MMORPG: Rise of the Peerless Pumpkinmancer

380  I'll Help You Enter History!

That day the Mermaid Prison was especially lively. "Nooo! S-stay away from me!" first came the cries of despair of the torturer, overpowered by Jack. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Yessss!" Then came the cheers from the prisoners as he handled the torturer, giving him a taste of his own medicine. Somehow hearing the bastard suffer made the world seem a little brighter. Some were even crying tears of joy, seeing karma finally at work. "Perhaps there is justice in the world after all!" "This is so good, the best even!" They exclaimed as he opened the cells one after the other. As they finally crossed the metal bars, they all reacted the same: 1. Take one deep breath

2. Kick the bastard in the nuts 3. Bow toward their savior with the gratitude of a monk. He wasn't just any random guy; he was Hope itself! Thus appeared the peculiar scene of a group of rag-wearing prisoners happily celebrating and peeling away the flesh of their target….wait, some were eating it too?! #Potential Members But the rejoicing was cut short… — Shrieks! — They were coming. Some of the Cleaners had finally followed Jack's trace all the way over here. Not just a few of them either, but an inescapable swarm.

As soon as they heard them, the prisoners turned deathly pale as they chuckled with self-ridicule, only for most to regain their calm as they sighed. "Welp, seems we're dying today." "Hey, don't complain too much! We were dead in here already…." "Complain? No such thing. I'm happy I get to die a free man. Isn't that just the best?! I guess feeling the lake's current would have been better, but whatever." It didn't take them long to enter "about to die" mode. Many began reminiscing about their childhood, what had brought them to this moment, and all in between. Just as saying their goodbyes to the world… "Aren't you guys exaggerating a bit? Talk about melodramatic." The last thing they heard was Jack's sly comment as the creatures made their apparition. Bugs, dark shiny, and vicious-looking bugs everywhere! All were glowing with magical energy, their sharp fangs showing incredible desire toward the living's flesh. This was the end for sure. It was….what the hell?! Jack didn't care about anyone's reaction at all as he grabbed Pumpkin Girl and walked straight into the swarm as naturally as politicians lied. But to the others, it looked mad…

"He brought his lover with him to die?!"

"W-why?! Shouldn't we be fighting instead?" "Fool! It's because he's a man amongst men, a god amongst gods, and especially a romantic amongst romantics! Is there anything sweeter than to die in a lover's embrace, nope!" Hearing their colleague's "smart" analysis, many couldn't help but tear up. What kind of History did he and his lover have to desire to be united even in death?! "As expected of the Commander! Even his death isn't ordinary! He's—"

"Yeah, I too am speechless. He's just that great and—"

"Why are you guys all stopping mid— WHAT?!" One after the other, they froze as they saw Jack amidst the sea of creatures. He was far from dead. He was even at the forefront of the swarm as if…leading them?! Perhaps they were already dead, and this was but a trick of the mind? Was it some illusion magic? What if the creatures were trying to bait them to go inside too? "Hurry up, or I'm leaving you behind." Jack nonchalantly remarked as he departed as if a nightmare shepherd.

Barely a second had elapsed that that one crazy alchemist that used to fight alongside him shrugged as he copied Jack's previous motion. "Y-you're going?!" "Meh, fighting on that beach was crazier if you ask me." "T-that…actually makes sense. Commander, wait up, we're coming!" The men who used to follow his orders followed in his footsteps one after the other, letting a group of shellshocked random prisoners behind. "Actually…who the heck was that?!" "…." .

.

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The City was getting overrun, aquatic people's blood and entrails tarnishing the surroundings in a gory mess. Yet, some were still resisting. "Follow Emperor Gargan!" "Drive them away! Destroy them all!" The soldiers fought with the vigor of woodpeckers striking wood on a Sunday morning. They were relentless, hitting the creatures over and over repeatedly. At first, they had been shaking in their scales, but every time they rose their eyes, courage would blossom in their heart. He was the rock they all needed. He stood alone, a one-man army. Gargan, the god-like octopus warrior, was wielding more weapons than a whole squad combined, towering over the creatures. "These are so weak! Crush them!" He bellowed powerfully, even the noble mermaids awestruck at his display of power.

