Forced Cooperation Part 1
1077 Words
[Location: Hollowfang Burrows]
(voice-over) The silence after the swordsman’s violent airborne “cure” hung like damp fog in the cavern. The air was heavy with dust, disbelief, and the faint scent of roasted flesh. The swordsman groaned against the cavern wall, his health bar blinked dangerously low, and nobody seemed to know what to say. Kaien’s ears still buzzed with the ringing clang of armor and stone. For a moment, the party didn’t move.
Torren: ‘Curses! Walking bug report.’ (mutter)
Darius (brushing dust off his breastplate): ‘Alright... Time to get going. We have wasted enough time here.’
Lyra: ‘What should we do about him? Should we just ditch him here?’
Torren: ‘Isn’t that obvious? We can’t just let someone tag along who's apparently not going to be of any help.’
Selene: ‘We could leave him, but apparently our morals... or stupidity... prevent it.’
Darius: (Irritated) ‘That’s enough. We… can’t just ditch him. Not yet.’
(Kaien's Pov) (Blink) (Inner thought) Wait. Did he just say that? (surprised)
Selene: ‘Yes. And it might have been a small malfunction. The game just recently got out. There’s bound to be some problems. It might not be a problem in the future.’
(Kaien's Pov) (Inner thought) Excuse me? We can’t ditch me? Pretty sure I should be the one filing abandonment papers here.
Lyra: (Angry) ‘What do you mean we can’t? Didn’t you guys see what he just did to that swordsman (pointing towards the swordsman) over there? He just turned their swordsman into a wall ornament! What if something similar to us happens when we are inside? Is he going to take responsibility?’
Torren: ‘I agree with Lyra. I mean, look how his (swordsman) teammates are glaring at us as he is with us. It’s as if they think we are purposely harming their teammate.’
Selene: (pinching bridge of her nose) ‘And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, our quest timer hasn’t stopped ticking. Without someone to pretend to be a healer, we would be screwed.’
Darius: ‘I also agree with the both of you. Selene’s right. We don’t have a priest, and this dungeon isn’t forgiving. Even if his… methods are unconventional, he’s better than nothing. Also, as we have already arrived here. Might as well finish it, and then we can kick him out.’
(Kaien’s Pov) (Inner thought) Better than nothing. Wow. My new title. Kaien Rook: Healer (Although Bugged), The Misaligned, Better Than Nothing. Where do I apply for the raise?
Lyra: ‘If you say so. I will agree.’
Torren: ‘I too don’t have any objections with that. And you (Kaien), I will be keeping my eyes on you. So, don’t even try to do anything funny. Understand?’
(Kaien's Pov) Yes. Loud and clear.
(Inner thought) Wow. What a ringing endorsement. ‘We can’t ditch him… yet’. That’s adventurer for, ‘We’ll sacrifice you first’.
(voice-over) Their argument came to a stalemate. As they were about to enter the dungeon, they heard a screeching noise.
...SKREEEEEE...
(voice-over) Shadows shifted across the moss-lit walls. A tide of fang-mouthed rodents, their fur slick like oil, their eyes gleaming green.
SYSTEM: Monster Ambush detected!
SYSTEM: Hollowfang Crawler (Lv. 4) x 20.
(mutters) Oh, perfect! A welcoming committee.
Darius: ‘Everyone, formation. There are dozens of them in a pack.’
(raising hands) I will stay here. You guys continue.
(voice-over) In the First Wave, the rats swarmed, claws scraping stone, shrieks echoing like a thousand rusty hinges. Torren met them with a roar, axe cleaving two in one swing. Lyra’s arrows pinned others to the wall. Selene unleashed a fan of blue fire that seared through fur and fang alike.
(Kaien’s Pov) Although I told them that I would stay here. But I can’t just keep standing idle. It hurts my pride as a solo player. As I have a skill for this kind of situation, why would I miss the chance to grind? If I maintain my distance from them, it won’t be an issue.
(Maintaining a certain distance) Uh, “Error pulse?”.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[CASTING: Error Pulse Lv.2]
[Warning: Stability ...BWWOOOMM... (sound effect)
SYSTEM: +33 EXP
SYSTEM: Critical Data Corruption triggered. Adjacent objects may destabilize.
Woah! Half of the rats just disintegrated. And the other half---
SYSTEM: ‘Bugged Skill Interaction!’
SYSTEM: ‘You have unintentionally multiplied the enemy count. +12 Rats added.’
SYSTEM: ‘XP Potential: Exciting!’
--- duplicated. (disappointed)
I knew it, nothing goes as planned for me. But why is the system so excited? Is it because it got the chance to screw with me? Well, what’s done is done. I can’t turn back time.
(voice-over) The cave filled with twice as many screeches.
...SKREEEEEE... (sound effect)
Lyra (losing another volley): (shouts) ‘WHAT DID YOU DO?’
(Kaien’s Pov) Population control? (weakly)
(Voice-over) The crawlers screeched, their eyes now the only glowing points in the dark.
Darius (raising his shield): (barks) ‘Forget the light! Formation!’
(voice-over) The swarm surged. The fight devolved instantly into chaos. Torren, the berserker, charged with a roar, his axe cleaving into two crawlers. Lyra’s arrows whistled past, striking glowing eyes in the dark. Darius tanked the front line, shield ringing with claw impacts.
(Kaien’s Pov) Kaien? (mutters)
(Inner thought) Don’t kill allies. Don’t kill allies. Don’t kill allies...
(Raise hand) “Heal”.
SYSTEM: ‘Touch of Restoration lv.2 - Activated’.
(voice-over) The berserker’s health bar flickered red. Kaien aimed, praying for once it would heal. Instead, Torren howled as a wave of inverted holy light detonated around him, blasting three crawlers into digital ash.
SYSTEM: ‘+9 EXP Gained.’
Torren (axe steaming, beard smoking): (pants) ‘…I’ll kill ye after this fight, priest!’
(Kaien’s Pov) (Yells) You’re welcome!
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Achievement Unlocked: [Battlefield Malpractice]
- Description: Heal one ally by hurting them AND the enemy.
- Efficiency: … sort of.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Total EXP gained: 75/240.
Let’s try it again on Darius. “Heal”.
(voice-over) Instead of healing him, the magic rebounded, coating his sword in a fiery aura. He blinked, startled, then swung. The blade cut through three rats like they were paper.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Accidental Buff Applied!
- Touch of Restoration - has temporarily become “Blade of Aggressive Bedside Manner”.
- Duration: 30 seconds.
(Inner thought) … Did I just invent combat steroids by misclicking my class?
- Writer
