The scout lay sprawled in the snow near the village’s main longhouse, his breathing shallow and labored. Freya and Bjorn knelt beside him, while John lingered a few steps back, nervously glancing at the system prompt still floating in his vision.
[NEW QUEST: “Prepare for the Onslaught”]
Freya tightened her grip on the scout’s shoulder. “How far out are they?” she asked, her voice steady despite the tension in her eyes.
“Two days,” the scout wheezed. “Maybe less. At least thirty men... they’re better armed... better trained.” He coughed violently, blood flecking his lips. “They’re coming to finish what the others started.”
Bjorn’s expression darkened. “Rest now. You’ve done your duty.”
The scout slumped into unconsciousness as a healer rushed over to tend to him. Bjorn stood, his broad shoulders rigid as he surveyed the gathered villagers. “You all heard him. We’ve got two days, maybe less, to prepare. If we’re not ready, we’ll lose everything.”
A murmur of fear rippled through the crowd, but Bjorn’s voice cut through it like an axe. “We will stand. We will fight. And we will survive.”
The villagers nodded hesitantly, but John could see the fear etched into their faces. Bjorn turned his gaze to him, the weight of expectation heavy in his eyes.
“Bone Caller. Your magic saved us once. We’ll need it again.”
Back in the longhouse, Bjorn, Freya, and a few other key villagers gathered around a crude wooden table to plan their defense. A map of the village, hastily scratched onto a scrap of leather, lay before them.
Bjorn pointed to the eastern side. “The wall here is still weak from the last attack. If they breach it, we’re finished.”
Freya nodded. “We’ll need reinforcements there, but we don’t have enough fighters. What about the Bone Caller’s undead?”
All eyes turned to John. He swallowed hard, suddenly very aware of how out of place he looked in his scorched hoodie and muddy jeans.
“I mean... yeah, I can raise a few skeletons,” he said, scratching the back of his neck. “But I’ve only got so much mana. If I burn through it too fast, I’ll be as useful as a paper shield.”
Bjorn grunted. “Then you’ll need to use them wisely.”
Freya leaned forward, her blue eyes sharp. “What if we focus on traps? Use the skeletons to lure the raiders into choke points. The rest of us can pick them off from a distance.”
Bjorn stroked his beard thoughtfully. “It could work. But we’ll need time, and resources.”
The system prompt flickered into John’s vision again.
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[QUEST OBJECTIVES UPDATED: “Prepare for the Onslaught”]
* Objective 1: Strengthen the eastern wall.
* Objective 2: Set traps around key choke points.
* Objective 3: Coordinate the villagers’ defense.
Rewards: +500 EXP, +10 Reputation (Village), Rare Skill Unlock.
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John sighed, rubbing his temples. “Looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me.”
John started at the eastern wall, where a group of villagers was already piling logs and stones to reinforce the weak point. Freya handed him a saw and gestured toward a stack of timber.
“Start cutting,” she said with a grin. “Or do your skeletons do carpentry now?”
John groaned, rolling up his sleeves. “Fine, but don’t blame me if I lose a finger.”
As he worked, he summoned a single skeleton to assist, its bony hands awkwardly dragging logs into place. The villagers eyed it warily, but after a while, they seemed to relax, watching as it moved with surprising efficiency.
“Your magic’s not so bad,” one of the villagers muttered grudgingly. “Better than nothing.”
“High praise,” John replied dryly, wiping sweat from his brow.
By the end of the day, the wall stood taller and sturdier than before. John dismissed his skeleton, his mana bar hovering at 60, and leaned heavily on his walking stick. Freya clapped him on the back.
“Not bad, Bone Caller,” she said. “You might actually survive this.”
“Gee, thanks,” John muttered. “That’s what I live for, barely surviving.”
The next task was more complicated. Freya and a group of hunters worked with John to set traps along the most likely paths the raiders would take. They dug shallow pits and lined them with sharpened stakes, covering them with branches and snow.
John contributed by raising two skeletons, using them to haul logs and stones to block off other routes. He activated Gravebond on one of them, making it faster and stronger, which impressed the hunters.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
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[GRAVEBOND ACTIVATED]
Mana Cost: 10
Remaining Mana: 50
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“This one’s... useful,” a hunter remarked as the enhanced skeleton hefted a log that would have taken two men to move.
Freya smirked at John. “See? Even the grumpy ones are starting to like you.”
“I’ll throw a party when I’m not about to keel over,” John said, glancing at his dwindling mana bar.
As the day wore on, Bjorn gathered the villagers to finalize their defensive positions. John found himself at the center of the discussion, much to his dismay.
“You’ll control the eastern wall,” Bjorn said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Your skeletons will hold the line. The rest of us will cover the flanks.”
John hesitated, the weight of responsibility pressing down on him. “What if I... I don’t know... screw it up?”
Bjorn’s gaze was steady. “Then we all die.”
“Cool,” John said weakly. “No pressure.”
