The large shape emerged from the darkness.

Grotesquely fat, clad from head to toe in dark green orichalcum plate armour, and wielding a giant meat cleaver.

An ogre.

Akumi recognised this mid-level mob from Dungeons & Drakes Online. She gulped. ‘Guess this is the boss.’

The Ogre scanned the area with its beady little eyes and looked down on the goblin cleric, who was shaking with fear. The Ogre spoke with an English Cockney accent. ‘What the bloody hell happened here?!’

The goblin cleric replied shrilly. ‘I-it was them birds, guv!’ He pointed at Akumi and Emma. ‘They’re v-v-vicious as wargs!’

The Ogre glared at them through his helmet visor. ‘That true?! You slags kill my raiding party?!’

Akumi had to give the developers at Nanosoft credit: the AI was excellent. She shrugged. ‘Aren’t goblins meant to be used as cannon fodder?’

The Ogre smirked, revealing a set of big yellow teeth. ‘Fair point!’ He picked up the goblin cleric and gnashed his head off. He continued speaking between bites. 'But it's still expensive to replace them!' He suddenly threw the headless body at her. 'AND I'M A WORKING MAN!'

Akumi ducked the body and sprang towards the Ogre. She hacked at him with her battle axe as Emma shot at him with her sniper rifle, but they quickly discovered that blades and bullets simply bounced off his orichalcum plate armour. The Ogre struck out at Akumi with such force that his giant meat cleaver shattered her battle axe and sent her tumbling backwards. After several turbulent seconds, she landed in a bush.

The cuts on her back stung horribly; the pain felt real.

Fortunately, her injuries healed themselves quickly due to her Werewolf Girl Warrior's Healing Factor.

The Ogre stampeded towards the giant tree Emma was sniping him from and chopped through the trunk.

The tree slowly toppled.

Emma jumped and fell to earth near Akumi.

The tree crashed to the ground.

Akumi clambered out of the bush. ‘I don’t suppose you have a Plan B for Operation Use Monster Girl as Bait?’

Emma pushed herself up and spat out blood. ‘Die, respawn, try again later.’

Akumi didn’t like the sound of that. If getting hurt felt that bad, then god knew what dying would feel like.

She spotted something crawling towards the cave. It was the goblin rogue she thought had been killed. The tenacious little bastard was holding his guts in with one arm while inching forwards with the other. It was kind of sad; he had had been so fast before.

A lightbulb switched on in her head.

She turned to Emma. ‘If you can distract the Ogre for a moment, then I can definitely kill him!’

Emma raised an eyebrow. ‘How?’

The Ogre stampeded towards them. 'GIVE ME BACK MY MONEY, YOU SLAAAGS!'

‘Just trust me!’ said Akumi.

Emma sighed, looked around the forest, and nodded. ‘Okay.’ She crouched down, aimed at seemingly nothing, and fired.

A screaming neigh sounded in the distance.

Akumi frowned. Did she just shoot my horse?!

The Ogre skidded to a halt and wheeled around. 'What the bloody hell was that?!'

Now was her chance!

Akumi sprinted towards the goblin rogue, who stretched out his hand towards her. ‘Wait! Don’t kill me! I have an estranged family!’

Akumi slashed off one of his fingers, caught it in mid-air, and wolfed it down. She transformed from a Werewolf Girl Warrior into a Goblin Girl Rogue. Her body became small, her ears extended, and her teeth became needle-like. She snatched the goblin rogue's poisoned daggers off the ground just as the Ogre whirled on her with his giant meat cleaver. Using her newfound Super Speed, she dashed away, darted behind the Ogre, jumped on his back, and slit his throat.

The Ogre gargled blood. ‘You...you cheated!’

Akumi sneered. ‘If you can't beat them, join them.’

The Ogre collapsed.