"Where the hell are you dragging us, old man?" Braxis snarled, annoyance seeping from his voice as they plunged deeper into the ominous forest.
Fox shot Braxis a scornful glance, his tone laced with equal irritation. "Hold your tongue, you impudent youngster! You were playing nice earlier, showing some respect. What happened to your damn manners?"
'This NPC just won't shut up,' Braxis thought, tuning out Fox's ceaseless insults.
"Enough of this. Let's take a breather," Braxis declared, plopping down on a fallen tree as if it were a welcoming bench.
Harrison looked on in shock at Braxis's behavior, 'Really Braxis? A break?' Harrison thought as he didn't want to lose the precious opportunity to restore some of his essence.
"I'm an elderly merchant, and even I'm not winded yet. You should be ashamed," Fox chided, wagging his finger reproachfully with furrowed brows.
"You're quite the spirited old man, I'll give you that," Braxis replied, stifling a yawn. This only managed to further infuriate Fox.
'Everything seems to be going according to plan so far. I recognize this part of the area from the game, and there should be an elite boss I can lure out. I just hope it's still there; otherwise, that's probably another life wasted,' Braxis mused internally.
"Braxis, how about we rest for five minutes and then push on?" Harrison suggested, with urgency in his voice.
"Apologies, Harrison, but I don't recall seeking your input," Braxis retorted, waving his hand dismissively as he settled into a position fit for napping.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Merchant. You'll still assist me in obtaining the essence, won't you?" Harrison implored.
"Unless your friend here rises this instant, you can bid farewell to the rewards I promised," Fox warned, his glare as sharp as daggers.
"Braxis, please!" Harrison pleaded, desperation evident in his voice.
A thunderous stomp resounded, prompting Braxis to lift his head with a grin. 'Right on cue, such a good boss,' he thought, lavishing praise upon the unseen foe in a mocking, childlike tone.
A colossal, 20-foot tall giant emerged from behind a massive boulder, each earth-shaking step it took sending tremors through the ground. Caught off guard by the violent vibrations, Harrison stumbled and nearly face-planted.
Fox regarded Harrison with disdain. 'Such a pitiful sight. If Braxis keeps him around, he'll only tarnish his reputation.'
"Well, it seems our departure is overdue," Braxis declared, channeling his mana to hurl a small rock with unerring accuracy at the giant's forehead.
Fox and Harrison exchanged incredulous glances. 'Is Braxis insane?'. Their doubts were soon confirmed when, without warning, Braxis sprinted off in a seemingly arbitrary direction, leaving the pair to fend for themselves.
'Time for a change of tactics. If I can direct the giant's attention towards Fox and Harrison, then I can circle back around and I'll have a chance at defeating Fox. Even if this doesn't work, I'll keep fighting until I win, even if it means exhausting all my lives. '
As Braxis sprinted away, he glanced over his shoulder to see Harrison's face blanch, the young man scrambling to his feet and fleeing from the now infuriated giant, its deafening roars in hot pursuit.
"Braxis, you damn coward!" Fox bellowed, making his escape while playing the part of the feeble old man, his legs quivering beneath him.
"GROAHHH!" The giant howled, slamming its colossal fist down at Fox, who narrowly evaded the crushing blow.
The spot where Fox had stood moments before was now a chaotic jumble of broken stones and debris.
Harrison's eyes narrowed as he watched the giant bear down on the old man. With a determined snarl, he unsheathed his sword, its blade shimmering in the dim forest light. He focused his energy, and the weapon began to pulsate with a fierce red aura, its glow reflecting in his steely gaze. Clenching his teeth, Harrison shouted, "Stop picking on the old man, you tall fucker!" His voice boomed with a ferocity that rivaled the giant's own wrath.
Tendrils of raw energy crackled along the blade's edge, imbuing it with an otherworldly power that hummed in anticipation. As if electrified by his own rage, Harrison propelled himself forward, his muscles rippling beneath his armor. With astonishing speed, he charged at the colossal foe, each stride closing the distance between him and the towering behemoth. Time seemed to slow as the forest held its breath, the air thick with tension and anticipation.
As Harrison neared the giant, he leaped into the air, his sword raised high above his head, poised to strike. For a split second, he appeared to hover there, suspended by some invisible force, before gravity finally took hold. He brought the sword down with a mighty roar, and the red glow transformed into a fiery trail as the blade sliced through the air with the precision and power of a master warrior.
The giant's eyes widened in surprise as the blade tore into its flesh, opening a deep, searing gash in its arm. It recoiled, a guttural howl of pain echoing through the forest, and stumbled backward, clearly stunned by the force and ferocity of Harrison's strike.
"We need to leave now, old man! I don't have enough energy for another move like that," Harrison urged as he looked like he had aged, rushing to scoop up Fox in his arms.
"Not so fast," Fox retorted, delivering a swift kick to the side of Harrison's head, sending him crashing into a tree and rendering him unconscious.
CRRAAACKKK
Fox straightened up and morphed into his younger self, primed for battle with the giant. The behemoth glanced at Fox in astonishment at the sudden transformation but quickly refocused and charged toward him, intent on pounding him into the ground.
Fox smirked, his eyes gleaming with determination, and launched all 50 razor-sharp shurikens at the giant with unerring accuracy. The deadly projectiles found their marks on the giant's massive body, puncturing its flesh and causing it to emit a horrified shriek as it stumbled and began to barrel toward Fox.
As Fox prepared to nimbly dodge the oncoming behemoth, his movements were suddenly halted by a powerful jolt of electricity coursing through his body. His expression twisted into one of sheer terror as he realized there was no escaping his gruesome fate. The giant crashed into Fox, pulverizing him beneath its immense weight and reducing him to a gory mess.
With the agility of a predatory cat, Braxis leaped off the giant's neck. He had managed to circle around and use Harrison's sword strike as a perfect distraction. 'That was painful, but worth it,' he mused, wincing as he removed a shuriken embedded in his shoulder, which was connected to Fox via a thin, almost invisible wire.
'I can't believe he had 50 shurikens, each with a wire. I thought his limit was 20 from the last fight. He killed me without going all out, if he went all out against the giant with his sword he'd probably have managed..' Braxis thought in disbelief.
'Shame I can't loot Fox since he's flattened beneath that colossus. There's no way I'm attempting to lift that massive beast,' Braxis pondered as he circled the giant to reach Harrison.
'No point in killing Harrison while he's out cold. I'll let him live so I can use him as a renewable source of pickpocketing. I'm a genius!' Braxis thought, swiping Harrison's sword, a handful of potions, and his gloves.
'Fox wasn't going to give me those impression points back anyway,' Braxis laughed as he dragged Harrison away and then casually left.