“Okay, where should I look for [Fluffy] first?” I thought aloud. “Well, since his owner died in the forest, maybe he went there?”
I nodded my head, deciding that would be the best place to look. Walking back to the forest I just came from, I started exploring. Examining the ground closely, I was carefully searching for any tracks or other evidence. Eventually, I found a small clump of white fur stuck to a bush. Picking it up, I then saw some wolf tracks.
“Gotcha. Where are you going?” I muttered. Following the tracks, I eventually found a small clearing in the thick forest. And in the clearing, [Fluffy] stood in the middle of a circle of Black Wolves. It looked like the White Wolf was guarding something. “Hey, I’m coming, [Fluffy]! Hold on!”
Drawing my greatsword with my right hand, I flung my dagger with my left hand. I also used [Throw I] to empower the attack. The weapon impacted the wolf nearest to me and it died instantly. Charging, I then sliced through another wolf with my sword, killing it instantly as well. Taking advantage of the sudden chaos, [Fluffy] lunged forward and attacked one of the Black Wolves.
Even though the Black Wolf was several times larger, [Fluffy] killed it within moments. He then pounced towards another wolf while I slashed one as well. In that manner we easily slaughtered the entire pack of Black Wolves. Once they were all dead, [Fluffy] barked at me before walking over to what he was guarding.
“Is that…Zak’s body?” I asked, looking at the partial corpse. Fluffy whined and nudged the body with his nose. The scene broke my heart as I watched. However, Instill had a job to do. “Come on, [Fluffy]. Let’s go home, bud.”
But [Fluffy] wouldn’t move, just nudging his dead owner’s corpse. Sighing, I began using my Excellent Custom Greatsword as a shovel. Digging a hole, I placed Zak’s corpse gently in the hole, burying him. I also erected a makeshift grave marker before sitting down. Fluffy ran over and began cuddling against me. He barked and my face, then I got a system message.
[Hidden Quest [A Pet’s Loyalty] Completed]
[Rewards: [Undying Loyalty] Active Skill, +Relationship with [Fluffy]]
[Undying Loyalty]
[Type: Active Skill]
[Effects:
1. Mark a willing Player in your friends list
1. +50% all main stats for 1 minute when your marked friend dies within 100 ft of you
2. 50% chance for your marked friend to revive when they die within 100 ft of you
3. 50% chance to self-revive when you die within 100 ft of your marked friend
4. Can only have 1 marked friend at a time]
[Costs 100% of max MP to use, 24 hour cooldown]
“Aw, it’s alright, Buddy. You’re a good boy, aren’t you?” I said to Fluffy, rubbing behind his ears. “You ready to go home now?”
He stood up and wagged his tail. Smiling, I got up and we walked out of the forest together. We then walked up to where both Terrence and Zak were waiting. They both had broad smiles when they saw us.
“Hey, [Fluffy], come here, boy!” Terrence called. The White Wolf ran over to him and started licking his face. “That’s a good boy! But why’d you run off?”
“I can answer that. When I found him, he was protecting Zak’s body from a pack of Black Wolves. I helped him kill the wolves and then buried the body,” I explained. Terrence nodded in understanding.
“While I found his body before, I wasn’t able to grab it due to the [Black Wolf King] standing nearby,” he replied. “Anyway, thank you for finding [Fluffy] for me. I don’t really have a reward for you, but I have an idea. I’m staring to think [Fluffy] needs a younger man as his owner, someone who can take proper care of him. Will you be willing to become [Fluffy’s] new owner?”
[Terrence would like you to be [Fluffy’s] new owner]
[Show your willingness to own 0/1 [Fluffy]]
[Reward: have [Fluffy] as a pet]
[Failure Penalty: ???]
[Accept? Y/N]
“Sure, I’d be willing to take [Fluffy]! If he’s okay with that,” I replied. The wolf barked happily, so I accepted the Quest. Doing so completed it, making it the easiest Quest I had ever completed.
