MMORPG: Rise of the Peerless Pumpkinmancer

It didn't take long for Jack to make his way back to the Centaur Village after dying. Luckily for him, his corruption resistance was rather high. 

[Corrupted Energy Invades You!] 

[Resisted! Will not Transform!] 

Now came the core part of the plan… 

"WHAT?!" A fuming Centaur Chief bellowed. 

Considering the bomb-level news that Jack had just dropped on him, such a reaction was natural. First, there was the whole "orders" thing, and then the missing young Centaur. 

"He's stuck there?! Why the hell would you bring him there?!" Amidst the Centaur's rage, there was sorrow and despair. 

"Because he wanted to save you all." Jack calmly retorted. 

"That's no reason to—"

"It was worth it to him. He might be young, but he has the mettle of a Hero. You've seen the orders. They're planning a mass invasion of this realm; cowering away won't do any good." 

The Centaur clenched his fist mightily, seemingly feeling the urge to punch the human, but this rage quickly turned into self-blame. If only he had heeded Jack's initial warnings. 

"Why the long face? You're a Centaur, not a horse. He's hiding someplace safe for now. He'll be fine as long as we hurry. Don't worry: I have a plan." Jack reassured. ;)

He had previously told the youngster that there was still a vital role for him to play. Oh, this was totally true: he was now playing the "princess in distress" role! 

The Centaur's entire aura seemed to harden. A second later, he stormed out of the tent, calling out for the whole tribe. 

"Tribesmen assemble! We're marching to war!…." 

[Centaur War Event Has Begun!] 

[How Exciting!] 

To the Centaurs it was shocking, but it was even more so for the players. War?! What the hell?! Only a few knew what this was about. Still, they were all instantly joyful. 

"That's a Main Quest right there!"

"We'll be able to go back home afterward, right?!" 

"Scoff— Who cares about home! All that matters are the rewards we'll be getting!" 

They all crowded around, eager to join ASAP. But they were bound to be disappointed: "The humans are to remain behind!" Outraged cries resounded, only to quiet with a look. 

Never had there been war preparation so fast. 

Spears? Check! 

Armor? Who cares! They were lightning-fast! 

Supplies? Pfft— As if a tribe of hunters needed that! 

They were ready to spread out in a matter of minutes. 

Then came the time for the war briefing. The Centaurs all raised surprised brows…a human would command them?! 

[You Have Been Designed War Commander!] 

[Centaur Tribe Has Joined Your Cause!] 

[Every Casualty Will Be Your Fault!] 

The system message was already hinting at how huge of responsibility this was. He only had been chosen because of the orders, his leadership stat, and the plan he had drafted. 

But, many couldn't accept it… 

"A human to lead us?! No way!" 

"Chief! We don't need the instructions of a weakling!" 

"Shut up, you all. This guy's an amazing hunter. But still, war indeed is…." 

The players were especially unresolved. They weren't allowed to join the war, but the damn Demon King was supposed to lead it?! What kind of discrimination was this?! 

The Chief moved forward, prepared to defend Jack, but the latter never needed his help in the first place. 

"Stop clamoring: the Chief misspoke." Was he giving up leadership? Not exactly… "I'm only bringing the ones that can pass my training. Most of you will be left here."

[Affinity -4!] 

[Affinity -6!] 

[Affinity -9!] 

Jack simply shrugged as he questioned the capabilities of the entire Centaur Village. They were already turning purple in anger. How dare he question them! 

"Tch— Arrogant human! Bring your test on, and I'll show you. After passing it, I'll beat you to a bloody pulp!" A mean-looking Centaur chuckled. 

There was no way that the human would ever accept such… 

"Perfect! Let's start already. Follow me!" Jack smiled, acting all mysterious as he left with the challenger. 

The remaining people were left standing there, their legs shaking in excitement. They couldn't wait for their brethren to teach this idiot a lesson! 

But a few minutes later, a strange scene appeared before their eyes. The two came back…but this time, the Centaur obediently followed behind the human?! 

"What happened?!" They all asked, overwhelmed with curiosity. 

"I-I failed…over and over…." The Centaur admitted, his head lowered. 

What?! They could understand if it had been a trick… but the Centaur wasn't contesting his defeat. 

"Anyone else?" Jack asked. 

"Me! Pick me! I want to try!" (x60!) 

The same thing happened a few times in a row, with none able to pass Jack's test. Yet none ever mentioned what it was all about: so mysterious! 

