Chapter 61: Failed Fox Trap

*Wrrryryyyyyyyy*

Nathan slashed the flaming loogies as he ran towards the “Burn Boars”. The Burn Boars roared, as their attacks were knocked away and dodge, so much that they all begin to charge at Nathan. As they ran their bodies ignited encasing them in flame. At this point, it was nearly impossible to touch them, but Nathan was waiting for this and readied the barrels the quest giver provided him.

Nathan: “Little closer.”

When the boars charge brought them tightened to the point, where they were basically touching one another, Nathan had his plants whipped the barrels up into the air, smashing them down on the Boars. The barrels had been filled with a green liquid, that put out the fires, leaving the boars vulnerable. They tried to reignite, but the green liquid was preventing ignition, sticking to their bodies like glue.

It was nothing for Nathan, to use his vines to then, whip the boars up into the air, where his Uzy, could pelt them with a barrage of bullets. After a few minutes, the bullet seed did its work and the boars hung lifelessly in the air.

Nathan: “Phew.”

Iris: “Is that all of them?”

Iris floated over to Nathan, just as he finished

Nathan: “On my side, what about you?”

Iris puffed out her chest, with a prideful smile.

Iris: “Of course, they were no trouble at all, a simple twist of the neck, was all it took.”

Nathan: “You say some scary things sometimes. Well, good job anyway.

Iris: “Thank you, a good job to you as well.

Nathan: “Alright, let’s head back to the village and collect our reward. I’ll start piling these up,you go grab your share and will head off.”

Iris: “Right.”

Nathan piled the Boars onto a cart, that he borrowed from the village and began to head back.

Iris: “Master I’ve brought them.”

Nathan: “…………………..Iris, the quest was only for eight, right?”

Iris: “It is, as you say.”

Nathan: “Then tell me why you have, one, seven, fifteen dead boars there!?”

Seeing dead bodies floating behind Iris was a horrifying sight on its own, but the fact that there was unneeded amount, made the seem all the more terrible.

Iris: “Well, when I finally chased them down, I was lead to the group you see here. I had no choice but to fight back, right?”

Nathan: “*Sigh*Fine, just put them on the cart.”

Iris hurriedly placed the boars on the cart and joined Nathan at the front.

Nathan: “Alright, let’s go, I hope the village can do something with all the extra meat.”

_

_

Old Man: “Thank you so much, we been waiting so long for help, we didn’t thank anyone would come.”

Nathan: “It was nothing.”

Old Man: “Here, let me see your adventurers card.”

Nathan pulled out his card, handing it to the old man. The old man pulled up a screen typed in something and then the screen flickered twice. He then handed it back to Nathan.

Old Man: “There, now you can claim your reward at the guild, again thank you so much.”

Nathan: “No problem, what about your fields, those Burn Boar kinda wrecked it. You want help rebuilding?”

Old Man: “Hahahahah, don’t worry about that none, we may be a small village, but we’re pretty handy when we work together.”

Villager: “Mayor, we brought it.”

Old Man: “Ah, right on time.”

Several villagers wheeled a cart up to Nathan. The extra boars had been cut and stripped, meat, fur and tusks piled the cart.

Old Man: “Take these with you as well.”

Nathan: “Oh, I couldn’t possibly-”

Old Man: “Nonsense, I won’t take no for an answer, even though the extra is helpful, how could we possibly not share the spoils with you.”

Nathan wonder how he was gonna carry all this extra stuff, he had to wait until he got out of town before he stuck them in his Inventory. Lucky for him, they let him keep the cart. It wouldn’t take much to pull it down the road.

Nathan took a look around and frowned, the fields around had been trashed by the Burn Boars.

Old Man: “What the matter youngster?”

Nathan: “Are you sure you’re gonna be okay with this?”

Old Man: “I already said were good, you done enough lass, let us take care of the rest.”

Nathan: “Well, alright, I hope things go well, take care.”

Old Man: “Thanks, again.”