[You have obtained pet [White Wolf]]
[White Wolf]
[Name: [Fluffy]]
[Rarity: Unique]
[Level: 20]
[Bloodline: [Crystal Ice Wolf Tribe]]
[Stats: HP (4095), MP (1000), Str (390), Vit (390), Agi (390), Dex (10), Int (200), Physical Attack Power (1950), Magic Attack Power (1000), Attack Speed (780), Movement Speed (780), Physical Defense (3900), Magic Defense (1000), Carrying Capacity (780), and Luck (1)]
[Skills: [White Wolf’s Howl III], [Tireless Marathoner], [Frost I], [Cold Resist - Lesser]]
“What. The. Heck?!” I shouted after seeing Fluffy’s status screen. “What are these stats?! How is he so much stronger than me?! I know I’m only Level 11 and he’s level 20, but I don’t think the difference in stats should be that high!”
However, before I could comment further, Zak approached me.
“Thank you for finding him! And while I am happy he’s found a new owner, I don’t want to leave him,” Zak said. “So, I hope you’ll accept this for a reward.”
His body turned into a white mist and seeped into my body. I was panicked for a moment until I saw the system message.
[You have obtained Active Skill [Spectral Summon - Zak]]
[Spectral Summon - Zak]
[Type: Active]
[Effects:
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
1. Can summon the spectral form of Zak to fight alongside you for 5 minutes
1. Has Zak’s main stats prior to his death
2. Has Zak’s Skills prior to his death]
[Costs 200 MP to use, 5 hour cooldown]
“Wait, what? I can summon Zak to fight with me now?” I said, confused. “[Spectral Summon - Zak]!”
I watched as a translucent, spectral version of Zak appeared. He smirked and laughed.
“You know, you really don’t have the Mana to waste on summoning me at random like this,” he said. “However, since I’m here, would you like me to teach you one of my techniques?”
“Sure, that sounds good!” I replied, excited to learn another Skill.
“Okay. I’ll teach you how to attack faster for a short time, which should help you make up for the size and weight of your greatsword,” Zak said.
[Ghost Boy Zak has offered to teach you Active Skill [Rapid Strikes]]
[Do you you accept? Y/N]
“Yes, of course I’ll accept!” I shouted, clicking yes. Zak smiled and held up his hand, an ethereal sword manifesting in his grip.
“Watch closely,” was all he said before he started swinging his sword. I watched as his strikes became so fast that my eyes could barely see his weapon. When he stopped, my eyes went wide and he grinned at my reaction. “So? Do you think you can do it now?”
[You have obtained Active Skill [Rapid Strikes]]
[Rapid Strikes]
[Type: Active]
[Effects:
1. Raises Attack Speed by 50% for 10 seconds]
[Costs 25 MP to use, 1 minute cooldown]
“Yeah, I think I can do it,” I replied. Drawing my greatsword, I activated [Rapid Strikes] and started swinging my sword. It moved faster than I was expecting, though it was still slower than why I had all my buffs active. Still, it was worth it to have such a Skill at my disposal.
“Wow! Very impressive! I guess Adventurers really are different from regular people,” Zak stated. He nodded in appreciation, an impressed look on his face. “Alright, well, I can only be out and about for 5 minutes at a time right now. So let’s get going.”
“Okay, sounds good,” I agreed. “[Fluffy], come here, boy!”
The White Wolf ran over from where he had been getting loves from Terrence. The middle-aged man gave us a sad smile as he watched as leave. I could tell that he was sad to see Fluffy leave, but was happy that he had a good owner.
“Goodbye and good luck, Cain!” He called out. I looked back at him with a big smile. I waved goodbye in response and then turned back.
“Alright, let’s head to the village,” I said to my companions. “I need to turn in my Quest to Miss Maggie.”
“Oh, you collected the Raw Meat for Miss Maggie? Well done,” Zak replied. “The tasks she’ll have you do might be a bit tough, but they should be worth it in the end.”
