"Wait, we're going to split up?! Wind, are you out of your mind?!"
That's what I've been thinking ever since he explained his plan. To be honest, this is not like Wind or Hayate Palmer in real life to come up with a crazy scheme like this, and while we were trying to escape from that hostile NPC's cronies.
"Just trust me. I know what I'm doing. By the time we run into a fork, we'll split up and lure them to a respective open area at the end of each road. And since we made the first strike on two of the bandits before they could attack Arthur, I have a feeling they'll be splitting up to chase us down too for our interference."
Easy for him to say. And just to give you a brief explanation about this, we were trying to finish some random missions outside <Initio> with Arthur and Wind when we encountered a bunch of NPC soldiers outside the <Tested Wilds>, the very same forest that we presumed that something big happened with our friend and his brother after reading that [World Notice]. But when we tried to leave, we heard some screams and saw that they were attacked by NPC bandits. Wind decided to take care of them and we have to make sure he won't risk himself in the process. Of course, we ended up confronting a strong NPC criminal, and now we're running away from two of them to draw them away just so Arthur won't have a hard time fighting that guy back in the entrance.
Unfortunately, this just ended up with us being the targets of those bandits and now we're trying to run away from them. The only options I have right now is to stop and stop them in futile or to accept Wind's crazy plan. Either way, I guess I have no other choice.
"All right. But try to limit yourself. Your main strength is ranged attacks and I doubt you'll able to survive in a long-term melee fight."
"Says the guy who wields a magical pistol and rifle as his main weapons."
"Touché."
Eventually, the bandits end up throwing knives at us and I'm forced to use my gun to deflect them. If I keep this up, then I will run out of [MP]...
WHOOSH!!!
"W-What the hell?! Where did that second road come from?!"
I scream in shock as I witness a single road in front of us part into two. Heck, is that even possible in here?!
"No time to play 20 questions! This is our chance!"
"W-What?! Isn't it a bit suspicious for us to split us up on these two strange roads?!" I speak up, not trusting those roads for even a minute.
"I told you to trust me! I'm sure at the end will be your key advantage to your success."
"Huh?"
Just before I ask how he knows this, Wind heads for the right road and shouts, "Good luck, Razul!"
"W-Wait, Wind! Don't leave me behind so soon!" I scream as I try to stop him. But alas, he disappears from the road he was running on. "Dammit, I don't have a choice, do I?!"
As much as I want Wind to return and explain everything, I doubt I have time to stop him. With that bandit getting closer on my tail, I have no choice but to take the left road and hope for the best.
----
Once I go through it, I enter through the end of the path without any second thought. To my surprise, I find myself in a field of vines surrounded by trees, something that reminds me too much of an airsoft battlefield that my club always visit after school. This is a bit shocking considering there are several vines and paths that act as covers during a shootout. It's as if Wind knew about this place and lent me this place to finish off this jerk. I wish I can question him about it, but I have no time.
[Alright, you brat! Come here so I can kill you for our leader!]
Damn it. He already caught up with me. Without any second thoughts about this place, I quickly run behind a vine and wait for him to come to the entrance. My only strength right now is the new weapon I got earlier. However, knowing his current levels and Arthur's explanation about the game, I have to play smart. So I pull out my pistol and prepare for the worse. Unlike any normal handguns, the [Magic Pistol] forgoes the use of bullets for my mana. This means the only ammunition I have for it is my [MP], so I have to be careful if I don't want to end up dead for using up too much of it. But the key here is silence. Since the only sounds the bandit will hear are gunshots, I have to limit my footsteps if I want to switch places.
[What are you, a chicken?! Come on, you brat! Unless you want me to burn this trashy forest, you better come out right now!]
As Hayate always says, like I'd ever listened to that dumbass. I remain silent as I watch the bandit wander around the field trying to find me. I know this is just a game, but I can't help but feel a sense of dread and horror to the point I'm acting like it's life-or-death in here. Then again, that's the whole point of some of the airsoft games my club plays. As I close my eyes waiting for the right time, I begin to recall a similar event like this.
----
"Wolf to Eagle! Come in, Eagle!"
My eyes widened as I heard my ally on the radio attached to my vest. I'd been hiding behind the cover for a few minutes now and I could still be hearing gunshots not far away from where I am right now. Sighing at this, I grabbed the radio and put it closer to my mouth.
"Eagle here. What's the situation on your end?" I answered while trying to retain my calm tone.
"Terrible! Fox and Mammoth have been eliminated by Snake and Fox! They've also sabotaged our refill stations after they do so!" Them, too?! Judging by his panicked tone, I can't help but not disbelieve this. At this point, it was a 3v2 battle and if one of us falls, then it's game over. "At this rate, they're going to win! What do we do?!"
That's what I thought and to be honest, I was a bit scared at this report. But I had this thing called pride and there's no way we were losing this match by a majority. Besides, I had found something during a scuffle and it might be useful for this situation.
