Lucy pulled her leg up, but something was squeezing her ankle, trying to keep her in one spot. It squeezed so hard; it felt like teeth biting into her flesh. "Help me!"
Charles took her grip and pulled her harder. From the water, something surfaced with two glowing green eyes, flickering like flames. Shaped like a hyena skeleton with rotten flesh all over its body. Wet black fur barely stood around exposed red meat that probably tasted like seawater. As Lucy stared into its eyes, she screamed.
Hyena Zombie Level: 15 Race: Undead HP: 150 Mob
"It a one of di guardians!” Tashina cried. "Kill him before he curses her!"
Charles raised his sword and slashed through the zombie's bony arm. The creature screamed as it released Lucy's leg.
Hyena Zombie HP:145/150
Lucy quickly swung her sword through the ghoul's neck, not giving him the chance to strike back. She doesn't even want to know what would happen if the thing managed to place a curse on her. A curse of death as far as she assumed
Instant kill!
You killed a Hyena Zombie!
You received 15,00 EXP
You leveled up!
One proficiency point received!
Lucy's mouth hung, surprised by how fast she reached her next level. And judging by the instant kill, decapitating her targets and stabbing their chests guaranteed their quick deaths. If she focused on those weak points, she could always win.
"Are you okay?" Charles asked.
Lucy checked her leg. No claw marks were on it, and the pain faded away.
She lowered her leg and smiled at Charles. "Yeah, I just grew stronger."
"Stronga?" Tashina asked.
Lucy glanced at her. "Yes, I am a computer player. Similar to a player. I can gain levels and choose which attribute to update. The more I kill, the stronger I get."
The hyena rubbed her chin with astonishment in her eyes. "Remarkable!"
Around them, moaning sounds approached them in the cold air. Lucy knew it wasn't the howling wind because the sounds were echoing within them.
From the darkness, more flaming green eyeballs appeared. Then walking grotesque figures faded into view. All hyena corpses with melting limbs, raggy tore clothing, and bones sticking out from their exposed raw flesh.
Hyena Zombie Level: 15 Race: Undead HP: 150 Mob
Hyena Zombie Level: 15 Race: Undead HP: 150 Mob
Hyena Zombie Level: 15 Race: Undead HP: 150 Mob
Hyena Zombie Level: 15 Race: Undead HP: 150 Mob
Hyena Zombie Level: 15 Race: Undead HP: 150 Mob
Hyena Zombie Level: 15 Race: Undead HP: 150 Mob
Hyena Zombie Level: 15 Race: Undead HP: 150 Mob
There were six of them with the same data. They surrounded Lucy's group, moaning and growling as they shambled slowly.
Lucy and her companions went back to back, facing their surrounding targets.
"Tashina, can you gain control of them?" Lucy asked.
"Mi cyaa inna here," Tashina answered, "Chief Boogaloo's spirit controlling dem. Wi need fi defeat him tuh break fi him curse here."
"Or we can just kill here now." Ivy raised her musket and fired.
Her shot hit one zombie, but he kept moving.
Hyena Zombie HP:145/150
"Shoot them in the head!" Lucy exclaimed, blocking a zombie's slash attack. "It will kill them quickly."
Ivy nodded and reloaded her musket. She ducked and rolled away from her attacker. The water drenched her fur and clothes as she rose behind her attack.
She pointed her musket at his skull and fired, blasting him into a flash.
Ivy killed hyena zombie!
Lucy pushed her attacker back and stabbed his skull.
Instant kill!
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You killed a Hyena Zombie!
You received 15,00 EXP
You leveled up!
One proficiency point received!
Lucy smiled, proud that she reached the same level as Charles. If they survive, she could challenge him to another duel on the ship.
Tashina held out both her hands as two green fireballs appeared in her palms. She tossed at two zombies, hitting their faces.
Hyena Zombie HP:145/150 Burning!
Hyena Zombie HP:145/150 Burning!
