MMORPG: Rise of the Peerless Pumpkinmancer

In New Leaf Forest, twenty-ish players were staring slack-jawed at a man who was chasing wolves away, terrorizing the creatures so much that they didn't even dare to fight back.

After a minute of chasing, Jack had to give up. The wolves were way too fast! They had fled with their tails between their legs. He had scared them shitless, a feat even Jack hadn't expected to be possible.

That's when he heard the system's notification chime.

[Scared away monsters 4X player's level! Congratulation!]

[Acquired Title: ゴゴゴゴ Menacing! Unknown effect!]

Holy shit! What the Hell?! Jack could only stare at the announcement with a huge grin. This was a title he hadn't even seen in his previous life! He instantly analyzed the situation:

1. Scaring monsters twice one's level was already impossibly hard, needless to say, four times. This title was probably only obtainable in the beginner village!

*He reckoned that an illusionist could probably get a similar title at a higher level, but it would be its magical equivalent.

2. He had made use of the terrain to bring the monsters to their breaking point. This would become harder and harder as the monsters' levels increased and they evolved.

3. Scaring wolves as a Newbie was close to impossible. It was simply a matter of lacking damage. But it was different for him, thanks to the Cluckinator.

4. More than the damage, the constant Clucking with every hit had probably played a vital role too. Wolves getting beaten by a chicken? This was insanity and was bound to render them crazy!

Just for this title, the whole raid had been worthwhile. What did it do? Jack couldn't be sure, but unknown effects were always promising! This one was probably related to fear itself, whether causing it or resisting it.

Titles that sounded abstract usually only gave slight bonuses, but it could be the determining factor in accomplishing a task. This was especially true for stats that were impossible to invest in.

Jack gave a satisfied sigh.

As he turned to his wannabe saviors, he couldn't help but chuckle. Their mouths were open so wide that an ostrich egg could have fitted inside. Their eyes kept shifting from him to where the wolves had fled.

"How?! You beat them all, alone?!" A player uttered, shocked.

"We were coming to save you, but..." Another gave a self-derisive smile.

"You guys helped a ton. If I didn't know I had reinforcements, I wouldn't have jumped down so resolutely. It would have been way too risky! Thank you all." Jack nodded at them in appreciation.

He truly was grateful! After all, loot was temporary, but titles were eternal! —barred special quest lines, of course. Yet, they all looked at their feet awkwardly as they really hadn't done anything!

"Alright, let's go, shall we! Time to head to the New Leaf village! Protect Bubblegum, and we got this!" Jack serenely headed toward fox territory.

The Mighty Wolves gave wide smiles. He had carried them enough for his back to be hurting! Yet, he was kind enough not to rebuke them for this failed rescue attempt. They were so glad that Dom had proposed an alliance!

Jack appeared to be peacefully walking, but he was furiously sending messages to Bubblegum.

- Jack'O: So, why did you guys come back precisely? I'm glad you did, but I'm still surprised.

- Bubblegum: All the members of the Mighty Wolves insisted on saving you. They were well-intentioned, I know that much.

Honestly, he was genuinely impressed. They had managed to navigate the wolf territory without wiping at level 1. How crazy was that? Very! Wolves were level 6 to 8, much higher than them! Then their lack of equipment made it even harder.

Jack would be an asshole to complain right now.

- Jack'O: No worries. Right now, things couldn't be better. As soon as we reach the village, we'll have gear. The next step will be to farm XP and to work on skills. This is the holy trinity of things players should work on at all times.

- Bubblegum: Sounds good. Now, how about you tell me what happened with the wolves?

- Jack'O: I slowly lowered their HP and then managed to scare them. What do you want to know exactly?

- Bubblegum: I don't care about that. I noticed you staring at mid-air. It's a new title, right?

How perceptive! Others had been overwhelmed by the scene of the frightened wolves, but not her! Jack gave her a mischievous look, winked, and kept mum.

- Bubblegum: Alright, then. Keep your secrets. -_-

But he then gestured atop his head, before flashing his title for a split second: ゴゴゴゴ Menacing! As her eyes widened in surprise, he couldn't help but feel proud.

