NPC Code: Red Riding Hood

Fighting without a plan meant fighting blindfolded. Nobody wanted to run straight towards the battlefield empty-handed, especially when we were up against something powerful. Our team came prepared when battling against these golems. However, our preparation went down the drain when the puppet could predict our movements.

But because we did not have a choice, our team needed to go towards the area and swing our weapons without thinking. It was as if we were kids who just learned how to handle the sword on their first day of exercise. But we were no pushovers for killing our enemies.

Even Okami had experiences in killing other players since he was a player himself.

After Okami's attack, I dashed straight at the golem and made a follow-up assault. I cleared my mind before thinking about the attack, considering it was our requirement facing this puppet. If we ever thought about our movement, the golem would just dodge that attack.

Since I only had my penitent's blade with me, I needed to strike the golem's legs. If there was one way for me to deal damage, hitting the golem's legs would be my priority. We could win against this puppet if we disrupt its balance from standing on its ground.

Of course, I needed to do this without thinking. It was an arduous thing to do, considering that I had my target but would strike my blade with no strategy.

I only had to disrupt the balance of this bastard and used its height difference as my advantage.

The puppet deflected each of my attacks as if it was nothing but a scratch. And when the golem realised my goal, it was too late for the marionette to react. I already swept my feet while bashing my blade against its hind. Within a few seconds, the golem had no other choice but to kneel before us.

"Nice, Red! Keep hitting that puppet on its feet! Don't give that golem any time to think!" Okami exclaimed, while leaping from one place after the other.

He was the one slashing the golem at every angle, creating a distraction of some sort to the golem. And since the puppet kept its focus on Okami, Match and I let out our attacks, hoping we could finally stun the golem.

While that happened, Ryoshi silently crept behind the bushes, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Okami would give the signal if that happened. But for now, we flocked around the golem and made its stance miserable.

However, it was not too long when the golem found its way back up from the ground. Our efforts did not bear fruits as the puppet slammed its arms against Okami, tossing him to the side. Fortunately, Okami found his balance and quickly returned to his usual stance.

But the golem had already dealt the damage, causing him to wound Okami's abdomen. Okami could only growl in pain as he caressed his injured stomach.

"Are you alright!" I shouted, but got immediately scowled by Okami.

"DON'T TURN YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE ENEMY, RED!" Okami cried, but it was too late.

When I turned around, the golem's hand greeted my eyes as it slammed against my face. I did not have time to evade that attack, considering it was already in front of my face.

As soon as that puppet hand came into contact with my face, my body flung backwards. It caused me to injure my legs and arms, paired with some minor injuries on my back. Fortunately, the damage was not enough to render me immobile. Thanks to my right eye, my body instinctively protected itself from the golem's attack.

If I had not activated my crimson glowing eye, maybe I would have died right now.

"RED!" Match screamed, as he rushed towards me.

I motioned my hand, telling her to retreat from this position. However, Match neglected my words and continued chasing my still figure.

The golem found its chance and went towards my weakness, which was Match's vulnerable side. Since Match focused herself on saving me, she would not bat an eye at the monster at her flank.

But she proved my thoughts wrong when the scene came before me. As the golem approached Match's rear, she stopped her movements and turned around. Match raised her arms and blasted the golem away with some precast magic circles covering her hands.

After a few seconds, waves of blazing hot lava came out from those circular runes, which nearly burned the moving marionette. Lava was the hot molten ones that erupted from a volcano. It was my first time witnessing Match casting new spells in her sleeves, which she did not talk about to me.

If Match learned something, she would proudly tell me and perform it in front of me. However, that did not happen right now, especially after seeing it firsthand.

When the lava touched the golem, the puppet's arm almost melted, as if it were not for Alice's protection. After a few seconds, the puppet had no choice but to retreat from Match and wait for its hand to recover. The magma also increased the temperature, forcing me to sweat a river.

(Author's Note: Magma and lava are both different terms, which are all about their locations. Scientists use the term magma for a molten rock that is underground and lava for a molten rock that breaks through the Earth's surface. I wrote the two as synonyms with each other since it was Red who's talking about it. She did not have proper lessons about Science and stuff. So I have to be concise about her knowledge. If Okami, Ryoshi, or Alice, Clement, or any other players were talking, they would know the difference.)

If we could peer through Alice's view, she would have been as shocked as me after witnessing that spell. Even Okami, who was a veteran player in this game, couldn't hide his amazement. He had his mouth gaped wide open all this time while watching Match fight the puppet with those burning magmas.

"I can't believe that worked!" Match cried, while helping me stand on my feet.

I could not let my eyes off at Match as I waited for her explanation. Everyone knew we needed to fight against the puppet without thinking of our attacks. However, what Match was something nobody thought of, but worked, anyway. We all deduced that Match orchestrated that plan and attacked the puppet using her special abilities.

If I could take a hunch, Match wanted to use that unique ability if we only needed it, especially to save me. And when this golem tried attacking me, Match came to my rescue and discharged that spell she desperately tried to conceal. Although Alice knew about it, using that ability saved me from getting myself injured from the puppet.

"How did you do that, Match!?" I asked, as I could not contain my excitement for any more.

"I didn't. I just randomly turned around and attacked my behind. Well, I trusted my gut feeling," Match said, and corrected herself when he mentioned the latter. "And it miraculously worked, am I right? I'm such a good mage, Red!"

"Yeah, you are, Match!" I answered, and shuffled her already crazed hair. "You little mage. Come over here, will ya!"

Within a few seconds, Match and I stopped our horseplay and resumed fighting against the puppet. The two of us planned on returning to that part soon after we defeated this golem standing in our way.

After a few seconds, the golem cut off its right arm and watched it fall to the ground. The lava came afterwards and burned the weeds on the soil. That golem finally recovered its stance and glared in our direction, while preparing dozens of magic circles in its hands.

Within a few seconds, the puppet fired the magic circles behind us. We first thought that the attack missed, since we were a few centimetres away from the projectile. But within a few moments, we immediately realised that the golem did not aim at us….

The puppet aimed at the forest, which was the place Ryoshi hid right now.

Ryoshi remained to hide behind the trees, waiting for the perfect opportunity. But we would never know when that chance would appear, considering our circumstances right now.

However, the game of hide and seek finally ended after that attack. Ryoshi dodged the beam and went to the other side.

We were all aware that the golem knew our goal as well. After witnessing its comrade getting trapped inside the barrier, both the golem and Alice already knew what would happen soon.

"We have at least a minute left to stop this golem from pulverizing us into rice cakes," Okami announced, as he gasped for air. "Ryoshi, we need you here. There's no point in hiding our ace now. We need you in this fight."

Within a few seconds, Ryoshi appeared from the forest, revealing his recurve gripped in his hands. Another force joined the attack, which would probably bring us to victory.