Chapter 21: Peasants to rescue

Chapter 21: Peasants to rescue

After his discussion with Knight Aldric Valens, Odin turned his attention back to Corporal Austen and the soldiers under his command. 

The sun was dipping lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the scarred village of Madelaire, but things had a turn for the better in their case. 

Even though they appeared somewhat wary of the Leviathan players who offered this support and assistance, slowly, the villagers, weary but alive, were slowly gathering in groups, their eyes filled with a mix of hope and uncertainty. 

Odin approached Austen. There were already various plans formed in his calculative mind, and a direct path to take for clearing the available quests without being chronophage.

"Corporal Austen, a minute of your time," His voice steady and authoritative, quickly gathering the veteran soldier's attention.

"Yes, Sir Odin," Austen replied, standing straighter.

Odin's gaze was steady, his expression serious but not grim. "I need you and your men to prepare the villagers for departure. They need to be escorted safely to Fullbaz City as soon as possible, but we'll also take a detour around Ording and Wesmar to gather the rest of the stranded villagers."

Austen listened intently, nodding as Odin spoke. The plan made sense, since as soldiers and with Odin as a Knight, it was paramount that the safety of the innocent came first.

He couldn't help but held back a smile, as it struck him more that Odin showed more consideration to the peasants and serfs than the actual Knights and Nobles of the Empire. 

In those moments when he listened quietly to Odin, he got reminded of the folklore, the legends, and myths of the Empire. In those stories, there was also an 'Hero' who similarly had a charisma that could make even the biggest enemy into an ally, a Hero blessed by the Titan with command over the Elementals.

The Hero who vanquished the dominance of the Dragons, and lifted the suppression over humanity.

'Sir Odin reminds me of the Mythos of the Red Emperor.'

He continued to listen to the thorough plan concocted by Odin that was intent on maximizing the rewards of a particular quest.

"As far as I'm aware, the city guard there will take over their protection and ensure they're cared for in the refugee camp. Once this Monster Wave is over, they can safely return and return to some semblance of normality."

"However," Odin added, his voice dropping slightly as he prepared to share his own intentions, "before that, I'll be heading towards Ording and Wesmar to clear out any remaining monsters. There could still be some stranded villagers out there, and I don't want to leave anyone behind."

Austen straightened up, nodding as he listened to Odin's orders. 

There was nothing wrong with his orders. In fact, he felt elated that a Knight with such status as Odin was willing to put his trust in him to watch and defend the refugees. Just looking at this young knight, he couldn't help but get captivated by his oozing charisma, commanding and disciplined style of conducting himself.

Austen didn't question Odin's judgment for a second. In fact, he felt drawn to this young knight, and if he wasn't a nobleman, he would for sure pledge his allegiance to him for his way of conduct. 

"As you command, Sir Odin," Austen replied, his voice filled with respect. "We'll start gathering the villagers and prepare for the journey."

"But, if I may ask. How will you communicate with us once you've moved on to Ording? The distance is significant, and… well, we don't have the means to keep in touch over such a long range."

Still, he was curious about how he could communicate over such long distances. Did the Chosen One have magical communication devices?

Odin paused for a moment, considering the question. He knew the proper answer, that being using the game's party chat function to stay in touch with his party members, but explaining that to Austen would only complicate matters. Instead, he went along with Austen's assumption.

"Don't worry, Corporal," Odin said, a small smile playing on his lips. "We 'Chosen Ones' have our ways of staying in contact. For this simple reason, I'll leave one of my comrades here with you to keep us linked in case you get ambushed by any goblins when traveling on the forested path." 

"She'll relay any messages between us and ensure everything goes according to plan."

As Odin finished speaking, he turned to Elyse who was still lazing around. Elyse, showed some sparkle as a mage, and when she got in his sight, she stepped forward, tossing her fiery hair around with a single swoop.

"Elyse," Odin addressed her, "I need you to stay with Corporal Austen and the villagers. Act as a liaison between us. If anything urgent arises, you'll be the first to know."

Elyse's initial response was a slight, almost imperceptible slouch of her shoulders, followed by a dramatic sigh. "Really, Odin? You're leaving me here to play telephone?" she complained, her voice tinged with a mock whine. 

Her posture shifted, and she leaned on her staff in a way that made her look almost like a lazy cat, the weight of the task seemingly too much for her.

