[Currently, the sky is overcast, there is a very slim chance of rain, but the system hasn't decided yet. This will give lightning and water based attack a slight boost in damage. Fire based attacks will in turn, be at a disadvantage. After your departure, I will set up two of the pitfall traps as a precaution. Ardy, Lady Dawn, you will still be able to communicate with me and I will keep you aware of any possible intruders. Good luck, my friends.]

Our fighting force is assembled in the mess hall. I hand out the eight minor amulets of keeping to the NPC soldiers and Rachel, dividing the Health Potions among all the NPCs. Serenity, Kona, and I each get a Blood Quartz and the three of us plus Dawn get two Minor Mana Potions each. Three of the soldiers, including Boulder, receive the remaining Dridersilk Longbows. Serenity gingerly picks up one of the Minor Orbs and it glows a soft, pale blue. We are all wearing the wolf pelts to cover our gear, my own mantle is very similar, with streaks of silver instead of all pale gray.

While we were getting ready, Richter sent me a message and a map detailing their intended route and battle formation. Essentially, they will be forming a line with a person sized gap between them, almost like combing for a missing person. The two people leading the twenty recruits will be a level 10 Ruffian, a rogue based on Strength, and a level 10 mercenary, a sword-and-shield Knight. On their own, they wouldn't pose too much of a threat to me, but with both of them accompanied by a larger fighting unit, we'll be forced to use every advantage we have. I share the details of the attack with Victoria and Dawn on their maps, along with a timeline.

"Remember, if you see a platinum blonde half-elf rogue named Richter Pryce, he is on our side. Try not to kill him unless he is actively attacking us or he's being an ass, okay?"

One by one, everyone, including Gorm and the other soldiers, gives me a slap on the butt. "Really!" I exclaim in mock anger.

Victoria gives me an extra sharp slap that stung a little more after everyone else's previous taps. She gives me a quick peck on the lips, "It's good luck, remember?"

And both teams seperate. Boulder gives me a sideways look, "This is how it feels to both pity and envy a man, huh?" I smile and shrug my shoulders, indicating with my head that we're moving out too.

My Wolf Senses pick up the scent of the incoming group, creating a thin line of red dots on the horizon line of my vision.

I add everyone to a new war party and whisper to all of them, "Spread out about three to four persons wide. Use the trees for cover. Those of you with bows have fire control as long as they're in range. Those without, wait until I call the attack."

They wordlessly follow my instructions as I give them, leaving me behind my tree.

I teleport onto a thick branch, shrouded by the dense leaves. It helps me look a bit further and with Zoom, I can barely see them approaching. The Half-Giant Knight, Borgan Redbridge, is decked out in mainly leather with an iron helm and iron shield. He's using his longsword to hack at the bushes and branches. How he's lasted so long in this world I have no idea. The Human Ruffian has plain clothes and a leather vest, a wooden crossbow in his hands and a rapier at his belt. The others are a mismatched, under-equipped group of players. With the capabilites of my Analysis now, I can see they're mostly level eight and nine. From where I am, however, I cannot see Richter. I relay the information to my men as I observe it, letting them know to leave the two powerhouses to me. I look over at Boulder and he pantomimes firing an arrow. I nod, shifting my mask over my face and baring my claws.

Kiiiiiii…

Ughah! Kwah… kwah…

The bows strike like a spider in the dark. Sudden. Piercing. Deadly. Only the arrows make a noise, screeching like eagles and blending perfectly with the forest. The red line in my vision stops moving forward, everyone on high alert. The first sound didn't bother them, birds call out all the time. The second sound, however, was one of pain and suffering, anyone on the line could've been the one to make the sound.

Kiiiiii…

Aagck! My eye! My--

Kiiiiii…

Glackkkk…

"What the 'ell?" the Ruffian looks around and sees that two of his party members have already died, their bodies disolving into Life Crystals. "Find 'em you useless sods!" he commands, scanning the horizon from behind a tree.

The other bandits are already behind anything they can find, stopping their progression through the forest and filling their virtual underpants. One of them charges forward, lowdly brandishing a two handed battleaxe. Three arrows find their marks on him and the enemy discerns the direction they came from.

Before they can make their move, they hear the distant sounds of battle enveloping them. Even though the sky is cloudy, there shouldn't be lightning and it shouldn't be landing so close to them. The forest echoes with the screams of suffering, angry people.

Who are they supposed to be facing again? Lowly cripples and half-soldiers? Maybe one magic wielding rogue with the speed of a panther? The way the battle is turning out, it seems like they are facing a squad of high level Rangers.

Moments from being overwhelmed, the Ruffian sounds for them to rally, but the thing about players is they often do what they like in battle without the presence of a strong leader. So, the remaining eight men closest to him and the Knight charge blindly into the forest, leaving him in the their wake.

"Shields in front, spears out. I'll take out the ones capable of flanking. Go."

I leap from branch to branch, landing on a player and rending him to shreds. The one nearest me is holding a two handed scythe and I can't roll my eyes any harder.

This is idiot probably thinks he's so cool with it. Oh look, he tries to swing it and now it's stuck in one of the densely grown trees. He takes four slashes to the chest before he tries to react, stumbling backwards and bleeding out. The scythe disappears into my bracelet. Well, no sense leaving it behind…

That leaves four against seven and even though my men are lower in level they are better armed and trained.

I turn, dodging a flurry of longsword strikes, though one strike got close where I have to parry it. A bolt rings off my bracers.

I try to place the Knight between me and the Rogue who shouts at his partner, "Out of my way, you bucket of scrap!" Another bolt flies past both of our heads.

