[ Dark Robin Hood Lvl 3 ]
[ Restoring HP… ]
[ Adjusting Avatar… ]
Pete's internal organs began shifting around. His bones cracked, elongated, and realigned. His muscles, hair, and skin reoriented themselves. The transformation differed from what he had experienced through the Perfect Gene skill.
However, the boy felt no pain. Or perhaps he had turned impassive to pain. He had shut off his humanity.
Pete got to his feet slowly. He was taller, stronger and rage leaped inside him, urging him on. A feeling of invincibility engulfed him.
Pete bore seething hatred towards the world, towards evil and entitled people. Those who thought they could do wrong and get away with it. Those who exploited and robbed the weak and the needy.
The rogue boss pulled up his pants and turned around.
"Who the fuck are you?"
"I am the boy you kicked in the gut, knowing he would die. A few moments ago, I was biting the dust. I am the fool who has been fucking around without a purpose ever since I came to this godforsaken world!"
"You are blabbering nonsense, boy! Get lost! We are kinda busy here."
Pete stepped out of the darkness and dropped his cloak. A black hooded vest and canvas pants appeared on his body.
"So, it pleases you to force yourself on a helpless young girl?" he posed to the rogues.
"Man, who the bloody fuck do you think you are?" the boss spat. "Are you a mage or something? It doesn't matter. You are pissing me off, so you're going to die, regardless. Look at our numbers."
[ Loading Quest… ]
[ Quest Title: Making of a Murderer ]
[ Commit Two Murders Out of Vengeance ]
[ Reward: 100 💰, Title: Amateur Butcher ]
'Accept!'
Two of the rogues ran at Pete. Splurge! He grabbed one by the neck and ripped out his throat. The other rushed in and punched the boy in the face.
[ HP -1 ]
"Pathetic." As the rogue swung again, Pete grabbed his arm and ripped it out of its sockets. Both men died in a few seconds on the damp ground. Blood mixed with mud to form an eerie crimson color.
[ Virtue - 3 ]
[ Quest Title: Making of a Murderer ] [ Completed! ]
[ Reward: 100 💰, Title: Amateur Butcher ] [ Rewarded! ]
Ding!
[ Level Up! ]
[ Dark Robin Hood Lvl 4 ]
[ HP 5000 ]
[ MP 2000 ]
[ Dexterity ∞ ]
[ Darkness 10% ]
[ Wealth- 100 💰 ]
[ Robin Hood Special Pack ] [ Awarded ]
'Unlock.'
[ Longbow x1, Quiver (50 arrows) x1, Strangler Gauntlets x1 ] [ Collected! ]
[ Equipped ]
On realizing that their adversary was overpowered, the rogues started running away. Pete reached back into his quiver and pulled out twelve arrows simultaneously. He nocked them on his longbow.
[ Versatile Archery Level Too Low ]
[ Lack of Experience Offset by Dexterity ]
[ Versatile Archer Level 4 ]
He let go of the arrows.
Fwub! All twelve arrowheads ripped into the backs of their targets. They collapsed and died momentarily.
[ Virtue -12 ]
Ding!
[ Massacre Bonus: 100 💰 ]
Pete took a long stride and was in front of the seasoned boss in a second. The villain stopped in his tracks and folded his hands in terror.
"Let me go, mister. I will never trouble you again," he begged.
"What were you going to do to the girl?" Pete barked.
The boss broke into a sweat and stammered, "Err… I… She is… an elf… not a girl… We are allowed… by the Sheriff… please…"
"That was a rhetorical question," Pete replied. "You didn't have to answer. Your time is done."
Pete landed two kicks, one on each of the boss' legs. Crack! Thwack! The bones shattered, and he fell, braying in pain.
"How does it feel?" he asked the seasoned rogue. The latter only shook his head, pleading with his attacker to let him go.
Pete removed two arrows from his quiver. "This is for what you did to Bree!" He jammed them into the man's eyes.
"Aaaargghhh!!"
The rogue boss shook uncontrollably for a few seconds and died. "Dead so soon, huh?"
[ Brutality +2 ]
"What a disappointment!" the boy's voice echoed in the alley.
Pete wiped his blood-stained hands over the boss' shirt and got to his feet. He looked around for Bree. The girl lay trembling near a wall of the alley.
She was naked; her clothes lay in tatters. He could see her tiny nipples and the pubescent hair between her legs. "So, there is no nudity censorship as long as I run the Dark Robinhood System," Pete figured.
He picked up the cloak and approached Bree. She was shivering because of the cold and agony but could not move. Her legs and arms were fractured, and her face was almost beaten to a pulp.
Pete covered her gently with the cloak and put an HP potion bottle to her lips. She drank gratefully. In a few moments, her limbs started healing. However, it took another entire bottle to undo the damage by the rogues.
Once Bree recovered, she wrapped the cloak tightly around her and slid to the corner, cowering in fear. Was she afraid of him?
"I won't hurt you. I promise," Pete assured her. His black eyes retracted, and normal pupils appeared. She did not answer him but seemed to relax.
"Come, let's go," he instructed the girl. "Let's get out of this dangerous place and find you a new dress."
Bree wiped her tears, got to her feet, and walked alongside him, still keeping some distance. Pete realized that the brutal attack coupled with the massacre would be traumatic for a fifteen-year-old girl. Nothing that piping hot soup would not fix. She would get better with time. Were there potions to overcome trauma?
The duo was almost out of the alley when Pete started feeling dizzy. His knees buckled.
"Master!" Bree exclaimed, lending him support. "Are you all right?"
Pete's pupils widened again, covering his eyes. He jumped to his feet and grabbed Bree by the neck. "Master… "the girl squeaked. "What… are you… doing?"
He lifted her in the air and squeezed. "You little cunt!" he thundered in a gravelly voice. "You robbed helpless people for years! This is time to pay for your actions!"
"Master! It's me.. Bree… You're… choking… me…"
The girl kicked out her legs helplessly. "Help…" Bree's eyes rolled up into her sockets as the life drained out of her.
"That's enough!" Pete felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He dropped the girl and turned around. A familiar female face stared back at him.
Morgiana.
"That's enough, Robin," she said in a soothing voice. "You are a noble man. Robin Hood doesn't kill people in vain. He helps the poor and the needy. He is a hero to the people. Robin! Remember who you are!"
Pete felt like he had been in a trance, underwater in his subconscious. Morgiana's voice echoed in his ears and woke him up. "Robin! Remember who you are!"
His pupils retracted, and he collapsed to his knees again. The boy looked up, grimacing in pain. "Morgiana," he stammered. "I don't know what's happening to me. Please help me. It hurts…"
The girl held him and put his face into her bosom. "It's okay. I am here now. Everything is going to be alright." She held a white potion bottle to his lips. "Drink. This is a virtue potion."
Pete gulped down the liquid and felt the suffering wither away gradually. "The effect is temporary. You will have to come with me if you need help." Pete nodded.
Morgiana gave Bree ten gold coins to get new clothes. "He is usually not like this."
"Where are you taking my master?" the teenager asked.
"I will return him to you soon," Morgiana replied, leading Pete away.
A handsome brown mustang horse was tied to a post outside the alley. The girl freed it and alighted first. She then helped Pete get on horseback in front of her.
Morgiana snapped the reins, and the horse took off with blinding agility. 'Another magical horse,' Pete thought, his mind swirling. He dozed off a few minutes later. Morgiana held onto him and urged the steed on. She knew their destination.
Sherwood Forest.