image [https://cdn.midjourney.com/4b48b61e-9968-404d-9578-da1fd56850f6/0_0.png]

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“The fuck?” Peter yelled, stopping his bike and struggling to keep it from falling laterally.

“What’s up with you?”

“Why?”

“So what?”

Oh, my God! You mean…

“But… the astronomers would have noticed the change, right? I mean, the stars—”

the System continued, sounding the most depressed Peter had ever heard.

“Shit.”

“C’mon!” Peter yelled. “You want me to go against folks who can kidnap entire solar systems? I’m sorry to break it to you, but no thanks! I’m just one guy, level eleven. ”

Hypothesis: they need an army, cannon fodder Earth can offer. Then, with a simple command, they can make the Tower teleport you and all the students to a hellish planet to fight against Godzillas or their rival sects. When they deem you ready, you’ll be given a spade and ordered to dig trenches under fire while the others fight.>

“Fuck…”

“Affirmative,” Peter said automatically. He had thought the same: he needed more knowledge to save himself and Regina. He didn't want her involved if there was a war to be fought. Just this realization made his heart beat faster.

“Not anymore,” Peter groaned.

“Aren’t them too weak to give XP?”

Shrugging, Peter started the motorcycle again. Reaching the spot marked on the minimap, he stored the bike and took out the drone anew. After five minutes of searching, he called the drone back. It was impossible to detect anything under the canopy.

He holstered the gun at his waist, just in case, and took out a javelin in hand. Entering the woods, Peter Sneaked on, leaving the markers behind. The first Jackalope he met ran, losing itself under the bushes. However, his senses showed him its location. Pretending he was passing by, he turned and thrust his weapon downward. Squealing, the monster expired in seconds, and he Looted it.

There were more noises at some distance, and he advanced carefully. This time, there were two adult jackalopes and four kits. He wasn’t into killing families, so he retreated discreetly.

All of a sudden, he realized something and facepalmed. “We’re doing it wrong!” Abandoning all pretenses of discretion, he started marching with heavy steps.

“Aggroing. There are more types of beasts, right? Normal mutated ones and crazed ones. It’s a pity to attack the normal ones; they’re like an endangered species. On the other hand, crazed beasts are pests and attack any intruder. We should concentrate on them.”

the System said, flashing the mini-map in Peter’s eyes.

“Shit!”

Alarmed by the numbers, Peter rushed to climb into a tree, but it was only a pine forest, and the branches were densely packed together and thin. One gave, and he fell on his back. The next second, the crazed monsters jumped him. The leather armor protected him from the worst of the attack, but he got bitten on his left wrist and ankle, exposed by the fall.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“You little fuckers!” Peter yelled, slamming the crazed jackalope clinging to his hand to the one munching on his foot. He jumped up, ignoring the rest of the attackers, picked up his javelin and tried to fight back.

The only problem was that the long weapon was badly suited to close combat. Peter resorted to swinging it around like a bat and, finally, throwing himself against trees and rolling on the ground to crush the last monsters.

“Affirmative…” Peter grumbled, massaging his lower back. His ankle and wrist had deep scratches and bites.

Looking at the blood, Peter reluctantly obeyed. The bleeding stopped in seconds, but the scars still showed.

“That makes sense…” Peter growled, angry at himself for not thinking about it.

“There are people in the forest,” Peter whispered.

A line of torches had appeared northwest and was approaching fast, the ones carrying them yelling and kicking the brushes with sticks. A band of sweepers, chasing the game in front of them. Hiding was the fastest option, so he hurried to the darkest spot and pushed himself into a nock made by a fallen tree.

“What the fuck?” a voice yelled. It was Jack’s; Peter could recognize it anywhere. “Something killed the last crazed pack! Come here; the hunt is off.”

Shit, I forgot to loot the jackalopes!

A second group of younger teens appeared between the trees. Fortunately, none passed near Peter.

“What happened here, young master?” a girl asked.

“A poacher or something,” somebody else said.

“Poachers don’t leave the game behind. A bear,” Jack said.

“But there are totems,” the same girl said.

“A normal bear. Totems only stop awakened beasts.”

“Should we hunt it?” a student asked.

“With what, slings and bats?” Jack snapped. “Let’s move; wounded bears are dangerous.”

“Err… young master Jack?” the girl asked. “What if we tell the teachers that we hunted the jackalopes? We’ll get good marks if we complete the assignment, right?”