The zombies kept moving while the green fire spread across their bodies. Each time they moved, they lost five health points. The green fire vanished after it touched the water below their legs, leaving them with 120 health points remaining.
"Good attack, Tashina!" Lucy complimented.
The hyena witch doctor shrugged with a huff. "Eff ongle di damn wata neva extinguish dem effects quickly."
"Remember to leave some for me to kill so I can-"
Lucy shouted in pain as sharp teeth bit into her ankle. She looked down, spotting a legless zombie nibbling her leg.
"Get off me-pervert!" Lucy swung her cutlass through the zombie's head, turning him into a flash of light.
Instant kill!
You killed a Hyena Zombie!
You received 15,00 EXP
You leveled up!
One proficiency point received!
Health restored!
Warning! You are cursed! Ten minutes before you die. Slay the dungeon boss to end the curse.
Lucy's entire body froze after she saw the warning notification. It felt like her whole life got drained when she learned her new problem. Ten minutes might seem long, but every second moved fast.
Charles and Ivy killed the last two zombies and approached Lucy.
"We got them," said the wolf. His grin faded when he noticed the pale look on Lucy's face. "Is everything alright?"
Lucy gulped. "No….. I got a curse."
"A curse?" Ivy asked with her eyes widened.
Tashina approached Lucy and checked her leg. "A sneaky critta bit har here. Shi ongle ave ten minutes tuh live."
The colors on Charles's face drained. "No way….."
Lucy smiled, trying to lighten up the mood. "No worries. I have to kill Chief Boogaloo to lift the curse. It said so in my notification."
"Then we better hurry and the main ghost." Ivy glanced at the witch. "Do you know where he is?"
Tashina stared at the howling tunnel. "Him lock inside a chamba, guarding fi him treasury. Di passage hidden round here. Tuh find it mi muss feel Boogaloo's present. Eff mi cyaa feel him wi ago bi wandering through di caverns like chickens wid dem heads cut off."
"Then let's hurry," said Lucy. "I never planned on dying here."
*****
Three minutes passed while Lucy and her companions strolled through the cavern tunnels. Each tunnel leads them to another one endlessly. Sometimes they went into a circle and sometimes back again. The more they walked, the more it felt like they were wasting time searching for Chief Boogaloo. Maybe there won't be any hope for Lucy after all.
Seven minutes before you die!
Lucy's fur prickled after the notification beeped. This system won't let her forget about her possible coming death inside the dungeon.
Ave patience, mi beauty.
Lucy paused and looked around. "Who said that?"
"I didn't say anything," Charles answered.
Lucy glared at Tashina. "You said something, Tashina?"
The hyena shook her head. "Ongle inside mi head, but nobody cya hear mi thoughts . Tank voodoo."
Lucy rubbed her head. "I thought I heard someone from the shadows."
Yuh wi belong tuh mi soon, just like di oddah fools who come here!
Lucy glanced around again, daggering her wide eyes about. "There it is again!"
Tashina held up her glowing yellow ball toward Lucy. "Wah yuh hearing? Yuh cya describe it?"
Lucy shuddered while remembering the strange voice inside her head. "It sounded a man with your accent. Cold, sinister….. Ooooooouuuu….. The voice makes my bones chill!"
Tashina's eyes gazed around. "Ignore di voice. It Chief Boogaloo's spirit trying tuh weaken yuh mind. Di curse linked yuh tuh him now. Nuh let yuhself fall inna fi him darkness. It wi ongle mek di curse worse.""Can you sense his present now while he is speaking to me?"
Tashina shook his head. "Mi still cyaa feel him. Ongle yuh cya hear him wid di curse."
Lucy turned her face worried while biting her lower lip. How could they search faster before her time comes to an end?
"Look! Over there!" Ivy sprinted toward a wall between two cavern tunnels. A piece of paper hung on the wall by a stake.
Ivy pulled the stake off and glanced at the paper in her hands.
"What is it?" Charles asked after he and the other girls approached Ivy.
The tomboy cat's eyes widened. "It's from the captain! Look!"
