his mouth over my right arm. I didn''t struggle as I saw this. Instead, I close my eyes and prepare for the incoming pain... A pain that will change my life in the virtual fantasy world of forever... Chapter 10: Isolated Village "GRAAAAAAGGGHHH!!!" I quickly remove my [VeilCon] and grip my right arm while gritting my teeth. Whatever happens back there really hurts like shit! This is the last time I raised the pain threshold by 50%! Now that I think about it... What happened back then? I recalled that I was in a [Dungeon] run with Savior and his goons to stop them from vandalizing and robbing the shrine''s offerings and there were werewolves... Oh, right! The werewolves! I accepted their invitation to become like them and I got logged out after Fenrir bit my arm, but not where I wanted him to bite. I was hoping he would aim on my upper, not my forearm! Still, that makeshift bite might have dealt a large damage even from my [Healing Potion]. With my low [DEF] from my starter equipment and my [Insignis] race and [Magical Affinity], that would be enough to kill me in-game. That is until I check on the LED lens of my [VeilCon].
[Currently in Sleep Mode]
[The game has temporarily put your game session on sleep mode. You can log in again after 6 hours.]
Wait... [Sleep Mode]?! Does that mean I''m still alive?! No, it''s not a bug. Normally, you will get the [Death Penalty] notification after you log out when you die in the game along with the number of hours you''re banned from logging back in for a while. But this... It''s not akin to a penalty. It''s more of a comatose state. It''s not clear how many hours are converted for an in-game day, but I know that 6 hours is almost a full day there. Since I was logged out during nighttime, I might wake up the day after that. That''s terrific. But at least I don''t have to suffer another penalty once I log back in. ¡­ Oh, crap. I am still facing a penalty for my crazy stunt! There is no way David will let me go after my mutiny! At this rate, they will harass me and my friends again, and ignoring him and his goons won''t help us alleviate the tension. Damn, so much for a peaceful college week again... Calm down, Lucas. Panicking is going nowhere for you. Let''s think carefully... From my clock on my phone, it''s now 10:45 PM. Bryan should still be in the game since today is Saturday and Harley is still occupied with his commission both in the game and in college. All I can do for now is leave a group DM on Discourse to inform them about David and his goons.
[MoonlightMask: Guys, we might have a problem. Stay clear of David and his goons this Monday. I kinda made them a bit more pissed than normal. I''ll explain after class...]
I pray both of them might get this DM on time. I can''t imagine what will happen if they don''t and encounter them before the lecture... As for the [Sleep Mode], I can''t do anything about it right now. Besides, it''s getting late and I still have to get back to work tomorrow despite I only need to be there for a few hours. I''ll eat dinner and nod off early for tonight. Maybe I can try logging back in beforehand.
RRRRRIIIINNNNGGGG!!! RRRRRRIIINNNGGGGG!!! Ugh... So much for a peaceful slumber... I had trouble sleeping ever since that [Dungeon] run. Whether it''s the near-PK death from David or that painful bite from the werewolf, I still can''t get over the events from last night. And now, a ringtone from my smartphone just turned into an annoying alarm clock. But as soon as I looked at the caller ID, I didn''t throw it on the wall. Instead, I stood up and answered it with a yawn. "Dammit, Danica! Can''t you wait until I''m fully awake?!" I groaned. "I haven''t got a full sleep since forever!" "Wow. That''s rare even for a lore junkie like you, Lucas." Says the girl living in a different timezone. "Sorry. A lot has happened and I have to clock out of the game early. Though not by choice." "Sounds like another [Death Penalty] to me, bro." "T-That''s not...!" I quickly take a deep breath. No, I can''t tell her what really happened until I log back in or learn that werewolves exist in [Isekai]. She will label me as a werewolf freak like Bryan if I do. "Never mind. What is it this time? You always call me just to rant about some random stuff happening in the game." "Well, if you have a habit of checking in the social media as often as you can, then I won''t call you in the first place. But here we are." I hear a clap from the other line. "As for the news, I don''t know if you got the notice the other day, but there''s a [World Notice] that two players beat the hidden boss at the !" I did hear about it and see the notice. But I didn''t bother about it until now. "I''m aware of it. But what about it, Danica?" "Well, I also heard the players are actually a [Human] and [Insignis] duo and there are rumors that it must be the same [Human] hunter and an [Insignis] mage kid from the incident." If I recall, there were also rumors that the [Human] player is a [Guardian Player] of that [Insignis] mage. They never split off in public and the [Guardian System] is made for minors wanting to play with parents or guardians looking out for them. So that rumor is partially true based on the evidence. But to think they might be involved in the [World Notice]. There''s no way they can hide it now since they are practically in-game celebrities around . "Is that all? I get there''s a chance those two might be involved. But again, it has nothing to do with me." "Come on, is that your reaction to a big viral news in the world of [Isekai]? I mean, you''ve been doing [Quests] to discover some lore and setting stuff for your blog. There''s no way you see this as "nothing"." I groan while rubbing the nose bridge between my eyes. "And that''s the thing. Every player has their own story, but most of them can''t be revealed to the public for many reasons. No one knew about those two, but they rather go off in their private lives than let us poke our noses where they don''t belong. Besides, I rather focus on my own thing than chasing viral gamers." I can hear a sigh on the other line. "Boo... You''re no fun. But I guess I can''t change your mind. You never bother me with my "secret" activities anyway. By the way, how''s college?" "Fine. But should you be busy with your activities right now? You can''t spend the whole day chatting to me about random stuff." "Right, right. I only want to hear your voice again. Considering you don''t want to go back..." I frown once she mentions that. "I rather be homeless and drop out than crawl back crying to them again. The past is in the past and all we can do is do what we want. That''s all I want for both of us." "Lucas..." I can tell from her silence that even her optimistic fa?ade can''t change our past circumstances with them. "Well... You better call or text me from time to time or else, my calls will become your new alarm clock!" A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "Fine... Fine... You better head off before they start questioning where you are." "Okay... See you soon." Thank, god. The call is over. Still, I''m glad she did. As much as I want to make some distance from my family, Danica is the exception. If only she cares about herself in terms of well-being than her reputation. Anyway, I''m running on limited time here. It''s a half day, but my boss will kill me if I''m going to be a second late. My [Sleep Mode] should have ended a few hours ago, so let''s see what kind of damage that bite gave me. Thank god I briefly forgot to put on my glasses or putting on my [VeilCon] might be more awkward after waking up in the morning. "[Dive In]!"
As I come to my senses after the booting, I suddenly feel a large weight coming onto my chest and head. I barely took in a few breaths before I opened my eyes. But as I did, I noticed that I was not in the boss room. I''m in some sort of a wooden cottage filled with a coffee table, two chairs on each side, several flower vases on the corners and near the front door, two windows letting in the sunlight, and a small kitchen not far from where I am. As for where I am, I''m lying on a wooden sofa filled with brown and green pillows and a white blanket placed on me. From the looks of this, it seems like the werewolves managed to carry me out of the [Dungeon] and into a safe area. But it doesn''t look like it''s part of , which kinda makes sense since they are... you know... I decided to try getting up from the sofa. But then, I felt a sharp pain not only in my right forearm, I also feel it on my upper body. The pain is too much for me to bear enough to endure just to get up. Damn! What the hell is happening to my virtual body?! I quickly check my stats just in case.
[Lowry]
[Stats] [Race: Insignis] [Total Mastery Level: 5] [HP: 350/350] [MP: 470/470] [SP: 0/200] [Status: Weakening Sickness]
Okay, my [HP] and [MP] is back to normal. But what the hell are these crazy debuffs?! There is no way I already got a [Death Penalty] from [Sleep Mode]! But [Weakening Sickness]? That''s a strange condition. What the hell is i- [O-Oh! You''re awake!] I turn around and to my surprise, a young boy is peeking behind the door. He seems to look like a normal NPC with his villager garb. Yet for some reason, he has yellow eyes and fangs when he has his jaw drop. That aside, I try to get up from the sofa again to try talking to him. [No! Daddy said you can''t get up right now! You need to rest more until he says so. I''ll call him right now.] I watch him leave the house just like that. I''m guessing he and whoever lives here is aware of my condition. Either way, it looks like I won''t be going anywhere. Not like I have to considering my limited time here. Whoever the homeowner is, I have to thank him for his hospitality. [Oh, Lowry! Looks like you''re wide awake!] ...Wait. That voice. Don''t tell me that''s... [He''s awake. Well, I''m glad I visit at the right time. You go ahead, Fenrir. I''ll change back in a second.] And that gruff voice... The young boy comes back with someone following behind him. Turns out it''s Fenrir, back in his human form, walking inside the house with his usual smile. [Sorry about my kid''s rough treatment. He''s very worried about you since I carry you in my humble abode.] I shake my head. [No need to apologize. It''s my fault for being impatient. I appreciate your concerns about me, so thank you.] To my relief, the boy nods his head vigorously. [I''m glad you''re okay, Mr. Mark!] I raise my eyebrow."Mr. Mark? What''s he talking about?" [Oh, right. I should tell you where you are before you start asking too many questions.] Fenrir clears his throat. [You''re in the , the hidden village where [Lycanthropes] can live in peace with the other [Races]. I''m the village leader, so I have to be careful when going to the outside world to make some trades in nearby towns.] ... He did mention it before he bit me. So this is his village, huh? That would explain why I''m in [Sleep Mode] instead of logging out. If the latter happens, I might end up logging back into the Central Plaza. Which I have a feeling [Viper Fangs] might destroy my reserved stand as revenge or something. "Hang on... You said it''s where the w- I mean, [Lycanthropes] live in peace. Does that mean your kid is..." [Yep! He''s one of us!] Fenrir places his hand on the boy''s head. [This is my son, Claw. He inherited my [Lycanthropy] from birth and he''s training to become a guardian of the village.] [Yeah. And after that, I''m going to become a village chief just like my Dad!] Claw declared. [If Daddy said you''re cool, then I don''t see you as our enemy!] I sheepishly chuckle. Talk about an energetic wolf kid... "So you said this village is hidden. Does that mean no one will know where I am, right?" I asked. [That''s right. This village is guarded by a special barrier created by the shrine keepers connected to the forest shrine. Since I marked you or rather, bit you to become one of us, it''s best if you stay here for a while until the next full moon.] That explains why his son called me "Mr. Mark". Honestly, transformation or not, I rather not be in the outside world for a while. Not after the stunt I pulled with Savior and his guild. "I understand. Thanks for letting me into your village and thank you for saving me." [After you brewed those potions for , a simple monetary reward isn''t enough to give back for your kindness.] He turns to Claw next. [Thank you for keeping an eye on Lowry, Claw. You should get back to your training.] [Okay, Dad. I''ll see you later, Mr. Mark!] I chuckle again as I watch his son run out in excitement. Guess his energetic determination overshadowed his initial shyness. "Alright... Now that''s cleared up, I want to know what''s been bugging me lately. Why do I feel like I have a fever while I''m sleeping under an anvil?" I questioned. [Oh, that. Sorry, I forgot to mention about that. Since you were bitten during a full moon, you''ll be subjected to a sickness that weakens you for a few days. During this period, your body will start to change inside you from the mark, causing your physical and magical strength to wane in the process. Don''t worry about it. You will regain them as soon as the sickness cures itself. It''s a bothersome first stage, but I assure you it will be over before you know it.] I sigh once I learn everything about my condition. Honestly, I''m not mad. Sure, I won''t be hunting and taking [Quests] for a while. But I have other concerns to worry about in the real world. "I think I get the gist of it. I''m okay with staying in bed for a while, but I don''t know if I can adapt to the changes until the next full moon. Not only that, I will be held back from other adventurers in by the time I head back into the outside world." [That won''t be an issue.] My eyes widen when I hear those words from Fenrir. [As you continue to rest, the sickness will wane, and regain your ability to walk. However, physical activity is still out of the question for a while. So instead, you will learn a few basic lessons before you can start training with the other young [Lycans]. It''s not much, but I can assure you that they will help you control your abilities much easier.] Well, if he said it''s going to help me learn about the [Lycanthropes], then there''s no reason to say no. "Alright, I''ll take your word for it. Right now, I need to get some sleep." And hopefully, get to my part-time job on time. [Not until you get something to eat, kid.] Fenrir points to my stomach and before I know it, it starts to rumble just as a new ping comes up.
[WARNING]
[You are feeling peckish. Eat something to replenish your [SP] and recovery rate.]
Oh, right. I almost forgot about that 0 [SP]. I should eat something before I head out. [Just sit tight. Lawrence will come back with some food. I''ll check up on the patients until then.] With that, he left the house, leaving me alone for a while. I guess I''m stuck in this village as part of my new [Hidden Quest]. It''s not that bad. I got somewhere to stay than sleeping outside to guard my stand and I can get away from Savior for a while. But I still have a lot of questions about this strange [Sub-Race]. Like is this a hidden lore the devs hid on purpose? And why? There must be a story behind all of this and I know it''s too early for me to post all of this on my blog. I should keep this all to myself once I know more about [Lycanthropes] and their origins. [HEYO! FOOD''S HERE!] But then, my thoughts broke once I heard that booming noise and footsteps behind the door. That must be the food Fenrir mentioned. You would think they might use their indoor voice. Yet as I turned around, I gasped to see who was carrying it. It''s a black-haired tall man with a slight muscle build, yellow eyes, and fangs on his grin. He wears some sort of a brown and black tribal vest without a shirt, black shorts, dark brown boots, and black leather gauntlets. I would say that''s the only thing I''m shocked to see, but it''s not. Because on the top of his head is a green crystal floating above it. A sign that he''s a player character just like me. Chapter 11: A Brief Time in Reality
[Werewolf Monster in the ?!] [I Got Killed By a Werewolf...] [Since When the Devs Added Werewolves in [Isekai]?!] [WEREWOLVES EXIST IN [ISEKAI]!!!]
Damn... Nothing about [Lycanthropes] as a playable [Race]? I kept scrolling through the forums on my phone and still found nothing. I might try installing the game''s official social media app to know more, but I feel like I might get the same results. I guess it really is a hidden feature and I might be the second player to discover it... "HEY!!! WHAT THE HELL ARE STARING AT, YOU IDIOT?!?!" I gasp once I hear my boss''s booming voice right near my ear. Damn, it''s only an hour after my short play session into [Isekai] and now, I''m being distracted with thoughts related to it. I''m supposed to focus on my part-time job right now, organizing the new stock on the shelves. But how can I after everything I learned after the incident? The [Lycanthropes], the hidden village where they lived... Not to mention the player associated with them... Just what the hell did I get myself into?
[A Few Hours Ago...] "Hey, what''s with you? Are you that hungry to try out my wares?" I quickly shook my head when the muscled man mentioned it. I would say it was, but I still couldn''t keep my eyes away from the green crystal over his head. How in the world did a player get involved with this village anyway? And how did he know me? I never recall meeting someone like him back in ... "Oh. I''m guessing you noticed my crystal, huh? Seems like my wolf form must have hidden it then. You remember that brown [Lycan] back in the forest, right?" Now that he mentioned it, there was another back then... "No way... Are you telling me you''re that [Lycan]?!" I asked. "Yep! My name''s , in case you missed it. While I''m not going out helping the village and doing [Quests], I managed a small cafe in New York. Nice to see another player join the pack. While I see the villagers here as a family, I feel a bit lonely around here." I chuckle sheepishly. "I can see why. Still, I''m amazed you managed to take down [Viper Fangs''s] guild leader. I can''t tell you much about my relationship with him, but I know he''s on par with the top-ranking guilds in this game. You can''t exactly go up a level higher than them unless you''re cheating, which I highly doubt because of its strong anti-cheat system." "Oh, that. It''s nothing special. I''ve been a [Human] [Lycan] since the beta test." I see... Wait... The beta test?! "But that''s impossible! I heard most of your character data would be reset after the beta period was finished. Other than your appearance and some stats, there''s no way you can save them during the transition," I recalled. "Well, I can''t say too much without breaching the contract. But let''s just say I had my hand with a big event involving some guardians and dark forces that occurred during that period." Guardians and dark forces? Wait, was he talking about... "Enough about me! I want to know more about you, kid," Lawrence spoke up before he placed the tray of food on my lap. "You look like a game-savvy kind of player with a surprisingly scary ability as a strategist and yet, you seem to have an abysmal level. A bit of a contradiction about you, huh?" Huh. He looks like a goofball, but he''s perspective when it comes to people. "Yeah. No thanks to Savior and his goons." "I don''t mean to pry your private life, but what makes you say that?" I sigh. I guess I can air out a bit of my burden. "You know how most players go to the in to learn about the combat in this game, right? Well, I was trying to learn and train there until I encountered them in the game."
[A Few Months Ago...] I was catching my breath as I dropped my dagger and looked at the new window that appeared in front of me.
[LEVEL UP]
[Your [Dagger Mastery] has leveled up to 5!]
I heard daggers were supposed to be easy to use, but there''s nothing easy when it comes to grip! When Lucy said I''m clumsy with bladed weapons, I thought it was an exaggerated euphemism. Now I know she wasn''t joking after about 2 in-game hours of training! Looks like choosing daggers over swords might be a good play on my end. I should move on and level up the rest of my battle [Masteries]. "Oh! Look what we have here, boys!" I flinched just as I stepped into the magic training room. I turned around to see a familiar man with brown short hair wearing leather armor surrounded by some fishy men. They didn''t seem to be alone as I saw two players being dragged by his henchmen. "I thought I was seeing things, but I didn''t expect to see a familiar face around here," the man said. "Light blue hair and blue eyes aside, you seem to be a dead ringer to a certain wallflower I know back in college. Don''t you agree, Lucas?" Dammit! Why was this jerk playing this game?! I thought he was busy with FPS games or something?! Just when I thought I was free from his grasp in . "The name is Lowry and I don''t remember you messing around with newbies in this newcomer-friendly building, David," I demanded. "Come now, Lowry! There''s no need for hostility. In this game, I am known as , as in the savior of this fantasy realm," David bragged with a haughty tone. "Besides, you''re new around these parts, huh? I can tell judging by how clumsy you were with that dagger back there." Just when I think he has run out of ideas on harassing me... "Shut it, Savior. You have no right to insult me and I heard there''s a penalty if you hurt those players in these parts." "Huh? Is that what you think I''m doing to these newbies? Oh, you''re always a joker when it comes to these things?" Savior walked closer to me while disregarding the painful cries of the new players. "Tell you what, I have a feeling you might be worth a lot for my guild here than these weaklings. How about joining [Viper Fangs] and you can get everything you ask?" I narrowed my eyes and furrowed my brows with my glare set on Savior''s eyes. "Do you expect me to become your rag doll again?! You may beat me down outside college, but I''m not letting you trample my hopes for the game over your stupid glory!" I wish my shout was enough to drive them away. But knowing his methods in real life... "Oh... Do you think you have a say in this?" He let go of the players and suddenly, one of his goons kicked me down before Savior aimed his blade at my face while I was on the ground. As expected, he''s willing to use force despite the risks of being penalized here. Of course, he has a habit of making loopholes... "Tell you what, Lowry. I respect your decisions, so how about this? You will ally with us and I promise I won''t do any harm with these players." I clenched my jaw as I stared at the newbies. I want to help them, but... "What makes you think I''m going along with your deal?" Suddenly, Savior started to chuckle. "Well, it just happens that I met your friends a bit earlier. Back in college, I heard they might be the gay fashionista and that weird wolf otaku." Wait... Bryan and Harley?! I rapidly blink just the mere thought of them. "Y-You wouldn''t..." I muttered. "Oh? Did that hit a nerve? Don''t worry, I won''t do anything with them as long as you follow everything I say. You''re free to do everything you want afterward, but the invitation is still open if you change your mind." Savior reached out his hand to me with a mocking smile above me. "So... What do you say, partner?" If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. I growled as I continued glaring at Savior. But despite my intimidating glare, I couldn''t do anything to back it up. Once I saw the friend request, I knew I had no choice. I sighed in defeat and tapped [YES]. "Good boy. I''ll contact you if we need anything. Just leave some [Mastery] details in the PM and I''ll see what I can do for you." Savior then waved at me with a mocking smile on his face. "Welcome to , Lowry. Hahahahaha!!!" With his cackling henchmen, Savior left the , leaving me on the ground. I wish I could cry at this humiliation, but I''m also too frustrated at this point. In the end, I left the hall without finishing my training on my [Fire Mastery].
"I see." Lawrence hummed once I finished my story. "I''m sorry you had to deal with all of that on your own. I''m surprised nobody reported them. They should have made enough noise to garner attention." I sighed as I picked up a spoon and a fork and started eating some vegetables and small cuts of rabbit meat inside the soup. "In the real world, Savior has some big connections. As expected for a spoiled brat," I explained between the chews and swallows. "Besides, he must have read the rules of [PVP] and [PK] before to see if there was a way everyone would follow him without getting the attention of the town guards. Either that or they might be too buggy to pay attention to his arrogant rants." "Either way, there is no way they treat new players like yourself. I''m surprised you managed to get through his torture without being hampered by the handicap your bullies forced you to go through." Lawrence then crossed his arms. "Regardless, you will be safe here for the time being." I nodded. "It''s only because of Fenrir''s encouragement that led me to this village in the first place. I know it''s too early for me to change from my cowardice, but I''m sick of making excuses and seeing myself as a wallflower. Even if it meant fighting against Savior someday, I rather stand up than be complacent again. If only I can say the same when it comes to my financial issues." For a brief moment, I noticed the large [Lycan] player humming in thought. "Glad you made your resolve, Lowry. Though I must warn you. The first lessons are difficult, but not too stressful. But the latter portion might be too much for a supporter like you. It might be hell for you, but I promise you that all of that hard work will give you a chance to recreate your character." Probably makes sense since I''m still stuck with this debuff for a few days. Still, what did he mean by all that? "Recreate my character"? Was that even possible? Regardless, I''m grateful Lawrence gave me enough encouragement to move forward. That''s something I won''t forget as I finish my meal and restart my [Sleep Mode] once more.
