“How injured are you, by the way?” Sophie asked as they walked through the streets, taking the back roads in an attempt to avoid the majority of players, “Alister hit you with a lot of Magic, after all.”

“I’m fine,” Jake chuckled, “He only hit me with five Bolt Spells, and they barely did two to three points of damage each.”

“T-two to three?” Sophie gasped, “How strong is your armour? But you must have taken a lot of damage from Deluge! That takes ten Mana per second!”

“It only did about one damage a second I think,” Jake hummed, “And he was casting it for less than thirty seconds. In total, I only lost forty Health.”

“Forty Health? Out of?” Sophie asked, opening her inventory, and pulling out a pair of small glass bottles, each with a pale red liquid in them.

“Two hundred and eighty,” Jake replied, looking at the bottles curiously, Sophie looking at him slack jawed, “Are those Health Potions?”

“Yes, take them,” she muttered as she shoved the two items at him, “As thanks for standing up for me, or whatever. They only heal twenty points each, but that’s enough to get you back to full, right?”

“It is,” Jake smiled as he downed the two bottles at once, blinking as he looked at them in surprise, “They taste…off.”

“What?” Sophie asked, “Did they not work? I didn’t think Potions could go off.”

“No, they worked, they just tasted…I guess a better word is weak,” Jake shrugged, “The Health Potion I’m used to using restores a hundred and fifty Health Points.”

“A HUNDRED AND FIFTY?!” Sophie shouted, immediately blushing as she turned away, muttering to herself, “Firster, indeed.”

“Well, that’s done now,” Jake laughed, “I’m going to head to the Training Grounds to practice my archery a bit. Do you want to come with?”

“I…you know what, sure,” Sophie sighed, “I suppose I could do with a break, and I can see what else you’re capable of.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Jake smiled as she felt her blush return, shaking her head as the feeling that she recognised him from somewhere returned.

------

“Come on, hit it with some actual intent!”

Sophie gasped as she swung the staff at the dummy, her arms aching each time the large stick slammed into the wood and straw construct. Whatever she’d been expecting when she’d agreed to join the mysterious man that was Jake at the Training Grounds, it certainly wasn’t this.

“Alright, missy, take a rest,” the instructor, a tall older woman with bright red hair tied back in a ponytail shouted at her, “Once your Stamina is back to full, you go again.”

“Why am I doing this?” Sophie panted as she leaned against the staff, using it to prop herself up, “I’m a Mage, not a Fighter or a Monk.”

“Simple,” Robyn Tyne said, “What happens when you run out of Magic? Or an enemy gets too close to you? You’re planning on being a Wizard, right? Well, they use staves to cast, and a staff is good for more than just slinging around magic.”

“But still,” Sophie muttered, “This could unbalance my Stats.”

“Eh, a worthwhile sacrifice if you ask me,” Robyn said, “You might lose a few points in Intelligence and get a couple in Power, but you’ll thank me when you can knock a goblin that snuck up on you on its pimply green arse.”

“I suppose,” Sophie grumbled, watching as her meagre Stamina ticked back up, almost full.

She glanced over to Jake, who was standing by the archery targets, firing arrow after arrow into them with his bow, almost all the shots hitting near the centre. Occasionally he would pause, his body going still as he seemed to wait for something before the next shot would strike the bullseye almost dead centre. Shaking her head at the man’s apparent talent, she stretched out her back, looking at the dummy she’d been attacking again.

“You ready to start another round?” Robyn hummed, a slight smirk on her face, “Why don’t you try imagining the dummy as someone you hate? Might get a kick out of beating it up, then?”

“As someone I hate?” Sophie sighed, the image of Alister’s smug face suddenly coming to mind as she glared at the dummy, imagining that it was him gloating at her about something, or threatening her dad’s job, as seemed to be his favourite pastime.

She let out a yell as she swung the staff at the dummy, striking it on the side of the head, the vibrations going back up her sore arms, but she didn’t care. She hit it again, then again, and again, each time the feeling of striking the dummy seeming to get a little less awkward and painful. Finally, she brought the staff down on top of Alister’s stupid smug head, the pole bouncing up as she collapsed onto her butt, gasping for air.

“There we go,” Robyn grinned at her, “That was some real fire there! I bet you even got a Skill from all that!”

“A Skill?” Sophie asked, spotting the blinking notification symbol, eyes going wide as she opened it.

Learned Skill [Pole Weapons].

Skill [Pole Weapons] has levelled up.

“Huh,” she hummed, “I guess I did.”

“Good to hear,” the instructor smiled, “Now, go get that lug before he breaks all my targets under the weight of the number of arrows he’s putting in them. He may be a lord, but that won’t stop me from charging him for breaking the equipment.”

“Right,” Sophie said as she staggered to her feet, going to hand the staff back as Robyn shook her head.

