《Out of the Blue》 Chapter 1 It was a madhouse outside. The rain poured down by the bucket, a dense curtain of water that seemed to weave in and out, swept from the grasp of gravity by the wind. The trees surrounding the field outside the windows swayed in unison, the rustling of their leaves could be heard under the sound of the rain drumming against the roof. Inside, Mr. Stenson droned on as usual. The nub of chalk in his hand clacked against the blackboard. Roy couldn¡¯t hear any of this of course; he was plugged in. His fingers tapped at the smartphone in his lap as music poured into his head through a pair of earbuds. Suddenly a dreadful noise broke through the lyrics of his song. ¡°Roy.¡± Instincts honed by years spent in the classroom kicked in as he snapped his attention to the chalkboard and hit the minus button on his phone. ¡°Yes, Mr. Stenson?¡± he replied, carefully sliding the smartphone back into his pocket. ¡°Please give the class the definition of a function,¡± Mr. Stenson stared at Roy, or rather, he stared at his desk. ¡°Well, sir, a function is a, thing in math where you ah, write that squiggly ¡®f¡¯ down and ah...¡± Roy¡¯s eyes darted from the board to Mr. Stenson, attentive for a clue as to what in the world a ¡®function¡¯ was. ¡°Well Roy, perhaps you could read the definition off of the textbook,¡± Roy looked down at his textbook; a triangle stared back at him. ¡°Roy, please follow along with the lesson. We are currently on page one hundred and eighty-two,¡± Mr. Stenson slowly picked up the white mug on his desk and took a sip. ¡°Thank you sir,¡± Roy quickly flipped to page one hundred and eighty-two. Then unexpectedly a blue window popped up obscuring the definition of a function. Roy looked up only to realize the blue window seemed to follow his field of view. Most of the other students seemed similarly stupefied as they too stared at something only they could see. ¡°Well, I can''t teach with this distraction in the way,¡± Mr. Stenson carefully set his piece of chalk onto the table and walked towards the intercom. Roy turned his attention back to the blue window and realized there were several lines of words written on it.
Attention!
The System will be implemented shortly in order to accomodate several new changes which will occur. You have4 minutesand45 secondsto familiarize yourself. Think[Status]in order to view your information sheet.
A small beep from the intercom took his attention off of the blue window. ¡°Attention all staff and students, we are aware of the blue box you are all seeing. At this time all teachers should keep their student inside the classroom. We will begin calling classes down to the gymnasium shortly. Please make sure that all windows are closed and blinds are drawn. Thank you.¡± The intercom beeped again as it closed. As soon as the announcement ended the class burst into noise. No one knew exactly what the blue windows were, but the novelty of it seemed to bring up all sorts of discussions. Roy looked at the window one last time, the time seemed to count down, and it now showed 2 minutes and 58 seconds. Roy tapped on the shoulder of the boy sitting to his left. Lawrence seemed to be in a daze as he turned around to face Roy. He was short for his age and looked two years younger than everyone else in the class. ¡°Lawrence, what do you think - are they gonna let us out early?¡± Roy bent over so he could hear over the voice of the other students. Still he could barely make out Lawrence¡¯s quiet response, ¡°Probably, just look at the rain; if this continues there will probably be flooding.¡± That sounded good in Roy¡¯s books; as long as there was no school anything was fine. ¡°What about the blue window, you see it too right, what do you think, personally I¡¯m kind of excited for what happens after the timer runs out.¡± At that Lawrence frowned,¡± Well, maybe we can get a clue as to what this ¡®surprise¡¯ will be if we follow the instructions and think [Status].¡± Without hesitation Roy turned his attention back to the blue window and thought, [Status]. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Character Sheet
Name Roy Stone Level 1
Race Human Condition Normal
HP 126 / 126 HP Regeneration 0.009
MP 118 / 118 MP Regeneration 0.035
-
Statistics
STR 9 INT 10
CON 9 WIS 7
DEX10AGI 10
Unallocated Stat Points 0
-
Resistances
Heat - Cold -
Force - Electric -
Poison - Corrosion -
Hallow - Void -
Mental - Spiritual -
-
Skills
-
Abilities
-
Traits
-
Roy looked through the new window that had appeared; he stared dumb founded at the screen. Lawrence seemed to stare at the screen as well, but his expression seemed to turn more and more solemn. Roy focused on his own screen for now and carefully looked over the [Statistics]. As he viewed each stat, information regarding it seemed to suddenly appear in his mind. There was nothing enlightening about his name, level, and race. But, as he reached HP thoughts started to suddenly appear, one second he would be looking at the capitalized letters, the next it would be as if he had suddenly remembered what the letters meant. HP represented his health, he would die if it hit zero, MP was his ¡®mana¡¯ there was little information regarding this. HP regeneration and MP regeneration are rate in seconds. STR is his physical strength, DEX his ability to perform physical maneuvers. CON measures the health of his body and is directly related to HP. AGI determines his speed and WIS the amount of MP he has and it¡¯s regeneration. Finally INT is a measure of his magical power. Roy realized that these stats were not fixed; they could be increased by ¡®leveling¡¯ up. This meant he could be ¡°faster, higher, stronger!¡± Following that was the [Resistances] section, which was composed of nothing but zeros. At the bottom were the Skills, Traits, and Abilities section, allwere blank, but he would be able to fill these up as he acquired skills, passive bonuses; abilities, ¡®powers¡¯ that he could activate and use; and traits, which would modify his capabilities. The idea was still blurry in his mind. As Roy mulled over the information that had suddenly surfaced a though hit him. Strength, dexterity, magical power, these were exactly like the ones he would encounter in the video games he played. Did that mean his life had suddenly become a video game? The though excited him, video games were fun, classes not so much. Roy turned around to share the good news with Lawrence only to see that his expression was the polar opposite. Lawrence¡¯s fists were clenched and he seemed to shudder as he sat there. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Lawrence stared at Roy for a second, then he seemed to transform, there was a frantic look in his eyes, his leg muscles were clenched as if he was going to leap out and make a run for it, ¡°Roy we have to go, we have to, it¡¯s not safe, that blue window is nothing but trouble!¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a video game, stats, skills, abilities, this is gonna be great, it¡¯ll be like Dungeons Treasures Dragons Wizards. I can¡¯t wait for this timer to run out!¡± the timer was at a minute and 11 seconds. ¡°Roy, what do you do in DTDW? You fight monsters, this is real life Roy! Shit, we¡¯re getting stats for fighting, that¡¯s what the changes are going to be,¡± Lawrence started to pull out his various textbooks from his bag, carelessly throwing them onto the ground, ¡°What do you think is going to happen when that timer runs out? We¡¯ve got the character, we¡¯ve rolled the stats, now we start the game.¡± A tug pulled out the math binder and spilled the hundreds of pages of paper onto the ground, ¡±Can you imagine fighting monsters in real life Roy! This is the grace period we¡¯ve been given; after this shit is going to hit the fan!¡± Satisfied now that his backpack was almost devoid of books, Lawrence stood up and strapped on his bag,¡± I¡¯m getting out of here; crowded places like this will attract monsters like an ant nest attracts Arnold¡¯s foot,¡± then Lawrence walked out the door. Mr. Stenson seemed to be caught completely off guard as Lawrence opened the classroom door and left. ¡°Lawrence, Lawrence, Mr. Petrov!¡± Mr. Stenson looked at the closed door for a moment before getting up to reach for the intercom, before his finger could hit the button the intercom beeped and the principal, Mr. Kwang, began his announcement. ¡°All staff and student, this is a lockdown, this is not a drill. Teachers please ensure that all students are in the classroom. All windows and doors must be closed, all lights must be turned off. All staff and students are to close all electronic devices and maintain silence. You will be released by an administrator when the lockdown is over. This is not a drill.¡± Then the intercom beeped again and the room was completely silent. The timer had reached zero. Everyone stared at Mr. Stenson, he had tried to call the office regarding Lawrence but no one had answered. He then went and drew the blinds, locked the door and closed the lights. Roy had expected something big to happen but so far all that could be heard was the heavy drumming of the rain which only seemed increase in intensity. He wasn¡¯t too worried about Lawrence though, Lawrence usually knew what he was doing. Roy could see that there were several groups that had formed, friends that had stuck together to help ease the unease. Several of his buddies and grouped around the back of the room and they had motioned him over, but no one dared to break the current status quo and move. Then suddenly something banged against the door. It wasn¡¯t a knock but a bang, like something had tried to break through. Someone screamed but it was quickly muffled, it was probably Alyssa who sat a few seats to the left and beside John. John was known for being the no-nonsense captain of the football team. Mr. Stenson shuffled the marked tests on his desk and reached into his the cupboard. Roy couldn¡¯t believe his eyes when the man calmly pulled out a rifle from the inside of his desk and stood up. The class watched as Mr. Stenson walked up to and thenpeered out the small window on the door. Mr. Stenson¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he took a few steps away knelt down. His rifle pointed at the door and his gaze unwavering. A few classmates took the opportunity to shuffle away from the door, leaving just Roy and a kid who sat two rows back. What had been a privilege ¨C being the first to leave when the bell rang ¨C had turned into a curse. Roy contemplated getting up and joining the students who had gathered to his left near the windows when suddenly the door broke off its hinges and something soared through the door way. Then, almost in unity, the rifle went off; the classroom was illuminated by the flash for just an instant before plunging back into darkness. The thing that had intruded upon the classroom flew its due course and then landed on the ground, its body skid for a bit and emitted a faint growling sound before departing the world. Mr. Stenson looked down at the thing he had shot. The rest of the class followed. The corpse was about the size of a shopping basket; it resembled a frog but had a shallow coat of grey fur with yellow spotted patches. The pupils on its two bulbous eyes had already dilated, and it¡¯s mouth, which stretched from one side of its face all the way to the other, was hanging open. Two rows of needle like teeth showed through the maw, a limp frog-like tongue hung out from the side. Light magenta colored blood had begun to flow out of the bullet wound on its head and pool under its body; the smell of rotten fish permeated the room. Roy looked at the teeth, the bulging muscles, the maw that seemed like it could come alive again and open wider and wider, its size without bounds, as it encompassed the school, the neighborhood, Anamosa, and his entire world. Some students hurried back to their desks, others hurried to the nearest window and opened it up to get some fresh air. A few stood still in their place as they stared at the frog monster, curiosity, fear, denial. Someone ran for the trash can and began to puke. Roy stared at the eyes of the frog monster as Mr. Stanson kicked its sagging body outside the classroom. Then he lifted the door and pushed it against the door frame, cutting off the illumination entering the classroom from the hallway. ¡°Alright class, everyone take a seat,¡± everyone moved their chairs and bunched near the windows.Arnold still sat at his normal desk, seemingly unfazed. A small group of three had chosen to sit in the opposite far corner of the classroom. Tim was holding onto the trashcan as he stumbled back to his seat and slumped over his desk. Roy stood stock still at the front of the classroom; eyes still staring at the pool of blood. Mr. Stenson walked over and guided him back to his desk. Roy couldn¡¯t even feel embarrassed as some of the braver students giggled, the room had suddenly felt too small, the dark too pervasive, and the thin woolen T-shirt too little to stand between him and the outside world. Mr. Stenson walked back to the front of the room and began to address the class. ¡°Your attentions please everyone, we are in a state of lockdown and I am sure that the authorities will be here soon. For now I would like to take attendance,¡± Mr. Stanson pulled out the attendance and began to call out names. ¡°Tristan.¡± ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Huxley.¡± Mr. Stanson repeated a second time, ¡°Huxley.¡± ¡°H-h-here.¡± ¡°Julia.¡± A girl, eyes red from sobbing, slowly raised her hand. ¡°John¡± ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Fahim¡± ¡°Here?¡± Fahim turned to look at the door as the sound of many somethings slapping against floor tiles approached the classroom. Chapter 2 Mr. Stanson picked up his gun again and aimed at the makeshift door. The footsteps sounded louder and louder by the second as the visitors approached the. Then like before a frog monster burst through the door and again was met by a round from the rifle. The body began to fall like its predecessor, but before it could hit the ground another one jumped through the door and met a similar fate. Then another and another, Roy watched in horror as the bodies began to pile up and slide off of each other, even as more and more of the frog monsters leaped in from the open door and over its kin. Roy kept count on the number of frog monsters that had leaped into the room, at every count he hoped it would be the end of them, and then the fifteenth leaped into the room and the only response was a soft click from the rifle. A sense of dread overtook Roy as the frog monster tackled Mr. Stenson just as he reached under the desk for another clip. The creature sank its teeth into Mr. Stenson¡¯s calf as he ejected the empty magazine and inserted the fresh clip. He took aim at the frog on his leg and fired just as another leaped through the doorway. Then another and another, soon Mr. Stenson was on the ground surround by the things, some dead and other¡¯s still alive and clinging to his body. There was a commotion at the other end of the room as Tristan reached into his bag and pulled out his baseball bat. He rushed to Mr. Stenson and began to knock off the frog monsters that were biting at the man on the ground. Then Huxley began to shuffle out of the crowd and followed Tristan¡¯s lead. A few of the students were on their phones, some of the calls seemed to have connected, and others were trying in vain. As the shock began to wear off the room filled with their voices. Roy tried to reach for his own phone when he was interrupted by the scene of another frog leaping into the room. This time it seemed to consider the downed man, then slowly began to pivot its bulging body, until its two large eyes stared right into Roy¡¯s. Roy stared at the two bulbous eyes and the eyes stared back. Slowly he began to push his chair out, his hands shook as they clutched the table for support. Eyes darting to the side, Roy contemplated grabbing his backpack. His left arm reached out for his bag, as he turned his attention back to the frog. Its mouth was open and its body hurtling towards him. Saliva flew out from the corners of its mouth, the thick substance faintly glowing in the dark of the room. Roy had just enough time to lift the arm clutching the table for support, before the monster slammed into his body, pushing his out stretched hand into his chest. Something was off about his arms, curled into a position he never could have imagined was possible, and then the pain hit him like another frog monster. Roy screamed, it was a blaring throb which only seemed to worsen as the frog put pressure on the twisted limb. Then its mouth bit down on his shoulder and he could see his own blood squirt out from the wound. Driven by panic Roy searched for something with his free arm, desperately patting down the sides of his bag. His hand found something and he clutched at it, driven by a desperate need Roy plunged the something into one of the bulging eyes. The eye deflated like a balloon, its contents splattering his left arm which was still clutching onto a pencil. The monster opened its mouth to let out a hoarse growl before clamping down again this time on his left forearm. Roy tried to move his right but any effort he put in was met with a wave of pain. He was completely disarmed. Roy could feel his blood pouring out of his shoulder, an artery had probably been gouged and he was likely to bleed out before the frog monster finished its meal. With one last ditch effort Roy rocked his body to the left, tilting the chair and sending the both of them sprawling on to the ground, with Roy on top. The frog opened its mouth as its back hit the ground and Roy used the opportunity to slam his pencil into its belly, which was surprisingly soft. The pencil tore through the skin and the rest of his arm followed its way in. Roy was about to collapse head first into the frog when suddenly he felt his body being propelled backwards. He felt his chest cavity cave in and a moment of weightlessness, before falling back onto the ground and skidding to a stop in front of the blackboard. He struggled to breath and watched as the frog monster kicked out a few more times before it ceased to move. Roy though about celebrating but then realized that he probably wasn¡¯t long for this world either. The rest of the frogs were dead, beaten into a pulp by Tristan. Mr. Stenson was lying on the ground, his body covered in wounds, but the man was still alive. Roy was snapped back to attention as another blue screen popped out in front of him.
Reward
For demonstrating great tenacity at the onset of the system you have been rewarded. 1x Elixir of Vitality
After reading the message Roy willed it to go away and it disappeared, in its place was an intricate glass veil, inside swirled a red liquid which was quite vibrant even in the dark of the room. As Roy eyes stared at the veil it gently settled on the floor beside him. Another blue screen appeared before his eyes as he stared at the veil.
Attention
To examine an object focus on it and think [Examine]
Elixar of Vitality
Restore Health Completely Remove All Conditions Increase CON to HP Modifier by 0.1 Increase Max HP by 100
Roy carefully raised his left arm and picked up the veil. His entire arm was a sanguine shade and blood was still gushing from his wounds. Roy called out his status screen and observed that he had 9 points of health left. The [Condition] also showed that he was [Bleeding Severely] and [Poisoned]. Using his teeth Roy pulled out the stopper and gulped down the contents of the veil. Instantly his wounds began to visibly heal. The number beside his health jumped to 127 and then to 234. The bleeding and poison effects also disappeared. Roy felt like he had just taken a stroll in the park, as opposed to being mauled by an overgrown frog. Leo and Arnold walked over to the frog he had killed just moments ago, the two looked down at the body, they prodded it to make sure it was dead and then stared. Leo walked over to Roy and knelt down, putting his hand over his eyes and trying to push down on his eyelids.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I¡¯m still alive.¡± Leo jumped up in surprise and then seemed to look over his body which was sprawled on the ground. The amount of blood pooled on the ground had probably given him the impression that he had died. ¡°Oh, sorry...¡± he raised his arm and straightened his shirt for a lack of anything better to do with his hands. ¡°Do you need any help?¡± Leo was around five foot five and looked fairly scrawny, despite that he was working part time as a life guard, so he probably had his first aid certifications, ¡°To get that bandaged.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m fine,¡± he couldn¡¯t believe it himself; the contents of that tiny bottle had probably saved his life. ¡°Oh, ok. I¡¯ll go check up on Mr. Stenson then,¡± Leo gave Roy one last look with his dark brown eyes before heading over to Mr. Stenson. With his body out of the way Roy could see Arnold use his foot to prod at the dead frog monster. Arnold was fascinated by animals, ever since kindergarten he had spent his time looking at, touching, killing and then dissecting a whole variety of critters. His favorite part of course was the killing bit. Just as he thought that, Arnold gave the corpse a strong kick that sent it tumbling across the aisle like a soccer ball. Its appendage twisted around it torso and all manner of liquids spilled onto the ground from the wound in its belly. Then he turned around and looked at Roy, ¡°Fuck that thing, never seen anything like it on National Geographic.¡± ¡°Pretty sure it¡¯s not of this world,¡± Roy pushed himself off the ground and made sure not to slip on his own pool of blood. Roy followed Arnold as he walked up to the corpse again, this time he picked it up and dropped it onto a desk. Its torso fit but the legs dangled from the sides. Roy was reminded of the frog dissections in Biology, which probably wasn¡¯t far from what Arnold was about to do. Roy looked down at its body, the mouth was wide open and the teeth were caked with blood. Roy took a step backwards and readied himself in case the dead body wanted to return to life and jump at him again. As he studied the monster another blue screen popped out.
Attention
To obtain extra items from a body, focus on it and then think[Loot]
The way that was worded was pretty morbid, Roy almost felt like he was a grave robber as he focused on the frog and thought [Loot]. Conjuring up images of him digging up the frog in the cemetery at midnight, all while being scrutinized by the tombstone at its head. Another blue screen interrupted his thoughts.
Loot
1x Corroded Iron Dirk of Failing Fortitude
An item appeared beside the corpse, as Roy turned his attention to the dagger, the blue screen disappeared. Arnold looked at the blade and then looked back at Roy. ¡°This yours?¡± he asked as he motioned towards the knife. He was probably hoping to cut open the frog with it. ¡°Yes, and no you can¡¯t borrow it,¡± Roy quickly picked up the knife and examined it. As he thought that another blue screen appeared.
Corroded Iron Dirk of Failing Fortitude
The prized possession of a talented young captain. A tragedy at sea led to the deaths of all aboard theEIS Resilent, with it went the hopes of the settlers ofNew Atlarium. Since then this weapon as lain buried under the waves.
4 ¨C 8 Physical Damage (Slashing & Puncture) (While Equipped)- 5 CON
Enemies damaged by the dirk suffer ¨C 1 CON for 2m (Stack up to 10 times) Enemies with 10 stackslose 100% of base HP regeneration
Roy held the dagger in his hands, and wondered whether or not that counted as being equipped. Roy brought up his status screen and found that his CON had been reduced, and with it HP had fallen to 209. He then placed his dagger at his side, slowly his constitution rose back to 9; however, his HP stayed at 209, it was separated from the number 234 by a slash. It appeared that his current HP would not follow his max HP as it rose.
Character Sheet
Name Roy Stone Level 1
Race Human Condition Normal
HP 209 / 234 HP Regeneration 0.009
MP 118 MP Regeneration 0.04
-
Statistics
STR 9 INT 10
CON 9 WIS 7
DEX10AGI 10
Unallocated Stat Points 0
-
Resistances
Heat 0 Cold 0
Force 0 Electric 0
Poison 0 Corrosion 0
Hallow 0 Void 0
Mental 0 Spiritual 0
-
Skills
-
Abilities
-
Traits
-
Roy sat in the puddle of his own blood as his mind wandered and further scrutinized the status menu. The loss of four points in CON, or constitution as he determined, only led to a drop of 25 points in HP. After the drop he would be left with only 4 points in constitution, it seemed unreasonable to assume that those four points would be responsible for 207 points of HP. Thus Roy felt that his HP must have a base a value, this was further reinforced by the fact that the elixir had risen max HP by a hundred points. Furthermore, if Roy assumed that the base HP was a nice even gamey 200, the first 4 points in constitution would have had a 7 point effect on HP. Decidedly less than the 27 points the next 5 points had on HP. Roy could assume that constitution had a greater per point effect on HP at higher values, but that would be a stretch so Roy left that as a tentative answer. Next he moved on to the dagger. Roy wasn¡¯t too sure on the other stats of the dagger. How did damage work, and what distinguished a slashing from a puncture based attack? Roy had played plenty of games in his spare time, but the calculations had eluded him, in the end bigger always meant better. Of course he didn¡¯t feel like finding out right now considering that meant fighting something, and fighting something would eventually lead to a bloody conclusion, one which he had almost arrived at just moments ago. Roy though back to Lawrence¡¯s reaction, now that he had almost bled to death he was beginning to regret his earlier enthusiasm. Roy was interrupted as Arnold stomped over to his own bag. He quickly pulled out a multi-tool and flipped open the knife. Then he pulled the frog back up by the leg and began to cut open its stomach using the small knife. Roy walked away and joined up with the group gathering around Mr. Stenson. Tristan was at the front; Mr. Stenson leaned onto his shoulder as he gulped down a vial of red liquid. Some of his wounds abated but he still looked half dead. Roy surmised that those were of a different variety then the panacea he had gulped down. Besides bleeding, Roy had also been hit with poison. Without some type of antidote Mr. Stenson¡¯s situation would only slowly deteriorate. ¡°Alright class,¡± Mr. Stenson dropped the gun onto his desk and pulled out 3 more magazines from his desk, he then plopped them down beside the rifle and made no move to pick up the gun, ¡°I¡¯m going to head down to the office. I want everyone to stay in the room and wait for the announcements; if they don¡¯t come by tomorrow morning I want the class to head to the police station at Ford and First Street. Does everyone understand?¡± There were a few murmurs around the room. Then Julia shouted from the back of the room, her voice quivering. The class turned their attention to the girl near the back. Her auburn hair was a mess; it partially obscured her eyes which were in a worse state then before. ¡°NOOO, you can¡¯t leave! What if those things come back?¡± her eyes dart from Mr. Stenson to the pile of dead frogs on the ground. Mr. Stenson turned his gaze to Tristan, ¡°While I¡¯m gone Tristan is in charge, make sure to keep quiet.¡± Mr. Stenson picked up his hat, an old wide brimmed thing with a hole at the side. He walked to the door and looked over the class one more time. ¡°Make sure this door is covered and the windows are closed,¡± he stared at the group who had opened the windows, ¡°Your homework questions are on page one hundred and eighty-three, if you don¡¯t know the answers make sure you get them from a friend before class starts tomorrow. That goes doubly for you Mr. Stone.¡± Roy flinched on instinct as his name was called out, then he looked back towards Mr. Stenson, his face is pale and he seems to sway from side to side, probably because of the poison. ¡°Of course, Sir.¡± ¡°Alright, have a nice weekend everyone.¡± he said as he walked out of the room and turned to the left. His footsteps echoed in the empty hallways before disappearing. Chapter 3 Tristan walked to the door and craned his neck out, looking towards the left. He held that position for a while before pulling himself back into the classroom and sealing the door with a stack of tables, the broken down door and a roll of duct tape. Huxley held the contraption in place as Tristan stabilized it with tape. The rest of the class watched, some were still on their phones, talking to friends and family. Some conversations ended as the line drops dead. Roy walked back to his desk and pulled out his own phone. He swiped away his playlist and dialed his mom¡¯s cell. The phone ringed, and ringed, but no one answered. Then the line went dead and the automatic operator informed him that the other party cannot be reached. Roy stared at his phone, and then tucked it into his bag. His dad was off in Iraq so there was no way he could contact him. The last time they talked was two years ago, right before his second deployment. Roy hoped that the ¡®apocalypse¡¯ was not global, but that seemed like a pipe dream. The only other family he had in Iowa was his younger sister. She was in Des Moines and his call wouldn¡¯t change a thing. The rest of the class had again reverted to normal, filling the room with hushed conversations. Roy could see Leo near the front of the room tending to John¡¯s wounds. He carefully sanitized and then bandaged a deep gouge on the football captain¡¯s arm. Julia was at her desk and several of her friends were trying to calm her down. With the sound of the rain in the background everything seemed peaceful. Roy took a deep breath and could feel a hand settle over his shoulder. He jerked around to find Tom there, his grin forming a giant crescent. ¡°What the hell Tom,¡± Tom was French but he had no fashion sense, a pair of sweatpants and a printed T-shirt was his usual get up. Today his shirt was adorned with the face of ¡®Grogbeard,¡¯ his avatar from WOW, a generic dwarf with a large axe and a scar over the left eye. ¡°Yo Roy, those were some sick moves you pulled on that murlock! Then when yo...¡± Tom seemed completely unfazed by the apocalypse and his booming voice drew the attention of a few other students. ¡°Are you crazy Tom, murlocks in real life? You¡¯ve lost you marbles! Those were definitely something cooked up by the Fed in Fort Detrick. There was a leak and now the entire East coast is probably gone, and we¡¯re next!¡± Lyn¡¯s shrill voice burst into the conversation and soon their debate had become the center of attention. ¡°Psssht, what would you know, you¡¯re not even one hundred yet, when was the last time you even logged in? You couldn¡¯t tell an orc apart from a troll!¡± Roy took a step back as Tom turned his attention to Lyn. ¡°I think the chemtrails are starting to get into your head Tom, who still plays WOW now that there¡¯s DTDW, which is the definitive WOW killer.¡± She made sure to stress the last bit to Tom¡¯s displeasure. ¡°DTDW? DTDW is a total rip-off of D&...¡± suddenly Tom realized that the whole class was staring at him and eerily quiet. Tristan was at the front of the room clearly preparing to address the class. Roy quickly returned to his seat, and realizing that his the chair was covered in blood, sat on the table. Tom and Lyn scrambled to the back of the room and continued their debate quietly. All that could now be heard was the faint sobbing of Julia. ¡°Alright everyone, like Mr. Stenson said help is definitely on the way,¡± he looked at Julia as he said that. ¡°Ha, you¡¯re kidding right Tris,¡± Deven stood up from his seat. He was 6 foot 5 and as he stood up he carelessly shoved the table forward. ¡°Helps not coming today, it¡¯s not gonna come tomorrow, and it ain¡¯t coming ever,¡± he slowly walked down the aisle, his build an intimidating sight that sent Tristan back a few steps. ¡°Back down Deven, or I swear!¡± John stood up, his one hand was bandaged and the other over the shoulder of Alyssa. ¡°Or else what John? What are you gonna do about it? Come on capt,¡± Deven snorted as he turned around, now facing the class from the side of the Mr. Stenson¡¯s desk. John lifted his arm from Alyssa¡¯s shoulder and stood up. Tristan was still at the front his hands tightly gripped around the rifle. Then it happened, everyone sprung into motion. Deven jabbed Tristan in the gut as John leaped out from the seat and charged at Devon. Tristan¡¯s grasp loosened and Deven grabbed the rifle, but John was still too far away. Deven raised the rifle and pressed the trigger; the ring echoed through the room and seemed to hold John in place, before his body slumped onto the ground. His hands covered over his chest as he struggled to breath. Julia began screaming, which seemed to snap the rest of the class out of their stupor. Alyssa rushed to John followed by Leo and Arnold who had his knife in one hand and Tristan¡¯s bat in the other. Deven seemed to inspect his handiwork one last time and then walked to the blockaded door, making sure to give Tristan a kick that sent him sprawling to the side. Deven ripped off the tape and toppled the make shift door before stepping out into the hallway, taking the gun and the ammo with him. Most of the class buzzed around John determined to stop the flow of the blood. Huxley was at the front of the room, slowly he helped Tristan up. Roy stared, he couldn¡¯t believe what had happened. It had taken what, fifteen minute, since the start of the apocalypse and already people were willing to shoot each other over a gun, if even that. Roy stood up and walked over to the door and took a peek down the hallway to the left, Deven was already out of sight, but there Mr. Stenson sat. As if he was just taking a short break. His arms were spread open and his head drooped down to touch his shoulder. Roy watched expecting his math teacher to get up any second now and declare that the lockdown was over and they could go home now. Mr. Stenson was pale, his eyes were closed, his mouth was open, and he was dead. Roy could hear the scramble from inside the room. Leo was shouting orders to the rest of the class as they scrambled to find tape, Ziploc bags, and the first aid kit. Roy watched Mr. Stenson¡¯s unmoving body for some time, the next thing he knew the class had quieted down and Tristan stood beside him.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone Roy, it¡¯s bad enough already. On the bright side, Hux found a vial of liquid on one of the frogs and that was enough to stabilize John,¡± Tristan walked out and dragged Mr. Stenson down the hallway and around the corner. He looked down the hallway leading towards the gym for a second before heading back into the classroom. Roy followed. Everyone looked a little worse for wear as they sat in their seats. Tristan was at the front again and this time he was clutching onto his bat. His voice seemed to quiver ever so slightly as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s almost three now and I think we¡¯re going to have to make up some plans,¡± it had been almost two hour now since the timer ran out. Roy looked at his phone and wondered when the electricity would go out. ¡°Hux called his parents in New York a moment ago and they seem to be facing the same problems we¡¯re having. The government is on the way, that¡¯s for sure, but it might take a while. So I¡¯ve been thinking about how we¡¯re going to get dinner and maybe breakfast tomorrow,¡± there was some murmuring from the rest of the class; soon there was an all-out debate as everyone¡¯s opinions solidified. Some were for heading to the auditorium where the elevens were having a presentation ¨C the nines and tens were out on a trip. Many others wanted to stay as per Mr. Stenson¡¯s instruction. ¡°Mr. Stenson instructed us to stay in the class, don¡¯t forget this is a lockdown.¡± Fahim¡¯s laptop was open and he was on a video chat with his parents. ¡°Who cares what the Stein says, I¡¯m not waiting here for the toads to come back,¡± a white blouse, jeans, and a pair of Oakleys. Silvia had Photophobia, but now that the lights were out the pair of sunglasses were extraneous. ¡°Maybe you should have left with that thug then shrew.¡± John was leaning against the wall, his wound bandaged and mostly healed by the health potion. Things were getting ugly and Roy shuffled in his seat, the trauma of the earlier incident must be spilling over and now John was letting his anger follow it over the top. Deven and Silvia used to be a pair, but that was before she took him out with a Taser after he got ahead of himself. No one wanted trouble so the two stayed quiet, then Silvia confided in Alyssa and the information spread like wildfire. Silvia hadn¡¯t been on very good terms since with John and Alyssa. Roy didn¡¯t use to be in on the gossip, but what Lyn knew, she made sure her circle of friends knew, and that included Roy. No one wanted to stoke old flames so they usually kept quiet about the incident, but now stress had let loose the demon and things were spiraling out of control. John was starting to get up, Alyssa was making an attempt to keep him down, Fahim¡¯s parents were shouting through the speakers in Dari - somehow Roy could understand every word they spoke, and Silvia had her hand in her bag. ¡°Sit Down!¡± Tristan slammed his baseball bat against the chalk board for extra emphasis. The class quieted and returned to their seats, again the attention was on Tristan, ¡°We¡¯ll settle this with a vote, everyone for staying raise your hands.¡± Slowly people began to raise their hands; altogether 13 people had their hands raised including Roy, Roy recognized Leo, Fahim, and Huxley. Apart from the three, most of the girls around Julia had their hands raised, so did a group near the far corner. ¡°That¡¯s thirteen votes, now who wants to head towards the auditorium, there will probably be staff there.¡± Again people began to raise their hands, Tristan waited a moment and then tallied the total, ¡°That¡¯s fifteen votes, fifteen against thirteen, I guess we¡¯re leaving,¡± Tristan returned to his desk and picked up his bag, Roy watched him return to the front of the room with his bag packed. ¡±Alright everyone lets go.¡± Then one of the students from the ground near the far corner stood up, Roy had never talked to this individual before, he had on a T-shirt and sweatpants, nothing out of the usual. He seemed to be reading a book, there was no dust jacket and it looked quite old. ¡°My friends and I will be staying.¡± Tristan grimaced and looked towards the other students who had shown no sign of getting up from their seats. Huxley, Leo, and the girls were all packing up, but Fahim, the corner group and a few others were showing no signs of moving. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, we voted on this guys, you can¡¯t stay here there¡¯s safety in numbers, ¡°His message didn¡¯t seem to move the boy with the book at all. ¡°I can ensure mine and my group¡¯s safety,¡± then he looked around at the other stayers, ¡°I can¡¯t insure their¡¯s though.¡± There were a few murmurs and some more of the stayers began to pack up, Roy felt uncomfortable too but he wasn¡¯t heading out there, not when there were frogs and who knew what else out there. Tristan was at a loss for words, he messaged his temple, an action Roy frequently saw the boy perform while he was out on the field, ¡°Alright, fine, but make sure the doors are sealed, stay safe.¡± The class packed in silence and soon they were ready to leave, Tom walked over to Roy¡¯s desk, he and Lyn were leaving. ¡°Dude, come on you can¡¯t sit here forever, it¡¯s a whole new world out there Roy!¡± Tom spread out his arms for emphasis. ¡°I can¡¯t Tom, just go,¡± Tom looked over Roy one more time and headed towards the door. Lyn passed by too and stopped for a second. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out for Lawrence, funny how he left right before everything hit the fan. You know what I like to say, nothing is ever a coincidence,¡± then she followed Tom and soon most of the class had left. Tristan was the last one out. ¡°Hey Roy, take care,¡± then he too was gone, leaving Roy, Fahim, the three in the corner, and two others. Roy didn¡¯t know anyone else except Fahim by name, and even then he wasn¡¯t too familiar with him. The two who were not a part of the corner group made their way to Fahim and soon the three were making small talk. The corner group was still there, now that most of the class was gone Roy could see the three individuals. They were all reading books; each one was the type the boy was holding earlier. The other two in the group were girls; Roy didn¡¯t recognize any of them. Roy turned his attention away from the three and focused on organizing his thoughts. Just over an hour ago Roy was in Math class, technically he was still in math class, but he had had a close encounter with death. Now the only thing he wanted was to head back home and plop himself down in front of the PC with a can of coke. That sounded nice but this was the apocalypse and even if he regretted his earlier enthusiasm things weren¡¯t going to get better quickly. Going by what Huxley had reported, and what the screens were saying. Roy opened his status. Comparatively, his wisdom was the lowest stat, everything else was approximately equal. The skills, abilities, and traits were empty, which hurt because Roy liked to believe that gaming was an invaluable skill. HP regen and MP regen were the measure per second according to the information on the screen when he focused on the stat. A HP regeneration that sat at 0.009 meant it would take hours to recover from any significant damage. Now that Roy though about it, he should have left with the group. He had blundered because of the momentary shock and now he was stuck. There was safety in numbers and leaving the room right now would render him alone. He never soloed in DTDW, he wasn¡¯t going to start now, especially when death was just around the corner. Lawrence had always preferred to go it alone. How was Lawrence doing? His house was at least a fifteen minute walk from the school, Roy looked outside. The rain was still coming down in buckets and most of the field was flooded. Five minutes in that raging storm, and then ten more after the monsters appeared. Roy zipped up his back pack and got off the desk. His stomach rumbled; he hadn¡¯t eaten since breakfast. Rummaging through his bag, Roy dug out a granola bar. The color on the wrapper had long since been rubbed off and the contents were a pulp. He ripped open the wrapper and dumped the contents into his mouth, he was fairly certain these things never expired. Chapter 4 It was already four; soon Roy would need to find something to eat for dinner. The school kitchen was located just south of the gym, to get there Roy would need to turn left after exiting the room, then turn right at the first intersection. The second corridor would intersect the central commons; the gym, office, kitchen, and exit were all connected to the central commons. Fahim and two others were still talking; the video chat on the laptop was still operating, which meant that he could still access the internet. Roy pulled out his phone, then he remembered he didn¡¯t have data and there was no Wi-Fi in the room. Roy tucked his phone back into his backpack and slung the bag over his shoulders. The straps were tightened so that the bag wouldn¡¯t sway if he ever needed to run. The group in the corner was also getting up, except they made no move to grab their bags. He made his way to the front of the room, to the pile of dead frogs. Now when he observed the frogs one by one a blue screen popped out. Most of the screens showed [Looted], however the ones at the bottom still displayed [Loot]. Roy took his time digging through the pile and looting the corpses, by the end he had found three un-looted bodies, each buried underneath the bodies of its brothers, or sisters. The loot consisted of a vial of red liquid. Which was alarming because that meant not all monsters guaranteed dropped items.
Small Vial of Swamp Berry Juice
Restore 2 HP/s (10s) Reduce INT by 1 (5m)
The red liquid inside was close to a dull magenta. Roy equated it with a weak healing potion, with a slight drawback. He placed the vial in his pocket where it would be easy to reach, in case of emergency. It was unfortunate that there was no piece of weapon or armor included in the loot, it was unfair. What type of game made the starting equipment distributed based on RNG? Where was the tutorial and beginner equipment, how was he supposed to survive? If there was no starting equipment then he would need to scavenge some from the classroom. Roy picked up the ruler under the blackboard, he pulled open Mr. Stenson¡¯s drawer and took the pair of scissors, and a roll of duct tape. Remembering how Mr. Stenson had pulled out the rifle and magazines earlier, Roy stuck his hand into the drawer and felt around for anything of interest. Roy felt his palm touch something cold and hard. Excited, Roy grasped the object and pulled it out from the recesses of the drawer, in his hand was a pistol. In the dark Roy couldn¡¯t make out many of the details, but he could feel the worn handle and the scrapes that covered the gun. He had never held a gun before; there was not a single one in his house as far as he knew. His mother and father had a huge argument over it a few years ago; it was right after his thirteenth birthday when his dad had deemed him ready to learn to shoot. His mom on the other hand disagreed. Roy pulled down the trigger, nothing.He pressed down several times before recalling that unused guns were usually put on safety. Roy looked down and the gun and noticed a small notch at the side, he pressed the notch up and realized he couldn¡¯t. He then tried pushing it down and was rewarded when the notch clicked downwards. Roy tried pressing the trigger, the hammer at the back moved but still there was no action. Roy focused on the gun and a blue screen popped out.
M1911A1 Pistol of Fervor
(0) 26Physical Damage (Puncture) 7 / 7 Rounds (.45 ACP - 230 gr FMJ)
First shot in combat deals +50% damage (once/day)
The gun was loaded, buy why wouldn''t it fire? Frustrated at his lack of progress and encouraged because a single shot would only wipe out a fourth of his HP, Roy started to press and pull anything he could find. Roy pulled at the entire top of the gun and was surprised when the half slid backwards. Roy let go and the top half sprung back into place. Roy pointed the gun at the door and tried to position himself like the movie stars did. He then pressed down on the trigger, a bullet shot out of the barrel and punched into the locker on the other side of the hall. Roy was momentarily stunned, wasn¡¯t this what he had been hoping for? Roy placed the gun onto the desk and flexed his hands. The rest of the class was staring at him. ¡°Whoa, why the heck did you do that Roy?¡± Fahim¡¯s family was starting to panic again and the sounds poured from the speakers. ¡°Pretty cool huh.¡± Roy tried to keep his voice level, but the feeling of exhilaration after having this type of power was ready to burst. ¡°What are you doing, put the gun away where it belongs,¡± it was one of the kids chatting with Fahim. Roy couldn¡¯t remember her name but he was fairly certain she was part of the student council. ¡°Yeah Roy, drop the gun, you shouldn¡¯t be messing with stuff like that,¡± Fahim raised his head to mutter the reprimand before he returned to reassuring his family that he was alright. The group in the corner was quietly talking amongst themselves, Roy was certain the topic was him or his gun. Now that he had the gun he wasn¡¯t willing to give it away, the gun drove away the earlier fear and gave him confidence. Roy quickly dug around the drawer and found 2 spare magazines. He stashed the ammunition into his bag and quickly ran out the door. Fahim was yelling after him and the girl was furious. The corner group only stared at his receeding figure. Roy didn¡¯t stop, he pulled out the gun and ran down the hallway taking a right at the first intersection. Then he stopped. The hallway was covered in blood, this was probably what Tristan was staring at earlier when he turned the corner to deposit Mr. Stenson¡¯s body. Mr. Stenson sat by the lockers. But further down the hallway several bodies littered the floor, most were covered in bites and were missing chunks of flesh, a few frogs were also intermingled amongst the bodies. A door by the side of the hallway was broken down and now lay lying on the ground. The students must have poured out of the classroom, together with the frogs. Roy steadied himself using the wall and clutched the handle of the gun. He made his way slowly down the hallway, keeping his eyes away from the ground. There were several footprints heading down the hallway towards the gym. It seemed like the frogs had burst from the classroom and the students had made a run for it. Roy looked into the open doorway and gagged. The tables and chairs were in disarray. This used to be the business room, but the business that had taken place here was evident by the bodies strewn across the ground. Most of the students were still in their seats, some were even clutching pieces of stationary.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Whatever happened had probably occurred right after the timer ended. The teacher, Mrs. Loon, was missing an arm, a meter away a dead frog held the arm in its mouth. Roy noticed that there were several varieties of the frog monsters. Some were like the ones he found in his classroom, but a few had horns protruding for their heads, and one had no fur. Instead it was covered in what resembled rocks. Someone had bashed in its protruding eyes using a ruler; the eyes seemed like a universal weak spot. The ruler stick lay broken a few meters away. The frogs must have appeared suddenly, like how monsters spawned in DTDW and other MMOs. It then occurred to Roy that he could loot the dead frogs. Reluctantly Roy stepped into the room, he took a few steps before a scrunching noise alerted him and he looked down. A coil of intestines was strewn across the floor, terminating in a young man whose stomach was gaping open. The dead boy¡¯s eyes were fixed onto Roy¡¯s and for a second Roy thought those eyes had moved. Turning back on his earlier decision Roy hightailed it out of the room and made for the end of the hall. He noted down the trail of blood which then made a right and ended at the double doors of the gymnasium. The kitchen was just to his right as well. After eating the gym was probably as good a destination as any. The door was reinforced and there was an emergency exit at the other end. Roy walked into the intersection and immediately footsteps began to sound from his left. There, coming towards him, were a group of people whose skin was a dark shade of turquoise. Their clothes were ripped and frayed, but they were colored a distinct shade of brown and done in a style belonging to another era altogether. Curiously the ¡®man¡¯ at the front held a pitchfork in one hand. Roy immediately took a few steps back. He concentrated on the approaching figures as he did so.
Marsh Walker
LV 1 HP 35 / 35
These were undoubtedly zombies; there was that ungainly gait, the drooping of its appendages, its diluted irises, and the scent. The three figures had an unmistakable pungence of fungus mixed with the scent of the earth after it rains. Roy steadied his arms and pointed his gun at the nearest zombie. If video games were anything to go by, he would need to hit the head. He aimed down the sights and put the small nib of iron over the head of the zombie. Its skin which was turquoise at a distance was in fact covered by a layer of fungus, some of the larger growth sprouted from its skin, small flowers and mushrooms in a myriad of colors. Roy pressed down on the rigger and the recoil rocked his arms as the bullet flew out past the head of the zombie he was aiming at and into the head of the zombie beside it. The victim swaggered a few more feet and then collapsed onto the ground. Roy moved back a few more steps and aimed at the next zombie, again he pressed the trigger; keeping in mind the gun had 4 more bullets after this. The bullet went wide and struck a sign tacked onto the wall. ¡°Stop School Violence,¡± the sign read. Roy took a few more steps back and pressed on the trigger again, this time the bullet went low and struck the zombie in the chest. The target staggered for a few steps and then continued its arduous journey forwards. Roy continued his tactic of stepping backwards, firing, and then retreating again. By the time the last zombie was dead he was at the end of the hall. The last zombie fell onto the ground with one last step and a blue screen signaled his victory.
Level Up!
Level 1 > 2 +3 Stat Points
Skill Up!
Pistol Mastery LV 0 > LV 1 (Novice)
Roy fidgeted with the gun for a while and managed to eject the empty magazine. He stocked it into his bag and pulled out a fresh magazine, which he then inserted into his gun. He then brought out his status screen and contemplated his options. His objective was to survive. Finding guns and ammo wouldn¡¯t be difficult, but as time wore on weapons and ammo may become scarcer; as of now a gun was far superior to upping his strength and hacking away with a piece of rusted metal. INT and WIS were probably for magic, as much as Roy wanted to be a wizard it was unclear how one went about doing so; he left that as it was for now. Speed and accuracy sounded fine, especially speed which would make for a fast getaway. CON determined HP and as far as Roy was concerned HP meant not dying, so he pumped all his points into CON, raising HP by 19 points, or just over three-quarters of a bullet wound. Roy looked over his stats one more time and then closed the window.
Character Sheet
Name Roy Stone Level 2
Race Human Condition Minor Bleeding
HP 253 / 253 HP Regeneration 0.012
MP 118 / 118 MP Regeneration 0.04
-
Statistics
STR 9 INT 10
CON 12 WIS 7
DEX10AGI 10
Unallocated Stat Points 0
-
Resistances
Heat 0 Cold 0
Force 0 Electric 0
Poison 0 Corrosion 0
Hallow 0 Void 0
Mental 0 Spiritual 0
-
Skills
Pistol Mastery - Novice I
Abilities
-
Traits
-
Roy moved his limbs and noticed that he actually felt better; the drowsiness from staying up late last night playing video games was gone. So was the discomfort in his stomach from the week old pizza he had eaten for breakfast. His fingers were tingling with warmth and his vision seemed to recover from the hours he spent in front of the monitor. His spirits bolstered Roy marched up to the zombies on the ground and brought up the loot menu. To his disappointment not a single item was obtained from the loot menu. Roy looked at the twice dead corpses, unlike in a video game the bodies would remain long after death ¨C this was only to be expected. But then again, nothing really could be expected after the events of the past few hours. The bodies would lay there, clothes, flowers, pitchfork and all. That¡¯s when it hit him, Roy carefully approached the group of corpses and examined the pitchfork
Pitchfork of the Marsh
Armed with torches and pitchforks the townsmen descended into the marsh. They would eradicate the source, from which the never-ending fungal tides poured forth. They were like fireflies in the woods; they were gone by morning.
3 - 13Physical Damage (Puncture & Crushing) Infect with[Spores]
Increase HP Regeneration by 0.5/s (while in marsh) Infect those damaged with[Spores]
It appeared that the items dropped were not limited to those within the loot menu. Could he pick the flowers on the zombies? More importantly to Roy, could he craft something out of the flowers? Surely flowers that grew on zombies would be magical flowers, of course with magical properties unlike that of the magic mushroom. Roy temporarily left that train of though and considered the pitchfork. The damage was superior to the knife he had obtained earlier, but he didn¡¯t like the sound of [Spores] for all he knew it could turn him into one of those zombies the second he ¡®equipped it¡¯. However, he was equally unwilling to part with a piece of well-deserved loot. The system couldn¡¯t be that unbalanced, could it? Carefully, he picked up the pitchfork from the tip, which didn¡¯t seem to have any fungus on it and dropped it to the side. For just an instant he felt a wave of nausea course through his body. Quickly Roy examined his [Status]. His constitution value had dropped by 1 and the original value 12 was noted beside the lowered value. In addition his [Conditions] had changed to [Drained] with a 10 value beside it. Roy waited as the value counted down to zero and the constitution value returned to normal. Roy surmised that this must have been the doing of the pitchfork, the effect labelled as [Spores] inflicted [Drained], which sounded reasonable considering spores were meant to reproduce and grow. The plant would need nutrients and him losing constitution may have been a result of that. Of course he could be overthinking things; this was all very gamey anyways. Chapter 5 There were now three dead zombies littered across the commons. To his immediate left were the kitchens and to the right was the gym. Behind him was a set of doors which led out into the parking lot. The main entrance was on the other end of the hallway and slightly off to the right. Apart from the bodies, and the trail of blood the hallway was neat and in order. The two vending machines still hummed in their positions near the wall and the fluorescent lights outside the kitchen were still broken. Roy contemplated knocking on the gym doors and meeting up with the group inside. Then he looked at the vending machine and realized how hungry and thirsty he was. Out of instinct Roy stuffed two dollars into the coin slot and devoured the chocolate bar that dropped out from the dispenser. Next he grabbed a can of coke from the second machine and gulped it down. Roy tossed the can next to the dead zombie and, now reinvigorated, headed towards the kitchen. Now that he was out here he might as well obtain some food before meeting up with the guys in the gym. The food counter was empty, already cleaned up by the lunch ladies. Roy tapped on the counter hoping that someone might rush out and serve him. He leaned over the counter and looked left and right, there were a few boxes of cookies by the side, but apart from that the room was devoid of food. Off to the side a door led into the kitchen. Even if that was empty there was always the cold store which held this week¡¯s meals. Roy vaulted over the counter and picked up the box off cookies on the shelf. The aluminum counters shone under the lights, their surfaces spotlessly clean and devoid of food. Roy took his time flipping open cupboards and drawers; there were forks, spoons, plates, and trays. He even managed to find a packet of gum left over by the lunch ladies. Roy put the pack of gun into his pocket and approached the door leading into the kitchen. Before trying the knob, Roy looked through the small glass screen on the door. There was blood everywhere, it was splattered on the walls and counters, but there was no sign of a body. Roy observed the ground and realized that there were foot prints and trails of blood. Someone, or something, had moved the bodies. The footprints were at least twice the size of his and upon closer inspection the tiles were cracked at certain spots. From his angle Roy couldn¡¯t make out the entirety of the kitchen but the footprint and trails clearly led to the cold store off to the right. Perhaps he could sneak in and kill whatever had rampaged through the kitchen, thereby liberating the food stores. Roy¡¯s hand hovered over the door knob; did he really need the food? There were the vending machines which held enough to last the night and probably a few more days as long as there weren¡¯t too many people. Roy didn¡¯t plan on staying here for long and there was bound to be food in the houses in the neighborhood. Besides, there was a Walmart just outside the town, and there was enough food in there to feed the town for weeks, maybe months - or until it rots after the electricity goes out. Unless he could store the food for the long run there was no need to risk his hide. In fact the food might be safer in the cold store, where the refrigeration would keep the food from going bad. Then something walked out from the storeroom, it didn¡¯t need to open the door, Roy realized, the door was laying broken on the ground. The figure was easily over seven feet tall, maybe even eight feet if it stood up straight. It didn¡¯t look remotely lanky though. Its muscles bulged out and formed great mounds; the sinew was clearly visible under its skin which held not a single strand of hair. A tattered skirt was secured to its hips by a ring of iron which was nailed into the things body. It walked with a slump, shoulders hunched and knuckles dragging on the ground. Roy ducked down and prayed to whatever gods that had created this monstrosity that it couldn¡¯t see through the black bag that was covering its head. Still crouching, he carefully backed away from the door and crawled over the counter. He could still hear the sound of the creature¡¯s spiked mace scraping along the ceramic tiles. The blue screen that had popped out after he had examined the creature was still there.