I thought of that earlier. But I can''t say the same with my current job. It only took me a few hours to organize the stock and stick some price tags. Then I only got an hour manning the cashier. But by that time, I only got about 3 customers before my shift was over. Eventually, I finished at 3 PM and headed out with today''s paycheck. As usual, my boss gave me a meager pay than my usual. At this rate, he will throw me out like spoiled milk from the fridge and I can''t pay my rent and bills on time. I didn''t move to New York just to be homeless on the streets. Still, I have other issues to deal with first. "LUCAAAASSSSS!!!" Like facing my friends after the incident. I turn to see not only Bryan rushing in before grabbing my shoulders, but also Harley lagging behind him. "Are you okay?! Did David and his lackeys barge into your apartment? Do we need to call a hospital?" He shouted while shaking my body like a rag doll. "If he made one scratch on you, I''ll...!" I quickly grab his arms and stop him from shaking me further. "Hey, hey, hey! Stop it, Bryan! I''m okay!" I call out. "David hasn''t come to my apartment! Besides, you and I already knew that he has no idea that I''m not living at the college dorms." To my relief, Bryan listened to me and gingerly pushed me away from me. "Sorry, dude. It''s just that we were all full-panic mode the moment we saw your DM in Discourse, we thought you''re already dead meat. Or worse, call 911!" "Okay, I know that David is a spoiled brat who treats everyone beneath him, but I think that''s only your product of paranoia talking," Harley calmly said as he walked up to us. "Still, we''re glad to see you okay. What happened?" I let them in on everything that happened in my last dungeon raid with David and his guild. However, I deliberately left out details about the [Lycanthropes], my [Hidden Quest], and the full details of the dungeon''s true nature itself. Bryan and Harley may be my friends, but I know that the [Lycans] might not accept them, and knowing the hidden village, I can''t endanger them unless they encounter the same [Hidden Quest] that led to my induction as a [Lycan]. It sounds stupid and rude of me, but I don''t want to make enemies by breaking our promise. God, I''m going to hate myself for lying to my friends... "Yikes... Sounds like you got a lot on your plate, Luke." Bryan scratched the back of his head with his eyes widened and his face stiffened. "But I''m surprised you swallowed your pride and defy the Vipers all for a shrine in there. Not to mention you refusing to take the treasure inside." I sigh while averting my eyes from Bryan for a brief moment. "It''s true not taking the [Dungeon] treasure is a waste. But there''s a chance that our actions may affect the world itself. When I noticed the [Dungeon''s] treasure room looked like a shrine of sorts, I knew I had to stop them before they could do anything that might anger the spirits that were worshipped there." After I said this, Harley and Bryan started staring at me with their eyebrows raised. Is that enough to convince them? I seriously don''t want to tell them everything... "Honestly, your lying skills are not the worst. But not too good." I flinched once Bryan bluntly answered. "Still, if you don''t want to tell us the full story, then we won''t bother poking our noses into your privacy." I rapidly blinked my eyes. "Wait, you''re going to believe me? Just like that?" "Come on, Lucas. We''re only here to see if David did something crazy to you, not learning the truth behind it," Harley answered. "Besides, we don''t want to pry onto your privacy that might make you uncomfortable. As friends, we have to set our boundaries unless you''re ready to share them. Once you''re ready, just let us know, okay?" Bryan nods next. "Yep! We''re right by your side no matter what kind of skeletons you have in your closet!" That''s a wrong way to say that phrase, but I''m relieved that they understood my current situation. If it''s possible, I might tell them everything if they become [Lycans] in the near future. "Thanks, guys. Looks like I was paranoid for nothing." "Excuse me?" Harley asked, causing me to shake my head and hands. "Uh... Nothing..." I take a deep breath. "Still, that doesn''t mean I''m going to be safe for long." "I agree. We''ll be at the entrance tomorrow. If David wants revenge, then they have to go through us first." Bryan cracked his fists. "Just don''t get a bit too violent when confronting them, okay?" I warned. "I need to go back home. My [Sleep Mode] ends in an hour, so I can''t stay away from [Isekai] for long." "[Sleep Mode]?" Both of them asked. Okay, I should end this conversation before I say anything stupid. "Again, long story. See you tomorrow, guys." I quickly run home before they have a chance to ask again. God, I need to keep my mouth shut before I unknowingly put my foot in.
Once I was back in my apartment, I didn''t waste any time preparing some hot water for my instant ramen for dinner later and changed into my fresh home clothes. While I''m not the type to leave my apartment a mess and ignore them for [Isekai], I never had the chance to clean it between my lectures and part-time work. All I can do now is to clean the plates from yesterday and tidy up my desk and sofa. After I did my usual chores, I removed my glasses and put on my [VeilCon] while I sat down on my bed. I only have 5 minutes until the [Sleep Mode] ends, so I use the time to search for other subjects I had in mind. "[Access the Browser Room]." The [Browser Room]. Unlike the [Dive] function to access , it''s one of the initial features included in every [ADVR] console. It''s more of an internet browser in an augmented reality room generated in my [VeilCon]. With this, I can surf the internet without a physical monitor and keyboard. This was a godsend from Lucy since I couldn''t afford a new laptop or PC and my old one was already at its limits. Still, it won''t replace it when it comes to my college studies and projects. If only I have enough money for a new... Focus, Lucas. I don''t have time to focus on my studies. I already finished my essay and I can''t stress on next week''s tuition right now. I got other things to learn about as I typed into the "Boogle" search engine with the virtual keyboard.
[Isekai Online and Mind Link]
If I can recall from [ADVR''s] official articles, the [Mind Link] is a feature that manipulates the user''s mind through hypnosis and influencing their thoughts with whispering prompts and images projected from the console. It''s not only used for psychological research on mental illness and psychoanalysis but it''s also used for roleplay and metaverses to increase their immersion into it. To no one''s surprise, the feature has been met with mixed reception. Some called out for possible abuse for any ill-will users and some questioned the possibility of turning some users into addicts akin to drugs. So when Midnight Studios announced that there is a [Mind Link] support on the first VRMMO in the world, there was some backlash on their decision. But when the game was officially released, they didn''t seem to find any feature that applies to it. In their eyes, they think the [Mind Link] feature was a scrapped feature due to intense backlash. That is until I learned about the [Lycanthropes] and the connections to it. As I scrolled through the search results in the form of several windows surrounding me, I found a few articles related to the keywords. But most of them are about the reactions to the announcement while some are theories regarding the application in the game such as hidden [Masteries] and events. But none of them mentioned [Races] or rumors related to the unknown [Sub-Races]. Sure, there were mentions that it might activate in some of them such as [Beastfolk] or [Feles], but it has been debunked in all of them after some players posted some forum threads a few weeks after release. Either the players grew tired of following through those theories or the devs were able to hide the existence of [Lycans] very well. I would ask Lawrence about it, but there''s no way he can give me the answers I need. Anyway, I noticed that I only have 1 minute left until the [Sleep Mode] ends. I guess the only way to get my answers is to make some progress into my current [Hidden Quest] and prepare for my inevitable transformation into a [Lycan]. I left the [Browser Room] and lay down as I took a deep breath one more time. Time to start my training as a new [Lycan]. Time to turn my virtual life around.
[Re-logging in as . Turning off and resuming gameplay.]
Chapter 12: First Step as a Lycan As I regain consciousness, I open my eyes to see that I''m still in the wooden cottage. Unlike before, standing up isn''t as painful as before. I guess what Fenrir said about my sickness is true. As long as I don''t push myself, I might be able to improve my condition day by day until the full moon. I should be well enough to get up on my two feet and tour around the village. [Oh? Looks like you''re bright and early, kid.] I turn to see Fenrir walking towards me from the stairs. [How are you feeling?] I sigh as I stretch my limbs. "A lot better than yesterday. You were right. A full day of rest mitigates my sickness a bit. It''s not a lot to regain my full strength, but it''s enough for me to walk again." [Glad to hear, kid,] Fenrir chuckled. [No, wait. I should stop calling you "kid" now that you''re joining the pack. In these parts, you should call me "Master" and in return, I will call you "cub".] I narrow my eyes. "I don''t know if I''m comfortable for anyone to call me a cub... I''m surprised you haven''t let me call you "Alpha"." ["Alpha"? If you mean the [Alpha Lycan], then I don''t deserve that title just yet.] "...Excuse me?" I asked in confusion. [Oh, right. You''re still new to our [Lycan] culture. You will get the chance to learn more during your whole stay here. For now, I should give you a tour around the village.] I nodded with a smile. "Sounds good to me. I do need to stretch my legs after staying on your hard sofa for the whole day. No offense, Master." [Hehe... Remind me to put it in repairs later. Now come on. We''re burning daylight.]
After we left, we didn''t waste any time to start the tour. To my surprise, the village in question was nothing more than I imagined. It was a settlement filled with a few wooden cottages similar to Fenrir''s along with a few stands, store buildings, and huts to the side. It was also a bit packed since I saw several people chatting and running around. Some seemed to have wolf ears and tails and some even walked in their half-wolf form in bright daylight. When Fenrir said it''s a hidden village full of [Lycanthropes], he wasn''t kidding. As for the tour itself, I learned the facilities in the village from the village leader himself such as the general store, smithery, farm, and armory. There was a training hall similar to . According to him, it was made for new [Lycans] like me along with the future village guards. I don''t know if I can use it, but I''m sure I''ll make a mental note of that. Then, there''s a small library near the hall. It''s not as big as the one from the town, but he said there is some information and history about [Lycanthropes] left from his ancestors. So I might visit it if I have some time. Eventually, we arrived at the last destination of the village, which was a large wooden building with a silver banner of a wolf and moon symbol. [Here we are. The village hall of . This is where the village meetings will be held and this is where we end the village tour,] Fenrir declared. [So what do you think, pupil?] I hummed as I looked around the village. "It''s a lot better than I imagined. A bit claustrophobic, but it''s very cozy to stay." [Yeah, that''s one thing I''m aware of. The village might be cozy thanks to the blessing of the spirits, but it''s still vulnerable to monster attacks and we have to rely more on self-sustaining methods. That is why village guards and freelancers exist to export items and deal with the monsters.] My eyes widen in realization. "Is that the reason why you have to visit , right?" [Yeah. To tell you the truth, our only potion maker was one of the injured and I was a bit desperate to search for some potions to heal them. Of course, that is until I met you and everyone including the potion maker is recovering well.] I see. I guess even a peaceful hidden village has some issues on its own. They may be fictional characters, but I''m grateful to have some people getting me back up on my feet after everything Savior and [Viper Fangs] had done. "If it''s possible, would you let me create some potions until they''re fully recovered?" I asked. [Really?!] Fenrir responded with his jaw dropped. [You''ve done so much for us. I couldn''t...] I chucked. "Come on... If I want to stay here, then I should do more than training here." This time, it''s Fenrir''s turn to chuckle. [Alright... Alright... But after your first day of training is done, then you''ll help out the village.] "Deal." We shook hands on it, too. "So what am I exactly going to do first?" [I don''t think it''s my job to tell you your first lesson.] I raise my eyebrow. What does he mean by... [Oh! So you''re the new cub Fenrir''s been raving about!] I turn around and my jaw drops to see a muscular woman walking from the village hall. She was wearing the same leather armor Fenrir was wearing along with a yellow blouse, light blue pants, and orange sandals. [Sorry for disturbing your chat, you two. But I can''t wait to meet the newcomer to our village!] I''m still speechless to see this tall woman standing in front of us as Fenrir nods to her. [This is . She''s one of the instructors for the village guards. For the first phase, she will be your first instructor in the world of [Lycanthropes].] My eye twitched once I heard those words. Why do I have a feeling she''s going to break my back during my training? [Hey, don''t look so worried, cub. I may look intimidating, but I promise that I won''t let you overwork in your current condition. Besides, you have a lot to learn as a [Lycan] and I''ll make sure you''re fully prepared for that day.] I''m still worried, but I''m glad to hear that from her. [Looks like this is my cue to take care of other important duties. Are you sure you''ll be okay on your own, Lowry?] I''m a bit unsure, but I can''t do anything if I can''t take the first step. "Yeah. I''ll promise I won''t overwork myself as well." Fenrir smiled and nodded to me. [Good. Capita, I''ll leave him to you.] Capita bowed to the village leader. [I won''t let you down, leader.] Fenrir walked away, leaving me alone with my first instructor. I turn to Capita next. "So... What should I learn first?" Capita smirked. [Huh? Up on the uptake, huh? Well, the first thing I should teach you is the basics.]
A few minutes later, we walked into the building near the village training hall. It was an open space that looked similar to a dojo or a dancing studio. However, the interior only consists of a wooden wall and floor along with an open window blowing through the room and a small shrine of a wooden wolf statue on the right side of it. [In the past, [Lycanthropes] emerged from the eyes of the public during the ,] Capita narrated as she walked to the shrine. [They were originally part of the byproducts from the gods'' wrath, symbols that represent their gross actions that everyone sees as the beasts they accused to others. Eventually, they fell into their bestial instincts and disappeared from the eyes of the public once they had the means to fight back. But years after the era ended, some regained their humanity and began to regret their ancestor''s actions, truly seeing the deeds within their hearts from the wolves that grew to hunt and satisfy their ravenous hunger and greed. They vowed to never return to the civilization as an atonement and began living in secrecy.] A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The ... So there are some connections with the [Lycans] and the [Prologue Lore] itself. [Over time, the spirits of the beasts and the God of Darkness saw their actions and gave the ones living in peace true respite. We were given the blessing to control our powers and one by one, we returned to civilization and revealed our forms to the most trusted people we knew. That''s how the villages of [Lycanthropes] were born and that''s how we were treated as equals to the eyes of Nox and the spirits.] Capita kneeled down and clapped her hands together to pray at the shrine. I guess I understand how [Lycans] came to be in this world and lore-wise, that might explain why I haven''t found any [Lycans] out of the open lately. "Okay, I need to recap everything I learned," I said out loud. "The [Lycans] were created from some of the people who instigated the , correct? And they lost their humanity afterward, is that right?" [Yes. While most [Lycans] slowly regained their humanity enough to create their villages, some didn''t and because of its curse-like condition, it caused them to bite some people and took others¡¯ lives with it, leaving some new [Lycans] unaccounted for,] Capita answered. [Of course, that would be the same case as today. Most who have never been marked by a blessed [Lycan] tend to lose control and attack any unsuspecting villager or traveler during the full moon. In some cases, they grew aware of their new power, but they preferred to abuse them out of greed just like the first [Lycans] who hurt others through their crimes in the war. We call those people [Rogue Lycanthropes].] I see. Looks like there are some [Lycans] that act as the stereotypical werewolf of the old cinema. [But worry not, cub. It is my job to ensure you have some control over your [Lycan] abilities and I promise to clear up any misunderstandings about our people.] I understand how she feels. Looks like I got my work cut out for me. "I appreciate that. And I''m also aware that this whole thing should be a secret, correct? Then I''ll promise I won''t tell a soul about them." I bowed to Capita. "Except with a few people when the time comes, I will make sure no ill will people will know about [Lycans] or the hidden villages." This is not just a vow I made in-universe. If what Capita said about [Rogue Lycans] were true, then there''s a chance chaos will occur around to both players and NPCs. With the added risk of its associated [Mink Link] function, I''m not letting this out in public until I learn more about this [Sub-Race]. [I''m relieved to hear that, young cub. That saves my breath on warning you of the penalties that come with breaking the [Vow of the Lycanthropes].] Yeah, I rather don''t want to know... [But still, "people you knew". I''m a bit concerned about your wording.] "Well, there''s a chance I might slip up and I don''t like lying to my friends," I admitted. "However, I do know that they respect my privacy, and if they also discover the existence of [Lycans] by themselves, I will see to it to take responsibility for their induction into the fold." Honestly, I didn''t want to admit this in character. But knowing me turning into a werewolf-like [Sub-Race], there''s a high chance I will never hear of Lyco going into werewolf fanboy mode during the full moon. [If you say they are trustworthy, then I''ll take your word for it. However, they are still strangers to us, so don''t get your hopes up once we meet them.] I sigh in relief. I knew they were still cautious about them, but it''s better than nothing. [Enough talk. It''s time for lesson #2: Mental control.] "Mental control?" I repeated while my eyebrow furrowed. "As in controlling our wolf instincts so we won''t go on a rampage?" Capita nodded. [You''re partially correct. In the past, many people saw them as heartless monsters and the [Lycans] themselves agreed with their sentiment. But as time passed, they learned they were more than a curse. As they tried to understand their newfound bestial side, they learned their transformations were not limited to the full moon and they mastered them to use them both in their daily lives and journeys as adventurers and mercenaries. Eventually, we also learned that we can help any marked newcomers to control their new abilities before their first transformation. It''s what we call a [Mental Imprint].] "[Mental...Imprint]..." I scratched the back of my head and frowned. "I don''t follow." [Well, it would be easier to learn through experience than words.] Capita sat down on the wooden floor as she crossed her legs. [Sit down and follow my instructions carefully.] I tilted my head as I sat down in front of my instructor. [Now close your eyes and clear your thoughts.] I flinched at the next step. I get this is not the physical part of my training, but I feel like this is more of a yoga session than [Lycan] training to me. [What''s the matter, young cub? We can''t start the training until you follow the second step.] I mentally shrug at this strange exercise. Beggars can''t be choosers, I guess. At least this doesn''t give me an excuse to overwork myself in my current state. [Now, as you clear out any unnecessary thoughts, let your mind wander in the black space as you take a few deep breaths. Cancel out the noises around you and focus only on your well-being.] That reminds me of those breathing sessions Harley participated in during his yoga classes. Well, it is the first lesson, so I should go along with it. [Now, take a few deep breaths. Do not breathe in with your lungs. Focus only on your stomach and breathe out through your mouth.] I followed the next step, never thinking about everything else but my breathing. As I breathe in the air, I feel like I''m loosening up the tension in my shoulders as I breathe out. In fact, it feels...kinda nice. [After that, keep your mind empty and keep everything to yourself in the dark void in your mind. Open your mind as you make a steady pace of your breathing.] Yeah... Just let everything else out and keep myself in the void... Just let it...go... Let it... Grrrr... Let... GRRRRR... Le... AWWWWWWOOOO!!!! "AGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!" My eyes snapped open and my breathing began to hasten as I felt like my heart was about to give out. I...saw something... I definitely saw something in my head just now! [Calm down, Lowry! Take a few deep breaths!] Capita quickly rushes to my side. [Just slow down your breathing.]
[WARNING]
[Your pulse starts to increase. Please take a few deep breaths or you will be forced to be put on [Sleep Mode] or log out.]
Crap... It seems like my [VeilCon] just got a false alarm from my shock. I guess I should take Capita''s advice before the game follows through with its warning. "I-I''m okay, Master Capita..." I answered. "I just lost my cool over what I saw. Or rather, what I heard..." [Is it a wolf''s howl?] I nodded. "Y-Yeah. Is that normal?" [I can''t say that. But if what you''re saying is true, then it seems like your [Lycanthropy] has already materialized within your heart. It''s normal for them to be a bit...aggressive to their hosts. However, letting them roam around in your mind might not help you in the long run. That''s why the [Mental Imprint] is very important if you want to gain a bit of control of your abilities as a [Lycan].] I think I understand what she''s trying to say. Whatever''s in my head just appeared after my bite and I feel like it''s not going to be easy taming it. I guess that explains the meditation lesson. "Yeah, I seriously don''t want to go crazy back in because of the wolf in my head. I just need to continue with the meditation, right?" Capita nodded. [Yes. But you need to remember to not overdo it. Your sanity can only take up so much and there is no chance you might able to endure it in a long period without rest.] Noted. I''ll keep that in mind. "So any tips on the [Mental Imprint] process? You know, so I won''t get a bit overboard with it." [Just stay calm and do not overthink. The wolf inside you is linked with your emotions. If you get agitated, then you may lose yourself to your bestial instincts too early. Try to do the meditation I taught you every day and you will complete the process before the full moon. Which is why your first task is to complete the [Mental Imprint]. If you do, then you can move to the next phase of your training.] Makes sense. Besides, my panic almost set off an alarm in my [VeilCon]. So I may need to do more than meditating in the game. "Is there anything else I should know?" I asked. [Don''t go out of the village or do physical labor. You may be in the first phase of your training, but I won''t tolerate anyone who would dare try to be reckless in their training. Your sickness will know of that as well, so be careful~] I chuckled sheepishly as I noticed her uncanny smile. Yeah, this exercise might be a bit tougher to finish than I thought¡­
[14 days until the full moon]
Chapter 13: Back to College I yawned out loud as I looked at the blue sky above me. Last night was a real drag, yet I learned a lot from my first training. I haven''t gone far on my first day, though. I''m not the meditating type like Harley, so it may take a few days to complete the [Mental Imprint]. If the time conversion from [Isekai] to the current timezone is correct, it will take about a week until the full moon. So that means I have to finish the training by the end of it. Which means I have to balance out between work and play. Oh, to be an English major... "Lucas!" As soon as I arrive at the entrance, I see Harley and Bryan waiting inside with the latter waving at me with a big smile. Dorkiness aside, I''m glad they keep their promise to keep an eye out for David and his cronies. So far, I haven''t seen them lately. But I should keep my guard up in case they appear again when we at least expect it.
