Chapter 11 - Surprise Wave

Shouts ranged down the wall in panic, robed magi of all colors flowing down the lines to set themselves behind the shielded warriors in small groups of two or three. The healers, sparse as they were, settled themselves in two’s before the archers along the wall, who were knocking arrows and scanning the horizon. The two lines of heavy warriors stepped forward to the edge of the wall, creating enough space for two to run abreast between them, the healers and archers, if they were lightly armored. I looked back at my companions and saw them looking at me askance.

“We do what we've been training to do! Everyone up and down the lines and roam. Strike fast and hard, stay moving! Keep an eye out for signs of breaks in the line and act accordingly. Make sure nobody gets to the archers and healers! Look for my fire in the sky for a tandem strike!” And with that we moved forward as one body into the channel, the spellblades breaking off and spreading amongst the gathered humans along the walls. Quickly we moved into as much of a position as we could. Chaos still rained when a horn hit our ears. Hazy blue extended from behind us and to the sides, out from the wall and into the plains in front of us forming a sort of barrier for our quarter of the city’s defenses.

Three portals emerged in the distance, their surface similar to rippling water, squinting to make out how large they were, I could only tell in comparison when beasts started exiting, their sizes varying. They streamed through the portals, heading towards us as snarls, hisses, roars and howls were heard from the growing mob of creatures. Dust was kicked up as claws, and padded paws ranged back and forth, the sight of some of them fighting each other was promising as they drew closer. Still they kept spewing forth from the portals until thousands were before us, brown furred creatures on all fours with wicked fangs. Scaled sinuous beasts came forward, claws ripping the loose dirt below apart in their movements with ease. Long -limbed werewolf-like animals with patchy black fur took ground-eating strides as they loped forward.

More details emerged as they approached swiftly, the dark green scaled monstrosities were powerfully built and low to the ground, six legs propelled them forward, their body’s whipping back and forth as they moved. Some twisted version of a moose, the brown-furred amalgamations hooves clodded forward, instead of antlers just large wicked teeth and strangely bright red eyes. It was the lupine animals that really sent a warning down my spine, their eyes were bestial yellow and their movements while seeming ponderous were deceptively fast. Snouts came forward with powerful jaws, the limbs of the werewolves long and powerful, the patchy fur just highlighting the muscles underneath.

I looked around me and saw shaking hands, open mouths and wide eyes. Steely determination underneath everything as the horde came closer. A shout from behind let loose a wave of thin shadows flickering over us, the volley of arrows crashing down into the front of the approaching bloodthirsty host. Many came short but as a few here and there were struck, they stumbled and fell only to be trampled by those behind. The arrows started raining down regularly as they approached our defenses. More and more fell, but it seemed a drop in the bucket compared to what was arrayed before us.

I cycled power from my center and pulled light blue energy to my palm, concentrating on condensing it. As I released it towards the hordes it fell apart halfway to them, just another gust of wind in the world. The robed magi were more successful, working in tandem earth would come from the ground while their partner would blow it forward on a hard gust of air, wrecking the first few beasts they collided with. Fire fell in sheets, singing the animals and bringing piercing cries and howls of pain. But still they came. First a few made it to the bottom, then all the sudden the wave shook as they crashed as a group into it. Scrabbling and scratching trying to get to us.

The heavily armored soldiers to the front stepped forward and started unleashing their own essence wrought creations into the confusing mass. While not flashy, or overly powerful, it was effective, the sheer amount of power from so many sources on display working together was awe-inspiring as the two lines switched back and forth. From the sounds of the beasts, they were being maimed and killed at an astounding speed. After they switched four times, for a total of eight volleys, they reset themselves. I slid forward between two giving them nods that they returned and looked upon the carnage. Parts of animals were indistinguishable from each other, blood and viscera pooled on the bottom of the wall. The beasts climbing over their fallen, some ripping pieces and swallowing their fellows in gluttony. Soon they would start swarming over each other, and with the dent just put into the forces my hopes started rising.

I raised my hand and pulled the heat in my core to the fore. Blasting upwards I tilted the trajectory forward two times. I heard shouts down the line and knew the spellblades would be ready. Looking down I saw shuffling as they stepped forward, looking vulnerable in their light armor compared to the suits of armor either side of us. Counting down the minute since the flame was seen the monsters below continued to swell, as did the power within me. Pulling a noticeable portion of light blue power through my left meridian, and deep red through my right I took aim downwards with each hand. I gathered them in my palms and braced myself, small smidgens of power rotating through my other meridians to keep me grounded.

Well that I did, clearing shining translucent essence shone from my left, whipping the winds in front of me, while my right was emitting a heat haze all on its own. Forward I pushed and my power surged forth in a collaboration up and down the wall with the other spellblades, while we were not one solid line, our power was nothing to be scoffed at. Down the wall patches of destruction came down upon the heads of the horde scrabbling up the walls and down to spill onto the ground. Before me my elements raged down, knocking them down with the physicality of hurricane winds and as the inferno kept feeding off the turbulent winds spreading and racing across the walls, crashing into the ground below with a hollow boom. Carcasses wet with blood caught fire, and as it splashed onto the ground, it spread its payload in large whirling billows.

