CHAPTER 34_HEX - A Zombie Survival LITRPG

Ray

The group decided that they would take a day to rest, gather what they needed for the tunnel assault, and check their equipment.

Ray was still pissed that the prick of a wannabe god Kevin took his handgun, but he was mollified when Grok gave him a few throwing axes. They were nowhere near as lethal as a firearm, but he appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

On top of the rest, the group got to sample the first large batch of Goblin gathered fish. While Ray recognized more than a few of the species they had caught, the little green men also managed to wrangle out one of the large eel fish. The thing had to be nearly ten feet long and weigh several hundred pounds. It had enough meat on it to feed everyone for a few meals.

Derrick had been spot on when he had made the suggestion to have the Goblins fish. In fact, the little guys, while still impossible to understand, seemed to be far more intelligent than they were given credit for by anyone else. Even the System.

When he brought this up to Gale, she laughed at him.

“Thou are correct Ray, they are far more intuitive than most give them credit for. However, this is not because of their initial System rating. Goblins are … interesting creatures. They often take on the characteristics of those around them. Both in form and ability,” she explained. “They rarely survive long enough to do so, but a group of Goblins will evolve depending on their owner, environment, and the care given to them. In rare cases, they have even been able to gain classes and utilize various forms of magic.”

Ray was more than a little shocked. Goblins had, at least according to Gale, an astounding amount of potential. The fact they were thrown away like fodder was mind boggling to him. When you could invest a bit of time, energy, and NEX to make them into far more potent versions of themselves …

As they sat in the cafeteria, Gale saw where Ray’s mind was going. She nodded sadly. “Indeed. Thy thoughts are accurate. Goblin kind does retain an adaptive power that is astonishing. However, many do not see this potential. They would rather have a cheap, easy-to-breed source of fodder and slave labor rather than build up what many within the Systems embrace see as nothing but a nuisance.”

“That’s fucking stupid. From what you described the investment in time and resources isn’t even that much. But it also makes a lot of sense. It's crazy that these guys were nearly feral when I got them, and now they can wield spear formations and fish. That’s nuts!” he exclaimed. “Goblins are borderline over powered!”

Gale stared at him, eyebrow cocked back like the hammer of a shotgun. “Now let us not get ahead of ourselves. Their potential is great, but they are limited in their adaptations. Once a path is chosen they cannot move further forward,” his advisor warned.

“So they have a wide, nearly unlimited number of paths to choose from but are restricted in developing those paths?” Ray questioned. “That’s … pretty fucked.”

“Very fucked indeed,” Gale agreed. “This is why many choose not to promote them into various roles. Why when you can get another slave or refugee for nearly as cheap, but who has far more specialized talents?”

Ray thought on that for a moment before responding. His mind eventually settled on something that had been bothering him for a long time. Something that he could have apparently done a long time ago, but just kept pushing off as something that wasn’t immediately impactful on the goal of staying alive.

“So tell me more about the classes. That prick Kevin locked me out of the store, so I can't pick one yet apparently. But I need to know what I can expect. What should I choose? How do I even choose?” he asked.

Gale stared at him in shock. She tried to form words with her lips but failed miserably. For a long, while she simply stared at the human in front of her. The man who had hired her brought her to this world and was hopelessly lost in the way any part of the System worked. Navigating your screens was one thing, understanding even the basic concept of leveling or the class system was another thing entirely.

Eventually, she got her thoughts into gear and said, “Ray, thy class isn’t something purchased through the store. It is … a class that is either earned through action, inaction or assigned to you by the System at birth. Josephine received one upon being resurrected, remember? A resurrection is a form of rebirth. Although Myrmidon is a class I know nothing of.”

Ray was utterly confused.

“Ray, I have never heard of someone choosing a class. Ever,” the advisor said calmly. “This Kevin God was either mistaken or gave you an inaccurate assessment of the situation at hand.”

“He told me to pick after the Integration though. Those were his exact words. ‘For fucks sake pick a fucking class once the Integration is over’,” he repeated word for word. “It was unlocked for me a while back, but I never really paid attention to it.”

Gale sat back as Jalla and Verrick, of all people, walked into the cafeteria. Seeing them, the duo waltzed over and sat down.

“Based on Ray’s face, you seem to be having a somewhat intense conversation,” Jalla remarked casually with a grin. “Pray, do tell,” he remarked as Verrick observed with silent curiosity.