The few people in the village, saw Nathan off, waving to him as he walked away, hauling the cart.

Young girl A: “Hey, isn’t she the rumored Lycanian?”

Young girl B: “Yeah, but she not as scary as the rumors say, but she is really beautiful.”

Young girl A: “Yeah, even as she’s leaving the village, is like little lights are dancing around her.”

The Old man listening was taken aback, he thought that it was just his delusion, but others could see the small lights dancing off her. It was quite enchanting, like tiny fairies dancing around their queen.

Charisma +3

Nathan: “Oh, I wonder what I did?”

Iris: “He said he didn’t need help, but you went and pollinated their fields anyway. Won’t they find it strange that their gardens regrew so fast?”

Nathan: “Won’t matter, I placed a delay for about two hours. By that time, I’ll be long gone, and they will just count it as good fortune.

Nathan stop letting seed out and continued down the road, soon leaving the village behind.

_

_

Anais and Ena climbed the steps to the Library, the girl from before nowhere in sight. It figures she would only come when Nathan was around. After they entered they stared up in amazement, I was as large as Nathan had describe.

Ena: “I’m not that fond of books.”

Anais turn to Ena, who had an expression of discomfort.

Anais: “You the one who volunteered to come.”

Ena: “I know.”

Ena had every intention of helping, they were basically help her get home for free. Even if they say it was on the way, it was still a kind gesture and she planned on helping out every chance she got, even with the dreaded books.

?????: “Can I help you?”

The girls turned to find a bespectacled woman dressed in a white robe, calling out to them.

Anais: “Yes, do you know where I could find books on the races of the world?”

Bespectacled Woman: “Why yes, any race in particular your looking for?”

Anais: “Race similar to Felideax.”

Anais had come here, per Nathan’s request. He wanted her to find any information on Vex, if she could. There had to be a reason why he knew so much about them and they were gonna find out.

Bespectacled Woman: “Hmm, I think I know just the section your looking for, if you would follow me, please.”

Ashley: “Cheria?”

The three turned to find a Petite blonde girl coming towards them.

Cheria: “Ashley, you know better to run in the halls.”

Anais: “(Ashley, she was the one barring our entry.)”

Ashley: “I’m sorry, but your being summoned. Victor's in need of your assistance.”

Cheria: “Is it urgent, I’m in the middle of something?”

Ashley shook her head.

Ashley: “He said it was extremly urgent.”

Cheria: “Oh dear, then can I ask you to finish up here, while I go see what he wants?”

Ashley: “Huh?”

Ashley, for the first time took notice of the two, standing behind Cheria. She had the strangest feeling she seen the two before, but she could not recall where and when.

Cheria: “Take them to Area 3, please.”

Ashley: “R-Right, I’ll will do that.”

Ashley recited where to go in her head as Cheria turned to leave.

Ashley: “If you could follow me please.”

Anais: “Yeah.”

Ena and Ashley followed Ashley down the hallway, the area growing quiet the deeper they traveled. Ena stared drill into the back of Ashley’s head.

Ena: *Whisper* Hey, could it be that she doesn’t remember us?”

Anais: *Whisper* Doesn’t look like it, even after we argued.”

Ena: “*Whisper* Do you think we should say something?”

Anais: “*Whisper* No, best not to poke the hive.”

Ashley felt shivers down her spine, starting right after the two girls began to whisper. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she had the strangest feeling they were talking about her.

Nathan: “Ugh, this is taking way too long.”

Nathan complained, as he searched the forest floor for a certain herb. They had been slogging around all morning and only accomplished five of the fifteen quests they had taken.

Nathan: “This never took this long, when I did them in the games, then again, is not technically me. Is this how the game characters feel when we make them slog up in down the same areas, grinding and farming for exp and material for hours on end with no breaks, day after day. Virtual protagonist, now I understand your pain.”

Sweat ran down Iris face, as she watched Nathan ramble on nonsensically, over his newly discovered revelation, apologizing to a faceless sky.

Iris: “If we were to ask the others, we could have divided the work.”