Her complaints, however, were more for show than anything else, since Eve has logged out, she could be as flirty as possible with Odin. After all, all is fair in love and war, and even though it was a Hellish challenge to sway Odin's affection, she couldn't help but try.

How many women wouldn't kill to have the chance of being loved by a high-value guy like Odin, however, she was making fantasy scenarios in her mind. In the first place, she shattered her chances just with one appearance feature, her long, fiery hair.

Odin didn't like redheads. His conduct with the girls was strictly professional, and sometimes swinging to friendly terms. 

He couldn't guess what was going into their twisted minds, but he knew one fact… 'Women know each other better, and they hate each other.'.

"My stamina hasn't even fully recovered," she continued, her voice slipping into a more genuine tone as she listed her grievances, but she was still flirting. "And my MP is barely at 60%. I'm practically running on fumes here." She stretched her arms overhead, as if trying to shake off her fatigue, before letting them drop lazily to her sides.

Odin couldn't help but chuckle at Elyse's theatrics. He knew the fairer sex well enough to know those signs, he wasn't some dense 'Japanese Protagonist' who wasn't in the premise of a woman to not pick on the clear signs.

'I'm pretty sure they are aware of my stance from my interactions with Eve. Hahhh, is as the Great Al Bundy said.'

"You're the perfect fit for this job," Odin said, his tone light but reassuring. "Besides, you've got enough firepower to take on anything that comes your way even at 60%. You've become an average Chosen One by reaching level 68, all of the Wild Beasts are just grilled meat to you."

Elyse shot him a sideways glance, she was enjoying what Odin was saying as if a Devil was whispering to her ears. With that in mind, her lips curled into a small, amused smile. "I guess being a magical relay isn't the worst thing in the world," she admitted with a playful shrug. "But you owe me, Odin."

"Huhuhu, owe you? Don't push your luck, missy."

With that settled, Odin gave a final nod to Austen, who saluted sharply in response, and then to Elyse, who returned his gaze, and then an extra wink. 

With the arrangements settled, Odin turned on his heel, his focus already shifting to the next phase of his mission. As he began his journey towards Ording, he left behind Madelaire, while the small party in tow, except Elyse, followed along, confident that they could delete the monsters that made their mission a pain.

Elyse watched Odin disappear into the distance before turning her attention to Austen, who was already organizing the soldiers and villagers. She sighed to herself, Odin didn't seem to react to her hints. 

"Well, I guess I'll watch over those NPCs. They aren't half-bad when I think about it," she muttered to herself, adjusting her grip on her staff. 

--

The journey to Ording was a swift one for Odin and the party mainly because of Noah's 'Song of Swiftness' which boosted the Movement Speed of those in the area of effect by 25%, along with his own gear boosting his movement what would be a 36 minutes journey on foot, around 4 km transformed into a 16 minutes travel

If the Imperial Couriers would have learned of this travel speed, both them and their horses would drop to the ground and squirm like worms in envy.

Along the way, the party could see the signs of civilization, as they exited the forested pathway and entered another section of the farmlands of Fullbaz.

Ording, from what he heard, a peaceful and thriving village, one of the satellite villages of the City of Fullbaz, stood now as a shadow of its former self.

The village itself was in ruins. Many of the homes, built with care from wood and stone, were now nothing more than piles of rubble. 

The ground was torn up, deep gouges in the earth marking where monsters had rampaged through. Scattered debris, then shattered wood, broken tools, and personal belongings of those inhabitants littered the streets.

Odin, who arrived first in the village after breaking from the group using his 'Blade Dush' skill to boost his travel speed, found himself in this desolate place.

'Madelaire has a better fate I guess for being closest to Fullbaz. Clearly defending that village was more proficient economically, yet it sucks knowing that no Soldiers are in this zone.'

His eyes narrowed as he spotted the bodies of several Dire Beasts and Wild Beasts, their massive forms lying motionless in the streets. The monsters had been slain recently, their blood still pooling on the ground, green and viscous, waiting to be processed by any Skinner or Hunter.

As he moved deeper into the village, Odin noticed something else, two groups of players, about ten in total, actively fighting off the remaining monsters. 

The players, armed with swords, bows, and spells, were working together to bring down the beasts that still roamed the village. From the looks of it, they were experienced enough to handle the level 65-80 Wild Beasts and Dire Beasts with relative ease.

