"You want us to rescue your warriors?" Lucy asked with relief that the chief didn't ask her to do something very awkward.

Chief Paipa touched his palm. "You want a crew-" he pointed his finger up- "you must get your crew."

[Chief Paipa] has offered you a quest! The Liberation of the Black Moon Tribe A band of slavers from the World Islander Trading Company has built a trading outpost at the Coral Gulf on the other side of Bengar. They are secretly kidnapping the Black Moon Tribe to sell to the highest bidder. If you want a crew of strong tribal warriors, you must rescue them, and Chief Paipa will appreciate you. Do you wish to accept this quest? Aye, or nay?

Lucy nodded. It made sense she should rescue the tribe when she needed a crew. But not just for a crew. She was also against slavery, believing everyone should have the right to live freely. If someone needed workers, they should pay the workers fairly. Even her father paid her while she worked at his tavern.

Lucy also hated the World Islander Trading Company, abbreviated as WITC. Even her father refused to buy their brew, no matter how many varieties they offered.

The Empire established the company to trade goods across the world with any valuable product they could trade. Spices, cotton, silk, salt, rum, tea, weapons, whatever they could provide to the known islands. They have their own private navy too, to protect their ships from pirates and bandits. Not all their merchant and frigate ships were powerful against attacks, but they heavily guarded their conveys. Not only they traded items and food, but they also traded people too. Prisoners, women, children, natives, anyone who was condemned to work in service for the rest of their lives. None of the merchants and soldiers cared for other lives as long as they could make gold from anything. Even the Empire didn’t care too.

If Lucy could rescue the tribe, she could teach the company a lesson. “Of course, we will help you. I hate slavery, and I will punish the slavers.”

Congratulation! You accepted the quest!

Chief Paipa smiled and placed his hands together. “Thank you very much. Byron will lead you to the slavers. He has been tracking them for one entire day. Is that right?”

The panther warrior stood up. “I finally found their settlement at the gulf. That is why I came back to inform you.”

“Good, now you will have support to rescue our tribe. You should hurry before the traders will ship them away.”

Tashina giggled and wrapped her arms around Byron’s left muscular arm. “Wi a guh ave sum much fun togetha now.”

Byron blushed as he slid his arm from Tashina’s grip. “Yeah, uhhhh….. I don’t believe we can have time for that, Tashina. The jungle is very dangerous. It will grow worse when the moon rises over the trees. We should move while we still have the chance.”

Tashina shrugged. “Mi cya wait. Heeheehee.”

*****

Fine minutes later, the three companies trudged their way through the jungle, which seemed to get darker and darker each time they took a step. The trees were bigger, and the grass was thicker around the plants and tall rocks. The air was cooler and less humid than outside the rainforest. But any predator could hide among the green.

"Your NPC status seems different, Lucy," said Byron, strolling next to her with a tribal battle staff in his right hand. "It says you are a computer player."

"Oh!" Lucy smirked at him. "I almost forgot to tell you about that."

"What is a computer player?"

"Uhhhhh, I am like a player, but a little different. I can change my level and learn new skills. I don't know how it happened, but it helped me survive."

"Mi did surprise too. Neva had mi meet a computa playa too," Tashina stated behind Lucy and Byron.

"Well, lucky for my tribe to me you," said Byron, smiling. "I remembered spying on the slavers' level. Most of them are level 20. Their leader I haven't seen, but they are stronger than my tribe."

Lucy stepped over a flat rock. "How did you plan to rescue the captives?"

"I can sneak through anywhere without being seen. My stealth skills are very high. If I am lucky, I could set my tribe free so they can start a revolt. The slavers will retreat after we lower their numbers."

Tashina held up her finger. "Lucy an mi broadcast fear bombs."

Byron eyed her. "Fear bombs?"

"Mi crafted dem wid special powda dat mek people hallucinate. Wi cud scare all di slavas off di island. Heeheehee."

"But we can't endanger my tribe. The slavers are watching them very closely."

"How many are there?" Lucy asked.

Byron swallowed nervously. "A hundred. All men with guns and swords. Your fear bombs might not be enough to scare them away. But an army can. My tribe will fight to the death to save everyone. We will see when we reach the outpost."

Lucy thought about the number of slavers as a wicked grin formed on her lips. She could level up faster if she could kill all the WITC traders without mercy. If the total of her health points could grow, it would take longer for the enemy to kill her. And her high strength attribute could kill them instantly. But still, she has to remain cautious. "I have a stealth skill too. We can both sneak in and free the slaves together."

Byron winked at her. "That is good for both of us."

Tashina frowned. "Wah bout me?"

Lucy glanced at her and smirked. "Don't worry, we will plan something out for you when we get there. Your spells will come in handy."

Tashina chuckled. "Of course mi spells useful! Mi wouldn't be here widout dem."

Lucy left her a smile and glanced around. They strolled over a fallen log across a deep empty gorge. Next, they entered a tunnel through the bottom of a giant tree, shaped like a mushroom. Large butterflies, the size of lizard-birds, flew over giant purple flowers that bloomed in the sunlight rays.

