Having a dedicated shield casting ability would easily save the entire Shrimp Guild right now from the free-falling bomb. The next best thing was a little wooden buckler shield.

  “Get behind me!” I shouted.

  I yanked Naiad behind me. She crashed into Triangle and together they tumbled onto the ground. Slamming my small, round shield on the ground, I kneeled behind it. The move left my shoulder completely exposed as I ducked my head under.

  The Jingle Bell Bombs chimed away as they flew.

  This is how CheezWiz died. He failed to catch the jingle bell bombs and poof, his entire character vanished. He messaged later to say he spawned on the continent of Pavlova. Death meant spawning on a random continent.

  This was that time as the bombs landed next to the Rat King. The Shrimp Guild was done for in Seconds-Over.

  Explosions boomed in rapid succession, followed by a series of cracking sounds. The force of the bombs broke the nearby trees. Both dirt and rats flew up into the air. Fireclaw slammed into my back with a grunt. The poor lizard-folk became a shield for me and Naiad as pieces of the forest went flying at them. Fireclaw’s health dropped to twenty percent.

  The shield shook and cracked as rats pelted into it. It couldn’t withstand an artillery attack. Neither was my shoulder. I grunted as my health lowered with each impact. The shield’s durability dropped.

  I couldn’t believe the level one shield survived the damage. Lucky piece of wood.

  >>><<<

  [You’ve Leveled Up! New stat points are available.]

  >>><<<

  At long last, the result of the bomb stopped. The fight continued in the chaotic playing field. The annoying trumpet music still played, letting us know the Rat King boss was still alive, just like us and at least ten more little rats that must’ve survived by hiding behind their large shaggy king.

  I instantly threw a stat point into constitution and the other into strength. The health bar grew larger, but it wasn’t immediately full. I was at fifty percent health. Standing up, I moved Fireclaw off Naiad and Triangle to assess the damage done to them.

  I failed to cover Naiad from the explosion enough with my dinky shield. She sat at thirty percent health and groaned in pain. Triangle only lost ten percent. From my inventory, I summoned a healing scroll. I tore it in half to get a good portion of our health back now.

  That little piece of paper cost hundred-seventy-five gold. Every coin was worth it when it saved my family.

  The magic rune of the healing scroll settled on all those in the Shrimp Guild. The lizard-folk had to fend for themselves.

  Before I could aid our new allies, the Rat King let out a roar. Rats should not roar. If one was to be a large and intimidating beast, a squeak wouldn’t strike fear into the enemy. The roar made Triangle flinch behind me and cover his ears.

  It didn’t work on me.

  It made me excited. This was the boss fight I wanted, music and all. No more daily quests or pointless mob hunting. As I hacked my axe down on the rats, the satisfying thud of steel on bone echoed, far more thrilling than the repetitive swing of a pickaxe mining material for Triangle’s bomb. In the mines I gathered ore, here I collected fighting experience.

  I issued a challenge back at the Rat King with a roar and tossing one of his few remaining tiny minions at his clawed paws.

  It was only a weak Rat King. Its health trickled down below twenty-five percent.

  This was my battle. I called out to the others, “Naiad and Triangle. Get your daggers and finish off the remaining rats.”

  Vial shook out the last of her white powder to reform the ring. The fire avoided the powder, protecting us safe as long as we stayed in it. I tightened my grip on my shield, glad to still have it even if it didn’t save us. It was Via’s powder that saved us from the heat blast of the Jingle Bell Bombs.

  With its low durability, the buckle shield still had one more good use left in it.

  I ran forward, out of the safety of the circle and toward the Rat King. The monster cried again, and the last few rat buggers tried to stop me with their pitiful bites. I punted one rat into another and, thanks to my increased strength; it granted me two instant kills and an achievement.

  The Rat King swatted his tail at me, forcing me to use my shield to block. A loud crack resonated through the air as the level one shield shattered on impact with the pink, hairless tail. The force of the tail didn’t stop. It smacked into my chest and sent me flying across the burning forest. I tumbled right next to a burning bush.

  My health was down to sixty-five percent. Enough to keep fighting. If I hadn’t just used a healing scroll earlier after the bomb, I would have been dead.

  Burns bloomed on my naked arms. One of these days, I would go shopping for armor. I reached for my shield, but only had the handle. The rest of it became kindling. I dropped the pointless piece of gear and reached over to the burning bush and found two thick burning branches sitting on top.

  My health dropped another tick, threatening to get back below fifty percent with my arsonist foolishness.

