It was already nighttime when we decided to venture out of the village. A crescent silver moon shone in the sky, as the rusting of leaves and the cold night breeze followed every step we took.

Shhh...!

"W-what was that?" I couldn't help but blurt out.

"Probably nothing! Gahahaha!" Gothra laughed cheerfully, enjoying this situation.

"Quiet you two."

That's Kawaii Valkjure, big streamer, and our new friend. She's even in my friend list, which I don't know, I'm treating her like a normal person of course, but it just feels... she's famous, okay!? Even if she's not like someone I'm totally obsessed over, playing with her like this is just a novel experience I guess. And I'd even appear in her streams! In fact, I'm in it right now! I better check it out later.

"Oh, you guys think so too?" Valkjure asked, after a long silence.

"Huh?" I was confused.

"Oh, no no, I was talking to chat. Enemies." She motioned behind us, "Players, probably. On your toes."

"Gotcha," I whispered just loud enough for her and Gothra to hear.

"ROGER!" Gothra saluted along with a shout.

Idiot! We're clearly being followed! Try to be more discreet!

I gave her a disgusted look, but she only gave me a smug one like she's several steps ahead of me!

"Dude." She spoke to me through telepathy. Right, there was that option this entire time! "I'm trying to get our enemies to lower their guard down. It's totally planned."

"Bet you just thought of that now!"

"Fira, you... that's pathetic and low, even for you."

"Geh! W-well, majority rules, and Valkjure is also keeping quiet."

"If the majority jumps off a bridge, you'll follow them? What a fool. Child."

"I won't even get hurt. System."

"You're right. But you'd still be an idiot. Idiot Fira."

"Stop calling me an idiot! Stupid Gothra!"

"Uhhhh, you two focus. What are you talking about?" Valkjure noticed that we were talking through telepathy.

"H-how'd you know?" I asked.

"You were literally making faces at each other..."

"Oh..."

"I bet he's making the most stupid of them all! Gahahahahha!" Gothra shouted!

"Ssshhhhh!" I shushed her, but then in that moment, three shadows approached us from the back. We instantly dropped the stupid shit and faced these stalkers.

"Hehe..." a warrior came out front, snickering like a typical third-rate villain, "So that's the rumored Gun Empress? And we've even got Valkjure here! What a nice catch!"

Maybe this is what they wanted, a fair and straight-up fight. Because otherwise he just ruined their element of surprise with that...

Not we would've been surprised regardless. They really should work on the whole stalking thing more. Not that I'm knowledgeable on the subject, Gothra.

"Gahahahahaha!" Gothra began laughing hysterically, "You were left out! Poor Fira! You lonely? You lonely?"

"Shut up! I don't get off on the attention from a bunch of stupid stalkers like you do!"

"Pfft! Spoken like someone truly in denial!"

"Ggrrrrr...!

"Alright, settle down children," Valkjure stepped forward, hefting her large sword.

"Okay, mommy~~"

That was Gothra, okay!? Not me. Not me at all. Jesus christ you're embarassing!

"M-mommy...? Uhhmmmm... Ahem!" Valkjure got flustered out of that. Hehe, so that's how it is! "I'd rather resolve things with words, but there are so many things I want to buy from this event, and I've heard that players give out divine shards the first time you kill them."

Oh right, the event. It's called the Primordial Creation Bonus Event, and the gist of it is, you kill stuff, they may or may not drop divine shards, and then you can use those divine shards to buy shit. Pretty simple. But exactly the kind of boost us new players need right now.

"Heh, Valkjure, you're fake af and only doing this for your streams!" The mage shouted as his groupies started moving forward. He readied a spell himself.

"Tsk!" Uh-oh. That statement seemed to have touched a nerve on Valkjure...

I look at our enemies and found that there were three of them. Three losers, that is.

One is a warrion. He had fairly decent equipment, but nothing compared to Valkjure. He looked more like a common soldier in the face of a true general. Not like I'm any better. Rather I'm even worse. Villager rags-- err, I mean clothes. Don't eat me, I am not rich!

