[AWWWWOOOOOO!!!]
Well, this is just great. Not only I'm pinned down by Savior and his goons with a combination of [Status Conditions] I hate, but we're standing in front of a mysterious monster that was the subject of recent rumors. Along with my dagger still inches away from my hand, I'm trapped with a tied chance of death with either of these jerks. However, they would leave me here as a meat shield to save their skins as usual.
"This is bad, boss!" One of the Vipers said to Savior. "That monster is bad news! It looks like the ones from the rumors! You know, the beast appearing in some low-leveled [Dungeons]?"
I can hear Savior clicking his tongue. "Just when I think we had to deal with an annoying pest, we also have to deal with an annoying werewolf monster?! Hey, Ayes! What are we dealing with here?"
Oh, right. Ayes has a [Hunting Mastery], which lets him check the monster's limited info thanks to one of its skills. However, I notice his menacing bear [Beast Folk] persona seemingly shattered as it was replaced with a look of horror.
"T-That's the thing, boss. I can't read anything from that monster!"
Everyone gasps while my eyes widen at that revelation. If that's true, then what we're facing here might be a monster that was spawned by a hidden event of sorts. It really lives up to its reputation as the "High-Level Monster of the Low-Level Dungeons".
"Dammit! Then let's just get out of here before it notices us." Savior turns to one of the Viper fighters. "Aco, get Lowry here and throw him in front of the monster!"
"Already on it, boss."
God... It's only a few seconds away until the [Paralysis] wears off. That means I'm helpless to watch Aco grab my arms and...
SLASH!!!
...watch his top half fly away from his legs.
"W-Wha..."
It was too fast for me to notice, but I turned around and saw the werewolf suddenly appear behind us. I froze in shock at this sudden turn of events to the point I couldn't process what the hell happened. It wasn't until I heard a "thud" and M3GAN's scream behind me that made me realized what happened.
"Aco!" Ayes yelled to his now-deceased ally. "WTF?! With just one hit?!"
That isn't an exaggeration. I look at his bisected corpse as it disappears and some of his armor and items fall out of it to the ground. That's nearly impossible for a monster to do. Normally, it has some attack patterns that would avoid a one-shot kill on some experienced or high-level players. Yet its unusual pattern broke most of my logic about the game so far. I would chalk up on a theory that it might be a player in disguise. But I can't seem to find a crystal above its head for some reason.
Too bad I don't have time to think. Just when my conditions are about to expire, M3GAN grabs me and aims her dagger right on my left shoulder.
"Just like that, babe! Hold him down until we deal with this mutt!" Savior ordered and turned to the werewolf behind me. "As for you, it's time to put an end to this so-called legend. Fire!"
I watched the guild members start firing arrows and spells at the monster. But to our surprise, it quickly moves left and right as they dodge most of them. It then zips to one of the archers and grabs him by the throat.
"N-No, wait! Don't kill me! I just got my [Archery] to 2-"
That's all he could say before the beast stabbed him through the chest with its claws. While some of the gore is censored due to the age range of this game and my current settings, I can still see some blood enough for me to turn away. However, I turn back to witness the rest of the carnage that follows. Most of the ranged fighters are wiped with only a few claw attacks and the remaining tanks were chomped down with their sharp fangs and crushed their armor like hard candy. This isn't a boss battle like the [Dungeon Guardian]. It's a massacre.
[NOTICE]
[You are cured from your [Paralysis].]
[You are cured from your [Bleeding].]
Well, that was a bad timing. Not to mention my current [HP] count...
[HP: 84/350]
I would sigh in relief that my suffering is over. But it's brief when I see M3GAN staring at me.
"Look at that. You're cured already? But you still haven't finished your dessert yet!" She raises her dagger with the craziest look in her green eyes. "I still haven't forgotten your lying a**!"
Crap! It's not like I have to worry on other others beyond the werewolf. But seeing a woman having an unnecessary and nonsensical grudge is a bit too much on my plate right now!
At least that's what I thought until I saw what's behind M3GAN. But it's not the grey werewolf that Savior and his goons are currently fighting. But a brunette werewolf standing above us, growling through its fangs.
"H-Huh? W-Wait... T-There's two?!" Before I could react, the second werewolf grabbed M3GAN by her hair before she could dig her dagger into my shoulder. "N-No! Stop! Why are you taking me?! Take the [Insignis] kid! He's the weak link of our party! I can't believe you're mishandling an innocent lady like me!"
Tch... Of course, she has the gall to throw me under the bus. She really is Savior's g-
STAB!!!
To my surprise, the brown werewolf suddenly stabs right through her chest. I knew she would eat her words, yet I never expected them to kill her brutally. But then, I hear a voice from the monster.
