Warbreaker's Risk: A LitRPG Apocalypse Adventure (The Connected System Book 2), page 17
The camp also would benefit from Cerie’s knowledge.
Loch knew he would be used, but he didn’t mind. It was something he would have done anyway. He truly believed it was up to the strong to protect the weak, to help them become stronger. The strong weren’t meant to bully, they were meant to protect and uplift.
“Yeah, we’ll stay here,” he said. “But first, we will be heading to our home. It’s only a mile or so from here, probably can make it in a couple of hours. Shouldn’t be more than a day there, maybe an overnight. But first, we can stay here for a day or two and help out with your defense problems.”
“How so?”
“Come on, Piper,” Loch said, smiling. “Let’s go show Ed and the rest of the camp what else we brought with us.”
Chapter Eighteen
Everyone gawked at the large pile of weapons and armor. They all were acting like it was gold or quite a lot of Excaliburs. To them, the swords represented salvation. It didn’t matter that they were of low quality and didn’t have any magical powers. They were just better weapons than most of what the survivors had now.
There wasn’t enough for everyone.
There was far less armor, but Loch was already thinking of ways around that.
“This is amazing,” Ed said, standing next to Loch in front of the pile.
Near blunt and rusted swords, daggers, and spears.
Loch was looking at the crowd of people, most faces he recognized, some he didn’t. Not all of them were Northwood residents. He hadn’t known everyone in town, but it wasn’t a large place, and there were only a handful of places that everyone gathered or passed through. He’d seen a lot of them around town, even if he didn’t know their names. There were a few people in the camp that he did know their names, fewer that he’d actually interacted with before. He’d go and talk to them later.
He was looking at the ones currently carrying makeshift weapons. The ones that had been on guard duty. None of them really looked comfortable. How much more comfortable would they be holding swords?
Hopefully, Cerie was right, and they’d gain the necessary Ability just by using the weapons. She wasn’t there to ask or clarify, having stayed inside with Susan Turner, Harper, and Davis to help direct the healing of Peter Millman. The debuff had faded, and the wound could now be healed, but that had involved reopening it.
“Where did you get it all?”
“The Dungeon and the hobs,” Loch answered. “It’s not the greatest quality, but for now, it will do.”
“Nothing else like that axe or the weapons your girls have?”
“There’s a staff, sword, and a club that we got from some Elite hobs, but no one here can use them yet.”
“Because they don’t have a Class?”
“Yes, or the required Stats,” Loch answered, still surveying the group of survivors. “We need to fix that now. It’s time to get some of these people Classes.”
He pointed at one of the people, someone he recognized. Not a friend, not even a parent of one of Harper or Piper’s friends or classmates. The man was a neighbor of a friend, someone he’d played cornhole with at a Fourth of July party or two, and other social functions. The man was also holding one of the golf clubs, the end stained red. It had seen some use. He had a fresh scar down his cheek. “Jason, what Level are you?”
A tall and thin man with blond hair. Maybe five years younger than Loch, possibly ten, he’d never asked. Jason’s eyes were unfocused.
“Uhm… Three,” he answered. “Wow, I didn’t know I’d gotten that third Level. Somehow I missed the notification. Don’t know how, the damn things fill up my vision when they appear.”
“Come and get a sword,” Loch said.
Jason looked down at the pile, then at the people around him, back to Loch.
“Are you sure? I don’t know how to use one.”
“Have you killed anything with that,” Loch asked, pointing to the golf club.
“Yeah, two ants,” Jason answered. “I don’t really like it,” he continued after some thought. “It’s awkward. Doesn’t make a good club. The idea of a sword, I do kind of like that.”
He walked forward, still holding the club. Setting it down on the ground, he bent over, hand hovering over the swords. He went to pick one up but stopped, frowning. His hand went over the hilt of another. Grasping the hilt, he picked the weapon up but didn’t get far before he lowered it again. The third time was the charm. Jason grabbed the hilt, quickly lifting the weapon.
He held it before him, at arm’s length, holding the blade steady. Swinging the blade back and forth a little, he made a couple of awkward stabs and thrusts.
His eyes widened in shock, almost dropping the sword.
“Holy…” he said, eyes blinking. “I just got an Ability.”
“What is it?” Loch asked, hoping he had been right.
“Sword Mastery Rank One,” Jason answered, swinging the sword again. He didn’t look as clumsy. “This is crazy. I kind of know what to do with this thing now. The Ability says that I have some basic understanding of how to use a sword. How is this possible? I’ve never held a sword before, but it just feels right.”
“Congratulations.”
“So wild,” Jason said, stepping back into the crowd, making sure to lower the sword and keep the edge away from the people around him.
“What about the armor?” Ed asked.
“There’s not enough for everyone. They’ll have to change out of it after every watch rotation,” Loch answered, wondering if he really did hear annoyance in Ed’s voice. Probably not. “Okay, everyone that has killed a monster already and Level Three and above, step forward,” Loch ordered the crowd. “Let’s hand out some weapons.”
It didn’t take long for the large pile of weapons to disappear.