Deep Cavern Goliath
LV 54 HP 3041 / 3041
He had fourteen rounds from two magaziness, one in the gun another in his inventory. Around three hundredpoints of damage if every shot landed. A tenth of that things HP, fourteen bullets, two magazines. Carefully Roy crawled on all fours until he was well away from the counter, then he huddled against the wall and waited, the box of cookies still secured in his lap. There was no way he was going into the kitchen with that thing lumbering around. He could still hear the scraping of iron on ceramic and the periodic thud of its footsteps. It was growing dark outside by the time the sound had faded away and Roy and regained his nerves. Standing up from his position he carefully walked over to the gym doors. The, ¡°Goliath,¡± lived in underground caverns according to its name. Creatures that lived in innards of the earth could hardly rely on their vision in such perfect darkness. The beast must have extraordinary hearing or some other sense to help it navigate the caverns. Mindful of this fact Roy cautiously pulled out the pack of gum from his pocket and slid it under the crack of the door. Then he waited, the seconds ticked by and when Roy was ready to give up and try something else, he heard the gentle tap of footsteps on the gymnasium floor. Roy stood up and straightened his clothes on reflex. Then the footsteps stopped near the door, and a sheet of paper was slipped out from the crack. The other side understood the need for silence. Roy reached into his bag and felt around for the pencil he kept alongside the notebook. He then quickly jotted down his name and class onto the paper, alongside a note that he was carrying food. Satisfied, Roy slid the sheet of paper under the door and awaited a reply.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The footstep retreated from the door and Roy could make out hushed whispers that were carried across the expanse of the gym. A few minutes passed and the footsteps returned. This time there was a clicking sound as the door was unlocked and opened. The girl standing there quickly waved him in and then closed the door, locked it, and set a baseball bat between the handles. On the far side of the gym a small group of six rested. Some were siting and others lying down, the arm of one boy was bound in bandages and he was asleep. The five who were awake shifted their attentions towards Roy. He was about to head towards them when a sound from behind caught his attention. ¡°*cough* Hi, nice to meet you and all, but where¡¯s the food?¡± Roy turned around and realized he had forgotten to greet his peer. ¡°Oh, sorry, I¡¯m Roy Stone, nice to meet you,¡± Roy held out his hand as he introduced himself. ¡°Madelyn, Madelyn Karoly. Perhaps not the most well met,¡± then the two shook on it. It felt weird shaking hands during the end of the world like nothing was wrong. There was a bullet proof monstrosity just across the hall and a pile of dead bodies right around the corner. He realized he had been shaking her hand the whole time and released his grip. He quickly placed down the box of cookies he held. Then he opened the first box and pulled out a clear plastic bag filled with a row of chocolate chip cookies. ¡°Got them from the caf a few hours ago,¡± Roy added as he resealed the box. ¡°We were in a hurry so we didn¡¯t get the opportunity,¡± Madelyn replied as the two made their way to the group situated on the far end of the gym. ¡°You¡¯re from the business classroom?¡± Roy inquired as he recalled the bodies splayed across the hallway. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you saw then?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± following that the two walked the remaining steps in silence, the scene of carnage all too fresh in their minds. The group of six students was gathered around a stash of backpacks and sports equipment, the most notable member of the group was a squat looking boy with a spear rested against his shoulder. Roy didn¡¯t personally know the boy but he had heard rumors, from Lyn, about him. According to said rumors the squat looking boy with the square face and short black hair was the nephew of the current boss of the Road Raptors, a local biker gang. Of course Roy dismissed this as fanciful conjecture. As Roy and Madelyn approached, some of the less weary looking members of the group stood up. None quite knew how to start the conversation and one boy sat down again after a moment of strained silence. A lanky girl who stood a whole head taller than the rest of the group decided to break the silence. ¡°H-hi nice t-to meet you, my n-names¡¯ D-Dakota.¡± Dakota awkwardly walked up to Roy, it seemed that that she was not exactly into sports and her towering figure seemed only to obstruct her own movements. She made her way around the pile of bags and extended her arm as a gesture for a handshake. Despite the great length of her appendages her sleeves still managed to cover her hands. ¡°I¡¯m Roy,¡± then the two shook on it. The brief conversation seemed to break the ice and soon Roy and the group were swapping stories and comparing notes. Right after the timer ended a veritable army of frogs blinked into being right inside their classroom. None felt comfortable detailing the bloody demise of their classmates, so they concluded with the arrival of their group in the Gymnasium. ¡°And that¡¯s how we got here, what about you Roy?¡± the boy, Lestrat, was fairly eloquent so the task of narrating their story had fallen to him. ¡°Well, uhh, I guess we had it much the same, except the frogs didn¡¯t spawn in our classroom,¡± Roy thought about his experiences for a moment and resented the fact that he was alone and he couldn¡¯t push the responsibility of telling the story to someone else, Roy was not a very eloquent speaker. ¡°We got the blue screens at first, then the timer, and when that ran out we kinda just sat there for a while. The frogs eventually came but Mr. Stenson had a rifle,¡± everyone shook their heads at that, Mr. Stenson had always been regarded as one of the more eccentric teachers. ¡°But, there were a whole lot of ¡®em and eventually they got Mr. Stenson,¡± Roy paused for a second as the image of Mr. Stenson, mouth hanging agape and back slouched against the wall made an unwelcome appearance. ¡°Without Mr. Stenson things kinda got real tense, some of my class decided to head to the auditorium. I kinda blanked out for a second and when I realized my mistake they were already gone,¡± Lestrat and Madelyn seemed to be deep in thought, the kid with the spear was chomping down on a cookie, Dakota was doing her math homework, the bandaged boy was asleep, and the remaining two were sidled up together against the wall. ¡°I decided to head over here and check the caf for some food. Then I found your foot prints and here I am now,¡± Roy concluded. Lestrat seemed like he had something to say, his head shifted from side to side as if the weighting of the options had possessed him. The rest of the group sat around as Lestrat deliberated. Roy himself was unsure of what to do next. Everything seemed to hinge on the circumstances. If it cleared up then heading out seemed like a no brainer, you could only survive on cookies for so long before it took a toll on your body. From his vantage it seemed like a smarter idea to head out at his peak and risk it earlier, then it was to stay inside and wait until he was severely malnourished. Besides, the giant monster in the caf¨¦ was unlikely to stay in there indefinitely. That was of course if the rain let up, there was no way Roy was heading out when there was a least a feet of water outside. Roy remembered hearing that just two feet of flowing water was enough to move a car. If he couldn¡¯t leave then heading to the auditorium was probably the wisest decision, safety in numbers and all that. Roy was jolted out of his thoughts when Lestrat finally started to speak. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± that got a few chuckles out of the group. ¡°Initially I wanted to hole in here and wait out the storm, we have a few lunches and the vending machines are right across the hall so even if the flood persists we¡¯ll still be in a tenable situation; however, now we know that there is probably a sizable congregation of students and staff in the auditorium, remember the elevens were having a meeting when this whole fiasco began,¡± a few nods here and there. ¡°If the storm ends soon then joining up with the rest of the student body would be the wisest decision. If the storm ends soon, if it doesn¡¯t that means there will be a whole lot of mouths to feed and not a lot of food to go around,¡± if it were just Roy and the six of them the cookies, lunches, and vending machines could last a while, but if there were at least half a hundred grade elevens, plus a smattering of grade twelves in the auditorium. ¡°Joining up with them will be easy, leaving won¡¯t be. I can imagine a few stubborn teachers insisting that we wait here for help,¡± a few more chuckles, it seemed that Lestrat wanted to keep the mood light, especially since the content was rather upsetting. ¡°Eventually, when help doesn¡¯t appear to be coming and the food is running out they¡¯ll give in. By that time we¡¯ll all be hungry, and if we go out there weakened and with those frogs around,¡± Lestrat let that hang for a while. Cob, the square faced boy, was the next to speak; his quick and concise sentences seemed to suit his overall appearance, ¡°We stay here.¡± Lestrat didn¡¯t miss a beat, ¡°I believe that is the most sensible course of action right now.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± grunted Cobb, voice a low bass. Roy half expected the boy to up and leave after Lestrat¡¯s response, but apparently the short sentences weren¡¯t a sign of disagreement or sarcasm. The rest of the group also nodded in agreement, except the boy who was sleeping, he didn¡¯t really have a choice either way. Now that the group had decided to stay here for the time being they began to open some of the bags and dig out lunchboxes. There were only seven students here but more than double that number in backpacks, credit to Lastrat who had recommended that everyone take a few of the backpacks that their fallen classmates had left behind. Chapter 6 Roy didn¡¯t have a lunch so he settled with grabbing a bag of cookies. Before he could take a bite; however, he remembered the monster in the store room and felt the need to share that information now that the group had decided to stay right next door to the horror. ¡°This slipped my mind earlier, but did you guys ever check out the caf, that¡¯s where I got these cookies from,¡± Roy shook the bag he was holding for emphasis. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, is there something noteworthy about the cafe?¡± everyone stopped eating and waited for Roy¡¯s next sentence. The silence was slightly unnerving. ¡°Well, when I was there earlier I wanted to go into the kitchen, cause these cookies don¡¯t quite cut it, right? That¡¯s when I saw this monster through the window pane. It was pretty beefy looking and...¡± Roy was at a loss of words to describe the Goliath so he settled with ending the description early. ¡°Probably should have spoken up a bit earlier,¡± Madelyn didn¡¯t look amused in the slightest. No one did. Roy wanted to continue, then almost as if on cue he could hear the sound of approaching footsteps from outside the gymnasium. Everyone dropped what they were holding, except Cob who was holding his spear, and stood up. Except for the boy with the bandages who was now being woken up by the pair who were sitting together by the wall, Denton and Pyrene if Roy remembered correctly. As the group approached Roy could make out the sound of talking and the group visibly relaxed. Then came the loud groan of metal and the crunching of cracking drywall. There was an unearthly howl, sharp like a dolphin¡¯s call but stretched out and distinctly menacing in its subtlety. Things broke apart under the ferocious assault and Roy could feel the floor shake beneath his feet. Instantly what little calm remaining vanished. The beast had awoken. Whatever misgivings about the pitchfork Roy may have held earlier disappeared and he pulled out the farming implement from his bag. The tool was easily as long as Cob¡¯s spear and certainly looked menacing with it abundant fungal growth. Roy didn¡¯t have enough bullets to stop the goliath so the pitchfork should be on hand. In fact he contemplated dashing out the fire escape this instant, but he waited for the rest of the group. If they decided to make a stand here then so be it, he would empty his gun on the thing, but no promises afterwards. The rest of the group seemed hesitant to engage whatever was out there, Denton and Pyrene were already carrying the injured boy to the fire escape, and Madelyn was storing as much as possible into her bag. Only Cob and Lestrat seemed to debate whether or not to help out the group outside. Of course the two weren¡¯t idle as they thought. Cob stretched his arms and waved around his spear, he didn¡¯t seem remotely skilled with it, but then again the rusted knob of metal on a stick could hardly be described as a fine weapon. Lestrat on the other hand seemed almost to be meditating. Roy looked on for a second before he realized that the boy was casting a spell. Slowly a ball of earth began to take shape in his hands; the ball grew with each passing second until it was roughly the size of a baseball, then is seemed to float in the air above Lestrat¡¯s palm. Damn, Roy had to admit, he was jealous. He had always preferred to play the ranged combatants in DTDW, the warlock was undoubtedly his favorite. Roy turned his attention back to his surroundings and made out the distinct sound of broken ceramic, if he had to guess, the metal door of the kitchen had just been broken off its hinges. Now the students outside were in a veritable state of panic, Roy could make out some of the more coherent sentences. ¡°IT¡¯S COMING RUN!¡± Heavy footsteps began to sound; each landing seemed to shake the very foundations of the school. ¡°JACK!¡± Which was followed by a loud cry. That seemed to wake Lestrat from his stupor; the ball was now the size of a basketball. At a fast jog Lestrat ran to the door, gestured for everyone to back off, pulled out the baseball bat, and flung open the door. The scene outside reminded Roy of a B rated horror film, it was an attempt to cope, and suppress the bubbling urge to curl up into a ball and cry. The blood, oh, the blood, it was everywhere. The halls were painted with it, the work of some utterly inhuman artist who picked up the few students who stuck around like paintbrushes. Some motion of its almost octopus like mouth unsealed its implements and allowed the vibrant red to flow out unceasingly. Bits and pieces flew out from the human containers and stuck to the halls, like impasto. How could there be so much blood. How could bodies so small and fragile, how could a day so mundane, how could it all have turned out this way? Lestrat seemed to rewind as he backed off as fast as he could. Cobb¡¯s spear butt hit the ground. The emergency door opened and the other three quickly ducked out of the gymnasium. Everyone in the hall was either dead or gone. No one would have stuck around after witnessing what they had witnessed. It would not have mattered anyways. The Goliath seemed not to have noticed the open gym door. It stood there, almost docile. It stuck little bits of... into its mouth, where almost in breathtaking clarity its rows of needle like teeth ripped the meat from the bone. It then walked around and collected the recognizable wholes before retreating back into the kitchen. By the time that had occurred Roy was already running through the rain. Roy ran, beside him was Lestrat, and behind was Cobb, who was using the spear as a walking stick as he followed at the back. Madelyn was in the lead, followed by Denton, Pyrene, and the bandaged boy who was now awake and aided by the two beside him. Roy had no idea where they were going, Madelyn had shouted something a few minutes back but Roy didn¡¯t quite grasp the words. The rain was still pouring down from the heavens, the thick clouds obscured the afternoon sun and tentacles of mist rose from the flooded earth. The whole combination made the visibility abysmal and Roy would have wondered if Madelyn even knew where they were headed. Right now Roy didn¡¯t wonder, wondering would only take him back to a few minutes ago. He felt, he felt the rain drench him to the bone, smelled the musty air, and heard the thrum of the rain beating against a foot of water. It was all surprisingly easy. Once upon a time Roy had been a part of the track team, nowadays he wasted away in front of his computer and let his body deteriorate, fueled by coke and potato chips. Despite that, he felt like he was at his peak, his breathing was controlled, his muscles were brimming with energy, and he was warm and comfortable despite his thoroughly soaked clothes. It was another ten minutes before the group stopped in front of a quaint bungalow with a separate garage and garden at its side. Roy wasn¡¯t keeping track of where they were, but he was fairly certain they had headed south and passed an intersection or two.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Slowly Madelyn made her way up to the door, no light showed through the windows, which was somewhat alarming to Roy. It was fairly dark outside already so unless the power had gone out in the short while they had been slugging through the rain, no one was home. Roy readied his pitchfork just in case; Cobb¡¯s spear was already out. The sound of Madelyn knocking on the door was almost drowned out by the sound of the rain. The boy with the bandaged arm was groaning and struggling to stand. His wound had reopened on the way here and blood now soaked his bandages. Quickly, Roy pulled out the vial of swamp berry juice and started shuffling towards the front. ¡°Hey,¡± Roy tapped Denton on the shoulder in case his voice was drowned out by the rain. ¡°I¡¯ve got something here that might help with the wound,¡± Roy raised his arm and showed the other boy the vial of dull red liquid. ¡°You sure that thing¡¯s safe?¡± Roy didn¡¯t blame the other boy for doubting the efficacy of the potion. If it weren¡¯t for the blue screens Roy would have though it blood or some other conspicuous liquid. ¡°Mostly,¡± Roy looked towards the bandaged boy and as if on cue he groaned again. ¡°Hey Simon, I¡¯ve got some medicine here, I need you to drink it all up, do you understand?¡± Denton let the other boy lean on his shoulder and Roy passed him the vial. Simon groaned again as Denton maneuvered the stopper of the vial and tipped the liquid into Simon¡¯s mouth. Denton took a second to readjust Simon and then passed the empty vial back to Roy. Pyrene quickly hoisted up Simon by the other arm and lessened the load on Denton. Roy turned his attention back to the house and as he had suspected, the door was still closed. He was about to ask when Lestrat walked up to him. ¡°We¡¯ll let these three figure it out, let¡¯s go see what¡¯s up with the door,¡± quickly the two boys walked up to the door. Madelyn was fidgeting around with a small wrung of keys; her hands were quivering making the task agonizingly slow. ¡°No one¡¯s answering the door,¡± Madelyn turned her gaze to Lestrat and handed him the keys. ¡°It¡¯s fine let¡¯s just head inside for now,¡± Lestrat quickly picked out the appropriate key, but he made no move to approach the door. ¡°My mom was supposed to be home, you know that,¡± her head was downturned, allowing her curtain of shoulder length black hair to obscure her features. Lestrat took a step forwards, synchronously Madelyn swayed forwards and leaned on Lestrat. Hesitantly the boy lifted his arm and draped it across the girls shoulder. He stood there for a while, his whispers drowned out by the rain. Roy was about to take a few steps back and give the two some privacy when Lestrat waved him over with his free hand. Lestrat passed him the keys and pointed to the one that opened the front door. Roy was about to start heading for the door when he felt a small nudge at his side, startling him. Cobb had shuffled past him and positioned himself on the right of the door. His spear was braced against the ground and facing the door. Roy looked back at Lestrat and Madelyn who had slowly shuffled off to the side. According to Madelyn her mother should have been home, the fact that the lights were off could not be a good sign. Roy followed Cobb¡¯s lead and took up position on the left of the door, beside the door knob. He then readied his pitchfork and unlocked the door. Roy felt the bolt sliding into the door and gave the door a hard shove, flinging it open and allowing the dim light to pour into the corridor beyond. The corridor lead into a small living room, on the other end was a casement that allowed a view of the backyard. Through the din of the rain Roy could make out faint footsteps from upstairs. Perhaps it was the mother, coming downstairs to investigate the racket. Roy reached his hand through the open door and felt along the wall for a light switch. He thanked whoever had wired up the house when he located the switch and the hallway was lit up with a soft yellow glow. The light seemed to cause the footsteps to speed up; there was almost a frantic pace to it as an imperceptible number of legs clacked against laminate. Then a small green thing that reminded Roy of a claw darted into view and leapt at the open doorway. Roy took a step back reflexively as he lifted his weapon to follow the curve of the monster. It flew closer and closer, until Roy could make out the mass of tiny appendages on its underside, each like the leg of an insect. The force of the thing slamming against the head of his pitchfork forced him to take a few steps back and regain his balance. He was now in the rain again and a think green liquid was gushing out from the thing and flowing down the handle of the oversized fork and onto his hand. Irked at the sight, Roy tossed the trident onto the front porch, he was careful to walk around its body as he got out of the rain. ¡°Is it dead?¡± Cobb was still at the door, spear at the ready. Roy focused on the body and though of looting it, immediately a blue screen popped up. The only good was a small vial of liquid; the content was colored like lime and shone inconsistently, like light rays penetrating through the water surface.
Small Vial ofAqua Liminus
0.5/sCorrosion Damage (Venom) Paralyze with Potency 20
Roy was confused about the meaning of potency for a moment before the system, like before, delivered a small packet of information into his mind. Potency is often used in items to describe an effect¡¯s strength, this he could compare to intelligence which strengthened the power of spells. Thus an item that shot a ball of fire with potency 10 would have the same power as a mage with an intelligence of 10 who fired a ball of fire, all other factors being equal. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s dead,¡± Roy replied as he knelt down to observe the four legged being. It was about the size of a raccoon, though its long appendages elevated it quite a ways off the ground. Each leg ended in an osseous talon, and the four legs were connected to an oval shaped body. From the bottom protruded the mass of insectile legs. The top was covered in thin green spikes. Roy picked up his trident and gave it a few shakes to dislodge the body. He washed the tip in the water outside and approached the door. After a moment Cobb began to slowly creep down the hall. Apparently the silence had passed his test and now the house was safe enough to enter. Roy followed him from behind and slowly the two inspected every nook and cranny of the first floor. The kitchen was positioned off to the side of the living room. Along the sides of the short hallway was a stairwell leading up, a bathroom, and a small closet. The basement could be entered through a door in the living room that faced the casement. After, ¡°securing,¡± the first floor the two boys gathered at the bottom of the stair well. The monster had come from upstairs so it was possible that there would be more. The stairwell was located in the hallway and ran parallel to it. The top was open to the second floor which meant whatever was up there could drop down on them as they climbed up. Roy took his trident and banged it against the railing. He then located the light and flicked it on and off a few times. The monsters earlier appeared to be attracted to light. Nothing seemed to be stirring upstairs so Roy pulled out his gun, the trident wouldn¡¯t work well in the narrow corridor. ¡°Nice gun, left mine at home,¡± Cobb shrugged as he watched Roy ready his gun. It almost sounded as if Cobb brought his gun to school every day. Which was absolutely crazy, right? Somewhat confident that the gun would fire Roy took the lead this time. All the doors were open upstairs, except one. Roy decided to inspect the rooms with the opened doors first, he tried to imitate the cops he saw on the Discovery channel, but he was fairly certain Cobb was laughing at him from behind his back. The room with the computer and piles of paper was probably the office, another bedroom was meticulously clean and organized, a small picture on the desk depicting Lestrat, Madelyn, and two others Roy could not identity indicated that the room belonged to the girl. That left only the master bedroom. Roy approached the room from the left and Cobb from the right, he caught the smell of citrus as he leaned against the doorframe. In the count of three Roy turned the knob and pushed open the door. The first thing that caught his eye was the mound of flesh on the bed, it took him a while to identify it for the human that it was. Roy¡¯s eyes swept through the rest of the room, and then he backed out and trundled down the stairs. Chapter 7 Roy called the rest of the group and ushered everyone out of the rain. He closed the door and slid the deadbolt into place. The bandaged boy seemed to be more lucid now as he sat in the kitchen. Pyrene removed the bandages and marveled at the wound. It had closed, leaving only a faint outline in its place. Judging by its jagged pattern Roy guessed that the boy had been bitten by a frog. ¡°Unbelievable,¡± Pyrene mused as she dabbed at the wound with a swab of cotton dipped in alcohol. Lestrat had located a bottle of rubbing alcohol, along with a few sets of dry clothes. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a wound heal so fast, mind you I¡¯ve not seen a great deal of wounds before, but this is certainly abnormal,¡± Pyrene babbled as Denton slowly pulled her away from the boy who was now very much awake and flustered over the attention. Madelyn was on the couch, Roy wasn¡¯t certain if he should break the news to her. Lestrat seemed to be more attuned with her so asking him to be the messenger may be wise. Roy looked over the room again and then realized that Dakota was nowhere to be found. ¡°Hey, did anyone see Dakota?¡± that seemed to catch everyone¡¯s attention. Had she gotten lost during the trek and wondered off? The thick mist certainly made that a possibility. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Dakota helping you and Pyrene support Simon?¡± Lestrat looked over to the pair. ¡°I thought she was ahead, with Madelyn. My glasses were all fogged up by the damn mist,¡± Denton then gestured at Pyrene who was busy drying her long auburn hair with a towel. Which only drew a confused, ¡®huh,¡¯ from the girl. Roy reasoned that Dakota had probably headed home after leaving the school; it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine the worry that would have plagued her mind and caused her to make such a quick and sudden departure. The rest of the group seemed to be following the same train of thought as they vocalized their hypothesis and let the matter drop. Subconsciously Roy knew that these were probably delusions, he wasn¡¯t about to charge out into the rain on a quest to find a recent acquaintance, it was easier to digest this excuse, an act of self-preservation. Roy allowed the group a few minutes before he surreptitiously filled Lestrat in. Now the burden was off his shoulder, the other boy could deal with it. Lestrat seemed to settle for honesty as he and Madelyn quickly disappeared up the stairs. Roy wandered around for a bit, hesitant to touch anything lest he wet it, the water dripping onto the floor was already causing him to wince. It was silly though, there were monsters wandering around and he was cringing because of a few drops of water. Denton seemed to recognize his distress, he handed him a dry set of clothes and thanked him for the potion earlier. The plaid shirt and loose jeans were a size too large for Roy. The colors were faded and the edges frayed. There was also the faint scent of smoke, despite the fact that the clothes had evidently gone through the washer. Out of curiosity Roy [Examined] the set of clothes.
Plaid Shirt of the Outdoorsman
+1 Fire, Cold Resistance +1 CON
Old Jeans
The pants were typical, but the shirt provided bonuses which included raising his, ¡®resistances,¡¯ and a point of constitution. He had just been handed a magical item, Denton was probably not even aware. This also brought to mind the pistol from Mr. Stenson, it too had an irregular bonus. This meant that regular items had been granted magical properties by the big change. Roy looked around the room, at the pens on the kitchen counter, the mop Denton held in his hands, and the knives in their wood block. Any one of them could be an artifact in disguise. Roy was tempted to pick up and examine every bit of the house, turn the mundane into the magical. Roy settled into a chair in the kitchen. The harsh white light from the bulbs suspended above the counter cast an irritating glare on the porcelain tiles. The fridge, an older model produced an audible hum which mixed with the whispering from upstairs, the swish swash of Denton¡¯s mop, and the sounds of Simon chewing on a cookie. Roy wasn¡¯t in the mood for a conversation and the other boy didn¡¯t seem like a particularly chatty individual. Slowly the other members of the group began to gather around the table, it was seven by the time everyone was settled down. Subconsciously everyone knew that events were spiraling out of control and that they would need to prepare for the long haul. Lestrat was seated at the head of the table, a small notebook laid open on the table before him; his left hand toyed with a pen. Madelyn sat to his left; her eyes were downcast and her clothes still soggy. Taking into consideration recent events, she seemed to be taking everything quite well. Cobb sat at the other side; his spear leaned against the back of his chair. ¡°Now that everyone has had some time to gather their thoughts, I felt it would be wise of us to plan ahead,¡± a few nods circulated around the table. ¡°I feel that our situation has improved since we left the school. The fridge is well stocked, Cobb has taken the time to stock up on water, and this house offers us a shelter that is compact when compared to the school,¡± Lestrat wrote the three essentials onto his notebook and listed the current resources beneath. He then looked around the table and as if on cue Cobb speaks up. ¡°The house is safe. The outside is not,¡± Cobb rotated his spear as he spoke.. ¡°We need people on guard,¡± Denton surmised. Lestrat noded his head; he and Cobb must have convened when they were upstairs. ¡°Precisely, some of these creatures may be nocturnal,¡± Lestrat created a table on the notebook and wrote down a list of times. ¡°If we were to sleep and awake at different times we can ensure that at least one person stays awake and keeps an eye out for possible threats,¡± Everyone thought about this for a second, and then slowly Simon raised his hand. ¡°How exactly does that work?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it for a while, and this is what I envisioned. One of us will sleep early, at say, around eight. We¡¯ll need a good sleep because I imagine that the days will be quiet tiring.¡± Lestrat checked that everyone was following and then continued.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°That person will sleep from eight to four, a good eight hours of sleep. The next person to sleep will start at nine-thirty and end at five-thirty. We have seven people here so the last person will sleep at three-thirty and wake up at eleven-thirty. One person can double up with another.¡± Lestrat waited a moment before continuing. ¡°I imagine we can slightly tweak the times so that we cover the thirty minutes from three-thirty to four. If we follow this schedule then we¡¯ll have someone awake at all times of the day. The alternative is we do this in shifts, the problem with that is that some will need to divide their sleep into two sections, I imagine that that can be quite tiring in the long term,¡± again everyone noded, now Denton raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯m assuming that we¡¯re going to assign time slots now right?¡± ¡°Exactly, I imagine that the first and last slots should be assigned carefully, considering they will be the only person awake for an hour and thirty minutes.¡± Lestrat turned and looked at Cobb, then his gaze met Roy¡¯s. ¡°Cobb, Roy, what slots would you like?¡± Roy was still brimming with energy; there was no way he would be able to sleep at eight. Roy quickly responded. ¡°I¡¯d like the two to three-thirty shift, I¡¯m a late sleeper,¡± Cobb noded his head, prompting Lestrat to write their names beside the two time slots. The remaining members of the group were swiftly assigned slots and then the discussion shifted onto other topics. ¡°I don¡¯t think the electricity is going to hold out for much longer, no electricity means to fridge and no stove. I think we should cook as much of the meat as possible before that happens.¡± The discussion had broached on the subject of food and water. The group had taken turns espousing their ideas, the latest, and last was given by Denton. Lestrat wrote down the latest point into his notebook. The boy looked over the book one last time before standing up and summarizing the discussion. ¡°These ideas all hold considerable merit, but I feel that we should prioritize certain aspects. Denton¡¯s point of food preservation should take precedence considering that the electricity can go out at any time.¡± Denton pushed up his glasses and leaned back onto his chair. ¡°Our water reserves should last us for a while, there are a few packs of bottled water in the basement, but the area is flooded and so venturing down carries some risk, I suggest we delay that until some future date.¡± The water was already a foot deep outside and beginning to creep up to the first floor. Hopefully the rain would let up before the water started to flood into the house. ¡°Many of you have suggested leaving the house to scavenge around the neighborhood or contact others. Again that is a risky endeavor. Cobb has offered to fashion armor and tools, once those are complete we can consider checking the nearby houses,¡± Roy¡¯s father was on a tour of duty, and his mother out-of-statefor a business trip so he wasn¡¯t in a rush to go home. Several of the others though, were keen to check up on their families. ¡°As Pyrene noted the hospital and Walmart are across route 151 and only a ten minute walk away. We can also consider heading to Main Street once we are rested and prepared.¡± Lestrat took one last look around the table and motioned for any further comments. He then turned to a fresh page and continued. ¡°Everyone is aware of the blue screens at this point, correct?¡± everyone nods. ¡°I understand the need for a certain degree of privacy, but obviously some skills will heavily impact how we can approach certain issues. I think everyone should inform the group about the basics of their new abilities.¡± Roy looked around the group, Simon seemed lost; he evidently didn¡¯t have a fancy new skill. Pyrene and Denton were the first to divulge their lack of skill. Everyone else seemed reticent. Roy considered his options; he could inform the group about his above average health. That would make him the go to guy for risky actions, considering he would be able to take the most punishment. Alternatively he could choose to hold on to this information, which would be easy considering the nature of the secret. ¡°I will start,¡± Lestrat¡¯s voice jerked Roy out of his scheming. He stared into empty space or the blue screen only he could see, for a second before continuing. ¡°As some of you are aware, I was the one to slay the rock encrusted toad on our way out of the classroom, for doing so I was awarded an ability,¡± this coincided with what Roy had experienced and what he saw in the business classroom. ¡°I have the ability to create a ball of earth,¡± Lestrat began to concentrate and after a few seconds a craggy ball of dirt formed above his palm. ¡°I can then launch the ball I form,¡± as he said this the ball of dirt was launched across the room and into the kitchen sink. ¡°With this skill I will be able to make the basketball team next year,¡± Lestrat twirled his hand and bowed to mild applause. ¡°Anyone else with a skill?¡± Roy squirmed in his seat. Lestrat had freely shared his information with the group. He had led by example and Roy was loath to betray everyone¡¯s trust. Hesitatingly Roy stood up. ¡°My skill¡¯s not as fancy as Lestrat¡¯s, so yeah. I¡¯ve got an extra hundred or so points of health.¡± Now that Roy had put it in words, the bonus sounded lackluster. So what if he could take another two or three bullets. Once he ran out of ammo he would just be a teenager with a pitchfork. He didn¡¯t believe for a second that the extra hit points would help him against the Behemoth. Despite his misgivings, the rest of the group looked impressed. Compared to an utter lack of any magical ability, even the most mundane sounded great. ¡°I can swing a spear,¡± Cobb interjected as he batted the weapon leaning against his seat. At first Roy though that the boy was talking about martial arts, then he recalled the message on pistol proficiency he had received after killing the zombies. He had completely forgotten to check on the specifics. The rest of the conversation passed in a flash as the group shared their guesses at what the various stats meant and their implications, near the end that had gone entirely into the realm of the fantastical and they imagined themselves as knights and wizards. Denton and Pyrene were both avid DTDW fans; Simon, who had been mostly silent, couldn¡¯t stop talking once they started down that path of conversation. His eyes positively sparkled. Spirits began to rise as the group chatted, and soon they went to work, fueled by anticipation and excitement. The meat was quickly cooked utilizing whatever was available. Everyone contributed, even if they didn¡¯t know how to cook. Bread was baked out of the flour they could find, and the vegetables were boiled together in a large pot. Roy had some experience with cooking, since his parents were frequently away. He was responsible for cleaning, peeling, and cutting the vegetables. His skills paled in comparison to Cobb though, who¡¯s actions showed his considerable experience when it came to cooking. The rest of the night passed in a blur as they worked; soon they went to sleep one by one. The master bedroom was out of commission, and the bathtub was used to store drinking water. After some deliberation they had agreed that Pyrene and Madelyn would share a room. The boys would set up blankets and sleeping bags in the office. When the clock hit two only Roy was awake. Despite the battle with the frog, jog through the rain, and evening preparations. Looking back to the time he had equipped the dagger, Roy surmised that his high constitution was the source of his somewhat boundless energy. He had started at nine and now with the shirt he was at thirteen, it had risen by almost half. Roy sat down onto the couch and mentally replayed the day; the mysterious announcement during math class seemed suddenly so far away. There would be no returning to those days, Roy knew it in is gut. No more school, no more sitting in front of the monitor, no more hanging out with friends. Now that he thought of friends, he recalled Laurence¡¯s hasty exit and wondered how he was faring. No doubt he had discovered some game breaking bug and was about to exploit it for all it was worth. That sounded about right. Roy chuckled, everything was so real, but so dreamlike. Overgrown toads, fungus infested zombies, two-meter tall monstrosities, and that wasn¡¯t taking into account the stats and magical skills. What was he going to do? Would he treat this whole thing like the game it had devolved into, throw his life at it and hope he makes the leaderboards? Or should he strive to find some safe haven, and live the rest of his life in peace? Was the second even possible? Was the first even realistic? How would he know now that the fundamental rules had been snatched away? Roy brought out his gun again, he had fourteen bullets left. These fourteen bullets were the pivot of his life. Should he expend them hunting monsters and leveling up, or should he hold onto them in the hope that they would help him reach asylum. Of course there the chance that the surrounding houses had a stock of bullets was highly likely. However, to reach those very bullets he would need to brave whatever danger could possibly lurk in those houses. It was a gamble, there could be bullets, there could not be bullets, the monster inside could be like the frogs; or they could be like the behemoth. So many decisions. If he wanted to seek safety then there was no need to risk his life here acquiring bullets, anything that he met that could be dangerous was just as likely to appear here as it was to appear later. He could very well run up against something that would need more then fourteen bullets to deal with in one of those houses. Then he would be all out of bullets. On the other hand if he wanted to train then clearing a house would be like fighting at any other place, with the added chance that he could come upon more bullets. He could shoot some monster out on the road for some experience, or he could shoot one that was inside a house and possibly chance upon some additional ammunition. Roy doubted that fourteen bullets would be enough, his level could never he high enough, especially when death meant death and monster spawns seemed random. It all came down to the gun. Roy looked at the metallic contraption. Mundane and monotonous perfectly describe his life before this day. He had hoped for an opportunity to enliven his daily existence. He could look for sanctuary, then what if he found it; it would be like wandering back to that gray existence. Here was a chance at adventure, like the ones he immersed himself in on the computer. If so then why was he so reticent, why wasn¡¯t he springing into action? Roy knew. He was scared, oh so scared. Chapter 8 Roy awoke to the trickling of the rain. He had awoken Cobb at three-thirty and then decided to sleep on the couch; he wasn¡¯t used to being packed in a room with so many others. Through the casement Roy could see the rain; it was mellow now, unlike the heavy downpour of yesterday. Despite that the outside was still flooded and now the water was dangerously close to seeping into the room. The fog still hung in the air, masking anything past a hundred meters in a hazy stew. Roy looked around the room, Cobb was awake and sewing together several pieces of cloth, he already held a pad a centimeter thick. Lestrat sat opposite, jotting something down into his notebook. Madelyn and Pyrene moved from cupboard to shelf to closet, drawing a list of all the supplies in the house. Simon was in the kitchen cleaning up. Roy couldn¡¯t find Denton so he checked his watch. Denton had taken the second last shift and slept at two, it was only nine. Roy felt refreshed and once again wondered about his high constitution stat. Still reeling from the previous day Roy occupied his time relocating the essential supplies that Madelyn and Pyrene had identified. Roy was just about to pull out a jar of peanut butter when Denton rushed down, worry plastered all over his face. ¡°Guys, there¡¯s a sound coming from the master bedroom!¡± his eyes were still staring up the stairwell as he said this. They had left the body on the bed after covering is with a thick layer of blankets. It was impossible to bury the body while the water was over a foot deep outside. The most alarming aspect of the corpse had been the swollen belly. When Roy though back to it, it resembled pregnancy, except whatever was inside emitted a faint green glow and a pungent citric odor. Could the monster have used the body as some sort of breeding ground? As the though crossed his mind Roy shuddered and followed the others upstairs, his pitchfork clutched tightly in his hands. Time stretched on as the group gathered outside the door, Cobb and Roy taking their respective positions around the door. Lestrat formed a ball of earth and now aimed it at the door way. On the count of three Roy pushed open the door. A wave of olfactory force assaulted them; they could almost taste the acid in the air. Roy quickly wiped his eyes and forced himself to regard the strange lifeform that now sat on the bed. It was formed from a tangle of green crystal vines. Six appendages protruded from its center, each like the leg of a spider. The legs were disproportionally large compared to the body, a sick fascination briefly overtook Roy as he wondered how those great big appendage could move without colliding into each other, how would they twist and turn, how would they distort. The rest of the group was similarly stunned, but then upon closer inspection Roy realized that the smell was causing them to tear up to a greater degree, obscuring their vision. As the seconds ticked by Roy could feel his only resiliency diminishing. The world began to distort as tears seeped out from his eyes, he needed to act fast before he was totally disabled. Roy rushed into the room, causing the six legged thing to leap away from him, it darted for the window and smashed into the glass, causing it to crack and break apart. However the impact was not great enough and the creature was now stunned as it lay on the ground. Roy exploited this opportunity and lunged, plunging the pitchfork into its body. Two twangs were caught by the wildly gesticulating appendages but the third found its mark and plunged into its body. Roy concentrated on the thing as it squirmed, causing the blue screen to flash out.
Pawn of Viridis
LV ??? HP 73 / ???
Roy watched as the thing squirmed and the HP drop until it hit zero and the creature burst into a cloud of emerald dust that shifted erratically around his vision before dissipating into nothingness. All that remained was a small transparent cube that appeared to be made out of glass. Roy picked it up and examined it.
Empyrean Fragment
There was no body to loot so this would be his only reward for his stunning act of bravery. Roy tucked the piece of crystal into his bag and breathed in the air, he realized that the citric scent was now gone. The rest of the group began to recover their senses. ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± Lestrat asked over the confusion, his eyes were red with irritation.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The rest of the group responded with nods and affirmation. Roy took the opportunity to rub away his own tears and pull the prongs of his pitchfork out of the floorboards. The monster he had just faced differed from the frogs and the zombies. Most obviously it was not loot-able, in addition it had question marks for HP and Level. All of that however was a mystery that could wait for another time. Roy¡¯s most pressing concern was that the monster had tried to escape out the window; it seemed to have a desire for self-preservation. That meant the creature could think, a fact that had so far eluded Roy because of how game like everything seemed. The zombies seemed mindless, the frogs suicidal, and this creature somewhat intelligent. In a game the monsters would have a superficial AI, the beginner mobs and the lich lord at the end would be no different. However, in this real life simulacrum the monsters were diverse in terms of their intelligence, it didn¡¯t seem to be based on the INT stat either going by what the system had incepted into his mind. Roy¡¯s thoughts were interrupted as a commotion erupted downstairs. The sound of shattered glass was followed by the loud thump of something against the floor. More thumps, like footsteps quickly followed as the group rushed down the stairs, Cobb in the lead followed by Simon who had been slow to respond to the situation upstairs. Roy was at the top of the railings when Cobb hit the first floor landing and dove across the hall. An action which seemed to stun Simon as he stepped into the hall, the expression only lasted a minute as a burlesque shape tackled him onto the floor. The creature appeared to be in the shape of a gorilla, walking on two legs with the support of two elongated arms. However, instead of a coat of fur the creature seemed to be wrapped in vines so thick, they obscured anything underneath. Most alarming however was its head; two pitch black holes adorned the two sides of a disproportionally large sphere. Simon struggled underneath the creature for a moment before the monsters head split along the center, the two sides of the rift like a jagged crater. Its head spread apart like a pair of foul wings before clamping shut over the boy¡¯s head, ending a short lived struggle. Lestrat responded by launching the ball of dirt in his hand the creature, a futile effort that the left it unfazed. Realizing the futility of their efforts the group quickly slipped around the beast and dashed for the door. As Lestrat¡¯s shaking hands worked the locking mechanism of the front door, Roy stole a glance behind him and examined the creature feasting upon Simon''s corpse.
Vineborn Brute
LV 7 HP 274 / 289
Behind it, blocked by its body and the narrowness of the hallway, was a second one. Roy could feel his heart skip every other beat as he pressed his back against the wall and prayed that Lestrat would hurry and open the door. They had taken care locking, dead-bolting, and blocking the door to prevent anything from entering. The plan backfired as the brutes had crashed through the casement, trapping them against the front door. With a click the door opened, letting in the humid air that cloaked the outside of the house. Lestrat rushed out first, dragging along an inert Madelyn. The two were followed by Denton and Pyrene; Cobb and Roy took the rear. The rain had died down overnight leaving behind a faint drizzle; nevertheless, the mist had grown into an impenetrable shroud. From where Roy took guard at the rear, he could barely make out the features of Lestrat only half a dozen meters in front of him. The outline of the house receded into the mist as they fled, but Roy could faintly make out the shape of the two gorilla like monsters as they burst through the doorway and into the water. The two figures pursued them, untiring and relentless no matter how long they ran. Undoubtedly they were faster than the creatures, who¡¯s short legs and dragging stride were hindered by the deep layer of water. Despite that, the creature continued at a unchanged pace, one slower than their sprint. A sprint they could no longer continue for much longer, it was impossible to tell how long the creature would pursue them for, but where they would tire, the monsters seemed to remain the same. ¡°We can¡¯t keep going like this,¡± shouted Lestrat through gasps of breath, they had passed a second intersection and the slodge through the flooded streets was quickly sapping their strength. ¡°Why are they chasing us? Why?¡± Denton seemed to be on the verge of collapse as he shouted in a strained voice. ¡°Split up,¡± Cobb quickly voiced, he seemed to be barely winded. Before anyone could respond the stout looking youth peeled away from the group and turned north at the next intersection. Lestrat gave out a brief shout, but quieted after realizing that there was no stopping the boy. Roy watched the back of the departing member until his view was obstructed by another house. Then he glanced behind him at the two pursuing creatures. Their forms were blurry black smudges some two dozen meters behind them. Slowly the two figures split up, one disappearing in the direction of Cobb, the other continuing the chase after the larger group. ¡°Hey Lestrat, I think there¡¯s only one behind us now, the other went after Cobb,¡± Roy shouted towards the front where the other boy staggered along, one arm around an almost comatose Madelyn. Roy waited for a response but there was none. It was obvious really, none of them could continue running indefinitely, but there were six of them and two of the monsters. Cobb had split from the group and pulled away one of the pursuers, leaving a single monster in their rear. If they split up only one of them would be caught. Thinking so Roy added the fact that Lestrat would probably not separate from Madelyn. Lestrat would stand no chance against the monster if he had to protect his friend. In addition, neither Denton nor Pyrene was armed. By process of elimination only Roy would stand a chance, if even that. His hand shook at the thought, he needed to do this. If he stayed they all died, if he split there was a chance the monster chased him, in which case he had a slim chance with the gun. If the monster followed the group he would live. ¡°I¡¯m splitting going to turn right at the next street!¡± Roy shouted again, he hoped the quiver in his voice would be hidden by the splash of their steps. ¡°I''m sorry,¡± Lestrat responded, his voice barely a whisper in the din. Then, before he could doubt himself, Roy turned at the next intersection, careful to follow the road lest he step on the lawn and sink into the mud. Then he stopped and leaned his pitchfork agains this shoulder. As he did so he extracted the pistol from his pocket, turned off the safety, and made sure a round was chambered. The group was exhausted and the monster was catching up. Roy couldn¡¯t leave it be, so he grasped the pistol tightly in his palms and stood facing the street the group ran down. Then the creature was in the opening, slowly lumbering towards the inevitable. Roy held his gun up and aimed at the thing, a small mental tick ever so slightly adjusting his posture. Sights level, body slightly bent, feet apart, and arms straight, pointing at his target. If he hit, he hit. If he missed, he tried. Roy thought to himself as he focused on the enemy. The creature was slightly bulkier then a man and a bit under 20 meters away. Roy aimed the sights as best as his shaking arms could allow and pulled the triggered. He felt the recoil of the gun as the bullet left the barrel with a bam that echoed in the streets. Chapter 9 The shape shuddered, struck suddenly by the projectile. Roy focused on it and again the blue screen appeared
Vineborn Brute
LV 7 HP 235 / 289
39 points of damage on the first attack, just as the description of the gun advertised. Roy held his arms steady again and took aim. The monster had shuffled to face him and now began to pound its way towards him, limbs kicking up a spray as they tore through the water. He had 6 rounds left, approximately 150 points of damage if every round landed. Then he had another magazine in his bag, which he could grab as he ran from the monster. Focused on his goal Roy put the monster in his sight again and then pulled the trigger. Now that the thing was running at him and growing larger as the seconds ticked by, he could fire with impunity. He pulled the trigger, again and again as fast as he could, panic growing as the thing approached. Every round that struck broke the brutes stride, slowing it just enough for Roy to empty his cartridge. Then quickly, but with a slight fumble, Roy grabbed his trident and ran from the monster, now only half a dozen meters from him. His heart drummed in his chest, partially from the running and partially from the danger that followed in his back. He increased his pace, making use of the additional points he had put in constitution. Slowly the distance opened up, again the monster was just a blur in the mist. With some difficulty Roy stuck the pistol into his pocket and with his free hand, dug into his bag, feeling for the spare magazine. There it was, a cold metallic object, grasped in his hand. With the pitchfork clinched between his left arm and body, Roy ejected the empty magazine, tucked it into his pocket, and reloaded the gun, making sure to chamber the first round. Finally ready, Roy surveyed his surroundings, ahead was a T-intersection with a house facing the road he currently ran down. A long driveway lead to a small garage set behind the house, and there in the middle of the driveway was a small car. It would provide some measure of cover, maybe even hinder the obtuse looking thing behind him. Thinking so Roy ran the final couple of dozen meters and circled to the side of the grey semi. The monster was almost imperceptible now that he had put a good distance between himself and it. Roy took the chance to catch his breath, while his eyes were glued to the slowly emerging creature. He focused on the shape and then glanced at the attendant blue screen. Its health had dropped to 131, which meant that he had missed two rounds during his frantic shooting. He needed to hit it six times, or rather he could only afford to miss once. Again Roy settled into position and put the monster in his sights. He could afford to take a bit of time during his first few shots. He could do this Roy encouraged himself as he steadied his shaking and depressed the trigger. Again a crack like thunder heralded the bullet, smoke from the gun mingling with the mist. Roy glanced at the blue screen, which had faded to a light translucent blue. The number quickly shot down by 26 points, evidence that he had hit. He could do this, he repeated again in his mind as he took aim again. It took around ten seconds for the creature to cover the thirty or so meters between the two, now it loomed large just a few paces away. Roy pulled the trigger again, eliciting a small click from the gun. One it had one point of health left, he had missed twice. Grabbing his pitchfork, Roy took a few hurried steps back, putting the car between himself and the monster. Ignoring the obstacle the creature clambered onto the vehicle, every step shaking the suspension. Strained for time Roy grabbed his weapon with both hands, clutching the pistol and the rod with his right hand. Every step the monster took shook the vehicle which groaned under the weight. Now towering above him the monster was dreadful. The vines that crisscrossed its body had large angular thorns as opposed to leaves. Thorns meant for cutting and shredding as opposed to pricking. It¡¯s feet and arms ended not in digits but in wooden hooves that were rough amalgamations of roots, some still jutting out and terminating in wickedly sharp points. Despite this it only had a single point of health left. Again Roy repeated his mantra and tensed his muscles. He needed to catch it in a moment of weakness. With such great strength, if he got hit it would be cataclysmic. Thinking so, Roy prepared to dash to the side, remembering how Simon had been tackled to the ground. Then the monster made its move. Its vines seemed to tense as it pushed against the car and leaped towards Roy. The roof of the vehicle bent and warped, upsetting the footing of the creature. The leap was awkward, the huge mass of its body tilted and leaning towards one side. Roy twisted his abdomen as he lashed out with his pitchfork, pushing out his right arm to drive the weapon diagonally, towards the exposed flank of the creature. It was a brutish strike that tipped his balance, forcing his right foot off the ground and his body to tip forwards. The pitchfork hit, driving through a few inches of plant matter, and a point of HP, before finally embedding itself in the creature. Still the creature continued through the air, dragging along an unbalanced Roy. It struck the water hard, sending up a geyser of the murky liquid that obscured the ground. Roy followed after it, the water thoroughly drenching his shirt. He landed, sprawled out on the side of the creature and hands separated from his pitchfork in a moment of panic. The thorns dug into his flesh, opening up a dozen small cuts. Almost instantly a series of blue screens popped into view, Roy ignored them and pushed himself off the corpse of the monster. His body felt numb and a quick check of his [Status] showed that he was suffering from [Weak Paralysis] and [Minor Bleeding]. Roy slowly shuffled away from the monster lowered himself into the water so that he was half submerged. He was made painfully aware of the heat and the humidity as he sweated during the run and the fight with the monster. The water was probably filthy, but it was cool, almost temperate. Roy rested as he examined the new cohort of screens.
Level Up!
Level 2 > 3 +3 Stat Points
Skill Up!
Pistol Mastery LV 1 > LV 3 (Novice)
Skill Up!
Pole Weapon Mastery LV 0 > LV 1 (Novice)
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Ability Up!
Reckless Strike LV 0 > LV 1 (Novice)
He had forgotten to check the effects of the Pistol Mastery last time so Roy quickly navigated to his [Status] and focused on the two skills and single ability in turn, bringing out another host of windows.
Pistol Mastery - Novice III
Increase skill in wielding a pistol. Increase based on skill level. Increase firing accuracy while wielding a pistol. Increase based on skill level and DEX
Pole Weapon Mastery - Novice I
Increase skill in wielding a pole weapon. Increase based on skill level. Increase power of attacks while wielding a pole weapon. Increase based on STR and skill level. Increase speed of attacks while wielding a pole weapon.Increase based on AGI and skill level. Increase accuracy of attacks.while wielding a pole weapon. Increase based on DEX and skill level.
Reckless Strike ¨C Novice I
The user launches a melee attack with all their might, increasing STR. The attack is wild and unbalanced, decreasing AGI and DEX. The magnitude of the increase and decrease is based on skill level and the attack performed. Tires the user based on the magnitude of the increase in STR. Tiring effect decreases with CON and skill level.
The description for Pistol Mastery was vague. Now that Roy had time to think it appeared that proper shooting posture had just somehow appeared in his mind, this must have been a result of the skill; Pole Weapon Mastery was the same.Both skills also seemed to raise the effectiveness of the weapon, increasing power or accuracy based on his stats. Reckless Strike was now his only ability. Strenth seemed to determine the power behind his attacks so the ability essentially boosted damage at the expense of spee and accuracy. To Roy this meant an action would take a greater number of frames and thus an opponent could more easily counterattack. The ability was also tiring, but then again all fighting was exhausting. All in all Roy found it all very underwhelming, he wanted to shoot fireballs and call down meteors. Then again, in a game things were fair, work was rewarding, people didn¡¯t die, fighting wasn¡¯t exhausting. Roy wanted to scream, this wasn¡¯t fun, and this wasn¡¯t a game. Mr. Stenson, Simon, and how many others, they were all gone. And he was laying in the sludge, biting back the pain from the damn cuts he¡¯d suffered falling on the corpse of some ghastly creature. Roy got back onto his feet; the numbing sensation from [Minor Paralysis] was gone. Staring at the [Status] once more, Roy dumped three more points into constitution. Instantly his fatigue faded away, even the stifling humidity had lessened. His max HP was now at 276, 23 points up from 253. Now that he was done lamenting about the unfairness of it all, he took a moment to reflect on the positive.
Character Sheet
Name Roy Stone Level 3
Race Human Condition Minor Bleeding
HP 268 / 276 HP Regeneration 0.015
MP 118 / 118 MP Regeneration 0.04
-
Statistics
STR 9 INT 10
CON 15 WIS 7
DEX10AGI 10
Unallocated Stat Points 0
-
Resistances
Heat 0 Cold 0
Force 0 Electric 0
Poison 0 Corrosion 0
Hallow 0 Void 0
Mental 0 Spiritual 0
-
Skills
Pistol Mastery - Novice III Polearm Mastery - Novice I
Abilities
Reckless Strike - Novice I
Traits
-
He was used to this of course, his grades were bad and he had few skills to speak of. Now that Roy looked back at his recent actions, they could be considered as heroic. He had put his life on the line luring the brute away from the group. Then he had single handedly slain the monster. Congratulations and praise surely awaited him once he regrouped with everyone. Then it occurred to him, in their haste they had never specified where they would meet up. Roy looked around for a moment, dazed at his new conundrum. Where would he go now, what would he do. The visibility was dreadful and the town was now crawling with monsters, it would be foolish to wander around without a clue. That meant he was on his own again. Though not for long, Roy assured himself. There were bound to be others; there were thousands of people in the small town of Anamosa. Thinking this Roy turned his thoughts to his next course of action. Now sufficiently renewed, Roy turned his attention to the corpse of the [Vineborn Brute]. The creature could now be mistaken for a tangle of vines jutting from the surface of the water. Roy looted the body with a thought.
Loot
1x Fisilian¡¯s Fungus Fryer
In front of Roy materialized a short rod, half a meter long and almost too thick to fit in his hands. It was made of wood and poorly hewn. In contrast to the poor workmanship, were a series of symbols carved along the top rim of the rod. The decorations were so intricate and the lines so fine, that Roy doubted they were carved at all. However, most striking were the lime green gem that was embedded within the field of symbols. To Roy this could only be a magic staff, so with open glee he though [Examine].
Fisilian¡¯s Fungus Fryer
Cobbled together by the town mage. This weapon was designed to fend of the swarms of fungus that had laid waste toNew Atlarium. It sprays out vast quantities ofAqua Liminuswhich is espeacially effective against fungus, a simple and crude solution.
2/s/LCorrosion Damage 0 / 2 Liters of Water 0 / 20 Mana
1000% Effectivenessvs fungi (Venom) Paralyze with Potency 20
As far as Roy saw, the weapon seemed like some sort of giant water gun, which fired fungicides. ''Aqua Liminus'' was also the name of the liquid he had looted from the creature that had been lurking in Madelyn''s house, if so he wondered if that liquid also dealt additional damage to fungi. Conjecture aside, it did sound like the weapon was ranged, which would help now that his gun had run out of ammunition. Hefting the rod in one arms and his pitchfork in the other Roy approached the house that the driveway led up to. The lights were out in all the windows, and from where Roy stood in front of the door he couldn¡¯t make out any sign of activity. He had ringed the doorbell, only to then realize the electricity was out. It was unreasonable to expect the workers at the power plant to continue with things as they were. Without electricity, Roy settled for knocking. As the minutes ticked by Roy contemplated his options. He could leave and look for another house, or he could break in. There was the possibility that the residents weren¡¯t answering on purpose. The situation was dire and armed strangers showing up at the door covered in wounds was sure to set off alarm bells. Of course the residents could also be gone. Roy looked around the street, it was desolate and not a sign of life could be seen. He would take the risk. If the cops showed up he felt he could justify himself in this time of emergency. Now resolved, Roy walked towards the window that looked out onto the street. Using his dagger, Roy cut through the screen and reached his hand in to detach it from the window frame. With the screen out of the way Roy took a few steps back and smacked the glass panel using the head of his pitchfork. The glass shattered and the ring carried in the silence of the streets. Now with added urgency Roy broke the sharp shards of glass still attached to the frame. If he dallied for too long a monster might appear. Again reaching his arm in, Roy unlocked the window and lifted it up so that he could stick his fingers in the gap between the window frame and panel, then he pushed the panel up. Roy tossed his equipment into the room and climbed in. The inside of the house was dark, illuminated only by the feeble light that shone through the few windows that dotted the first floor. The blinds had been drawn over the windows that faced the street, further cutting out the sunlight. In the absence of light, the colors that would have tinged the photos that hung on the wall had been reduced to shades of grey. Roy stood up from where he had tumbled onto the floor and regarded the small living room he now found himself in. To his left a doorway led into the dining room and kitchen, in front lay a cluster of furniture, all arranged around a television set. To his right was the front door he had circumnavigated, and then a bit further ahead laid the stairwell and various doors that Roy guessed opened up into bathrooms, the basement and closets. Most of all Roy looked for any signs of danger. He had made quite a ruckus breaking in, enough to alert any monsters, unless they lay in hiding. Picking up his pitchfork, Roy began to sweep through the first floor, opening up any door he could find. The house was quite small and from the outside Roy could tell that the second floor only extended above the right section of the house. Roy had found nothing peculiar yet; no signs of struggle adorned the ageing furniture or the overly adorned carpet. Following that Roy checked the second floor and the basement. The second floor consisted of two bedrooms and a bathroom, arranged around a small landing. Little bits of decoration adorned the walls and the various bits of furniture. Roy tried not to pry considering he was an intruder. The basement on the other hand was nothing more than a cellar. Bare beams and concrete foundation laid bare for all to see. Stacked in that open space were piles of cardboard boxes. To Roy the whole place screamed old couple. It reminded him of his grandparents¡¯ house, before they passed away and the property got liquidated to cover his grandfather¡¯s debt. A calculated move that ensured the old couple could spend lavishly and then pass on nothing to their children. A mentally that had been passed on to Roy¡¯s own father. His father had often told him that men ought to stand on their own two feet, a saying that often scared Roy. Considering he was planning to live off his parents after he ultimately failed high school. Roy pushed that though away as he climbed back up the stairs from the basement. Now, whether he liked it or not, he was on his own. Chapter 10 Roy sat with his back against the wall; he was aware of his soggy clothes and was loath to dirty the furniture. In one hand he held some cookies that he had pulled from his bag; in the other he held his pitchfork. The great grandfather clock that sat in the living room was a wind up contraption, a blessing now that the electricity was out and a digital clock would be of no use. From it he could tell that it was nearing noon, which made for one hell of a morning, Roy thought to himself. He had been resting for some time, after an hour or so Roy realized that his wounds were gone. Sure enough, the HP regeneration had kicked in and the little HP he lost to the cut he had sustained were now gone. There was not even the sign of a scar. His clothes on the other hand, were not regenerated. They were covered in cuts, some small, and other¡¯s quite revealing. He had checked the mirror and found that he looked like a hooligan; he was caked in mud, drenched in water, and wore scraps for clothes. Reluctantly, Roy stood up and walked up stairs. Mentally justifying his decision, Roy borrowed a change of clothes for the wardrobe in the master bedroom and cleaned himself up in the bathroom. There was no water so Roy settled for wiping himself down with the paper towels he found in the kitchen. Roy looked himself over in the mirror as he patted down his hair. Brown trousers, suspenders, and a white dress shirt had replaced the t-shirt and shorts he wore this morning. His hair and eyes matched the color of his borrowed trousers, while his dress shirt bled into his skin which was pale from time spent indoors. The whole set gave him the look of a gentlemen, an appearance that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. As he looked at himself in the mirror Roy was reminded of a fact and began to [Examine] his clothes, eager to find a piece of magical equipment. To his disappointment the clothes were just clothes. Done playing dress up with someone else¡¯s property Roy took a seat on a chair that faced the window he had opened. The position gave him a good view of the outside, not that there was much to see in all that mist. Roy sat motionless for some time, unsure of how to proceed. His first thought had been to check his phone, a habit he had been distracted from by the events of the last day. However, to his dismay his phone was broken, a fact that he should have been aware of when he had decided to submerge himself in the water. Looking at the useless bit of machinery, Roy could hardly put his own situation in order. What was he supposed to do? This was problem solving, this was independence, this was responsibility. He could do whatever he wanted, and yet he could do nothing. Perhaps he should have gone to the auditorium, stuck with the group and listened to the instructions of the teachers. It would have sucked, but there was also relief in not having to determine his own course, in not having to shoulder the burden. Perhaps it was not too late, perhaps it he waited long enough the police would show up. Roy spent the afternoon in the house; he looked at the various knickknacks that decorated the house, from old polaroids, to paintings that depicted sunsets and gardens, all well-ordered and peaceful in that imaginary world beyond the picture frame. There was something to look at on every bit of furniture, whether it was the boxy television or the gas stove. In comparison, his house was a Spartan affair. Blocky self-assembled furniture and sleek modern electronics, truly the home of a modern couple. So Roy loitered around, occasionally stuffing his mouth with cookies. Inside he realized this couldn¡¯t continue indefinitely. The fridge was stuffed with fresh produce and meat; there was not a single bit of preserved food in sight. At this rate the food would go bad, especially with the heat and humidity as they were. Not even his stash of cookies would last him much longer, considering he was having them three times a day. He had to act, like all the times before. If he continued like this nothing good would come of it. He had to act, there was no other choice. If he looked at it like something that he had to do then things became easier, there was no need to plan. A vast field of daunting possibilities became a narrow road, a series of steps. It was like a quest, kill a hundred wolves, collect ten flowers, break into the house next door and secure some food. He knew what he needed to do; he knew how to do it, that was all that mattered now. The future could be taken one step at a time. Roy straightened himself and returned to where he left his bag in the living room. The rod was leaned up against the wall, a magical device Roy would have only seen in a video game before his current conundrum. The excitement was greatly muffled, but still, magic was magic. Roy recalled the earlier information of the blue screen regarding mana and liters of water. He assumed that to function, the two must be given to the rod. Water he could get, and mana he had, but it never occurred to him how he would be able to transfer his MP into the device. Or maybe it couldn¡¯t be done; perhaps he needed to give it some magical crystal. Recalling his trove of geeky knowledge, Roy took a seat on the carpet and closed his eyes. Next he slowed his breathing and emptied his mind. In this state Roy sat, it would all be worth it if he could only shoot out fireballs. Then Roy opened his eyes and blinked away the rheum that had accumulated. His body was sour as he pushed himself up from the floor. Still groggy Roy checked the time; it was four in the morning. He had fallen asleep while trying to acquire a sense of his mana. The room was pitch dark, the absence of electricity meant that not even the light from a few stray streetlights would flood into the house now. Roy fumbled in the dark of a while, before he finally found his bag. He quickly pulled out his keychain and turned on the small flashlight attached to it. The feeble light barely lit up the room; the far walls were curtains of shadow. They bled past corners and into adjoining rooms, where corners and edges kept the light away. It was as if the house was the victim of a murky deluge, creeping into the house through the broken window. The glass shards still stuck on the frame resembled rows of jagged teeth, their edges glinting with reflected light. Past those gates was the outside. It was a moonless, starless, night. Like the world was buried under the fog, a pervasive, ever encroaching presence that oozed malevolence.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. With desperate haste, Roy pulled down the blinds over the broken window. He was fighting off an unseen foe, a presence that had tunneled into every corner of the house. There were candles and a small lighter in the kitchen. Some candles on spindly metal seats and others in glass stands. Roy lit them, one by one, enough to light up all the dark corners of the first floor, enough to fend of the dark for just one night. Roy sat at the center of the room, within the circle of candles he had set up. He leaned against the back of the sofa as he pulled in his legs in an effort to shrink into an imaginery shell. If only he could pull himself tighter and tighter until he was nothing but a dot, wrapped up in his own world. It had been ages since he was last afraid of the dark. Next he awoke the night had given way to day. The scenery remained unchanged, a field of grey, dotted with smudges of darker shades. Nothing distinct could be made out in that miasmic sludge. It was nine by the time Roy had finished his breakfast, another pack of cookies. Now somewhat rested Roy returned to his previous conundrum, he needed to revise his methodology in regards to mana. He inspected the magical rod. The symbols seemed significant; they were concentrated near the tip, where the gem was embedded. The rod was hollow, there was a hole the size of a large coin at the tip end of the rod. As Roy turned the rod in his hands he spotted what looked almost like a seam running lengthwise across the wooden surface. Roy traced the line until it met a circle with a symbol inside. As Roy¡¯s hand came in contact with the symbol, he felt a small tug to his surprise. Quickly he examined the rod, but the mana was still zero out of zero. Concentrating, Roy put his hand over the symbol again, this time the tug was much clearer, it wasn¡¯t just a figment of his imagination. Roy kept his hand there but to his frustration the mana gauge on the rod was still empty. Then it occurred to Roy that he felt a tug, like he was being pulled. Nothing was leaving him and so nothing entered the rod. But what exactly was being tugged. Roy concentrated on the tugging and suddenly there it was. Like a second skin, a substance that permeated every bit of his body. Roy was snapped out of his trance by the appearance of a blue screen.
Skill Up!
Mana Sense LV 0 > LV 1 (Novice)
There was the confirmation; he had been able to feel his own mana. Now that he knew it existed it became an ever present sensation, like how he aware of the limbs of his body. Once again Roy touched the symbol on the rod, immediately he could feel his mana being tugged at by a slight force, almost like he was being prompted. Perhaps if he relaxed his hold on the mana, like he would loosen his muscles and letting gravity take hold. Thinking so Roy tried to work his fictitious ¡®mana muscles¡¯. It felt almost as if his body was loosening its hold on that substance that filled him to the brim. It began to diffuse into the air, at the same time the tug of the symbol began to suck in the mana from his body, the slight pull enough to take in the now free roaming substance. Then another blue screen popped up.
Skill Up!
Mana Sense LV 1 > LV 3 (Novice)
That was quick, it was as if the screen could gauge progress; maybe it wasn¡¯t giving him levels based on how many times he did something, but how well he could do it. If he had been an excellent shot, the system might have rapidly elevated his pistol mastery skill level. The System filled in gaps in knowledge, he could attest to this fact from his experience with the pistol skill, and it provided supernatural bonuses like making his attacks with pole weapons increase in force. Roy closed the pop up and turned back to the rod. To his surprise the symbols on the rod were glowing, emitting a faint blue light. The tugging was also gone now, but when he looked at his [Status] he found that his MP was still quickly falling. His body was still giving up on its hold over the mana. Now Roy did the opposite, he tightened his hold over the mana. To his satisfaction his MP stopped dropping, and yet another notification appeared.
Skill Up!
