Free A New World (Gamer, Book 1) by Kenneth Guthrie Page B

demands,
tiredly.
    The NPC silently hands them a map and
disappears. They stare at it and then look towards the path. A
marathon run back to the starting area is on the books and it's
timed too.
    Harry looks to Axel and then slowly starts to
jog along the path. It is going to be a very long run.
     
    *****
     
    The first attack from the wolves came only 100
meters down the road. Harry saw them step out of a dark black
portal and rush towards them. It was a lucky thing as Axel was able
to nock an arrow and take down the lead wolf, allowing them a few
more meters before the beasts got their footing. From there it
became a non-stop war. The wolves continued their chasing and the
humans continued running. It wasn't long before one of them died
and was sent straight back to the respawn site. The timer ticked
away during that time and now with only two hours left to make a
one in a half-hour run, the two players stand looking at the forest
in worry.
    "We are going to have to face them," Harry
says. "If we don't face them now then we are going to be stuck
here."
    Axel's grip on her bow tightens slightly, but
she says nothing. She nocks an arrow and looks to Harry.
    "Let's do it."
    They walk towards the edge of the small
clearing that makes up the respawn zone and steel themselves for
the fight that is about to begin. There seemed to be only three
wolves at the beginning, but more and more have joined the crowd
and the two players can hear the breathing of the beasts only a
short distance away.
    A wolf jumps from the woods and leaps onto
Harry. One strike is enough to take his health down to three
quarters and another, which seems incredibly fast, takes the gauge
down to halfway.
    An arrow collides with the beast's skull and
it turns angrily with the arrow sticking out from its head. The
beasts are tough and of a level much above Harry and Axel. It is
only together that they can manage this difficult challenge and it
is going to take everything they have in them to defeat the
opponents that are coming their way.
    Harry smacks the beast around the ears with
his stick and spins around it to break one of the animal's legs. It
hobbles back and another wolf jumps from behind a tree to slam into
Axel's chest, sending her to the ground. She stabs it in the neck
with her sword and pushes it to the side as Harry finishes it
off.
    Four wolves jump from the woods and spring
onto them. For a moment there is merely death and killing as the
players take significant damage in their war on the beasts. It's
not long before they are fighting side-by-side as the last of the
wolves tears into them, taking their health right down to the
limit.
    Harry steps forward and cuts the legs out from
underneath the beast. Axel shoots over his shoulder in a daring
move that takes the creature straight in the eye as Harry comes
around behind it to smash a hip bone.
    The monster falls to the ground and there's a
sudden silence. They look around into the woods and hear nothing,
yet the expectation is there. Something will come soon and when it
does pain will be inflicted.
    A black portal opens up behind them and
several wolves jump through. The security of the respawn zone is
lost and the two humans run for their lives as they charge into the
woods and down the path.
    The trees fly by as they run and the howls of
the wolves behind them get louder and louder. There is more than
just the single large pack of wolves running behind them chasing
them. Now and then a wolf will pop out of the woods in a grayish
streak. The players are outnumbered and they know it.
    Harry and Axel run through a clearing and
sprint across to the other side. They both arm themselves with
ranged weapons and fire back now and then to hold the wolves off.
The strategy proves to work well and gains them a little bit of
distance.
    A big beast jumps in front of them and Harry
slings a stone into the creature's side. It is enough to knock it
down, so they can leap over its gray form and continue