Ring! Ring!
Wow. I've only called twice now and Harley is still late picking up his phone. Normally, I would call Lucas before him to see if he can edit a few chapters in his spare time. But with exams coming up and him seeming to be occupied with
"Hey, are you planning to waste your data on me, Kessler?"
I flinch upon hearing his sassy tone on the phone. Maybe I spoke too soon.
"Sorry, Harley. But you haven't been calling us lately. Knowing you, you always act like an overbearing father during exam week," I said through the speaker as I slaved away with business basic reference books.
"Yeah, sorry to be your overbearing Dad, Kessler. But yeah, for real, I'm sorry about the silence," Harley answered with a sigh. "We've been dealing with a rush lately and it didn't make any better that my Mom will come back to New York for the next two weeks."
I widen my eyes at the mention of his mother. "Are you kidding?! Do you want to deal with her? You told us before that..."
"It doesn't matter. Even if I say no, there is no way she will change her mind. Besides, with how serious I am with my fashion major, it's only a matter of time until I have to turn to her for recommendations."
I groaned. Is he really serious about that last part?
"Still, I doubt you need a recommendation. You're already a talented designer and you had a few As in your previous projects. Besides, you have us as your supporters. You can't rely on your mother after everything you've been through."
It's not an exaggeration. I have known Harley since middle school and compared to Lucas's woes with David, his personal issues are more harsher due to his unique circumstances. I wish I could tell him otherwise, but not even Lucas can talk him out of it when it comes to his family.
"I told you, I'll be alright, Brycen. If I want to get into the fashion industry, then I have to take the risk. Just...don't mention this to Lucas. He will go ballistic when he finds out."
God, when he said it like that, that means he's dead serious. Looks like that's something he can't control on his end.
"Fine. But if he finds out, it's all on you. Just...DM us when things go wrong," I relented. "Whatever happens, Lucas and I are right by your side. Don't forget that."
"A-Alright. And...thank you for listening to my unreasonable request." I hear Harley sigh again. "Just don't forget your studies and not focus too much on your writing as always, Kessler."
I smiled. That's the Harley I know. "Right. I'll see you later."
And with that, I drop the call. Honestly, he's making a senseless risk here. I don't know much about his mother beyond our first encounter during high school, but I'm genuinely worried about him. And with our promise to keep this to ourselves, lying to Lucas is enough to make my stomach churn.
Honestly, I could have done better as his friend. If I had some backbone, I would have the heart to convince him otherwise.
Yeah, as if the werewolf fan who is squeamish with body horror is enough to change his mind...
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"[Power Attack]!"
I screamed before throwing another strong punch to the [Wild Boar]. This time, it stood its ground to prevent itself from flying away like earlier. I'm guessing my previous [Power Attack] makes it aware of my unnatural [Lycan] strength. That should give me a bit of an advantage now that it's on the defensive. After that, it will take about 30 seconds for it to charge up before a power tackle is enough to chip my health down to red. Before that happens, I charge in to get close and begin my assault.
First, a left punch, a right... Then another left, right uppercut, right kick, a roundhouse left kick... Now, a left [Jab] followed by an upper right kick...
Even without the skills, as long as my basic attacks connect, they will increase their [ATK] power with every successful hit. So accuracy and agility are the keys to this bout. I continue my assault and when it's [HP] gone down to red, I quickly back away just as the boar prepares for a special charge attack. Unlike other attacks, it uses its [Enraged] state for a one-time use of its powerful charge tackle. It's enough to break a shield or a [Mana Shield] spell, but you can still dodge it with the right timing. I slowly back away as it prepares to charge at me and when it did...
“Spirits of flames, show yourselves! Erect the shield of flames to deter my enemies!” I jumped up and aimed my arm at where I was standing. "[Fire Wall]!"
With a wall of flames up to replace me, I land behind the boar just as it charges right onto a rock boulder behind me and I rush up behind it.
"And now... [Power Attack]!"
I thrust my right fist on the boar's back like a stone brick and I can hear a few bones cracking and the boar squeal.
