MMORPG: Rise of the Peerless Pumpkinmancer

The Centaur army had just escaped the alley, climbing in a hurry. 

"Cut the rope!!" Jack ordered. 

— Swish! — 

The Ephials following them instantly crashed down, Moon Moon spitting on them. The pale-faced Centaurs still couldn't believe they owed their survival to this small wolf! 

A second later, the wolf jumped on the Chief, ready to ride into the sunset as it snuggled next to its master. 

"T-that was something!" The Centaurs exclaimed, jittery from the height. Their race really wasn't made for climbing. 

In fact, they felt as scared as reassured. Surely the enemies wouldn't be able to follow them here, right? But that illusion was quickly dispelled. 

— SHRIIIEEKKK! — 

"Tch— Get ready to fight!!" Jack cried out as the entire building shook. 

It was back, that one freakily powerful Boss! Last time Jack had barely escaped, tricking it off the roof, but now he had helpers!

"Come on, you bastard. Let's see who comes on top now!" Jack mumbled, in a vengeful mood as the shaking intensified. 

A second later, IT appeared. 

< Ephial Commander: Headless Corrupted Centaur 70! :new_moon:> 

Level 70?! Wasn't it level 60?! "RETREAT! There's something…."

— Spurt! — 

It all happened instantly: the Centaurs' spears flew toward the creature's body, only for a halberd of darkness to draw an arc in the air. 

Six Centaur heads suddenly went flying. INSTANT DEATH! 

"… there's something wrong with this guy." By the time Jack finished his sentence, it was already too late. 

It was the same enemy as before, yet it had grown much stronger! It had almost reached True Boss level. 

"S-so strong!" 

"Six died just like that?!" 

"This insane, just insane!" 

Even the Centaurs couldn't keep calm. This bastard had come out of literally nowhere! They ran as quickly as their legs could carry them, without hesitation. 

This thing was powerful, fast, but most importantly it was aiming for the wrong human! 

Even without a head, one could feel its "gaze" locked straight on Jack. It wanted to crush the only being that had ever avoided it, even if said being had died not long after. 

Imagine the shame of failing to kill a human only for mere birds to succeed! As a proud commander, it couldn't let this slide. 

— DASH! — 

All that Jack saw was a blur….then came the CRASH! 

He was perfectly fine, but at what cost. Right before the Ephial Commander reached him, it was mightily tackled by three Centaurs, all four falling off the roof!

They barely could harm the thing, much less stop it… Alone they could have never moved such a powerful foe… but somehow managed together! 

What awaited them below was a sea of regular Ephials and the wrath of the Commander. They had just committed suicide, all to save him. 

Yet as they fell, they gave Jack bright sunny smiles. 

"Go on, leader. Let's meet in the afterlife!" 

"Cleanse Tribe-Gather, alright?" 

"Hehe, better make a song a—"

They were already gone, their heads loped off in mid-air, the creature glancing at its fleeing prey. They were galloping away, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. 

There was a reason he had chosen this specific building to climb. It was connected to the others! Still, reaching it had already costs them more than half their numbers. 

But they'd soon lose them all if he didn't do anything. The birds flying above their heads would ensure they'd never lose that Commander. 

They had to stop it…but how?! 

This would have been so freaking easier if they didn't have a time limit! 

But they had to reach the City's core fast, finding whatever evil lay in there before it could completely reorganize. Otherwise, they'd be walking into their own graves! 

C'mon, think, think! Just freaking think! 

"Woo?"

The little wolf felt its master's anxiety, feeling restless. It wanted to help so much, but it was nowhere near as smart as him… what could it do? 

Jack kept steering them in the right direction absentmindedly. 

Rooftops? Not enough room to fight effectively. 

Ground Below? Crawling with way too many enemies. 

Few Towers? It'd be amazing to crash one on the creature…but not happening. 

If only they could get the same momentum they had at the entrance gate, they'd be able to obliterate the enemy easily. The roofs saved them as much as they limited them. 

If only… 

Jack suddenly jerked in shock. What if?! 

"Ah! Quick, come here!" He gestured to a Centaur, whispering in his ear.

No one else heard his instructions, but the Centaur's reaction was very telling. "W-what?! R-really?! That's possible?! Alright, you can count on me!" 

A second later, a baffling scene appeared before them. Jack focused, gathering some dark energy around him…as he turned the Centaur into an Ephial?! 

It was the same darkness, the same shape, the same… 

"Wow, that's neat!" But the Centaur's voice revealed that he was completely fine as he quickly disappeared after receiving a package. 

"W-what was that?! How did you—"

— SHRIIIEEKKK! — 

IT was back, and they were fucked. 

Once again, it ran up a wall using some kind of ability. This time it wouldn't leave empty-handed, already eying Jack's head. 

"We RUN!" They didn't dawdle and simply ran. 

There was no way for them to fight it head-on, not here anyway. Thus began a mad and bloody pursuit, every step survived laden with a corpse. 

Pushing the creature off a ledge wasn't possible anymore. All they could do was use their bodies to buy a few seconds for their party. 

…26 Centaurs. 

…25

…23 

…20 

Their number dwindled faster than a strip teaser loses clothes. They could only harden their hearts and keep going. 

"Woo!" (We can't keep going like that!) 

The little wolf trembled as it saw its new friends get killed one after the others. It knew they wouldn't respawn for some reason, its master had told him. 

So many friends were gone forever. This simply wasn't fair! It would have already bitten that thing's head if it had one! 

"Keep going, keep going." Jack kept repeating. 

They kept galloping until they finally reached a specific spot. 

It looked just like all the other rooftops, maybe slightly larger but still not large enough for a proper charge. If anything, it had a little shade from a nearby tower? 

As Jack finally stopped, everyone couldn't help but still in shock. Had he given up? No, right?! Even now the creature was glancing evilly at them. It had finally cornered its prey!

This would be a nice spot for a grave...