Chapter 54

When they exited the inn, Crag turned and locked the door, held a hand over his eyes, and hurried toward the northern corner of the square. Leon looked on as the old man took a turn into a street he’d never noticed before. That was… odd.

And where was Finn? Considering the man locked the door, he must have been sure no one else was in the building. Was he and Ava still at Margaret’s inn?

“Okay…” Red sighed and pushed her hair under the collar of her black shirt, concealing most of the port-wine stain. “That was weird.”

“Yeah.”

She sat on the stairs and sighed. “Guess we’ll just have to wait.” Then she looked at him. “What did you want to ask me, anyway?”

Leon crossed his arms and peered toward the sky, expecting to see thick clouds rolling in. But there was no change. “About collaboration. Though, with the changes that come tomorrow, or whenever, I don’t think it’s going to work.”

She shrugged. “Nothing else to do, anyway. What did you have in mind?”

Leon looked at her and smiled. “I got one strength point when I carried you, and you need experience. So, I thought I could ask you to be my weight training if I helped you get experience through holding down monsters. That’s probably not going to be a good option now though, if it’s going to constantly rain.”

Red’s face had grown redder as he talked, and when she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. “I… I gave a point in strength?” She clenched her arms and chuckled. Then she looked up at Leon. “Thanks, but no. The experience wouldn’t be worth—” She stopped, grimaced, and closed her eyes. “I’ll have to think about it.”

Leon shrugged. “I’m not sure we should, even if you say yes. I could hold down a wolf for you, but if the monster type changes, I’m not sure. And I’d carry you through rain, and being wet all the time might not be something you’d want.”

Red looked at the ground and didn’t reply.

Leon opened up his status screen. If the wolves grouped up like the grasshoppers, he probably had to help Trouble fight them, and his fatigue was already high. But he also needed the coins. His week at Crag’s inn wasn’t over yet, but it looked like he would need another one.

“If you want to, you can come to the forest with Trouble and me today. It might give you some experience. You’d just sit here anyway, right?”

Red bit her lips. “Okay. Just don’t—” She rose. “Never mind.”

Red took the lead through the square, and Leon followed. They stopped beside the guards by the arch to the Slums.

“Innkeeper Crag says a season shift is underway,” Leon said. The guards looked at each other, and without saying a word, one dashed from his position, passed one street, and headed into the next.

“What was that about?” Leon wondered, staring after the blue-clad figure.

“Ah, it’s your first shift?” the remaining guard asked. “No wonder you’re confused. Well, I won’t spoil the surprise for you, but I’ll give a word of advice. Don’t get stuck outside the city or be in the Slums tonight. You’ll have a hard time getting back.”

“What does that mean?” Red asked.

“You’ll see. Well, go on. If you have any business in the Slums, you better complete it now. Be back here by nightfall, or the system won’t care which side of the city you’re on. The barrier will disappear, anyway.”

Leon and Red looked at each other, then shrugged.

“Oh, and please tell any Scabs you see as well. Nine or ten are usually taken, but with a fair warning, there will be fewer casualties.” Then the guard waved them on and walked forward to talk with a group of people a short distance away. He told them ‘the shift’ was coming, and they scurried off.

Leon and Red started walking. Why was everyone on their toes? Was a different season really worth so much fuss? How could it be?

“—myself.”

“What?” Leon’s mind snapped back. They’d almost passed the portal to the first tower.

“No offense, but I have a hard time humiliating myself.”

Leon stopped and frowned. “What do you mean?” He looked around and cupped a hand over his mouth. “Season shift is coming!”

The groups of Scabs that had started their approach stopped, then turned, quite literally, on their heels and ran. As they did, Leon wondered if shouting ‘do you have a coin’ would activate his skill. They weren’t monsters, but they sometimes behaved like such. Maybe he’d try it the next time he wanted to dish out coins for his quest.

“I mean, it’s embarrassing to be carried on your back. You must feel the same, right?”

Leon turned back to Red and shrugged. “I don’t really care what people think. At least if it’s opinions about what I do to grow stronger. My goal is to return to the real world, so what people think in this one doesn’t actually matter. Well, except if it’s emotionally hurting someone here. That’s already backfired at a shop and an inn.”

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Red didn’t respond. She tugged at her hair and pushed it tighter under her collar.

As they walked toward the exit, Leon stopped once in a while to call out the news to the Scabs, and every group reacted in the same way as the first. Running, not caring about asking for coins. Since Leon and Red were on their way to the closest exit, they didn’t have the option to call out to all of them, but Leon hoped the Scabs would spread the news among themselves.

He wondered why Ava hadn’t commented on the season shift when Finn mentioned it. She’d lived in the Slums for almost a year, so she should know what happened. Same with Hert, but he hadn’t said anything except that the system would warn them. But then again, maybe this season happened within an unreasonable time frame, like once every one or two years.

“What do you think he meant with the barrier disappearing?” Leon let Trouble jump out. “Finn mentioned something about one that protected the city from monsters, so will monsters invade the Slums?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Red took out the lute as they walked over the crumbled stone and through the arch. “Didn’t know there was such a barrier at all.”

“Then I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.” Leon peered at the space between the trees, looking for the wolves. They’d probably be there, grouped up, but how many? It was odd that the dungeons were supposed to change first, but his party had still met grasshoppers. Maybe it didn’t count as one, since it was a semi-dungeon?

“So… are we going?” Red nodded toward the forest with raised eyebrows.

