Phew... I could never get tired of that event. I already got used to it since I've been doing it ever since the beta. But I can't say the same to the young man. During the [Lycan's] first transformation, they can't adjust the pain threshold to its default setting and cannot log out or use [Sleep Mode] during the transformation event. After that, they're completely under the [Mind Link's] influence until the full moon is complete. However, they couldn't tell friends and enemies apart in this state. They did adjust the latter after the beta test, but I still worry about his mental well-being in his wolf form. If it wasn't for this enclosure, I would have worried that he might attack other players outside the village.
[So that's the young cub's new form? I didn't expect his new wolf form to turn out to be a silver variant.]
Looking at the kid's wolf form more closely, one of the guards who helped me observe Lowry's first transformation has a point. I was expecting him to have light blue fur, but I was shocked to see it was silver instead. And he seemed to be bigger than his [Insignis] form. Maybe there's something special about him or was it connected to his unique [Race]?
[Well, it's the first we encountered an [Insignis] Marked in our village,] another guard said. [Now we know the leader's attention to him wasn't all biased.]
[I don't know. He is a type to dote any Marked like his own children, not just with his son.]
[You're just saying that because you've only been bitten by the potion healer!]
[Are you calling me a liar?!]
[No, I just think you're jealous!]
And that's my cue to step in.
"Enough! If you brawl under my watch, maybe I'll send you two back to the village to keep an eye on the healer! And you know how grumpy she is during the full moon!"
And I wasn't kidding. I visited her the other full moon night and she wasn't holding back on her scoldings...and her massages.
[Ugh... Please no...]
[Anyone but her, please!]
I huffed. "Then you should start doing your job rather than playing the blame game." I turned around and noticed the kid started to move into the deeper part of the enclosure. "The kid's on the move. Let's head in before we lose him."
Without making a sound, we quietly follow the transformed young man through the bushes. We're still able to track him down with our eyes, but we have to keep him close so we won't lose him.
[Player: Lyco]
"Man! That last boss wasn't easy for us to beat without Savior, but we did it!"
"Yeah. But it's a bit different from the ones we found in our first run. Must be randomized, I guess. But as long we get some extra EXP and loot from the [Treasure Room], I'm not complaining."
"It's not like we get anything from that dead*ss spirit monster anyway. Hahahahaha!"
Damn it! Those guys never change... Looks like they got some new fresh meat at their party, too. Still, I didn't expect them to get here soon. Thank god Fenrir let me hide in a cave nearby.
[You and the young [Insignis] are right. It seemed like they hadn't learned from their first invasion attempt.]
No counters there. "Hey, Fenrir. What do those spirit monsters you've mentioned look like? Are they the same monster living near the shrine?"
[Not exactly. They're simply evil spirits who tend to haunt the shrine out of grief and malice. Most of them were [Lycans] who were killed from their rampages or sometimes, mistaken as monsters by other folks outside.]
Why did he say that with a laidback tone?
"So no spirit is the same every day?"
[Yes. I feel like the one they fought might be a [Lycan] criminal who tends to brag about his non-existent strength against me.]
Again, why did he say it like he doesn't care?!
"So what now? Should we take the treasure for ourselves?" I quickly turn my attention back to the [Viper Fangs]. "The leader isn't here, though."
"He said to do whatever he want, but we should leave the more powerful equipment for him and the others. It should be enough to regain our strength."
Fenrir grimaced and turned to me. [Looks like it's our cue, kid. Are you ready?]
I frowned and nodded at him. "I'm not confident in defeating Sien at the moment." I drew out my rifle. "But I'll try."
[Then on my count...]
[Player: Sien]
Hehehe... Another [Dungeon Boss] in the bag. Man, I'm the best! Well, I'm second to Save, but it's still enough for me to stand as one of the [Vice Captains] of [Viper Fangs]. I'm a bit frustrated that most of the treasures here will be given to him and the others. But after what that Lowry *ssh*le did to us, we barely got back on our feet without our high-level equipment. Hell, my sister is still pissed that he was the only one who didn't get fooled with her charms. But don't worry. Second time's a charm and we're not going to lose our prize again!
"Should we check out the contents before we grab them?"
"Later. For now, time to take ou-"
"[Static Burst]!"
What the f*ck?! I turned around and saw one of us got hit with some kind of [Thunder] attack. Don't tell me there's another traitor with the newbies?!
"Keep an eye on the newbies! They might ha-"
"[Tempest Blow]!"
