“We should... probably run,” Jack muttered, his voice barely audible over the rising sound of bats flapping.
Horace’s voice cut through the noise, calm but commanding. “I think we’ll manage. Head for the entrance—we can’t survive in the open against this swarm.”
Jack obeyed, scrambling after him as the bats stirred violently. By the time they reached the narrow cave entrance, the entire swarm was awake and furious. Horace planted himself in the cramped space, shield raised and war hammer poised, while Jack stood behind him, knees trembling.
Horace banged his war hammer against his shield.
Copper Skin!
His skin shimmered with an amber glow. For the next 10 seconds, he'd be immune against 90% of all damage.
One of the enormous black bats swooped down, razor-sharp wings cutting the air. Jack’s heart lurched. The sight of hundreds of bats aiming for their heads was terrifying. As the bats tried to bite Horace or attack him with their wings, the attacks landed with a dry thud as if they were hitting metal. Horace stood his ground, deflecting each attack with a calm, practiced ease.
Jack's panic began to subside. The swarm was intimidating, but the cave's tight confines worked to their advantage—only two bats could attack at once, giving Horace the upper hand.
“Anytime you want to start playing that flute, Jackie, you can do so,” Horace said, his voice still maddeningly relaxed as he batted away another screeching bat.
Jack blinked. “Sure thing, captain,” he said, fumbling for his ocarina. He pressed the instrument to his lips and started playing [Sitting Wind].
The soothing melody echoed through the cave, its gentle tones in stark contrast to the chaos of flapping wings and screeching bats. As the notes filled the air, the bats started to falter, bumping into each other and the cave walls, disoriented. The ones attacking Horace veered off course, swiping at the stone instead of him.
You’ve played [Sitting Wind].
Success rate: B
+140 bard XP
Audience bonus: +318 bard XP
“What’s that skill?” Horace asked, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he deflected another erratic bat.
“I-It’s not a skill! It’s just [Sitting Wind]! I don’t know why they’re—” Jack’s voice trailed off in disbelief.
As soon as Jack paused the melody, the bats snapped back into their frenzy, resuming their furious assault.
“Quick, Jack! Play again!” Horace barked.
Without hesitation, Jack switched tunes, launching into [March of the Embers]. The fast-paced, fiery melody thrummed through the air, more fitting for battle. Once again, the bats began colliding with one another, their movements clumsy and confused.
You’ve played [March of the Embers].
Success rate: B-.
+130 bard XP.
Audience bonus: +318 bard XP.
All your allies deal 10(+2%) damage for 10 seconds.
“Your ocarina! It’s messing with their sonar! Oh man, this is awesome! Don’t stop playing!” Horace’s excitement was palpable as he stashed his shield and grabbed a second war hammer.
Hammer Blow!
With both weapons in hand, Horace started smashing through the disoriented bats, their movements sluggish and confused.
Your party has slain a Blind Bat.
+200 XP.
One by one, the bats fell, unable to recover from the sonic disruption. Jack kept playing, the rhythm of the ocarina driving the battle forward. His heart raced, not from fear anymore, but from exhilaration as XP notifications poured in, stacking in his peripheral vision.
Your party has slain a Blind Bat.
+200 XP
Your party has slain a Blind Bat.
+200 XP
The bats were at level 15, precisely their level, and there were hundreds of them. The only frustrating thing was that Horace was a tank. Even after ditching his shield in exchange for a second weapon, it would take a long time to clear the helpless mobs.
*
Hammer Blow!
The war hammer hit the only bat left, shaving his last hit points. With this, the lord of the bat cave had collapsed, and the battle was over. Jack couldn’t believe they had cleared the dungeon with just the two of them.
Jack felt his lips dry, and his throat parched. He’d been playing for two hours straight. Two of his ocarinas were at breaking point. Horace’s equipment, however, looked even worse. He only had one war hammer left; the other was broken beyond repair. What impressed Jack the most was how relaxed his tank friend looked. He hadn’t stopped swinging those hammers for a second, but he seemed daisy fresh as if he had just awoken from a nap.