A few hours of lectures later, we meet up at the cafeteria for lunch. Again, no signs of David... I''m glad I got through a school day unscathed. Still, they should be around here by now. While I did unintentionally humiliate him, that''s no excuse to skip some lectures. Then again, that might be my paranoia talking. "Man, this week is going to suck. I just know it." My thoughts broke once I heard Bryan''s complaints. Well, no point in looming over the dreaded, I guess. "Hey, you''re in the same major as me, Bryan. If you keep complaining, you won''t get the chance to become a best-selling werewolf novel author," I said while eating some French fries. "Geez, do you have to go into specifics, Luke? Besides, some popular authors like Wayne Enigma tend to drop out to take up writing." "But there are some who graduated from college. Seriously, just man up and survive, Kessler. You''ll get through this with no problem." I hear a grumble from Bryan. "Says the guy who went to college for no reason..." And that''s my cue to change the subject before I give in to my urge to smack his head. "Speaking of majors, how''s your Fashion Major, Harley?" Harley shrugged his shoulders. "So and so. Between the commissions in [Isekai] and some group projects, everything''s going decent, I guess. I would go down the route of reality shows to make a name for myself. But I rather go old-fashioned than take the risk of being edited as a villain. Besides, I want to start from zero just like you with writing." "What a shame. I''m sure one of Dad''s sponsors would have scouted you for an upcoming fashion design reality show by now." My eyes widen. Dammit, of all times he had to appear, it would be lunchtime! I didn''t have enough time to notice his presence as a man suddenly grabbed my collar and pushed me down on the ground. When I look up, I see a familiar sneering man with brown medium slick-back hair wearing a vest and light blue shirt. "Lucas!" I can my friends rushing to my aid. But I turned to see a few more men blocking their path just as the leader I knew approached me. "Do you really think you would get away just because we can''t find you in ?" I scoffed. "G-Good afternoon to you, too, David," I grunted. "Seriously, this is not the right time to turn me into a rag doll." But he quickly responds by stepping on my head with his brown loafers. "Stop being so ignorant, you traitor! Thanks to your little stunt, we lost most of our equipment and we can''t log back into the game until tomorrow! You owe us some explanation while paying us back tenfold for your unforgivable actions!" "Unforgivable?!" Harley shouted in pure shock. "Hey! If this is because of the antics you''re pulling him in, then there''s no way he''s responsi-" "Shut it, Kessler!" David turns back to me again. "I''m giving you one last chance to make up for your stupidity..." Terrific... Just when I think he learned his lesson after Fenrir and Lawrence penalized them... That''s enough for me to grab his leg and remove it from my head before I mutter some strength to stand up once more. "My stupidity?! I should say the same to you, David!" I shouted. "If you hadn''t worked those newbies like slaves and let them level up before rushing into the dungeon, none of this would have happened. No, scratch that. If you haven''t thought about the potential consequences that would happen in the game world in exchange for riches, the chances of a powerful raid or worse could have come! Being powerful is nice, but at least think of the other players before doing that shit!" After that, I noticed the whole cafeteria grew silent. David''s goons seem to have their jaws dropped while Bryan and Harley stare at me with their eyes widened. "H-How dare you shout at me?! Do you know who the hell are you talking to?! I am David Lawson, son of the famous CEO, the heir of..." "Nobody cares!" I turn in the other direction and grab my friends'' arms. "I will entertain your ramblings a bit longer. But if you dare lay your hands on my friends, then you will pay more dearly than that failed dungeon run." I started to walk away, but I stopped again. "As for our agreement in [Isekai], consider it null and void. Destroy my stand or ruin my reputation all you like, but do not meet me or my friends in again." With that, I have cut ties with my bully as I drag my friends out of the cafeteria (but not before grabbing our food from our tables). I have a feeling they won''t follow through with my warnings, but what''s done is done. "Dude, since when do you have a backbone? That was freakin'' awesome!" Bryan commented. "Yeah. I never seen you standing up against David both here and [Isekai] until now," Harley added. "What''s with you all of the sudden?" Crap... Right, I almost forgot they heard everything including the whole student body. "Let''s just say that incident he mentioned was enough to open my eyes and get away from that bastard." "But what about those things you said? The next time you log back in and appear in , they might follow through with your suggestions." Harley has a point there, but it doesn''t matter to me now. "Don''t worry. I didn''t tell you guys beforehand, but I won''t be appearing in for a while. It''s part of the private stuff I''m doing right now, but I have somewhere else to be until then. That would also mean I won''t see you guys again outside of DMs, RL meetings, and Discourse. Sorry if I have to disappear without any warning." With the ban on heading outside the village still enacted and the potential threat during my first transformation, I can''t risk myself going back again for the sake of the players and NPCs in . "Again, we won''t pry on your privacy, Luke. Besides, you disappearing from town might be a good move if you want to avoid David''s goons for a while." "But are you sure you''re going to be okay? Potions aside, you might run out of [SP] if you''re away for too long." Harley has a point. Even if you can''t go hungry in the game, you still need to eat to manage your [SP] and avoid debuffs related to hunger. But that''s not an issue for me even if I didn''t tell him about it. "Yeah, I''m fine. All I''m asking in return is to make sure those Viper jerks don''t do anything crazy in . Worst case scenario, they might make a smear campaign over some dumb scandal I might get canceled on social media." "Gotcha. We''ll make sure they won''t get their cancel culture against you, Luke!" Bryan flashes a thumbs-up with a grin while Harley smiles while nodding.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "Just be safe in-game, okay?" I nod back at them. "I promised. Now come on, let''s finish our lunch and salvage what''s left of our school day." "Though not to be David here, but I doubt I call those French fries "lunch", Lucas." I glare at Bryan. "Give me a break! I''m already having trouble balancing my budget with rent and lunch, you know!" If only I could say the same with everything else when it comes to my personal needs and [Lapi] in the game. Oh, speaking of which... "Hey, Harley. Can I ask a favor from you?" "Hmmm? What is it?" I''m trying not to let my face turn red from embarrassment, but I have to make this request if I don''t want to regret it later. "...Do you have room for your next yoga session?" As expected, Harley raises his eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
[At the same time in ...] [Oh! You''re here, early, Lawrence.] I nod my head as I approach Fenrir. "Good afternoon, leader. It seems like the smile on your face means it''s good news, correct?" [Yep. The cub''s potions worked like a charm. He actually made a few more before he went to bed back at my cottage. Most of the injured have already recovered including the potion maker and let''s just say she''s beyond impressed by his potions. Well, with a few criticisms, of course.] I chuckle at the last sentence. "Same old . Even if she''s impressed, she does not lighten up her brutal honesty. But I''m still surprised that boy managed to impress the grouchiest old lady in the village. He really is a prodigy in disguise." [He might be lacking in combat experience, but he does have a frightening potential when it comes to strategic planning and perception. If he can properly polish those talents, he might become a powerful adventurer that might be on par with the [Alpha Lycans] and those Royal Knights from the kingdom of light nearby.] "Agreed. If those adventurers in the guild Lowry mentioned didn''t treat him as a slave rather than a student, then he would become a famous strategist and a leader of his own guild." It isn''t an exaggeration. Just talking to that kid makes me wonder if he could become a star newbie if it wasn''t for those players. But that''s the thing about the online game space. Most players are genuinely friendly while some use newbies as punching bags to amuse themselves. I wish I could have met him under different circumstances, but there''s no use crying over a missed spoiled milk. [I agree. Heck, it might give those two adventurers a run of their [Lapi]. I heard from the spirits'' associate that they recently saved his home from a corrupted force. I wonder how well he could deal with it alone. He dealt a finishing blow on that evil spirit before we could call on the exorcists.] I shrugged. "Who knows? But switching subjects, how do you feel about training an [Insignis] [Lycan]? I did recall there are not a lot of [Insignis] despite our friendly ties with them." [Right. I did recall you had an [Insignis] mage as a leader of the party you were in. Was he part of those higher ranks right now?] "Yeah. He said he''s now a Sage, but that''s all he''s telling me." I wish I knew more about what happened after the beta test, but I don''t want to betray my brother''s promise of privacy and I don''t want Earth to grill me on classified information. [Right, a belated congratulations to your friend. As for the cub, it is rare for an [Insignis] adventurer to be marked than born with [Lycanthropy]. I''m curious how will this boy change the status quo of both the [Lycanthropes] and the [Insignis] race.] That''s true. Ever since the beta test, not many players managed to unlock the [Lycan] sub-race, especially during the official release. So far before Lowry got involved, I was the only [Lycan] in the beta test due to a special invitation from my brother from IceChip, and two more got in due to a few [Hidden Quests] that Fenrir hasn''t confided in yet. And with [Insignis] being the least popular [Race] in the game, the chances of one is slim to none. I shrugged. "Who knows? But all I can say is that if he has the right people by his side, maybe he can become a role model not just to the [Lycans], but to the people who are having trouble opening themselves to others. Many people hide their true selves in a mask for several reasons, but if they have the courage to remove them, then the world would change for the better. But that''s just a pipe dream. All we can do is to hope for the future generations ahead and see if they can do better to defy the status quo of the current era." Still, it can all change with the next full moon and it''s up to Lowry''s decisions whether to break the misconceptions of [Lycans] or to defy the status quo of the world. Regardless, it would be interesting now that another [Insignis] will end up being important to the whole lore and the game''s history itself. [By the way, Lawrence...] "Hm?" [You said you were busy with something beyond your adventures. Something about food, but we already have some chefs recovered to serve some villagers.] Oh, crap! He''s right! "Dammit! Thanks for the big reminder, Fen. I should head back immediately. Tell Capita and the others I said hi!" I quickly rush back to my cottage to log out of the game. I like playing [Isekai] in my spare time. But with only two of us in the cafe right now, I doubt I can get more time in the game. I think it''s time I put out some hiring posters online. I''m already one person and I can''t deal with the stress of multitasking!
Grrrrr...
[You sensed a foreign presence in your mind.]
I can hear you. Grrrrooowlll... I sense some hostility to me. It looks like it''s still wary of me. Makes sense since this is my fourth time meditating. GRAWR!
[The foreign presence isn''t amused by your response.]
Dammit! Do I look like I''m armed in here?! Come on, just give me a chance here... GRAWWWWWRRRRRR!!!! Ack!
[You have snapped awake from your meditative trance.]
I quickly snapped my eyes open and caught my breath while sitting in a guest room Fenrir provided for me. I guess calling out to my inner beast won''t work either. I wish I could get more advice from Capita. But all she said to me was to stay calm and don''t resist my wolf side. But how can I if it''s still growling at me like I''m their next meal?! Geez, not even my pet family dog is not that hostile on our first meeting and I''m usually the one who was hesitant to pet him! I take a deep breath again. Maybe logging back into the game after lectures is a bad idea. Since Fenrir is still busy and my sickness is still debuffing most of my stats, I guess I can do nothing but set my [Sleep Mode] to 3 hours and head to bed. If I keep stressing about it, then it''s bye-bye high GPA. With that, I closed my eyes and let the [Sleep Mode] commence once more. ----- As soon as I was back in the real world, I yawned and stretched my arms. Since I don''t have any part-time work today due to college, the only problems I have right now are my studies and a few projects that I have to submit in a month. Normally, it would be a pain in the neck. But thanks to [ADVR], I managed to mitigate them with a few research apps and a word processor with a special feature similar to the [Browser Room]. And with [Sleep Mode] still active for 2 more hours, I can focus on them while recovering my character''s health little by little in [Isekai]. Thankfully, it can occur while my [VeilCon] is turned off. But I have a small penalty if I''m 30 minutes late after it''s turned off. So it''s a small risk to get back on my feet a bit early. However, I still need to focus on my training. If I slack off, then suffice to say, I will lose my momentum and my inevitable transformation will hurt as hell. I don''t want to slack off with my WIP guides for the blog, but I have to focus on a few things without overexerting myself. Otherwise, I will get an earful from Lucy and my friends. I hope those yoga sessions with Harley will give me a few more pointers beyond the ones Capita taught me. That and I need some much-needed relaxation from everything. Either way, it''s going to be a long week ahead of me and I''m not gonna waste any second of it. Still, no matter how much I try to focus on my studies, I tend to go back to my frustrations over my failed [Mental Imprint] attempts. Looking back, the inner wolf doesn''t seem happy to see me. I tried not to deny or ignore its presence. But the beast kept kicking me out even when I started not having a freak out over its howls! I must be missing something here. I can''t just tame it with some sweet words or something! But I guess you can''t be friends overnight. Capita did say most [Mental Imprints] are different from many [Lycans] and I''m no exception. At this point, I''m at a crossroads, and if I don''t finish this task before the in-game week is over, then hello, transformation complications (and Capita''s punishment). Anyway, I''m wasting time again, and rushing through it isn''t helping me both in [Isekai] and college. Might as well hit the books for now before bedtime. I wonder if Harley will come back on that yoga session thing¡­
[13 days until the full moon...]
Chapter 14: Inner Wolf It was a dead of night and I felt trapped in my bed. I couldn''t move my body, I tried to shock myself awake... But I couldn''t escape... All I could hear was growling. A shadow snarling as it approached me with saliva coming down on my shirt. I couldn''t do anything else... But to scream as it came down to bite me...
"ARGH!!! DAMMIT!!!!" I snap my eyes open and gasping for air. After a few seconds of breathing, I notice that I''m still in my bedroom not wearing my glasses or my [VeilCon]. So I have that nightmare for the third night in a row and it''s all because of those failed [Mental Imprint] attempts... I get that isn''t intended to be a horror game. But I feel like my failures are one. I tried everything to calm my inner wolf down. I tried not resisting or ignoring it''s presence. I tried befriending it, treating it like one of my family pet dogs... But for some reason, it still doesn''t accept me. Just how... PING! PING! Crap! I almost had a heart attack there! Thank god it''s not a ringing tone or I have a few words to the caller. Checking through my phone, I only got the notifications from my recently installed [Isekai Connections] app and a Discourse notif from Harley. I guess he''s already heading out for our yoga session. I should follow his lead and get ready immediately. It''s my second day there and I can''t stay here thinking about the game and my nightmare right now! Maybe with more sessions, I can succeed on my next attempt.
Ugh... Why did I spoke too soon? I felt nothing from that yoga session. I''m lying on my brown yoga mat right now as everyone else left and out of everyone in class, I''m completely exhausted from those complicated poses. How the hell did Harley manage to survive doing them?! "Are you still alive there, Luke?" Speak of the devil... I stand up and turn to my calm, yet snarky friend. "Barely... I almost died from that Warrior pose if it wasn''t for your tips. Thanks again." "No problem, but..." I notice his eyes glaring straight right through mine. "Why are you going through this so suddenly? Unless it''s for calming your nerves for the upcoming exams next two weeks, I suggest you should be honest and tell me your reasons." Yeah, I knew he''s too smart for me to evade his questions anyway. "Well, I have to ask. How do you tame your inner beast, Harley?" "...Excuse me?" Okay, gonna rephrase that. "I mean how do tame something that doesn''t seem to accept you no matter what? I tried not to resist it, befriending, or treating it like a pet. But those methods didn''t work no matter how hard I try. Just what am I missing here?" I may use too many vague words due to my secrecy, but I hope he gets what I''m trying to say here. "Uh... You may need a little more context for that." Yeah, I used too much. "But I might have an inkling of it. Maybe you''re trying too hard on it." I raise my eyebrow at his answer. I doubt I tried too hard on my [Mental Imprint] attempts... "I have to ask. If whatever you mentioned is a living being, then have you consider it''s feelings first?" Huh? It''s feelings? "Most of us have different personalities along with likes and dislikes. It might the same with the "thing" you''ve mentioned. Maybe you should try to understand what they want before you can those methods to tame it." I...never consider that option. I know most NPCs and monsters are powered by [Gaia Live''s] AI, but to think I never try to treat them like real living beings... Is that even possible? "I don''t know, Harley. It sounds like chaos waiting to happen." Harley sighs. "I understand how you feel about my advice, Luke. But it never hurts to try. Who knows? Maybe it just wants to be more than your "pet"." More than...my "pet"... Now that I think about it, Capita said something similar... [Just stay calm and do not overthink. The wolf inside you is linked with your emotions.] It''s linked with my emotions... The [VeilCon] tends to scan my brainwaves while I''m playing [Isekai]. If what Harley said is correct, then it might have something to do with myself. Maybe I''m not as accepting that I thought I was. "Yeah, I agree with you, Harley. Thanks for that advice! I now know what to do next." Harley smiles while I got up from the yoga mat. "Well, I still don''t want to bother you with whatever you''re doing in [Isekai]. But you should keep attending some yoga classes. It will do more than helping you in the game if you know what I mean." He''s got a point. Like he said, the exams before Thanksgiving is coming and I need to keep an eye on my mental wellbeing while cramming through my studies. At least the classes are free. "Now come on, we should freshen up if we don''t want to late to our assigned lectures." Good idea. As much as I want to focus on , college comes first before everything else. This is going to be a long day before my next login.
[Oh, hey there, Mr. Cub!] [Good morning, young cub! I hope you have a good day.] [Nice to see you, cub!] [Hey, Mr. Cub! Wanna play with us?] I smiled at everyone as I make my way back to the village''s training grounds. Ever since I started living here thanks to Fenrir, I begun to connect with every villager here to the point of memorizing their names. While it''s a bit weird seeing every NPC here like old friends, they were much friendly than the ones I met back in . It would be a shame if I leave them unannounced after the full moon. But that''s up to debate. [Hey, hey!] I stop walking to see some [Lycan] kids running up to me with their fangs bare from their grins. [Could you show us your magic tricks again?] One of them asked. [I really like how you made fire out of thin air!] I chuckle awkwardly at his request. Fenrir did say not all of the [Lycans] here are skilled magicians and none of them can use magic properly. So seeing me casting [Fire Ball] blew their minds away. At least until one of their parents chastised me for almost burning one of the huts and cottages. Yeah, that one was my bad. "I wish I could, but I have an appointment with my current master at the training grounds. But I''ll make up for it once I''m done with my training. Maybe a fireworks show?" [What are fireworks?] I chuckle again. "It''s another way to show my magic. But let''s do that with your parents'' permission next time. I don''t want to get in trouble again." [True... Well, good luck on your training, mister!] Glad they can understand. I really need to start learning new magic once I''m done with the current [Hidden Quest]. For now, it''s time to finish where I started.
As I arrived back at the dojo, I see Capita inside, who is somehow practicing punching at a punching bag until she turns around to see me. [Oh, little cub. How''s your [Mental Imprint]? It seems like you''re having trouble by the looks of it.]Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. I nod. "You can say that. But I might have a breakthrough this time. Would you let me meditate here for the time being? I heard Fenrir is going to have a drinking party with his men to celebrate the villagers'' recovery. He invited me because I was the one who made the potions, but I''m not much of a drinker." Capita chuckles and said, [You can say that. Honestly, I''m very concerned when it comes to his drinking habits. I get he''s not fazed with too much alcohol, but I still can''t believe that wolf...] I quickly coughed before she goes on. I wish I can hear more about Fenrir''s personal life, but I doubt I have enough time for it. [Right, sorry about that. Just take a seat and don''t forget what I taught you.] I nod before I prepare for another [Mental Imprint]. This time, I know what to do and I know how to approach my inner wolf. I start to meditate as usual. Clearing my head, airing out outside noises... It isn''t until I see a familiar window as I slip into the world of my mind.
[You are falling unconscious...]
Grrrr...
[You sensed a foreign presence in your mind.]
Here we go again. As always, it''s not very happy to see me. GRAWR! I briefly flinch at it''s bark. But I take a deep breath. I''m not going to ignore you. Nor resist you. GROWR!!! I get you''re pissed at me. You''re pissed because I have no clue what I''m doing. GRAWWRRR!!! It''s my first time stepping forward instead of back. I have to grow a back bone to get pass through my insecurities. But in reality, I feel like I''m not ready. GRAWWWRRRR!!! I was wrong to treat you like a pet. But that''s only because I''m unsure how to approach you. GRAWWWRRRRR!!!! To be honest, I''m scared at my transformation. How I might change into something I''m not ready to experience. I know I won''t control your rampage, but I want to escape my weak self. I want to become stronger. GRAWWWWWWRRRRRRR!!!! And I need you to be by my side. ...Grrr? You want to follow my footsteps, right? You want to stand by my side not as a pet, right? Grawr! Now I get what Harley and Capita are talking about. I shouldn''t be treating you like a pet. Instead, you are more of a partner to me. And with you helping me in my future adventures, we might able to explore the unknown together. Grrr...
[The presence is conflicted by your offer.]
I get you''re unsure, but I''m in a same boat as you. I''m only asking if you''re willing to take the same risks as me. Can I count on you, my inner wolf? Grrrrr.... ... ARF!
[The presence happily accepts your offer.]
Then it''s official. I reach out and gingerly grab his white paw. I''m happy to be your partner, wolf me.
[You have successfully tame your [Inner Wolf].]
I let out a sigh as I open my eyes. Unlike before, my mind is eerily calm compared to my brief freak-outs after my meditations. In fact, the uneasiness after the imprint disappears as I take a deep breath. I guess the beast within finally calmed down and that means I have to keep my promise. Now that I know the true nature of my [Lycanthropy], I have a long road ahead of me. [Well, I can''t believe my eyes.] I turned to Capita once I heard her voice. [Looks like you haven''t gasped and scream after your meditation. Does that mean you did it?] I nod with a smile. "Yeah. It was tough at first, but once I learned more about my [Inner Wolf], I managed to get through after a few tries. It''s only when I realize I have to treat them as an equal that made me realize that they are more than curses. In the right mindset, they are partners to us. Friends and allies that can rely along the way." Capita chuckles. [Looks like you finally cracked the code. In the past, the [Lycans] were created based on the ancestors'' corrupted hearts. They were made as a karmic retribution for their part of instigating the . But once the ended along with their original purpose, the next few generations spent years understanding their abilities. It was there that they realized that the curse that was left by their ancestors were more than karma. By learning to communicate their [Inner Wolves], they gained control of their newfound abilities and eventually, they began to treat them as partners and allies. That''s the secret behind the true [Lycanthropes].] I see. I heard of many variations of werewolves from Bryan, but never like this. Some fictions treat Lycanthropy as a virus or a curse while the rest treat them as hereditary trait. This is a surprising twist coming from Wayne Enigma himself. It makes me wonder why it was kept secret to the public. Speaking of which... "If all it takes is to tame your [Inner Wolves] through communication and trust, then why didn''t you reveal this to the other [Lycans]?" [Good question, cub. While there are some good rogue [Lycans] who were marked by accident and wanted to live a normal life as [Humans], [Elves], or [Insignis], there are some who were willing to take advantage of their newfound wolf forms to gain power and take down the weak. If they learned about their [Inner Wolves], then I can''t imagine the mental stamina they can endure if they think they can tame their beasts through force and domination.] That''s true. Plus, with this [Sub-Race] connected to the [Mind Link] feature, who knows what negative effects the player will have if they try to control their [Inner Wolves] through incorrect methods. "I understand. I''m not gonna be like those people. If I do, I''m no better than Savior," I concluded. "Thanks for letting me know in advance, Master." Capita nodded. [Glad you''re the understanding prodigy. Some of the young [Lycan] trainees should follow your example.] I nod back with a smile. I hope what she said is true. Besides, I already seen a familiar ping right now.
[NOTICE]
[You have progressed through your [Hidden Quest].]
When that appears, that means a new task awaits. Which means it''s time to move on to the next step. [Well then... I guess it''s time for you to move to the next phase of our training. Normally, one of the fighters should be taking you in for physical training, but since you only need one more day until your sickness is cured and that man is still reveling in Fen''s drinking party...] I chuckle and said, "Yeah, it will take a while for them to get out. You said so." Capita also chuckled. [True. I may need to ask the potion maker to deal with his unhealthy habits sometimes.] She then hummed in thought. [Well, I know it''s very early for you, but I want to teach you a little trick. Sit down.] I raise my eyebrow as I follow her instructions. I wonder what is she going to teach me next. [Now that you successfully tamed your [Inner Wolf], you can communicate with them in your unconscious or meditative state. However, [Mental Imprints] can do more than taming then. If you used it again, you can enter a special state that only [Lycans] can do in their normal forms.] "A special state? Like an out-of-body experience?" [Not exactly. While our bestial instincts can be a bit detrimental sometimes, they can become our greatest asset. That''s why by performing [Mental Imprint], you can perceive your surroundings like a wolf and use it''s behavior to plan your next move. This would normally occur a few days nearer to the full moon. But if you keep your heart calm and connect to your beast, you will achieve this state without fully succumbing to your instincts. This is what I call the [Bestial State].] The [Bestial State]... Now that''s something new and the state sounds a bit familiar. "[Bestial State]... Is that similar to the [Beastfolk''s] [Primal State]?" I asked. [Sort of, yes. But unlike them, we were originally [Humans] or other races, so we couldn''t naturally achieve this state even through hereditary means. That''s because the [Beastfolk] were actually a race descended by the beasts one of the gods raised. So we don''t have the privilege of learning through their ancestors. But with [Bestial State], we might able to achieve similar results. It''s not perfect, but it''s enough to understand our bestial selves a bit better.] Ah, I see. There are a lot of [Racial Skills] I learned thanks to Capita and I feel like that''s a portion of what I understand about [Lycans]. I guess the only thing I can do is to keep learning and continue my training under their tutelage. "I see. Then will you teach me how to achieve it on my own? I have a promise to keep after all." "Of course. Now close your eyes and let us start." I nod and follow her instructions. I guess the rest of the in-game day would be mastering this [Bestial State]. I hope I have enough time to catch up on my studies¡­
[10 days until the full moon]
Chapter 15: Physical Training I yawned loudly while stretching my arms. Damn, if everyone said "Mondays were the worst", try Thursdays. With college exams approaching, I haven''t had time to rest between work and studies. And with the looming dread of my part-time job, I feel like I''m going to scream out of insanity. Thank god lets me sleep in-game, which doubles thanks to the different flow of time inside. Still, there''s a lot to unpack, I wonder if I can try fulfilling Bryce''s promise to edit the next chapter... "Yo!" Speak of the devil, I turned just as I stood up to see him. "Hey... Not a good time to meet up." "True. But David''s lackeys are still roaming around, especially when he''s currently the student president around these parts." A president and a guild leader. Nice way to remind me of his position, Bryce! "By the way, Harley just DMed. Seems like the Vipers were hell-bent on harassing some merchants you interacted with. I even heard they tried to vandalize those wooden vending machines that were all the rage, but they quickly ran when a hunter angrily chased them." I groaned. "That guy won''t let that incident go, huh?" Thank god, I had to disappear into the hidden village. "And the guild themselves?" "Still up to their old tricks. I heard one of your online friends replaced your position as navigator." My eyes widen at that news. "Did you get their in-game name?" "Yeah, but I don''t think you really want to know." I shook my head and frowned. "You don''t have to. I have an inkling of an idea who." I wasn''t close to them compared to Bryan and Harley, but we bonded over our favorite games and fanfics during our middle school days. Last I heard, he was attending the same college as us, only in a different bachelor and major. I wished it wasn''t him. But since David also knew him back then, I have a bad feeling it might be him. But I know I don''t have to spend all day worrying about him. Even hearing Brycen signing doesn''t help my concerns ease up. "Well, if something comes up, I''ll let you know. It would be easy if we get his Discourse deets, but you know him..." Brycen sighed. "Yeah, I won''t push you to do the impossible. If I run into him, I''ll see if I can talk to him." "Good idea. Well, I''ll see what I can do with the rest of the chapters. We should probably delay the releases just in case." I groaned. This guy... "Just don''t get too caught up in your web novel. I''m not going to be responsible for you accidentally slacking off." "Geez! What are you, my Dad? Anyway, I''m heading off first. See you tomorrow. I heard Harley went off earlier for family work." I nodded. "Right. I still have a lot to do at home. See you then." With that, we split off from the lecture hall and went our separate ways. I only have a few days left until the full moon in the game, so I have to make do with whatever Fenrir and Capita have in plan.
