Two. Three. Five?! I'm not ready for PVP, let alone a gangbang. What if I log off? No good, that stupid zombie triggered an activity timer. That single strike might cause my downfall, and it wasn't even a real fight.
[Engagement timer: 2:36.]
Half of it is already gone, can I stay hidden until it runs out? Are they even looking for me, or farming mobs? They fought the zombies or whatever monsters appeared on the spawn point. And there was that lone mob at the previous place too.
Did they encounter someone and chase them off, or the zombie went down and didn't die? No, this isn't the real question. Who are these guys, and what happens if they find me? The cloak should help with hiding, but how good is that plus-three stealth?
There are no spawns this way, the one they cleared is the southernmost point near Origin. The closest is to the west and another pair is towards the east. That's where I headed before taking a southern detour to avoid them, and they come right this way.
Six. This is not good, and I can't hear their chatter either. Wait, my name! It's bright white over my head, how can someone hide with that floating above? When DragonSlayer enabled stealth his name disappeared, but he's a multiclass.
He even said something about the Rogue class, and how overpowered their abilities are. Peeking out from the cover, there are no other names visible though. Could they be all Rogues? Glancing up, I can still see my own, though that doesn't mean others can too.
Eight, nine, what the fuck? That's almost a football team now. Are they all coming for me? The minimap gives off a subtle high-pitched beep every time the number increases. There is a lower tone when it goes down, and both are so quiet, this is the first time noticing it.
Is this even one group? Five people were near the spawn, although I never went close enough for all to appear on the map. I'm only guessing their numbers from the chatter they had earlier. There might be another group nearby.
And what if they aren't even players? The proximity counter shows villagers too, though why would they wander outside Origin? What if they're bandits? Do NPCs chat with each other when there are no players around?
Selena and Tank even sent messages to each other, it was about me, and I was there both when they wrote and read it. The map doesn't show how close they are, only if they are inside the twenty-five meters mark. It doesn't hint at who they are either.
At least say if they are players or NPCs!
[Engagement timer: 1:24.]
Ugh, this has to be the slowest minute of my life. There is nothing but the earthy smell of the forest, the rustling leaves, and the chirps around. The map shows the tree I'm hiding behind, a trail in the area, and my green dot in the middle.
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They will only show up once I spot them and whether they're yellow, gray, or red dots will decide who they are. With one eye glued to the counter, the other scans the area while trying to suppress my breath.
Nine people. Ten including me in a twenty-five-meter radius, with nobody in sight. My heart beats so loud and fast, that I can't even hear anymore. Let's hope they won't pick up that sound. Should I stay here or try to sneak my way east?
The first yellow dot lights up dead ahead, about five meters from me. So it's a player, and now it's too late to move. Can they see me as well? He's slow and steady, walking between the trees, though it doesn't seem like he's trying to be careful.
He has a spear in his hand and a shield on his back. His leather scale armor comes with a tall helmet with a red feather which must have been the first thing to spot. What almost gives me a heart attack is his mate popping up even closer, only two meters away.
He sports a chainmail that rustles with every move, yet hides him better than his mate's fancy helmet. He has an axe that looks like the one DragonSlayer used and could break my shield in a few attempts. He's not looking at me either, but waves to his friend, and they both stop.
Holy shit. Does he know I'm here? Fuck fuck fuck. Who knows if my dot is on his minimap or not? He's so close, he could already attack me if he wanted, yet still refuses to turn this way. How long's on the timer?
[Engagement timer: 0:18.]
Are you kidding me? Twenty seconds would be enough to sprint back to the village from here. Come on, tick faster. And where are the other seven? The answer comes way before I can prepare myself for it.
An arrow smashes into the tree that serves as my cover, avoiding the chainmail guy by less than a centimeter. Two more arrows cut across the woods in the other way, and a red dot appears on my map. No, not one, four!
The bandits rush the players from their nearby hiding spots, and one lands a nasty hit on Fancy Helmet. The eerie silence is gone, yells and the sound of clashing weapons fill the forest. The other players also reveal themselves, joining the fight, and this is my chance to run.
First south, so I won't get caught up in their brawl, then east towards my original goal. An arrow misses, crashing into a tree behind me, and the fourth red dot appears right in my path. This is the first I saw them use their bows, why does he have to be in my way?
[Engagement timer: 0:07.]
God damn it. What now? Fight or flight? Can the others see me? A glance behind shows they're busy killing each other, but that's all I get before the bandit ahead reloads. The arrow gets stuck in my shield, it's a good thing I kept holding onto it.
[Engagement timer: 4:59.]
No fucking way. This isn't fair! He didn't hit me, and I didn't engage with him... Until now. He's only ten meters away, standing by a wide tree trunk. It takes two long steps and a jump and the rusty sword reaches him. He's not getting any more shots.
Practice or not, when the adrenalin floods my brain, I swing strong and wide aiming for his neck. It's a lucky hit. There's no sign of the precision from earlier, but it gets the job done. As his head's severed, he turns into pixels, dropping the bow and a few more items.
[You killed a Bandit +100 Exp.]
Despite the danger, that bow might be useful, so I scoop up his loot on the run. If anyone follows me, they'll get an arrow between their eyes. Except he didn't drop any. For fuck's sake, the system's trolling me.
Five. Three. One. The number drops to zero and I'm alone in the vicinity. The battle continues but it's not my fight. It should hold them back from following me before I get far enough from here.