[Isekai Online] is all about freedom.

  Unlike other fantasy video games I've heard from Damon and Zac, there's no clear goal in the game, like defeating a Demon Lord to save the world or becoming the best in the field. Rather, you choose what you want to be beyond those two goals. Just like in a normal fantasy tabletop RPG, you can be whatever you want, and there are no limits on what you can do in the world of . For me, I have the goal to explore the world with Wind and Zale becoming a knight (and hitting up girls, I guess).

  Unfortunately, I’ve also learned that not everyone wants to be the good guy in their own stories. They want to be the opposite for several reasons, and there are consequences to their actions if they succeed in their evil goals.

  I honestly hoped I wouldn't encounter those kinds of players. Too bad the game decided otherwise, as I'm now facing the very people I’ve tried to avoid, who have now undone my attempts to capture the bandits. What's worse is that Wind is still busy offline, and Zale is busy trying to defeat the leader. I try to think of something to get out of this mess, but I suddenly get a notification related to my current situation.

  "Look at that! Seems like our [Quest] has changed!" One of the opposing players declares. "That means that kid is working with the fuzz. What should we do, leader?"

  The leader in question stares at me with a grin before he puts his sword over his shoulders. "Hmph... He's just a little kid. Might be a casual player, so he's no match for us."

  Another player in glasses and wielding an axe turns to some kind of a hunter player who seemed to wear the same attire as Wind's. "What do you think, Eli?"

  The hunter stares at me for a while and says, "I'm not sure about him being a casual, Quake. This kid seems to be the rumored [Insignis] mage who cleared a [Hidden Quest] back in the ."

  "Wait, are you saying he's the [Insignis] mage, Kazu?!" A player wearing armor gasps as he almost drops his sword. "You're kidding me, right? Isn't he supposed to be accompanied by that hunter guy, Wind?"

  "No clue. We might not underestimate him, but let's keep our guards up," the hunter warns. "Not many players are named Kazu, and you can't take an already-used name in this game."

  Huh... I was about to say they're kind of idiots, but it seems like some of them are still smart enough to know who I am and my current abilities. Besides, I’ve already guessed that the hunter must have almost the same set as Wind's, and while there are limits to using [Investigate] on players, such as not seeing all of my [Masteries] and their exact levels, he's still smart enough to gauge my strength with that skill.

  "Either way, you said it yourself. There's no sign of that green hunter anywhere," the leader remarks with a grin. "Let's deal with him before the other players notice us." He then turns to the bandits that they helped escape from my grasp. "All of you, get the goods before I make you!"

  [Y-Yes, sir!]

  I gasp as I see the bandits running off with the loot. Damn... So they're going to use their ambush to distract me from catching those jerks. I don't know how strong they are, but they made a mistake on crossing me!

  "You jerks! Why are you helping them?! They're criminals, and you guys will end up in prison!" I shout. "I don't know how that works in this game, but you're throwing away every chance to become the strongest adventurers in !"

  "Heh... Do you know the reason why, kiddie? Because that's how the game works!" The leader declares as he raises his sword and aims the tip of its blade at me. "Unless you want to keep spouting your "players are supposed to be good guys" sh*t, maybe you should run off and cry for your Mommy?"

  ...

  So that's their final answer, huh? I wish I could persuade them otherwise, but I have to face facts. This game is all about freedom, and you can't force anyone to be the heroes of their own tales. If they choose to become the bad guys, then I have no choice but to respond to their threats. "Alright, since you guys asked for it..." I close my eyes. "Sick 'em, Saphi!"

  I can hear his roars within my pocket space, and as I open my eyes, I see some of the players electrocuted by thunderbolts while the rest are blown a few feet away from me. And yet, he didn't come out of the pocket space just like I’d asked! Talk about a reliable dragon [Familiar]!

  "W-What the h*ll?!"

  "Did that brat just cast a spell without saying anything?!"

  "How did he do that?!"

  Good, they're panicking! That gives me enough time to pull out my staff and chant my next spell. "I call the thunderous spirit of my aura. Let it dash through my staff with the power of the storms!"

