Ch.11: They Think I'm A Newbie.

Just as the vengeful adult ogre closed in on Shiksa, our team's Hell-hound played by Jackal swooped in like a canine avenger on steroids, biting off the ogre's head in one swift motion.

In your face, no gendered ogre!

Though, I couldn't help but wince at the gruesome sight, despite my relief at being spared from certain doom.

Hell-hound stood there, panting like a proud dog who'd just caught the biggest frisbee ever. Well, it was a beast in a big doggy form.

ROUND 1 ENDED! The game displayed. All ogres were eliminated so yeah, round one was now toast!

The dust settled, and the round came to a close. It was time for the scores.

The scoreboards lit up with the results, glowing like the neon signs of my imminent embarrassment.

The opposition team took the lead with a total of 2558 points, while our team trailed behind with 2532.

Boose! Almost close!

I couldn't help but cringe at my measly contribution of 72 points only, especially when compared to my teammates' impressive over 500-plus scores.

I might as well have been playing Minesweeper.

"Way to go, champ," I muttered sarcastically to myself, trying to ignore the snickers and side-eyes from both teams.

It seemed that Shiksa's grand entrance into the world of ogre-slaying had been a hilarious mixture of victory and utter humiliation.

Someone give me an umbrella to hide my face!

"But hey, at least I'd given everyone a good laugh – even if it was at my expense." I thought to convince myself.

Scratch that!

"Maybe next time," I thought. Shiksa and I will actually manage to survive a battle without turning it into a slapstick routine.

Until then, I could take solace in knowing that, for a brief moment, the both teams had been united in a collective guffaw. And in the world of gaming, that's a kind of victory too...right?

Yeah, scratch that!

Scratch Unity!

Afterwards the scoreboard flashed the break timer – 25 minutes of respite before the next round – I let out a sigh of relief.

My avatar, Shiksa, stood there looking just as bewildered as I felt. We had won the first round, but I knew I was about to face a different kind of battle.

Our team members started gathering in the break room, a lounge complete with vending machines and overly enthusiastic motivational posters.

I grabbed a seat on a beanbag, hoping to blend into the background. No such luck.

"Hey, Freddy!" came a booming voice from across the room. It was Jackal, the resident trash-talker and, unfortunately for me, the hero of the hour.

Jackal had been the one who swooped in with Hell-hound to save my sorry butt from the vengeful baby ogre.

He sauntered over, a smug grin plastered across his face.

"Nice work out there, champ," he said, clapping me on the shoulder with exaggerated enthusiasm. "I especially loved the part where you got punted like a football."

The rest of the team burst into laughter. Even Caribbean Waves, who usually maintained a cool, detached demeanor, couldn't hide his grin.

"Yeah, Freddy," Caribbean Waves said, leaning casually against the wall. "That ogre must have mistaken you for a chew toy."

Gregg, munching on a sandwich, chimed in. "I mean, if you wanted to make sure the ogres noticed us, you did a fantastic job. Nothing says 'come at me, bro' like getting launched across the field."

I rolled my eyes and tried to hide my embarrassment with a grin. "Ha ha, very funny, guys," I said, attempting to laugh along. "Glad I could provide some entertainment."

"Oh, you provided plenty," Jackal continued, not letting it die. "When you went flying, I think even the opposing team stopped for a second to see if you were going to stick the landing."

"I did stick the landing," I protested, "right into a boulder."

Sadly, that statement sent the team into another fit of laughter.

"Seriously, though," Jackal said, wiping a tear from his eye, "next time you decide to take on a baby ogre, maybe try not to get chased like a pesky mosquito."

"I'll keep that in mind," I replied dryly.

He was definitely full of himself for being the savior, pfft!

As the banter continued, I couldn't help but feel a weird sense of camaraderie. Sure, they were mocking me mercilessly, but it was all in good fun, for a moment.

Even though I'd made a fool of myself, I was still part of the team, well, for now. And hey, at least I wasn't the only one who had struggled out there – they just hid it better.

"Alright, alright," I said, standing up and stretching. "Next round, I'm going to show you all what Shiksa and I can really do. No more flying lessons."

"We'll hold you to that, Freddy," Lackney said, giving me a friendly punch on the arm. "And if you need any tips on how to avoid being an ogre's plaything, just ask."

As the break timer wound down and we prepared for the next round, I couldn't help but smile.

Sure, I'd been the butt of the joke, but in a strange way, it had brought us closer. Besides, I had three lives left and a lot of room for redemption.

And if I ended up getting flung across the battlefield again, at least I knew my team would be there to mock me mercilessly – and maybe, just maybe, save me one more time.

As the break timer ticked down to zero, signaling the beginning of Round 2, I steeled myself for redemption. Or at least, I tried to. My teammates, however, had other plans which didn't go well with me or my pride at all

"Hey, Freddy," Jackal called out, barely concealing a smirk. "You know, I was thinking. Maybe it's time to let Waves sub in for you. You know, so we can actually win this round."

Huh? Like what the f**k? Just one mess up and these geezers think I'm no good?!

Boose! They probably think I'm a newbie.