MMORPG: Rise of the Peerless Pumpkinmancer

How do you call a single wolf? A lone wolf. What about three wolves? A menace! (Or a chick magnet if it's on a shirt with a moon.) As for ten wolves? A fucking catastrophe! 

The NPCs of the Wolf Den village pissed themselves as they saw the deadly creatures approach. The problem was that wolves weren't completely useless in terms of coordination. They didn't fear group warfare at all. No, they even welcomed it! 

As the villagers despaired, Jack was rejoicing. Now that they were here already, the humans would have to band together and fight. After all, wolves were faster than them. The previously relaxed exploration had just turned into a nightmare. 

"No need to fear! Fuck them up and show them our power!" Jack shouted over the chattering of the teeth. 

"Woo!!!!" (Warcry!) 

Then it all started. The initial clash was enough to send blood flying all over the place. The villagers cried out as the sharp fangs and long claws dug into their flesh. But even then, they somehow managed to fight back. 

It started as feeble swings. Even as they were terrified, their survival instinct kicked in. But then they heard a voice that was so damn infuriating! 

"What? Is that all you can do? You'll just let them do as they please next to your village? It's just a few wolves, pathetic!" Jack ridiculed them, making their stomach constrict in anger. 

"Forget it. If you guys are too scared to fight, just run away. I'll take care of it. Even if the village gets destroyed eventually, you guys will live a few more days." He said with the most disapproving tone ever while clicking his tongue. 

Somehow this pissed them off even more. That's when a few couldn't take the insults anymore as they violently grabbed their spears, all trace of fear magically gone: 

"Who's afraid?! I'm not!" 

"It's only a few wolves. I'll skin them!" 

"They won't destroy our village if they're dead!!!" 

They saw red, and it somehow allowed them to overcome their terror. Was any of it logical? Nope! 

They really shouldn't have been here fighting. The one they should have been angry at was Jack, and only him. But, they redirected it all toward the furry creatures. 

They thrust their long and hard spears mercilessly, but even then, their chances of victory were minimal— or so it should have been. Somehow their morale was now so high that the outcome wasn't that certain anymore. 

Their momentum even scarred the predators that couldn't understand what the hell was happening.  How were the humans suddenly so courageous?! They would usually flee faster than looters at a BLM protest! It didn't make any sense at all! 

But if one were to observe them more carefully, one would have noticed a red light nesting in their eyes. Anyone having participated in the Chicken Onslaught would have recognized this state for sure! 

The villagers were under the influence of a spell! It was the berserk skill that came with the Cluckinator. It worked similarly to the Chicken Overlord's one: it affected chickens! Whether it was literal or metaphorical chickens didn't matter much.

This ability wasn't usually that helpful, but it was perfect for cowardly NPC villagers! But just as Jack was rejoicing, he suddenly noticed something out of the corner of his eye. 

Wait….what?! 

Amidst the intense fighting, one man wasn't getting attacked at all. It was the old guy that loved to drink, the one who had been frowning at him a lot lately. Hell, he was even slowly leaving the area as sneakily as possible, tip-toeing away. 

That's when Jack finally realized. By enlisting the villagers, he had expedited the entire questline unbelievably. Usually, this whole sequence of events would never have happened. 

His actions had created a new storyline branch that diverged from how things usually proceeded. He now understood why this guy had seemed so displeased with him!

Jack rushed toward the man, mercilessly slashing at his back without hesitation.

-12

-14

-15

His surprise attack was highly effective as the "man" jumped in fright and pain, but he still survived. 

That's when his exposed and bloody back began to change. Fur began growing at an unbelievable pace, his bones creaked loudly, and he fell on four feet. Then a second later, the man was gone, and there remained only a wolf in his place. 

< Dito the Wolf Shape-shifter Lv 8 ☠ > 

That's when it rushed away, at a speed that was quite frankly impressive. Fleeing was this Mini-Boss's specialty, after all. 

Jack could only watch it leave with annoyance. He could have chased, but it was truly too fast and his troops were dying behind him. He might have been a bastard at times and even considered evil, but he wouldn't just let his men die.

He turned around, bellowing: 

"Motherfucking wolves! Just try an run. It's goddamn reckoning day!" 

He began to dance around the battlefield, the cluck-clucking of his weapon filling the air as he stabbed enemy after enemy. He lost himself in the joy of killing, looking as berserk as the villagers. 

Then it was all over. 

The NPCs came back to their senses with a start. They were all half-dead, but they were still there. Jack had made sure to save the ones about to kick the bucket. 

As they glanced at the corpses strewn all over the ground, they couldn't help but shake. Had they really been the ones that did all this?! Hell yes! The blood staining their shaking hands was the proof. 

At this moment, their bodies didn't feel good at all, but their soul did. Pride filled them in light of their accomplishments. They gave pained but genuine smiles as they reminisced on the previous battle. 

But that's when one gasped in shock. "AH!" The others all stared at him, wondering what was happening. He tried to calm his nerves as he slowly uttered: 

"T-the elder. He turned into a wolf, then you came, and then he ran!!" 

"What are you talking about? Do you have a concussion?" 

"Guys, elder Rufus is gone!!"

Some were panicking from the disappearance and wanted to organize a search team. Some were panicking because they had witnessed part of the transformation. Some were panicking because the others were panicking. 

Jack slowly spoke: 

"Stop, all of you. The "man" you all call Rufus is no man but a wolf able to change his appearance. He probably was spying on us all along." 

— Gasps of shock! — 

"He ran away when I tried to stop him. This means that we must catch him urgently. Otherwise, we'll be in deep shit." Jack solemnly said. 

"T-trouble? What kind of trouble?!" A villager asked while shaking from head to toe. 

"Most probably a wolf tide that will wipe all life in this realm." Jack dropped what felt like a bomb. 

They froze with fear, about to go insane. How the fuck were they supposed to deal with that?! Were they all going to die?! Would their village disappear?! What would happen to them?! 

But that's when Jack spoke once again, his voice ever-so calm. To their despairing hearts, he was the sturdiest and most reassuring stone. 

"Don't worry. I have a plan." 

He did?! They couldn't wait to hear it…

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[A/N] Hype! PRIV Mass Release Time! 🔥

Day 1: Skeletal Chicken Tier (6/6) ☠🐔

Creator's Thought

I detected the signs but missed the complete truth. I remembered the Mini-Boss as a wolf so I was never looking for a man in the first place. I just believed the guy to be a grumpy old man. Even a regressor can be surprised at times. Dwelling on the past is useless, now was the time for a new plan!