Warbreaker's Rage: A LitRPG Apocalypse Adventure (The Connected System Book 3), page 47
“Piper,” Loch called out, not taking his eyes off the approaching mob of gaunts.
The enemy was up over a hundred in number. Chances are more were coming.
And Harper still hadn’t appeared.
“Dad?” Piper answered, almost shouting to be heard over the fighting and the storm.
“Stand next to Kim, when Darren tells you, start firing your wand blasts into the gaunts. Watch your Spirit reserves.”
“Okay.”
Loch was proud of how calm she sounded. He was still, and always would be, angry that she was forced into this position. It wasn’t something a thirteen-year-old should ever experience.
The Connected System would pay.
Someday.
Where was Harper?
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“I’m going down,” Loch said.
Grabbing on to the concrete parapet, Loch pulled himself up. He stood, finding his balance, summoning Onyx. The axe appeared in his hand, growing to its full size, the axehead glowing. It flared and flickered in time with a distant bolt of lightning. He could feel the static electricity in the air feeding into the axe, making it stronger.
“Dad?” Piper asked, concerned.
“You’re kidding!” Darren said.
Loch jumped.
Chapter Fifty-One
The main part of the school was two stories; the wooden addition to the brick was the same, with the roof taller. Loch didn’t try to jump straight out; he angled his leap to land on the sloping roof of the addition. He felt shingles crack. He might have broken some of the wooden sheathing.
A worry for tomorrow after the battle.
He let himself slide down the roof, the end coming quickly. Piper was yelling behind him, her words lost in the storm. He had a good idea what she was yelling. Pulling his arm back, shrinking Onyx down, Loch pushed off the edge of the roof. He threw Onyx, the axe spinning end over end, cutting through the heavy rain.
Loch didn’t follow the path of the axe. He had enough to worry about.
Jumping off the roof had been the quickest way down. It may not have been the smartest.
He hadn’t even known why he’d done it. Instinct had said he could stick the landing and not be hurt. Instinct or the knowledge the Connected System imparted into his mind and body.
Already ruined pavement was further destroyed as Loch landed. Both feet crashed through the asphalt, hitting the hard layer of rock below. Knees bent, one arm raised as Onyx returned, the other palm flat against the ground to brace himself.
Loch smiled, standing up, and turning to face the gaunts.
A perfect superhero landing.
If Harper had been there, she’d have been rolling her eyes.
Where was Harper?
Multi-colored sparks shot across the field, flowing into Loch’s body. He felt his Spirit Advance a little. The Drones were far below his Level; he shouldn’t have gotten any experience for killing them, but apparently, the Connection was rewarding him for how he had apparently one-shotted a Gray Gaunt Drone. He was close to hitting Level Twenty-Four.
A couple of the gaunts had turned to face him, rushing across the parking lot. He spared a quick glance at the large number still making their way toward him. There was time. Activating Windstep, Loch appeared right in front of the charging gaunts, Onyx swinging horizontally. The axe cut into the first one, the force and momentum pushing it into the second. They fell into the third, all three landing on the ground. Setting his feet to stop his forward momentum, sliding a little on the muddy ground, Loch swung Onyx down, slashing across the three gaunts. He twisted, pushing off against the ground, leaving the three dead, rushing across the lot at the gaunts harassing the retreating defenders.
He threw Onyx, the axe biting deep into the back of a gaunt. Loch pulled his arm back, swinging it forward, hand empty. Onyx appeared, growing to full size as his swing brought it down into the side of another gaunt. He kicked one, pushed another, and cut one almost in half as he waded into the gaunts surrounding his people.
Clearing a path, Loch stepped into the ring, turning around, Onyx’s blade taking the arm off a gaunt. He stood next to Roger and a guard he didn’t know.
“Fall back,” Loch ordered.
