The Player's System

Chapter 18 - Underestimated

Underestimated 

The ape did not use its arm to shoo away the troublemakers instead it stood up. Gofer hurriedly went up to support Jake Lin. It seemed that they were standing on the edge of the mountain and that mountain started moving. It was a nerve-racking and alarming situation for all the players. 

"If I fell none of my damn skills can save my health level." Gofer voiced his worries. He knew that Jake was an important player and they cannot lose him this early in the game or else they won't be able to cross the first level even halfway through. Jake was also acting like a cat on a hot tin roof. The system had given him the task to kill the Python and here he was hung on the ape in utter despair. 

With being able to use only one hand working and that too be hung the ape, he was good for nothing. The team was helping him because they knew the value he held that would act as beneficial for all of them. Not only playing a level will grant them big fat envelopes of money but also successfully wining the level would shower the first rain of credit in their accounts. Many things were at stake. 

In this scenario, Jake was hitch-hiking and dragging through the level for his task. Every task was committed with his determination to succeed and win levels; his first struggle was for healing. His broken arm needed healing first and for this, he was supposed to reach level three offered by the system. That money would help him to be able to afford an operation for his broken arm.

After he gets his arm healed; he would be able to use it. Sadly it would not be a flawless control, however, he would be able to drag the computer mouse to some extent. He did not have an option of losing this level. 

Gofer hung the chain and secured their position on the shoulder. The ape was walking one step at a time. It took half an hour to take another step and stopped. 

The ape realized that its feet were not working anymore. It eminently decided to give a ride to the players and jerk them from its shoulder however with the swollen and retarded feet; it seemed impossible. The ape gave up and sat again this time away from the tunnel path. The players were agape, running around thinking about how to save two players hanging on the shoulder of the ape. 

But after sensing that the ogre changed its mood for a stroll; they breathed with relief. As soon as the ogre sat; it yawned ready to go back to sleep. Jake did not wait for another moment and pulled the grenade pins jumping toward the front of the ogre. Gofer was shocked at his sudden action. He hurried to hold the other end of the chain. 

Jake was not able to reach the middle however at the tip he was fortunate enough to throw the grenades in the wide opened mouth. The players on the ground saw this action and got baffled about how to save the kid and that too at this short notice. Junan jumped towards the ogre and used his weapon to dig deep in the flesh for support. 

Jake was now hanging with the mere chain and waiting for the rescue. The grenades blasted synchronously and the Gofer used developer made controls descending down. The chain loosened with this since he was falling down. Jake got jolted with this nonetheless Junan reached halfway and grabbed him to support him. 

The blasted flesh was falling on them in pieces. The players on the ground retreated knowing they were not helpful in this situation and also fearing what this flesh might do to them. Gofer also reached near the team head and gestured at him. He was heading down but stopped when the team head told him to pick the single shield. 

The shield was hung on the waist of the kid. Gofer picked and covered the kid. They were experienced players and could somehow manage to avoid the blasted smithereens of the ogre, however, the kid was different. 

Jake was not entirely feeling helpless. He knew his worth in the team and the reason why team players were ready to support him. They were at level one and had no clue whether they will be able to understand the complex design of the game or not. It was no doubt an action game however the complexity was not designed with the controls or skills instead complexity lay with the strategy which they had never heard or seen before. 

This game was equally tough for action and strategy at the same time. Junan was about to bring them down when a piece of flesh fell on his head. His entire being shuddered at the thought of losing his health level and hurriedly ran away from it. The ogre could not move when the grenades blasted eventually leading to his head getting severed. 

Before it could even react and spit out the grenades; the time had already ended. It remained in the same position, perhaps it was dead. The perfect big stature let it remain sitting legs crossed as a squatting statue. They were able to create distance earlier as the bigger part of the head had fallen at their previous position. 

Their flawless teamwork made it possible for them to get rid of the weird ogre. "We barely made it. See this lazy ogre we were all dying to shoo away from the tunnel and yet it died not moving at all. This ogre has crushed all records of lazy creatures especially my record when I am not playing a game." Albert wanted to curse the ogre. Junan gestured him toward the right side where a small path was now open. 

Those who did not see the path were also readied to curse. But when they came to know that the path was open they kept their mouths sewed. In this moment of conversation, 

Jake wiped the real sweat trickling on his forehead. The dull atmosphere of the game seemed to get worse suddenly. 

Orin noticed it immediately. The black clouds suddenly covered the sky.  They looked around to see what might happen next. 

"Hell. Run," Orin yelled at the top of his lungs. 

They could feel the threat of the clouds and ran toward the path of the tunnel. The killing of the ogre had brought a threat for the Hidden Python. If ogre had not let the path open then the players might have never been able to reach the first weakness of its life. The clouds were a sign of threat for players as well as the Python.