[You have defeated a [Wild Boar].]
Alright. That's one down. Now for the second and a bit of good timing, too. Because I noticed the second one rushing behind me after killing the first. I quickly side-step to the right followed up with a quick [Jab] once it's within striking range. It's only a standard skill that requires no vocal activation unlike other skills in [Isekai], but it has the advantage of low cooldowns along with its connection with basic attacks. After that, I threw another right [Jab] and a [Power Attack] left roundhouse kick.
Now that I think about it, the more I continue fighting the boar, the more I enjoy the thrill of it. The danger, the risks I have to take to gain an advantage... I can never get that from fighting from the sidelines as a supporter! I know this is my Mind Link-induced bestial instincts talking, but I just get enough of it!
[SQUEALLLL!!!!]
Whoops, I almost got caught up in my bloodlust that I forgot that the boar's [HP] is almost at the red. I better finish this quickly.
“Spirits of life, hear my call! Give my ally the strength from your power! [Gift of Strength]!”
I jumped back away from the [Wild Boar] before applying the buff to myself again. This guy will use its power charge attack again the moment its [HP] turns red. Before that happens, I charge in first before I [Jab] its lower jaw.
[CRITICAL!]
[You have [Stunned] the [Wild Boar] for 5 seconds.]
Nice! A critical to the weak point means a 50% [Stun]! Which means it won't be able to dodge my next attack.
"[Power Attack]!"
I focused my right leg for a charged upper kick to its gut to trap it in mid-air. Once the boar is up, I jump and throw all of my punches and kicks as fast as I can. I didn't stop attacking as I watched its [HP] go down. I'm not giving this little piggy any rest. I'm gonna keep up with my punches until you're going down!
"You are done! [Power Attack]!"
With one last punch, I thrust my fist onto the boar and watched it fly down to the ground. I grinned as dust seemingly exploded upon impact as I hear its squeal fading. But then, I slowly realized what I had done once I saw a crater underneath the cloud of dust.
Damn... Did I just pull that off in one go without any rest? I didn't cast any spells on the second boar and yet, I beat it with my bare hands. Not only that, I seemed like I was enjoying the whole fight while hearing the boars squeal in pain. If I continue to lose myself there, what would happen if I end up targeting any nearby friendly players and NPCs?
God, the [Lycan] transformation can be scary sometimes...
[You have defeated the [Wild Boar].]
Oh, right. The drops! I did get a special feature exclusively for this [Sub-Race] after I completed the hunting practice portion of the [Hidden Quest].
[HUNTING NOTICE]
[You currently hunted 2 [Wild Boars]. Do you want to keep the carcass or receive your loot?]
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
[If you choose to keep the carcass of the monster, you need to deliver it to the village butcher for the item drops first.]
[YES] [NO]
One difference between a normal battle and a [Hunt] is that I get double the loot than the usual drops I'm getting with a higher chance of obtaining a rare item. The only catch is that I have to carry the monster's carcass on hand back to the village. Which means I have to protect it from any unwanted robbers who might spoil it. I can store around 3 carcasses in my inventory, but I have to carry the excess if I want more. According to Lawrence, I can get more storage if I continue to hunt, so I should not slack off if I don't want to get burdened with too many carcasses. For now, I'll store the 2 boars in my inventory.
[You have stored 2 [Wild Boar Carcasses].]
[You only have 1 [Monster Carcass] slot left.]
Alright. I should hunt one more [Wild Boar] and move on with some smaller monsters in the area.
[SQUEALLLL!!!]
Speak of the devil, looks like the chaos from the fight lured in another! Time for me to...
[SQUEALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!]
It's huge!!!
Forget the sharp tusks! This boar is five times bigger than a normal [Wild Boar]! This must be the [Rampaging Boar], the leader of the [Wild Boars]. It's not as high-level as an [Invisible Lion], but it's high [ATK] and [DEF] makes it too frustrating to solo it. Looking at my current stats, I'm still no match against it despite my [Martial Arts] leveling up from the last two monsters. I should flee and get away before it notices me.