He swung Onyx, Activating Thunderclap. The enemy was too close, the wave of energy not traveling far, not able to build up its strength, but it still hit them like a hammer blow. The shockwave pushed against the gaunts, staggering them. It took pressure off the defenders, allowing more to rush through the opening. Loch took a step back, moving behind Roger, turning to face the other side and those gaunts. He stepped forward, filling a gap, Activating Thunderclap again. The gaunts were knocked back, the defenders rushing away.
There was a block at the opening in the wall, only one able to go through at a time. Roger stepped back, taking one side of the mass of defenders. Randy, who remained behind as well, took the other, leaving the middle for Loch.
“How’s your Spirit?” Loch yelled, blocking the swing from a gaunt.
He Activated Bulwark, parrying another attack with the shield, causing spikes to grow, lightning crackling around the shield.
“Low,” Roger growled, his sword no longer glowing.
“Barely any left,” Randy said, the glow around his fists dim.
Loch could see the mass of the new gaunts coming closer. He could hold them off for a time, kill a bunch of them. No Drone was a quality kill for him anymore, but there was a quality to quantity. There were so many, even he’d be overwhelmed.
He kept swinging back and forth, side to side. Each swing of Onyx cut into a gaunt. Some were killing blows, some were not. He just kept at it. For what felt like hours, waiting for the word.
It finally came. Moving slow step by slow step backward as the ring around the retreating defenders shrank.
“Clear,” Randy called out.
Loch looked around, not seeing anyone else. Just the gaunts. The wall was behind him, rain splashing against it, the ground under his feet churned up mud with rivers of water heading downhill, pooling around dams of mud.
He swung and stepped back. Swung again, taking another step.
And another.
The wall appeared on either side, so close he couldn’t even swing Onyx. The gaunts crowded in, pushing to get at him. They didn’t stop to send one at a time, instead all trying to grab or swing at him. They blocked each other, the wall helping keep the attacks away.
The Drones weren’t that smart. They could have done him some damage if they just stabbed at him, weapons pointing straight out. Instead they kept trying to swing, hitting the wall and each other. Chips of wood sheared off the desks and logs. Loch could see it moving, flexing under the press of gaunt bodies.
Sounds of fighting spread along the wall as the mass of gaunts arrived, hacking and slashing. Defenders had climbed up onto the wall, stabbing down with makeshift spears, really nothing more than sharpened branches.
The gaunts pushed at him, trying to get through the narrow opening. Loch glanced over his shoulder, seeing the edge of the barricade. They were ready to push it into place as soon as he was out of the way. Except he couldn’t get out of the way, or else the gaunts would surge through the opening. He had to clear some space.
Holding the energy shield in front of him, blocking stabbing attacks. Rain splattered against the green energy, causing small wisps of smoke to curl up into the air. The gaunts were hazy through the translucent shield, their faces impassive. They didn’t stare at him in anger, they didn’t show any fear. They just kept trying to get past him.
It was unnerving.
Everything about the Gray Gaunt Drones was unnerving. They seemed to learn from others, having some kind of hive mind. The Warriors, Shamans, and Houndsmen that Loch had fought had more independent thoughts. They had been their own being. The Drones were not.
They were truly drones.
He Activated Lightning Bulwark’s elemental wave, pushing energy out at the gaunts. They staggered back, but not enough. He wanted to unleash a Thunderclap, but there wasn’t enough room to swing Onyx. He used Elemental Surge instead.
Channeling his Spirit into his armor, Loch pushed it through the leather. It gained strength, melding with the armor’s own Spirit. He could feel the energy spreading through the armor, connecting each piece into a whole. The leather vibrated, wanting to unleash the built-up Spirit.
It was an Ability he didn’t use often, one of the two given by his full set of Challenger’s Armor. Bulwark’s lightning field was an almost duplicate of Elemental Surge. Loch used the shield more, so that aspect got used more, Elemental Surge almost forgotten.
Loch Activated the Ability.
A wave of pressure slammed into the staggered gaunts, pushing them further back. A couple tripped, falling into others and those falling as well. Arms and legs got tangled, the mass of gaunts getting in each other’s way. Small bolts of lightning crackled across their bodies, the air supercharged with static electricity.