Ray looked at the Draemon. “Well,” he began with frustration evident in his voice, “I was talked to by Kevin, some god that wanted to chat with me, that I needed to pick my class. Gale though is telling me something completely different. Apparently, classes are not picked?”

Gale was about to respond when Jalla laughed, the soft noise like win glasses touching softly. “She is indeed correct. Beings within the system do not pick their classes,” he said as Gale deflated in relief. “But you are not within the System yet, are you now? You have not died, been born or reborn, or experienced the Integration have you?”

Ray shook his head in the negative.

“Well then, you can hardly be expected to know what to do,” the Draemon explained. “I have seen several Integrations, although none with this number of issues. The core is probably to blame, but I digress. Once the Integration happens, you will most likely get a short list of classes and their accompanying descriptions to choose from. This is how Integrations work. They align a worlds inhabitants with the possibilities that lie before them. These possibilities are built around an untold number of factors that are gathered from the person being integrated.”

“So who I am, what I have done, and what I may be capable of are all taken into account?” Ray asked incredulously. “How the hell does that even work?”

Jalla shrugged. “I know not. I am neither an administrator nor a divine being capable of learning such things. In my long life, however, I have learned that not even those so-called Gods who work within the System know everything. It is, simply put, not knowable.”

“The System sounds like the worst used car salesman ever,” snorted Ray in disbelief.

“I know nothing about a salesman of used cars. However, if your comparison involves not knowing what you are getting, for a high price, and usually feeling regret afterwords… then yes. Yes, it is very much like this used salesman,” Jalla said, laughing.

Ray shook his head. “At least the comparison translated. It's good to know that the System likes to fuck with everyone else as much as it does me,” he said with a sigh.

Jalla cackled, “Oh, no. It is very much a you thing,” he deadpanned.

“What the fuck are you two doing here,” Ray said, a vein popping out on his forehead. “Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for the tunnel shit? How are the bombs coming along?”

Verrick quirked an eyebrow. “Master, Engineer Derrick has finished all seven devices. These ‘fuel cells’ are a strange technology, but they have been altered and are ready. I believe we are just waiting on Lady Gale,” he explained.

“Odd technology? You know what space vessels are but not fuel cells?” Ray asked incredulously.

The Aelvin Ranger shrugged. “Power is generated as needed, and is not a commodity on other worlds as it was on this one. Any polity that has reached the stars has shed their need for energy. However, I do see much utility in the technology,” he explained.

“Right. Yeah, it’s a neat, but dangerous tech for sure. I think Derrick is proving that now,” Ray agreed. Turning to Gale he said, “Ok, time for you to get going. If I hear the explosions I am going to assume you were successful. If not … well if I don’t hear anything in a few hours I am heading your way with everything we have left, myself included.”

Gale nodded her head slightly in agreement and stood. “Very well. Thy determination in arranging a second wave of attackers to cover any failures or holes in this plan is well known. We shall not fail, and thou will not be placed in danger. Mine own clan is riding on the outcome of this Integration as well. I will not risk thy safety carelessly or willingly,” the Drakling said sternly.

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“I will be fine Gale. Like you said, you are not going to fail. Besides, if you do it means most of the people left are dead,” Ray reassured her. “If you are all dead, it's likely I won't be far behind you. Then we won't have to worry bout anything.”

Gale stared at him, eventually huffing and stalking off. As she walked out the doors he heard her say, “That is hardly reassuring!”

Jalla cackled again as he and Verrick stood. “Woman, Ray, are even more mysterious than the System. However, Lady Gale has a point. Keep yourself safe. Don’t do anything that is too dangerous. We should be back within the day.” Then he paused, a small frown on his face. “If you don’t hear anything from us within three hours, it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared to charge in though,” he finished lamely.

With that he and Verrick departed as well, leaving Ray to his thoughts and fears.

With so many moving parts, there were any number of things that could go wrong. They had been met with setbacks and disasters so far, often times back to back. If this gamble didn’t work out then there wouldn’t really be enough of them left to seal the tunnel and land bridge. At that point, they could only hope that the Integration didn’t fuck them all over.

If he could keep the core safe, and stay alive, until the Integration, however, he could bring back everyone who did die. At least he hoped that would be the case. Ray paid serious attention to everyone's warnings about the oddity of how the System was acting. Who knows what the result would be once the timer hit zero? Maybe it was futile and they would all be vaporized as the planet exploded anyway?