Mana Sense LV 3 > LV 4 (Novice)
Now he needed to provide the rod with two liters of water, a fact complicated by the lack of running water. However, there was still water in the tank of the toilet. It took some self-motivation for Roy to finally collect the water from the tank using several cups he found around the house. Only after finishing did the fact that he wouldn¡¯t be able to wash his hands dawn on him. Pushing aside that inconvenient truth, Roy dumped the contents of the cups into the opening at the tip of the rod. It was as good as a place as any, Roy had thought. The guess had been right and the water gauge on the [Examine] screen of the rod quickly filled up. Everything was ready; Roy reluctantly raised the blinds, hoisted the rod and pointed it out the broken window. All he had to do now was fire. Pushing down his sense of frustration Roy inspected all the symbols on the Rod, again. There was probably a trigger somewhere; he just had to find it. Pointing the tip away from himself, Roy traced his fingers around every symbol he could find. Then Roy felt it, another slight tugging, this time from a small circle near the tip, located at the right side of the weapon if he thought of the reloading symbol as facing downwards. Roy took up position again at the window and loosened his hold over his mana. The small symbol only sucked in a drop, but from the hole at the tip a jet of lime colored liquid shot out. The liquid flew a dozen meters before splashing into the water. The gems were glowing like tiny lightbulbs, enough to illuminate the room Roy stood in, then the light faded and the jet spluttered out. Roy inspected the weapon, both gauges were empty. It had persisted for around 4 seconds. Now he would need to refill it with water, a very time consuming endeavor. To do so in the middle of a fight with a monster was inconceivable to Roy. Since it was flooded outside, it occurred to Roy that he could refill the weapon using the water on the ground. Roy looked out the window and checked the surroundings before opening the front door. First Roy filled the mana gauge like before, and then he lowered the rod into the water. A symbol began to glow near the tip of the weapon, the water began to distort as it was sucked in through the opening at a rapid rate. Then the symbol dimmed and Roy picked up the rod again, the weapon had a quick reload function. It wasn¡¯t free though, he had filled the weapon with mana, but now it was a quarter empty. Roy topped of the mana gauge and fired another stream into his surroundings. He felt like he was shooting a water gun, for a second he felt like he was playing pretending. They were running across the neighborhood with their toy weapons and shooting at imaginary boogeymen. Roy hoped that the rod was vastly more destructive than a water gun. Chapter 11 Roy stood on the front porch, right hand around the rod and left hand clutching his pitchfork. He had planned to check the house next door for food yesterday but he had been delayed trying to make the magical artifact work. Now there were no more excuses, he had to take the next step and now was the time to do it. Leaving the door open so that he would be able to make a quick retreat, Roy headed towards the house nestled right next door. His target was a bungalow of more recent construction. As he approached he realized that the first floor of the house was not slightly elevated from the ground, which meant the water line was now a foot above the base of the door. Roy contemplated his method of entry as he stood near the front door. The last house had been empty, but that might not hold true for this house, it would be wise of him to enter with greater caution, he was in no rush. Once he entered he would have his water cannon ready to fire, it would be tricky trying to operate the firing mechanism with his left hand clutching the pitchfork. He would then [Examine] the enemy and if he thought he could handle the opponent he would blast it. Next he would drop his ranged weapon so that he could have both hands on the pitchfork. Since the rod did damage over time he would keep his distance using the pitchforks superior range. That would be his plan of action. Somewhat assured by his own planning Roy circled around the house once and looked through the few windows that adorned it. Using his flashlight, Roy could clearly make out the interior of the house. Half way through his rotation Roy found the monster. He cursed his luck, why did the monster have to be there, what made the house so attractive for it anyways.
Juvenile Marsh Hastaos
LV 4 HP 172 / 172
Roy circled around the remaining half of the house and returned to the front. Level 4, it was a single level higher than he was. Based off what he had seen, monsters didn¡¯t seem to spawn with a mind towards level zones. It could almost be seen as fortunate that the monster was level 4. Thinking so, Roy repeated his plan to himself mentally. The creature he was dealing with looked like an alligator, or a crocodile, he never paid attention during biology. Its snout was uncannily sharp, almost like a sword fish. Concerning to Roy was its body which was covered in rough, rock like scales. He hoped they were not actually rough like in durability. When he had checked, the monster seemed to be asleep. His light elicited no reaction, if so he could take the time to spray for the maximum duration of four seconds. His element of surprise would be ruined if he barged through the front; however, off to the left of the house was a large bay window. Roy was thankful the weather had been before the downpour two days ago; the owners of the house had left the window unlatched. Taking advantage of the fact, Roy began to pry at the edges using his dagger, the window swung open bit by bit with every tug. Soon Roy could slip his fingers into the opening and slowly swing open the windows. The window opened into the living room, a large square affair that took up half the front of the house. A hallway near the back connected the various bedrooms and bathroom that were located in the rear. That was where Roy had spotted the gator like monster. Roy hurdled through the window frame and into the house. As he had suspected the floor was flooded with just under two feet of water. As quietly as he could, Roy sloshed through the water and opened up the front door, giving himself a route of escape if the battle with the Hastaos turned south. The trek through the house was slow and arduous. The closer he approached the creatures near the back the more likely his steps would awaken them, and the slower he went. Finally he was only feet away from the room he had spotted the Hastaos in. Roy held the Fungus Fryer as he peeked around the door frame and into the last bedroom in the hallway, he had charged up the weapon when he was outside the house. The first thing that grabbed his attention was the pile of blankets on the bed. They were oddly arranged, a tangle of cloth with uncanny edges that sat alongside almost organic curves. Something about the pile was off putting, almost upsetting to some inner part of Roy. Curious, and safe in the knowledge that the Hastaos seemed to be undisturbed by light, Roy turned on his flashlight. The edges were not cloth, neither were the curves. Roy could taste the morning¡¯s cookies in his mouth as he backed away from the door. He took a moment to regather his thoughts, which had been strewn about his mind like the bits and pieces had been strewn about the room, tossed about as the monster ripped with its row of teeth. He had seen alligator teeth before, locked behind bars in the zoo. Those long rows of crooked and uneven fangs used to rend and rip apart its prey. He could leave now, take as much as he could from the cupboards and never have to face the monster. It would be the smart thing to do. But he had prepared so long for this, gotten so far already. He could feel his heart beat with some measure of fear. There was also a measure of anger.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. He could right this wrong right here, do some measure of good. Like how he had lured away the Vineborn Brute. Roy took hold of that resolve, that momentum, as he walked forwards until he found himself at the doorway, facing the dormant form of the Hastaos. The room was lit with a sickly green light as Fungus Fryer unleashed a torrent of liquid towards the monster. The liquid was like syrup, it stuck to the Hastaos hide and slowly trickled downwards. Roy watched as he slowly coated the monster in a layer of green goop. It seemed to burst awake the second the liquid touched its hide, with a furious round of thrashing it attempted to fling away its new corrosive coat. As it did so Roy watched its HP¡¯s steady descent. He had emptied all two liters onto the monster and it was losing 4 points of health per second. Then the monster seemed to slowly regain its senses as it turned its reptilian pupils towards Roy and lunged towards him with surprising alacrity. However, Roy was ready. While the monster was still thrashing around in the water he had set aside the Fryer and he now held the pitchfork with both hands. The Hastaos¡¯ HP was now at 140, if he could keep it at bay for 30 seconds, the length of an average TV commercial, victory would be his. Using the narrowness of the doorway to his advantage, Roy kept the monster in front of him and the pointy end of the stick pointed towards it. Roy struck out using his pitchfork, grazing the Hastaos as it tried to surge forwards. The attack sent the creature scuttling back into the room, where it began pace about. The two slit like pupils that poked above the water surface scrutinized him for any signs of weakness. His attack had dealt 11 points of damage and left a long gash on its hide. Slowly, but surely, blood was gushing from the open wound. Despite his success Roy was beginning to worry, the furious shaking of the creature had dislodged a great deal of the green goop. It was all too likely that the damage over time was falling off over time. He would probably need to finish off the creature using his pitchfork. A difficult task taking into account the creature''s scampering and the caution it seemed to be exercising. Roy began to back away into the hallway. The narrow corridor would not only restrict the monsters angles of attack, but also its range of movement. Keeping his pitchfork steady, Roy slowly backed away from the monster. The Hastaos followed after him, but always at a consistent distance. Now that they were in the corridor the monster had ceased it pacing. Its body was like a patch of bare rock jutting out from the water. A quick glimpse of the monsters HP proved that the effectiveness of the Fryer was falling. It had been almost a minute, yet the HP still stood at 54. Now the HP was falling at a grueling rate, if this went on his nerves would wear out before the creature let out its last breath. Roy took a stride forward and pushed out with his pitchfork, the Hastaos slid backwards as his weapon approached. Still he could feel resistance well up in his arms as the prongs nicked the snout of the creature, eliciting a low growl from the retreating form. The step had pushed the monster past the door frame of the last room, cornering it against the end of the hallway. As Roy took his next step forwards the Hastaos charged towards him, the thrashing of it body kicking up a spray of water. Roy stabbed again with his pitchfork; the prongs slid into the monsters rough flesh, but before he could pull out his weapon a thrash of the creature¡¯s body ripped the polearm from his grip. Then, jaws wide and menacing rows of teeth fully exposed, the Hastaos pushed itself out of the water. If Roy remembered correctly, the jaws of an alligator could snap shut with astounding force. Before he could react the Hastaos was already upon him, its jaws snapped against his left shin like a pair of wire clippers. He could feel his bones gave way under the jaws of the monster; they creaked and groaned, snipped and snapped as the force exerted on them endured. How much health had he lost, the number 46 came to him, embedded there by the [System]. Roy didn¡¯t focus on that though, he pulled himself through the pain and gripped the dagger he always kept in his pocket. He needed to make the next hit count, if the monster stayed active afterwards he would lose hold of his dagger just like he lost hold of his pitchfork, then he would weaponless. He needed as much strenth as he could muster, he needed to activate Reckless Strike, if he missed he would try again. The adrenaline pushed his upper body into a sitting position and he willed the ability to activate. Roy could almost almost hear the mental click as the ability surfaced and strength rushed into his body, along with a nauseating dizziness. Then he raised his arm and and swung downwards,driving his dagger though the top of the monsters snout and down to the hilt. Blood fountained up for a moment, and the Hastaos thrashed once more, dragging his leg along with it and exacerbating the wound. Then its struggles died down and the pressure on his wound loosened. Roy dropped the dagger conscious of the drain it was having on his constitution, then he pried on the monsters jaws and extracted his leg from within. Looking at the wound only intensified his pain, the flesh was mangled and the bone visible at places where the teeth had dug deep and the thrashing had parted the muscle from the bone. The water near his leg had already been dyed a shade of red by the blood running down his leg. Roy held in a scream as he open his mouth as if he were a fish on dry land. Biting down on his collar, Roy began to drag his body down the hall and into a side bedroom. He could mentally see his HP slowly trickle away at a rate of a point every few seconds. Finally at his destination, Roy pulled himself atop a small bed, its pristine white covers quickly soaked and sullied as he lay himself down on them. Roy hands pulled at the left leg of his trousers; bits of cloth had been embedded into his flesh creating an amalgam out of his leg. With each tug a bit of fabric was dislodged and a fresh wave of pain coursed through him. The whole wound was a mess, covered in bits of mud and soaked in the fetid pool that had accumulated on the ground. It if he could stop the bleeding, his health, which had fallen to the upper one hundred, would regenerate within an hour. Hopefully not long enough for infection to set in. But currently the damage over time far exceeded his pitiful HP regeneration. Pitiful compared to a video game, Roy corrected, miraculous compared to how things used to be. Rolling up the tatters that had been his pants, Roy had to hold down his tears, and his breakfast. Was this his leg, what was he looking at? Roy pulled out the blanket from under himself and began to tightly wrap it around his leg. Roy finished his make shift bandage with a solid looking knot. Now that his leg was tightly under wraps Roy felt somewhat better, blood and gore were not conducive to a healthy environment. Roy lay down on the bed and tucked a few pillows under his leg to slightly elevate it. His HP was still looking alright; in fact he had more health right now then a healthy adult. That brought a smile to his lips. Now all he could do was wait, hopefully his regeneration would overtake his bleeding. The light shining through the windows was faint, as it illuminated the water Roy could make out faint wisps of red. Blood suspended in the water, carried along by currents imperceptible to him. The water was calm and almost crystal clear. Beneath the floor boards could be made out, it was like looking into a fish tank. Everything took on a mystical property underwater. Roy could see various knick-knacks lying beneath the surface. There were plastic wrappers and old crumpled pieces of paper, all swept from their hiding places by the intruding waves. It was a microcosm of the town, the everyday rendered in a different light. What was usually hidden brought to light, and what was mundane now inundated. He needed some water, no scratch that. He wanted a coke. Chapter 12 It was late in the afternoon by the time Roy¡¯s wounds had recovered. The bleeding slowly gave way to his HP regeneration. From there it only took half an hour for his wounds to completely disappear, scars and all. Roy was in the kitchen, stuffing canned and high preservative foods into plastic garbage bags. There were white loaves, cans of tuna, bars of chocolate, and bottles of water; otherwise known as the stuff he would have eaten had he been at home. Dropping the last few bits of stolen goods into his bags, Roy made for the door, conscious of the hours of daylight he had left. His flashlight would not last much longer. Before then he had to light the candles he had found last night and tidy up his appearance. The fog outside was just as dense as it had been on the first day. It clung to the earth and neither the sun nor the winds could unlatch it. A few dozen steps took him back to the house of the old couple. Its interior, so homey and lived in, was just as lifeless and he had left it. It would probably never be lived in again. Roy wiped himself down, changed, and ate. It felt weird, struggling against some monster one second and dressing up the next. Like he was living parallel lives, one still rooted in the time of two days ago, and the other in some bizarre dreamlike land. It was approaching seven and already the darkness began to creep into his surroundings. The first floor was too vast, with too many windows and doors. It felt like he was being surrounded, like he was the eye of a storm. With haste, Roy began to move the candles one by one, soon the master bedroom was awash in candle light. He was retreating, pulling back his lines of candles one layer at a time until the last flicker of flame left the first floor. Roy sat in the bedroom, door closed and barricaded, window sealed and curtained. He was tempted to light all the candles, but he had to ration them. There in the confines of the bedroom, Roy felt secure. Slowly he nodded off to sleep. Roy slept through the night and awoke in the morning; there was no panic or debilitating fear. The candles had burnt out, leaving behind small pools of wax in their glass cups. Roy swept open the curtains to let in more of the sunlight. Some bit of him hoped he would be greeted by a radiant glare, as opposed to the dull glow that was now a constant in his life. There was no running water and no electricity, so the mornings preparations were a snap. A bottle of water and two slices of plain bread made up his breakfast. He had food now, probably enough food for at least a week. He didn¡¯t have that much water, but he could always try drinking the floodwater. His constitution was high and he could always look at his [Conditions] for any abnormal effects. Thinking so, Roy lounged on the couch, this was it. The end of the world, he was fairly certain of that fact now, three days and still no sign of emergency services or the National Guard. Yet here he was in a quaint little house resting on an antique sofa. There was nothing to do, the idea of going out and hunting monsters for experience occurred to him for a second, then he laughed it off. The pain, the stress, the fear, it was all a bit too real for his taste. He had never taken part in extreme sports; there was a reason for that. But should he really be sitting here doing nothing. It would be just like his school days, playing video games at home while things happened around him. His father had always said that one should run with the wind, or if they were feeling rebellious, against it. Roy had hugged the ground and let the wind blow by while he counted blades of grass and flower petals, fanciful distractions that no longer existed. What if he stood up, not because he respected his old man, but because he could only spend so long staring at barren earth. He would be a sailor cruising the wind, off to a new land where the grass grew and the flowers bloomed. Hadn¡¯t he felt something when he met the group at the gymnasium, wasn¡¯t there some satisfaction when he lured away the Vineborn Brute? He wasn¡¯t going to go out looking for fights; he would avoid the dark alley ways and the bad side of town. It would be okay if he stepped cautiously. He was curious, he was bored, and he was lonely. It only took him minutes to pack his meagre belongings into his bag. He would bring a change of clothes, some water, and some food. There was also the strange crystal he had obtained from his fight before they were chased out by the Brutes. He had his flashlight, and the lighter he used to light the candles. There was also his empty gun, his dagger, his pitchfork, and the magical rod. Roy took one last look at his temporary residence and then closed the door. He would head towards the town center, a rather shoddy one street affair lined with two and three story buildings. From where he stood it would be a half kilometer trek through two feet of water. Hoisting up his bag and rolling up his pants, Roy began to walk, using the pitchfork as a walking stick to steady himself. He headed west, passing the bungalow he had broken into yesterday and then a small bridge built over what used to be a stream. Now he could barely tell the where the bridge started and ended. The water would be over two meters deep on either side of the bridge. Past the bridge Roy¡¯s right opened up into what used to be a small field, now it was flooded and indistinguishable from the road and any other patch of ground. Then Roy noticed the patches of rocks jutting out from the water surface. They looked oddly familiar laying there half submerged. Familiar, like the back of the Hastaos he had fought yesterday. Quickly Roy focused on a patch of rock a dozen meters from where he stood, and the familiar blue screen appeared.
Juvenile Swamp Hastaos
LV 3 HP 167 / 167
This one was a level lower than the one he had faced yesterday, it also seemed smaller, but perhaps that was simply due to the distance between them. None of the monsters seemed to be awake, It occurred to Roy that the Hastaos may be nocturnal. Curious about the differences in level Roy examined the rest of monsters that were within his visible range. Anything too far was obstructed by the fog. Many of the smaller ones had the juvenile tag and fell between level 3 and level 10. Everything past level 10 was termed a ¡°Swamp Hastaos¡±. The largest he saw tool up as much space as a small van. It was level 25. The creatures seemed to form large packs, with the most senior members at the center. Roy swore he could make out even larger shapes in the distance, peeking out from the stream that was easily two meters deep. It was horrifying, but interesting. As long as the creatures didn¡¯t awake and attack him he could almost imagine himself as being on a safari, though a magical one with alligators that could dwarf a Civic. For Roy, part of the allure of DTDW and other MMORPGs were the landscapes and the creatures that inhabited it. It would be no fun to grind the level away on a plain filled with nothing but practice dummies. Roy wasn¡¯t skilled at any of the games he played, probably the reason Lawrence never partied with him. He didn''t play for the competition anyways, he was in it for the sights, and levels were a way for him to see the next bit of scenery, to see the next feat of imagination. He could be Darwin, sailing aboard the Beagle, though he didn¡¯t quite understand what Darwin had accomplished. The lessons in Biology flew over his head. Roy quietly walked past the resting grounds of the Hastaos, the waves he created as he slugged through the water were enough to give him a heart attack. It was a relief when he finally passed the field and reached Scott Street, which would intersect Main Street further north.Stolen novel; please report. Roy turned right and headed north, the field was sandwiched between the stream and the Anamosa Library, which was now to his right. An almost square black roofed building that faced a car dealership. Roy had never visited the library. It dawned on him that it this would be a good time for a first. He could find something on how to filter drinking water; he had considered drinking the floodwater earlier. The entrance of the library faced a parking lot as large as the building itself. A flagpole outside flew the stars and stripes, the flag dangled from the top of the pole, lifeless in the absence of wind. Roy approached the front door and shone his flashlight through the glass double doors. It was empty inside, and flooded too. Gently, Roy pushed open the door and the smell of books filled his nostrils. He had smelled books before. But here, congregated together and damp from the humidity, the smell was striking. There was something else mixed in there too, but it had been overpowered by the smell of ageing and wet paper. ¡°Hello, anyone here?¡± Roy called out near the entrance way. If there were people it wouldn¡¯t do to sneak up on them, if there were monsters he could make a quick getaway from his position beside the door. ¡°Anyone?¡± he called again. It was strange for the library to be so empty. There was the Librarian, and the various elderly that often visited during the day. He could be overthinking it, the guests must have left, evacuated to someplace safer. Reassuring himself, Roy walked past the alarms and the front desk. He wasn¡¯t familiar with where the books were placed, especially unfortunate now that the library database was offline and there was no librarian to help him. It also meant he wouldn¡¯t be able to check out the book, he would be stealing from the library. Roy Stone, stealing books from the public library, the though amused him. Roy peered down the aisles looking for anything related to sports, or perhaps camping. It was bound to be there, he justified to himself. As he continued down the aisles he caught the sight of something skittering across the floor. Roy turned towards the movement; it had come from down the aisle, away from the front where the large vertical windows adorned the walls. That far down he could barely make out the books on the shelves. He should have looked from batteries, but it was too late for that now. If his flashlight ran out, he would have to resort to the lighter. Was the skittering the product of an overstrung mind, the beam of the flashlight yielded nothing. Roy backed away from the shelves and raised the Fungus Fryer, he had charged it beforehand. Like in the bungalow, he would shoot and then keep whatever it was at bay with the pitchfork. He could be preparing for nothing, but it was better to be cautious. Roy retraced his way to the front of the library, as he neared the front desk he caught another glimpse of movement, then another. It was no visual specter, there was something in the library, many somethings. Holding his weapon tighter, Roy quickly covered the remaining distance to the door. Roy used his back to push against the door, his sight never leaving the aisles of books. Then the somethings made their appearance. They looked like mushrooms, with their pallid gray stems and light purple caps. But they moved, instead of roots their stem branched off into tiny appendages. One by one they leaped from the shelves and began to scuttle towards Roy. In the water only their cap was visible and their speed slowed considerably. These were surely fungi. Roy quickly concentrated on one of them.
Orchid Cap Interceptor
LV 1 HP 22 / 22
Individually they were weak, almost pathetic in front of the Fungas Fryer, but more kept jumping from the aisles as the front line approached. There were twenty, then thirty, and still their numbers swelled. Roy sprayed his Fryer in a sweeping motion, catching the first wave of Interceptors with the barrage of fungicide. The liquid seemed to lock them in place; they were puppets with their strings cut. Some could barely stand upright. Each interceptor had less than a fraction of a liter of liquid on it, even with the 1000% damage increase it would take half a minute for them to expire. However, the stunning effect kept them in place, allowing the corrosive substance to take maximum effect. The first wave was down; just a few stray drops were enough to send them into shock. Then the last bits of liquid left the barrel. There was row of a spasming mushroom in front of Roy; further behind their comrades continued their charge. It was like something was directing them. Now that his weapon was empty Roy turned around and dashed out the door. The wave of mushrooms slammed into the closed doorway, they piled atop each other and their momentum carried them forward. Soon the entire front of the library was covered in Orchid Caps, some paralyzed and dying, others surging against the glass frontage. Roy backed away a few steps and then lowered the tip of the Fungus Fryer into the water. Following the now familiar motions, Roy recharged the weapon with mana and vacuumed up two liters of water. The squirming mass of fungoids pushed against each other and sections of the wall, slowly the door began to open on its hinges. Roy stepped aside and aimed his weapon into the expanding opening and sent a spritz of flux at the swell of creatures that were forcing themselves into the gap. Droplets sprayed across the bright purple caps, and the pallid flesh of the mushrooms. The mass began to fall apart as the leading orchid caps began to stutter and collapse onto the ground from the crowds behind them. The creatures struggled in a crowd as they pushed and jostled their way around, their oversized tops and spindly bodies rendering their efforts ineffectual. Seeing this Roy recharged his weapon again and sent another spray, this time over the first row and arcing into the rear. The more he fired the larger the glut grew. The swarm only seemed to attract more of its kind as others which had been pushing against immovable panes of glass began to direct heir attentions towards the front door. It was like a snowball, soon the mushrooms had formed a ball of writhing root like legs and stems. There were at least two or three dozen piled together, a ghastly piece of cover for the orchid caps that remained standing. The orchid caps began to climb the pile, bringing their appendages out from the water and restoring the agility they had demonstrated earlier when leaping from the book shelves. They were like ants scuttling atop a hill. Roy backed off quickly as the first monsters rose over the peak, he aimed his Fungus Fryer in the general direction of the door and sent a spray hurtling towards them. Orchid Caps tumbled from the hill as they were hit, revealing their comrades which followed them over the top. The monsters were stuck in a perpetual bottleneck, unable to bypass the small gap in the door they had opened. The number of living orchid caps had thinned, no longer were they a horde. Only a few stranglers remained, struggling to navigate the maze of corpses their allies had left behind. Roy dipped the rod into the water for another round, but the familiar whir of water was absent. Had the weapon broken down, there was no longer a tugging sensation from the large symbol engraved on the weapon. Roy examined the weapon and realized that it was out of mana, if that was the case why had it stopped drawing mana from him. A brief glance at his status showed that his MP pool was empty. He needed to charge the weapon with 25 points of mana if he included the 5 required to draw in water. He had reloaded beforehand, which probably meant he had fired 5 or 6 times. The actions were monotonous, but strangely addicting as he watched the almost cartoonish monsters tumble over each other. Roy backed away until he could just barely make out the details of the front door through the mist. Shooting the little buggers at ranged while they were trapped had been a breeze, but it would be foolish of him to forget his earlier encounters and charge in to mop up the survivors. He would wait outside for his MP to regenerate and then finish of the stragglers. With his MP regeneration of 0.035 per second it would take around an hour for his mana to fully replenish. He would have lunch and then take a few more shots with the Fungus Fryer, hopefully that would do it. Convinced that caution would be wise, Roy pulled himself atop a car in the parking lot that offered a good view of the front door. He had been wading through the water for over an hour now and the relatively dry top of the car was a relief. With the humidity as it was drying his clothes would be too much to hope for. As soon as he sat a down several blue screens appeared in his vision, it appeared that he would only be rewarded after battle.
Level Up!
Level 3 > 4 +3 Stat Points
Skill Up!
Mana Affinity LV 0 > LV 1 (Novice)
He had leveled up after killing several dozen level one monsters while he himself was level 3, compared to when he had killed a frog monster and 3 marsh walkers while he was level 1. He didn¡¯t know the level of the frog monster so his information was lacking. His 2nd level was even more obscure considerimg he had killed the creature with the question marks for level in Madelyn¡¯s house. Another new skill had also been acquired, Roy focused on it and brought out the in depth description.
Mana Affinity ¨C Novice I
+1% to Max MP +1% to MP Regeneration
It sounded fairly boring, like all the other skills and abilities he had acquired. However, just maybe, he was one step closer to lobbing around fireballs. Roy brushed the screens away along with his fanciful dreams, for now. Roy kept his pitchfork at his side as he munched on a few slices of bread served with canned tuna; thankfully the can was the tabbed variety since he had forgotten to pack a can opener. He didn¡¯t bring utensils either, so Roy dumped the can of tuna onto a few slices of bread and did his best balancing the pile of flaked fish. It was a messy affair; it was a small blessing that there was no one there to watch him eat. Chapter 13 Roy poked the pile of dead orchid caps; he had finished off the remainders after recovering his MP. Their tissue was limp and spongy, as expected of giant mushrooms. Roy gazed at the pile blocking the front entrance and then at his pitchfork, with some hesitation he began to fork the mass of plant matter. He was reminded of mushroom medley as his fork skewered another couple of orchid caps and brought them down from the pile. It took another hour for Roy to slowly disperse the congestion that had formed around the door. The mushrooms were fairly light, but when several were impaled at the end of the pitchfork Roy struggled to lift and maneuver the bunch. He solved this by shifting one hand forwards along the handle, it was like using a lever with his hands as the pivot. Several small piles of orchid caps were piled around the entrance to the library. They were like gruesome trophies of war assembled around a camp of barbarians. The pale stems intermingled together in the piles and when Roy stared at them fleetingly, illusions of human corpses burst into form. Concentrating on his task, Roy shifted the last few orchid caps out of the way and then rested his pitchfork against this shoulder; this was probably the most exercise he had done in a while. As he leaned against the wall to catch his breath several blue screens appeared.
Skill Up!
Pole Weapon Mastery LV 1 > LV 3 (Novice)
Trait Gained!
Anemic Creeping Beryl Blooms - I
Pole Weapon Mastery was not two levels higher but the description remained unchanged. There were no numbers so he couldn''t gauge his growth, but just by holding his arms apart on the handle he found hecould lever significantly greater weights. The slight adjust would allow to to put greater power into his attacks his he couldn''t swing his weapon. This could be thought of as proficiency, and the weapon clearly indicated that it made him more proficient. If that was the case the skill might have some use after all despite its rather bland description. The more interesting gain was the trait, traits modify the body directly. Roy looked around his body for any notable changes. There were no obvious additions, but when he scrutinized his arms closely he found that snowflake like patterns of whitenow adorned his left hand. They grew fainter as they spread up his arm, until they terminated near his elbow. Roy scratched at the almost tattoo like additions, the skin shifted as he pushed and smudged the tattoos. However, the tattoos didn¡¯t follow the movement of the skin; they stayed in place like the veins that could be made out under the skin. Witnessing this phenomenon, Roy happened upon a solution. The patterns weren¡¯t on his skin; they grew under his skin, into his flesh and around his veins where they intersected. They were blooms, like algae blooms or fungal blooms. Roy looked at his pitchfork and connected the dots. The pitchfork and the Spore effect, he was always grasping the pitchfork which probably gave it time to implant the spores into his flesh. Now that they were rooted in they would spread and grow. This was a fungal infection, like the stuff his teacher would show them during health class. Was he going to have to deal with painful red rashes, or perhaps his nails would start falling apart. He needed to check the trait.
Anemic Creeping Beryl Blooms - I
The Creeping Beryl is a rare species of fungus that often create vast interconnected colonies. They are known for the absurd pace at which they spread and their affinity with the cold, despite living in warm marshlands. Small blooms of Creeping Beryl have begun to spread inside the body. The pace of their growth is determined by the body''s CON and the abundance of nutrients. As they expand they will further integrate with the host and new effects will occur.
Slowly netralize poisons. Speed based on maturity of blooms. Wounds in infected areas close faster. Speed based on maturity of blooms.
-1 to CON +0.005/s HP Regeneration +2 to Poison ResitanceLove what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. -1 to Heat Resistance
It wasn¡¯t as bad as he had imagined it. He would recover faster and be more resistant to poisons. On the other hand he would lose a point of CON and be more vulnerable to fire. The lost point in CON lowered his health by 8 points and his HP regeneration by 0.001 points. This was offset by the 0.005 points of HP regeneration the trait gave him. The only concerning effect was the last line; the blooms would grow and spread. If that happened would he lose more CON? If he lost CON he would need to add more points to it so that he wouldn¡¯t become progressively weaker. With a higher CON the blooms would grow faster, which meant he would need to add even more points to CON. It was a vicious cycle. The trait did have a level, if so it must have some maximum level. He would just need to get it to that level, once there the cycle would stop, and perhaps the benefits of the trait would be greater. If games were anything to go by, the higher the level the better. Roy stuck the three stat points he had gained earlier into CON. His HP was now 17 points higher than before he had been infected. Obviously he was outpacing the parasite, Roy convinced himself as he grabbed his pitchfork and walked into the library. With the monsters dead everything was quiet again, now that he thought about it, it was possible that the orchid caps were the cause behind the lack of people in the library. If that was the case where were the bodies, had they been completely eaten by the mushrooms, bones and all? It had only been three nights since the start, or rather it had been three nights. Three nights was more than long enough for the guests to go elsewhere, there was little food in the Library. Three nights was also too short a span of time any remains to completely disappear, not that Roy wanted to see human remains. Again Roy paced along the aisles looking for a clue as to where a book on purifying water would be located. There were dozens of shelves, each with thousands of books, if he decided to look through everything it would take days. Roy paced around the library for another hour as he regretted his lack of dedication to reading before this point. Roy kicked a stray shelf in frustration and then wandered off. He had a fungal infection already, and poison resistance to boot, so what if he drank a bit of muddy water. Now resolved to no longer resolve to search the shelves Roy looked for something else to occupy his time. Last time, when he left the old couples house, he had been unprepared. He forgot to pack batteries for his flashlight, eating utensils, a can opener, and who knows what else. Now that he had cleared the library of monsters, it was as good of a place as any to scavenge for supplies. He could probably find some batteries lying around. The left section of the library facing Scott Street was occupied by the shelves of books, interspersed with small clusters of tables and chairs. The right section was made up of several activity rooms, storage spaces, and offices. Finding his way around the front service desk, Roy located the door to the librarian¡¯s office. He felt a strange sense of anticipation; he was going to go behind the scenes, into places where regular guests weren¡¯t permitted. Roy tried the door knob, but as expected, the door was locked. Frankly, the idea of looking around a dark library for keys that might not be there was unappealing. The wooden door seemed flimsy enough, and the repercussions of his actions would be null in these circumstances. Breaching the door would alert any monsters in the room, which meant he wouldn¡¯t be surprised by any hidden dangers. Imitating the cops on TV, Roy took a step away from the door and aimed at the point on the door right beside the door knob. Roy pulled his right foot out from the water and rammed the door with the sole of his shoe, almost like he was taking a step onto the wall. The door creaked under the strain but the lock held. Roy¡¯s foot rebounded from the impact and he tumbled backwards onto the front desk, sending pamphlets and stationary sprawling across the surface of the table. Roy pulled himself up and readied his pose again. There was no reaction from inside the room so Roy could be fairly certain that there was nothing lurking inside. Roy put as much force as he could into his kick as he directed it towards the side of the door knob. His foot struck the surface and the door gave way as the lock broke through the door frame.
Skill Up!
Demolitionist LV 0 > LV 1 (Novice)
Now that he thought about it he had destroyed quite a few windows up tp this point, Roy dismissed the window and looked into the room. The first thing that caught his attention was the broken window at the other end of the room. The jagged edges of the broken glass framed the field he had passed earlier, the one packed with sleeping Hastaoses. Evidently the previous occupant had locked themselves in and then escaped through the window. Even without the broken glass that littered the room it was still a mess. Loose pages and binders occupied every shelf in sight, which cluttered the edges of the room. At the center several tables stood, their surfaces cluttered by pages and the occasional cup of coffee. A scene from what Roy presumed to be a normal day at the office ¨C he had never held a job before. Roy could imagine a small group of librarians working the morning shift, cataloguing and doing whatever it was that librarians did, then bam, monsters. Roy made his way around the office, pushing in the chairs as he went along, notably one chair seemed to be missing; it had probably been used to smash the window. Roy was looking for anything that used double A batteries; he could take them for his flashlight. The most obvious object was the clock hanging on the wall, a big, round, black and white thing that could be found in most government buildings, including his school. Roy maneuvered a chair under it and removed the clock from where it hung. He pried open the bit of plastic covering the batteries, revealing two double As. Next Roy circled the room and inspected the shelves and cupboards. Most were packed with documents but in one corner he found a small portable radio. As he picked it up and turned the device around in his hands it occurred to him there could still be radio broadcasts occurring. The internet required servers and service providers, it was too complex a system to continue running with the electricity grid gone. But a radio station could continue off backup generators to run emergency broadcasts. Roy motioned to turn on the device before hesitating, his eyes drifted towards the open window. The hastaoses hadn¡¯t awoken during his fight with the orchid caps, nor did they awake after he had broken down the door. It didn¡¯t seem like they were sensitive to sound. Just in case, Roy decided it would be better to head back into the main hall, where two walls separated him from the monsters and there was no open window. Roy finished up looking through the room; his search yielded another pair of double As. They had probably been left lying around for the sake of convenience. Satisfied with his reserves Roy exited the office, closed the broken door as best as he could, and made his way to the western end of the library, which faced Scott Street. Several tables were placed around the window for the ease of any guests. Roy pulled out a chair and took a seat, his pants were wet and the sensation was fairly unpleasant. Pushing creature comforts aside, Roy turned on the radio and made sure the volume was on and the antenna was extended. The device was quite utilitarian; the majority of the drab grey surface was taken up by a sizable speaker. Above it a small horizontal slit indicated the frequency he was on, which could be adjusted by a knob located beside it. At present there was only static. If only he could pick up something, Roy thought as he slowly turned the dial. Any news, any indication of how things were, it would be like a ray of light in this foggy murk. As Roy anticipated the transmission he knew would be there, his mind wandered. It was bad in Anamosa based off what he had seen, but it wouldn¡¯t be like that everywhere. Did the government still operate at some scale, what about the National Guard or the army? Then he found it, data transmitted over the air and finally received by the antenna on his radio. Roy turned up the volume to better make out the voice; it was playing on repeat so there was no rush. Roy delicately adjusted the knob until the words could be made out without any strain. ¡°...continue to take shelter if necessities are available,¡± then the mechanical voice paused, cycling through the array of messages that had been pieced together. Then a loud beep sounded from the radio and the transmission continued, ¡°The following message is transmitted at the request of the United States Government. Numerous hostile entities have appeared across the country. Residents of the United States are strongly advised to take shelter and avoid confrontation with any unknown entities. ¡°Residents should take the following precautions...¡± the message then provided a list of safety measures which included sealing doors, closing lights, and tuning into further radio broadcasts. Then the message paused yet again before continuing. ¡°President Stanley Smith is currently, as of April 12th, unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office. To ensure continuity of government Secretary of the Interior Peyton Wright is now the Acting President of the United States.¡± Another brief pause, ¡°The previous message recommending that residents of Iowa should head towards Camp Dodge should be ignored. Residents are strongly advised not to approach Camp Dodge. Residents within range of this broadcast should head to the temporary shelter established at Rock Island Arsenal in Davenport if it can be done in a safe manner. Otherwise residents should...¡± Pulling out the notebook he had kept in his backpack, Roy jotted down the name of the location the transmission had given. He would need to look for a map later. The rest of message began to loop. It was April the 14th currently, three nights after the system first appeared. Chapter 14 Roy turned off the radio after listening through the transmissions a second time. The mechanical voice sounding through the speakers had a calming effect on him, it dispelled some of the unease that had been accumulating on him, sticking to every inch of his body like the layer of dried mud. He tucked the radio away in his backpack and stood up. He would check for new alerts every morning from now on. There was an urge to just leave the radio on, what if he missed something time sensitive, what if he missed the arrival of aid. The through that help would come but he would be left behind sent shivers through his body. He was tempted, but it just wasn¡¯t feasible. He didn¡¯t have enough batteries to keep the radio running for long, and the noise was bound to attract any prowling beasts. Fear, anticipation, and relief swirled around his mind as the conviction that some fragment of the government was out there stood affirmed. Roy took a sip of water to wash down the dryness in his throat and cool down his thoughts which were running laps around him. It wouldn¡¯t do to rejoice too early, the message didn¡¯t mention any coming aid, nor did it really clarify the situation. There was only the mention of a safe shelter at Davenport. Davenport was close to a hundred kilometers from Anamosa. That was a relatively short drive by car, but a daunting distance to cover by foot, especially with how things looked in Anamosa. Perhaps it would be best to take shelter at present. The road ahead was set out for him, both by necessity and by the radio transmission. It was simple, it was straightforward, and as long as he was careful things would be mild. Roy gathered up his thoughts and outlined his plan of action, making sure to jot it down in his notebook. First, he would look for a map in the library, and then he would look in the storerooms and backrooms for more batteries and other necessities. Finally he would continue to Main Street and hopefully there would be some gathering there. Looking at the three lines of words his tasks seemed almost trivial, and his goal within reach. He would cross out the tasks line by line until there was nothing left. It only took Roy moments to locate where the maps were placed. There was a huge state map pinned to the wall, accompanied by several other books on a shelf nearby that covered the state in detail or the rest of the USA. Maps weren¡¯t a rare commodity, and Roy wasn¡¯t enthused with the idea of carrying several books in a bag already growing in weight. So he settled for picking out a small but comprehensive book of road maps that covered all of Iowa. Satisfied, Roy placed the book into his bag and crossed off the first item in his agenda. Already a third complete, Roy congratulated himself and he put everything away and approached his next task with a dash more vigor. The doors near the back were slightly ajar, taking the enthusiasm out of Roy¡¯s steps. Had the mushrooms been hiding back there, swarming out only when they detected his steps in the empty halls of the library? That would leave those rooms now empty, a fact reaffirmed by the lack of response to all the ruckus he had been causing. Roy was always holding onto his pitchfork nowadays, so he grasped it tighter as he used the tip to push open the door. The inside of the room was lit by several windows that wound around the building, making it brighter than the recesses of the shelves which were located away from the windows. Though it was only bright compared to the dimness of the hall, the sunlight was still as feeble as it had been over the last few days. Roy gasped and took a step back as he surveyed the ground. There, half submerged in water, was a field of corpses. The skin of the corpses was beginning to appear turquoise, crawling with an abundance of alien vegetation. It reminded him of the marsh walkers he had fought in the school, except these people were wearing T-shirts and jeans, and near the head of each body lay a shriveled up bundle of fiber. If he looked closely from where he stood just outside the room, the bundles somewhat resembled the orchid caps he had fought, there was even a slight purple tint to the wider portion of the bundle and a small tuft at the other end. He stared intently, wracking his brain to comprehend the gruesome landscape before him. It was all uncharted, nothing like what he had been taught. There was a dried husk near the head of every corpse, and the corpses were beginning to resemble the marsh walkers, especially their skin with the creeping spread of fungus. Roy put the pieces together and mixed in a good amount of speculation fueled by his hours in front of the computer. The mushrooms were parting with something, injecting it into the people and slowly turning them into marsh walkers. It seemed like a good guess and Roy stuck with it. Then a thought creeped into his mind, it was like a spider slipping between the cracks, had the victims died first, or had they been injected first. Which lead to the other? Roy didn¡¯t want to find out first hand. There were easily twenty corpses in the room, which meant there would be twenty more marsh walkers out to get any unsuspecting victim. However, right now they lay dormant, unfinished, and incomplete. He could destroy them in one swoop right now as the vile seed was budding, and it would cost next to nothing. In the school a shot to the head would down a marsh walker, he was less sure with the pitchfork, but two strikes would probably be sufficient since his weapon damage was modified by his strength. Could it be done, he would have to find out. Hesitantly Roy walked over to the first body and began his ghastly task. The prongs slid into the head with a slush, with it a liquid like blood began to spread in the water. It was saturated and light, unlike the blood he, or anyone else he had seen, shed. He repeated the action again, watching as the holes opened up on the discolored pate of the corpse. Roy continued, over and over, biting back the instinct to leave this mass grave, but he was committed. He was doing well, he was doing good. He needed several brakes in between to recuperate, both mentally and physically. It was like his insides were turning to mush and about to pour out his mouth at any moment. But he continued and soon every corpse had a few neat holes on its head. He double checked to make sure. Roy left the room after one last glance. He closed the door and pulled out a marker. Carefully, "Rest in Peace," was written on the door, followed by the date. There was no way for Roy the bury to bodies so here they would rest, hopefully for eternity. It was a mass grave; the victims would stay unidentified, probably forever. Roy¡¯s mind turned towards gloomier alleys as he considered that. Who would know, who would keep track. It felt like his soul had been sucked dry; it was different kind of pain compared to his fight with the hastaos or the frog monster. That was a visceral pain, like electricity was coursing through his nerves and the world was shaking around him. His mind ran a thousand paces every moment as he struggled and the adrenaline pumped unceasingly. There was no time to think, only time to do. This pain was different. It was inside, it was like he was breaking apart at a fundamental level, and those thoughts that made up him were being subject to a slow torture. He had all too much time to think, too much time for the terror to creep in. It was like the mist was seeping into his pores, that new profound aspect which had so overwhelmed everything that had grounded him. The task had been too exhausting, he was staring too deep and surveying to wide. The scope was overwhelming him again, so he reigned in his thoughts and thought about nothing at all. He was only beginning to reign in his emotions when a blue screen appeared.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
Skill Up!
Mental Fortitude LV 0 > LV 2 (Novice)
Ability Up!
Sneak Attack LV 0 > LV 3 (Novice)
Ability Up!
Defile LV 0 > LV 1 (Novice)
Creeping Beryl Blooms have Spread!
Trait Changes: -1 CON +0.005/s HP Regeneration
He had gained skills and abilities; he had gained skills and abilities for stabbing corpses and, if he read the ability name correctly through his tears, for defiling the dead. Roy took a deep breath and ignored the screens; he wasn¡¯t in the mood to navigate the cold and uncaring system. Roy pulled out a few slices of bread from his back pack and ate slowly, considerately, stretching each bite out and chewing at the lump of baked flour until it had become a goop. He focused on the constant motion of his jaws, concentrated on it at the exclusion of everything else. Then the bread was gone and he had to face his circumstances. The system was a machine; it tallied up kills and turned deaths into a statistic. Just like strength and constitution and his skill levels. But he needed the system, like a soldier needed a gun, or a cancer patient needed chemo. So he turned his attention back to the new screens and brought out the in depth descriptions of his new skills and abilities.
Mental Fortitude - Novice II
Increases Mental Resistance based on skill level.
Sneak Attack - Novice III
The user attacks an unalerted target with exceptional precision, increasing DEX and dealing additionalgross damage. The increase in DEX is based of skill level and base DEX. The amount of additional damage is based on skill level and DEX. Tires the user. Tiring effect decreases with CON and skill level.
Defile - Novice I
The user offers up an inanimate corpse to the hallow Powers, the offering turns to dust. 25 MP
Small gains and bog standard abilities. The skill¡¯s effect was not important at the moment, and the second ability turned him into a human cremator. He let out a sardonic laugh as that thought crossed his mind. He had been unable to bury Madelyn¡¯s mom, and the scattering of bodies he had just dealt with. Now he could perform cremation wherever he went, perhaps the system did listen. The first ability sounded useful, just like his other ability. They were all useful, efficient, and utilitarian. This one didn¡¯t even inflict penalties, so Roy would use it whenever possible. He had used Reckless Strike against the Hastaos, it was mainly an impulse driven decision. He couldn¡¯t be sure whether or not a normal strike would kill so he activated the ability through a mental command and then stabbed with all his might. If he ran into trouble again would his abilities activate when he needed them to? Roy stood up and held the pitchfork in his hands; he would try to activate the abilities again. He needed a tighter grasp on themlest he be blunder into a situation only to find his abilities unusable. Roy picked a fairly empty spot in the library and then thought of using Reckless Strike, the instant he willed it a surge of strength entered his body along with a strange sense of dizziness. He held his posture, feeling power beat inside him like battle drums, every strike seemed to shake the ground beneath him and unbalance him. Then the feeling waned until it disappeared entirely, replaced by a slight weariness. He hadn¡¯t attacked but the ability had disappeared and he had experienced a tiring effect, he felt like he had been through a light jog. Willing the ability into being again, Roy stabbed with his pitchfork. As soon as the stroke finished the energy left him, and he felt another wave of tiredness run along his body, compounding the previous backlash. It appeared that the ability accepted no refunds, once activated he would pay the cost, regardless if he actually attacked. He could hold the ability for ten or so seconds, an ample window of opportunity. Why could the ability not be held indefinitely, especially since the cost came at the end, and thus a fighter couldn¡¯t pay the cost hours before the battle and hold onto the ability. Roy activated Reckless Strike again, this time he began to walk around, now he realized the reason he only had a ten second window. He began to run feet shooting into the water like pistons, easily pulling free of the surface. Not only were his strikes stronger, he was stronger. Then the ability wore off and the water regained that obnoxious pull, slowing every rise of his feet, more so now that he really was tired after three uses of the ability.
Ability Change!
Reckless Strike Novice I V Reckless Strength Novice II
Due to his testing the ability had changed, was this suppose to happen, or had it been specifically created because of what he had done. There was no way to tell since there was noone to compare notes with. Roy examined the new ability.
Reckless Strength Novice II
The user brings forth all their might, increasing STR for a short period of time. The surge of power unbalances the user, decreasing AGI and DEX. THe magnitude of the increase and decrease is based on skill level. The duration of the ability is based on BASE CON and skill level Tires the user base on the magnitude of the increase in STR. Tiring effect decreases with CON and skill level.
The only difference seemed to be the addition of a time variable, which was based off his constitution. Roy felt confident guessing that now the ability would no longer end after he attacked, it would continue for whatever duration his CON and skill level allowed. The small change didn''t matter much to Roy, much more exciting was the prospect of running around like superman, he had never been strong or espeacially fit, now he could be and for daily effort. Then again he had almost lost his life before acquiring this ability, it was either many small installments, or one big payment. Roy sat down and caught his breath; he would rest for a bit and then try his second ability. It was already late in the afternoon so Roy needed to decide where he wanted to stay for the night. The library was the most convenient, but it was also right next to the presumably nocturnal Hastaos, and quite open. It was simply too risky to stay. If he decided to head anywhere else there was the possibility that he would need to clear the building he decided to stay in. The advantage was that he would get to decided what he fought, as opposed to the possibility of having to stand up against the horde of Hastaoses right outside the window. There was the car dealership across the street, and the general store on the intersection of Main Street and Scott Street. Hee had quite a few options; there was a gas station and community center around the intersection, a further hundred meters west on Main Street there would be the grocery store. It would take no more than an hour to check out all of those locations, and then he could pick and choose where he would stay for the night. Those locations would have a nice stock of food and water, there was even the possibility that others had holed up there. Quite a few conditions would be superior to sleeping beside a mass grave and a horde of man eating gators. Chapter 15 Roy stared once more at the door to the backroom, the big black letters the only grave for the fallen. Then turning towards the front door, Roy wound his way around the dead orchid caps and pushed open the door, tipping some of the piles he had left to close to the doorway. He had tried out Sneak Attack earlier, but lacking a target the ability gave no indication, not even a wave of tiredness would wash over him. The only hint that the ability had activated was a small mental click that signaled the beginning and end of the window of opportunity. The clicks were spaced minutes apart and Roy could cancel the ability at any moment with a thought. The last issue he had tried to address was access to the storage spaces. He had contemplated returning to the backrooms, but the thought was off-putting. He would find whatever he needed somewhere else; there was no need to ruin his mood because of a few batteries. So he crossed that item off the list, leaving only one out of three remaining. Finding himself back on Scott Street, Roy crossed the street and continued north for a few paces, until the he could see the front door of the car dealership across a neat row of cars. The garage doors were down, probably closed by the workers after the rains started on the first day. Roy crossed what used to be grass and pavement to reach the door. The two inset large glass panels offered an excellent view of the interior, a dreary dark reception room that prominently displayed an array of tires. Roy tried the door knob and to his frustration it was locked, since this was a store it was bound to have been manned three days ago. The workers would have either locked themselves in, or left and then locked the doors. Roy thought on this fact for a moment, in either situation the workers would have been alive to lock the door. If they were chased out they wouldn¡¯t have bothered to risk their lives and lock the door, which meant they left in a fairly calm state of mind. That boded well for entering. If the workers stayed and locked the door, that meant they felt the inside was safer than the outside. That also boded well for entering; however, if they had stayed, where were they now? Roy circled around the building and looked through the occasional window that lined the outside. They were small and severely restricted his view, but if someone or something was in there he might catch a glimpse of it, just like how he had spotted the Hastaos and sneaked up on it. Roy trod the last few paces to the front of the dealership; he hadn¡¯t spotted anything through the windows. Which made knocking a good idea; it meant monsters wouldn¡¯t be able to sneak up on him now that he couldn¡¯t mark down their locations. If there were people inside and they answered that would only be a bonus. Roy knocked on the front door, and then he circled around and knocked on every window he could find. After every dull thump Roy expected something to happen, but after walking back to the front he felt assured that the building was empty. Roy readied his pitchfork and swung it at the glass, shattering it and sending a blossom of shards into the building. He was almost getting used to breaking and entering, which was certainly not a good habit to pick up. Roy knocked out the few bits of glass left on the pane before reaching his arm in to unlock the door. The office area of the dealership was elevated and the insides were still dry. At the other end of the reception area a hallway led to the back, it was lined with doors that led to individual offices. A few step at the end of the hallway led into the garage and back into the water. Roy stamped his foot on the welcome mat, shaking off as much water as he could, then he beat the wall a few times with his pitchfork, making sure that he really was alone. The reception counter was to this left and behind it stood a coatrack. It was empty, a good indication that the workers had left. Roy walked around the counter and searched, he needed batteries. Most of the counter was occupied by a computer and several desk organizers packed with papers. There was a wireless mouse and keyboard which Roy extracted six batteries from. Apart from that there was stationary, some gum, a small mirror, and most eye catching of all, a small picture frame. It depicted a family of three. A father and two sons, Roy could recognize one of the boys. He was a few years younger, but that solid build and those stoic eyes were unmistakable. It was John the captain of the school football team. Before he realized it, Roy had stuffed the small photo frame into his bag. Some inner part of him was convinced that no one was coming back to this dealership, and John would be glad to have the photo. He had never been familiar with the boy, but his actions in the classroom seemed admirable, even if it almost cost him his life. Roy looked through the rest of the room and found nothing of note. Each office had a computer, and each computer had a wireless mouse and keyboard. In addition there were the wall clocks. That made for eight batteries per room and thirty-eight in total including the front counter. The load of batteries was quite heavy and Roy wondered if he had gone overboard. Ignoring that fact Roy hesitantly walked down the stairs and into the water. The garage was a large open room lined with metal cabinets and hangers. Several lifts dominated the middle of the room, all lowered and each still holding a car. He could probably find and break into where they kept the car keys, but he couldn¡¯t drive and the water was too deep anyways. He would keep that in mind though for when he needed a ride. It was not as if he could get into an accident now that the roads were empty. He just had to be slow and cautious. He wasn¡¯t here for the cars. His clothes were thin layers of cotton and he lack protection. Here in the garage he was bound to find something to mend that deficiency. On the nearest rack several pairs of safety gloves hung. They were yellowed with old oil stains and globules of grease hung to the frayed fabric. Despite that they were thick and sturdy, as a bonus the palms were layered with latex, which provided a superior grip.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Roy examined the gloves and every pair that hung on the wall, but they were all the same standard safety gloves. Besides that there were heavy aprons, face masks, and various tools all along the edge of the garage. The aprons were made of heavy canvas and draped down to his knees. Roy waddled around with the piece of fabric tied to his front, and then he replaced it on the rack. It was much too cumbersome for whatever little protection it could grant him. Roy continued circling around the room, until something caught his eye. He had no need for wrenches and screws, and he had already taken a crowbar for all its myriad uses. This was something else though; there, secured to the wall, was a sledgehammer. Several notches marked the wood handle and what used to be a rectangular prism like head was now deformed and marked. There was some draw to the weapon. Roy examined it and to his surprise it had an effect unlike all the other bits and pieces he had looked through in the garage.
Sledgehammer of Wonton Destruction
8 ¨C 22 Physical Damage (Crushing)
Every attack increases the user''s STR by 1 for 1 minute (max 50% of base STR). Increases power of attacks against inanimate objects.
Roy took it from its place on the wall, it was heavy and the weight was focused at the end of the pole. Instinctively he knew that this was not a polearm and that the bonuses would not be applied to it, just another thought incepted into him by the system. Roy grunted and hefted the hammer and swung it at the ground. The action was slow and clumsy, though the dull thud as the head hit the concrete floor sounded quite intimidating. The sledgehammer would pack a punch, and its ability looked quite powerful, especially with how it could scale off higher strength values. It just wasn¡¯t for him, if he looked back at the few encounters he had scraped through. Getting close to the enemy and then winding up powerful strikes with a clumsy weapon wasn¡¯t his style on the computer, it would be even less so in real life. Despite putting all his points into constitution his goal was not to soak up damage, it was simply to avoid pain and death. It sounded ridiculous to his gaming sense, putting all his points into tanking and then avoiding close up confrontations. That was gaming though, and this was real life. If he thought about it, wouldn¡¯t any soldier take the possibility of surviving several bullet wounds over greater destructive potential for their own bullets? That didn¡¯t mean he would leave the sledgehammer in the garage. His plan was to meet others after reaching Main Street, the sledgehammer could always be given to someone who wanted it, or better yet, he could trade it. The thought of trading essentially stolen goods did leave a bad taste in his mouth, but this was still within the bounds of making the most out of a terrible situation. At least that was how he justified it. Carrying the sledgehammer raised several issues. He now had three large weapons, the pitchfork, the rod, and the sledgehammer. He would need to hold them with his hands, before he had held one in each hand making responding to threats fairly hassle free. Now he would either have to hold the three in a bundle or carry two in one hand, straining his grip. In either case he would have to drop one if he needed to respond to a threat. Worse of all he if he needed to retreat he would have to forgo the weapon he had dropped. Sighing, Roy grabbed the pitchfork and sledgehammer in one hand, making sure to lean the weapons on his shoulder to take off some of the weight. The rod was considerably thicker so he carried it in his other hand. If he lost the sledgehammer, it would simply be karma for his ill-gotten gains. Walking back to the front Roy surveyed the reception room one last time. The dealerships was safe, there were locks on the office door and windows to escape out of. He could sleep here for the night. Roy turned around and sauntered out the door, it was still before six, he could do better. He had experienced almost three days in complete isolation, surrounded by nothing but monsters and fog. It was like he was drowning, his mouth yearned for speech and his ears for conversation. Most of all his brain choked on the constant train of introspection and thought. He had never been the best conversationalist, or the most outgoing individual, but he had friends and family, even if many of those friends he had met over the internet and many of those family members were estranged. In daily life the constant buzz of society was everywhere, normal and mundane. Now that it was gone, it was as if oxygen suddenly disappeared and one pleaded for a breath of air. He still had hours of daylight left, and a few step from the door brought him to the intersection with Main Street. Across the street and to his west was the general store, he would head there first before proceeding further west to the grocery store. Further past the grocer¡¯s lay the town hub. It wasn¡¯t busy, but there was bound to have been people there when the system arrived. Roy crossed the deserted street, instinctively looking both ways. He was around fifty meters from the general store, but the sign that hung over the front was still illegible through the mist. The single floor building was colored beige with stone brick accents on the walls and false chimneys to give it a homey feel. Now under the muted sunlight, the paint resembled a mottled grey and the accents shed their synthetic shell. As Roy walked up to the building he regarded the gas pumps set off to the side. The pumps stood idle, decorated in colorful ads harking various rewards points and beer brands. Fuel would be useful and there was a massive tank of it stored just underground. If he could get a generator going there would be electricity, he could have warm water and hot food. That was for another time, Roy turned back to regard the store. Only one end of the building was windowed, from it Roy could see that the shelves had evidently been moved. They were packed up against the windows, leaving only a gap for the door. The contents on the shelves were in disarray, tipped cans of food and scattered packages of candy. Though some of the items had been cleared entirely, taken by whoever had been there. Then he spotted the sheet of paper tapped to the door. Hastily written in big black letters was a brief message, ¡°We are heading to the grocery store a block west, there is a safe place set up there and other people! ¨C Dave, Nolan, Heida, Karl, Lestrat, Madelyn, Denton, Pyrene, Garyl¡± Roy stared at the list of names at the bottom of the page. The rest of the group had made it, they had found shelter in the general store and were now at the grocery store. He would see familiar faces, the thought raised his spirits. Maybe he would even find others, Lyn, Tom, Tristan, Huxley, and maybe Lawrence. Chapter 16 Roy shone his flashlight through the window, people had evidently been here. The center of the room was clear and several open cans littered the ground alongside a large garbage bag. As Roy¡¯s eyes scanned the room he imagined he could hear the splash of water, and then a finger tapped the small of his back. ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± Roy responded, eyes still affixed to the scene in the store. Taps on the back were frequent in the classroom; someone always had some wisecrack to share. Roy pushed aside his instinctual response and turned around, who would tap him on the back out here in the middle of the apocalypse. He froze as he regarded the little green man. It was two heads shorter than Roy, but the little man¡¯s ears and nose were easily thrice the size of his. ¡°Ayy, I Gib-Hog of Six Claw Clan, good to meet human here, eh,¡± Gib-Hog, raised one arms and extended it towards Roy. The arms were lanky and the furs he wore seemed to dangle from the limb. Awkwardly Roy grasped the outstretched hand and shook it. He could feel the claws on the others hand, they were at least an inch long and ended with sharp points, resembling fangs. To Roy¡¯s senses, honed by years of gaming, the figure in front of his eyes was a goblin; he had motley green skin, a short stature, pointy ears, and a nose like Pinocchio. Most startling of all were the eyes, large pools of white dominated by a saucer shaped iris colored a deep shade of crimson. ¡°Yeah, umm, I¡¯m Roy, nice to meet you... Gib,¡± Roy responded as he retracted his hand and shuffled away from the convenience store, he was growing uncomfortable under the scrutiny of those two red disks. ¡°No, no, not Gib, is Hog. Gib is big name, was thirty-one Gibs,¡± Hog shook his obtusely large head and paddled after Roy. The water almost went up to the goblins hips, but Hog was surprisingly agile as he maneuvered along. ¡°I see,¡± Roy managed to choke out, was the goblin from the world the monsters came from? If so why could he speak English? Did the goblin also see the blue screens, and would he have more information on them? Roy had a million questions but he was awestruck, he was making first contact with a sentient from another world, for Roy at least. Lyn would have loved to be in this situation. As far as Roy was aware there was no information available on xenosociology, he was on fresh ground and all by himself. Or was he, the goblin had referred to Roy as human, did that mean there were humans in that other world? Hog didn¡¯t seem to be mad or hostile, perhaps they were on friendly terms and he could find some help. Hog had said he was part of a clan. Then he looked back at the note, he was planning to head to the grocery store, which was only around a hundred meters further west. The goblins could wait, he was going to meet up with Lestrat¡¯s group and seek shelter with the other survivors. ¡°Roy, you from this place, eh¡± the goblin seemed to ask as it gestured at the buildings and the ground. Roy turned his attention away from his thoughts. ¡°Yeah...¡± he needed to get a hold of himself, he couldn¡¯t keep stumbling around like this, he just needed to answer a few simple questions before asking his own. He could leave establishing ties with the goblins to someone more qualified, this was certainly above his pay grade. ¡°Good, good, come with Hob, we go see chief,¡± the goblin quickly replied and began to head south, leaving a surprised Roy behind. He wasn¡¯t going to meet some goblin chieftain. He was going to the grocery store! ¡°Wait,¡± Roy shouted as he turned towards his destination, ¡°I can¡¯t just go with you; I need to go to the building over there.¡± Roy pointed towards the grocer¡¯s and the Goblin¡¯s eyes followed his hand before resting on the dim outline of the building, ¡±Better, chief want to go to big hut too, but human shoot with magic stick.¡± ¡°You mean guns?¡± ¡°Guns, good word, short,¡± the goblin murmured to no one in particular, ¡°They shoot tiny fast guys with guns, chief no way talk to human in big hut. Big thing to talk, very big.¡± Roy took a second to digest the broken English the goblin had spouted. Their chief wanted to talk about something big, something important, ¡°Big thing?¡± ¡°Yes big, big,¡± the goblin nodded his head in enthusiasm. ¡°What does the chief want to talk about?¡± Roy was curious now, what was important in the goblins eyes? It could be about the system, or any of the other unknowns which had cropped up in the last few days. Just the fog and severe flooding alone were unheard of where he lived. ¡°Hob not know, chief know, chief go to ''academy'', chief know many thing Hob not know,¡± it didn¡¯t seem like he would be learn more by talking to Hog. The goblin seemed suicidality honest, not a trait he had been expecting based on the games in often played. It was folly to take too much from prior knowledge. ¡°How far is it to the chief?¡± if they were close by he could consider visiting, Roy expected that the survivors in the grocery store would stay there for some time, from the note he gathered thattheir numbers were great and the store did have a considerable stockpile of food, both fresh and preserved. He could go, gather some information and then return in the morning, he would be helping out the survivors too. ¡°Not far, walk is more short than time it take Hog to eat night meal,¡± the goblin smiled and revealed his two rows of sharp teeth. Together with his rough fur wraps and leather cap, the Goblin had quite the wild look about him.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll visit the chief then,¡± but what if this whole set up was a trap, goblins were cunning monsters in video games. But to trap him, there would be nothing gained from it... He could be made a slave, eaten, any number of horrible things he had only seen in games and TV before this point. Such thoughts, crossed his mind as he watched the goblin move further away, a short bow hung on a strap across his back. Roy had examined monsters and items, but he had never thought to examine a any of his class mates, could he examine the goblin? Staring at the departing back he concentrated.