“We don’t need to. You ready?” He aimed the question at both Red and Trouble. Red nodded, still wearing a confused expression, while the rabbit hunkered down, ears pointed toward the forest. Leon nodded, cupped a hand around his mouth, and let out a howl. A message popped up that the skill had activated.

Red stared at him, frowning.

“Incoming!” Leon closed the blue box and drew out his sword and dagger. The sense of wanting to step back increased, and Leon wondered if he’d made a grave mistake. Only the level five and six wolves triggered his sense, and if the monsters emitted this amount, they were up for a challenge.

“Step back.” Leon took a wide stance. “There are a lot.”

They stood still and listened, Leon barely breathing in anticipation of what they were going to meet. Which felt both ridiculous and concerning since there were no enemies approaching.

“Are you sure that shout actually worked?” Red leaned on the lute, following Leon’s eyes.

Leon squinted at the space between the bushes. “Yeah. The skill tells me if it worked or not, and it did. Besides, can’t you feel all that energy coming toward us?”

Red shrugged. “Or you’re pent up from your earlier fight with your group.”

“Should we go further in, then?”

Red sucked on her lip for a moment, then she nodded. “You lead the way.”

Leon drew a breath and stepped past a couple of bushes. When his sense didn’t increase, he breathed out and continued at a quicker pace.

They walked for five minutes without meeting anything living at all. Had the skill failed, even though it had told him otherwise? There was no other explanation. What a bug.

Then he stopped and looked into the tree crowns ahead. The leaves rustled, but nothing was big enough to move them in this forest. Unless the mobs had changed already and something that climbed trees had taken over.

“Activate insight.” The skill made Leon take a step back. Okay, something was clearly up. But what? Trouble stopped beside him and he caressed her head. “Stay here.”

He took a few cautious steps forward, pushed two bushes aside, and stopped. Between the stems stood more than twenty wolves, level one to six, muzzles pointed toward a gray fur ball in the middle, which was as tall as the yellow leafed trees and looked like it boiled from within. One by one, the monsters charged at it and disappeared, and each made the bulging ball grow.

What the hell were they doing?

“It’s like… it’s like the Rat King,” Red said in a faint voice. “Right?”

A chill went down Leon’s spine. How many had already merged? If it formed into something like the behemoth wolf, did they have a chance to take it down? No, not with his current level of fatigue, and the penalty for reaching 100% in the first level was still active, and he didn’t want to increase its duration. Could they get away if they ran? Maybe they stood a chance if they could split the monster before it finished.

Something told him that once the transformation was complete, it would catch up to them, no matter if they had a lead. Leon sprinted toward the wolves. Him against twenty. Scatter them, before it’s too late. Would it be enough?

Leon threw himself toward the closest two wolves, both level four, and slashed out at them. His weapons hit one over its back, and he kicked the other. Both turned toward him, while the others seemed transfixed by the ever-moving ball in the middle.

“Get back!” Red shouted as another wolf jumped into the bulging furry mass and disappeared.

Leon backed a few steps as Trouble launched and landed in front of him and Red. She bit down on the wounded wolf and stomped her paws on the one Leon had kicked. It snarled at her and struck out with a paw. She greeted the attack by jumping up and stomping its shoulders. She fell as the wolf flew into another one, which turned toward her. Trouble kicked with her feet to get up.

“Trouble, back off!” Leon ran closer, ramming his sword into one beast, allowing Trouble some time. She gained her footing the second later, but instead of retreating, she launched again.

“We can’t fight it,” Red said. “It’s going to be too strong!”

A wolf dashed toward Leon, and he stepped back in time to avoid the fangs coming toward his throat. He held the sword sideways, and the wolf yelped as the jaw struck the edge. There were only five alive wolves left outside the gray ball. One of them snapped at Trouble as she attacked, and another joined in, circling her. Leon kicked his attacker, forcing it down on the ground.

“Finish it!” Leon called over his shoulder, and ran toward Trouble. There was a dull clang as the fangs grasped his ankle. They didn’t go through, but made him fall.

“Rockstar!” Red shouted behind him, and the force released him.

The two wolves circling his rabbit jumped toward her at the same time. Her head turned this way and that, eyes wide.

“Dodge!” Leon screamed, and Trouble sank down. The two beasts slammed into each other and fell on top of her.

Leon kicked at the mossy ground and pushed himself up to his feet, and as soon as he was able, he shot forward, leaving his weapons on the ground. He tackled the two beasts on top of Trouble, falling with them to the side. They snapped their jaws at his arms and legs, but the bracers and leg guards were too hard for them to get any leverage. He smashed down his elbow on one and punched down as hard as he could on the other. Bones cracked and snapped within their bodies, and they whined.

From nowhere, two rabbit’s feet crashed into their bodies, and the wolves’ chests sunk in from the blow. Leon scrambled up on his feet and backed off as the last wolf launched toward the bubbling mass of fur. Red finished off her wolf and stood with her legs wide, staring up at the gray ball.

Now or never.

Leon picked up his weapons, sprinted toward it, and struck. The blades bounced back as the ball straightened itself out, becoming something that looked like a giant, humanoid wolf standing on two legs, back slightly bent. Spiky fur sprouted out from its arms and legs, and it grew a few more feet. It spread out its heavily muscled arms, where claws big as Leon’s dagger grew out, and a tag popped up over its head.

‘Gray Wolf King, Level 6’

The tag was red.