MMORPG: Rise of the Peerless Pumpkinmancer

At the New Leaf Plain, the players were still gathered in a circle, discussing. But they suddenly became utterly silent as a man left the village.

"Is it a new NPC?"

"Oh my god, it's him!

"What's with that appearance?!"

"All of you, quick, act natural!"

Jack couldn't help but raise a brow. What the fuck were they doing? Playing with their dicks or what? Oh well, it wasn't his business how they desired to play Infinite. He ignored their peculiar behavior and went toward the training camp.

It was finally time to collect his long-awaited reward!

It was completely deserted, with only the training instructor present. The man was busy crafting yet another wooden training dummy, but why did it have huge wooden tits? Was he crafting a dummy or a sex doll?!

Sensing his gaze, Igor turned around:

"Oh, it's you. What do you think? Does this look natural? The braves kept insisting that it would help them get fired up."

"Uh, I'm sure it will get them fired up." Probably in more ways than one.

"Great! Anyway, what brings you here? Also, what's with the wolf? How did you manage to tame it? One thing that's for sure is that you're resourceful."

"I want to train in an Engulfing Mana Room. You can set one up, right?" Jack inquired.

"What?! Do you have a death wish?!" He bellowed so loudly that it shocked the entire plain residents.

The players turned toward the training camp shocked, the chickens plopped on the ground trying to make themselves invisible, and even the man-eating plants stopped swaying in the wind!

They all perked their ears, attentively paying attention to the commotion. The players felt their hearts beat faster. What could have possibly agitated the stern Training Instructor so much?!

"An Engulfing Mana Room?! Are you serious?! It's way too soon for you to use something like that! You need to be many times stronger, or you'll end up dead or worse crippled!" He shouted.

"No need to make such a big deal out of it—"

"I don't think you understand! Even if the gods bring you back, you may remain crippled forever! It would be too late for regret then!" Igor hammered it all in. He wouldn't let such a promising youngster ruin himself!

"Look, I get it. You like me and worry, but there's no need, really."

"Like? It has nothing to do with liking. I don't want anyone to die needlessly under my watch." The wannabe tsundere instructor rebuked. It was almost cute.

"Igor, tell me, do you remember how I beat you up in the Glory Trial? Did you think I could win then?"

"Of course not, but—"

"Great, and who knocked you unconscious?"

"You, but this is a different matter and—"

"Who's the one doubting me yet again?"

"It's me, but I really—"

"Exactly! Now, lead the way." Jack gave him a peaceful smile as he gestured him to move his ass.

"That I— What If? — Ah, fine!"

"You promise you won't nag me anymore?" Jack shamelessly requested.

"Alright…."

"Great!"

A dejected Igor began leading the way toward the village. He still had the feeling that he was committing a great mistake, but this brave was so confident and stubborn! It wasn't like he could prevent him from courting death forever…

They reached his incredible house. At first glance, there wasn't any door, but it was actually on the roof. The NPC grabbed him (+wolf) and jumped straight upward, with a gigantic leap! #How to Keep Visitors at Bay.

The interior of the room was so austere that it seemed empty. Well, until the man moved a brown carpet, revealing a secret trapdoor with an iron ladder leading downward. This was a secret base!

"Nice." Jack couldn't help but praise.

The underground had been turned into one big training facility that was surprisingly well lit. Jack glanced appreciatively at the glowing yellow crystals embedded in the walls that gave a warm glow.

"These are called Fool's Sun. It gives a radiant yellow glimmer that brings false hope to those who see it. Ironically it disintegrates if it comes into contact with sunlight. Alright, keep following."

Nearby was a small room that looked similar to a solitary confinement one. There was even one massive iron door that looked as heavy as a few dozen Jacks.

"This is it. Are you really sure you want to do this?" Igor asked one last time.

"Yep. Stop worrying. I wouldn't do this if I weren't confident." Jack gave him a reassuring glance.

"Fine. I'll get you a catalyst, and we'll be ready to begin."

"No need, I have my own." Jack retorted as he summoned the Bloodstained Chicken Feather he had obtained a while back.

As soon as Igor noticed it, he began trembling. He stared at it shellshocked, his mouth opening and closing akin to a yellow rat overwhelmed by surprise.

"Are you really gonna use that?! You don't just have a death wish. You already have a foot in the grave! This catalyst is far too powerful for a beginner!" He vehemently objected.

