NPC Code: Red Riding Hood

Elina's Point of View

Continuation of the Bonus Side Chapter

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"Is that a drill? Sometimes, it's just a drill!'

After saying those words, a loud blast echoed at the back, signalling that those players breached our shelter. Eve and I prepared ourselves for a fight as we planned on facing the players.

Eve grabbed her wand and conjured protective magic circles around us, while I grabbed my bow and dagger. These were the only best friends I had, including Even standing by my side. I also considered Kouran as my friend and my mentor, who taught me how to fight.

And now, I would use my lessons in action against these players.

After preparing our equipment, the two of us head outside and meet with the rest of the NPCs. All of them also armed themselves with weapons handed by Kouran and her dark elves' company.

Kouran stood in front of the crowd, sending them instructions on how to protect the shelter. She already planned against an assault, considering that we were on the run against these players. Since those soldiers had long-ranged arsenals without using staves, we did not want to fight them head-on.

Thanks to Wolf introducing us to the system, we identified the weapons as "guns". These guns acted like bows, but they required our hands to pull the trigger. After pulling the trigger, a bullet would emerge from the gun, hitting the target.

Anyone who would get hit by the shell would immediately get shot on vital organs. Kouran had already briefed the NPCs about the gun. She instructed us to avoid engaging our enemies as soon as possible and even spare their lives.

But now, the players had already breached our site. And there was only one way to stop them.

It was fighting them straight on without holding back, while the rest of us would retreat. Some of us would die, but it was a sacrifice we wished to make. If dying meant saving those children, we would give our lives for their sake.

Kouran met my eyes and called the two of us over to her side. Eve and I hurried towards Kouran, listening to all the orders she would say. Within a few seconds, Kouran opened her mouth and dispatched us towards our mission.

"I want you two to protect the NPCs while heading near the Dragonewt's village. That's where Wolf wanted us to go. And that's where we will go," Kouran dictated, while handing me a crest.

I caught the pendant in my hand and stared at it for a while. It was a necklace that proved the leadership of dark elves, which only bearers of the royal lineage could wear. And right now, that glorious pendant rested on my palms, with Kouran staring into my eyes.

"That crest will prove your loyalty to the dark elves. My lackeys would listen to your orders as long as it would be for the betterment of those around you," Kouran said, while shifting her view towards Eve. "Eve, you'll be in charge of the rangers and mages. You will instruct them to fire those magical attacks at the players as you deem fit. I know you two will become responsible leaders, just like La Finta and Queen Guinevere."

"And don't worry about me. I have my own army that I could bring these players down. And I will not stop until I pin them on the wall. Just focus on travelling towards the Dragonewt's lair…. I will meet you there, Elina and Eve. You two have been really good warriors to me," Kouran continued, while giving us a warm embrace. "And as my last advice, don't kill those players. Just knock them out…. it was an order from Wolf."

Although we only met for weeks, those days felt like years to us. We learned a lot from Kouran, and she was the only one who cared for our well-being.

"What do you mean by not killing them? How are we supposed to do that?!" I retorted, but my words never reached Kouran.

However, fate played our lives as we bid our farewell to Kouran. We had fun until it lasted. And right now, we need to protect these NPCs from those bastards. That was the ultimate mission Kouran gave to us before leaving it in our hands.

"We will defend them with our lives!" I shouted.

Eve could express nothing right now, considering that she was still a growing child. She had just experienced the death of her parents. And right now, the girl who acted like a motherly figure said her goodbyes.

Eve did not want Kouran to go, despite knowing the consequences of that action. Although we deemed Eve as a mature lady, she still acted like a kid sometimes. And nobody could blame her for it.

"I-I don't want you to go…. We can help you fight them. We're very strong!" Eve wailed, why hugging Kouran tighter in her arms.

I could not join the embrace, considering that it would only make our goodbyes painful. It was better this way, and I knew we would meet again….

Kouran gingerly pushed Eve in front of her and stood up from the ground. She gave me a nod before leaving us two in the waiting arms of the dark elves. Those armies Kouran spoke of aligned themselves in front of us. Those dark elves gave us a salute, waiting for our orders.

Eve kept shouting for Kouran's name. But the dark elf had already taken her leave.

Kouran nodded and gave Eve to me, knowing that she would do this. The pain inside of me kept throbbing around my chest, pricking me with the thorns of each person leaving us behind.

"Eve, come on. Let's go. Kouran can handle herself, okay? She will meet us soon after kicking the player's butt. But right now, we need to guide these villagers to safety. It's the most important role given to us by Kouran," I said, while caressing Eve's drenched face.

After a few seconds, Eve finally wiped off the beads of tears covering her face. She stood from her place and painted her face with a determined look.

Eve's wand glowed in a vibrant hue, illuminating our dark cave. After a few seconds, the light from the wand disappeared. But a window popped itself and told us the upgraded version of her spells.

Because of Eve's unfortunate life, the system granted her a boost in her powers. That box said that her arcane increased, together with the damage output of the spells she already knew.

There's nothing we could do but move on and protect these NPCs. And that was what we did.

Even finally picked herself from the ground and dashed at my side. That little girl found her resolve and carried out the orders given by Kouran.

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Kouran's Point of View.

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"How many dark elves did we lose?" I asked.

"Around five of them are unconscious, Kouran. And ten of them are severely injured. The two of us are the only ones who could still fight," the dark elf ranger replied.

"So we have lost no one…."

After knocking all the players unconscious, a man stood tall while aiming his gun at me. If that bloke pulled the trigger, I would die.

"Aren't you going to kill me?" I provoked the soldier, while looking for a counter-attack against this player.

"Keep looking for ways to stop me. Believe me, I also tried finding one... But I never came up with anything."

As the man said, there was no way around that gun. Those shells discharged from that pistol had the speed inkling of lightning that would follow its target. Because of that shell, my dark elves got injured in a flash.

Fortunately for us, we did not lose dark elves for now, not unless this man would kill us.

"What do you want?" I asked, while meeting the soldier's eyes.

"Wolf, where is he?"

"I am not talking to a scumbag like you."

After hearing my reply, the soldier fired his bullet at the dark elf beside me. That shell hit the elf's leg, forcing her to kiss the ground. I could not help but watch my soldier scream in pain. Since we were at a disadvantage, there was no use in doing anything but listening to this soldier.

But when I looked at everyone's faces, these elves had already accepted their fate from dying in the soldier's hands. They did not want to disclose the location of Wolf, knowing that he would save us all. We would rather die than sell our comrade for the sake of living in this shitty world.

"We will not talk!" I answered, and spit on the ground.

The man chuckled to himself while placing his gun back in his pockets. "I'm amused you would stay quiet, for Wolf's sake. Well, you answered me correctly, so I will let you live. I thought you're going to sell him for your sake. If you did, I would have killed you instantly before you could even beg for mercy."