“Keep it, it might just save your life,” the woman laughed, Sophie nodding gratefully as she used the pole to steady herself as she walked over to Jake.

“Uhm…Jake?” she said as the man stood stock still, looking at his eyes in interest. There was what looked like a small glowing crosshair pulsing in his iris as she stared, the glow getting steadier as time passed, before it shone solidly for a moment, and Jake released the arrow he was holding, the shaft hitting the centre of the bullseye, “Oh wow! Was that a Skill you just used?”

“Yeah,” he said, “It’s called [Aim]. How could you tell?”

“There was a crosshair in your eyes while you used it,” Sophie answered, Jake looking at her in surprise, “Most Skills have some sort of tell when you use them. It’s a feature for PvP.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Pee-vee-pee?” Jake cocked his head to the side in confusion.

“It means Player-versus=Player,” Sophie laughed, “Wow, you really are a noob when it comes to MMOs aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” Jake chuckled back, rubbing the back of his head, “This is actually the first game I’ve ever played, FD or otherwise. Well, unless you count watching Andy play games on his consoles.”

“I don’t,” Sophie smirked, shaking her head as she continued, “Anyway, Robyn said to stop shooting the targets full of holes or she’d have to charge you for them. And it’s getting late in the day, anyway, so why don’t we head to the gate and wait for the others.”

“Oh, sure,” Jake grinned, putting his bow away and walking over to the targets, “Just give me a few minutes to pull these all out, okay?”

“Take your time,” Sophie hummed, watching him as he started to yank the Practice Arrows from the targets, “It won’t be my fault if we’re late.”

------

“Jakey! Sophie!” Andy called as the two of them approached the gate, “Over here!”

Jake headed towards the iron clad man, Sophie and Eta following after him. Andy’s new armour shone dully in the evening sun, a wide grin on his face as he waved the two of them over, Jake noticing that several groups were watching them closely, his ring pulsing a few times. Arriving at the Defender’s side, Jake and Andy clasped hands, banging their shoulders together in greeting, Sophie just chuckling at them.

“Men,” she laughed, “Anyway, where are the others? I would have thought at least Shadow would be with you.”

“He is,” Andy nodded, looking around, “Probably practicing his [Sneak] Skill with all these folks staring at us.”

“Yeah, what’s that about, anyway?” Jake asked, Andy and Sophie just looking at him.

“Dude, I’m kitted out in full iron,” Andy said, pointing at Jake, “And you’re wearing obviously high Quality gear. It would be weirder if people weren’t staring at us.”

“Oh, I suppose that makes sense,” Jake blushed, “So, we’re just waiting for Holi, then?”

“Seems like it,” Andy nodded, “Once she gets here, we’ll head out to the southern forest and do the usual, then we’ll delve deeper and go for the WBs.”

“WBs? World Bosses?” Jake asked, Andy nodding, “There are multiple?”

“Turns out there are,” Andy hummed, “One High Alpha per cardinal direction of the forest, so three in total, and we’re going to hit them all by tomorrow morning.”

“If we were with anyone else, I’d think that sounded crazy,” Sophie sighed as she leaned against her new staff, “But we have the Firster and a level nine in our party now, so I think it may actually be doable.”

“Yep, hey where’d you get that?” Andy asked, pointing at the pole, “You thinking of changing Classes on us?”

“No,” Sophie blushed slightly, “Just…expanding my Skill repertoire. And never mind that, where are Shadow and Holi?”

“I’m right here,” the voice said from behind them, making Sophie jump as she spun around, swinging her staff at the Rogue in surprise, “Woah! Watch it! I just wanted to spook you, not get my head clobbered in!”

“Then you shouldn’t have appeared right behind her,” Jake laughed, “It would only be your own fault if she did manage to hit you.”

“I guess,” Shadow chuckled along, “Now, where’s Holi?”

“Oh, she just sent me a message,” Andy said, waving his hands in front of him, “She got a bit caught up at the Temple, but is on the way. Hopefully she gets here before they close the gates.”

The Healer appeared five minutes later, joining their group as she panted for breath. The party quickly headed out the gates, leaving with several other parties just before the large wooden doors were closed, swinging shut with a thump. The five of them, plus Eta, quickly headed south, walking through the darkening fields until they came to the edge of the forest.

“Right, so everyone know the plan?” Andy asked, the group confirming, Shadow pouting slightly as he nodded, “Good, go gather them up, Shadow!”

“I still don’t like this,” the Rogue muttered as he slipped into stealth, seeming to vanish from sight as he crept into the woods.

Several minutes later, the sounds of howling echoed through the air, Jake and Andy readying their weapons as they started to hear loud swearing.

“I pulled too many!” Shadow screamed as he bolted past them, “Three packs! Run!”

