NPC Code: Red Riding Hood

Ryoshi placed all the herbs and plants that he collected and wrapped them around the shaft. I did not know what he was trying to do at first. But as that guy finished covering the arrows, he instructed me to follow him close behind.

I tagged along, uttering no questions. Within a few seconds, the two of us were kneeling behind a stone, right next to the wandering soldiers.

Before I could even share my concerns, Ryoshi prepared his bow and arrow and fired them at the lone soldier.

"At this 20 Degrees angle, I could launch my bolt with a speed of 323 metres per second. The distance of my target is around 140 feet. The weight of my shaft is 430 grains. Is there any wind in this area? Hmm… Maybe if I could add more force, the wind would not slow my arrow down."

"There goes Ryoshi mumbling to himself again," I mumbled, but kept observing his actions.

Ryoshi would always calculate everything inside his head. But sometimes, his words would slip out from his mouth, resulting in this madness of sentences. Although some people found him weird having these characteristics, his skills finally paid off in this death game.

"What the-?!" I gasped, doubting everything that happened in front of me.

The bolt hovered in intense speed, which was even faster than sound, hitting the soldier's neck. Even at this distance, Ryoshi could land the target. I did not know what was running inside his head, but it must be countless calculations.

That guy was not a prodigy in archery, but a monster. Ryoshi could calculate almost every angle and its physics, given his sky-rocketing grades in my school. Ryoshi's laid back demeanour was a mask to lower everyone's guard so he could strike back.

"It's a good thing we're friends, Ryoshi."

"Shut up, Okami."

Ryoshi rejected my confession from the bottom of his heart. What I mentioned was my honest thoughts, while he got pissed off about me.

"What's that plant do to the soldiers?" I asked.

"It's something like salvia divinorum but different, if you know what I mean. It's a plant that could alter your perceptions and states of consciousness. The plant's name is just an example. But it still has the same effects that I want to use," Ryoshi explained, while aiming at the next target he had in mind.

"Can you explain it so my stupid brain could understand?" I retorted, while crossing my shoulders.

"It's like a party drug. But it doesn't have those specific effects… You know what? Let's just watch and see where that herb would take that soldier."

It was as Ryoshi had described; the guard remained walking on the pavement but was not vigilant about his surroundings. The soldier beside him found out that something odd had happened in the surroundings and went to check on his surrounding teammates.

That time became a window for Ryoshi and fired another set of shafts filled with the same herb. After hitting the second target, those two soldiers continued walking around the cave, with their eyes peeled in front but their minds already dreaming elsewhere.

"Come on and waltz in front of them," Ryoshi suggested, while covering his chuckling mouth.

"Are you fucking insane? Those two bastards would kill me!" I retorted, while flailing my hands across the sky.

"Are you a chicken?"

"No," I answered.

"Then trust me in this one. If you die, I will die afterwards," Ryoshi replied.

He gazed into my eyes with a stern look carved on his face. It only meant that Ryoshi was serious enough to invite death to himself.

I had no choice but to accept his offer.

I stood up from my seat and trundled towards the two soldiers. My hands prepared my dagger, even planning to activate my first form if I had to.

But much to my surprise, none of the worst things I thought of happened at my fore. As soon as I stood like a statue in the middle of the soldiers, nothing happened to me.

Those two idiotic looked like they ingested some drugs of some sort. Their eyes glowed a crimson hue, with their veins throbbing near their skulls. The soldiers that frightened us before became mindless creatures.

It almost looked like they were zombies that would invade this place if we were not careful.

"The effects last around fifteen minutes. It's enough time for us to wander around," Ryoshi confidently said, while grinning at me.

That man used his wits once again and showed it off. Ryoshi loved rubbing his achievements in front of me, telling me he was better in the game. He knew I was an overpowered player, so he kept trying his best to at least stand beside me.

"And those herbs don't show themselves every day. Seeing them during this mission was a stroke of luck," Ryoshi continued.

"How many herbs do you have in your pockets?" I asked, hoping that we could squeeze through every opportunity that we have.

"That's the last one," he answered, with a goofy look painted on his face.

I could only heave out a sigh after hearing such an unbelievable scene. It was as if the entire event we did was nothing to mock me. Despite being a smart-ass, Ryoshi only had his ways to entertain himself and me.

"Now, shall we enter the cavern?" Ryoshi queried, as if he was a different person.

I exhaled for the second time before giving him my answer. "Yes. And follow my lead."

The two of us went inside the cave, only to witness a pile of rubble blocking our road. Beyond that point, a company of soldiers roamed around inside, studying how to unlock the passageway.

"Those soldiers can't just make a path and destroy those stones. It could only cause the cave to collapse if they plan to do that," Ryoshi spelt out as the two of us monitored the scene.

It was as Ryoshi had mentioned. These soldiers carefully tried to extract the rocks out from the road. But one mistake could serve them the entire cavern's destruction, blocking both the entrance and exit of the place.

"What are we going to do now, Okami?" Ryoshi looked at me with a confused expression.

Despite his worried look, my lips curled upwards for a grin. The happenings made me want to laugh just by watching these soldiers work hard for their meal.

"That part is where I come in," I exclaimed, trying to act cool for my age. "There's another opening towards the dwarven kingdom. Although it might take us half a day, it's still worth our shot."

"Where did you learn that from? .... Let me guess. It's because you're the stronge-,"

"The Strongest Player in Code. Was, you know? I'm not using my Fenrir account right now, so bear with me! And yes. After exploring the world, you would know a thing or two about their hidden passages," I shared, with my chest pushing outward.

"And let me guess again… You knew this place because you stole something from the dwarves?"

"N-No!" I gasped. "A-Anyway, staying here for too long would be pointless. We need to reroute and look for a different path."

With my suggestion, the two of us went outside and hid behind the trees. Once we were outside the enemy's lair, I told Ryoshi our plan.

"Where is this other entrance that you speak of, Okami?" Ryoshi asked. Even his tone changed, considering he found the situation absurd.

Well, Ryoshi hated losing. And right now, his plan failed, while we would follow my scheme.

"Just around the mountain, there is another hole that we could use to enter the dwarven kingdom! It's the one we-... I used it when I first studied the place!"

"Do you mean infiltrated?" Ryoshi corrected.

"Shush! I'm still talking!" I interposed. "Anyway, there's a bunny hole at the other side of the mountain. If we're lucky enough, there is a pair of shovels waiting for us at the hidden campsite!"

"What do you mean a pair of shovels? Wait, I thought your sketchy organisation, and you already dug the place out? Why would we need a spade to scoop the dirt out?" Ryoshi asked, unsatisfied after hearing my explanation.

"W-Well," I whistled before continuing the story. "By the time that we escaped the dwarven kingdom, those dwarves pursued us and tried burying all of us. They tried using a special skill and created an earthquake. Pretty nuts, right? Anyway, we used our last ounce of luck to escape, so here I am! Thank goodness that I'm alive

"So… you're saying that half of the road got blocked by the earthquake, causing the tunnel to-."

"Yes." Before Ryoshi could even finish his sentence, I agreed to his deduction. His ability to theorise the story was no joke.

"Too bad the earthquake didn't catch you."

"Hey! I could kill you, you know!"

"I'd like to see you try!! Ryoshi retorted. "Why would we travel all the way around just to dig some burrow, which I already suggested!"

"It's because those shovels are one of a kind! The dwarves made those bad boys!"