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Chapter 25: Minutes and Seconds
Brandon's hand shook with disbelief at what he saw, nearly causing him to lose his grip on both the Lustrous Stinger sword and its scabbard.
Below the valley, among the jagged rocks, clusters of bush-like monsters roamed, trailing behind the skeletal wizard Kabuka as it climbed upwards, resembling a rising tide of darkness. On the other side, within his sight, a slender figure struggled to climb up the rugged mountain path. She carried a huge backpack on her back with a sword strapped to it, and her long ponytail swayed as she leaped and bounded along the rocky cliffs.
Freya?
Brandon rubbed his eyes, almost thinking he was seeing things. But he might be mistaken, yet Roma wouldn't. Her tense expression indicated that it was indeed Freya. But wasn't she supposed to be heading to Dagger River Bank with Marden? Why was she here? Brandon couldn't believe she would abandon her Third Militia Squad.
"It's Freya, Brandon."
"I know. Don't make any noise. I'll figure something out."
"Brandon, Freya will be caught up. Shouldn't we help her?" Roma turned back, eagerly asking.
"No. You don't need to do anything. I'll handle it."
Brandon felt like he was losing his mind, however, he dared not allow himself to panic at this moment. The situation was perilous, but the pivotal factor lay not within his control, but rather in Lady Marsha's mood today. Unfortunately, it appeared to be less than favorable.
Equally perilous was his situation. Upon glancing back, he caught sight of the skeletal wizard swiftly removing its leg bone without any hesitation, causing the Withered Beast clinging to it to slip back into the horde of monsters. The wizard then adeptly shifted its position, using its bone hands to ascend the rocks; its 1.7-unit strength enabling it to navigate the rugged terrain. However, just as Kabuka reached upward, his movement abruptly ceased.
Kabuka looked up, the green flames in its eye sockets reflecting the surprised face of the young human on the rocks above. At first, it found the life ripple somewhat familiar, but to an undead creature, it mattered little, for it had already raised its bone staff and swung it towards Brandon.
"Human scum," it thought.
At that moment, Brandon couldn't afford to hesitate any longer. With a swift motion, he drew his sword, Lustrous Stinger gleaming brightly in the darkness instantly. He thrust downward, piercing Kabuka's skull. Following a faint crack, a golden flame erupted from the crevice in the skeletal wizard's forehead, spreading in all directions.
"Kah—" Kabuka's voice choked mid-cry. Brandon's sword was so fast that it didn't even have time to react before realising that its eternal life had come to an abrupt end.
It had thought it would become a great skeletal wizard.
As its strength waned, Kabuka toppled backward, but the young human above it suddenly reached out and grabbed its skeletal hand. Kabuka was momentarily stunned, puzzled by why this human would save it. Moreover, it was the undead bound to the Dragon of Disaster, how could it accept help from a lowly human? Just as Kabuka wrestled with this dilemma, it saw the human deftly snatch the ring from the bone of its index finger.
"You despicable human scum! Thief..." That was Kabuka's final thought as the soul fire in its eyes extinguished. However, Brandon was surprised to find that the skeletal wizard actually had a decent ring—a Ring of the Spiderweb, +0.2 perception, with familiar patterns. He had one before, which he kept as a memorial and had never lost it.
Perception was a pivotal attribute in the game, symbolizing a character's aptitude to grasp their dimension, augmenting their comprehension of space and material through senses like hearing, smell, sight, touch, and taste. In Braggs, there once existed a low-level dungeon known as the Public Catacombs. Within its complex underground tunnels, players were prohibited from using open flames. Hence, equipment boasting high perception and agility became prized possessions. This was imperative as player teams navigated the labyrinthine pathways, consistently evading a formidable, pre-set high-level monster.
The ring Bradon had in the game was a gift from a friend. He still remembered the hardship he went through to gather a set of 10oz perception equipment, only to fail to clear the Public Catacombs in the end.
Recalling the Public Catacombs, he suddenly remembered a boon for warriors within that dungeon—the Badge of Courage, granting a +2 boost to Swordsmanship. At that time, he spared no expense to acquire that badge.
"Brandon, Brandon!" Roma's voice was full of urgency.
Brandon was startled. Roma wouldn't be so anxious normally. Could something have happened to Freya? He quickly dropped the skeletal wizard in his hand and turned around, just in time to see a Withered Beast catching up with Freya, who was sprinting on the rocky cliffs. It reached out its branch-like claws, hooked onto the straps of the girl's backpack, and pulled her back with one tug.
"Freya, watch out!" Roma exclaimed, abruptly standing up and clutching her skirt, ready to run out to help Freya. However, Brandon swiftly pulled back the girl who was clueless about the situation at the moment. There was no time for games. No way was he going to let her make things worse at this time.
"You stay put here!" Brandon said sternly while handing the Ring of the Spiderweb to Roma to keep safe.
There were restrictions on character equipping magical items, which witches believed was related to the source of a person's magic energy. But for Brandon, having a level two mercenary carrying equipment totaling 40oz strength was already pushing it to the limit.
"Okay, Brandon, but—"
After glancing around, Brandon quickly realized he couldn't just leave this reckless girl here. When he drew Lustrous Stinger earlier, the radiant glow it cast had attracted unwanted attention. Leaving Roman behind at this moment would surely invite attacks.
If Roma were injured, he'd never forgive himself. But with Freya also in danger, he couldn't simply stand by. He had already regarded this determined and kind-hearted girl as his precious companion. How could he remain indifferent when she needed help? It truly was a dilemma with no easy way out.