However, as Odin observed them, he noticed that the players were focused entirely on the monsters. They didn't spare a glance for the ruins around them, or for the few remaining villagers who were huddled in the shadows, too terrified to move.

The players ignored the villagers, just focusing on the monsters since they could get more EXP doing that by completing a low-level quest from some Common NPC.

This was a sad reality of what the Player Community was into, most players were leveling by hunting monsters not by completing the intricately crafted storylines for each region and Kingdom. 

It's sad knowing that in this selfish manner, some NPCs that might have the potential of becoming Purple Colored or even Orange colored have been forsaken by their fates.

However, Odin was part of the small minority of players who chose to interact with the NPCs as equals, offering them a chance to tell their life stories and draw conclusions and lessons from there on.

With this mindset, he put himself to work, rescuing villagers and villagers.

He continued through the village, his red eyes sharp and alert, searching for any signs of life, and he suddenly could in his mind all sorts of paths that could help rescue the stranded villagers. 

Those sensations were still raw and new for Odin who had yet to get used to the passive effects of his Saharan Successor Skills, such as [Strategic Sovereign], [Imperial Wisdom], [Imperial Unity] which boosted his problem-solving ability inside Satisfy World, but not least the [Sovereign Insight] which opened a new window of what felt like a Superhuman.

In one of the more intact houses, he found a small group of villagers, about 5 of them, huddled together in fear. Their clothes were dirty and torn, their faces pale and gaunt. When they saw Odin, their expressions shifted from fear to cautious hope.

"Are you here to save us?" one of the villagers, a middle-aged man with a thin, weary face, asked, his voice trembling.

"Yes," Odin replied, his tone gentle but firm. "I'm here to help. We'll get you to safety, don't worry."

The villagers looked at each other, relief washing over their faces. They were too weak to stand on their own, so Odin helped them out of the ruins, guiding them to a safer spot in the village where they could wait until the area was fully cleared.

Nonetheless, once he took the villagers to this cleared space, as if sensing easy prey, the Wild Beasts and Dire Beasts ignored the other players and charged at Odin, mainly with the villagers as targets in mind.

Odin's voice was calm and reassuring as he addressed the frightened villagers. "You can be at ease, nothing will come to harm you." His words carried a quiet confidence, a promise that he intended to keep.

As he spoke, his eyes never left the approaching beasts. The Wild Beast, snarling and hungry, while the larger Dire Beast, a mix between a wolf and owl-bear followed close behind, its presence even more menacing with its bulk and ferocity.

The villagers huddled together, their frail bodies trembling with fear, yet Odin's calm demeanor somehow kept them from succumbing to panic. They watched as he stepped forward, placing himself squarely between them and the oncoming threat.

The Wild Beast lunged first, its massive form hurtling toward Odin with terrifying speed. But Odin remained still, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. In a single, fluid motion, he unsheathed his Soulrend Blade and unleashed a powerful Mighty Strike. 

The sword, glowing with the force of the skill, sliced through the air with a whistling sound before cleaving the Wild Beast clean in half. Blood sprayed across the ground as the beast was split from head to tail, its two halves crumpling lifelessly to the dirt.

[Critical Hit!]

[ You have dealt 12,257 damage to the target.]

[You have slain the 'Mutated Wild Beast (Normal)', gaining the following rewards: 525 EXP, Beast's Fang (2x), Mutated Beast Hide (Rare), Corrupted Beast Blood (2x), 11 Silver Coins]

The villagers gasped, their eyes wide in disbelief. As peasants of a border region inside the Empire, they had heard tales of knights with extraordinary abilities, and some of the children and young folks dreamed, and aspired to become one of such knights, the fabled Red Knights serving directly the Sun Emperor. 

Witnessing such raw power in person left them awestruck.

But Odin's task wasn't over. 

The Dire Beast, like the mindless beast that it was after being corrupted, roared and charged at Odin with even greater ferocity. 

Unlike the Wild Beast, this creature wouldn't collapse under just one of his sword strikes, but with its level at only 84, this monster had no advantage against him. 

Giving a cold smile, he met the Dire Beast head-on, his longsword flashing in the dim light as he dodged its initial swipe, where the beast's claw grazed nothing but air since Odin's reaction times thanks to Sovereign Insight were otherworldly.