Nathan: “Anais went to the library looking for clues on Amelia and Ena went with her, saying that if we were going to help her get home, she could at least make it easier. I also asked them to find out anything on what Vex could be.

Iris: “And what of Ash?”

Nathan: “Ash is doing his own thing, I’ll let him do as what they want, I am the only one who wants to go in the Dungeon anyway.”

Iris: “If that is what you wish.”

Nathan: “It is, lets just continue trying to finish as many as we can, but at this rate, I won’t finish enough until the third day.

Iris: “Right, but how many quests it will have to finish before we’re aloud to rank up?”

Nathan Suddenly stopped walking, upon Iris’s inquiry, he realized a huge problem.

Nathan: “………………………..Crap, I never asked and it will take forever if we run all the way back to find out. Tch, oh well, let just finish this, we can ask once we get back.”

Iris nodded and took to the sky, being able to see long distances, all Nathan had to do was look at the back of his hand and follow her for an instant shortcut. Walking through the small but dense wooded areas was very calming, with the sun partly hidden from the trees, it was very serene.

Along the way Nathan picked up any quest item he could, along with any new seed he came upon. Slowly but surely, he was accumulating a good list of items to grow.

Nathan would emerge from a part of the woods only to end up on the roads again, but just as soon as he was back, he was treading off path again.

The roads of this world were very inconvenient, they zig and zag, avoiding wooded areas all together. Partly due to the fact they weren’t as technologically advance as his world. Cutting down large trees, removing their stumps and roots, then paving a road, would take a lot of time. Though, they did have magic, one would think they’d find a way.

Nathan looked down at his hand, Iris was just above him somewhere, he couldn’t see her through the thick trees. Walking along, his "Threat Detection" went off.

*Rustle**Rustle*

Nathan: “Who’s there?”

Woman: “Pl-Please.

Out from the bushes a therian woman stumbled. Her clothes were ripped and hanging off her, exposing her shame. She stumbled forward, only to collapse on her feet.

????????: “Please you must help me, please.”

The girl threw herself into to Nathan’s arms and begin to cry.

Nathan: “Are you okay, what happened?”

Girl: “*sniff**sniff* We were on our way to Loegrey, when bandits attacked us.”

Nathan: “Bandits?”

Girl: “They chased us into the woods, I only barely escaped. But, they still have my brother, please you have to help him.”

Nathan: “You poor thing, here, will go get help.”

Girl: “N-No you can’t.”

Nathan: “Don’t you want to save your brother?”

Girl: “OF COURSE I DO. Ah I’m sorry, but if we run off to find help, I fear it might be too late.”

Nathan "Threat Detection" was still going off, no matter how he saw it, this was a setup. Her clothes might be torn, but they looked self-done, all the rips were done in the front, all within hand reach. And her story didn’t make sense, she said they were chasing her, but Nathan didn’t feel anyone else around.

Nathan looked down at the girl, from the shape of her ears and tail, she was similar in appearance to a fox, the one that appears as the heavens messengers in the anime, he loved watching. She was putting on a good show, trying her best to get Nathan to believe her tall tale, so much that he decided to go along with it decided.

Nathan: “I understand, I’ll go save your brother.”

Fox Girl: “You will?”

Nathan: “I will, in the mean-time, if you head in this direction, you will get to the road, get there, get help.”

Fox Girl: “What, but how will you fine him, I need to come along.”

Nathan: “Naw, that’s okay, you need to get yourself looked at, wouldn’t want your brother to worry.”

Fox Girl: “I-I guess you’re right.”

Nathan: “Good, I’ll be off.”

Nathan took off and to the bushes, he had her scent, so all he had to do was follow it backwards. He was heading deeper into the wood, much deeper then he or Iris planned, deeper than anyone could here. With his Threat Detection going off, he could tell that he was being surrounded. Nathan begin releasing, letting the breeze take them and scatter them around.

Nathan: “Alright, that’s done.”