“Alright, then I’ll make sure to get them done. Thanks for the advice. We’ll head to her shop now then,” I told Zak. He nodded and the three of us made our way there. At least until the duration of my Skill was up and Zak faded back into nothingness. Which meant it was now just the two of us.
After a few more minutes of walking, I made it to the Strange Pet Shop. Walking inside, Miss Maggie greeted me with a large smile.
“Well, dear. I’m glad to see you here,” she greeted. “Have you completed your task?”
“I have,” I replied. I dug the 20 pieces of Raw Meat out of my inventory and passed them over to her. She accepted them gratefully.
“Thank you, dear. Now, as a reward, I have a special offer for you in regards to a pet,” she said, her smile growing wider. The portly middle-aged woman then went into a back room. After several minutes, she came back with a small black wolf-like creature held gingerly in her arms. “This is a [Baby Hellhound], which is a very rare creature. If you properly take care of it, it will become very strong and very loyal. Would you like to accept it as your pet?”
“Yes, please, thank you!” I exclaimed. Miss Maggie handed me the small animal.
[You have obtained pet [Hellhound]]
[Hellhound]
[Name: unnamed]
[Rarity: Unique]
[Level: 0]
[Bloodline: [Undying Hellfire Hound Tribe]]
[Stats: HP (105), MP (50), Str (10), Vit (10), Agi (10), Dex (10), Int (10), Physical Attack Power (50), Magic Attack Power (50), Attack Speed (20), Movement Speed (20), Physical Defense (100), Magic Defense (50), Carrying Capacity (20), and Luck (1)]
[Skills: [Fiery Jaws I], [Fire Resist - Lesser], [Hell’s Howl I], [Overheat - Lesser]]
“Oh, he looks like he could become very strong. Now, I just need to name him,” I thought aloud. Thinking for a moment, I came up with a good name. “I’ll name you [Orthrus].”
The Hellhound in my arms gave out a tiny bark. It then started nibbling in my finger. Even though he was a puppy and the bite itself didn’t hurt, his Passive Skill [Fiery Jaws] made it hurt. I even ended up getting the Burn status effect, which was continuing to make my HP go down. Miss Maggie laughed.
“Well dear, your new pet seems to like you,” she said. “However, in order to properly take care of your pet, you need to help make sure it grows up big and strong. Go and have your [Hellhound] get strong by having it kill monsters.”
[Miss Maggie wants you to prove your worth as a pet owner by having [Orthrus] kill monsters]
[Hunt 0/10 monsters with [Orthrus]]
[Rewards: [Pet Food (x10)], [Growth Pellet - Lesser]]
[Failure Penalty: kicked out and banned from [Strange Pet Shop]]
[Part 3/?]
[Accept? Y/N]
“Of course I’ll accept!” I exclaimed. Clicking the yes button, I immediately turned to leave. However, as I was leaving, Miss Maggie cleared her throat.
“You’re going to need something before you leave,” she said. The shopkeeper grabbed a small pill-like object out from behind her counter. “This is a pellet that when fed to a pet makes it stronger.”
[You have obtained [Growth Pellet - Lesser (x1)]]
[Growth Pellet - Lesser]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Type: Consumable]
[Subtype: Growth]
[Restrictions: for pets only]
[Effects:
1. Raises all main stats by 10]
“Oh, wow, thank you! I’ll give it to him right away,” I replied, thanking her. Holding the pellet out to Orthrus, he sniffed it hesitantly before eating it. I watched as a slight crackle of power surrounded the beast before going away. He barked and chased his tail before calming back down. Smiling, I walked outside with Orthrus and Fluffy on either side of me. “Alright, boys, let’s head to James’ field.”
The three of us walked out to Farmer James’ wheat field. As usual, there were plenty of Green Slimes and Red Slimes hopping around. However, knowing that regular Green Slimes didn’t do acid damage and that Orthrus doesn’t take a lot of fire damage, I wasn’t worried about him hunting slimes.