Before I could finish, a tornado suddenly surrounded the entire [Treasure Room]. It's not strong enough, but I'm not risking my [HP] to get out of here. Besides, I recognize this skill combo anywhere.
"I don't recall you being in our party."
I turned around and just as I suspected, a brunette-haired man wearing glasses who seemed to be older than us came out from the bushes. He's wearing that tacky brown leather coat and aimed his rifle at us. I didn't expect him to break his promise not to bother us, let alone follow us. But I know he's not part of our current party and if he did, I would have kicked him out right away.
"Hope you don't mind. I was in the neighborhood and wanted to tag along with your lackey," Lyco snarked. "But I'm surprised. You of all people are willing to desecrate a shrine for your greed."
"Shrine?" I laughed. "You sound like that traitor just now."
"I guess what Lowry said is true. I don't care about your excuses and lies about him. What you're doing is going to create a large ripple that will affect the whole game world!"
I groaned in frustration. "I take it back. You're on that traitor's side. He might not be online, but he has a big mouth offline."
"I'm serious, Sien!
Again?! I swear, Lyco and Lowry are like broken records. Why do I care about the events that will happen after we get the loot? I mean, this is a [Dungeon]. Why does he keep acting like it's the end of the world?
"What makes you think taking the treasures here is enough to end the world, huh? We can just kill it once we get our guild up and running again. Besides, this is only a game. Why do even care about story mode and other useless sh*t?"
"What?!"
Oh... Looks like that's enough to make him rile up. He's also the real stickler when it comes to bedtime stories he wrote online.
"Look around you, Ly. Everything is data made to create a fantasy playground where we become the strongest! Who cares about the repeating NPCs and their sh*tty rewards? In this game, the strongest will reign supreme and we will become the best and most powerful guild of all [Isekai] under Savior's rule!" I declared under the image of Savior and I ruled under those low-leveled newbies under our feet. "As for you, what can you do in this game? Stay with your stupid [Wind] spells and toy guns? You kept raving about werewolves, but you're squeamish when it comes to gore, right?"
"S-Shut it! That has nothing to do with the shrine!"
"Ha! Are you making that excuse so you can get all of the treasures by yourself? Or are you still hiding from Lowry that you lied about being a werewolf otaku just to hide your stupid fear?"
"Would you shut up?!"
He raises his rifle right in front of us. Ha! He's too predictable sometimes. Without that traitor, he's an easy picking. Guess there is a benefit to his disappearance in the game.
"Ooh... What are you going to do? PK us?" I mockingly waved my arms like I was threatened. "You do realize that you will be labeled as a murderer by the city guards. Not that it matters since you're way under-level to do that. Not to mention the traitor isn't here to help you like a pawn."
"Don't test my patience, Sien! Back away or I'll shoot!"
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
I grinned once I saw tears forming in his eyes. "Then what are you waiting for? Unless you don't want your friends to know you will throw up at the sight of meat."
"I TOLD YOU T-"
[I heard enough.]
Huh? Was there someone else with him? That doesn't sound like that traitor. No matter, it might be another one of his pathetic friends.
At least that's what I thought until the figure behind Lyco turns out to be a big werewolf in leather armor! WTF?! He looked like a [Beast Folk], but he had a blue crystal instead of green. So how the hell did that guy meet that strange NPC in the first place?!
[I heard from these humans that you were infamous for recruiting na?ve newcomers into your fray. I can tell from your aura and [Mana] in your bodies that you are all powerful warriors and mages in your own right. That's something I might commend you as a fellow warrior.]
Huh... So he's only here to compliment the guild? Well, I may not be a guild leader, but I'm very fla-
[However, that doesn't mean I have to condone your actions for stealing the treasures of our village shrine and putting down the young lad's weaknesses.]
...What did that mutt say?!
[You keep mocking him because of your perceived notions regarding his dislikes. And while you also called him the "traitor's" pawn, you were no different with how you treated those new adventurers. Unless you were projecting yourselves to this young lad who did nothing but defend my home. To me, you're no adventurer's guild, but a band of bandits who thought nothing but themselves.]
Bandits?! That monster saw us as bandits! Who does he think he is?!
"What makes you say that, you big mutt?! Do you know who we are?!" I screamed. "Besides, if you think we [Humans] are bandits, then it's no different to that pushover beside you."
It does make sense. That NPC is nothing more than bits of data that can do nothing but repeat sentences and respond to pre-set answers. There's no way he can answer that complicated sentence.