Goblin
LV 11 HP 100 / 100
The goblin¡¯s HP was low, but he we more than double his level. That was good news though; it meant the single goblin could wipe the floor with Roy, Hog didn¡¯t need to pull him into a trap. Somewhat assured by his own logic Roy followed along, he needed that information even if there was a smidgen of risk involved. He had many questions for this chief of the goblins, which seemed to have attended some sort of school based on what Hog had said. There were question his guide could answer though. ¡°Hey Hog, do you know about the system, you know, the blue screens?¡± he knew his classmates could see the screens, but could the inhabitant of the other world see them. Hog made a sound as if he was glugging down water, ¡°You joke good, I see screen so much, I see screen in sleep.¡± Roy was slightly put off by the laughing sound. The goblins could see the screens, it would be safe to say that everyone could, or at least those who could bring the various screen up through thought. Could a honey bee bring up the status screen, what about a dog? Roy brought his thoughts back to the present, Hog seemed to imply that the screens were a common occurrence. It would mean that the goblins had access to the system for much longer than three days, or goblins had a life span measured in days, which seemed unlikely. That could mean the system was only new to the people of Earth; would it be alright to disclose this fact? ¡°Hey Hog, where are you from?¡± he was jumping from topic to topic but there was nothing he could do about it, he needed answers. ¡°You from here, I not say where I from, that not good,¡± Hog murmured before continuing, ¡±I from trees around New Atlarium, that a human city.¡± ¡°I eat morning meal, then whosh, I over there,¡± Hog pointed towards the north, ¡°and mushrooms everywhere... Now I here, I don¡¯t know here.¡± Hog didn¡¯t seem to know that this was Earth, and New Atlarium was brought up again. Several things seemed to repeat themselves, New Atlarium and mushrooms. The dagger, the pitchfork, the fryer, and now Hog. ¡°We¡¯re in a town called Anamosa, which is in the United States, that¡¯s a country. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re from the same world,¡± he felt the urge to share some information regarding where they were; the goblin seemed to be just as confused as he. ¡°Not same world,¡± Hog quieted for a moment, ¡°new place look big strange for reason eh.¡± They continued walking southward, past First Street, which the old couples house had been located, until they reached Second Street. Turning west, they continued on. ¡°It good, I have new clan here, I have new life here like human settler,¡± it ended by making the glugging sound again. They walked for a bit further before Roy made out a foggy form that stretched across the street, sealing the passage forward. Soon he could make out the junk and abandoned cars that formed the barricade, knit together by haphazard patches of wood and concrete blocks. A small torch was lit atop what appeared to be a gate, though it was little better than a couple of wood boards tied together and shoved in front of a gap in the vehicular mish mash. ¡°Hog here, I come back from looking, I have human friend too,¡± Hog shouted in his creaky voice. A few moments passed, and then the ¡®gate¡¯ began to slowly slide open, revealing another goblin, this one dressed in chainmail and wielding a spear that towered over him. Hog led Roy past the gates and then quickly conversed with his compatriot. After the brief report, second goblin walked up to Roy. ¡°I Gwab-Chag of Strong Horn Clan, good to see human,¡± they shook hands and Roy introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m Roy... Of the United States...¡± then the armored goblin took the lead and began walking. ¡°Have good time Roy, talk to Hog again eh,¡± the goblin waved his hand and Roy couldn¡¯t help but wave back, three days after the end of the world and he was making small talk with goblins. The barricade he had passed, the two rows of housed, and another barricade almost a hundred meters further down enclosed a small stretch of street. What had been a thoroughfare was now packed with multicolored tents, each set up above a small wooden platform that kept it above the water. There was a stunning variety of colors, from pale yellow, to deep purple, which adorned the tents. They also varied in size from ones little bigger than a stall to one that was almost as large as the houses that lined the street. It was lively too, goblins walked across the wooden bridges set up between the tents, some rushing and others in conversation with their peers. It almost felt like a block in a large city, with the pure concentration of... people and the diversity that abounded. There was armor, and furs, but surprisingly, simple tunics, robes, and plain dresses. Even the torches, set on poles high above the ground seemed to look like streetlights to Roy. As the armored goblin led him towards the center of the small encampment, Roy¡¯s eyes wandered further afield, to the barely distinguishable outline of the two rows of houses. The gaps between them had been filled, and various walkways were quickly installed along the roofs, bedning and twisting across tops of the houses. He could even make out the little figures that paced along the makeshift wall. Here was civilization in a way, something he had grown fond of in its absence. At the same time the walls and the constant guard reminded Roy that all was not well, despite the spirit the place seemed to emit. The prevalence of goblins decked for combat was obvious; they were always the ones rushing about, faces tight and hands clutching implements of war. The goblins were worried, they were afraid. The fur garbed goblins seemed to be scouts. The guards were clothed in chainmail and spears. The occasional goblin was bedecked in a veritable armory, a mish mash of various bits of armor, an axe, several spears, a sword in a scabbard, and several daggers. Their faces were gaunt and the little skin that showed often displayed an intricate tattoo, this was the warrior caste. Roy examined one that rushed past him and his guide, the individual was level twenty-eight. How could they be afraid? What about Roy who was level four? It made sense though, they knew what was out there, and Roy had only sampled a smidgen of it. He recalled the Goliath, a hulking mound of flesh more powerful than the most elite goblin warrior. Pushing the past back into his subconscious, Roy chased after Chag who had opened up a lead while Roy was busy taking in the sights. Now he was convinced the information the chief had was important. Chapter 17 Roy gazed up at the massive tent that stood before him; he had spotted it earlier, towering above the rest of the tents. It was like an anchor from which the rest of the camp hung on to. His guide had grunted for him to stay while he entered the tent, probably to inform this chief of theirs. As he waited Roy took in the buzz of his surroundings, something he was quite unused to because of his small town upbringing. The tent was located in the center of the camp and the goblins clustered around its bright orange flaps. The entire ground was elevated with rough cut wooden planks, atop which the goblins spread out carpets and bartered with their fellows. Still more surprising to Roy were the goblins who stood on elevated stands and performed various acts, there were jesters, acrobats, and magicians, the last of which especially caught Roy¡¯s attention. Roy gravitated towards one such performer, as the goblin on stage produced a ball of flame that hovered over the palm of his hand. Then the performer produced another followed by another, this continued until a ring of flaming spheres surrounded him. With some theatrics the goblin waved his hands and the orbs began to move, at first the ring spun around him, then individual orbs began to move up and then down, forming patterns with their sporadic shifts. Roy stared wide at the performance, this is what he wanted to do. ¡°Marvelous act, Tig demonstrates exceptional control over these small cantrips. An excellent performer, he is,¡± a voice interrupted from behind, quickly Roy turned around, nonplussed that he was being distracted from the spectacle on the stage, what if he achieved a breakthrough by staring deep into those flames. ¡°Come now Mr... Roy, we¡¯ve important business to attend to, I¡¯m sure there will be time for distractions later,¡± Roy¡¯s eyebrows rose as he regarded the eccentric goblin before him. Unlike the others who dressed in simple tunics and furs, this individual sported a waistcoat over what Roy could only call a very loose white dress shirt, a pair of breeches and leather shoes completed the image. It would have been like something out of a period drama had the goblin not worn a half helm fashioned out of some monsters skull. The goblins eyes and the hollow sockets of the monsters skull stared at Roy as if expecting some sort of answer ¡°Oh, of course Mr...¡± ¡°My clansmen, or rather this congregation of clans, refer to me as ¡®Gazig-Katig¡¯. Though I prefer to be called Epipollus,¡± Epipollus straightened his clothes as he introduced himself, then he raised his hand and the two shook. ¡°Well, nice to meet you Mr. Epipollus, but I¡¯m waiting for the chief, so I don¡¯t think I can go anywhere right now,¡± Roy shifted on his feet eager to return his attention to the performance. ¡°Simple misunderstanding, I am the temporary chief of this temporary clan,¡± the goblin snickered as he finished his sentence. ¡°Oh...¡± he had expected the chief to be a hulking mass of muscle, or at the least a grizzled veteran. This was certainly unexpected. He had thought, based on the evident warrior caste, that the goblins respected strength above all. Or perhaps the chief was a killer magician and earned the respect of the goblins in that way. Whichever it was there was no hope now, watching the performance just wasn¡¯t meant to be. ¡°This way Mr. Roy, there is a great deal we must talk about,¡± Epipollus sauntered away towards the entrance of the big orange tent, Roy was forced to follow along, he would be back and the secrets of magic would be his, someday. The two brushed through the tent flaps and navigated the maze of strung up partitions inside, before finally arriving in a small room furnished with several plastic stools and a dining table. The pieces were obviously scavenged from the surrounding houses. Epipollus took a seat at one end of the table and motioned for Roy to take the other. Piles of white paper were scattered across the table, many were filled with text in an incomprehensible language, whatever was allowing Roy to understand the goblins didn¡¯t seem to extend to their texts. ¡°Not the most extravagant of places,¡± Epipollus gathered up a few loose sheets and gestured for Roy to take a seat, ¡°but it will have to do for now.¡± ¡°Yeah, the office is fine. So umm, what did you want to discuss exactly,¡± Roy shuffled in his seat, this was probably an important meeting, and the chief seemed like an important person. ¡°Right down to business, I admire a that trait,¡± Epipollus brought out a world map and laid it on the table, it covered up the loose leaf and drooped over the edges. It was a map of Earth, scavenged like the tables and chairs. ¡°We found this hanging in an abandoned house, I think it would benefit us both to start from the basics,¡± Epipollus then spread his arms out and gestured towards the map, ¡°this is the known world, correct?¡± ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s also space and the other planets too,¡± Roy felt inclined to add. ¡°Of course, or course, I presume that your world is a sphere and your kind have circumnavigated its surface?¡± the goblin traced out the outer edges of the map with a finger, the claw was well trimmed and short. ¡°That was a long time ago, we learned this in class. I think the guy who did it was called Fernand, or was it Ferg? Anyways, that was like, five hundred years ago, right now we do it all the time, we even have photos of the entire surface,¡± the goblin listened intently as Roy flew off on a tangent, it felt nice being helpful. ¡°These photos you speak of, are they the product of some form of image capturing spell?¡± ¡°Um, no, they''re like taken with a machine that... detects light using a bunch of sensors, and yeah...¡± he wasn¡¯t too familiar with how cameras worked, ¡°we don¡¯t have magic here, it¡¯s all done with machines and stuff.¡± ¡°Preposterous! No magic?¡± the goblin seemed utterly bewildered at Roy¡¯s statement, ¡°your machines do not rely on a source of mana to function?¡± ¡°No, we like, burn stuff, that creates heat that then make steam which pushes some uh... big magenets that make electricity,¡± this conversation was quickly exceeding the scope of his knowledge. ¡°I see, I see,¡± the goblin muttered, ¡°we will return to this topic later, as for the map, it is safe to speculate that we are from different worlds. Our world too is completely mapped.¡± ¡°That sounds about right,¡± Roy had never heard of someone ever spotting a goblin, outside of the online groups Lyn frequented. What Hog had said supported this speculation; the other goblin also seemed to be very familiar with the system. "If we are indeed from different worlds... I persume that you do not speek common Mr. Roy?" Epipollus seemingly at random, pulled out a sheet of paper from underneath the map. "Is that a language?" "So I take it that you don''t. Yet you understand my speech and I, yours," Epipollus passed over the sheet of paper he had pulled, "Are you able to comprehend the text on the paper?" "Uh, no, it''s all gibberish to me," he hoped that didn''t some out as offensive. "Then we are in the same predicament I''m afraid, we can understand speech but lack the ability to read in each other''s language," Epipollus grimiced, his mouth tigthening into a line. "This i English," Roy felt the need to point out that fact, "we have a buch of other languages too, can you undertand those?" "Other languages? Do you mean to refer to small tribal languages spoken by those off the beaten path?" Epipollus arched one hairless eyebrow, seeming confused by what Roy had said. "No, no, like we have other big languages spoken in other countries, I don''t know any of them but..." as Roy trailed off into nothing Epipollus bursted out in alarm.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "What! How in the world do you communicate with each other when you do not even speak the same language? Do all texts need to be translated?" "Well, some people learn several languages so that helps, and it just works... somewhat," he wasn''t sure how to respond, was the question rhetorical. "Unbelievable... Yet here you are, able to understand common," Epipollus mused. Now that he had mentioned it, wasn''t he able to comprehend what Fahim''s parents had said while they were the the classroom. He didn''t know Dari, yet at the same time he didn''t know ''common'', he just understood. "I think this might be important, but I think I can understand those other languages now, since I got the system a few days ago," if it was a fluke then the joke was on him. ¡°Your people unable to access the system before our arrival?¡± Epipollus mood suddenly darkened and he clasped his hands together. ¡°Well... no, I¡¯m new to this whole thing,¡± was it wise of him to answer honestly, to admit his own weakness? Then something occurred to him, he was level four and the even the plain clothed goblins were nearing level ten. He was completely under leveled compared to the goblins, would that not be an indicator that he was new to the system. Or perhaps, the goblins could not examine others. ¡°That is particularly dire news... Pardon my manners, but what level are you Roy?¡± that confirmed it, Epipollus couldn¡¯t see his level, name, nor HP. That was the reason he had stumbled when addressing Roy at first. Should he continue to be honest here, would it hurt to inflate his level by a smidgen, would it matter. He could say he was level 10 or even 15, but that was still a long way behind the warrior. That lie would afford him no safety. If he inflated his level too greatly he would be found out quickly. Almost doubling his base constitution gave him endurance that far surpassed his peers and wiped away many of the discomforts he would have had living in this environment. Those changes were drastic and quite noticeable. He was also pathetically armed and armored compared to the warriors he had seen. He could pretend to be focused on AGI and DEX, like a rogue, or INT and WIS, like a wizard. Even then a few quick questions would quickly burst his bubble. He was at the mercy of his hosts. ¡°I¡¯m currently level 8,¡± Roy finally responded, being too low level my mark him out as a weakling and good for nothing, at least this way he was a strong as the unarmed goblins. There was still the possibility that the goblins valued strength and culled the weak, if the goblins suspected he would point to his outrageous HP pool. It seemed to dwarf anything that was at his level, ¡°Again, apologies for prying. You¡¯ve done a splendid job adapting, though I suppose constant danger has that effect on many,¡± ¡°Yeah, monsters and stuff suddenly popping out was a big surprise, it was really life and death back there,¡± Roy followed along with the conversation, eager to reinforce his own deceit. ¡°From what I gather, your world was quite safe before this great migration? No monsters and incursions from the Outside?¡± Epipollus seemed even more drained as he asked the question. ¡°No, most of us didn¡¯t fight and at least our country was free from... danger,¡± Roy wasn¡¯t caught up on the news and politics flew over his head, ¡°I know that there are some places where wars are being fought and people are struggling, but yeah...¡± ¡°These wars, they are fought with your guns, those small compact missile weapons?¡± the goblin raised an eyebrow ¡°Well, there are bigger ones that can fire really quickly,¡± how was he supposed to explain modern weaponry to a goblin, he didn¡¯t even quite grasp the variety of weapons out there, ¡°larger ones we stick on machines with wheels. The bigger ones are canons.¡± ¡°There are also missiles that move by themselves and follow the enemy, some of them can go quite far and are really accurate,¡± Roy continued, where would he stop. ¡°These weapons, they are not magical? They rely on impact?¡± Epipollus stood and began to walk around the room. ¡°Some of them explode, and other can make things catch fire, we also have poison but a lot of people are against using that stuff,¡± it really was too much to deliver in a brief meeting. ¡°Pardon my ignorance, I have only seen the hand sized guns and the slightly larger arm sized variety,¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t really know much about your world either. The guns you saw were all probably used by the police and civilians. Only the military has some of the bigger stuff, like the really fast guns, the exploding missiles, and the moving mounted guns.¡± ¡°Your weapons do sound quite similar to the ones found in the Dominion,¡± Epipollus scanned the table and then sighed, ¡°it is quite unfortunate that many of my texts are lost, I will have to reserve judgement until I can further study them.¡± ¡°Right, is there anything else Mr. Epipollus?¡± the goblin seemed to have descended into monologueing. ¡°Ah,¡± Epipollus turned his attention back to Roy, ¡°I have the lamentable habit of getting quite sidetracked. I¡¯m afraid the information you have provided has put quite a damper on things. Without levels and being so new to the system, this is quite a catastrophe for your world.¡± ¡°I would even call it apocalyptic, I don¡¯t know if you know, but all these houses used to have people living in them.¡± ¡°I suspected but...¡± the goblin shook his head, ¡°that only makes the next topic more time sensitive.¡± ¡°I see,¡± they had been catching up earlier but this was probably the important bit of information Hog had mentioned. ¡°Have you seen any moving fungi recently?¡± that caught Roy off guard, it sounded so silly but at the same time he had seen the victims of the fungi. ¡°Yes, a few.¡± ¡°It is a fortunate that there were only a few, they congregate in large swarms and are quite a calamity. It appears that their ecosystem has been transported to your world, furthermore, and most distressing. They are only a short walk north of this very town,¡± Epipollus took a moment for straighten his clothing. ¡°The whole migration between worlds seems quite messy; many things have been shifted to fit with your world. Layered atop like a paste and then left to settle. We used to be much further away from the fungi, now they are at our doorsteps.¡± Epipollus pulled out a piece of paper from under the world map. On it, drawn in black ink, was a rough map of the town. Paint had been used to mark down several patches of the map. ¡°The purple,¡± the goblin gestured at the mass of color that filled up the whole top half of the page, ¡°represent the spread of the fungi.¡± ¡°The green,¡± covering the hills to the north-west of town, ¡°are the vineborns, they cull the fungi but attack anything they come upon.¡± ¡°That,¡± the goblin pointed to a small square with incomprehensible words written within, ¡°is where a group of human survivors have entrenched themselves. It is the large building Hog found you around. That position is quite untenable, we have tried to communicate with your fellows but hey seem to fire at us without warning. We plan to move southwards out of the marsh and would highly recommend your people do so as well.¡± With that Epipollus leaned back on his chair and stared at Roy intently, ¡°So you want me to be a messenger?¡± ¡°Well, yes, a bit of convincing might also be in order.¡± ¡°Why do they shoot on sight, did you try talking to them. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll listen to me, I mean I¡¯m still a teenager and there are probably a bunch of adults in there, maybe even police.¡± ¡°Attempts to communicate were met with little success; we are partly at fault for an accident that occurred on the first day.¡± ¡°An accident?¡± ¡°A small fragment of a clan were transported to your town hub, they were met by two men whom we now recognize as town guardsmen of sorts.¡± ¡°Police officers?¡± Roy had a bad feeling about this. ¡°The group was told to stop, drop their weapons, and slowly raise their arms...¡± ¡°But they didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°They were unfamiliar with your customs and approached the two men after sheathing their weapons.¡± ¡°And the police fired their guns, right?¡± Roy grimaced, this was bad, especially if he wanted to convince the group in the grocer¡¯s, it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise to him if the group gathered around police officers and other emergency personnel. ¡°Precisely, they then engaged in a brief skirmish that led to the severe injury of both guardsmen. We try to instill the need to avoid vitals because misunderstandings like these occur from time to time, but it appears your people were still greatly displeased.¡± Epipollus finished the recount and the two sat for a moment in silence. ¡°I don¡¯t know, shooting police officers or ¡®town guards¡¯ seems like it¡¯ll put off a lot of people,¡± it really wasn¡¯t unexpected, drawing guns and arresting suspicious personnel seemed like such a modern and normal thing. It was probably different on the other side. ¡°Exactly, which is why we require your aid. The survivors will be quickly swallowed up by the fungi if they continue to current course. They need not come with us, but moving south is essential.¡± ¡°That sounds possible I guess,¡± it probably wasn¡¯t, ¡°how long do I have?¡± ¡°Splendid, we suspect that the concentration of fungi around the survivors will grow with time. Though we cannot give you a precise time, if they do not run out of ammunition, holding the building for another week or two is not impossible.¡± Epipollus seemed to further relax and clapped his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± the attack of the mushrooms was a real threat and now that he had the information he couldn¡¯t stand idle. He would report it to the survivors and decide on a further course from there. ¡°Anything else my friend,¡± Epipollus pushed back his chair and made to stand as Roy loosened his attention. ¡°Maybe some other time,¡± he had questions about the intricacies of the system and various aspects of the other world, but that could wait. He never suspected that a conversation could be so intense and tiring, it was further compounded by the event earlier in the day. ¡°I am looking forward to it, as for now. It is approaching sundown and the wildlife become quite active after the sun sets. Perhaps you will stay for the night?¡± Epipollus offered, ¡°We have quite a few talented chefs and though our lodgings are quite bare, they are safe.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that offer then,¡± he certainly wasn¡¯t going to trudge through the water in pitch darkness. As Epipollus led him back through the maze of draping fabric a thought occurred to Roy and he examined the goblin chief. Contrary to his expectations the goblin was only level 21, a ways behind the goblin warrior he had passed by earlier. Was it skills and abilities that distinguished the chief from the others, or did the goblins respect some other trait instead of strength? Chapter 18 Roy looked over his quarters; it was small and austere with only a mat for a bed. The goblins had quickly set up the small grey tent he was in; Epipollus had explained that the color marked him out as a guest as opposed to a clansman. Though it was cramped and the amenities were almost nonexistent, at least the platform raised the tent well above the waterline. Roy removed his bag and placed his weapons on the ground, the weight of his belongings had struck a blow against his shoulder despite his considerable constitution. He stretched and messaged the joint, savoring the lightness of his being. Roy pulled off his soggy clothes and tossed them into a pile, using a towel he wiped himself down and changed into the set of clothes the goblins had provided. It was a simple attire, a gray tunic with matching gray trousers. Both were loose fitting, but tied down at the openings, allowing him a free range of motion without the worry of getting his sleeves caught. There were no buttons, only strings and a band of fabric for his waist that kept the shirt from billowing. He finished his last knot and inspected himself; there was no mirror in sight. The clothes fit well, despite being made by goblins who averaged two heads shorter then him. It seemed the goblins often had human, or human sized, guests. It wouldn¡¯t be strange considering the attitude Epipollus took, the chief¡¯s name alone differed from that of the other goblins, it might be some indication of why they respected him so. Roy pushed his belongings into a corner and exited the tent, he would bring along his dagger and the pitchfork. The goblins were better armed and armored than he was so he felt there was little reason for them to take his meagre possessions. Anything he had the goblins could easily retrieve from the deserted neighborhood. The only sticklers were the sledgehammer and the rod, they were magical and surely worth something, but he decided against carrying around his full arsenal. If he wasn¡¯t willing to trust his host at least this much then he was not going to have a good time. The chief and many of the others who had helped him get settled down had suggested he bring some form of weapon if he had one. The goblins didn¡¯t seem to be sticklers when it came to running around armed and armored, even if he was a guest. Attacks by monsters were a constant threat and no one ought to run around completely defenseless. When Roy exited his tent the sky was quickly darkening, sending the places unilluminated by the torches into shadow. It felt like he was on a pier, the wooden platforms snaking and wounding its way around and through the cluster of tents. Its surface was casted in a dull orange and rustic in its many mars and imperfections. Every step Roy took sent creaks scuttling along the wood boards; bits of mud or dirt would dislodge themselves and splash into the inky dark waters below. It was only two feet deep, but by a trick of the light they felt fathomless. It was dark enough now that the sky became indistinguishable from the earth, his eyes would trace along the surface of the water and then there in the distance would be a glowing ball of ember, diffused through the mist. He knew they were torches, tongues of flame flickering against the impenetrable night, but they seemed like stars in the sky, each a binary with its reflection it the water. It occurred to Roy that the scene was beautiful, a dozen, maybe a hundred spots of light, some fainter and some brighter, all suspended between the jet black water and the pitch dark sky. They stretched on in every direction, sometimes flickering as a goblin passed by, trudging towards the food stalls after a long day of work. He had never seen a sight like this, never ventured far from his small town. He thought of quaint little European cities run through with canals, all alight from the streetlights as the sunlight gave way to moonlight. There were the photos and the videos, all the sights of the world captured and shared through data that crisscrossed the world to bring the world to him. Here he was seeing it with his own two eyes, he crouched and swept his fingers against the gleaming onyx surface of the water, he felt the rough wood under his palms, and he listened to the voices drifting from the nearby crossways. It all filled him with a sense of wonder, a wonder greater than any he had experienced in a video game. This was why he had left the house of the old couple, for snippets like these that sated an innate wanderlust. Roy breathed in a breath of air, no longer was it thick like stew; it was fresh and filled with scents unexplored. Roy stood and slowly made his way towards the camp hub, every stretch of walkway was a new composition that he captured with his mind. Soon the majesty of the night was replaced by the bustle of the goblins, all the residents gathered around the wood stands set up around the central tent. Here the torches were frequent and the goblins animated faces were lit up, the great big motions of their mouth, and the never-ending gesturing of their limbs filled with so much vitality. Now Roy could smell the scent of food, warm and savory unlike his past few meals. There was spice and flavor in the air as the chefs heaped food onto serving plates and passed them out to the eagerly awaiting goblins. It wasn¡¯t strange food either, there were greens and beans, what appeared to be rice but was more rose in color. Only the meat stood out, the skin was thick and rock like but it oddly smelled like chicken. It was Hastaos meat, stewed in a large pot alongside great round roots that thickened the soup. Roy waited near the back as the crowd thinned, goblins carrying plates of dinner scattering around the walkway. They gathered in small groups and chatted animatedly, bursts of speech in between large mouthfuls of food. Making his way towards the front, Roy spotted the performer who had been manipulating orbs of fire. He sat near the edge, legs dangling over and into the water as he quietly dug at a plateful of greens. Hastily, Roy grabbed a plate and thanked the plump looking goblin who manned the stall, the individual was easily twice or thrice as massive as the others. Eyes on the target, Roy weaved through a small gathering, brushed past a few especially tiny goblins with diporpotionally large ears who chased one another across the deck, and found himself staring at the back of the goblin magician. This was it, he was going to learn magic from this individual, his name was Tig if Roy recalled correctly. As he was about to call out to Tig, doubt assailed his mind. What if magicians closely hoarded their spells and secrets? He had watched his share of kung foo movies, all the venerable masters kept their techniques under wrap, only sharing them with their disciples. Magic was probably a game changer, more influential than any brand of kung foo. It would be like walking up to the military and asking for blueprints. Of course this was a individual, not a large organization. It would be reasonable to assume that he would need to trade something in return for knowledge, a hurdle too great for him at this point. Roy pulled back his arm and made to leave, suddenly, slowly, Tig turned around. Eyebrow-less eyes raised in surprise. ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t see ya there, got somethin¡¯ for me?¡± Tig set aside his food and waved Roy over. ¡°Umm, no I don¡¯t have anything for you, I was just about to leave,¡± Roy wanted to bolt, make some excuse and turn towards the hills, but there was still a spark of hope that kept him rooted on the spot. Maybe, just maybe he could get something out of this. ¡°Just a figure of speech lad, take a seat if ya wanna talk,¡± the wood board gave out a hollow clack as Tig patted the ground, ¡°you¡¯re making me nervous, standing there and all.¡± ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Roy took a seat, and crossed his legs, he didn¡¯t fancy sullying his new pants. ¡°Course I don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m always lookin¡¯ for company,¡± TIg picked up his plate and swallowed a mouthful of what appeared to be algae, though brighter green in color, ¡°Say, you¡¯re from around here, ain¡¯t ya?¡± ¡°Yeah, born and raised, heh,¡± Roy took a look around him and recalled his trek through the town, it felt like a new place now. ¡°Never left?¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Nah,¡± though now he couldn¡¯t wait. ¡°Sounds nice, I¡¯ve been wanderin'' for half my life,¡± Tig looked down at the food in his plate before continuing, ¡°I ain¡¯t borin'' you am I.¡± ¡°No, no, of course not. I¡¯m actually really... interested in your world,¡± Roy protested. ¡°Right, different worlds and all. Gotta say, if there¡¯s one boon to my life, it has to be all the places I¡¯ve seen. Dragon¡¯s Keep in the Empire, Siria in the Dominion, and the World Spires in the between, I¡¯ve seen it all...¡± Tig looked at Roy, ¡°That¡¯s right, different world, heh.¡± ¡°What are those places like?¡± was there a chance that he would one day see the sights with his own eyes. ¡°Big, real big and impressive, I ain¡¯t the one to describe it. Can¡¯t do it justice, you ought to ask the chief, he¡¯s got all these big words and he knows the Empire like no other goblin around here,¡± Tig¡¯s eyes seemed to flicker for an instant before dulling again to a dark crimson, ¡°It ain¡¯t enough though.¡± He caught a hint of frustration in that last quiet mutter, ¡°I see.¡± He needed to broach the subject of magic, the talk of other worlds was sending his heart into a flutter, but his goal was to learn an ounce of magic. Tig was a performer, was that what he did travelling from place to place, ¡°Hey, Tig, do you travel around doing shows like the one from earlier.¡± ¡°You saw it huh, just a bit, enough for bed and board. It¡¯s more tricks than a real show of magic, you ever seen a real magician...¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have real magicians on our world.¡± ¡°...Oh, well, you ain¡¯t seen real magic till you¡¯ve seen one,¡± Tig seemed at a loss for world, ¡°No magic before this...¡± ¡°This was the first bit of magic I¡¯ve seen, it was amazing¡± he couldn¡¯t really count Lestrat, the boy didn¡¯t really know magic, it was more a trick of the system than what Tig had shown. ¡°Well, what you saw ain¡¯t the good stuff, every farmer and his wife knows that trick,¡± Tig finished up his food and rested the plate beside him. ¡°Every farmer?¡± did that mean the spell was common, that magic, at least at that level, was widespread. Like a lighter, or basic arithmetic. ¡°Course, how else you gonna light a quick fire? Flint n¡¯ Steel? Hah!¡± ¡°Oh, well since we¡¯ve never had magic...¡± would Tig offer to teach him, it seemed like such a simple thing. ¡°You can¡¯t light a wee fire with magic. Heh, listen here, I¡¯ll teach you real quick. It¡¯ll take no more than the time it takes to eat a meal, how ¡®bout it?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Roy sat up straight and gobbled down the rest of his food, it was delicious but the every item had a mushy texture, and almost melted as he manuevered it around in his mouth. ¡°All right! Come on, give me your hand I¡¯ll show you how it works,¡± Tig held out one small green digit an placed it on Roy palm. ¡°You gotta focus on your mana, you got that bit right?¡± ¡°I think so,¡± Roy concentrated on that second layer of himself, the mana that clung to every nook of his body. He could feel it now, a mass inside his mass, though something was different. The mana on his left arm was... denser, more focused and followed an odd pattern. Roy looked at his left arm, it was the one with the Beryl Blooms coursing through it. The mana seemed to be denser where it lay over the blooms, ¡°Alright lad, now focus on your right palm, where I¡¯ve placed my finger.¡± Roy ignored the concentration of mana near the blooms for the moment and felt his right palm, felt the well of mana that lay inside his limb. There was something else too, mana like his own, but different. He scrutinized it for a moment, feeling it push against him, or rather his mana.
Skill Up!
Mana Sense LV 4 > LV 5 (Novice)
You may now choose a minor perk for Mana Sense
¡°I think I can feel your finger now,¡± he spoke through gritted teeth, focusing on that bit of foreign mana just hovering beside his own. ¡°Good, now watch,¡± the mana began to change, he couldn¡¯t describe it but it became inherently different, no longer just foreign to his body. As he touched his mana against it he felt warmth spread though his second body, it rippled along his mana before finally disappearing. ¡°How¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Warm,¡± his own mana was just a constant presence, but Tig¡¯s now seemed to have a characteristic. It was warm, maybe even hot, but it didn¡¯t make his body any hotter. ¡°Try to copy it, here,¡± the barrier that seemed to enclose the foreign mana thinned and broke apart, now the warm aligned mana began to spread against him, some of it mingling with his own before being ejected. In that brief moment Roy could feel it clearer than he had before, like he was looking at the inside of a watch as its needles ticked by. Roy focused on his own mana, on what it could do. If he just tweaked it, willed it to be warm... A small patch he had been focusing on suddenly began to change, shift from a constant pressure to something else. It was heading in a direction, metaphysically, he pushed it along, injected more of his will into the sliver of mana. As time passed the bit became warmer and warmer until it felt like a fire had been ignited in his pool of mana. It spread, agonizingly slowly, almost imperceptible if Roy couldn¡¯t focus on the cluster of warm mana and feel it grow.
Skill Up!
Heat Affinity LV 0 > 1 (Novice)
Skill Up!
Align Mana LV 0 > 1 (Novice)
¡°You got it, now you wanna use it before all your mana gets aligned with heat. If that happens you¡¯ll have to purge it all or will it back, that takes a while. You got it now right?¡± Tig stood up, excitement obvious in his features, ¡°Take the mana and push it out of your body!¡± Roy focused on the slowly spreading cluster and pushed, it was discrete from everything else and shifting it was surprisingly easy. He brought it to the edge of his body and then shoved it through the barrier that kept his mana in. The membrane yielded and opened up allowing the ball of warmth to slip through. Despite that he could still feel a connection to the mana outside of him, a cluster floating through space, unaffected by gravity but slowly dispersing.
Skill Up!
Mana Manipulation LV 0 > 1 (Novice)
¡°I feel it, you¡¯ve got it out, now you gotta set it on fire, turn it physical you know? It¡¯s kinda hard to describe,¡± Tig waved his arms around, as if trying to draw something on thin air. ¡°How do I do that?¡± Roy squeezed out the words, trying to focus on two things at once. ¡°I don¡¯t know, ya gotta just do!¡± Roy focused on the patch of mana, he couldn¡¯t see anything there, where a small cloud of warmth the size of a fist hovered. It was warm, a thing of pure mana which only seemed to affect like substances. He wanted it to burn, to turn into energy. His mana was like a second body that existed under his own, what if he pulled it out, not along its own plane, by into his own? Roy focused on the cloud of mana outside his body and pulled it into the physical world, like he was guiding something through a tunnel. On the other side the air within the cloud burst into flame. A flash of fire that lasted for only a second. But it was real, he could feel a rush of hot air wash across his face and see the curious dance of the tendril stretching up towards the sky.
Skill Up!
Heat Affinity LV 1 > 5 (Novice)
You may now choose a minor perk for Heat Affinity
AbilityUp!
Flame LV 0 > 5 (Novice)
You may now choose a minor perk for Flame
SkillUp!
Rapid Conflagration LV 0 > 1 (Novice)
SkillUp!
Envoke LV 0 > 1 (Novice)
¡°Ya did it! Got enough there to light a good campfire alright.¡± Chapter 19 The flicker of flame disappeared as quickly as it had burst into life above Roy¡¯s palm. He sat at the edge of the wooden platform which constituted the central square of the goblin camp, behind him the goblins lazed about after the meal, under the gaze of the bright orange tent that dominated the skyline. Tig lay at his side, eyes shut and arms spread apart, quietly recounting tales of his travels across his homeworld. ¡°I¡¯d never seen a sky so blue. Thank the Powers, that sky spread till it met the ground oh so far away,¡± his was quietly reminiscing voice just barely a whisper and his face was as calm as the still water sbelow, but at the same time he seemed to be an actor on a stage, bearing open his soul to the spectators below. ¡°That¡¯s where it touched the rocks, they don¡¯t call it the Copper Wastes for nothing ya know. It stood out so, you could see all the crags and scarps, and all the beasties too, ha!¡± it was oddly calming, listening to Tig while his mind twisted through his mana, aligning little patches before bubbling them out of the ethereal membrane. Then he pulled the little packets of mana into the physical world, watching awestruck as they again and again light up and vanish, leaving neither smoke nor ashes behind. He tried lighting them up faster, and then slower, each variation giving a resultant spark that differed from the others. If he was fast, the mana lit up like a light bulb, like a marshmallow caught aflame, a bright yellow center with wisps of fire that drifted upwards. If he was slow and let the mana spread into a cloud he could watch an erratic wave of fire quickly spread from the center, a contagious energy that ended only when all the fuel had been consumed. He could also vary the amount of mana, he could let the heat aligned mana spread in his body, let it grow in size before ejecting it out into the world, or he catch it in an instant, let it remain as only a speck. ¡°You wanna travel he world right?¡± catching him by surprise, Tig pulled out of his reverie and addressed Roy. ¡°Well, yeah, I guess,¡± he wanted to see all the sights he never could see before the system occurred; now there was nothing holding him back. He would see it all, and more. ¡°I grew up in a village you know, bit north of New Atlarium, I was kinda like you, never seen the world outside the little wood we had around us,¡± Tig sat upright and stuck his little hand into his travelling robes, ¡°It was a good life, with good friends and all.¡± TIg¡¯s hand stopped as he seemed to clutch onto something just beneath the robe, right over the left of his chest, ¡°But you know, or maybe not, we had trouble with the mushrooms just south of New Atlarium. My family¡¯s from a clan that lived near the city, it used to be safe there and there was a lot to do to boot.¡± Tig pulled out a small slip of paper, no larger than a paperback novel. It seemed to be in pristine condition, a miracle considering where Tig had pulled it out from, ¡°So we had to help out, turn the tide and all. Suppose to be a quick thing too, but then it got longer and longer, and...¡± Tig fingered the edges of the paper, smoothing down its immaculate surface, he produced a small orb of flame and under the light Roy could see the image on the paper. It was a photograph, but clearer and more lifelike than any he had seen, or perhaps it was just because of the little light cast by the fire, ¡°I went back north lookin¡¯ for a... friend.¡± There were two figures in the photo, a goblin, ears dwarfing the size of his head and mouth wide apart, revealing little white nubs for teeth. He was a youth just like the goblins Roy had seen scampering around earlier. The edges of the mouth curved upwards, so naturally prone to smiling, and every line on his face emanated spunk. Roy couldn¡¯t quite catch the differences in features between the goblins, he didn¡¯t know what to look for, what set them apart, but he would have bet his money that the young goblin was Tig. Beside him was a girl, not a goblin girl, he didn¡¯t know how to tell them apart and had forgotten to ask. It was a human, like him. She was young, with a large head set above a petite body. Wavy brown hair framed two bright hazel eyes and a small button nose. Roy guessed that she was no older than seven or eight, or she may just be especially short considering how she stood shoulder to shoulder with the younger Tig. ¡°She¡¯d gone off to some academy in Aur... that¡¯s where all the big cities are, New Atlarium¡¯s just a small colony across the Dazurian Ocean to em¡¯,¡± Tig heaved a sigh before continuing, ¡°So I took a boat and followed, crazy stuff. Aur is so wide, the world too, you don¡¯t really feel it until you¡¯ve seen it.¡± Tig, so boisterous and full of vitality slowly deflated, now he was just skin and bones, frail enough that a slight pressure would send him crumbling into dust, ¡°So... did you find her?¡± it was his line, his piece to speak in this private performance. ¡°Five, Six, Seven years I wandered, then I came back,¡± Tig spread his arms and gestured towards the other goblins, most meandering off to their own quarters, ¡°Emperor damn the mushrooms, they were the tide, look at us here. The great migration... it¡¯s like when you light up a speck of heat mana in a big cloud of the stuff, fwoom!¡± Tig was trembling, his body swayed from side to side blasted by a hurricane of emotion. Struggling against the downpour he raised his arm and passed the photograph to Roy, with that his energy was expended, his reserves depleted, ¡°Your gonna see the world right? If ya meet a Claria... Should be an Imperial magician, just...¡± ¡°Should I give her the photo?¡± the suggestion seemed to slide off Tig and hang in the air. ¡°I¡¯m an elder now, things are bad here and I gotta help the clan,¡± Tig stood up but his eyes still rested on the ground, ¡°Work tomorrow, I¡¯ll be going now, been nice chatting friend.¡± ¡°Yeah, uh, good night Tig,¡± the other goblin waved before trundling across the central platform and disappearing down a walkway.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Roy sat there for a while longer, scrutinizing every little detail on the photograph and engraving the name Tig had given him into his mind. It was such a simple thing, but so important to the other man. It was like the spell he had been taught, so easily given away but still so precious to the recipient. After tucking the photograph away, Roy stood and stretched his limbs. It was probably approaching midnight now; everything not in the gaze of the torches was unfathomable. As he retraced his steps back to his own tent he stepped in and out of pockets of light, their edges touching just barely so that he could make out the planks underneath his feet. His steps were heavy as he considered all the conversations he had today. All the big revelations and all the small details, they all made up the pieces of a towering puzzle, he couldn¡¯t hope to complete it but as he gathered up the pieces and assembled them together, an image would arise out of chaos. Really what was he doing now? He was on the straight path, his immediate goal to meet up with the survivors in the grocery store... Then he would convince them to head south, towards the location the radio had given him. On the way he would look at the scenery around the road, take in the sounds and smells, there was no conflict, no need to panic. His goal and path were just as well defined as they had been since he left the old couples house, so Roy pushed aside the overwhelming weight that had accumulated over the day, it was an imaginary construct. Then the solid, if creaky, surface of the wood seemed to vanish beneath his feet, morphing into an abyss that sped towards him. Roy had barely enough time to yelp before he found himself sitting in the water, waves like swirling darkness around him. Great, he was soaked again and he doubted he would be provided a new set of clothes at midnight. Roy made to pull himself up from the water, but his ears picked up another sound, a faint splashing that would have been inaudible had there been cars rushing down the road. It didn¡¯t sound like feet, didn¡¯t sound like a quiet tap that trailed after the goblins. The sound of water being pushed aside, run through by something solid grew as Roy picked up his pitchfork and tried to determine the source of the sound in the dark. This was bad, had something snuck in through a crack in the wall, the hunch sent a wave of fear through his body. ¡°HELP, there something in the water!¡± the desperation was evident in Roy¡¯s words, in the quiet of the night his holler was deafening and a chorus of shouts responded. As if sensing the imminent approach of others the monster leapt out of the water, a disturbance Roy could not have missed. He turned to the left, whipping around his pitchfork as fast as his limbs could, at the same instant he activated Reckless Strength and his body filled with power. As Roy brought the pitchfork around the shaft of the polearm smashed into something hard and whatever it was gave way, falling to the side and sending up a fountain of water. Tensing his muscles, Roy took a blind jab at where the monster might have fallen, at first nothing but air met his weapon, then he grazed something, it¡¯s texture convincingly like concrete or stone. The monster was short, maybe only half a meter tall, it was also tough with rocklike skin. Roy stuck the pieces together and judged that he was probably fighting a hastaos, with almost no sense of vision Roy couldn¡¯t even hope to bring up the blue screens to aid him. It was a relief when the rustling of fabric began to sound from everywhere at once, footsteps followed alongside quick shouts for light ¡°OVER HERE!¡± he needed to direct the others to his location of they would never find him the dark. Help was on the way, Roy assured himself as he began to slowly back away from where he expected his enemy was, he tried to make out the quiet rushing of the water, now overpowered by footsteps and shouting. If only he could see his enemy... Roy took another step back, he could feel the predator closing in on him, shortening the distance before it lunged, mouth open and ready to tackle him into the water. Roy held his breath and focused on his mana, he pushed at the energy, aligning it with all his might. The amount was small, he didn¡¯t have the luxury of waiting for it to spread, creating more, instead he ripped it out of his mana body, dragging along bits of plain mana in his rush. He allowed his focus to slack for a second, he waved his pitchfork before him and thanked his luck when the tip smacked into something by chance and drove it back, giving himself just another feet or two of breathing room. Before he could celebrate, the energy drained out of him, taking with it the strength that had been driving him on. The water was restricting again and the weapon a weight that couldn¡¯t we swung with abandon. But the sounds were close now and Roy risked a distracting glance, there were a dozen shifting orbs of flame around him, but they couldn¡¯t pin point his location, they needed to comb through every bit of water. They needed a signal, a flash of light. Roy set his heat mana ablaze, a rush of fire that spread through the cloud for a second, though a slightly longer one when compared to his previous experiments. The burst of flame was enough, the goblins began to hop into the water, bringing to life a swarm of small flickering flames around where he stood, under their light the Hastaos could be seen, reptilian eye glaring him down. It was readying to leap, muscles tensed for one final strike before the group encircled it. Roy braced his weapon and lowered his center of balance; he wouldn¡¯t repeat the scene from the bungalow again. The monster surged out from the water, droplets thrown into the air and seemingly suspended for an instant before rejoining the whole. The Hastaos was bug, maybe almost the size of an adult, it was halfway out of the water and already the tip of its snout reached his chest, had he underestimated the range of its lunge, would it clamp its jaws over his throat... Before the monster could reach him a series of arrows pelted its sidde, each digging through the skin and sending shocks through the Hastaos. Some arrows drilled into the flesh, other seemed to hit in quick succession, a burst of arrows Roy could not imagine loosing with a bow. The Hastaos spasmed and then collapsed onto Roy, its jaws still open as it unleashed its last breath, the warm putrid air smothering Roy as it passed over his face.
Skill Up!
Align Mana LV 1 > LV 2 (Novice)
Skill Up!
EvokeLV 1 > LV 2 (Novice)
¡°You good?¡± a voice asked, Roy couldn¡¯t tell who had spoken considering the corpse he now lay buried under. ¡°Uh, yeah, I¡¯m good,¡± Roy stammered, then he began to chuckle to himself, he¡¯d made it. ¡°Good, good,¡± Roy could imagine the goblin turning towards the others, ¡°How long jaw get in? We find now, or more get in.¡± ¡°I not like long jaw, I get bite many times now!¡± ¡°I think is hole in wall, wall is bad, look like my tent.¡± A chorus of glugging sounds filled the air. ¡°I think good plan, we go look at wall,¡± with that the goblins walked away, their footsteps petering out. Chapter 20 Roy tied down the tent flaps before pulling himself free of the soggy mess that had become of his new attire. On the ground the clothes resembled a mess of gray sludge, hems and folds drooping with water. Roy dried himself with a towel and stared at the bundle of clothing, Tig¡¯s not-photograph was still in there. Eyes wide in alarm, Roy knelt by the pile and carefully rummaged through the pile, closing his eyes, Roy tugged out the piece of paper, he looked at it with the corner of his eye, hoping that if he squinted hard enough it would look presentable. What he saw astounded him, the photograph was still in pristine condition, not a drop of water clung to it and not a crease marred its surface. Roy pulled the photograph up to his face, thinking it a trick of the light, the only illumination he had was that which shone through the fabric of the tent. It was no fluke, his fingers could feel the glossy surface, as dry as desert sand. The paper must be enchanted, there was no other explanation. Roy focused on his mana and put his finger on the photograph, looking for the push, the feeling of solidity he had encountered when Tig taught him magic. As he had expected there was the paper gave Roy an odd sensation, its foreignness distinct from his own mana. At the same time it was different, the surface wasn¡¯t a barrier, it wasn¡¯t a wall his mana pushed up against. It had ridges, canyons, peaks, and gaps, but it was difficult to tell, all the details were foggy, as if he were touching a circuit board with his finger and all the fine lines melded together to form a single indistinguishable sensation. Whatever it was, it was out of his league; still he was grateful the paper had escaped unharmed. Unwilling to test the boundaries of the paper¡¯s durability, Roy tucked it into his bag. He wanted to sleep, especially with the latest debacle, but he recalled the array of screens that had popped out while he was learning to create a spark of fire. He wanted to examine them now, but how would he bring them back? As he thought that a barrage of screens entered his vision, it appeared his wish had been granted. Roy briefly glanced at each improvement he had earned, before bringing up the more detailed explanations. The ones that caught his interest were those that told him to select a perk, these messages were displayed when the skill or ability reached level 5. He would look into that later.
Mana Manipulation - Novice II
It becomes easier to control mana. Effect is based on skill level and INT.
Heat Affinity Novice - Novice V
It becomes easier to give mana a heat alignment and to control mana that is heat aligned. Effect is based on skill level and INT.
Align Mana - Novice II
It becomes easier to align mana. Effect is based on skill level and INT.
Flame - Novice V
The user creates a fire. The greater the amount of mana used, the larger and hotter the fire created is. The fire burns until it consumes all the mana used in the spell and any other fuel it is consuming. The size and temperature of the fire is based on skill level and INT. Mana cost is based on size of fire, temperature of flames, skill level, and INT.
Evoke - Novice II
It becomes easier to cast spells that involve evocation. Evocation involves use of mana in influencing energy. Effect is based on skill level and INT.
Rapid Conflagration - Novice I
Heat aligned mana is more quickly converted into fire. Effect is based on skill level and INT.
Simple abilities and skills that made it easier for him to cast spell, nothing much to see here. Though Flame was quite descriptive and filled in some of the holes in information he had left after testing, and Envoke pointed to Flame being under the Evocation category of spells. Going by that information, what other types of spells were there? Were there spells for healing allies and cursing enemies? What about teleporting and pulling out a cheeseburger from thin air?If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Roy dismissed the explanations, now it was time to look at the perks the system had promised. As he thought several more screens appeared, each with the name of a skill or ability that had reached level 5 at the top, below it was a list, and as Roy scanned the one for Flame a stupid grin spread across his face. He rubbed his hands in anticipation as he carefully scrutinized the selection.
Flame Novice V ¨C Minor Perks
You may select 1 on the following. The selection varies based on the user¡¯s learned skills, abilities, and traits.
Slow Burn Flame consumes less mana while burning, increases duration. Decrease in consumption is based on skill level and INT.
Torch Flame produces more light. Increase is based on skill level and INT.
Cremate (Ability: Defile) Flame quickly sets non-animated corpses on fire and reduces them to ash.
Familiar Flame (Skill: Heat Affinity) Flame is more quickly cast.
Ability: Spark (Skill: Rapid Conflagration) The user creates a spark of fire, the spark burns intensely for a very brief duration. The greater the amount of mana used, the larger and hotter the fire created is. The fire quickly consumes all the mana used in the spell, but will steadily deplete any other fuel it is consuming. The size and temperature of the fire is based on skill level and INT. Mana cost is based on size of fire, temperature of flames, skill level, and INT.
The first four modified his current ability while the last gave him an entirely new ability, though one resembling the result he frequently achieved when producing a fire. Now that he thought about it, he had yet to actually use the flame spell, he was too focused on... evoking a fire manually. Questioning the wisdom of lighting a flame in a cloth tent, Roy activated Flame. As soon as the thought left his mind a guiding hand seemed to enter his body, or rather his pool of mana. He could feel its gentle presence, almost like a shadow had been cast over him, blocking out a mid-summer sun. It beckoned form him to follow and he did as it instructed, it was unlike what he had experienced casting his own magic. The hand enveloped a cluster of mana, and Roy shadowed it, enveloping the same cluster. Then the hand aligned a speck of mana and Roy did the same. Before the heat aligned mana could spread, the hand mimicked dragging it out of his body, then it seemed to speak to him on some higher level. Instructing him to pull the light up the speck of heat mana at the cluster¡¯s center. As soon as he did so the hand vanished like a ghost, in its place was a small flame, barely larger than his finger. It danced above his palm, its spindly form fluttering to the imperceptible movement of the air. Roy watched it burn, he stared and stared, expecting it to vanish as quick as it came, but it stayed for some time, perhaps a full minute or two. Something completely unlike the fast and bright fire he had produced earlier in the night. This was what it felt like to use a spell as an ability, if he had not learned from Tig would he even have noticed or cared about the small steps it took to reach the conclusion, would he not have just followed along, guided by that benevolent hand. It was not as exhilarating, not as wondrous as casting magic by himself, but it was more complete, more uniform, and much more comforting to be led along by the all-encompassing entity. Almost like a he was being watched over and protected, though he supposed it was a false sense of safety. He had followed along, but were the steps not all doable by himself? He concentrated on his mana and tried to grasp a handful, just like he had done earlier. It was surprisingly difficult compared to only grabbing the distinct heat aligned mana, though if he looked back to his fight earlier, he had pulled a few packets of unaligned mana along in his haste to dislodge the heat mana. He needed to be forceful, at least for now. He willed his invisible hand to force itself closed on the mana and it did, slowly but surely and small cluster stood isolated from the rest of the pool. Now he aligned a speck and dragged the whole ball shaped container out of his other body, before lighting it. The flame was just as small and burned just as long, maybe even longer because of the amount he had clutched in his fist.
Skill Up!
Mana Manipulation LV 1 > LV 2 (Novice)
It was good to see that he was improving. Now that he had a grasp of how Flame worked he could decide on which perk to choose. It was also good to know that he could replicate whatever ability the system came up with, he could learn valuable real skills from imitating what the system did to cast the spell. Still, Spark didn¡¯t look like such a good option, for now. Flame was rather lacking when it came to dealing damage, at least based on what he had seen. The goblins earlier had shot arrows as opposed to setting their hovering flames upon the Hastaos. The skirmish did demonstrate the need for light at night, especially in the mist. That meant a bright fire, useful for seeing in the dark, was the way to go. This narrowed his options down to Slow Burn, Torch and Familiar Flame. Did he want a longer lasting fire, a brighter fire, or to be able to more quickly cast a fire. He could always use more mana to create a longer fire or larger fire; he wasn¡¯t really concerned about efficiency at the moment. However, based on his fight, speed and the ability to quickly react seemed important. If he was attacked in the dark he would want light as fast as possible. Going down that route, Familiar Flame seemed to be a good choice, he was no fighter but his reasoning seemed solid. Roy focused on Familiar Flame, a small mental prompt entered his mind. It was odd, as if he already knew the question and the selection of answers, are arrayed like in a multiple choice question. Roy confirmed his selection and the list disappeared, replaced by the one underneath. The Heat Affinity and Mana Sense perk lists were now before him.
Mana Sense V ¨C Minor Perks
You may select 1 of the following. The selection varies based on the user¡¯s learned skills, abilities, and traits. +1 to INT.
Acute Sense Concentrations of mana that dip below the environmental norm are more easily sensed. The greater the difference, the greater the increase.
Obtuse Sense Concentration of mana that rise above the environmental norm are more easily sensed. The greater the difference, the greater the increase.
Heat Sensing (Skill: Heat Affinity)Heat aligned mana is more easily sensed.
Mana Attuned (Skill: Mana Affinity) Ability to sense mana in an environment improves as time spent in the environment increases. Effect resets after leaving the environment.
Heat Affinity V ¨C Minor Perks
You may select 1 of the following. The selection varies based on the user¡¯s learned skills, abilities, and traits. +1 to INT.
Affinity of Being Slight increase to heat resistance.
Affinity of Spirit Heat aligned mana is more potent, cold aligned mana is less potent.
Closely Aligned (Skill: Mana Affinity) Heat aligned mana is more contagious.
If Roy looked at it from a certain perspective, no matter how much he botched up his choices, he would still get two points in INT. With all his skills a point in INT would probably do wonders for how well he could control his mana. The list was overwhelming, how should he know what he needed and what was most effective, things had only been like this for a few days and his experience was lacking... There were others with more experience, like Tig and Epipollus. He could ask them for help, find out what they did over on the other side. If they had lived with the system for ages, they were bound to know all the specifics, like what was and wasn¡¯t useful. He felt dumb for not realizing earlier and deciding on a perk already. Engraving that thought deep into his mind, Roy dismissed the two screens, as he was about to do so an warning appeared.
Warning!
You must choose a perk within 24 hours of reaching the requisite level. If a perk is not chosen a perk will be chosen in your stead. We will try to factor in your circumstance while choosing a perk, though it is heavily recommended that the you choose a perk before the 24 hours are over. This measure was put into place to prevent excessive increases in skill, ability, and trait followed by a selection of perks all at once in order to maximize number of options available. This was greatly taxing to support and so these measures were implemented, if you would like us to consider an exceptional case please head to the nearest Contact Point.
