The next few fights were also with goblins. We took turns in running the plays we had been using giving everyone the chance to grind out experience. We had managed to kill 8 goblins of the 15 we were tasked with and it had barely been an hour. We moved deeper into the woods, tracking wolves. Unlike the goblins, they were elusive. Hours passed with no sign of them, forcing us to resort to bait. A stray goblin wandered into our path, and Sharla quickly dispatched it. The system allowed us to butcher the body, carving off arms and legs before the rest disintegrated into dust. Goblin meat, as it turned out, was irresistible to wolves.

  Three of them slunk out of the shadows, drawn by the scent. They snapped up the scraps, growling and lunging at each other over the meagre feast. Their sleek, grey bodies moved with alarming speed, muscles rippling under their fur as they fought.

  We weren’t taking any chances.

  Sharla barked orders at us to split them up, ensuring she could face them one-on-one. Milli proved her worth almost immediately, her aim now razor-sharp after our earlier practice. She sent a rock spinning into one wolf’s flank, earning a yelp and forcing it to back off. But these wolves were no pushovers. They were fast, vicious, and coordinated.

  The first wolf lunged at Sharla. She sidestepped, bringing her axe down in a sharp arc, but the creature darted out of range. It was relentless, feinting left and right, keeping her off balance. Sharla gritted her teeth, sweat beading on her forehead as she tried to land a solid hit. Finally, as it bit at her leg, she found her mark, using the opening created by its attack to cleave off its left hind leg.

  When the second wolf joined the fray, I jumped in to flank it. I jabbed at its side with my staff, landing a glancing blow. The wolf whipped around with a snarl, baring its fangs. My heart lurched as it locked eyes with me, its gaze primal and full of malice.

  It leapt.

  Sharla seized the opening. Her axe came down in a brutal overhead strike, cleaving through the wolf’s shoulder and burying itself deep in its chest. Blood sprayed, and the creature let out a choked whimper before collapsing.

  The final wolf circled Milli, its fur bristling. It was battered and limping, its body marked by cuts from the rocks she had launched with surgical precision. Milli toyed with it, keeping it at bay with her “crosse,” a stick with a netted end that doubled as a blunt weapon. She spun it expertly, landing stinging blows whenever the wolf ventured too close.

  I stepped in to help, but Milli waved me off. “I’ve got this,” she said, her voice steady and confident.

  Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling of opportunity as my Flaw Finder ability highlighted branches above. They hung tantalizingly close to breaking, splinters already starting to crack under imaginary weight. I hesitated, analysing angles and timing, but the setup wasn’t right. Besides, I wasn’t sure if my double-damage skill would even trigger again after earlier successes. It felt unreliable—a tool for emergencies, not routine combat.

  Sharla and I closed in on the wolf. Its movements were sluggish now, each step laboured. Milli took advantage of its fatigue, delivering a powerful blow to its side with the crosse, sending it staggering into Sharla’s path.

  Sharla didn’t waste the chance. With a swift, practiced motion, she swung her axe in a deadly arc. The wolf’s head snapped to the side, and it crumpled in a heap, unmoving.

  The forest grew quiet again, save for the heavy breathing of the three of us.

  Milli leaned against her crosse, grinning at her work. “Not bad,” she said, brushing dirt from her knees.

  Sharla shot her a smirk, wiping blood from her axe. “You’ve got an arm, I’ll give you that. But next time, less playing with your opponent.”

  Milli rolled her eyes. “Where’s the fun in that?”

  After looting the wolves, we decided to take a break from fighting and focus on our collection quest. We got back onto the road and eventually located the lake. The search for the wolves had taken far longer than we’d planned, and all of us were ravenously hungry. When we arrived, I pulled out my canvas sheet and a few ration packs—two Mornin' Hun’s and a Night, hoping for a bit of variety.

  Sharla and Milli were visibly grateful for the ration packs. The evening version was a nice change: it contained the usual container of water, but instead of the dense energy bar, it featured an instant-heat pouch with two openings. One was for water to trigger a chemical reaction that heated the food, while the other rehydrated the contents. Once warmed, the pouch released an inviting meaty aroma. The package claimed it was Beef Bourguignon, though it lacked the complexity of its namesake. Still, it was delicious and warming, a comforting meal after our exhausting morning.

