Mysterious Minstrel

Chapter 14

The silver harp fits sleek into my hands. I carry it with as much confidence I can muster. After all, a whole crowd is watching.

I don't know how my battle against the hog king made the headlines. Somehow, more than a hundred people have shown up to watch me either fail or succeed. We're gathered in the desert next to Star Town. Cody has led me to a flat part surrounded by tumbleweeds. Apparently, this is where the boss is supposed to spawn.

The deadly sun rays assault me. A sweat breaks out on my skin. Apparently, this game can make your body feel like you're actually in the elements. On the sidelines, Aileen shakes her fists at me, pushing me on with an encouraging smile. Oh gosh, so my best friend might watch me eat dirt from the hog king too.

Everywhere I look, orange dirt and clay stretch from left to right. In the very far distance, Star Town sits like an oasis. I wish I were in that town right now, enjoying a virtual coffee in the cafe. Now, I could be the subject of a hundred people's fodder for a funny story.

"Chickening out?" Cody asks. He's standing with Nathan, Mags, and Olivia. Next to them are a few other members of Mysteriously. I don't know their names yet.

I put on my bravest face. "No way. I'm ready to crush the hog king under my feet."

An amused smile plays on Nathan's lips. Next to him, Cody scowls. "You're going to regret taking this challenge. This time, luck won't be on your side."

"Give me a break, Cody." Mags joins Aileen by cheering, "You got this, Josiah!"

I wait. And wait some more. Is the hog king running late? He should spawn every hour or so, and there's no other hunters here. As I wait, my harp weighs me down. I don't think I can last another few minutes waiting in this heat.

A thunderous roar shakes the ground, piercing my eardrums. I jump back as the dust swirls in front of me. When the dust clears, a monstrous beast stands in its place.

Hog King.

I may be level thirty now, thanks to copious amounts of training. But nothing could've prepared me for seeing this beast in person. At least ten feet tall. It resembles a hog in its facial features, but everything else is vastly different. It's much more muscular, for one thing, and an iron armor covers the majority of its body. Its fur looks prickly enough to break skin.

"Go ahead!" Cody says, taunting me.

Nathan's voice somehow pierces through the crowd even after the chatter begins. "Stay calm, Josiah."

Stay calm? I feel like I'm going to shit my pants.

No matter, when the hog king starts running in my direction, I have to act. "Trap," I say, laying a spiderweb on the ground. I dart out of the way so that I don't get trampled. Even though my trap is small, one of the hog's hooves gets caught in it. It tries to wiggle its way free, letting out a terrible roar.

My mind takes me back to Maria James, to when she taught me my three new skills. Here goes nothing. "Strings," I say.

I feel my harp grow heavier. It's like the strings have been fortified with metal. With one swoop, I bring my weapon down against the hog's hide—in the small spot where the armor doesn't quite cover.

Hog King. HP: 95%

Only five percent damage? You can't be serious.

The hog king cries out, wiggling with as much force it can muster. Its hoof breaks free from my trap. When it comes loose, it turns around and faces me with darkness swirling in its eyes. I'm about to die.

The hog king swerves around and smacks me with its snout. I go flying. My vision spins, alternating between the dirt and sky. I hit the ground straight on my back. Air suctions out from my lungs. I feel like I've been punched lightly, but the discomfort still alarms me. I'm just thankful the game's developers didn't choose to have pain be completely realistic.