"Calm down, Wolf. They've only created an advantage for their team. If anything, we might able to use it against them. Just meet me at the clearing and I'll explain everything."
With that, I let go of my radio and carried my rifle around my arms before I headed out to my next destination. If this worked... Then...
----
[AAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, BRAT?!]
Ugh... Damn... I was so close to recall that event!
[Forget it! I'm burning this whole forest down right here and now!]
Tsk... Guess I should have used my time a bit responsibly. I don't know how this place appeared out of nowhere or how Wind managed to complete the place's [Quest], but I have to make sure that I don't do anything stupid or reckless. Otherwise, the forest's boss and Wind might punish me for letting this guy riot as he pleases. I quickly pull out my pistol and without any second thoughts, I fire an essence that serves as my pistol's ammunition towards my pursuer. Despite my attempts to aim carefully, it just hits a vine near the bandit, but it doesn't matter. The main point is to divert his attention not away from me, but from where he's currently looking. Some spots can turn the tides of this battle and there is no way I'm letting him find them by accident.
[Oh, so you're planning to show yourself right now, huh? How brave of you. Too bad I'm still burning this forest and you're going down with it!]
Is he impatient or an idiot? I don't know if reasoning with him may work, but I know I won't change his mind with words. Knowing Wind and Arthur, they might face this level of idiocy with the other two. Heck, I can say that even Arthur is smarter than these dumbasses. With that thought out, I quickly get up and run away from my hiding place. Of course, I have to make sure that the idiot notices me, so I shoot him again (which this time, I purposely miss my shot and let it miss on the ground) before I transfer to another large vine for me to hide in. After that, I fire a few more shots, some of which managed to hit the bandit's limbs and shoulder and dash off to one of the few rocks. Normally, I would have exhausted myself after a few minutes of running around the field, but thanks to virtual reality, I manage to continue running for a few more minutes. However, it doesn't mean I have high stamina in terms of stats comparing to Arthur and Wind. That's why I have another alternative.
"Spirit of Sylph, I ask for your aid. Grant me the power of the wind to outrun and defeat my opponents. [Bluster Speed]."
Even if it is just a whisper, it should be enough to invoke that spell. And true enough, I find myself enveloped in a burst of wind as I rush around the field, trying to hide in other vines and shooting him at the same time. Just a little more. If he gets to my desired location, then...
----
"They're getting closer!"
I gritted my teeth as Wolf and I ran through the forest and looking back, I saw two of the opposing team's members right behind us as the remaining was eliminated thanks to the latter.
"No shit, Sherlock," I groaned as I kept running. "But don't panic. We're almost there! All that's left is to manipulate their perception."
"Manipulate their perception? What the hell are you talking about?! Can't you see this is not a good time to talk some nerdy stuff?!"
I sighed in annoyance. "Just trust me. Get to the other direction, I'll do something about them in case one of them plans to chase me down."
"Tch... Well, you're our ace, after all, Eagle. Don't you dare lose on us!"
Like I'm gonna let those jerks kill me in this game. Besides, they were already in my desired spot, which meant our win was inevitable.
----
BOOOOOM!!!
What the hell?! I turn to see that the bandits have started throwing bombs at me. It doesn't hurt me, but it does chip off some of my [HP] when the shards from the bombs graze my skin. But that's not the only thing he has as I notice that he's also thrown some kind of Molotov cocktails randomly at me, causing most of the trees to catch on fire. It's official, this guy is insane! However, it's already too late as he reaches the darkest area of the field, which means my win is inevitable.
[What's the matter, brat?! Are you giving up already?!] I stop and turn to the bandit, who raises his bottles of Molotov cocktails in the air, grinning madly as he stares at me. [Don't worry. As soon as you're out of the way and my boss takes care of the lady and that fake knight back at the entrance, we'll just burn the forest away and grab all of the loot here along with your fancy [Magic Pistol]!]
I stop running and stood in front of the bandit. As much as I want to give him my starter pistol, there is no way I'm letting him win. However, I grin in response as I raise my pistol near my head. "On the contrary, sir, I believe you should be the one who should give up after I'm done with you."
At first, he starts staring at me with a bit of skepticism. Then he starts laughing madly before he raises one of the cocktails and said, [That's cute, kid. It's so nice for you to be brave and all, but I think it's for you to...]
While he continues to rant, I have a chance to aim my pistol on the bandit's wrist. Once I aim it, I mutter, "[Static Break]."
With one shot of the [Thunder Essence], it pierces through his right wrist, and as predicted, it releases an aura of electricity. He screams in pain as he releases his grip from the bottle, which then bursts into flames near his feet. [W-What the hell, you brat?!]
I respond with a smile as I take out my [Smoke Bottle]. "You want to kill me, right? Then why don't you try to come and find me then?" I drop the bottle, which breaks on the ground, and the smoke envelops my surroundings before I use another item to teleport to the nearest area. In this case, I teleport to the highest tree the system could find, leaving him none the wiser.