The pressure against Loch lessened, allowing him to step back.
He passed the interior edge of the wall and kept going, watching as the desk was pushed forward. It blocked the narrow opening, concrete blocks being piled behind it to give it strength and weight. The opening in the wall was a weak spot, one the desk didn’t fully protect.
Men lined up behind the desk, long makeshift spears held in front. Others climbed onto other desks to the side, their spears ready to stab down.
Loch walked back some more, the defenders around him clearing space. He sat down on the ground, feeling exhausted. The whole thing had only lasted seconds, maybe a couple of minutes at most, but Loch felt as if he’d been fighting for hours. He’d used a lot of Spirit in a short amount of time.
The fighting was intense along the wall. A gaunt stepped into the opening, a spear slamming into its shoulder, pushing it back. It tried pushing through the spear; another one from high took it in the shoulder. The two guards pushed, driving the gaunt back. It slammed into another, that one blocked by another, the two unable to move.
A blast of silver energy slammed into the first gaunt. Smoke curled up from the impact, silver-like liquid spreading across its body. The gaunt screamed, falling to the ground. The others backed away. Another blob of energy struck the gaunts, spreading across a couple of them.
Loch looked up, seeing Piper at the edge of the roof. It was getting dark, the roof hard to see, only Cerie’s green glow highlighting Piper and a figure next to her. Probably Darren.
He looked around for one of the teens serving as runners. Cerie’s glow highlighted Piper.
She stood out, an easy target.
He started to push himself up, wanting to get her to step back, to get Cerie to stop glowing.
The glow disappeared, the black silhouettes of those on the roof barely visible in the darkness of the storm. Loch sighed, glad that she wasn’t as visible. Hopefully, the gaunt shamans hadn’t spotted the glow from the roof.
“Thanks,” someone said, sitting down next to Loch.
He looked over at Randy Sager, the man looking twice as exhausted as Loch felt. He leaned his head against his knees, rubbing at his temples. The man had to have used up all his Spirit for the near-constant use of his Abilities. Health, Stamina, and Spirit Reserves all regenerated, but it was much slower during combat.
Like his experience gains, Loch could feel the mental bars that represented his stats. It was rough, an estimate, but it didn’t seem to be going up as quickly as it should have been. He concentrated on the feeling of the Spirit Reserves. That was the natural amount his Core generated using the ambient Spirit of the world around him, different from his experience for Advancement that came from the Spirit of others.
To his mind, it was a bar. He didn’t know if everyone visualized it that way or just him. It reminded him of the bars he’d had in most of the games he’d played. A way to see how much was needed to be at max. Where this was mental, he could feel the ends of the bar, a container for the Spirit. He could feel the Spirit itself, how much of it filled up the container. Normally, he could feel it regenerating, replacing what had been used.
It was still regenerating, just much slower. It was at a pace similar to when he was in combat.
Loch cursed.
Of course he was still in combat. The enemies he’d been engaged with hadn’t retreated or been killed. And it hadn’t been long enough to reset. He wondered if that would happen. It wasn’t something he’d had to deal with yet, but in games, after a certain amount of time, combat would automatically end. Did it work that way with the Connection?
Loch doubted it.
“I got Level Seven,” Randy said, lifting his head from his knees.
He pushed long rain-soaked hair out of his face, trying to wipe his hand on wet pants. After a couple of seconds, he gave up.
“Congratulations,” Loch said, pushing himself up. “Get some rest. We’ll need you again soon.”
“Yeah,” Randy said, standing as well.
He looked around for the rest of the group he’d been with. Loch could only see Malcolm, the healer, and the archer Erik, who remained on the wall. He couldn’t see Roger, Mike Turner, or Theodore. Probably run to the staging area behind the school, Loch thought, not really surprised. It was the kind of thing Roger Lewis seemed capable of. Instead of staying and helping fight, he ran off to rest.