“I’m level 17 now. You?” Horace asked.
“16,” Jack said with a smile. Although the climb in levels was great, that wasn’t what he was happiest about. He had gained two levels in the bard profession, and with it, he had learned a new melody.
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You’ve reached bard, lvl. 8.
You’ve learned [Angry Void].
Angry Void (Level 1 Melody)
Description: The sharp intervals and shrill notes will irritate animals within earshot and make them attack you.
Melody Type: Dissonant
It was the bard equivalent of a taunting skill. Horace had one, too. Jack wasn’t sure how he felt about luring enemies to attack him, but he was sure the skill would be helpful in some scenarios.
Horace was crouched by the corpse of the elite bat they had just taken down. “Too bad that we don’t have the skinner profession. There are so many bats here. All this leather is going to waste. Oh well. Keep harvesting their poop while I go through the loot.”
Jack scowled at the suggestion. Why was he cleaning up the bats’ mess while Horace got the good stuff? Jack allowed himself a devilish smile. At least he could keep harvesting guano, knowing that whatever item Horace picked up would be dirty with it, too. Without having to care for staying silent, Jack moved more boldly. He was a harvesting machine, putting poop in his pocket left and right.
You’ve gathered [Bat Guano].
+15 bushcraft XP.
You’ve gathered [Bat Guano].
+15 bushcraft XP.
Soon, his inventory was completely full of it. Picking up guano granted bushcraft XP, and he still had many upgrades he wanted to buy from Erwind. Therefore, whenever his inventory became full, he would discard all the items he’d picked up and start over. By the time Horace had finished collecting the loot, most of the cave guano had been picked up and discarded again.
“So? What have we got? Anything good?” Jack asked.
“Well, they dropped roughly four gold.”
Jack whistled. It was good money, considering they'd been hunting.
“We also got 10 bat capes!”
Bat Cape (Common)
Description: A piece of clothing made from a bat's wing, which you wear on your back as if it were a cape.
Effects:
+5 stealth;
+3 agility.
Defense: 5
Block: 5
Restrictions: Lvl. 15.
The attributes seemed alright. It even offered stealth, too! It was just too bad that Jack couldn't wear it. “Are these expensive?”
Horace paused thoughtfully. “Maybe 80 silver a piece? It’s not too bad.”
Jack pouted, disappointed. That meant it was another eight gold split by two. 4 gold wasn't much for so many items.
“Don’t look sad like that just yet. The elite dropped some really good stuff.”
“Really? What?”
“Check it out,” Horace said happily. One of the items was a weapon. It was a dark, gnarly wood bat with two sharp metal wings on the top.
Bat Bat (Uncommon)
Description: A wooden bat that makes for a powerful weapon on the battlefield.
Attack: 14
Attack speed: 10
Block: 4
Other than that, there was a book and a loose bunch of sheets.
Sonar (Uncommon)
Description: By practicing your hearing, you can mimic the skills of the bats and use this skill to locate enemies in the nearby area.
Restrictions: Lvl. 15.
Sonic Valley (Level 1 Melody)
Description: A music sheet written by a composer inspired by the bats’ sounds. It can make creatures confused and disoriented.
Melody Type: Dissonant
Restrictions: Bard
Jack’s jaw dropped as he read the details of the last one. “No way! This is perfect for me,” Jack exclaimed.
Horace laughed. “Oh yes! Sometimes, elites drop things suited to individual players. It’s pretty rare, though. Congratulations, Jack!” Horace said while handing the sheets over to him.
Do you want to learn [Sonic Valley]? [Y/N]
Jack selected yes without hesitation. With this melody, he could buff his allies and debuff their enemies. He would become much more helpful at a hunting party from now on.
“So, I can keep the bat since you got the sheets. What should we do with the [Sonar] skill?”
“I don’t know. Do you want to learn it?”
Horace scratched his head. “Nah. I don't need it. I thought we could sell it on an auction website and split the money.”