That baritone voice... That doesn't sound like a monster or an NPC. Now that I think about it, the werewolves seem to appear just when I was about to die in the hands of [Viper Fangs]. Is this because of my current [Hidden Quest]?
"M3GAN!!!" Of course, I didn't have time to wonder about the lore as I noticed Savior turning around and witnessing M3GAN's death in the hands of the talking werewolf. "Dammit! Problem after problem keeps popping up and they didn't even bother to kill that traitor!"
I can understand his frustrations. By the looks of the battlefield, it seems like he's the only survivor in the party other than me. I'm guessing his only supporter along with the remaining DPS couldn't handle the grey werewolf's strength. At this rate, he's almost at his limit and his glare on me means I'm next on his hit list.
"Fine. If you bozos can't deal with the problem child, then I'll just have to deal with him myself!"
I feel like that might be a wrong move. But I don't think I have the right to call him out as he walks closer and closer towards me. But then, the brown werewolf steps forward and gestures me to back away from me. I don't know what's going on at this point, but the grey one seems to comply with its silent order. So I followed and watched the whole chaos unfold.
"Oh. So you're planning to protect that bastard instead of killing him, huh? Very well..." Savior raises his sword, not to me. But at the brown werewolf. "You'll be the first one to die at the hands of the Savior!"
Just like any wannabe warrior, Savior screams at the top of his lungs as he rushes in for a kill. But suddenly, the werewolf zips right in front of him like a blur and takes a slash on its arm. By the looks of the gash on it, he somehow cuts it a bit deep.
"HA! How do you like that, you poor excuse of a Wolfman?! This is what hap- Huh?"
To my shock, the werewolf didn't flinch from the cut. Instead, they easily removed the blade from its arm and broke it in half.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
I froze at the sight of their feat. It's not only the broken sword, but I notice the cut on its arm suddenly heals by itself and their [HP] reflects it. They're either an unbeatable boss or their level might be much higher than Savior's.
"Damn you..." As soon as I turn back to him, he takes out his dagger and rushes to the brown werewolf. "Don't mock me, you know-it-all mutt!!! DIEEEEE!!!"
He screams again as he rushes to stab the werewolf. However, they respond by kicking the dagger from his hand with its hindleg and grabbing his neck with his right clawed hand.
I can't believe what I see. The brown werewolf not only disarmed Savior, but he managed to grapple him while shaking off his attacks.
"I-Impossible... T-There's no way... There's no way the great Savior has b- ARK!!!"
I quickly flinch once I hear a bone crack in his neck.
He releases his grip and I see Savior's now-lifeless body fall on the ground right before it disappears in data and most of his equipment except his chest armor and sword. Just like that, the mighty, yet corrupted guild leader of [Viper Fangs] has fallen. And now, I'm the only survivor of the
"Is this it? Is this how I die in this strange forest?" I chuckle as I stumble to my dagger and pick it up. "Thanks for dealing with Savior, M3GAN, and their goons. If you want to kill me, then I rather die fighting than fall pitifully."
This is a stupid move. But I have a bit of pride after witnessing the [Viper Fangs'] fall. If I can scratch them with my dagger...
SMACK!
To my shock, I'm not attacked with a claw or a bite. But with a flick on my forehead from a grey werewolf that only dealt me about 10 [HP].
[Are you a fool or something? After what you did for our village shrine, there's no way we can do that to a reckless hero like you.]
My eyes widen. That voice... It can't be...
"F-Fenrir?! Is that you?"
The grey werewolf chuckled. [That's right. I'm currently in a different form, but it's me. Well, until I have to go back to sleep for my partner's sake.]
I can't say anything after that. The rumors involving a werewolf monster prowling around the low-leveled areas and [Dungeons]... The monster that managed to strike fear into the players' hearts in the forums... They were nothing more than a jolly old man NPC all along. God, I feel like this game is mocking me with this ridiculous Red Herring of sorts.
[But seriously, I was a bit worried after you went off to stop your party with that charm I gave you. I decided to chase you despite the full moon and thankfully, we transformed just in time to see you almost at death's door.]
Ah, I see. Because of my current [Hidden Quest], there's a chance that an NPC might come to the site to progress. Yet I never heard of one that could transform into a high-level monster like Fenrir. However, he's the least of my problems as I look at the brown werewolf. "And who's your friend? No, the better question is what are you guys? Are you real werewolves?"
[Oh, right. This is your first time meeting him.] Fenrir gestures to the brown werewolf to come closer and he complies with his request. [This is
The brown werewolf somehow chuckles sheepishly. [Hey there, kid. Hope I didn't scare you back there.]