Which wasn’t a bad thing. They probably needed it. Loch just wished that he’d remained at the wall, remained fighting, until told to go rest. Like Randy. He looked like he was debating going onto the wall or going to rest.
“Go,” Loch said. “You need to get out of combat and regain your Spirit.”
Randy nodded, reluctantly turning and jogging to the back of the school. Loch could see the white canvas of the easy-up instant canopies that’d been erected to provide some shelter for the wounded and resting. There would be food, mostly just protein bars and water. The people inside the school, the non-combatants, would be going hungry so the defenders would stay well-fed.
Loch didn’t like having to make that decision, but there was no choice. If the defenders couldn’t fight at their peak, they’d be overwhelmed, and everyone would die. Being a little extra hungry was a small price to pay. Not that everyone agreed with him.
There had been a couple of non-combatants that had argued. Accused him of favoritism and other, not as nice things.
Loch had ignored them.
The fighting sounded intense and the glow of Abilities was sharp in the storm brought darkness. Bolts of lightning lit the horizon, the booming of thunder joining the clang of metal on metal or the explosions and crashes of varied Abilities going off. He knew he needed to get back on the wall and join in, but he needed his Spirit to regenerate.
At least a little more.
If he joined in the fighting, it would regen much slower than it was now, and he’d lose more through Abilities. Loch knew, logically, that he had to get his Spirit Reserves full before rejoining the fighting. At least most of the way full.
But it was hard, just standing back and not doing anything. He wondered what the people around him thought of their leader. Would they understand why he wasn’t immediately rejoining the fight?
Should he head back up to the roof and get an overview of the entire battle? Had the gaunts spread to the other side of the school, or were they concentrating, for now, just on this section? Another reason to go back to the roof was so he could see where the gaunts were going.
But he’d given Darren the responsibility of that aspect of the fight, directing the defenders where they needed to go. Both had known that Loch would be involved in the fighting. He was the highest Level; it made no sense to take their strongest piece off the board.
And that small part of Loch, the one he tried to deny existed, wanted to be involved in the fighting.
Loch moved over to the wall, watching the gaunts still trying to get through the opening. One of the guard’s spear had broken, the shaft sticking out of a gaunt’s chest. It moved around, the shaft striking the sides as it tried to get at the defenders. They were pushing at it with the other spears, trying to get it to move back. More gaunts pushed against it, jamming it into the opening.
Activating Aura of Attack, Loch felt the Ability spread out in a wave centered on him. Almost immediately, the defenders started attacking faster, their hits sounded harder. He wasn’t sure how far the effect would spread.
The gaunt with the broken spear slammed against the heavy desk, shaking the thing. One of the defenders stumbled, off balance, falling off. His spear fell from his hands, rolling along the ground. The gaunt, sensing the opening, moved to that side, pushing harder.
Loch threw Onyx.
The axe slammed into the gaunt’s head, lightning crackling, bolts spreading around the body. It fell backward, held up by the gaunt behind it.
Loch jumped onto the desk, Onyx appearing back in his hand. He swung the weapon, Activating Thunderclap, keeping the swing small, as wide as the opening. Loch focused, trying to push all the energy the Ability normally dispersed into the smaller arc.
The wave of energy was visible as ripples in the air. The waves slammed into the gaunts, pushing them backward. They fell, no longer blocking the view through the opening. All Loch could see were gaunts. More had to have shown up. There was a mass of bodies, all moving toward the wall.
And still no sign of Harper.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Aflash of orange streaked through the darkness. It slammed into the wall of the school, flames spreading across the brick. The rain sizzled as it struck, keeping the flames from gathering strength. Loch couldn’t see how much damage they had done. It hadn’t seemed that strong. The Shamans were probably only Level Seven or Eight. He didn’t think they’d be Level Ten or higher.
An answering streak of orange and red shot out from the roof. Through the mass of gaunts, Loch could see flames exploding beyond their lines. He hoped that Kim’s attack had killed the Shamans and Captain but knew they wouldn’t be that lucky.
