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TESTING stats explain'd like a bass. Yes. The fish.
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Hitagi silently followed the group through the woods, barely out of sight, a camouflage cloak hiding her presence.
Hearing the clash of metal on metal, she ran to get a vantage point.
‘Fuuu’ she sighed. They had engaged a level ten Greater Boar. Their healer desperately threw out heals and Hitagi watched as their health a mana slowly declined.
Running as quietly as possible, she re-positioned herself behind their team. She selected her first target as the healer, or in other words, the squishiest and the only one that could potentially remove the poison.
Aiming at the back of the neck, she drew back all the way and took careful aim.
‘Target approximately one hundred feet. No wind.’
The arrow flew true and fully penetrated the healer. Both the boar and the adventurers froze.
But Hitagi didn’t. Arrows flew out like a barrage.
The second took the healer’s life, and snapped them back to reality.
The boar charged into their ranks while the tank was distracted, throwing the fire mage like a rag doll into a tree, where an arrow nestled itself into his throat.
Drowning in his own blood, with bleed and poison, it was quickly over. Their archer had trouble running from the boar, much less fighting back. Their tank chased the boar desperately trying to distract it.
The fifth one, an assassin, could only watch, having depleted his mana engaging. He tried to flee but a cliche arrow to the knee tripped him.
A few more arrows incapacitated the rest of the team. Sprinting up with the cover of [Active Camouflage] she made it to the archer and slit his throat. Although not completely invisible, she really didn’t care if they saw her at this point.
She walked up to the boar. It was the end and everyone present knew it. Pulling an arrow to full draw, she whispered “[Lethal Strike]” and the arrow buried itself deeply beside the head of the boar, cleaving through its heart.
“You piece of fucking shit” Their tank roared, recovering from his shock.
“I won’t forget you” the assassin yelled unconvincingly.
Hitagi smiled and walked up the guy in armor. It was swift. An execution that would have made a mad king smile with glee. The body of the tank fell backwards and hit the ground, leaving only a body. Turning around she faced the assassin.
“In Conquest online, you only feel 30% of the pain. What if I shot three arrows into your head at the same time?” She asked.
The face of the assassin was one of acceptance. Both people knew his fate. Taking three arrows out and lining them up to his head she drew back.
“Goodbye assassin-kun. Sweet dreams!” she cooed softly as she ended his life.
It was then that she noticed the large number of backed up messages. Among them were a few insta-kill messages and two level ups. There were five identical messages stating that no NPCs that had witnessed the murder still lived. Finally the last one notified her that she had received a new title. “You have received the title [Newb Serial Killer] for killing five players in cold blood. Plus 5 to all stats.”
Smiling to herself for her luck, she picked up the drops, she headed back to town.
Selling the hide and tusks of the boar would net her at least a silver. The health pots (Author’s Note: Pot = Potion) would be useful in future PK expeditions.
After retrieving the arrows, she stacked the soul-less bodies and kicked dirt over the bloodstains.
Complimenting herself for remembering to bring oil, she doused the bodies and set them ablaze, piling on leaves and sticks she found in the vicinity.
“Quite methodical, are you now.” A guy’s voice said behind her. Hitagi instantly froze and turned around slowly.
A party of two males and a female looked at her, all with smiles on their faces.
“I hate people like you.” The female stated. “Do you know how hard it is to make an honest living as an adventurer?”
Instantly an arrow was aligned with her face. “Of course” Hitagi replied, not amused. “Why do you think I’m not making an honest living, brainless whore?”
Feeling intense killing intent behind her, she let the arrow fly and dashed to the side as a dagger stabbed into her afterimage.
The man was screaming at this point. “THOSE WERE MY KILLS YOU BLOODY BITCH!”
Hitagi felt a deep sense of disgust and wanted to silence him very badly, but had a more immediate threat.
“[Inspect]” she called on her would-have-been assassin.
Smiling at the level difference, she rushed him. Sliding under his desperate swipe, she put her left hand on his chest and pushed him off balance. His arms flailed backwards creating a fatal opening. A stab later and he was choking on his own blood.
Turning her attention to the two males she realized one had closed the gap. Recalling a game she played, Infinity Blade XI, she dodged towards the direction his swing came from, barely ducking under the massive broadsword.
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‘He definitely invested points into strength.’ She thought, ‘but his sword is a two-handed one, so pushing him for an opening is unnecessary. He'll create openings on himself.’
