NPC Code: Red Riding Hood

"Capture the girl with the red hood."

"Sir, yes, sir!"

The players shouted, and directed their gazes onto me. After a moment, thousands of bullets rain in our direction. It was a good thing that my system enhanced my senses as I reacted to the assault of these players.

I moved my body like I always did. I dragged Match and Olivia away from harm and behind the boulder. That stone acted as our shield that blocked the rest of the bullets heading towards us. But the enormous rock would not last long, considering the power that these bullets held.

"Match, can you fire your magic towards those players?" I pointed my forefinger at the bushes and trees. "Around that area, just fifty feet away from us."

Although we saw nothing popping out from that part of the forest, I knew the players were hiding there. It was not a wild guess but an intelligent one. If I were in their position, I would have placed my troops over to that site to ambush my opponents.

The little girl reluctantly nodded her head to my instructions. Match stood up and prepared two enlarged magic circles in that direction. She aimed her magical projectiles and unleashed succeeding spheres of fire.

As the attack crashed against the trees, dozens of players revealed themselves from the forest fire. They tried to exhaust the blaze, consuming both of their health bars and clothing. The player's painful screams were the only noise that surrounded the woodland.

Thanks to my deductions, the fireball that Match released hit those players concealing themselves behind the creeping plants.

After seeing the players, I knew it was the perfect time to launch a counter-attack. And that's what I did. With Match's flames burning the heck out of them, there was enough room for me to advance. Considering the damage by the fire, I doubt that fire took every player out from Code. There must be someone else hiding behind these mobs, waiting for an opportunity to strike back at us.

I went to the sides and used the smog as my cover to travel towards the players. With the last duration of my [shadow walk], the path of darkness became crystal for me. Like a leaf flowing with the river, my body danced through the pitch-black road as I rushed closer to my foes.

I swung my sword and cut my opponents in half, forcing them to quit this game. I knew that if these players die; they die in the real world too. But I felt no remorse after killing hundreds of them already.

"I have become a monster…"

Those were the thoughts that linger inside my mind. But I knew that there was no way for me to turn back time. These game developers killed my sister and destroyed my life. I had to kill theirs and return the favour.

I bathed my hands with blood as I continued slashing my blade at the staggering players. Their guns posed no threat to me as I swiftly evaded their attacks and slit their throat. The players screamed and winced in pain as they met my penitent's blade.

Olivia did her best to control the players dashing from their flanks, hoping to trap them with her plants. However, it was not enough to stop those players, since Olivia was more of a merchant than a fighter on the battlefield.

Match tried desperately to fend off the players running towards the side. I knew these players were also soldiers from a different world, apart from the adventurers I met before. Their eyes saw things I had not seen. These soldiers (the players) knew how to kill anyone that they thought of as a threat.

There was a soldier that positioned himself at the side. He was further away from the sight of Match and Olivia. He had that same weapon, a gun with a long stem that almost looked like a bough. That player placed something inside the rifle-probably a bullet that the system told me earlier.

There was one thing that I needed to do. It was to save Match and the merchant girl from that preparing soldier!

Before I could leap from the ground, a hand grabbed my thighs and refused to let me go. As I looked behind, the man, whom I thought died, remained alive. The soldier stared with his eyes bathing with pure killing intentions, hoping to kill me with his remaining ounce of strength. I returned his gaze and slapped him with my hands, wishing to break free from his latch.

I tried kicking the man and tossing him to the side. However, my body jerked backwards. It happened so fast that I did not know what occurred at first sight. But as soon as I squinted my eyes in front, an injured player wielded a gun, pointing in my direction.

A cloud of smoke escaped from the ends of the gun's tunnel. A window also appeared before me, notifying me about the grave injury I received from the blast. My crimson health bar depleted, as if the entire content tossed it to the sea.

My strength fled from my body as I plummeted to the ground. I could feel nothing from my lower body, despite the man's hand still gripping my leg. There was nothing else for me to do but crawl closer from where Match was, warning her about the player aiming for her life.

"Match… leave… Player… gun… "

I could not yell at the little girl, who was still firing her spells at the players surrounding her. After some time, Match finally looked me in the eye. But she was more concerned about my life than hers.

"RED!" Despite her small mouth, Match screamed at the top of her lungs.

Her voice echoed throughout the forest, making the flock of birds flee from the scene. Despite Match's blaring voice, she did not hear my warnings. I kept shaking my head, but it was too late.

"Match… Match… MATCH!"

A blasting sound resonated behind me. The player that controlled my leg had a gun concealed in his sleeve. The soldier seized the moment and pulled the trigger of the gun. Upon glancing at my side, the shell already flew in mid-air.

It was like from before when my body jerked forward after taking a hit from the bullet. But this time, the dart came through my chest, piercing at the middle of my body. The numb sensation crept upwards like fire spreading all over my body. All my cells wailed at me, begging for medical attention from the healers.

"Ma... tch…" Despite my immovable body, I tried calling out for the girl in front of me.

Every colour surrounding me turned into blurred images, as if I was swimming underwater. Even Match, who was just a few feet away, became distant within my view.

My mouth coughed out blood and spilt it in front of me. I knew that the damage ruptured my internal organs. I tried pulling myself together and forced myself to move… but I couldn't. There was no use, since the bullet already destroyed everything inside of me.

The bullet that the player released hovered in mid-air. It welcomed my eyes as soon as it pierced my lungs. Cracking sounds of bones followed afterwards, amplifying the wounds that I already have.

Even my glowing right eye did not see through that bullet. I belittled my opponent behind me and continued focusing on Match in front of my view.

The player right beside Match also did the same and fired his gun. A blaring sound echoed once again, but the origin of the noise came at Match's flank.

Time turned slowly as the memories of Match flashed before my eyes. It was as if reminding me of all the fun times I have had with the little girl.

'Is this it for me?' I thought, while fighting my conscience, refusing to close my eyes.

But the throbbing pain through my chest got the better of me as I witnessed the scene of Match and the bullet.

However, the fight did not end. Match's left eye glowed a bright red and burned everything surrounding her, including the bullet approaching her sides. That metallic object melted even before hitting the girl's skin. The fire circling her body grew and formed like the clouds above the sky, continuing to engulf everything in its way. The blaze that she controlled changed into a different colour. That flame captured my eyes as I stared at it for some time.

The crimson hue, just like my name, vanished from Match's spell. Her fire turned into an azure colour, just like my windows popping into my view.

[Match has mastered the [Blue Fire]]

My system notified me about Match's abilities. The [Blue Fire] that the little girl controlled was ten times stronger than the vermilion and orange hues she used before. It was not just her left eye glowing right now.. Her right eye also shined in the environment, and it gave off an ocean-blue colour.