Before long, every Centaur had tried and failed, all except the Chief. He glanced at his brethren, utterly baffled. How?! More especially, if all had failed, would none join?! 

"Everyone, do you understand why I'm the one standing here now?" Jack addressed the crowd. 

"YES!" 

There wasn't any hesitation in their tone. All that remained was admiration for the human that had managed to impress all of them after spending mere minutes with them. 

"Now, will you give up or train under me?" 

"TRAIN!" They all shouted in unison. 

Every willing Centaur was accepted, Jack believing in their potential. Even a few players were accepted: the ones that had a centaur vouching for them.

Of course, the ones left behind were unhappy… 

"What?! That's so unfair. Why can't we join?!" 

"Being friendly with Centaurs doesn't impact our strength!" 

They all tried arguing, only to be glanced at as if fools by Jack and the Centaurs alike. They ultimately left stomping their feet in defeat. 

As to what the training entailed….it was actually straightforward. Military Strategy! This was the one thing that hunters couldn't do! 

There was a world-class difference between surrounding one target in a hunt and fighting equal or bigger numbers in a head-on fight. 

Jack sat on a big rock as he kept screaming: 

"Number 56, you're way off!" 

"Number 12, slow down!" 

"Number 42, perfect!" 

He had them gallop into the plain in an arrow formation, one that would be as simple as effective, one meant to crush everything on their passage. 

Players —> On Centaurs' backs. (Hence the Affinity Requirement) 

The Centaurs were raw gems, they had the strength, the speed, and more importantly they were stubborn as hell. 

"Is that all you can do?! My wolf can do better!" 

"NO!! One more!" They screamed in response every time.

As he watched them, he was reminded of the men he had trained in the past. 

He had left them all traumatized yet strong enough to get called "Brilliant Annihilation Cavalry!" In their wake, all that would remain would be destruction and despair. 

As he reminisced, his aura unknowingly changed, becoming one of a general. The Centaurs found themselves staring in awe. Who the heck was this human in the human world?! 

The players weren't immune to it either. At this moment, many gulped in fear. If he was teaching them all this… wouldn't D.L. already know it all?! 

They could already picture how they'd fare against such a coordinated army: total wipe! Many swore to themselves that they had to refrain from making an enemy out of him. 

It took the entire day, but afterward, they could execute it perfectly! The troops radiated with pride, especially once they learned the move's domineering name. 

[Troops Learned The Brilliant Annihilation Skill!] 

[Their Overall Power Has Increased by 512%!] 

[Congratulations! Created a New Skill!] 

[Leadership Increased Drastically!] 

[Affinity ++++] 

Anyone would have been happy with such a result, yet Jack was already frowning. "Brilliant Annihilation Skill? Please, that's only the Charge part, and executed badly at that!" 

There was more?! 

"…" 

[…] 

Troops and System alike were left standing there speechless. All the pride they had felt earlier was utterly gone. But instead of despairing, it only increased their resolve. 

"Sir, we'll keep training! We'll get it right!" 

"No need. I don't have a thousand years to teach you." Jack dismissively waved his hand. 

A thousand years?! He had to be joking, right?! No….he wasn't. This was the time it would take them to learn the True Formation…all because it required magicians! 

It wasn't so easy to turn warriors/hunters into magicians, much less a group of them! Then again, this would take way less time in a few updates. 

"We're leaving right now! Get ready, all of you!" 

"YES!!!!" There was no hesitation in their shouts. 

They had total unity! Well, besides the mini civil war that happened when it was time for Jack to pick which Centaur to ride on. Carrying a human was shameful? Not that one! 

They all departed toward the battlefield in high spirits. 

Before, they had been inhabited by anger and ready to die for the cause. They were full of hope and eager to test their newfound power this time!

"We'll show them how strong we are!" 

"We'll avenge our fallen brothers!" 

"We'll take back Tribe-Gather!" 

"We'll rescue the little one!" 

Even arriving near the City and seeing its darkness wasn't enough to damper their enthusiasm. Jack stood at the very front, riding the Centaur Chief. 

"Men, get ready! Today is a day that will forever be remembered in Centaur history. Today is the day we retake our honor! Are you ready?" 

The Ephials' stormed out of the City akin to a swarm. There were so many of them that they bloated the plain, turning it into a miasma-infested land. But so what?! 

The dark beings were met with a thundering shout that made the world tremble. 

"KILLLLL!!"