It hit nothing much but an afterimage of his, where he stood just a moment before.

With a swift, calculated movement, Odin delivered a powerful slash across the creature's side. 

His attacks were nothing more but basic attacks, executing the swordsmanship taught to him by an old cabbage farmer, and the techniques he picked from other experienced Knights.

The strike landed with a sickening thud, cleaving through the beast's thick hide and cutting deep into its side. Blood sprayed from the wound, a dark and viscous stream that painted the ground beneath them. The Dire Beast roared in pain, a guttural sound filled with rage and agony. But Odin was already moving, not allowing the creature a moment to recover.

[ You have dealt 1,257 damage to the target.]

His swordsmanship wasn't as flashy as other players or Black Knights as he observed in his travels, instead was a balanced swordsmanship centered on efficiency. 

Unlike the majority of players who were heavily reliant on their RPG Skills, he could fight solely with basic attacks, his control over his footwork and sword were sublime. This was the main reason why he was akin to a God in the eyes of the Satisfy Community, at least for his fans. 

A fighting technique honed through countless battles and endless hours of training. 

The Dire Beast, despite its size and strength, was outmatched in every conceivable way. It tried to counter the Knight by lashing out with its claws again in a desperate attempt to fend off the relentless assault, but Odin was always a step ahead.

He ducked under a wild swipe, the beast's claws passing harmlessly over his head. In the same motion, he pivoted on his heel, bringing his sword around in a wide arc. The blade found its mark, slicing through the creature's hind leg with terrifying ease. 

[Bleed Effect Applied: Target loses 350 HP per second for 15 seconds.]

The Dire Beast staggered, its balance compromised as blood poured from the fresh wound.

Not giving it a moment's respite, Odin stepped in close, driving his sword upward in a powerful thrust. 

'Precision Thrust'

[Critical Hit!]

[ You have dealt 7,257 damage to the target.]

The blade pierced the beast's chest, sliding between its ribs and puncturing a lung. The Dire Beast let out a choking roar, its massive form shuddering as it struggled to breathe. Its strength was failing, its life force ebbing away with each passing second.

Odin withdrew his sword with a sharp tug, the blade coated in the beast's green-dark blood.

The Dire Beast, mortally wounded, staggered back, its legs trembling under its own weight. It was a pitiful sight, this once fearsome creature was now reduced to a dying husk. But Odin showed no mercy. 

He stepped forward, his expression emotionless in its act of execution, and with a final, powerful stroke, he severed the beast's head from its body.

[You have slain the 'Dire Beast (Normal)', gaining the following rewards: 925 EXP, Dire Beast's Fang (2x), Mutated Beast Hide (Rare), Corrupted Beast Blood (2x), 21 Silver Coins]

The Dire Beast's head hit the ground with a heavy thud, its lifeless eyes staring blankly at nothing. Its body followed suit, collapsing into the dirt in a pool of its own blood. 

The fight was over in minutes.

'Rewards are shit… I guess it will not take me long to return to grinding my liver again.'

'Another thing to take note is that my skills, even though they are maxed out, are not scaling with the power of the monsters. I'll have to visit the old man in Gravelmark to see if he can give me some of the Knight Skills, at least 'Retribution' or 'Valiant Strike'.'

'But again, I can't complain, the more I play with the Saharan Successor Class the more I'm in love with all the synergies and combos available.'

Sorting his thoughts, Odin turned to the villagers, his gaze softening as he wiped the blood from his blade. "It's over," he said, his voice carrying a reassuring calm. "You're safe, for now."

He returned to his rescue mission, acting with empathy and compassion for the inhabitants left out by their families and friends, and in such fashion, he picked from the rubbles and even jumped in some wells to rescue those desperate enough to jump into their abyss.

Better drowned than minced meat for the monsters, as some villagers voiced out their pain when they discovered what Ording amounted to after one full day of hell. Like this, he rescued around 15 villagers, which in itself was a great number when you considered the population of the small village.

'How many were in this village? Right, Austen told me when he reported the situation to me after the first wave of monsters was over.'

If he remembered right from what Austen told him, and the folks of Madelaire, their Village was among the larger ones, with a population of 850 inhabitants, while for Ording he could estimate it to be an average village with a population census of 150 to 250 inhabitants. 

