Lucy followed the mysterious woman through the dark jungle. She tried to check her savior’s status, but it wouldn’t appear in her vision. Could the woman’s cloak be blocking Lucy’s ability?

From the green brush, they approached a giant tall tree in the middle of a small meadow surrounded by the jungle. The night sky was clear, unlike the gray, misty atmosphere in the jungle. What a relief to Lucy that the mist didn’t spread across the tall grass.

The tree almost looked like a giant green mushroom. The green brush on the tree was round and flat, nearly overshadowing the entire meadow. Anything could hide up there.

Close to the tree, the woman climbed up a rope hanging down from the top. Lucy gripped the rope and climbed up. She placed her bare feet on the tree trunk to climb quicker. The claws on her toes clenched the bark without slipping.

“Can you tell me who you are?” Lucy asked.

The woman paused and hissed at Lucy, probably to keep her quiet. She reached a long thick branch where the rope hung from.

After Lucy climbed onto the giant branch, she saw a cabin house settled on a wooden platform behind the center tree trunk. The small house has two windows, one door, and a dome-shaped haystack roof. Dry mud glued the logs together for the exterior. Not elegant, but enough to keep it together. This was the first time Lucy had witnessed a tree house.

The woman opened the door and stepped aside. “After you.”

Lucy glared super suspiciously, but she strode into the cabin, keeping her paw on her sheath, just in case.

Inside, the cabin has only one room with little furniture and no decorations. A bed mat rested in the corner near a dresser. Three chests in the other corner, and a round table at the center. In the back was a desk with a lit lantern, glimmering next to a leather book stack.

Lucy’s nose caught a musky wood scent around her. A little moss too from the wet ceiling. Not much spring cleaning the woman did. Lucy’s other father always forced her to clean her room.

The door slammed shut. Lucy jolted around to the woman.

The woman pulled her white hood off her head, revealing to be jackal with long, raven hair. Gold eyeliners gleamed over her shiny ruby eyes, and she has three small rings in her left pointy ear. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

From behind her lower back, the jackal woman drew out a two-barrel musket pistol and pointed it at the cocker spaniel.

Lucy held up her paws. She knew this would happen, but she planned to outsmart the woman at the right time.

She narrowed her eyes. “Is this why you rescued me?”

The jackal lowered her gun and shot Lucy’s left leg.

Lucy HP: 200

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“Ouch!” Lucy hopped on one foot as she rubbed her left leg. There was no wound, but the pain shocked her senses. “You shot me!”

The jackal woman sighed and placed her gun back in her holster. “Sorry! I have to make sure you’re real.”

Lucy placed her left foot down. “I am real!”

“But how can I tell?”

“By not shooting me!”

The jackal grimaced. “I’m still sorry. I saw too much crazy stuff on this island for a long time. It’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not. By the way…” She approached Lucy and held out her paw. “Loretta. My name is Loretta.”

When Lucy shook the jackal’s paw, the jackal’s character status appeared.

Loretta Locksmith Level: 15 Race: Jackal/Wolf HP: 150 Non-player character

Lucy’s mouth dropped. “My goodness!”

Loretta beamed her eyes with a confused look. “What? Do I smell funny? I did bathe before dark.’

Lucy released Loretta’s paw. “No! No! You are Charles’s sister!”

Loretta shrugged. “Half-sister. He has more wolf blood than me.”

Apparently so. Lucy couldn’t tell Loretta was a half-breed. Maybe Loretta's bushy tail has the most wolf traits than the rest of her appearance.

“So how do you know me?” Loretta asked with her arms crossed. “Are you a bounty hunter?”

“No, I am a pirate like you. Long story short, your brother asked me to help him rescue you. He and my crew are here searching for you.”

Loretta widened her eyes. “He’s here? Where!?”

“They are-” Lucy paused as she remembered what happened to the others. Her breath escaped from her lungs. "Oh, no…"

Loretta blinked her eyes. "What is it? Where are they?"

"I lost them when the ghosts attacked us."

The jackal lowered her ears. "You mean-"

"No, they should be fine. We got separated when we ran."

"The mist separated you. We must hurry." Loretta ran to the dresser. She pulled out a sheet and tossed it to Lucy. "Put that on!"

Lucy caught the sheet and glanced at it. It has a hood and two long sleeves. "What is this for?"

Loretta pulled the hood over her head. "It’s a disguise. The ghosts will think we are one of them."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "That sounds stupid!"

"I know, but it works. When the ghosts chased me, I hid under a sheet. They totally passed by me without looking. Either they are stupid, or the white color repels them."

"And how come they don't float up to your cabin?"

Loretta shrugged and turned around. "They hate trees, I guess."

From the drawer, she grabbed a round glass bottle with red liquid inside. She tossed it to Lucy. "Take that too. It will heal you."

Lucy caught the bottle. She already has potions, but she drank the bottle, anyway.

Lucy HP: 220

She placed the white cloak sheet on. Another notification appeared in her vision.

White Sheet (DP+1) May repel ghosts.

I guess this might work, Lucy thought. The game status never lies to her.

"Do you have more?" Lucy asked.

"I only have a few," said Loretta. "It will not be enough for everyone. But if we are lucky, daylight should rise soon. Come on!"

Lucy followed the jackal out of the cabin. She hoped her crew was alive and safe. The ghosts might have weak attacks, but many ghosts could still kill the entire party.