FANTASY GAME
CHAPTER 5: THE ATTACK FROM BEHIND AGAINST NOSTRADAMUS
The Frostfang Wilderness remained covered in thick snow.
Nixon Ballot walked behind his two teammates, struggling to keep up with them in the freezing environment.
Sukishi, the famous Japanese swordswoman, walked ahead with her katana at her side. Nostradamus followed casually, his hands tucked into his pockets, looking as though he were taking a peaceful stroll through the countryside.
Suddenly, something moved between the frozen trees.
Then another creature appeared.
And another.
Within seconds, dozens of ugly, hideous monsters had surrounded the group. Some had enormous claws, others possessed sharp teeth, and several carried crude weapons.
But strangely, their attention focused on just one person.
Nostradamus.
The monsters exchanged glances before silently approaching him from behind.
Nixon noticed them first.
"Guys! Behind us!"
Nostradamus didn't even turn around.
Several monsters immediately launched themselves at him.
But before their claws could reach him, Nostradamus casually stepped aside.
The creatures crashed into the snow.
He adjusted his sleeve and spoke in his unmistakable British accent.
"Well, that is certainly a sophisticated way to launch an attack upon someone."
Nixon stared at him.
"HOW DID YOU DODGE THAT WITHOUT LOOKING?!"
Nostradamus smiled.
"My dear fellow, looking behind oneself is rather unnecessary when one already knows what is going to happen."
Nixon remembered Nostradamus's status.
Future Sight.
Of course.
The monsters weren't finished.
They surrounded Nostradamus from every direction, blocking every possible exit. With angry roars, they charged simultaneously.
Nixon covered his face.
"He's finished!"
The creatures leaped forward, certain they had finally caught their prey.
Their claws tore through Nostradamus's clothing.
They struck repeatedly, convinced they were ripping him apart.
But something was wrong.
There was no resistance.
No body.
Only clothing.
Nostradamus had already escaped their attacks, leaving the monsters to tear at what appeared to be his body.
Then, from a safe distance, his voice rang out.
"Honestly, I do wish you creatures would learn to distinguish between a person and his clothing."
The monsters froze.
Nostradamus stood several metres away.
For reasons known only to himself, he had removed his outer clothing and was now wearing only his singlet and boxers.
Nixon immediately turned away.
"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!"
Nostradamus calmly folded his arms.
"Distraction, my dear fellow."
The monsters roared furiously and charged toward him again.
Then Nostradamus snapped his fingers.
In an instant, his clothes appeared on his body again.
His elegant English outfit was perfectly restored, without a single tear.
He adjusted his collar.
"Much better."
Nixon looked from the clothing to the monsters.
"Wait a minute. How did your clothes come back?"
Nostradamus smiled.
"By controlling the outcome."
He raised one finger.
"You see, my dear fellow, the events that lead to an outcome are not always as fixed as people imagine."
The monsters attacked again.
Their claws swept through Nostradamus's body.
Or what they believed was his body.
Once again, they struck nothing but afterimages.
Nostradamus appeared behind them, completely unharmed.
He casually produced a tiny knife.
"Now then, I believe it is time to conclude this rather tiresome encounter."
The first monster turned around.
Too late.
Nostradamus moved past it with almost effortless precision.
One after another, the monsters fell, unable to land a single successful hit. Whenever they tried to surround him, they attacked illusions and afterimages while the real Nostradamus moved into a more advantageous position.
Nixon could barely follow what was happening.
"He isn't even fighting seriously!"
Sukishi watched with a neutral expression.
"No. He is simply making sure they cannot touch him."
Nostradamus continued moving through the battlefield, using his tiny knife to defeat the creatures with minimal effort.
One particularly enormous monster attempted to flee.
Nostradamus glanced at it.
"Oh, no. You have already committed yourself to this rather unfortunate decision."
He casually grabbed the creature and tossed it high into the sky.
Nixon looked up.
The monster rose higher and higher, becoming a tiny speck against the clouds.
Then it continued upward, far beyond the clouds, until it reached the sun.
A moment later, it disappeared into the sun's overwhelming heat.
Nixon stood with his mouth open.
"...HE JUST THREW A MONSTER INTO THE SUN?!"
Nostradamus dusted his hands.
"That should take care of that one."
The remaining monsters finally began to understand that they were dealing with something far beyond their expectations.
Unfortunately for them, Sukishi had grown tired of watching.
She placed one hand on the handle of her katana.
"Enough."
In a single motion, she drew her sword.
A flash of steel crossed the frozen landscape.
Then she returned her katana to its sheath.
The entire sequence had taken approximately 0.2 seconds.
Every remaining monster collapsed into the snow.
Nixon stared at the battlefield.
He looked at Sukishi.
Then at Nostradamus.
Then back at Sukishi.
He slowly raised both hands.
"I have a hell of a team, don't I?"
Sukishi looked at him with a cold expression.
"You're not even worthy of being a man."
Nixon's face fell.
"WHAT?! WHAT DID I DO?!"
"You watched us fight while contributing absolutely nothing."
"I'm LEVEL TWO! WHAT EXACTLY DID YOU EXPECT ME TO DO?! THROW ANOTHER LIGHTNING BOLT AT SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T EVEN CARE?!"
Nostradamus burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Don't be too hard on him, Sukishi. He's just a kid, after all."
He then turned toward Nixon and examined his trembling hands.
"My dear fellow, you're becoming rather pale. Is the cold getting to you?"
Nixon shivered.
"YES! I'M FREEZING! HOW ARE YOU PEOPLE WALKING AROUND LIKE THIS IS A NORMAL DAY?!"
Nostradamus nodded thoughtfully.
"Ah, yes. That would explain it."
He reached into his pocket and produced a small medical container.
"If you wish, I can provide you with some medicine to help improve your resistance to the cold. Though, naturally, we should establish whether your discomfort is caused by ordinary exposure or something more serious."
Nixon stared at the container.
"You can do that?"
"Of course. I am a physician."
Nixon looked at Sukishi.
"Can he do everything?"
Sukishi answered without hesitation.
"Unfortunately, that is what makes him so irritating."
Nostradamus chuckled.
"I shall take that as a compliment."
Nixon sighed and looked at the mountains stretching across the horizon.
He had entered Fantasy Game expecting to fight monsters, gain levels, and gradually become stronger.
Instead, he had ended up travelling with a swordswoman who could eliminate an entire group of monsters in a fraction of a second and a pink-haired prophet who could foresee attacks, manipulate outcomes, create afterimages, restore his clothing, and casually throw a monster into the sun.
Nixon opened his status window.
LEVEL: 2.
CLASS: UNASSIGNED.
SPECIAL ABILITIES: NONE.
He stared at the words for several seconds.
"...I'm never going to catch up with these people, am I?"
Nostradamus placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Now, now, my dear fellow. One should never judge the entire course of one's life by the opening chapters."
He smiled confidently.
"After all, your story has only just begun."
Far away, beyond the Frostfang Wilderness, the mysterious system continued observing Nixon Ballot and his extraordinary teammates.
Another notification appeared.
TEAM SURVIVAL STATUS: CONFIRMED.
ANOMALOUS PLAYER: NIXON BALLOT.
OBSERVATION CONTINUES.
And somewhere in the frozen wilderness, a new threat began to awaken.