Just seeing that name alone reminds me of a werewolf protagonist or something. Yet everything about him screams the opposite. To me I usually imagine my ideal werewolf story protagonist to be a reluctant hero who only wants to be cured of their cursed condition. And yet, he doesn't scream "reluctant hero" in my eyes. While he can still emote behind his stoic fa?ade, his willpower never wavers the moment he sets his goal on something he sees as important, and often takes advantage of our disadvantages. Even when he was under Viper's reign for months, this side of him never faded, something David/Savior took advantage of that trait. Despite his vulnerable state, Lunar was never a quitter.
Never the quitter...
Huh... Now that I think about it, he was like this when we first met as kids. But unlike his present self, he was more rambunctious and had the energy of a shonen hero.
So was that always...
"LYCO!!!"
As if he broke through a glass barrier standing between us, I see Lunar as he pushes me off my feet. It was all sudden as I tried reaching out to him in desperation. But just as I did, I notice a red bear's jaw chomping down on his lower body.
"NO!!!"
I quickly fell to the ground as soon as the monster got my friend. Dammit! I ended up blanking out when that monster pulled out its trump card, and Lunar ended up taking the attack for me. I could have moved out of the way with one of my [Wind] spells, but I blew it in the end! Thanks to my foolishness, Lunar is dead! And it's all my...
"I'm not dead, you idiot!"
My eyes snapped open when I heard his voice. I look up and to my shock, Lunar is still alive, and he managed to stop the monster from chomping him down as he propped up its mouth like a pole. And then, there's his current [HP].
"No way..." I muttered. "How the h*ll did you survive that?! Did your [Lycan] skills let you endure that fatal attack?"
"Skill? I just grabbed its jaw before it tried to shut it close!" He responded. "More importantly, are you okay? Well, I shouldn't ask when I'm like this, but still..."
Heh... He just grabbed the jaw?! How in the world can he pull that off without losing his limbs?! This guy... He's really going all out as a werewolf, huh?
"Shouldn't you be worrying about yourself, dude?! How the hell are you getting out of that one?"
"Tch! In a couple of seconds! Just drink your [Mana Potions] and debuff this guy!"
Geez... He's even more bossy than usual. Well, he's not in a Savior level of bossy. Luckily for us, this room isn't giving us a lot of limitations. So I quickly drank the said potions we had saved up beforehand. Thankfully, Lunar learned how to add flavors to his potions. So I managed to chug 2 bottles without an issue.
It's not enough to make a full [MP] recovery, but drinking more of the potions will take more time than I need. So for now, I use them to fire several basic bullets and a few [Static Breaks] to bust Lunar out of there. However...
This guy is much more stubborn than Mr. Delusional Hero! At this rate, I can't release its grip on Lunar. For now, I have to put in a few debuffs from my [Magic Artillery] skills. But no matter what I throw on it, only the stat debuffs go through.
"Anything, Lunar?! I can't shoot forever!" I shout while shooting my [Stone Burst] skill.
"N-not yet! But any time now!"
How long?! There's no way in hell I'm waiting for his Deus Ex Machina skill to activate! I get he has a solution to this, but what if that time will never come?! Am I going to let him risk himself to do something stupid again?!
Dammit! I don't want him to get penalized because of me! I quickly forgo wasting my [MP] by switching my main weapons from a rifle to my [Bronze Shield], and I scream as I charge towards the [Mad Bear].
"No, Lyco! What the h*ll are you..."
"Shut it, Lunar! You're my best friend and co-writer, and there is no way I'm letting you throw your EXP away for your goals and my safety again!"
That's right. Everything happened because he wants me to catch up to him. Even if I'm higher level than him, or my attempt to stop the Vipers from finding him and becoming their slave again, he's always there to help me. Lunar... No. Lucas is always the type to risk everything for others. He never turns back on others and lets his doubts stop him. And I won't let him waste his efforts for nothing!
"[Shield Bash]!"
I swing my shield at the bear's right ankle. I wish my buffs were enough to make a critical hit to let Lunar go. But I only dealt a flimsy amount of damage, and he's still inside the bear's mouth. Still, I'm not giving up on him. Not when he's finally freed from Savior's servitude! I keep hitting its ankle repeatedly, even going so far as to take out my gun for several point-blank shots. I'm not gonna give up! I'm going to save Lunar! That's how being a best friend ope-
[GRRRROOOOOWWWWWLLLLL!!!]
All of a sudden, my body froze the moment I heard its cry. Don't tell me this guy...