Roy could only stare at the screen in shock, not only was it the most amount of information about the system he had probably received to date, it was probably the most meta, if that word could be applied to it. The message demonstrated a level of self-awareness he had only spoken of in jest up to this point. The system would decide with his interests in mind? The system would consider exceptional cases? He could ignore the 24 hour limitation for now since he planned to ask tomorrow morning and that wouldn¡¯t come into play. The revelation, he simply could not ignore. It was as if up to this point he was playing on hard mode and then suddenly, bam, the system told him it was here to help and would give him cheats if he had a good reason. The hand seemed to be a part of the system and it too was needlessly comforting and gentle. Was the system here to send the world into ruin, or was it here for some other reason? Epipollus didn¡¯t seem to think his own world was a hellhole, and he seemed to view the current state of affairs with just as much worry and dismay as Roy did. If that was the case the system couldn¡¯t be malevolent, or Roy corrected, not obviously so. He still needed more information and already his brain was being crushed with all he had gathered. He would have a good night¡¯s sleep and ask someone more knowledgeable about perks tomorrow, before heading off to meet with the survivors and hopefully convincing them to leave Anamosa. Roy lay down on the small mat set up for him, it was hot, but not suffocatingly so because of his CON. He could make do without a blanket. He stared up at the top of the tent, where all the fabric pulled together to form a rough tip, suspended by several poles. This was probably the most packed day he had in his life, it was stressful and he couldn¡¯t quite bare it all. But if he could, if the bad wasn¡¯t too bad, he could see himself living like this. Wandering from place to place, seeing the sights and meeting new people, all of whom had a story to tell, information to share. He could bare it, if he narrowed his sights and looked ahead, went with the flow as it carried him along, into sleep. Chapter 21 The morning of the fourth day was misty; there was no sun, no clouds, no sky. Only a thick white blanket of vapor. Roy stood outside his tent, he wasn¡¯t sure for how long he slept but he had awoken after the sounds of activity drifted into his tent. The goblins were out and about, constantly moving from place to place just a he had seen yesterday after entering the camp. One brushed by him, heading towards the gate he had entered through, the goblin was carrying a stack of wooden planks in his arms. Roy meandered around his tent for a while, unsure of what to do. He needed to find Epipollus and ask about his perks, it would also be polite for him to inform the goblin he was leaving. Except he didn¡¯t know how to get ahold of the chief, it wasn¡¯t as if he could just saunter into the big orange tent unannounced. Roy tapped his feet in frustration, his soggy running shoes pattered against the wood boards. ¡°Morning,¡± a rough but distinctly goblin voice shouted from behind, their sounds were more guttural but at the same time higher pitched than what he was used to. Roy turned around and greeted the guardsmen that had escorted him yesterday; he couldn¡¯t recall his name so he settled for a simple, ¡°Good Morning.¡± ¡°You leave, eh. I take to see chief, eh,¡± the goblin seemed to be asking him a question as it fanned his hands in an in and out motion. ¡°Yeah, that would be helpful,¡± Roy replied, his conundrum had been resolved and all he had to do was wait around and space out. ¡°Good, follow,¡± the goblin began to march away after grunting out the simple instructions. It didn¡¯t seem like this individual was a fan of idle chatter. Soon enough Roy found himself outside the orange tent again, waiting for the guard to fetch Epipollus. Roy was somewhat disappointed when he couldn¡¯t see Tig in sight, performing as he had done yesterday. He settled for looking over the goods the goblins had laid out on the several mats scattered around the makeshift plaza. Roy watched as one goblin handed a small stone slab to a goblin sitting on a mat, in return the mat-goblin dug through the pile of goods scattered around him and passed the standing-goblin a large metal cup. The mat-goblin was dressed like Tig, loose garbs adorned with a plethora of straps and pockets. On the ground beside him was a bag easily as large as the owner himself, when all the objects that were tied to it were factored in. The other goblins who sat around were dressed similarly and carried around the same cumbersome bags, the occasional goblin even had multiple, all in various colors and states of use. From what he had seen these appeared to be merchants, their traveler¡¯s attire and stockpile of items were good indicators. Roy walked up to the goblin that had traded away the metal cup and eyed the spread of goods. Most were metallic, cups, bowls, utensils, and other common durables, though none of them had recognizable labels or brands etched onto their surfaces. ¡°You lookin¡¯ for something,¡± the goblins face split with a smile and his eyes glinted even in the dull light. ¡°Not really,¡± he didn¡¯t have anything to barter with like the other goblin and he was even more hopeless when it came to actual currency, ¡°Just looking.¡± ¡°Well, look good then. Gad-Pog here¡¯s got a wide selection of metal goods, just been back from the Dominion and I gotta say, their metal craft is like nothing you¡¯ve ever seen before. You look at this quality,¡± the goblin picked out a cup almost identical to the one he had sold before, it was a solid hunk of metal, finely polished and made with machine like precision. Based on what Pog had said, this was probably something made in the ¡®Dominion¡¯, ¡°Here hold it, you feel that, you know what it¡¯s made of?¡± Roy weighted the cups in his hands it was surprisingly light despite its solid appearance, a small wing was engraved on the cup, ¡°Uh, aluminum?¡± ¡°Good guess, but this here cup¡¯s made out of nothing but steel, you could probably beat one of those Hastaos to death with it and it won¡¯t show a dent,¡± Pog took back the cup and mimicked clobbering something with it. ¡°That¡¯s cool, but I don¡¯t need a cup,¡± he couldn¡¯t afford one besides. Pog eyed him to head to toe, eyes lingering on the pitchfork at his side and his simple guest tunic, ¡°You¡¯re a traveler then, an adventurer out to see the world.¡± He did want to see the world, but he had yet to even step feet outside the town. It did sound cool though and it wouldn¡¯t hurt to say that he was an adventurer, ¡°Sure...¡± ¡°Ahh, you should¡¯ve said that earlier,¡± the goblin open up his bag and pulled out several trinkets, there were several rings, a few necklaces, and a small medallion, all were centered around a wing, ¡°Normal folks don¡¯t need this sort of thing, and adventurers already got some from the big cities. But you¡¯re lucky kid, I packed some just in case.¡± ¡°Rings for fireball and mana bolt, necklaces for shock and push, the medallion¡¯s for barrier. How¡¯s that, pretty good selection, eh,¡± Pog pointed to each in turn and then looked at Roy, ¡°And get this, 2nd grade ancite cores, popular nowadays cause of their reliability and efficiency.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± he wasn¡¯t sure how they worked at all, did they give him the ability to cast the spell, or did the item cast the spell, were they single use or rechargeable, he didn¡¯t know, ¡°But I gotta go, maybe I¡¯ll come back some other day.¡± ¡°You sure kid? This stuff might sell with all the fighting we¡¯ve been seeing lately,¡± ¡°Yeah, well I gotta go,¡± he had no idea what the goblin was selling, and he didn¡¯t have anything to trade for anyways. ¡°If you¡¯re coming back make sure to do it within the week, I¡¯ll be gone if you come any later!¡± the goblin shouted after him. Roy retraced his way back to the front of the tent, his timing was impeccable as Epipollus followed the guard out not a minute later. ¡°Ah, good to see you Mr. Roy, I heard you¡¯ll be heading on your way,¡± Epipollus made no move to enter the tent, so the two shuffled to the side so as not to block the entrance. ¡°Yeah, but before I go, I have a question,¡± Roy brought out the lists of perks, ¡°I just got some skills to level 5 and I¡¯m wondering how to choose a ¡®minor perk¡¯,¡± ¡°I see, this being new to you and all. I¡¯m no expert when it comes to that field, normally we consult someone more knowledgeable, but I¡¯ll try my best to assist you on this matter,¡± Epipollus rubbed his chin in though before continuing, ¡°Which skills are we discussing?¡± ¡°Heat Affinity and Mana Sense.¡± ¡°At novice 5 correct?¡± Roy nodded, ¡°That¡¯s a fairly simple decision, minor perks for rudimentary skills have a fairly small impact, it¡¯s the major perks that require great contemplation, so which perks are available to you?¡± Roy quickly listed off the perks, as he did so Epipollus seemed to space out and stare at something to his side, the way his eyes scanned through the air alerted Roy to the fact that the goblin was looking over his own blue screens. ¡°I see, thankfully those perks are well known, in fact I myself have Acute Sensing, Obtuse Sensing, and Affinity of Being. Heat sensing and the remaining for Heat Affinity are much too specialized, correct me if I am wrong, but you are still unsure of which path to pursue?¡± Epipollus turned away from his screen and regarded Roy with both eyes raised in question. ¡°I think magic?¡± nothing else appealed to him more. ¡°That¡¯s a fairly broad field, before you decide on which line of magic to delve deeper into I suggest picking generally useful perks. Acute and Obtuse sensing were generally recommended where I studied, and Affinity of Being is a fairly considerate choice.¡± ¡°What about Mana Attuned?¡± it seemed to provide a sensing bonus like acute and obtuse. ¡°From what the texts say, the bonus for Mana Attuned accumulates quite slowly. Unless you plan to stay in a place for months or years the bonus is negligible,¡± Roy was planning to travel so that made sense, ¡°I would personally recommend Obtuse due to the circumstances; it helps to pick up large concentrations of mana given off by the fungal swarms and the vineborns.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± looking through the list again, Roy selected Obtuse Sensing and Affinity of Body, the confirmation mentally appeared and he solidified his decisions.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Is that all Mr. Roy?¡± ¡°Yeah... and thanks, I was really worrying over these choices,¡± the lists disappeared and Roy felt a weight lift, it was exciting getting all these cool abilities, but stressful because of the effect they would have on his future wellbeing. ¡°Not a problem. Oh, and before you leave I have a few more things to say,¡± Epipollus pulled out a small folding map from his pocket, ¡°I believe this is a map of the area.¡± Then he passed the state map to Roy, ¡°Our scouts recently returned with some information regarding the surroundings, we¡¯ve decided on how far we plan to relocate. Danger is marked with a circle and our future camp with a star, this is in case you we don¡¯t meet by the end of the week.¡± Roy accepted the map and unfolded it, its glossy surface was marked with black ink, circles adorned the roads and fields, many had small illustrations beside them and squiggly text to boot, ¡°Wow, thanks, it¡¯s too bad I can¡¯t read it... ¡°Truly a shame, perhaps in the future,¡± Epipollus¡¯s eyes took on a glassy appearance as they gazed into the mist, ¡°Oh, and before you leave take this.¡± The goblin pulled out another object from his vest, it was a ring, unlike the ones Pog had tried to sell him it had no wing motif and was bright sienna. A small metal square was attached to the band, ¡°Enchanted Ring, 4th grade burstrium core loaded with incinerating beam...¡± Epipollus paused, realizing his own blunder, ¡°If you give the ring a pint of mana it fires a stream of fire, it¡¯s single use so good judgement is key. Good Luck Roy.¡± Roy tucked the ring onto his left index finger, if he reccaled correctly that was a fairly neutral and symbol free choice. The small band of metal was plain and simple so Roy doubted it would attract much attention, "Thanks." With that Epipolluspatted his shoulder and left, now it was all up to him to help the survivors in the grocery store. With that thought weighing on his mind Roy packed up his belonging in the tent and headed towards the gate he had entered through. The young goblins were still running around, joy written on their faces and oversized ears flapping about. Their parents watched from the sides as they chatted variously; any newly arrived familiar faces, any luck picking up the new trade. This was not just new to Roy. As Roy walked across the wooden bridges set above the water, shuffling aside occasionally to allow the hurrying goblins passage, he recalled his conversation with the merchant. The goblin had spoken to him as if he were a human from their world, even calling him an adventurer. It seemed that apart from a few individuals, the goblins thought they had simply been shifted around by some cosmic force, a purely lateral migration. It didn¡¯t help that he could understand their language, and they had been gathered in the small camp for the last few days. Roy walked up to the goblin guarding the gate, the wooden panel from last time had been improved, now it was attached to twin ropes, which in turn were connected to a pair of crudely made pulleys. It seemed the goblins moved quickly, all that hustling was not for nothing. ¡°Hey, uh, can I get out?¡± Roy waved his hand as a gesture of greeting. ¡°You Roy, eh¡± the goblin briefly glanced over his gray tunic and then rapped his spear against a car door that was embedded into the wall, enclosed on all side by various bits of junk. Three strikes and short pause followed by a shout from agoblin above the wall, and teh pulleysbegan to turn on their own. ¡°Chief say we help you go,¡± then the goblin pointed to two others who were leaned against the wall chatting, they were both dressed in furs and armed similarly to Hog, ¡±We of Six Claw Clan here.¡± That name sounded familiar to Roy, as he scrutinized the features of the three goblins he realized that one of the ¡®hunters¡¯, as Roy began to term them was oddly familiar. ¡°Hog, Mig, we go now,¡± the guard shouted back towards the two hunters before checking over his own equipment. The familiar goblin hunter turned towards Roy and his mouth opened up wide, releasing that disquieting gurgling sound, ¡°Roy, good to see again!¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Roy responded, slight amazed at the goblin¡¯s level of enthusiasm, ¡°good to see you too.¡± With a few more words of greeting the party of four exited the camp and Roy found himself washed up in a sense of deja-vu. It was only yesterday that he had walked the same path from the convenience store but with all the events and surprises that had occurred it felt like a week or a month. It made sense in a twisted way too, his life spent indoors had been uneventful and fewer things happened within a year than what had happened within the last four days. The hunters walked a few paces ahead of Roy and the guard, they were crouched over, half of their body submerged in water. Their path only deviated after reaching the north-south running street he had taken with Hog on their way to the camp. One of the goblins raised his hand and the group paused. The stasis lasted for a few seconds, and then the hunters turned off the road and entered what used to be a backyard. Their nimble forms hurdled over the wooden fences, even the guard, clothed in chainmail, had no difficult climbing over what used to divide the yard of one house from its neighbor. Roy had to throw his weapons over the fence to free up his arms before attempting the maneuver. As he placed his hands on the wood he realized that a sickly green substance was already beginning to accumulate in the crevices of the wood, it was slick to the touch and Roy avoided it, preferring to cling on to the rough, if slightly damp wood. A bit of effort go him over the fence and the group proceeded onwards, it felt wrong intruding on other¡¯s backyards, but the residents were probably already gone. The houses they passed were uniformly decrepit in the low light conditions. The windows looked in on abandoned rooms, populated only by pieces of furniture that seemed to lack the homeliness they normally exuded. As Roy tried to make out the details in the dark interiors of the rooms, looking for some sign of life, he caught movement, a slight shuffling that normally would be dismissed as a product of sleeplessness. It was as if a wind had blown through the closed window and ruffled the curtains, casting squiggly patterns of lighton the white plaster. But the other goblins caught it too. ¡°Swampmen," the guard muttered under his breath, the hunters only stared at the windows, legs tensed, ¡°Get going, no mage.¡± With that they passed the small two story house with the drab red roof. They passed another house before the hunter led them back towards the road. As they walked between the houses Roy¡¯s gaze lingered at the hose hung on the wall, and the bed of flowers submerged to its side. Some of the wilted bulbs poked above the water, rotten petals intact from the rain because of the cover provided by the eves. Roy¡¯s eyes skimmed over the flowers, he had never been much of a florist. Then a sight caught his attention. There, standing daintily over the water surface was a blooming flower, the goblins trod past, eyes alert for any danger. Roy bent down and observed the bright petals, their color caught between yellow and orange. Unlike the paint on the houses, the flower seemed to lose none of its vibrancy, it bloomed brightly where its companions and wilted away into off brown clusters. ¡°Roy, we go, road good,¡± the guard spoke, eyes glued on his two companions and a note of fear in his voice. ¡°Yeah,¡± Roy looked at the flower and made to touch it, as if its spark of life would rub off on him. The moment his finger touched a petal the entire flower fell into the water, its cut stem now visible. Not wasting a moment Roy grabbed the severed top, stunned at what had happened. What had he done, was this the result of his touch? He had wanted to take the flower along, it seemed to make great company in the grey surroundings, but even he knew that a flower plucked was a flower not long for this world. Now it was as if his own desire had been made manifest and the flower had plucked itself, moving mushrooms, goblins, and now suicidal flowers. What was his world becoming? Roy looked at the flower in his hands, unsure of what to do with it. It was pleasant holding onto the spot of color in his surrounding, so he settled for that, he was hesitant about stickingit in his bag. Not wasting another moment Roy trekked after the group. The rest of the short walk was uneventful; they passed by a few more houses before reaching Main Street, once there they said a few hasty goodbyes and the goblins withdrew into the mist. Roy looked toward the North-West, where the grocery store had only a hint of substance. The survivors had taken in the group at the convenience store, despite shooting the goblins on sight. There was no reason for them to be hostile towards him. He would give a good first impression if he walked right up to the doors in his somewhat tidy form. He would need to look good, look respectable, he was trying to convince people with way more experience and much better credentials why they ought to listen to a high schooler and abandon a rich supply of food. His chances looked fairly bleak. Pushing aside his pessimism, Roy walked forwards, he needed to do this, without this goal he would be trackless, meandering around without a path to follow. Besides, he couldn¡¯t leave these people here, even if his efforts amounted to nothing he still needed to make that effort, or it was tantamount to leaving them to their doom. Now that was really pessimistic. Before Roy could consider any further, a gruff voice with an air of command to it blasted through the silence, ¡°Hey, you there, stop! You a friend or a foe?¡± Roy¡¯s eyes looked through the mist and he spotted the probable speaker, it appeared to be a man on the roof of the building, his figure was quite imposing positioned so high up, the rifle he held in his armsadded to the effect. ¡°I¡¯m a friend,¡± the fact that he could speak would probably amount to enough of an indication, though he felt the need to add a bit more, ¡°Roy Stone, I¡¯m a student from Anamosa High, I uh...¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough,¡± the voice seemed to quiet a notch as the man turned his head away from Roy, lowered his gun, and shouted to someone on the ground below, where the entrance was situated. ¡°We have a teenager seeking shelter, you deal with it Greyson,¡± there was a pause, then he added, ¡°get him set up and all, no funny business, got it?¡± ¡°Got it, I got it,¡± the second man, Greyson shouted back. Roy¡¯s eyes landed on the front doors, where another man, decked in a police uniform sat on a plastic chair. The space between the pillars which held up the awning in front of the store was blocked up; tables, carts and even a car had been maneuvered into place, granting some form of cover. Bits of mushroom clung to the makeshift barrier. Greyson made no move to stand and shouted from where he lounged, "You waiting for some kind of invitation? Get over here." Shocked by the man''s outward hostility, Roy stumbled his way towards a easily traversible section of the wall and climbed over, carefully avoiding the scraps of mushroom gore. ¡°Surprised yet kid? World ain¡¯t such a nice place now is it? We¡¯ll go settle you down in some little corner of the store and you can hide with all the other wimps while we risk our hide out here, yeah? Pretend none of this is your business and follow me kiddo,¡± the distaste was so palpable Roy could feel it crash into him. He had just introduced himself and already he was being dismissed, this was going to be impossible, ¡°And put that fucking flower away, you¡¯re giving me a headache just looking at that thing.¡± Roy carefully tucked the flower into his bag. Chapter 22 The man, Greyson, was more than a head taller than Roy. He was young, probably in his mid twenties, and had a build that announced that this was a man in his prime. His sleeves and pant legs were rolled up to expose well-toned, but not excessive, muscles. ¡°Level four, two-hundred and eighty-four points of health... what are you, the school punching bag?¡± the man chuckled, the sound like truck tires ripping over gravel, ¡°Still, you¡¯re not as spineless as you seem!¡± Roy focused on the man¡¯s face, trying to eke out some semblance of a smile. Apart from his father, Roy had never personally dealt with someone so... unpleasant; most of those experiences were isolated to forums and games, where a layer of anonymity helped to ease his anxiety. Greyson¡¯s face was as impressive as his body, a strong, firm, chin and a powerful gaze defined his solidly structured features. ¡°Well uh, thank you sir,¡± Roy stuttered out, unsure of how to proceed. ¡°Well, uh...¡± Greyson mimicked in a soft and high pitched voice, ¡°Where¡¯s you tiara little girl? This ain¡¯t a tea party!¡± Greyson stabbed a finger at Roy, the force behind the digit enough to send him stumbling backwards into a cash register. Greyson had led Roy into the grocery store after his impromptu greeting, the inside was flooded as Roy had expected, but the shelves had been tipped over and covered with ply board, forming an elevated ground for the many survivors to rest on. Other shelves acted as dividers between makeshift rooms and were also packed with various consumables. The older man had stopped near the checkout desks, leading to the current display. ¡°Getting back on track before Owen pulls a fit, normally, cause you¡¯re a brat, Owen¡¯d stick you some corner and tell you politely, to keep out of the way of the big boys. But I think you¡¯re gonna be a lot more helpful going out with the scavengers,¡± as Greyson said that he grabbed the few weapons Roy held in his grasp. Roy was reluctant to part with the little he had, but he convinced himself that this was the only way, ¡°You got anything else besides this shit?¡± ¡°I have some water and food, and uh... a flashlight, radio and some batteries,¡± now that he mentioned it, he had forgotten to check for any new broadcasts in the morning, he needed to get into the habit of that or he would forget. Roy gave the other man a fairly accurate picture of what else was on him, if he said too little Greyson would be suspicious. Even if he was willing to part with his pitchfork, fungus fryer, and sledgehammer, he was not willing to be stripped of the dagger and left weaponless. Keeping the gun, even if it was empty, a secret also seemed sensible, that was bound to get confiscated. ¡°Yeah whatever, you can keep your toys,¡± Greyson put the fryer and the sledgehammer onto a grocery conveyor, ¡°Here keep the stupid farming implement too; we got enough of this garbage lying around.¡± Then Greyson turned around and shouted into the building, ¡°Jonas, get over here, I got something for you!¡± They waited awhile for this Jonas fellow, who turned out to be a man in his late fifties, hair graying around the edges and belly beginning to bulge, but still powerfully built, ¡°What do ya want Greyson.¡± The man sounded irritated, he sounded like he was perpetually irritated, that mixed with the smell of alcohol which drifted off the man in waves painted a vivid picture. ¡°Recognize the hammer old man? I think it¡¯s yours,¡± Greyson easily picked up the weapon with one hand, showing of an astounding level of strength. ¡°Huh?¡± Jonas walked up to the hammer and received it with a grunt, then the man carefully looked over the notches in the wood and the dents on the hammer head, ¡°This is from the garage, where¡¯d you get this from Greyson?¡± ¡°This kid,¡± Greyson pushed Roy forwards into the spotlight, ¡°Why don¡¯t you fill the old man in?¡± Jonas stared hard at Roy for a second, his features were somewhat wrinkled with age but Roy could see this man¡¯s resemblance to John, and to the man in the photo he had picked up from the car dealership, ¡°You got this from my garage.¡± It was more a fact than a question, Roy knew this wasn¡¯t going to turn out pretty, ¡°Well... yeah, I needed some shelter you see, so I got in and found this laying around...¡± ¡°You broke into my place, and you take my stuff, and here you are,¡± the man¡¯s teeth were clenched in anger, the emotion rolled of him like the stench of booze. Before he knew it the man had him by the collar and Roy was staring into two orbs alight with rage. ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down old man, you better put the kid down before Owen gets a whiff of this,¡± Greyson moved beside Roy¡¯s captor and clasped one hand over his shoulder. The motion seemed to drain the energy out of the man and Roy was let down. ¡°What else you got,¡± Jonas looked towards Roy, eyes dim and lacking life. ¡°Some batteries...¡± ¡°Did you see a photo... on the front desk,¡± Roy reached into his bag and extracted the framed photograph depicting John, Jonas, and what Roy assumed to be John¡¯s brother. Jonas took the memento and looked at it for a moment, ¡°You know John?¡± ¡°Yeah... that¡¯s why I took the photo, I though, you know,¡± Roy spluttered out the last bit, feeling as if he was interrupting the mood with his bumbling. ¡°How was he?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Roy recalled John¡¯s confrontation with Deven and the bullet wound, Leo said it was fine so that was what he would repeat, there was no point bringing John¡¯s father deeper into melancholy, ¡°He¡¯s with a big group, and he¡¯s strong, so I think things are going to be fine.¡± He didn¡¯t mention the confrontation outside the gymnasium with the behemoth. The man needed some hope, and Roy was going to try, even if he wasn¡¯t some certified doctor. ¡°Oh,¡± the man hefted the sledgehammer and turned around, as he slowly made his way between the makeshift partitions, Roy caught a quiet addendum, ¡°Thanks.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Greyson waited until the sound of a door opening and closing resounded through the room before continuing, ¡°Used to be a chipper guy.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± the quick escalation and de-escalation left him drawing blanks, was it fear he felt when the larger man had picked him up by the color, violence so evident in his eyes, or was it pity for the emotions that drifted off the man like smog. Looking at the photograph and the man¡¯s worry reminded Roy of his own family. He had pushed the though away on the first day, justified by the fact that his both his mom was on the eastern seaboard and his father was on another continent all together. Was he worried about them, were they worried about him, was he not feeling overwhelmed like Jonas, because the present loomed large in his eyes. ¡°Hey kid, don¡¯t space out on me,¡± Greyson gave him a light shove that pulled him out of his thoughts, ¡°Aww, now I can¡¯t recall what the hell we were talking about.¡± Greyson looked at the rod he had taken from Roy, ¡°Oh, yeah, weapons and shit right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Roy quietly replied, he was hoping that the man would move on and leave the rest of his possessions alone. ¡°You keep the pitchfork, we take the sizzler,¡± Greyson announced confidently, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. ¡°The sizzler?¡± was the man mistaking the weapon for something else they had found, or was that just lingo. ¡°Cuz¡¯ when you shoot the shrooms¡¯ with it they start to sizzle,¡± Greyson explained with a matter of fact tone, the man always seemed so sure of himself, it was a confidence that slightly annoyed Roy, least of which because he lacked it, ¡°You ever get one of these to work?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± it sounded like he wasn¡¯t the only one. ¡°So you ain¡¯t a halfwit, good, we have a couple of these and we put them to good use against the buggers when they start swarming around,¡± Greyson pointed towards a row of fungas fryers that stood lined up against the wall, rough wood out of place against the smooth plaster of the wall. ¡°We get some of the cowards to take turns shooting a load at the shrooms, they leech off our work but at least they''re good for something,¡± Greyson continued, disgust evident in his face. ¡°Fuck those guys! Anyways, Lestrat¡¯ll get you settled down, meanwhile I¡¯ll hook you up with Nolan, he leads the Task Force,¡± a small smile crept onto Roy¡¯s face as Greyson mentioned Lestrat, it seemed they had made it and the other boy was still taking an active role in things. On the other hand getting shoved into a team that took frequent trips outside sent Roy¡¯s danger alarms into overdrive, but the position would certainly give him a larger, more important role in things. That would help him convince the group to leave, once he found a good opportunity to broach the subject. Greyson had Roy wait near the entrance as he looked for Lestrat, it gave him time to take in the scene laid out before him. The inside of the store was dark, the only light came from the windows at the front, as it passed over the rows of makeshift partitions it grew more and more feeble, until Roy could hardly make out the rooms situated at the very back. It was humid too, more so then outside, and it smelled of people, unwashed bodies packed in an enclosed space for days on end. Roy caught sight of some of the residents, walking between the aisles with stooped shoulders and downturned heads. The man he was currently looking at wore a blue dress shirt, it was still presentable despite the circumstances. The man walked towards the back of the store before disappearing from sight. There were other¡¯s too, people in modern attire sat along the edges of platforms chatting away with their neighbors, their conversations were hushed but one layered atop another, some arising from areas blocked off from Roy¡¯s sight by the maze of shelves that had been set up. They intermixed, creating a quiet buzz, like the wind as it streamed its way through urban corridors and across asphalt deserts. One individual was heading towards the front of the store, it was an elderly man whose hair line and skin told of far advanced age. The man gave Roy a brief look before dismissing him; he set himself down near the windows on a plastic stool and sat there, gazing out at nothing in particular. It took a few minutes for Greyson to finally return with Lestrat, who at the sight of Roy sped past the older man and within seconds stood an arm¡¯s length away. He hesitated for a moment before clasping his hand of Roy¡¯s shoulders. Joy and relief were evident in the boy¡¯s face, but it intermixed with something Roy couldn¡¯t quite identify. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you Roy,¡± Lestrat was finally able to vocalize, ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you.¡± Roy looked at Lestrat, tears were already beginning to form, and the burst of emotion was making Roy uneasy. He had never been at the receiving end of so much... gratitude, or so many thanks, ¡°Oh, uh, its fine I guess, it¡¯s good to see you too Lestrat, how are the other¡¯s?¡± Lestrat sky blue eyes began to shimmer as tears flowed out, dark rings half encircled his eyes, and his hair was a mess, unlike the tidy crop Roy had associated the boy with, ¡°They¡¯re doing well Roy, thank you.¡± Lestrat squeezed out the final words before he turned his face towards the ground, taking in deep breaths as he reigned himself in. ¡°You know each other?¡± Greyson interjected, as he walked up to Roy, ¡°Whatever, get this show over with, I think I¡¯m gonna barf. Oh and I¡¯m leaving, Lestrat can show you around.¡± Then he pushed past the front doors, leaving Roy with his guide. ¡°Are you ok?¡± asked Roy, doubting his own choice of words. ¡°I¡¯m... fine, we¡¯re all fine,¡± Lestrat raised his head, his mouth forming a small grin and his eyes still wet with tears, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll show you around.¡± Lestrat took the lead and Roy followed as they walked deeper into the establishment, the shelves rose up on all sides, overshadowing the narrow and flooded walk spaces. Other horizontal patches intersected the route they took, without a path to the windows they were even darker, resembling tight packed alleyways. The rooms opened up to the make shift street, most were curtained or blocked off with cardboard, probably to provide the residents with some measure of privacy. Though they were all without roofs and the thin walls provided little when it came to keeping sound from leaking out or drifting in. Despite the decrepitude, the set-up was novel, a makeshift shelter constructed of shelves. The stink, the humidity, the heat, were all made more tolerable by his constitution, though that luxury would not be available to many of the other residents. The whole grocery had been turned into an emergency shelter, the sort Roy would sometimes glimpse on TV after a natural disaster, but the conditions at this shelter would probably cause a controversy. As they navigated the corridors Lestrat talked and Roy listened, it sucked that he would have to remember all of this considering his lackluster memory, a product of never having studied for a test or memorized a presentation. ¡°We have the residences here and various workplaces at the back,¡± Lestrat pointed straight forwards to door that could be barely made out in the dark, ¡°The bathroom are where they used to be, though the toilets and urinals are... inoperable, we have buckets set up...¡± ¡°Anyways, we handout food near the front doors every morning, the rations should be sufficient but we provide extra to those that work, physical exertion and all. However, some people need larger portions, for questions and concerns we have an office at the far left corner, there should be a big sign on the doorso you can¡¯t miss it,¡± Lestrat turned a corner and the two made their way through a alley before popping out in the next aisle to the left, ¡°That¡¯s where we¡¯ll be heading, I live in the office and there¡¯s a few empty lofts right outside so I can assign you one of those. People generally prefer the rooms closer to the front, so it¡¯s up to you.¡± Lestrat stopped outside a plain aluminum door with a large sign hanging on its surface, a dim light attached to the sign helped to illuminate the words ¡®Welcome¡¯ followed by ¡®Question and Concerns¡¯ on the line below it, ¡°Here we are, the scavengers are based on the right side, they have their own quarters too. The generator room, storage spaces, and a few other residences are located behind the rest of the doors.¡± ¡°Oh and before we go in and I get completely side tracked, Sergeant Owen is in charge, he likes to keep watch on the roof. Officer Greyson handles security, but he does a lot besides that too. I¡¯ll introduce the others once we get settled down,¡± with that Lestrat turned towards the door and knocked. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Madelyn, it¡¯s me. Roy¡¯s here too,¡± Lestrat responded. Chapter 23 ¡°Watch your step,¡± Lestrat cautioned as he stepped atop the makeshift floor, the inside of the room was elevated in the same manner the rooms outside had been. Following Lestrat¡¯s lead, Roy climbed atop the platform, the plywood creaked and the aluminum shelves underneath scrapped across the ground from the movement. ¡°We¡¯re thinking of drilling holes into the boards and shelves to bind them more tightly, but we¡¯ve been too busy,¡± Lestrat explained as he watched Roy test his footing. The inside of the room was illuminated by a small candle; it stood beside a thin pile of papers and an empty dish. They were the only adornments of the desk nestled deep inside the room. The light from the candle was weak as it flickered over the walls and ceiling of the room. ¡°Hello Roy,¡± Madelyn sat cross legged on a mat spread open on the ground, her attire, some dark shade resembling black in the low light, blended in with the ambience. Her hair, black and in a sharp bob, left only her face visible. It¡¯s paleness disturbing in its contrast. ¡°Oh, hi, good to see you¡¯re alright,¡± she wasn¡¯t detached, severed from the world like she had been after they found the body in the master bedroom, but there was still something different, something he couldn¡¯t pin down. He had only know Lestrat and the other¡¯s for a day at most. ¡°Alright, and you?¡± Madelyn replied, shifting her body to face the two. ¡°I¡¯m ok...¡± it felt weird, the short, curt, sentences. ¡°Ok, and Lestrat. You¡¯ve been crying,¡± she said it like it was a fact, it was dark enough in the room that Roy could hardly make out the lines on his own palms. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s nothing really, I¡¯m fine,¡± the other boy give a short chuckle as he headed towards his work desk. ¡°Alright, ok and fine,¡± Madelyn muttered as she directed a lopsided grin to no one in particular. ¡°Right, before I forget, according to Officer Greyson, Roy will be joining the task force; you should get him acquainted with the basics,¡± Lestrat talked as he searched through the small pile of sheets, pulling out several as he went along. ¡°Ah, Nolan,¡± Madelyn mused as she leaned back on her arms. She was wearing a suit, unbuttoned, as she leaned back the two flaps slid open and dangled onto the ground, revealing a white dress shirt and dark red tie, ¡°Not the most sociable.¡± Roy had never worn a suit before, his father often said they were for weak city folk and avoided them like the plague, much to the chagrin of Roy¡¯s mother who was an astute professional. Lestrat on the other hand, gaped in disbelief at the clear disregard for proper dress. ¡°Madelyn, your attire, it¡¯s...¡± Lestrat fizzled out as the number of infractions overwhelmed him, should he address the copious number of creases first, or was the fact that the tie hung loosely and dangled off to the side a greater concern. ¡°Electrifying, enthralling, entrancing?¡± Madelyn completed, tilting her head to one side. ¡°What, that, you...¡± Lestrat spluttered out, his well-formed sentences breaking down into incomprehensible fragments. Surely Roy was intruding, he was about to excuse himself when the boy continued, face flushed with embarrassment, ¡°Apologies Roy, well, I believe we¡¯re mostly done here, I¡¯ll fill out the forms, so feel free to...¡± ¡°Right, uh, I¡¯ll take one of the rooms near the back... A few rooms from here of course, so, yeah,¡± Roy quickly filled in. ¡°A few rooms away? Why would...¡± Lestrat managed to choke out the last bit before he buried his face in his hand, ¡°That, no, no, no...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be ¡®fine¡¯,¡± assured Madelyn as she pulled herself up, the suit still hung behind her shoulder, ¡°We¡¯ll go see Nolan later, for now, farewell!¡± Her eyes were like arrow heads and her smile a crooked crescent; hastily, Roy retreated from the room, making sure to close the door behind him. It was nice meeting past acquaintances, especially with all the days he had spent in solitude, but he had never been familiar with these people, and the extreme circumstances only widened the gulf. What was their relationship? Did it matter to him? No, so he would refrain from prying, people had enough stress to deal with without him adding to it. Recalling his classroom days, Roy wouldn¡¯t be like Julia, who had ruined her friendship because of a few stray comments. He would only take the relevant bits from his conversation with Lestrat to heart, and discard what was outside of his concern. Roy took a few steps away from the door and looked around at the selection of rooms, they were all five meters by five meters and enclosed by shelves around two meters tall. As Roy looked through them, it was Lestrat had said, they were all empty, aside from the occasional loose item that had been left on the shelf and forgotten. There was a chocolate bar, some gum, a pack of paper towels, and even a bottle of dish detergent. Roy bit at his new found chocolate bar, it was a cheap knock-off brand with way too much sugar, but it sweetness filled his mouth and he was reminded of his days in front of the computer. Roy turned back after seeing the first inhabited room; he would pick a room at least a few distant from someone else¡¯s. With the walls as thin as they were, that was the best insurance of a shred of privacy. Roy ended up choosing a room nestled against the left wall, it was two units from the door to Lestrat¡¯s office and two units from the next room in the direction of the storefront. Roy felt safer with one side of the room against a solid wall, since the aluminum shelves could hardly be labeled as sturdy. The section of wall that he backed held several large stands, they would have held fresh produce, the misting machines frequently spraying the vegetables with a cool layer of water. Now the stands were empty, at least someone had had the presence of mind to wipe away any food residues. It made for a halfway decent table, on the downside, the shelves couldn¡¯t block off the two ends, creating a hole in the feeble structure. He could always cover it up with some curtains or cardboard, following the example of the other residents.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. That could always wait until later, for now Roy pulled off his backpack and laid the contents onto the ground. The batteries scattered across the ground, beside the flashlight and radio, this was the tech he had been reduced to. The majority of his backpack had been occupied by a loaf and a half of bread, with the accompanying cans of fish, they made up a balanced and nutritious diet, or so he liked to believe. Then came the more esoteric items, Roy wore the ring Epipollus had given him on his hand, and if it functioned as a sort of panic button that launched a jet of fire, it would be more useful closer at hand. Roy examined the ring in case it had any additional information; he was sorely disappointed when what the blue screen provided was almost identical to what Epipollus had told him, except that now he knew the ring was made of, ¡°Pyre Steel¡±. Now if only Roy had been a Crypto-metallurgist. Since the ring was single use he would have to wait until he was on the cusp of death to find out. Meanwhile he had the flower and the ¡®Empyrean Fragment¡¯ to busy himself with. The flower was still as fresh and vibrant as he had remembered it, even in the room, totally cut off from the sun, its bright orange bursts of petals still oozed color. Roy examined it.
Blessed Marigold
The flower was blessed? Was this a joke, how could a flower, among dozens in a stray garden be blessed. Roy held itup to his eyes and turned it from side to side, looking at each individual petal in turn. Were their definitions of blessed different? This couldn¡¯t be an internet rip off, if the system said the flower was blessed then surely it was different from every other flower. Or the system simply adored Marigolds and changed their name to reflect that fact. Roy delicately placed the flower at his side, would he be smitten for sacrilege if he damaged the flower? Roy didn¡¯t want to find out, so it was best to treat the flower like a sacred object. The next mysterious object was the ¡®Empyrean Fragment,¡± was the stone literally a piece of the sky? Roy felt like Chicken Little, but that was what the name seemed to imply. He had held onto the ¡®crystal¡¯ for several days now and nothing seemed to come of it. If this were a game the crystal would surely be a crafting ingredient, or a quest object. If it were the prior, with a name like that, its qualities would surely not be lacking. A piece of the sky would no doubt be an ingredient for a ¡®Heaven Piercing Spear¡¯. Roy caught himself and pulled his mind out of the gutter and focused at the task at hand. Looking at the flower and the fragment, Roy wondered if he could sense their mana as well, just like how he had felt the picture Tig had given him. It was a good an idea as any, so Roy settled down and concentrated on his mana. Slowly Roy placed his finger on the stone. There was nothing, he could feel the smooth surface of the crystal beneath his fingertips, but the boundary of his mana felt unchanged. The sensation of coming into contact with outside mana had been obvious so far, whether it was Tig¡¯s finger or the picture. A reasonable conclusion was that the crystal had no magical properties, or that he lacked the knowledge and ability to even catch of glimpse of the crystal''s properties. If he couldn¡¯t utilize finesse perhaps he could pry at it using force, or its magical equivalent. He had been gently caressing it with mana, eliciting no response, so Roy took ahold of as much mana as his rudimentary skills could muster and shoved it at the crystal. Grabbing a handful of mana for the flame spell required some control and precision, but simply pushing a vast quantity of mana was considerably easier. The instant his wave connected with the crystal a shock coursed through his body, his mana flew off him like leaves off a tree. It was instantaneous, his control, his grasp over the mana vanishing in the blink of an eye, leaving his sense grasping at nothing before it began its free fall. Nausea overcame him as his senses struggled to perceive nothing, for his mana was completely gone. Then his flailing senses caught around something, it was minuscule, a droplet of mana at the center of his body. With it Roy extracted himself from his other sense. Taking in a deep breath Roy stared at the fragment before him, nothing seemed to change, but his perception of it had taken a one-eighty. A quick query brought to mind the information that his MP was at 1. The fragment was powerful, an object like no other he had obtained in his short journey through the neighborhood. He was unfamiliar with the other world, but the piece of crystal screamed legendary. That was if the amount of force his mana felt was proportional to the power of whatever he was sensing. He could verify this using the flower and the ring. The ring was could shoot a beam of fire, that sounded pretty impressive. He would feel the force that object gave out and use that and the force he had felt coming from Tig¡¯s finger during his training as a standard to compare the other objects to. It sounded imprecise, like he was gauging the hardness of diamond by smashing it and a few other objects using a big rock and reflecting on how he felt when the rock hit the samples. Was this what the first magicians did as they sat hermit-like in their prehistoric wizard caves? Roy¡¯s dress and odor were surely similar enough. Before he could carry out his experiment, he would first need to wait for his mana to regenerate. Using his time productively, Roy opened up the radio and listened through the transmission, much to his chagrin they were unchanged. Which meant there was no word on help, on the other hand it could also mean things had not deteriorated further. Closing the radio with a sigh, Roy pulled out the last of his possessions, the empty gun, and the dagger. He hadn¡¯t been the most prudent about looking for ammunition, a fault he should amend but would no doubt forget soon, guns just didn¡¯t have the same ring as magic. The dagger, which he kept in his pocket, had been useful, it was blunt enough that he had yet to cut himself, but sharp enough that with a great effort he had stabbed it through the head of the hastaos. In that regard the dagger had saved his life. It was also great for breaking in, Roy added, before he tucked the weapon back into his pocket, ending the brief bout of sickness the dagger brought about when he held it. He needed a better way of carrying it around or he would stab himself in the leg, no matter how blunt the tip was. Leaning back, still somewhat conscious of the dagger he had just tucked away, Roy looked over his stash. It was humble but soon it would become a horde, there was no stopping it, amassing junk was the gaming way, not to mention the modern way. It was too bad the system didn¡¯t come with an inventory, which would make storing his collection all the more easier. As of now, anything he didn¡¯t carry on him was subject to be stolen or lost. It was the end of the world, and he was in a shelter with no door and no roof. Slowly Roy began to split the collection in twain, he would keep the food, radio and batteries here, everything else he could comfortable fit in his bag. The shelter guaranteed food for now and the bread was perishable, so it was no great loss. The radio and the batteries were also easily replaceable. The only reason he carried the flashlight was because it would come in handy in the dark. The things he would take with him were the weapons and the trinkets; rings, rock, and flower. Their weight was negligible. The only large piece was the pitchfork, and that was now his only operable primary weapon. Looking at the pitchfork he had spent so many lonely nights with, a tear almost welled up in Roy¡¯s eyes. Gator hunting, corpse duty, he had done so much with it in so short a period of time. In return it had given him a fungal infection that had so far costed him two points in CON. What a wonderful relationship. As his thoughts flew off to parts unknown something intelligent sprung up from the primordial void. The weapon had been a chore to carry, especially if he needed both hands, but what it he attached some rope to it and formed a sling? He could then carry it slung behind his back. The caveman admired his ingenuity as he sat in the dark recesses of his cave. Chapter 24 Roy felt as if he was being smashed repeatedly with a sledgehammer, the force of the blows sending scraps of mana flying; soon he would be reduced to oblivion. But Roy reigned in his sense and pulled the entirety of himself back into the physical realm. No flower could defeat him; he was a mage of the 0th circle, a dabbler of the arcane. This was no failure, this was success. The ring pushed back with something akin to a light push, just slightly stronger than what he had felt emanate from Tig. The fragment had vaporized his reserves, and now the flower struck with an unendurable force. If greater force meant greater mana, which sounded reasonable, than the flower was leagues ahead of the ring, and the crystal leagues ahead of the flower. The difference between the piece of sky and the metal dug from the ground was truly like the difference between heaven and earth! Now that he knew he had a game breaking artifact Roy could... store it into his bag and try to keep it safe. Knowing something was powerful and making use of that power were two different things, it was like knowing the energy stored in an atom and actually tapping into it. He had barely mastered fire, how was he supposed to even grasp nuclear. On the bright side he could always sell it for some easy fantasy green. Carefully, Roy stowed his goods away. ¡°I never knew flowers could have such an effect on men,¡± chimed a voice from behind. Quickly, Roy spun around, tucking his bag behind him like a criminal caught in the act. Madelyn stood at the doorway, arms crossed and leaning against the shelves that made up the wall. Her clothes were in the same state of disarray Lestrat had criticized earlier, though now Roy could make out the dress pants, leather belt, and oxfords that completed the formal attire. ¡°F-f-lowers?¡± Roy spouted, trying to sound casual despite the fear bubbling inside him. Would his goods be confiscated? ¡°Feigning innocence? The lecherous cast of your face as you scrutinized the flower was all to obvious I''m afraid,¡± her voice morphed into a high pitched whine as the sentence continued. ¡®What? That¡¯s disgusting!¡± Roy rebounded, his earlier fears forgotten. ¡°Ah, of course, a flower stays so, only if it stays pure,¡± she continued, tone and dress a mismatch, ¡°You may find the most floral of flowers in yonder room.¡± Saying so she pointed towards Lestrat¡¯s office, her sleeve dangled from the end of her arm like some twisting tentacle. His initial panic now subsided; Roy stood and shouldered his backpack. ¡°We¡¯re going to see Nolan right?¡± Roy righted the conversation, that was enough talk about flowers. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± her tone flipped in an instant, soprano making way for a neutral, almost emotionless, drone. Madelyn gave him a second to check over his belongings before the two stepped into the water, Roy¡¯s soggy shoes instantly re-drenched. It appeared that he would never experience dry footwear ever again. ¡°Hey, Madelyn, how are Denton and Pyrene?¡± he had wanted to ask Lestrat, but he had been so caught up in the moment he had forgotten. There were so many other questions he wanted answered. ¡°Denton and Pyrene sitting on a tree...¡± Madelyn started in a sing song voice, before reverting back to the familiar monotone, ¡°Idling around without reason or purpose.¡± ¡°What?¡± Roy recalled the two as being quite high spirited during the little time they interacted, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°They were unable to adapt, similar to many other¡¯s here,¡± she suggested, shrugging her shoulders, ¡°Things will become apparent after you stay for a few days.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± if he looked at the past few days, there were times when he wanted to lay down and shut himself from the new reality, but necessity drove him from comfort. Here food and shelter seemed to be provided to anyone in need, there was no motivation for the residents to leave their comfort zone. He would have acted similarly, in fact why did he feel the compulsion to act now? He could easily find a nice corner to tuck himself into, leaving the heavy lifting to others. ¡°I don¡¯t fault them for their inaction; we¡¯re all broken in our own little ways, it¡¯s simply more obvious now,¡± Madelyn continued, as the two reached the far right corner of the store. A door similar to the one outside Lestrat¡¯s office greeted them, there was even a sign tacked the surface that read, ¡°Task Force,¡± and then below it in bold capitals, ¡°Authorized Personnel Only.¡± That sounded fairly ominous, ¡°Nolan¡¯s little touch.¡± Roy recoiled in shock as Madelyn pushed open the door without even a knock. The inside of the room was lit by a single lightbulb; makeshift wiring connected it to a small hole in the wall some distance above the water. It was much brighter in the room than the rest of the store and it took a moment for Roy¡¯s eyes to adjust. The room was large, it probably acted as storage space before it had been remodeled to house the ¡®Task Force¡¯. Only the center was elevated, but instead of the shelf base Roy had grown somewhat familiar with, this platform was composed of large black framed storage racks. This had the effect of elevating the plywood well above the water. Several collapsible chairs and tables lay haphazardly around the platform; littered on the surfaces were an assortment of arms and armors, from thick barreled shotguns, to medievalesque longswords. The space that wasn¡¯t covered was occupied by loose rounds of ammunition, packets of cigarettes, and ashtrays. A man and a women lounged in the chairs, smoke wafted from the cigarette that hung from the man¡¯s mouth. He had short graying hair and a face as flat as a stone slab, but just as solid and locked in a perpetual frown. The woman sat hunched over on a chair, fidgeteing with the various pieces on the table as if waiting for a call to action. Below the platform and partly obscured in shadow, ayounger man stood in the water, waving around a wooden pole as if fighting off phantasms. The second Roy and Madelyn entered, the three individuals raised their heads and scrutinized the guests for an instant, before returning to their prior activities. Only the older man kept his gaze steady. ¡°Knock!¡± he yelled in a heavy voice that almost seemed to carry a physical weight. ¡°Whoops?¡± Madelyn responded as she stepped onto the platform, Roy waited for a second before following, hesitant about approaching the clearly incensed man. Awaiting some form of retribution, he was surprised when the man seemed to move on, without giving the matter another thought. ¡°New guy?¡± the man barked, angry was clearly his default state.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°This gentleman is Nolan,¡± Madelyn explained as she took a seat in one of the chairs. ¡°Oh, uh, nice to meet you... Nolan. I¡¯m Roy, Roy Stone,¡± Roy stuttered out, as he tried to stand straight, like the soldiers he saw in war movies. ¡°Sir!¡± a burst of sound nearly knocked hi off his feet with its suddenty and intensity. Roy took a moment to comprehend the meaning behind the word before it dawned on him. ¡°Uh, Yes Sir!¡± he finally managed to blurt out. The man¡¯s face transformed as the corners of his mouth curled upwards. ¡°Madelyn, look at rookie Stone here! Why don''t you fix your attitude and learn a thing or two from this young man,¡± Nolan stood and walked up to Roy, he pulled a patch from his pocket and slowly, meticulously, attached it to Roy¡¯s shirt. It was a small metal pin that had been painted over. A large white star backed by blue now adorned the aluminum surface, ¡°Welcome to the Task Force rookie!¡± ¡°And the rest of you, why don¡¯t you introduce youselves!¡± Nolan ordered as he looked from the fidgeting woman to the young man. The woman was the first to respond, her mop of blonde hair swung to the side as she jerked her head towards Roy¡¯s direction, ¡°Right, right, where are my manners, heh. They call me Lucy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in charge of well...¡± Lucy tapped her feet against the ground in an erratic pattern, ¡°Scouting, yeah that sounds about right, but I do a lot else too. So really, work with you soon and good luck and all.¡± She turned back to the table, curtain of hair drawing closed again. The labored breathing of the young man and the rattle of various items filled the room once again; the near silence persisted until Nolan¡¯s voice tore through it like paper, ¡°You too Liam!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mato old man,¡± the youth spoke, through gritted teeth, whether that was because of exertion, anger, or a mix, Roy couldn¡¯t tell. Nolan directed an incomprehensible grumble towards the youngster before turning back to Roy, ¡°Kids an Indian, and wants to go back to his roots!¡± ¡°Indigenous, Aboriginal, Native American,¡± Madelyn hummed off to the side. ¡°I call them whatever I want!¡± Nolan¡¯s veins emerged in all their splendor as he shouted at the interloper, ¡°Besides these three slackers there¡¯s Karl and Dan. The two are bothers and they''re only a smidgen more man then the civvies loitering around.¡± ¡°Now Madelyn, show our newest member the ropes and get him equipped, we have a supply run and two evacuations planned for the afternoon!¡± with one final booming announcement, Nolan sat back down on his chair; an American flag was painted on the grey plastic surface. ¡°It would be a pleasure, sir,¡± she responded in a sickly sweet voice, the response elicited an irritated grunt from Nolan, ¡°Shall we go Roy? I¡¯ll explain as we tour the compound, it smells like burnt rat poison in here.¡± The two descended from the platform, before leaving Roy recalled that he could examine the goblins, and Greyson had probably examined him during their brief meeting. So he did the same to the three individuals. Similar to the goblins, the screen only displayed their name as ¡®Human¡¯; a more interesting fact was their levels. Nolan was level 7 and the other two were both level 6. Unlike Roy who had spent a while lazing around and who was not especially keen on fighting. These three had probably experienced quite a bit more combat, combined with the abundant amount of firearms in the room, which in Roy¡¯s experience made stronger monsters easier to defeat, their higher level made sense. Now that he thought about it, examining everyone he met was probably a good habit to get into. Not that he was planning to pick a fight; the number would give him a good gauge of how experienced the other was and how safe Roy was in their presence. It was likely that he had been examined by the three individuals in turn; it was probably the reason Nolan had accepted him so quickly. There was no reason to test him if a quick glance showed that he had an ounce of experience and at least the drive to fight. He turned towards Madelyn and felt compelled to ask, ¡°Hey, can I check your level and stuff...¡± His question was met with an odd stare and her mouth began to form the crooked grin Roy had begun to associate with the girl, ¡°Asking for permission is a respectable trait, but checking someone¡¯s level is custom here, there¡¯s no need to ask.¡± Roy took the curious praise in step and checked her level; the number 12 instantly caught his attention. He almost missed Madelyn¡¯s ongoing explanation. ¡°Generally, the non-combatants ignore the system; to them you¡¯re inspecting meaningless numbers. To us level is vital for combat, outside of actually being familiar with them, level is the only simple way of determining how experienced and able an ally is,¡± she paused for a moment and stared at Roy, he was probably staring at bit too intently at the two digit number. ¡°Some, like Nolan and Greyson see levels as indicating prestige; they frequently compare how large their level is and how quickly they can increase it,¡± Madelyn finished her explanation and her eyes seemed to mimic the crescent her mouth had spread into. Roy ignored the smile and whatever hidden meaning she was trying to convey, ¡°Your level 12?¡± ¡°You¡¯re tiny in comparison, Greyson is 10 and Owen is 9, four is definitely below average.¡± ¡°Level isn¡¯t everything!¡± somehow the way she phrased it made it more insulting than it really was. They had been walking down the aisles, passing by curtained doorways and occasionally the chatting resident. The ones located near the back gave them tired smile and kind waves, but as they near the front the attitude changed. Conversation paused and eyes followed them as they passed, their gaze only stayed on Roy for a brief moment, but they practically stuck to Madelyn. Their small aluminum pin seemed to attract an equal amount of unwholesome attention. The front of the store was bright; he would have never though so had this been a few days ago, but now having spent hours in the dark, the weakened sunlight was refreshing. The dim bulb in the Task Force room was incomparable. Roy could spot Greyson outside, lounged in a deck chair with a rifle close within reach on the table set up beside him. All before him was shrouded in mist and Roy almost felt scared for the man, it was just him and Owen on the roof against the impenetrable tide. ¡°There¡¯s not much to say regarding the Task Force, it¡¯s only been existent for three or four days. We get extra rations of food if we need it; in exchange we adventure outside for booty; supplies and slaves in laymen¡¯s terms...¡± ¡°Slaves?¡± Roy exclaimed, was that why they had garnered some odd looks? ¡°Peace is their chain and ignorance the labor they bear!¡± the girl peaked at him from the corner of the eyes, as if expecting a reaction besides abject horror at the lows they had sunk to, then sighing she continued, ¡±I¡¯m kidding, ok?¡± If Roy had sweated he would be wiping away that sweat right now, the revelation that they had stooped to slavery in just a matter of days was horrifying at an existential level. ¡°We are tasked with ¡®evacuations¡¯, sometimes lone survivors find us and ask us to ferry their friends over,¡± they toured the front of the store, weaving in and out of the registers. About two dozen people stood or sat near qround the massive windows, bathing in the little light available. There were even children, their clothes more rags than clothes. They dashed through the water, sending up sprays which were met with exasperation from those unfortunate enough to be in their path. One, two, three, kids dashed past Roy before the fourth stopped in front of Madelyn and delivered a kick to the shin that sent the unprepared girl tumbling into the water. ¡°That¡¯s for taking all the food!¡± he jabbered before running off to rejoin his friends, who gawked at the unfortunate girl with evident amusement in their faces. ¡°Are you uh, alright?¡± he didn¡¯t know what to think, the assailant was probably eight or nine, and slightly chubby. ¡°Kids these days,¡± Madelyn mused as she pulled herself up from the ground, water dripped from her wool suit in rivulets. The suit had been messy before, but now soggy and weighted down by water it sagged from where it hung behind her shoulders. ¡°Right,¡± Roy associated suits with business meetings and formal occasions, the circumstances just didn¡¯t seem fitting for wearing one, especially with the abundance of things that could go wrong in the end of the world, naughty kids being one of many of course, ¡°Why are you wearing a suit?¡± ¡°I¡¯m dressed in mourning,¡± Madelyn informed as she tried to flush out some of the water. ¡°Mourning?