In front of Firsten’s main gate, three heavily armored knights stood in front of ten players. The players were well armed, compared to a typical beginner Firsten player. One of the knights announced something to the players who listened attentively.

 

[I understand that Firsten resurrectors are not yet ready to fight this humanoid “man-eater”. That’s why, our job is to only lure the man-eater away from the main roads, towards the forest where another group organized by Seconden will be waiting to ambush. Is that clear?] Knight

 

Among the players, there was a party of four whose roles were obvious based on their looks and outfits. They, the cliché party Elle met before, discussed their next plans amongst themselves.

 

[I still don’t think it’s a good idea to join this raid quest..] Nat

[What better way to graduate from Firsten than to confront a raid boss?] Rick

[Easy for you vanguards to say. What about me and Nat?] Mary

[You worry too much. Bould and I will protect you two. Right?] Rick

[Uhh, yeah! ..I guess?] Bould

 

The party was obviously nervous. The same goes for most of the players who were also going to join their very first raid quest.

 

[Hey, what’s going on over there~?] ?

[Wha?!] Bould

 

A flirty woman’s voice suddenly came from behind Bould. When he turned and stepped aside, the party was greeted by a pink haired voluptuous woman in beginner peasant’s clothes that was too tight for her, particularly the chest part.

 

[Hi~] Woman

[Miss Brittany! *Pant pant* ..please don’t just run off like that!] ?

 

Four more people came after the voluptuous woman. A dandy middle aged man and an unkempt yet handsome young man, who were also in beginner clothes. They were the hero group, Brittany, Roderick, and Mernjorl, who tried to get into Elle's dream and ended up in DWO instead. They were accompanied by a small, timid looking soldier girl in light armor, who was panting as she ran after the pink haired woman, and another woman who wore receptionist-like clothing and had a thin presence.

 

[Aww, sorry, Layla.] Brittany

[Mufuh!] Layla

 

Brittany, the pink haired voluptuous woman, hugged Layla, the small soldier girl. Their height difference caused Layla's face to get buried in Brittany's breasts.

 

[Hey, sorry about that. What’s this about a man-eater that knight mentioned?] Roderick

 

Roderick went to ask the party that Brittany approached. Though not as curious as Brittany, he was interested in what the knight was announcing..

 

[Wow, a dandy old man and a pretty boy!] Nat

[We're going on a raid quest to subjugate the humanoid man-eater that's been causing trouble in the route between Firsten and Seconden recently.] Mary

[Raid quest?] Mernjorl

[It's a mission involving a group or groups of multiple parties, usually to deal with something a single party can't handle.] Receptionist woman

 

The receptionist-like woman answered Mernjorl as if to explain game terms to someone unfamiliar with video games.

 

[Ooh. Thanks, Lea.] Roderick

[You don't think that maybe..] Mernjorl

[Elena's involved? She did bit a huge chunk off my sides like a man-eater would before.] Roderick

[So maybe she's dreaming of that?] Mernjorl

[Only one way to find out.] Roderick

 

Roderick approached the party again. This time, with a resolved expression as if he's ready to go into battle.

 

[You aren't thinking of joining the raid, are you?] Bould

[Seriously? You guys haven't even changed out of your beginner peasant clothes yet.] Rick

[Well, that means they don't have much to lose if they die anyway.] Mary

[Hey, the raid is moving. Let's go!] Nat

 

The raid group, along with the party and the hero group, moved along the path into the forest towards Seconden. Layla, who got released from the suffocation that was Brittany’s breasts, was left half fainted and prostrating as she tried to catch her breath.

 

When Layla regained her strength, she staggeringly tried to catch up to the raid group.

 

[*Cough cough* W-wait! I haven't guided you to the rest of Firsten yet!] Layla

*Bump*

[Oi, what's-you again??] ?

[M-Mr Big Joe?] Layla

[I told you, no Mister!] Big Joe

[Eek!] Layla

 

Layla bumped into a crude looking man in mercenary armor as she tried to catch up. The man looked more like a hoodlum or a bandit than a mercenary, though. It was a man Layla met during her orientation into the game.

 

[You're joining the raid quest? HA! Stay behind me, if you don't wanna die too soon, hahaha! Let's go!] Big Joe

 

Big Joe grabbed Layla by the scruff of her armor, and carried her off like baggage.

 

[Wait, noo! My quest is to guide them through Firsten!] Layla

 

Thus, the raid group entered the forest path with the hero group tagging along and a timid soldier girl being dragged along by a bandit-like mercenary.