Coming into a small clearing Nathan ran into a child, out cold in the middle of nowhere. As he walked he listened out for a certain sound, at first it was quiet, but slowly the sound came across clearly. A boy was sitting alone crying for his mom.

Nathan: “(Okay, this is stupid, it would have been more believable if the boy was surrounded by thug like men/women. This right here, is just screams trap.)”

Nathan put a hand to his face and sighed, it was to cliché for words. He approached the boy, just to be sure, but as he thought, just like his sister, he didn’t have any wounds. His clothes were tattered and his face dirty, but otherwise he was fine.

Nathan: “Hey are you okay?”

Fox Boy: “*sniff, sniff who are you, what do you want?”

Nathan: “Your sister sent me to help.”

Fox Boy: “She's safe, thank goodness.”

Nathan: “Yup, now let’s get you outta here. (Cue trap dialogue in five, four, three, two, one).”

Fox Girl: “That want be necessary.”

On cue the girl from before showed up behind Nathan.”

Nathan: “You, that was fast you got help already?”

Fox Girl: “I’m afraid there won’t be any help.”

Nathan: “I don’t understand?”

Fox Boy: “Oh man how dumb could you be?”

Nathan: “It not nice to call your savior, dumb.”

The boy hopped to his feet and strolled over to his sister, both of them smirk triumphantly.

Nathan: “Hey, what’s going on here?”

Fox Boy: “Don’t you get it, we played you, lured right into our trap.”

Fox Girl: “We’ll be needing you to come with us.”

Nathan: “A trap you two, what do the two of you think you can do to me?”

Fox Girl: “Not just us.”

The girl snapped her finger, with a smug look on her face, but nothing happen after several seconds of waiting

Fox Girl: “……………………What?”

The woman tried snapping several more times, but nothing happened.”

Fox Girl: “What the hell’s going on? Hey com out!”

Fox Boy: “What’s going on was this a part of the plan?”

Nathan: “Pfffffffttttttt,bwahahahahahah.”

Fox Girl: “What’s so funny?”

Nathan: “I’m sorry, your reactions, I can’t help it.”

Fox Girl: “What?”

Nathan: “When you snapped your finger you were calling for these people right?”

Nathan waved his hand and from the tree tops, several men and woman were lowered into view. Coiled around their bodies were vines, tightly binding them from head to toe. Muffled screams coming from them as they try to say something. The therian girl and boy looked panicked stricken, seeing their allies tied up all neatly. Nathan on the other hand was laughing away.

Fox Girl: “Wh-what is this?”

Nathan: “Their your friends right, they seemed very dangerous, so I tied them up.

Fox Boy: “How did you-”

Nathan: “Did you really think I believe that story, come on, there are guards walking up in down the roads all the time.

Both of them took a step back, they had chosen wrong, after seeing the therian in town, trying to such high-quality weapons, they followed him, only to find him being friendly with the Lycanian who was causing in up roar. They figured the weapons came from him and if they could get him alone, he could lead them to it.

Nathan: “So what are two rogues doing with a group of humans?”

They both look to each other and made their decision, but Nathan caught on.

Nathan: “No, no, you’re not going anywhere.

Two vines shot up from the ground, attempting to ensnare the siblings, but with some incredible acrobats they dodged the attempts.

Fox Girl: “Don’t take us lightly, you find were not as easily caught by one of those.”

Nathan: “Oh yeah, how about fifty, no wait, let’s make it a hundred.”

Hundreds of vines erupted from the ground, like a rampaging forest. Though they tried their best, but the number of vines were too overwhelming and soon they were captured.

Nathan use his vines to search their bodies, looking for anything they could use to escape.

Fox Girl: “P-Pervert, where are you making them touch!?

They’re faces flushed both with embarrassment and in rage, but Nathan ignore that and continued the search. Finding nothing he lowered them down.

Nathan: “Okay, since you did this, I assuming you heard the rumors from Borice?”

Fox Girl: “What are you talking about?”

Nathan stared at her, but he couldn’t find any traces of a lie.