I simply answer with a nod. I still can't get used to monsters talking to me normally.
[As for what we really are, we prefer the term, [Lycanthropes].]
"Lycan...thropes?"
The brown werewolf named Lawrence nodded. [Yes. As you might already guess, we can transform into half-human beasts. But we can do more than transform in the full moon. We can use our abilities outside of our beast forms and communicate with other beast-type monsters without any issues. Of course, the real difference between [Lycanthropes] and [Beastfolk] is that we're still the same race even after becoming a beast ourselves. You can call it a [Sub-Race].]
Wow... Even with a different name, I never expect them to exist in the world of
As if the train of surprises didn't stop, Lawrence then takes out a bottle that I can recognize.
"A [Healing Potion]? Is that my reward for stopping those jerks from ransacking your shrine? I'm expecting something more," I snarked.
To my surprise, Lawrence responds with a chuckle. [For someone who is on his last legs, you seem to have enough strength to show off your smart mouth. As much as we want to give you this as a [Quest] reward, my friend has other ideas. This is only a lifeline depending on your answer.]
"Life...line?"
Before I can ask more, Fenrir steps forward and says, [What he's saying is that I'm inviting you to be part of our pack. Despite the difference in strength, you were willing to risk everything to protect not only our village and the forest, but you also shrugged off their temptations and fought for others than yourself. Not every ordinary [Insignis] or any adventurer was hesitant to fight someone bigger out of pure kindness and courage.] He then offered his clawed hand to me. [If you permit me, then I will personally give you a chance to nurture the courage that your tormentors tried to restrain.]
Just as he said this, two new windows appear. One is a notification where it lets me know that I finally cleared the [Hidden Quest]. But the second window almost made me choke upon reading it.
[A NEW POSSIBILITY HAS UNLOCKED!]
[Your selfless actions have left a lasting impact on the [Leader of the
Because of this, he has invited you to become a [Lycanthrope]!]
M-Me?! A werewolf?! I expect the [Hidden Quests] to offer the players items and areas we can't access through normal means, but this one takes the cake! But if I accept it, that means there's a chance I have to endure full moon transformations like tonight. Not only that, I don't have the right [Race] to pair up with this. Even the third window popping up doesn't help with my indecision.
[By accepting the [Lycanthrope] [Sub-Race], you will access the [Mind Link] features for this game. Depending on your settings, your personality will be altered when you use the skills associated with it.
Do you want to accept this bonus [Quest] reward?]
[YES] [NO]
[Mind Link]... It's one of the features of the [ADVR] and is the most controversial due to its features more akin to hypnosis and mind control. I feel it's too risky for me to become a [Lycan]. "I-I'm sorry... But I can't accept your invit-"
[Why are you hesitating right now? Being offered to become one is a big deal for you,] Lawrence interrupted. [Unlike the ones being turned by rogue [Lycans], they can offer you lessons to help you control your newfound abilities and transformation. I don't know how you endure the torment from those heartless intruders, but it's better than you being stuck as a sycophant to them.]
Wait, seriously?! Fenrir can help me control my powers. I turn to him to check if that's true.
[If I didn't, I wouldn't plan to do so in the first place. Like I said, you have the potential to become something bigger and it's time for you to move away from the burdens set upon yourself.]
My...burdens...
Yeah... It all started when I pushed them away and stopped being a coward. I already committed myself to stop making excuses for everything. Sure, there's a chance it will mess me up mentally. But how can I move forward if I can't take any risks?!
"You know what, you're right." I took the potion and tapped [YES]. "Consider me part of the pack, Fenrir."
I drink the potion as the windows are replaced with a single notification.
[CONGRATULATIONS!] [You have accepted a special [Sub-Racial Quest], [Full Moon Transformation].]
[Looks like I'm worried for nothing.] I watch Lawrence walking away and pat on Fenrir's shoulder. [I leave the kid to you. I'll do one last sweep before heading back.]
Fenrir nods and watches his ally werewolf leap away. He then turns his yellow eyes to me. [Well then, this might not kill you. But the pain might be too much for you to handle. Please bear with it for a while.]
I have an idea of what he means. I folded my short sleeve to expose my arm and said, "I guess I'll see you when I wake up."
[Yeah. May the blessings of the Gods and the Spirit of the Beasts guide you.]
All of a sudden, he starts to flinch and right in front of my eyes, his movement turns from a gentleman in a wolf's body to a true beast howling in the moon. But after that, he slowly approaches me and carefully opens his mouth over my right arm. I didn't struggle as I saw this. Instead, I close my eyes and prepare for the incoming pain...
A pain that will change my life in the virtual fantasy world of