  "Relax, you weenies! He must have a [Familiar] with him!" He shouts. "We just need to stop him before..."

  "[Discharge Bolt]!"

  I throw my bolt of lightning to one of the enemy players. That player turns out to be one who is wearing a costume similar to a stage magician. While I have missed hit the leader, I’ve managed to hit one of the mages and probably [Paralyzed] them for a while. Hopefully, that's one less support or magic user to worry about.

  "D*mm*t! That brat is too smart! Kill him before his cooldown is finished!" The leader shouts. "Don't let him utter a single word of his incantations!"

  The other players start charging towards me. Unlike other fights, I'm basically alone, so I can't rely on Wind or Arthur to redirect their incoming attacks away from me. Or can I?

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

  "Sorry for breaking our promise, Wind..." I apologize before taking a deep breath. "Saphi, use [Tempest Blow]!"

  [RAWR!!!!]

  Saphi quickly pops out in front of me and summons a strong gust of wind toward the enemy players. Some of them struggle to push on and continue with their charge. But all it takes is Saphi's tackle, and they end up being blown away by his spell. Not only that...

  I don't know if this will be enough to turn the tables, but I hope my spell is enough to push on and win against our foes more easily than ever.

  "F**k! What kind of [Familiar] is that?! And how the h*ll did it learn [Wind] magic?!" One of the players exclaims while glaring at us with his daggers out.

  The hunter narrows his eyes and stares at me as if I’m standing naked in the middle of the street. "Dammit... That brat has a rare [Familiar] with him!"

  "A-A rare [Familiar]?! Don't kid around! There's no way he got it from the stone! There's only a 0.001% chance he got one!" Another player shouts at his partner.

  "I know that. But my [Investigate] results never made a mistake! I only got a few details from it, but that's definitely a rare crystal Dragon [Familiar]! Looks like a [Sapphire Dragon] from the game's lore site."

  So he already knows what kind of dragon Saphi is. Guess I can't hide him now that I’ve revealed him to save my butt. Still, if I use my [Sign] to defend myself instead, my trump card will be revealed, and from what I know from my last evaluation from the rank-up event, there's no way I can unleash a powerful spell that will ruin a lot of buildings and hurt a lot of civilians in the crossfire. I have to avoid using it if I want to keep in one piece.

  "Heh... Seems like he's not an ordinary low-level mage after all," the leader says while grinning at me, too creepy for me to get closer. "Quick, kill the brat before he starts chanting again. Maybe there's a merit in stealing his [Familiar] once we're done with him."

  Wait, is that possible? There's no way they can steal Saphi from me if I get killed, right? Still, they're not gonna leave me alone even if I try running away. I have to stop them right here and now! And I have to act fast before they start using their items against me. “Spirits that dwell the earth, heed my call!"

  "Don't even think about it, brat!" One of the players wielding daggers starts charging towards me. "You're wide open! Fl- OWWW!!!"

  I smile when I see Saphi bite down on his right arm before he can unleash one of his skills on me. Looks like I don't need to command him anything to help me finish this spell without interruptions.

  "Turn my enemy’s flesh into stone!” I finish as I aim my staff toward the dagger-wielding player. "[Petrify]!"

  I shoot a small ball of magic at him and once it hits his left arm which he uses to block, I watch his skin turn to stone as the spell starts spreading throughout his body. "N-No... NO! Somebody help me!"

  I flinch as I keep hearing his screams and he shakes off Saphi from his other arm. But when he does so, the spell has already spread to his neck, and I turn my eyes away just as his screaming stops.

  Huh... That went pretty well, in a twisted way...

  I kind of wish I could try taking this chance to hurt him a bit more. But one, it would kind of mean for me to do that in his poor state, and two, I doubt I have strong enough spells to put a hurting on him. Plus, I don't have time to finish him off at my current level as the rest of the players approach me, disregarding their petrified ally right beside them.

  "You're gonna get it now, brat!"

  Oh man... I can't hesitate now! If I do, they're going to get me for sure! I have to back away from them and cast another spell. "Saphi, buff me!"

