Virtual World: Close Combat Mage

No matter how slow a Warrior was, it would not be so slow as to be unable to dodge a player’s spit. Not to mention that the slowness of a Warrior manifested in terms of their movement speed; thus, if they were truly slow when it came to moving their muscles or formulating thoughts, they would really be nothing but fodder to any of the other faster job classes. That was why players had come up with a more appropriate description for the slower job classes like Warriors and Priests: baby legs.

The Baby-legged War Without Wounds turned his body to the side to avoid that spit from Cool Apple. Seeing that his enemy still dared to resist, and in such a disgusting manner to boot, War Without Wounds was of course incensed. He sharply sucked air through his nostrils and coughed loudly at Cool Apple to return the favor.

Cool Apple naturally did not get hit by it as well. Still, the volume that War Without Wounds had expelled was aplenty, so it scattered forth in a wide arc when it left his lips. Cool Apple was able to dodge the hock of phlegm but was unable to avoid the ensuing spray that came along with it, resulting in his face becoming drenched in saliva. Cool Apple was aggrieved. Quickly wiping it off with his hands, he thought of retaliating. However, it was unknown if he was too agitated, he had lost control, or his lips fluttered, but as his next spit sputtered, his lips got in the way and turned it into a drool that hung on his lips. Adding his fuming expression, he looked as if he had come down with a stroke, instead.

“Ha ha ha ha ha! Are you satisfied now?!” War Without Wounds was of course all the more delighted. Having emerged victorious over the man in a spitting match, War Without Wounds was busy congratulating himself of his gaming talent.

Cool Apple was infuriated to the point he felt he was about to pass out. Having failed his last attempt, he no longer had the face to give it another shot. After all, would this endless back and forth not just make them look like snotty brats? Furthermore, given how shameless War Without Wounds acted, he was almost certain that the Warrior would return ten spits for every one he did, so he felt that it was nonsensical and childish for them to fight like this. Cool Apple thought that he should still reserve a modicum of integrity for himself as an expert by not competing with the man over such thing. Thus, he pulled himself together and barked, “What exactly do you want?!”

At the moment, his HP had already dropped below the critical threshold, and his character stats had been severely weakened as a result of this. It could be said that Cool Apple was already a filleted fish on the chopping block, but War Without Wounds had yet to send him back to the spawn point, leaving Cool Apple a little nonplussed as to why that was so. Is this guy planning to tie me up and spit on me like a madman? Thinking that such a shameless act was something War Without Wounds would be capable of, he could not help but panic. He even forgot that the person who had actually started the spitting match was him.

“What do I want? We’ll have to walk and see, then,” War Without Wounds said as he took two steps forward and brought Cool Apple, who was no longer putting up any resistance, up to his feet. Ignoring his protestation, he dragged the man with him as he swaggered down the street. Players all gave him the side-eye as they passed by, but in this world, anyone who would stand up for righteousness would only do so when it involved a damsel. Seeing that the player War Without Wounds dragged behind him was no woman, everyone merely spared the pair a quick glance out of sheer curiosity, but nobody came forward to stop him. That was how Cool Apple’s body got tragically used like a broom, as War Without Wounds dragged the man down the street, leaving a long trail behind him.

“Hello!” War Without Wounds waved his hand enthusiastically, greeting the two players before him.

The two spared the man a glance, and their eyes stopped on to the limp body of Cool Apple in shock. “What’s that?”

War Without Wounds looked over his shoulder. “F*ck. How did you turn out like this? You’ve almost given me quite the fright.”

Linyin City was essentially a village, so the road was muddy. Dragging Cool Apple the whole way had him looking like a mudskipper now.

“That’s Cool Apple?” Brother Assist and Royal God Call were finally able to make out a person behind all that mud, but this was Cool Apple’s first time meeting these two men, either, so all he could do was guess War Without Wounds’ reason for dragging him here.

“Yeah! I casually took care of this man myself. A man who PKed over 1600 players, huh? Hmph. That’s only because he did not bump into this granddad here in the past.” War Without Wounds boasted with great gusto. Cool Apple was utterly dissatisfied hearing this. Had he not been careless and made aware that this enemy was prepared to counter his tricks, he would not have been put at a disadvantage and so easily defeated.

“Where’s Young Master?” War Without Wounds asked.

“He should be on his way soon!” Brother Assist replied. Young Master Han had been directing the three of them this whole time. After leading them all the way to the two opening in that street, he sent his final order. “Pincer attack.” There were no other instructions after that. By the time they succeeded in coming in from both sides, the man had stopped sending out commands. Brother Assist reckoned that that should mean he was making his way over even as they spoke.

“Let’s find a spot first!” Brother Assist suggested. He did not have War Without Wounds’ level of shamelessness. The current state Cool Apple was in attracted plenty of attention from all around. While War Without Wounds was happily receiving all the stares directed on them, as if he were showing off a battle trophy of his, Brother Assist was feeling rather discomfited from them.

Hence, they dragged Cool Apple into a deserted alley and threw him into a corner. There was no escape here, so Cool Apple sat quietly in that corner as he waited for his HP to recover, but he was still unable to think of any method to extricate himself from this mess. Seeing these few players before him, he could already guess their identities. He had also done his due diligence regarding all the members of Young Master’s Elite.

“Oh? You’ve apprehended Cool Apple.” The voice belonging to Young Master Han finally sounded. Having received Brother Assist’s messages, he finally made his way over here to gather with the rest.

