29.

The bug died without making a sound, my spear ripping through its flesh as if it was soggy paper. The infusion with the mana hearts had massively improved the weapon to the point it was almost unbelievable. My increased strength was mind boggling, the few points I had added to it had nearly doubled my strength pre-tutorial. It allowed me to do things I would have thought nigh impossible. Like stabbing this arachnid looking bug that was five feet tall and four feet wide, and then hoisting it up into the air like a flag.

Its body went limp, hot blood pouring onto the frozen dirt as its last spasms wracked its body. A sentient being dead in a flash of movement, its small fangs not having the power to punch through my reinforced shield after it sprung its ambush. I dropped it to the ground, putting a boot on its pliable skin, and yanked my spear free. All around me were the scuffle of fighters as they repulsed their own attackers. Scores lay dead, the spider forms failing to do any damage to the mountain squad members. Somewhere to our East were Luke and his two squads.

Miguel flashed to my side, his short sword bloody, but otherwise he looked unbothered by the attack. They had sprung up at us while we were on the wide open plains, less than a mile from our objective; the far East keep, Luke had secured the Northern keep, and Dan had taken three squads of the best he had to take the Southern keep. Afterwards, in three days' time, we would rendezvous at the bug fort. A simple plan, but it had taken hours to hammer out the logistics of it. I had taken my faction out, back to the forest where everyone else was, and spent the night there before leaving at the crack of dawn.

I had sent runners back to our original fort to gather supplies for our new recruits, then spent most of the night convincing the elves to stay with us. Once they were resupplied with enough food, they would all head directly to the bug fort. I had the tentative plan of forcing the final confrontation with Dan there. After they had exhausted themselves taking the fort. I would bring my fresh numbers up and force Dan to take the Oath of Fealty. K.I.S.S, keep it simple, stupid. Not all of the elves had stayed at the camp, Sulian was still recovering, but two of the more combat oriented elves shadowed behind our group. Just in case.

“They’re kinda weak,” Miguel said as we watched the last of the ambushers die. It didn’t appear that we had sustained any injuries in the brief fight. We wouldn’t be slowed at all.

“These aren’t the fighters. Or, at least, that’s what Dan thinks. When Luke took the keep we were at, they said he fought a red wasp looking one that was fairly tough even for him.”

“Do you think they’ll have some at the keep?”

“Seems likely. They had some at the Northern one, why not the Eastern one?”

“I want to see if I can beat it.”

I shot a look at Miguel. Watching his confidence blossom over the last several weeks had been a revelation. He was growing into a fairly skilled fighter and had the heart of a warrior. He was going to get himself killed.

“Luke’s used all the stat points he’s gained. We are probably close in level, but he’s stronger. If he struggled, why do you think you’ll win?”

“I don’t know. But I’m going to try anyway. I’ve been training hard and my stats are good. I have my skill. I need to see where I’m at and we haven’t fought anything that’s a real challenge since the storm. Plus, in the storm, all I did was help Agatha. The commanders are good, but hard to get alone.”

“We don’t have the girls with us. It’s just the two of us. If it overwhelms you, I won’t be enough to save you right now.”

“I need to be able to stand on my own.”

“We aren’t a species made for being alone, Miguel. We work better as a team. Still, if you want to fight a wasp, I’ll back you up and let you have your shot at it.”

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“Thanks, Billy,” Miguel smiled as he cleaned his sword then re-sheathed it. I just shook my head at the impetuous nature of teenagers. I hoped if we found his family they would help the young man calm down a bit. We could all see Agatha’s growth, and his own growth beginning to lag was clearly bothering him. Almost all of our fighting had been impersonal battles where he hadn’t had a chance to shine. He wanted to stand out, to be seen. I could do that. I’d watch and make sure he didn’t die.

We waited as the rest of the mountain squads slowly regrouped into our loose formation before pushing forward toward the keep. I couldn’t tell if the ambush was a delay tactic or if we had just ran into a scouting party that had decided to ambush us. How smart were the bugs? There were at least two varieties of them, what was leading them? Were they beyond us? So many questions, yet so far they seemed weak combatants. How they had managed to defeat the mountain region, I had no idea.

We pushed forward, moving at a slow jog, careful now that we had been taken by surprise once. While it hadn’t led to injuries, it had been enough of a scare to make most everyone careful. Miguel was one of the few who seemed unbothered, jogging along without a care in the world. I was really going to have to keep an eye on him. It took less than twenty minutes for the keep to come into view.

