MMORPG: Rise of the Peerless Pumpkinmancer

In the Igloo, a peaceful Jack was still sleeping (Disconnected in a non-DC instance).

"Woo!" (It's morning!!)

The little wolf gently tapped its master to wake him up.

"Little one…Your master's gone." The Nord behind him deplored.

He knew the disease affecting the man far too well: the Eternal Slumber. He looked alive, felt alive, but his soul was long gone.

"Rest in peace, friend." The Nord slowly closed Jack's eyes, even as the little wolf protested.

"Woo! Woo Woo!" (What do you think you're doing?!)

"Don't worry, little one. I'll give him a burial worthy of a noble warrior." He uttered as he thumped his chest with assurance and grabbed the body.

He quickly exited in the cold snow, finding a proper spot before beginning. His muscles bulged as he slammed the ground.

— RUMBLE! RUMBLE! —

What happened next was magical: runes appeared in the snow, the latter seemingly coming alive. A second later, a weird avalanche started as it rose upward, leaving a large pit.

Just as the Nord was about to throw the body in, the wolf came running.

"Woo!" (Over my dead body!)

The NPC gave a sad chuckle before he showcased his aura, making it as intimidating as possible. Even a Nord would have trouble resisting this, much less a little…wtf?!

"Woo!" (Never surrender!)

The creature's legs shook so much they became blurry, and yet it stood still. What kind of godlike determination was this?!

"Woo!" (Never give up!)

Not only did Moon Moon not cower, but it even advanced, seemingly getting ready to fight. Then again, there was no way it would dare for… again?!

The Nord raised his head, glancing at the magic above his head, flabbergasted. This little thing could use something so complex?!

— Whoosh!! —

A rain of fire fell upon him, not damaging him in the slightest. Just his skin had been enough to protect him, and it was now producing a cold mist as it extinguished the fire.

"Little wolf, give up already. There's no need to make this difficult for any of us." The Nord tried coaxing the pet, only to fail lamentably. Thus started a battle of attrition.

Moon Moon versus Exhaustion.

The man just stood in place, waiting for it to tire itself out, but the wolf just wouldn't give up.

"Woo!" (He'll freeze!)

Moon Moon tried calling out to the man many times, but he wouldn't listen. The little wolf had no choice but to spam fire spells to raise the temperature.

Also, why the hell was this guy's skin so cold! Was that how they killed their victims?! The wolf shuddered, picturing getting cuddled to death by the big guy.

But very soon, Moon Moon realized that at this rate, its master would die. Nooo, it wouldn't let it happen!

'Think, Moon Moon!'

'You're a smart wolf, Master says so! Just think!'

No amount of fiery chickens could defeat the guy, and its mana was slowly getting drained by the AoE magic. It had to change tactics.

The little wolf ran countless simulations in its head. It ran so many of them that it lost count of the number of "ones"! At this moment, it remembered its Master's lessons…

— Imaginary Wise and Suave Jack Appeared! —

"Magic is all about control and willpower. The stronger the image, the stronger the power. Squeeze your mana out and wield it according to your will. Do you understand?"

"Woo!" (I'll make you proud, Master!)

That's when the little wolf started focusing on the strongest image it could fathom…

The Nord by the side couldn't help but raise a brow. He could see the wolf howl at empty air, meaning the frost-induced hallucinations had begun. This brought back memories.

At this moment, the Nord could relate to the wolf. He had once been the one trying to "save" his father from being buried alive before he knew better.

Since there was no curing the Eternal Slumber, it was better to end things quickly and cleanly. Still, this was difficult for a youngster to understand.

The Nord stood still as he observed the little thing.

Perhaps the hallucinations would allow it to speak to its Master one last time and help it cope with the death. It really seemed like the little one was mulling over something.

"Take your time, little one." The man murmured until the pet closed its eyes.

Was it being affected by the frost? No, it had suddenly turned immobile, as if it had given up. Had the sorrow defeated it? He approached to save it.

Little did he know the wolf was meditating….

Just as he almost reached him, Moon Moon powerfully opened its eyes. They were black, emitted pure fire, and had a godly look!

"W-What?!!"

"Woo!"

That's when it happened.

It was the birth of a new spell in Infinite.

A geyser of fire suddenly erupted directly on the Nord!

But, it wasn't all. A second later, countless sprites of fire were born. They circled the primary cluster, attacking relentlessly.

The Nord quickly countered with an ice cloud, expecting things to end. But then the sprites cooperated, cutting the ice fog as a cavalry would.

What?! It was almost as if they were alive! What kind of ever-changing spell was this, and how had a wolf mastered it?!

A low humming sound resonated in the surrounding, filling them. Wait…the sprites could even chant?! The more they did and the more sprites appeared.

He listened to it, trying to pierce its secret, only to freeze baffled.

What the actual heck was this?! "One, one, one, one, one!" The sprites repeated over and over. More importantly, how was this producing any power whatsoever?!

In the back, the little wolf's gaze was unbelievably steady. ‘Focus on the barbecue, focus on the ones, focus on saving Master!'

The man had spoken of an Eternal Slumber, right? Whether he was right or not didn't matter: it would stand guard over its master, rescuing him.

This was its answer: the Eternal Barbecue!

Forever joyous!

Forever powerful!

Forever by Master's side!

"Woo!" (Bring it on!)

But that's when the little wolf suddenly saw its master twitch. He was back! They had defeated whatever bullshit this Eternal Slumber was!

Jack awoke to a happy wolf licking his face relentlessly and an NPC shouting about revenants, miracles, and whatnot.

"So, time for training?"

NEXT CHAP NOT READY IN TIME FOR RESET #SOON