As I walk out of the college building, I stop when I notice someone passing by. It was a young man with brown bob hair, grey eyes, and slight peachy skin. He wears a familiar red plaid shirt, white pants, and grey high-top sneakers. Judging by how tight he''s holding his books and his wrists trembling, I have a feeling something bad must have happened. I would normally ignore him. But after what I heard from Brycen and the events prior, I knew I couldn''t just ignore it. "Hey, Jared!" I called out to him. "...!" Yeah. His screech-like gasp confirmed my suspicions. "Is something bothering you? If it does, maybe..." "What do you know, Lowell?!" I flinch upon hearing my last name coming out of his mouth. "You''re not the type to be bothered by somebody else''s problem." I can''t argue with that. Despite me being his middle school friend, I did nothing to help him thanks to my hesitance and passiveness. But now that I decided to defy David, I can''t let this go. "Still, I feel like we need to talk about it..." As I reach my hand out to him, Jared responds with a slap. "If it''s about your web novel, then I don''t want to beta read. Besides, don''t you already have a co-writer with you? He would be better off making some edits on your story." My eyes widen. I know he''s still pissed about me, but still... "It''s not about that, Jared. I..." "Hmph! Forget it. That''s all in the past now. Take care, Lowell." Jared left before I could say another word. I sighed with frustration in my voice. I guess even trying to change doesn''t mean I can show it immediately to most of them. If I try to pursue him, then it''s going to have the same result. Worst-case scenario, he might assault me or block my social media to avoid me. Either way, I should give him space and try again tomorrow. Right now, I have some other things to do back home. All I can hope is he can endure whatever punishment David has in store for him.
I yawned as I got up from my bed. This time, I had less time on my projects and studies since all I need is some finishing touches on my project and memorizing some details on History. I''m still troubled from earlier, but I hope the mood might change once I meet up with Fenrir with the next phase of my training. In fact, I was greeted by good news in the form of a notification once I logged back in.
[NOTICE]
[You are now free from the [Weakness Sickness].]
Thank god that was over. I only have 7 days left until the full moon, so I''m relieved that I can finally move on with some physical training. Just moving my legs and arms without any signs of pain was enough to confirm my recovery was a success. Now I can...
[NOTICE]
[The [Mind Link] has been activated.]
Huh? That''s a bit sudden. But why now? I get it''s connected to my [Sub-Race], but I didn''t expect it to activate so soon. Well, I didn''t hear some voices right now and I don''t feel anything funny. Still, I should be cautious. This feature might have been activated without a reason. For now, I need to meet up with Fenrir... My [SP] is a bit low lately and I ate a bit less from my [Mental Imprint] training. I went out of the guest room and came down the stairs to see Claw sitting at the dinner table, but no signs of his father. "Hey, Claw!" I greeted them with a wave and smile to the young NPC. "Where''s your Dad?" [He''s outside cooking some [Wild Boar]. He and his friends managed to hunt some for the party last night and he''s going to cook the last few ones for breakfast,] Claw answered with a grin. [His [Wild Boars] are the best.] I chuckle once I see him licking at the thought of that large meat I saw last night during my training. "Well, I can''t blame you. He and Lawrence were great with food even if their cooking methods are a bit primitive. No offense." I look around the kitchen before I turn to the Magitech fridge. "I''ll have some vegetable soup as u...sual...?" Huh? Why am I all woozy so suddenly? I thought the sickness debuff was gone. [M-Me...] Huh? That whisper... [You des...desire...] I desire...what? [You desire...meat?] ...Meat? [You wanted to taste the flesh. You crave it. The smell of it will drive you crazy] ...! [Now you wanted it. You wanted to eat it. You won''t stop until your taste buds can touch the succulent sweetness and saltiness of the meat.] Yeah... Why am I looking for a vegetable soup? I felt kinda sick eating them every day. [Mr. Lowry?] Now that I think about it, I can smell something great. The savory saltiness... The sweetness coming out from the flames...This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. I want it! I REALLY WANT IT!!! [H-Hey! Mr. Lowry!] I can hear Claw''s voice behind me, but what does it matter? The meat is outside! He said Fenrir is cooking it and now that I got a whiff of it, I rush out to sink my teeth into it! I gotta have it! I need to eat that delicious [Wild Boar] just this once! I don''t care if it''s not cooked right now, I just need to take one bite of... ACK! [Whoa, whoa! What''s with you, little cub? You seemed a bit antsy this morning.] I gasp and shake my head. One moment, I was in the kitchen looking for something to eat. The next thing I knew, I was being carried by Fenrir by the collar. What''s even weirder is that my mouth won''t stop drooling when I smell the scent of meat coming from his cooking pit. "I-I have no clue..." I stuttered. "I just smell the [Roasted Wild Boar] and I kinda went crazy back there." I shook my head again and rubbed my forehead. "Damn, what the hell is wrong with me? I thought the sickness was gone by then." I notice Fenrir humming while staring at me. Then, he slowly put me down to the ground and said, [I think I have some ideas. Looks like you''re starting to have the mind of a wolf.] "Mind of a wolf"? Now that he mentions it, it happened after the notification about the [Mind Link] was activated appeared. "Are you saying I''m starting to crave meat because of my inevitable transformation?" [That''s right. Normally, it happened 7 days before the full moon. But now that you made contact with your [Inner Wolf], your instincts may start to show early. Which means your diet might start to change along with it.] That explains a lot. But if that''s true, then does that mean I have to eat meat to avoid getting crazy like that? Damn... This game is getting more crazier than I thought. My [Lapi] wallet... [Hey, don''t fret, cub. You''re still an [Insignis], so you can still eat whatever you want. That meat craving is only a side effect.] I tried to counter what he said. But I was quickly met with a new window.
[TUTORIAL]
[As a [Lycan], you have developed an urge to eat meat. Because of this, eating meat-based meals will double its effects.]
Double?! I thought this craving might be a detriment for me. But to double the effects after eating meals that have meat, this might be a blessing in disguise! Heck, since Fenrir is cooking [Roasted Wild Boar] right now, the [STR] bonus might be a big boon to make up for its low stats. [Hey, Lowry. Are you still good?] Oh, right. Speaking of which, I turn to Fenrir next. "Yeah, I''m okay. I admit it might be a bit annoying. But if what you said is true, I might adapt to it at a small cost of my budget..." Fenrir suddenly chuckles. [No worries! If you''re worried about money, then don''t you hunt some yourself?] "Nice suggestion, but I can''t cook very well. I might accidentally burn it or mix up the ingredients." It''s not just an in-game excuse. I did try cooking in real life a few times, but most of them are barely edible to not-so-tasty. It''s even to the point where Lucy and Harley banned me from their kitchens just to avoid that incoming horror. [Experienced Crafting] can reflect the final results with my real skills in the kitchen, so having a [Cooking Mastery] is a big no-no then. [Either way, if you bring fruits of your hunt, there''s a chance you might get the meal little to free. Without hard work, there is no reward in life.] He''s got a point there. It''s better than being broke, I guess. "Alright. You got me with the offer. I rather go physical than go hungry." [Good. Which is why your next training will focus on just that. Now that you''ve recovered, I''m going to be in charge of the next phase. Unlike Capita, I won''t be lenient when it comes to whipping you up to shape.] I thought so... "Wait, I thought my next teacher was another [Lycan]..." [Right... He''s kinda in bed for drinking too much a few days ago. Right now, he''s trying to get himself back up and cleaning the dojo as punishment.] Figures... Capita wasn''t joking about his drinking habits. [Don''t worry, he will join us by tomorrow. For now, you''re stuck with me.] At least he''s reassuring. [Dad?] We turn around and see Fenrir''s son also drooling while staring at us by the window. [Can we eat now?] [Hahaha... The cub''s got a point. Come on, Lowry. The meat''s ready and we need to charge up before we can start the next phase of your training.] Good point. We head back inside with the cooked meat ready to eat. It''s better to do it now than to let my newfound cravings drive me insane.
As the clouds parted through the blue sky above us, Fenrir and I arrived back at the training hall''s dojo. According to him, Capita is helping out the potion maker for a while and Claw is practicing hunting with his fellow trainees, so it''s just two of us right now. [Before we can start, can you tell me the fighting style you''re using up to this point?] Fenrir asked. [It''s not that important, but I need a clear image of your previous self.] I don''t know what he''s talking about, but if it helps with my training... "Well, I usually fight with daggers...clumsily. But I can cast [Fire] spells while supporting others with [Life]. It''s not that unique, but they are mostly for self-defense." [Only daggers, huh? A bit simple, but the magic stuff makes sense considering your kind has some big connections with them. I won''t touch on them for your sake. But for the rest, you should start forgetting what you know if you want to fight like a [Lycan].] I raise my eyebrow. "Is there anything I should know about their fighting style?" [When you transform, you temporarily lose everything to become a beast. Human speech, complex thoughts, and an ability to wield tools and weapons. You can fight in this form with yourself intact with the right training, but it can be a bit problematic if you''re going to fight barehanded with claws. You are free to continue using your dagger in your human form, I won''t stop you. But learning to fight barehanded would be more beneficial, especially during hours before the full moon.] Makes sense. Fighting barehanded would be a seamless transition from human to wolf. Plus, it might be better than my clumsy use of my dagger. "Alright. I should give it a go. No sense of knowing without experience." Fenrir smiled. [Glad you understand, as usual, cub. Since you''re new to this, let''s start something simple.] He then changed his position to what I assumed to be a fighting pose that seemed similar to a Shonen manga I read recently. [Put your right foot and fist forward and squat down a few meters. That will be your starting position.] Okay... I''m a bit confused, but I copied his pose as he instructed. [In our village, we learn a special style called [Swift Claw Style], a special martial art that relies on quick jabs and swipes without relying on our fangs in both forms. To learn it, you must endure repetition to get a feel of fighting through fists and claws. Throw about 50 punches on the right and 50 more on the left. Do so in that position and if you flunk it, then you have to try again.] 50 punches on each fist?! Okay, I get what I saying. But doing all of that while I''m stuck in this uncomfortable pose. Geez, just when I think this game makes more simple tasks more difficult, then I don''t know what does. "I''m guessing that''s the same with kicks, huh?" [Only if you succeed with your punches. Now get to it.] Right. Taking a deep breath, I start with a few slow jabs in the air. But just as I make the 6th punch... [Stop! Do it again!] I flinch upon hearing his sudden order. "What do you mean? I didn''t do anything wrong with my pose." [True. But you''re stressing your legs a bit too much. Try to relax them a bit. That way, you can punch without overexerting them for a long time.] Oh, I see. I feel like my legs were falling any minute now. I readjust my pose so my legs are not too stiff to stand while squatting. Then once I redo my punches, I didn''t struggle as before as I completely focused on my current exercise. [Good. Keep your arms straight when you''re making those punches. The key is making a mark while staying true to your target. No punch is a miss once it makes contact with your opponent.] Easy for him to say. I can feel my arm shaking after about 20 punches and that''s only my right fist. After a few minutes of punching, I reached 50 and put down my arm as I caught my breath. "God, I feel like my arm is about to fall off." [But you''re progressing well, Lowry. Now for the left and get to it!] He really doesn''t want me to rest between arms, huh? This might be a VRMMO, but this proves I''m woefully lacking when it comes to physical exercises. Even when I reverted back to the punching pose, I could still feel the pain from my right arm when punching my left. Thankfully, it took about 2 minutes to complete it without interruptions before I collapsed while holding my left arm in pure agony. "Agh... I normally move my fingers and wrist to write. But never my whole arm." I sighed again while trying to sit on the ground. "I need to start stretching before this." [You should be. I won''t teach you some special stretching techniques since we don''t have one here. So that''s on your own. Then again, I should ask you to stretch before doing this, huh?] Fenrir chuckled sheepishly and I was not happy at that late realization. [Now then, stand up. Let''s work on your kicks next.] I froze once I heard his next order. "Right now?!" [Yes. All you''re doing is standing around during the first half. Plus, a true fighter must be quick on their wrists and feet to react with every strike and spell your opponent can throw at you. We''re doing this slowly to help you learn the basics. But in a real battle, every move matters. So raise your right leg and arms up, Lowry! 50 on the right, then another on the left!] Seriously?! Can''t he give me time to rest?! Then again, complaining won''t help me in the long run. I assumed the pose Fenrir instructed and started kicking with my right first, then my left. I''m already sweating as I struggle to keep myself up without losing my balance. The strictness from my master didn''t stop as he kept chastising me on my trembling legs to the point I had to start over just to get my pose right. It only took about 5 minutes, but I managed to achieve 50 kicks on each leg before collapsing while catching my breath. [Good job, little cub. It looks a bit rough, but you managed to pull it off with no problem.] "Thank god," I shouted at the top of my lungs in relief. [But you have to repeat that exercise every morning and evening.] And then, I almost fell unconscious. "Not once a day?! Seriously, I''m an [Insignis], not a [Beastfolk]!" [It''s to build a small habit into your frail body. Don''t worry, once you keep it up, those exercises will become your second nature. Unless you want to keep complaining.] No, he''s right. I''m almost one word away from making another unnecessary excuse. If I want to change, then I just have to suck it up. Besides, with no pain, there is no gain. "Can I at least get a few minutes of rest?" [Yeah, I push you a bit too much right now. Take 30 minutes, then we''ll start on some basic moves you need to know.] Right... I''m just gonna lie down on the floor while Fenrir heads off to wherever he wants to go during this short period of respite.
[NOTICE]
[You have progressed through your [Hidden Quest].]
Oh, shut up, notification window. Chapter 16: Hunting Preparations Ugh... My legs... My arms... I just logged out of the game and I can still feel the pain ringing through my body. If I have to count through RL time, it has been about 3 hours since I started training. I almost thought I couldn''t log back in the game to rest and grab a snack with my non-exhausted real body here. But with how exhausted am I from 8 in-game hellish hours of training hell, I doubt a simple [Sleep Mode] would make my [Exhaustion] debuff go away. Thankfully, Fenrir was kind enough to carry me back to the guest room for me to sleep through the pain, allowing me to get back to reality to recover my brief mental pain. Maybe I should lower the pain threshold... Like hell, I want to! If I don''t, then what''s the point of wasting my energy over simple physical training? Sure, it won''t translate to my real body, but at least I move forward with my goal to stop being a cowardly wallflower! I have to do this. To stop being a punching bag to David. To face my issues forward! All I need is a can of iced coffee and a leftover chocolate bar from the fridge. I can do this! I''m not gonna go back on my word! I won''t stop until I get results in !
I groaned as I stare off at a cloudy grey clouds covering the blue sky. How long was I out? I know I''m outside the college building by now, so it''s been a while since I logged out of the game. I still need to do my projects and study for the exam for the next two weeks. Not to mention going back to my shitty part-time job tomorrow. Yeah, I have a lot to do this week... So little time... SLAP!!! "ARGH!!!" I screamed in pain. "What the hell was that?!" I turned to see my "attacker" was none other than Brycen frowning at me. "Dude, you''re drooling and laughing to yourself like a madman. One look at you and people will start seeing you as a psychopath." Oh, right... I almost lost my composure back there. I guess the stress from back-to-back training really got to me after logging out. "Sorry about that. I must have played too long in [Isekai], huh?" I scratched the back of my head while taking a few deep breaths. "That''s what I get for eating a chocolate bar with iced coffee again." "Looks like it. Whatever you''re doing there is not helping your sanity one bit. Plus, you really need to cut back on sweets, Luke." I chuckle. "Hey, have you heard that sugar can act as food for our brains?" "Says every smart guy on TV." I let Brycen sit right next to me on the bench before taking out a paper bag. "Want a burger? I got an extra from that promo and Harley had to skip out on lunch due to work back home. Though knowing you, you''re not the type to eat something b-" "Yes, please!" I quickly snatch the burger before he can change his mind and take one big bite of it. "Okay? Who are you and what have you done to Lucas?" Brycen questioned me like a bad cop on TV. "Hey, give me a break! I need something to eat other than fries. Plus, I had to deal with a small craving." Again, my werewolf cravings didn''t exactly come into the real world (thankfully). But I just had a small urge to eat something like a burger without breaking the bank. "Oookay... For a second there, I thought you were only doing that because you were exhausted from studying and writing. Seriously, try to eat something beyond instant noodles and French fries. Eating a balanced diet is very important for a growing writer like you." I huffed. "What are you? My mom?" I then sighed. "But you''re right. Maybe I should grab some sandwiches after work later. If my boss permits me to do so." This time, it''s Brycen''s turn to sigh. "Well, just trying to limit your play time, okay? Writing without standing up is bad enough, but playing in an [ADVR] game might be a problem when it comes to your mental health." Oh, you have no idea. But I don''t have the energy to snark back. "Right. I''ll keep that in mind. I did play [Isekai] for almost 8 hours." "8 HOURS?! That''s another reason to take it easy, Luke!" I quickly shush at him as soon as he starts being loud again. "Hey, indoor voice! I did say "almost" if I hadn''t checked on the RL clock on my [VeilCon] when I logged out. Though it cost me a few hours of sleep, but I did so in the game." And here comes another sigh from my co-writer. "Just don''t ignore the concept of sleep, Lowell. If you fail the exams due to insomnia, it''s your responsibility." I sigh. "I understand. You should take your own advice, too. Let''s get back to our lectures." "No counters here." As we head back into the building, I begin to wonder about my friend while we banter about serial webnovels currently trending online. Ever since I met Brycen, I have known his "interests" when it comes to works about werewolves. Initially, I didn''t think much about his wants since I thought of those monsters are cursed monsters that weak-willed "good" guys are unable to control. But as he continued to introduce me to some movies and anime, I slowly discovered some hidden gems by myself. Some broke my assumptions of werewolves being "heartless cursed monsters" and some symbolized them as representations of human nature. Ironically, despite being a fan, Brycen kept ranting he rather see werewolves than be one. Then again, most scenes depicting a transformation from man to werewolf tended to lean on the body horror side. So I understand his woes. Now that I think about it, I wonder what happens if he meets me in my transformed werewolf form in [Isekai]. Well, there''s no point in dwelling on the what-ifs. All I can do is move on and hope I might avoid encountering him in that form soon. "Uh... By the way, I was wondering about something, Brycen." "Yeah, what is it?" He asked with his eyebrow raised. "...Does the college gym allow me to use it outside sports practices?" Brycen stopped walking. "...wut."
[Harder! Punch harder!] The man with black messy hair and a leather vest shouted at me as I repeatedly punched in the air in the same pose I used in my several warm-up exercises. [Build up most of the strength you have in one fist and release everything you have!] I shout as I throw it with all of the strength I can. Unlike 2 in-game days before, I''m training with a new master for the second phase of training. Compared to Fenrir, he''s much stricter when it comes to teaching and damn, the pain in my arms shows it all. I''ve been punching for 2 hours now and by the looks of it, I couldn''t seem to gain some progress on mastering it despite the notifications saying otherwise. [Come on, little cub! Where''s your spirit Fenrir kept boasting about? Don''t tell me they are nothing but lies you made to look good.] I tried to catch my breath after punching for so long. "S-Sorry, Master ! I''m new to physical training for so long and compared to the , this is more exhausting than I expected." And that''s an understatement considering I''m gaining more [Exhaustion] debuffs for a while. [Well, that''s what you get for relying too much on your spells. No offense to your [Race] and magic, little cub. But when it comes to [Swift Claw Style], you have to focus more on melee before ranged. There are many pros for manipulating elements and [Mana], but there are also consequences. You must balance between fists, legs, and fire to take advantage of the monsters and other opponents.] I sigh in dismay. He does have a point. As much as the magic in [Isekai] is a huge boon to many successful battles, there is still one huge flaw: Incantations. Unlike normal skills, you have to cast it by chanting it and some of them have longer incantations based on how powerful the spell is. If something interrupts your chant or accidentally flubs the wording, the casting fails and you have to try again. Because of that, some players are questioning the point of incantations where you have to keep chanting it to activate it.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "So how am I going to deal with all of that? I can''t just focus on my [Fire] spells in my fist without chanting," I asked. [Prediction. Learn your opponent''s attacks and counter or block everything they have. You don''t need some wolf instincts to achieve it. As Fenrir said, you have the smarts for it.] I see. So it''s all about attack patterns. But it''s more than that. If I face players like Savior, then improvisation and observation aren''t enough. I have to think smart and play fast if I want to succeed in future battles. [Hey!] Just then, a [Lycan] man ran up to us and said, [Fenrir howled. He said you guys need to be at the village entrance in about 30 minutes.] [I see. Tell him the young cub will be there after he takes a quick rest.] Lupus turns to me next. [Don''t forget what I taught you. This is your first time hunting as a [Lycan] and it will be tough for a magic-user like you to handle the back-breaking labor. Are you sure you''ll be okay?] I nodded. "Yeah. Fenrir is in charge of it and his son and other [Lycan] trainees are also there. So I think I''m good." [Right. Good luck and may the Spirit of the Beasts guide you.] Lupus stands up and starts to walk off. But he stops and turns back to me. [And before I forget, you should visit my wife''s shop after the hunt. She''s planning something right after the full moon.] "A gift?" I tilt my head, wondering what he meant by it. [If I tell you, it wouldn''t be a surprise anymore.] Right, I''ll figure it out once I get back. "Okay, see you." And I head back to Fenrir''s house to replenish and lie on my bed for a while.
After 20 minutes of R&R, I ran straight to the village entrance. There, I see some young [Lycan] NPCs gathered with Claw chatting with some of them. Behind them is Fenrir and another teacher leading the pack chatting among themselves before I approach them. The teacher has red messy hair with yellow eyes and like with the other villagers, he''s wearing a vest seemingly made of a boar pelt, half-pants, and sandals. [Oh, glad you can make it, Lowry. Hope Lupus didn''t push you too hard from training,] Fenrir greeted. I chuckle. "Oh, you have no idea..." I decided to turn to the teacher next to Fenrir before he brought up my training hell. "Who''s this?" [This is , the potion maker''s kid. Not only he''s an apprentice to his mother, but he also works as one of the village hunters.] The young man bowed to me with a smile. [Nice to meet you, Lowry. I''m happy to be one of your guides for this hunting trip.] I nodded back. "Same to you, Alaric. I''ll be glad to have two veteran hunters guiding us for the hunt." [Well, don''t forget about Lawrence. But his role is leaning more on patrol to ensure no ambushes will occur during the trip. The might be blessed by the spirits, but it''s nonetheless a dangerous forest for an inexperienced wolf cub. All we''re asking you is not to split off from the group and never go deep into the woods without our permission.] "Alright, I promised." [Lowry!!!] I heard Claw''s voice behind me and when I turned around, I saw him waving at me with a big smile on his face. [You should join him and his pack for a while. We''ll be leaving in about 2 minutes.] I nodded again before I complied with his suggestion. I''m honestly feeling antsy about this hunting trip. This is my first time on the field ever since the incident and hopefully, with my training, I might be able to fight well compared to the ones I participated with Savior and his goons. All I''m hoping from this is that there are no surprise events that might mess up our schedule.