“OK, but it stays between us. Bag the monsters and go back to the dorm. I’ll return on my own.”

The group disappeared after a few minutes, going obliquely to the north of where Peter had entered the forest, closer to the college. What is he doing? Peter asked himself when Jack’s steps approached. Did he notice me?!

The zipper noise that followed told him the truth: Jack was preparing to relieve himself on the fallen tree trunk. Peter jumped up as fast as he could, raising his gun by instinct, if not logic. “No, you don’t!” he blurted, making his voice rougher.

Jack gasped, raising his hands up. His pants, luckily for him, stayed up; only the zipper had been undone. “Whoa! Who are you?”

“Sorry, you startled me…” Peter holstered his gun, avoiding the answer.

“I startled you?” Jack snorted. “Who are you? Are you a poacher?>

Jack’s no Einstein, in case you didn’t notice. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Peter said aloud. “I was taking a shortcut through the woods. Then I heard you guys and hid. I thought you were poachers.”

It was as good an explanation as any other and made some sense. Peter hoped Jack would stop at that, being a lazy jackass. However, Jack proved him wrong and rushed at him, yelling: “You’re under arrest!” Intercepting the charge, Peter diverted it, slamming Jack into a tree. The latter fell, growled, and struggled to get up but failed. His ankle was broken or twisted.

“Stay down! Why the hell did you do that?” Peter hissed, taking his gun in hand again as a deterrent but keeping the muzzle down. “Are you stupid?” Peter waved his gun.

“Spare me the sermon,” Jack growled. “You wanna shoot me? Shot me.”

Peter shook his head and squatted in front of Jack at a safe distance, pointing his gun at the cultivator.

“I noticed a strange thing… Your charge was telegraphed and slow,” Peter said.

“Whatever. Shot me already!” Jack barked, massaging his ankle.

“You know what they say in the novels. Take out the impossible, blah blah, and the truth remains. You wanted me to shoot you. Why?”

Jack began crying. “Shot me… Please…”

“You wanted me to shoot you,” Peter whispered the same thing again, his hand slightly trembling. He reholstered the gun to avoid an accidental discharge.

“I’ll end it anyway… I’ll find that bear and let it eat me… oh shit… it was no bear, right… it was you…” Jack whimpered.

“Why?” Peter asked albeit he could guess the answer.

“I lost the love of my life… That’s why,” Jack took his knees between his hands, his head hidden between his arms. “And it’s all my fault… I cheated on her… and she almost died because of me… And now I lost her. She’s seeing someone else. Please do it… I don’t have the courage to do it myself…”

“You love this girl?”

Jack nodded.

Peter sighed, hating himself for what he was about to say. “Then you should ask her forgiveness. Tell the other guy to give you space until you and her sort it out. Kick his ass if he doesn’t listen.”

“No!” Jack blurted. “If she loves him, I want her to be happy, no matter if he’s a normie,” Jacke rolled his eyes at the last word, which made Peter snort. Jack was a prejudiced bastard, that was sure.

“And what if her being happy means to wait until she realizes the new guy is not good for her and forgives you? It’s how these things work. Give her some time, eat your pride, and wait for the right moment.”

“You… sure?”

“Worked for me,” Peter lied, clenching his teeth. “Now, we’re happily married.”

“I didn’t think about it this way…” Jack whispered. There was hope in his eyes, and Peter decided to cut to the chase.

“Anyway, I’d be going. Take care.”

“Man… you sure are a weird poacher…” Jack said, rising up. His ankle looked better or at least could support his weight. Peter shrugged, walking away.

the System asked ten minutes later when they reached the road.

“Sometimes, you have only hard choices,” Peter said. “He’s only half an asshole. And frankly, you’re complicating my life… I have to let Regina go. If we get together, she’ll be in constant danger.”

“I will put on my most boring behavior, then when she has enough of it… I don’t know. It’s up to them.”

“A hot chick, idiot.”

“Maybe because I didn’t know he cared so much about her, dummy.”

“I don’t love her… we just met.”

“That was not sarcasm. It’s a fact. Only not my fact,” Peter said, starting the motorcycle.

“It doesn’t make sense to you because you’re a stupid AI!” Peter yelled, feeling his eyes well with tears. “Go stay with Kostel and leave me alone!” Saying that, he pushed the motorcycle to the limit, accelerating from zero to a hundred miles in seconds.