The enemy was up over a hundred in number. Chances are more were coming.
And Harper still hadn’t appeared.
“Dad?” Piper answered, almost shouting to be heard over the fighting and the storm.
“Stand next to Kim, when Darren tells you, start firing your wand blasts into the gaunts. Watch your Spirit reserves.”
“Okay.”
Loch was proud of how calm she sounded. He was still, and always would be, angry that she was forced into this position. It wasn’t something a thirteen-year-old should ever experience.
The Connected System would pay.
Someday.
Where was Harper?
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“I’m going down,” Loch said.
Grabbing on to the concrete parapet, Loch pulled himself up. He stood, finding his balance, summoning Onyx. The axe appeared in his hand, growing to its full size, the axehead glowing. It flared and flickered in time with a distant bolt of lightning. He could feel the static electricity in the air feeding into the axe, making it stronger.
“Dad?” Piper asked, concerned.
“You’re kidding!” Darren said.
Loch jumped.
Chapter Fifty-One
The main part of the school was two stories; the wooden addition to the brick was the same, with the roof taller. Loch didn’t try to jump straight out; he angled his leap to land on the sloping roof of the addition. He felt shingles crack. He might have broken some of the wooden sheathing.
A worry for tomorrow after the battle.
He let himself slide down the roof, the end coming quickly. Piper was yelling behind him, her words lost in the storm. He had a good idea what she was yelling. Pulling his arm back, shrinking Onyx down, Loch pushed off the edge of the roof. He threw Onyx, the axe spinning end over end, cutting through the heavy rain.
Loch didn’t follow the path of the axe. He had enough to worry about.
Jumping off the roof had been the quickest way down. It may not have been the smartest.
He hadn’t even known why he’d done it. Instinct had said he could stick the landing and not be hurt. Instinct or the knowledge the Connected System imparted into his mind and body.
Already ruined pavement was further destroyed as Loch landed. Both feet crashed through the asphalt, hitting the hard layer of rock below. Knees bent, one arm raised as Onyx returned, the other palm flat against the ground to brace himself.
Loch smiled, standing up, and turning to face the gaunts.
A perfect superhero landing.
If Harper had been there, she’d have been rolling her eyes.
Where was Harper?
Multi-colored sparks shot across the field, flowing into Loch’s body. He felt his Spirit Advance a little. The Drones were far below his Level; he shouldn’t have gotten any experience for killing them, but apparently, the Connection was rewarding him for how he had apparently one-shotted a Gray Gaunt Drone. He was close to hitting Level Twenty-Four.
A couple of the gaunts had turned to face him, rushing across the parking lot. He spared a quick glance at the large number still making their way toward him. There was time. Activating Windstep, Loch appeared right in front of the charging gaunts, Onyx swinging horizontally. The axe cut into the first one, the force and momentum pushing it into the second. They fell into the third, all three landing on the ground. Setting his feet to stop his forward momentum, sliding a little on the muddy ground, Loch swung Onyx down, slashing across the three gaunts. He twisted, pushing off against the ground, leaving the three dead, rushing across the lot at the gaunts harassing the retreating defenders.
He threw Onyx, the axe biting deep into the back of a gaunt. Loch pulled his arm back, swinging it forward, hand empty. Onyx appeared, growing to full size as his swing brought it down into the side of another gaunt. He kicked one, pushed another, and cut one almost in half as he waded into the gaunts surrounding his people.
Clearing a path, Loch stepped into the ring, turning around, Onyx’s blade taking the arm off a gaunt. He stood next to Roger and a guard he didn’t know.
“Fall back,” Loch ordered.
He swung Onyx, Activating Thunderclap. The enemy was too close, the wave of energy not traveling far, not able to build up its strength, but it still hit them like a hammer blow. The shockwave pushed against the gaunts, staggering them. It took pressure off the defenders, allowing more to rush through the opening. Loch took a step back, moving behind Roger, turning to face the other side and those gaunts. He stepped forward, filling a gap, Activating Thunderclap again. The gaunts were knocked back, the defenders rushing away.
