MMORPG: Rise of the Peerless Pumpkinmancer

Jack woke up to the growling of a hungering beast and quickly used a special move to counter it! 

— Jack used: run to the fridge! — 

Sadly it wasn't very effective. He rummaged in search of leftovers, but there were. Actually, it sure looked empty, damn! No milk, no eggs, zero veggies; it was pretty pathetic. 

#Pro-gamer moment #Forgot to buy food #Poor Lilly 

He couldn't help but sigh seeing this. She hadn't wanted to disturb him, and the old man was obviously at the hospital. He was probably watching over his beloved again. 

What had she even brought to school for her lunch? Probably some plain rice with some cheap canned stuff. Tch— this wasn't healthy for sure! 

He had also seen her VR Helmet on his way, and it was still completely wrapped up! She was planning to return it, wasn't she? 

He could only click his tongue. It was good that she was thrifty, but what the point of having money if he couldn't even spoil her?! He'd have to remedy that! 

But for now, the hunger was more pressing: 

1. Eat plain beans: No thanks! 

2. Cook some rice: Too long! 

3. Eat some mayonnaise straight from the jar? He could even add spicy peppers to make it taste better….Tempting, but no. 

It was time for an adventure! 

He promptly wore his jacket, the same old one as ever. It wasn't that he hadn't looked for one at the mall. It was just that he was very picky when it came to jackets. 

"What a wonderful day it is!" He exclaimed as he reached the street.

The passersby furrowed their brows. 

"Youngster, you should really mind your appearance when you go out!" Disparaged a middle-aged man. 

He was handsome, well-groomed, had a look of subtle wealth, and was definitely eating well as well as taking care of himself. 

"Old man, you should really mind your words lest you offend someone you shouldn't," Jack replied with the confidence of a rich young master. 

At this moment, the man stilled and gave him another look.

"Young man, I think you misunderstood my point. It's not about being rich or poor, but about having self-respect. Look at how battered your coat is. It's time to retire it." He sighed. 

"A jacket is to a city dweller what a weapon is to a proud warrior. It has served me well for so long, and I won't casually throw it out." Jack shrugged. 

"It's obvious it has served you very well and long!" The old man stressed the last part. 

But before the conversation could progress, a shadow suddenly rushed toward them with incredible speed. 

"Please, Sir! Do you have any—"

The man's body reacted by instinct as he promptly flipped the hobo over. The messy man was thrown to the ground, landing heavily on his back. There was even a CRACK! 

"P-please mercy!! Kind Sir, don't kill me!!" the hobo begged. 

Who was that middle-aged guy? The way he had reacted had felt so natural. He had to be someone that trained diligently every day. That's when he turned toward Jack. 

"You…Are you always this calm?" He asked. 

"No, sometimes I like to scream for no reason." Jack shrugged. 

"You felt him coming, you watched it all happen, and yet you didn't react one bit. Have you ever trained in martial arts before?" 

"Never directly, but I did have a few acquaintances that did. Why?" He had technically trained under a martial art freak for a while, but his style was too wild to count. 

"Here, take this. The first orientation is completely free, so you can try it out!" He excitedly handed him a sleek black business card. 

< Sensei Laurent! Pterodactyl-Fang Dojo! > 

What the fuck?! 

"You know what, I'm in a good mood. I'll give you some credits to buy a new jacket!" He glanced at the man still begging for forgiveness. "As for you, let's get you treated and—"

"S-sir, I really couldn't trouble you with this! A few credits will do, and I'll go to the hospital myself!" He uttered, seemingly terrified of making the man waste his time.

"No, I insist, it's my fault that—" Sensei Laurent uttered, only to gasp in shock. What the hell?! 

Jack had walked forward and began to beat the living shit out of the poor man! He kept kicking, stomping, and even trampling! 

"Arrrggg! Please forgive me, s-sir!!! I won't disturb you anymore and—" The beggar wailed in pain after being kicked repeatedly, throwing up blood everywhere. 

The man wanted to stop him, but Jack suddenly winked as he pointed at his foot. It didn't even collide with the hobo, yet he screamed like a dying pig. 

"…."

This guy was a natural-born actor or football player. After a second, he finally realized that he had screwed up as he slowly and shakily got up. 

"S-sir, I think I got lucky. I don't seem to have taken too much damage. I'll take my leave if you'll—" He shook as he prepared to leave. 

"Attempted scam, attempted assault, public disturbance, loitering, the list goes on. Now shut up and follow me." Jack lightly remarked. 

He didn't give the man a choice at all. No, what he gave him was a glance that chilled the beggar to the bones. He had been crawling the streets long enough to recognize a madman when he saw one! Crap! 

"W-what do you want with me, Sir?" He stuttered. 

As for the sensei by the side, he was incredibly shocked. Who the fuck was that guy?! Why did he have the aura of a mafia boss or something?! 

"What do I want with you? No, no. It should be you thinking about what you can offer me. Alright, let's go." Jack nonchalantly ordered. 

The beggar hesitated for a few seconds but finally followed. There was something way too strange about this man! 

Even then, all he could think was: How the heck had this guy seen through him?!

Still, he'd escape at the first sign of danger or after figuring that out. 

Sensei Laurent watched them leave in confusion. What the hell was with that man? Also, why hadn't the hobo run away? 

As for Jack, he already had a few plans for this guy…. 

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[A/N] Hype! Feb Mass Release Time! 🔥

Day 9: Stealing puddings is evil! (2.5/4) 🍮