But then, the werewolf NPC started to laugh.
[Pushover? Do you mean this nice fellow over here?] The werewolf strangely grinned while pointing to the said weakling. [Well, this "pushover" did nothing but help me with my daily chores for my village. Unlike you, he never shows any strength. Yet he showed me his true heart to me. That's something you selfish bastards will never show to me.]
What?! That's not how they're going to respond! Why does he keep supporting that pushover?! What's wrong with this game?!
[If I want to compare your guild, then I can see you more as heartless monsters than us.]
...What?
Is that NPC mocking me?! Is he mocking [Viper Fangs]?! How dare he raise his word against us?!
So I have to penalize this bastard so we can get to the treasure?! Dammit! He's going to be sorry for challenging us!
"Fine... You want to do this the hard way, huh?" I pull out my daggers as I hear my associates do the same. "Then you'll be sorry once you learn the true power of the [Viper Fangs]!"
[Player: Lyco]
I was surprised when turned to see Fenrir coming out from bushes, something that I didn't expect from an NPC who can turn into a monster. Not only that, he didn't hesitate to cheer me up when I almost pissed at Sien's dumb claims about me. He didn't even question what they were talking about and defended me at my lowest. He kinda reminds me of an older version of Lowry.
Well, now I know the truth. These guys won't listen to the facts and Lowry almost got PKed to protect this shrine. And now, I'm in the same position as I was against these jerks. I don't know if I can beat Sien in a 1-on-1 fight, but at least I got some NPC backup. This time, I won't back down from his insults!
"Sir, I'm going to fight from afar. I can only do so much with my guns," I warned Fenrir.
[Alright. I trust you will back me up, kid. Don't die on me!]
Fenrir let out a howl almost enough to make my ears burst and started mowing down Sien's men. I didn't know how to react to this. On one hand, a high-level werewolf monster attacked all of the [Viper Fangs] but me. But on the other, I'm teaming up with one. Looks like I have no worries fighting Sien with his help. But I still need to be careful. Sien might not be as powerful as Savior, but he has some tricks up to his sleeve. I should take care of some buffs first.
“Spirit of Sylph, I ask for your aid. Grant me the power of the wind to outrun and defeat my opponents! [Bluster Speed]!”
I threw the spell at Fenrir and as expected, his movements became much faster as he continued his assault on the guild.
"No fair, Lyco! You buffed a monster!"
"Bastard! I'm going to k- GRAGGGGHH!!!"
Before long, one of the damage dealers was penalized by Fenrir's claws. "I didn't expect this power you gave me. But be careful, young man!"
Glad he liked it. I guess I should jump in next. While [Wind] is known as the weakest [Magic Affinity] in the meta, it's still useful when it comes to utility and buffs. While I'm no Lowry as a supporter, it's good enough for a marksman character like mine.
“Spirit of Sylph, hear our call. Trap our enemies into the gale of storms and imbue our weaponry with your blessings!” I raise my arm to gather wind above me. "[Tempest Blow]!"
I threw the spell onto the ground and let it explode into a small tornado that surrounded the whole area. This way, both of us have the elemental advantage against them. It's not a lot on my end, but it's enough to put myself on Sien's level.
"Do you expect that little trick of yours is enough to beat the second-in-command of [Viper Fangs], Ly?!" Sien called out before twirling his daggers. "Well, you're sadly mistaken!"
That is true. However, seeing him with his "signature" twin daggers lets me confirm what I've been suspecting after watching him show them off to the public. Because as he starts charging toward me, I aim my rifle at his leg.
"[Fire Burst]."
With a pull of the trigger, I fire an elemental bullet to his leg. He barely dodged it, but since it still dealt some damage, there was still splash damage as I watched flames from the blast spread to some players nearby.
"OW!!! What the hell?!"
"Are you trying to kill us over here?!"
Judging by Sien's annoyance on his face, it means it's working. I get what he's trying to do with those daggers. However, there is a penalty when wielding two weapons at once. While it gives you additional basic attack damage to your target, it halves the attack power and speed as a penalty. This is to ensure no abuse of that fighting style. Not like he and [Viper Fangs] knew about it. And with his halved speed, it gave me enough reaction to attack and move away before he could reach me.
"[Mana Burst]!"
I fired another bullet to his other leg. This time, it's an [Arcane] bullet that has more power than a normal bullet. It's even enough to deal a bit of damage on Sien as it makes a clean hit this time.