  With weapons in hand and adrenaline pumping through my system, I charged at the Rat King. I swung the two flaming branches as if I held my battle axes from Globe of Battlecraft again. This character’s dexterity was nowhere near my old ones. With sluggish swings, I barely completed two rotations before the sickening thud of my impact into the Rat King.

  Fire hurt the monsters as much as it hurt me. I smashed down between the giant pink ears. The Rat King twisted around to defend its face. It gave me the opportunity to attack its back again and again.

  Sparks flew off the branches, and they evolved into jagged ends with each hit. Both the creature's fur and my gear were completely on fire. The branches had less durability than the shield.

  They snapped and crumbled to the ground.

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  With only one mark of health left, the Rat King was on the verge of defeat. The air was heavy with the mixed aroma of cooked trash, wood, and venison.

  My health was down to twenty-five percent. I could keep going.

  Fists clenched, I rushed at the monster, preparing to hit it hard.

  The strong, fleshy tail swung at me, smacking into my shoulder and forcing me down on the ground.

  >>><<<

  [WARNING! YOU ARE AT CRITICALLY LOW HEALTH: EIGHT PERCENT]

  >>><<<

  I dug for a potion from an unorganized inventory. The Rat King turned around to face me, crisped claws at the ready.

  Thwack!

  One arrow staggered the Rat King in the side.

  Thwack!

  Then a second shot hit the shoulder, killing the boss.

  >>><<<

  [YOU’VE SLAIN THE RAT KING!

  YOUR QUEST HAS UPDATED.]

  >>><<<

  Multiple achievements came in along with leveling. I pushed all of it aside as I chugged the health potion.

  With the boss and their minions gone, the threat was over. I lacked enough health potions to survive sitting in a forest fire.

  “Over here!” Vial shouted out and waving at me.

  With shaking legs and burned arms, I forced myself up and back to the white powder circle on the ground. Rat bodies littered the path to the ring. I did not waste any time collecting from them, focused on getting to safety and my health back up. If there were anything valuable, it would be in the Rat King’s nest. If it survived the fire.

  Vial and Naiad helped me step over the circle, making sure I didn’t break it by dragging my feet. Vial tore her cloak into rags and poured water on them. She handed one to each of us. “Cover your mouth with this and we’ll survive with only a cough. This isn’t our first time in a forest fire.”

  Her last words were more concerning than comforting.

  She put a potion into Fireclaw’s and Potholder’s mouth and their health slowly returned. All three lizard-folk had leveled up to eight, as if they had joined in on the fight. I didn’t realize that even NPCs could level. Could a starter town, like Fanamel, become filled with high level NPC shopkeepers in a few months? I couldn’t recall what level Mrs. Crockery was when I first met her.

  We sat there, surrounded by hell, but sitting in the ring, there was no heat burning at us. Ash drifted in and out of the ring. Hearing the crackling sound reminded me of the camping trips Uncle Rick used to take me and my brothers on. Three boys in the woods, there were no forest fires like this, but we always made a bonfire and built a hideout from branches, logs, and whatever trash we found.

  It was the only time I ever got close to my older brothers. A ten-year difference created relationship gaps.

  I hated camping. It always meant burned out dinner, warm drinking water, and blacked marshmallows between graham crackers because my brothers ate all the chocolate. Uncle Rick never stopped my brothers, but he would always slip candy coated chocolates to me later.

  I didn't have candies to offer to Naiad or Triangle. There were some experience food bars I got from a quest. I was saving them for when I figured out my class. Naiad knew about her class and was actively pursuing it. It was the whole reason we got separated.

  I cleared my throat to get her attention. “Naiad, what happened at the rats' nest?”

  She explained, “We thought it was like the city ones. Only slightly higher level. Things went smooth with Triangle’s smoke bombs. Then they started pouring out.”

  “Was it part of your quest?” I asked.

  She crossed her arms. “No. We were hunting for parts and experience like normal.”

  Her answer wasn’t a good one and agitated me with how reckless it was. “This is why you can't leave my side. You didn’t think to check the level of the zone,” I said.

  “Then why did you go away?” Triangle spoke up from next to Naiad. “You’re the youngest character.”

  “Leveled. Dad’s ancient compared to us,” Naiad educated him. “He’s a little under-leveled and weak compared to my damage.”

  “And my bombs,” teamed up Triangle.

  I bit my cheek and resisted defending my pride. Naiad was at the age where teenagers said things they didn’t know would hurt. We did the kids' quests first to keep them sturdy and above the level of the zone. To keep them safe.