Jack frowned. “Come again? You want to auction it off?”
Horace nodded. “Yeah. That’s how I make a living. I sell items and live off the sales.”
Jack's eyes almost popped out of his sockets! “Dude, why didn’t you tell me that sooner?!”
“You never asked,” Horace said.
Jack had just hit the jackpot. If Horace could share his experience of making a living in the game, he could also improve his income!
Looking over his shoulder at all the guano and the poop-filled cavern, Jack decided this wasn't the best place to exchange pointers in auctioning. He pointed toward the exit. “What do you say we leave? I can set up camp and prepare a meal. Then I can make those smoke bombs, and we can get on with our quest.”
“Sounds good to me,” Horace said. The pair left the empty cave, chatting about the epic battle they had just been through.
*
Yet another chunk of the castle walls crumbled, scattering dust and debris over the bodies of the fallen defenders. The place was practically in ruins now, the battlefield littered with broken armor and shattered weapons. An injured dinosaur groaned where it lay, struggling to move but failing. IronIre members swiftly dealt with the last flickers of resistance in the city, wiping out the remaining defenders with ruthless efficiency.
The elites of the defending guild had cooped up within the citadel. Rather than sending a team, IronIre’s one-man wrecking crew wreaked havoc on his own. His muscles flexed as he brandished his swords in a graceful dance. Even so, the occasional arrow or dagger landed a hit, shaving some of his health. He roared like a wounded beast, and his whole body glowed red.
Berserker’s Anger!
This skill granted one attack and one defense for each percentage of health missing. Given how 90% of his health was missing, the Slayer became an unstoppable juggernaut. His Berserker’s Anger made him stronger with every injury. The more damage he took, the harder he hit, and the less anyone could slow him down.
The warriors guarding the enemy guild leader were no match. One swing of the Slayer’s blades sent them flying, their bodies ragdolling through the air. His eyes locked on his real target, the guild leader standing near the ruined throne, gripping a giant crossbow.
“So, you’re the famous Slayer?” the guild leader called, his voice steady despite the chaos around him. “Who hired you? Was it GigaLot?”
The Slayer shrugged. “So what if it was?”
“Whatever they paid you, I’ll double it if you go after them instead.”
The Slayer didn’t hesitate. His sword spun lazily in the air as he tossed it up and picked it up again. “I'll gladly take you up on that offer. However, I always finish my contracts. You're going down.”
The guild leader’s face hardened. “Get him!”
The remaining players unleashed their attacks, desperately trying to protect their leader. Skills flared, arrows flew, but the Slayer evaded them all. He moved like the wind—dodging, weaving, always one step ahead. His movements weren’t flashy, just brutally efficient, every slash and parry perfectly timed.
Blade Flurry!
-612
-324
The numbers floated up over the defenders’ heads as they fell, collapsing into piles of loot. The Slayer didn’t even flinch as he searched through the drops. Nothing good. He let out a quiet sigh. With the guild leader down, the system declared the fortress taken.
IronIre had won the skirmish, but for the Slayer, the victory felt hollow. The fight had been too easy. He walked away from the ruins of the castle, bored. Where was the thrill? Where was the challenge? Was there anything left in this game that could push him? The last time he felt challenged was when he battled the ranger, the tank, and the grenadier.
As he turned to head back to his guild’s headquarters, a message flashed before him.
“Slayer, check this out,” Xana’s messages.
A video from Amari’s channel played. The Slayer chuckled. “So you restarted your account, huh? Good. That should teach you some manners.”
He typed a message to Xana. “Where’s he starting?”
“Embersgate,” Xana replied.
“Send one of our assassins to track him down,” the Slayer said, his lips twitching into a smirk. “Let me know when they find him.”
“You've got it.”
The Slayer’s mood soured even further. If Amari's account had reset, he was not his match. Maybe there was something interesting on the guild’s billboard, a quest worth his time. Something—anything—to break the monotony. He needed a challenge, something real, to test himself. The last fight had only made him more aware of the simmering anger inside, still waiting for a real release.