Odin's thoughts were interrupted by the distant sounds of approaching footsteps and voices. He turned his head, spotting the rest of his party, arriving in Ording. 

They had made decent time, though not as quickly as he had expected, taking their time to recover the depleted Stamina Energy. 

"Odin! You're already done with the monsters? Damn, man, you're fast! I wonder who the actual monster is here." Purphoros boomed, his voice carrying across the village.

Purphoros, who felt more comfortable around Odin, especially after receiving some praise from him for the way he played his role in Taking the monsters gathered by each of the team members, couldn't help but voice his curiosity when he noticed him giving food supplies to the villagers of Ording. 

"Hmmm, how should I bring this up… Odin, can I ask you something?" 

"You may, but let it not be stupid this time."

"Why are we going through all this trouble to rescue these villagers? I mean, we've already met the clear condition for the quest, that being 15 villagers rescued, and we're good to go, right? So, why bother saving more?"

His question hung in the air, and though Purphoros was the one who asked, it was clear from the nods and looks exchanged among the other team members that they, too, had been wondering the same thing. 

After all, they had fulfilled the minimum requirements for the quest. By most players' standards, this would be the point to wrap things up and move on to the next objective, maximizing their time and efficiency.

Odin turned to face his team, his gaze calm and collected as always. He understood the perspective of a newbie, him being in their shoes when starting Satisfy World 6-7 months ago. 

Most players would have been content with doing the bare minimum, to quickly gather EXP and reach a new level, but Odin had always approached the game with a different mindset, it was the mindset of an RP player combined with a Hardcore gamer who didn't shy away from getting psychotic when it came to Dungeon Bosses. 

"You're right, Purphoros," Odin began, his voice steady and patient as if he was explaining to a class of children. "We've met the clear condition for the quest. We could stop here, collect our rewards, and move on. But that's not how I see things. Have you ever bothered to read and understand the Quest objectives, but mainly the rewards?"

Purphoros' expression softened slightly as he began to understand Odin's point, but there was still a hint of doubt in his eyes. "But what's the real benefit, Odin?"

"... Wait, wait, it says that we gain a lot of favorability with each village rescued, and Reputation points with the Marquisate for each village we help. The big question is, I don't know jackshit about the Reputation System, I know a bit about the favorability from my big bro, who mentioned that I should mind my business and not upset the NPCs."

"Huhu, good advice."

Odin listed again the Details of the Quest they were discussing so everyone had their minds refreshed.

〘 [ The Forgotten Villages (Level 100)(B)] 〙

 Objective: Rescue 15 stranded villagers and serfs from the designated villages.

Ensure their safe passage back to Fullbaz City.

Reward: 450,000 EXP, 180 Gold Coins, Epic-rated Farming Equipment, Favorability Boost with the rescued villages and their inhabitants up to (+40), Reputation with Fullbaz Marquisate will raise by (+3) per rescued village

[Failure Penalty: 'Event: Advancement of the Monster Wave' will trigger. Reputation with the Fullbaz Marquisate will drop by (-10) points. Current reputation with Fullbaz Marquisate (25/100)]

…

"You ask about the Reputation System? Reputation in general, even in our world, opens new doors. In this case for Satisfy World, a high reputation with a faction can grant us access to better quests, discounts at shops, exclusive items, and even unique storylines that other players might never see."

"However, the biggest benefit from having a high reputation with a faction is accessibility with region-specific Dungeons."

Purphoros nodded slowly, with a 'Naruhodo' starting to see the bigger picture. "So, by rescuing more villagers, we're investing in our future."

"Exactly," Odin said, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Ahh. It is satisfying having children get it early instead of struggling when they already lost access to Quests."

Purphoros, now fully convinced, and excited to his gills, started fist pumping himself, hyping himself up, ready to start the rescue like some German Shepherd brought to an earthquake-hit region.

"Alright, I'm with you, Boss. Let's rescue as many villagers as we can. OYY, can you be peasants hear me! Say something if you're alive, I'll come right away to get your ass."

His bellowing cries meant to reassure any hidden villagers, were so loud and obnoxious that they reverberated off the crumbling walls and broken rooftops, scattering debris and startling small creatures that had taken refuge among the ruins. It was as if the man had forgotten that discretion might be a valuable asset in a monster-infested area.