There was a block at the opening in the wall, only one able to go through at a time. Roger stepped back, taking one side of the mass of defenders. Randy, who remained behind as well, took the other, leaving the middle for Loch.
“How’s your Spirit?” Loch yelled, blocking the swing from a gaunt.
He Activated Bulwark, parrying another attack with the shield, causing spikes to grow, lightning crackling around the shield.
“Low,” Roger growled, his sword no longer glowing.
“Barely any left,” Randy said, the glow around his fists dim.
Loch could see the mass of the new gaunts coming closer. He could hold them off for a time, kill a bunch of them. No Drone was a quality kill for him anymore, but there was a quality to quantity. There were so many, even he’d be overwhelmed.
He kept swinging back and forth, side to side. Each swing of Onyx cut into a gaunt. Some were killing blows, some were not. He just kept at it. For what felt like hours, waiting for the word.
It finally came. Moving slow step by slow step backward as the ring around the retreating defenders shrank.
“Clear,” Randy called out.
Loch looked around, not seeing anyone else. Just the gaunts. The wall was behind him, rain splashing against it, the ground under his feet churned up mud with rivers of water heading downhill, pooling around dams of mud.
He swung and stepped back. Swung again, taking another step.
And another.
The wall appeared on either side, so close he couldn’t even swing Onyx. The gaunts crowded in, pushing to get at him. They didn’t stop to send one at a time, instead all trying to grab or swing at him. They blocked each other, the wall helping keep the attacks away.
The Drones weren’t that smart. They could have done him some damage if they just stabbed at him, weapons pointing straight out. Instead they kept trying to swing, hitting the wall and each other. Chips of wood sheared off the desks and logs. Loch could see it moving, flexing under the press of gaunt bodies.
Sounds of fighting spread along the wall as the mass of gaunts arrived, hacking and slashing. Defenders had climbed up onto the wall, stabbing down with makeshift spears, really nothing more than sharpened branches.
The gaunts pushed at him, trying to get through the narrow opening. Loch glanced over his shoulder, seeing the edge of the barricade. They were ready to push it into place as soon as he was out of the way. Except he couldn’t get out of the way, or else the gaunts would surge through the opening. He had to clear some space.
Holding the energy shield in front of him, blocking stabbing attacks. Rain splattered against the green energy, causing small wisps of smoke to curl up into the air. The gaunts were hazy through the translucent shield, their faces impassive. They didn’t stare at him in anger, they didn’t show any fear. They just kept trying to get past him.
It was unnerving.
Everything about the Gray Gaunt Drones was unnerving. They seemed to learn from others, having some kind of hive mind. The Warriors, Shamans, and Houndsmen that Loch had fought had more independent thoughts. They had been their own being. The Drones were not.
They were truly drones.
He Activated Lightning Bulwark’s elemental wave, pushing energy out at the gaunts. They staggered back, but not enough. He wanted to unleash a Thunderclap, but there wasn’t enough room to swing Onyx. He used Elemental Surge instead.
Channeling his Spirit into his armor, Loch pushed it through the leather. It gained strength, melding with the armor’s own Spirit. He could feel the energy spreading through the armor, connecting each piece into a whole. The leather vibrated, wanting to unleash the built-up Spirit.
It was an Ability he didn’t use often, one of the two given by his full set of Challenger’s Armor. Bulwark’s lightning field was an almost duplicate of Elemental Surge. Loch used the shield more, so that aspect got used more, Elemental Surge almost forgotten.
Loch Activated the Ability.
A wave of pressure slammed into the staggered gaunts, pushing them further back. A couple tripped, falling into others and those falling as well. Arms and legs got tangled, the mass of gaunts getting in each other’s way. Small bolts of lightning crackled across their bodies, the air supercharged with static electricity.
