Goddamn Elves!
He had once again died thanks to those human-hating pieces of garbage. Well, it was more that they considered humans like dumb animals or something.
That one priestess's beautiful face twisted as a sadistic smile was still vivid in his mind.
After a well-deserved IRL nap, he finally respawned in Sprigfield. He instantly became the focus of the attention.
Somehow, his sleep-deprived self had figured that wearing a plague-doctor-looking outfit would make him less suspicious. Where did he even get that? The merchants, maybe?
He could already hear various comments:
"Look at that weirdo!"
"Pfft— Is he shaking? LOL!"
"Being so weak? Eh, couldn't be me."
Weak? He was shaking with fury! He utterly disregarded them, assessing his losses. He had dropped a bunch of crafting materials on death. Only about 100 gold? Perfect!
How would have the players reacted if they knew his thoughts? Next to him, some peeps were crying over the loss of 10 G. That's when a handsome, kind-looking elder showed up.
"Everyone, gather around! Are you tired of dying? Do you wish to leave your weakling shells? Join Rising now, take your destiny into your own hands and become a legend!"
He had so much intensity that the surrounding players were instantly swept in his discourse, their eyes shining. Apparently, he was renowned as being an immortal player.
Now he was even bragging about never dying himself. But in the middle of his heated tirade, a clear laugh suddenly echoed.
The surrounding players all turned Jack's way, the man staring daggers at him, ready to scold him.
"Laughing, are you? The very fact that you're here means you've failed to stay alive. You failed to assess your limits and did not train adequately."
Did he mean to use him as a counterexample? This guy had clearly found the wrong target for that!
Instead of cowering as the man hoped, Jack chuckled. "Never dying just means you never challenged yourself. It's nothing to celebrate." He shook his head in disappointment
"Imbecile, do you think you know better than the mighty Rising guild?! We have members all around the world! Do you know how many pro players we have? Let me tell you…."
This guy just wasn't shutting up, was he? Jack merely scoffed in a playful mood. Before anyone could react, he rushed toward the man, grabbed his face, and then…
— Jack used Burn Baby Burn! It's super effective! —
In mere instants, the "immortal" guy was turned into cinders. The gallery stared at the weird-looking man with crazed looks. Insta-kill?! HOW?!
"Welp, later, you all." Jack waved, running away from the militia members already coming to apprehend him. Killing in Town was a big no-no, yet he didn't care.
Compared to the level 60 elves, those guys were jokes! Ever since Timber City had been discovered, some of the guards were even higher level than 40, but so what?
He happily ran away, unrestrained. Every NPC or player trying to stop him was toyed with. Fire to drive them away, wind to boost his speed, crumbling bones as footholds.
At this moment, he felt so free. Yep, sometimes returning to a weaker-level area was so freaking liberating.
He had gone from being bullied, barely managing to scheme his way out, to straight-up wrecking everything blocking him now.
A grinning player finally catching up? Just kill him! No worries whatsoever, haha.
As he hopped from rooftop to rooftop in his escape, he couldn't help but notice how the Town had changed. There was a certain vitality to it, with tons of new players arriving.
Gone were the days when Sprigfield was a high-level area. Now even casual players could come here…albeit only the ones that had been playing since launch.
The whole town was already on high alert.
"Catch him. He went that way!"
"How dare he mess with our faction!!"
"Halt! Come back here, you criminal scum!"
Countless angry shouts echoed…and were still echoing after he was gone. He managed to escape his pursuers (by killing half of them) before sneaking back to the farm.
They were all there waiting for him. The relieved Bubblegum, the ever Sunny Pumpkin Girl, all his faction members, the various NPCs, and even Lead.
"Boss, you said we're doing something big this time, right? I can't wait!" CPR dude exclaimed.
"Hehe, let me tell you about plan MERCY…."
The more he spoke, the more restless they became. Mercy? There was none whatsoever! Still, they 100% agreed with it: this plan was freaking amazing!
Level 60 Elves were way too strong for the current player base, but they had a trump card: the players weren't afraid of death. They could afford to fail a few times!
They had a few more things going for them:
1. Being underestimated by their enemies
2. So many new players hungering for excitement
3. The Elven guardian deity possibly being in a deep slumber
No one held a grudge quite like Jack. As for having pity? Who cared? They were NPCs anyway! If they were nice, he'd treat them well, but otherwise…cut them like grass!
He explained everything in detail, spitting directives as fast as a rapper would dissing verses. He was utterly unstoppable! Once done, he glanced at them solemnly.