Nathan: “That’s not it, then why did you try to attack me?”

Fox Girl: “……………………………………”

Nathan: “Not saying anything huh, well how about I ask you instead.”

Nathan turned his attention to the younger sibling, the sister perking, as he strolled the short distance to the kid.”

Fox Girl: “LEAVE HIM ALONE, IF YOU WON’T ANSWERS, ASK THEM.”

Nathan: “I would, but I don’t think I’ll get anything out of them.”

Nathan pointed over to the men and women tied up, they had all passed out, below them were a bed of flowers neither of them had seen before.

Nathan: “I was too hasty, I couldn’t get anything from them if I tried now. So that just leaves you two. Either you tell me what I want to know, or I turn you over to the authorities, which I’m sure won’t go over well for a couple of rogues.”

From what Nathan could tell, being a rouge was bad enough, but a rogue found committing crimes seemed like a death sentence.

Fox Boy: “Sister, maybe we should-”

The older sibling glared at her brother, her stare silencing him. Nathan was getting the feeling that the two weren’t as crooked as he had thought. The look on the older sister’s face, it said she was scared, but not of him and the little brother’s willingness to talk, meant they weren’t loyal to the rest of them.

Iris: “Master?”

Nathan looked up, above him floated Iris, just in time. After realizing Nathan had stop following her, she came looking for him.

Iris: What happened here?

Nathan: “Iris could you do me a favor?”

The boy and girl watch as Nathan seemingly had a conversation with himself.

Fox Girl: “Huh, hey what’s going on!?”

Fox Boy: “Big sis!?”

The vines entangling the girl, began to move, pulling her out of sight. Right after her all the other tied up individuals, also were being pulled out of sight.

Fox Girl: “Kou, don’t say anything, no matter what, don’t say anything.”

The woman disappeared into the trees, Iris doing as Nathan asked and following the group into the trees. With everyone gone, only Nathan and Kou remained.

Nathan: “So, your names Kou, huh?”

Kou: “What did you do with her?”

Nathan: “Don’t worry she’s fine, I just need to talk to you, man to man.”

Kou: “Man?”

Nathan ignored his response and let the vines holding the kid loose, except a few that were binding his arms.

Nathan: “So, you were about to say something earlier, speak freely.”

Kou: “…………………….”

Staying true to his sister’s request remained silent, but Nathan didn’t believe he would hold up for long.

Nathan: “Come on kid, I want to help you.”

Kou: “Help me?”

Nathan: “Yes help, you see I don’t think you and your sister are doing this willingly. You were way too willing to speak earlier, for me to believe your loyal to them. I think, you were forced to lure me here, I also think that you and I can help each other.”

Kou: “………………..”

Nathan: “So if you tell me why there after me and where they are, I’ll will go deal with them.”

Kou: “Why would you do this, for me?”

Nathan: “I’m not, I’m doing it for me. If there are more people like this and there out looking for me, I’d rather go deal with it now, then to have them bother me later. So, it’s really just for me, but if I get rid of them and it helps you, I don’t see the downside.”

Kou: “………..And you’ll make sure they go away?”

Nathan: “Sure will.”

Nathan smiled a gentle and pleasant smile, making the kids heart skip a bit. Nathan knew he had got him, back in his world, his sisters taught him, with his appearance, all it took was a genuine smile to get people to do what he wanted. Within a few minutes, the familiar tone, rang out in Nathan’s ears.

*ding*ding*

Persuasion +3

Bribery +2

Nathan: “(Oh, I didn’t expect that. A bribe……. I guess you could consider this a bribe. I see, I was sure I have to put money into this skill, but if I use “Persuasion” alongside it, I can get around that problem.)”

Nathan looked to Kou, he went quiet and had his head down, probably getting his thought together.

Kou: “……………………….My parents.”

Nathan: “Parents?”

Kou turned back up to Nathan, a pained expression on his face.

Kou: “THE BANDITS HAVE OUR PARENTS!”