Once we start the trip, we''re walking a bit further away from the hidden village. According to Fenrir and Alaric, we''re only hunting in the vicinity of the forest. While this gives me some concerns, they assure us that the area we''re heading to only consists of [Wild Boars], [Horned Rabbits], and [Dire Wolves]. Three of them were the right monsters for me to handle in my current [TML]. The only question is how can I fare against them now that I''m a [Lycan]. Before, I struggled against them and barely died if it wasn''t for my [Fire] spells despite their low level. I wonder if it''s different with my newly awakened ability doubled the effects of the [Roasted Rabbit Steak] I ate earlier. When we arrived at a small patch of an open field inside the forest, Alaric gestured for us to stop and turned to Fenrir. [Sir, I heard some footsteps. They sound like [Wild Boars]. Probably about 4-5 of them.] Fenrir nods before turning to us. [Alright. Split up into 4 packs. We don''t know the exact count, but we need to divide our numbers to ensure our prey won''t escape our grasps.] Everyone follows his instructions as I watch the NPCs splitting up and re-grouping themselves into five groups. I''m surprised to see how organized they were when they formed them. But it didn''t take long until I realized I hadn''t found anyone to team up with. But before I could panic, someone grabbed my wrist and dragged me to one of the groups. When I notice this, I realize who dragged me in. [Here, Lowry! You''ll do great with us around,] Claw grinned as I stared at the 2 other young trainees with us. "Are you sure you want me in your group, Claw?" I asked. "I don''t want to be t- AGH!!!" [Hey, if Claw says it''s fine, we''re all for it!] A light brunette-haired trainee interrupted after smacking me from the back. [The name''s and this here is my sister, .] The young girl bows at me. [I''m glad to be working with you, Mr. Lowry.] I nod with reluctance. "Uh... Same here..." I turn to Claw next. "Uh... Since I haven''t got sensitive hearing yet, can you do the scouting for me?" [Yeah. You can count on us, Mr. Lowry! Don''t worry, you will get the chance once you get your transformation.] I hope so, too. At the moment, I''m useful as a rock when it comes to tracking. So I had to make up for it with my battling skills in the field.
[NOTICE]
[You have formed a temporary party with NPCs, , , and .] [This feature is currently beta-tested.]
"Beta-tested"?! I didn''t expect to encounter an upcoming feature in the game already. Well, if it means teaming up with Fenrir''s son for this hunt, then I''m all for it. [Alright! Once you formed your own group, head to the direction we''re about to give you. We''ll hand you each one once we call for one of your members'' names.] I turn to Fenrir once he announces this. [First off...]
As soon as we arrived at our assigned location in the forest, it didn''t take long for us to almost split off to do our roles as we planned beforehand. "So we''re going to hunt at the east, huh?" I hummed in thought. "You guys were groaning when your Dad gave us this location. What''s so bad about this place?" [We''ve been in this area several times and it''s known as a place where there are too many trees and boulders for us to go wild in our wolf forms,] Claw explained. [It''s also a place where failing trainees go here to take remedial exams.] I can guess why. Looking around, many trees, bushes, and boulders might hamper any attempts to dodge. Combined with limited lighting due to the tree leaves covering most of the sky, A perfect place to challenge every [Lycans''] senses and break the limits of their abilities and senses. But when it comes to hunting, it might become a huge advantage against the monsters coming our way. [Still, I hate coming here. I can''t run around chasing [Wild Boar] without bumping into bushes and rocks along the way,] Kai complained. [How do you expect us to catch anything in here?] "Well, have you guys even thought of using stealth instead of force?" I asked. Christa hummed next. [Not exactly. I mean, we had no problem hunting some monsters head-on. Isn''t the point of our transformed states that we can use our speed and power to go for a kill?] Ah, I see. I think I have an idea why we were sent here. "I don''t think that''s what our wolf forms can do. Think about it, how do [Dire Wolves] hunt their own food?" [...Huh?] [What does have to do with hunting?] Kai asked. "Well, what do [Dire Wolves] and [Lycanthropes] have in common? Other than being wolves, of course." Christa hummed again. [That they are fast and powerful?] I chuckle at their narrowminded, but close answer. "It''s how they hunt. According to my observations in my past adventures, [Dire Wolves] never pounced on their prey immediately. They have to stalk them by hiding in bushes and slowly observing them to find the opening for them to strike. I''m still new at this, but maybe it might be the same with [Lycans], too." Everyone in my party gasped once I finished my explanation. [I don''t know what it all means, but it somehow makes sense! I think...] Kai answered. [I have no idea what it all means either,] Claw added. [Y-Yeah...] Christa muttered. [I am confused, too.] I simply chuckle at their answers. It''s not like I''m going to be mad at their lack of hunting knowledge. Then again, they''re still kids despite their mastery of their abilities as [Lycans]. But I guess they have a lot to learn regarding how they act as one against their opponents. Heck, this might also be the test Fenrir gave me as well. "Tell you what. How about I''ll take the lead for this?" I turn to Claw. "How long till the monsters get closer?" Claw closes his eyes for a while before his focus turns back on me. [Not for long. About...uh... 2 to 3 minutes?] "Then this gives us a bit of time until they reach us. Listen closely. I have a plan that will help us take advantage of our current location..." We huddled up one more time as we concocted a plan to not only safely secure our prey for this trip but to teach a few wolf kids a lesson in stealth and patience.
Not far from where the trainees were, Lawrence was observing them from atop the tree behind the small patch. He smiled as he saw the young player briefed them on his plan. "What do you know... Fen hasn''t said anything about the true nature of the hunting yet, but the new wolf kid managed to figure it out from a few chats from his teammates," he mutters to himself while stroking his stubbled chin. "That kid might change the status quo just like Palmer''s boys..." But then, his eyes widened as he heard strange footsteps from afar. "No... That''s too big for a [Dire Wolf] or a [Wild Boar]... The kids might be in danger!" That''s all he can say before he leaves the tree top. [Basic Guide] Masteries [Posted on: October 28, 2050] [The Isekai Online Basics] [Races] [Written by: LowellWrites] Welcome to my guide to . Whether you want to play the very first VRMMO or you came from the MMORPG scene and want to know more about the hype, this is the guide for you. Every day, I will post several guides about the game such as the lore and setting you will set foot in and the gameplay itself. Before I can begin, this is not much of an official guide of sorts. But with your support, there''s a chance the future guides will be sponsored by the game itself. I will also leave some links to the official resources such as the [Prologue Lore] of the game as well as the official wiki to give you more details about the features I will introduce in this guide. The very first thing I want to introduce is a big fantasy MMORPG staple: [Races]. Choosing a [Race] depends on your playing style and it''s an important decision you have to make because of it. Whether you want to follow the game''s setting or customize your character''s appearance or abilities is up to you. But it can be a bit daunting to a new player due to the pros and cons of their [Racial Bonuses]. So I will give a brief introduction to the 5 [Races] of . [Human] With all staple fantasy races comes the normies themselves: [Humans]. Appearance-wise, they are the same as you and me. But when it comes to [Racial Bonuses], they have none. Still, they make up for the lack of bonuses with +5 points to all stats at the start. It''s not much, but it''s a good jack-of-all-trades [Race] if you want to go with the normal of all. I do hear there is a hidden bonus if you''re acquainted with another [Race]. But so far, I haven''t met anyone who has it. So take it with a grain of salt. [Elf] Another staple fantasy race to all Tolkien pretty boy fans out there. Along with pointy ears, this [Race] grants [INT] or [Intelligence Bonus] to any [Magic Mastery]. This gives you a big boost in case you want to play as an [Elf] wizard.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. However, since this game doesn''t have a job class system, you are not limited to magic alone. Swords, archery, and many more, you can combine them with spells to create some unique combos and skills. [Beastfolk] Okay, I''ll get this out of this for all furries out there. This [Race] lets you play as any half-beast such as a bear, wolf, fox, and any furry beast you can think of. But appearance aside, [Beastfolk] is more of a physical side of bonuses with its [STR]/[Strength] and [VIT]/[Vitality]/Constitution on Weapon or Combat [Masteries]. I recommend choosing this if you want to play as a fighter or a tanky defender. [Feles] This is for the feline fans and that''s all I can say before I say something that might ban me. This [Race] focuses more on speed and agility with their [DEX]/[Dexterity] and [AGI]/[Agility] bonuses. Not only that, but some of its [Racial Skills] also grant them [Charisma] bonus that will aid you in your NPC interactions or any mind-based [Status Conditions] affliction. [Insignis] Now this one is a bit of a tricky one to figure out. According to the official site, they are known as the "Messengers of Arcana" and possess a much larger [Mana] reserve than any race. Which is a surprise since I thought the [Elves] take that spot. I did extra research on this [Race] and it didn''t go so well since not many players play as an [Insignis]. Not even some forum posts along with some statements from beta testers didn''t help with this part. All I know from the official wiki is that they grant a bit of [INT] and [WIS]/[Wisdom] bonuses along with what they call a [Storyline Bonus]. I may post an additional guide dedicated to [Insignis] very soon. I''m doing my best to uncover more of this strange [Race] and see if they deserve as the "least popular race of ". And that''s all of the [Races] that were initially released on launch. What is your favorite [Race]? And if you''re planning to join the game soon, tell me the reason why. And if you have any questions about one of the [Races], leave them in the comments and I will do my best to answer them. I will be back tomorrow for the signature feature of : [Masteries]. See you in the game, adventurers. Chapter 17: Unexpected Intruder 2 minutes have passed since we finished the briefing. I hid behind one of the bushes as planned while the rest of the wolf kids hid somewhere in this small patch of the forest. After a while, we hear some footsteps coming closer to our direction. I wish I could peek through the bushes to see what our visitors were. But unfortunately, I haven''t got most of my [Lycan] abilities yet. And since my party only consists of NPCs, I can''t use the whisper chat to communicate with them. "Hey." I quietly called out to Claw, who is currently hiding behind a boulder right next to me. "Did you see what they are?" [Yeah,] The young [Lycan] nodded. [Looks like there are 2 [Wild Boars]. Must be the mushrooms we found earlier here.] Then they should be first good opponents for this kind of hunt. "Alright. On my signal..." If I recall from my previous encounters, [Wild Boars] have high [STR], but low [SPD] and [AGI] thanks to their stubby legs. If provoked, they will proceed to tackle their attackers with a charging tackle, which deals a large amount of damage to the unprepared players. However, this will be a different story from my previous encounters. So far, the boars are too preoccupied with the mushrooms. So we waited and waited until... "NOW!" Normally, I would cast a [Fire] spell once I give out the signal. Instead, I watched the [Lycan] siblings jump behind the boars and grab them with their clawed hands. The boars screech in pain as they try to shake off their attackers. But before they could run, I got out of my hiding spot and took out my dagger while charging towards one of them. "[Backstab]!" I thrust my blade at the boar''s back. As expected, the boar starts to grow into a frenzy as it tries to shake me off. Of course, I''m not the type to let go after a [Backstab] attack. Thankfully, Claw is nearby and it didn''t take long for him to lunge at it next. [You''re done, you crazy boar!] Claw screamed before he scratched the boar''s eyes with his...claws. Then he switched arms and stabbed its chest without hesitation. As for me, I continue stabbing it in the back while ignoring the boar''s screeches. It only took a few stabs, but its [HP] quickly went down to zero and the boar stopped its frenzy before falling lifeless on the ground. Unlike other monsters I fought, its carcass didn''t seem to disappear as I removed the blade from it. [Look at that! We got one!] Claw cheered. [And we didn''t need to chase it around the field as usual.] "Don''t celebrate just yet, Claw." I turn to the siblings next. By the looks of it, they managed to make a few cuts on the second boar''s body. But it seems they can''t handle its rampage as it starts charging towards Kai. I wish I could block it with a [Fire Wall]. But I recalled one condition from Fenrir before the hunt. [If it''s okay, then try to avoid using your attack spells. This is a test of your hunting skill and burned carcasses might lose some points.] As much as I''m disappointed at this handicap, I understand what he''s trying to say. Besides, it''s not like I can fight without all of my magic. ¡°Spirits of life, hear my call. Give my ally the strength from your power.¡± I aim my arm at Kai. "[Gift of Strength]!" A white light starts to envelop his body. His eyes then snap open and quickly grabs the boar by the tusks. [I feel like my strength doubled from the light! This...is amazing!!!] Kai screams before tossing the boar away from him. [Christa, give me a paw here!] Claw called out. [Got it!] The two [Lycans] scream as they charge at the boar with their bare claws. The boar screeched as they delivered a few scratches on its body. Once that''s done, I charge in next and jump behind it for another [Backstab]. With Kai''s buffed strength along with the other [Lycans], we continued to attack it until it fell from 0 [HP]. Like the first boar, its carcass remains as we back away to observe the results of our hunt. We remain silent as I look around our surroundings. "Anything else?" Claw closes his eyes again for a few seconds. [I hear some fighting nearby. Looks like they''re talking care the rest of the monsters. That''s all of them on our end.] I sigh in relief at that news. Christa collapses on her knees while Kai continues staring at the carcasses with his jaw-dropping. [I-I can''t believe it... W-We did it... We managed to hunt the boars in the crampiest patch of the forest and we did it...] Kai then raises his arms with a grin. [WE DID IT!] Claw chuckles. [And all we have to do is to hide behind the bushes to catch them off-guard... You''re amazing, Mr. Lowry!] I feel like my face is turning red hearing that compliment. "It''s nothing special. All I did was to figure out some weak points during the [Wild Boars''] feeding session and I had to go from there without using my [Fire] magic. You have to thank your Dad for letting us use this area." [Huh? Why is that? We thought it was a tougher area than the ones we trained and hunted before.] "Well, I can''t say much without overwhelming you guys with too many details. But since we''re part wolves, we can''t rely too much on power and speed to get a job done. If you want to be a wolf, then you have to act like one. As in we have to stalk our prey carefully and strike when we have an opening. I think that''s the true purpose of this area. To test our stealth and observation skills in a real battle." [Really? I never thought of that before,] Kai hummed. [But Dad should have told us about that before risking our lives! I was already frustrated when we tried to rush around trying to catch some birds during the last trip.] I chuckle. I don''t know who to blame exactly for the unnecessary challenge here. But Claw is right. Fenrir should have told them or a hint beforehand. [Well, it doesn''t matter now. We got the boars as requested. We should head back to the others with our prey,] Christa suggested. [Good idea, sis. Let''s... Huh?] Kai turns around and before we ask about it, I gasp when I see a familiar face jumped down from above. "Lawrence! What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to patrol around the forest."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "I wish I could catch up on your latest hunting trip, but no time!" I''m surprised when I hear his voice filled with panic instead of a jolly old man vibe. "A dangerous monster is heading in this direction. I already informed Fen beforehand. As we speak, he already evacuated the other groups back to the village and is currently gathering the guards to defend it." We gasp once we hear of this news. [But I double-checked the sounds beforehand! We only heard sounds of boars and wolves along with the other trainees fighting them!] A surprise event already?! And with Claw''s statement, there is no foreshadowing regarding its appearance this time. What the hell is going on here?! "I have a few ideas what it is. But you guys are the only group left here. Now come on! We need to bail befor-" [RAAAWWWRRRR!!!] As if a poor timing, we turn around and see a large black lion looming over us. It has red glowing eyes glaring right at us and black claws on its paws. Not only that but instead of a tuft at the end of its tail, it has an axe-like blade. I saw this kind of monster in the forums as one of the rumors, but I never expected it to stand right in front of us with its black fangs bare. [W-What is that?!] Kai exclaimed. [I-It looks like a [Guardian Lion] from the books, but it doesn''t have black fur compared to its orange,] Christa explained. [Oh, man! It doesn''t make any sense!] I understand the kids'' frustrations. Because this monster can only appear two days after the new moon. It''s a rare monster that is considered one of the "metal slimes" of [Isekai] for its rare appearances in both fields and dungeons, but it''s infamous for its high level. While it is known to the players as an "EXP Shmuck Bait", it is also well-known by its official name. The [Invisible Lion]. According to the rumors, they are also known for their ambushes. Many with the [Hunting Mastery] tried to avoid them. But even with their high [Mastery Level] wasn''t enough to escape their claws. I guess that would explain their "faulty" scan, which I don''t blame them for it. We were so preoccupied with our kills that we didn''t scan it too early. Dammit! This is bad! Not only I''m too low-leveled to face this monster, but Claw, Christa, and Kai might be a detriment if we continue to stay here for much longer. Unfortunately, I knew from the rumors that if the lion notices you, then it''s your penalty. And we''re already in it''s eyesight... "Lowry, get the kids as far away as you can from here. I''ll hold down the fort and get your boars for you!" I froze upon hearing his commands. "Are you sure you can handle it, sir?" "Who are you talking here?" Lawrence grinned. "Although the best I can do is force this big guy to flee. I wish I could kill it right now but it has an annoying ability when it''s in low health. The main priority is not only the kids'' safety, but the whole village as well." "The whole...village?" Now that I think about it, what would happen if a strong monster invaded a town, village, or city? I know a town or city won''t get damaged due to guards and adventurers nearby, but what about villages? What would happen... "Lowry!" My thoughts broke once I heard Lawrence calling out to me. When I looked at him, I saw that the lion already tried to pounce on us. But he quickly stops it by grabbing its paws and struggles to push it away from us. "There''s no time! Get the kids and run!" Dammit! Looks like I have no choice. "You heard him, guys! Let''s bail before that lion breaks his grasp!" I shout to my partymates. [B-But what about Mr. Lawrence?!] I quickly grab Claw and Kai''s wrists before they try to jump in front of the older player. "If we stay, then we''re gonna make problems than helping him. Trust him." [B-But...!] I get their hesitance. I feel awful abandoning him like this. But it''s either stay or penalized (or in the case of Claw and the other [Lycans], possibly death, I think). "Trust me. Or better yet, trust him. He will get out alive." I''m not sure about the "alive" part, but I know he won''t die so easily to that beast if his claims are true. [W-We will be back with Daddy and the other guards, Mr. Lawrence!] [Yeah! We''ll promise to save you soon!] And with that, we took off, never looking back as we ran back to the village with a burst of adrenaline with a hint of guilt of abandoning him.
As the sky gets darker and darker, I keep gasping for air as we continue running for our lives. Yet despite finding a faint light from the village, I hear some thuds behind me and I turn to see my NPC friends already collapsed on their knees catching their breath. [T-That''s my limit...] Christa gasped. [B-But we''re almost at the village...] [But do we really have to abandon Mr. Lawrence like that?! We should have done something to help him!] Claw shouted with a hint of venom, possibly at himself. [We''re already at Half-Moon level, so why do we have to run like cowardly dogs?!] [He''s right. We should go back and help him!] Kai added. [Maybe...] "DON''T BE SO STUPID, YOU THREE!!!" It took a while for me to catch my own breath after calling out. It sounds harsh, but I have some responsibilities with them and I can''t F it up one bit. "I get you guys are frustrated at being useless. I got that a lot before I met him and Fenrir. I wish I could have done something like helping them fight on the frontlines or something that would turn things around. But I also learned that recklessness can be a double-edged sword. If we''re not playing it right, then we''re only making it worse for everyone else." I can tell from the looks of despair in their eyes. It sounds harsh, but that''s the reality not only in the game but also in real life. [But we''re only running away. That''s not what true brave [Lycans] are!] I sighed. "Running away isn''t cowardly in a few situations. By running away, you only have to regroup and reflect on your opponent''s weaknesses and your mistakes. That method exists even outside the village and it''s called "strategic retreat". However, we can help even without fighting. Healing and strengthening others through magic and potions, planning our next attack from the backlines, and going back to defend the village. There is no such thing as "useless" in a fight. I learned that when I was struggling to make ends meet. While it was frustrating at first, I managed to get by through wits and improvisation alone. We can still win and protect the village by heading home." God, that''s the longest speech I ever made. Yet, I noticed all of them were staring at me, not with eyes filled with despair. But them widening from my words. I smile and pat their heads. "Those things don''t exist only in the outside world. If you guys want to be a real brave [Lycan], then you have to start by being smart with your decisions." [Mr. Lowry...] Claw starts to bite his lip as he hangs his head. But then, he looks up at me and smiles. [You''re right. I don''t want to have that lion destroy our villages because of us!] [Yeah! We''re not strong, but it doesn''t mean we can be one if we have other guards by our side!] Kai declared. [I-I want to save Lawrence, too. But I don''t want to put his sacrifice in vain!] I nod. "Then it''s decided. Let''s hurry and meet up with everyone..." [ROOOOOAAAAARRRR!!!] I flinch once we hear a roar nearby. Wait, nearby?! I thought we already ran as far away as we could! [I-It''s coming this way!] Kai calls out. "Then we need to hurry! Everyone else will be in d- GAH!!!" When we turn around, my eyes widen. In front of us is a familiar black lion, the same red glowing eyes and black mane looming above us. [N-No way! I thought Lawrence took care of it!] Claw shouted. [Don''t tell me he...] "No, that''s not it," I interrupted. "I think Lawrence is still alive. But I have a feeling it''s not alone." [H-HUH?! Are you saying there''s two of them?!] I wish they didn''t, but this lion is living proof. I looked closely at its body and in a few seconds, it made me conclude this fact. That is because this lion doesn''t have any scars or bruises around its body.
[Lowry''s Masteries]
[Dagger] Level 7 [Fire] Level 5 [Life] Level 6 [Magical Affinity] Level 5 [Alchemy] Level 8 [Scribe] Level 7 [Magecrafting] Level 1
[5 days until the full moon...]
Chapter 18: Heat of the Moment "[Aerial Pin!]" I quickly threw my arm at the lion''s muzzle and pinned his down to the ground as the kids escaped. If I thought he wouldn''t surprise me further, he proved me wrong no matter what kind of situation we were in. Lowry, the [Insignis] player... Gah! Why am I thinking about that right now?! If this monster is loose to the village, then it''s bye-bye [Lycan] village! There are consequences if I let it happen and there''s no way I''m making it a reality! While I''m not proud of having an unfair advantage for having a beta test character in the official release, it is still enough to kill it. But if I do that, the lion''s second phase will cause to rampage around the forest and might unintentionally sniff out the village to release its rage further. I have to avoid that at all costs and do that, I have to avoid putting its [HP] in red and lure it as far away enough for me to finish it off. With that thought out... "[Low Blow]!" I jump behind it and quickly kick it''s...uh...sensitive area. I don''t know what the hell the devs were thinking about putting this move in a game for T, but it''s a good skill to stun it for a while. "[Combo Strike]!" I follow it up with a flurry of punches as you see in that old anime with macho men with "ho-cho-cho" fight scenes until the last hit pushes it a few feet away. "And finally..." I spin around before I raise my fist to throw an upward punch to the lion''s jaw. "[Rising Dragon Punch]!" I watch the [Invisible Lion] fly up after a few hits and I quickly roll away just as it falls back on the ground. To my surprise, it managed to stand up after a few seconds. Despite all of the powerful skills at my disposal and its [HP] at the yellow, it doesn''t seem to back down at all. I know they were unfairly powerful back in the beta, but it seemed like the devs haven''t nerfed it during the initial release despite their promises on the previous patch notes. Either way, it''s going down before it can get to its final phase. [RAAAAAWWWWRRRRR!!!] To my shock, the lion suddenly bit its left front leg. I''m confused at its sudden self-harm, but it only took me a while until I noticed it''s [HP] started to go down. Is it trying to get to its final phase immediately?! Not on my watch!
[You have succumbed to the will of the wolf.]