My claws scrape across his shield with a horrendous noise that causes all of us to wince. I use it as a distraction, disappearing and reappering behind the Ruffian, hitting him with a Critical Stab, but missing the follow-up. He's quick to turn with his rapier and the Knight steps up to join him.

Both of them press their advantage, but attacking without a plan or any semblance of teamwork. I withdraw the Blood Quartz, activate Lightning Storm and target below our feet and teleport to safety.

[You deal 31 lightning damage!]

[You deal 31 lightning damage!]

[You deal 39 lightning damage!]

[You deal 32 lightning damage!]

I use the Assassinate/Blink Step in the Blood Quartz and my Shadow Toxin to attack the Ruffian. He tries to dodge, but receives the tiniest scratch on his hand.

[You deal 1 slashing damage!]

[You inflict poison!]

[You inflict blindness!]

[You inflict deafness!]

[You inflict silence!]

He's writhing on the ground, black veins snaking across his body when a suprising kick from behind sends me sprawling on my back next to my enemy.

[Borgan Redbridge kicks you for 7 damage!]

A heavy stomp on my chest pins me to the ground and I'm stuck next to the Ruffian writhing in pain.

"Gotta admit you got us good, boy-oh!" (92/99HP) He tries to stab through the breastplate, but the Umbramium deflects the weaker metal. He points the tip of his blade at my throat, "I'm going to look great in your arm--

Kling!

"What was-- grahgk!" An arrow falls harmlessly next to me. Even though his shield is perfectly drawn up in time, the dual tipped spear seemingly phases right through it and burying itself in both of his lungs. His corpse falls over, the rest of the shield passes through the spear but the weapon stays in the body.

A large hand appears in my face, it's Boulder's, "We'll head south to assist Lady Dawn."

"Thanks, Boulder," I say as I glance around me, "Five, six, seven. Great! Happy hunting guys!"

*****

Of the six attackers, four remained from the initial Lightning Storm, volley of darts, and black metal hammer that vanished in a puff of smoke. A petite Infernus in grey armor and a bird faunus who looked slightly familiar step out from behind trees.

"Okay, like, three for me and one for you and Mona!"

Dawn's grip tightens on her weapon, "Play fair, baby bird."

The rogues run right at them.

One is slowed by a pair of darts sticking out of his chest, another is knocked down with the hammer to his face.

"That's a knockdown, two points."

Another dagger flies into the face of the one with darts and he falls to the ground.

"Yay! Two points!"

Dawn grumbles, "That shouldn't count, you used, like, three weapons!" Her hammer strikes one of the runners, sending him to the ground near the other two. A blur of purple streaks towards one of the ones left standing and a Sweeping Slash cuts into him and the ones nearby on the ground, finishing all four of them off.

"Did you get them?" a meek voice calls out from a shrub to the Saurian.

The last bandit stops, putting his hands in the air.

"Sorry, guy. No prisoners today," Dawn is holding her reappearing hammer with both hands.

A blur of lines zip behind the hapless player and two shortswords burst out of his chest.

"Kill stealer!" Dawn yells, hurling her hammer anyway.

Rachel is laughing, moving the body and dodging each hammer toss, "Come on! You can do it! Poor Gary is still alive you know!"

Gary catches the last throw in the crotch, his body turning to dust and leaving behind a Life Crystal.

"See! I was just helping!"

Serenity looks at the two with a sense of awe and horror. The immortal travelers and their lack of fear for pain and death is something else. Rachel is doing some sort of jig on the crystal and Dawn is yelling at her, "What the hell are you doing now?"

"Like, it's called a victory dance? Cuz we won, right?"

Dawn shakes her head, "That is so archaic."

*****

The final skirmish finishes long before everyone else's. The three powerhouses of Kona, Elsbeth, and Victoria swept through their targets like a tornado through a pile of autumn leaves. The only one left untouched is a lucky half elf named Richter Pryce. He's surveying the destruction left behind by the efficient NPCs.

"Whoa, you ladies are the real deal! What are those?"

"Life crystals," comes Victoria's neutral reply as they store the shards and loot bags. She and Elsbeth start their jog towards the others.

Kona trots next Richter, "Come on, we gotta join Ardacen in the middle."

The bewildered Richter stutters an affirmative, "S-sure! My name's Richter."

"Kona," came the curt reply, "Sorry, we're sort of in battle mode right now. We can be friends after we know everyone's okay, yeah?"

He lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding, relieved they don't hate him or something like that.

He tried to recall everything that just happened. He remembered the sad looking elf lady firing exploding arrows and the kitty girl finishing them off with purple missles he knew were Arcane Bolts. Then the hot, blonde with the short hair practically appeared out of nowehere among him and two others, dispatching the others with effortless grace and totally missing him with every swing. Still, he could swear he and his former classmates were a higher level. How did they clear them out like a bunch of mob fodder?

"Man, I am loving this game so far!" Richter smiled, excited to see what was next.

Everytime he thought he knew exactly what he was supposed to do next, the world seemed to throw another curveball at him. Farm monsters for loot and XP? Only if you want to do that for several decades. Join a guild and they'll help you advance? Maybe if you wanted to become better at being an indentured servant. Want decent gear? Only if you save the few coppers you earn for a life time.

They treated all the players like trash. And why not? They're all immortal. If they die, they'll come back like it was nothing. Except, the death debuff took such a huge chunk out of XP that repeated dying kept many of the others at a low level.

Richter is just glad to get out of the city. He is glad his only in game friend is going to be alright. He is glad these people seem to trust each other and that there is little chance that someone will stab him in the back.

That happened a lot in the city, players killing other players, but he didn't know why. His thoughts switched gears as they quickly approached a lone figure. He's wearing a grey mask that looks like a wolf and the same dark armor as the blonde and lizard.

"Dude! Ardacen!"