  “If it wasn’t for him,” Fireclaw joined in on our family matters and put a hand on my shoulder like we were buds. “We wouldn’t have ever stopped the scourge that threatened our land.”

  “The research was pointless.” Potholder mumbled. Vial patted his back.

  I nodded at the lizard-folk, grateful for the shift of conversation. “If you guys wanted to kill the rats, why didn’t you just burn their home?”

  “We wanted to avoid burning the home of other creatures.” Vial pointed to the surrounding area. “We should’ve stopped running when you found the rats' nest and put out-”

  “Yeah, I get it, skip to the next part about Mrs. Crockery’s pots.” I interrupted. I didn’t need their back story. “Are you going to leave her place alone now that the rats are gone?”

  “The rats are never gone. But yes, we will. We’ll try your advice and talk to her.” Fireclaw answered. He swished his tongue around and lips stretched them out in a way to imitate a sneer.

  >>><<<

  [QUEST UPDATE: YOU CAN RETURN TO MRS. CROCKERY WITH THE NEWS OF HER HOOLIGANS.]

  >>><<<

  With the update, the surrounding fire diminished down faster than a real forest fire could. The path behind us calmed down. We could return to Fanamel.

  Fireclaw continued talking. “Her lids are too fragile. If only we could find a way…”

  “Good luck with that.” I replied. I didn’t want to deal with fire attacks with the lizard-folk. The lizard-folk guild and alignment wouldn’t help me become a better tank to the Shrimp Guild.

  “Can I see that?” Triangle wandered over to Potholder.

  “We don’t have time to do every quest,” I grumbled at him. “Also, don’t forget that if we pick up any quest, we have to wrap it up if we ever leave. To avoid what happened earlier near the terminals.”

  Triangle ignored me and inspected the open lid pot.

  Naiad walked over with her brother and talk to the lizard-folk.

  [Guild Chat]

  [Boulder: Don’t take on any more quests. We need to get moving.]

  [Naiad: The fire is still going on. We can chat.]

  [Triangle: :P]

  Triangle made the face at the pot while placing a broad leaf across the top. Naiad gave pointers on how to tie it. Then Vial added the white powder around it as a protection. To top it off, they drilled a tiny hole into the surface. Naiad rolled up some bandages and stuck it through the hole.

  “There!” Triangle cheered. “That will work. Talk to Mrs. Croak…”

  “Crockery” Naiad corrected.

  “About adding hooks for lids,” Triangle made a mimic of his fingers chaining, “and attach to the handles. Then the lid stays on and you can use this stick to burn it safely from a distance.”

  Triangle was reaching across the powder when Naiad swatted his arm to not risk fire and the container. I swear the kid sounded too smart there and too knowledgeable about this.

  All the lizard-folk talked and bickered about how to improve on the makeshift bomb. During the time, Triangle leveled up. A six-year-old should not be learning or know any of this.

  I needed Triangle to learn a healing class. Having spells or potions instead of us buying them from the shop.

  Finally, the fire was small embers and we could avoid the patches that smoked nearby. I clapped my hands to get their attention and said, “The fire’s done. Let’s go gather your loot and finish up my quest. Then we can get to the fun stuff.”

  Naiad held her tongue while Triangle grumbled. Neither budged from the lizard-folk. I reached over and took the container out of Triangle’s hands and lifted him up onto my shoulders. The properties of the pot had changed.

  >>><<<

  [(Item, uncommon) Leafy Fresh Fires: Burn an area to a crisp when this pot goes clattering. The tanamere oil in this fire burns hot, hot, hot. Seriously hot, and keeps burning for a period. Because of the leaf lid, it will have an initial smell of sweet summer breeze–before the ash smell sinks in.

  Immediate area of effect: 4 meters.

  Has a potential chance for fire to grow because of the nature of fire, and the oil is hot.

  Water will not work in putting this oil fire out.]

  >>><<<

  The area of effect was bigger than the Jingle Bell Bombs. I passed the oil filled pottery back to Potholder.

  It was time for us to go find more adrenaline filled adventures.

  “Thank you for what you have done for us,” Fireclaw called out, waving next to the group. “We won’t forget this.”

  Hearts floated above all three lizard-folk heads.

  I stepped over the powder ring and headed south, following the trail of rats. I stopped at the Rat King’s body and looted it. In the ash, I could see tiny shiny metal sparkling fragments from Triangle’s Jingle Bell Bombs.

  Triangle had to become a healer, not a damage dealer. It would balance out our group better for the late game. It was time we started putting stat points with that goal in mind.