Crap... A stun roar attack?! Right now?! Dammit! I see its foot raised and moved above me! I can't move out of the range in time! If it stomps me, it's instant death for me!
[GROOOO-]
"[Low Blow]!"
I noticed someone grabbed me just as the bear's foot stomped in the area I was in. At the same time, the bear growled in pain as it held onto its...lower area. When the movement stops, I gasp to see Lunar carrying me in my arms while glaring at the bear, then at me.
"When I said 'focus on debuffs, I mean it. [Mad Bears] are genetically similar to [Wild Bears], so I predicted they might use their stun roar attack a bit later than its original variant," Lunar explained calmly. "If you stayed back on the sidelines, you would have avoided any further damage before I freed myself."
As expected of Mr. Bossy, he didn't take long to lecture me on my mistakes. Then again, it's my fault for charging in and ignoring his orders. True to his words, he managed to free himself. But he ends up saving my ass from my own stupidity. Guess I goofed up in the end...
"Still, thanks for trying."
...Huh? Did he just...thanked me after I screwed up?
"Failed or not, you still helped me out by finding another weakness. Thank you for that, partner."
Seriously? Man, even if he's mad at me, he never raised his voice or emphasized my mistakes any longer than I imagined. This guy... No wonder I became friends with him.
And on that note...
"Well, shall we end this fight? I doubt you can scold me longer if this guy is still standing."
Lunar nods with a smile. "Other than the scolding part, you've read my mind. Focus on its [DEF], I'll see if I can make more criticals on my end."
"You got it, Lunar!"
I quickly back away as soon as he rushes in the opposite direction. Other than [Stone Burst], I have to add more debuffs if Lunar has any fighting chance against that bear. [Tempest Blow] can only deter their movements while imbuing his fists with [Wind] element, and [Mana Absorption] can only benefit me in restoring little [MP] since it can't physically damage it, so I'm only limited by my bullet skill. Yet Lunar told me I managed to expose another weakness. I may try hitting it, but my aim has to be clean and true. I only have about 3 debuff skills and one damaging one left. I can't afford to miss.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
"[Fire Arrows]!"
I notice several said arrows raining down on the bear, yet it managed to persist as little [HP] was chipped off. I kept firing my skills at the ankle as best as I could. I couldn't get any notable damage other than the debuffs, and what's worse, the bear still refused to back down.
Dammit! Are we going to lose like this?! Lunar risked his EXP saving me from my mistakes, and now, I have to see that history is about to repeat itself. I can't let that happen! But I also can't rush in again after my shield made little damage to it. Come on, Lyco. Think! I need to break through its defenses more! It's not like a bear can break their ankle.
...Wait a second. I think I have a devious idea.
“Spirit of Sylph, hear my call. Create the wind that is gathering all around me. Help me release the gale to push back my foes!” I put down my rifle and swung my arms as if I were an air manipulator from that fantasy martial arts cartoon. "[Gale Force]!"
Another gust formed around the boss room as I let the sharp wind blades cut through the bear's body. However, DoT damage isn't enough. This is just the start of my "great debuff" plan.
"Spirit of Sylph, I call the gale to my growing aura and allow me to manipulate the air all around me! [Wind Sickle]!" I quickly toss several spell-created blades to the bear's ankle, mostly to shave the fur off to expose the said "weak point". "Energy waving around the elements around me. Gather to me and create the force against my enemies! [Mana Blast]!"
Using my finger gun, I shoot out a mana bullet to the ankle. It only costs a little [MP], so I can shoot it between my basic shots to the ankle.
"Lyco, I told you..."
"I know, Lunar!" I shouted after I made another basic shot. "Just trust me on this!"
Famous last words. But I hope they are good ones. There are a few ways to deal with a debuff outside of skills. Sometimes, you just knock it silly, and other times, you just keep on attacking the same body part. The chances increase if you inflict the highest damage or a critical hit. But what happens if you just hit it too many times, regardless of the damage? The answer...
CRACK!
[GROOOOWWWWWLLLL!!!]
You just broke a bone in the bear's ankle!
As expected. Since I broke its ankle, it couldn't keep its balance for much longer, causing it to stumble around until it couldn't anymore. Unlike real humans, this guy might have an enhanced healing factor that lets it repair its ankle bone in mere seconds, thus the time limit. I could try attacking more, but...
Looks like I reached my limit. Guess I have no choice.
"I'm leaving the rest to you, Lunar!" I yelled. "Finish it!"
"You don't have to tell me twice!"
