Chapter 8: Last survivor(s)

Nico: BUMBOCLAAT, P###YCLAAT, RASCLAAT !!

In the heart of a snow-laden field outside the snow-covered Woodlands, Nico desperately continues to evade the towering white bear adorned with icicle spikes, trailed closely by Rico and Banko. As the chase unfolds, Rico and Banko's attention is drawn to a revelation atop the bear's head – a transparent bar that reads, "Glacier Bear (Level 13)."

Banko, frustrated, reacts swiftly. He directs the tip of his wooden staff towards the bear, conjuring multiple pillars of wood that entwine around the creature's legs. The wooden pillars exert a restraining grip, impeding the bear's movements. Struggling to break free, the formidable Glacier Bear grapples with the encumbering force of Banko's summoned wooden pillars.

Banko: Gotcha!

Nico takes a moment to breathe

Nico: You're my hero dude!

In a brief respite, Nico graciously thanks Banko for his efforts in restraining the rampaging bear. However, the tranquility is abruptly shattered as the bear effortlessly breaks free from the entanglement of the wooden pillars. With newfound ferocity, it charges headlong towards Nico, leaving a fleeting moment of calm to dissolve into imminent danger.

Nico: WHAT THE HELL!!

Banko: What!?

Undeterred, Banko endeavours to entangle the bear once more, but to his dismay, the creature effortlessly breaks through the wooden pillars as if they were a mere wall of dirt, rendering his efforts futile. Desperation setting in, Banko tries a different approach, attempting to impale the bear with his wooden pillars. However, the pillars shatter upon impact with the bear's resilient hide.

Banko: WAH!?

Banko gasps in disbelief, his eyes widening with astonishment after witnessing the bear effortlessly shrug off his attempts to restrain and harm it.

Nico: Screw this!!

Desperate, Nico attempts to use his first skill: shadow step to enlarge the distance between him and the bear by teleporting himself to a nearby tree's shadow but before he could initiate his skill, the bear grabs Nico by his chainmail Armour with its maw and throws him into the air.

Nico: Ugh!!

A gut-wrenching scream escapes Nico's lips as he crashes onto the snow-covered ground. The bear seizes the opportunity, leaping into the air with the intention of landing atop him. Unexpectedly, a vivid flash of yellow light materialises on the bear's white furry hide

Rico: Skill 1:  BURNING FIST!!

Swift as the wind, Rico appears in the scene, unleashing a fiery burst from his fists with his first skill. The flames engulf the bear's belly, propelling it across the area in a spectacular display of power.

Banko:(Nice save)

Banko said in his head with relief from Ricos attempt to rescue Nico

Rico: This is the second time I had to save you

Rico said as he stretched his hand towards Nico to help him stand up.

Nico:  …Whatever…

Undeterred by Rico's assault, the bear stands tall and advances toward Rico and Nico. The boys, puzzled by the bear's resilience, question why Rico's attack had little effect. A blue notification bar materializes in front of them, revealing, "Glacier bear: level 2 fire resistance."

All three:  Huh!?

Eyes widening in realization, faces dropping in dread, Nico and Rico gaze upon the towering bear as if witnessing the apocalypse. Fear fills their eyes as they lock a terrified gaze with the formidable creature.

Nico and Rico: GYAAAAAH!!

In a panic, Nico and Rico swiftly sprint away, casting anxious glances over their shoulders as the bear relentlessly pursues them from behind.

Banko: shoot!,shoot!,shoot! What do we do!?

Banko aggressively bashes his head against his wooden staff, attempting to trigger a solution to this crisis.

Banko:  Wait, What was one of Nico's skills?

Bankos eyes beam with joy as he has found a solution to win this battle

Banko:  That's it!!

Nico and Rico continue to evade the bear's attacks by dodging its claws, increasing their distance from its maw and running behind trees. 

Banko: Nico!!

Banko's voice echoes through the snow field, reaching Nico's ears.

Banko: Use a guerilla tactic on the bear with your 2nd skill!

Nico tilts his head and frowns his brow, confused by Bankos request.

Nico:  What the hell is a guerilla tactic!?

Banko twitches his brow at Nicos response.

Banko:  A HIT AND RUN TACTIC, YOU UNEDUCATED FOOL!!

Nicos eyes beam as he equips his bronze daggers.

Nico: skill 2: Venomous strike!

Nico's daggers emanate a vibrant purple glow, accompanied by cascading particles that flow from the blades, infusing an otherworldly energy into the weapons.

Facing the bear head-on, Nico sprints cautiously, anticipating its claws. Taking a calculated risk, he moves swiftly to evade the impending strike, while the bear readies its right paw.