'... Oy? Oii? Leave the sheep alone. Tsk is always confusing when those using British English start going with that 'Hey'.'

Odin thought with a mild shake of his head as he continued his own search, mentally preparing himself for the inevitable chaos that was about to unfold.

Unbeknownst to Purphoros, his boisterous antics had not gone unnoticed. 

"Meathead, shut up," Alysha hissed, her voice laced with annoyance. "Can't you see that there are monsters around the village?"

Purphoros, still caught up in his own bravado, waved off her warning with a dismissive laugh. "Relax, blondie," he retorted, puffing out his chest like a peacock. "Nothing will happen while the Great Purphoros is around. I'll bash those mutts with my shield until they're pulp."

Just beyond the broken houses and shattered remains of what was once a village square, several pairs of glowing eyes snapped toward him, fixating on the source of the noise. 

The Wild Beasts and Dire Beasts that had been prowling the area, searching for prey or hiding in the shadows, suddenly found themselves drawn to the loud and irresistible target.

Purphoros, still shouting and stomping through the village, oblivious to the danger, caught sight of movement out of the corner of his eye. 

He turned, only to see three large figures emerging from the darkness, two Wild Beasts, snarling and snapping their jaws, and a larger, more fearsome Dire Beast, its eyes glowing with an unnatural, malevolent light.

"Uh… Oh, crap," Purphoros muttered, realizing too late that his loud mouth had drawn the aggro of the monsters. 

"But I didn't even use my Taunting skills. What the fuck is going on here? Is this game trolling me?"

Alysha, who had remained hidden, watching over the villagers in case some beasts put them in danger, couldn't resist throwing in a snide comment. "I told you, you meathead, to keep the decibels low. But nooo, you had to scream like a pig. Now look at what you've done!" 

"Fuck you, I'm not consuming my Stamina on you again."

He hadn't even used any of his Taunting skills, yet here he was, the unfortunate center of attention for some very angry, murderous beasts.

Poor guy, he didn't even use his Taunting skills that monsters were drawn to him like a magnet, maybe this was the fate of a future Legendary Tank?

Before Purphoros could think of a plan, the first Wild Beast lunged at him with terrifying speed, its claws outstretched and teeth gleaming in the dim light. He barely had time to raise his shield before the beast collided with it, and it did rattle him a bit.

Purphoros swung his shield wildly, trying to fend off the attacks, but he was clearly outmatched. His heart pounded in his chest as panic set in. "Odin! Hey, Boss! Little help here?!" he shouted, his voice tinged with desperation.

Just as the first Wild Beast lunged for a second strike, a blur of movement caught Purphoros' eye. Odin appeared between him and the beasts with lightning speed, his longsword already drawn and poised to strike.

Without a moment's hesitation and since his dinner was approaching Odin chose to not waste his time by striking with 'Soul Slash'. 

As he swings the sword, the energy coalesces into a crescent-shaped arc of shadowy light, trailing behind the blade in a streak of dark brilliance. The arc expands outward, shimmering with deep purples and blacks, cleaving through the first Wild Beast like it was butter.

The beast didn't even have time to react or register the pain before it was sliced cleanly in half, its body collapsing to the ground in a lifeless heap.

The second Wild Beast was met by his 'Mighty Strike', with the Soulrend Blade descending with the force of a sledgehammer, leading to the beast's skull caving under the force of the attack.

The beast's body crumbled to the ground, lifeless before it even hit the dirt.

Purphoros watched in awe as Odin made quick work of the two Wild Beasts, the expression on his face was akin to a fangirl and it would be hard to tell for who he was simping more, Eve or Odin in those moments.

The Dire Beasts proved to have more seconds of life because of its larger health pool, but it was quickly dispatched without a chance of touching Odin's sleeves.

'Sovereign Insight'

Odin's crimson eyes narrowed, his mind already calculating and predicting the beast's future movements. 

He sidestepped the initial attack with ease, his body a blur as he executed a perfect dodge. In a fluid motion, he followed up with 'Precision Thrust,' aiming directly at the beast's heart. His sword pierced the creature's chest, but it wasn't a one-shot as it happened with many Wild Beasts.

Having the monster staggering from a missed attack, Odin unleashed 'Rapid Assault,' a series of lightning-fast strikes that targeted the beast's vital points, then he ended the fight by slashing through the beast's tendons, muscles and arteries with deadly accuracy.