“Okay, [Orthrus], go and hunt some slimes, boy,” I said. He wagged his tail, barked, and ran out into the field. I watched as he bit down on a Green Slime, which burst into flames and melted in his mouth. Its body then vanished into red particles. I laughed as Orthrus looked around in confusion, trying to figure out where it went. “You killed it, bud. Now, kill a few more.”
The little Hellhound bounded around, killing two more slimes before being enveloped in a momentary flash of bright light. I received a system message at that same moment.
[Pet [Orthrus] has leveled up]
[Stats have been randomly increased]
[Random Skill has leveled up]
[Hellhound]
[Name: [Orthrus]]
[Rarity: Unique]
[Level: 1]
[Bloodline: [Undying Hellfire Hound Tribe]]
[Stats: HP (409.5), MP (185), Str (39), Vit (39), Agi (38), Dex (20), Int (37), Physical Attack Power (195), Magic Attack Power (185), Attack Speed (76), Movement Speed (76), Physical Defense (390), Magic Defense (185), Carrying Capacity (78), and Luck (2)]
[Skills: [Fiery Jaws I], [Fire Resist - Lesser], [Hell’s Howl II], [Overheat - Lesser]]
“Awesome! You’re gonna get as strong as [Fluffy] in no time, [Orthrus]!” I told him. He excitedly wagged his tail in response. Fluffy, however, just glanced at me before walking over to a Giant Green Slime. He bit it, then immediately pulled away, avoiding the spray of acid caused by it exploding. Because he killed it one attack. “Yes, [Fluffy], you’re very strong. But don’t you want your new little brother to be strong as well?”
The White Wolf glanced at the tiny Hellhound, then looked back at me. He walked over to Orthrus and licked him, then nodded. I laughed at this display and beckoned both pets over to me. They obeyed and walked over to me.
“You two are good boys, and you need to make sure to get along, alright?” I told them. “You are both my precious pets and friends, so I want you two to be nice, alright?”
Orthrus just looked up at me with a happy expression while Fluffy nodded. Satisfied, I sent Orthrus back out to keep hunting slimes. He was doing a good job, having already killed two more, when a Giant Red Slime started bounding towards him. Drawing my dagger, I used [Throw I] to launch the weapon. It pierced the monster’s body and killed it instantly, but what I forgot I about was the fiery explosion upon death.
“No, [Orthrus]!” I shouted. But when the flames went away, I saw Orthrus sitting there, panting and mostly unscathed. “Right, you have [Fire Resist]. I forgot. Good to see you’re okay, boy.”
The Hellhound barked once before continuing his hunting. He quickly killed two more slimes, and once again he leveled up.
[Pet [Orthrus] has leveled up]
[Stats have been randomly increased]
[Hellhound]
[Name: [Orthrus]]
[Rarity: Unique]
[Level: 2]
[Bloodline: [Undying Hellfire Hound Tribe]]
[Stats: HP (608.5), MP (270), Str (57), Vit (58), Agi (56), Dex (20), Int (54), Physical Attack Power (285), Magic Attack Power (270), Attack Speed (112), Movement Speed (112), Physical Defense (580), Magic Defense (270), Carrying Capacity (114), and Luck (2)]
[Skills: [Fiery Jaws I], [Fire Resist - Lesser], [Hell’s Howl II], [Overheat - Lesser]]
“You’re so strong already! You’re catching up to me in some areas!” I exclaimed. “Man, are all pets so strong? I can’t wait to see how strong the two of you become!”
Both Orthrus and Fluffy looked pleased with my praises. They nuzzled against me from either side, looking happy. Smiling, I knelt down and scratched their heads.
“You’re good boys. But [Orthrus], you need to get stronger, so hunt 3 more slimes. Then you can be done,” I told the adorable puppy. He barked and ran back to the field. However, it didn’t take him long at all to kill 3 slimes and he ran back over to my side. “Alright, let’s head back to the pet shop.”