Other than him, there was a mage with very basic mage equipment. He was already preparing a spell... no, actually, he was preparing the spells, before then proceeding to melt them and absorb them back into his body. That must be some kind of Unique Skill at work. Best be careful. I readied my stance for anything that might suddenly come flying our way.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

And then the other one is someone completely shrouded in shadows. That's also another unique skill, probably. Or maybe they just look like that already in real life. I'm going to guess they're an assassin.

"Well then, shall we?" The warrior posited the offer, but he already had his sword at the ready in a proper stance.

"If you romanticize death so much, then I'll make sure to give you one surpassing your wildest dreams," Gothra smiled as she said those terrifying words. There's no need to ask her. She's way too bloodthirsty!

"Hah!" With that shout from the warrior, the battle commenced as both he and Valkjire ran for each other.

gothra also made her move and summoned Bereo, while I ran and went for the mage.

Trtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrt!

And then Bereo's onslaught finally began! The gunfire rang true in the dark of the night as our enemies were bathed in lead. It didn't do much damage, but it disrupted their movements, albeit only by a little.

Bereo was spraying his bullets all over a wide area in order to cover all three targets... who didn't remain as three! The shadow person immediately summoned her own shadow creatures, upping the pressure on us! But Bereo was able to neutralize the movement of the shadow creatures, and it seems that even his spread out meager damage might eventually kill them, speaking to how brittle they truly are!

But they're multiplying endlessly, the summoner keeps on summoning them without delay!

The way summons normally work on this game is that active summon takes a chunk of Max Mana out of you so players can't just abuse them, but this guy's mana is going down. That's not good, that's actually very bad. It should still be full if the Max Mana is getting lowered!

This must be some kind of Unique Skill, making for them to be a unique sort of summoner, a different kind of special than say Gothra who instead gets one single free summon.

Man, and I would've thought they were some kind of assassin too with that get-up. This complicates things...

But nothing more to it! I'll just focus on this mage who is already almost done with his spell. The shadow things probably won't reach me anyway, and if they do, I can kill them with a few swings given how brittle they are.

I looked at the mage longingly from afar, longing to plant my hammer in his face, but he was not even looking at me. He had a dirty, murky, and muddy spell on the ready, about to splash it all over Valkjure.

It'd likely be funny for her stream, but that's probably not just some juvenile harassment. I feel an ominous presence from the attack, and it's likely related to what he was doing just now with melting his own spells and shit. Maybe it can even one-shot her!?

That'd be bad.

"Over here you limp dick mage!" I shouted, taking a page out of Gothra's filthy degenerate book! That sure turned his attention on me, and without waiting for him to regain his composure, I summoned a basic fireball and hit it hard with my hammer!

[Fireball] [Hammer Batter]!!!

The fireball, my single fire spell, zoomed through the air, going far faster than how a spell of this level should!

Swish!

However, the mage was able to react almost automatically to my sudden attack, aiming his brown blob at my own fireball to counter it!

But that's exactly what I wanted to happen! I did not shout profanities at him just out of malice like a fucking idiot, revealing my surprise attack. I'm not that stupid!

This is all going according to plan!

Clash!

The two projectiles clashed, and it was no contest! My weak ass fireball completely lost to his brown muck, failing to even slow it down!

N-nani!?

Just kidding. I'm sorry for being a weeb.

The enemy spell kept on its trajectory, making its way towards me, but it took no effort to dodge as I could easily read its trajectory!

BOOM!

The brown muck whisked past me and made a huge crater where it landed. I would've taken so much damage if it hit. But it did not!

I smiled, seeing my opponent's surprised face. Then, before he can fully recover, I ran full speed towards him!

Seeing this, he hurriedly readied his staff and began hurling spells at me at random!

Flash! Flash! Boom!

Two fireballs were hurled my way, but I dodged them both. Icicles followed after that, I momentarily took a step back for them to pass. Lightning... the trajectory is actually ever-changing! This is dangerous!

