“She’s going to escape. Level 30.” Ashley sent her location through Party Chat before getting silent. The Guild window told a grimmer story.

GUILD MEMBERS

Ashley Yates

Offline

Suicide

Anastasia Blank

Offline

Killed in battle

Amelia Laflamme

Online

Unconscious

Bella Blank

Online

Injured. 50% HP

“Aaron, have you contacted Bella?” Alan asked while running at full speed.

“Yes, I have shared our destination with her. She’ll arrive shortly.”

Once I cross these trees…

He recognized his surroundings immediately. It was the path he crossed on Smaio’s cart the day he returned to The Novus, and it was his first training ground once he got Anastasia.

His feet stepped on a stick, alerting the fleeing woman. She had crafted a pair of legs with her Shadow Construction Unique Skill. Her face quickly changed from alerted to mocking. “Oh, look, my prey came looking to be devoured. It seems I can still do it,” she said, trying her best to stand firm, but it seems that her two new legs were painful to stand on.

“Aaron? How much time until Bella arrives?”

“30 seconds.”

“Where is Ashley?” he asked, taking a step forward.

“She would rather eliminate herself than be my hostage,” Serenity replied, smirking. “But you already knew that. Are you making time for an ally to arrive?"

“Aaron…”

“There is a buff Bella could use, but it’s dangerous. If she overextends too much, she would hurt her body. It’s the mechanical variant of the Berserk skill.”

“Do it. I’ll apologize to her later.”

“Requesting permission to Bella Blank to use the Overdrive skill on her. Auto-casting…”

“Do you think you can afford to be lost in thought?” Serenity chuckled, making him feel shivers.

“Over us!” Aaron cried inside Alan’s mind.

He jumped to his side, barely able to escape from getting stomped. Alan’s face got covered in dirt and grass as he rolled aside, dodging an elongated, enormous claw.

He heard a battle cry and saw Bella kicking the huge enemy in the head, making it step back. “Master, are you okay?!” she cried, shielding him. A red aura surrounded her body, pulsating constant static.

“Aaron, do you think she can make it?”

Alan quickly checked Bella’s status window. Level 20. He then looked up to the thing Ashley warned him about. “Why does it look familiar?”

“Scanning,” Aaron said. “Level 30, Wereweasenox.”

“Were… Weasenox?”

The two-legged beast, of an elongated snout and sharp mole-like claws, roared enraged as if it could remember Alan using it as a punching bag. It charged against them, but Bella helped Alan jump and create some space. As they traveled midair, Alan could see Serenity’s triumphant smile in the distance.

Don’t tell me she’s controlling this beast. Did she evolve it? How?

“I’ll get out of the way,” Alan said after both landed. “Fight with everything you have.”

“Understood, Master Alan.”

The Wereweasenox stopped targeting Alan and focused on its new prey. His claws could tear trees and smash rocks. But although Bella was quick enough to dodge, she could not find an opening to attack. Alan watched her rigid movements and gritted his teeth. Even though she has the strength, she doesn't know how to use it. She lacks combat experience.

“Aaron, you said this is a temporary, risky boost. How much time would it last?”

“It will depend on her Vitality and the damage she receives. Minimum 2:30 seconds, Maximum 3:30 seconds. Here is a timer.”

Alan glanced at the window inside his sight of vision. 49 seconds since she activated it. Alan glanced at Serenity’s smirk 100 feet away from him. “Give me control of her.”

“Auto-casting, Puppet Master.”

Congratulations! Thanks to your compatible Unique Skill, your ‘Puppet Master Lvl 1’ Active Skill has been promoted to ‘Advanced Puppet Master. Lvl 1’!

In front of Alan appeared a virtual 35 key keyboard and a 4 button mouse. It’s quite different from the retro controller I used to train Anastasia with.

“Bella has accepted the connection, Alan. Whenever you are ready.”

He swallowed before placing both hands on the floating devices, and a pair of virtual glasses materialized in front of his eyes. A single mistake and we’ll lose our target forever.

“I’m ready,” he whispered, grabbing the mouse and positioning his left fingers on the keys designated to control Bella’s movement. He could see her left twitching when he made a test.

The Wereweasenox threw a swipe charged with mana, and the resulting force traveled like blades of wind cutting the ground in their path.

Bella dodged with anticipation.

That thing isn’t targeting me anymore. Serenity still wants to capture me. So let's take that to our advantage.

“Here we go,” Alan whispered, making the once maid of the Dragon’s Belly charge forward. The Weasenox tried to impale her, but she jumped successfully, landing on its humongous right arm. Shen then ran over it while pulling out her shotgun, reached the head, and unloaded 3 shots at the thing before it could retaliate.

