"See that? Over there!" James pointed, his voice trembling with excitement as he spotted distant buildings dotting the horizon. They moved at a brisk pace across the open plains, the wind whipping past them, carrying the whispers of the land they'd left behind.
"Can we... maybe take it down a notch?" Daniel panted, each breath a laborious effort. Sweat trickled down his brow, dampening his frail form. "I don't think this body can handle much more of this."
"Daniel's right," Jake chimed in, exhaustion etching lines onto his face. "We should rest a bit. We've put enough distance between us and that godforsaken place." Without waiting for a response, Jake flopped onto the ground, staring up at the vast canvas of the sky.
Daniel and James followed suit, crumpling onto the soft earth beside Jake, each lost in their own thoughts. A heavy silence blanketed the trio, broken only by the occasional rustle of the plains' grass, swaying in the soft breeze.
In the quiet, Jake's attention drifted back to the mysterious menu that held the key to their peculiar abilities. His mind moved deftly across the various options until one caught his eye:
'Party Members'.
0 Party Members
Would you like to invite people to your party?
'Hmm, interesting. Let's see what happens if I add Daniel and James to the party,' Jake mused as the invites went out.
Party invite accepted
Party invite accepted
"Seems we share experience points in a party. Not much else info on this, though," James observed, acknowledging the party invite.
"That's correct, but there's more. I can visualize where you guys are, like a map in my head. This could be a game-changer if we get separated," Jake added, his mind buzzing with the possibilities.
A sudden gasp from Daniel cut their conversation short. His eyes were wide, fear stark in their depths. "Guys, we have company," he stammered, sitting bolt upright.
Jake squinted, his heart pounding in his chest as he registered the impending threat. A creature, not unlike a panther but only small to medium in size, was darting toward them. Yet its stature belied its threat; its teeth were razor-sharp, gleaming with a deadly glint under the fading daylight. It bared its fangs in a spine-chilling roar that echoed across the open plains, and the raw, primal ferocity in its eyes seemed powerful enough to freeze even the stoutest of hearts.
"We're not outpacing that monster," Jake said, his voice steady despite the adrenaline surging through his veins. "Get ready, boys. We're going to have to fight for our lives." A rush of energy coursed through him as he rose to his feet, his stance mirroring the primal readiness of the beast bounding towards them.
As the snarling creature closed the gap between them, James's veins thrumming with a volatile mix of fear and resolve, moved to the fore. "Listen up, I'll take the lead! Regardless of what happens to me, we've got to bring this beast down. I won't let you guys die again," he declared, his voice reverberating with intense resolve.
Before Jake or Daniel could respond, James was already charging, closing in on the beast. His movements were a blur of adrenaline-fueled speed. He ducked just in time as the creature leapt, its trajectory aimed straight at him. In a surprising move, he retaliated with a fierce headbutt mid-leap, causing the creature to recoil in surprise and pain. Its fangs flashed in a silent snarl as it was knocked onto its side.
"This is our shot! Take it down!" Jake bellowed, barreling towards the scene of the conflict with Daniel hot on his heels, while James grappled with the momentarily stunned beast.
With a swift and brutal counterattack, the creature's jaws snapped around James's arm, piercing flesh and grinding against bone. Pain exploded through him like a white-hot starburst, an agonized howl ripped from his throat. Blood spurted, a macabre dance of red droplets in the air, soaking into the dirt beneath them.
Yet, even amidst the gut-wrenching agony, James found an edge of indomitable defiance. With a blood-curdling scream of desperation, he drove his fingers, caked with the grime of battle, deep into the creature's eye sockets.
A sickening squelch resonated through the silent battlefield as the soft, gelatinous tissues gave way under his relentless assault. The creature's retaliatory roar was cut short, replaced by a guttural yelp of pain as its vision was ruthlessly snuffed out, twin geysers of viscous fluid gushing from its now empty sockets.
The beast recoiled, relinquishing its hold on James's arm. Seizing this moment, Jake threw himself at the creature, his foot connecting with its belly in a series of brutal kicks. Daniel joined in, landing punishing blows on the creature's face.
Their relentless assault drove the beast to the brink, its attempts to rise and retreat thwarted by James, who valiantly grappled to keep it pinned. It unleashed a desperate roar, its struggles gradually diminishing under their onslaught, until, drained of all energy, it finally collapsed.
As its life force ebbed away, an ethereal message floated before Jake's eyes.
Level 2
Choose a class then choose a skill
Stat update pulsed into view:
Strength: 6
Magic: 5
Mana: 5
Resistances: 1
Options for class selection spun up next, cryptic and shrouded in the game's opaque mechanics.
"Damn, no data on these choices... How the hell are we supposed to pick?" Jake's voice echoed with bewilderment through the grassy plains.
"AAAHHH! I'm fucking dying here! I saw something about a Healer class... One of you better take it, or I'll bleed out right here," James managed through gritted teeth. A gory mixture of blood, sweat, and tears coated his pained grimace.
Sighing in resignation, Daniel stepped forward. "Guess I'm on Healer duty. Not sure if I'll instantly get the necessary magic, but James is knocking on death's door, so let's roll the dice. Jake, go for a Damage Dealer. I trust you to cover our asses." His declaration was punctuated by a gentle, swirling light enveloping him, marking his class decision.
As he knelt beside the prone James, his tone softened. "Just hang on buddy, okay? Let's see if I can patch you up." A side of Daniel they'd never seen before peeked out.
James' breathing was labored, each exhale a raspy gasp. His consciousness teetered on the edge, but he managed a hoarse whisper, "Thought you hated me…"
"Well, you're not wrong, you complete dick. I'm dreaming of the day you die a slow, miserable death after you got me killed for no reason. But, not on my watch today." The remark belied the concentration on Daniel's face as he summoned a verdant aura enveloping James. The light pulsed, threading sinew and skin back together, healing the gruesome wound. Afterward, Daniel fell back, drained from his first magical exertion.
From the party menu in Jake's mind, Daniel's health bar showed him at 75% capacity, the earlier bleeding status now absent.
"Holy shit…" James rasped, his voice filled with wonder as he flexed his mended arm. His face, once twisted in pain, now glowed with awe. "Daniel, you... you saved me. I fucking love you, man!" Tears glistened in his eyes as he crawled over, desperate to embrace Daniel in an overwhelming surge of gratitude.
But Daniel recoiled, his face contorted with disgust. "Get the fuck away from me! I didn't save your sorry ass because I wanted to. You're going to make up for getting us killed by choosing the goddamn Warrior class. Tank the damage and suffer like the worthless prick you are."
James replied, "Done," without missing a beat. His acceptance marked by an enigmatic light swirling around him in a spectacle similar to Daniel's.
The expectant eyes of James and Daniel then turned to Jake. "What are you going to choose, Jake?" they queried, the weight of their hope hanging in the silence.