 

---

 

(Hungry..so hungry..)

*Crunch* *rip*

 

In the forest path between Firsten and Seconden, an emancipated vagrant walked unsteady steps as flies followed him. In his hand was a horned rabbit monster, which he grabbed by its horn while taking bites off its flesh.

 

It was Bub, the poor slum dweller who was cursed by Elle with gluttony.

 

[Ugh, gross. You guys sure it's not a zombie?]

[Light, holy, and life attributes didn't have much effect on it, so..]

[Shh, it might hear us.]

 

On tree branches at a distance near Bub, three scouts observed and followed him. A feather winged man, a leopard-type beastman, and a lean human in light clothing.

 

[Okay, I'm gonna report to the main group.]

{We found the man-eater. We're going to lure it towards point A now.}

{How long will it take?}

{If it's as fast as the reports say, about 5 minutes.}

{Okay. We're ready in point A. The Seconden guys in point B should be getting ready right now. You guys can start whenever}

{What about the noobs?}

{Emergency bait, except that pink demon girl.}

{Obviously.}

[Let's go, just like we talked about.]

 

The scouts distanced themselves from each other and formed a straight line with Bub on one end and their target destination away from the main path, point A, on the other end. By the time they finished positioning, Bub had already eaten all the horned rabbit’s meat and was now chewing on the bones.

 

{We’re starting.}

[“Idaten’s Blessing” “Showtime” “Forest Guide” “Wind Step”]

 

After using speed and agility boosting skills, the first scout, the lean human who was closest to Bub, put his fingers into his mouth.

 

[*Whistle* Come and get it!!]

 

When Bub looked in the scout’s direction, the scout took out a bloody horned rabbit out of his clothes and dangled it for Bub to see.

 

Seeing this, Bub went on a mad dash, ignoring obstacles while tunnel visioned to the rabbit. He stumbled around at first, then on all fours, he leapt in a huge arc, covering a great distance which took the scout by surprise.

 

*Crack* *snap* Bub hit some tree branches in his leap, spun randomly in midair, and tumbled back to the ground like a ragdoll. Not waiting for him to get up and leap again, the scout ran for it towards the place where the second scout was.

 

Bub positioned for another leap. Just as the scout was in his line of sight, *boom* he left deep holes on the ground as he leapt at an incredible speed on a straight line towards the scout instead of making an arc.

 

*Bang Bang* Bub broke through the trees that he grazed.

 

[What the-]

 

*Whoosh* Bub zoomed past the side of the scout who barely dodged by changing his direction and twisting his body. On the scout's face that almost got grabbed by Bub, a thin red line appeared and dripped blood.

 

Bub, then, crashed and tumbled further ahead before stopping as his body dug up some rubble.

 

[Crazy bastard! “Untouchable” “Mirage” “Afterimage” Shit, my MP won't last like this!]

 

With the situation as it was, the scout had to also use dodging skills on top of his speed and agility boosting skills. It drained more of his MP as he continued to run while leaving five fading afterimages each a foot apart.

 

He managed to dodge and avoid Bub’s long distance pounces. Each time, Bub would tumble like a ragdoll or dig himself into the ground.

 

After covering more distance with his MP down to red and his legs all veiny and pulsating, the first scout found the second scout, the leopard beastman, at a great distance.

 

[Over here!]

[“True Aim” “Reinforce Arm” Catch!]

 

The first scout used the last of his MP and threw the dead horned rabbit to the second scout with great accuracy, then he hid behind a large tree.

 

It was now the leopard beastman’s turn to lure Bub deeper into the forest towards point A. Even without buffs and skills, he ran almost as fast as the first scout.

 

He would've been even faster if he galloped on all fours like an actual leopard would, but as a relatively new player, he wasn't completely used to his leopard beastman body yet.

 

As for Bub, who was covered in rubble after his last pounce, he shook off the rubble and started to run on all fours. He did so since pouncing was unsuccessful so far, though his running on all fours looked unnatural. It was uncanny and creepily fast, straight out of a horror film.

 

[H-holy shit!]

 

Slightly faster than the leopard beastman, Bub closed the distance little by little. The leopard beastman could not help but to look back in horror instead of looking at where he's going until his leg got caught on the root of a big tree.

 

[Oof, noOO!] *Thud*

 

Bub closed in to the leopard beatman quickly, but before he could finally catch him, the leopard beastman put the horned rabbit into his own mouth and started to run on all fours like an actual leopard who's escaping with its freshly caught prey in its mouth. It looked more natural than Bub’s, even though it was awkward at first. They were like beasts running in the forest.