  We all brushed our teeth afterward—not necessarily because we needed to, but to justify the inclusion of the dental kits in the ration packs.

  The lake was a serene place. Its shore was lined with cattail grass, reeds, lily pads, and an array of wildflowers. Scattered among the greenery were small, fist-sized, faintly luminescent stones that sparkled like glitter-infused bath bombs. I picked one up and turned it over in my hand, intrigued by its strange beauty.

  “Ewwww!” Milli exclaimed, recoiling as I showed it to her, as if I’d just offered her a severed head. She slapped my hand away. “What are you doing?! Don’t pick up poop off the forest floor!”

  “What?!” I yelped, dropping the ‘stone’ instantly. I stared at my hand, blindsided by this revelation. It glittered softly; a powdery layer had coated it.

  “He doesn’t have the modules from the induction quest, so he can’t see item descriptions,” Sharla explained, stifling a laugh. “You really need to be more careful, Ryan, at least until we figure out how to get you the same mods we have.”

  “What else do you two have that I don’t?” I asked, anxiety creeping into my voice.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Sharla and Milli rattled off their interface upgrades: mini-map, item identifier, enemy tracking, party menu, and inventory management modules. My own interface felt bare-bones by comparison. I hadn’t unlocked the extended article on the interface in the compendium yet, but hearing about their modules only fuelled my fascination—and my need for upgrades.

  I made a mental note to corner Louis the next time I saw him. The fluffy little freeloader hadn’t returned to the guild hall since his mysterious ‘business trip.’ I wasn’t letting him out again until we had a proper chat.

  We turned our attention back to the quest. The area was tranquil, but my Flaw Finder skill highlighted the silt in the shallows with a soft glow. Memories of wandering the beach near my home came flooding back. When the tide went out, the mud was so thick and deep you could sink up to your waist if you weren’t careful.

  We searched the shoreline for the molluscs we needed but came up short. Sharla suggested they might actually be in the water. None of us were particularly eager to wade in, but after drawing the proverbial short straw, I ventured in first.

  The water was cool and crystal-clear, lapping softly at the shore. My feet sank into the waterlogged soil as I dug around, quickly discovering dense clusters of coin-sized clams just a few feet from the waterline. I called Sharla and Milli over to help collect them.

  While we worked, a dark shadow the size of a car loomed in the deeper water, gliding ominously toward the shallows. We froze, watching as it came within a few meters of us before turning and vanishing back into the depths. None of us wanted to discover what the shadow belonged to, so we stuck close together and stayed near the shore. Milli stood as lookout while Sharla and I continued gathering clams.

  Within ten minutes, we’d collected six of the molluscs. We were making excellent progress and on track for an extremely profitable day. If we pushed past the quota, we could potentially halve the remaining debt.

  Then, the ground trembled.

  A rhythmic thump, thump, thump—each step heavier than the last—echoed through the stillness.

  We froze. Without a word, we dove into the foliage, pressing ourselves flat against the ground. Sharla put a finger to her lips, signalling for silence, then quickly sent a message to the group chat:

  Sharla:

  Milli, did you see anything?

  Milli:

  It’s an ogre. Same kind my party fought before.

  Sharla:

  Can we take it?

  Milli:

  We had seven people and almost lost two of them. They’re faster than they look—and they’re as strong as they seem.

  The creature lumbered into view, towering at least nine feet tall. Its swampy yellow skin stretched tight over massive arms thicker than my torso. A heavy potbelly swayed with each step, and legs splayed into a wide, confident gait. Slung over its shoulder was a young tree, its tangled roots forming a crude club longer than Sharla was tall. Draped across its barrel chest was the pelt of a giant wolf, its head resting against the ogre’s sternum like a grotesque trophy.

  We held our breath as it approached the lake, kneeling at the edge to scoop up bucket-sized handfuls of water.

  Milli:

  Shit. Look.

  Her finger shot out, pointing toward the spot where the ogre had emerged. Two men were crouched behind a tree, dressed in jeans and button-down shirts with worn leather boots. One held a longbow, nocking an arrow, while the other hefted a shimmering warhammer. They were players, clearly tracking the monster.

