20 The Stranger in the Hood
A/N
Dear Readers,
If you see plot holes, mistakes, glaring contradiction, chances are my mind is a mess that day, i overlooked, i was thinking of another thing or simply forgot. Just point it out and i'll edit it. No need to go on ballistic with me π€£π
CHEERS!
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A Horned Rabbit Queen?
Ren was surprised that the last remaining rabbit that would have otherwise granted Silvia her sought-after victory had successfully summoned the Queen of all Horned Rabbits.
Ren didn't expect Silvia to last this long, facing the Hordes of Horned Rabbits alone. If he had to be honest. And she proved him wrong when she was about to defeat them without anyone's help ββ if only the Horned Rabbit Queen didn't appear.
What were the odds that the low percentage skill [Screech] of the Horned Rabbit would be activated successfully at the last minute? And actually, summoned the Queen of Horned Rabbits no less?
The Horned Rabbit Queen was a rare beast at this point in time but a common beast in the latter part of the game that could only be encountered if its children successfully activated their skill [Screech]. By that time, the Horned Rabbit's skill [Screech] would already reach LV.7, so naturally, the success rate of summoning their Queen Mother would also increase.
In this early game, killing a Horned Rabbit Queen would surely give huge EXP and Gil. What's more, its meat was ingredients in many cooking recipes and fetched a high price when sold.
But killing it with only a single digits ATP was impossible.
Ren didn't know if Silvia's LCK was good or bad.
At this rate, she was surely going to die.
Yep. She was going to die. Ren thought when Silvia was afflicted with the paralyzing status.
Ren immensely enjoyed seeing Silvia's usual calm and arrogant face crack. It made her human and reachable.
Anyway, Ren was contemplating whether to help Silvia or not. But at the appearance of the Horned Rabbit Queen, he decided to help her.
There were advantages if he did help her. The meat of the Horned Rabbit Queen would surely fetch an excellent additional 5 000 Gil to his money . . . Silvia would owe him a debt which she would surely pay in cash.
The only disadvantage Ren had was that she would know that he could cast Fire and would surely doubt his class even if he portrayed himself as a Hunter or Animist because of Pii.
Ren pondered some more, but he quickly decided upon seeing that the Horned Rabbits were going to attack again.
Ren entered the fighting range and pressed <ENGAGED> to join in the fray before he cast [Fire] over the Horned Rabbit Queen.
Ren's INT was way higher than the rest, enough to reduce the Horned Rabbit Queen's HP bar to more than half with a single critical hit.
β574 Critical Hit!
[ Horned Rabbit Queen suffered from BURN
β5% HP every minute ]
β40 (BURN)
Silvia was surprised by the amount of damaged that the stranger inflicted on the Horned Rabbit Queen. He appeared to be in the Hunter or Animist class based on the beast-like pet on his shoulder. But he cast magic damage like he was a mage.
No player was capable of that unless . . .
"Are you . . . an NPC?"
Ren faced Silvia with a serious expression, though all the woman saw was hazy fogy darkness inside his hood.
"That's not important. Do you want to live and gain an enormous amount of EXP?"
Silvia was confused at the NPC's words. Was this an event? Did she triggered something? But where's the option that should have popped on her screen? Or was it voice-operated?
"Hurry up."
Silvia was still confused and nodded without thinking. She was still trying to guess Ren's class and whether he was an NPC or not. She was straining her neck if she could see inside the hood of his cloak to no success.
Ren wasn't bothered and asked, "How much?"
". . . Huh?" Silvia became even more confused.
Ren grinned and extended a hand. "How much for your life?"
". . ." Silvia's jaw dropped. What was he talking about? Was he talking about Gil? Is that the payment for his help? Or was it part of an event?
"And in case you're wondering, I'm talking about real money," Ren said and avoided the attack of the Horned Rabbits. With his AGI, it was a breeze.
Since Ren's attacks were higher than Silvia's, the [Aggro] of the enemies were on him, and he became the priority target of the two Horned Rabbits.
Ren didn't flinch, though, since his DEF and AGI were high. He could cast [Fire] multiple times if he wanted to and finish the fight before the Horned Rabbits could move again, but he decided against it.
He wanted to talk to Silvia first and make a deal with her.
"Hurry up. I don't have all day."
Silvia was jolted awake from her confused state by Ren's monotone and cold voice.
It was a first time that a man had spoken that way to her. She was used to everyone's attention and affection. All men she knew turned docile and idiotic upon facing her. Their hard voice melted mellow, and their cold facades cracked upon laying eyes on her beautiful face. She didn't have to make an effort. Her charms were enough to make all men bow before her.
He was definitely an NPC. Silvia thought.
"Are you an NPC?"
Ren's eyelid twitched. "Ask me that again, and I'll kill those beasts myself and take all their EXP and loot.
Silvia's eye rounded, and she restrained a gasp from escaping her lips.
He was a player!
A beta tester, then? That would explain the high damage and the weird-looking beast coiling on his neck.
Beta Testers had an unfair advantage over regular players. They already knew half the game before it was even launched. It was where Silvia got some of her information, too, by paying a huge amount of money so she could acquire the Beta Testers guidebook of COVENANT. It wasn't much, but it had more information than the guide on the developer's website.
If so, then Silvia's LCK hadn't run out! She could still get out of this predicament!
"How much do you want?" Silvia immediately offered. If this was going to be resolved with money, then it wasn't a problem for her.
Ren's smile stretched. "How much can you give?"
With an arrogant and overbearing woman like Silvia, she would surely not accept anything less. And with her fortune, money wasn't a problem.
And Ren wouldn't have Silvia in any other way. Rich, arrogant, prideful customer who wouldn't allow anyone to question her capabilities and power.
It was the reason why Ren loved rich and overbearing people the best.
Ren's grin widened when Silvia's cold façade cracked. She bit her lip and glared at him with rosy cheeks and a flushed face.
She was indeed beautiful, and Ren was one of those men who had a secret crush on her.
Too bad that Ren's one true love is money.
Silvia gritted her teeth and hissed through the gap of her clinching teeth. "How about ten thousand real money? I'm sure that's more than enough."
Ren didn't flinch and said in a monotone voice, "The EXP reward for the Hordes of Horned Rabbits is about 700. But since one of them successfully called the Horned Rabbit Queen, then what EXP you'll receive would double. BUT . . .
"If you died, then your ATP would surely suffer a tremendous blow enough for you to consider recreating your account. Are you willing to forfeit your advantage and start all over again?"
Silvia's face darkened.
Ren's lips twitched at the side. He had her. "Surely the daughter of a billionaire could offer more than that. If not, then I'll just let them kill you before I defeat them and take all their EXP and loot."
". . ."
Is he serious?!
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A/N
Next Update is next week or SAT. I have my hands full the remaining days to come. Please be patient and await my return. π
I shall return shortly!
CHEERS!