Naturally, these thoughts flashed through Brandon's mind in less than a second. Meanwhile, in the valley below, Freya fought to free herself from the withered beast's claw. After managing to stagger forward a couple of steps, she collapsed once more. Yet, amid her struggle, she had spotted Brandon and Rama, a glimmer of hope flickered in her panicked eyes.
"Brandon—" Before she could finish her sentence, she was dragged back again.
"Draw your sword!" Brandon shouted.
"It's caught on my backpack, I can't reach—"
This idiot! Brandon decisively handed Lustrous Stinger to Roma. "This sword can counter them, protect yourself!"
"What about you, Brandon?"
Brandon shook his head, signaling for her not to worry, then turned and ran towards Freya. Ah, screw it, he thought, it's not like it's the first time. Lady Marsha always enjoyed teasing him, so he figured might as well accept it.
But just like in a game, monsters always preferred to pick on the weaker ones first. Before he even jumped down two levels, a humanoid bush covered in thorns stood in his way.
Juvenile Withered Beast, level 7 dark-attributed monster; 2.2 units of strength, 3 units of constitution, 1.2 units of agility; weak against fire, weak against slashing attacks, and half resistance to piercing damage. Memories of the past flowed through Brandon's mind like water, reminding him of the distinct traits of the Juvenile Withered Beast standing in front of him. Plant-type monsters were known for their high constitution, but often their weakness lay in agility. Especially with dark attributes and susceptibility to fire and slashing attacks, Lustrous Stinger was practically their natural enemy.
Unfortunately, he didn't have Lustrous Stinger at hand. Brandon couldn't help but curse the absurdity of the situation under his breath, gritting his teeth in frustration. The only thing he could rely on now was his 2.1 agility, but he had no intention of getting caught up in a prolonged struggle.
However, it seemed that the Juvenile Withered Beast had no intention of reaching a consensus with him. It emitted a rustling sound as it lunged forward. Despite its humanoid form, it moved on all fours, resembling an uncivilized savage.
Brandon skillfully evaded the creature's claws, though not unscathed; its thorns grazed his forehead, leaving behind a trail of bloody marks. Fortunately, they were not undead; otherwise the corpse poison within his body would have only worsened.
But before he could even begin to feel relieved, a line of eerie green text appeared on his retina: "Emergency Warning: Paralysis Toxin Detected."
Damn it! How did I forget about this? Brandon almost cursed aloud. In past attempts to navigate the territory inhabited by the Withered Beasts, his in-game character had consistently maintained a level of twenty or higher, rendering the task relatively easy. However, due to this familiarity, he had overlooked the venomous nature of the creature's attacks. Though the paralysis toxin was minimal, its combination with the lingering corpse poison in his system could exacerbate the situation.
But cursing aside, he couldn't afford to be careless. With both hands pressing down on the opponent's spiky claws, he pushed forward, targeting the dark red Withered Beast beside Freya, unleashing a fierce charge.
That one turned out to be an adult.
Brandon couldn't help but inhale deeply. An adult Withered Beast, boasting 4.7 units of strength, even surpassed that of a Gargoyle; a creature that possessed the First Level Strength was no laughing matter. However, it was odd; under normal circumstances, an adult Withered Beast should have already dragged Freya away.
But regardless, Brandon utilized the momentum from the Juvenile Withered Beast's push, tumbling outwards. In mid-air, he executed a swift turn and unleashed a charge, his entire body suddenly accelerating over a maze of jagged rocks, resembling a shadow darting across the rocky terrain.
In the blink of an eye, he moved across a dozen meters.
"Let go of the backpack, Freya!"
But Freya stubbornly clung to the backpack, shaking her head. With only one hand gripping a protruding rock beside her, she was almost unable to hold on. But Brandon finally reached her first. "Lower your head," he commanded, swiftly drawing the longsword from behind Freya's back and slicing through the strap of the backpack grabbed by the adult Withered Beast—
The dark red humanoid bush immediately lost its balance and fell backward, trying to grasp something to stabilize itself, but Brandon had already kicked it in the chest, sending it tumbling into a deep crevice behind.
The Withered Beast was light; it wouldn't die from such a fall, but it wouldn't find its way up anytime soon either. Witnessing this scene, Brandon finally breathed a sigh of relief, but when he turned around, his tone became unusually stern: "Do you have a death wish?"
Freya looked up at him with bright eyes, seemingly taken aback by his outburst. She pressed her lips together and defiantly turned her head away.
But Brandon suddenly noticed her hand, scraped and covered in blood. He was momentarily stunned, unable to bring himself to scold her any further. Besides, the crisis was far from over. With a sigh, he helped her to her feet, saying, "I have many questions for you, but let's hold off for now. Roma is still waiting for us above."
"Okay."
However, just as Brandon was about to turn around, he saw two flashes of golden light flying into his chest. Realising that he had gained another two experience points, he looked up in astonishment.
What he saw was Roman, one hand holding her skirt, the other wielding the elven sword, as she chased down. The Juvenile Withered Beast that had previously blocked his path now lay before her—pierced through the heart by her careful, deliberate strike, before turning into a puff of ash.
Rama seemed stunned too, not expecting her sword to be so effective.
"Why did you come down too?" Brandon suddenly felt an impulse to give this girl a beating.
"But after thinking it over seriously, Brandon, I feel like I can't protect myself," Roma said seriously.
Brandon was momentarily speechless.
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