Lucy glanced at the paper with her companions.
Dear Ivy, or anyone who finds this letter.
Me 'n me crew are now dead. I wrote this letter afore we ventured into th' caverns in case I go t' th' Undersea. If we die, I left this letter on th' spot t' th' secret passage t' th' chamber o' Chief Boogaloo. T' find it, Tashina told us t' listen t' th' howlin' winds carefully. If ye do that, ye will hear th' whispers o' Boogaloo, tauntin' ye. That I did, 'n now I marked th' spot fer whoever makes it better than I did. Take care 'n don't fall into madness. Chief Boogaloo be a crafty demon.
P.S,
If ye be readin' this Ivy, don't cry. I be glad I found ye 'n brought ye t' me crew. Without ye, me plunderin' would 'ave ne'er been more excitin' than I ever dreamed. Ye be now a big lass, lass. Go 'n find a new crew t' join, or marry a lass t' start yer owns family. Whatever ye do, I hope 'twill be a better life fer ye. Take care, heartie. May th' water god bless ye in yer new life.
Quest completed! You received 1,000 EXP!
Five minutes left before you die!
Lucy wished she didn't get the notification during Ivy's sad moment. Too bad she couldn't control the system.
She placed her hand on Ivy's shoulder. "I am sorry, Ivy."
The catgirl shook the paper while tears formed around her eyes. But she wiped her tears off and sniffed hard. "I won't cry!" She shut her eyes, holding back more tears. "He told me not too!"
"It okay tuh cry gyal," said Tashina, adding a little sadness in her tone. "Wi all muss let it out."
Ivy wiped her eyes again, glaring at her companions with a serious look. "Not now….. First we should finish what my captain started here. You are my new crewmates now, and," she glanced at Lucy, "I must save my new mate."
Lucy smiled.
Congratulations! You received a crew member. Collect more for your ship.
Crew: 02
Tashina smirked too. "Wah mek. Nuh mi wi join too suh mi cya get off dis cursed island."
Congratulations! You received a crew member. Collect more for your ship.
Crew: 03
"Thank you, but can you open the passageway," Lucy demanded. "I am running out of time!"
Five minutes left before you die!
"Yea!" Tashina placed her hand on the wall and closed her eyes. "Um-hum. Mi cya feel him pan di oddah side."
Cum inna eff yuh dare! Boogaloo whispered through Lucy's floppy ears. It felt like he was digging his claws through her skin, reaching toward her heart. Her time of doom was almost close.
We must hurry! She thought.
The wall shook and opened a round entrance, completely engulfed in darkness. It unleashed a cold chill on Lucy, as if warning her about the dark present from inside. Going inside was the only way to save her life.
"You go in first," Lucy ordered.
Tashina glared at her. "Yuh nuh need fi remind mi, okay?"
The hyena stepped through the passage, and then the others followed her through. Lucy's heart was beating fast as they entered an enormous stone chamber with four pillars surrounding a space. Hyena skulls covered the pillars and blue torches lit all the corners.
"This is it?" Ivy asked, glancing around while aiming her musket.
Charles looked around and held up his hands. "I see no treasure in here."
"Dis a nuh di treasure chamba." Tashina rubbed her hand on the skull pillar. "Dis a Boogaloo's lair. Him should be here now."
Lucy could feel him, but she couldn't see him. "Where is he?"
A loud shout of laughter echoed above them, making all of them jumped.
"Mi right above you!" The voice announced, this time it wasn't inside Lucy's head.
From the ceiling, a green ball hovered down toward the floor in a ghostly shimmering glow. When it stopped, they faded away, being replaced by another spectacle. It appeared to be a hyena with a long snort, smiling a wide grin full of sharp fangs. His eyes glowed white, and he has a mohawk on his head. Long two arms and a muscular torso. However, he doesn't have legs, only mist hanging down like a tail below his waist.
The spirit laughed. "Welcome tuh mi lair, intrudas. Dis ago bi yuh final resting place! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"