Freya stepped closer, her voice softer. “You’ve got this, John. You’re smarter than you look.”
“Thanks... I think.”
The weight of the coming battle settled over the village like the heavy gray clouds above. Every villager was busy fortifying walls, sharpening weapons, or setting traps in the snow-covered forest. Even children scurried about, carrying tools and supplies under the watchful eyes of their elders.
John stood awkwardly near the longhouse, clutching a rusted sword Bjorn had thrust into his hands. He turned it over, squinting at the chipped blade.
“Is this thing... safe?” he asked.
Bjorn grunted, his arms crossed. “It’s better than nothing.”
“Debatable,” John muttered, swinging the sword experimentally. The uneven weight nearly pulled him off balance.
Freya appeared at his side, a sly grin on her face. “Careful, Bone Caller. You might hurt yourself.”
John rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because that’s what I need, my own sword killing me before the raiders get the chance.”
Bjorn sighed, gesturing for John to follow him. “You need more than magic in a fight. Time to learn how to use that thing before you embarrass yourself.”
Bjorn led John to a clearing near the village gate, where several villagers were sparring with wooden weapons. He handed John a wooden training sword and motioned for him to face off against Freya, who twirled her practice axe like it weighed nothing.
“Okay,” John said, gripping the sword awkwardly. “Go easy on me.”
Freya smirked. “No promises.”
The moment Bjorn barked “Begin!” Freya lunged, her axe swinging in a wide arc. John yelped, stumbling back and barely raising his sword in time to block. The force of the blow numbed his arms, and he dropped the sword, falling flat on his back in the snow.
Freya laughed, planting the axe in the ground. “You’re a natural.”
“Glad you’re having fun,” John grumbled, brushing snow off his hoodie.
Bjorn shook his head. “Again.”
They went through the motions over and over. John fumbled, tripped, and fell more times than he could count, but with each attempt, he grew a little steadier. He learned to anticipate Freya’s movements, dodging her swings instead of relying on clumsy blocks.
By the time they paused for a break, John was drenched in sweat despite the cold.
“You’re improving,” Bjorn admitted grudgingly.
“High praise coming from you,” John panted. “What’s next? Sword juggling?”
“Not yet,” Freya said with a grin. “Let’s try something practical.”
Freya handed John a spear, its wooden shaft smooth but sturdy. “You’ll be fighting alongside your skeletons, right? Use the spear to keep enemies at a distance while your undead handle the close combat.”
John tested the weight of the spear, which felt more balanced than the sword. “This... actually makes sense. Why didn’t I start with this?”
Freya shrugged. “We wanted to see you fall over a few more times.”
John shot her a withering glare but stepped into position as Freya picked up her axe.
“Use your reach,” she said, circling him slowly. “Don’t let me get too close.”
When Freya lunged, John thrust the spear forward. She sidestepped easily, but he quickly adjusted, spinning the shaft to block her next swing. The impact jarred his arms, but he stayed on his feet.
“Better,” Freya said, backing off. “Now try combining it with your magic.”
John nodded, summoning a skeleton beside him.
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[RAISE UNDEAD ACTIVATED]
Mana Cost: 20
Remaining Mana: 80
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The skeleton rose, clutching a rusted sword. Freya smirked, attacking again with a series of quick strikes. John directed the skeleton to intercept her, its movements clumsy but effective enough to force her back.
Using the spear, John jabbed at her from a distance, driving her into a defensive stance. For a moment, he felt like he might actually have a shot at surviving this fight.
Freya grinned, her eyes glinting with approval. “Not bad, Bone Caller. Not bad at all.”
Bjorn stepped forward, nodding. “You’re still clumsy, but you’re learning. Use your head and your magic, and you might just make it through tomorrow.”
“Thanks for the confidence boost,” John said, wiping sweat from his brow.
By the end of the day, John felt more prepared, though only slightly. He kept the spear, its longer reach giving him a shred of confidence, and Bjorn begrudgingly handed him a leather jerkin that had seen better days.
“You’ll need more than that hoodie,” Bjorn said.
“Thanks,” John replied, slipping it on over his tattered clothes. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.
Freya clapped him on the back. “Welcome to the fight, Bone Caller. Let’s hope your skeletons like the front line.”
John snorted. “They’d better. It’s in their job description.”
That night, as the village settled into uneasy silence, John sat outside his hut, sharpening the spear with a whetstone Freya had given him. He stared at the point, his thoughts drifting.
Back home, he’d been nothing, a guy with no ambition, no skills, no purpose. Now he was standing on the edge of a battle he didn’t ask for, armed with nothing but a spear, some skeletons, and a sarcastic streak.
“I’m not a hero,” he muttered to himself.
But as he glanced at the glowing system prompt in his vision, he couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, he could be something more.
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[NEXT OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE THE RAIDERS’ ASSAULT]
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John stood, gripping the spear tightly. Whatever tomorrow brought, he’d face it head-on, or at least, he’d give it his best shot.