Explosions. Anything that Gavensburg military had left was set up in the last few hours in hopes of decreasing the number of monsters. Mines were thrown onto the outskirts of the city, at least a hundred of them. Explosion charges meant for destroying doors and rocks packed together into buckets with metal screws made into traps. Anything that was thought about was done and prepared in a mere few hours.
I looked on to the massive horde that was coming closer and closer, finally the first monsters made their way to the makeshift wall of cars and stopped. Most were simple monster dogs, a swarm of beast with no hair and bloody red skin, muscles visible making them disgusting. The rest were bear-like creatures, but they were only similar in size and body build rather than look. Their skin was red just like the dogs and muscles even more pronounced, twisted some would say even.
No one manned the wall, hundreds of bear-like monsters smashed into it and soon toppled it over in multiple places. Explosions stopped, mortar ammunition ran out, mines were walked into and every trap was triggered. Thousands of monsters died, a drop in the bucket.
The swarm entered the city, making me stand up. The plan was simple: defend the choke points between buildings and retreat waiting for reinforcements. With a spear in my hand I jumped down onto the street below, leaving my bow and throwing daggers on top of the building.
I landed, despite the height of the building my endurance made sure that my bones and muscles were fine. There were no soldiers around me, no willing people to even throw rocks to defend their homes, or rather they were all behind the first barricade.
The monsters were all around me, a mere second was enough for them to notice me. Someone shouted, yet my brain was too focused on any and all movement to listen to those shouts. A second later, in the middle of an opening with hundreds of monsters all around me the first dog made its move. It leaped straight at me.
The monster was slow, with a single step to the right and a flick of the spear it sailed past me, its throat cut and bleeding. Not enough to kill it right away, not enough to cut off its head but it would die in a couple of minutes. Stamina had to be preserved if I were to make my stand here.
Another one leaped, this time the monster dog wasn’t alone. All that were close to me charged at me signaling the start of a fight.
I dashed towards the opening, swinging my spear wide, striking two dogs more, wounding them severely and getting out of the spot where most dogs charged for. Without stopping I changed direction noticing my next targets. Another swing and another two dogs down, a bear barreled at me, slow in its tracks.
Another side step. The bear was struck at the throat but the cut was too shallow making it only bleed a little. I jumped away from it and focused only on dogs. The soldiers would have to get rid of the bigger ones themselves. As I landed I swiped my spear on another dog catching the back of its neck with my blade making it fall dead on the ground immediately. It was something that I had to avoid as well, striking too many bones with my blade would break it making it almost useless. Throat, guts or even an eye stab or cuts were really my only options.
[Melee Weapon Mastery] is now level 13. You have gained 1 Path point. Increases handling of the melee weapons. Increases Strength while using melee weapons by 13%.
The notification was ignored by me as I side stepped yet another attack and pounced myself on yet another dog not expecting my attack. It died, the neck skewered by my spear.
[Detect presence] used.
Four dogs around me, two meters and closing. I side stepped, this time getting hit as the dog bit into my left shoulder. Holding onto it trying to chew through my clothes and skin.
[3 Damage received] Health 297/300
With a twirl of my body I smashed the dog that held onto me into another that was about to hit me, at the same time my spear with a single slash cut two throats of yet another two dogs.
I could have dodged the dog in the first place using [Half-step] but resources were important.
Stamina 293/300
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If I were to make a dent in this horde, dying or not, I would stop as many of them as I could. They were here because of me, and I would see them in the underworld if I had to. Only a single minute passed from the start of this fight. I pounced again as more dogs did the same to me, being less successful though.
-
[Melee Weapon Mastery] is now level 20. You have gained 1 Path point. Increases handling of the melee weapons. Increases Strength while using melee weapons by 20%.
Something squelched under my feet as I swung my spear yet again, cutting yet another dog down.
Stamina 147/300
The street, the very ground, was red from blood. The shouts of men and women defending the choke point at some point became quiet. If they were dead or withdrew to another one deeper into the city I didn't know. The dogs pounced, I sidestepped and slashed out. Sometimes I was hit.