There hadn’t been that many that had killed a monster and been Level Three. A couple had been Level Three but hadn’t managed to kill anything yet. They were the next ones to get weapons. Then it was the Level Two that had killed and the Level Two that had not.
That made up the survivors that were on heavy guard rotation. Next were the people that stepped forward when Loch asked who wanted to be a warrior.
By that point, all the people understood the basics of the new world they were living in. They had to Advance to survive. But surprisingly, to Loch, at least, there weren’t as many that volunteered, which meant some swords and clubs were left over. They moved all those into the white church, into the rooms set aside for storage. Looking back on it, Loch thought it was a good idea to have some extra weapons. The ones they had weren’t in the best shape, and no one was a Blacksmith or Crafter of any kind yet, to repair the weapons.
They would break, and having back-ups would be essential.
He walked through the parking lot, greeting the people he knew and introducing himself to those he didn’t. Loch felt like a celebrity and wasn’t sure he liked it.
All he had done was kill some coyotes.
And be the highest Leveled person around.
By a lot.
To the others, it was like they were playing football with NFL players. There was just such a wide gap between them.
Loch didn’t want there to be. How could he get these people Leveled?
Should he?
Was it his responsibility?
He wasn’t in charge. That was Ed Turner.
He stopped at the west wall, not that it was a wall. Barrier.
Barely even that.
Tables, chairs, pews, file cabinets, and desks. A mix of whatever they could drag out of the buildings and pile up. It was a smart use of the furniture. Come winter, they’d probably have to burn it, but for now it served somewhat of a purpose. Not that it could stop anything.
Not that high, Loch could easily jump over it, without even trying.
Not long, there was still a large space between the two barriers.
Right idea, not enough to really execute it.
This place wasn’t defensible. They’d run out of room soon if more people showed up.
Ed’s problems, not his.
Loch’s problems were how to defend these people, how to get them Leveled.
That was what he could do, how he could use his strength and power best.
Leading? That wasn’t him. Not something he wanted.
Protecting? That was something he could do.
Not just his girls but everyone else. Anyone that had survived.
But not here.
There had to be a better place.
His eyes drifted up the road to the just barely visible bulk that was the high school. A large brick building with an attached wooden one. A couple of other buildings on the campus. It was like a castle. Strong walls.
“Dad!” Piper called, coming up behind him.
He turned, seeing her, dressed in the robes, a glowing green fairy floating behind her. Cerie was getting a lot of looks from the people in the parking lot. There was still daylight when the monsters didn’t normally attack, so they felt safe enough to wander the lot but not leave it. They wandered listlessly with nothing to do. A dozen or so men patrolled the edges of the lot, now equipped with the swords Loch had brought, some wearing armor that they’d switch with the next shift.
But there were a lot of people just standing or sitting, lost in their thoughts.
No motivation. That had to change.
“How is Peter?”
“Good. Mrs. Turner healed him up. Her Abilities are really cool,” Piper said, stopping next to him.
“The Caretaker Class is made for situations like this,” Cerie explained. “Some Healer Classes are more for the battlefield, quick heal spells that will get a Connected back up and fighting. The Caretaker is just what the name implies. The Class is designed to help those with long-term injuries or ailments.”
“Are long-term injuries possible with an Adapted body’s natural regeneration?” Loch asked.
All his wounds, and he had gotten a lot, had healed in minutes after combat ended. The worse had taken a couple of hours to fully heal. Wounds that should have laid him up, stuck in bed and unable to move, for weeks or even months.
“Yes,” Cerie answered. “It still takes time to regrow limbs.”
She said it so simply, as if regrowing a limb was nothing. Just something that took time. Loch knew he shouldn’t be surprised, but he was.
“That’s so cool,” Piper said.
The few people near that had heard Cerie were gawking, eyes wide in shock. Loch realized how lucky he and the girls had gotten by finding Cerie. They knew more, so much more, than the other survivors. Just some of the simpler things made it easier on them.
What was the best way to educate them all?
Was that even his problem?
He was going to have enough to deal with as a Guard Captain. Drill Sergeant? Loch had been in the Army, only a short time, but could see how the reasons he had to join were the same as what he was thinking of doing now. He’d joined to protect, the GI Bill had truthfully been a motivator, but he’d still had the urge to protect and fight for those that couldn’t. It was the same now.
A scream filled the afternoon. Long and high.
It came from behind the white church, up on the hill where the town hall had been.
“Piper, get Harper and Davis,” Loch yelled, realizing he was telling his youngest daughter to get her sister and join him in rushing into possible danger.
It was just something that had to be done.
He Activated Windstep, crossing half the distance of the parking lot in seconds. Another use of the Ability, and he was at the church, about to try something new. He’d gotten the idea after leaping into the air and coming down on the coyotes. The jump had been high, three or four times what he’d been capable of before.
And that had been without consciously trying to jump that high. He’d needed to get into the midst of the coyote pack quickly, jumping had seemed the quickest and easiest way to do that. Like his fighting, he just knew what to do. It was like instinct but really it was the mental instructions given by the Connection.
Foot stepping down on the asphalt, he Activated Windstep again, pushing up with his planted foot. The Ability and force carried him up into the air, higher than before, his arc bringing him down onto the roof of the church.
