As they walked, they passed by several groups of players wandering about aimlessly. Some were running around looking for loot, others huddled together talking excitedly amongst themselves while pointing at various objects in the distance.
Then, almost out of nowhere, Jacob stopped walking and gestured for Doug to do the same. When Doug did, he noticed that he had arrived at a clearing surrounded by towering pine trees.
On the far end of the field stood a large wooden hut, painted black. Atop the roof sat a pair of glowing orbs that cast soft golden light across the area. Beyond the door of the structure, two figures appeared to be arguing in hushed tones.
Doug didn't recognize either of them, but something about their behavior made him feel uneasy. Whatever was happening, it wasn't good news.
With caution, he approached the hut until he reached the entrance. He peered inside cautiously, trying to make out what exactly was going on beyond the darkness. His eyes adjusted gradually, allowing him to pick out details of the interior.
Inside the hut, two men argued heatedly. Both wore cloaks pulled tightly around their waists, concealing their identities. One of them was a human man whose skin was tanned brown from exposure to the sun. He leaned forward aggressively as he spoke, jabbing a finger towards the other man seated opposite him.
"We can't risk sending anyone else!" the man declared forcefully. "You know that as well as I do. If we don't take care of this problem now, it'll grow larger and pose a threat to everyone."
The other man nodded emphatically in agreement. "That's why we need to go ahead and attack tonight! Now is the best chance for us to strike, before reinforcements arrive."
More bandits!
Their discussion came to an abrupt halt when they heard footsteps approach. Their heads snapped upward to peer nervously at whoever was coming closer.
Finally, a familiar voice sounded nearby.
"Hello, gentlemen," said Jacob the Archer.
Both men jumped back in surprise. Then they looked at each other with wide eyes before turning to regard the newcomer.
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I’m not just gonna sit idly by this time while Jacob racks up all of the Experience Points.
Unsheathing his sword, Doug charged at the men. As he ran forward, he raised his shield defensively. A quick glance revealed that both men possessed swords too; otherwise, they wouldn't have survived against such odds.
Unfortunately for Doug, neither of these two had much interest in engaging him directly.
Instead, they hurried past him, rushing toward the exit. They opened the door quickly and darted outside without waiting to check if Doug would follow them.
This was his opportunity! With nothing holding him back, he dashed after the retreating figures at full speed.
Before they disappeared completely into the night sky, Jacob turned around and said sarcastically, "Good luck hunting them down! I had them cornered before you botched everything.”
Ignoring him, Doug sprinted after the bandits. Once he got close enough, he drew his sword and leapt onto their backs, pinning him down beneath him.
He struggled weakly, trying to push Doug off, but he was clearly exhausted from the escape attempt. Doug made his strike with a deadly blow to the chest, twisting the hilt of his sword as he kicked against his prey to release.
StabTwist: Difficult
Instant Kill
+15 XP
Level Up!
+1 Stamina
─ Skill Gain: Attack +2% per Level
Doug immediately sprinted after the second bandit who hadn’t gone very far. Using the skills gained from leveling up, he easily overtook his target and brought his sword down sharply on top of the man's head, causing him to collapse into a bloody heap onto the ground.
HeadStab: Medium
Instant Kill
+15 XP
Beat that Jacob.
Doug felt a sense of satisfaction wash over him as he stared down at the lifeless bodies of the bandits. He felt so alive and powerful. As he turned around to head back to Jacob, he couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of confidence in his abilities.
Jacob raised an eyebrow at Doug's victory. "Impressive," he said slowly. "You're not as useless as I thought."
Doug grinned in response, feeling a surge of pride. "I told you I could handle myself."
As they walked back to the rest of the group, Jacob filled Doug in on the details of the mission they were on. It seemed that the bandits they had just killed were part of a larger group that had been terrorizing the local villages for months. The two men had been discussing plans to attack one of the villages later that night, and Jacob had been tracking them in order to gather information.
With the bandits now dead, the mission was a success. Doug felt a sense of satisfaction knowing that they had helped to protect innocent people from harm. As they made their way back to camp, Doug couldn't help but wonder what other adventures lay in store for him. He was ready for anything.
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