Health 208/300
Darkness descended at some point, an hour or two, I didn’t know how much time passed. Then light again, flares. The ground was red, my hands were red, my clothes were red and now the sky itself was red. Everything was red.
Then everything shook. A sound of cracking so loud that made me stop in my tracks. Make the monsters stop if even for a second. So loud that every mine, every mortar or C4 explosion paled in comparison. It came from the middle of the city. It didn’t matter if we lost or not, I would be dead anyway.
My spear and I danced, hundreds of dogs dead beneath my blade even if I didn’t kill any of the bears. They focused on me, those that entered into the city met me first. Even if most passed by as I fought in the middle of the roundabout with multiple streets heading into the city I slowed them down.
-
There was a fast one, the first one that I saw and soon it was on top of me.
[7 Damage received] Health 152/300
It’s teeth sinking into my right arm, right at the wrist, the very one that I used to hold my spear with. I was tired.
Stamina 117/300
But not physically. The constant fight, the constant battle took its toll on my head. I dropped my spear due to pain, or my shredded muscle simply gave out. My left hand formed a fist and smashed the weasel like monster onto its head, trying and hoping that it would let go.
It didn’t.
[5 Damage received] Health 147/300
There was no other option, I brought my right hand in front of me and used my left left hand to keep the monster steady in front of me, even if it still tried to bite through my whole hand.
[Half-step used]
[14 Damage received] Health 133/300
I smashed the monster first, my face second into the side of the building. My full speed made a smash into the concrete wall and wounded me slightly. Entirely squashing the monster in my hands that was caught between my body and the wall.
I stumbled even though I had a perk that made it almost impossible. Step by step I made my way to where my spear was dropped, noticing only seconds later that all the monsters were getting away from me. Soon I was over my spear making me bend over and pick it. The monster made a circle around me and none attacked. To the front of me, to the left and right… I didn’t look back. I knew what was there and I feared to look onto it. A sigh escaped my mouth. Fear… What was the point? I was dead anyway. I turned to look behind.
Giant. A monster almost twenty meters tall and wide, not even a hundred meters away from me… ‘Mine…. Consume….’ A slight headache hit my head. ‘Come..’ I made a step. Ready to die trying to kill it. It’s mind games not enough to faze me anymore.
[Mental Defense] is now level 1. You gained 1 path point. [Path of the Mind] is now open. Increases mental defenses according to skill level.
“It’s enough, child.” My body froze, not because of fear or a mind attack but because a hand grabbed my shoulder keeping me in place. I turned, the older man with gray short hair and simple military outfit met my eyes. “Stand back.” He said and made a few steps past me towards the monster.
His hands met in front of him as if the man was to pray. The light began dancing, shadows moving all over. Soon, fire sparks flew all over becoming larger and larger and soon they flew. I was mesmerized by its sight.
“Retribution” Fire arrows by dozens, hundreds or even thousands shot towards the monsters after the man spoke. More appeared as the previous ones struck the monsters, ever more and ever larger. An unending wave of fire met the unending wave of monsters. The old man’s hands moved towards the sky, a fireball appeared above him the size of a man, then it grew and grew again.
The monster moved, intent on stopping the man's attacks but before it made a few steps the fireball was already the size of the monster itself and started moving. In a second the fireball met the monster and the inferno engulfed it. I could feel the sheer heat on my skin, under layers of clothes and layers of dried blood despite being far away.
Foul smell of burned meat entered my nostrils, making the smell of iron, the very smell of blood fade away. Then it was over, where the monster once stood was but a pile of ashes and the fire arrows still were appearing and finding all possible targets, out of thousands of monsters in near vicinity none remained.
The fire arrows didn’t stop though, the old man’s hand returned to what appeared to be a praying gesture making more and more fire arrows appear going further and further away from him, beyond the buildings, maneuvering as to not hit any of them.
In a few minutes it stopped, the old man turned and smiled at me warmly. “Come, let’s head to where everyone else is and rest.” The man soon started walking towards the center of the city. I waited for a while, looking around me. Sounds stopped, gunshots, distant screams, sounds of explosions all gone.
With nothing else to do I followed the man that saved my life and the city.