Excuse Me, Do You Still Need a Dog? Miss Vivian!

"Miss Vivian! They're coming! Are you ready—whoa! Don't bite my ass! Are you ready or not!?" Big Watermelon and Melee God of Magic were scurrying along in a chaotic fluster, shouting into the distance.

The two players were covered in dust, hopping and dodging, looking utterly miserable, as if they'd just come back from begging.

And hot on their heels was a large pack of ape-shaped monsters, especially the leading Demon Ape, its eyes bloodshot with rage, one claw flailing wildly in the air while the other was oddly pressed against its rear, as if some two bastards had given it a vicious jab there.

Well, top players were top players for a reason.

Even the way they pulled aggro was unique. Judging by the leader's stance, it wouldn't rest until it and its minions had torn these two bastard players to shreds.

But no guts, no glory, right?

It was clear these two beta testers had solid footwork. Every time the pursuing monsters got close, they'd suddenly speed up, slipping away like eels, dodging the Demon Apes' claws.

Right across the way, in a clearing in the forest.

Liao Zixuan stretched his limbs comfortably, lying in the little girl's arms, watching the magical projection and praising them in his mind.

Oh, let's clarify something first: Liao Zixuan was a Dark Flame Wolf, not a sloth.

The reason he was hanging off the little girl, too lazy to even walk, was entirely because Vivian loved to hold him whenever she got the chance. It definitely wasn't because he'd gotten addicted to being carried too. That's right, it was all because the little girl spoiled him too much!

Back to the point.

"Vivian, condense the mana first. Don't release it yet. Let the monsters get a little closer." Liao Zixuan used telepathy to guide the girl in using magic.

"Miss Vivian! Hurry up and cast the spell to wipe them out! Quick! We can't hold on much longer!!" The two aggro-pulling players were getting closer and closer, and when they spotted the little girl, they looked like they'd seen their own mother.

"Ignore them. Listen to me." On Liao Zixuan's side, he used his little wolf paw to block the girl's worried gaze, which kept darting toward the players being chased by the horde of monsters.

"Okay, Little Black. I'll try my best!"

Withdrawing her gaze, Vivian tightened her small face. One hand continued holding the little wolf, while the other slowly lifted, surging mana beginning to gather rapidly.

"This time, try not to release all the mana at once. See if you can split the mana into multiple missiles, targeting different enemies."

"Alright, I'll—I'll try!"

"Help! Help! Miss Vivian, they're really about to catch up—whoa! You damn monkey, stop grabbing my ass!" Melee God of Magic and Big Watermelon were on the verge of tears.

They saw Vivian already in a casting stance, but she just wouldn't fire the spell. It was driving them crazy.

Wasn't the quest supposed to have us pull the monsters over for you to kill?

Then do it already!!

"Fire!"

"Fire already!!"

Seeing the furious, deranged leading Demon Ape about to pounce again, Big Watermelon screamed hoarsely at the little girl.

But just as the words left his mouth, the two players' vision was flooded with a sea of blue.

The next second—

The previously arrogant, menacing giant Demon Ape was... splattered with blood and gore, a huge hole blown through it, half its body obliterated by Vivian's Magic Missile.

Holy shit!

That was brutal! Ruthless!

Seeing Vivian finally make her move, Big Watermelon let out a sigh of relief, collapsing to the ground with a "thud," gasping for air.

As for Melee God of Magic—the one who'd been screaming for help and nearly had his ass grabbed multiple times—his expression flipped instantly. He turned cocky and shouted at the remaining Demon Apes, who were all frozen in shock after their leader was one-shot:

"Come on! You got the guts to come at us again!? Chasing us so hard before, just because we poked your boss's ass? Look, look! Didn't expect to mess with a big Witch, did you? Now you're scared, huh?"

Indeed.

The monsters weren't stupid. They sensed weakness from the two players, but from the girl standing behind them, they felt a massive threat.

And as for... as for the little wolf cub cradled in that human girl's arms, they sensed—

From their very souls, from their bloodlines—

A deep, trembling terror!

Run!

Flee now!

A powerful instinctual signal made them recoil in fear, desperate to escape this place.

But it was already too late.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The azure blue of mana bloomed once more from Vivian's hand, and this time it wasn't just a single missile. It split and burst apart like a machine gun, becoming a true multi-target Magic Missile.

[You have killed "Forest Rampage Ape," gaining 43 Experience Points]

[You have killed "Forest Rampage Ape," gaining 49 Experience Points]

[You have killed...]

A string of notification sounds rang out. Sure enough, having players help made a difference—look at that efficiency.

Liao Zixuan, utterly heartless, started counting the gains, while Vivian, who had plenty of heart, wore a guilty expression and quickly ran over to the two players.

"Hard work. You two have worked hard!" The young girl looked at their disheveled appearances, and in her urgency, she was so grateful that she bent deeply at the waist to give them a bow.

Vivian truly hadn't expected these two Outlanders to go to such lengths for her!

She also felt quite distressed, because even just scouting the path ahead, they had ended up being chased by a large group of monsters—how unfortunate.

Yes, the naive young girl, kept in the dark, still believed these two Outlanders were merely responsible for sentry duty. Little did she know, being chased by so many monsters was entirely their own doing, or rather, the result of her "Witch's" "secret instructions."

Looking at her own foolish young girl, the little Black Wolf in her arms, while counting money, curled its lip in disdain.

No kidding!

If it weren't for an S-rank quest, would those two be working this hard?

"Miss Vivian, not to sound rude, but you're being too formal! Since we've accepted your commission, we naturally have to give it our all!"

"Let alone just a little scouting—if Miss Vivian wishes, even if later I have to act as bait or cover your retreat, I won't hesitate for a second. I swear to serve Miss Vivian to the death!"

Listening to his teammate, Melee God of Magic, making such solemn vows—almost to the point of saying "Miss Vivian, I'll be your dog"—Big Watermelon was truly speechless.

His friend had many qualities, but thick skin was the most prominent!

He himself could never do something so shameless!

Then

The beautiful "ding" sound from the system rang out again.

[You have completed the first stage of the S-rank chain quest "Assist Herb Gathering." Rewards have been distributed. Current quest status has been updated]

[Stage One: False Scouting]

[Quest Description: As you venture deeper into the forest, the surrounding monsters will grow stronger. Worried, Vivian asks you to scout ahead, and if you encounter danger, you must immediately run back]

[Quest Objective: Lure 10 monsters back and offer them to the Witch Vivian]

[Quest Reward: 5000 Experience Points]

[Current Completion: 10/10]

[Quest Complete]

[You have received Experience Points: 5000]

[You have leveled up]

[You have leveled up]

[You]

"..." Big Watermelon.

Are you still looking for a dog, Miss Vivian? No, Super Rich Witch Miss!!