So I ran for cover behind a tree as the lightning got its trunk, setting it ablaze.

Spirits of the forest, it wasn't me this time! Blame that arsoning mage!!!

"Fira! Valkjure! They're circling around! The shadow summons! Don't get caught off guard, you dorks!" I was then startled by Gothra's voice suddenly resounding inside my head!

"Gotcha!" That was all the reply I could manage!

After hearing her advice, I stepped away from the burning tree and ran back towards the mage! Staying in the cover of the many trees is not a bad idea, but if I cannot see my opponent then my Unique Skill cannot predict any trajectories either. Having to weave around the trees would also affect my mobility.

So straight on it is!

Seeing me unharmed, the mage once again starts casting spells, only to melt and then absorb the magic back into himself like he did for the brown spell!

An admittedly terrifying and powerful weapon, but has he not seen my dodging capabilities? All he's doing is giving me more time to get closer to him!

Gwahahahahahaha! What an idiot!

But just then, I sensed a few presences already dangerously close to me!

slash!

I felt a slight discomfort by my right leg, signaling that I've taken damage!

The shadow summons!

I turned around but found no one, only to be stabbed right in the back again!

Argh!

Where are they!?

I need to find them!

Those two attacks have already taken 5% of my total health! Gah! How will I ever recover!?

Swash!

I swung my hammer in frustration, and then felt something slightly connect! It was a tiny shadow that barely resembled a goblin, but about only half the height!

Right, these shadow summons are small as fuck!

I looked around, taking care to look in the shadows, nooks, and crannies. What's below me, far shorter than my own stature.

And there I found a whole slew of enemies, thinking they can hide from me!

There's almost thirty of them, but it's nothing I cannot handle if they're that weak.

However...

I looked over to the mage, and estimated that he was only about halfway done with his channeling. Alright, I got time.

Taking this opportunity, I kicked one of the shadows right in its mouth that's not really there!

Clash...!

It got thrown away slightly, but ultimately dissipated into nothing before it even landed back down on the ground!

I smiled.

This is going to be easier than I thought.

Smash, smash, smash!

[Second Impact, Second Impact, Second Impact!]

I shorted [Hammer Skill: Second Impact] to just Second Impact. You can abbreviate them in your mind and the skill will still activate.

I swung my weapon thrice, taking out a third of the enemies already! But I quickly noticed just how much damage even those measely shockwaves were dealing!

It's a drain on my mana, but they're even more brittle than I thought. This will give a lot of value! [Burning Weapon!]

My hammer was suddenly set ablaze, as my mana points also burned. Trying to make it quick, I smashed downward and splattered a shadow, taking out 5 of them at once!

Smash!

Bits of dirt flew into the air, as the ground was left slightly cracked!

The remaining shadows saw this and tried to spread out, but it was a little too late to make that decision! I swung my hammer low to the ground, making a crescent arc trailed with fire, taking down another 5!

Splash!

The shadows dissipate, their small figures disappearing just like that.

Alright, 5 more... except the mage is now ready for his next big attack!

Slash! Flash!

However, the 5 little shits took this opportunity to gallantly change at me! I met them halfway and smashed two with my hammer, while throwing down another two with my foot and fist!

But that only makes up for four. The last remaining one stabbed me right in the cunt!

Ugghhh! I feel no pain, but... ARRRRGGHHHH!

I grabbed the little shadow by the neck and looked into where its eyes should be. With my hand, I squeezed, staring into its HP bar quickly reaching zero. The shadow then dissipated, it was dead.

Wow, has that stupid violent Gothra already rubbed off on me that much?

Gothra Virus. Scary stuff. Really gotta be careful with the company I keep.

Oh wait! The mage!

I looked over to my opponent, saying in my mind to bring it on! But all I saw in his face, mildly obscured by the hood of his robe, is a condescending smile.

His spell was ready, I braced myself reading its trajectory, only to find that it was not aimed at me at all...

"VALKJURE!"