This Priest… Is this their mercenary leader, Young Master Han? F*ck me; is he a transexual? Cool Apple had the fright of his life. The information he got mentioned that a Priest by the IGN ‘Young Master Han’ was Young Master’s Elite’s mercenary leader, and he was highly skilled. There was nothing about this particular detail at all.

Young Master Han slowly strolled over. Sizing up the man, he used Appraisal on him and then nodded after a bit. “Level 40, what a wonderful level…”

“It’s all thanks to the foundation that Miles has beaten out.” Brother Assist chuckled.

“How is it? Do you want to lose this level?” Young Master Han asked Cool Apple.

Cool Apple did not answer. Young Master Han turned to regard the others next to him. “There’re bound to be rather heavy losses with the dropping of this one level, yeah?”

“That Job Class Advancement will be for naught,” War Without Wounds concurred.

“I heard that someone even managed to get himself into a faction… but it seems that losing a level now will result in that disappearing as well.” Brother Assist mused.

“Even the Assassin skills that Assassins learn will disappear, too. Like that something-step and such skills,” Royal God Call added.

“The level-40 skill proficiency thus far will be rendered pointless, too. How pitiful.” War Without Wounds feigned lamentation.

“If I were in a certain someone’s shoes, I’d rather kill myself than drop that level 40,” Royal God Call cajoled.

“That’s how you think. I think this man right here doesn’t really care about this level.” Young Master Han had been watching Cool Apple’s expression as the others were in discussion this whole time. While his face revealed a sorrowful expression and was clearly quite reluctant to lose this level, he did not show any signs of fear toward it. He evidently understood that Young Master Han and the others were threatening him, but he was not about to yield.

“Actually, all you need to do is answer a few of our questions. We don’t really have any interest in you,” Young Master Han proposed.

Cool Apple was still tight-lipped.

“I knew that such a method wouldn’t be too useful in MMOs.” Young Master Han was rueful. Life in a game was essentially worthless; that was why it was rather easy to remain so resilient in the face of such threats. While Cool Apple was at the very valuable level 40 right now, it was unfortunate that the man possessed quite the backbone.

“Your boss is a total idiot; what’s the point of protecting him like this?” Royal God Call asked.

“I’m just doing what makes me happy; why do I care what he’s up to?” Cool Apple’s silence was finally broken with this line.

“What a man. It seems that you’re not going to trade information with us in exchange for your life, eh?” Young Master Han asked.

Cool Apple was once more silent.

“Then, we have no choice but to observe the rules of the game. Kill him.” Young Master Han waved his hand dismissively.

War Without Wounds raised his arm and delivered the killing blow. Cool Apple was already left with but a sliver of HP, so he immediately turned into a white light from this one attack. War Without Wounds and Royal God Call stared incredulously at the ground. With the ground empty, the two lamented, “D*mm*t; he didn’t even drop an item.”

“What a waste of time!” War Without Wounds sighed.

“Waste of time? The man PKs for fun. He survived over 1600 PK duels. Do you really think such a man will be afraid to die?” Young Master Han scoffed.

“So, what you’re saying is, you already know that that guy wouldn’t talk?” War Without Wounds asked.

“No, sh*t,” Young Master Han said sarcastically.

“Then, what was the point of doing all this?” War Without Wounds questioned.

“Who said that that is what we are after? Did I say we need to capture him alive to interrogate?” Young Master Han asked.

The three looked at one another. They thought back to Young Master Han’s earlier instructions and confirmed that all he had done was relay to them the man’s coordinates. Even his final order was simply that ‘pincer attack’, and then he went silent after.

Brother Assist and Royal God Call looked at War Without Wounds.

War Without Wounds quickly retorted, “Then, what did you come here for?”

“Brother Assist called me over,” Young Master Han replied.

Thus, War Without Wounds and Royal God Call turned to stare at Brother Assist.

“Eh? Weren’t you going to come over?” Brother Assist mumbled vaguely.

“Yours truly was having a great time drinking in the tavern when you suddenly sent a set of coordinates to me. I thought you guys had made a huge discovery or something, but it turned out that it was just that lousy thing,” Young Master Han replied dryly.

Brother Assist was utterly embarrassed. He realized that he was actually the one who had assumptions and wishful thinking.

“You undeniably had a lot of questions for him,” Royal God Call said, recalling that Young Master Han’s arrival had frightened Cool Apple quite a bit.

“I just made it apparent to you guys that this method is useless against him,” Young Master Han replied sardonically.

Tsk. Are you for real… The three did not say this, but all thought of it inwardly.

“Then, this operation we’ve just done is purely just to kill Cool Apple?” War Without Wounds asked.

“What other opinion do you reckon is there?” Young Master Han asked.

“Uhhh…” War Without Wounds had no idea. He habitually thought that Young Master Han would not set up such a simple and direct mission. He was certain that there was a deeper meaning and follow-up arrangements for it, but who would have guessed that things were truly straightforward this time around?

“Do you not have any follow-up on this?” War Without Wounds had not given up hope. As a result, he got that look from Young Master Han’s face that he was all too familiar with – the one where the man looked as if he were making eye-contact with an idiot – before the latter turned around and walked away.

“Impossible. That guy surely has a plan; he just m*th*rf*ck*ng won’t tell us. How deplorable!” War Without Wounds told Royal God Call and Brother Assist.

“Yes. That must be it!” The two men nodded their heads deeply.

One down… Young Master Han silently thought to himself as he walked down the street. I want to see how many helpers can that man seduce. I’ll kill you all off one by one, so let’s see how you’ll be able to demonstrate that bellyful of information you have at that time. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!