Prelude

How in the absolute fuck did I end up here? There I was just minding my own damn business and the world went to shit. Everyone is on this damn medieval castle wall and a horde of animals - no I reminded myself - beasts are attacking, doing their utmost to rip our faces off. Slick with sweat and sword heavy in hand, the air churning about, cutting down wind resistance and empowering my limbs with speed. Fire flickered from my offhand trying to keep death at bay. The men next to me used their elementary magics as best they could, earth and water flashing up and down the walls from others to pummel and puncture. Fire blasts and cutting wind searing and slicing fur and scaled appendaged monsters alike. 

There were already multiple breaches with the beasts gaining footholds on the wall, which was slick with blood. Allies, beasts, monsters it all melded together to make our footing treacherous. We were bartenders, accountants, stockbrokers, mailmen, police officers, even a local tycoon or two. All walks of life were represented in this world of a past age in which we were transported to just the other day. The sunlight was similar yet different, shedding a whitish yellow glow polluted by the haze of burnt flesh and wet, humid air. Time felt sluggish and fast all at once every day and even some nights they came. Hounding us unrelenting in their furor to get to us. 

I leaned back as a crude hatchet came whistling by me from the creature trying to gain purchase. Long armed kobolds this time - not the smartest it seemed, but absolutely devastating when allowed close. Not quite the size of the average man, it more than made up for it in animal instincts and ferocity. Moving forward in step with my blade, I stabbed forward as it overextended - landing the blow deep in its shoulder. Focusing the wind on my leg I bought it forward, simultaneously clearing my blade and pushing the kobold off the wall. The beast tried to slash at me again as he flailed, but I was empowered by wind. Elusive. That was when we heard it. The horn. The blessed horn blown by a cursed System we were now a part of.

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My mana was half full and together with everyone else capable of large scale destruction I summoned it. The energy cycled within me and was turned into the elements I had access to in the ratio I forced upon it. Our usage was rudimentary at best, but we did what we could with what little we learned every day. My Meridians as I learned cycled the elemental energy, fire and wind. My Bloodline allowed easier manipulation and harnessed my considerable will into creating what I thought was the most powerful widespread attack any in this keep was capable of. Wind became visible and the fire vying for dominance melded, quickly growing uncontrollable. A firm shove from my mind expanded then condensed my gift to the attackers before it was sent spinning into the middle of their ranks where they were thickest. To the left and right of me similar scenes played out, different elements and even some combination of elements were sent out a heartbeat behind mine. But mine always arrived first and this was no different than the other times.

It landed and it almost seemed nothing would happen until it created a conflagration spreading tens of feet in every direction. The epicenter was more chaotic, the cutting winds built in rending bodies asunder. I fell to a knee and watched as earth swallowed groups only to die on the spikes made below, Tidal waves drowned and mangled them, piercing here and there. Fireblooms came alive all across the horde, and wind cut its way down the walls clearing most of the congestion. The horn was a warning, a battle about to end, time was up for this particular horde. As the collective breath of humanity was heard heaving in this blasted place the notifications I put to the side and ignored during the battle came to the forefront. 

A quick perusal of the experience and points earned ran before my eyes. A rare smile graced my lips until I saw the losses on our side. Some of the broken bodies were ours, always some were ours but how long could we keep this up? While we got stronger we also became fewer. The Hordes increased in difficulty and diversity every time.. I remember when it first started, when that fateful day the god I no longer believe in chose to forsake us. The System.