He touched down, barely letting his foot touch before Activating Windstep once more.
Loch cleared the edge of the roof, arc carrying him down onto the grass. He landed, feet touching down and carrying him forward at a run.
He’d seen the hole where the town hall had been. The backside of the building had been carved out of the hill, which rose up on the front, but was lower on the back, exposing the basement level. The town clerk’s offices had been on that level with a small parking lot in the back.
It wasn’t a hole but a large chunk of earth had been removed and left the sides straight.
At the edge was a man, on the ground and crawling away.
Climbing up was a large cat.
All black, a deep color, the head was larger than any cat Loch had ever seen pictures of. Bigger than a lion or tiger it was still in proportion to the body. Long legs, with huge paws and claws inches long, dug into the ground to pull it up out of the hole. Four tentacles waved over its head, ending in thick claws as wide as Loch’s hand. There was still a slenderness to it, in proportion to its larger size.
The man scrambled back, still yelling.
Loch Activated Windstep, clearing the distance to the hole. The cat leaped up, landing in front of the man, whom Loch still couldn’t identify. It was close to twelve feet long. The tentacles grew out of its back, whipping back and forth in the air as it towered over the man. A long tail slashed at the air as it growled, loud and menacing. One mighty paw was raised, ready to swipe down and end the man’s life.
It caught Loch’s scent, turning to watch the racing man. It roared a challenge.
With his own roar, Loch reached the monster, Onyx swinging down.
Chapter Nineteen
The large cat easily sidestepped the attack. Loch managed to keep his balance but was left exposed to the monster.
A paw came up, swiping at Loch. He barely managed to get Onyx back down to block. The strength of the attack slid Loch back, feet sliding across the grass.
“Run,” he growled, seeing Mike Turner at his feet to the side.
The teen was terrified, unable to move, shadowed by the massive cat only feet away.
“Move!” Loch yelled, kicking at Mike, not too gently.
Mike reacted, rolling to the side. He kept rolling, Loch no longer paying attention.
He Activated Bulwark, the green energy shield catching a whipping strike from one of the tentacles. Another swung in from the side, Loch shifting to catch it on his chest armor. It still hurt, the impact pushing him back. Nothing was broken, but the pain still throbbed.
The cat was strong.
It growled and hissed, batting at Loch with both feet and the four tentacles. Loch was on the defensive, trying to catch and block all the attacks. He used the shield, used Onyx, getting benefits from his passive Offensive/Defensive Weaponry Skill, and used his own body, catching strikes on the thicker parts of his armor. He caught a tentacle on the broadside of Onyx, swinging the axe down to bat aside a striking paw.
The size of the cat, coming up to Loch’s shoulder, and its strength was pushing him back.
He was hurting, each of the blows taking a chunk of his Health. No bleeding wounds yet, just blunt damage. He was able to keep the claws from striking his armor, catching the swipes on the shield or Onyx. The tentacles had a long claw at the end. The stabbing attacks were easier to dodge, but to do so, he had to leave himself vulnerable to being struck by the thick appendages.
He managed to use Evaluate on the monster.
DEEP SHADOW FOSSA
He staggered, the feeling of strength coming off the monster pushing at him. It didn’t feel equal to his own, but stronger. A decent amount stronger. In terms of Levels, Loch thought the monster, he knew a fossa to not actually be a cat though they had a close resemblance, had to be around Level 25, maybe higher. It might have even been Elite status.
Where had it come from?
If this creature had been prowling around the camp prior to attacking Mike, it would have feasted on the people there. None of them would have been able to stop it. Maybe their numbers would have overwhelmed it, but most would have died and been wounded.
It would have been a massacre.
He wasn’t sure if he’d even be able to defeat it.
Nothing he’d faced had managed to keep him this off balance.
He hadn’t managed to land a single blow to the creature. The fossa would have been an absolute nightmare when it was dark. So black it would have blended into the shadows.
Tentacles shot out, stabbing at Loch, two from the front, two others coming in at the sides. He fell back into a roll, avoiding the attacks. Popping up, he heard the growl, and felt the presence of the creature only steps from him. Loch tried to get Bulwark up to block.
He was too slow.
The fossa’a claws grew longer, slicing across his side, cutting through the thick leather of his armor and sparking against the metal plates. He bit back a scream of pain, feeling his flesh tearing as the sharp claws dug into him. Blood poured out, staining the brown leather armor, and dripping onto the ground.
Its attack had left an opening, one Loch managed to exploit.
Barely.
Onyx bit into the fossa’s side, near its shoulder. Not a strong strike, but it went in deep.
The hide wasn’t as thick or tough as Loch had thought it would be, the monster relying on its speed and strength over physical defense. It roared in pain as little bolts of lightning crackled around the wound.
He lunged to the side, hoping to get in a good attack while the creature was distracted. Swinging Onyx, Loch Activated Cleave. The sharp edge of the axe glowed, leaving a trail of light behind it.
The fossa disappeared.
Loch stumbled forward, off balance, twisting badly to recover, the still bleeding wound tearing.