  I turn in the opposite direction and run as fast as I can. I then hear Sap roar as green energy glows around my body, causing my speed to go faster than before, enough to outrun my pursuers.

  "Dammit, he's getting faster! Stop him!" The leader shouts. "Use status skills and spells to incapacitate him!"

  Oh man... They're faster than I thought. Might as well get it over with. "Saphi, keep them busy while I make some preparations, and don't let them catch you!"

  [RAWR!]

  I watch him charge toward the enemy players before breathing out a couple of [Lightning Bolts] at them. I appreciate him acting as a temporary Tank, but I know he can't defend me for long. I need to hurry.

  “Aura of arcana, hear my call. Aid me to create a barrier to protect my allies from harm! [Mana Shield]!" I raise my staff to create a barrier that expands around me just as they start firing arrows and daggers at me. "Heh... Not so confident with my barrier's up, huh?"

  "Heh... That's practically child's play for most of the mage characters out there," the leader says with a sudden smirk despite the advantage I have. "But don't forget, it can only last a few attacks, and I know how to break it in one."

  He snaps his fingers and to my shock, a large player holding a large hammer comes in and starts marching towards me. If what the leader is true, then I won't survive after he breaks the barrier.

  At least, if he can swing it in time.

  “Mana of creation, hear my plea. Amplify my reserves to prolong their mana! [Mana Enchantment]!"

  I let the mana around me envelop my body to increase my [MP] for a few minutes. While I do that, I watch Saphi charge toward the hammer guy. Unfortunately, he gets smacked away with the end of the handle of the leader's sword before he could reach him.

  "D*mn dragon [Familiar]. You said I shouldn't underestimate it, but he's nothing but a weak*ss lizard," the leader growls. "Hey! Hurry up and crush his barrier already!"

  "Right, boss!"

  Man, those guys work fast. I would call out to him in concern, but I can tell from his eyes that he wants me to continue. Don't worry, Saph. I'll get to you after this!

  "Energy that creates our world, drive my enemies away with mind as your guide!"

  The guy raises his hammer with a grin. "Too late, brat! End of the line!"

  Heh... I was about to say the same to you, too. "[Mana Telekinesis]!"

  I swing my staff like a bat and before I know it, the hammer guy finds himself flying off like a baseball. I can hear him screaming like a girl as he flies farther away before hitting the horse carriage behind him. Everyone including the enemy leader stops everything to see what happened to their "secret weapon".

  "Did that brat just..."

  "No kidding. He chipped off almost 1/3 of his [HP]."

  "Isn't he supposed to be low-level?! There's no way his weak spells push our guy almost to the red!"

  I don't know if my [Arcana Mastery's] Level 22 is supposed to be low. Maybe his magic defenses are low or something?

  "Dammit! Useless b*st*rd!" The enemy player pulls out his sword and readies it so it can pierce my barrier. "I'll deal with the brat myself! His barrier is about to expire anyway..."

  He's right. I only used my [Mana Telekinesis] to stop that hammer guy from crushing my [Mana Barrier]. But at this rate, I won't be able to cast another spell before the leader can reach my barrier.

  "Any last words, kid?" He grins wildly as his sword's blade glows red. "Well, other than not being able to log back into the game for a while."

  "I got three words. [Flurry of Blades]!"

  Suddenly, several energy blades appear and swing at the enemy leader before he could reach me. While he manages to block most of them, he ends up being overwhelmed by the skill. Eventually, he collapses to the ground with multiple cuts on his arms and face. Thankfully for me, my barrier is still up for 30 more seconds. But who in the world used that skill? There's no way that it can be Wind...

  "Geez... I just got back here after I got my [Familiar], and all I'm seeing is chaos! And you're trying to fight these muscleheads without Wind or a Tank to defend you?"

  That voice... No way, that's...!

  "It's a good thing you're ol' friend, Yur1 is here to save the day." He grins as he puts his sword over his shoulders. "So, ease up, Kaz. I'll help you out of this mess."