The pressure against Loch lessened, allowing him to step back.
He passed the interior edge of the wall and kept going, watching as the desk was pushed forward. It blocked the narrow opening, concrete blocks being piled behind it to give it strength and weight. The opening in the wall was a weak spot, one the desk didn’t fully protect.
Men lined up behind the desk, long makeshift spears held in front. Others climbed onto other desks to the side, their spears ready to stab down.
Loch walked back some more, the defenders around him clearing space. He sat down on the ground, feeling exhausted. The whole thing had only lasted seconds, maybe a couple of minutes at most, but Loch felt as if he’d been fighting for hours. He’d used a lot of Spirit in a short amount of time.
The fighting was intense along the wall. A gaunt stepped into the opening, a spear slamming into its shoulder, pushing it back. It tried pushing through the spear; another one from high took it in the shoulder. The two guards pushed, driving the gaunt back. It slammed into another, that one blocked by another, the two unable to move.
A blast of silver energy slammed into the first gaunt. Smoke curled up from the impact, silver-like liquid spreading across its body. The gaunt screamed, falling to the ground. The others backed away. Another blob of energy struck the gaunts, spreading across a couple of them.
Loch looked up, seeing Piper at the edge of the roof. It was getting dark, the roof hard to see, only Cerie’s green glow highlighting Piper and a figure next to her. Probably Darren.
He looked around for one of the teens serving as runners. Cerie’s glow highlighted Piper.
She stood out, an easy target.
He started to push himself up, wanting to get her to step back, to get Cerie to stop glowing.
The glow disappeared, the black silhouettes of those on the roof barely visible in the darkness of the storm. Loch sighed, glad that she wasn’t as visible. Hopefully, the gaunt shamans hadn’t spotted the glow from the roof.
“Thanks,” someone said, sitting down next to Loch.
He looked over at Randy Sager, the man looking twice as exhausted as Loch felt. He leaned his head against his knees, rubbing at his temples. The man had to have used up all his Spirit for the near-constant use of his Abilities. Health, Stamina, and Spirit Reserves all regenerated, but it was much slower during combat.
Like his experience gains, Loch could feel the mental bars that represented his stats. It was rough, an estimate, but it didn’t seem to be going up as quickly as it should have been. He concentrated on the feeling of the Spirit Reserves. That was the natural amount his Core generated using the ambient Spirit of the world around him, different from his experience for Advancement that came from the Spirit of others.
To his mind, it was a bar. He didn’t know if everyone visualized it that way or just him. It reminded him of the bars he’d had in most of the games he’d played. A way to see how much was needed to be at max. Where this was mental, he could feel the ends of the bar, a container for the Spirit. He could feel the Spirit itself, how much of it filled up the container. Normally, he could feel it regenerating, replacing what had been used.
It was still regenerating, just much slower. It was at a pace similar to when he was in combat.
Loch cursed.
Of course he was still in combat. The enemies he’d been engaged with hadn’t retreated or been killed. And it hadn’t been long enough to reset. He wondered if that would happen. It wasn’t something he’d had to deal with yet, but in games, after a certain amount of time, combat would automatically end. Did it work that way with the Connection?
Loch doubted it.
“I got Level Seven,” Randy said, lifting his head from his knees.
He pushed long rain-soaked hair out of his face, trying to wipe his hand on wet pants. After a couple of seconds, he gave up.
“Congratulations,” Loch said, pushing himself up. “Get some rest. We’ll need you again soon.”
“Yeah,” Randy said, standing as well.
He looked around for the rest of the group he’d been with. Loch could only see Malcolm, the healer, and the archer Erik, who remained on the wall. He couldn’t see Roger, Mike Turner, or Theodore. Probably run to the staging area behind the school, Loch thought, not really surprised. It was the kind of thing Roger Lewis seemed capable of. Instead of staying and helping fight, he ran off to rest.
