A Centaur and a Human were meeting in a large yet rustic leather tent full of animal furs. It was only supposed to be a meet and greet, but it was bound to turn grim.
Jack didn't hesitate and went straight to the point.
"Where are the adults? What happened to them?" The high number of kids was a simple observation, yet it changed everything.
The entire Centaur's being suddenly turned sorrowful and solemn as he glanced at the human: this one really was different! Perhaps…he could even help them?
"This place, this so-called "Village," used to be a simple outpost full of hunting tents. But it all changed when THEY attacked…." The Centaur unconsciously shivered, fearful.
Oh god! A centaur shivering?! They were the kind to ride into battle fearlessly, and anyone slighting them was on for a solid beating…or many!
"They came out of nowhere and destroyed everything. They first targeted our people, corrupting them into unrecognizable evil beings, then began the slaughter…."
Unbridled fear showed in his eyes as he reminisced. "The more we fought, and the more turned, any wound a death sentence. We call them the Ephials…."
Ephials?! Jack felt his blood turn to ice.
They were formless shadows, coming from who knew where that would take over their victims' senses and control them.
Corrupting monsters so early in the game?! He had previously faced a Devil and a Curse, but both were exceptional cases: this was freaking different!
"H-how many?" Jack asked, shaking.
"Hundreds, perhaps more. Luckily, we could retreat here, but it will take us time to recover for sure." The Chief sighed.
"Time to recover? What time to recover?! There's no way that will happen! They're definitely coming over as we speak!" Jack exclaimed.
Ephials were very similar to zombies, the dark magical kind. Being injured by one meant joining their ranks!
They hungered for the living, wanting only to spread their corruption. It was a plague that was infinitely hard to stop, akin to the marching of time.
If left alone, they would almost seem sluggish at times, creating a false sense of safety, but it was only an illusion. They 100% would target this place.
But all he got as a reaction was a stern look, the Chief shaking his head in denial. "No way. It's impossible! We've observed their movements, and they're staying put."
"Listen, there's no time to waste. We—"
"Enough! Right now, we need to focus on reconstruction, nothing else. Will you help or not?" The Centaur was adamant, his eyes not wavering, his mind made.
Usually, such resolve would be admirable, but not when Ephials were coming! The only questions were "When" and "How many".
[Quest: Village Rebirth!]
[Will You Help the Centaurs Rebuild? Y/N?]
"Nope, I'm out." Jack decisively left the tent, the disappointed Centaur sighing.
As he glanced at the Centaurs just going about their daily lives and the players pestering them for Quests, all Jack saw were liabilities.
Tch— So much for his plan to use them as glass canons. In such a scenario, what mattered wasn't power but unity. Unity? Here? There were so many different factions!
Had he known, he would have brought a D.L. army. Sadly, there was no medicine for regret, and the portal leading here was closed shut.
What could he even do?
1. Defend? They lacked information on the enemy, and the players were divided.
2. Attack? He could venture deep into enemy territory and destroy the source of the corruption.
3. Convince? With worthy proof of the danger, he could probably enlist the mighty Centaurs to help the cause.
4. Betray humanity? Ephials were even harder to handle than devils and curses since they lacked desires that he could use to trick them into a weaker position.
"What do you think, Moon Moon?" Jack asked his loyal companion.
"Woo?" (Why not all! If it's Master, it's possible!)
"Pfft— Is there anything I cannot do in your eyes. What if I'm telling you I'll be walking on the Moon tomorrow, will you believe?" He joked, only to be met with shiny eyes.
"Woo!" (Of course! Can I go too?)
The little wolf asked, its tongue hanging loose. It was remembering a kid story it had randomly heard about the Moon being made of cheese, and cheese was food!
Jack suddenly felt all tension leave his body. True, everything was possible. They just needed to keep pushing forward and hope for the best.
"You're right! Time to start!"
"Woo!"
Without waiting, he left the Village. To anyone who would ask, he'd declare with a grin that he was going on an extended hunting trip and to expect a great bounty!
He had a particular goal in mind, so vital that nothing could go wrong. As for where they were heading….even he didn't freaking know!
Yep, he was just roaming farther away from the Village in a random direction. After all, he had no clue about the Village's surroundings. Still, it didn't take long for him to find his prey.