"So that's the plan, do you all understand?"
"Yes, Boss!"
"Yes, my Lord!"
"As you will, my King!"
They all answered as they pleased, hurriedly departing toward the Town. It was time to use mankind's greatest strength: fools ready to die for profit!
They were like undead worker bees, not just hard-working but totally tireless. How would the world react once they turned the Elven territory into a D.L colony? Freak out for sure!
Just before leaving, Bubblegum came next to him. She then very slowly approached him, and… playfully flicked his forehead!
"Next time you're getting yourself voluntarily kidnapped, warn me in advance. I actually worried for you." Her voice was tinged with love and concern.
"That's the thing. I wasn't planning to. It just happened. Still, no need to worry. I'm sure you would have gotten me out either way!" His smile looked so innocent right now.
"Tch— You're goddamn right about that!" She grumbled, stealing a kiss before leaving on her new secret mission. Pumpkin Girl watched on, coming closer while frowning.
"Fighting elves should be fun, right?" He tried changing the mood.
"No more than 100."
"?"
"No more than 100 wives!"
"100?! Woman, are you trying to kill me?! How—" His protests turned silent as she stole his lips. Wait, wasn't this his move!
Time quickly passed, preparations underway.
The Town was already going crazy as information about the events of Timber City came to light. Everyone and their mother were talking about it!
"Hey, did you hear about the elves?"
"Yeah, those bastards refused to help humanity!"
"So what? We'll beat them all up and get the key we need to…why do we need that again? Right, to stop the Trials Towers from blowing up!"
Countless rumors were going on about the pointy-eared creatures, all negative. Jack's minions had aced the slandering.
- They hunted humans for sport
- They refused to share their mana-rich land, hoarding resources.
- They too were getting ready for a conquest war and would attack soon.
- ….
Players pretty much believed it all. It came from NPCs, so it had to be true, right? Not exactly, haha. Then again, it wasn't like they cared that much about elf rights in the first place.
Sure, there was a bit of backlash. Some peeps had even created the PETE: Players for Ethical Treatment of Elves. They were the ones pushing for friendly negotiations.
But, their voices were quickly swept away in the chaos. After all, all the new factions had been looking for an excuse to prove their worth.
"Join us and punish the arrogant elves!"
"Come, brothers and sisters. For humanity's sake!"
"I have a dream! That one day, every player in our guild will own their own elf butler/maid. Sign up now and help us realize this wonderful ambition!"
They all used similar tactics: anger, duty, and desire. Oh, and it was working!
Heck, there were so many factions that even Jack lost track. He watched this beautiful mess happen with eagerness. After all, the more, the merrier!
Almost no one knew that this insanity had started with one resentful player.
Jack peacefully ate cookies in Pumpkin Girl's company as he controlled it all from the shadows. He couldn't help but picture how the elves would look: they'd never see it coming!
But just as they were enjoying themselves, a mighty gale suddenly rose.
Out of nowhere, all the sentient trees surrounding the farm shuddered as they sounded the alarm! There was an invader, one that they couldn't stop!!!"
Jack was already calling for backup when he froze. Wait…could it be?! He stared at the sky, utterly speechless. A big bird was circling around them, screeching with hunger.
"SCREEEE!!!!" (Pumpkin Cookies!!!!!)
As it finally saw Jack, it cried victoriously. Finally! It had finally found the promised land the human had told him about! This was the Pumpkin Farm, right?!
This place was incredibly magical. While it looked ordinary and small, the Griffin knew better than to be fooled. Ah, was this the Pumpkin Princess?!
The poor bird couldn't contain its overflowing joy, hurriedly flying downward. No, in its excitement, it dropped more than it flew.
— CRASH!! —
It landed akin to a meteorite, trying its best to make puppy eyes toward Pumpkin Girl, its tongue out of its beak.
"…."
"…."
Jack couldn't help but stare at it strangely. It was way weaker than he remembered. Was this because it had left the forest? < Mighty White Griffin 50! 🍃✨ >
"Who might you be?" Pumpkin Girl asked in a friendly tone.
As the bird kept going, "Scree!" Jack translated. It had left the elven settlement for a better life here. Since it knew it would be imposing, it had brought a gift.
That's when the Griffin raised its paw, offering a green translucent key, the same key they were officially wagging war to obtain.
With this, the whole thing could be avoided, right? Jack pocketed it silently. Yep, no one had to know.
Up next: a new adventure! Just like that, he had screwed over the fate of two species…
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