¡± Roy murmured as he though back on the events that transpired in Madelyn¡¯s house, the bloated body of her mother lying on the bed, a faint green tinge to her belly and the acrid smell in the air, ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you, uh, wear the suit properly, like Lestrat said?¡± Roy hoped he wasn¡¯t overstepping, this was a delicate matter as evidenced by her listless disposition after finding the body. ¡°I should shouldn¡¯t I,¡± she mused, voice just above a whisper. ¡°Lestrat will be handing out meals soon, he tends to lose track of time while burried in his paperwork. I¡¯ll fill you in on the rest of the details over lunch,¡± Madelyn switched gear in an instant, and began to saunter down the alleys. Roy hurried to follow her, he tried to ignore the stares from those near the front. It was upsetting being at the center of so much negative attention, like he was being pummeled mentally. Chapter 25 Roy looked at the door to Lestrat¡¯s office for a second time, before it swung inwards, opened by Madelyn without an ounce of warning to those inside. The room was just as dark as Roy remembered it, the same lone candle burned in its place on the table, illuminating Lestrat¡¯s downturned face. His eyes scrutinized a sheet of paper, glanced at the two for a second, before returning to the document and making several quick marks with the pencil in his hand, it seemed not even their sudden entrance could pull the boy from his task. ¡°I¡¯m hurt...¡± Madelyn began. ¡°What! Hold on a second I¡¯ll get Leo,¡± Lestrat burst from his seat, dropping his pencil with a clatter. ¡°Emotionally, that you would ignore me,¡± she completed, that seemed to take the wind out of Lestrat¡¯s sails. Though the mention of someone called Leo did catch Roy¡¯s attention. ¡°Leo? From our school?¡± he interrupted, he and Leo were not very close friends, but they were on friendly terms. ¡°That¡¯s right, he works as an assistant to Doctor Brown,¡± Lestrat walked back to his deck and organized the mess he had made in his haste. The news that Leo was fine drove up Roy¡¯s spirits; Leo had headed to the auditorium with most of the class. The boy often stuck with the crowd, so if he was out here then it was likely others had left the school as well, as far as Roy was concerned the further they were from the Goliath the safer they were. Madelyn walked up to Lestrat as he had his back turned and spun him around before catching the boy by the small of his back with one arm, the action was surprisingly agile and in the candle flame they were two dancers doing the tango. Madelyn leaned over a surprised Lestrat, only a few inches separated their faces, ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡± ¡°Forgetting, that, well, indeed, perhaps,¡± the boy¡¯s sentences broke apart like the sheets of paper which were now scattered across the desk. ¡°You need to distribute lunch to the masses,¡± she pulled Lestrat upright and gestured for him to leave. ¡°Right, of course, where has the time gone,¡± Lestrat straightened his shirt; water stains now covered the front. He seemed reluctant to leave despite his words. Without further ado, Madelyn allowed her suit to drop to the ground, then slowly, methodically, and back turned towards the door, she began to pry at the first button on her dress shirt, its thin white fabric clung to her like a second skin. Lestrat¡¯s reluctance vanished, turned into mist in an instant; he sped past the girl, grabbed Roy, and dashed out the door, slamming in in his wake. ¡°You should have stayed,¡± Roy felt the need to add, he had never had a girlfriend but he was fairly certain that it would be typical for their age. ¡°No, no, I need to serve lunch, it wouldn¡¯t do to have the people wait,¡± Lestrat pulled out a comb and fixed his hair. ¡°I mean... Whatever, do you need help?¡± Roy gave up and continued a more constructive line of dialogue. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m so glad you asked, we need to go pick up a few boxes of food and move them to the front. We have some modified shopping carts to help with the transportation,¡± Lestrat explained as he began to walk down the row, ¡°follow me!¡± Roy trudged behind the boy, the air around them filled with Lestrat¡¯s off tune humming. Ignoring the boy¡¯s awful singing, Roy had a chance to focus on the task that the goblins and his own conscious had burdened on him. He was almost certain that Lestrat trusted him, and the fact that he was his own age curtailed the chance that he might dismiss any warning he gave as the product of an overactive imagination. To put the cherry on top, Lestrat was a notable, he distributed the rations, kept the records and Greyson seemed to rely on him. Based on what little Roy had seen Greyson and the, to Roy, enigmatic Owen, were in charge, it made sense since it sounded like they were police officers. Lestrat pulled out a small rung of keys and managed to open the door in front of them with one try, despite the poor lighting. The door swung open with a soft screech, its motion churning of the water covering the ground. The inside was quite spacious and well lit, several bulbs hung to the ceiling, jury rigged like the one that shone in the Task Force¡¯s room. The light half dangling from the roof revealed several aisles of towering shelves, their bottoms empty but their tops stuffed with various foodstuffs. Multicolored cans were the most prominent; they were lined on the shelves and stacked several high, their reflection quivered in the water and turned in blobs of color as the waves propagating from the door disturbed the mirror surface. Lestrat waltzed in, making sure to close and lock the door after Roy followed. They then made their way off to the left where several propane stoves rested on a collapsible table. Each stove came with a large metal pot, its shiny surface hinted at their recent acquisition. Lestrat walked up to each in turn and lifted the lid slightly ajar to inspect the contents, curious, Roy took a glimpse. White gruel filled each of the pots; the thick paste looked and smelled like nothing else Roy had ever eaten, it wasn¡¯t nasty like boiled greens, or appetizing like fried chicken. It was plain in both appearance and smell, a tasteless meal meant to provide the bare minimum sustenance. ¡°We need to move the pots of boiled flour, a hundred and eighty-seven bowls, and that number of cans of vegetables to the front,¡± Lestrat commented, as much to inform himself as to inform Roy, ¡°After we shuttle everything over using the carts, we need to ladle the soup into bowls and then distribute them alongside the canned goods. After that we need to make sure all the bowls are returned before shuttling everything back.¡± A hundred and eighty-seven, that was probably the number of people gathered in the grocery store, it was a large number for sure, but only a fraction of the population of the town. Roy brushed that though aside, the task sounded like it would take a while so broaching the topic of the mushrooms right now when they were alone was a sound idea. ¡°Uh, before we do all of that, I have something to tell you,¡± Roy turned towards his audience of one and felt inclined to add, ¡°It¡¯s important.¡± Lestrat looked at Roy, his eyes lost some of their energy and his posture seemed to leap forwards decades at a time, ¡°Important... Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but it¡¯s... bad news.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Yeah,¡± he didn¡¯t expect his demeanor to take such a heavy blow so early in his report, ¡°It¡¯s about the mushrooms." ¡°Please, go on,¡± Lestrat turned away from the pots and leaned against an empty spot on the table, his eyes followed the streams of light filtering through the shelves and locked on the points of luminence hanging near the ceiling. ¡°I heard from some people that the mushrooms are, like, coming this way in big groups,¡± it was more or less the truth, he certainly saw the goblins as people too, ¡°I saw, outside, that you guys had fought them already, but from what I heard their numbers will keep on growing as time goes on.¡± ¡°They come in waves, every day, just before nightfall,¡± Lestrat blinked his eyes as he looked away from the light, features neutral, ¡°Their number keeps growing, and our bullets won¡¯t last us forever. I take inventory every day.¡± ¡°The people I talked to, they said they were going south. I wanted to go too, but I thought that the people here should as well,¡± Roy laid his plan before Lestrat, voice raising a notch as he delivered his final line, ¡°Soo, uh, how about it?¡± ¡°I would follow you, and Madelyn, and Greyson, and Nolan, and the Task Force, and maybe a few others,¡± Lestrat looked Roy in the eye, but then shifted away, ¡°To leave the gloom and oppression of this place, that, that would be bliss.¡± ¡°Then come on, we¡¯ll grab everything and go!¡± Roy exclaimed, trying hard not to notice the small visual cues the other boy left him. He wanted to go, so why couldn¡¯t they, why? ¡°There are others though, a large majority who feel that they are safe here. The system is a fluke, things will sort out over time. If we were to leave, I doubt they would follow,¡± Lestrat let that settle in the room, silence unburied the buzzing of the light overhead and that quite hum dominated Roy¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry...¡± Lestrat bowed his head and leaned over the table, his voice drowned out by the buzz. ¡°Let¡¯s just, uh, go and distribute this food, it wouldn¡¯t do to make the people wait, right?¡± Roy chattered, trying to flood his voice with false cheer, it was only his first day here, he still had a week or two to sort things out. ¡°Right, or course, I¡¯ll load these pots into the carts, you can grab the canned vegetables. Make sure to retrieve a good selection; peas, spinach, tomatoes,¡± Lestrat picked up on Roy¡¯s efforts instantly, reverting back to his usual self, ¡°Perhaps a few cans of beans too, so we can add some protein to the diet.¡± Roy got to work moving cans of vegetables from the shelves to the cart Lestrat had prepared, a wooden board had been attached to the basket so that any good place within would be elevated well above the water. The task was oddly relaxing, the aisles were well lit and with the only sound was the gentle splash of the water as Roy trundle to and from the cart. Some of the cans had been placed quite high and so occasionally he would need to stool to reach the cans at the top of the stack. Colorful brand names and illustrations reminded Roy of a more peaceful time, when he wasn¡¯t running around completely out of his depth. The canned goods, with their flashy advertising were a connection to that past, Roy doubted anyone would expend so much effort sprucing up cans of vegetables now. Somehow, they were also a reminder of their present, wrapped up in niceties like the can, but the contents spoke otherwise. It was desperate times when people started subsisting off of flour gruel and canned goods alone. Roy kept track of the number by repeating it over and over in his mind, one-o-one, one-o- two, slowly the cart with the cans filled up, layers organized into a vaguely rectangular structure. Lestrat had finished too; there were two carts for the pots whose cylindrical form took up quite some space, and one for the aluminum bowls stacked in neat piles. ¡°Do you have all the cans loaded?¡± Lestrat inquired as he unlocked and pulled open the door. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Roy replied as he pushed the cart of cans towards the door. They pushed a cart of gruel and the bowls to the front first, Lestrat watched the stand and ladled the gruel into bowls while Roy returned for the cans and the rest of the main course. As he walked back, key jingling by the chain he held in his hands, a family stepped out of a room that lined the avenue. A bulky man exited first, followed by a homely looking woman and two small children, both were chubby and Roy recognized the boy that had knocked over Madelyn. The man walked up to Roy, a reserved smile plastering his face. Roy had never felt short compared to his classmates, but now after seeing Greyson and this man, he felt the drawbacks of his presence. ¡°Don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met, I¡¯m Jake,¡± the man offered a speedy introduction as he stopped barely a meter from Roy. ¡°Oh, yeah, I¡¯m new here, so nice to meet you Jake, I¡¯m Roy,¡± he replied, Lestrat was waiting for him to get the rest of the meal. ¡°Nice to meet you too, going by that pin on your chest you¡¯re a part of the Task Force right?¡± the man asked with a hint of humor in his voice. ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m really new so...¡± Roy responded as he edged to the side, trying to return to the task at hand. ¡°No, no it¡¯s fine, we just have a small issue and were wondering if you could help us,¡± the man shuffled slightly, edging into Roy¡¯s path, it would be rude if he were to squeeze past the gap. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I think you should ask someone else, I¡¯m really new, and I¡¯m helping Lestrat right now,¡± the man was frustratingly insistent on asking him for help, couldn¡¯t he find someone else to bother if the issue was so small? ¡°It¡¯s really small, please, it¡¯ll only take a second, we just want some food,¡± the man implored, the woman chipped in as well, her voice folding into the man¡¯s words. ¡°Food?¡± that was silly they were serving lunch right now, perhaps they had dawdled too long in the store room, ¡°They¡¯re serving lunch right now at the front.¡± ¡°I know, I know, but we have two growing boys and there¡¯s just not enough, I¡¯m just asking for a can or two, it¡¯s no big deal, right?¡± the man gesture to what Roy guessed were his two sons, they looked at him, discontent visible in their eyes. ¡°Maybe you can ask Lestrat? I¡¯m just helping,¡± Roy tried to appease the man, he just wanted to get back to work, Lestrat could handle their complaint. That was the duty of their office based on the sign Roy had read. ¡°He¡¯s too hard on these things, just a few cans, it¡¯s all we want!¡± the man¡¯s voice raised in volume, and he took a half step forwards. ¡°If Lestrat can¡¯t, I can¡¯t, I¡¯m sorry, but maybe you can try asking him again?¡± that seemed to set the man off as he walked forwards and made to grab towards the keys Roy held in his hand. Roy backpedaled, trying to put more distance between him and Jake, was he really going to resort to violence because of a few cans of food? None of them looked malnourished, and the kids looked fine if viewed from the perspective that the world was falling apart around them. Jake didn¡¯t give up, he dashed forwards and pushed Roy up against the shelves, and before Roy could react the man had his arms restrained. The shock of being assaulted shot through Roy¡¯s body, the man''s overpowering strength and his own emotion kept his muscles locked in place, not even putting up a token resistance. How could the man, where was his civility? If he couldn¡¯t get a bit more food from the proper channels he would resort to violence? The man motioned to his wife and the woman approached, anger and pity in equal measure filled her eyes. She made to jerk the keys from Roy¡¯s grasp, she wasn¡¯t well muscled, but her bulk made her plenty strong compared to the scrawny Roy. Roy tightened his grip, he couldn¡¯t fight back but he couldn¡¯t simply hand over the keys, Lestrat had trusted him with this oh so simple task. ¡°Move aside VIP coming through,¡± a crowing voice interrupted the scene, Roy, Jake, and his wife turned to face the newcomer. Madelyn stood, at the center of the aisle, arms shooing at the three cluttered against the shelves. She wore a suit identical to the one earlier; except it was dry and her shoulders were under the shoulder pads. The man let go of Roy instantly, but not before delivering a sharp kick to the shin that elicited a yelp. The woman took the took kids inside while Jake glared at the girl. ¡°Lestrat¡¯s bitch,¡± he muttered, venom dripping from his vocal daggers, before he followed his wife into their shabby little apartment. ¡°No time to space out Sir Stone!¡± Madelyn announced in the lowest pitch she could muster. She swept out her arms and gestured towards the storage room, ¡°The princess is waiting!¡± ¡°Oh, thanks,¡± Roy managed to get out as he sped towards his task, the horror of being attacked by his fellow man had yet to dissipate. His appetite was gone, alongside a little bit of the past. Chapter 26 ¡°Beets, Tomatoes, Peas,¡± the middle aged lady listed, her voice brimming with irritation and her eyes glued onto Roy. ¡°Ah... ok,¡± Roy stammered out as he located the three cans of vegetables within the pile stacked in the shopping cart. Clasping the three cans in his arms tightly, Roy maneuvered back to the counter and deposited the gleaming aluminum cans onto the rubber surface of the former grocery conveyor belt. The women inspected each can in detail before gesturing for her son to pick them up with his free hand. The boy looked a year or two younger than Roy, in a small town like Anamosa thatwas likely to mean they attended the same high school. ¡°Hey, um... are you from Anamosa High?¡± Roy asked, as he facedtowards the boy. ¡°Yeah, you too?¡± he responded as he picked up the stack cans, balancing the tower like a circus acrobat while he held a bowl of gruel in the other. ¡°Un-huh, were you in the auditorium when... this all started?¡± Roy continued, unaware of the frown creeping onto the mother¡¯s face. ¡°You weren¡¯t? Envy you man, it was total chaos in there after they tried to grab some grub from the caf¨¦. The teachers couldn¡¯t even agree on what to do, some took their students out of the school, others stayed. A few kids even left on their own!¡± the boy explained, waving the tower of cans to and fro to emphasize his words. ¡°David, that¡¯s enough!¡± the mother finally interrupted, adverse emotions hidden just underneath her features. The shout quickly silenced the boy. ¡°And you, young man, should take a good hard look at your life!¡± she turned around and stomped after her son who retreated towards the living quarters after her mother¡¯s words. A girl followed in the rear, a middle schooler in Roy¡¯s eyes. ¡°Go to hell,¡± she goaded as she walked past, giving him to evil eye all the while. Roy wiped a bit of sweet from his brow and regarded the cart stowed behind him; a dozen colorfully labelled cans stared back, reminding him that he had a few more residents to serve before he was done. Most of the first comers had been polite; they praised his willingness to dedicate his time towards what was essentially volunteering. Some had taken the cans and left without a word, but Roy could sympathize with what was on their mind. As time passed though, Roy realized that the intervals between guests lengthened, until he had ample breathing room between to survey the crowd. Several lazed around, making no move to approach Lestrat who served the gruel, other moved lethargically and took their time. He had thought they were tired, that was beforethey got to him. Unlike the first wave, he hardly received any thanks; much more common were frosty glares and biting remarks. One man had even tried to grab a can from over him, until a quiet cough from Madelyn dissuaded him from that course of action. The girl sat on a shelf elevated well above the clearing near the front; she spooned at a can of peas while her eyes slowly hovered over the crowd. Many more coughs were directed towards Lestrat¡¯s direction, indicating the generally higher level of unpleasantness that permeated that area of the room. A group stood near the front, as many people were there as Roy had cans left. ¡°Kids step aside, let the adults inside!¡± ¡°More food for all!¡± "End this tyranny!" The crowd shouted, voice unified into a whole, as they stomped their feet against the water, adding extra emphasis to their words. No amount of coughs seemed to be enough to disperse the group, who attracted attention as others finished their meals and gathered to watch the proceedings. Roy wasn¡¯t aware of any tyranny that had occurred, but as he looked down at his own empty bowl he reflected on the quality of the food that had been served. A bowl of thick white stewed wheat with a feel beans bobbing in its murk and a can of vegetables constituted lunch, it was probably the same for breakfast and dinner. The people here had probably subsisted on that regimen for several days now, all while crowded into a insanitary dump that offered little comfort and privacy. No wonder their faces were awash with righteous anger as they pumped their fists and shouted at the top of their lungs, shaking off the oppressive buzz that normally infested the camp. Roy could understand their complaints and arguments, but his own room back home had reeked of dirty laundry and perspiration. His parents were often away so his meals consisted of sliced bread and canned tuna. This was only a small step down, a step assisted by his superior CON value. Lestrat shuffled uncomfortably behind his stand as the group got rowdier. Others in the crowd joined in on the chant, several even stepped towards the group to show their solidarity. Roy recognized Jake in the crowd, one arm around his wife and children as he pumped his fist with vigor. The spirit of the people was fine and all, but being on the receiving end of that energy set his body into quivering in anxiety. Trying to diffuse the situation Lestrat announcedas loud as he could, ¡°We¡¯re serving seconds, so calm down please!¡± The concession seemed to please few, and soon those that had moved to get seconds were pressured into staying by their neighbors. Roy took the initiative as he tossed the remaining cans in his cart to the crowd around him. A few were taken, others were left in the water, and one was even thrown back at him, impacting on the register beside with a dull thud that sent jagged cracks across the machines plastic exterior.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Everyone, I have an announcement to make!¡± A burly figure stood at the door, his blonde hair cut short and blue uniform immaculate. Greyson stood behind him, his impromptu dress and untidy black hair a sore contrast with the leading figure. The blonde haired man was probably Owen, he looked to be in his early thirties, and his face oozed an aura that screamed trustworthy and reliable. ¡°I see that you are all very upset over the food and conditions here,¡± his voice cut over whatever din remained after his entrance. Several murmurs of assent rose up and the group near the front boldly stated their concurrance after Owen finished. Owen walked up to Lestrat and peered into the metal pots still holding gruel, ¡°Ugh, what in the world is this?¡± His expression shifted into a comical frown as he pinched his nose with one hand and slammed shut the lid with his other. More nods and quiet agreements followed, intermixed with shouts of outrage. ¡°It¡¯s Saturday today and we¡¯re going to grab some real lunch, why don¡¯t we head towards the back and get some canned chili? After that we can sort out the other stuff.¡± the crowd roared their approval as they made way for Owen, who twirled the rung of keys in his hands as he headed down an aisle and disappeared past the crowd of people following him. The front of the store was almost empty now, a few cans, and a multitude of bowls lay scattered on the ground, shapes distorted by the disturbed surface of the water. Only a few individuals stayed, some seemed torn, the allure of chili almost too strong to resist. Roy and Lestrat stood behind their counters, the later head down in shame. Madelyn stepped out her sentry position and landed gently in the water sending a light spray and small ripples across the water. She gave everyone that stayed a brief nod before walking up to Lestrat. The boy¡¯s knees buckled and he sat heavily into the chair behind him, like a puppet collapsing after a performance. The girl gently pulled him up by the arm and guided him towards his office, taking a wide berth around the throng of people who had gathered near the food stores. Their cheers and bubbling excitement drifted in the air, quieting as they reached the front, turning into haunting whispers that burdened the few individuals who had chosen to stay Roy turned his eyes away, as he recalled Lestrat¡¯s instruction back in the store room and began to pick up the bowls that littered the ground. The empty and full cans would also need to be collected or the water would be further polluted, and their situation further degrade. The few people that had stayed watched for a moment before they joined in, picking up the litter with languid motions and then ambling over to the carts to deposit the cans, empty aluminum cylinders rested like husks with their jagged ends and crushed appearances. ----- Roy handed out the unopened cans to the few that had stayed around to help, than he deposited the carts off to the side, someone else could deal with those, he was far too overstretched already. His blood had stopped pumping after a little while spent collecting garbage, the chore and its tedium helped to dampen the rush of the moments that preceded it. Colored liquid dripped from the carts and into the water, red like tomato, orange like carrot, or simply murky white like the gruel they had served. That didn¡¯t bode well for their sanitation, but there was nothing he could, or was willing to do about it. He certainly wasn¡¯t going to pay for the consequences considering his superhuman constitution and the poison resistance the fungus growing within him provided. That was petty, almost cruel, picking himself back up, Roy pushed the carts out the front door and deposited them some distance away from the store. There was the likely hood that monstrous animals would be attracted to the smell, but they had plenty of grocery carts and the addition of a wood board to elevate the bottom was not complicated. The monster could take the empty cans; he couldn¡¯t even find it in himself to care about the aluminum bowls. He kept the pots inside though; they still rested on the counter Lestrat had tended. The cleanup had taken a while, the crowd gathered near the back had mostly dispersed, only a few stragglers remained to chat with Owen, a beacon in the crowd. The buzz of a great many voices coalescing resumed, with an intensity lacking from that which had permeated the room before lunch. Roy let himself get lost in that ocean of voices, thinking about nothing in particular as he stood silhouetted against the pale white diorama of the windows. There was something about doing work now that had never appealed to him before; it was the boredom, the tedium. He could appreciate it in good doses between the bursts of terror and excitement. Roy turned around as splashing footsteps approached from the side. Greyson looked more haggard, less confident than he had when they first met, but a half amused smile still cracked his rock like face. ¡°Fucking hate lunch, it¡¯s when they¡¯re the rowdiest. Breakfast if fine since everyone¡¯s still complaining about a sore back, and their too tired to whip up a frenzy during dinner,¡± Greyson pointed out, part derision and part amusement infused in hiswords. ¡°It¡¯s like this every day?¡± Roy mustered up the courage to ask, this was the fifth day if he included the afternoon this all began. ¡°Nah, we cooked up as much fresh food as we could the first two or three days, but it¡¯s all mildew covered shit now. ¡®Specially with this blasted humidity,¡± Greyson replied with a bit more flavor than Roy would have expected out of an explanation. ¡°Now we¡¯re on gruel and canned veggies and these pussies are throwing a hissy fit,¡± he concluded as he made to spit, but reassessed the prudence of spitting into water they were all wallowing in. ¡°What about the chili then?¡± at least that was what Owen was promising the crowd, and they seemed to have gotten their fill. ¡°We¡¯ve got a stock of that stuff too, chili, spam, sardines, but we keep it for the Task Force and when shit hits the fan. Got to get some extra oomph before and after a fight,¡± Greyson looked around at the rows of stark shelves, interplays of black and grey with their shadowed interiors and the edges of their horizontal planes, ¡°They don¡¯t need that stuff if all their gonna do is lounge around like a bunch of slobs.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± it made sense in a utilitarian way, give the fighters an extra dose of protein and the other nutrients, while the others lived off enough for their sedentary lifestyle. The shelves of food in the back had appeared nearly endless to one man, but according to Lestrat there were a hundred and eighty-seven people. With that many mouths and an finite supply, they were bound to run out sooner rather than later. ¡°Well, you go get some rest. You¡¯re part of the Task Force and they¡¯re heading out later for the usual, see ya kid,¡± Greyson gave him a solid slap on the back before pushing through the glass double doors and returning to his station just outside the store. It was probably a good idea to rest now, the morning trek had been winding, and the recent work, though monotonous, had taken a bit more of his energy. He would have been exhausted had this been before the blue screens appeared, but with his much greater CON he was barely tired. Still, it was always a good idea to conserve his power for when he needed it. Now that he thought back to the meal, it had been less than gratifying; it would be hard to fight with only that in his stomach. Chapter 27 Seven figures sat on plastic chairs under the incandescent light of the bulb hanging loosely to the ceiling. Nervous energy coursed through their bodies, expressed in a myriad of twitches, glances and other minute gestures reflected in the shadows they cast against the plywood floor boards. A stream of dull thuds carried across the hollow surface as the occupants impatiently tapped their boots against the ground. A stone block of a man sat at the center of the group which formed a rough semi-circle around him. He took one last drab on his cigarette before discarding the stub in a small dish filled to the brim with similar snuffed out remnants, ¡°Everybody ready?¡± It was spoken more like a command and left no room for objection. Taking the cue Roy ejected the magazine of what had been Mr. Stenson¡¯s pistol to check its contents one last time. Several more magazines filled the pockets of his jacket, a drag grey attire lined with pockets, some of which had obviously been absent from the original design. Hasty stiches and dissimilar patches of color hinted at the many adjustments. Agreement and acknowledgement sounded around the platform as the men and women began to stand from their seats and adjust the straps of their oversized backpacks. Roy followed, in addition to his bag a pitchfork hung from his shoulder by a thick nylon rope he had managed to acquire. The commotion during lunch meant his impromptu briefing had been delayed; the worry that he had been forgotten during the turmoil and would be sent out uninformed had nagged on his psyche. But Madelyn, with all the suddenness he had come to expect from the girl, showed up just as he was about to delve further into his magical endeavors in the quaint comfort of his cubicle. He had been issued the bag, jacket, and boots he now wore, and then given free reign over his choice of weapons so long as he carried a firearm and a melee weapon. The pitchfork and pistol seemed like reasonable choices, and not only because he was somewhat familiar with both. The mist severely limited visibility, making some of the larger gun¡¯s range advantage moot, if he was only going to be shooting things from up close then the pistol seemed to be a good choice. It was light, easy to carry, and didn¡¯t obstruct his movement, which would allow him to nimblyswitch to close combat if a monster got too close. Close, but not too close if he had the superior range of his polearm. Nolan stood from his seat and the others followed, splashing into the water and then dragging across the flooded interior of the store. Roy gave the tables laid out on the platform one last look, hesitant about not taking a few more weapons, the shotguns looked especially tantalizing and he had been given free reign over the options, so long as he didn¡¯t take something already claimed by another group member. But he peeled his eyes away and followed after the group, perhaps next time, if he got a chance to familiarize himself with the weapon. Beside the two more prominent weapons, he also carried two daggers, the one that gave him nausea just by wielding it, and another he had picked up from the tables. It was a matte black combat knife with a blade a hand span long and anuncomfortably sharp clip point; thankfully, it came with a sheath so he wouldn¡¯t have to concern himself with any accidental injuries. The short walk through the main hall of the store was uncomfortable as residents pulled into their rooms and quieted as the band or armed men and women passed by, their irregular equipment certainly didn¡¯t help to improve their public image. Some relief washed over Roy when they finally exited through the front doors and into the awaiting mist, only to be replaced by the greater unease of a possible attack materializing out of thin airat any moment. They waved to Greyson as they passed over the cobbled together barricade, various bits of metal and wood groaning and squeaking with the additional weight. Out of the confines of the building, the group settled into position. Nolan and Mato led the party, armed with metal trashcan lids and stout hammers. The brothers took the flanks and preferred an assemblage of guns, alongside the token spear for melee. This formed a umbrella around Roy, Madelyn, and Lucy. The lady with the mess of blonde hair carried an exceptionally large backpack that jingled as she shuffled forwards, probably tools for whatever role she was supposed to perform. Besides that she carried a pistol and a short sword, the second one drew in Roy¡¯s attention. The rusty and chipped blade had seen better days, the color had long leeched out of the bit of fabric still wound around the hilt and the engravings along the flat of the blade had eroded away to leave only faint marks on the marred steel. That is, if the sword was made of steel, considering it had probably originated from the other world. Roy tried to examine it but he was too far away and interrupting the mission just so he could confirm his suspicions would likely get him shouted at by Nolan. So he committed that detail to memory so he could ask later. With only those members the group would already appear ragtag, but with Madelyn it began to border on bizarre. The girl still wore her suit, but also donned a black greatcoat that was a few sizes too large and dangled into the water. The coat was unbuttoned and as the loose flaps swayed from her movements, Roy could catch glimpses of the dull spare magazines that lined the inside of her coat. None of that detracted from the fact that she was wielding not one, but two pistols. Roy liked movies and games as much as the next guy, but dual wielding handguns was something that belonged solidly in the realm of fiction. As if to add insult to injury, she spun the weapons around like a cowboy from a western, occasionally tossing them into the air for added flavor. Every time the metal landed in her hands with a soft slap Nolan twitched, the man seemed like the military sort and the girls fooling around was probably grating on his nerves, only his focus on the task at hand prevented him from spinning around to unleash his fury against the offender. Roy wasn¡¯t feeling too good either considering his life was on the line, but the girl was triple his level, she knew what she was doing, right? Turning his attention away to preserve his sanity, Roy observed the passing scenery, which consisted of a steady slideshow of dark, blur resembling, houses. They had headed east upon exiting the store, away from the town center and soon past the car dealership Roy had broken into. To his left the outline of the community center rose out of the murky distance, its sky blue coat of paint shifted into a light grey. As they trudged past, a sound from inside the building disturbed the silence. Nolan and Mato moved first, they turned to face the building and the rest of the members pivoted around the center so that the umbrella braced against whatever would follow the disturbance. Roy¡¯s muscles tensed as he held the pistol in his grip; technically it was his role to reinforce the other members if they found themselves overwhelmed. But he was also expected to contribute to the first volley of fire against whatever they encountered, if he could get a clean shot, the two men in front of him made that task difficult. The front and the flanks were around five meters distant from the center, and the two men leading formed up close to each other, expecting any flanking attacks to be countered by the two brothers. So Roy moved left, allowing him a good angle around the human obstacle. The brother covering the left flank didn¡¯t seem to mind, Roy wouldn¡¯t either considering there was strength in numbers.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Alright, Lucy go check on the source of that sound,¡± as soon as the words left his mouth the shaggy haired women began to creep towards the building, her steps surprisingly quiet against the water, ¡°The rest of you, this place is nice and open so get ready to engage on my signal, we don¡¯t want a monster prowling around this close to the camp.¡± A round of confirmation sounded as everyone except Madelyn kept their eyes glued to the massive backpack Lucy carried. Meter by meter she sidled up to a window, with every step the tension mounted, ready to let loose a volley of fire against a monster, imaginary or otherwise. Lucy peeked into the window before moving on to the next, careful not to disturb any of the inconveniently placed bushes, their rotting leaves forming sludge like blankets around the many prickly branches. The seconds stretched into minutes as Lucy took meticulous care to not make a peep, it was appropriate considering a misstep might bring the monsters out prematurely. It probably took a quarter hour for her to inspect every nook and cranny, occasionally pulling out a shoddy looking periscope to look through the second story windows. The rickety looking device was probably slapped together by her hands. ¡°Anything?¡± Nolan asked in a whisper that still sounded like a shout as the women walked past the two point men and back into the defensive umbrella. ¡°There were, I think, two brutes? I mean, I only saw two but it was really dark in there so maybe there are more? But those guys come in twos right? At least so far,¡± she rattled on, as she held out two fingers and then shrugged her shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s good enough,¡± Nolan took a deep breath before addressing the rest of the group, ¡±Brutes, remember, they pack a punch but they''re slow in the water. If there are more than two once we start firing we pull back towards the store.¡± Nolan turned towards the store, shuffled his feet into a wider position, and then struck his hammer against the edge of his shield. The metal lid rang like a gong for a second before fading into a quiet hum, the response from the community center was immediate. Great limbs crashed through wood furniture and drywall in a rush towards them. The sounds of destruction grew until with a shattering ring a Vineborn Brute burst through the window, its gorilla like form leaping down into the water, another soon followed it and sent up another geyser of water. The scene sent a tremor through Roy¡¯s body, his mind flashed back to the scene in Madelyn¡¯s house when the hulking monstrosity leaped onto Simon and engulfed his head in one foul bite. Then he reeled forwards, to him emerging victorious after rescuing the others, he had downed one alone and now he was with a group, with that thought in mind he quickly fought down the momentary terror and aimed his pistol at the brute on the left. Sounds of gunshots rang out around him, a continuous chain of bursts respondedby thestaggers and flinches of the two beasts hurtling their way. His hands were shaking from applying too much pressure on the grip and his shot flew wide, sending a spray of white into the air as it struck the water behind his target. Taking a second to calm his breathing and loosen the death grip he held on the gun, Roy flashed a glance at the others. Nolan and Mato and widened their stances and faced the two charging brutes with their makeshift shields at an angle, the brothers took slow but precise shots, the impact from their rifle rounds ripping into the plant tissue and severing off chunks of vines with every hit. Compared to their steady and deliberate pace, Madelyn fired without pause, alternating shots between her two pistols as they recovered from their recoiling motion. The target was the monster on the right, who sat stunned into place by the ceaseless barrage, every round finding the center of its hunched over torso. Within the time it took Roy to finish his breath the stream of bullets ended and the creature flopped into the water like a puppet with it strings cut, now nothing more than a loose tangle of vines protruding from the water surface. Turning his attention back to his own target, Roy aimed and fired again, the creature was much closer now and the shot struck true, ripping of a small tangle of vines as the projectile penetrated through its fibrous form. Roy emptied the rest of his magazine in quick succession, ignoring the many misses his haste induced. For within a few steps the brute had neared Nolan and readied its body to lunge at the older man. Roy¡¯s eyes opened wide, disbelief that the man would meet that hunk of jagged plant matter head on. He stood with legs apart and as still as a statue, one arm raised towards the sky, the hammer readied to strike with crushing force. Roy stuffed his gun into his pocket as quick as his unsteady hands could allow him, then with a practiced motion he swung his pitchfork around and charged; ready to run through the brute with his farming implement. The brute impacted against Nolan¡¯s shield like a sack of bricks, wooden hooves clanging and jagged thorns screeching across the metal. Nolan leaned towards the attack, lowering his center of balance as the charge pushed against him with ungodly force. But the man¡¯s feet barely budged an inch, the monster recoiled with shock like that of crashing into a ton of solid stone. In one fluid motion Nolan pushed back and struck with his hammer, the steel head ramming into the mass of plant like a battering ram. The force of the strike sent the monster reeling and Roy was upon it in the next instant, the momentum of his dash carried through the polearm as the metal tips punched into the beast. With one last jerk of its lumbering limbs the monster stopped, the vines that made up its body loosening and turning into a patch of dangerous plants as opposed to a dangerous plant monster. His momentum carried him forwards; bringing the jagged bramble a bit too close for comfort before the friction between his feet and the asphalt carried him to a halt. A few awkward motions kept him from falling over onto the knife like patch of vegetation, and a careful tug dislodged the tip of his weapon. His heart hammered in his chest as he backed away from the corpse. The monster had taken a beating before he had charged in, but neglecting to check its health before committing to that attack could have costed him life and limb had the monstrosity survived. The rest of the group took kept their weapons and cautiously approached the two monster corpses. Lucy took the lead, stopping a step away from the bodies; a water bottle size glass vial of red liquid appeared in her hands after staring at the second corpse of a second. She was checking to see if they were really dead, the loot menu was a good indication. ¡°Alright, good work everyone, we¡¯ll take a short breather before moving on¡± Nolan announced in his booming voice, if the sounds of fighting had not attracted any monsters then his voice probably wouldn¡¯t either. Battle over, Roy slung his weapon over his back, loaded a fresh magazine into his pistol and leaned back against a nearby mailbox. The two brothers chatted in the middle of the street as they checked over their weapons. Nearby, Lucy tucked the potion, which Roy recognized as Swamp Berry Juice, into her bag after a brief command from Nolan who stood ever vigilant and inspected the surrounding, Madelyn played around with her two deadly implements, performing various spins and tosses as if the weighty metal devices were plastic replicas. As he looked over his new teammates several blue screens appeared before him, obscuring his view.
AbilityUp!
Charge LV 0 > LV1 (Novice)
SkillUp!
Pole Weapon Mastery LV 3 > LV 4 (Novice)
Creeping Beryl Blooms Have Spread!
Trait Changes: -1 CON +0.005/s HP Regeneration
With that the accumulated losses in CON from the Creeping Beryl had risen to three, yet he had not leveled once since he gained the trait, which meant he was being outpaced. The thought that soon he would be reduced to his previous unhealthy state by the ever expanding fungi sent shivers through his body. The reprieve from the heat and humidity would disappear and the climate would give him hell, he could already feel himself tire just a bit and the air become just a bit more suffocating. Chapter 28 Roy fidgeted with his pitchfork, turning the well calloused shaftin his hands a he read the description of his newest ability.
Charge - Novice I
The user charges towards the enemy, building up momentum at an astounding rate. The melee attack immediately following the charge deals additional damage based on the amount of momentum built up. The rate of buildup is based on skill level and AGI. The maximum buildup is based on skill level, AGI, and STR. Tires the user based on the duration of the charge. Tiring effect decreases with skill level and CON.
All in all, the recent fight had gone splendidly. Not a single scratch ailed him and he had gained a skill level and ability. The additional level meant Pole Weapon Mastery was only a single step away from the first minor perk. It was exciting, even if he had yet to really put his previous perks to work. Not that he wanted to get hit with a heat based attack or find himself ambushed at night. Spirits uplifted, Roy dismissed the blue screen and joined the others as they prepared to move on. They took up their umbrella shaped position as they headed further east before turning south and entering into small streets lined with houses. An idyllic suburban neighborhood, peaceful and quiet, not that it wasn¡¯t still quiet, it was just a different brand of quiet. The silence blew away like smoke in the wind as the small team¡¯s footsteps splashed across the two lane road, some cars were still parked by the curb, their tires fully submerged, but they otherwise intact and whole. The heavy rainstorm that preceded the arrival of the monsters probably drove any sensible person into the shelter of their houses, wrecked cars would hardly improve the dreadful atmosphere. But the figures that walked beside Roy did, his time spent alone had been stressful and fraught with danger, but now, as his eyes glanced from one ally to another, he felt safe. It wouldn¡¯t do to become careless though, he had to keep in mind that there were bigger fish out there, like the goliath. One final turn up a driveway and Nolan came to a stop, pulling Roy out of his thoughts. The walk had taken no more than fifteen minutes, it would have been a stroll in the park had the neighbourhood not been the playground of horrendous monstrosities. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re here,¡± Nolan looked over the outside of the house, noting down the barricaded windows and chewed up orchid caps which decorated the front lawn like some twisted gardner¡¯s gnomes, ¡°Karl, Dan, you¡¯re on guard duty, be sure to shout real loud if you see something. The rest of you, we¡¯re gonna go do the usual shtick.¡± ¡°Oh god Nolan, please don¡¯t do the ¡®usual shtick¡¯, don¡¯t we have enough problems already?¡± one of the brother complained as he took up a position on the porch. ¡°Put a lid on it Dan, unless you wanna go and lug all their furniture back to base,¡± Nolan rapped at the door with one gloved hand. ¡°Come on, it was just one chair!¡± Before Nolan could retort a muffled voice sounded from the other side of the door, ¡°Hey, you guys are from the grocery store right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, so open up,¡± the man brushed his graying hair as he shifted from side to side, impatience already starting to take hold. ¡°Are you¡­¡± before the disembodied voice could continue another voice cut in, this one softer and feminine. ¡°Harold, come help me move the sofa, you can ask questions later,¡± dull screeches followed and Roy imagined the two on the other side dragging an old sturdy looking sofa across the wooden floor. The swish of deadbolts sliding back into the door frame heralded the opening of the door. Standing in the hallway was a man and a woman, both in their late twenties and sporting dark bangs underneath their somber brown eyes. ¡°Please come in, I can¡¯t express how glad I am that you¡¯re here,¡± the woman¡¯s face beamed with joy as she rushed forwards to shake their hands. ¡°Harold, I¡¯ll go get the girls, and the bags... oh, and check over everything one last time, you can handle things here,¡± she rattled off as she turned away and rushed up the stairs, footsteps a staccato of noise. ¡°Right, that was Emily, my wife. Come on in, we can talk after we take a seat, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all tired from¡­ that,¡± he gestured nebulously. Roy trailed at the end of the line as they entered into a small dining room and took their seats around the table. Harold offered cookies and pop, which Roy accepted with gratitude. The meagre meal he had at lunch was already starting to give way to peckishness.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The woman, Emily, arrived downstairs a few minutes later with two girls and two bags in tow. All the little kids looked the same to Roy, but if he were to guess, and he really didn¡¯t have anything better to do, the older girl was probably in grade five or six, while the younger was still in kindergarten. The past few days had probably been tough on the younger children. ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯re bringing?¡± Nolan pushed his seat out and asked with a hint of surprise. ¡°I have two more bags if that¡¯s fine with you,¡± Harold grabbed his own luggage from inside a cupboard and showed them to Nolan. ¡°Won¡¯t be an issue so long as you carry them. In fact, if you got any more food we can bring along that would be great,¡± for the next couple of minutes Roy watched as the couple gathered up a small pile of pastries, and candies, before stuffing it all into the backpacks that each group member carried. He certainly wasn¡¯t expecting for his bag to be packed to the brim with jelly beans and chocolate eggs. ¡°Heh, I have a bit of a sweet tooth you see,¡± Emily pocketed a bar of chocolate as she gazed at the place her stash had once occupied. ¡°Alright, if that¡¯s all, let¡¯s get going,¡± Nolan stated, prompting Roy and the rest of the group to shuffle towards the door in response, ¡°Form up position outside. Harold, you and your family should stick to Lucy, that¡¯s the blonde with the big backpack.¡± The trip back was uneventful, the road lined with houses was followed by the community center, and then finally the parking lot of the grocery store came into view. The roads were just as deserted as they had been on the way there, there was not a out of place thing in sight, not even the corpse of the brutes decorated the road side. That was strange, what happened to the two heaps of vines that had become of the monsters. Was it possible that in the short span of an hour they had been completely eaten by some stealthy scavenger, or perhaps there was magic at play? In retrospect the brutes could hardly be called animals, neither could the orchid caps, but at least they didn¡¯t turn into conspicuous piles of plants when they died. It was almost as if the brutes had been cobbled together and broke back into its constituent pieces after its HP hit zero. Cobbled together by magic, it was an eerie thought, but not as eerie as the figures standing outside the grocery store, huddled around a car with jerry cans and pipes in hand. ¡°Fuel?¡± Nolan shouted out as they approached. ¡°Jonas wants some more just in case, the paranoid bastard ought to do this stuff himself,¡± Greyson sat on the hood of the car, gun out as he surveyed the surroundings and guarded the group working at the makeshift pump. Roy could recognize one of the figures as Jake, he averted his eyes and tried to act inconspicuous. It wasn¡¯t as if the man was going to try something here and now with all these spectatorsaround, but the sight of him made Roy uncomfortable. He couldn¡¯t really escape either, there were just under two hundred people gathered under one roof; he would be seeing Jake again, and probably the other unfriendly individuals. Roy had never been popular, neither had he been unpopular. But now he found himself at the receiving end of quite a few penetrating glares. Looking elsewhere, Roy waited for Nolan to pass Harold and his family off to Owen, who would probably then direct them towards Lestrat. Never had a wall of mist been so interesting before. It was a short but still unpleasant wait, and Roy let out a breath of relief when they finally set out again. They had just completed their first ¡®evacuation¡¯ run, they had one more, followed by a supply run. They started off heading east again, passing by the community center and allowing Roy to confirm that the corpses really had disappeared. This time they turned north, bringing them closer to Anamosa High. As they passed by another empty house a sudden splash of water in the distance broke the monotony. Before Roy could even face the threat several gunshots rang out around him, followed by a hoarse croak. Around ten meters away a frog monster lay, the water around it taking on a scarlet tinge. It was the same monster he had struggled against on his first day, the same monster he had stabbed to death with a pencil, and was almost killed in turn by. He had come full circle, a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu overcame him, barely a week had passed and already the past felt so distant. It was a dangerous though, but he felt that the frog would hardly be a match for the new him. It wasn¡¯t very powerful in the first place, looking back the only reason he had been so severely injured was because he had been frozen in shock. Looking forward he needed to be more proactive. ¡°One of those things, they always come in really big groups and are like really annoying¡± Lucy looted the corpse after a few wary glances and they moved on. ¡°Our goal is just a bit further ahead, over there,¡± Nolan pointed towards a house in the distant, a faint shadow in the mist. His finger wavered, a second shape, stood beside the house, almost like a twin, except its craggy form spoke of something else entirely, ¡°What the¡­¡± Before he could continue a booming voice echoed across the empty streets, it was monotone, almost robotic if it weren¡¯t for its fluidity, ¡°Announce yourselves.¡± Its towering form turned towards Roy¡¯s group and it began to walk forwards, each step sending tremors across the earth. As it pushed through the shroud of mist its form began to become more distinct. Four large tubular legs as thick as the trunk of a redwood projected from a spherical torso. It had no arms and no head, only four circular holes adorned the great mass of mud that made up its body. ¡°That is like, I don¡¯t even,¡± Lucy commented as the group pulled away from the approaching thing. ¡°What do we do?¡± Dan thumbed his rifle as he addressed Nolan. ¡°It talks, we talk to it, easy,¡± despite his words he seemed visibly shaken. Just the form of the titanic monster was intimidating, but¡­ Roy concentrated on the target of all their attention.
Earth Elemental
LV 105 HP 32803/32803
The amount was enough to boggle the mind, he wasn¡¯t even going to bother estimating how many bullets it would take to down the creature. The answer was probably too many. ¡°Hey! What are you supposed to be?¡± Nolan¡¯s response was probably hazardous to their health. ¡°I am Metapelon, guardian of these marshes, elemental of the earth,¡± its body ¡®descended¡¯ with surprising alacrity as its pipe like legs bent like rubber. Now its house sized torso loomed above the group, the four pitch dark holes on its body directed towards them, ¡°You are the lost looking for safety.¡± The two brother recoiled from Metapelon¡¯s approach, but Nolan stood firm at the forefront, ¡°We do more of the saving than the being saved.¡± ¡°Then you are guardiansof the lost,¡± the being rose to its full height again A tentacle like appendage grew from its body, wiggling into form as the brown mud like substance that constituted the being shifted and flowed across its ¡®skin¡¯. Metapelon pointed at the house before it with its newly grown arm, ¡°The lost inhabit this house, they will not heed my words, but you will fare better.¡± The elemental stepped aside as if gesturing the group forwards. ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re here for.¡± Chapter 29 It took some convincing from Nolan to get the two families barricaded inside the house to come out. Their concerns were not unreasonable considering the house sized mound of moving mud stationed just outside. Slowly they began to calm down, and seeing that the elemental outside clearly had no ill will towards them, trickled out from the front door. Roy leaned against the garage door as he marveled at the being called Metapelon. The surface of its body shifted and rippled like a liquid, yet it didn¡¯t lack cohesiveness as demonstrated by the great force it could put into its movements. Earth shaking footsteps and whooshing undulations of its extra appendages being just some of the things Roy had seen it perform. Roy took in several deep breaths as he gathered up his courage, the elemental was probably from the other world and it would be silly of him not to take this opportunity to learn a bit more about the fantastical. ¡°Hey, uh¡­ Metapelon right?¡± his eyes darted from side to side, unsure of where he should be looking when talking to the headless elemental. ¡°You are correct,¡± Roy could feel the garage door vibrate underneath him. ¡°So, you were here to help the people inside the house, right?¡± he was unsure of what to ask, but that seemed like a good starting point. ¡°It is my duty to help the lost find civilization,¡± it leaned over, the holes on its torso facing Roy. They probably functioned as some sort of sensory organ to Roy decided to look at those for lack of any better idea. ¡°Were you gonna take them somewhere?¡± ¡°There is a camp some distance to the east where the lost have gathered, I will bring them there,¡± it seemed that the elemental wasn¡¯t planning on handing the refugees over. It was probably a good thing too considering their food supply was limited and their living conditions was abysmal. Then again the rescued themselves might not see it that way. To them the group of humans was infinitely more preferable to the giant talking ball of earth. Could they count on human good will from something distinctly inhuman? In fact it would be irresponsible for them to hand the people they had promised to protect over to an unknown entity. Then again, the elemental could probably crush them all and take what it wanted by force. The fact that it had not resorted to that course of action was a good sign that the elemental wasn¡¯t going to abduct strangers and use them for nefarious ends. Regardless of any of that, the decision was probably out of Roy¡¯s hands, ¡°The camp, in the east, how are things like there?¡± That didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t find out a bit more though before moving onto another topic. ¡°They number two-hundred and fifty-four. I have constructed some inadequate dirt dwellings, and hunted various wildlife to supplement the stock of foodstuffs,¡± the way the elemental put it made it feeling more like a report than a conversation, Roy¡¯s incessant questions probably didn¡¯t help any either. ¡°You¡¯re having issues too huh¡­¡± a safe haven like the world that had passed by was probably too much to ask for. ¡°Living here poses several challenges, we are prepared to move south with the Students once I have passed on one of my duties.¡± ¡°The ¡®Students¡¯>¡± was it talking about his classmates, or¡­ ¡°You call them The Goblins,¡± connecting the dots together Roy realized that the elemental was going to bring its band of people along for the goblin¡¯s migration. ¡°I see, so you''re waiting to go, huh,¡± he would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t somewhat jealous. He had the opportunity to leave, but the group he had committed to helpinglacked the will to make that decision. ¡°Your people will stay, and so I will pass on my duty and leave.¡± ¡°What?¡± the elemental probably referred to theresponsibility preventing him from leaving with the group in the east. The elementals voice rose and now the ground trembled with every word it spoke, it was a miracle that nothing dangerous had been attracted so far. Or it could be that the presence of something so powerful had scared the regular denizens away. ¡°The One Who Calls Forth the Thorned Abominations walks these lands and seeks the Empyrean Fragment. Its success must not come to pass or great evil shall be realized,¡± time seemed to pause as everyone gathered around the house turned their attention to the elemental. ¡°Hold on a second, that¡¯s way too sudden, I¡¯ve no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± though Roy was quite certain they were thinking about the same Empyrean Fragment. The ¡®One Who Calls Forth the Thorned Abominations¡¯ part was less clear. Unfortunately, Mato didn¡¯t seem to think so. The quiet man who had been swinging around a staff in the Task Force room suddenly stepped towards Roy, ¡°Evil?¡± ¡°That is correct. An artifact as powerful as the Empyrean Fragment must never fall into the hands of those who seek to do evil. It is said that one can step closer to godhood through the use of the Fragment.¡± ¡°Sounds serious, we¡¯ll do what we can,¡± the man lifted his hammer in a weighting motion, as if he were prepared to ready to smash evil this instant. ¡°Hold on, we¡¯re not ready for that, we haven¡¯t even talked to uh¡­, Nolan, or¡­ Owen, yet!¡± how could Mato accept such an important sounding task so easily, the elemental was level 125, who knew what stopping the ¡®One Who Calls Forth the Thorned Abominations¡¯ entailed.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°We are not born ready, but must become ready,¡± the things profound sounding one liner certainly weren¡¯t helping. ¡°First, you gotta tell me about this Thorned Abomination Caller, right?¡± it didn¡¯t sound as if they could shirk this ¡®duty¡¯, but at the very least they could drill out a bit more information. ¡°It is chaos, it is the embodiment of evil, and it can take many forms. It prefers to appear asa human dressed in green, but with the horns of a demon,¡± horns, those would definitely stand out. Before anything else could be said, heavy footsteps sounded from the inside of the house, followed the appearance of Nolan, ¡°What in the world have you been up to out here!¡± ¡°None of your business old man,¡± Mato retorted as he walked off to the side. Luckily one of the other bystanders had the decency to fill Nolan in, the man¡¯s face was a slideshow of emotions. Anger at Mato, turned into relief, turned into regret, turned into confusion. It took a long while for Nolan to take everything in. Meanwhile the rest of the survivors in the house gathered around outside. ¡°You wanna take these folks to your camp?¡± Nolan pointed at the group of survivors. ¡°That is correct,¡± ¡°Fine by me, in fact, we got some more who might want to leave, you care to take them along too?¡± their leader¡¯s bold statement didn¡¯t receive the warmest reception as the newly joined members of their group protested against the decision. ¡°It is my duty to gather as many of those who wish to leave as I can,¡± ¡°You mind if we go and take a look at your camp first?¡± Nolan¡¯s gaze alternated between the survivors and the elemental, while his face was creased into a frown. ¡°You may,¡± --- The next half hour was hectic as they tried to persuade the survivors to give the elemental a chance and check out their camp. It didn¡¯t help that the two brothers had their own reservations regarding the multi-story thing of mud. In the end they managed to convince the survivors to at least go and take a look by stating the conditions of the grocery store in no uncertain terms. From there on out, the journey was smooth. With the elemental in the lead no monster impeded their progress and half a kilometer trek was a breeze, metaphorically. The humidity and heat certainly made Roywish for a breeze. As they turned the final corner a few lumps began to from out of the mist. Small blocky building in the middle of a field off to the side of the road. The ground had been elevated and formed into a plateauso that it peeked above the water and kept the few figures walking to and fro the structures dry. ¡°This is where we have made camp,¡± the elemental announced, his voice rooted the figures in the distance into place. Their approach was silent and as they began to climb the hill a figure separated from the rest who had gathered outside the makeshift houses. As he approached, Roy recognized the person as Mr. Brown, their assistant principal. ¡°They''re are the survivors you found at the house?¡± Mr. Brown looked from one member of their group to the other, eyes lingering on the several guns they carried. ¡°They are,¡± the elemental gestured at the survivors, ¡°The rest are Guardians.¡± ¡°Guardians, so they do the fighting I presume?¡± ¡°I have passed my duty off to them so now we may leave.¡± ¡°Sounds good, I¡¯ll go tend to the new arrivals,¡± Mr Brown hurried off towards the survivors they had gathered up, and at his animated insistence they followed him towards the temporary settlements. ¡°Wish our people were as excited about leaving as they are,¡± Nolan grumbled as he led the Task Force into the settlement and looked over the conditions there. They would go back to the grocery store and ferry over the minority who wanted to leave the town. However, the fighters would have to remain behind and guard those who wanted to stay. Roy resented them, it was unfair that he should feel obliged to give up this opportunity because some couldn¡¯t change their mindset fast enough. At the center of the settlement lay a small plaza, people meandered around as they chatted in subdued tones. There were students there, people Roy recognized from glimpses in the hallway, which meant it was possible there would be familiar faces here. ¡°There¡¯s quite a few people her, you think we should look around?¡± Dan voiced Roy¡¯s thoughts as he stepped into the clearing. ¡°Sure, don¡¯t see why not. You got a list of people we should be looking for?