protagonist or not - II
Carlos tightened his grip on the hilt of his short sword.
"Like I said before, let's cut the evil at the root," he declared.
SWISH! SWISH!
The battle erupted with brutal intensity. It was three against one. The two rear fighters attacked and retreated in perfect rhythm, while Carlos advanced fearlessly, balancing offense and defense.
The monstrous tree, however, was far from a passive target. Its roots and branches twisted in a frenzied rage, whipping through the air to strike its opponents.
But trying to split its attention between front and rear attacks proved difficult.
Even with intensified strikes, its reaction speed wasn't enough. It needed an opening. And fast.
Monster HP: 29/100
Lily, who hadn't lifted a finger until now, noticed something subtle, yet crucial, in the monster's aggressive behavior.
"It was following a fixed attack pattern... But now, with Carlos charging at it, something's changed."
Everyone on the front line sensed the shift, especially the attackers, who lacked significant defense.
Monster HP: 5/100
With no alternative, Carlos leapt back, relentlessly pressured by the monster.
BAM! BAM!
"Damn... we forgot to create a shared XP party!"
The thought hit them all like a bolt of panic. Even Mega, who stood idle and silent, seemed to absorb the tension, though she remained frozen.
Monster HP: 1/100
Victor, Robinson, and Carlos all wanted that XP. Friendships and blood ties were irrelevant now. It was a matter of pride. The best warrior would take it.
SWISH!
The short blade sliced the air in a clean arc, stabbing straight into the monster's eye socket. No time to react—the creature trembled and collapsed, felled without mercy.
"Hahahahaha."
Carlos laughed, not from triumph over the creature, but from outpacing his friends and landing the final blow.
"Maybe next time you'll get it," he said smugly, giving a thumbs-up with his left hand.
His gloating was cut short by the system flashing a screen in front of him.
MONSTER DEFEATED!!
¶ MAGIC TWIG. 1X
LEVEL DIFFERENCE BONUS BUFF: AGILITY!!
AGILITY: 12 > 20
00.10.59..59
LEVEL: 1 (40/100)
Carlos scanned the system screen carefully, absorbing the info before closing it. Only then did he return his attention to his friends, now gathered around him.
To them, Carlos appeared to be staring into space. The floating system screen was invisible to their eyes, making his pause a mystery.
"That monster really was level 4... And looks like there's a bonus for killing higher-level enemies. I got 40 XP and a magic twig," he said, a mix of surprise and satisfaction in his voice.
"Apparently we don't have a system that shows monster levels... We probably have to buy that info from a guild or some kind of monster-monitoring organization," Robinson mused, arms crossed.
"Well, we do get a warning before the first attack. That should be enough for now, at least with low-level treants. Let's keep hunting, grab more twigs, and move on," Lily said with a broad grin.
Victor raised an eyebrow, shooting Lily a look of disbelief. If it weren't for Carlos, none of them would've landed a hit, and she still wanted to continue?
"We should go back and get a map, plus some info about this region. Wandering around clueless is risky," Victor said, arms crossed.
Lily chuckled, tapping her staff on the ground.
"Haha! My tracking and scouting skills go way beyond basic maps and half-baked info. Now, who wants an adventure?"
"Nobody wants one."
"Only you do."
"Let's head back."
The responses came almost in chorus, matched with unimpressed glares.
Her excitement drained faster than a juice box under the sun.
"Bunch of weaklings..." she muttered, pouting.
While she kept mumbling about venturing into a nameless forest, a notification popped up.
Request to join Shaolin Matador de Porco's party!!
Accept: Yes/No.
She quickly accepted.
Shaolin Matador de Porco's Party:
¶ • Red Butterfly
¶ • Yumi
¶ • Empolo-man
¶ • Shaolin Pig killer (Leader)
Lily stepped forward, gripping her staff. She didn't need to look back—they always followed her.
And, as expected, a glance over her shoulder revealed the three of them trailing behind like lost puppies.
The trees were no longer just part of the scenery; they were now threats. Twisted branches moved with intent, and dancing shadows hinted at danger.
The air was thick with tension. Lily didn't hesitate.
∆∆∆∆
"Go, my magical beast... destroy this unholy creature," ordered the tamer, voice firm and commanding.
He had short, straight black hair that barely touched his ears, pale skin, and a slim build, standing around 1.70 meters tall.
He wore a worn brown leather vest over a fitted white three-quarter sleeve shirt.
Both hands bore black leather gloves, with mysterious inscriptions on the backs.
Simple trousers and plain shoes completed the look—nothing flashy, ideal for someone who preferred to go unnoticed.
The magical beast, a werewolf, charged its opponent: a simple goblin wielding a crude wooden spear.
Distance closed quickly. The werewolf swung both arms toward its foe, who responded with a spear thrust.
∆∆∆∆
"Does this guy really think he's in an anime?" Robinson whispered, covering his mouth to muffle the laugh.
They were hiding about twenty meters away, observing. And yes, they heard the poor tamer's dramatic line.
"He's got that rare syndrome... same one Yumi gets when he plays those city-building games," Carlos said, shaking his head like discussing a world-ending tragedy.
Victor raised an eyebrow. How could he not feel like the protagonist? He wasn't just the mayor—he was literally the god of that little digital world.
"Oh, shut the f..."
TAP!!!
"Watch your mouth, you son of a bitch," Lily snapped, shooting him a scolding glare.
All three turned to her.
— Ué?
— Ué?
— Ué?
∆∆∆∆
Still exchanging blows, the tamer took three steps forward.
With a swift motion, he drew a whip from his left hip.
The goblin's attack pattern was predictable. It only knew how to charge with the spear—no variation, no refinement.
Knowing this, the tamer waited.
The werewolf halted, observing.
Then the goblin lunged again.
SNAP!!!
The whip cracked through the air, its tip hitting the goblin's right eye dead-on.
Monster HP: 15/100
The goblin screamed, dropping its crude spear, clutching its now-bleeding, useless eye.
It was the perfect moment to finish it.
"Go!" the tamer commanded, extending his left hand forward in a clear attack signal.
The werewolf sprang like a living arrow, claws and fangs bared.
It pounced, slamming into the goblin and pinning it down.
In one brutal motion, it sank its teeth into the goblin's throat and yanked upward.
Blood sprayed grotesquely as the goblin writhed, choking on its own fluids. But it wasn't over yet.
With one final spasm, the beast raised its right hand and raked the goblin's face, leaving it unrecognizable.
Monster defeated
¶ Goblin ear. 1X
LEVEL: 1 (15/100)
The tamer, eyes shining with joy, gave his magical beast a proud look.
"We're gonna hit top 1 in this game, you and me. No matter what."
His moment of euphoria was abruptly cut off by the sound of approaching footsteps.
"Go," he ordered his magical beast.
The werewolf dashed forward, assuming a combat stance, awaiting its next command.
Among the newcomers, the tank stepped forward, taking a defensive stance and staring at the threat.
"You're really good," said a new voice, emerging from behind the tank. Her hand rested lightly on her teammate's shield, completely ignoring the magical beast.
Med, the tamer, scrutinized the four of them, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
Then the woman spoke again:
"How about joining our party? We heard you say you want to reach top 1... We have the same goal."
She smiled gently.
Had he known they almost laughed when they heard that, he might've killed them right then and there.