"You promised me not to nag. Alright, watch the little one while I'm in there. See you soon." Jack instructed.

Nagging? Igor was trying to save a life! But, as he saw the resolve in the youngster's eyes, he realized that he wouldn't back down no matter what. He could only clench his teeth and go along with it. As he closed the metal door, an awful creaking sound resounded.

Inside, Jack was reminded of being buried alive. The air felt incredibly heavy, without a sound except the soft beating of his heart. But suddenly, the feather began pulsating with a bloody red glow, its light permeating the air.

—Woosh!—

An incredible quantity of mana began gushing in, driven inside by Igor. This was the Engulfing Mana training: his body and mind would be overwhelmed by chaotic mana, and he would have to resist it.

His only path to salvation was to draw upon the power of the catalyst. The struggle would bring forth improvement, with the difficulty varying a lot depending on the catalyst used.

The one that Jack had chosen just so happened to be a Boss drop. This meant that not only would he have to resist the high mana quantity but also the remnant of the enemy's energy.

Igor had been right, this was nothing short of suicide! A single lapse in focus would result in his account being crippled.

Yet, Jack seemed relaxed as he even closed his eyes, feeling the power of the feather. The spirit of the Chicken Overlord suddenly began to feed on the ambient mana, quickly forming a bloody red shadow creeping toward the brave.

"You're nothing but a meager chicken, one that's already dead to boot. Talk about ridiculous!" Jack didn't hesitate to taunt his adversary.

"Cluck— Cluck—Cluck!!!" The bloody shadow cried out as it latched onto the defenseless human, starting to peck at its brain.

Jack instantly winced in pain. It was as if his head was about to explode, and there was nothing he could do to alleviate it. It was as if he were a hungover student battling an impossibly dreadful math exam!

The evil spirit relentlessly kept the offensive going.

"Cluck— Cluck—Cluck!!!"

"Cluck— Cluck—Cluck!!!"

The damn clucking was so loud that it transcended the walls of the metallic room and even reached the village itself.

"Cluck— Cluck—Cluck!!!"

"Cluck— Cluck—Cluck!!!"

On the surface, the various NPCs couldn't help but shiver. That aura brought back old memories and nightmares from the past.

"Cluck— Cluck—Cluck!!!"

"Cluck— Cluck—Cluck!!!"

"Will you shut the fuck up already, you damn failure! What kind of chicken is so red? You're a complete sham. Get lost!" He criticized.

"Cluck— Cluck—Cluck!!!"

"Cluck— Cluck—Cluck!!!"

But, there was no way that it could be so simple. The spirit suddenly grew in size, seemingly giving up on its initial plan. Its body then began to bubble as if blood was boiling.

A second later, the evil presence began inflating. It became so large that it covered the entire room. That's when it turned toward the weak human, devouring it entirely.

All that one could hear were the painful screams of the reckless brave.

The training instructor waited and waited, knowing that he couldn't interfere. He waited until the screams were no more, only an ominous silence remaining. Was it over? Was the man still alive?

He hurriedly slammed the door open, the man in the middle turning his way.

"Ah, you're still alright! Congratula—" but he suddenly gasped as he noticed the man's bizarre state.

Jack's head was slightly tilted to the side, his eyes were blank, and his arms flailed around aimlessly. It got worse as he began glowing a deep bloody red. This wasn't an aura a brave should emit. Was it even human?

Jack (?) slowly opened his mouth uttering a shrill:

"Cluck— Cluck—Cluck!!!"

Igor's face turned livid. The man, no, the thing made chicken noises. It could only mean one thing: there had been a remnant spirit in the catalyst. This evil had now taken over the man, possibly forever.

The stern training instructor choked for a second, tears streaming down his cheeks. What a fucking waste! If only he had stopped him, if only he had remained adamant. He felt pity and incredible sadness. It was all his fault it was—

"So, are you still going to claim that you don't care? You ain't very convincing with all these tears, you know." Jack uttered.

What?! That's when Igor noticed the teasing look in the man's eyes and his slight smirk. He'd been messing with him all along?! Just to prove a point?!

The little wolf was even approaching its master, not a care in the world, as it excitedly shook its ass and howled happily.

"Alright…fine. I do care a little, and I kinda like you." Igor finally admitted.

"Hehe, knew it. Anyway, time to test this new skill, shall we?"

"What?! You managed to get a skill?!"

"Yep, it's called Bloody Cleave"

It was time to figure out how OP this new ability was....