Chapter 5: Emergency Mission

Marcus was determined to get started on his bounty hunting career. From the forums, he knew that missions were the key to earning gold coins and making a name for himself as a bounty hunter. He had come prepared, expecting the system to assign him tasks to catch criminals and earn rewards.

However, when he opened the mission screen, he found it completely empty.

"Hmm, now that's weird," Marcus muttered to himself. He closed the tab and tried restarting it, but no matter how many times he attempted, no missions appeared.

Frustrated, he scratched his head and glanced around the snowy landscape. The barren field stretched out before him, interrupted only by the occasional dead tree.

"Must I go back and ask for a mission?" Marcus wondered aloud. In his experience with other games, there was always an NPC who would assign missions.

Gunnar had not given him any such instructions. Marcus was contemplating returning to Gunnar when he suddenly heard distant roars. The sound was more like a screech, echoing through the desolate area. The noise was unusual and stood out against the otherwise silent and cold landscape.

Marcus's curiosity was piqued. He followed the sound, making his way through the snow-covered terrain. As he approached a cluster of dead trees, the noise grew louder. The trees, twisted and gnarled, partially obstructed his view, adding an eerie feel to the surroundings.

As he moved closer, Marcus began to hear a grueling voice, filled with pain and agony. The sound was unmistakable and coming from just beyond the trees.

Carefully, he pushed through the underbrush and emerged into a small clearing. His eyes widened in shock at the sight before him.

A young child, no older than five, was trapped in a bear trap clamped tightly around his neck. The child's face was pale, and he was bleeding profusely, the snow around him tainted red with blood. He was barely breathing, and his movements were weak, likely driven by a desperate will to survive.

Nearby, a small Snow-Wolf pup, clearly distressed, was howling mournfully. Its cries echoed through the clearing, filling the air with a sense of urgency. When it saw Marcus, the wolf pup darted towards him, its eyes pleading for help.

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Ignoring the wolf pup for the moment, Marcus’s attention was focused entirely on the child. He approached quickly, his heart pounding as he assessed the situation. The bear trap’s metal jaws were clamped tightly around the child’s neck, and the bloodied snow indicated a severe wound.

Marcus knew he had to act fast. He moved his hands towards the trap, gripping the metal tightly. He was about to pull the trap apart when a troubling thought struck him.

'He has bled quite a lot,' Marcus thought, noting the growing puddles of blood despite the snow’s attempts to absorb it.

'If I pull the trap away... the holes will open even more. He could bleed faster! What should I do?' Marcus gulped hard, gritting his teeth as he contemplated. Meanwhile, the wolf pup neared and bit Marcus on his left hand. It felt like a mere ant bite, barely stinging.

'I need to—' Marcus suddenly remembered something.

Healing potions!

As this was a game, there were potions and other items just like in any typical RPG.

A healing potion could definitely heal the child's wounds! It was the best option at the moment.

However, a single healing potion cost about 50 gold coins!

The conversion rate was 2 gold coins for 1 UAD. So, Marcus would be using 25 gold coins' worth!

He remembered from his research that new players were given 2 healing potions upon starting the game.

Marcus checked his inventory on the screen. Indeed, he had a dagger and 2 healing potions.

New players often sold these potions to buy better equipment, which was Marcus's original plan. But the situation forced him to adapt.

The wolf pup kept biting, then withdrew when it noticed Marcus wasn’t hostile.

Marcus pulled out a green liquid from his inventory screen, summoning it directly. Without wasting any time, he placed the healing potion beside the child and, using his strength, pulled apart the metal trap, freeing the child.

The moment the child was freed, blood flowed even more rapidly, just as Marcus had feared. He wasted no time, uncapping the potion and making the child drink it.

He had never seen it work personally, only heard that drinking it would magically heal wounds.

Marcus hoped for the best, and the potion worked wonders. The wounds on the child's neck sealed instantly, and the boy's body glowed faintly green. Marcus could hear the child's heartbeat and breathing stabilize.

The NPC's health bar, previously showing 0%, increased to 80%, making Marcus gasp in joy.

The wolf pup, seeing the child recovering, licked Marcus's fingers in gratitude.

"Huff... Huff... I can't believe it's this realistic!" Marcus was forced to remind himself that this was just a game despite the immersion and impact it had on him. It was a bit stressful, but levels were about to increase.

Ding!

[Warning!]

[Intense Killing Intent Detected!]

The system screen turned red. Marcus looked up to find a gigantic, bulky man wielding an axe, walking straight toward him. A red haze matched the red glint in the man’s bloodshot eyes.

[Emergency Mission Generated!]

[Mission: Survive!]

[Description: Survive Hanseor Griffith's attacks for 30 seconds.]

[Reward: Learn One Of His Skills]

"..."