NEW Quest: PK part 6

*shiww*

Kuonh took a decisive step. With a swift gesture, he placed his arm in front of Naida as if to shield her from harm. The act was both a physical barrier and a declaration of where he stood.

"y-YOU!"

Klent's anger flared in response to Kuonh's protectiveness, and without hesitation, he hurled yet another fiery projectile at Kuonh.

"ORA!"

But to Klent's shock, Kuonh's reflexes were lightning-fast. With an almost casual motion, Kuonh drew his sword and slashed the incoming fireball in half. The flaming remnants scattered harmlessly in the air.

"Wh-what the hell?" Klent stammered, as he step back. Kuonh, his eyes fixed on Klent, stood with an air of confidence that had left the entire party astounded.

"You" Kuonh's voice, laced with newfound resolve, broke the silence that followed.

"Don't think this will be the same as before. When I was fighting the Arcane, my focus was divided, which is why I barely dodged your attack."

*shiiing*

He pointed the tip of his blade directly at Klent, the bloodlust on his eyes causing Klent's heart to skip a beat.

"Now that I can focus on you," Kuonh continued, a hint of confidence seeping into his voice, "you won't be able to hit me at all, noob."

Trey and the rest of the party stood in wide-eyed amazement, completely taken aback by the unexpected transformation in Kuonh's demeanor, they didn't think that Kuonh, of all people, would say such a thing. The sudden and unexpected burst of trash talk was so shocking that it bordered on hilarity, leaving the entire party momentarily dumbfounded.

Kuonh's choice of words had triggered a reaction within him. Klent had taken offense to being called a "noob," but to Kuonh, it was a term he'd heard before, one that had a completely different meaning in his memory.

Kuonh couldn't help but recall a memory from his life before playing his first MMORPG NEuEarth. It was a simple misunderstanding that had caused this entire situation. He remembered one of his real-life friends who had a habit of calling their opponents "noobs" during online games. Kuonh, unfamiliar with the term and asked his friend what it meant.

His friend, with a mischievous grin, had replied, "Oh, 'noob' means 'buddy' in a sarcastic way. It makes it sound cool in a passive aggressive way, like when you are driving, calling someone 'Buddy' has a different feeling right?."

"Hey buddy, have you ever heard about the turn signal?"

Kuonh went "OOHH" as he immediately agreed.

**

*

The party continued its tense journey through the ominous forest, I couldn't shake the troubling thoughts that swirled in my mind. Our once harmonious and confident party had suddenly been plunged into uncertainty and doubt. Me being a newbie in this MMORPG made me felt useless.

"What happened?" I pondered, my mind racing with questions. "Is this normal when you play MMORPGs? Is this the kind of chaos is what you expect when playing it?" The volatile turn of events had shaken the camaraderie we once shared as a party, leaving us divided and our trust eroding.

The earlier announcement congratulating a player for the first PK in the game had sown seeds of discord and doubt among us. 

My gaze shifted from one party member to another, taking in the strained expressions and clenched weapons. The tension hung in the air, as if any sudden movement might trigger chaos.

"This is bad," I thought, acutely aware of the escalating unease. we have already started to doubt each other. The announcement from earlier reminds every player in this world that PK is a part of this game, and worse, you will be rewarded from doing it.

That guy who made the first kill "AlbaLos" has one hell of a character. Anyway,  I need to lessen the tension, or else just the sound of a stick being stepped on will make this place a freaking bloodbath.

Kuonh had no idea that his offhand remark, calling Klent a "noob," had unknowingly escalated the situation, contributing to the growing tension within the party.

As the party stood ready in front of Klent, weapons drawn, their senses sharpened as they felt the chill in the air, calculating their every move, waiting for the opportune moment to act. The forest seemed to hold its breath, every leaf and shadow a potential threat. Their muscles coiled, and their eyes locked on the others, waiting for the first sign.

But then, a sudden and unsettling laughter began to fill the atmosphere. Laughter that was not a battle cry or a war whoop but a mad and eerie cackle that sent shivers down their spines. Klent, seemingly unhinged, broke into fits of bizarre laughter, his hand covering his face as if the forest itself echoed with his maniacal amusement.

"Kihehe haha, AHAHAHAHA!" Klent's laughter pierced the silence, a jarring contrast to the gravity of their situation. The sound seemed to be absorbed by the trees and the shadows, amplifying its eeriness. Kuonh and Trey exchanged puzzled glances.

Klent's grin turned sinister as he pondered his own actions. "What am I doing? I already have the means to survive, so why am I wasting my time on these losers?" His voice dripped with mockery and self-assuredness.

For a brief moment, he fell silent, leaving an unsettling void in the midst of the tense forest.

But then, with a maniacal outburst, he continued, "WHEN I CAN JUST WATCH YOU GUYS FIGHT THE MONSTER AS I WAIT FOR THE RIGHT CHANCE TO STRIKE!"

Klent raised his hand, and to the party's horror, multiple fireballs manifested around him. Kuonh and the others reacted defensively, ready to evade the incoming projectiles, but to their profound surprise, the fireballs didn't soar toward them. Instead, they began to circle the area like a sinister dance of flames.

Kuonh's eyes widened as he realized the cruel strategy Klent had set in motion. Panic surged through the group. Klent grinned menacingly, his expression twisted with sadistic satisfaction as the fireballs spun around, like vultures circling their prey. "boom" 

*BRRSGS*

*BOOMMS*

The forest resounded with a series of explosive cracks, setting their nerves on edge. But the chaos didn't stop there.

"AWWWOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

A chilling, eerie howl pierced the air, echoing with a resonance that spoke of a horror far beyond their expectations. It was a howl not from an ordinary Arcane, and with that sound, their perilous situation had escalated from bad to worse within a matter of mere seconds.