Luckily evading the bear's attack, Nico targets the remaining three legs with precise strikes. The bear's legs tremble like a rattlesnake's tail until it collapses onto its belly, ceasing all movement.

Nico,Rico and Banko: YEEEEAAAAH!

Celebrating their victory, the boys shout in triumph, joyously jumping with arms outstretched, creating an airborne angel silhouette. Elara observes their exuberance, sighing at their childlike behaviour. However, her attention shifts to the fallen Glacier bear, sensing that something might be amiss. 

Elara's eyes widen

Elara rises to her feet on the branch, arrow drawn and pointed at the boys, shouting a warning in a swift reaction.

Elara: THE FIGHTS NOT OVER YET!!

Confused by Elara's warning, the boys turn towards her just as the bear, having risen again, seizes Nico's right arm with its jaws. Thrashing him violently, it hurls Nico against the unforgiving, snow-covered floor.

Nico: Ugh!?

The world momentarily blurs as Nico's vision is consumed by a mix of agony and adrenaline as he witnesses the bear's jaws clamping down his arm, distorting his perspective.

Nico: GAAAAAAH!!

Nico experiences an overwhelming pressure, as if his arm is caught in a vice, while simultaneously feeling the tearing sensation of the bear's teeth puncture through his flesh.

Rico and Banko: Nico!!

Rico and Banko swiftly charge towards the bear, aiming to free Nico from its jaws. Suddenly, breaking the sound barrier, a metal-tipped arrow pierces the bear's skull with immense force. The bear shatters into crystal particles, and blue orbs fly towards Elara.

As Rico and Banko attend to Nico's injured arm, Elara emerges behind them, casting a shadow of foreboding. Her next words, uttered from her pink, glistening lips, leave an unnerving pain in the boys' chests.

Elara: You failed

…

Under the starry night sky in the dim streets of Harmony Grove, a small black cloaked figure prowls the streets, scanning like a predator in search of prey. Ahead, a tall male figure, draped in a black robe with green skin emerging from the shadows, materializes. The small figure attempts to pickpocket the robed figure by brushing against their hip, but the robed figure swiftly grabs their arm.

Robed figure:  What's this?

Cloaked figure: Wah!?

The small cloaked figure's high-pitched voice echoes, capturing the attention of the robed figure, who, intrigued, reaches to remove the small figure's hood, seeking to unveil the mystery beneath.

Robed figure: Today is my lucky day

The small figure is revealed to be the same little girl who pickpocketed Rico and disappeared in the cloud of black smoke. The robed figure forcefully pulls her arm and pins her against the wall, towering over the little girl with an air of dominance.

Robed figure: Tell me little one

With a sinister demeanour, the robed figure licks their lips, forming a wide, menacing grin on their face as they proceed to ask the little girl a unsettling question.

Robed figure: Does it grip?

??? And ???: LET HER GO!!

Behind the robed figure, two high-pitched voices layer upon each other, emitting simultaneously. Slowly turning their head, the robed figure faces the source of the mysterious voices.

…

In front of a quaint wooden house, surrounded by a garden adorned with stones and flowers, Elara and the boys converse with the old Dwarven man who hired them for the quest. Gratefully, the dwarven man vigorously thanks Elara, who responds with an awkward grin, hiding her discomfort. As he declares his intention to announce their heroic act to the entire village, the boys lower their chins and furrow their brows, feeling a sense of guilt wash over them.

Exiting the old man's garden, they step into the bustling streets of the village.

Elara: Lets go to a Alchemist store to buy Nico some Elixirs for his arm

Nico tightly clutches his bandaged arm, while Rico furrows his brows, sensing a tingling sensation in a specific part of his body.

Rico: Master, can I go take a leak?

Rico asked Elara

Elara: Sure but try not to get lost

Elara somehow knew Rico meant by “take a leak”. Rico hurriedly separates from the group and enters a random dark street. As Rico rushes through the street he notices a few silhouettes ahead of him. Rico sees a tall male robed figure surrounded by 2 small male figures in black cloaks with night blue hair and eyes laying on the floor with bruises on their face and a little girl, tears streaming down her eyes, struggles against the grip of the robed figure on her arm.

Rico:  Wait, isn't that?

Rico tilted his head and frowned his eyebrows, expressing his curiosity of the situation and worry of the safety of the girl.

The robed figure turns their head to face the little girl.

Robed figure: Now, where were we?

Little girl: NO, LET ME GO, MY BROTHERS!!

The little girl's voice trembles with vulnerability, marked by quivering intonations and a wavering pitch. Each word is laced with a palpable sense of fear and worry as she aims her arm at the 2 small figures laying on the snow cold floor.

Robed figure: Ugh!?