I pushed my core onward. Larger amounts of essence came to bear as I truly tested my limits. My core started to drain noticeably as my meridians started to strain lightly, like flexing a muscle rarely used. I held the streams of power flowing like overflowing tributaries in my body. The mayhem I caused ramped to a crescendo as it spread out, finally covering a huge swath of land before me and to either side. Reigning in, the outflow guttered to a stop as the billowing fire storm raged a few moments even afterwards, covering hundreds upon hundreds of victims. I breathed heavily and checked my core, less vibrant than before, but I estimated I still had a good portion of reserves.

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Up and down the wall I saw the aftermath of the spellblades and was suitably impressed. The beasts below still a cacophony of pain, and those behind in the much thinner horde now showed hesitation to move forward. Suddenly prompts filled my vision.

You have slain a Level 1 Young Moon Howler!

You have slain a Level 1 Young Scaled Cockatrice!

You have slain a Level 1 Young Hooved Herd Cannibal!

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You have slain 642 Beasts!

Experience granted!

Contribution points earned!

Congratulations, you are now Level 2!

Congratulations, you are now Level 3!

Experience can no longer be earned by slaying Level 1 creatures!

A rush filled me as euphoria descended upon me.

Name: Cildarian

Level: 3

Race: Unrefined Human

Core: (-Nascent- Legendary, Rare)

Natural Affinity: Air

Lesser Affinities: Fire, (Error), (Error), (Error)

Bloodline: Unknown (Affinity Related)

STR - 9 (+2) (Strength)

STA - 9 (+2) (Stamina)

DEX - 10 (+2) (Dexterity)

WIS - 10 (+2) (Wisdom)

INT - 14 (+2) (Intelligence)

CHA - 5 (Charisma)

LCK - 2 (Luck)

Free Points: 10

Achievements: N/A

Resources: N/A

I stepped back as I felt the rush surge in me.

The Archers were already unleashing their own destruction. Throughout the sky shimmering lights of all colors shot like stars, the essence covering the arrows turned the sight into something of wonder. Wave after wave of power infused arrows shot across, they weren't aiming, just dumping arrows in general directions as quickly as possible. The horde below had just begun to gather themselves again, bloodlust overcoming reason. The numbers were already severely depleted from before and as they struck the enemies started going down left and right, every arrow affected the battlefield, some blew chunks out of the beasts, one grisly arrow I noticed fell upon the head of one of those scaled creatures the system called Cockatrice, it went down like an anvil was dropped on it. A Moon Howler’s patchy fur ignited as it burnt to death from the inside out, bubbles of flesh sloughing off it. Hooved herd cannibal was struck in the side and was immediately flash frozen, then shattered turning its own frozen projectiles into deadly shrapnel nearby.

It was incredible. And the enemy host numbered in less than half its former size, and most were injured and maimed now. They were unintelligent beasts but you saw the moment some started to turn away from the walls, but we weren’t done. After all, the Magi had yet to show their worth. Forward they stepped as one and raised their arms and unleashed an all encompassing wave of destruction unlike any others. It wasn’t a mishmash like you would expect but a coordinated assault with different elements dominating sections, opposing essence almost never hindering the other. In fact the booming rumble spread forth, water cascaded over the enemy numbers to my right, moving faster than any river I had ever seen. Sharp spikes of earth were shot into it, obliterating the beasts before it, drowning and crushing them without regard. To my left explosions tore the earth apart, beams of focused light cutting through wherever it landed.

We felt the wall shake as the earth rose in waves, spikes flinging free from the mounds. In the distance I saw a tornado wrapped in water, running through their ranks with shocking cutting power and speed. A collective shout from the Magi brought everything they had to bear as essence exploded from them all, their own creations turning into uncontrollable bombs of every element, and many elements I couldn’t make heads or tails of, I could have sworn I saw an honest to god wave of sound go forth as the opposition simply fell as if asleep. Everywhere the pandemonium struck, limbs started flying even above the wall. The explosive detonation encompassed a staggering amount of space, only flashes of the remainder of the horde were seen through the multi-element chaos. The mass of raging power calmed as the magi slumped to their knees. The devastated battlefield before us only highlighted here and there with flickers of lingering destruction.

Plaintive wines and labored breath were the only thing heard in that moment, a small contingent, a shadow of what was once a mighty force fleeing in the direction of the portals. A cheer started, then suddenly we were all screaming like madmen and women, victorious and alive, every one of us. Hands patting my shoulders, I returned the camaraderie jubilantly. Then a prompt that everyone saw.

The humans of earth have won a decisive victory against the mutated wildlife of their planet.

World first victory against a horde wave with no casualties.

Congratulations, Contribution increased!