No one really knew.

Standing up and stretching his arm above his head, he walked out into the central square. There were several Goblins training with an Orkin in the fighting square. Off to the far side, one of the Thymian mages was practicing with magic. Curious, Ray headed that way. He knew next to nothing about magic and may be able to pry some answers out of them.

He walked up to the square the woman was in and sat on a bench. Watching her, she cycled through several elements. First was a flame in her hand. Then she froze the flame, before letting it dissolve into water, which she then evaporated into mist. Ray watched the process repeat itself, fascinated with what she was able to do.

Without turning towards him she said, “Care to learn? I am not as adept as Remus, but I can show you the basics.”

Ray nodded enthusiastically. “That would be great. I haven’t had a chance to sit and learn at all. Did most of your abilities come with your class?” he asked curiously.

“You should never ask after one’s class,” the woman said seriously. “It is considered incredibly rude, and some cultures would fight you over such a request. Aside from that, basic manners dictate that you learn a person's name prior to asking more … intimate questions.”

Ray had a good enough nature to accept the chastisement. “I’m sorry about that. It's been … a few short weeks since being brought back. I haven’t been the most respectful person since then. Nothing like I was before my, uh, death.”

The woman sat next to him. “I am Althea. Please, tell me your story. It seems a talk would do you more good than burdening your mind with new knowledge to break down.”

Ray was tempted to say no and walk away. He was tempted to turn away Althea’s goodwill. But something in the back of his head told him that not only would that be a bad idea, but it would also result in him blocking off an avenue of communication with his people in the future.

“I am not a good person,” he began after a lengthy pause. “I grew up poor. I fought to make it out of the slums and into pilot school. But I didn’t do that without debt or without a patron. Unfortunately, the only people willing to sponsor a slum kid were those heavily invested in the criminal element.”

Althea nodded as Ray continued, “I piloted what were called ‘runners’ for years. Tiny, single-person smuggling ships that were built to evade detection. Eventually, I built a reputation for myself, rose through the ranks, and found myself the captain of a yacht for some of the more prominent members of the cabal.”

“These criminals, they were not good people. But they were your people. They took care of you, but you had regrets still?” guessed the Thymian woman.

“Regrets would be an understatement. I killed people, stole, smuggled, and broke laws, and in the end what did I amount to? A well-paid taxi driver,” he said bitterly. “I think that’s why I am so … stubborn about this whole thing. Getting mankind back on its feet. I may be an important lynchpin, but someone else could certainly take up right where I left off if I were to bite it. Derrick is a good choice, I think.”

“Regrets are simply our mind's way of continually teaching us of what not to do,” Althea chided lightly. “Your life was hard, as are many peoples across the stars. The System does not make life any easier, simply more convenient. Even with the System, there are many who prey upon others, break the laws, and steal and kill for entertainment. Much less to survive. You did nothing that no other person or being would be willing to do in order to survive. That is it.”

Ray shrugged. The woman’s words were nice, comforting even. But that didn’t make him feel vindicated in anything that he had been responsible for in the past. His actions alone had killed dozens, perhaps hundreds of people. That was a difficult burden to bear.

“Ray, you are a leader of people now. Disparate people who are eager to help you succeed so that they may, in turn, achieve success. Your past actions have no bearing with those of us that are here now,” she said, observing him closely. “Nor do we care. We have all done things in the name of survival that has required us to look into the past with regret. Sometimes even despair. The path forward, what we do from those moments onwards, is all that matters to those around us. You cannot allow the chains of the past to restrict your future.”

Ray thought about that for a while, sitting in companionable silence with Althea. She seemed content to wait for him to gather his thoughts and think through what they had just discussed. As he opened his mouth to respond, a massive explosion sounded out from the north side of the fortress. The blast rocked the main square nearly knocking Ray and Althea off the bench.

Ray shot to his feet, Althea right behind him, and headed for the main doors. It was far too early for the bombs to have gone off, not to mention they were six explosions short.

Something had gone wrong.

***

RAYMOND ‘RAY’ FINNEGAN

RACE

HUMAN

CLASS

NONE

NEX

CALCULATING

LEVEL

PHYSICAL STATE

ALERT

MENTAL STATE

WORRIED

ATTRIBUTE

BASE

CURRENT

NEX TO INCREASE

STRENGTH

AGILITY

POWER

100

WISDOM

LUCK

400

JOSEPHINE SANCHEZ