"GRAAAGGGHHH!!! You b*st*rd!!!"
I smirked as he started cursing in censored expletives. He can brag about his association with Savior in real life, but his gaming skills are too poor to be even called a so-called second-in-command of his dumb guild. However, there is still his high-level equipment and those nasty premium items from the cash shop. If I lower my guard at the wrong moment, I'm dead. This might bite me, but I have to take the risk to take away his advantages first.
"[Static Break]!"
With a [Thunder] bullet shot out from my rifle, it hit his wrist and I watched him drop one of his daggers from the effects of the skill. And it's not just any other dagger. That one has a small chance to paralyze me if I get stabbed by it and without it for a minute, I can deal with him without his OP daggers annoying me with status conditions. Just one more [Mana Burst] and...
"[Knife Toss]!"
Before I fired the skill, another knife flew in and stabbed through my right arm. Just as I noticed this, I suddenly felt a sharp pain spreading in my body.
WTF?! A throwing knife that can inflict poison?! And by the looks of the fading knife, I'm guessing it's no crafting or ammunition bought from a general store. How many times did he have to rely on cash shop items to fight for him?!
"You son of a b*tch... Do you really think you can [Disarm] me with your petty moves? Besides, we haven't ignored a lesson from our last defeat against those damn werewolves."
I tried to keep my knees up as Sien inched closer to me. But when I looked up, I gasped to see that while many players were penalized, I noticed the werewolf NPC was also on his knees with the higher-leveled players aiming their arrows and blades at him.
[Barbarians... Using those forbidden weapons against my kind!] He growled at his attackers.
"Forbidden? You mean useful against beast-type monsters like you," Sien sneered. "It's a waste of money, but it's worth it in the end. Maybe we can buy them again if we run into your brown-haired werewolf friend again."
Crap... I can tell from Fenrir's eyes that he doesn't like Sien's underhanded tactics, too. [You won't get away with this!]
"And who will stop us? You and that weakling over there. Speaking of which..." Sien started approaching me while I tried to stand up. "I'll have to PK you first so you have no way of interfering with our incoming achievements ever again! And tell Lowry that if he doesn't show his face in
Dammit! Come on, legs! Why can't you respond already?! I don't have any condition that freezes my legs completely. But it seems like I might not be able to get up on time as Sien puts his daggers around my neck. It seems like I've reached my limit...
I'm sorry, Lowry. But I guess I can't defend this place that you worked so hard to defend from [Viper Fangs'] stupidity...
GRAAAARGGGGHHH!!!
"Huh?! What was that?!"
I have no idea. But the sudden growl from the distance somehow saved me at the last moment as I noticed Sien removing the dagger from my neck.
"But that's impossible. That monster hasn't howled for his friends during the fight!" One of his partymates called out.
"What the hell does that mean?! Are you saying there's a sudden event happening or something?!"
My eyes widened at what was coming from behind them. Everyone starts to back away as a large monstrous figure is growling while coming out from the trees. What's shocking about this monster is it has bluish-silver fur wearing teared-up brown shorts and golden yellow eyes glowing in the darkness.
[N-No...]
Huh? Did Fenrir say something? I turned around and to my surprise, his yellow eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost.
[But that's impossible! He shouldn't be here!]
"What? What's the matter, sir?!" I asked. "Is it one of the dangerous monsters here?"
[No, it's the opposite. He's supposed to be a friend of mine. But...]
I want to tell him to cut to the chase. But when I turned to see the silver monster approaching us, he uttered a few words that shocked me.
[He hasn't controlled his new form yet! Which means he can't tell which one of us is a friend and foe,] Fenrir panickly explained. [And if we don't get everyone out of the shrine, he's going to kill all of us!]
Kill...all of us?! Just who is that monster?!
Before I could ask him who was that werewolf, he suddenly howled almost enough to break my eardrums. I raise my rifle just as he starts charging at us...
Then he ran right through us and when I turned around, he pounced on the [Viper Fangs] members who were about to ambush me and the ones attacking Fenrir. I quickly run to his side as we stare at the so-called monster and continue its rampage at the other targets.
"Can't control his form, huh?" I snarked. "For some reason, he seemed to see us as allies and Sien and his lackeys as enemies."
[I'm relieved to witness his sudden judgment. But I didn't expect him to retain some semblance of sanity in his first transformation,] Fenrir explained. [It's as if he completely the moon's blessing as his own.]
Seriously?! I didn't know that kind of monster existed.