I can barely stand up after using up my magic. I'm just lucky my last gambit didn't give me the dreaded [Exhaustion] condition. I wish I could have done more, but I'm leaving the rest to Lunar. And to my shock, he didn't waste any time. He starts rushing towards the bear, avoiding any claws, chomps, or stomps that the bear could throw at him. But unlike before, he managed to run faster to the point that I can barely follow his movements. Then with a big hop, he starts throwing every punch, kick, and scratch he could give in his current strength.
"I hope you had fun treating us like prey, bastard. But your little game of bite-a-mole ends here!" He then takes another jump using one of its incoming claws as leverage and flies towards its eyes. "See you in virtual h*ll. [Wild Barrage]!"
As if he transformed into a werewolf mentally, he starts scratching and cutting at the monster ferociously. Every fur is cut down as I watch the bear desperately shaking itself away from it. But looking closely, it seems like he's enjoying the carnage a bit too much with his blue eyes suddenly glowing in golden yellow, and he is smiling like a psychopathic killer. He kinda creeps me out a bit.
Eventually, he managed to pierce one of its eyes with his claws, and the bear roars in complete pain as it helplessly flails its clawed arms around. Then, when the roars and growls stop, the bear drops to its knees and falls on the ground, unable to wake up as its body begins to fade into data.
Damn... I never thought the impossible would happen, but here we are. We not only conquered the rumored undefeatable monster in
As for me, I ended up screwing our whole plan thanks to my recklessness and worry over him. If only I listened to him... If only I didn't get hasty on rescuing him... Then I...
"You okay, Lyco?"
I snap out of my thoughts when I hear Lunar's voice. "O-Oh... I'm good. Congrats on the win, Lunar."
I tried forcing myself a smile to show that I'm okay. But Lunar quickly smacks my back and says, "No, we won, Ly. Mistakes aside, I wouldn't have survived and gotten the final blow if it weren't for your last-minute plan. The scolding will have to wait back in RL, but right now, you don't have to be ashamed of sharing the spotlight."
He's right. Yet I can't help but wonder if I really deserve it. I only did the debuffs while Lunar uses his abilities to take it down without transforming into his wolf form. Not to mention how I almost ruined the fight in the first place.
"I'm sorry, Lunar. I can't..."
"Just zip it for a second, Lyco. I know how you're feeling right now, and I understand why. But I learn that you will just end up in the dumps if you keep beating yourself up for your mistakes and everyone's negative opinions. If I were you, I would relish this rare moment. You can never get this chance ever again at our current levels."
Lunar...
Guess he really changed for the better. He never made any excuses after facing Savior back then, and he started getting more active in combat than staying as support. I don't know what happened to him during his stay at the village, but it changed him for the better. I wonder if I can do the same...
I quickly slap my cheeks before I start thinking negative thoughts again. He's right. I can't stay down forever. We beat a damn [Mad Bear] as a team for the first time. There's no way I'm going all Negative Ned over my mistakes forever!
"Right, thanks for the boost, Lunar. You always said the right words at the right time." I quickly turned to where the bear's carcass was lying and saw the loot it left behind. "We should check out what that guy left. Looks like it's a bigger haul than before."
"Must be from a special feature I got. I was wondering why the window didn't pop up when we defeated it."
I raised my eyebrow when he said something strange. "Window?"
But Lunar quickly shakes his head and approaches the loot. "It's a long story. We should check them out and..."
Suddenly, just as I join him, another window pops up in front of us. This time, it's a strange message, not from the system itself.
[I have witnessed your unbelievable achievement in my home.]
"Their home"?! Wait, if I recall, we're in the
[If you like, will you allow me to share your achievements through a small thought in humanity? Regardless of your answer, I will grant you an extra gift for your hard work and determination.]
I raise my eyebrow at the strange choice of words at the window. "Dude, you're good at purple prose. Care to translate?"
Lunar then hums while staring at his own window. "I think the guardian of the forest wants to share some kind of a [World Notice] just like them or something."
My eyes widened, realizing what it meant. "No way! Are you serious?! That's great!" However, my excitement is brief when I realize something about this. "But it might be risky. I heard from the forums that those players who beat the true boss got bombarded by players before they disappeared for a while. Plus, we still got some Vipers to worry about."
"Good point. Plus, the arena event is tomorrow, too."
Guess we're on the same wavelength. I can't let him get all the flak before tomorrow. "Well, we still got the extra rewards. So let's check on our loot and..."
"Hey, guardian! If you hear me, then here's my answer!" Lunar suddenly shouts. "Share the names of
"Let them know the [Mad Bear's] defeat is just the start of our journey!"
Christine Luu and join my !