He slashed again, with all his might, clearly aiming to overkill. Although the level difference existed, if he took off her head in a single hit, she would still be done for. Watching him stagger from his own attack, she moved in and slashed at his neck with her knife,
Bloodlust prickled her neck as he watched the assassin get off his feet and rush her.
‘Healer’ she instantly thought and backed, but the assassin wouldn’t let her. [Flash] he roared as he blinked behind her. Now the warrior in front of her called out [Judgement] as the assassin behind her used [Lethal Strike].
Thinking fast, Hitagi raised her dagger above her head and angled it, deflecting the path of the downward execution (barely), chipping both their blades in the process. The impact forced her feet into the ground and both her hands went numb. Twisting her body, she barely avoided the lunge for her heart, the blade piercing besides her spinal cord instead.
Gasping with pain she spun around ripping the dagger out of the assassin’s hands as she twisted her body away from him, just as the broadsword crashed into the terrain beside her.
Using a [Lethal Strike] this time, the assassin’s head parted from his shoulders.
Following up, she twisted her body and let loose a roundhouse kick that sent the warrior flying.
Taking out her bow, she turned and nailed the warrior’s head to a tree with an arrow.
The healer turned and fled, taking cover behind trees. Noticing the dagger no longer in her back, she smiled grimly. The weapon must have disappeared when he died.
Chugging a health pot, she gave chase. The healer had very little agility making the hunt very fast. Using [Active Camouflage], she was hidden from view. The healer saw nothing behind him so he stopped, his breath coming in gasps. Hitagi materialized in front of him cutting away his hope.
“Why?” He asked, in a half sob.
“Honestly, I had no intentions of fighting you. Your assassin attacked first.” Hitagi replied.
“You fired your arrow first!” He screamed! “Jo-Jonathan was ordered not to attack you unless you attacked us!”
Remembering back, she remembered. She did fire first… “Oh well” she muttered. “You can’t be allowed to live at this point.”
Taking a head and body back, she threw all the body parts she could find on to the dying embers along and cleaned up as she added fuel to the fire. Hitagi was most grateful for the lack of smell when burning bodies.
Following the sound of water, she hopped in to a river and wiped off the blood from her clothes and hair. Slopping wet, she started walking back to Akira, finally free of the pests around her.
Walking back, she noticed the eyes of guys around her look onto her. Realizing her bra was visible through the wet fabric, she kept walking with a sigh, too tired to be embarrassed.
“Are you headed to the capital, onee-chan?” a teenaged boy asked.
“Yeah” she replied tiredly with a weak smile.
“Can I buy you a drink at the tavern in the square? He asked sheepishly.”
‘What the hell, a free drink’s a goddamn free drink.’ she thought.
“Sure” she replied, her smile growing a bit.
“Hi my name is Richard, how are you?”
“Hitagi, I’m a bit tired from hunting.”
“Well, nice to meet you.”
“Same.”
There was something familiar about the boy, but Hitagi just couldn’t put her finger on what. How he walked, maybe?
The sky darkened, and the city gates loomed in the distance as they walked, and suddenly she realized they were surrounded.
Not breaking the nonchalant atmosphere, she quietly asked, “What class are you?”
The boy answered “Fire Mage.”
“Then we might have a chance.” She quietly said.
“Why?”
“We’re about to be surrounded.”
A familiar voice called out when they realized that they were spotted. “HEY BITCH, WE’RE BACK” it jeered. Another called out, “Do you honestly think you can PK us and get away with it?”
Feigning ignorance, she hid behind the wizard boy and cried out “Help me! Crazy guys want to kill me!”
Not moving, Richard just watched as the ten odd people surrounded them. Then he turned around and asked “Why do you kill people?”
“Huh?” She said, confused.
She recognized a few of the people around her as the first group she PKed.
With great suspicion, she took a closer look at Richard.
Richard’s face morphed into a really familiar one. IT WAS THE ASSASSIN SHE SHOT THREE HOLES IN THE HEAD!
In the space of a single second, Hitagi’s expression changed from one of faked fear, to surprise, to confusion, to panic, and finally back to her favorite: disappointment.
Realizing what was about to happen, she roared “[Active Camouflage]” and sprinted like she had never sprinted before towards the city walls, with projectiles flying all around her, some finding their mark on her back.
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Will use first person from now on. 3rd person omni switch first is difficult.
PS2, deleted original thread because I accidentally made it sticky.