The same boring architecture as the rest. Basic wall around a basic round tower. It was completely covered in spiderweb, ranging out and all around it in a web of sticky silk. There were scores of the scuttling black spiders racing over the web. I didn’t worry about the numbers of spiders, even with them being absolutely monstrous. It was the trio of red wasps buzzing around the top of the keep in circles that had me worried. Luke had fought a single one when he had taken his keep. He was the strongest one here without a doubt, and had gained levels since then. Could he occupy two of them while Miguel and I dealt with the last one? Or would I have to face one of them by myself?

It’d be dumb to face one by myself. All of the mountain squad members had more stats than me and nearly equal the amount of combat time and training. I couldn’t be a leader who fought from the back though. The oath of fealty was a desperate measure, it wasn’t something I trusted. I needed them to respect me, and in a world like this, combat power was respected. Could I fight the heavy hitters that the other sides threw at us, or would I stay back and sacrifice others to protect myself.

“Miguel, you get your wish. You can have one of the wasps.”

“I think you get your own too, Billy.” Was the little shit head smiling as he said that? He was adapting a little too well to our new world. I looked around for Luke and his squads. They should be somewhere nearby and their attack would be our signal to launch or own. We would each tackle a side of the keep and work our way into the heart of the nest they were building.

We waited for ten minutes until Luke and his people came trudging over the slight rise. They were a bit battered, but they were all there. Luke had taken some of the weakest of the fighters with him, while Dan took the cream of the crop. The best fighter with the worst squads to help them stay alive and keep their levels coming. Luke looked bored, his posture relaxed, spear over his shoulder as he walked sedately toward the keep. The ten fighters behind him spread out in a line as they worked their way closer.

I had expected more of a sprint and strike method. The bugs hadn’t used the scorpion on the roof though, instead the keep started to bubble over like an anthill. Dozens of the spiders came pouring out until the silver webbing was covered in a hairy, oversized spiders. Another wasp came flying out of the roof, the four of them making revolutions around the top of the keep.

“This could get ugly. Hayden, preservation of life is the most critical thing. If it looks like we are going to lose, don’t hesitate to pull back,” I gave my orders to the older man. With the oath of fealty, if I ordered them to stay and fight to the death, they’d have to. It was intoxicating and terrifying in equal measure how much power the oath gave me.

“Forward. Slow walk.” We marched in a line, mimicking Luke’s teams. I had no idea how to proceed with attacking a fortified position being held by giant, sentient bugs. Luke was our resident expert with all of one experience. If he was fine with walking up to them, I guess I could be too.

My stomach was churning. Nervous sweat beading along my back and forehead. This was only our second fight outside of the protection of a fort’s walls. The first fight without Bobby and Agatha there. I stretched my legs, long distance eating strides, to take the front of the formation. Lead by example. Don’t piss yourself.

A wasp broke formation and flew like a bullet toward Luke. Its wings’ buzz was louder than the wind from the sea. It took only a second or two for it to cut across the distance. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Luke wasn’t responding, just continuing on his stroll. The wasp dove, mandibles wide open ready to shear the fighter in half. Luke became a blur as he threw his spear at point blank range. Only feet separated them as the spear punched right through the wasp and kept going, coring it like an apple. The dead body fell, still carried by its momentum to land in a boneless heap at Luke’s feet.

Luke just stepped over it, watching as his spear impaled a spider on the webbing near the heart of the keep. Two kills in a single move. I was sure the spider was an accident. Looked dope as fuck though. Higher perception and dexterity stats? How the hell did he manage to do that? I had to force myself to look away and back toward our own problems. Now that the first of the wasps was dead, the spiders took that as a sign. They rushed off of their webbing, scores of them aimed straight at us. A five foot tall wave of spiders approached. Nightmare stuff judging from some of the looks I was seeing from my people.

Miguel blurred away, using dash to appear among the vanguard in a blink. His blade was a blur while he severed limbs as he raced along the forefront of the wave. Bodies tumbled, other spiders running them over and tripping. It was like a car pileup, all of them tripping and falling around each other. The wave was blunted in only seconds as Miguel appeared back next to me, gasping for breath but smiling.

“Attack!” I screamed. I wasn’t going to let this advantage go. The spiders were weak but numerous. Now as they thrashed around in a pile of writhing limbs I was going to thin that number a bit. My spear bit deep, puncturing through the wide body of the closest spider with ease. I twisted and ripped the spear free, feeling the bloom of kill energy race through me. The mountain squads were stabbing all around me. Blood flowing, spattering, drenching us.