¡± he remarked as his eyes went from one face to another, evidently he was already preoccupied with that task. ¡°Well shoot, guess the guys back at base are out of luck. I¡¯ll be looking around with Karl then,¡± with a subdued nod from the other brother, the two marched off and disappeared into the crowd. ¡°We meet back here in half an hour!¡± Nolan raised his voice so that the two head starters could hear from wherever they had gone off to. The shout earned them glances from the others gathered around the plaza. Nolan stumbled off after that, followed by Lucy, leaving Roy and Madelyn standing between the mud huts that lined the avenue leading into the plaza. The tidy and squat looking building ringed around the gathering place, each exactly like the others with its rounded edges and conical roofs. If it were not for the earthy smell and course grain of the walls, Roy would have thought they were shaped from plastic poured into molds. Circular, porthole like windows dotted the houses, and from within poured soft white light reminiscent of the radiance of the sun. Something that had long been buried away by the fog. Curious, Roy peeked into a window, conscious that of the social norms he was breaking in the process. His eye hovered around the room, noting the chairs and tables made out of stone before he came upon the source of the light. A smooth piece of rock shaped into a sphere wasembedded into the ceiling. It shone as bright as a light bulb, but it didn¡¯t sting the eye, instead it felt like a soft caress that drew him in like a fly to a flame. ¡°Mooom, there a strange man at the window,¡± a boy in suspenders pointed at Roy with one chubby finger. Roy reeled back from the window and backed away a safe distance, good thing it was a toddler and not someone older. Hopefully they would forget by tomorrow, or of course the strange man at the window could haunt the child¡¯s every sleeping hour for the foreseeable future. His features twisted into a nightmarish abomination by the machinations of a pliable mind. ¡°He called his mother huh?¡± Madelyn butt in as Roy righted himself from his hasty withdrawal. ¡°Yeah, I mean, what were the chances?¡± they were probably not in Roy¡¯s favor, there was no school and no work to occupy the people''s time soif they weren¡¯t loitering around in the dreadful mist, they were at home. ¡°Well, there goes your reputation as a man,¡± she shook her head in a dejected manner. ¡°Hold on a second, it can¡¯t be that bad right?¡± if anyone asked, he was just curious about the light, nothing more. ¡°A shifty looking stranger, a prepubescent boy, and a cry for help. I¡¯m afraid it''s terminal Mr. Stone.¡± ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go look for you friends or family,¡± she cut in, taking the topic out of the gutter. ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah, right, I was just gonna go, what about you?¡± ¡°Let me see, Lestrat¡¯s in his office and my parents are dead, one for quite a bit longer than the other. So no, I don¡¯t have anyone on the ¡®to look for¡¯ list,¡± she checked off with her fingers as she talked, all while maintaining an unsettlingly neutral expression. ¡°Well, that¡¯s umm¡­ I¡¯m really sorry for your loss, I¡¯ll go and give you some space then¡­¡± unsure of what to say, Roy made to leave, but before he could take more than a few steps the girl''s response caught up. ¡°Don¡¯t be, we learn from our losses,¡± this time her voice was mellow, almost dreamlike as it flitted around in the mist. Chapter 30 Roy edged his way around the clusters of people in the clearing, catching snippets of conversation as he passed by. There was nothing newsworthy or spectacular, only mundane matters that harkened back to the days which had since slipped out of reach. A small group of students were talking about a baseball game they saw on TV the night before it all began, recounting the pitchers and batters that strolled, dashed, and slid across the green. Roy had always been more an e-sports type of person, even though he was no better at games than he was at physical activities. Walking past the previously well-adjusted members of society, Roy spotted a familiar tangle of copper hair. ¡°Hey, Tristan!¡± Roy¡¯s shout caught the attention of the others gathered around the boy, and as they turned around Roy recognized faces both familiar and new. ¡°Roy? God, it¡¯s Roy guys!¡± confusion quickly gave way to joy as Tristan recognized his former classmate. The mirth was infectious as it spread from him to Tom, to Lyn, to Huxley, and even to the new faces. ¡°Greetings, my man, how goes the questing?¡± Tom rushed forward, animating the dwarf on his t-shirt with the gesticulations of his oversized gut. ¡°Questing? Oh, yeah, umm,¡± he didn¡¯t expect Tom to retain so much of his enthusiasm after the events of the past few days. How could he see it as an adventure, his experiences as a quest, when so much of it had been filled with death and suffering? ¡°I see you¡¯ve got yourself the panoplies of a chevalier!¡± Tom pointed at the pitchfork slung on Roy¡¯s back before patting the head of the small mallet tied to his waist with a length of discolored cloth, ¡°I myself prefer the noble and most glorious profession, the paladin!¡± Before he could continue any further Lyn stepped in, a smile shakily painted upon her face, ¡°Come on Tom, you can talk with Roy later, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s tired after his quest.¡± ¡°Of course m''lady, it would be most uncouth of me to deny Sir Stone his well deserved rest!¡± carefully, Lyn dragged Tom away. His ranting continued even as he disappeared past the first row of mud huts, rambling on about the fair weather and the fairness of the girl¡¯s skin. ¡°Heh, kinda awkward, I know¡­¡± Tristan started as he scratched his head with one gloved hand, ¡°The first few days were hectic, but things have calmed down since we got here. What about you?¡± ¡°Hmm, I guess it was the same for me. I found a group holed up in the big grocery store on Main Street, and I¡¯ve been helping out there,¡± it was nice seeing his classmates here. ¡°So you must have been one of the people Meta came back with, I heard you guys were fighters,¡± the boy looked worried as he eyed Roy¡¯s apparel. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, really. The others are really tough, even though I look a bit¡­¡± they shared a quick chuckle as Roy¡¯s patchwork clothing made itself known. ¡°So are you guys coming south with use then?¡± ¡°You really are going south huh?¡± Roy replied, trying to delay the inevitable response. He wanted to go, go with his classmates and his friends. But he couldn¡¯t and the throbbing in his heart soared with every new revelation. ¡°Yeah, I heard they were talking about it a while ago but Meta wasn¡¯t ready. But then you guys came and suddenly the big guy is ready to go,¡± Tristan rubbed his chin as he recounted what he knew about their little settlement¡¯s plans. It didn¡¯t seem like the elemental deigned to share the information about the Empyrean Fragment with them. ¡°I see¡­¡± Roy mumbled as he thumbed the shaft of his pitchfork, ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you guys are getting out of this muck.¡± ¡°Right¡­ Wait, you aren¡¯t coming?" the boy had always been quick to pick up subtle clues like those. ¡°No, I can¡¯t¡­ Some of the people at the grocer¡¯s don¡¯t want to leave, so yeah¡­¡± it took a bit of will to force out the truth, the reality. That he couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t leave, at least not now, not before he actually put in an effort to warn them of the dangers of staying. ¡°I¡­¡± they stood there in silence for a while, not really talking and not really moving. ¡°How about I show you around, introduce you to some of the guys?¡± ¡°That¡­ sounds good,¡± with his assent they walked back to the group Roy had spotted Tristan with. There were a myriad of faces, and oddly shaped furniture made of rock, and strange organic buildings pulled right from the earth. Tristan showcased it all, all the strange wonders Roy had come to appreciate, especially with the way they could occupy his mind. The biggest structure was the town hall, it bloomed from the ground at the center of the settlement, big enough for the elemental to fit in with room to spare. It was like a flower, a starburst of mud that projected out from its core. Smooth and precise planes met at rounded edges, and the overall effect was like that of the Sydney Opera House, but eroded and smoothed over with millennia of ancient erosion.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Clusteredaround the megalitic structure were larger houses. Branch like tunnels sprouted from the central cube like construction, connecting desperate units. It would not have appeared out of place in space. Everything followed that trend, the curved edges and flawless planes in between, forming organic flowing structures seemingly grown from the ground. It occurred to Roy that they had probably been made like that. Sprung from the ground by magic wielded by the elemental. A settlement out of nothing. There were pipes for running water, and lights, and stoves. The last of which consisted of engraved stone blocks whose top heated up as mana coursed into it. Everything was powered by mana and this was obvious to Roy as he focused on the appliances and his surroundings. His obtuse sensing perk aided him in realizing that the whole settlement glowed as bright as the sun with the magic thrumming in its veins. Finally they came to a stop where they had begun, the time was up and Roy had to go meet with the others. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got to go,¡± Roy said, a kind of pseudo good bye. ¡°No need for the drama, take care and I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet again, maybe by then Tom won¡¯t be so out of it,¡± a nervous laugh complimented his wave which continued until Roy found his view obstructed by the other groups in the plaza. --- Home, or rather the grocery store rose out of the mist to meet them as they neared. The faces of the group during the trek spoke of varying emotions, and varying degrees of success in finding their friends and family. But it was all dampened by the fact that even had they found who they were looking for, they would not have brought them to the grocery store. They would not have chained the ones close to them down alongside themselves as they held a desperate position against time, the most insidious foe. Only Madelyn seemed unaffected, and it reminded Roy of what she had told him. What had she learned, what was it that she realized which had brought her out of the melancholy she entered after seeing the bloated form of her mother? There were no suspicious individuals outside this time, only a small field of debris greeted them. Owen sat on the roof as usual, and a bit of maneuvering along the ladder that had been set up brought him down to ground level. ¡°Welcome back!¡± he announced as he looked over the people assembled before him, ¡°You didn¡¯t find anyone?¡± ¡°We found others alright, a whole group camped out in the east side of town.¡± ¡°Tens? Hundreds? Did you mention joining us? There is strength in numbers,¡± Owen¡¯s questions came one after another, his large frame brimming with energy. ¡°Hundreds, and they''re not joining us. They¡¯re going south.¡± ¡°South? In this weather and with conditions as they are? Did you try convincing them? Maybe I could give it a go,¡± his well chiseled features shifted into a thoughtful frown as he considered his own words. ¡°Don¡¯t see why you need to worry, they¡¯ve got a big dirt thing guarding them, and anyplace has got to be better than here,¡± Nolan shrugged off Owen¡¯s concerns and began to make his way to the door. ¡°A big dirt thing? You mean a monster, you left American citizens in the charge of a monster!¡± his voice steeled as he looked from Nolan to the rest of the group. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a monster, it was kinda nice and all,¡± Dan cut in, trying to placate Owen. ¡°You idiots are willing to risk hundreds of lives on those premises? Protecting civilians is my job and I don¡¯t trust some monster to perform it!¡± ¡°What would you rather have Owen?¡± Nolan turned around to face the incensed officer, ¡°You think we can feed another two hundred mouths? Do you know how long our food¡¯s gonna last? They¡¯ve got a better chance if they head out of this god awful swamp!¡± He pointed at the floating bits of debris and Roy realized that they were actually bits and pieces of pale fungal tissue. Giant sponge like slaps poking out of the water or drifting on the surface. All newly minted and hinting at a recent conflict. ¡°How long do we need to last? We last until help arrives! It could arrive today, it could arrive tomorrow, it could arrive the day after that. But it won¡¯t ever come for the people on the road, it won¡¯t ever come if they¡¯re gone!¡± his whole body shook now as his words came charging out of his mouth. ¡°What if your help doesn¡¯t come, what if it never comes? Can¡¯t you see how things are? It could be like this everywhere!¡± Nolan shouted, voice creaking as he neared old age. ¡°How can you assume that? Are you going to risk their lives on those assumptions?¡± ¡°Open your eyes it¡¯s obvious!¡± his veins showed and the whites of his eyes shone as he shouted back. ¡°Is it really! It¡¯s obvious they¡¯ll die out there!¡± the two men stared at each other, neither giving in to the other''s way of thought. ¡°You need to think things over before you put anyone else in danger. You''re dismissed, I¡¯ll find someone else to run the Task Force.¡± With a parting glare, Owen climbed back up the ladders and took his position on the roof. ¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll approve of sending more people over¡­¡± ¡°Shut up Dan,¡± Nolan grumbled as he stalked back into the grocery store. Leaving the other members out in the mist. ¡°Soo¡­ who do you think Owen¡¯s gonna put in charge?¡± Dan forced his face into a smie, as if he were making casual chit-chat. ¡°Our glorious leader works in mysterious ways, how can you presume to know who he will give this honor to?¡± Madelyn directed a pitiful gaze at the man as she began to preach. ¡°I certainly hope it isn¡¯t you!¡± he retorted. ¡°This servant is not worthy,¡± she brushed of his remark and seemed to look down on him even though she was a head shorter. ¡°You know this is like, totally serious right? I mean, it can¡¯t be Owen, Greyson, or Lestrat right? Cuz, they¡¯re really busy, but I like, don¡¯t know anyone else who is alright for the job,¡± Lucy cut in and began to ramble, drowning out Dan¡¯s remaining protestations. Despite the delivery, the though muffled their voices, and put them into thought. Roy had seen Nolan in action, the way he braced against the charge of the vineborn brute. There was no doubt in his mind that he himself would have been unable to pull off the feat, and this was likely true for the others as well. They had specialized and now their tank was missing. ¡°Maybe we can try to persuade Owen? It¡¯ll be dangerous without Nolan at the lead,¡± Dan suggested as he paced from side to side. ¡°Fuck the old man, I can handle his role,¡± Mato spat out as he grew sick of the conversation and followed Nolan¡¯s lead. Now there were only five and with a few more parting remarks , the group dispersed. Chapter 31 The scattered light bulbs strung up against the ceiling cast a warm orange light that barely cast away the darkness hovering just outside the windows. Accustomed to the inside of the grocery store, the outside was darker than ever as night descended. It was total and utter darkness, where not even a slimmer could been seen outside the little light spilling from the windows and the small patch that surrounded Greyson just outside the door, Occasionally a beam would lance out into the unknown as Greyson toyed with his flashlight and responded to skitterings and wanderings. Roy couldn¡¯t hear from where he stood next to the cash register. It was diner time and the survivors gathered again near the front of the store, some of them were still ambling down the aisles. Soft ephemeral figures wound through grey deserted shelves, every step causing the water to shudder, and bloom with orange-yellow confetti as the light played against the waves. Everything was orange, like some filter cast against the world, the people, the scenary, evenv the can of orange Roy held in his hands. They were serving canned fruits, SPAM, and stewed beans this time, something ordered specifically by Owen. Roy worked the can opener and dumped the contents onto a metal platter which he then handed to the person on the other side of the register. A gaunt looking man whose eyes darted from side to side, matching the finicky motions of his hands. Roy was worried the man might drop his food, which would certainly make a mess as the slurry contents of his plate bloomed through the water like an insect caught in ember, before it all fell apart and sunk to the depths. That was the last of them, all two hundred odd people served their meals, some by him and some by the others who stood behind similar registers with similar cartf, now filled with only empty cans. ¡°Last call for diner!¡± Lestrat announced as he looked over the clearing near the front, some took their meals near the front. They whispered quietly to each other, as if afraid their noise might disturb the perfect darkness outside. Like it was a masterpiece, something consecrated and holy, for how else could such silence, such night ever descend on a modern city? So full of life, light and lucidity. There was some cleaning up, some toiling under the rustic lighting, picking up scattered cans and odd bits of cutlery. There was even a small action figure, a plastic dragon figurine with movable joints and a little button under the neck that would cause the jaws to snap shut. It was red, and scaly, and menacing with its red gaze. Roy toyed with the figurine for a while, almost lost in its mundanity, things were so much calmer when dragons, magic, and the fantastical were relegated to fiction. On a whim, Roy tucked the figurine into his pocket, the sprawling wings forming quite a bulge in his jacket. He would return it to the kid that owned it, if he ever found them. Otherwise he just might keep it, the detail on those new action figures was exquisite! Unloading the last batch of junk into the carts, Roy said his goodbyes to some of the other stragglers and made for his suite near the back. Sweat and other human odours permeated the alleys between the rooms, with not a breeze to carry them off. It was warm too, especially here in the recesses and with his recently degraded CON, it would be hard to rest in the sweltering heat which, alongwith the air that held a sludge like consistency, lefthis skin with a sticky coating. Some of the others had gone outside in swimwear and washed off the day¡¯s grime, but Roy doubted the water, full of the dead and decaying, would do much for hygiene. Finding his room, Roy stripped off his boots and climbed aboard the platform and out of the water. A piece of cardboard had appeared next to his door since last time and Roy stuck it in in front of the door way, giving the room some smidgen of privacy. The rest of his gear was in the room, stripped off after he got back and changed into a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Pushing all his stuff aside, Roy plopped onto the ground and lay on his back as he stared up towards the rafters, where the light bulbs twinkled from time to time as the electricity hiccupped and stumbled along improvised mechanisms. According to the others this was the first lighted evening, Jonas had finished wiring everything up earlier in the day and they would have two or three hours of lighting for dinner and a littlewhile afterwards. Which meant he had another hour left before darkness erupted into the room and things darkened yet again. The thought of the dark didn¡¯t appeal to him so he would cast his torch spell, see how long the little tongue of flame would last. He would get his light, and some training in. Training, working, studying, what a ridiculous though! Never before had he studied, never before had he turned in an assignment on time, and sometimes not at all. Now he was going to do the exact opposite, work when no one instructed him to do so. But wasn¡¯t grinding in a game a sort of work, a repetitive sequence of buttons, a series of steps like solving a high school math equation, with a reward at the very end. A jolly ding in the case of MMORPGs and a 100 writ large and in red in the case of math. Now he was going to go through the steps. He would feel the mana in his body, capture a small patch of it, align an even smaller part of the patch, pull the whole thing through that weird membrance he felt surrounded his mana, and ¨C fwoom ¨C firelight mixed with the electric lighting, incandescent yellow mixed with fiery orange.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. A few inches above the palm of his hand the flame hovered, casting light and heat. He had created it manually, went through all the steps like he had done during his previous tries, each movement of his mana carried its own exotic sensation. He didn¡¯t need to follow those steps though, he could use his skill and be dragged along by the ethereal hand that would descend upon him. A process which was both faster and bolstered by the perk he had gained. Roy moved his hand away, and to his satisfaction, the flame persisted. There never was a connection between him and the spell, it didn¡¯t so much hover above his palm as stick to that place in space. Now he recalled the spell, the system granted ability, ¡®Flame¡¯,and activated it. The hand arrived, almost in fast forwards as it began its series of actions. No longer slow like a spectre buy nimble and quick, though no less soothing with its presence. Roy latched on and he felt himself accelerate alongside it, shooting through steps in a series of arcane gestures. Then it was gone and a flame appeared before him. Roy had no way of telling how long it had taken, but just by observing the alacrity by which he completed the individual steps, he was finishing the movements at least twice or thrice as fast as normal. Part of that could simply be due to the fact he was following the hands guidance, part of it was because of the perk he had gotten, which seemed to accelerate the movements of the hand and him alongside it. He was calling it acceleration, but he wasn¡¯t speeding up, time wasn¡¯t passing slowly by, awaiting his completion. No, it felt as if he had more hands, more manipulators for completing the steps, a seamless mass of magical appendages that felt instinctual, basic. Roy compared the two flames before him, they were different, minutely so. Each time he completed the spell a different amount of mana was gather, a different amount aligned. Each step changed something. Based on intuition, the mana would determine the duration of the flame, if the fire bruned mana that was. The amount he aligned probably determined the size of the flame, and if the flame was larger and consumed more man it would last for a shorter duration. These thoughts in mind, Roy began to create a series of flames, changing the amount of mana used and aligned each time. By the time he was finished the first flames were winking out, the burden of illumination falling to the other lined up before it. The row of them looked like Russian nesting dolls, almost identical tendrils fo flame which increased in size, reflecting Roy¡¯s desire to see how large they could get. There seemed to be no limit, or at least Roy didn¡¯t want to continue trying considering his latest effort had yielded a flame half a meter tall and drained much of his remaining mana reserves. It was fortunate that the fire was spire like in shape, a single tongue reaching always upwards. Had it spread horizontally some of his belonging might have caught fire. Taking a seat Roy watched the flames flicker out one by one until the tallest disappeared, the sudden loss of light was almost perceived as a flash, a flash of darkness. Most of the lightbulbs had gone out and now only a single bulb shone somewhere in the distance, barely enough illumination for Roy to make out the fingers before his eyes. It was probably time for bed, it was early still early though, probably no later than eight or nine. This was probably what the people of long ago felt. They slept and awoke with the rising and setting of the sun, for what could be done in the pitch dark of night, assisted only by the lowly light of candles. How curious that the day night cycle, dictated by time, the 8 o¡¯clock school days and 12 o¡¯clock bed times would disappear so quickly. Flushed away alongside the ubiquitousness of technology. As he began to lie down a shout went up from the distance, a hoarse croak followed by a flurry of voices. Roy was too far away but he could feet the commotion grow as splashing footsteps entered the fray.It continued like that for a while, new voice entered bothmen and women, loud and quiet. It was too early to sleep anyways. Roy got up and donned his socks and shoes, he would go and check it out since everyone seemed to want a part of whatever action was happening. A few more lights flickered on overhead, a halo of bright yellow appeared over where the noise was coming from and Roy navigated the clustered streets with the guides on the ceiling. Soon he was within earshot and could make of the distinct voice of Owen. ¡°Get the Task Force ready!¡± :¡±Look at how dark it is out there! It¡¯s a suicide mission!¡± that voice sounded like Dan, or maybe it was Karl. The other brother rarely talked but they sounded similar enough. ¡°That¡¯s an order Dan, this is our responsibility! We can¡¯t shirk it at our convenience, there are people counting on us,¡± ¡°Look, maybe we can observe his condition for a while longer, see how things progress and go from there,¡± Lestrat''s temperate voice cut in. ¡°He won¡¯t last the night,¡± a somber monotone, a voice that clawed at Roy¡¯s memories. ¡°¡±We need to go now!¡± ¡°This is crazy, you¡¯re putting all their lives in danger!¡± Nolan¡¯s hoarse voice boomed over the others. ¡°Quiet! This isn¡¯t your business Nolan!¡± Owen snapped back, ¡±This man¡¯s life is on the line!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, everything is going to be alright,¡± Madelyn cooed mockingly. ¡°This is no time for joke, get you stuff ready and stop dallying!¡± Roy turned the final corner and looked on the group of people gathered outside a cubicle. Owan towered up from the crowd and the others formed a circle around him. A boy in a white coat, Leo, stood beside him and overlooked a table, on top of which lay an old man. A family stood nearby, a mother and two daughters. It seemed like the old man on the table was a grandparent and based on his condition, he had fallen ill. The family stood around the table, tears welled in their eyes as they alternated between begging, sobbing, and the occasional flare of outrage. Roy had a half a mind to shout out toLeo but this was probably not the time,so he quietly approached from the side. ¡°What are you still standing around for GO!¡± Owen shouted again, the tenseness in him was palpable. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t think this is going to work out, it¡¯s not you, it¡¯s us, specifically, we aren¡¯t going to go charging into the night looking for pharmaceuticals,¡± Madelyn quipped in after a brief span of silence. Owen shouted, he cursed, he glared at the others who stood still as statues and looked on. There was no light outside, no visibility. A dark permeated with monsters that could rend flesh and turn the living into the dead. So they stood and watched the life fade from the old man¡¯s eyes, bit by bit, pint by pint. Owen was quiet now, as if he was listening to the leaking of life from a loosed faucet. ¡°Fine! Fine. Then I¡¯ll go,¡± he spoke simply before turning around. ¡°Wait, Owen, think about this alright, we need you here. Look at a everyone, there are hundreds, you can¡¯t put yourself in danger like this!¡±Greyson shouted after him. ¡°Watch me,¡± the police chief whispered as he faded into the unlighted areas. The opening and closing of a door signaled his departure. Chapter 32 ¡°How¡¯ve you been?¡± ¡°So-so.¡± ¡°I heard ¨C from Lestrat ¨C that you¡¯re like¡­ a medic, that¡¯s pretty cool.¡± ¡°Cool huh?¡±Leo wriggled the word around in his mouth, tasting it, feeling it. ¡°I think so,¡± Roy added. He and Leo sat near the table the old man lay on, opposite them was the mother and her two daughters. Five people, aware and conscious of the world, and one whose senses had long been scattered into the mist, as if the drab grey expanse were some haunting specter whose breath stole the life of the living to fuel its own immutability. Now only the husk of a man remained, small undulations of the chest a wavering sign of life. Still,Leo persisted. He stared unblinking at the half-corpse, like his gaze was some life giving force that could keep cold clutching hands as bay for just a little while longer. But there was no mystical force, the only thingLeo radiated was the harsh smell of antiseptics. A sense numbing, bitter odor which clung to the boy, sucked the color out of his skin and the light out of his eyes. So that his skin was like sulfur and his eyes two barrels of crude. And Roy could see that lingering malaise, feel it brush up against him like a silent fog. Then when he pushed against it, threw what little conversational ability he had at the wall of vaporous matter, it solidified to become a concrete rampart, and he didn¡¯t have the keys to the castle. So he camped outside, they were all camped there around the body because not evenLeo had the keys to what he really wanted, what his gaze longed for but could never bring into sight. A figment of life in the patient, it was all any of them wanted. Hour bled into hour, bled into hour, and the chest sunk deeper and deeper and deeper until a dam burst and the mother screamed out in pain, her shriek echoing in the room because the night was too packed to take it. The girls cried.Leo stared. Roy sat. It was all they could do, or rather it was all they were willing to do. Not even the old man was moved by his own demise. He knew when he had come that morning to the front of the store to stare out at the mist that would claim his life. There was only so much a person could do, only so much energy to expend, so much mana to exhaust. But Owen thought he could give a little more, sqeeze out just another drop to quench an old man¡¯s thirst. It was too late now, too late for the body on the table, too late for Owen who could at this moment be lying silhouetted against the water. Back touching the concrete, as the blood left him and his life drifted away. Or he could be fending of the hordes of monsters as he pushed along the streets, chiseled out of marble like an ancient Greek hero. Except there was no Patroclus at his side, no Hector before him, nor Paris behind him. It was just Owen, out alone in the night to fetch some medicine to save an old man¡¯s life Roy looked at the body on the table. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he mumbled, but it was like an earthquake amongst the sobbing and quite pleas, and he quickly became the center of four pairs of eyes. ¡°Maybe we can, uh, give a proper funeral, you know? Burial and uh, stuff?¡± Roy racked his brains for something to say, anything to pass through the depths of the night. The mother laid a hand gently over the head of her father, and let it rest there for a moment, as if in some deep conversation with the spirit of the departed, ¡°Right, a funeral¡­ that would be nice. Maybe some candles, plenty of fire, he always liked fire and the sun and the outdoors.¡± Without another word, Roy began to line the room with suspended tendrils of flame. Hung in midair, they seemed to project from invisible candles which were placed in a circle around the mourners and the recently deceased. Wriggling, dancing, vivid fire, playing against the shadows in a constant game of back and forth. Roy completed the circle and returned to his seat, then as if awaiting the signal, the mother began to speak in a low and stuttering voice, ¡°My father was a, kind, gentle, loving, caring, strong... father... husband... grandfather¡­¡± And she trailed off into the distance, voice disappearing as she gave her personal farewell. Roy felt like he was intruding, like he wasn¡¯t supposed to be here among the mother and the two daughters. He hardly knew the old man, but here gathered under the roof of the grocery store, how could he not be here, how could these people not be the closest of neighbors? The women finished, or perhaps she didn¡¯t for her voice disappeared and onlyher drifting gaze hinted at the journey she was going through as she browsed the library of her memories. Then they were all staring at the figure on the table again, and a silly thought occurred to Roy. How would they bury the body? The mother¡¯s next words seem to answer his unworded question, ¡°He always wanted to go out in a fire... so we could send him along with the wind.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. That was good, because they couldn¡¯t bury him with two feet of water covering the ground. Ashes, and wind and fire and corpses, the words formed a thought in Roy¡¯s mind and the ability ¡®Defile¡¯ popped into his conscious. ¡°I can uh¡­ cremate his body,¡± Roy spouted out before adding, ¡°Without fire.¡± The rest of them looked at him, as if that were a perfectly reasonable thing. Because it took too much to care about every little thing. So the mother nodded, like how she had nodded at the candle-less fires. Giving the others another moment, Roy raised his arm and faced his palm at the body resting on the table, it seemed fitting, appropriate that he should perform some type of gesture. Then he activated the ability and his senses were flushed into the distance and it it felt as if he were up in the air and observing everything like an eagle in flight. They were all so insignificant, they paled in comparison the four great nexuses of power that thrummed around him. For he was floating, his sense removed from his body so that he now felt acutely with his mind. What was going on, he thought and the thought reverberated like he had shouted into the distance. This wasn¡¯t like ¡®flame¡¯, it wasn¡¯t like ¡®reckless strength¡¯, this was something different, and he had leaped in on a whim. He should have asked the goblins, he should have tested things out first, there were so many things he should have done. But now he was isolated in this space, with his questions reverberating around him like pinballs. Roy let his thoughts fade away, his trance like state was similar to the one he entered while accessing his mana, could this simply be another manifestation of the same phenomenon? Royreached within himself and felt his mana easily accessible. It was almost too easy. Roy pulled at a bit of his mana using his manipulator and a chunk at exactly the desired size broke away from his body. He hurled the unfathomable energy around, juggled it within a space unconstrained by gravity, before pulling it back in. This was no feat he could have accomplished, regularly, so what was going on? He turned his sense outward and the four vortexes of power made themselves known again. If he focused, pushed aside the overwhelming sensation of those beacons, he could pick up smaller centers of power. They were scattered in every direction, suspended within this unfathomable grand space. They were not static lights, unmoving points on a stellar map. Instead they were active, alive, and coils or tendrils floated off their dense energetic cores. There were so many and the more he focused the more he could ¡®see¡¯, until the sensation of ¡®sight¡¯ overwhelmed him and he wound his senses tightly around him.Wiping everything except the monoliths of power away. The monoliths, in his gut Roy knew they were the reason he was here. He could feel his connection to them, connected by a tether he would have described as glowing, pulsing, and wriggling with energy. Unsure of what to do Roy sent his senses towards a tether. An eye catching one that shined a deep crimson and filled him with vitality as he approached. He extended a manipulator and touched it, the contact drew him in, not forcibly, but gently like a guest. The energy beckoned from him to sample some, as if it were tea and biscuits. So Roy sent his senses into the flow that coursed through the tendril connecting him and the distant nexus of power. A sensory connection seemed to grow between them and suddenly feeling and sensation began to trickle in. He felt young, or even younger than he already was. His shackles had been thrown off him and nothing in the world could tire him. It was vitality, which flowed in endlessly and empowered him. Age would fall away, along with all the discomforts of time, replaced by unceasing, unrelenting life. It was warm and sweet like nectar. Vivid and lucid like¡­ blood. Blood, there was blood everywhere, it stained every surface. He would touch it, drink it, bath in it as it rained, no poured down like a waterfall. Roy pulled away from the tendril of power, repulsed by the pungent odor of rusting iron. If he could sweat in his altered perception, he would have. If he could have panted, he would have. But all he could do was feel his senses swirl around within him, unsettled by what he had felt and ¡®seen¡¯. But he couldn¡¯t leave yet, somehow he knew that he was obliged to look through every one of the tendrils, sample every pool. He had bound himself to this task after activating ¡®Defile¡¯. This thought had swam into his conscious after diving into the first current of power. Breathing in deeply, Roy delved into the next pool, this time he ignored the opening pleasantries and the sensation began to pour in at once. What did he feel? He felt eternal, forever, and everlasting, like he was a rock or an ocean, or the stars themselves. He was free like the wind, free from the constraints of time and mortality. He could drift from place to place, carried along by curiosity, by the thirst for something to quench the loneliness of stars. He could get use to this, Roy thought, before he felt the cold hard earth. It was like the chill of the north wind or the icy autumn rain. But there was no rain nor wind. He was cold because no food filled his stomach, no blood thrummed in his vains, and no heart beat in his vacuum of a chest. Roy pulled away, the tingling frost clinging to him for a moment longer. Two down, two to go, Roy thought as he gathered his wits again and headed for the next tendril of energy. These were all images, illusions, he convinced himself, right before the next set of sensations began. This time he felt different, not different from himself, but always, and continuously different. Like every second he was adapting, changing, and undergoing a metamorphoses. There was nothing he could not adapt to, nothing he could not change about himself to get the most from life. Because he yielded like water and caught opportunity in his liquid embrace. He could always be better, improve himself that extra inch and reach that new goal. He could reach so far, travel such a distance, and when he looked back he had lost sight of the first him. The origin, the creator, because he was constantly improving, constantly changing. Was his hair black or blonde, or blue? And then Roy felt like himself again, he had returned from that distant him who no longer resembled him. He was Roy with brown eyes, and brown hair, and poor grades. Having reaffirmed his identity, Roy moved on to the last tendril, the last tribulation. The sensation started to flow in. He was welcomed, pulled into an embrace. He could see life woven into a tapestry before him, with all its radiant peaks and temporary trenches. He could see himself at home before the computer, alone but not alone. Because he was a part of a community, a part of society, no matter what its form. So what if his those friends were anonymous users? So what if his achievements were measured in ones and zeros? It was their way of life, their festivities, and their culture. It pulled him in, muffled him with the great mass of society so that he lay nested and secure. A square on a quilt, a node in the net. Roy followed this connection, its sweetness and warmth drew him in and soon he was carried along by the currents, towards that great heart of power in the distance. Chapter 33 Roy winked his eyes, but his vision remained clear. There was no flash or darkness which arose from the fluttering of his eyelids, or faint twitch of the muscle which made him conscious of the movement. No, there was nothing to disturb the view which now lay before him. He was in a hall, that much was clear to him. But the walls and floor were made from solid stone blocks, each of which was at least as large as a semi. The surfaces were impeccably smooth where they were not decorated by lavish paintings and detailed engravings. Embedded along the wall in frequent intervals were decorated columns. They depicted all manner of people, and even some which were distinctly non-human. There were the goblins, who were familiar to Roy, and many other races, some of which resembled those he often saw in video games. The columns reached toward the vaulted ceiling before spreading across the surface like the ribs of some gigantic beast. Spindly arms branched out from the main supports and formed a latticework amongst the higher sections of the wall, twisting into bizarre and hypnotic decorations. The jutting points and fractal like clusters were illuminated by a unsettling red light which intruded from the stained windows set high up on the walls. At least they appeared to be stained windows, for the light made it all appear in various shades of red. That was no sunlight Roy had ever seen. It appeared almost demonic, like hell festered just outside these stone chambers and soon it would barge in and take him as its newest member. Turning his eyes away from the ceiling, Roy looked down the hall, at the dias raised prominently at the end. It was the only decoration near the ground and that fact made it stand out all the more in this cavernous expanse. Upon the dais, raised perhaps a full meter off the ground, was a throne made entirely of stone like the rest of the structure. Two stone gargoyles, wings spread open menacingly lay perched on the back of the throne, they were life like in detail and their perch was equally intricate from the glimpses Roy caught of the stonework. The problem was that much of it was covered by all manner of upholstery. Blankets made of furs and what appeared to be silk were draped upon every inch of stone, and piled atop it was a mound of pillows which mellowed every edge and turned the precise form into a amorphous mound. Much of thefabirc was white, with a trace of red embroidery here and there. However, none of that captured Roy¡¯s attention as much as the knight that stood beside the throne. The figure was not overly bulky, nor tall, nor intimidating. It fell short of Roy¡¯s expectations considering that this was all very fantastical. The knight''s attire was simple, a white tabard over an ensemble mainly consisting of chainmail. There were plate gauntlets and graves of course, but they appeared to be made of simple steel and the only thing impressive about them was the degree of care the wearer took to keep them looking new. There were no massive shoulder pads, or spikes, or runic engravings. In fact, the only decoration was a pair of bat wings which adorned the knight¡¯s simple full helm. They were tiny, swept back little things that protruded from just above the ears. The knight turned his attention to Roy, causing his armor to jingle, and then announced in a youthful and light hearted tone, ¡°Welcome my friend! I hope your journey here wasn¡¯t too sudden or exhausting. This¡­¡± The knight swept an arm out and gestured theatrically at the throne, ¡°is Lady Ometia, and I am her humble knight, Sir Volker!¡± It took Roy a moment to pick out the figure lounging amongst the pile of upholstery. It was no easy feat considering her skin, hair and the winding sheet of fabric she wore as a dress blended in with the fabric piled on the throne. The only detail that ruined the camouflage were her eyes, two blood red orbs which lacked pupils, sclerae, and irises. Roy shuddered and turned his attention back to the knight, only to catch the man pull out his sword and slide it across his wrist. Blood began to gush from the wound and the man calmly stepped forward, allowing the ichor to trickle down like a twisted thread and fall upon the lady on the throne. There was a dreamlike quality to the scene and Roy watched the girl sprawled out lethargically across the pillows. She didn¡¯t bat an eye as the blood splashed onto her skin, like red paint splattered against canvas. Or at least, it should have splattered and marred the white of her skin, instead it seemed to disappear the moment it came in contact. As if it were a figment of Roy¡¯s imagination and the momentit touched the world it shattered and disappeared from view. Then the girl, the lady, the women, the thing, on the throne spoke, ¡°Apologies my honored guest, I don¡¯t usually feast on occasions like this, but times have been rough and I am quite unable to function without a constant stream of blood.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Her tone was bright, like the knight¡¯s. High pitched and girly, reminiscent of sunshine and daisies. The way she sat gaily upon her throne and the youthfulness of her appearance contributed to the illusion of youth. But those eyes gave it away, showed that she was the great nexus of power that blinded his mana sense the second he took a peek. So he stood there, stunned, speechless, mouth agape as he watched more and more blood trickle from the knights wound. Surely there could not be so much blood in a man, and surely not from a man that looked no bulkier than Roy himself. The thing on the throne stared at him all the while, before something seemed to light up and she spoke again, ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re from Earth! This must all seem very strange to you, the thought escaped me for a moment there.¡± It occurred to Roy how strange it was for it to voice that idea, he imagined the people of Earth would be the more civilized, the more conscious of differences like these. As he juggled that thought in his mind the thing continued to speak. ¡°Right¡­ I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have much time so I will need to be brief,¡± she pulled herself up so that she sat a little straighter and took a small breath of air ¨C that was a first. ¡°Alright,¡± Roy responded, he would have to roll with it if he was going to get his hands on any information. ¡°Excellent, at least now we¡¯re certain Azif¡¯s translation module is working!¡± she exclaimed before turning back to the matter at hand, ¡°Right, so you activated Defile, correct?¡± Roy nodded, he really should have gotten more information on that ability before using it. ¡°Which essentially means you¡¯ve offered me the corpse as a gift, or put rather put more unpleasantly, as tribute¡­¡± a grimace appeared for an instant before she continued on, ¡°More specifically, you had a choice to whom you would dedicate the gift to, me or my sisters.¡± So that¡¯s what the whole tendril thing had been about. He had been selecting who to¡­ give, the corpse to. But then, why did it matter, how did the sensation he felt play into the decision? Was he going to receive something in return, and if so was what he received based on who he choose? ¡°From now on, any other corpses you offer up will come to me automatically¡­ or course you can always choose to honor one of my sisters, I mean, if you have a change of mind or something¡­¡± she flashed a nervous smile at him and it was almost enough for her to appear human, if it weren¡¯t for the absence of detail in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure how to phrase it but it¡¯s kind of like¡­ religion?¡± the pile of pillows shook as she shifted around in the mound of fabric, ¡°Worshipping me would be flattering, but unhealthy¡­ so it¡¯s not really like religion? I¡¯ve only looked through a bit of Azif¡¯s reports¡­ but I will be granting you blessings and providing as much help as I can, so there is that.¡± Religion, that¡¯s what this was. He had essentially picked a deity to follow based on what they stood for during his brief trapeze in nowhere land. It was like picking a god to follow in a video game, he would need to offer up tribute in order to receive buffs to his stats. It was a shame he choose so hastily, who knew if this goddess would offer him the appropriate buffs. ¡°Hmm, I think you¡¯re misinterpreting¡­¡± his deity commented and he realized that he had donned his game face, which was a mix between a contemplation of strategy, and a contemplation of the sick rewards he would receive at the end of the quest chain. ¡°Regardless, that¡¯s the gist of things¡­¡± Roy shifted uncomfortably in place as the pair of wholly red eyes fixed him in a contemplative stare, ¡°Wait, that¡¯s right! You¡¯ve already undergone Initiation.¡± ¡°Initiation?¡± Roy questioned, he wasn¡¯t aware of any shady ceremonies he had performed besides the dubious use of ¡®Defile¡¯. ¡°You imbibed the Elixir of Vitality¡­ It came in a fancy glass vial and was the color of blood¡­¡± Dredging through his memories, Roy recalled his first day and the potion that had saved his life after fighting the frog monster, ¡°Oh, you mean that¡­ um, cool, but what does that¡­ mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s a trifle, nothing that should cause you to worry,¡± she waved her hand in a placating gesture, ¡°We frequently offer them as gifts for those who aspire to join our Order; of course, there are no obligations attached, that would be horrible.¡± ¡°You order? What¡¯s that?¡± it seemed as if something new popped up every sentence and he barely had the opportunity to ask for explanation. ¡°Fuu¡­ this is quite exhausting isn¡¯t it, anyways. The Order refers to the non-ascendant elements which support, protect, and receive aid from us, the Hallow Powers,¡± finishing her statement, she pointed at Sir Volker who still stood at the side of the throne with his arm outstretched so thathis blood could rain down upon her. ¡°Wait, wait, hold on. Non-ascendant, hallow powers, what are those supposed to be?¡± he could guess of course, but why bother when he could just ask for the answers. ¡°Tsk, I don¡¯t think I can keep the connection up for much longer,¡± her mutterings echoed down the hall and only lead to more questions springing up in Roy¡¯s mind, ¡°You¡¯ve ended up in the area around New Atlarium, correct?¡± ¡°Right, our town is called Anamosa,¡± he felt the need to add. ¡°Hmm... if that¡¯s the case you should seek out Sister Flou, I¡¯m sure she can address any questions you may have. In case you can¡¯t pick up her spiritual signature, she fancies sprawling green robes and carries around a small tree for a spell foci.¡± ¡°Cool, but I still need some questions answered!¡± he couldn¡¯t afford to stumble around any longer, he couldn¡¯t afford looking for someone else to fill him in, he needed that information now. ¡°Please understand, I¡­ can¡¯t keep this connection up,¡± as she voiced those words the blood red of her eyes seemed to spread for an instant, coursing through her veins and tracing out macabre patterns under the skin for an instant before abating, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but farewell for now, we will try to aid you to the best of our abilities. Remember you must bear the torch of civilization!¡± Roy¡¯s view seemed to flicker and dim and the end of the sentence became warped and twisted as if it were travelling from a great distance. ¡°Oh¡­ and¡­ announcement¡­ sister... no¡­ choice¡­¡± then everything merged with the ambience of space and Roy found himself pulled through those greet tendrils of power, back towards where he had begun. Chapter 34 Roy opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. He was back in the modest little cubicle tucked inside the grocery store. Before him was the table the body of the old man lay on, the only hint of its former residence was a small pile of ashes which was neatly, almost reverently, gathered near the center. How long had he been standing here? Self-consciously, Roy pulled his arm back from where it hovered over the pile of ashes. Then again, it wouldn¡¯t be too out of place for him to stand as still as a statue before the recently departed. He wasn¡¯t the only one to have stayed unmoving since his impromptu cremation of the body. The room had seemed to enter a state of static. Leo still sat on the ground consumed in his own thoughts, and the family of three stood quietly on the opposite side of the table. All was still and as perfectly quiet as the night outside. He should leave, his role had been played and now there was nothing here for him, but he was afraid of disturbing that eccentricity in the air, that odd calm which followed a wake. Unsure of how to proceed, Roy stayed where he stood. It was probably past midnight now, Roy felt as if he had just woken up in the morning. The brief stay within that other plane had seemed to wipe away all of his weariness. Had that been the effect of that state of mind or was it something else? Another question for the ceaselessly growing list he wanted answered. But he was not without a means of finding those answers, there was Epipollus and the goblins, Metapelon the earth elemental, and now, Flou. They were out there, scattered all over what had become of the small town he had grown up in, all he had to do was muster up the courage to head out and ask them the pertinent questions. He needed to act all by his lonesome, and the thought was frightening. Of course there was that thirst for answers to confront this new and dangerous world, but more pragmatically, he needed a way of convincing the people gathered in the grocery store to leave. Judging by Owen''s reaction to Nolan¡¯s actions earlier in the day, it didn¡¯t seem like Roy had much of a chance when it came to convincing the man. There was a nagging possibility that Owen wouldn¡¯t be coming back from his mid-night escapade. It would greatly simplify matters, but the thought of obtaining some sort of advantage, even if it were for the greater good, through the death of another was bitter in his mouth. Regardless of what he choose to pursue, it would need to wait until morning. So he had perhaps six to eight hours ahead of him, and he didn¡¯t have the faintest idea of what he could spend that time doing. Looking around, Roy noticed that a blue screen was floating in his vision, it was faint enough to escape his attention earlier, but now that he had taken notice of it, it resurfaced.
Ability Up!
Defile LV 1 > LV 5 (Novice)
You Have Been Assigned a Minor Perk for Defile
May the Dead Shield Us Offered corpses disintegrate slowly, providing light and warmth during the process. The intensity of teh light and warmth, and the duration of the disintegration is based on the CON of entity that left the corpse.
The ability had gone up five levels with a single use, and his minor perk had been picked for him. Both of those were surprising, but if he viewed the ability as the act of offering up a corpse to a deity, then it made sense that the perk would be based on who he choose to worship. That was fine and understandable, but the effect of the perk was anything but okay. He would essentially be using corpses as campfire to provide warmth and heat. Would he soon be cooking marshmallows over a human bonfire? The though was unsettling, but he supposed the ability didn¡¯t specify human corpses.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. If so, would he soon find himself cooking a pig over a pig¡¯s corpse? ¡°It¡¯s almost midnight. Roy, let¡¯s go and get some rest,¡± Leo¡¯s words pulled Roy out of his thoughts. Roy looked at the other boy and then at the family of the diseased, Roy caught Leo¡¯s drift and the two quietly made their way out of the room and sloshed into the thigh deep water outside. ¡°Thanks for the help,¡± Leo voiced in a tired tone as the two headed towards the back of the store. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine. It was just the thing to do, you know?¡± Roy bumbled as he walked behind the other boy. It was difficult making his way around with the near absence of light. ¡®Right, things we just need to do,¡± he agreed as they stopped before the door to the infirmiry. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then?¡± he asked. ¡°Probably not, Doctor Brown is too old to care for the patients or administer treatment so I have quite a bit of work to do,¡± he answered reluctantly before pushing open the door and entering into the brightly lit chamber beyond. The light was blinding as it streamed through the gap, then it was gone as the door closed quietly. The dark was even darker now that he had caught a glimpse of the light. Blinking away the afterglow, Roy began to stumble away towards his own domicile. As he neared the far corner of the grocery store he caught site of two figures standing outside the door to Lestrat¡¯s office. From the light spilling from the open doorway, Roy could distinguish the two as Lestrat and Greyson. ¡°You think she might have followed Owen out?¡± Greyson questioned in a worried tone that conflicted with Roy¡¯s mental image of the man. ¡°Perhaps¡­ we can¡¯t be sure yet, let¡¯s keep looking,¡± Lestrat responded as he smoothed back his parted hair. ¡°God, I think she¡¯s got the guts to do it too,¡± Greyson continued, brushing away Lestrat¡¯s assurances. The boy looked away for a second and spotted Roy as he approached, ¡°Roy! You¡¯re here just in time, did you happen to see Madelyn around?¡± ¡°No¡­ but I was with Leo the whole time,¡± so that¡¯s what they were talking about, it seemed like Greyson was convinced that Madelyn had followed Owen out on his hopeless quest to secure pharmaceuticals for the old man. ¡°Damn it all! She slipped out of Lestrat¡¯s office a few hours ago and we haven¡¯t seen her since,¡± Greyson punched a shelf nearby in frustration and the rickety metal structure tipped precariously before thudding back into place. ¡°Calm down Greyson, we''ll keep looking, everything¡¯s fine¡­¡± he assured, though it was hard to tell who exactly was in need of assuring. ¡°Hah, you sound like Mrs. Maes,¡± Greyson quipped as he shifted the shelf he had knocked out of place. The sentiment silenced Lestrat and the boy could only shuffle uncomfortably in place. ¡°Anyways, Roy, you should probably go get some rest, there¡¯s nothing to be worried about,¡± he turned away from Greyson and addressed Roy. ¡°¡±Oh¡­ I can help, I¡¯m not really tired. I got this funky skill and now I¡¯m all rested,¡± he wasn¡¯t quite sure how he had become rested, but it was probably related to the system and telling Lestrat it was the effect of a skill would suffice for now. ¡°Are you sure? I mean, your help would be greatly appreciated but¡­¡± he trailed off, reluctant of dismissing help he so clearly craved. ¡°I¡¯m good, so what¡¯s the plan?¡± Roy chimed in response. ¡®The plan¡­¡± Lestrat looked around at the two, ¡°We¡¯ll split up and look through the entire store if we need to! Greyson takes the front, Roy can look through that the aisles, and I¡¯ll check the other rooms.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan, I¡¯ve got the guns to deal with the outside, Lestrat¡¯s got a good handle on the layout of the store, and the rookie can take it easy,¡± Greyson voiced his assent and hurried on his way. They looked and they looked, the roof, the basement, the storage spaces, they even pulled out the flashlights and took a brief trip around the outside of the building. Of course she wasn¡¯t here, it was obvious the fifth time around when the sun began to peek over the horizon and the land took on that dusty grey hue again. They were near the front, about to mount another brief expedition, this time to the gas station across the street, when they sighted a shape stumbling through the mist. It was human, but malformed, with more than a single pair of legs and a few too many bumps atop its shoulders. ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡± Greyson shouted as he stumbled out the door and tried to blink away the fatigue plaguing his eyes. ¡°¡¯Tis Oliver bearing our hero home!¡± ¡°Madelyn!¡± they rushed forward to meet her halfway, and as the mist parted it revealed the girl and the source of the deformity they had spotted. She was carrying Owen against her shoulder as she stumbled forwards, struggling under the weight of what was now more akin tenderized flesh than man. His legs were mangled stumps trailing sinuous flesh and his body resembled parched earth with its many jagged cuts. Limbs jutted out at chaotic angles and at places the bone poked through the flesh to reveal their maw like cracks and fractures. Roy stumbled as he caught sight of the burden on Madelyn¡¯s shoulders, and images of his own leg after the battle with the Hastaos flashed through his mind. Roy averted his eyes and scrutinized the calm surface of the water, trying in vain to wipe away the horrendous scene that threatened to crawl through his orifices and churn his organs. ¡°I-is that¡­ Owen?¡± Lestrat asked, but the answer was obvious from what remained of the crisp blue uniform clinging to the man. ¡°The one and only, come quick and help me escort our brave warrior inside.¡± Biting back their horror at the state of the man, they helped drag him indoors and set him upon a table. From the slow rising and falling of his chest they could tell that Owen was still alive. This was confirmed by a quick check of his status which showed that his HP stood at a measley seventeen. Greyson rushed off to fetch the doctor, leaving the other three to attend to the man hovering just over a dozen points above death. ¡°Cutting it quite close,¡± Lestrat commented as they stood around, unsure of how to tend to the grievous wounds. ¡°I ascribe this success to the liberal use of potions,¡± she lectured self-confidently, though she swayed from side to side and her own body was covered in gashes. ¡°You followed Owen out?¡± ¡°Why of course, what would a hero be without his loyal comrades?¡± ¡°Please¡­ I was worried,¡± Lestrat turned away and dabbed at his eyes. ¡°Right, it was silly of me to leave you all in the dark wasn¡¯t it,¡± she stopped closer to the boy and lay a hand on his shoulder. ¡°No¡­ no¡­. you had to go, Owen wouldn¡¯t have made it otherwise. We were just too¡­¡± ¡°No need to be so melodramatic, we each take up our own roles upon this stage. There are many but this one is mine,¡± she painstakingly lowered her bag onto the ground and leaned against Lestrat. ¡±Look, Leo and Greyson are coming back. Why don¡¯t you escort me back to your chambers and nurse my wounds?¡± ¡°Right, of course,¡± appearing somewhat more enlivened, Lestrat helped Madelyn along as they walked away. ¡°Tell Leo there''s a good selection of prescription drugs in the bag, it may be too late for old man Jasper but who knows when modern medicine might come in handy? Remind him to catalogue everything and send a list to Lestrat,¡± she instructed as she walked away. ¡°Wait, how do you know the old man passed away?¡± Roy was sure they hadn¡¯t told her. ¡°I checked his HP before leaving. He had around half an hour left¡± Roy hadn¡¯t, but they had. Owen, Madelyn, Lestrat, Nolan, they knew the old man wasn¡¯t going to make it, that they wouldn''t make it back in time even if they had gone to the pharmacy. It was a lost cause, but hope drove Owen to dash into what amounted to a suicide mission. Was that courage? Was that foolishness? Was it a quality to be admired and heroized? It was, it wasn¡¯t, who could say? Chapter 35 Roy leaned back against the cash register as he contemplated the blue screen in front of him. It had popped out a few minutes ago just as they had been preparing to serve breakfast, its appearance had thrown a wrench into things and the rest of their breakfast crew had rushed off in every which way. The delay had been greeted with grumbles by those lined up and awaiting their ration of canned tuna, peas, and crackers. A few within the crowd who had more initiative than the rest had stepped up to fill in the roles left open by the disappearance of the ¡®staff¡¯. Roy wasn¡¯t inclined to stop them. Gazing past the blue screen sprawled out in his vision, Roy took in the view from outside the panes of glass that framed the front of the store. It was light out now, or as light as it could with the obscuring mist. The night now seemed like a distant dream, with his trance like journey and the odd fervor that had possessed him and the others in the search for Madelyn. Night was supposed to be peaceful and nurturing, but his night had been restless and fuelled by some unknown energy. He couldn¡¯t sleep and so he moved through the twilight hours as if it were noon. Now it was morning and the melancholic sun put a light on the weariness that the darkness buried away. He was tired, not physically so, but mentally. He could keep his eyes open, and his arms darting back and forth to grab and deposit the cans of food he was responsible for. Then someone would say something and he would struggle to piece the words into a sentence. Roy¡¯s hands grasped at air, and he realized he was done, all the cans had been distributed. Sitting down, Roy could finally direct his attention back to the message on the blue screen. His first read through had culminated in nothing, the information floated off him like steam and had no purchase, except that condensing feeling that whatever was written here was probably important. Roy looked over the screen again and his mind registered nothing, this wasn¡¯t going to work, he needed some rest. Sidling up against the furniture around him, Roy closed his eyes and took in a few deep breaths, just as things were about to clear up the earth began to quake and Roy felt his bones rattle and shake with abandon. Roy¡¯s arms fumbled,, looking for purchase, as his eyes snapped open. It took a moment for him to reorient himself, and allow the face of a middle aged man materialized in front of him. ¡°Hey, you alright buddy?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah uhh¡­ I¡¯m fine, just taking a break,¡± Roy sat up and let his hands unclench around the edge of the conveyer belt. ¡°Cool, you¡¯ve been sitting here for a few hours so I wanted to check to see if things were alright,¡± the man lifted his hands off Roy¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m good, thanks though,¡± he replied half-heartedly, what was with him and falling asleep in the middle of the day? It was an alright strategy for getting some down time during his English classes, but it was looking less spectacular now that everything had been thrown into a fantastical blender. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around then,¡± the man waved and then scratched at his stubble before walking away. Woken up by strangers after falling asleep in a public area, Roy felt like a vagrant. On the bright side, the nap had pulled open the curtain shrouding his thoughts and things zoomed into focus again. Restored of his English literacy, Roy directed his attention towards the blue screen again.
Hi Everyone!
