An instant of doubt flashed through Asher's mind, telling him to stay as far away from the bushes as possible. But on the other hand, if he followed his mind, he would never know what was behind those bushes that could have been there.

"No. I have to do it."

Gathering all his courage, Asher made up his mind. He slowly walked towards the bushes as his heart beat faster and faster. His hand slowly reached out to the bushes and instantly his face paled when he saw something behind the bushes

"Oh my, what...what happened to him?"

A single player was lying weakly on the ground. He tried to move his body, but he couldn't. The gaping wound which looked like a beast's scratch made it difficult for him to move and each time he moved his body, fresh blood kept coming out of the wound, making the poor player scream in pain.

"Help... help... me."

"Oh my! I must help him immediately." Asher approached the injured player, slowly casting his healing spell. "Just calm down, I will heal your wounds as soon as possible."

The moment Asher temporarily cast his healing magic spell, a ferocious creature- a wild wolf- suddenly appeared behind the bushes in the vicinity. It unhesitatingly jumped towards Asher, causing him to fall and the effect of the healing spell to be canceled.

"Argh, get away from me damn wolf!" Asher grumbled. "Argh!"

Asher's hands began to shake as he tried to resist the wolf's attack for several minutes. Asher's cold sweat continued to flow endlessly on his forehead, seeing the wolf's fangs getting closer and closer to Asher's face which was now almost touching Asher's nose. Damn. He had to do something before he ended up becoming a delicious meal for these wild wolves.

"Damn it, take this!"

With all his might, Asher bent his legs and kicked the wolf with all his might until the creature was thrown away from its position. Having seen the golden opportunity, he quickly stood up and rushed to help the poor player, but it was too late. The poor player was swarming with other wild wolves like bees, tearing at the player's body with their sharp teeth.

"Oh no. This...this can't be."

Asher was instantly stunned, hearing the player's screams clearly in front of him. The cries for help sounded louder and louder in Asher's ears, but unfortunately, he couldn't do anything. He was unable to defeat the ferocity of the wolves which were far more numerous than him.

"I...I need to get away from this place," he whispered.

Slowly Asher stepped back, away from the crowd of wolves which seemed to be ravenously feasting upon the poor player's body. His eyes did not blink at all, watching the movements of the wolf pack which had not yet realized his existence.

"Good, so far it seems to be safe. I just need to -"

Asher's foot accidentally stepped on the bundle of branches behind him. His voice rang out loudly in the forest, making the pack of wolves pause for a moment, then slowly turn its head 180 degrees back, looking at Asher with its predatory gaze.

"Oh shit... I need to get out of here."

Seeing the pack of wolves running after him, Asher immediately ran with all his might, trying to get away from the crowd of wolves that were still chasing him. He had not expected that the first time he entered this forest, he would already be in trouble like this. Now, Asher had to quickly find a way to escape this situation.

"Ah, shit! Damn it! There must be something that can be done to get rid of this crowd of creatures." Asher quickly opened his items, checking if there was anything he could use. "Oh, wait a minute. I think I can use this."

Without further delay Asher immediately picked up the bomb item which was a reward from the previous quest, throwing the item towards the crowd of wolves. The explosion of the bomb instantly threw Asher off and set fire to the mass of grass behind Asher, causing the pack of wolves to stop chasing him.

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"Ugh luckily, I hit the target. "Asher slowly stood up, picking up his wand that was lying on the ground. "Now, I need to get out of this place as quickly as possible."

He continued to run, passing through every tree that kept appearing in front of him until he caught a glimpse of Altaria's gate not far from his position. A glimmer of hope instantly flashed through his mind, realizing that at least he could finally return safely.

Nimbly, Asher immediately ran quickly towards the gates of Altaria. However, it was not as smooth as he thought. The howls of the wild wolves sounded so clear in Asher's ears, making him even more certain that the crowd of wolves did not stop chasing Asher at all.

"Hey, hey open the door." Asher banged on the Altarian gate repeatedly. "Let me in!"

Sadly, Asher's efforts were completely in vain. No matter how hard Asher pushed the gate, it just wouldn't open at all. Even worse, a pack of wolves emerged from the trees, staring at Asher with a terrifying gaze.