Rico's fist collides with the robed figure's face, propelling them into the air. The little girl gazes at Rico with a mixture of shock and confusion upon his sudden arrival.

Robed figure: Damn you, do you have any idea what you have done!?

Robed figure: I am with a bandit group, once I tell my leader about what you did you'll be-

Rico interrupts the figure's sentence to intrude on his own words.

Rico: Bandit group?

Rico: Then doesn't that mean you're part of a gang of bandits?

Locking eyes with the robed figure, Rico exudes an intense aura, prompting the figure to hastily flee.

As the two small male figures, revealed to be the little girl's brothers, stand up, Nico approaches and inquires about their well-being and the whereabouts of their parents. The little girl reveals they are orphans, leaving Rico shocked.

As the realization sinks in, the kids' hungry stomachs audibly grumble, accentuating the harsh reality of their situation.

…

In front of a small wooden house marked by a sign with a bottle silhouette, Rico bows deeply before Elara, his face pressed into the snow-covered ground. The kids stand behind him, while Nico and Banko look on, bewildered by the unexpected scene that unfolds.

Rico: Please master, I'll do anything!

Rico pleads with Elara to buy food for the children. Initially hesitant, Elara becomes intrigued and eventually agrees to fulfill Rico's request. She purchases food and drinks for the kids. As the children devour their meal, Rico inquires about their names.

The little girl introduces herself as Gabriella Kaige, and her brothers as Maximo and Romeo Kaige. Rico shares his name, prompting Maximo to find it weird. Rico responds with a forced chuckle.

…

Stationed outside the village the group visit an old shack which is apparently where the kids live. The old shack is weathered and worn, its timeworn wooden exterior is draped in a quiet, pristine blanket of snow.

Rico: This is where all three of you live?

Rico asked the kids with a concerned tone underneath his voice.

Gabriella:Yes,but there's also our elder brother, his name is Nicholas Kaige

Rico asks Gabriella about the whereabouts of Nicholas. She reveals that he left to hunt for food a few days ago but hasn't returned.

Elara, intrigued, stares at the little kid's ears, narrowing her eyes in focused observation.

Elara: (I was right after all)

In her mind, Elara expresses disappointment, as if hoping her assumption was wrong. She looks at Gabriella and her brothers, posing a vague question to gather more information.

Elara: How did you…survive

Nico, Rico and Banko tilt their heads, expressing their confusion towards Elara's question. The kids remain silent to Elara's question as the atmosphere around them becomes unsettling.

Nico: What do you mean, master?

Elara: These kids are…humans

The confusion deepens among the boys as they grapple with Elara's words. Elara, realizing the lack of information the boys possess, places her palm against her head in a moment of recollection.

Elara explains that years ago there was a genocide that took place before the vampire queen became a threat to the world. The genocide was lead the the vampire queens spouse, the vampire queen.

The goal of the genocide was to bring the entire human race to extinction. The genocide was a blood bath as many humans, good or bad, male or female, old or young, it didn't matter they were all slaughtered by the vampire kings army until the entire human race was gone.

Elara: That's why I'm surprised to see living humans in front of me.

Elara's eyes dot toward the children, in response to her gaze they hide behind Rico's leg to avoid responding to any potential question.

The boys are left in shock to what Elara stated and recall back to when they were spinning the race selection wheel, the human race was one of the easiest races to obtain. Making them question why that's the case if were humans supposed to be nearly extinct.

The mystery behind who made this death game becomes more and more complex the further the boy's progress through the game. Noticing that the sky is becoming pure black Elara states that they have to go to sleep as she walks towards the village.

As the mystery deepens, Elara notes the darkening sky, prompting her to declare it's time to sleep and head towards the village. Banko and Nico follow her, while Rico, attempting to join, notices the kids tightly clinging to his shirt, revealing a newfound dependence on their saviour.

Rico: M-master?

Rico calls out to Elara, catching her attention.

Elara: Yes?

Rico takes a deep breath as he places his hand on top of the kids heads.

Rico: Can I stay with them for tonight?

…

In the heart of a snow-infested woodland, the robed figure who had harassed the kids approaches a gathering of figures clad in black cloaks. Making their way toward the centre, the robed figure approaches a tall cloaked figure at the core of the group.

Robed figure: Boss, those damn villagers, look at what they did to me!

The robed points at the black mark of his cheek where Rico punched him.

Tall cloaked figure: Then it's decided

The tall cloaked figure turns to face the rest of the cloaked figure, aiming their arm at the village nearby.

Tall cloaked figure: We will begin our purge tomorrow, at midnight

Tall cloaked figure: Remember, don't leave a single villager alive

Chapter 8 ends.