Chapter 5: Casual Causalities

SPLOOOKSH!!

Crimson splashed through the air and the dim alleyways were tainted with goop.

The once dark and drab cobblestone floors and walls were painted an insidious red. 

Within this alleyway stood a boy with chocolate-colored skin, black hair, and a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Across from him stood a blue-furred beastkin whose striped fur that usually stood out with a regal aura was now subdued and coated in fresh blood.

Magnus's eyes constricted and his pupils dilated as he looked down in his arms, abhorred.

He had made a deal with the boy across from him.

He would trade his sword, for the last remaining member of his party for his...

"B-brother" a soft whimper let out as the girl in his arms reached out to touch his cheeks.

Tears were forming in his eyes and had already begun to pool down the girl's face.

What was supposed to be a smooth transaction had turned into a disaster.

Upon throwing Magnus's sister back to him, this malicious fiend had used this opportunity to chuck the beastkin's own sword at him, impaling both him and his sister.

If not for the vitality of the beastkin race, and the strength of his Warrior class it'd be difficult to say if he'd still be alive right now, much less standing.

Yet, that was the least of his worries.

Drip...

Drip...

As blood and tears plopped against the dark alleyway cobblestone, satiating the thirst of the nighttime alleyway, the 2 siblings held each other as the young priest began to pass.

Though it was a game, with the realistic technology, such an experience would no doubt be traumatizing especially for such a young and inexperienced girl.

Yet, before she could even pass peacefully...

❏❐▊

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

A horrid shriek that nearly caused the girl's throat to break, and the very sky itself to crack erupted from the girl's mouth as the black boxes appeared, eating away at her existence like ravenous ants.

Magnus panicked yet before he could even act, she had vanished from his arms.

It had only taken a second and she was gone.

His whole party was dead.

He was alone.

"Heh, so that's your sister, figured that's why's she so weak."

Magnus's head snapped up, emitting a powerful killing intent, "DAMN YOU!!!"

With that he gritted his teeth, ripping the sword out from his stomach, causing blood to pour onto the ground in heavy basin loads.

Yet Magnus didn't care, he could respawn, NPC's could not, "You devious bastard, you will die tonight!"'

Crow looked on with a calm expression, having apprehended the dagger from the beastkin's dark elf companion and assessing the injury he had inflicted, he was very confident in himself.

ROARRRR!!

Magnus roared into the night sky causing his body to shine with a red light, making Crow's eyes widen and subconsciously take a step back, 'A skill?'

Crow couldn't believe his eyes, 'I thought the level requirement for skills wasn't till much later.

Magnus looked on ahead his slit black pupils now having transformed into a piercing blue color that matched his fur.

His fur once more radiated with a regal air that made one feel as if they were in the presence of royalty.

And then...

WHOOOOSH!!

The beastkin launched forward sword in hand, taking a wide horizontal sweep across the narrow alleyway!

BOOOOOOM!!

Dust flew into the air, causing vision to become murky, yet Crow who had already fallen onto his butt would not waste this chance and quickly turned tail and ran.

'Damnit! Why does he have a berserk skill?!'

He looked back at the beastkin who was attempting to unlodge the deeply placed sword from the wall, 'I thought berserker class was a 'Special Class.'

The boy's eyes furrowed as he ran, he had heard a lot about the inner mechanics and systems of the game during his time eavesdropping on players at the tavern, and upon doing so he discovered the existence of 'Special Classes.'

Apart from the starter classes these 'Special Classes' were either strong versions of base classes or in some rare instances special vocations that could only be obtained through rare quests or special means.

Crow muttered to himself, 'And to think of all the people I could be fighting it'd be one with a Berserker starting class.'

Having played games in the past, Crow was well aware of how annoying Berserker's could be.

With the strength and tenaciousness of warriors, yet with the upside and downside being that the lower their health, the more damage they would dish out making them a high-risk, high-reward vocation.

Yet, in a situation where you had wiped out nearly an entire party, including the leader's younger sister, the Berserker class is perhaps the scariest foe to go up against.

Crow could feel the bloodlust oozing against his pores as if threatening to slip through his skin and kill from proximity alone.

Yet, as the boy was nearing the exit of the alleyway, he took a glance over his shoulders, which ended up saving his life because soon he saw the edge of a gleaming blade only a few inches away from his eyes, soaring at him.

'Duck!' he shouted in his mind as he instantly dove forward, narrowly shaving off some of his hair and causing the beastkin's weapon to soar past him, lodging itself into a wall once more.

Crow looked back as he stumbled to his feet to see the blue-furred Berserker now even closer to him, his aura steadily growing stronger as his wound left puddles of blood in his wake.

'Not good!' the boy grimaced to himself as he got up and ran once more.

He was finally out of the alleyway and back on the town streets yet the beastkin didn't seem to care, indiscriminately howling and slashing at him as he gave chase.

Only minutes later the beastkin was slowly gaining on him and before he could dodge, a piercing pain streaked across his back causing the boy to yelp out in pain.

He stumbled forward, yet didn't dare to fall, lest it be the end of him for good.

"Heh, not so arrogant, now are you brat!" Magnus taunted out, a hate grin on his face.

His sole goal tonight was to avenge his fallen party, 'This NPC will die!'

Crow was out of options, seeing how his life was already teetering on the edge the boy made his way down the street, passing by the tavern in search of the local guards.

'I have no choice!' he glanced back only to see the beastkin tumble onto the ground.

'Oh?' Crow halted his steps, 'Is this just a bait or...'

The trail of blood left by the beastkin had not ceased and though he was apparently now a Berserker, he was still only a low level player, not yet the unkillable monstrosity that he could become.

Faint wheezes could be heard as the beastkin struggled to stand, "D-damnit!"

Magnus looked up to see a heartless gaze beaming at him.

Fear instantly sent a tingle through his body, as a new surge of adrenaline spiked through.

Fight or flight?

He chose to flee!

His blue-furred body abandoned his longsword, disregarding any baggage, and instead sped for the nearby tavern.

Though many saw it as just a tavern, players had referred to it as "The Players Hub" with there always being players there that could potentially offer assistance.

Magnus made it to the wooden door of the establishment and just as he swung the door open-

CHUUUUNK!!!

How could Crow let such an opportunity pass, once again he had chucked the sword out impaling the beastkin through the chest.

Despite the vitality of the beastkin and the Berserker class, there was very little chance he would survive now.

However, his eyes widened in shock when he saw what was behind the door.

A guard.

Particularly a novice guard clothed in novice leather straps.

Guards were the lifeline of the town's safety, and the novice guards were akin to the seedlings.

To attack a novice guard was akin to attacking one's child.

Needless to say, the backlash would be ruthless.

The novice guard who happened to be exiting at the same time as Magnus had also been impaled through the chest.

His pale complexion dimmed, his blue eyes became muter and his short blonde air swayed as blood erupted from the novice guard's mouth.

He looked down at the sword punctured through his chest, before looking up at Crow whose dark figure nearly melted into the darkness of night.

Yet as the life in his eyes faded, it was like everything became brighter.

Equally in shock, were 2 guards, a man and a woman.

The man wore heavy metal armor while the woman wore a white robe with intricate golden patterns that gave off a mysterious aura.

Their strength could be felt from their mere presence.

They only stared down at their prodigee who had just been gutted before looking up and staring at Crow whose figure could only awkwardly stand there.

'Fuk!'