The Dire Beast, overwhelmed by the relentless onslaught, let out a final, pitiful roar before it collapsed to the ground, its life force completely drained.

"You're a freakin' monster, Boss," Purphoros finally managed to stammer, his voice filled with awe. "How did you…"

Odin sheathed his sword coldly, turning to Purphoros with a calm, almost bored expression. "Keep your voice down next time," he said flatly. "You might actually survive the next encounter if you do."

Purphoros learned another lesson and gave a sheepish nod. "Right, right… Thanks for the help."

Odin walked off into the distance, but he stopped to peer at the irked group of players who suffered the loss of 3 monsters worth good EXP. 

His eyes flashed once more with their crimson light, a sign that he was watching them closer than they would wish him to be. This sent a signal to the ones in charge of those groups to avoid Odin and his team like the plague, as long they weren't directly contesting their monsters, everything was chill.

Seeing that Purphoros was still standing around, seemingly lost in thought, Odin stopped and pointed at him. "Shuu, get lost. Go rescue me double the villagers you've found so far. I'm taking a break. Until I return, Malfurion, Noah, and Alysha are in charge."

Purphoros snapped out of his daze, straightening up like a soldier given orders. "Yes, Boss!" he barked, then hurried off to continue his mission of rescuing villagers.

Watching him leave, made him chuckle a bit, amusing how this young guy could be so clueless at picking social cues at times. Still, he found him pleasant to be around, akin to a little brother who actually listened to him, instead of what monstrosity his parents created by spoiling him rotten.

--

[V: Master, your dinner schedule is approaching. You should prepare for a log out if possible.]

Then came a voice from the system of an AI Assistant that was set up to notify him about his schedule so he wouldn't forget to take breaks. It was the latest generation of Artificial Intelligence, yet it couldn't compare with the specs of S.A Group's 'Morpheus'. 

For now, he could only salivate in his dreams and all over his fur baby at the thought of possessing such an AI Assistant.

'Ahh, I envy Lim Cheolho and the Satisfy World's Developers since they might have full access to Morpheus.'

'Lucky bastards, I have to stick around with poor old V, but it dragged me through university so, no complaining. In fact, I'm grateful for the lifetime subscription from when 'Dynalar Technologies' was still a Startup.'

Left to their devices under the 'MVP trio' as leaders, the newbie Leviathan Team continued their rescue, while Odin simply logged out from the game, slowly waking himself from the stasis induced by Virtual Reality.

It was a seamless process that checked his IRL body status, but the beeping of the Connecting Capsule was enough to stir up the fur baby resting on his chest.

As the capsule lid lifted, the first thing Mathias felt was the warm, soft weight of Luna, his beloved Russian Blue cat, resting comfortably on his chest. Her velvety gray fur was slightly warm to the touch, and her rhythmic purring vibrated gently against his skin, a soothing sound that he always associated with comfort and home.

He chuckled softly, his hand automatically reaching up to stroke her back. "Ohh, I woke you up, little one? My bad, my bad," he murmured, his voice still a bit groggy from the VR stasis. Luna blinked lazily at him, her large, intelligent green eyes focusing on his face with a mixture of affection and mild reproach, as if to say, You took your time, didn't you?

Luna was a special cat for Mathias that shared many memories with him, from the times he had meltdowns from the stressful life he was having, from the traumas he had as being the byproduct of narcissistic parents, and always being the last priority in their lives. 

It was this little fur ball that made him first in his life. Making him truly appreciated for the human he was, instead of what he could provide as a 'Safe choice'.

Yet, aside from those, she was also a special case, because when he adopted her, she was still young but had already a bleak life ahead of her, suffering from a paralysis that cleaved her in half.

Mathias could still vividly recall the sorrow in her eyes, but when he picked her, he also saw a sparkle of life. It felt as if instead of him choosing Luna, it was she who chose Mathias as her master, father and friend.

The helplessness he felt knowing that her condition made her life miserable. It broke his heart to see her in pain, and he had spared no expense to find a solution for her paralysis. Lucky for him, and the millions of humans who suffered from those afflictions, be it from birth or from injuries, the industry of Bioware has advanced considerably in the past decades.

It might sound cruel to put a cat on the operation table, but even the medical sector had evolved considerably, and Nanotech, while costly, was the solution for this brave feline who got an AI Neural Chip implanted in her brain.