As Asher realized his position was getting more and more cornered, Asher also attacked using his magic wand toward the pack of wolves who saw him. But the result was nil. The pack of wolves just jumped simultaneously toward Asher, making his body stiff and unable to move.

"Argh, get away from me!"

Asher tried his best to move his body, but they continued to pierce Asher's body until he could feel his whole body crumbling. He could feel the canines of the wolf pack tearing through his muscles, leaving him helpless and moaning in pain. Within seconds Asher's vision slowly faded and instantly the screen went dark.

***

Asher re-spawned inside Altaria's village square. It seemed that everything looked the same as before, but not his mentality. The feeling of trauma was still vivid in his mind, as surely that horrifying experience would remain in Asher's mind.

"I need to get into a team to complete this quest, but where?"

A group of players appeared a few meters away. He tried to walk closer to the group, but strangely his body was as still as a statue. He just kept staying like that, until the group of players entered into the forest territory of Altaria, leaving Asher alone in the Altaria village square.

"Argh, it's hard. It's hard. I just feel awkward if I have to play with other people. I need to bring someone I know, but who?" Asher stroked his chin. "I don't know many people at all. Just Aunt Luna and-" He snapped his fingers. "Oh, wait a minute, I think I know who can play with me. Well, I'm sure he can."

He quickly left the game, planning to contact the one person closest to him at school. As he removed the neural device from his head, the long-haired woman stood in front of him. She stared at Asher with a piercing gaze followed by a subtle frown on her forehead, leaving Ethan speechless.

"Aunt Luna... I thought you-"

"Ethan, what are you doing?" She folded her hands together, looking annoyed by his actions. "It's late and you're still wearing your school uniform? Now, hurry to the bathroom!" Aunt Luna shouted.

He dashed into the bathroom immediately, cleaning himself up quickly. He had no idea that he had been playing this game for so long. Feelings of annoyance and anger briefly crossed his mind, remembering how Aunt Luna had yelled at him. But, Aunt Luna's actions were for his good.

"Ah, finally." Ethan rubbed his half-wet hair. "Uh, wait, wait a minute, what's that smell?"

A delicious scent wafted clearly in Asher's nose, making his stomach immediately jiggle very violently. It was only natural for him to do so since he hadn't eaten anything after the online class, so naturally, he immediately followed the smell to the kitchen until he finally found the source of the smell which came from pieces of meat marinated in a special sauce, creating a very appetizing aroma. In addition, there were two bowls of hot rice and a plate of vegetables to complete the day's menu.

"Oh, Eth. Come, let's eat." Aunt Luna placed the plate on the table, her face now looking calmer.

Ethan nodded quickly and sat down nearby. His hands immediately picked up a few pieces of meat and chewed them into his mouth. A burst of flavor instantly melted in his mouth, making him pause for a moment.

"Looks like you like that meat." Aunt Luna smiled, watching Ethan as he continued to eat the dish. "Oh, I've contacted Lara, but she's not picking up my calls at all." Aunt Luna sighed, looking desperate at first glance.

"Oh, okay. I just hope Mom is fine." Ethan rolled his eyes, disappointment showing on his face.

"Hey Eth, believe me. Your mom won't leave you." Aunt Luna patted Asher's hand lightly. "I'll try to get to Lara's office and see if I can find her. Okay?"

Asher just nodded and continued eating his food. After finishing eating, Ethan took the phone sitting on the table in the living room and called his best friend at school named Aidan, who was also a pretty good gamer. He just knew having Aidan around would make this mission a lot easier than it already was.

"I don't know, Eth. My mom forbids me to play games because I always get bad grades." Aidan sighed, his frustration audible.

"Wait, I can help you. We can study together if you want." Asher snapped his fingers excitedly. "My grades are good and your mom will be happy if I help you, what do you think?" He scratched his head, hoping Aidan would accept his offer.

Aidan was silent for a moment. "Hmm. .... Okay, so when are we going to start playing?" Aidan's voice sounded more excited.

"Yes, after online school is over. "Ethan smiled at Aidan's words. "Oh yeah, I'll be waiting at the gate with Altaria, okay?"

"Alright, see you tomorrow." His voice sounded more excited before ending the call. "This time I'm pretty sure I can complete the mission. I believe that." His eyes lit up, bringing out the fiery passion in his eyes.