“No!” Andy commanded, startling the two women as he stood firm, “This is perfect! Everyone get ready! That means you too, Shadow!”

“Dammit!” the Rogue growled, skidding to a stop, and running back over to the group, “It’s gonna be your fault when we wipe, Goldy!”

“Then I’m at no fault at all!” the Defender laughed as the first of the packs erupted from the trees, straight into Jake, Eta, and Andy’s opening attacks.

The three other members of the party stared in amazement as the three figures ploughed through the wolves, crushing skulls in only a few hits, or decapitating heads in a single slash. They watched for a time, not noticing the large number of wolves start to overwhelm the pair, before some jumped at the three of them.

“Oh shit!” Sophie gasped as she instinctively swatted the wolf with her staff, just barely managing to knock it to the side and avoid its leap, “Shadow! Wake up and protect us! Holi, heal Goldy and Jake!”

“Right!” the other two shouted as they started to work, the tide of wolves starting to be pushed back as the three fighters in front periodically glowed with Healing Magic and bolts of flame struck furred muzzles and faces. Shadow picked off any of the wolves that tried to sneak around the edges of their formation, keeping the back line safe as they cast. The fight ended up taking almost ten minutes before the final wolf was felled, one of the Alphas, Andy shouting triumphantly as he smashed its skull in.

“Well, that went pretty well,” the Defender chuckled breathlessly, looking back at the other three, who were all staring at them in shock, “What?”

“You’re covered in blood and gore,” Shadow laughed, “You three look like you just slaughtered a couple dozen wolves each!”

“Well, we did?” Jake asked, looking at Shadow in confusion.

“He was being sarcastic, Jakey,” Andy chuckled, “At least, I think he was.”

“Right, well, did anyone level up from that?” Jake asked, looking through his own notifications, “Because apparently I’m getting no experience from these wolves now, even with my experience modifiers.”

“Makes sense,” Andy nodded, “This is the third night in a row we’ve fought like this, so it makes sense that you wouldn’t gain experience from it anymore.”

“Oh, I levelled,” Shadow nodded, “And I’m already over twenty five percent of the way to level eight! Holy shit, this crazy plan actually works!”

“Same,” Sophie and Holi said, looking at each other in excitement.

“Right then, get back in there, Shadow,” Andy laughed, “We keep going until there are no more wolves left, then we go for the WB!”

“You got it, boss man!” the Rogue shouted, darting back into the woods with gusto.

------

“That one was hard.”

“You can say that again.”

“That one was ha-.”

“I was being sarcastic, Shadow,” Sophie grunted as she lifted herself from the floor with her staff, looking at the Starved Wolf High Alpha in amazement.

Its body was covered in burns and stab wounds, a couple of arrows poking out of its chest, the final hits that had finished it off when the tired party had started to get overwhelmed, almost resulting in a total party wipe. But it was dead now, and the three of them were sitting just shy of level ten.

“Eight more percent,” Shadow huffed, “That’s bullshit! We’re so close!”

“Hey, I only need another four percent,” Sophie laughed as she watched Jake loot the World Boss, storing the items in his seemingly endless satchel, “Maybe you just need to get good.”

“Don’t antagonise him, Sophie,” Holi hummed peacefully form the side, sweat dripping down her forehead as she rubbed her temple, “That fight was a little harder than we expected though.”

“We’re all just tired,” Andy said, “We’ve spent the whole night fighting near constantly, so it makes sense that we’d mess up a bit at the end. Thanks for the save, Jakey.”

“Not a problem,” the Champion said, “I actually get a bit of experience for fighting these World Bosses, so it’s worth it.”

“Just a bit?” Sophie laughed, shaking her head, “Only you would consider a World Boss as a source of “a bit” of experience.”

“Well, what are we going to do now?” Shadow asked, “I’m pretty sure we’ve wiped out the population of wolves from all three parts of the forest, so there’s nothing left to hunt for experience. Unless we want to go for the Goblin Lord, but I’m pretty sure any one of us could solo that thing now. Even Holi.”

“Your faith in me is inspiring,” the Healer said flatly, getting a tired laugh from the group.

“How about we head deeper into the forest?” Jake asked, “I’m sure there will be more to fight further away.”

“Probably,” Andy nodded, “But we’ll have to be careful, we’re already tired, but I’d still prefer to walk back to town than respawn there.”

“Oh, come on,” Shadow said, jumping to his feet, “We’re almost level ten! What’s going to be able to take us on now?”

“You’d be surprised,” Andy hummed, before getting to his own feet, “But you two are right. We might as well head deeper and see if we can find anything to get you three up to level ten quickly. Shouldn’t take more than a couple of fights.”

“Alright! Up you get, ladies!” Shadow said excitedly, “Let’s get moving!”

“Right behind you,” Sophie and Holi laughed as they slowly stood, “Right behind you.”