Wait, why am I thinking about running?! Am I here to hunt and grind to level up my [Masteries], right?! Looking at that big guy closely, he looks a bit powerful. Powerful enough to test my abilities before the full moon. Isn't this a great opportunity to test my limits with my new abilities?
There's a growing urge in me that I have to keep going. I have to keep fighting if I want to get stronger. Much stronger to keep up with Fenrir and Lawrence!
I look up and see that the boar is now staring at me. I can't suppress my wild side any longer!
[SQUEALLLLL!!!]
"Yeah, yeah! I heard you!" I cracked my knuckles and a grin on my face. "If you want a fight, then I'll give you one! Get ready to be my dinner, Mr. Piggy!"
-----
I yawned and stretched my legs after transforming back. It's been about 1 IG hour and a half since I started my patrol in the forest. I've been a bit paranoid since the [Invisible Lion] incident. With a couple appearing near the village, there's a chance MVP monsters might appear out of nowhere without a warning. Now that I have that knowledge, the village guards aren't enough to safeguard every NPC there. But with me as the only known [Lycan] player in the game right now, I don't know if I can handle most of them on my own. If that kid gets lucky, he might help me lighten the load for their sake. Yet I wish there were more [Lycans] other than me and Lowry. It would take a miracle for us to find more willing players lucky enough to stumble with that [Hidden Quest].
Speaking of Lowry, he's been silent for a while. He doesn't seem to contact me through whisper or DM, yet the indicator on my friend list still labels him "online". I know he might be busy with his hunt, but I should check in with him just in case. I already got his scent after we friended each other, so I might be able to track him down.
I rush through the forest to follow it. But when I arrived, my eyes widened at what I saw.
"[Power Attack]!"
[KWEEE!!!]
"[Power Attack]!"
[KWEEEEE!!!]
"[POWER ATTACK]!!!"
[KWEEWEWEEEE!!!]
Well... He's very busy, alright. I didn't expect him to be too gung-ho so soon. By the looks of it, it seems like he attracted a bunch of [Horned Rabbits'] aggro. But seeing the kid beating them up with his fists is downright ridiculous and terrifying to see a marked kid. Well, he said he was a college kid, but him looking like a psycho kid is much scarier than mine when he's cranky in the mornings.
[KWEEEEEEE!!!!]
It looks like the number of [Horned Rabbits] is getting fewer. So I decided to jump down from the cliff to check up on him.
"Oh! Mr. Lawrence!" The kid punched another rabbit before continuing. "Didn't expect you to finish your patrol so soon."
Huh. One minute, he looked like a crazed beast massacring those rabbits. Now he had gone back to his calm, rational self in a flip of a hat. It's only 2 days left and I'm surprised at his self-control from the mental effects of the [Mind Link]. I'm a bit impressed, yet I'm also concerned about his wellbeing.
"Uh.. Yeah. No lions in sight. Looks like we got an unlucky spawn near the
Lowry starts humming in thought. "What do you mean? I mean, there's a lot of [Invisible Lion] sightings lately. I thought it might be a bug."
I shook my head and frowned. "That's true. But this is a different ballpark compared to other MMOs you played. The game's AI tends to randomly generate some events that might lead to a [Hidden Quest] or something bigger than that. The sightings might be a hint that there is more than that."
I can hear him gasping at my theory. "Are you saying this isn't the end of those lions?!"
"It may or may not be. Either way, if we neglect the signs, we might endanger the villagers. There's also a chance that
I let him deal with the rabbit for a while as I kept thinking about the lions. I sound like a paranoid loon right now. But after my adventures with that sage, there's a chance history may repeat itself in the public servers soon and I don't want Lowry to remain ignorant of the hidden facts of [Isekai] any longer if we want to avoid major consequences.
"Alright. I got the gist of it. I'm still trying to pull the pieces together with the gameplay and secrets, but I'll try to heed your advice soon."
Looks like I don't need to elaborate further. He really is a brilliant prodigy. "Good. Now to change the subject... How was your hunt?"