 

Bub almost caught him by his tail or ankle a few times, but perhaps due to his desperation, the leopard beastman quickly got used to running on fours and maneuvering with the help of his tail like a real leopard. Eventually, he gained speed and galloped much faster than Bub and widened the distance between them.

 

[Fuh, fuh..]

 

It didn't last long, however. His desperate and reckless run before getting used to it drained his stamina. With the rabbit in his mouth obstructing his breathing on top of that and causing his saliva to spill, his face became a slobbering mess.

 

Fortunately for him, it was about time he switched places with the third scout, the winged man. From one of the trees ahead of him where the winged man perched on a branch like a bird, the winged man jumped off and spread his wings.

 

*Flap* [Haha, you look like an animal!]

[Shuffuf! (Shut up!)]

 

The winged man matched his speed with the tired leopard beastman and flew just a few feet right above him. Using up the last of his energy, the leopard beastman leapt a little ahead, turned in front of the winged man while midair, and spat out the rabbit for the winged man to catch.

 

[Pthoo, there!]

*Splat* [Gross!]

 

The winged man grabbed the slimy rabbit and flew higher, but not over the trees where flying monsters might attack him.

 

Still tunnel visioned to the rabbit, Bub chased after the rabbit instead of settling with eating the exhausted leopard beastman.

 

[Hah hah, *cough* phew..]

 

The leopard beastman laid on the ground, catching his breath. Bub and the winged man eventually disappeared from his sight behind trees.

 

After a while, the first scout came and met with the leopard beastman.

 

[Damn, you look like crap.]

 

Still laying on his back on the ground, the leopard beastman, who breathed heavily, raised his hand in a vulgar gesture pointed to the first scout.

 

Meanwhile, the third scout, the winged man, flew through the forest at a speed similar to when the leopard beastman got tired. He could not reach his top speed while weaving through the forest and dodging trees.

 

Bub, who was now all covered in scratches and had bloody hands due to the mindless chase, now clung onto the trunk of trees like a tree frog and jumped between them as he chased after the winged man.

 

[Why?? It's not supposed to be like this! Huff!]

*Flap* *whoosh*

 

The winged man did an aileron roll, then Bub zoomed past where the winged man would've been if he didn't roll to the side.

 

He did not expect that Bub would actually try to catch him in midair. Now that he had to dodge Bub on top of maneuvering through the forest, he’s afraid his stamina would not hold until point A.

 

(Should I have picked bird-type beastman afterall??)

 

A bird-type beastman, though has limitations on weapon wielding in midair due to having arms that are also their wings instead of having a separate set, has better speed and mobility, and is able to fly longer with their lighter bodies. The winged man started to regret his race of choice.

 

Had Bub not mindlessly kept trying to catch the winged man, and instead used tactics like throwing projectiles or moving out of sight, the winged man would've been caught already.

 

[Almost there..]

 

At a distance, the rest of the Firsten raid group could be seen in an unusual formation facing the direction where the scouts and Bub came from. They were scattered in pairs or groups of three.

 

Each group had one or two people protected by a vanguard. There was Rick for Nat, Bould for Mary and Brittany, Roderick for Mernjorl, and Big Joe for Layla. The three knights and the other players were also separated in a similar manner.

 

[Even though I'm supposed to be a guard..] Layla

[Go take a different profession, you look like you’ll die in one hit.] Big Joe

 

The winged man dove towards the group, then Bub came from the side. Dodging for the last time, the winged man did a barrel roll, then resumed his dive towards the group. He, then, let go of the horned rabbit, and stopped and hovered in mid air.

 

There was a slight miscalculation with the timing, though. The winged man let go of the rabbit right after dodging Bub. Bub wasn't in a position yet to look back towards the winged man, so he wasn't able to see where the rabbit went.

 

Bub went after the relieved and unsuspecting winged man, who was conveniently hovering in place for Bub to grab.

 

[Dafuc-] *thud*

 

Feathers scattered as the winged man and Bub struggled and fell, like a bird caught by a predator.

 

*Crash*

[Ahh, crap. Let's go!]

 

Not too far from point A, the raid group went to the crash site where they found the winged man half dead, being eaten alive by Bub starting with the wings. Even his blood stained feathers were swallowed.

 

*Rip* *crunch*

[H-help me..]

[Well, at least the man-eater is now in point A.]

 

---

 

"Their height difference caused Layla's face to get buried in Brittany's breasts."

Image source: DIE IN by Tak x Sobrem