— Slash! Crush! Pierce! — It seemed like he was making jams out of the enemies, reducing them to nothingness. The creatures could only shriek in pain as they avoided him entirely. But just as they were finding some peace amidst the storm, something unbelievable happened. In the distance, there was a large mass of creatures gathering. "Y-your highness! L-look over there!" "I-is that the monster leader?!" "W-wait, no, that's…how?!" The "monster king" was no other than Jack. Not only was he completely unharmed in the middle of the creatures, but he was even staring straight at the survivors. They were struggling to fight back while he was just there…chilling. Wait, didn't this mean that he was the one that had called them over?! This revelation was akin to a nuke exploding as it rocked their world, and for a second many lost all their bearings, their faces turning into colorful paintings. Confusion, curiosity, anger, hate, and even…lust?! They all had different ways to look at him, all of them! [Infamy Increased Tremendously!] [He Who Brings the Apocalypse!] [You Will Be Hunted!] Hunted? No, the system had it all wrong. This time, he was the one doing the hunting! He calmly glanced toward his now enemies, even taunting Gargan to come over. The latter growled, emitting enough killing intent to give even soldiers a heart attack. He was ready to tear him to pieces. "Pfft— So what if you can growl? Hahahaha!" Jack flicked his hand, and the cacophony began, the cleaners going wild as if screaming a war cry.

 — Shriek! Shriek! Shriek! —

[You… You've Tamed Them?!] [Analyzing! Analyzing! Error! User is no Tamer!] [Recalibrating the Effect of "Residue of the Deep"!] "Yep, that brown paste really was a little cheated, but that still warrants taming XP, don't you think? Besides, it took me lots of effort to do it!" Jack argued. [Congratulations! Reached Taming Rank F!] "That's more like it! Now I just— Oh crap!" He didn't have any time to celebrate, dodging in a hurry. — BOOM! — What the heck?!

Jack and Gargan stared at one another in shock. The man's charge had created a freaking crater in the sand, causing the entire area to shake. This was enough power to slap a skyscraper down in one hit! Meanwhile, Gargan was stunned at the speed the puny human had displayed. It was a speed that should have been impossible for someone in human shape! But the truth quickly revealed itself since Jack was glowing. There was a faint blue aura around him that came from the rough-looking pearl he was clutching. "Tch— So the other one was a fake…." Gargan spoke for the first time. "Thanks, Captain Obvious! You think I'm just gonna leave it to you? Who knows what you'll use it for! For all I know, you want to use it as anal beads!" Jack retorted…loudly. There was a moment of silence, one processing and the bystanders doubting their ears. Sadly for them, not only did their ears work but so did their imaginations. In a matter of seconds, many began grimacing as they pictured the scene of a gigantic warrior struggling to insert— BLERG! Some even vomited! "You, I'll skin you alive!" Gargan once more charged. He was even faster this time, a red aura enveloping his body. Had he suddenly turned berserk? But so what if he had? Jack wasn't about to fight him! "Go my minions! Crush him, get food!" Food?! As they heard the term, the critters seemingly came alive. They had learned the word from him, after all. They knew it meant happiness, and thus they would fight! Cleaners VS Gargan Thousands of creatures versus one scary aquatic warrior Hive mind focused on procuring food versus one very angry chunky boy All the while, Jack remained as far as possible, floating in the sea as if some kind of aquatic magical wizard. He was technically the "strategist", not that it worked too well. "Use your entire bodies to ram him! Keep going, bite his dick off! Enter the back door and dig from the inside!" he kept encouraging.

The more the random soldiers heard and the paler they got. Had he always been that vicious? They suddenly really hoped that their Emperor would win! "Gargan, Gargan, Gargan!" Their voices were tinged with desperation. But the one that was truly despairing was actually Jack. He had thought he'd be able to destroy the bastard with his Cleaner legion, but he had underestimated him. There seemed to be some kind of invisible skin layer protecting the guy, the kind one would find in the sea biome, the kind that wasn't easy at all to obtain.

Seriously, who the heck was this Gargan? Was he some important NPC for later in the story? He felt like he was fighting a Superman! Well, a very angry Superman… "Y-you, come back here so I can snap your neck!"

"I'll refrain. You see, I quite like my neck. It's long, soft, pulsating, and very fun to touch." Jack mischievously shook his head before continuing. "What I will do, however, is help you enter History. Cheer up. You'll be remembered across the ages as someone who couldn't protect Mermaid City. Isn't that nice!" [You Plan On Destroying the Whole Thing?!] For the first time since they began fighting, panic flashed inside the seemingly unkillable Gargan's eyes….

Can't beat the enemy? No problem! Destroy everything they hold dear until they go on a rampage across the land...and use the entire player community to deal with them. Best plan ever! ClasslessAscension