I let out my own roar as I let my body transform. At first, it''s very painful as my body shifts around forming my hind legs and muzzle. But it grew into a pleasurable feeling as foreign instincts began to invade my mind, which I embraced with the intention of stopping this beast. Once I open my eyes, my transformation is complete and I howl with a burst of energy within me.
[The [Invisible Lion] is now [Stunned] for 10 seconds.]
Perfect! 10 seconds is enough for me! I charge towards the lion and grab its muzzle with my clawed hand. "YOU ARE DONE!!!" I screamed to what remaining air I had in my lungs left. I pushed the monster further and further away from the path to the village. Once I gained enough distance, I threw it into the air and charged my claws with a mix of aura and [Mana]. "[LUNAR...]" Once the lion comes down, I thrust my charged arm to its chest. "[BUUUUURST!!!!!!]" With a single stab, my arm goes through its chest...
[CRITICAL HIT!]
...and the lion''s [HP] goes down to 0. I didn''t expect the quick defeat, but I guess my luck says otherwise for once. At least the village is safe...
[You have defeated one-half of the lion couple.]
Wait... Couple?! Now that I took a closer look before its body disintegrated in items and [Lapi], it looked like a male. If the notification is true, then where is his wife?!
[RAAAAWWWRRRRR!!!] Damn, I should have realized this sooner! I know they are lions by nature, but I didn''t expect the concept of both male and female [Invisible Lions] to exist here in [Isekai]! Other than the lack of wounds and bruises around its body, I somehow realized this was a different lion from the first one after seeing the lack of mane around its neck. And because of this, I have no idea how can I deal with the female lion since there''s a possibility she''s a bit stronger than the male. But that''s the least of my problems as the second lion is now eyeing the trainees right in front of me. "Don''t. Move," I quietly ordered. "Do that and we''ll be the lion''s last meal." [Then what do you suggest?! Even if we can escape, it will just follow us to the village and endanger everyone else,] Claw reminded me. [We need to take care of it before it becomes a problem for all of us!] [But I thought Mr. Lowry said it''s too strong for us to take on an [Invisible Lion] alone...] Christa called out. [If we do, all of the [Lycans] will die!] That''s a bit of an exaggeration considering who Claw''s father is. But I do agree there will be casualties if we don''t act fast. "Then we''ll just lure it away to the village," I suggested. "Follow my lead and once we''re far enough, two of us will split off and head there to warn the others." [Are you sure that''s a good idea, Mr. Lowry?] Kai asked. "Not exactly. But what other options do we have than sacrificing ourselves to stop the [Invisible Lion]?" Everyone grew silent after a few seconds of waiting. "Though so. Claw, want to join me with the distraction?" He grins with his fangs bare. [Do you want me to say no? If it''s for the village, then I''ll do it!] Glad to hear he''s agreeing to my plans. "Alright. Noooooow..." I draw out the word long enough for us to back away from the lion slowly. Step by step... Slow breathing... But as soon as the lion notices us, I scream, "BREAK!!!!" We turn around and dash away without turning around to check if the lion is chasing us. Not that it matters since the point is to lure it away from the v- [RAWWWWWRRRRR!!!] Before I could notice the sudden roar, I suddenly crashed into an obstacle. I thought I accidentally ran into a tree. But I back away and gasp to see a large stone wall obscuring my path. What''s worse is that the NPCs are on the other side of it. [Mr. Lowry!] Dammit! I never heard of an [Invisible Lion] using [Earth] attacks from the forums! I guess this is one of the differences between a male and a female. On the bright side, at least Claw and the others are safe. Me, on the other hand... This might spell a big penalty for me, but it might be enough risk for me to keep them safe. "I''ll try to find my way around it! Just focus on getting some help!" I call out to the NPCs. [B-But...] "Just go!" I''m not gonna repeat myself. I don''t care if this is part of my [Hidden Quest] or not. I don''t like to see reckless kids killing themselves for me even if they are merely NPCs in a video game. I rather take the penalty than let that worst-case scenario play in this T-rated VRMMO. Taking a deep breath, I took out my dagger and turned to the female lion. "Alright, you bastard. If you want my fellow trainees, then you have to go through me." This was a bad idea. But what other choice do I have? All I can do is divert its attention to me while everyone else escapes. ¡°Spirits of life, hear my call. Give my ally the strength from your power. [Gift of Strength]!¡± It''s not enough to even the playing field. But it should increase my [ATK] a bit. Next... ¡°Spirits of flames, show yourselves! Bring the fire from my heart and help me gather it into my hand! [Fire Ball]!" I tossed the spell right to the lion''s face and started charging towards it with my dagger up front. Then I thrust it to its chest and push it further to chip its [HP]. At least that was the plan until I heard a "CLUNK" sound nearby.
[WARNING]
[Your [Starter Dagger] broke... It has been unequipped and discarded from the inventory.]
...Crap.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Losing my dagger is bad enough. But losing it while fighting against a high level is overkill! My low-level [TML] aside, just how thick that female lion''s skin was?! Not even my [Gift of Strength] buff is enough to penetrate its high defenses. At this rate, I will get penalized minutes before it reaches Claw, Christa, Kai, and the village! But that doesn''t mean I have to give up so soon. I took out my staff as my backup weapon next and rolled away from the lion before it could lay its claws on me. ¡°Spirits of flames, show yourselves! Erect the shield of flames to deter my enemies! [Fire Wall]!¡± I backed away as a wall of flames erected between me and the lion. Of course, being a spell I earned recently from a level-up means it''s a bit weaker than I imagined. Regardless, I quickly shoot another set of [Fire Balls] between cooldowns at it while running around in my attempt to find an opening for my escape. But just when I found it, the lion roared after being pelted by fire and several more stones popped out in front of me. This stubborn cat... She somehow sees me as its personal cat toy and I hate it! Just then, the lion swipes its claws on my chest. I quickly roll away from her, but barely as I feel a graze on my left shoulder.
[HP: 148/350]
If that attack hit me head-on, I would have died by now. But I can''t keep dodging forever! Without a dagger, I wouldn''t be able to distract her any longer away from the [Lycans] and the village and I would run out of [MP] by that time! Dammit! I wish I could have picked another weapon [Mastery] than [Magecrafting]! Hang on a second... Another [Mastery]... I''ve been working my ass off practicing and training my fists and legs with Lupus and Fenrir. I still haven''t got the [Mastery] from them, but why not use them now? It''s too reckless in this situation, but I don''t have any other choice. I place my right fist and foot forward and my left arm straight at the back with my gaze now focused on the lion. "Alright, kitty-cat..." I take a deep breath. "Bring it." The lion roars and pounces with her claws bare. Guess she didn''t like my taunt, but that doesn''t matter. I inhaled as I raised my left arm and exhaled before I thrust it into her smug face. I don''t care if it''s little damage. As long as I chip her [HP] down and keep the aggro to me, I''m willing to risk... SMACK! [RAWOWWWW!!!]
[HP: 972/1090]
...Huh? That''s a bit more damage than I expected even with my fist. And I know fighting barehanded cuts the damage down to half unless I have a right [Mastery]. I would have figured out why or how, but just looking at the [Invisible Lion] recovering from my attack makes me realize that I have no time to play 20/20 questions to myself. Still in my first form after that punch, I continue my attack by switching arms for another punch. Then another back on my left fist, an elbow to her face, and finishing it off with a roundhouse kick. [RAWOWOWOWOW!!!]
[HP: 863/1090]
Strange winces aside, I can''t believe my attacks are starting to get through! Sure, I only got about 100 damage in with only a few seconds left of my [Gift of Strength], but I never expected the turnaround like that! I''m still lost at this sudden Deux Ex Machina moment, but I don''t care! I might have a chance to beat this bitch! [ROAAAAAAAAAAARRRRR!!!] Those thoughts are the last thing I make as I find myself being pushed back by her roar.
[HP: 102/350]
Damn... It''s only a roar and it already took another chunk of my [HP]! I almost got overconfident and paid the price for it! With the [Gift of Strength] already expired, I guess this is it for me... "Don''t tell me you''re giving up too soon, kid?!" Just as I can turn to see the source of the familiar, but gruff voice, a brown blur tackled the female [Invisible Lion] and scratched her face. As soon as it landed next to me, I gasped to see a familiar brown werewolf beside me. "Lawrence?! B-But the lion..." "I took care of it, so not to worry about it," he answered quickly. "The bigger question is what the hell are you thinking?! You do realize fighting against an [Invisible Lion] in single digits meant a painful penalty." I chuckle sheepishly. "It''s either this or the trainees'' deaths. And I''m not the type to make that a reality. Think you can handle it with me around?" Lawrence growled under his breath while shaking his lupine head. "Only if you promise not to be recklessly stupid." I nod with a smile. "Deal." I turn to the lion next. "This female lion seems to be much stronger than a male. Yet I can smack her despite the weapon penalty and my low level." Just then, he stared at me for a while before turning to the lion. "It''s only a theory, but I''m guessing she has an abysmal [DEF] in exchange for power and [SPD] in contrast to the male''s [STR] and [DEF]. Think you can buff me with one of your [Life] spells and throw a [Fire Ball] to blind it?" "Just so you know, my [Gift of Strength] is a bit weaker at the moment," I remind him. "That''s enough for me. Punch it!" I''m still worried about the handicap. But considering he''s playing the game since the beta, I won''t complain about it. I cast the [Gift of Strength] to Lawrence and still following his orders, I cast another [Fire Ball] on her eyes. After that, I''ll leave everything else to Lawrence. "Aim below her jaws, sir!" I call out after recalling my attempt. "Got it!" I backed away while watching Lawrence throw a punch at the part I suggested. "[Rising Dragon Punch]!" I gasped when I saw the lion fly up with a single uppercut skill. When he said he converted most of his character data from the beta, he wasn''t kidding. If he could make a monster fly with a single punch, I wonder if it''s the same with his other skills. This begs the question of how he managed to keep his character since the official release without breaking the game. Back at the battle, Lawrence jumps at a great height thanks to his hindlegs and proceeds to throw every punch, scratch, and kick at the poor lion. What''s more shocking is that he charges a large amount of red aura in his right paw just as the lion starts to fall back to the ground. "[FLYING KICK]!!!" My jaw almost dropped as Lawrence''s said kick connected with the lion''s gut before the crashed back down to the ground. Dust quickly spread around the forest battlefield as I covered my eyes from it. After a while, I open them and gasp to see the werewolf player standing above the monster seemingly triumphantly. He seemed to growl from exhaustion, yet he was still frowning for some reason. Besides, it looked like she only has a few [HP] currently on red right now. "Should you finish it?" I asked. "Yeah. That skill has an annoying lag time after that. Too bad I didn''t trigger a critical again." Lawrence flashes his claws and raises them at the monster. "Either way, it''s the end for you, la-" [ROOOOAAAAAARRRRR!!!] I covered my ears as her ear-splitting roar echoed through the forest. This is so sudden. The [Invisible Lion] I know didn''t have that attack from the players'' statements from the forums. Is this an ability that only the female ones can use? "Heads up, kid!" I gasp as I turn around and see the lion charging towards me. Her body is now covered in a red aura and her claws are enveloped in a black aura. Despite the aggro Lawrence gathered for himself, it suddenly shifts her attention to me and I doubt I can dodge or block it in time from its increased speed. I don''t know if it''s the heat of the moment or out of desperation, but just as she got closer to attack me, I twisted my body and threw my right foot to her muzzle in a roundhouse kick. My counterattack hits and while I feel an intense pain in my leg, the strength from my current level seems to be enough to barely break her jaw.
[HP: 204/1090]
I''m surprised at the changes in her [HP]. While it''s still weak, the damage I dealt before has doubled, and not only that...
[You have [Stunned] the [Invisible Lady Lion] for 10 seconds.]
I didn''t expect that a basic attack was enough to incapacitate her for a few seconds. Even so, it''s enough to turn things around. But I''m not the one who will finish it. "Mr. Lawrence!" I call out before I back away from the monster. "You''re finished!" He raises his clawed hand in a position similar to a lance with his eyes aimed at its neck. "Say hello to your hubby for me. [LUNAR BURST]!!!" With a small explosion of a white aura and a quick thrust, his claws went through the lion''s chest and I watched her eyes grow lifeless while her [HP] went down to 0. [You and have defeated the [Invisible Lady Lion].] As soon as the notice appears, the carcass explodes in items and [Lapi]. I let out a big sigh as I collapsed on the ground while still reeling at the recoil from my kick. "Nice job, kid. A bit reckless, but I''m impressed at your bravery." "Yeah, yeah." I take a few breaths to regain my composure. "But I am never facing a higher-level monster like that again. I might get a worse penalty than the previous ones." Lawrence chuckled. "At least you''re self-aware. Still, if it wasn''t for you, the village lives for another day. Speaking of which, where''s..." [LOWRY!!!] We turn as soon we hear Claw''s voice. Alongside him were not only the guards from the village but also Fenrir. [We heard about the [Invisible Lion] from the trainees. Is the young marked safe?] Fenrir asked. "Yep. Though barely in one piece." I frown at his slightly snarky remark. "But if it wasn''t for him, the village would have faced a bigger threat than one lion. I would explain more, but we need to give this kid a well-deserved first-aid." Fenrir approached me and took a closer look at my body. [I understand. We''ll talk about this once we get the details sorted out. Guards, help the two adventurers back to the villagers!] [Yes, sir!] I let the guards help me up and escort them back with some of them helping Lawrence. After everything we endured from that unexpected encounter, a bit of rest sounds nice. But just as I could close my eyes to do that, I noticed some new notifications that would give me some gray hairs afterward.
[NOTICE]
[Because you chose to rely on strength rather than magic to protect, the moon has granted you the power and knowledge of the wolf.] [You have gained the [Martial Arts Mastery]. Please replace a [Mastery] to obtain it.] [You also gained the [Physical Enhancement Mastery].]
[4 days until the full moon...]
Chapter 19: Changing Proficiency The aftermath of the [Invisible Lion] was a bit uneventful. None of the trainees were injured and encountered the monster thanks to Lawrence''s timely warning. As for Claw and the others, they managed to warn his father on time and gathered his men to rescue us. It wasn''t a waste for them to come since without them, we wouldn''t be able to go back from the fight and tend to our injuries afterward. While Lawrence managed to beat both of the lions with ease, he still had to be treated by the healer. I know it''s not much, but it would be a lie if I saw him as an unstoppable [Lycan] player of all [Isekai]. On the bright side, my team managed to secure the [Wild Boars] we hunted before we fled from the forest. A skewed priority, sure. But at least this hunt wasn''t ruined to dust by those lions. As for me, I was the only one who got injured in that fight. Granted, I have to blame my recklessness and my low-level character for that. But I made a sacrifice that gave Claw, Christa, and Kai a chance to warn the village and distract the female lion before Lawrence''s arrival. I could just heal my wounds through my [Life] spells and potions, but this game has a small penalty when your [HP] is yellow or below outside of battles and playing the game for too long. Not to mention letting everyone else worry about me. Either way, I learned my lesson and I have to think twice if I dare do that dangerous stunt again. On the bright side, I need to rest for a few in-game hours before I can resume physical activities not unlike the sickness, not that I can complain about it. That aside, I still need to process my rewards after that fight. Other than a few rare drops, I obtained a few [Masteries] in my belt.
[Martial Arts] [Known as the disciples of body and soul, warriors who possess this [Weapon Mastery] abstain from any kind of weaponry for their bare fists and feet. By focusing their inner energy on them, they can turn them into powerful weapons that can decimate an armed army.]
[Physical Enhancement] [Focusing solely on physical strength, this [Talent Mastery] enhances your body to its peak performance. From enhancing speed and agility to breaking the limits of your body, it will turn a simple peasant into one of the strongest warriors of .]
[Martial Arts], I can understand since I spent a few days practicing and training it. But [Physical Enhancement]?! This is a big boon since I need some boosts when it comes to physical attacks. But at the same time, it''s a bit worrying. I heard that if you get either [Physical Enhancement] or [Magical Affinity], your [STR] or [INT] will go down in exchange for its benefits. So what happens if I get both of them? Well, that''s something I have to figure out later. Now, [Martial Arts] is another issue. I managed to get it without wasting a [Mastery Point], but it has a condition that I have to replace one of my existing [Masteries]. An odd condition, but I have a few complaints about it. With my [Starter Dagger] already broken from the fight, I doubt I have any use with the [Dagger Mastery] any longer. Besides, how the hell am I going to use a weapon that reminds me of my kitchen knife I always drop back home? After deciding on the [Mastery], I take one more look at my current set.
[Mastery]
[Martial Arts] Level 1 [Fire] Level 6 [Life] Level 6 [Physical Enhancement] Level 1 [Magical Affinity] Level 6 [Alchemy] Level 9 [Scribe] Level 7 [Magecrafting] Level 1
I''m not sure about this set. But I won''t find out if I stay idle. For now, I''ll just rest up for the in-game night and restore my [HP].
[We''re so sorry for getting in your way, Mr. Lowry!] I awkwardly chuckle as I find myself surrounded by flowers and wooden gifts given by my now-former NPC party mates on my bed. I get they''re guilty about last night, but I think this is a bit too much of an apology gift. "Hey, no need to apologize. You may be reckless to face the [Invisible Lion], but you made the right decision to listen to me." [But we didn''t do anything...] I put my finger on Claw''s lips to stop him and said, "I told you. You don''t need to use force to protect a village. Through communication and teamwork, you will become a great village leader like your father." [Lowry...] Oh, boy. The little [Lycan] starts to bawl. Even as a future guard, he''s still a young kid. "Anyways... Have you guys seen Lawrence?" I asked. [He just left the healer''s house to meet up with Claw''s father,] Christa answered. [But what about you, Mr. Lowry? Are you okay after last night?] I check my stats to see if she''s right. "Yep. I stayed home, no sneak-aways. Like I ever tried to do that in my current condition." I sheepishly chuckle since that''s all true. The only time I "got out" of bed was when I had to stretch my legs and get some hydration. "Don''t worry, a few [Health Potions] and I''m ready to get back on my feet." [Wow, that''s awesome to hear, Mr. Lowry! You''re much stronger than any [Insignis] we ever met.] I raised my eyebrow the moment Kai mentioned that race. Did he mean that he and possibly, other villagers met other [Insignis] before? [Alright, you two. I think we pestered him long enough. Let''s give him space for him to rest.] Christa turned to me next. [Thanks again for your help on the hunt and the lion, Mr. Lowry.] The trainees went out of the room with Christa pushing the boys out of my room while I waved goodbye to them. They really are good kids. I hope they can develop more than trainees if the rumors about the game''s AI are true.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
[Your relationship with , , and have improved.]
Huh. That''s a bit sudden. I''m a bit confused by this sudden notification. But it''s not like I can find out by staring at the window for 1 hour. I better head out and stretch my limbs now that I''m fully recovered from last night''s lion incident.
In a quiet caf¨¦ in the streets of a certain city, a young man was wiping the counter while the older man brewed a variety of coffee. He groaned as he finished cleaning and just as he went back to the kitchen, he stopped when he heard a few murmurs behind him. "Geez, look at her go. Trying to clean the counter with an apron with a skirt." "Hey, Hayley! Where''s your maid outfit? It''s much better than an apron and a suit!" The young man growled as the voices turned into laughter. He thought he would avoid those insults and mockery after moving out from his mother and high school graduation. He thought he would have a fun-filled college life with his friends. Alas, a perfect life didn''t exist and reality is a fickle concept. And in this modern reality, not everyone can accept people like him. If anything, he was seen as a freak because of what he was. Just thinking about it made him want to crawl into a ditch and... "Don''t listen to them, bud." The young man''s eyes widened and turned to see the same man carrying two paper cups of coffee in both hands. His mouth trembled as he uttered one word. "Dad..." The older man smiled before gingerly putting down the cups on the counter. "I get you''re frustrated with those kinds of people. But you will gain nothing if you retaliate or let them beat you down. Not everyone can understand what it means to be you. A unique person that cuts above the rest. Don''t forget some people accept you for who you are. You can never please anyone by forcing them to do so." The young man sighed. "Tell that to her..." "Now, now... Let''s not go to that topic. Besides, we don''t want to bring down the atmosphere from our conversation," his father said. "I''ll take care of them. Until then, how about you wash some dishes?" "Alright..." The young man''s father left him while carrying the tray of coffee to the cat callers. Without turning back, he went inside the kitchen and as he shut the door behind him, he let out a growl of frustration. "[Isekai] or real life, there''s no escaping the loop of discrimination and harassment," he muttered. "If only I could step into their shoes, maybe I wouldn''t born who I was..."
[LEVEL UP]
I stop my training for a while to catch my breath. I''ve only been in the training hall for an hour now and yet, I made great progress compared to the [Fire Mastery] for an hour and a half on my first day, during which I had trouble due to the long incantations and manual aiming. But for [Martial Arts], I managed to level it up to 4 for half an hour and I''m almost at Level 5 soon. Still, I''m surprised that the village training hall has the same function as the one from . You can test out your skills and train them until Level 5. I thought I would get stuck at 1 after getting [Martial Arts], but it seems like the game read my mind. Thanks to that, I learn a few things about [Martial Arts] beyond the information from official sites and wikis. And boy, I was shocked that I learned it''s more than an unarmed [Mastery]. It seems that this one is focused on combos along with strength and speed. By connecting any combination of skills, I can pull off a massive amount of damage along with other effects that would benefit me and deter my opponents. It''s easy to master, but hard to learn the correct combos. It would take a big brain to memorize them and a great timing. I guess my training won''t end at Level 5 until I get the basics done. [Oh! Good morning, young cub!] I turn around to see Fenrir before I respond with a respectful bow. "Good morning, Master. Sorry for using the facilities without your permission." [Nonsense! You''re already a trainee for our humble village. You''re free to use the training hall anytime as long you take care of your health. Speaking of which, how are you today?] I smile while rotating my right arm. "I''m fully rested and ready to go! Don''t worry, I stayed in bed and followed the healer''s instructions." [That''s great to hear. I''m just relieved you didn''t get some grievous injuries from that fight yesterday. [Invisible Lions] can be hard to deal with even with a couple.] I chuckle dryly at that late realization. "Well, that aside, can you answer a few questions while you''re here?" [Sure! What do you want to know?] Without going through the gameplay lingo, I told him about the changes in my body after I woke up. [I see. So you forgot how to wield a dagger properly, but your strength has grown tenfold when fighting against the lion. Is that correct?] I nodded. "To be honest, I don''t miss my dagger skills. I''m already clumsy with a kitchen knife anyway." [I won''t blame you. Judging by your movements earlier, you have a knack when it comes to martial arts. And that''s rare even for a magic-focused race like [Insignis].] "Yeah. But it''s still strange. How I forgot a skill for another..." [That''s somehow normal for a [Lycan]. In some cases, most of us never give up our proficiency in weapons and rather forget the ones we tend to neglect. Sometimes, it''s the opposite effect. Regardless, it''s only a small sacrifice as you can learn them again in the near future. Our lessons with basic [Martial Arts] is a small compensation for the mark when that time comes.] Yeah. As if I have enough money to replace my broken [Starter Dagger], so it''s a blessing in disguise. [As for your strength, it seems like you''re getting closer to your first change. It''s normal at this time of day before the full moon. However, the only thing I''m surprised to see is your quick progress in [Martial Arts]. If you keep this up, maybe you can master the [Swift Style] someday.] I smiled at his compliment. "That''s enough for me to not stop training then." [Just don''t push yourself. We have some trainees who overworked themselves to the bone and there is a punishment for those who neglect their health.] I chuckle again. I rather not do that when it comes to my writing and studies. Having Bryan scolding me for it is enough punishment for me. [Speaking of which, now that you gained the strength of the wolf, I think you''re ready to join in with the hunt.] The hunt?! Wait, as in he lets me out of the village to hunt monsters?! "S-Seriously?! But I haven''t mastered [Swift Style] yet and my transformation is only in a few days." [But that doesn''t mean you earned the right as an adventurer before our meeting and your mark. Winter is almost here and we do need more hands to gather some meat and pelt for the villagers. You still have to stay within the borders of the village, so you don''t have to worry about rampaging outside. Don''t worry, I''ll let Lawrence know to make sure you won''t get lost.] I smiled. It''s not only the game. I''m glad the village leader is very considerate of my current conditions. "Thank you very much, Fenrir. But you didn''t do all of that. I feel like..." [That you''re taking advantage of our kindness? Nonsense! You saved our village twice now, if not thrice with your potions. That''s more than enough to give back. It''s not only a give-and-take offer. After everything you''ve been through, we want to make sure you have a great second chance with us. Plus, I haven''t got the chance to say thank you for saving my son and my wife would say the same in the heavens. So... Thank you from both of us.] Fenrir... I guess it''s not just zeros and ones that motivated him to help me with my first transformation. "You''re welcome, Fenrir." I stretched my limbs and took a deep breath. "I''ll finish up my training here first. As for equipment, I doubt I can get something since I can only fight with my fists, right?" [True. But I suggest you should wrap your arms with a [Wool Bandage] first to give you a bit of protection from the recoil of every punch. I''ll lend you one and while it''s optional, it''s best if you get yourself a pair of gauntlets against monsters or opponents with armor once your income is stable.] "Right. Thanks for the tips, Fenrir." Fenrir nodded. [Don''t mention it. I should leave you alone. If you want, I''ll let you see some important people that will help you after your first change. I''ll explain more if you''re interested. I''ll be at the village hall tomorrow morning.] I nodded and said, "Alright. See you then." Fenrir waved before he left the training hall. Well, it''s only 3 days left in the game. So I might as well spend this mastering my newfound [Masteries]. If it all goes well, maybe I can cast some spells while fighting with my fists.