Chatting kept them busy through the fox territory. Well, this didn't stop him from remaining vigilant. Luckily, he didn't have to act a single time. The Mighty Wolves had already cleared a path on the way there and were now simply backtracking.

Their faces all radiated in happiness as they recognized the area around them. In a few minutes, they would reach the New Leaf Plain and would be safe! What about the chickens and plants? Please, they had survived far worse!

The CPR dude even meaningfully spoke a few words:

"Remember this moment, boys. We successfully stole from the Wolf King! You can all be proud!" He then turned toward Jack. "And it's all thanks to you. You will always remain a friend of the Mighty Wolves, no matter what the future brings!"

"Alright, I'll keep it in mind the next time I need helpers." Jack chuckled.

He would have used them whether they wanted to cooperate or not, but he was glad they had had willingly helped. They had come a long way from their initial encounter, all thanks to that one chicken event.

There was joy overflowing from the small group. But, suddenly, the happy atmosphere was shattered by a cold derisive voice.

"What do you know, they were telling the truth! Who would have guessed that the Puny Puppies would have ended up in the same starter village as us? Talk about great luck!"

That's when a large group of players appeared. There was a shitload of them, at least 50! They were approaching, all equipped with sticks with huge grins on their faces. They gazed at their party as if they were nothing but meat on a cutting board. This didn't bode well!

A handsome man stepped forward, with his arms crossed and a sadistic smirk on his face. He had golden hair, and his blue eyes showed scorn as they rested on the leader of the Mighty Wolves.

As soon as the CPR dude saw him, his entire body tensed as his mouth contorted in a grimace. In his eyes, there was barely contained fury that seemed about to explode.

"What do you want, Rich? Your dumbass should have stayed in Desolate Desert. Infinite won't suit an arrogant prick like you! You better scram and return to being the wannabe Golden Dragon in your fucking golden castle!" He spat out.

"Talk about rude! Aren't you happy to see an old friend? You'll hurt my feelings!" He pouted in exaggerated sadness. "I came here especially for you, you know. Aren't you happy?" He even obnoxiously winked.

"Yes, very fucking happy. It was nice seeing you. You can go back now." CPR dude growled, not sparing any time for bullshit fake pleasantries.

"You see, I've done a bit of digging. You guys have been spotted heading very deep in the forest. It's almost as if you found some great opportunity. How very lucky! Ah, but I guess you have this man to thank for, am I right?" He playfully glanced at Jack.

"You heard about me? " Jack asked, perplexed. Was he becoming famous?

"Of course, thank you for helping our village unlock the training camp. Thanks to you, we managed to get weapons as soon as we logged in. Funny how we're all caught up with you all even if we started late." The dragon prick was still smirking.

All caught up? Oh, sweet summer cub, what foolishness!

But, it didn't change how dangerous these guys were. This early in the game, numbers were absolute! Could Jack kill them all with his Cluckinator? He would absolutely murder a few, but he'd quickly run out of HP.

What the fuck was he supposed to do?! Fight and try to create an opening? Run back into the fox territory, lose them, and try to sneak back? Try to negotiate? All options seemed equally bad.

"You guys are so jovial! I take it your little excursion was a success. Now, how about you hand over whatever loot you got? Who knows, I may be clement! Otherwise, be ready to die over and over whenever you leave the plain." The dragon prick threatened very naturally.

"You think we'll cower so easily? Get fucking real! So what if we die? We'll revive and come straight back. We won't even lose XP since it's the beginner village!" The CPR dude scoffed.

"You're right, haha. But I don't think you can afford to die right now. Otherwise, you would have done it to teleport back, am I right? Be a good dog, and hand it over." the man ridiculed.

"Tch— As if you ever knew what mercy meant." The CPR dude barked back.

"Haha, busted! You're right! Whatever happens today, we'll kill all of you! Over and over and over, day after day! This will be so much fun!" He chuckled madly.

The man's sadistic smile was back, even larger than before. Negotiating didn't seem to be an option anymore....