Lavender and wet spring scents all mixed in around Lucy's senses. Perhaps she should become a tribal warrior girl, living in the wild. Sure it would be wonderful to eat if there weren't any creatures that could eat her. But perhaps sailing around in the open sea sounded like more fun than staying in one place. She could explore more islands and discover new friendly towns. After all, she has pirate blood inside her blood. And pirates never liked to stay in one place forever.

Lucy placed her hands behind her back while getting her pace with Byron. "May I ask why your tribe are called the Black Moon?"

Byron glanced at the leaves above. "We worship the moon, although it isn't black. The word 'black' represents our fur. In both terms, we are black under the moon."

"Interesting, though you are outside in the sun."

Byron shrugged. "It doesn't matter whether it is day or night for us. But we do feast, dance, hunt, and mate in the moonlight. Most of us also like to sleep during the day."

"Mi like mating anda di moonlight," Tashina mentioned with a purring tone. "It fits mi dark style. Heeheehee."

Lucy struck out her tongue as she turned around from Tashina's seductive eyes on Byron. She swallowed the sourness thought down her throat. "Are you two a….. Couple?"

Byron stared at Tashina with his eyes widened and back to Lucy, rubbing behind his head. "It'sssss complicated."

Tashina glared with a frown. "Wah, yuh nuh like me?"

Byron blushed with pinkness on his cheeks. "I never see you much, and you keep sleeping with the other men. How could I like you?"

"Wah eff mi tell yuh a mi most favorite?"

Byron sighed. "You are not my mate, Tashina. Yes I enjoyed our sacred activities, but a true mate never leaves her mate behind "

Tashina dropped her eyebrows down. "But yuh neva want tuh cum tuh mi island!"

"I have a great responsibility here."

Tashina crossed her arms. "Like what? Cleaning yuh women's huts?"

"It's more important than that?"

Tashina turned away from him. "Den yuh nuh deserve mi booty tonight! Hum!"

Lucy facepalmed. I shouldn't have asked him that question.

"Help!" a female voice from ahead in the brush. "Somebody help me! Squawk!"

New side quest offered! A damsel in Peril You hear someone crying for her. Rescue her, and she can help you on your quest. Do you accept this side quest? Aye, or nay?

Lucy swung toward Byron and Tashina. "Someone is in trouble!"

Tashina titled her head, twitching her left ear as she held her hand near it. "It sounds like a bud tuh mi."

"It doesn't matter! We should see who needs our help, fast!"

Congratulations! You accepted the side quest.

Byron nodded. "She is right. Let's see who it is!"

Tashina shrugged. "Okay."

Lucy raced across the trail with her cutlass out. After squeezing through a soft bush between two gigantic, she spotted a female red parrot, hanging on a giant cobweb inside a huge hollow fallen tree. A giant spider, the scariest looking one, was wrapping the poor bird in its web. It has spikes on its round abdomen and long eight legs that could make the crabs panic. Sharp pincers and eight red eyes that appeared to be both cute and skin crawling.

"Help!" The parrot girl cried.

Kiki Level: 5 Race: Parrot HP:50 Non-player character Giant spider Level: 10 Race: Arachnid HP: 100 Mob

Byron and Tashina caught up with Lucy, widening their eyes at the creature.

"Monstrous!" Tashina gasped.

"Help-" The parrot muffled as the spider coated its web around her black curvy beak. All she could do was struggled for her life.

"I never seen a spider in the daylight before," said Byron behind the bush. "This area is in fact dark enough for it to come out and hunt."

"Mi like spidas." Tashina licked her chops. "Very gud fi cooking."

"I have to help her!" Lucy stepped forward, but Byron placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Wait, that thing will spit web all over you," he warned. "The moment it sees you, it will spring on you."

Lucy glared at him. "But I am level 17. I can kill it."

"It's better to get the jump on it outside its eyes. If you get caught in its web, you cannot move at all."

Lucy stared at the giant open log. "Fine, I will climb to the top and land on it with a strike. Will that kill it quickly?"

Byron shook his finger. "No, strike its head and it will die. But move quickly before it can smell you."

Tashina wiggled her fingers. "An collect its legs! mi cya mek spida soup wid them! Yum yum!"

Lucy rubbed her forehead while shaking it. "I am not eating spider legs. The parrot's life comes first!"

Tashina nodded. "Be careful then."

Lucy smiled and headed toward the log while crouching. She moved through the other bushes around the small field in front of the web.

On the left side, she clambered up and stood on the top, spotting a hole above the hole. She peeked down as she sat on her knees.

The giant spider has finished wrapping its prey. Soon it will devour the bird, like it was devouring a fly. Lucy couldn't bear to imagine what the parrot was thinking about during her possible last time in her life. Being devoured would be very painful unless the spider puts its prey into a down slumber. Maybe the prey suffocates before the spider will stick its fangs into it. However, the spider eats its prey, Lucy would not watch to find out. The only thing the giant spider will taste is her blade.

Here I go! Lucy rose and held up her cutlass, ready to attack.