NPC Code: Red Riding Hood

My body became light as soon as I activated my [first form]. Although I barely tapped the power of my ability, it gave me a fighting chance against this general.

If I were to fight him alone, I could win this match. However, I would exhaust all my resources, draining my energy for the next fight. The three of us also needed to retreat from this place. Considering that the soldiers would call for their back-up from another campsite, we might have to deal with that army.

And I did not want that to happen.

"My troops told me to be wary about that form… There is no mistaking it… That form killed them," the general exclaimed. "Before we fight, I would like to introduce myself to you. I am 1st star General Paul, Commander, U.S. Central Command. "

"First general?! Then… there are more of you, Paul?" I replied, with my eyes widened in surprise.

The general named Paul did not give me an answer. But I was not aiming for any reply. That conversation paved more time for me to observe Paul's gun and his abilities. From all the scenes the general showed to me, I could only guess that the pistol did not have any automatic attachments, unlike some arsenals.

Since the gun did not have actual bullets, the soldiers in this world did not have to worry about losing their ammo. However, those players would have to resort to exchanging their mana for bullets, which became a fine deal in using the firearms.

He revealed his pistol and pulled the trigger aimed in my direction. If I had not activated my [first form] that shell would have opened a bullet through my heart.

I flipped backwards and dodged the bullet, literally and metaphorically. As soon as I landed on the ground, the general went to my side. He aimed his gun at my face and threatened me to pull the trigger again.

I was quick to react to Paul's movements and tried slapping him using my elbow. However, the barrel of the gun turned out to be a feint attack. By the time I remembered that the magical pistol needed time to recharge, Paul's elbow slammed into my face, forcing me to take some minor damage.

A slight cut also formed on my skin, leaving a scar from the general's cheap trick as an attack.

"What was that for?!" I yelled, while palpating the bump forming on my cheek.

The general fell silent as he charged in my direction for the nth time. I had to do something if I wanted to win this duel. If this continued, Paul would make me his personal punching bag at the end of this fight.

There was also a time limit I had to monitor throughout this class. Since this first form did not remain permanent in my skill set, I had to take out the trash before the ability could end. And if I had to include the time wasted earlier, I only had ten more minutes before ending this battle.

I dashed to the sides and used the trees to my advantage. Thanks to the plants surrounding the place, it made Paul difficult to trace me beyond this point. His eyes told me everything as he desperately tried to find my figure.

But what Paul witnessed was my mere afterimages. Because of activating my abilities, my [first form] could grasp the environment and use it to my advantage. Since the general had some trouble catching up to me, my traces became fake shadows.

I was already behind him once Paul noticed something.

"Checkmate!" I thought, and pounded him.

However, the general had superb reaction time and blocked my attack. I did not have the time to react to his counterattack, and received a ton of damage from that same elbow crush.

That scene was what Paul thought. But that did not happen at all.

The one I sent was also an afterimage. It was an ability that I became fond of using, allowing me to misdirect my enemies to a corner. Since it had come to this, my trap went perfectly as I dug out a hole from the ground.

My hands pulled the legs of Paul and dragged him underneath the soil. Before the general could make a move, the dirt I had prepared already enveloped his body.

"That pit won't last long… It would buy my friends some time to escape this place with the water from the lagoon," I said, and turned my back behind the general.

However, Paul refused to quit, and cursed my walking figure. "You killed my troops in Nirvana! They did nothing wrong. And yet they all paid the price for meeting you! Don't you know that they also have a life like you?"

I could digest the words thrown at me. Since everything that man said was true, I stopped walking onwards and glanced at Paul.

"I know, and I regret everything I did before. But what else could I do besides defend myself? Those people that you called soldiers ambushed me by doing nothing!"

"It's because you're a player killer, Fenrir! That name alone scared every player living in this death game! Who knows which person you're going to target next! We don't have the time to deal with the NPCs and a player killer like you!" the soldier replied, while clicking his tongue.

"Kill me. If you don't, back-up is going to arrive shortly. And when that happens, those soldiers will take your life!" Paul continued.

I shook my head and answered, "It's easier for you to say, mister. But I don't want to kill. I am a player killer in Code, but I don't want to kill anyone in this death game. I know how it feels to lose someone... or afraid to lose someone close to me."

"What do you mean?" Paul asked.

"You get to keep your life. If those soldiers come, I won't hesitate to smack them down… Just don't corner me like a rat and scream to take everything from me. If you found out the decisions of the upper chairs, be my guest. They will tell you everything that they want… Those people are trying to get rid of me."

"And why would a brat like you get targeted by the higher-ups?"

"Since I know how to end this war….," I answered, while continuing my walk towards the lagoon. "Your child must have a great father. I envy you. Since I have a sister to protect right now, I don't want to kill anyone. That's my answer. Goodbye."

After our exchange, I went to the lagoon and filled my bottle with fresh azure water. As soon as we loaded up our flask, I dashed straight away and met with my two comrades.

Upon arriving at the site, Ryoshi and Snow White kept fighting against the soldiers. However, the scene had already died out compared to the fight they had earlier. It looked like these two had already finished the clash against those damn soldiers.

"Hey, I got the bottles! Let's go!" I shouted.

But right after tackling the unfortunate soldiers into misery, Ryoshi and Snow White welcomed me with a smile on their faces. I glanced behind them and checked if these two idiots killed the dudes. Much to my surprise, all those beaten up guards still let out a twitching sound of agony and despair.

Yep… Those soldiers were still alive. But they all snuggled on the ground like a baby.

"We did a great job, Snow White!" Ryoshi exclaimed, while emerging out from the trees. "I knocked them hard, but not too hard!"

"Your accuracy is like no other! You are one skilled archer, Ryoshi!" Snow White returned the compliment, as she embarrassingly laughed at Ryoshi's remarks.

"Yes. You both did well. Now, do you want to leave this place, or what? Those back-up soldiers are heading this way. Things would get ugly if we stayed here for long," I said, reminding this pair about our aim.

Ryoshi and Snow White gave me a nod and followed my lead. I ran straight towards the road we set foot on and continued our journey, with these two sticking close behind me.

It was like the general had mentioned. Those soldiers returned from the battlefield and inspected the entire site, looking for me. But the three of us never took a life from those soldiers, which made me sigh in relief as we headed out of that place.

But as we progressed, I turned to Snow White and noticed something falling from her eyes. Despite her goofy presentation, I knew the dwarf had it rough.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "Did you get the chance to say goodbye?"

"What are you talking about, Wolf? We made it back alive!" Snow White answered, as she placed upfront to talk to me.

I did not press her for any details, knowing that it might make the situation worse. But I knew what Snow White said. And I really felt delighted when none of us got injured from that fight.