She recovered fully, but as a side-effect of the neural chip, Luna became quite the intelligent cat young lady, not to the level of a human teen, but she could be compared with the intelligence of a young child, at least 7 years old based on the data given by the scientists who did tests on her.

It was astonishing for Mathias to see how perceptive and clever she had become, able to understand commands, solve puzzles, and even anticipate his routines.

Luna nudged his chin with her nose, a soft reminder that he had promised her some attention. "After the meal, I'll play with you, okay?" he promised, his fingers gently scratching the spot behind her ears that always made her purr even louder.

She responded with a satisfied purr, settling back down on his chest as if to say, I'll hold you to that. 

Mathias smiled, feeling a warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with the lingering effects of the VR session. Luna was his baby girl, his little companion through thick and thin. The thought of life without her was unthinkable. 

She had become such an integral part of his world, a source of joy and comfort that he cherished more than anything.

After finishing his dinner, Mathias returned to the living room, where Luna was already waiting for him. She sat on the floor, her tail swishing back and forth with eager anticipation. Her green eyes watched him closely as he entered, clearly expecting something.

Mathias chuckled, placing his hands on his waist as he looked down at her. "Alright, Luna," he said, his tone playful yet serious. "What do you want to play today? The ball of yarn? The laser pointer? Or maybe…" He paused dramatically, narrowing his eyes at her. "...one of your puzzles?"

Luna tilted her head slightly, as if considering her options, though Mathias already knew what her answer would be. 

Sure enough, she didn't disappoint. She stood up like a proud lioness and trotted over to the corner of the room where her collection of toys and puzzles was neatly stacked. 

After a brief moment of deliberation, she selected one of the children's puzzles, a colorful jigsaw with large, easy-to-handle pieces depicting a scene of animals in a forest.

Using her paws and a bit of her nose, she carefully nudged the box toward him, her message clear: This is what I want to play.

Mathias couldn't help but smile, his heart swelling with affection for the clever little cat. "I should have known," he said, bending down to pick up the puzzle box. "You never get tired of these, do you?"

Luna meowed softly in response, her eyes bright and eager as she watched him set the puzzle box on the coffee table and begin to open it. 

She loved doing puzzles more than the normal cat plays usual pet owners would do with their fur companions, and Mathias suspected she enjoyed the puzzles more because she could spend additional time with him, and it was also something they could do together. 

It had become a bit of a ritual for them, each night if Mathias wasn't away for work, she would be entertained by him. In the cases he wasn't, she was capable of entertaining herself alone, but it had another feeling of being closer to her father.

He spread the puzzle pieces out on the table, watching as Luna's eyes flicked over them, already analyzing and planning her approach. It always amazed him how focused she became during these moments, her intelligence shining through in the way she methodically selected pieces and positioned them with surprising accuracy.

"Okay, let's see what you've got, little genius," Mathias said, sitting down beside her.

Luna immediately went to work, her small paws moving with precision as she nudged the edge pieces into place first. 

Mathias watched in admiration as she expertly maneuvered the pieces, her movements almost too quick and deliberate for a cat. When she found a piece that fit, she would look up at him, almost as if seeking approval, and he would nod encouragingly.

Piece by piece, the puzzle began to take shape, the forest scene coming to life under Luna's careful guidance. Mathias occasionally helped, but he mostly let Luna take the lead, enjoying the way she became so engrossed in the activity.

"You're too smart for your own good," he teased, but there was no mistaking the pride in his voice. As Luna completed the puzzle, placing the last piece with a delicate tap of her paw, Mathias couldn't help but lean down to kiss the top of her head.

Luna looked up at him, her eyes full of satisfaction and pride, as if she understood every word. 

She rubbed her head against his arm, her purring intensifying as she basked in the praise.

After playing with Luna for about one hour, he returned back to Satisfy his mental fortitude recharged by his adorable fur ball.

Returning back to Satisfy World, he was met by a couple extra villagers rescued, Corporal Austen and Elyse arriving at Ording with the Madelaire villagers.

'Whelp, rookie mistake, I forgot the time conversion inside Satisfy. It's already been three hours here.'

'Well, at least everyone got their Stamina recovered, so I'll not hear any BS and whining that 'It's too exhausting'.'