"Surprisingly well. I hunted a few [Wild Boars] earlier," Lowry answered. "And also..."
He suddenly reaches into his inventory. I'm expecting that he hunted some snakes or goblins along the way. But then, he starts to struggle trying to pull something out of the portal. I almost asked him what it was. It wasn't until he managed to take it out after a while that I dropped my jaw upon seeing a large boar the size of a cottage.
"I kinda got lucky to hunt this big guy."
"Kinda"?! I almost had a real heart attack seeing this dead fellow beaten by a single-digit player!
"You mean you hunted a [Rampaging Boar] all by yourself? I know you're slowly becoming a [Lycan], but not even a mark currently in their transformation phase can't defeat it all on their own."
"I know. That's why I took an hour memorizing its attack pattern and won the war of attrition through weak points and lucky strikes. Although, it cost me a lot of [HP Potions] and [Roast Meat] to get back on my feet after the battle."
Damn... So a fighter and a patient strategist with a hint of recklessness. He does remind me of a certain sage...
"That's great to hear. But hate to be a Dowry Downer, but what are you going to do with all of these [Horned Rabbit Carcasses]?"
Looking around, the kid's surrounded by a lot of dead rabbits. I knew most of the players (including me) hated the [Horned Rabbits] for how they were harassing them and ambushing them when they least expected to. But I think this is hatred to another level!
"Crap... I already used all slots for the [Wild Boars] and [Rampaging Boar]! Oh, man... I must have hunted too many rabbits than I wanted to have!" I watched the kid groan in frustration before collapsing on the ground with his hands on his head. "I can't carry all of these rabbits by myself! Lowry, you are such a dumb airhead!"
I sheepishly chuckle upon seeing her overdramatic reaction. "Hey, calm down, kid. If you want, I'll help you carry those rabbits for you."
"R-Really? Thank you so much, Lawrence! I really need it."
He really does. Looks like underneath his rational seriousness lies a passionate player who may make a few mistakes from their excitement. He reminds me of my kid's friend they kept raving about. I grabbed as many carcasses as I could carry and joined Lowry on our journey back to the village.
"Still, I'm surprised how you managed to defeat the [Rampaging Boar] on your own," I commented. "If you keep this up, then you might join the ranks of the village guards or mercenaries."
"I would like to ask the differences, but I'll save that question for later," Lowry said as he rubbed his backhand holding a rabbit on his forehead. "For some reason, I feel a bit under the weather after fighting those rabbits and boars."
"Then it looks like the full moon is getting closer. It's normal for a marked to feel a bit sick hours before it. It's a bit annoying since it only occurs in the game, but you should endure it a bit longer," I explained. "It would be better if you find out tomorrow in-game."
He sighed and said, "I'm guessing convincing you is out of option, huh? Fine, I guess it's better to surprise myself."
"Good. And one more thing..."
"Hm?"
"When will you sleep soon? It's almost 3 AM in real time."
I wish I could prolong this conversation. But he did mention about his part-time job. Also, I don't want him to be sleep-deprived from playing [Isekai] for too long.
"WHAT?! Dammit, then we need to hurry back! God, I'm going to be dead*ss tired if I don't get back to my real bed!" Lowry then ran out before I could add anything else.
"Hey, be careful with those carcasses! The butcher doesn't like it if you don't carry them with care!"
Well, it's not like I can stop him. I simply sigh and try to catch up at a decent pace.
Lowry, the [Insignis] player.
Just like his [Race], he is truly an intelligent young man. But what's different between him and the sage is that he is willing to get physical if magic and knowledge aren't enough to solve a problem. I'm guessing he and that eager mage kid are no mere coincidences.
The real question is how much change they will make an impact on the game.
I can't wait to find out.
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[Lowry's Mastery]
[Martial Arts] Level 8
[Fire] Level 6
[Life] Level 7
[Physical Enhancement] Level 4
[Magical Affinity] Level 6
[Alchemy] Level 9
[Scribe] Level 7
[Magecrafting] Level 1
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[1 day until the full moon...]