I¡¯m SUPER excited to be talking with everyone! My friends don¡¯t think I can handle this, but I¡¯m totally going to prove them wrong and show them how bright I am! From now on I¡¯m going to be talking about REALLY important stuff so you should definitely listen! You know how you had that super helpful box appear every time you looked at someone else? It had their level, and HP, and even what they were! Those were made just for you! Cool right? Buuuuut, from now on those won¡¯t appear anymore. I don¡¯t know why, Omi tried to explain it to me but it was super complicated and really boring! There are plenty of way more interesting things to do! I mean, you guys have so much cool stuff! Like brownies, and chocolates, and marshmallows! Where was I¡­ I think I¡¯m done?The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡­ That was tons of fun everyone! Guess I''ll see you later ~~¡î
Every message seemed to have a different flavor to it, some were monotonous and robotic, and others were bizarre and eccentric. It was almost as if different people had been in charge of composing them, if that was the case, who were they, and how did they come to know so much? His own ignorance was truly as deep and as wide as the Atlantic! For now, the greatest concern was not the style of the message or the identity of its sender, rather it was the content of it. Roy looked over at a passerby and tried to bring out the panel that would inevitable violate their personal privacy. However, his efforts were in vain, just as the message had said, it was no longer possible for him to inspect the basic information of others. Did that extend to monsters as well? If so, he would no longer be clued in on their overall power, and that did not bode well for any of the survivors. It would hamstring their efforts to secure supplies and gain levels, since now they would have to err on the side of caution whenever something new popped up. In a world with magic, appearance could be deceiving; at least that was what the gaming obsession with killer rabbits had taught him. That was a problem - of course it would be - but more so now than ever. He had worked up the conviction to go and pay the goblins another visit so he could get some questions answered, but with this new piece of news he was hesitant to carry through with his plans. Then again, he had never planned to fight anything on his way to the goblin camp, so the change meant nothing. Running away would be just as effective regardless of whether or not he could identify the level of a monster. Of course there was always that nagging compulsion to fight stuff and level up, both for the positive benefits of greater strength and the precautionary benefit of slowing down his ever eroding CON score. Thinking on the issue, it occurred to Roy that he could always ask the goblins for information regarding how powerful everything was. They were natives of that fantastical land and information of nearby flora and fauna would surely be important, especially since the goblins relied on gaining levels as much as Roy and everyone else did. Roy stood up and shook his legs awake, they had been immersed in the water for hours now and a funny sensation was beginning to set in. He had flunked biology, but even then, he was sure that if he kept everything wet and soggy for too long he would have a different sort of fungal infection to deal with. Maybe he could Defile a corpse or two for the heat and dry off his clothing; without the sun they were unlikely to dry by themselves anytime soon. But he wasn¡¯t that desperate yet, the idea of using corpses as a source of light and warmth was outright disgusting. Hurrying so that his conviction wouldn¡¯t fray, Roy jogged to his room and donned his equipment. Pitchfork, dagger, pistol, and the odd trinkets in bag, Roy headed for the front of the store. He probably had all of the morning and most of the early afternoon for himself, if yesterday¡¯s schedule was consistent. Looking at it in light of his responsibilities, it was probably a good idea for him to tell someone he was heading out, leaving without a trace was probably unwise. It was better for the group, and better for him in case he were to get himself stranded somewhere. Turning around again, Roy made his way to Lestrat¡¯s office and knocked on the door. ¡°Hold on a second, I need to get dressed,¡± no sound of movement followed the girl¡¯s words. ¡°Dress, dress, dress¡­ I believe Mrs. Casper turned in a request yesterday for clothing on behalf of the women in her care,¡± mused Lestrat, followed by the quick shuffling of paper. ¡°Panties, bras, and stockings,¡± replied Madelyn in a matter of fact tone. ¡°Right, undergarments. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Roy shuffled in place in front of the door, had he been forgotten? Once he had skipped a whole month of school without the school calling home, the fact that he slept in class and never turned in his work probably worked as camouflage in that instance. Suddenly the door was swept open and Madelyn ushered him in. She still dressed in a somber black suit more fitting for a corporate dinner than the end of the world. ¡°That was quick,¡± his mother, when she was home, often took half an hour to get dressed and ready. ¡°I was joking; anyways, what warrants this sudden, but pleasant, visit?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just here to say that I¡¯ll be heading out, so yeah,¡± it felt weird having to sign out whenever he wanted to leave, even if he was doing so at his own volition. ¡°For some good old monster hunting?¡± she inquired as she took a seat on the ledge of Lestrat''s desk. ¡°Ah, no. I need to go visit a few places.¡± ¡°By yourself? In this weather? With the local fauna as it is?¡± now that she had put it that way, heading out alone was probably ill-advised. ¡°Not the best plan huh? It¡¯s important though and I¡¯m not sure there¡¯s anyone that¡¯s willing to go with me.¡± ¡°Fear not Roy, I¡¯d be more than happy to escort you!¡± Madelyn announced as she pulled at the lapels of her suit in a self-assured manner. ¡°Really? You don¡¯t even know where I¡¯m going,¡± not that he wouldn¡¯t be glad to have her assistance, it just seemed a bit too easy. On the other hand, there really was no one else he knew that could accompany him; Lestrat and Leo had their own duties to attend to, and he was nowhere near familiar enough with the others. ¡°Well, I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re not going on a perilous quest to slay an evil wizard and restore order to the world. That would be a bit too high commitment for me.¡± That was probably a joke too, ¡°I¡¯m going to go visit and talk to a group of goblins so I can learn a bit more about what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Sounds terrific, let¡¯s go,¡± Madely got up from where she perched on Lestrat¡¯s desk and grabbed her sombrous greatcoat that lay tucked into a corner. The magazines strapped to the inside of the overcoat clacked with the movement. ¡°Hey Lestrat, I¡¯m going out with Roy.¡± ¡°Going out¡­¡± the boy picked up a sheet of paper and eyed the contents, ¡°Do you mind bringing back the items Mrs. Casper asked for? Here¡¯s a list; oh, and here¡¯s another list we wrote up in this morning at the meeting.¡± Madelyn took the two sheets of paper and scanned the contents, ¡°Toothpaste, soap, and toilet paper?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°So sanitation products, right?¡± she questioned as her mouth twisted into a faint smile. ¡°Precisely.¡± ¡°What about sanitary pads, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s some demand for those?¡± ¡°G-good point, um, if it¡¯s convenient¡­¡± Lestrat looked down and began to fumble around with the assorted stationary on his desk. ¡°Ah, then we mustn¡¯t forget about condoms either! Both varieties of course.¡± ¡°Right, ah¡­ unwanted, uh, pregnancies, would be¡­ you know, bad, right?¡± Lestrat blabbered out as the pen he was toying around with flew out of his hand and landed with a clack on the makeshift floor. IM BACK! (Announcement - Hiatus) The title is fairly self-explanitory, but wait there''s more! You might be thinking, "Why are you going on hiatus?" or, "You''re an asshole for not finishing things!" Hopefully, I can answer the first and hope to address the second in the following paragraphs. Ever since Roy got to the grocery store, I feel like things have been slipping out of my control. Events take longer than they are supposed to and often don''t occur as I imagine they should. I feel that this is due to my lack of experience, I need to juggle the interactions of all these characters, while trying to introduce new ones, show setting, advance the plot, and strengthen Roy in a combative sense. I can''t manage all of that and the recent chaters show that fact all too clearly. Just think, when was the last time Roy''s abilities grew in a meaningful way? Too many things are going on and I can''t pick out the key points. When I sit down to write there is this sense of dread that the chapter will be just as meandering as the last, and that I cannot put the story back on track. Looking at this from the perspective of a reader, the first chapters had some content and there was the expectation that things would ''heat up'' as it went along. Now here we are and not only have things not heated up, they seem calmer than ever, there is no urgency, no threat, nothing. Which is extraordinarily poor considering this is an apocalyptic tale. The current state doesn''t even mesh with the synopsis! If I were the reader I would not feel compelled to follow or read this story! I don''t know your thoughts exactly, but I can guess things haven''t exactly been ''exciting''. So as you can see, we are in the gutter and there is not light in sight. I don''t feel that I can turn things around within a chapter or two and recapture your, or my own, interest. There were always a few things in the conception of this story that posed a challenge to me. The most superficial are the blue boxes, which I have grown to hate. As a reader, I don''t suppose you remember or need to consider too extensively those numbers, they''re just window dressing. But as a writer, they feel like a constant burden which I need to keep in mind and constantly reference within the story. I know that some authors can''t live without their tables, sadly I am not one of them. Going deeper, the premise of the story, a fantastical apocalypse, is difficult. I know that some people fly with this concept fairly easily, but for me it draws out too many questions. Considering how exactly society frays after monsters pop up is a frustrating excercise. The idea of a bunch of people gathering in a grocery store and lazing about while the ''authorities'' work things out sounds logical. It''s what happens after a disaster these days. At the same time, it''s boring, it''s not Biohazard, nor is it Fallout. It''s a bunch of character drama that takes place in a boxy structure.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. This would be somewhat intresting if everyone were super confrontational and melodramatic. I mean, just look at the Walking Dead, or the new The Mist TV series. But I''m an amateur and that type of drama is not something I''m familiar with, so things end up being just plain boring. There are probably a bunch of cooler things that I could be focusing on,like how the military is handling things, or what it''s like in New York. Hell, imagine if this story followed a sect of terrorists, that would be kind of intresting. But no, this story follows a teenager with not much going for him. I think the story would need some brilliant execution for that to work out, espeacially on a site like RoyalRoadl where action and badassery are par for the course. There are other issues to, I could go on and on, but that would be redundant. Soo... what now? I''ve done some thinking and I think the following will be my plan. I''m going to set this story aside and return to it at some future date, when I get some more experience and can look at it with a fresh apir of eyes. For now I''m going to draw up a new story. This story had a grand scheme (it doesn''t get much grander than gobal apocalypse), but my poor execution has degraded the initial concept. For my next project I will try to start with a simple idea, something common and done to death. There''s a reason people copy Tolkien, everything is easier when you don''t have to be the one inventing the wheel. In the worse case scenario I churn out something unoriginal and cookie-cutter. On the other hand any good execution will be obvious, and adding something new becomes easy as it''s a matter of tweaking the existing landscape. Things become so much easier for the amateur author. That''s not to say creativity and stunning execution can''t make a tropey premise great, just look at PMMM. There are other atypical elements of this story which I will shy away from in my next project. For this story I''ve been introducing characters non-stop, in fact one of the primary characters has yet to show up (and we''re already 90k words in!). I''ll establish a concrete cast in the first few chapters for my next story. The MC will be more active, so it feels like they are the ones moving the plot forward. The amount of description will be toned down and the style will be simplified. There will be no stats or blue screens. There will be a villain to defeat, there will be a conflict to resolve. There, those are my new commandments for writing a simple story. Of course I don''t plan to follow them for the rest of my life. Instead they''re just a guide so that I can write something basic that will sharpen my skills. Congratualtions for reading through all of that. It heartens me to know that somebody cares enough to read this overly long hiatus message, I know that alot of author just stick this in as a note at the end of a chapter of a a brief little thing, opposed to a ramabling exploration. If you want to throw in your ten cents or point out where I''ve gone horribly wrong, feel free to comment. And that''s a wrap. (For a while) October 19th, 2017 Chapter 36 They made an odd pair as they marched down suburban lanes, Madelyn in business black that drooped down to her knees and Roy in a well fitted and worn hoodie. The days were humid and hot, cloistered under a blanket of fog, but the nights sapped the heat and the light with its tenebrous fangs. Madelyn had taken point when they set out, but Roy was leading. Roy had given it little thought, at most he would have to pass her directions as they went. Then they came upon the first intersection and she¡¯d somehow anticipated his turn, ripples trailing her legs in a relaxed curve. Roy¡¯s eyes bored into her back as they came upon the next intersection, at this point he could go straight and turn right at the next, or he could make an early right here and then make a left at the next followed by another right. A strange and erratic path, but his curiosity was piqued. Twenty meters, ten meters, the ripples shifted and off went the prescient. ¡°How are you doing that!¡± ¡°Doing what?¡± she turned around, the suit twirling in her wake. ¡°You know what I mean, you¡¯re pre-empting all my turns!¡± in retrospect it was probably, just ever so slightly silly to get worked up over this, but he had made his bed and he hadn¡¯t had a dry bed to sleep in since some time ago. ¡°Idunno,¡± a shrug of her shoulders and the soft clack of too many spare magazines. A moment of silence and they were past the next intersection, going straight ahead to take a left at the next instead. ¡°There it is again! Are you telepathic?¡± it made sense, in a world of pyromancers and geomancers, what¡¯s to say a telepath was not in the cards, then again, ¡°No, you can see the future! That¡¯s why you were so accurate yesterday against the charging vineborns!¡± They stopped and Madelyn lowered her head, bangs obscuring her eyes and raised collar masking her mouth, ¡°Heh, impressive detective work Mr. Stone.¡± Slowly the collar fell away and her manic grin carved itself upon his vision, teeth like bleached bone and corners like sickles. Sharp enough to pin him to the spot and rob the strength from his legs, it made so much sense, her house, the vineborn attack, the separation, this foray into the wilds, ¡°N-no, this, this can¡¯t be!¡± He wasn¡¯t gazing into the visage of a teenage girl, rather it was the abyss behind those two dark apertures. His hand clutched his pitchfork in a death grip as it howled its last unholy premonition, ¡°But has it occurred to you yet, Roy, that as a precog¡­ this too is all according to plan!¡± It was, wasn¡¯t it, what was free will in the face of omniscience, what was hope when all the future was stacked and ordered by intellects that filled the void between desperate hydrogen lamps. All seven billion reduced to pawns on a cosmic chessboard. ¡°JK, JK, I increased my DEX stat which apparently gave me super senses so I can tell when you¡¯re about to change direction by the ruffling of your clothes and the splashing of your feet against the water,¡± Roy wanted to die, he wanted to bury his face in the water and never get up, like all the other corpses obscured beneath, actually never mind that, ¡°Oh, also did you know that you put more weight behind your left foot? Neat right?¡± There was a brief silence, but in that timeless moment Roy felt the professional bond between two co-workers snap, irrevocably destroyed and its corpse desecrated by foul sorceries. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll make sure to kick with my left,¡± he mumbled, it sounded like a good comeback in his mind. ¡°Anyhow, since you don¡¯t feel comfortable with me taking the lead, why don¡¯t we walk two abreast?¡± the smirk was fast, gone in the blink of an eye, or rather purposely timed to not coincide with his blink. ¡°Whatever. But, I¡¯m kind of curious. You¡¯re like, several levels above everyone else, and you say you have super senses, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen anyone shoot a gun like you did yesterday, and well¡­¡± he trailed off, the question had been nagging at his mind for some time now, ever since he¡¯d learned about Madelyn¡¯s level and saw the scavengers in action. The past week had been tough for him, an almost constant stream of desperate fights against the magical flora and fauna. He¡¯d fought, he¡¯d bled, and he had scrounged up perhaps some shred of confidence from the ¡®level ups¡¯ and the skills he had gained. But now, that seemed so threadbare compared to Madelyn and the almost suicidal confidence she displayed, backed by ability well beyond his. What was it that they knew, that his mind, honed by years of virtual grinding, had failed to grasp. ¡°Ah, I see, so you¡¯re after my secrets,¡± a sigh escaped her lips and her shoulders drooped, weighted by loss, ¡°How dastardly of you to bring me out to the middle of nowhere so you can squeeze me for all I¡¯m worth.¡± Before he could throw out a retort she continued, ¡°But alas, ¡®tis a long and harrowing tale, might you be still interested?¡± ¡°I-I, just stop, it¡¯s like seven in the morning okay?¡± ¡°Not a morning person? That¡¯s fine, how about I give you the tee-el-dee-are?¡± she cleared her throat with a cough and smoothed down her suit. ¡°Now then, I presume you know about skills and attributes?¡± Roy nodded. ¡°And since you¡¯ve leveled up a few times already I¡¯m assuming you¡¯ve distributed some attribute points and experienced the benefits?¡± another nod. ¡°Excellent, what about skills? Have you leveled any past novice five?¡± ¡°A few, I think. I see where you¡¯re going, I gained an attribute point for every skill leveled to novice five, and a minor perk, I don¡¯t have anything at novice ten though, so yeah, no major perks,¡± the points were beginning to connect, forming a vague image in Roy¡¯s mind, how many levels could a skill gain, how many attribute points could then be derived? ¡°I¡¯ll fill in the blanks then, from what I¡¯ve seen the ¡®novice¡¯ section of the level is like a tier, after novice you have proficient, then skilled, then expert, and then master, I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s anything above that. Each tier has ten levels and you receive an attribute point at levels five and ten in addition to the minor and major perks, clear so far?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she knew the existence of four tiers above novice, and judging by the span of time since they last met, he had to conclude that this knowledge was likely from personal experience. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ve noticed that skill levels are mostly determined by your actual skill at the thing in question. I¡¯m assuming when you picked up your pistol and fired off a few round your skills level shot up quite quickly.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Well, that was my first time picking up a gun so, I¡¯m not so sure,¡± he thumbed the weapon holstered at his side and reminisced not so fondly of his first experience. ¡°But you¡¯ve seen others fire a gun before, whether that be in a movie, a video game, or even a body cam. That some of those portrayals are inaccurate or superhuman is beside the point, when you picked up a gun you knew to point the muzzle where you wanted to fire,¡± Madelyn pulled her gun out from her coat and delivered a spectacularly dangerous flourish, ¡°Think about it like this, what would have happened had you given your gun to say a¡­ Arthurian knight?¡± ¡°What little third-hand knowledge you had must have been enough to merit a low novice rating,¡± the rotation of Madelyn¡¯s gun came to an end and in the next instant she had settled into her stance, barrel pointed off towards the unknown, ¡°Suffice it to say then that prior to this whole fiasco I was quite skilled with a wide palette of firearms, all I needed to realize my potential was to paint the streets blue with fungal viscera.¡± Her index finger, pale and delicate like morning mist, settled against the trigger and Roy braced for the deafening crack that would shatter the silence, ¡°BAM, fifty-three additional points in dexterity, and allow me to confirm your suspicions, every additional point in an attribute is more effective than the last.¡± Roy felt the number settle with all the subtlety of fantasy monsters in rural Iowa, almost loud enough to drown out Madelyn¡¯s onomatopoeia. Fifty-three, what did the number even mean to someone who had never been anything but a mundane human? He had experienced seventeen constitution, with it his physiological discomforts had seemed to evaporate and even sleep had felt discretionary. ¡°What¡¯s it like, with that much dexterity I mean,¡± something else tickled the tip of his tongue, a question, a hope, ¡°What about the fog? Is it still¡­ like this?¡± She let the gun in her hand settle by her side and raised her head to face the east, there was a subtle tilt playing at the edges of her mouth that balanced the slight drop in her eyelids, ¡°Is it still like this, he asks ¨C but that¡¯s not the eye of the matter is it. A quick deception, a slight of hand you¡¯re not even conscious of making. The question ought to be, will it be like it was scant days ago.¡± ¡°See, I¡¯ve Vision enough to pick out the corpses in the water, hearing enough to catch the screams mixed with the roars, and smell enough to pick out the steady onset of decay. You tell me Roy - is it still like this?¡± she finished. The weight of the holster dragging at his belt, the coarse shaft of the weapon in his hands, the layer of grime that had stuck like a second skin, and his clothes - his mother compared clothing to a ¡®personal advertising campaign,¡¯ they weren¡¯t doing a very good job if the only thing being sold was to himself. Existentialism and a foggy street in rural Iowa, if the devil wore a suit it would probably be one a few sizes too big, just to spite the tailors. ¡°Okay,¡± it sounded just as lame in his mind, ¡°let¡¯s just go, okay?¡± ¡°Please, lead on, but before you do, know that I¡¯m sensing movement, coming from the house behind you, light, but large. A strange combination,¡± her free hand reached for her second gun as she delivered the warning. Roy pivoted, both hands gripped around his pitchfork and mind braced against panic. Madelyn was by far the better marksman so he would stick to playing keep away with his polearm, hopefully light would offset large and sharp would offset monster. The seconds ticked by, the sound of his breathing harsh against the silence, until finally he could hear the faint splash of water as something steadily pressed against the edge of his vision. ¡°Forty-five degrees on your left, passing between the red brick and the fiber cement.¡± Roy shifted his facing, about thirty meters away he could make out the shapes of two houses blurring into the expanse of fog. Perhaps one was an earthen red and the other whatever color ¡®fiber cement¡¯ was, but to Roy they were both a drab and indistinct gray, blotches of shade and tone a suggestion of other features. The sounds were getting louder and he strained his eyes against the vague impression of space between brick and cement until he caught the waver of color as something passed around the corner. ¡°It¡¯s in the open, two meters tall, built like a bodybuilder, no features, smooth white skin, doesn¡¯t appear armed, and approaching at a leisurely pace,¡± Madelyn reported as the creature became more distinct from the houses in the background, her gun was at the ready but she held her fire, ¡°I¡¯m going to attempt first contact, wish me luck.¡± Roy stood stock still for a second before her final words registered in his mind, ¡°Wait, what?¡± ¡°Greetings fellow traveler, to what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?¡± she announced, as the giant steadily approached. ¡°No! What are you doing? Stop!¡± he yelled as he put a few more paces between him and the monster, if he was going to fight, it would only be after Madelyn delivered a few probing shots, especially now that he couldn¡¯t see the monster¡¯s basic stats. She levelled a cool stare at him as they pulled back, with a brisk walking pace that could easily match the speed of the monster, ¡°Well, excuse me for establishing some basic rules of engagement. I thought it only reasonable that I try to trade words before I trade blows.¡± A fair call, in retrospect had he jumped to conclusions and shot Gib-Hog on sight thing would not have ended well. Less convincing was the lumbering thing slowly plodding its way towards him. Like Madelyn had described, the thing towered over him and its skin had the appearance of white plastic. It took another step and Roy¡¯s eyes lingered on the thing, he could almost pick up the subtle play of shadows against its body, moving in ripples along its odd and bulging musculature ¡°There¡¯s something off about it, are those shadows on its body?¡± ¡°Houses, its body¡¯s translucent,¡± she slowed and they formed a line about twenty meters from the creature, ¡°I¡¯m going to fire a probing shot, see how it reacts. If it charges we¡¯ll split off, you take the left and I¡¯ll take the right, we¡¯ll form a V with it at the vertex, see if we can alternatively pull agro, sound good?¡± He readied his stance again, he felt less tense after the idle banter, ¡°You sure? I mean, can you hold up if it gets close?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thirty-three unassigned points if things go south, relax. If it proves too much to handle we¡¯ll pull back, if you play hero, I¡¯ll play hero, capish?¡± ¡°Got it,¡± two shots rang out in response and the creature¡¯s body jerked back with each hit, light tendrils of smoke crept from the wounds for a brief second before pulling back, leaving little trace of the damage. Its strides lengthened, but Roy was ready, his legs pumped in and out of the water as he jogged back and to the left, pitchfork pointed at the monster. The creature took a few steps and then its body twisted like an elastic as it changed direction and its pillar like leg pulled free from the water to take a lumbering step towards Madelyn. Water and mud dripped from its appendage as it rose, before a hail of gunfire struck the thing. Each bullet loosened a burst of wispy tendrils, and as the rounds strafing across from its head to its furthest extremities its body jerked and shuddered as if it were dancing to the steady rhythm of the gunshots. Then it was quiet except of the soft splutter of water as the thing dropped its raised leg back to the ground and it began to raise its next leg with a squelch. Roy had counted well over two dozen shots, yet the only evidence of their passing were the little eddies in the haze. ¡°Well, that was pathetic. I don¡¯t fancy wasting any more bullets, you have any ingenious stratagems?¡± two clicks in quick succession and a pair of magazines slipped into her hands, caught between her ring and pinky, another swift motion in and out of her coat and two fresh magazines replaced the spent, just like a street magician. Thank the blue screens their target was slow, even so they were quickly running out of roadway to back into and soon they would have to circle around the thing, the prospect of fighting over rough terrain held more than a few pitfalls. ¡°I¡¯ll ah, hmm,¡± his eyes trailed the smooth surface of the creature, its soft slopes brought a memory to mind. He¡¯d seen the creature before, or at least he had seen it yet not recognized it for what it was. Several days ago, when the goblins were escorting him to the grocer¡¯s, hadn¡¯t something white and rippling poking out from behind a second story window caught his attention? The goblins had said something then, called it a name he had quickly tucked away to the back of his mind, ¡°swampmen.¡± With a nod they pulled further apart and farther away from the creature, before doubling back from outside its reach to head east again. Swampmen, what had the goblins said about swampmen? The goblins, they had been afraid when they caught sight of it, no that wasn¡¯t it, more like displeased or worried. Sharp green faces creased at the sight, weapons shifting in their hands. The word came to him, ¡°mage,¡± they didn¡¯t have a mage with them. The pieces begin to piece together, the creature was translucent, it was lighter then something of its size ought to be, and bullets hardly fazed it. Roy wanted to punch himself, if all his years with his head in fantasy land had taught him anything it was that these were clear signs of a creature which was not entirely of the physical plane, a creature resistant to physical damage, but vulnerable to the more esoteric arts. Magic, he needed to throw magic at the problem. Chapter 37 ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to try something, ok?¡± ¡°Care to elaborate?¡± ¡°I think that thing is like a ghost or something, and I¡¯m going to try to¡­¡± Roy paused as he searched for something with a nice ring to it, but the approaching form of the monster laid that ambition to rest, ¡°Throw some magic at it.¡± ¡°Go ahead Houdini, we¡¯ll stop and about face in three.¡± ¡°Give me five,¡± as Madelyn counted down Roy turned his focus inwards to his well of mana. He reached past the membrane that separated nothing from pure power and grasped the ethereal essence, the motions were now familiar with time and practice. Another thought and the concept of fire sparked into being, he wasn¡¯t looking for a candle flame so he let the spark grow and spread until just a mere shell of unaligned mana contained a blazing core. At five Roy pivoted, dragging his leg through the water and trailing foam. The monster was buried in the mist again, blurred lines resolving into sharp white as it neared. He pushed the mana he had isolated out of his body and let it rest inches above his palm, its almost illusory warmth radiating onto his skin. He pushed the ball of mana suspended in the air further from him, one foot, two feet, three feet. As the distance grew he could make out a silk thin thread of mana connecting his body and the beginnings of his spell. It was invisible near him, occluded by what he could only describe as a gradient of noise. But near the spell it was clear, shimmering in the void. At four feet the line between his mana and his body grew taut and he felt the strain of pushing his spell further. Where the first few feet flew by in the blink of an eye, now every inch was accompanied by the thunderous roar of water as the monster ate up distance with its languorous but steady stride. This wouldn¡¯t¡¯ do, he was at five feet and at this point he may as well ram the monster with his spell for all the progress he was making. The prospect of coming within just six feet, or three steps, from the monster in the hopes that his magic would work was unattractive. He would need to try something else, perhaps if he cut the tether he could push the spell further. Then again, the tether was likely what allowed him to control the spell, that was what all cables did in real life and it would only be good design that this one acted the same way. He¡¯d count on losing control after cutting the line, but gaining greater freedom of movement in return. What then? The tether was taut, and he was exerting a force on the ball of mana, it was like a paddle ball or a game of tug of war. If he cut the tether while pushing the ball, maybe the mana would keep flying forwards. That was how physics worked, something mass, something force. All he knew was that attention span was negatively correlated with the number of numbers in a given lesson. Mind set, Roy began to push the ball of mana again. First evoke the mana, then cut the tether. The first he could do, the second he was less sure of. What if he couldn¡¯t cut the teather? New doubts began to enter his mind. Mana had no mass right? Would it even behave like a paddle ball? Screw it, he pulled his mana into reality, potential becoming actuality as a basketball sized inferno erupted six feet from his outstretch arm. There was enough unaligned mana for it to last a handful of seconds at most so he needed to act quickly. He gave it one final push and then grasped the tether with every scrap of metaphysical force he could muster, snap he declared, vocalizing for extra oomph, and the string snapped. He had expected the loose end to recoil and flop uselessly to the ground, instead It¡¯s path more resembled the slow motion captures of raindrops against water, a fine sparking spire submerging back into his body in one fluid motion. The ball of flame catapulted forwards, jagged edges cutting across the mist and leaving a trail of sparks. Then it struck against the monster and bloomed like a flaming hydrangea, water sizzled, air roared, and for an instant golden orange replaced grey and white. Roy could feel the heat wash over him from where he stood as golden ripples broke against his legs. Then it was gone and he was blinking spots from his vision. Twenty mana, it occurred to him, he felt like a badass. ¡°Alright, fireworks over, turn around and start running, I think it¡¯s cross with us,¡± he was just about to give himself a pat on the back when Madelyn premonition startled him and he turned his clearing vision towards where the monster had been. It was still there, smooth white exterior now a swirling cacophony. It was coming at a charge, fast as a stampeding elephant and heralded by a nimbus of water. It was doubtful they would be able to outrun it now. ¡°I know this looks bad,¡± Madelyn started as they tried their best to dash across the flooded roadway, ¡°But this is objective proof that your Geneva Nightmare works.¡± ¡°Before we could at least run, I don¡¯t know if this is an improvement,¡± but he had to admit, the improvised fireball worked better than bullets. The question was, was it the fire or the magic that was the lynchpin. The monster was closing in and he doubt he had time to stop and put together another fireball, he would have to try something simpler. ¡°Okay, umm, I¡¯m going to try something again, we don¡¯t have to stop this time,¡± he focused again, this time he pulled at his mana like a man starved for food, aligning it with fire where he could and pushing it out from his palm in a chaotic swirl. Careful not to direct any of the mana pouring out from his palms towards himself, he turned his torso and sighted the approaching monster, ¡°Ok, get ready.¡± It was more for himself then for Madelyn as he pulled as much of what was coming out of his palm into existence as possible. First came a gout of flame, brief and mild as it spider webbed across a flash of unaligned mana. Then another flash and Roy could feel his palms sizzle as heat danced across a bright screen of light. Pops and cracks, hisses and blasts, as light and fire played across water and mist in an uncontrolled dance. The form of the creature was alternately bathed in light and shadow as it hesitated half a dozen yards away from them, its wispy tendrils recoiling with every flash of light. This was a bust, he had spent about fifty points of mana and all he had achieved was keeping the monster at bay for a few seconds, unless he was planning to sacrifice himself in a delaying action this plan was doomed to failure. However, the flashes of light had ignited his metaphorical light bulb. The monster seemed to respond to the flashes in particular, and by process of elimination the flashes were the product of unaligned mana.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Taking advantage of the monsters brief hesitation, Roy stopped the outpour of mana from his palm and grasped a handful of unaligned mana. Push, evoke, sever, and a ball of light flashed into being. It sounded like bells and sirens and when it struck the monster it broke apart into motes of light. The creature thrashed under the flurry of light, sizzles and pops sounded and tendrils of smoke dispersed and vanished in the mist. Its two front appendages lifted into the air trailing water, and before Roy could drag his mind away from the lightshow, it swept it arms across in a sweeping motion, appendage narrowing and lengthening as it arced through the air. He felt the pain before he could process what he was seeing through his eyes. The air escaped his lungs and his chest tightened as he the ground slipped away and the world flipped around. Then came the water, rushing into his mouth as he tried to grasp the escaping air. He felt the concrete scrape against his back and he lay there for a timeless moment before the water flooded his lungs. He heaved and with every cough he felt fire burst in his chest, his fingers scraped against knives and needles as he tried to right himself. Air, another jerk and the water slipped away. The world was in double and the ripples in the water slipped past his vision, double, triple, waves going every which way. He could hear a loud ringing in the background and taste breakfast in his mouth as bits and pieces slipped past his tongue. Everything tasted like vinegar and iron. The ringing in the background began to clear, staccato bursts of sound resolved themselves, gunfire. Right, monster, he looked up and the world spun, he wanted to barf but nothing came out. He closed his eyes and his mind began to catch up. The monster had struck him, he wasn¡¯t dead, Madelyn was holding if off. He needed to do something, the fireball had worked a little, and the light ball seemed to work a bit more. Both scraped away the thin tendrils the monster broke apart into when it was struck, but neither seemed to slow it down for long. Maybe he needed to dig deeper, deliver a cut or a stab instead of scraping at its skin. But how? He looked inwards and the world began spinning again, he felt his body slam into water, then asphalt. His fingers were burning as he pushed himself out of the water again, rivulets running across his eyes and vision hazy as tears bled from his eyes. He couldn¡¯t do it, every motion was torture. Maybe something easier, he needed something sharp so what if he stuck his mana into a sharp object like his knife? He propped himself up against his arm, reached for the knife in his belt and tugged it free. Then he pushed his mana at the knife. He could feel some slip away into the air as it exited his palm, but most stuck to the knife and gathered in the metal blade. He pushed a bit more conscious of his dwindling mana stores, at ten just a trickle was going into the knife and the rest flew away into the mist. It would have to do. ¡°Madelyn!¡± his voice was horse and his chest burned as he shouted out her name. She was about a dozen yards away as she danced around the monster, two shaded silhouettes against the mist, ¡°Knife, magic¡­ catch!¡± He tensed his arm and threw, hoping her senses made up for his abysmal athletics. The silhouettes separated as she lunged for the knife, one step, two steps, ¡°Got it!¡± He watched as her hand caught the knife and with a flick sent it flying towards the monster. He knew it had struck home when the water trembled and the outline of the creature erupted into a mass of tentacles that barely resembled its previous form. They radiated outwards like an abyssal sun, thrashing against air and water in sweeps and thrusts he could hardly decipher through the mist. ¡°Nope, nope, nope! Roy, catch!¡± he barely had time to respond before whatever she¡¯d thrown arced through the air and landed with a splash inches from his free hand. It was cold to the touch and as he pulled it out of the water he recognized Madelyn¡¯s intention. It was a magazine. There was no time to hesitate. He pushed his mana at the magazine and it sucked it in like a wormhole, ten, twenty, thirty, as the last of his mana disappeared he realized it could probably take more, much more. This would have to do though, ¡°Madelyn, it¡¯s charged!¡± Then he threw the magazine and watched with bated breath as she reached out her hand, and as if it were all rehearsed, reloaded and pivoted towards the monster. He didn¡¯t know what to expect as a bang signaled her first shot. The light from the muzzle was blinding and the bullet left a searing line in his vision. He closed his eyes and counted the shots and at fifteen all was silent again. Fading streaks of light connected Madelyn to the creature, its outline blurring as it broke apart into curling tendrils of smoke. He took a long and agonizing breath and before he could call out, a flurry of blue screens assaulted his vision.
Level Up!
Level 4 > 5 +3 Stat Points
Skill Up!
Mana Affinity LV 1 > LV 2 (Novice) Mana Sense LV 5 > LV 6 (Novice) Heat Affinity LV 5 > LV 6 (Novice) Evoke LV 3 > LV 4 (Novice) Rapid Conflagaration LV 1 > LV 2 (Novice) Mana Manipulation LV 2 > LV 5 (Novice) You may now choose a minor perk for Mana Manipulation Enchantment LV 0 > LV 1 (Novice)
Ability Up!
Fireball LV 0 > LV 2 (Novice) Arcane Bolt LV 0 > LV 1 (Novice) Enchant: Hallow LV 0 > 3 (Novice)
Creeping Beryl Blooms Have Spread!
Anemic 3 > 5 Anemic Creeping Beryl Blooms > Creeping Beryl Blooms
Trait Changes: -2 CON +0.01/s HP REG +2 POISON RES -1 HEAT RES +1 COLD RES Creeping Beryl Blooms will generate store 0.01 COLD ALIGNED MANA/s up to 10 MANA. All COLD ALIGNED spells have +1 POTENCY
It was a lot to go through, he would read it over once his head stopped ringing and he didn¡¯t feel like he was being pressed between a stone slab and a gallon of water. With a though he dismissed the screen and added another three points to CON, that put him one point ahead of the new penalties. How much health was he at? 200 out of 284, came the subconscious response. A single smack had dealt 84 points of damage, it was probably more because his health was regenerating and it had been at least a handful of minutes. Had it been the Roy of a few days ago he would have been sent reeling on the edge of death, but now he was still relatively healthy, if a bit winded and dazed. He was superhuman, really! While he had always kept in mind how many more bits he could take from a pistol compared to the baseline teenager, nothing put the world into perspective more than actually taking a normally debilitating hit from a tentacle monster. What if he got hit by a car, or a truck? Would he be sent flying and then stand up a minute later smelling like daisies? What about a twenty story drop from a building? He¡¯d heard about people surviving drops from great heights due to luck. ¡°Earth to Roy, Earth to Roy, do you copy?¡± just as he was about to explore the feasibility of skydiving without a parachute and surviving terminal velocity Madelyn¡¯s voice jolted him out of his daydreams. ¡°I pilfered the corpse, three vials of juice, and another fungus fryer,¡± Madelyn passed his dagger and a vial of swamp berry juice to him, her coat sagged with water and her hair was plastered against her face but otherwise it didn¡¯t appear that she¡¯d taken a hit, ¡°What does the blue box say in regards to your health? ¡± ¡°Just over two hundred, need a little rest,¡± he tucked the knife back into his belt and stuffed the vial in his bag. They were probably no more than a few hundred yards from the goblin¡¯s camp it they didn¡¯t take any speculative detours. ¡°When you¡¯re ready, lead the way.¡± Chapter 38
Enchantment - Novice I
It becomes easier to enchant objects. Enchantment is the direct transfer of organized or disorganized mana into a soulless container. Effect is based on skill level and INT.
Fireball - Novice II
The user creates a ball of fire that can act as a projectile. The greater the amount of mana used, the larger and hotter the fireball created is. The fireball burns until it consumes all the mana used in the spell and any other fuel it is consuming. The range of a fireball projectile is determined by the amount of mana fuel and the velocity at launch. The size and temperature of the fireball is based on skill level and INT. Mana cost is based on size of fireball, temperature of flames, skill level, and INT.
Arcane Bolt - Novice I
The user creates a ball of arcane energy (Hallow attribute) that can act as a projectile. The greater the amount of mana used, the larger and more energetic the projectile created is. The projectile lasts until it consumes all the mana used in the spell. The size and power of the projectile is based on skill level and INT. Mana cost is based on size of projectile, power of projectile, skill level, and INT.
Enchant: Hallow - Novice II
The user enchants an object with unorganized unaligned mana (Hallow attribute). The object will evoke unaligned mana when a force is applied to it. The enchantment lasts until all mana is either evoked or dissipated. The speed of mana transfer and maximum amount transferable into an object is based on skill level, INT, and the target object. Rate of dissipation is based on target object. Mana cost is based on mana transferred into object, target object, skill level, and INT.
Mana Manipulation V ¨C Minor Perks
You may select 1 of the following. The selection varies based on the user¡¯s learned skills, abilities, and traits. +1 to INT.
Fine Control Small amounts of mana are more easily manipulated. The smaller the amount, the greater the increase. (Note: Very small amounts of mana are naturally difficult to manipulate)
Gross Control Large amounts of mana are more easily manipulated. The larger the amount, the greater the increase. (Note: Very large amounts of mana are naturally difficult to manipulate)
Tactile Feedback (Skill: Mana Sense) Mana that is being manipulated by the user is more acutely sensed.
Directed Destruction (Skill: Evoke) Evoked mana is more easily manipulated. (Note: Evoked mana is naturally difficult to manipulate)
Re-Enhancement (Skill: Enchantment) Mana in enchanted objects if more easily manipulated.
Sympathetic Blooms (Trait: Creeping Beryl Blooms) Manipulation of mana in Beryl Blooms is subject to no active resistance. (Note: The resistance of Beryl Blooms to external mana manipulation is naturally low barring some exceptional cases)
Roy¡¯s attention snapped away from the perk screen as the sound of tortured metal assaulted his ears. He had arrived at the goblin camp greeted by an entirely different sight than last time. Bit by bit the barricades, walkways, and houses were being taken apart by crews of goblins working with surprising alacrity. They leaped from perch to perch, tools cutting through steel and cement with supernatural ease. Everything they could pull out from the ground they took and tied down to their makeshift wagons, big lumbering things with oversized wheels and adorned with curious bits of wood work that resembled snarling dragons and soaring angels. Gwab-Chag had met them at the gate, and after a few brief words the goblin guard had led them to the central tent and deposited them in an empty division with a cluster of plastic folding chairs. Epipollus was out, ¡°counting stuff,¡± as Chag had put so eloquently. ¡°You seem rather focused,¡± Madelyn had taken apart her gun and now all the bits of metal lay on the ground arranged in neat little rows and columns as she meticulous cleaned each piece and then placed then on a white sheet she¡¯d pulled out of her pocket. ¡°Ah¡­ just looking over the blue screens I got, the perk one in particular,¡± he was planning on asking Epipollus for advice again. ¡°Sounds fascinating, give me a glimpse?¡± ¡°I thought you had like, a millions skills levels? Haven¡¯t you already seen your share of perks?¡± one point of DEX at every level five and ten. It sounded as if she were genuinely curious. ¡°Remember when I gave you the tee-el-de-are? I skipped over one fascinating tid-bit,¡± she tucked her finished masterpiece into its holster and began to disassemble her second gun. ¡°As you¡¯re no doubt aware, some combinations of skills, abilities, and traits unlock more options for perks.¡± ¡°Un-huh,¡± as a gamer the necessary conclusion was that if you focused too heavily on grinding a few skills you would lock yourself out of powerful synergies later down the road because you would have already picked your perks, ¡°You didn¡¯t get many options because you only got skills levels for different firearms, right.¡± ¡°Precisely, Watson. Thankfully, that was when the Gods decided to grant me a vision!¡± she flashed him a manic smile and if it were not for the number of times Roy had fallen for her tricks he might have started to worry. ¡°They spoke to me through the omni-present blue screen and offered me salvation. Divine grace would be extended to this one for the duration of a single month, after which I would have to undergo their tribulation to determine if I am worthy of further enlightenment,¡± she had gone from a manic grin to a serene smile. Her eyes were half lidded and her head humbly lowered as she knelt on the ground, weapons of war arrayed in front of her. ¡°Normal speak please.¡± ¡°Sigh,¡± she said, ¡°Pagans and their lack of faith.¡± There was a brief silence and Roy was about to open his mouth when she interjected. ¡°After I got all my skill notifications another screen popped up. It offered to extend the deadline for distributing my perks for a month, after which we could review my progress and determine if I needed more time to round out my resume,¡± she gave him a flat stare, ¡°Happy now Mr. Stone?¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± he replied, trying in vain to hide the sarcasm, ¡°Do you want me to like, read out all my perks or something?¡± ¡°It would be an honor, but I¡¯m afraid our little heart to heart will need to wait for another time, our most green and gracious host is about to arrive.¡± Her announcement had barely ended before the flaps to their little meeting room were pulled aside and Epipollus walked in, clipboard in one hand and ballpoint pen in the other. ¡°Ah Mr. Stone, welcome, welcome. I¡¯d offer you refreshments if I could, but as you¡¯ve no doubt seen for yourself, the whole place is a right mess,¡± he took a seat and dusted a smattering of wood shavings off what Roy could only describe as a loose brown vest in silver trim. It was worn over a beige robe embroidered with little lizard like creatures, ¡°And your friend here, Miss?¡± ¡°Maes, Madelyn Maes.¡± ¡°Pleasure to meet you Miss Meas, please call me Epipollus,¡± the goblin chief was still as chipper as last they¡¯d met, but under his cheer Roy could hear the fatigue and stress. ¡°Likewise, Sir Epipollus,¡± she replied as she slipped one leg behind the other, bent her knees, and tugged at the sides of her oversized coat, metal clicked and clacked with the motion. Roy stared at her for a moment, unsure what the girl was trying to do. Then it dawned on it, she was performing a curtsy. ¡°Apologies Miss Maes, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not familiar with that social gesture. If it¡¯s not too much to ask, would you care to explain?¡± ¡°I would not mind at all good sir,¡± she took a seat and flashed Roy a look that sent chills up his spine, ¡°The gesture is called a, ¡®curtsy,¡¯ and it is the customary greeting for girls in our society.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Interesting, by girls do you mean female children?¡± Epipollus was sucking it all up, hook, line, and sinker. Roy could only watch in fascinated horror. ¡°Most astute. Are you familiar with the handshake?¡± ¡°Thankfully I was alerted of it in the little time I had to learn your social customs.¡± ¡°Most excellent. The handshake is performed when an adult greets an adult or when a boy greets an adult,¡± she stated matter of fact-ly. ¡°I see, then might I presume that there is another greeting shared between boys.¡± ¡°You would be correct in that presumption. When a boy meets another boy they perform what is called a, ¡®fist bump,¡¯¡± Madelyn formed a fist with her hand and pointed it at Epipollus, ¡°To acknowledge the greeting you must hold your fist level with mine and, ¡®bump,¡¯ it against mine. Take care, that you must not bump with too much or too little force,¡± Epipollus held out his fist, aligned it with Madelyn''s and knocked it against hers, ¡°Now we both pull our arms back and perform our desired verbal greeting.¡± ¡°How intriguing, in my studies I have never heard of a greeting quite like this one. That there could be such a combination of vigor and dignity in a mundane greeting, it truly amazes,¡± Epipollus started at his little green hand and rubbed the ridges between his fingers, ¡°Thank you Miss Maes for your enlightening lesson. Now, I suppose you are not here for a social visit?¡± Roy took the opportunity to jump into the discussion, ¡°Right, so we¡¯re actually here to talk about the moving south thing you brought up last time.¡± ¡°Right, right, have you had any luck then?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the thing. The guys at the supermarket didn¡¯t seem like they wanted to leave, and especially not with Meta¡­¡± he paused as his mind blanked on the name, ¡±The earth elemental. I heard you guys were going with them south and, and¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± a silence settled over them and Roy was unsure of how to continue. ¡°Well, the decision is really up to you Mr. Stone. I expect we will be leaving tomorrow morning after joining up with Metapelon. He is quite capable and I do not expect much trouble during our brief journey. Our scouts tell us that we may be rid of the mist in three days at most if we set a leisurely pace for the elderly and the sick.¡± Dried mud stuck to his hands like a thin glove and the tips of his fingers were a raw pink. He recalled the argument between Nolan and Owen and wondered if he could have stepped in then with the news of the growing fungi invasion. Was it too late now to change things? Had his lack of decisive action cost them all an easy escape from... ¡°I sense that perhaps you feel you are in a bit of a bind, obligation warring with the desire for safety,¡± Epipollus commented as he scratched at his chin with thin nails colored light ochre, ¡°Leaving is by my estimation the better choice, but things are perhaps not as dire as I first envisioned.¡± He shifted forwards in his seat and his eyes stared into Roy¡¯s, two bright yellow orbs in a misty sea, ¡°The Gods are watching Mr. Stone, they have taken an interest in this particular town and so I presume that all will be well in the end, one way or another.¡± ¡°The gods?¡± it seemed so absurd to speak tangibly about gods, he had never been religious himself, another shortcoming his father would often berate him for. ¡°Indeed, I do not know if your Gods are simply disinterested in temporal affairs or absent altogether, but I assure you that ours are not and they are¡­ an interesting bunch to say the least,¡± his mouth curled into a smile and his two fangs showed like the buck teeth of an overeager toddler, ¡°Irregardless of that, I have caught the rare glimpse of their works over the past few days and it has been a most relieving sight for the clansmen and I.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ I¡¯ll just take your word for it I guess,¡± he wasn¡¯t sure what to feel having just heard that god-like beings were taking an interest in their not-so-daily lives. If video games had taught him anything, it was that gods were either not present, or plotting the end of the world. ¡°Well then, as much as I would love to discuss and compare our two worlds, I sense that you have more pressing questions for me?¡± He felt kind of obvious as he reviewed his mental list of things to ask the goblin chief, ¡°Yes, please. Umm¡­ First, I just reached novice five in mana manipulation so I¡¯m wondering if you have any advice for what perk I should take¡­¡± With a thought, he pulled out the perk screen for mana manipulation and rattled off the options to Epipollus. ¡°Generally speaking, craftsmen will take either acute or obtuse manipulation depending of their craft, tactile manipulation, and the perk associated with the specialization needed in their trade - evocation, enchantment, and so on and so forth. For example, a mason will generally take obtuse manipulation and the alteration perk to better shape the staggering masses of stone and earth they work with.¡± ¡°Most will reach their fourth minor perk much later in life and by then they would have an acute sense of their own strengths and weaknesses, as well as a particular specialty within the trade.¡± Epipollus paused when he noticed Roy¡¯s disinterested stare. ¡°I¡¯m thinking more¡­ You know, magic for fighting and stuff.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve made up your mind then. I suppose then that picking what is best for our current situation as we did for Heat Affinity and Mana Sense will no longer suffice,¡± Epipollus took a breath and Roy could see the lines of focus in his features, nose scrunched, brow furrowed, ears sharp at attention, ¡°Haa, mana manipulation for combat mages, an interesting case and a question as old as time.¡± The goblin sighed as he drummed his fingers against the side of his chair, ¡°Well, in that regard I simply cannot give you an adequate suggestion. The diversity of combat magic is near unfathomable and traditionally, prospective students of the Imperial Academies are told to keep their mana manipulation below novice five until such time that they have perused the local Academy¡¯s archives. Most combat mages have a repertoire of spells that synergize to an extraordinary degree and often follow one of the array of spell casting traditions found in the Empire and elsewhere. The process of establishing this repertoire is often the entirety of the preparatory process and is often guided by an experienced mentor.¡± ¡°Needless to say, perks with a more narrow and focused effect are chosen to support that repertoire and tradition of spell casting. A mage that chooses to take the craftsmen¡¯s toolkit will find themselves at a disadvantage to those who have applied great effort to developing a strategy based on past tradition, modern theory, and personal aptitude,¡± Roy blinked, this was like one of those hardcore guides Lawrence used to send his way. They¡¯d stopped playing together in DTDW after one too many failed raids. ¡°What I mean to say is that, it¡¯s complicated and I do not know. My focus was always on Imperial culture and society and the domestic and martial schools, while in name under the same local Academy, were often in practice located in entirely separate locations and had little in common.¡± ¡°So then, what do I do?¡± he was expecting something clear cut, like it had been for Heat Affinity and Mana Sense, complicated things made him nervous. ¡°Well, nothing much but to pick and hope for the best. Minor perks are still minor perks. Though now ought to be the time to inform you of the two other skills you ought to pay attention to, Mana Affinity, and Align Mana. The three form what most refer to as the Fundamental Triad and they are key in the spell casting process,¡± he wriggled the three fingers he held up for emphasis. Just as his mind was about to stray towards further questions on magic, he pulled himself back. He had more urgent and pressing questions, ¡°Thanks. There are some other things I¡¯ve been meaning to ask too.¡± ¡±Go ahead, I¡¯m all ears,¡± his two knife like ears wriggled and he cracked a smile. Roy rolled up his left sleeve and showed the goblin the pale blue mosaic that decorated his skin, the blooms glowing and highlighting the veins and blood vessels that crisscrossed his arm, ¡°I got infected with Creeping Beryl Blooms a few days ago and it¡¯s been spreading, and I don¡¯t know what to do about it.¡± Epipollus leaned forwards as his eyes scrutinized Roy¡¯s arm, ¡°Creeping Beryl Blooms, an exotic species of Beryl Blooms which in very rare circumstances can invade the human body.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gained a trait correct?¡± ¡°Yeah, it was anemic just earlier, but now it¡¯s at¡­ Level five and it¡¯s just Creeping Beryl Blooms.¡± ¡°Minus one CON every level before five, minus two CON every level between five and ten, and minus three CON every level after ten. With a maximum level of fifteen,¡± the goblin muttered, ¡°Pardon me, but what is your current CON stat?¡± ¡°Sixteen after the penalty, I¡¯ve been putting everything into CON.¡± ¡°Everything? Yet you want to be a mage, though I suppose mages often raise their CON to around forty or fifty¡­¡± his voice trailed off for a second before he continued more steadly, ¡°Remember, fully developed Creeping Beryl Blooms reduce CON by thirty and most humans ought to keep CON above seven or eight at all times.¡± ¡°Oh, is it curable?¡± it was good to hear that they had a limit, but he wasn¡¯t sure if the benefits of the Beryl Blooms outweighed the penalties. ¡°Of course, quite easily in fact under the ministrations of a skilled healer or even mage. Whether you want to remove it though, is another matter entirely. Some mages purposely infect themselves with Creeping Beryl Blooms as it synergizes well with certain schools of magic, so if you wish to become a combat mage I recommend you take this information into consideration.¡± Roy fixed his sleeves, the act making him conscious of the dim blue light poking out from beneath his shirt. Would he start to glow all over once the fungi further matured? It was another cost he had to keep in mind. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Just one last thing, umm. Yesterday we met Metapelon and he said something about making sure the Empyrean Fragment¡­¡± Roy mind flashed to the transparent blue cube stored in his little cubicle in their temporary shelter, he hadn¡¯t been carrying it the day they had met Metapelon and he wondered what the elemental would have said had it sensed it on him. It was a strange object, and apparently unfathomably powerful if the words of the elemental were anything to go by. ¡°Doesn¡¯t fall in the hands of, ¡®The One Who Calls Forth the Thorned Abominations,¡¯¡± Madelyn piped in, Roy jolted, he had almost forgotten that she was there, the silence was uncharacteristic, ¡°Shape-shifting, green robes, horns. Remind you of anything?¡± A complicated expression drew over the expression of Epipollus as he considered their words, an admixture of, surprise, worry, and confusion that was just familiar enough on the alien features of the goblin. ¡°I am unsure of quite how to answer that Mr. Stone,¡± the goblin tought for a moment and then continued, ¡°There are some figures I have heard talked of who share most or all of those features Miss Maes most helpfully provided, but it would be remiss of me to give you a name only to send you on a fool¡¯s errand.¡± His next words were more ominous as he willed caution into them, ¡°If that is perchance not enough disincentive to dissuade, then remember this Mr. Stone. Metapelon and elementals such as he have power and resources far beyond individuals such as you and I. Any task of considerable difficulty to him would be near impossible for us.¡± ¡°And the fragment?¡± Roy asked, dread churning in his stomach. ¡°As for the Empyrean Fragment, it is a divine artifact. I know little of it except that the use of it by any but the most powerful individuals would result in nothing less than certain death. For those strong enough to harness its benefits, it is used as a¡­ catalyst to achieve Ascension, in other words, Godhood,¡± a chorus of sharp yells and the snapping of metal from outside cut in, and when the voices died down Epipollus continued. ¡°It is but another reason why I believe pursuing Metapelon¡¯s task is nothing but folly.¡± ¡°Then¡­ what should I do?¡± could he hand the fragment over the earth elemental? Wouldn¡¯t that just paint a blinking target on him and by extension those travelling with him? That was of course, if the earth elemental didn¡¯t decide to change his mind and stay, ¡°What if we find the fragment, should we give it to Metapelon?¡± ¡°I would not recommend it, elementals represent order and law, but their mindset is almost alien to ours. We could not possibly predict how he may react, perhaps he will place protecting the fragment above protecting the survivors and journey off to some unknown destination. If you value the protection he offers to your friends, I would recommend you not change his priorities. If you find the fragment ignore it, do not make yourself a target, if you see our mysterious enemy, run. There is no honor in a fool¡¯s errand,¡± he took a breath and his face scrunched as he considered his next words. ¡°If there is truly something grave afoot, perhaps that is the reason for the God¡¯s vigilance here, and if that is so, I would leave this in there most capable hands.¡± Chapter 39 ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you did that,¡± Roy muttered as he shifted around the cartridges in his hand. Madelyn had passed him a selection of them to enchant, both as a precaution, and so he could test his ability. ¡°I regret nothing! It was a once in a lifetime opportunity Roy, don¡¯t you see?¡± she responded with a shit eating grin as she nursed a bottle of something she shouldn¡¯t have been drinking. ¡°Huh, wish I were there to see it,¡± Greyson and Madelyn had dragged him up to the roof after dinner. The three sat haphazardly around a makeshift campfire set up in an upright barbeque grill, ¡°Still, whatever little prank Maes pulled, it¡¯s got nothing on the shit storm you kicked up when you got back.¡± Roy flinched as Greyson brought up the event that had transpired earlier in the day. He¡¯d call it a spark of courage, or a burst of conviction, but then he¡¯d have to say it sputtered out like a matchstick in the Arctic. ***FLASHBACK*** There was a short knee high concrete wall around the door when they returned from their trip. Roy could see their intent as he spotted several bulky pieces of machinery sitting out front on elevated trolleys. The foot or two of water in the supermarket was already growing murky with several days of trash and human activity. At the same time it worried him, preparing for the long haul. His agitation only grew when they¡¯d pushed open the double doors after a few brief words with Greyson. He could smell the crowd of humanity in the air and see it in the crumpled cans and discarded wrappers that littered the ground. The lights strung up on the ceiling and along the shelves flickered and Roy could feel his body tense. Water dripped off his clothes, pooled in his shoes. Little bits of mud clung to him and the smell of earth and humanity was a dense musk in the air. He didn¡¯t want to take another step into the room, he didn¡¯t want to spend another night on the ply wood covered shelves, damp with moisture that never dried. No more food distribution, no more endless twilight, no more. He wanted to barf, but then it would only be a flowering pool of rotted greens and browns in the water, drifting and settling, and waiting there. He was going to do something, he screamed in his mind, something was going to change because this wasn¡¯t going to go on for another day more. He stood up, when had he been kneeling? And cleared his throat, like he¡¯d seen on the news. ¡°Listen up!¡± his voice was loud in his ear and the beat of his heart was like a drum, ¡°I have an announcement to make.¡± Everything else was in the background now, the footsteps, the questioning sounds, it was just him and his speech. ***END FLASHBACK*** ¡°I apologize okay? It just¡­ needed to be said, I don¡¯t know why Owen has to be such a¡­¡± he wanted to scream at the police chief, but another part of him recoiled from the thought, so he settled on focusing on the cartridges in his hand. He had been trying to push mana into them for a while and he had found that he could probably push around two or three mana into the aluminum cased ones and a little under two into the brass cased ones. Lead was also a bit better than steel when it came to the bullet. Madelyn had drawn little shapes on the rounds with a permanent marker, the one he was working on had a little smiley face. He looked down the list Madelyn had given him and matched the symbol to the description of the cartridge, brass, lead bullet, twelve grams, and ten millimeters by thirty-two millimeters. Most of the rounds were the little squat things with rounded tips that she called ten millimeters and used in her gun. But one stood out from the rest. She called it a, ¡°fifty cal,¡± and it was almost as long as his hand with a colorful pointy tip. According to the sheet it was just under a hundred and twenty grams, or about ten times the weight of the small stubby rounds. It could store around twenty mana, but the real discovery came when he found that at around nine or ten it became significantly harder to push more mana in. He could still keep going through if he focused and slowed the process to a trickle. ¡°What¡¯s to apologize for? Owen has got a stick up his ass for as long as I¡¯ve known him, bet the things gotten all fermented up there too,¡± Greyson took a swig from his bottle and dumped the last of his canned beans into his mouth. ¡°Owen¡¯s ass aside, I think you did well, or good, I suppose,¡± despite her devil-may-care attitude at times, Roy couldn¡¯t deny that she was always reliable, like a cliff in the face of the ocean, ¡°I counted about thirty-two who wanted to leave. Now we just have to figure out how to escort them to our little green friends without incident; I would hate to have to fill out any incident reports.¡± ¡°I think you meant, have your personal scribe fill out a report to Owen,¡± Greyson tossed the empty can aside, it clipped the edge of the trashcan they¡¯d dragged up and plopped onto the ground to rest beside several other empty cans. ¡°Please, I reward him handsomely for his services.¡± ¡°I talk to Lestrat too you know, and I¡¯ll take Mr. Bright-as-Sunshine¡¯s words over yours any day of the week,¡± Greyson turned to Roy, ¡°Whaddya think kid? You believe Ol¡¯Maes over here?¡± ¡°Uhh, no?¡± he hadn¡¯t expected the man to loop him into his jibes. Madelyn and Greyson seemed so familiar with each other that he felt acutely out of place. ¡°Tch, et tu, Roy?¡± two cold blue eyes turned in his direction and the look of utter hopelessness in them was enough to make him cringe. ¡°Fucking French, really?¡± Greyson stuck out his tongue like an eight year old who¡¯d spotted a forest of broccoli on his plate, ¡±Pass the beer, you can go back to drinking your stupid grape juice or something.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Latin.¡± ¡°How the fuck am I supposed to know that, do I look like one of those bible guys to you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a quote from Julius Caesar, we watched the play. Oh god, explaining this is so lame,¡± she looked like she had bitten into an especially sour lemon. ¡°You mean that movie with the funny looking Greek guy with the toga and the leaf crown? Fucking hated the way they spoke in riddles, kinda like you.¡± ¡°He¡¯s Roman, and the movie was based off a play by Shakespeare, so the language is dated, can we talk about something else now?¡± Roy couldn¡¯t help the grin that slipped onto his face. ¡°Roman? Like from Rome, the place with the pope and the other old fogeys? You know I hate religion right, why¡¯d we watch that movie anyways?¡± he looked so sincere, his rugged features the picture perfect example of displeased confusion. ¡°So, Roy. You planning any more daring escapades tomorrow?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ right. I almost forgot about that,¡± Owen had pulled him off his task force after his little performance, the heated exchange was still fresh on his mind. ***FLASHBACK*** The voices of the crowd burst like a dam as his speech petered out, his courageous high tumbling into a timid trough. The questions came like a hail of gunfire, his world was abuzz with sound and barely could he piece together one sentence before another blasted the ground out from under him. Right, left, center, an old man, a young woman, everything was blurring together and for once he could sympathize with the big wigs that pushed their way through a crowd of paparazzi. ¡°Enough!¡± Madelyn¡¯s voice was like a blade against the static and he could feel himself refocus as the voices of the crowd cut away. A brief shuffle of feet disturbed the calm and then Owen was in the clearing. There was the beginnings of a frown forming on his face and Roy flinched as the older man¡¯s gaze flashed past Madenlyn and settled on him. ¡°Roy, I¡¯m going to need you to explain yourself,¡± his voice was level but the weight of the command was crushing. ¡°Uhh, just.¡± he fumbled as his eyes grappled for purchase, ¡±I though everyone had like, a right to know? So they could make their own choice ¨C I think it¡¯s a good idea to go now with a larger group..¡± With every word that came out of Roys mouth the police chief looked less and less pleased and by the time the last sentence had slipped off his tongue he had braced himself for the verbal lashing he would receive.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Then Madelyn voice cut in again and shame flooded Owen¡¯s features, ¡°Surely there¡¯s a better time and place for this Owen?¡± She gestured towards the assembled mob before continuing, ¡°Now¡¯s your chance, win the crowd with facts, logic and reason!¡± Owen looked over the crowd before he turned his attention back to Roy, His anger was tightly lidded and his words biting, ¡±You¡¯re off the task force Roy, out there¡¯s no place for brash decisions. Take some time to reflect on your actions and then we can talk.¡± With that the man turned around and began to address the crowd. ***END FLASHBACK*** ¡±Well, maybe. I¡¯m thinking of going out and practicing some of my magic, maybe take out a few monsters if it¡¯s safe,¡± after some time to reflect on the past few days he had come to realize that while his life had always been in crisis before he joined the group at the supermarket, he had never the felt the sort of soul sucking dread he currently felt cooped up in the building, waiting almost aimlessly for something to happen. ¡°And you¡¯re gonna go lone ranger style, one man up against the world?¡± Grreyson flashed him a grin that seemed to say he approved of the plan more than he let on. ¡°I mean, I haven¡¯t thought about that yet, seemed like a good idea at the time, go out and get stronger instead of sitting here waiting for help to come. I mean this is more or less permanent I¡¯m guessing,¡± he would probably be safer with a partner or a small group, but he wasn¡¯t about to change his plans and few would want to go chasing monsters in the fog with him. ¡°I¡¯d go with ya, it¡¯s the fucking dumps here, but Owen''s got me locked tight on guard duty. Maes¡¯ll be busy most of the day, so you''re gonna have to look elsewhere if you wanna buddy. Depends on how long too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll uh¡­ Sleep on it I guess.¡± ¡°So, you two done with your heart to heart?¡± the girl had gone from sitting upright to facing them upside down, with her legs dangling from the backrest and her back pressing into the fabric of the seat, ¡°You and Lestrat have heart to hearts, this is serious business we¡¯re talking about here.¡± ¡°Uh-huh, I suppose we can leave tonight¡¯s attack to the others then, we won¡¯t hear their screams from up here on the roof,¡± she shifted back upright and the aluminum frame of the chair let out a crooked creak. ¡°Fuck, what are we sitting around for then, lets go shoot up some mushrooms,¡± the man bent down and picked up the gun he¡¯d set down near his chair much earlier in the night, it was a jagged metal thing with all the bits and pieces stuck onto it. ¡°First night up here so I¡¯m going to give you the run down and then we go from there, sound good?¡± Greyson led him to the edge off the roof where a waist high barricade had been set up with bags of miscellaneous goods and bits of furniture. Several giant floodlights dominated the front, each several feet across and connected haphazardly to a winding mess of cables. ¡°First we turn these boys on, they should already be in place but if they¡¯re off we give ¡®em a lil¡¯ nudge,¡± he kicked the floodlight closest to him and the thing rung out with a dull thud. ¡°Wow, I wonder why they¡¯re sometimes out of position, can you guess why Grey?¡± ¡°The monsters usually come in slow and Maes here can hear ¡®em form a mile away, but when they catch a wiff off us they start scrambling over like a pack of wild hyenas, by then they¡¯re usually close enough to see in the mist if we hit ¡®em with the light,¡± he said as he nudged the floodlight back into position, another push and his boot skid against the metal, wet with condensation. Roy winced as Greyson toppled into the spotlight and clung to it for balance, with a loud screech the base scraped against the ground and the light swung further out of position. Carefully this time, Greyson gently pushed the floodlight back to its starting position, ¡°Anyways, you just hold tight and wait for the fuckers to really bunch up near the back and then toss a few of those fireballs of yours at ¡®em.¡± The man bent down and pulled at some of the wires crisscrossing the ground before shaking his head and deeming it a lost cause, ¡°Once your MP¡¯s dry you can try to take a few shots with your gun or something, Take it slow and try not to waste any bullets, if you can¡¯t land every shot then just sit back and relax, we got a lot of ammo but there¡¯s also a lot of stuff to shoot.¡± He paused and after checking his gun over one more time finally asked, ¡°We cool?¡± ¡°Uh yeah, cool.¡± A few moments later Madelyn gave the signal and with the flick of a switch brilliant white light scattered into the mist. It was like seeing the world through frosted glass, the ground the sky, the rooftop, everything was pale white and glittered as if someone had coated the world in a layer of tiny glass shards, It was beautiful but also blinding to his eyes that had adapted to the soft embers the coals had given off. He used his hands to shield his eyes as they adapted. Slowly he peeled his hands away and bit by bit looked up to take in the sight around him. Greyson had taken a seat on a stool just behind the makeshift ledge, his rifle held easily in his arms. Madelyn on the other hand had pulled one of the collapsible chairs up to the front and lounged on it without a care in the world. ¡°Sound the horn!¡± the girl shouted and without missing a beat Greyson pulled out a dandy looking red whistle from under his shirt. The sharp bleep of the whistle reminded Roy of gym class, his second least favorite class, just one behind math. Mr. Glower, his gym teacher had tried to encourage him once by pontificating on the benefits of team based sports and exercise. In Roy¡¯s opinion he could get a healthy dose of the former from video games, and he didn¡¯t need a dose of the later for his sedentary lifestyle. Of course, best laid plans never survive first contact with the apocalypse and it was in the quiet moments between fighting for his life that Roy regretted his attempt at precognition. Now was not the time for reminiscence though. Roy squinted into the fog, a white flurry with the faintest hint of black, and tried to spot the approaching horde of fungi. He didn¡¯t have to wait long before he caught sight of the vanguard. They were a motley bunch of skittering waist high mushrooms, faintly orange and brown in the harsh light. The fog and the water¡¯s surface melted together in the distance but the mushrooms broke that illusion as they crashed through the water. Despite the flurry of their limbs, they were small things and their pace was close to a grown man¡¯s jog. As they closed in more and more gunshots rang out in response. The mist distorted as bullets flew across the parking lot and sent sprays of fungal tissue into the air with every hit. Roy took aim with his pistol, fired a few shots at the little mushroom creatures, missed on all counts, and decided he should probably wait this one out. The smell crept into Roy¡¯s nostrils and it was just as he had expected, rancid and earthen, not too unlike what the inside of the supermarket was beginning to resemble. He held in supper and turned his attention back to the scene below. Most of the mushrooms lay in pieces now, bits of them bobbing in and out of the water, the ones that had made it close had been hosed down with the lime green liquid from the fungal fryers and lay squirming in the water. They continued to pop out of the mist of course, a small but steady stream of them that the defenders allowed to get close so they could spray them down and conserve bullets. A few leisurely moments passed and Madelyn had even begun to hum a jaunty tune before the sound of gunfire drowned her out. Alongside the trickle of small mushrooms larger ones had begun to make their way past the smattering of water logged cars. These were much larger, at least as tall as a teenager and with a stem as thick as the trunk of a tree. Most of their caps were a light brown, but there was the occasional maroon cap mixed in. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna shoot go for the fancy looking ones, they¡¯ve got a nasty hit and can take a punch, the guys on the ground can spray down the brown ones with goop,¡± Greyson advised as he took a knee and braced his arms against the ledge. Taking a closer look, the maroon mushroom were different from the brown ones not only in coloration. He tried to bring out the blue information screen, but like the announcement had said some time ago, those were no longer available for monsters. Unlike the brown mushrooms and the orchid cap interceptors he¡¯d seen earlier in the night and long ago at the library, the body of the maroon capped mushroom was creased with ridges and a slightly deeper coloration. When bullets struck they didn¡¯t break apart like so much tissue paper but held their shape, if just barely. More alarming however were their legs. Long and double jointed, they pushed in and out of the water closing the distance far faster than their kin who struggled with their stubby legs. ¡°They¡¯ve got some killer legs, nasty kick broke one of Nick¡¯s ribs the other day, so watch out,¡± the man added another bit of commentary as he looked through the scope of his gun and pulled the trigger. A maroon cap further back and just barely out of the fog stumbled as if struck and crashed into its brown capped brethren, the two fell into the water with a splash. After a brief struggle the two got back up the maroon cap visibly missing a chunk of its leg. ¡°Playing cool,¡± Madelyn humphed as she pulled a comb through her hair and swept it to the side. She shot Roy a smile as slick as crude before pulling out her gun and taking a shot, her eyes still locked onto his. The maroon cap he was observing shuddered and fell to the ground in a heap. ¡°They¡¯ve got some sort of control structure at the center of their stem, just below the cap. Unlike our garden variety mushrooms, they don¡¯t seem to be visibly connected to the rest of their fungal tissue. Based on their co-ordination and single minded pursuit of our destruction, I¡¯d place better than even odds on some sort of nefarious hive mind remotely guiding their every action and planning humanity¡¯s demise.¡± ¡°Hypocrite,¡± Greyson accused, before muttering under his breath, ¡°I wanted to say that line.¡± ¡°So then, should I throw a fireball at the maroon mushrooms?¡± Roy asked as he shifted into a more comfortable position, his legs had grown tired after almost a half hour. ¡°Don¡¯t bother, wait for things to ramp up a bit more, it usually peaks in another half hour and then slowly dies down afterwards,¡± Greyson took another shot, this time at a closer target, the maroon cap went down and didn¡¯t climb back up, ¡°Red¡¯s come in a little while, they¡¯re these real big motherfuckers, built like a bodybuilder, we take those out at range, don¡¯t wait for them to close in. Finally come the big brown ones, at least two stories tall and surrounded by browns and oranges, fireball those or the red ones if they clump up.¡± ¡°Oh, and since you¡¯ve only got a handful of shots, call ¡®em out beforehand so you and Maes don¡¯t aim for the same target,¡± Greyson took a sip of water from his little whisky flask and though for a moment, ¡°There might be some more funny lookin¡¯ ones coming, once we saw a little purple bugger, Maes shot the fuck before it got too close, and it got real close real fast. There was also a dark blue one with spikes, took a beating but moved slow as a turtle. Maybe also a thin yellow one that died too quickly for us to know much, that¡¯s ¡®bout it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Roy considered all the varieties of killer mushroom Greyson had expounded quite elegantly on, one of his favorite aspects of DTDW and MMORPGs in general had been the large variety of monsters. In no other genre could one find such a colorful array of pixels to find and kill ad infinitum. Now he was both excited and horrified to experience the real life counterpart, based on what he¡¯d seen so far real life variety was unlikely to be just the same monster re-skinned over and over again. Contemplating his new hobby, Roy settled in for the wait and watched the guys downstairs make mushroom medley out of the parking lot.