Which wasn’t a bad thing. They probably needed it. Loch just wished that he’d remained at the wall, remained fighting, until told to go rest. Like Randy. He looked like he was debating going onto the wall or going to rest.
“Go,” Loch said. “You need to get out of combat and regain your Spirit.”
Randy nodded, reluctantly turning and jogging to the back of the school. Loch could see the white canvas of the easy-up instant canopies that’d been erected to provide some shelter for the wounded and resting. There would be food, mostly just protein bars and water. The people inside the school, the non-combatants, would be going hungry so the defenders would stay well-fed.
Loch didn’t like having to make that decision, but there was no choice. If the defenders couldn’t fight at their peak, they’d be overwhelmed, and everyone would die. Being a little extra hungry was a small price to pay. Not that everyone agreed with him.
There had been a couple of non-combatants that had argued. Accused him of favoritism and other, not as nice things.
Loch had ignored them.
The fighting sounded intense and the glow of Abilities was sharp in the storm brought darkness. Bolts of lightning lit the horizon, the booming of thunder joining the clang of metal on metal or the explosions and crashes of varied Abilities going off. He knew he needed to get back on the wall and join in, but he needed his Spirit to regenerate.
At least a little more.
If he joined in the fighting, it would regen much slower than it was now, and he’d lose more through Abilities. Loch knew, logically, that he had to get his Spirit Reserves full before rejoining the fighting. At least most of the way full.
But it was hard, just standing back and not doing anything. He wondered what the people around him thought of their leader. Would they understand why he wasn’t immediately rejoining the fight?
Should he head back up to the roof and get an overview of the entire battle? Had the gaunts spread to the other side of the school, or were they concentrating, for now, just on this section? Another reason to go back to the roof was so he could see where the gaunts were going.
But he’d given Darren the responsibility of that aspect of the fight, directing the defenders where they needed to go. Both had known that Loch would be involved in the fighting. He was the highest Level; it made no sense to take their strongest piece off the board.
And that small part of Loch, the one he tried to deny existed, wanted to be involved in the fighting.
Loch moved over to the wall, watching the gaunts still trying to get through the opening. One of the guard’s spear had broken, the shaft sticking out of a gaunt’s chest. It moved around, the shaft striking the sides as it tried to get at the defenders. They were pushing at it with the other spears, trying to get it to move back. More gaunts pushed against it, jamming it into the opening.
Activating Aura of Attack, Loch felt the Ability spread out in a wave centered on him. Almost immediately, the defenders started attacking faster, their hits sounded harder. He wasn’t sure how far the effect would spread.
The gaunt with the broken spear slammed against the heavy desk, shaking the thing. One of the defenders stumbled, off balance, falling off. His spear fell from his hands, rolling along the ground. The gaunt, sensing the opening, moved to that side, pushing harder.
Loch threw Onyx.
The axe slammed into the gaunt’s head, lightning crackling, bolts spreading around the body. It fell backward, held up by the gaunt behind it.
Loch jumped onto the desk, Onyx appearing back in his hand. He swung the weapon, Activating Thunderclap, keeping the swing small, as wide as the opening. Loch focused, trying to push all the energy the Ability normally dispersed into the smaller arc.
The wave of energy was visible as ripples in the air. The waves slammed into the gaunts, pushing them backward. They fell, no longer blocking the view through the opening. All Loch could see were gaunts. More had to have shown up. There was a mass of bodies, all moving toward the wall.
And still no sign of Harper.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Aflash of orange streaked through the darkness. It slammed into the wall of the school, flames spreading across the brick. The rain sizzled as it struck, keeping the flames from gathering strength. Loch couldn’t see how much damage they had done. It hadn’t seemed that strong. The Shamans were probably only Level Seven or Eight. He didn’t think they’d be Level Ten or higher.
An answering streak of orange and red shot out from the roof. Through the mass of gaunts, Loch could see flames exploding beyond their lines. He hoped that Kim’s attack had killed the Shamans and Captain but knew they wouldn’t be that lucky.
