After conversing with Pinocchio and learning more about Alice in Wonderland, the three of us headed back to the lodge and prepared our things. Although Match and I could stay for a few days, we did not. I believed that our time turned ripe for us to leave this place. After all, we needed to do more things than idling around a village.

"The players are still on our tails. The sooner that we can to the dwarves and build a boat, the better." I said. It was the sole reason for us to move forward.

The players would attack this place, and there was no doubt about that idea. Match did not know that for now. And if she did, that girl would help them, which defeats the idea of advancing to our journey.

We had no means to give a helping hand to these villagers. I could only pray for their survival if the players planned to attack this place. But for now, I pushed those grim thoughts aside and organised my things.

I took a glimpse outside and noticed the villagers looking from the window. These people had their mouths curved downwards, knowing that their saviour would leave this place for good. Match and I were the ones who brought them food when nobody else dared to help them.

These townspeople thought of us as heroes that spared an eye to their famished town. However, I could not return their gaze, knowing that I would leave them. I knew the players were hot on our tails. And if those adventurers schemed to kill every NPC, they would first see this place before reaching for us.

I packed the meal prepared by Olivia and went outside the shack. The scent of fried boars lingered through our nostrils, inviting us to eat our early lunch. But I refused to succumb to my temptation and threw those packed meals in my [astral space].

Match followed me behind and did the same for her snacks. That girl placed all her packed munchies for the road, telling me she needed these for her growing body. I could only shake my head and let out an exhale, thinking Match would only get fatter by the time we arrived in the dwarven empire.

"Are you sure you will not stay for tonight, Red? The forest can become frightening at nighttime."

"It's alright, Olivia. We made it through before. We can make it through again this time. I appreciate your concerns, but I must finish my goal… our goal."

I looked at the giddy Match who had been chasing the butterflies near the roses. That girl stumbled every time she almost caught those winged creatures. But after calling for her attention, that girl rushed towards me and gave me a salute.

"Match is always present, Red!" the girl announced, and ran around once more.

It took me five minutes to calm Match down. As soon as my hands caught the girl, Match pouted her lips while dragging her out of the village.

"We will see you soon, Oliv-."

Before I could even finish my sentence, two red spheres appeared on my map. My system flickered in front of me and gave me a notification. It was an alert message dyed with bloody liquid, covering everything from my view.

I caught a view of something hovering from the two figures in the rear. It did not produce any sound as it travelled in our direction. Within that moment, I raced towards Match and Olivia and pushed their heads towards the ground.

"DUCK!"

After saying my instruction, I pounced towards the two people and saved them from their sudden death. Match and Olivia caressed their heads, unsure of what was happening in our situation.

As I swivelled my head behind, the projectile that came crashing towards us struck the trees, creating a hole from their barks. That projectile stopped destroying the things in front of it after hitting three trees in front.

'What was that thing?!' I gasped, knowing that other projectiles headed in our direction.

I used the stone nestling beside me as a shield. The flat surface of that boulder stood its ground and awaited those things raining down on us. After a few seconds, those projectiles finally hit the rock, almost crashing it into pieces.

"What is happening, Red? Who are these people attacking us?" Match asked, and latched her hands around my shoulders.

"I don't know. But if my guess is right, I think the players have finally caught upon us. Hurry! To the other side!" I commanded, and hauled Match away from danger while pulling Olivia with my other hand.

That merchant girl stood still like a statue, as if a cat got her tongue. However, because of the sudden jerk of her body, Olivia shook her dazed state and continued running to the forest. It was our only hope if we wanted to survive this catastrophe, away from the attacking players.

Dozens of screams echoed inside the village as we advanced to the sides. As we peered our heads to the scene, those villagers fell like flies on the ground. The townspeople's bodies slowly turned to dust after getting hit by those pesky lights. That luminance came from the trees and attacked them from behind.

But as I observed the situation, I recognised everything. Those attacks that came out of nowhere became clear in my eyes. And I knew that what was happening in front of us was too fast for other people.

"What are those glowing lights, Red? That seems dangerous... and fast!" Match reacted, telling me she also noticed those things firing at the NPCs. "It turns them into... dust? Why? That's powerful and scary!"

I shook my head and replied, "I don't know, Match. But there's one thing that I know. This attack came from those players hidden behind those trees. We need to get out of here as quickly as we can if we want to survive. Come on!"

"What are you doing, Olivia?!"

But before I could proceed onward, a petite hand pulled me back. As I turned around, Olivia's face greeted my eyes. Her orbs nearly cried as she opened her mouth.

"Please...save my people. I... I don't want to see them die like this." the girl pleaded, as Olivia cascaded a stream of tears flowing from her cheeks.

The thought that haunted me earlier came back to me. Those players that I knew would go for me had already breached this place.

I averted my gaze and looked at Match, who was also thinking the same thing. That girl wanted to save the village and give them the help they needed. Match and I were the only people who know arcane. Our powers might be enough to stop those players from proceeding any further.

But with those brilliant lights evaporating the villagers, our winning chance became slim. One hit from that light, and we would turn into dust, just like the rest of the townspeople.

But looking at their figures, I noticed these players came not from Nirvana. This unit was apart from the adventurers I saw that entered the elf kingdom.

'Is it really necessary to save these people?' I pondered.

Those attacks would delete us from the game for good. So pushing those players away and defending this village posed no benefits to our journey.

However, how could my eyes forget this? This village became the scene that haunted me inside my dreams. It was the reality that I lived in before that drove me to this state.

"I don't want to see them die… Please save them… I will go with or without you," Olivia said, and unlatched her grip from my hand.

I took a glimpse at Match for the last time before deciding. After heaving out a lengthy exhale, I stood up and caught Olivia's hand.

"I will help you as long as you will listen to what I say. I think I have a plan."

Upon hearing my words, Olivia gave me a firm nod. She was down to heed all my advice, as long as we could save the villagers.

"But first, do you know any kind of magic? It would be nice to hear you know a spell or two in your sleeves." I asked Olivia.

"I do. But I could only move vines at my will for a short time. I don't know if that's going to be useful for you," the merchant girl replied.

"Perfect. I need you to open up a path and trap those player's legs. Could you do that for me? I'm an assassin, so I need to go near those players and land my hit on them."

Olivia nodded and gripped her hands. I went to Match and gave her my instructions.

"Can you use your fire and burn those trees? You don't have to burn everything. Just make a distraction so those players would move to a different spot."

"Okay, Red," Match answered.