“What the hell, Alan Warden?!” Serenity cried, making her pale cheeks turn red. “Is it stubbornness I see?! Isabella chased me ruthlessly because she is programmed to do so, but why are you acting the same?! Could it be stupidity, perhaps?!”

“Lady,” Alan said, chuckling, without taking his eyes off the battle. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Wereweasenox! Use Berserk, now!”

As the monster roared, exerting a fire aura, Aaron warned: “It has the same effects as Overdrive.”

She wants to finish quickly too. Let’s bet then.

He commanded Bella to circle the enemy and shot it in the ribs, back, and knees. The Wereweasenox although huge, could not land a hit on her, making the ground tremble every time it stomped or hit the ground.

Alan dedicated a second to glance at Serenity, but she had vanished.

“Aaron, keep an eye on the enemy.”

“She is surely using a Hiding Skill. I do not have the necessary…”

“Just visual confirmation. Watch my back.”

“Understood.” the small spirit with a skull for a head nodded and changed into incorporeal form.

The Wereweasenox HP's bar had been depleted to 30%, while Bella was at 35%.

"Wasn’t she at 50%? Did she take damage?"

"No. The lost HP is due to the toll on her body for using Overdrive."

"Can we use Modding on her shotgun?"

"Yes."

"Maximize its firepower. All in."

"That would destroy the weapon after 1 use."

"Do it."

"The weapon is overheating, Master Alan," Bella informed.

"I know. Is it burning your hands? I'll take care of you when this is over. I promise."

"Thanks, Master. Let's finish this."

The Wereweasenox concentrated heat on its maw and released it as a destructive beam, burning the ribbon on Bella's head who slid at the last second, reaching the monster's belly.

"She is here!" Aaron cried inside Alan's head. "At our 7 o'clock!"

I knew it.

At the same time Bella unleashed the full power of her shotgun, Alan drew his handgun and shot behind him. If I had missed, she would have gotten me by now. With that thought, he pressed the trigger two more times before turning around and pulling out a collar provided by Jane Andersen.

"Use this, Alan Warden. Good luck," she had said.

The Wereweasenox's guts and blood bathed the NPC while Alan dashed to put the collar on the wounded Serenity, whose body was collapsing to the ground. Three wound shots adorned her stomach.

See, Clara? We were right. She has low Vitality.

Alan reached out her hand, ready to capture her when he noticed a smirk on her face.

"Flare!" someone cried, and a burst of fire hit Serenity.

"NO!"

Alan jumped over her body and rushed to put the collar on her neck, but Serenity's body dissolved in a glimmering spectacle of sparkles and pixels, making the collar fall over the burning grass.

"I would step back if I were you, darling. You don't want to get burned, do you?" a gentle feminine voice said from a distance.

Alan first shut his eyes, exhaled, and turned to see a group of Slime people uphill, 100 feet away from him. He could distinguish the Advanced Slime who had fired the spell, a woman was beside him, wearing a pink long coat, half-rim glasses, and a sideways ponytail.

As Bella joined him and a system notification celebrated that he was now level 9, he chuckled bitterly before putting on his best, friendly smile. "Hi, there! Did you do that to help me?"

"Of course I did, darling. That Max-Leveler was attacking you, didn't she? I could not stand here just watching. Poor thing, you’re not even level 10."

"Are you by any chance Viola Lang?"

The woman tilted her head and frowned. "Do I know you? If yes, sorry, but I don't remember your face."

"We've never met, but I know about your work helping evolve the Slimes. They're my friends, you know."

Viola turned to Smollet, the bulky lvl 20 Advanced Slime, who nodded.

"Do you like what I did with them?" she asked, beaming and clapping.

"Of course! I'm a big fan of yours!"

"Oh, you’re making me blush! It's good to hear that a User is that accepting of NUs!" Viola strolled to him and the group followed her. "I intend that by next year, all monsters evolve into NUs like these. Isn’t that great?"

"That sounds interesting as hell!" Alan said joyfully, also walking towards her. "Is that part of the next Novus’ update?"

She winked at him and raised her index finger close to her lips. “That’s a secret.” She then sighed and looked around. “By the way, do you know what happened here? I came to see who had hurt my poor Slimes, and they told me there was a battle between Max-Levelers?” She pouted, looking him in the eye. “Was that woman attacking you also responsible? Who the hell was she? If you know something, tell me so I can speak to her and give her a good ol’ Lang scold.”

Alan also stared deep into her eyes, smiling, and shrugged. “Lady, I have no idea.”