[3 days left until the full moon...]
Chapter 20: Second Hunting Preparations [Bark!] Heh... You seemed energetic today. [Woof!] Wow. You''re acting more like a dog than a wolf. [Grrr?] No offense though. Anyway, you seemed to be in high spirits today. Are you getting antsy for my first transformation? [Woof!] Yeah. I''m also nervous, too. I don''t know what will happen next after that. But I know this is only the beginning. [Grr...] The [Mind Link] feature is a controversial feature even in . I''m not sure what will change afterward. But I have to expect the unexpected. And if something bad happens to me with it, well... Let''s burn the bridge if we get there. Not that you understood what I said anyway. [Bark! Bark!] Yeah, I should get back to "sleep". I just want to see you and if I don''t, I will be very guilty. [Grrrr...] Yeah, I don''t like to leave you alone for too long. This is the downside of being a dog person. [Bark!] Anyway, be a good boy while I''m back to reality. See you! [Woof!]
[You have turned on [Sleep Mode] for 20 minutes.]
I yawned and stretched my arms as I got up from bed. It''s almost midnight and other than hunting practice, I did nothing but train my [Martial Arts] and communicate with my inner wolf in the game. I should be in bed for work tomorrow, but I need one more in-game day. After that, it''s a rest day in [Isekai] and back to work with my asshole of a boss. RIIINNNNGGG!!! Of course. I know who wants to call me at this time. I pick up my smartphone and answer it. "And you said I''m supposed to take it easy, Bryan. What do want now?" "I doubt you''re going to be in , but it has been chaotic while you''re gone!" I groaned. "Is it Savior again? I thought I made sure I didn''t say anything related to my current location." "Don''t worry. It''s not related to him this time and BTW, he''s still pissed in the game after he scrambled to reorganize his guild, No, you still remembered about those two players who cleared the [Hidden Quest] in ? Well, players found them and they''re on a frenzy trying to find them." I dryly chuckle. "Another good reason not to go back to civilization. Is that all you can tell me? I can guess that some of Savior''s goons are in the mix, too, huh?" "Yep. But seriously, are you planning to go back to that shitty job again? I can tell you''re burning the midnight oil again and I''m worried about your mental health. There''s no reason to stay with that asshole for long." Of course, he had to point that out. "It''s half day today and after that, I''m back home doing [Isekai] the rest of the day. You already know my reasons. Until I find another job that fits my current schedule, I can''t leave right now." "Yeah, yeah. I guess I can''t convince you otherwise no matter what I said. But don''t take this the wrong way. As a friend, I''m worried about your well-being. I won''t repeat myself, but be careful, okay?" I smiled. "I will. Thanks for looking out for me as usual, Bryan." "No problem. I''ll leave you to it tonight. I''ll call you later." I turned it off once he dropped the call. He sounded like a broken record at this point, but I appreciate his concerns. The economy in these times is frustrating and the job hunt in New York is frustratingly difficult this season. Having a miracle would be nice, but only if I can endure more of my boss''s unnecessary orders. But enough about real life, I need to hydrate and get back for the last few hours in the game.
I yawned after logging back from [Sleep Mode]. God, I think the pain from hours of training yesterday finally caught up to me. I think I''ve gone too far with my experiments. At least I still have the energy to move my legs. Although, I felt a bit famished lately. I shouldn''t skip meals before bed. I growled in frustration as I stretched my legs from the bed. Wait, growl? That''s not like me. Not only that, I sound like a dog growling. Is it because the full moon is getting closer? I''m guessing I''m not only transforming physically but also mentally due to the [Mind Link]. I''m a bit unsure of what will I become, but all I can do is prepare myself for the worst. But then, I made a big realization.
[What will happen to your clothes when you transform?] I nodded sheepishly after I asked that question to Fenrir once I arrived at the village hall. "To tell you the truth, weapons aren''t the only items I can''t afford at the moment." Fenrir hummed. [Obviously, they would rip away. A werewolf wouldn''t fit into a [Human''s] clothes let alone from an [Insignis]. On the bright side, your pants are always spared, so no need to fret about your birthday suit.] I chuckle at that inevitable fate. Too bad I will get in trouble if I go nude in this T-rated game. [But don''t worry. We''re not going to the shop to buy some clothing this early.] I widen my eyes. I thought we''re gonna do just that. "We''re not?" [Nope. Just follow me and you''ll find out.] Okay? Might as well take his word and follow him for now.
As we went inside a small building, my eyes widened and my jaw dropped. Unlike the other buildings in the village, there are two rooms close to each other. One seems to be a forge complete with an anvil and a collection of hammers hanging on the wall and another is covered in curtains. When we entered through the latter, I saw several clothes hanging on the many racks surrounding a sewing machine and two tables filled with sewing equipment. [Hey, ! Are you home?] Fenrir called out. [I brought the new marked as I promised!] Mellie, huh? So is she in charge of this room? [Coming, Fen!] A woman with bright burning ginger long hair entered the room. While she is wearing the same leather vest and boots made of pelt the villagers were wearing, she is wearing a blue cardigan and white skirt, which seem to match her golden eyes. [Oh! So that''s him, huh?] The woman named Mellie stared at me while walking a bit closer. [Lowry, huh? You look a bit scrawny than what Fenrir described.] Scrawny?! I don''t know if I''m offended or confused by her remark. [Sorry, it''s been a while since we met an [Insignis]. As Fen said, the name''s Mellie. I''m the sole seamstress of who created the villagers'' much-needed clothes for winter and possible untimely changes. I will be in charge of your new outfit after your first change.] New outfit?! Seriously?! And I only mentioned it to Fenrir a few minutes ago. "Are you sure? I don''t know if I can afford a commission right now." Besides, do NPCs can do a custom item commission? [Don''t be a worrywart, little cub. I heard from Fen that you saved the village from that nasty [Invisible Lion]. Just think of it both as a welcome gift to the fold and a present for all your hard work.] Mellie grabbed something like a measuring tape from the table. [Of course, I don''t just need some measurements. I can''t make any promises with the current materials I have, but I''ll see what I can do. And if you bring some extras, I''ll take them as payment instead.]If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Well, talk about generosity. That''s something I don''t want to take advantage of. Even if she and Fenrir are NPCs, they are too kind to live in this virtual world. Which is another reason why I''m not leaving this village so soon. Is it stupid for me to care about a fictional village? Yes. Should I care what everyone says? No. The whole point of this game is to play whatever you want, however you want. "Alright. I don''t want to ignore a present anyway. Plus, I don''t want to run naked afterward." [That''s good to hear, kid. Now stand still. I need exact measurements before I can begin.] I understood what she meant. I tried to stay still so she could measure my body. But I realized something. "One more question. What happens if I transform again into my new clothes? No offense, but would that defeat the purpose of your gift?" To my surprise, Mellie chuckled and said, [Just trust me. I assure you that you will get the best outfit fit for a [Lycan] adventurer.] I''m not sure what she meant, but I''ll take her word for it. With that, I raised my arms and let her do the rest.
It took a few in-game hours, but I''m finally free from measuring hell. But if it all goes well for the village seamstress, it''s worth it. Afterward, Fenrir and I walked to the village gate together and I began asking him questions. "I''m curious about Mellie, sir. There''s a forge near her shop. Is it possible that she... Uh... You know..." [Do you mean her wife?] I widen my eyes at the unexpected revelation. "Her wife?!" [Yeah. I get that reaction a lot. Outside of her forge, she looked like any petite [Lycan]. But see her fire it up and you can see why they call her the "Fiery Beast Smith" of ,] Fenrir explained. [Though I recommend not saying that in front of her. She''s very sensitive when it comes to that topic and her appearance.] As soon as I shook off my shock, I realized what Fenrir meant. "O-Oh! Oh no. I don''t say it in a mean way. I''m surprised there are some same-sex couples in this village." [Well, they''re not the first ones. Are you the same?] I shook my head. "Not exactly. But I''m a bit indecisive about my sexuality. I do know that I''m not interested in making romantic relationships. Everyone says it''s not right. But I rather focus on myself than stress on a forced relationship." [Hmmm... An aromantic, huh? I get where you came from. But you''re right about one thing. Everyone has a right to pursue romance or not. It depends on their preference and it''s up to them whether they have a same interest with you. Romance is everything, but you can seek love through other means. Never forget what it means to love and express your emotions.] I chuckled. "For a village leader, you have some good relationship advice." Fenrir also chuckled. [You can say I got that from my wife.] "Hey, you two!" We turn around and see Lawrence waiting near the gate. He waved at us with a big smile as we walked closer to him. "I heard from Fenrir that you''re gonna hunt solo this time. Are you sure you''re gonna be alright after what happened the day before yesterday?" I nod with a smile. "I rested and trained enough. I think I''m ready to test out what I learned in the field." [I suggest you should hunt some [Horned Rabbits] and [Wild Boars] not very far from the village. I think you''re strong enough to deal with them on your own. Of course, if all goes wrong, Lawrence will be there to protect you from the shadows.] "That''s right!" Lawrence flashed a thumbs-up to me. "I''ll make sure that no [Invisible Lion] will disrupt your hunting session." I don''t know if it''s possible, but I appreciate the gesture. "Thank you, Lawrence. Well, we''re off!" [Stay safe, you two.] With a nod of assurance to Fenrir, we head out of the village to start my first solo hunt since the mark. It''s only a walk away as I recalled from the hunting practice and with my enhanced endurance from my [Physical Enhancement], I have no issues of exhausting myself too early. "So, Lowry..." Lawrence suddenly spoke up. "I don''t mean to pry into your real-life privacy, but what do you do on the weekends? From what I know about you so far, you''re not the type to play [Isekai] all day." I know there is a "stranger danger" rule on the internet, but it doesn''t hurt to tell him. Besides, I''m already dreading it for later. "Part-time work if I''m not busy with my projects. Although I''m thinking about resigning there." As expected, Lawrence''s eyes widened once I answered his question. "Resign? Did something happen in your workplace recently?" "More like every day. I had a boss who only cared about himself and some female part-timers. Not only that, he often threw too much work on my plate and most of the time, I work during the holidays and school projects!" I growled in frustration, not knowing until too late that I was acting like a real wolf. "I swear, that asshole has the gall to harass me to work until I''m reduced into a raisin!" "Wow. I heard of bad bosses on TV, but that takes the cake. But why didn''t you quit early? You should have done so if you noticed that type of workplace abuse." I sighed as I briefly calmed down. "That''s the thing. Finding another job in New York sucks and if I don''t get a stable income at the end of the year, I''m doomed to live homeless. You know how much rent I can only afford with my current budget. And don''t get me started on my college tuition fees." After telling him all of that, I noticed that we were getting closer to our destination. It''s not like my problems will be solved by venting them to someone else. "Then how about working for me?" I stopped walking once I heard that sudden offer. "Excuse me?!" "You said you lived in New York, right? It just so happens that I''m looking for extra help in my caf¨¦. Of course, I won''t tell you full details due to rules and laws. If you lend me your Discourse name, I''ll tell you more if you''re interested." I almost choke at this. This is a huge coincidence to learn that Lawrence is a caf¨¦ manager in real life, but I never expected him to offer me a job so suddenly. "I-I appreciate your offer, but..." "Ah! No need to say it. I feel like I was a bit too direct on my offer. I apologize for that. So how about this?" I watched him open up his menu and a few seconds later, I saw a new ping that I got a new PM from him. "I gave you my Discourse name instead. Again, if you''re interested, just let me know there." I''m still having mixed feelings about this. But I appreciate the second method. At least he cleared up some misunderstandings before I can make some bad assumptions about his RL life. "I''ll try. Thanks anyway."
Eventually, we reached the clearing and I equipped the weapon Fenrir lent me before our visit with the village seamstress.
[Wool Bandage] [A roll of bandage made of wool. While it''s not a good alternative for a gauntlet, it protects your fist from the recoil of your punches. Effects: +9 ATK Quality: 7]
Fenrir wasn''t kidding about this gauntlet. Then again, it could be worse. "Alright. I will be observing you from afar as per our agreement. If you need help, just give me a holler at the whisper chat," Lawrence said as he was about to leave. "I''ll keep that in mind, sir. I''ll be in touch." We exchanged nods of silent agreement afterward as I let him go to do his in-game job. With Lawrence patrolling around for any high-level monsters, I have no worries about being ambushed by another [Invisible Lion] again. All that''s left now is to begin the hunt in earnest. Looking around the clearing from behind a bush, I can see 2 [Wild Boars] roaming around the area. So far, they haven''t noticed my presence yet, so that''s good news. The only issue is that I''m now fighting alone. So that means I can''t replicate the plan from the hunting practice with Claw, Christa, and Kai. On the other hand, I don''t have the disadvantage of having low [Weapon Mastery] due to lack of training. The question now is how should I use them properly. I''m using a [Mastery] I have never seen in practice on video and I only have a limited amount of skills available, so I can''t take full advantage of its combo feature. For now, I cast [Gift of Strength] on myself first and try to find an opening. I can''t take on two [Wild Boars] at the same time, so I might as well isolate them first. ¡°Spirits of flames, show yourselves! Erect the shield of flames to deter my enemies! [Fire Wall]!¡± With a flick of my wrist, I erect the wall between the boars. That way, the boar won''t even dare to approach me while I''m dealing with another. With that, I can start the hunt in earnest. ¡°Spirits of flames, show yourselves! Bring the fire from my heart and help me gather it into my hand! [Fire Ball]!" As if I''m throwing a baseball for the win, I threw the [Fire Ball] to the back of the first [Wild Boar]. As expected, it''s enough to agitate him to draw out its aggro towards me. But rather than luring it away, I got out of the bush and stood my ground. While I can''t use the full capabilities of [Martial Arts] yet, I did earn a skill that is perfect for a beginner like me. I let the boar charge closer and closer to me. Once it did, I smirked and assumed my position. "[Power Attack]!" I punched the boar''s snout with most of my strength and to my surprise, it flew away and hit the tree behind it. I can''t believe it... I know it''s not high enough to fly off like a rocket, but I didn''t expect how my [Physical Enhancement] could increase my [STR] tenfold. Not only that, I managed to chip off about 15% of its [HP] with just one skill alone. If that''s enough to make me realize my abilities as a [Lycan], I don''t know what does. [SQQQUUUEEEELLLL!!!] Well, I didn''t say I kill it in one blow, so I better finish this up before the [Fire Wall] is gone. Still, I can''t help but smile at my new achievement. Hell, I feel like my excitement is heating up at the thought of fighting the [Wild Boars]. It''s like I''m excited to kill these suckers. Damn... What am I thinking?! Why am I starting to like killing monsters like it''s a game?! (Okay... It is a video game, but still...) Then again, there''s a time and place to resist these strange urgings. I need to take care of them right now before they can turn me into a crash dummy. I can tell from their eyes that they are ready to kill me. That''s something that makes me pump up, so why not stop? I ready my fists as I grin at my new opponents. "Bring it, you pigs."
[Lowry''s Masteries]
[Martial Arts] Level 5 [Fire] Level 5 [Life] Level 6 [Physical Enhancement] Level 2 [Magical Affinity] Level 5 [Alchemy] Level 8 [Scribe] Level 7 [Magecrafting] Level 1
[2 days until the full moon...]
Chapter 21: Solo Hunting Ring! Ring! Wow. I''ve only called twice now and Harley is still late picking up his phone. Normally, I would call Lucas before him to see if he can edit a few chapters in his spare time. But with exams coming up and him seeming to be occupied with (judging from his Discourse status alone), we have to take a bit of a hiatus to focus on the former. Of course, I''m not only worried about ourselves. Normally, Harley calls us to scold us for not studying seriously. But lately, he seemed quiet for some reason. If it''s because of them, I''ll never forgive those jerks! "Hey, are you planning to waste your data on me, Kessler?" I flinch upon hearing his sassy tone on the phone. Maybe I spoke too soon. "Sorry, Harley. But you haven''t been calling us lately. Knowing you, you always act like an overbearing father during exam week," I said through the speaker as I slaved away with business basic reference books. "Yeah, sorry to be your overbearing Dad, Kessler. But yeah, for real, I''m sorry about the silence," Harley answered with a sigh. "We''ve been dealing with a rush lately and it didn''t make any better that my Mom will come back to New York for the next two weeks." I widen my eyes at the mention of his mother. "Are you kidding?! Do you want to deal with her? You told us before that..." "It doesn''t matter. Even if I say no, there is no way she will change her mind. Besides, with how serious I am with my fashion major, it''s only a matter of time until I have to turn to her for recommendations." I groaned. Is he really serious about that last part? "Still, I doubt you need a recommendation. You''re already a talented designer and you had a few As in your previous projects. Besides, you have us as your supporters. You can''t rely on your mother after everything you''ve been through." It''s not an exaggeration. I have known Harley since middle school and compared to Lucas''s woes with David, his personal issues are more harsher due to his unique circumstances. I wish I could tell him otherwise, but not even Lucas can talk him out of it when it comes to his family. "I told you, I''ll be alright, Brycen. If I want to get into the fashion industry, then I have to take the risk. Just...don''t mention this to Lucas. He will go ballistic when he finds out." God, when he said it like that, that means he''s dead serious. Looks like that''s something he can''t control on his end. "Fine. But if he finds out, it''s all on you. Just...DM us when things go wrong," I relented. "Whatever happens, Lucas and I are right by your side. Don''t forget that." "A-Alright. And...thank you for listening to my unreasonable request." I hear Harley sigh again. "Just don''t forget your studies and not focus too much on your writing as always, Kessler." I smiled. That''s the Harley I know. "Right. I''ll see you later." And with that, I drop the call. Honestly, he''s making a senseless risk here. I don''t know much about his mother beyond our first encounter during high school, but I''m genuinely worried about him. And with our promise to keep this to ourselves, lying to Lucas is enough to make my stomach churn. Honestly, I could have done better as his friend. If I had some backbone, I would have the heart to convince him otherwise. Yeah, as if the werewolf fan who is squeamish with body horror is enough to change his mind...
"[Power Attack]!" I screamed before throwing another strong punch to the [Wild Boar]. This time, it stood its ground to prevent itself from flying away like earlier. I''m guessing my previous [Power Attack] makes it aware of my unnatural [Lycan] strength. That should give me a bit of an advantage now that it''s on the defensive. After that, it will take about 30 seconds for it to charge up before a power tackle is enough to chip my health down to red. Before that happens, I charge in to get close and begin my assault. First, a left punch, a right... Then another left, right uppercut, right kick, a roundhouse left kick... Now, a left [Jab] followed by an upper right kick... Even without the skills, as long as my basic attacks connect, they will increase their [ATK] power with every successful hit. So accuracy and agility are the keys to this bout. I continue my assault and when it''s [HP] gone down to red, I quickly back away just as the boar prepares for a special charge attack. Unlike other attacks, it uses its [Enraged] state for a one-time use of its powerful charge tackle. It''s enough to break a shield or a [Mana Shield] spell, but you can still dodge it with the right timing. I slowly back away as it prepares to charge at me and when it did... ¡°Spirits of flames, show yourselves! Erect the shield of flames to deter my enemies!¡± I jumped up and aimed my arm at where I was standing. "[Fire Wall]!" With a wall of flames up to replace me, I land behind the boar just as it charges right onto a rock boulder behind me and I rush up behind it. "And now... [Power Attack]!" I thrust my right fist on the boar''s back like a stone brick and I can hear a few bones cracking and the boar squeal.
[You have defeated a [Wild Boar].]
Alright. That''s one down. Now for the second and a bit of good timing, too. Because I noticed the second one rushing behind me after killing the first. I quickly side-step to the right followed up with a quick [Jab] once it''s within striking range. It''s only a standard skill that requires no vocal activation unlike other skills in [Isekai], but it has the advantage of low cooldowns along with its connection with basic attacks. After that, I threw another right [Jab] and a [Power Attack] left roundhouse kick. Now that I think about it, the more I continue fighting the boar, the more I enjoy the thrill of it. The danger, the risks I have to take to gain an advantage... I can never get that from fighting from the sidelines as a supporter! I know this is my Mind Link-induced bestial instincts talking, but I just get enough of it! [SQUEALLLL!!!!] Whoops, I almost got caught up in my bloodlust that I forgot that the boar''s [HP] is almost at the red. I better finish this quickly. ¡°Spirits of life, hear my call! Give my ally the strength from your power! [Gift of Strength]!¡± I jumped back away from the [Wild Boar] before applying the buff to myself again. This guy will use its power charge attack again the moment its [HP] turns red. Before that happens, I charge in first before I [Jab] its lower jaw.
[CRITICAL!]
[You have [Stunned] the [Wild Boar] for 5 seconds.]
Nice! A critical to the weak point means a 50% [Stun]! Which means it won''t be able to dodge my next attack. "[Power Attack]!" I focused my right leg for a charged upper kick to its gut to trap it in mid-air. Once the boar is up, I jump and throw all of my punches and kicks as fast as I can. I didn''t stop attacking as I watched its [HP] go down. I''m not giving this little piggy any rest. I''m gonna keep up with my punches until you''re going down! "You are done! [Power Attack]!" With one last punch, I thrust my fist onto the boar and watched it fly down to the ground. I grinned as dust seemingly exploded upon impact as I hear its squeal fading. But then, I slowly realized what I had done once I saw a crater underneath the cloud of dust. Damn... Did I just pull that off in one go without any rest? I didn''t cast any spells on the second boar and yet, I beat it with my bare hands. Not only that, I seemed like I was enjoying the whole fight while hearing the boars squeal in pain. If I continue to lose myself there, what would happen if I end up targeting any nearby friendly players and NPCs? God, the [Lycan] transformation can be scary sometimes...