[N-No!!! Where the hell did you go, brat?! I'm not done with you yet!]
Geez... How many times is he going to say that? Regardless, I check my inventory and store my [Magic Pistol] away. Considering where I am right now, I doubt I can use it at this range. Thankfully, this is where my "secret weapon" comes in. In truth, I'm not much of a handgun person. Rather, long-range is my forte and because of this, my club friends often call me "Eagle Eye" due to my near-perfect accuracy. So I take out a steampunk-themed rifle from my inventory and aim the still-oblivious bandit.
"Gotcha." That's all I can say before I give him another [Static Break]. This time, I shoot his right ankle with a clean hit as I hear him scream in pain once more. I guess I can give Arthur some credit for obtaining this strange, yet familiar weapon. If I recall, we got this rifle from an [Urgent Quest] after that [World Notice] mess, and ever since then, I've spent some time getting used to it as well with its effects. And from what I have seen so far, it's working in my favor.
[I-I can't move... W-What the hell is this?! Where is that brat?!]
Heh... He still has no idea what's going on right now. What he's experiencing right now is my "Bird Cage" strategy. By luring my opponents into an open, yet secluded area, I hide above a tree or behind the bushes and fire several shots at them while my teammate does everything to incapacitate their movements for a few seconds. And to my surprise, this strategy even works in <Isekai> since the use of my [Masteries] and elemental mana bullets can occupy my teammate's role by stunning and disabling their movements.
Of course, I haven't forgotten the fire created by the Molotov cocktails that the bandit waving around. So I switch essences and use [Stone Burst] to create large stones around him and [Freeze Burst] to cover them with ice. This way, not only will the flames not spread through the field, but it should give him a bit of karma. With that said, I continue firing at his left wrist and then, his left leg. Normally, it would end if I disable them and fire a target planted on their bodies to finish it. However, since this is a VR game, I have an option to kill him or to my preference, just weaken him. I switch the rifle to the rapid-fire mode and start firing continuously as each shot chips most of his [HP] away.
[Stop it, STOP IT!!!]
I could, but I'd rather not. And thanks to the fire that he started, it's easy for me to chip his [HP]. I just respond with a smirk as I aim my rifle towards the bandit.
"Sorry, but you did try to hurt those people and destroy the place that my friends tried to protect. Consider this as my payback."
With that, I fire again.
----
Eventually, it reaches a measly 23 [HP], which I quickly fire an [Ice Bullet] to extinguish the flames before I jump down from the tree. I want to approach him and scold him for his stupidity. But once I do, I notice that he is now unconscious with foam and blood coming out of his mouth. It's a bit disturbing since I've somehow maimed him with just my rifle. But to my relief, I manage to miss his vitals despite him being a fictional being in a virtual world. Though at this point, I'm done on my end. Now, how...
GRRRRR...
I widen my eyes and raise my rifle once I hear that noise. To my surprise, a strange werewolf monster suddenly appears right in front of me. I try to fire, but then, it just passes right by and grabs the unconscious bandit behind me. That's a bit weird since it's one of the tougher monsters in the <Tested Wilds>. But just as I get my guard up, I hear something in my head.
[You're not bad, kid.]
Huh? Everyone? Wait, where did that voice come? I turn to find the voice, but I find that the werewolf and the bandit disappear. Not only that, the trees part away, creating an exit right in front of me.
[Everyone is waiting for you. We will await their judgment for the actions against the wilds.]
Judgment? Does that mean it somehow knows that I protected the forest? Could it be...
More importantly, what he said just now... It's like last time...
----
"Ugh...! I can't believe we lost despite our numbers!"
I slightly chuckled as one of the members of the opposing team complained while marching away with his friend who has paints splatters on his exposed face. Considering how they trash-talked me and my teammates, I'm pretty satisfied with the results. Of course, one of them, who didn't join in the insult fest, approached us with a helmet around his arm.
"You're not bad, kid. Guess now we know why you're called the "Eagle Eye". We should have a rematch and have one of our best snipers go up against you."
My eyes widened at his offer. That was the second time I was complimented outside of my studies before. Heck, the only one I knew who did so was Hayate and that was when he learned about my airsoft hobby. All I could respond was a smile and offered him a handshake.
"I'll accept it on any date and place if you like."
As my opponent accepted this, I stared at the clear sky triumphantly.
----
Counting on the compliments I gained, that's the third time I've heard that voice. I wonder if it belongs to the rumored Master of the Forest or something, but I'm happy with his honest comment. I wish I knew more about them, but I need to check up on the others. Knowing [Wind] and [Arthur], they already dish out their justice to those jerks.
With that said, I head off to the exit, hoping that their battles went off pretty well as mine. But after this, all I want is a just crash onto my real bed back home.
----
[Razul, an [Elf] that possessed [Insignis's] greatest invention. How will your skills and mastery able to aid the brothers in their journey? We'll see you soon. I look forward to our fated meeting.]