Human and wolf headed inside the thick vegetation, the grass rustling as they moved through it. Not long after, a young Centaur appeared behind them.
This time he wouldn't fail his stalking. He had already gotten an earful from the hunting Teacher about it. He focused on the rustling as he kept tailing in sneak mode.
He couldn't help but wonder what marvelous creature the duo would hunt this time. Would he get to see another bizarre hunting technique? He couldn't wait!
But suddenly, he heard a low voice.
"Got you!"
— Whoosh! —
Before the poor Centaur youngster had any time to react, he was tackled with incredible momentum, instantly falling to the ground., already panicking.
"What?! Help!!!"
"Relax, I won't eat you."
Wait, that voice? As the youngster's eyes focused on the assailant, he froze. The human?! What the hell was this about?! * Visible Confusion *
"We need to talk. It concerns the fate of the entire Centaur race…."
Jack went straight to the point, painting a picture of a world in which the Centaurs went extinct. He spoke of their abilities, how scary they were, and what they needed to do.
The more he spoke, the more heated he became. By now, the youngster was also shouting with passion.
"Ephials, Ephials everywhere! Is that what you want?!"
"No way!"
"Will you just turn over and die, or will you fight them?!"
"I'll fight! Of course, I'll fight!"
"Perfect, let's go! Lead the way. There's no time to waste!" Jack finished his speech in a glorious fight declaration, stopping by to grab Moon Moon.
Thus they departed toward an adventure.
He couldn't help but give a wry smile. Was he perhaps the bad guy here? He just had convinced a kid to follow him toward a land of death, appealing to his heroic dreams.
Was this considered a kidnapping? Either way, the young Centaur was so motivated that he even insisted they ride on his back.
This new guide was actually very proficient. He knew everything about the territories they were going to. His only flaw was that he was inexperienced, but Jack could advise him.
"Careful, sure this way's faster, but better be careful than dead."
"This crazy strong creature? We can trick its sense of smell to pass incognito."
"See that big guy? It's totally in heat. We can exploit that! Let's organize a blind date for it: we'll go through while it's fighting if you know what I mean."
As for the weaker creatures they didn't avoid, they were in for a visual treat. Many repeatedly blinked as they stared at the strange vision.
A wolf and a human rode on a pony-sized Centaur, humming/howling, tiny blue friendly birds sometimes joining in.
"Woo! Woo! Woo!"
The little wolf especially loved this song! Apparently, it was sung by legendary riders as they charged to help a white city with a tomato-eating king…oh and there was a ring?
They journeyed through the Eternal Steppes, a place that really didn't fit its name with the amount of vegetation it had. But, it did feel endless, the same landscape over and over.
But as they inched closer and closer, they noticed a stark change. The environment became duller, lifeless, the vegetation became sparse, and even the wild creatures stayed away.
"We're getting closer. Sneak mode from now on." The wolf and Centaur nodded solemnly. They all knew how risky this stage would be.
But suddenly, Jack's face contorted as he kicked the Centaur in the sides. The youngster instantly got the message, throwing itself to the ground.
— CRASH! —
Just as this was happening, Jack grabbed a brown sheet from his inventory, covering the three of them with it. They lay on the ground, unmoving, playing dead for real this time!
The three remained perfectly still, not even daring to breathe. Jack's companions had no clue what was happening, but they believed in his judgment.
1 minute
3 minutes
10 minutes
Just as they were seriously getting confused, they finally heard shrill cries. There were so many of them: all above their heads.
— Shriek! Shriek! Shriek! —
Countless creatures bloated the sky a second later, turning it completely dark. One of them flew straight at them, landing and glancing at the brown sheet, confused.
< Corrupted Blue Jay 20! >
The tiny blue bird was right next to them, the same kind that had been happily singing with them the whole journey. Well, almost the same…
Its eyes were completely dark, its beak had sharps saw-like teeth, and a dark cloud surrounded its body. One was weak, but their flock was deadly!
— Shriek! —
Finally, it seemed to determine that the area was clear as it flapped its wings, flying away at full speed. The three slowly rose, Jack showing a grim expression.
"Rule #1 of war: information is key."
Those weren't just birds but scouts. The situation was even direr than he had guessed…