[You have defeated the [Wild Boar].]
Oh, right. The drops! I did get a special feature exclusively for this [Sub-Race] after I completed the hunting practice portion of the [Hidden Quest].
[HUNTING NOTICE]
[You currently hunted 2 [Wild Boars]. Do you want to keep the carcass or receive your loot?]The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. [If you choose to keep the carcass of the monster, you need to deliver it to the village butcher for the item drops first.] [YES] [NO]
One difference between a normal battle and a [Hunt] is that I get double the loot than the usual drops I''m getting with a higher chance of obtaining a rare item. The only catch is that I have to carry the monster''s carcass on hand back to the village. Which means I have to protect it from any unwanted robbers who might spoil it. I can store around 3 carcasses in my inventory, but I have to carry the excess if I want more. According to Lawrence, I can get more storage if I continue to hunt, so I should not slack off if I don''t want to get burdened with too many carcasses. For now, I''ll store the 2 boars in my inventory. [You have stored 2 [Wild Boar Carcasses].] [You only have 1 [Monster Carcass] slot left.] Alright. I should hunt one more [Wild Boar] and move on with some smaller monsters in the area. [SQUEALLLL!!!] Speak of the devil, looks like the chaos from the fight lured in another! Time for me to... [SQUEALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!] It''s huge!!! Forget the sharp tusks! This boar is five times bigger than a normal [Wild Boar]! This must be the [Rampaging Boar], the leader of the [Wild Boars]. It''s not as high-level as an [Invisible Lion], but it''s high [ATK] and [DEF] makes it too frustrating to solo it. Looking at my current stats, I''m still no match against it despite my [Martial Arts] leveling up from the last two monsters. I should flee and get away before it notices me. Wait, why am I thinking about running?! Am I here to hunt and grind to level up my [Masteries], right?! Looking at that big guy closely, he looks a bit powerful. Powerful enough to test my abilities before the full moon. Isn''t this a great opportunity to test my limits with my new abilities? There''s a growing urge in me that I have to keep going. I have to keep fighting if I want to get stronger. Much stronger to keep up with Fenrir and Lawrence! I look up and see that the boar is now staring at me. I can''t suppress my wild side any longer! [SQUEALLLLL!!!] "Yeah, yeah! I heard you!" I cracked my knuckles and a grin on my face. "If you want a fight, then I''ll give you one! Get ready to be my dinner, Mr. Piggy!" ----- I yawned and stretched my legs after transforming back. It''s been about 1 IG hour and a half since I started my patrol in the forest. I''ve been a bit paranoid since the [Invisible Lion] incident. With a couple appearing near the village, there''s a chance MVP monsters might appear out of nowhere without a warning. Now that I have that knowledge, the village guards aren''t enough to safeguard every NPC there. But with me as the only known [Lycan] player in the game right now, I don''t know if I can handle most of them on my own. If that kid gets lucky, he might help me lighten the load for their sake. Yet I wish there were more [Lycans] other than me and Lowry. It would take a miracle for us to find more willing players lucky enough to stumble with that [Hidden Quest]. Speaking of Lowry, he''s been silent for a while. He doesn''t seem to contact me through whisper or DM, yet the indicator on my friend list still labels him "online". I know he might be busy with his hunt, but I should check in with him just in case. I already got his scent after we friended each other, so I might be able to track him down. I rush through the forest to follow it. But when I arrived, my eyes widened at what I saw. "[Power Attack]!" [KWEEE!!!] "[Power Attack]!" [KWEEEEE!!!] "[POWER ATTACK]!!!" [KWEEWEWEEEE!!!] Well... He''s very busy, alright. I didn''t expect him to be too gung-ho so soon. By the looks of it, it seems like he attracted a bunch of [Horned Rabbits''] aggro. But seeing the kid beating them up with his fists is downright ridiculous and terrifying to see a marked kid. Well, he said he was a college kid, but him looking like a psycho kid is much scarier than mine when he''s cranky in the mornings. [KWEEEEEEE!!!!] It looks like the number of [Horned Rabbits] is getting fewer. So I decided to jump down from the cliff to check up on him. "Oh! Mr. Lawrence!" The kid punched another rabbit before continuing. "Didn''t expect you to finish your patrol so soon." Huh. One minute, he looked like a crazed beast massacring those rabbits. Now he had gone back to his calm, rational self in a flip of a hat. It''s only 2 days left and I''m surprised at his self-control from the mental effects of the [Mind Link]. I''m a bit impressed, yet I''m also concerned about his wellbeing. "Uh.. Yeah. No lions in sight. Looks like we got an unlucky spawn near the . Either it''s a bug that the devs need to fix in the next patch or something is up." Lowry starts humming in thought. "What do you mean? I mean, there''s a lot of [Invisible Lion] sightings lately. I thought it might be a bug." I shook my head and frowned. "That''s true. But this is a different ballpark compared to other MMOs you played. The game''s AI tends to randomly generate some events that might lead to a [Hidden Quest] or something bigger than that. The sightings might be a hint that there is more than that." I can hear him gasping at my theory. "Are you saying this isn''t the end of those lions?!" "It may or may not be. Either way, if we neglect the signs, we might endanger the villagers. There''s also a chance that and the players might get involved in this event. I suggest you keep your guard up and get stronger when the time comes. Also, there''s a rabbit at your 6." I let him deal with the rabbit for a while as I kept thinking about the lions. I sound like a paranoid loon right now. But after my adventures with that sage, there''s a chance history may repeat itself in the public servers soon and I don''t want Lowry to remain ignorant of the hidden facts of [Isekai] any longer if we want to avoid major consequences. "Alright. I got the gist of it. I''m still trying to pull the pieces together with the gameplay and secrets, but I''ll try to heed your advice soon." Looks like I don''t need to elaborate further. He really is a brilliant prodigy. "Good. Now to change the subject... How was your hunt?" "Surprisingly well. I hunted a few [Wild Boars] earlier," Lowry answered. "And also..." He suddenly reaches into his inventory. I''m expecting that he hunted some snakes or goblins along the way. But then, he starts to struggle trying to pull something out of the portal. I almost asked him what it was. It wasn''t until he managed to take it out after a while that I dropped my jaw upon seeing a large boar the size of a cottage. "I kinda got lucky to hunt this big guy." "Kinda"?! I almost had a real heart attack seeing this dead fellow beaten by a single-digit player! "You mean you hunted a [Rampaging Boar] all by yourself? I know you''re slowly becoming a [Lycan], but not even a mark currently in their transformation phase can''t defeat it all on their own." "I know. That''s why I took an hour memorizing its attack pattern and won the war of attrition through weak points and lucky strikes. Although, it cost me a lot of [HP Potions] and [Roast Meat] to get back on my feet after the battle." Damn... So a fighter and a patient strategist with a hint of recklessness. He does remind me of a certain sage... "That''s great to hear. But hate to be a Dowry Downer, but what are you going to do with all of these [Horned Rabbit Carcasses]?" Looking around, the kid''s surrounded by a lot of dead rabbits. I knew most of the players (including me) hated the [Horned Rabbits] for how they were harassing them and ambushing them when they least expected to. But I think this is hatred to another level! "Crap... I already used all slots for the [Wild Boars] and [Rampaging Boar]! Oh, man... I must have hunted too many rabbits than I wanted to have!" I watched the kid groan in frustration before collapsing on the ground with his hands on his head. "I can''t carry all of these rabbits by myself! Lowry, you are such a dumb airhead!" I sheepishly chuckle upon seeing her overdramatic reaction. "Hey, calm down, kid. If you want, I''ll help you carry those rabbits for you." "R-Really? Thank you so much, Lawrence! I really need it." He really does. Looks like underneath his rational seriousness lies a passionate player who may make a few mistakes from their excitement. He reminds me of my kid''s friend they kept raving about. I grabbed as many carcasses as I could carry and joined Lowry on our journey back to the village. "Still, I''m surprised how you managed to defeat the [Rampaging Boar] on your own," I commented. "If you keep this up, then you might join the ranks of the village guards or mercenaries." "I would like to ask the differences, but I''ll save that question for later," Lowry said as he rubbed his backhand holding a rabbit on his forehead. "For some reason, I feel a bit under the weather after fighting those rabbits and boars." "Then it looks like the full moon is getting closer. It''s normal for a marked to feel a bit sick hours before it. It''s a bit annoying since it only occurs in the game, but you should endure it a bit longer," I explained. "It would be better if you find out tomorrow in-game." He sighed and said, "I''m guessing convincing you is out of option, huh? Fine, I guess it''s better to surprise myself." "Good. And one more thing..." "Hm?" "When will you sleep soon? It''s almost 3 AM in real time." I wish I could prolong this conversation. But he did mention about his part-time job. Also, I don''t want him to be sleep-deprived from playing [Isekai] for too long. "WHAT?! Dammit, then we need to hurry back! God, I''m going to be dead*ss tired if I don''t get back to my real bed!" Lowry then ran out before I could add anything else. "Hey, be careful with those carcasses! The butcher doesn''t like it if you don''t carry them with care!" Well, it''s not like I can stop him. I simply sigh and try to catch up at a decent pace. Lowry, the [Insignis] player. Just like his [Race], he is truly an intelligent young man. But what''s different between him and the sage is that he is willing to get physical if magic and knowledge aren''t enough to solve a problem. I''m guessing he and that eager mage kid are no mere coincidences. The real question is how much change they will make an impact on the game. I can''t wait to find out.
[Lowry''s Mastery]
[Martial Arts] Level 8 [Fire] Level 6 [Life] Level 7 [Physical Enhancement] Level 4 [Magical Affinity] Level 6 [Alchemy] Level 9 [Scribe] Level 7 [Magecrafting] Level 1
[1 day until the full moon...]
Chapter 22L Mercy Encounter Ugh... The sick feeling Lawrence mentioned was somehow worse than the [Weakness Sickness] in the first few days after being bitten. But being drowsy while working at my workplace in real life is even worse. Maybe I should have taken Bryan''s advice more seriously. Until then, I have to suck it up and make sure that my deadbeat boss won''t find... "There you are, Lowell!" ...out. Great, I''m only entering the general store and I already got his stink-eye. But for some reason, we''re not alone. Not only a few employees are surprisingly present, but they''re staring at me like I did a crime or something. No, it''s not only that. Along with my boss and so-called colleagues stood a familiar face sneering down at me. Of course, one of David''s goons had to be involved in this gathering. "At least you have the gall to show your face at this time. Besides, you have a new colleague here," the boss grinned. "This is Eric. Says that you and him go way back." Of course, I recognize his smug face! He''s David''s right-hand man who can never leave his side singing praises to that bastard. Knowing them, I have a feeling they got their dirty hands on his dodgy recruitment. "Since you knew him, you''re in charge of giving the newbie some pointers! Make sure you don''t shriek off your work afterward. Lacy told me she would be taking a break with me tomorrow night. Hehehehe..." Those bastards...! That''s his dumb and obvious excuse to goof around with the female workers! Even worse, they only care more about piling more work on me than worrying about the boss''s lecherous behavior and my important priorities. Adding Eric to the mix meant trouble for me and my sleep schedule... "Now get back to work!" Dammit... I didn''t get to say a word about this. Knowing David, he must have bribed the boss so he had his goons torture me even during work hours. How far will they go until they stomp out all of my dreams and hopes for the future?! "Happy to work with you, "senpai"!" Eric cackled and smacked my back before he headed to who knows where. I have a feeling he''s gonna slack off than being serious at this job. Either way, I am suffering and I need help...
It took about 6 hours, but I managed to survive the hellhole known as a part-time store worker. Despite that, Eric spent almost the whole time harassing and subtly mocking me from behind. He''s never gonna stop until I punch him in annoyance or something that would make me fired from my job early. I guess he''s also pissed about the incident since I was the one who tried to stab him and later got wiped by Lawrence and Fenrir. Right now, it''s only an hour away until my shift''s done. Unfortunately, Eric threw most of the inventory job to me like with the boss and some unruly colleagues. Namely, I have to carry all of these boxes into the storage by myself. I can''t get a break, will I? "Do you need some help?" I looked up when I heard a deep baritone voice while I was carrying another box. Then, I gasped to see a man smiling at me. He looked like any other customer I saw except his black short hair and narrow gray eyes reminded me of a certain someone I know. "Uh... No. Customers aren''t allowed at the back. I''ll take care of this." He looks nice to be concerned about me, but I already have enough troubles to share for one day. "All of that by yourself?" The middle-aged man looked around the area before turning back to me. "Seems like it will be impossible for you to finish the task on your own before nightfall. No matter what you say, there''s no way I won''t leave you alone with all of these dreaded boxes." And he starts picking up the boxes before I have a say in this. Then again, he''s right about one thing. If I''m stuck here hauling my ass with them, there''s no way I can get to [Isekai] on time for the in-game full moon. Besides, those bastards are already giving me grief with more chores 2 hours before my shift''s over. "Alright... I''m only saying that because my boss will blame me for letting a customer help me with my job." "I can tell. You seem exhausted from it and no one is here to help you lighten the burden," the man said while he placed two boxes in the storage. "If you ask me, that''s the poor way to manage a store." I raised my eyebrow. "I wish that''s the case... Not like everyone will believe me even if I post a video online." "Why the doubt, kid? I feel like you''re beating yourself up because a few bad apples see you as useless. If anything, you''re a diligent worker who is determined to see things through no matter the obstacle you will face." I quietly chuckle at his exaggerated compliment. "First off, I''m 18 years old. Second, one of them has connections to someone willing to put me down over a petty motive. Even if I work hard, chances are he will ruin my hard work, and not even a viral video can save me." The man sighed. "I get you''re worried about your harassers. But as my friend just stated recently, hiding behind a mask for so long out of cowardice will lead you to stagnation. If you want to move forward, then find a solid motivation to do it." I widened my eyes when I heard those words coming out of his mouth. "Huh. You remind me of the guy that helped me get through my problems. Only he''s an NPC from a fantasy video game I''m currently playing." "Oh? Is that man a village leader of a werewolf village?" I almost drop the box upon hearing that. "And not to pry, but is that game the same one that everyone''s raving about? A VRMMO called ?" And I dropped another box. This time, the man managed to pick it up and put it at the back. This gives me time to process his words before making an undeniable conclusion. "Wait, are you telling me...?" But the man quickly covered my mouth after putting another box and said, "How about we discuss it over a drink later? I think you can take care of the rest from here, correct?" I wish he could tell me more right now. But he''s right. I need to finish this before the boss finds out I got help. I silently nodded to him as he went out of the store before I went back to work.
It only took about 30 more minutes to finish transferring the boxes, but I managed to finish it long enough to take a break and grab a drink (with no employee discount no thanks to my stingy boss). I ran out and to my surprise, the man who helped me was there drinking a can of coffee of the same brand as mine. Regardless, I joined him and opened my can to take a sip. "Well... I knew how shitty your work life was from your descriptions alone. But I never thought you were working in those poor conditions under an exploitative manager, kid." At least he has the decency to avoid calling me by my in-game name. "You have no idea. If you think working with that asshole was worse, try working with a bully''s minion in the same workplace." I take another sip of my canned coffee and let out a sigh. "By the way, how did you know I''m... You know..." "If I tell you I''m a mind reader, would you believe me?" As if. I roll my eyes at that clich¨¦ joke. "Alright, alright. I won''t goof around. To be honest, I didn''t know you were the player behind that character. I was passing by getting some snacks for my kid when I saw you struggling with those boxes," The player behind Lawrence explained. "When I noticed you doubting yourself and complaining about the green-eyed guy with earrings, I was reminded of your character. I shrug it off because both of you have different heights and it''s a bit of a pain to recognize you because of your [Race''s] physical appearance. Your reactions when I mentioned Fenrir''s words from his stories about his first encounter with you are the straws that break my hill of skepticism." Okay, true. Though I''m not proud of the fact I barely copied my real-life self into my character. Other than the [Insignis''s] white hair and blue eyes, I only changed my height to make myself a bit of a wallflower kid. And I doubt I''m a great protagonist for a story.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "So it''s a bit of a coincidence running into each other, huh? I don''t know if fate is giving me mercy for all of the shit I''ve been through for almost my whole life." "Truth is stranger than fiction, kid. You never know what you can expect outside of the VRMMO world. But to me, I feel like this is a great opportunity for both of us." I gulp down the rest of the coffee. "But I didn''t reply through Discourse yet. And like I said, I''m still having budget issues and I need to stabilize before resigning." The Lawrence player slowly sipped his coffee and hummed. "Either way, there''s no way for you to continue working part-time in this establishment. If you continue to make excuses..." I froze when he said that "e" word. "...then I won''t do anything to move forward. I know... But still..." The man looks at me for a while. I guess I''m relapsing back to my cowardly self thanks to those two. Ugh... This is another part of myself I hate so much. "Then how about an incentive?" My eyes widen when I see him grinning weirdly. "Incentive? And will you stop grinning like that? It''s creeping me out!" "Hehe... Sorry, force of habit. But how about we''ll make a bet? It''s going to be a full moon at [Isekai] in a few hours, so I feel like you might do something that other players might do the same." I raise my eyebrow. What he''s offering that gives me a reason to switch jobs?
I sighed in big relief as I found myself back in my apartment. I can see the dark blue sky with a few stars shining outside my window. I thought I couldn''t come back here after 8. But thanks to Lawrence''s player, I managed to finish my work on time. It''s a shame I didn''t get his real name. But both of us need to respect our privacies and he told me he will tell me when the time comes. For now, it''s almost Day 6 before the full moon in [Isekai]. So I take a bath, change clothes, and prepare my dinner. After all of that, I went to my bed and accessed the [Browser Room] through the [VeilCon]. I do need to study for the exams soon and I have a feeling I can''t go to sleep in real life on time after today''s play session. Besides, with the possibility of the [Mind Link] messing me up in the game, who knows what will happen during the full moon? So I boot it up and open my usual workstation... And I was met with a new email with a familiar email address.
To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Oh, Lowell...
Hey. I know you''re still playing . You may put yourself invisible in my friend list, but I know you''re not the type to quit the game after one failed dungeon run. I suggest you meet up in if we want to keep this partnership "amicable". Unless you don''t want to be the one to blame on the other newbies here. Of course, he had to resort to subtle threats. If this is another level of pettiness, then I don''t know what does. Although there is a chance my ban from the outside world will be lifted after the full moon, so there''s a high chance I can''t ignore him and [Viper''s Fangs] any longer. But that''s one burning bridge I have to cross someday. There''s another message. This time, there are three new replies in the private Discourse group DM.
[LycanFanatic: Yo, Mask! Don''t push yourself too hard on your part-time job! If you need help or give that bastard a piece of his mind, LMK!] [StylishYetDangerous: Lycan told me to send a message to you because he''s worried about you. Then again, you always have issues with your part-time job lately.] [StylishYetDangerous: You should listen to Lycan and try not to beat yourself up because of your boss. We''re here for you.]
Bryan... Harley... I guess those two really got my back despite our tomfoolery with each other. I guess I shouldn''t ignore their advice for my sake. Right now, it''s exams or bust for the next hour.
I yawned as I got up from my bed in the guest room. Ugh... The sick feeling came back after I logged back in. Looks like this will go away after the full moon, so I have to get used to it. At least it''s a small sacrifice to pay after working my ass off with my studies. I should head out and find Fenrir downstairs... At least that''s the plan until a sharp pain suddenly invaded my head. It''s too unbearable for me to endure and I can''t seem to endure it. I clutch my head and collapse on my knees while trying not to scream from it. Dammit, not right now! I already suffered enough from my part-time thanks to Eric and my no-good boss! [Oh, hello there!] [Morning, Diana! So nice to see you!] Huh? Why am I starting to hear voices all of a sudden? [Kai! I know you got my dagger! I''m gonna tell Mom on you!] [Just for a while! I''m trying to make something for her and Dad before the full moon.] That''s Kai and Christa''s voices! They don''t sound like I''m hearing their inner thoughts... [DAD!!! HAVE YOU SEEN MY SHEATHE?!] "Argh! Too loud!" That one is definitely Claw''s. I know he hasn''t left for training yet. But if I can hear his voice loud enough to almost break my eardrums... Then again, I am becoming a werewolf-inspired [Sub-Race]. I already gained the strength and instincts of it, so it wouldn''t be a surprise if the next one was the wolf''s senses. I still think that werewolves having enhanced hearing is a bit exaggerated from real-life wolves. Despite my bias, I''m not complaining about how it applies to the [Lycanthropes] in the game world. Besides, it might have some uses if I can control it. All I have to do is take a deep breath and focus my hearing so I can''t listen to everyone in the village at once. It only took a few minutes, but I managed to deafen the voices low enough to get back into my headspace. Now that I think about it, there is another ability that most werewolves in most media have. I took a quick sniff in the air. And I quickly regret it. "ACK! That stinks! Was coming from me or someone else?! And who''s burning meat around here?!" Okay... Maybe the simulation of smell here might be too much for my poor brain. I closed my eyes again and just like with my hearing, I tried to focus my senses on one single point. Only this time, I slow down my breathing so I don''t take all of the scents at once.
[NOTICE]
[You have gained the ears and nose of the wolf! You have gained the [Hunting Mastery]!]
Well, this is a surprise. I guess that means I managed to control my enhanced senses. Still, I didn''t expect to learn the [Hunting Mastery] like this. It''s normally reserved for hunter and scout-type characters and now I have it in the form of my werewolf senses. This is going to help me in the long run! [Lowry?] My thoughts broke as soon as I turned to see Fenrir and his son entering my temporary abode. [We heard some racket here. Has something happened?] Right. Since they''re [Lycans], they must have heard my sensory overload moment. "Sorry. But I kinda got overwhelmed with my newfound hearing and smell. That''s not something I experienced every day." Claw''s eyes perk up. [Are you saying you now have the wolf''s ears and nose?! That''s awesome, Mr. Lowry!] Fenrir then nodded and said, [With the full moon now on the horizon, you''re one step closer to becoming one of us, young cub. It also means you will start to succumb to your inner wolf soon.] I raise my eyebrow. I get I''m going to become a half-wolf tomorrow, but I''m a bit lost at his last statement. "What do you mean? I thought I just have to let my inner wolf take the reins and my consciousness will be out for a while during the full moon." [Ah... It''s more than a temporary loss of self, cub. As your mind shifts along with your body, your thoughts will begin to flip around as you grow accustomed to your transformation. On your first night, you cannot tell who is your ally or enemy and you are only driven by your instincts as your human thoughts are completely buried in your mind. It''s tempting to resist so you can have a small semblance of control in your new form. But my advice for you is to succumb to your instincts. Never resist the wolf inside you and let it run wild. If you do, then your transformation will be much more difficult for you in the long run.] I see where he''s getting at. Looking back, my inner wolf wants nothing more than to roam around the world and hurt anyone in their vicinity. I trust them not to hurt anyone but the monsters in my feral state and I know Fenrir is going to do everything in his power to protect the village from myself. "I understand. I will be in your care for tomorrow, Master." I bowed to Fenrir with great respect. [I''m sure you will, young cub.] Claw then flashes a thumbs-up and a big grin. [I know you will become a great [Lycan], Lowry!] I hope I will. Until then, I''m gonna use my spare time to try to prepare for the inevitable.
[Lowry''s Masteries]
[Martial Arts] Level 8 [Fire] Level 6 [Life] Level 7 [Physical Enhancement] Level 4 [Magical Affinity] Level 6 [Hunting] Level [Alchemy] Level 9 [Scribe] Level 7 [Magecrafting] Level 1
[The full moon is coming...]