  Ryan:

  We need to stay out of this. If they want to get themselves killed, that’s their choice.

  I glanced at Sharla. Her eyes darted between the men and the ogre. She was already planning to jump in the moment the fight started.

  Ryan:

  Sharla, don’t. This isn’t our fight.

  She didn’t respond.

  I barely had time to brace myself before the bowman drew back his arrow with a soft creak. The ogre froze, tilting its head at the sound.

  TWAP

  An arrow sprouted from the side of its head. The ogre let out a thunderous roar that shook the air, hitting me like a physical force. My ears rang, and when I touched them, my fingers came away slick with blood and my world plunged into silence. Sharla was already on her feet, axe in both hands, charging at the beast. Milli crouched nearby, hands clasped over her ears as blood trickled between her fingers.

  The ogre whirled toward Sharla, rising to its full height. It swung its massive club in a wide arc, the air gusting so hard I had to shield my eyes. Sharla ducked low, sliding between its legs and coming up on one knee to swing her axe into its calf. The creature bellowed in pain, baring tusk-like teeth in a snarl that vibrated in my chest.

  The warhammer wielder charged in, closing the distance and slamming his weapon into the ogre’s knee. The joint buckled, and the monster dropped into a crouch, leaning heavily on its club. The hunter raised his warhammer again, aiming for the ogre’s head—but the creature was faster.

  In a blur of motion, it grabbed the man’s arms, crushing them together with a sickening crack. The warhammer fell as the ogre swung him like a ragdoll, slamming him into Sharla and sending them both flying. They hit the ground in a tangled heap and didn’t move.

  I heard a gentle ‘pop’ and a high pitched ringing filled my ears as my hearing returned.

  “Sharla!” I yelled, but there was no response.

  I turned to Milli. “Drive it into the water! If we can bog it down, we might have a chance to escape.”

  The ogre turned, lumbering toward the frozen archer. I darted from cover, positioning myself between it and the lake.

  “Oi, Shrek!” I yelled, waving my arms. “Over here!”

  The ogre paused, tilting its head, then started toward me. Each step felt like a boulder slamming into the ground. My bravado drained away as it closed the distance.

  When it was nearly on me, I dove between its legs, landing on my stomach. The ogre looked down, grinning, and reached for me with deliberate menace.

  THONK

  An arrow slammed into the back of it's head. The ogre howled, staggering backward into the water, its feet sinking into the mud. A stone hit its shoulder, driving it deeper. A third arrow struck its neck, but the ogre yanked it out, roaring as it struggled against the muck.

  It was working.

  I sprinted to Sharla’s side, finding her pinned under the warhammer wielder’s limp body. His head was twisted at an unnatural angle, almost fully turned around. Sharla was unconscious, her chest rising and falling faintly. I strained to lift the man off her but couldn’t move him.

  The ogre flailed in the water, slowly freeing its legs from the mud. A soft glow caught my eye, one of the ‘stones’ was lying near my feet. It was lightweight, almost brittle, but I was out of options. I hurled it at the ogre.

  The stone shattered on impact, releasing a cloud of shimmering blue dust. The ogre roared, clawing at its face as it tried to stumbled deeper into the lake. Its feet stayed anchored in the sticky silt and its legs gave way, it toppled backward with a massive splash.

  Before I could catch my breath, the water churned violently. A massive creature erupted from the depths, a green snake-like beast with vibrant purple frills and translucent, needle-like fangs dripping venom. It struck with terrifying speed, sinking its teeth into the ogre’s neck. The two monsters disappeared in a whirl of roiling water, their struggle vanishing beneath the surface.

  The lake went still.

  “Josh!” the archer cried, rolling his friend off Sharla. He checked for a pulse, his hands trembling.

  “He’s alive!” he shouted.

  Sharla groaned as her passive healing kicked in, waking her moments later. She sprang into action, murmuring a prayer as her hands glowed yellow. The warhammer wielder’s head began to twist back into place, bones cracking and popping as they knitted together.

  The man let out a gasp. Sharla placed a hand on his chest. “Take it slow,” she said gently. “I think you were as close to dead as anyone can get. Don’t rush.”